Patent ID: 8328585

Claim:
A method of forming a titanium nitride (TiN) film on a substrate, comprising the steps of: forming a first TiN layer with a first grain structure on a top surface of said substrate; forming a second TiN layer with a second grain structure and with less tensile stress than said first TiN layer on a top surface of said first TiN layer; forming a third TiN layer with a third grain structure on a top surface of said second TiN layer, in which: a Ti:N stoichiometry of said first TiN layer is between 1:1.05 and 1:1.15; a Ti:N stoichiometry of said second TiN layer is between 1:2.1 and 1:2.3; and a Ti:N stoichiometry of said third TiN layer is between 1:1.05 and 1:1.15.