Sputter-deposited nitrogen-doped titanium-tungsten is useful as a barrier layer in an electroplated gold integrated circuit interconnect structure. However, one persistent problem with the use of this material is the episodic and inexplicable appearance of catastrophic barrier failure. Adding a small amount of nitrogen to the sputtering ambient reduces this problem to a negligible level. Various conjectures have been made as to the role of the nitrogen in the improvement of the barrier performance. In the present work, the role of a metastable crystalline form having an A15 structure is discussed.