Tantalum (Ta) and tantalum nitride films (Ta2N and TaN) of about 50 nm thickness were reactively sputter deposited onto (100) Si substrate by using dc magnetron sputtering and their diffusion barrier properties in between Cu and Si were investigated by using sheet resistance measurement, x‐ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, and Secco etching. With increasing amounts of nitrogen in the sputtering gas, the phases in the as‐deposited film have been identified as a mixture of β‐Ta and bcc‐Ta, bcc‐Ta, amorphous Ta2N, and crystalline fcc‐TaN. Diffusion barrier tests indicate that there are two competing mechanisms for the barrier failure; one is the migration of Cu into the Si substrate and another is the interfacial reaction between the barrier layer and the Si substrate. For instance, we identified that elemental Ta barrier failure occurs initially by the diffusion of Cu into the Si substrate through the barrier layer at 500 °C. On the other hand, the Ta2N barrier fails at 700 °C by the interfacial reaction between Ta2N and Si substrate instead of the migration of Cu into the Si substrate. For the case of TaN, the barrier failure occurs by the migration of Cu into the Si substrate at 750 °C. It is also demonstrated that the diffusion barrier property is enhanced as the nitrogen concentration in the film is increased.