Control of plasma flux composition incident on TiN films during reactive magnetron sputtering and the effect on film microstructure (original) (raw)
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Vacuum, 2010
Titanium nitride and titanium oxynitride films were deposited by varying the plasma current density from 10 mA/cm 2 to 40 mA/cm 2 using DC magnetron sputtering at constant gas flow rate and deposition time. Samples were characterized by Grazing Incidence X-Ray Diffraction, XPS, Nanoindentation and colorimetric analysis. Different coloured films like golden, blue, pink and green were obtained at different current densities. At lower current density (10 mA/cm 2 ), golden coloured stoichiometric titanium nitride film was formed. At higher current densities (20, 30 and 40 mA/cm 2 ), non stoichiometric Titanium oxynitride films of colour blue, pink and green were formed respectively. The thickness of the films increased with plasma current density from 43 nm to 117 nm. It was found that the colour variation was not only due to thickness of the film but also due to oxygen atoms replacing the nitrogen positions in TiN lattice. Hardness and Young Modulus of the films were found to decrease from 17.49 GPa to 7.05 GPa and 319.58 GPa-246.77 GPa respectively with increasing plasma current density. This variation of hardness and Young Modulus of the films can be speculated due to change in crystal orientation caused by oxygen incorporation in the films. The film resistivity increased from 16.46 Â 10 À4 to 3.28 Â 10 À1 U cm for increasing plasma current density caused due to oxygen incorporation in the crystal lattice.
The effect of substrate orientation and ion bombardment during the growth on the structure and properties of TiN films deposited by reactive unbalanced magnetron sputtering has been reported. Films deposited at a nitrogen partial pressure of 5×10–5 mbar and a current density of 2.50 mA cm–2 were golden yellow in color, characteristic of stoichiometric TiN. The effect of Si(100) and Si(111) substrates on the TiN film along with the substrate bias has been investigated. With an increase in the substrate bias on Si(111) substrate, TiN(111) is the most preferred orientation. On a Si(100) substrate with an increase in the substrate bias, TiN(220) orientation has been observed. The influence of the substrate on the growth of TiN films has been explained in terms of surface energy. The variation of grain size, resistivity, and the internal stress of TiN films as the function of substrate bias have also been investigated
Effect of ion bombardment on the structure of sputtered Ti---N films
Nuclear Instruments and …, 1989
Ion bombardment of growing films strongly influences their microstmcture and so their physical properties. This paper deals with the investigation of the structure of nonstoichiomet~c thin TiN films prepared by reactive dc magnetron sputtering at low and high negative bias voltage. The structure of the films as a function of the nitrogen flow rate +'N2 at several combinations of deposition parameters is given. Special attention is given to the transition from the ai-Ti(N) phase to the S-TiN_r phase and to the rise of the t-Ti,N phase. Experiments show that TiN films with the highest microhardness do not need to contain the r-Ti ,N phase as is, so far, usually reported.
Synthesis and Characterization of TiN Thin Films by DC Reactive Magnetron Sputtering
Suan Sunandha Science and Technology Journal
In this work, the titanium nitride (TiN) thin films were prepared on Si-wafers by using the DC reactive magnetron sputtering from a pure titanium target. The influence of N2 flow rates, in the range of 1.0-4.0 sccm, on the as-deposited TiN film’s structure was characterized by several techniques. (i) The crystal structures were studied by GI-XRD. (ii) The film’s thicknesses, microstructures, and surface morphologies were analyzed by FE-SEM. (iii) The elemental composition of films was measured by EDS. (iv) The hardness was measured by the nano-indentation. (v) The color was identified by a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The results showed that the as-deposited films were polycrystalline of B1-NaCl structure. The lattice constants were ranging from 4.211-4.239 Å. The as-deposited films showed a nano crystal size in the range of 17.8-24.6 nm. The thickness decreases from 1254 nm to 790 nm with following in the N2 flow rates. The concentration of Ti and N depended on the N2 flow rates. The ...
Investigation of Titanium Nitride Thin Films Treated in Hot Cathode Arc Discharge Plasma System
Applied Science Letters, 2016
Titanium thin films were grown using DC magnetron sputtering, and then treated in a hot cathode arc discharge plasma system for nitrding by keeping 80 % N2 and 20 % H2. In this plasma system, we can independently control the plasma and nitrding parameters. During our analyses, low intensity and larger FWHM of diffraction peaks clearly indicated that TiNx films are not fully crystalline and a large fraction of them is still amorphous. AFM measurement showed that there is a reduction in particle size (32.76 nm to 16.95 nm) as well as in surface roughness (35.6 nm to 31.8 nm) with an increase in nitriding time (60 min. to 120 min.). Photoluminescence measurement depicted the presence of strong peak at 3.24 eV and other weak peak at 3.37 eV for the sample nitrided for 120 min. The modifications in local electronic structure after nitriding are understood using XPS measurements at different elemental edges. TiNx films developed using DC magnetron sputtering and treated in plasma system may find applications in solar control panels and as a resistance to high temperature coatings.
Properties of titanium nitride films prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering
Materials Science and Engineering: A, 2007
Titanium nitride (TiN) thin films of different thickness were deposited by direct current (dc) magnetron sputtering under conditions of various N 2 concentrations (0.5-34%). The electrical, optical, structural, compositional and morphological properties of the films were studied and the results were discussed with respect to N 2 concentration and thickness of the films. At low N 2 concentration of 0.5% (of the total sputtering pressure 1.1 Pa), golden coloured stoichiometric TiN films were obtained and with increase in the N 2 concentration non-stoichiometric TiN x phases resulted. However, irrespective of the N 2 concentration, the TiN stoichiometry in the films increased with increase in the film thickness. In the surface of the films the presence of nitride (TiN), oxynitride (TiO x N y ) and oxide (TiO 2 ) phases were observed and the quantity of these phases varied with the N 2 concentration and thickness. The films of lower thickness were found to be amorphous and the crystallinity was observed in the films with increase in the thickness. The crystalline films showed reflections corresponding to the (1 1 1), (2 0 0) and (2 2 0) orientation of the cubic TiN and also features associated with TiN x phases. The transmission spectra of the films revealed the typical characteristics of the TiN films i.e. a narrow transmission band, however, the width varied with thickness, in the wavelength range of 300-600 nm and exhibited low transmission in the infrared region. The TiN films deposited at low N 2 concentration of 0.5% showed smooth and uniform morphology with densely packed crystallites. With increase in N 2 concentration various characteristics such as needle type crystallization, bubble precipitates and after bubble burst morphologies were observed in the films. However, at higher N 2 concentration conditions, uniformity developed in the films with increase in thickness.
Structure and Composition of TiVN Thin Films Deposited by Reactive DC Magnetron Co-sputtering
Procedia Engineering, 2012
Ternary nitride hard coatings are known of excellent wear characteristics which have proved to be successfully transferable to industrial application. This paper presents the structures and compositions of TiVN thin films deposited by Reactive DC Magnetron Co-sputtering technique from a titanium target and a vanadium target alternatively in a mixed Ar/N 2 atmosphere. By variation of the vanadium sputtering current, different samples have been obtained. The sputtering current effects on structures, surface morphologies and element compositions were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) employing Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX). It was found that crystal structures, microstructures, surface morphologies and element compositions of TiVN thin films depended on the deposition parameters. All the samples are composed of TiVN crystal structure (111) (200) and (220) planes and the crystallinity of films changed as a function of vanadium sputtering currents. Roughness and average thickness of the films increased from 2.60 to 7.07 nm and 222.78 to 490.99 nm respectively. The EDX results indicated that the atomic ratio of V to Ti was increased from 0.13 to 1.58.
Titanium nitride nano-structure by DC magnetron sputtering plasma
Titanium nitride is useful as hard coating for surface durability It also provides wear and corrosion resistance to the coated material Direct current magnetron sputtering is used for deposition of titanium nitride (TiN) on an alloy of copper and tin (bell-metal) substrate Plasma is produced in argon and nitrogen reactive gas environment with titanium (cathode) as the target for the sputtering mechanism Qualitative study of the deposited titanium nitride film shows the formation of nano-structure XRD study confirms the formation of TiN, SEM and AFM analyses are carried out to study the surface morphology of the deposited film The TiN film provides a permanent hard protective and anti-corrosive bright gold coloured coating to the bell-metal substrate
Characterization of a Magnetron Plasma for Deposition of Titanium Oxide and Titanium Nitride Films
Contributions To Plasma Physics, 2005
Experimental results for the energy distribution of electrons and plasma ions in a magnetron discharge with a titanium target and with pure argon, argon/nitrogen and argon/oxygen mixtures as working gas are reported. Typical electron temperatures measured 6.5 … 9.5 cm above the magnetron target range between 2–3.5 eV. Typical values for the plasma potential are in the 0.4–2 V range, as are mean ion energies measured with the help of energy-resolved mass spectrometry. Deposited titanium films show some dependencies on oxygen flow and on substrate bias. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)