Impact of nitrogen reactive gas and substrate temperature on the optical, electrical and structural properties of sputte
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Impact of nitrogen reactive gas and substrate temperature on the optical, electrical and structural properties of sputtered TiN thin films N. Mustapha1,* 1
and Z. Fekkai1
Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, P.O. Box 90950, Riyadh 11623, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Received: 10 May 2020
ABSTRACT
Accepted: 20 September 2020
This work was aimed to study the influence of nitrogen reactive gas and substrate temperature, on the crystalline structure, morphology, sheet resistance and optical properties of titanium nitride thin films. The samples were deposited on glass substrates by the direct current reactive magnetron sputtering method and were controlled to have thicknesses of 150 nanometer (nm). The crystal structures of the samples were checked using the X-ray diffraction technique. The average crystallite size was calculated by using the Scherrer equation. Atomic Force Microscopy was performed on all samples to investigate any change in the crystallite sizes, morphology and also in the roughness of the film’s surface. With the variation in substrate temperature, the optical properties (refractive index, optical band gap and extinction coefficient) of films also changed. The experimental reflectance and absorption spectra of the samples have been characterized by spectrophotometer measurements. Optical band-gap values decrease from 4.01 eV at 300 °C to 3.59 eV at 500 °C. Optical refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k) are strongly dependent on the flow rate of nitrogen and substrate temperature. Furthermore, the sheet resistance of the TiN samples are dependent on the investigated deposition parameters. The high reflectance, good morphology, improved crystallinity and low sheet resistance maintained by the films, made them very favorable to be used in both optical and electronic applications, and also as protective and decorative coatings.
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Springer Science+Business
Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
1 Introduction In the last few decades, titanium nitride (TiN) thin films have attracted considerable interest with widespread applications in several fields [1]. Most of
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https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-04523-z
the researches concerning TiN films focused on several interesting properties such as hardness, high thermal and chemical stability; low electrical and thermal resistivity; and bright golden color [2].
J Mater Sci: Mater Electron
Due to their hardness, wear resistance and thermal properties, the TiN films have been very favorable in surface engineering as protective coatings on high speed tools [1]. Recently, TiN films have been used as electrodes in microelectronic devices, due to their thermal stability and low electrical resistivity [3]. However, it was reported that the electrical resistivity of TiN depends strongly on its stoichiometry and morphology [4]. Many researchers have also reported that TiN films are widely used as micro-electrical contacts and resistors, als
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