Morphological and Structural Properties of NbN Thin Films Deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Abstract:

Niobium nitride (NbN) films were deposited on Nb using pulsed laser deposition (PLD), and the effect of substrate deposition temperature on the preferred orientation, phase, and surface properties of NbN films were explored by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that the substrate deposition temperature has a significant influence on properties of the NbN films, leading to a pronounced change in the preferred orientation of the crystal structure and the phase. We find that substrate temperature is a critical factor in determining the phase of the NbN films. For a substrate temperature of 650 °C 850 °C, the NbN film formed in the cubic δ-NbN phase mixed with the β-Nb₂N hexagonal phase. With an increase in substrate temperature, NbN layers became β-Nb₂N single phase. Essentially, films with a mainly β-Nb₂N hexagonal phase were obtained at deposition temperatures above 850 °C. Surface roughness and crystallite sizes of the β-Nb₂N hexagonal phase increased as the deposition temperatures increased.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 445)
• Pages: 667-672
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.445.667
• Online since: January 2012
• Authors: Ashraf Hassan Farha, Ali Oguz Er, Yüksel Ufuktepe, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali
• Keywords: Nb Substrate, NbN, Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), Surface Morphology, Thin Film

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