Effect of Substrate-Target Distance on the Structure of TiCrN Films Deposited from Mosaic Target by Reactive DC Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract:

Titanium chromium nitride (TiCrN) thin films were deposited on Si substrates by reactive DC unbalanced magnetron sputtering from the Ti-Cr mosaic target. The effect of substrate-to-target distances (d_st) on the structure of TiCrN thin films were investigated. The crystal structure, microstructure, thickness, roughness and chemical composition were characterized by glancing angle X-ray diffraction (GAXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) technique, respectively. The results showed that, all the as-deposited films were formed as a (Ti,Cr)N solid solution. The as-deposited films exhibited a nanostructure with a crystal size less than 65 nm. The crystal size of all plane were in the range of 36.3 – 65.7 nm. The lattice constants were in the range of 4.169 Å to 4.229 Å. The thickness and roughness decrease from 500 nm to292 nm and 3.6 nm to 2.2 nm, respectively, with increasing the substrate-to-target distance. The chemical composition, Ti, Cr and N contents, of the as-deposited films were varied with the substrate-to-target distance. The as-deposited films showed compact columnar and dense morphology as a result of increasing the substrate-to-target distance.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 798)
• Pages: 163-168
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.798.163
• Online since: April 2019
• Authors: Nirun Witit-Anun*, Adisorn Buranawong
• Keywords: Mosaic Target, Reactive Sputtering, Substrate-Target Distance, Thin Film, TiCrN

References

[1] W.L. Wang, R.Q. Zhang, K.J. Liao, Y.W. Sun, B.B. Wang, Nucleation and growth of diamond films on aluminum nitride by hot filament chemical vapor deposition, Diamond and Related Materials. 9 (2000) 1660-1663.

DOI: 10.1016/s0925-9635(00)00321-6

[2] C. Paksunchai, S. Denchitcharoen, S. Chaiyakun, P. Limsuwan, Effect of sputtering current on structure and morphology of (Ti1-xCrx)N thin films deposited by reactive unbalanced magnetron co-sputtering, Procedia Engineering. 32 (2012) 875-881.

DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2012.02.026

[3] N. Witit-anun, A. Buranawong, Effect of deposition time on structure of TiAlN thin films deposited by reactive DC magnetron co-sputtering. Applied Mechanics and Materials. 866 (2017) 318-321.

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.866.318

[4] N. Witit-anun, A. Teekhaboot, Effect of Ti sputtering current on structure of TiCrN thin films prepared by reactive DC magnetron co-sputtering. Key Engineering Materials. 675-676 (2016) 181-184.

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.675-676.181

[5] P.W. Shum, K.Y. Li, Y.G. Shen, Improvement of high-speed turning performance of Ti–Al–N coatings by using a pretreatment of high-energy ion implantation, Surface and Coatings Technology. 198 (2004) 414-419.

DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2004.10.109

[6] D.A. Golosoc, S.N. Melnikov, A.P. Dostanko, Calculation of the elemental composition of thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering of mosaic targets, Surface Engineering and Applied Electrochemistry. 48 (2012), 52-59.

DOI: 10.3103/s1068375512010073

[7] W.D. Callister, Materials science and engineering: an introduction, 7th ed., John Wiley & Sons, New York, (2007).