Evolution of Chemical, Structural, and Mechanical Properties of Titanium Nitride Films with Different Thicknesses Fabricated Using Pulsed DC Magnetron Sputtering
2024

Studying Titanium Nitride Films for X-ray Telescopes

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Mao Wei, Qi Runze, Wu Jiali, Zhang Zhe, Wang Zhanshan

Primary Institution: Tongji University, Shanghai, China

Hypothesis

How does the thickness of titanium nitride films affect their microstructure and physical properties?

Conclusion

Thicker titanium nitride films exhibit improved crystallinity and reduced intrinsic stress, making a thickness of about 25 nm optimal for use as a release layer.

Supporting Evidence

  • TiN films were fabricated with thicknesses ranging from 9.8 nm to 42.9 nm.
  • Roughness increased with film thickness, showing two inflection points.
  • TiN transitioned from amorphous to mixed-oriented crystallization as thickness increased.
  • Intrinsic stress decreased with increasing film thickness.

Takeaway

This study looks at how thick layers of a special material called titanium nitride change their structure and properties, which is important for making better X-ray telescopes.

Methodology

Titanium nitride films were deposited using pulsed DC magnetron sputtering, and their properties were analyzed through various techniques including XRD, XPS, and AFM.

Limitations

Limited research has focused on the influence of nanometer-scale thickness variation in titanium nitride films.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3390/ma17246067

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