Abstract
In this work, we explore the addition of Ti ribbons on the racetrack of a Zr target to prepare Zr-O-N films including Ti, by reactive magnetron sputtering with a mixture of N2 and O2 as reactive gases. This approach is simple and not invasive, it avoids the modification of the target and minimizes its contamination. These films were compared in terms of chemical composition, density, film growth and crystallographic structure with others prepared in identical conditions without Ti ribbons. In addition, the composition and density of the films were correlated with crystallographic references from literature. The color and electrical properties of the films were evaluated as well.It was observed that poisoning of the Zr target is promoted by the increase of the N2 + O2 flow and the reduction of magnetron current, but it is retarded by the introduction of the Ti ribbons. This effect was particularly remarkable at lower target current, since the sputtering is confined in areas nearer to the racetrack, where the Ti ribbons are located. To account for the poisoning of the target and compare it among the different samples, a ‘poisoning parameter’ was defined, using a combination of the chemical composition of the films and the deposition rates. The color and electrical properties of the films correlate surprisingly well with their oxygen-to-metal ratio, while the concentration of N does not seem to play any significant role.
Highlights
Transition metal oxynitrides, titanium and zirconium oxynitrides, have been extensively studied
Zirconium oxynitrides have been used in several applications, such as dielectric gates, temperature sensor elements, coatings for corrosion resistance [4,5], or photocatalytic material for water splitting [6], among others
In this work Zr-O-N films including Ti have been deposited with a simple approach that consisted in the location of Ti ribbons on top of the Zr target
Summary
Transition metal oxynitrides, titanium and zirconium oxynitrides, have been extensively studied These materials are interesting due to the possibility of tailoring the properties of the films (electrical, optical, mechanical) between the characteristics of a nitride (high electrical conductivity, good mechanical and tribological properties) and an oxide (excellent thermal, chemical and mechanical stability as well as high refractive index and high dielectric constant), leading to a promising functional range of materials [1,2,3,4]. It has been previously observed that the composition of Zr-O-N films from literature was localized in a very specific region of the Zr-O-N ternary diagram [17] , which could explain the observed color restrictions
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