Optical, electrical, and structural properties of single-phase Ti2 − xN films deposited by cathodic cage

Abstract

Cathodic cage, operating in the plasma nitriding mode, has been widely applied to improve the mechanical properties of steel surfaces. This paper investigated the use of this method for the deposition of titanium nitride films on a glass substrate, demonstrating its promising application in nanostructured materials with good electrical and optical properties. 300 nm thick films were grown varying the N2/H2 gas ratio for a fixed working pressure of 1 Torr and a cage temperature of 460 °C. The formation of a single-phase tetragonal δ'-Ti2 − xN structure was shown possible by means of controlling the N2/H2 gas ratio flux. The Ti2 − xN films have shown modified electrical and optical properties, such as a different charge carrier density, resistivity, transmittance, and gap energy.