Synthesis and characterization of Y-doped TiH2 films prepared by magnetron sputtering

Abstract

Yttrium-doped TiH2 films have been prepared by magnetron sputtering on Si substrates. Ion beam analysis (IBA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) using synchrotron radiation, HAADF-STEM and X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize the structure, morphology, composition and thermal annealing properties of Ti-Y-H films. It is found that the Y atoms can be dissolved in the TiH2 phase up to a higher content to form well crystalline hydride phase, but in Ti-Y binary phase, Y greatly retards Ti phase crystallizing and can lead to full amorphization in the Y content of ∼9% during the room-temperature deposition. Since the oxygen was introduced into the films due to the plasma contamination during the process of sputtering deposition, partial Y atoms in the film were oxidated and existed as disordered Y2O3 nanoclusters dispersed in the matrix. After the annealing at 400 °C, these disordred Y2O3 nanoclusters can grow into Y2O3 grain with (111) preferred orientation.