We have investigated the formation of polycrystalline TiN films on (100) Si substrates using a low-temperature laser processing method. The films were deposited by laser ablation of a TiN hot-pressed pellet in the presence of neutral or ionized nitrogen using a XeCl excimer laser (wavelength 308 nm, pulse duration 45×10−9 s, and energy density of 4–5 J cm−2). The substrate temperature ranged from 25 to 550 °C. Plan-view and cross-section transmission electron microscopy studies show that the films are polycrystalline (average grain size ∼100 Å) with face-centered-cubic structure and lattice constant of 4.25 Å. It is interesting to note that the average grain size remained approximately constant with substrate temperature up to 550 °C. Chemical composition was analyzed by Rutherford backscattering and Auger electron spectroscopy as a function of film depth. The results show that the films reproduced closely the chemical composition of the TiN target which contained some oxygen, and that the oxygen content decreased with increased substrate temperature. Four-point probe measurements and I-V characteristics show that the films are metallic with a typical resistivity of ∼150 μΩ cm. The microhardness values of these films were found to be as high as 17 GPa.
We have prepared thin films of Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductors using a pulsed laser evaporation technique. Thin films were formed on (100) Si, (100) MgO, (1̄102) sapphire, (100) SrTiO3, and amorphous SiO2 substrates using a XeCl excimer laser (λ=0.308 μm, τ=45×10−9 s). The depositions were done in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber with pressure of about 10−6 Torr during thin-film formation. The deposition by pulsed nanosecond laser irradiation results in stoichiometry close to that of the target. The thickness of the film was controlled by varying the pulse energy density and the number of pulses. The substrate temperature was kept at 470 °C during deposition. Subsequent annealing treatments were carried out at 900 and 650 °C in oxygen atmosphere to recover the superconducting properties of these thin films. The resistance of these films was measured as a function of temperature using the four-point probe method. These thin films were analyzed using cross-section transmission electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and channeling techniques. The variation in the oxygen content and the interdiffusion of species into the substrate during subsequent annealing treatments are discussed.
Optical spectroscopic analyses have been performed to study luminescence from plasmas produced by ablation of YBa2Cu3O7 single-phase high Tc bulk superconductors exposed to XeCl excimer laser (308 nm) pulses. Only excited atomic neutral and single ionized species (Cu/Cu+, Ba/Ba+, Y/Y+) were observed within the experimental resolution of an optical multichannel analyzer detection system, when irradiating the targets in vacuum (∼10−5–10−4 Torr). Conspicuously absent in the spectra (300–800 nm range) are molecular emission bands that would appear if large excited molecules or fragments were present. Implications of the present results are discussed which relate to an early hypothesis about the laser ablation mechanism and their influence on high Tc film characteristics.
We have investigated the formation of epitaxial (100) oriented TiN films grown on (100) MgO substrates using an excimer laser (wavelength 308 nm, pulse duration 45 ns, and energy density (5–6 J cm−2) physical vapor deposition method. The films were deposited by laser ablation of a TiN target pellet in high vacuum (∼3.0×10−7 Torr), with the substrate temperature ranging from 450 to 750 °C. The epitaxial films were obtained at relatively low substrate temperatures (∼450 °C). The deposited films were analyzed using cross-section and plan-view transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering/channeling, Auger electron spectroscopy, and electron channeling patterns. The results indicate epitaxial film growth (〈100〉 TiN parallel to 〈100〉MgO) near the stoichiometric TiN composition, and low oxygen content. The minimum channeling yield χmin was found to be ≤10%. The room-temperature resistivity was as low as 50 μΩ cm and the lattice parameter was found to be 4.218 Å.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.