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Thin films of the Mn+1AXn-phases Ti2AlC and Ti3AlC2 have been deposited by dc magnetron sputtering. In agreement with the Ti–Si–C system, the MAX-phase nucleation is strongly temperature dependent. At 900°C epitaxial films of Ti2AlC and Ti3AlC2 were grown, but at 700°C only a cubic (Ti,Al)C phase was formed. In addition, a perovskite carbide, Ti3AlC was grown at 800°C. A bulk resistivity of 0.51μΩm, 0.44μΩm, and 1.4μΩm was measured for the Ti3AlC2, Ti2AlC, and Ti3AlC films deposited at 900°C, respectively. By nanoindentation the hardness and Young’s module was determined for an epitaxial Ti3AlC2 film to 20GPa and 260GPa, respectively.

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This letter reports on a systematic investigation of sputter induced damage in graphene caused by low energy Ar+ ion bombardment. The integral numbers of ions per area (dose) as well as their energies are varied in the range of a few eV’s up to 200 eV. The defects in the graphene are correlated to the dose/energy and different mechanisms for the defect formation are presented. The energetic bombardment associated with the conventional sputter deposition process is typically in the investigated energy range. However, during sputter deposition on graphene, the energetic particle bombardment potentially disrupts the crystallinity and consequently deteriorates its properties. One purpose with the present study is therefore to demonstrate the limits and possibilities with sputter deposition of thin films on graphene and to identify energy levels necessary to obtain defect free graphene during the sputter deposition process. Another purpose is to disclose the fundamental mechanisms responsible for defect formation in graphene for the studied energy range.

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