Effect of Annealing Temperature on Microstructure and Resistivity of TiC Thin Films

Abstract

Titanium carbide (TiC) thin films were prepared by non-reactive simultaneous double magnetron sputtering. After deposition, all samples were annealed at different temperatures under high-vacuum conditions. This paper mainly discusses the influence of deposition methods and annealing temperatures on microstructure, surface topography, bonding states and electrical resistivity of TiC films. XRD (X-ray diffraction) results show that TiC thin films can still form crystals without annealing, and the crystallinity of thin films is improved after annealing. The estimated grain size of the TiC films varies from 8.5 nm to 14.7 nm with annealing temperature. It can be seen from SEM (scanning electron microscope) images that surfaces of the films are composed of irregular particles, and when the temperature reaches to 800 °C, the shape of the particles becomes spherical. Growth rate of film is about 30.8 nm/min. Oxygen-related peaks were observed in XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) spectra, which is due to the absorption of oxygen atoms on the surface of the film when exposed to air. Raman spectra confirm the formation of TiC crystals and amorphous states of carbon. Resistivity of TiC films decreases monotonically from 666.73 to 86.01 μΩ·cm with the increase in annealing temperature. In brief, the TiC thin films prepared in this study show good crystallinity, thermal stability and low resistivity, which can meet the requirements of metal gate applications.

Microfabrication of the Ammonia Plasma-Activated Nickel Nitride–Nickel Thin Film for Overall Water Splitting in the Microfluidic Membraneless Electrolyzer

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Studying the Effects of Annealing and Surface Roughness on Both the Magnetic Property and Surface Energy of Co60Fe20Sm20 Thin Films on Si(100) Substrate

“…Consequently, the only variables impacting the results are the film thickness and the temperature utilized in the heat treatment. Moreover, AFM experiments have confirmed that larger roughness tends to escalate in the as-deposited state as well as with lower annealing temperatures and hinder smooth current flow through the film, resulting in a notable increase in the measured value [45][46][47].…”

Wear and corrosion resistance of Al2O3 and TiC deposition on steel substrate using self- propagating high temperature synthesis method

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