EFFECT OF NITROGEN FLOW RATE ON STRUCTURE OF TiCrN THIN FILMS PREPARED FROM MOSAIC TARGET BY REACTIVE DC UNBALANCED MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Abstract

Titanium chromium nitride (TiCrN) thin films were deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering method from mosaic target. The effect of nitrogen gas flow rate on the structure of the TiCrN thin films in the range of 4 – 10 sccm were investigated. The crystal structure, microstructure, thickness, roughness and chemical composition were characterized by glancing angle X-ray diffraction (GAXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) echnique, respectively. The results showed that, all the as-deposited films were formed as a (Ti,Cr) N solid solution. The as-deposited films exhibited a nanostructure with a crystal size less than 70 nm. The crystal size of all plane were in the range of 41.4 – 69.6 nm. The lattice constants were in the range of 4.169 Å to 4.179  Å. The thickness decrease from 336 nm to 382 nm with increasing the nitrogen gas flow rate. The chemical composition, Ti Cr and N contents, in the as-deposited films were varied with the nitrogen gas flow rate. The as-deposited films showed compact columnar and dense morphology as a result of increasing the nitrogen gas flow rate.