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Characterization of nanocrystalline Ti films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering onto FTO glass substrate

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Abstract

Titanium (Ti) thin films were deposited by DC magnetron sputtering at conventional conditions with different substrate temperature, deposition rate, and inert gas pressure. The compositional, structural, morphological, and optical properties of the Ti films were investigated. It is shown that the films were crystalline with α-Ti phase and hcp structure only. The crystallinity increased with increase in substrate and deposition rate. Analysis of the atomic force microscopy images shows that the films were uniform, crack free, and adhered well to the substrate. It is found that, a strong relation existed between the structural and optical properties of the films. The optical properties of the Ti films were most influenced under the deposition conditions. From this dependence, the optimum deposition conditions are obtained to prepare metallic, crystalline, and dense Ti films with smooth surface under conventional conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Alzahra University, Tehran, 1993893973, Iran

    Motahareh Einollahzadeh-Samadi & Reza Sabet Dariani

  2. Physik Department, Technische Universität München, 85748, Garching, Germany

    Mehdi Abdi

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  1. Motahareh Einollahzadeh-Samadi
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  2. Reza Sabet Dariani
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  3. Mehdi Abdi
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Correspondence to Reza Sabet Dariani.

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Einollahzadeh-Samadi, M., Dariani, R.S. & Abdi, M. Characterization of nanocrystalline Ti films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering onto FTO glass substrate. Journal of Materials Research 30, 3093–3103 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2015.249

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