Influence of thermal annealing on the composition and structural parameters of DC magnetron sputtered titanium dioxide thin films

• Published in: Crystal research and technology (1979) 2002-12, Vol.37 (12), p.1285-1292
• Main Authors: Karunagaran, B., Rajendra Kumar, R.T., Mangalaraj, D., Narayandass, Sa. K., Mohan Rao, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AES; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; dc magnetron sputtering; Deposition by sputtering; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; structural parameters; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; TiO2 thin films
• ISSN: 0232-1300; 1521-4079
• DOI: 10.1002/crat.200290004

Titanium dioxide films have been deposited using DC magnetron sputtering technique. Films were deposited onto RCA cleaned p‐silicon substrates at the ambient temperature at an oxygen partial pressure of 7 × 10–5 mbar and sputtering pressure of 1 × 10 –3 mbar. The deposited films were annealed in the temperature range 673–873 K. The structure and composition of the films were confirmed using X‐ray diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. The structure of the films deposited at the ambient was found to be amorphous and the films annealed at 673 K and above were crystalline with anatase structure. The lattice constants, grain size, microstrain and the dislocation density of the film are calculated and correlated with annealing temperature.