Photoelectron spectroscopic characterization of titanium-containing amorphous hydrogenated silicon-carbon films (a-Si1-xCx:H/Ti)

Titanium-containing amorphous hydrogenated silicon-carbon films (a-Si1-xCx:H/Ti) have been deposited by reactive magnetron cosputtering. Core-level photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and valence-band photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) have served as means for the characterization of these films. The spectroscopic data are interpreted by a structural model on the basis of a nanocomposite containing clusters of a Ti-C-Si alloy being embedded in an amorphous hydrogenated silicon-carbon matrix (a-Si1-xCx:H). The Ti-C-Si compound is of metallic character and most likely a substitutional solid solution. This novel nanocomposite material is a promising candidate for applications, especially as optical selective absorber coating for solar collectors.