Reactive magnetron sputtering of TiOx films

This article reports on the hysteresis effect in synthesis of TiQ(x) films prepared by a single magnetron (SM) and dual magnetron (DM), the development of deposition rate a(D) and elemental and phase composition of these films with increasing partial pressure of oxygen P-O2. It was shown that: (1) when a control of the oxygen flow rate 002 is used, a jump decrease in aD occurs at a critical value of 002, which corresponds to a transition from the metallic to the oxide mode of sputtering;, (2) TiOx films deposited in the metallic mode are opaque while those deposited in the transition and oxide modes are transparent; (3) TiOx films sputtered in the oxide mode are almost stoichiometric and exhibit a well-crystallized structure when both the SM and DM sputtering system are used; (4) 400-nm-thick films prepared by the SM exhibit an Xray amorphous structure; and (5) the transparent stoichiometric TiOx approximate to (2) films can be sputtered in the transition mode at a high deposition rate a(D) (TiOx)=(2)=31.5 nm/min achieving up to 77% of that of the pure Ti film, i.e., a(D) (TiO2)=0.77 (aD) (Ti), if the DM with a control of P-O2 is used. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.