High-rate Deposition of Crystalline TiHfN Ultra-thin Films by Closed-field Dual-cathode DC Unbalanced Reactive Magnetron Sputtering without External Substrate Heating

Wuttichai  Phae-ngam; Jedsada Prathumsit; Ganatee  Gitgeatpong; Tanapoj  Chaikeeree; Nutdanai  Bodinthitikul; Tossaporn  Lertvanithphol; Mati  Horprathum; Tula  Jutarosaga

doi:10.59796/jcst.V14N3.2024.48

Authors

Wuttichai Phae-ngam Faculty of Science and Technology, Phranakhon Rajabhat University, Bangkhen, Bangkok 10220, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2997-5322
Jedsada Prathumsit Faculty of Science and Technology, Phranakhon Rajabhat University, Bangkhen, Bangkok 10220, Thailand
Ganatee Gitgeatpong Faculty of Science and Technology, Phranakhon Rajabhat University, Bangkhen, Bangkok 10220, Thailand
Tanapoj Chaikeeree Department of Electrical Technology Education, Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
Nutdanai Bodinthitikul Thin Film Technology Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
Tossaporn Lertvanithphol Opto-Electrochemical Sensing Research Team, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
Mati Horprathum Opto-Electrochemical Sensing Research Team, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1507-3555
Tula Jutarosaga Thin Film Technology Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59796/jcst.V14N3.2024.48

Keywords:

TiHfN, sputtering, SERS, crystalline, unheated substrae

Abstract

High deposition rate titanium hafnium nitride (TiHfN) ultra-thin film deposition was successfully prepared by closed-field dual-cathode DC unbalanced reactive magnetron sputtering. All prepared films were polycrystalline. The morphology and atomic composition of the TiHfN ultra-thin film were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The columnar structure could be promoted by increasing the deposition time. Lastly, the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity was investigated by Rhodamine 6G (R6G) drop-dried TiHfN ultra-thin film surface. The TiHfN ultra-thin films deposited at 20 s were found to have a high SERS activity, whose detection of R6G molecule at 10^-5 M. The result could open preliminary studies on ternary transition metal nitride (TTMN) thin films for the alternative plasmonic sensors as SERS chips.

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