Effect of sputtered titanium interlayers on the properties of nanocrystalline diamond films

Journal Article · Thu Apr 07 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4945577· OSTI ID:22594566

Li, Cuiping; Li, Mingji; Wu, Xiaoguo; Yang, Baohe ^[1]; Dai, Wei; Xu, Sheng ^[1]; Li, Hongji ^[2]

---

1. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Film Electronic and Communicate Devices, School of Electronics Information Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384 (China)
2. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Organic Solar Cells and Photochemical Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384 (China)

Ti interlayers with different thicknesses were sputtered on Si substrates and then ultrasonically seeded in a diamond powder suspension. Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films were deposited using a dc arc plasma jet chemical vapor deposition system on the seeded Ti/Si substrates. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy tests showed that the roughness of the prepared Ti interlayer increased with increasing thickness. The effects of Ti interlayers with various thicknesses on the properties of NCD films were investigated. The results show nucleation, growth, and microstructure of the NCD films are strongly influenced by the Ti interlayers. The addition of a Ti interlayer between the Si substrate and the NCD films can significantly enhance the nucleation rate and reduce the surface roughness of the NCD. The NCD film on a 120 nm Ti interlayer possesses the fastest nucleation rate and the smoothest surface. Raman spectra of the NCD films show trans-polyacetylene relevant peaks reduce with increasing Ti interlayer thickness, which can owe to the improvement of crystalline at grain boundaries. Furthermore, nanoindentation measurement results show that the NCD film on a 120 nm Ti interlayer displays a higher hardness and elastic modulus. High resolution transmission electron microscopy images of a cross-section show that C atoms diffuse into the Ti layer and Si substrate and form TiC and SiC hard phases, which can explain the enhancement of mechanical properties of NCD.

• OSTI ID: 22594566
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 119, Issue 13; Other Information: (c) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
DIAMONDS
FILMS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
HARDNESS
NANOSTRUCTURES
PLASMA JETS
POLYACETYLENES
RAMAN SPECTRA
ROUGHNESS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SILICON
SILICON CARBIDES
SPUTTERING
SUBSTRATES
THICKNESS
TITANIUM
TITANIUM CARBIDES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY