Morphological analysis of the TiN thin film deposited by CCPN technique

Abstract

TiN granular thin films were deposited on SiO2 substrates using cathodic cage plasma nitriding (CCPN) and SEM images, roughness analysis, contact angle measurements, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to characterize the structure of these films varying time and temperature of the process. Results have shown an inverse relationship between roughness and contact angle. Thin films with low roughness have presented higher contact angle values, and the opposite was observed in the films with more prominent or more grains per area. TiN is a hydrophobic material, and the decrease of contact angle value presented in some films produced occur due to modification of the morphological characteristics, which the roughness measurements and hysteresis of contact angle confirmed it, specifically, for samples synthesized at 2h and 350°C, the roughness is the smallest, and the contact angle is the largest [(111.23±8.87)°]. This connection between roughness and contact angle is essential, and it can be used to describe and characterize the most types of thin films produced by plasma deposition and to infer the surface modifications with different atmospheres of treatment.