Titanium nitride thin films obtained by a modified physical vapor deposition process

The Enhanced Activated Reactive Evaporation (EARE) and Electron Shower (ES) methods are two closely related hybrid physical vapor deposition processes which have proven extremely flexible for thin film growth. Activation of metal vapor and gas phases greatly enhances component reactivity and allows synthesis of a variety of compounds with low formation energies. The present work focuses on modifications to the ES and EARE processes to further enhance reactivity and increase flexibility for growing titanium nitride thin films with improved optical properties and greater adhesion. Preparing films that are highly adhesive to glass with good optical and mechanical properties has proven difficult in previous studies. Optical reflection, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, electrical resistivity, and corrosion resistance measurements were performed. Highly adhesive films on glass with infrared reflection as high as 70% were produced in this study.