Synthesis of nanostructured Ti thin films by combining glancing angle deposition and magnetron sputtering: A joint experimental and modeling study

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 636; no. 36; pp. 644 - 657
• Main Authors: Dervaux, J., Cormier, P.-A., Moskovkin, P., Douheret, O., Konstantinidis, S., Lazzaroni, R., Lucas, S., Snyders, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 31.08.2017; Elsevier
• Subjects: Glancing angle deposition; Magnetron sputtering; Monte Carlo simulation; Nanostructured films; Physics; Porosity; Thin films; Titanium; Thin films; Magnetron sputtering; Titanium; Porosity; Monte Carlo simulation; Glancing angle deposition; Nanostructured films
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2017.06.006

In this work, glancing angle deposition and magnetron sputtering are combined to synthesize nanostructured Ti films. Different type of microstructures (tilted columns, straight pillars, zigzags) are obtained as a function of the experimental conditions. As a support, kinetic Monte Carlo simulations are performed to understand the observed trends using the NASCAM (NAnoSCAle Modeling) code. The latter is used to simulate the growth of the films and to explain the effect on the obtained structures of experimental parameters such as the substrate temperature, the gas pressure as well as the substrate tilting and rotation speed. NASCAM enables quantitative prediction of the density, the surface roughness, and the column shape asymmetry. In addition, the effective porosity (ϕe) of the structures was evaluated from the simulation data for two molecules presenting different size (0.64 and 3.20nm). The results show that ϕe decreases with the size of the adsorbed molecule, from above 50% for the small molecule to below 10% for the larger one. This is understood by considering the accessibility of the pore as a function of the size of the molecules. These data are correlated to experimental results obtained by transmission electron microscopy. •The growth of Ti coatings by magnetron sputtering at grazing angle was studied.•The temperature, working pressure and rotation speed of the substrate were varied.•The diffusion process becomes significant as the substrate temperature increases.•The simulations reproduce the competitive growth mechanism.•Simulations were used to calculate the effective porosity of different structures.