Formation and properties of TiC thin films by pulsed Nd/YAG laser deposition

Titanium carbide (TiC) thin films were grown on Si(100) substrates by a pul sed Nd/YAG laser deposition method. The TiC films were characterized by a g lancing-angle X-ray diffraction (GXRD) system and an energy-dispersive X-ra y analyzer (EDX). Experimental results suggested that substrate temperature was one of the most important parameters in the fabrication of a crystalli ne TiC film and that both the GXRD pattern and C/(Ti + C) were changed with methane gas pressure (P-CH4). The conditions required to synthesize a stoi chiometric TiC film (Ti/C = 1:1) were P-CH4 approximate to 1 Pa. On the oth er hand, the conditions required to synthesize a crystallized TiC thin film similar to the target were Ts greater than or equal to 500 degreesC and P- CH4 10 approximate to Pa. It was found that the gas phase reactions between the ablated species and methane gas in the plasma plume influenced the cry stalline growth and the compositional ratio of the TiC thin films. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.