Tailoring the structural and optical properties of TiN thin films by Ag ion implantation

Titanium nitride (TiN) thin films thickness of similar to 260 nm prepared by dc reactive sputtering were irradiated with 200 keV silver (Ag) ions to the fluences ranging from 5 x 10(15) ions/cm(2) to 20 x 10(15) ions/cm(2). After implantation TiN layers were annealed 2 h at 700 degrees C in a vacuum. Ion irradiation-induced microstructural changes were examined by using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, while the surface topography was observed using atomic force microscopy. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was employed to get insights on the optical and electronic properties of TiN films with respect to their microstructure. The results showed that the irradiations lead to deformation of the lattice, increasing disorder and formation of new Ag phase. The optical results demonstrate the contribution of surface plasmon resonace (SPR) of Ag particles. SPR position shifted in the range of 354.3-476.9 nm when Ag ion fluence varied from 5 x 10(15) ions/cm(2) to 20 x 10(15) ions/cm(2). Shift in peak wavelength shows dependence on Ag particles concentration, suggesting that interaction between Ag particles dominate the surface plasmon resonance effect. Presence of Ag as second metal in the layer leads to overall decrease of optical resistivity of TiN. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.