Synthesis and microstructural characterisation of CrSiN thin films deposited on Si(100) substrate

Abstract The effect of deposition time, power (Si concentration) and sputtering pressure on the microstructural morphologies and phase compositions of sputter deposited CrSiN the thin films was investigated by filed emission SEM/EDS, AFM and XRD in the present work. The films deposited under an equal proportion of Ar+N2 atmosphere exhibited a (111) preferred orientation of CrSiN films, as evident from XRD results, with increasing deposition time. The crystallite size of the films has increased from 34 to 73 nm with increasing deposition time. It is observed from the field emission SEM results that, with increasing mode of radio frequency power on Si target during the CrSiN deposition, the triangular needle shaped columnar morphology has transformed into a finer columnar morphology. The reduction in crystallite size and surface roughness of the films has occurred with increasing radio frequency power supplied to the Si target as seen from their corresponding AFM images.