Synthesis of Copper Nitride Layers by the Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering Method Carried out under Various Operating Conditions
Copper nitride shows various properties that depend on the structure of the material and is influenced by the change in technical parameters. In the present work, Cu–N layers were synthesized using the pulsed magnetron sputtering method. The synthesis was performed under different operating conditio...
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/10/2694 |
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| author | Magdalena Wilczopolska Katarzyna Nowakowska-Langier Sebastian Okrasa Lukasz Skowronski Roman Minikayev Grzegorz W. Strzelecki Rafal Chodun Krzysztof Zdunek |
| author_facet | Magdalena Wilczopolska Katarzyna Nowakowska-Langier Sebastian Okrasa Lukasz Skowronski Roman Minikayev Grzegorz W. Strzelecki Rafal Chodun Krzysztof Zdunek |
| author_sort | Magdalena Wilczopolska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Copper nitride shows various properties that depend on the structure of the material and is influenced by the change in technical parameters. In the present work, Cu–N layers were synthesized using the pulsed magnetron sputtering method. The synthesis was performed under different operating conditions: direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) power supply, and various atmospheres: pure Ar and a mixture of Ar + N<sub>2</sub>. The structural properties of the deposited layers were characterized by X-ray diffraction measurements, and Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy have been performed. Optical properties were also evaluated. The obtained layers showed tightly packed columnar grain features. The kinetics of the layer growth in the AC mode was lower than that observed in the DC mode, and the layers were thinner and more fine-grained. The copper nitride layers were characterized by the one-phase and two-phase polycrystalline structure of the Cu<sub>3</sub>N phase with the preferred growth orientation (100). The lattice constant oscillates between 3.808 and 3.815 Å for one-phase and has a value of 3.828 Å for a two-phase structure. Phase composition results were correlated with Raman spectroscopy measurements. Raman spectra exhibited a broad, diffused, and intense signal of Cu<sub>3</sub>N phase, with Raman shift located at 628–635 cm<sup>−1</sup>. Studies on optical properties showed that the energy gap ranged from 2.17 to 2.47 eV. The results showed that controlling technical parameters gives a possibility to optimize the structure and phase composition of deposited layers. The reported changes were discussed and attributed to the properties of the material layers and technology method. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:13:36Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:13:36Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-c8eb9763af05425391e151b2523e68aa2023-11-21T20:39:36ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442021-05-011410269410.3390/ma14102694Synthesis of Copper Nitride Layers by the Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering Method Carried out under Various Operating ConditionsMagdalena Wilczopolska0Katarzyna Nowakowska-Langier1Sebastian Okrasa2Lukasz Skowronski3Roman Minikayev4Grzegorz W. Strzelecki5Rafal Chodun6Krzysztof Zdunek7National Centre for Nuclear Research, Material Physics Department, Plasma/Ion Beam Technology Division, 05-400 Otwock, PolandNational Centre for Nuclear Research, Material Physics Department, Plasma/Ion Beam Technology Division, 05-400 Otwock, PolandNational Centre for Nuclear Research, Material Physics Department, Plasma/Ion Beam Technology Division, 05-400 Otwock, PolandInstitute of Mathematics and Physics, UTP University of Science and Technology in Bydgoszcz, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, PolandLaboratory of X-ray and Electron Microscopy Research, Institute of Physics PAS, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-668 Warsaw, PolandNational Centre for Nuclear Research, Material Physics Department, Plasma/Ion Beam Technology Division, 05-400 Otwock, PolandDivision of Surface Engineering, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-661 Warsaw, PolandDivision of Surface Engineering, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-661 Warsaw, PolandCopper nitride shows various properties that depend on the structure of the material and is influenced by the change in technical parameters. In the present work, Cu–N layers were synthesized using the pulsed magnetron sputtering method. The synthesis was performed under different operating conditions: direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) power supply, and various atmospheres: pure Ar and a mixture of Ar + N<sub>2</sub>. The structural properties of the deposited layers were characterized by X-ray diffraction measurements, and Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy have been performed. Optical properties were also evaluated. The obtained layers showed tightly packed columnar grain features. The kinetics of the layer growth in the AC mode was lower than that observed in the DC mode, and the layers were thinner and more fine-grained. The copper nitride layers were characterized by the one-phase and two-phase polycrystalline structure of the Cu<sub>3</sub>N phase with the preferred growth orientation (100). The lattice constant oscillates between 3.808 and 3.815 Å for one-phase and has a value of 3.828 Å for a two-phase structure. Phase composition results were correlated with Raman spectroscopy measurements. Raman spectra exhibited a broad, diffused, and intense signal of Cu<sub>3</sub>N phase, with Raman shift located at 628–635 cm<sup>−1</sup>. Studies on optical properties showed that the energy gap ranged from 2.17 to 2.47 eV. The results showed that controlling technical parameters gives a possibility to optimize the structure and phase composition of deposited layers. The reported changes were discussed and attributed to the properties of the material layers and technology method.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/10/2694copper nitridepulsed magnetron sputteringplasma surface engineering methodRaman spectroscopyoptical properties |
| spellingShingle | Magdalena Wilczopolska Katarzyna Nowakowska-Langier Sebastian Okrasa Lukasz Skowronski Roman Minikayev Grzegorz W. Strzelecki Rafal Chodun Krzysztof Zdunek Synthesis of Copper Nitride Layers by the Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering Method Carried out under Various Operating Conditions Materials copper nitride pulsed magnetron sputtering plasma surface engineering method Raman spectroscopy optical properties |
| title | Synthesis of Copper Nitride Layers by the Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering Method Carried out under Various Operating Conditions |
| title_full | Synthesis of Copper Nitride Layers by the Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering Method Carried out under Various Operating Conditions |
| title_fullStr | Synthesis of Copper Nitride Layers by the Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering Method Carried out under Various Operating Conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Synthesis of Copper Nitride Layers by the Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering Method Carried out under Various Operating Conditions |
| title_short | Synthesis of Copper Nitride Layers by the Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering Method Carried out under Various Operating Conditions |
| title_sort | synthesis of copper nitride layers by the pulsed magnetron sputtering method carried out under various operating conditions |
| topic | copper nitride pulsed magnetron sputtering plasma surface engineering method Raman spectroscopy optical properties |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/10/2694 |
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