Synthesis and characterization of helium-charged titanium hydride films deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering with mixed gas

Publication date: 5 April 2017
Source:Materials & Design, Volume 119
Author(s): Zhibin Han, Chunjie Wang, Liqun Shi
Controllable helium-containing TiH2 phase films were prepared on Si (100) substances by magnetron sputtering with hydrogen-helium-argon mixed gas, in order to investigate the helium behavior in titanium tritide. The TiHxHe films were characterized by ion beam analysis (IBA) in which elastic recoil detection (ERD) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) methods are included, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). It is found that with the increase in the relative hydrogen flow rate (QH: QAr) under the fixed helium flow and sputtering pressure, the hydrogen concentration in TiHxHe films increases at first, and then decreases. Though the hydrogen concentration in TiHxHe films can be greatly increased by increasing the total sputtering pressure, excessive sputtering pressure will deteriorate the crystallization quality. Although the helium concentration mainly relies on the relative helium flow rate of mixed gas during sputtering, the increase of the relative helium flow rate will reduce the concentration of hydrogen in films at fixed sputtering pressure dramatically. Fortunately, suitable relative hydrogen flow and sputtering pressure can maintain a high concentration of hydrogen in the films. Thus TiHxHe films with controllable hydrogen and helium content can be achieved.

Graphical abstract

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