Preparation of films based on metal nitrides by the method of magnetron sputtering and study of their optical properties

Semiconductor metal nitrides are of considerable interest to researchers due to the possibility of their application. These materials have high radiation, chemical, and thermal resistance and can be widely used to create transparent electronic elements in the future. Due to combining unique optical, electrical, and piezoelectric properties, TiN, CuN, and AgN can be used in sensors, and devices for generating surface acoustic waves, photonic crystals, and LEDs. The study object was thin films of metal nitrides such as TiN, SnN, and AgN, obtained by reactive magnetron sputtering on quartz substrates. The study subject was the optical characteristics of TiN, SnN, and AgN thin films. The study's purpose was to investigate the influence and features of the magnetron sputtering technology on the optical properties of thin films based on metal nitrides deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. The main methods of this study were the analysis of conditions and technologies for magnetron sputtering of metals in reactive gases and the creation of an improved design of an experimental magnetron for depositing thin films of metal nitrides. Titanium, silver, and tin nitrides (TiN, AgN, SnN) films on quartz substrates were obtained by reactive magnetron sputtering. For this, the authors developed a planetary magnetron on permanent magnets, with an uncompensated magnetic system with a disk cathode. Samples of various configurations of TiN, AgN, and SnN films were obtained. Spectral characteristics of light transmission were investigated for the received samples. The presence of main spectral maxima at 450 and 570 nm was experimentally determined for the studied samples. The physical mechanisms of the existence of these maxima are substantiated. The technology of magnetron sputtering of metals in reaction gas atmospheres has been improved and the possibility of using the obtained films of metal nitrides as optical filters and wide-band semiconductor materials for creating heterojunctions has been substantiated.