Thin films from fast clusters: golden TiN layers on a room temperature substrate

High quality titanium nitride films have been deposited on room temperature substrates by energetic cluster impact (ECI). Golden and very smooth TiN films can be produced, having a dense and nearly isotropic composition without any columnar structure. In the experiment, charged clusters—composed typically of several thousand TiN—are electrically accelerated and impinge with kinetic energies up to 20 keV onto a room temperature substrate. No other method can produce good TiN films at such a low temperature. Electron diffraction gives a nano-crystalline fcc structure and a slight 〈200〉 fiber texture. Elemental and chemical analysis was performed, as well as the mechanical properties measured.