Influence of high temperature thermal annealing on the structure, phase composition and resistive properties of films obtained by magnetron sputtering of a target of composition MoSi2 + 20 wt.% SiC

Thin films with a quasi-amorphous finely dispersed structure and a crystallite size of 1–3 nm were obtained using the magnetron sputtering method of a composite target of MoSi₂ + 20 wt.% SiC compound. A study was conducted on the influence of temperature and duration of annealing on the surface electrical resistance, structure and phase composition of these films, which made it possible to establish a relationship between the structural-phase state and the value – of the surface resistance of the films. It was determined that annealing of freshly deposited films at a temperature above 700 °C leads to a decrease in their surface resistance by 2.5–3 times, and at a heat treatment temperature of 900 °C this characteristic is stabilized. Based on the results of electron diffraction analysis and resistive properties of the films, it was found that the change in surface electrical resistance is due to the evolution of the structure from quasi-amorphous to polycrystalline. It was shown that the formation of stable phases of MoSi₂ and Mo₅Si₃ of the tetragonal modification, as well as SiC of the hexagonal modification after heat treatment ensures stabilization of the electrical properties of the films. It was found that the a temperature of 900 °C and a heat treatment duration of 3 hours can be considered as optimal annealing modes, at which stabilization of the surface resistance, structure and phase composition of the films can be achieved. The results obtained can be used to produce highly efficient thin-film IR emitters used as light sources in gas microanalyzers. 

1. Schulz O., Müller G., Lloyd M., Ferber A. Impact of environmental parameters on the emission intensity of micromachined infrared sources. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 2005, vol. 121, no. 1, pp. 172–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2004.12.010

2. Khamadiev P. M., Fedoseev D. N., Lukitsa I. I., Zverev O. G. Optical gas contamination monitoring systems. Ekspo­ zitsiya. Neft’. Gaz, 2007, no. 11, pp. 43–45 (in Russian).

3. Latushkina S. D., Romanov I. M., Luchenok A. R., Posylkina O. I. Study of resistive and emitting properties of films obtained by magnetron sputtering of CrSi2, WSi2, MoS2 targets for their possible use in infrared light sources. Sovremennye metody i tekhnologii sozdaniya i obrabotki materialov: sb. nauch. tr. Ch. 1: Materialovedenie [Advanced Methods and Technologies of Materials Development and Processing. Part 1: Materials Sciences and Engineering]. Minsk, PhysicalTechnical Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2023, pp. 256–268 (in Russian).

4. Chou T. C., Nien T. G. Pest disintegration of thin MoSi2 films by oxidation at 500 °C. Journal of Materials Science, 1994, vol. 29, pp. 2063–2967. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01117608

5. Latushkina S. D., Romanov I. M., Posylkina O. I. Formation of coatings based on molybdenum disilicide by magnetron sputtering for use in optical gas analyzers. Rubanik V. V. (ed.). Actual Problems of Strength. Molodechno, Printing House “Pobeda”, 2020, pp. 144–155 (in Russian).

6. Romanov I. M., Latushkina S. D., Luchenok A. R., Posylkina O. I. Influence of technological factors on the surface resistance of films obtained by magnetron sputtering of a target of composition (MoSi2 + 20% SiC). Sovremennye metody i tekhnologii sozdaniya i obrabotki materialov: sb. nauch. tr. Ch. 2: Obrabotka metallov davleniem [Advanced Methods and Technologies of Materials Development and Processing. Part 2: Metal Forming]. Minsk, Physical-Technical Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2024, pp. 202–211 (in Russian).

7. Severdenko V. P., Tochitskii E. I. Structure of Thin Metal Films. Minsk, Nauka i tekhnika Publ., 1968. 209 p. (in Russian).

8. Andrews K. W., Dyson D. H., Keown S. R. Interpretation of Electron Diffraction Patterns. Springer New York, 2013. XI, 188 p. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6475-5

9. Chou T. C., Nieh T. G. Phase transformation and mechanical properties of thin MoSi2 films produced by sputter deposition. Thin Solid Films, 1992, vol. 214, iss. 1, pp. 48–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-6090(92)90454-J