Modulated IR radiometry for determining thermal properties and basic chracetristics of titanium thin films

Abstract

Titanium thin films of different thicknesses were prepared by DC magnetron sputtering to study modulated IR radiometry as a tool for analyzing film thickness.. Thickness was varied by regularly increasing the deposition time, keeping all the other deposition parameters constant. The influence of film thickness on morphological, structural and electrical properties of the titanium coatings was also investigated. The experimental results revealed a systematic grain growth with increasing film thickness, along with enhanced film crystallinity, which led to increased electrical conductivity. Using the results obtained by modulated IR radiometry, the thickness of each thin film was calculated. These thickness values were then compared with the coating thickness measurements obtained by SEM. The values confirmed the reliability of modulated IR radiometry as an analysis tool for thin films and coatings, and for determining thicknesses in the micrometer range, in particular.