[Fabrication and study of sputtered NbN thin films]

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Thin Film Deposition
• Solid State Physics

Context:

• Niobium nitride (NbN) thin films are crucial for superconducting applications.
• Optimizing fabrication methods is key to achieving desired material properties.
• Understanding the influence of deposition parameters on film characteristics is essential.

Purpose:

• To fabricate NbN thin films using reactive magnetron sputtering and DC bias-voltage sputtering.
• To characterize the structural, morphological, and superconducting properties of the fabricated films.
• To compare the effectiveness of the two deposition methods.

Summary:

• NbN thin films were successfully deposited using two distinct sputtering techniques.
• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) confirmed uniform, compact, and single-phase FCC delta-NbN structures.
• Critical temperature (Tc) measurements revealed dependence on original vacuum quality, while deposition temperature and N2 flux impacted preferred orientation.

Impact:

• Provides insights into optimizing NbN thin film fabrication for superconducting applications.
• Demonstrates the influence of process parameters on film properties, guiding future research.
• Highlights the importance of vacuum quality for achieving high critical temperatures in NbN films.