Characterization of amorphous and nanocomposite Nb–Si–C thin films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering

Two series of Nb–Si–C thin films of different composition have been deposited using DC magnetron sputtering. In the first series the carbon content was kept at about 55 at.% while the Si/Nb ratio was varied and in the second series the C/Nb ratio was varied instead while the Si content was kept at about 45 at.%. The microstructure is strongly dependent on Si content and Nb–Si–C films containing more than 25 at.% Si exhibit an amorphous structure as determined by X-ray diffraction. Transmission electron microscopy, however, induces crystallisation during analysis, thus obstructing a more detailed analysis of the amorphous structure. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy suggests that the amorphous films consist of a mixture of chemical bonds such as Nb–Si, Nb–C, and Si–C. The addition of Si results in a hardness decrease from 22 GPa for the binary Nb–C film to 18 – 19 GPa for the Si-containing films, while film resistivity increases from 211 μΩcm to 3215 μΩcm. Comparison with recently published results on DC magnetron sputtered Zr–Si–C films, deposited in the same system using the same Ar-plasma pressure, bias, and a slightly lower substrate temperature (300 °C instead of 350 °C), shows that hardness is primarily dependent on the amount of Si–C bonds rather than type of transition metal. The reduced elastic modulus on the other hand shows a dependency on the type of transition metal for the films. These trends for the mechanical properties suggest that high wear resistant (high H/E and H³/E² ratio) Me–Si–C films can be achieved by appropriate choice of film composition and transition metal. - Highlights: • Si reduces crystallinity, amorphous structure for films containing > 25 at.% Si. • Electron beam induced crystallization during transmission electron microscopy. • Hardness and resistivity are primarily dependent on the relative amount of C–Si bonds