Microstructural characterisation of TiAl thin films grown by DC magnetron co-sputtering technique

摘要

The present study deals with the in situ growth of <111> oriented thin films of TiAl grown by co-sputtering from high purity Ti and Al targets in a DC magnetron sputtering system. The influence of substrate temperature on the chemical and microstructural changes occurring in TiAl thin films has been investigated in the substrate temperature range 573-873 K. Electron probe microanalysis shows that Al concentration increases form 55.78 to 62.15 at./100, while Ti concentration decreases from 44.22 to 37.85 at./100 with increase in the substrate temperature. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) of the TiAl films indicates an increase in the crystallite size with substrate temperature. A fine globular morphology of crystalllites with a mean surface area of ～surface area of ～2300 nm~2 at 773 K.