Titanium(IV) isopropoxide as a source of titanium and oxygen atoms in carbon based coatings deposited by Radio Frequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition method

Anna Jędrzejczak , Damian Batory , Milena Prowizor , Magdalena Dominik , Mateusz Jakub Śmietana , Michał Cichomski , Aneta Kisielewska , Witold Szymański , Witold Kozlowski , Mariusz Dudek

Abstract

This paper presents properties of TiOx-DLC (titanium oxides incorporated diamond like carbon) coatings deposited by RF PECVD (Radio Frequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition) method using combination of methane (CH4) and titanium(IV) isopropoxide (Ti[OCH(CH3)2]4) atmospheres. The obtained results show that the deposition process of TiOx-DLC coatings is strongly affected by the concentration of TTIP (titanium (IV) isopropoxide) precursor in working atmosphere. The proposed technology allows to obtain TiOx-DLC coatings with Ti concentration up to 10 at.%. Higher concentrations of Ti in the coating (5 and 10 at.%) result in twice the concentration of oxygen. As the results of the investigation it was noticed, stable TiOx-DLC coatings showing acceptable hardness and residual stress, as well as good optical properties contain up to 1.5 at.% of Ti and can be deposited at 400 V of the negative self-bias using 0.05 of TTIP partial pressure ratio.