Modulation of columnar crystals of magnetron sputtered Ti thin films

Ti thin films were deposited on the AlN substrates by direct-current magnetron sputtering at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 450 °C. The size of columnar crystals of Ti films first decreases and then increases, the preferred orientation plane gradually changes from the (100) plane to the (110) plane and then to (101) plane, with the increasing of the substrate temperature. And significant changes in the size of the columnar crystals are accompanied by changes in the preferred orientation plane. An improved Thornton model was proposed, the formation of the initial island, preferred growth and migration of deposited atoms act together to form columnar crystals of the Ti thin film.