Surface properties of Nb oxide thin films prepared by rf sputtering

Niobium oxide thin films were synthesized by reactive rf magnetron sputtering. The target was metallic niobium with 2 inch in diameter and the substrate was n-type Si wafer. To control the surface properties of the films, Nb oxide thin films were obtained at various mixing ratios of argon and oxygen gases. Nb oxide thin films were analyzed with alpha step, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The result of alpha step showed that the thickness of Nb oxide thin films were decreased with increasing the oxygen gas ratios. SEM images showed that the granular morphology was formed at 0% of oxygen gas ratio and then disappeared at 20 and 75% of oxygen gas ratio. The amorphous Nb oxide was observed by XRD at all films. The oxidation state of Nb and O were studied with high resolution Ni 2p and O 1s XPS spectra. And the change in the chemical environment of Nb oxide thin films was investigated by XPS with Ar+ sputtering.