Synthesis of plasmonically active titanium nitride using a metallic alloy buffer layer strategy

Lipinski, Arthur F. and Lambert, Christopher W. and Maity, Achyut and Hendren, William R. and Edwards, Paul R. and Martin, Robert W. and Bowman, Robert M. (2023) Synthesis of plasmonically active titanium nitride using a metallic alloy buffer layer strategy. ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 5 (12). pp. 6929-6937. ISSN 2637-6113 (https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaelm.3c01344)

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Abstract

Titanium nitride (TiN) has emerged as a highly promising alternative to traditional plasmonic materials. This study focuses on the inclusion of a Cr90Ru10 buffer layer between the substrate and thin TiN film, which enables the use of cost-effective, amorphous technical substrates while preserving high film quality. We report best-in-class TiN thin films fabricated on fused silica wafers, achieving a maximum plasmonic figure of merit, −ϵ′/ϵ″, of approximately 2.8, even at a modest wafer temperature of around 300 °C. Furthermore, we delve into the characterization of TiN thin film quality and fabricated TiN triangular nanostructures, employing attenuated total reflectance and cathodoluminescence techniques to highlight their potential applications in surface plasmonics.

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