The Electrical Properties of VN Thin Films Prepared Using Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

The VN thin films were deposited on glass and Al₂O₃ substrates using reactive magnetron sputtering with a vanadium target in an Ar/N₂ mixed atmosphere. The deposition process was carried out at a substrate temperature of 25 °C and a sputtering power of 250 W. VN thin films were systematically prepared on glass substrates by varying the N₂/(Ar+N₂) ratio to 25%, 33%, 42%, and 56%. The results demonstrated that all as-deposited films consistently exhibited a face-centered cubic (FCC) NaCl-type crystal structure, regardless of the N₂/(Ar+N₂) ratio. Notably, the crystallization phase remained stable even when annealed at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 400 °C. As the nitrogen content increased, the resistivity of the films decreased, and the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) shifted toward smaller values. At a nitrogen content of 56%, the film exhibited the lowest resistivity of 63 μΩ-cm, along with a TCR of-460 ppm/°C. Furthermore, the resistivity demonstrated good stability, with only a 3% variation observed over one month.