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Nb concentration dependent nanoscale electrical transport properties of granular Ti 1− x N b x N thin films
Author(s) -
Vasu K.,
Krishna M. Ghanashyam,
Padmanabhan K. A.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.201329277
Subject(s) - materials science , thin film , borosilicate glass , electrical resistivity and conductivity , grain boundary , analytical chemistry (journal) , grain size , scattering , sputter deposition , sputtering , composite material , nanotechnology , microstructure , optics , chemistry , electrical engineering , physics , chromatography , engineering
Granular Ti 1− x Nb x N thin films, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.77, were deposited on borosilicate glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. Conductive‐atomic force microscopy (C‐AFM) was employed to study the local electrical transport properties of Ti 1− x Nb x N thin films. Topography images reveal that the grain size in the films increased from 30 to 90 nm, as x increased from 0 to 0.77. For a constant applied voltage of 1 V, the local leakage current in Ti 1− x Nb x N films increased with an increase in x value. The measured current is in the order of nA and its flow is filamentary in nature. Current–voltage characteristics measured at different locations on each current image revealed that the local resistance drastically decreased with an increase in Nb concentration. Electron‐grain boundary scattering and the presence of native oxide states are responsible for the increase in the local electrical resistance of the films.