Direct current magnetron sputtered ZrB2 thin films on 4H-SiC(0001) and Si(100)

ZrB2 thin films have been synthesized using direct current magnetron sputtering from a ZrB2 compound target onto 4H-SiC(0001) and Si(100) substrates kept at different temperatures (no heating, 400 °C, and 550 °C), and substrate bias voltage (− 20 V to − 80 V). Time-of-flight energy elastic recoil detection analysis shows that all the films are near stoichiometric and have a low degree of contaminants, with O being the most abundant (< 1 at.%). The films are crystalline, and their crystallographic orientation changes from 0001 to a more random orientation with increased deposition temperature. X-ray diffraction pole figures and selected area electron diffraction patterns of the films deposited without heating reveal a fiber-texture growth. Four point probe measurements show typical resistivity values of the films ranging from ~ 95 to 200 μΩ cm, decreasing with increased growth temperature and substrate bias.