Pulsed DC magnetron sputtered titanium nitride thin films for localized heating applications in MEMS devices

Titanium nitride (TiN) thin films are deposited on Si/SiO2 substratesby using Pulsed DC magnetron sputtering and are characterized for their structural, mechanical and electrical properties for their application as localized heating elements in microsystem devices. The influence of substrate temperature on the properties of TiN films has been investigated. The correlation between the structural orientation with mechanical and electrical properties has been established. The films deposited at a substrate temperature of 300 °C have shown better structural, mechanical and electrical properties. This film has been chosen for the fabrication of microheater and its characterization. A maximum temperature of 250 °C is achieved by applying a power of 2.8 W to the microheater.