Taguchi analysis of surface roughness of tic thin films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering

The surface roughness of materials can affect the performance of the surface properties of materials. For a material to perform and interact optimally on the interfacial level with the surrounding environment, it is crucial the surface roughness is also optimized. In this research study, RF magnetron sputtering was used to deposit TiC thin films. Taguchi analysis was used for optimizing the process parameters for optimal surface roughness. Three levels and three factors were developed for the experimental matrix with RF power, sputtering time and temperatures as the independent factors. Optical profilometer was used for the characterization of the surface roughness, and Raman analysis was performed to study the structural defect on the thin film surface. From the Taguchi analysis, the RF Power contributed the most to the surface roughness properties with contribution rate of 95.62% and error level of 3.63%. The result of the Raman analysis shows that the process parameters affect the structural orientation defect of the thin films with no active vibration for some thin films produced at RF power of 200 W.