REACTIVE CO-MAGNETRON SPUTTERING DEPOSITED ALTERNATIVE PLASMONIC HfTiN FILMS FOR SERS SUBSTRATES

In this work, the hafnium titanium nitride (HfTiN) films were deposited on a silicon wafer
substrate by reactive co-magnetron sputtering. The effect of Ti-sputtering current (0-250 mA)
on the physical structure, morphology, chemical composition and plasmonic properties of the
prepared films was characterized. The results showed that all prepared films were FCC-
structured. With the increase of Ti-sputtering current, the thickness and deposition rate
increase. In addition, all prepared HfTiN films were used as a substrate for the surface-
enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of the targeted dyes rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecule. The
SERS performance, as well as the enhancement factor, sensitivity, long-term stability, and
reusability, were investigated and discussed. Finally, the results demonstrate that an alternative
plasmonic HfTiN film as a SERS substrate has promising applications for molecular chemical
sensors.