# Optical and mechanical properties of amorphous Mg-Si-O-N thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

## TL;DR

This study investigates how the optical and mechanical properties of amorphous Mg-Si-O-N thin films vary with magnesium content, using reactive magnetron sputtering and comprehensive characterization techniques.

## Contribution

It provides new insights into the relationship between Mg composition and the properties of amorphous Mg-Si-O-N films, which was not extensively studied before.

## Key findings

- Optical properties depend on Mg content.
- Mechanical hardness varies with composition.
- Films exhibit uniform surface morphology.

## Abstract

In this work, amorphous thin films in Mg-Si-O-N system were prepared in order to investigate the dependence of optical and mechanical properties on Mg composition. Reactive RF magnetron co-sputtering from magnesium and silicon targets were used for the deposition of Mg-Si-O-N thin films. Films were deposited on float glass, silica wafers and sapphire substrates in an Ar, N2 and O2 gas mixture. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and nanoindentation were employed to characterize the composition, surface morphology, and properties of the films.

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1905.02420