Wettability, Surface Morphology and Structural Properties of β-FeSi2 Films Manufactured Through Usage of Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering

In this research, beta-FeSi(2) thin films were manufactured onto Si(111) wafer substrates through the usage of radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS) method at 2.66 x 10(-1) Pa of sputtering pressure. The substrate temperatures were varied at 500 degrees C, 560 degrees C, and 600 degrees C. The Raman lines of the beta-FeSi(2) fabricated at 500 degrees C revealed the peaks at the positions of ~174 cm(-1), ~189 cm(-1), ~199 cm(-1), ~243 cm(-1), ~278 cm(-1), and ~334 cm(-1). For the higher substrate temperatures of 560 degrees C and 600 degrees C, the Raman peaks of ~189 cm(-1), ~243 cm(-1), and ~278 cm(-1) were shifted toward higher Raman positions. The surface view of the films was observed with several grains over the beta-FeSi(2) film surface at all substrate temperatures. The average grain size of the films for the samples deposited at 500 degrees C and 560 degrees C was in the range of 28 to 30 nm, where the size was enlarged to 36 nm at 600 degrees C of substrate temperature. The root mean square roughness were 10.19 nm, 10.84 nm, and 13.67 nm for the beta-FeSi(2) film surface prepared at the substrate temperatures of 500 degrees C, 560 degrees C, and 600 degrees C, respectively. The contact angle (CA) values were 99.25 degrees , 99.80 degrees , and 102.00 degrees for the created samples at 500 degrees C, 560 degrees C, and 600 degrees C, respectively. As the acquired CA values, all beta-FeSi(2) samples exhibited a hydrophobic property with CA in the range of 90 degrees to 150 degrees . Consequently, the produced beta-FeSi(2) film surface employing the RFMS method indicated a potential to be employed in a hydrophobic coating application.