The influence of the nanostructure design on the optical, electrical and thermal properties of TiNx thin films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

This study investigated the impact of the nanostructure design of titanium nitride (TiNx) thin films on their optical, electrical and thermal properties. The growth designs of the films were tailored using conventional sputtering (series 1) and GLancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) geometries (series 2 and 3). The results showed the potential to modify the properties of thin films by adjusting their nanostructure design, rather than changing their composition. TiNx thin films prepared by GLAD, revealed wider and more significant variations in optical and electrical properties, while the thermal properties seemed to be more affected by the structural changes promoted by the N content in the films. GLAD geometries resulted in the reduction of the film's reflectivity, and colour coordinates, as well as an increase in the electrical resistivity. The thermal parameters of effusivity ratio and diffusivity were reduced as the N/Ti ratio increased. •Tailoring of thin films nanostructure design by GLancing Angle Deposition (GLAD).•Correlation between processing parameters and TiN thin films' characteristics.•Influence of roughness, pore density and grain size on the optical, electrical and thermal properties of TiN thin films.•Change thin films' responses by acting on their growing design and their morphological and structural features.•The possibility to extend thin films' responses beyond the conventional composition variation influence.