Preparation of TiFe thin films by intense pulsed ion-beam evaporation

Titanium iron (TiFe) is widely known as an intermetallic compound that shows hydrogen storage characteristics. In the past, preparation of Ti–Fe thin films has been tried by sputtering methods, but crystallized thin films have not been prepared yet. The preparation of crystallized TiFe thin films has been attempted by intense pulsed ion-beam evaporation in which a Ti–Fe sintered compact (Ti–50 at.% Fe, Ti–40 at.% Fe) was used as a target. Using the T–50 at.% Fe target, thin films deposited on soda lime glass substrate have been found to be mixed phases of TiFe and TiFe2. Thin films deposited on Si(100) substrates consist of an amorphous phase. Using a Ti–40 at.% Fe target, a thin film of single-phase TiFe has been successfully prepared on glass substrate. The crystallized, single-phase TiFe thin film is believed to be the first obtained in the world.