The Creation and Analysis of Boron-Containing Thin Films*

This research on CrB₂, HfB₂, TiB₂, WB, W₂B, W₂B₅, and ZrB₂ investigates the properties of the thin films by using advanced thin film fabrication techniques and characterization techniques. Two different thicknesses of films were deposited using DC magnetron sputtering, 100 nm and 200 nm, onto silicon substrates. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to assess the surface roughness and create topographical renderings of the thin films. Gold contacts (80 nm) were sputtered onto the thin films to evaluate the electrical properties of the thin films and the creation of I-V graphs. This research contributes to a larger project of determining the various properties of different thin films for their prospective applications in the development of neutron detectors and other useful devices.