Texture orientation of silver thin films grown via gas-timing radio frequency magnetron sputtering and their SERS activity

Abstract

Here we demonstrate a special technique to control a texture orientation of silver (Ag) thin films using gas-timing (GT) rf magnetron sputtering. By utilizing a GT technique, a dense structure and a high ratio of (111)/(200) of Ag films could be obtained without applying additional energy sources. We found that the GT technique not only provides the ability to adjust the number of sputter species from the target, but also generates the self-energy assisted deposition which related to the atomic peening effect. Furthermore, we found that a high (111)/(200) ratio of Ag films strongly affects the SERS activity of the Ag films due to a hot spot effect. Our results highlight that the texture engineering of metal thin films could be accomplished by using a GT technique.