Patent ID: 8888965

Claim:
A process for the manufacture of a transparent, large band gap, high refractive index and high temperature stable, non-stoichiometric titanium nitride thin film for optical and optoelectronic devices comprising the steps of preparing the non-stoichiometric titanium nitride thin film by RF magnetron sputter deposition of non-stoichiometric titanium nitride having a formula TiN x 0.1<x<1.0 in an atmosphere consisting of 100% nitrogen at a RF power density ranging from 0.5 to 3 Watts/cm 2 , as a thin layer on a substrate selected from stainless steel, amorphous fused silica, magnesium oxide, lanthanum aluminate and sodium borosilicate glass, the RF magnetron sputter deposition of the thin layer on the substrate being carried out at temperature between 340 K and 523 K, the RF magnetron sputter deposition being controlled by varying a nitrogen pressure from 12 to 25 mTorr, wherein the non-stoichiometric titanium nitride thin film so formed has an optical band gap between 3.7 and 4.5 eV.