  We investigate sputtering of a Ti3SiC2 compound target at temperatures
ranging from RT (no applied external heating) to 970 oC as well as the
influence of the sputtering power at 850 oC for the deposition of Ti3SiC2 films
on Al2O3(0001) substrates. Elemental composition obtained from time-of-flight
energy elastic recoil detection analysis shows an excess of carbon in all
films, which is explained by differences in angular distribution between C, Si
and Ti, where C scatters the least during sputtering. The oxygen content is 2.6
at.% in the film deposited at RT and decreases with increasing deposition
temperature, showing that higher temperatures favor high purity films. Chemical
bonding analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows C-Ti and Si-C
bonding in the Ti3SiC2 films and Si-Si bonding in the Ti3SiC2 compound target.
X-ray diffraction reveals that the phases Ti3SiC2, Ti4SiC3, and Ti7Si2C5 can be
deposited from a Ti3SiC2 compound target at substrate temperatures above 850 oC
and with growth of TiC and the Nowotny phase Ti5Si3Cx at lower temperatures.
High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy shows epitaxial
growth of Ti3SiC2, Ti4SiC3, and Ti7Si2C5 on TiC at 970 oC. Four-point probe
resistivity measurements give values in the range 120 to 450 micro-Ohm-cm and
with the lowest values obtained for films containing Ti3SiC2, Ti4SiC3, and
Ti7Si2C5.
