2. Materials and experiments

CDC films are made from thin layers of titanium carbide (TiC). Micrometer-thick coatings of TiC are deposited by DC magnetron sputtering in a non-reactive atmosphere on Si or Si/SiO ₂ . A TiC target (purity = 99.5%, diameter 10 cm, thickness 6 mm) is sputtered under argon at 100 cm ³ · min ^–1 in a DP 650 sputtering frame (Alliance Concept). The thickness of layers deposited at 750°C can reach up to 20 μm. TiC film properties (stress, electronic conductivity, roughness) are controlled by deposition parameters (pressure, deposition time, deposition temperature). Pressure is used to control stresses in the TIC layer. It is set here at 10 ^–2 mbar.

The samples are then positioned in an oven...