Synthesis of Plasmonically Active Titanium Nitride Using a Metallic Alloy Buffer Layer Strategy.

Titanium nitride (TiN) has emerged as a highly promising alternative to traditional plasmonic materials. This study focuses on the inclusion of a CrRu buffer layer between the substrate and thin TiN film, which enables the use of cost-effective, amorphous technical substrates while preserving high film quality. We report best-in-class TiN thin films fabricated on fused silica wafers, achieving a maximum plasmonic figure of merit, -ϵ'/ϵ″, of approximately 2.