Reactive Magnetron-Sputtered Tantalum–Copper Nitride Coatings: Structure, Electrical Anisotropy, and Antibacterial Behavior
Żukowski P. Bondariev V. Kupchishin A.I. Niyazov M.N. Tlebaev K.B. Bobitski Y. Kisała J. Wojtas J. Żaczek A. Hardoň Š. Pogrebnjak A.D.
December 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Nanomaterials
2025#15Issue 23
Tantalum nitride (TaN) coatings are valued for their hardness, chemical inertness, and biocompatibility; however, they lack intrinsic antibacterial properties, which limits their application in biomedical environments. Introducing copper (Cu) into the TaN matrix offers a potential solution by combining TaN’s mechanical and chemical durability with Cu’s well-documented antimicrobial action. This study explores how varying copper incorporation affects the structural, electrical, photocatalytic, and antibacterial characteristics of TaCuN multilayer films synthesized via reactive magnetron sputtering. Three thin TaCuN films were fabricated using a high-power reactive magnetron co-sputtering system, varying the Cu target power to control the composition. Structural and morphological analysis was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning/transmission electron microscopy (STEM/TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Electrical conductivity was studied along and across the film surfaces at temperatures ranging from 20 to 375 K using AC impedance spectroscopy. Optical and photocatalytic properties were assessed using UV–Vis spectroscopy and methylene blue degradation tests. Antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus was analyzed under visible light using CFU reduction tests. XRD and TEM analyses revealed a multilayered four-zone architecture with alternating Ta-, Cu-, and N-rich phases and a dominant cubic δ-TaN pattern. The layers exhibited pronounced conductivity anisotropy, with in-plane conductivity (~103 Ω−1 cm−1) exceeding cross-plane conductivity by ~107 times, attributed to the formation of a metallic conduction channel in the mid-layer. Optical spectra indicated limited light absorption above 300 nm and negligible photocatalytic activity. Increasing the Cu content substantially enhanced antibacterial efficiency, with the highest-Cu sample achieving 95.6 % bacterial growth reduction. Morphological evaluation indicated that smooth film surfaces (Ra < 0.2 μm) effectively minimized bacterial adhesion. Reactive magnetron sputtering enables the precise engineering of TaCuN multilayers, combining high electrical anisotropy with robust antibacterial functionality. The optimized TaCuN coating offers promising potential in biomedical and protective applications where both conductivity and microbial resistance are required.
antibacterial activity , conductivity , deposition , multilayer films , photocatalytic activity
Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи
Lublin University of Technology, 38d Nadbystrzycka St., Lublin, 20-618, Poland
Department of Electrical Devices and High Voltage Technology, Lublin University of Technology, 38d Nadbystrzycka St., Lublin, 20-618, Poland
Physico-Technological Center, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Dostyk, 13, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
Faculty of Exact and Technical Sciences, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1 Str., Rzeszow, 35-310, Poland
Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszow, Kopisto 2a Ave., Rzeszow, 35-315, Poland
Department of Physics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University of Zilina, Zilina, 010 26, Slovakia
Institute of Materials, Faculty of Material Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Trnava, 917 24, Slovakia
Lublin University of Technology
Department of Electrical Devices and High Voltage Technology
Physico-Technological Center
Faculty of Exact and Technical Sciences
Faculty of Medicine
Department of Physics
Institute of Materials
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026