Quantum interference effects in titanium nitride films at low temperatures

Detailed electrical resistivity (ρ) measurements have been carried out in epitaxial TiN thin films in the temperature (T) range of 4 ≤ T ≤ 300 K in magnetic fields from 0 to 6 T. The ρ (T) data show distinct minima around 38 K, which remains unaffected by the external magnetic fields. At higher temperatures (100−300K), the ρ(T) behavior was found to be linear in agreement with classical electron-phonon interactions (∝T). Below the minima, the ρ(T) is unequivocally described by the quantum interference effect (∝ − T). The value of the coefficient of the T term matches well with the near-universal value.