WorldWideScience

Sample records for rf reactive sputtering

  1. RF Reactive Magnetron Sputter Deposition of Silicon Sub-Oxides

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hattum, E.D. van

    2007-01-01

    RF reactive magnetron plasma sputter deposition of silicon sub oxide E.D. van Hattum Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Utrecht University The work described in the thesis has been inspired and stimulated by the use of SiOx layers in the direct inductive printing technology,

  2. Rf reactive sputtering of indium-tin-oxide films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tvarozek, V.; Novotny, I.; Harman, R.; Kovac, J.

    1986-01-01

    Films of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) have been deposited by rf reactive diode sputtering of metallic InSn alloy targets, or ceramic ITO targets, in an Ar and Ar+0 2 atmosphere. Electrical as well as optical properties of ITO films were controlled by varying sputtering parameters and by post-deposition heat-treatment in Ar, H 2 , N 2 , H 2 +N 2 ambients. The ITO films exhibited low resistivity approx. 2 x 10 -4 Ω cm, high transmittance approx. 90% in the visible spectral region and high reflectance approx. 80% in the near infra-red region. (author)

  3. Urea impedimetric biosensor based on reactive RF magnetron sputtered zinc oxide nanoporous transducer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mozaffari, Sayed Ahmad; Rahmanian, Reza; Abedi, Mohammad; Amoli, Hossein Salar

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Application and optimization of reactive RF magnetron sputtering for homogeneous nanoporous ZnO thin film formation. • Exploiting nanoporous ZnO thin film as a good porous framework with large surface area/volume for having stable immobilized enzyme with minimum loss of activity. • Application of impedimetric assessment for urea biosensing due to its rapidity, sensitivity, and repeatability. - Abstract: Uniform sputtered nanoporous zinc oxide (Nano-ZnO) thin film on the conductive fluorinated-tin oxide (FTO) layer was applied to immobilize urease enzyme (Urs) for urea detection. Highly uniform nanoporous ZnO thin film were obtained by reactive radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering system at the optimized instrumental deposition conditions. Characterization of the surface morphology and roughness of ZnO thin film by field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) exhibits cavities of nanoporous film as an effective biosensing area for enzyme immobilization. Step by step monitoring of FTO/Nano-ZnO/Urs biosensor fabrication were performed using electrochemical methods such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Fabricated FTO/Nano-ZnO/Urs biosensor was used for urea determination using EIS experiments. The impedimetric results show high sensitivity for urea detection within 0.83–23.24 mM and limit of detection as 0.40 mM

  4. Deposition of PZT thin film onto copper-coated polymer films by mean of pulsed-DC and RF-reactive sputtering

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Suchaneck, G.; Labitzke, R.; Adolphi, B.; Jastrabík, Lubomír; Adámek, Petr; Drahokoupil, Jan; Hubička, Zdeněk; Kiselev, D.A.; Kholkin, A. L.; Gerlach, G.; Dejneka, Alexandr

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 205, č. 2 (2011), S241-S244 ISSN 0257-8972 R&D Projects: GA ČR GC202/09/J017; GA AV ČR KAN301370701; GA MŠk(CZ) 1M06002 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100522 Keywords : pulsed DC reactive sputtering * RF reactive sputtering * complex oxide film deposition * polymer substrate Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 1.867, year: 2011

  5. Post-deposition annealing effects in RF reactive magnetron sputtered indium tin oxide thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinez, M A; Herrero, J; Gutierrez, M T [Inst. de Energias Renovables (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)

    1992-05-01

    Indium tin oxide films have been grown by RF reactive magnetron sputtering. The influence of the deposition parameters on the properties of the films has been investigated and optimized, obtaining a value for the figure of merit of 6700 ({Omega} cm){sup -1}. As-grown indium tin oxide films were annealed in vacuum and O{sub 2} atmosphere. After these heat treatments the electro-optical properties were improved, with values for the resistivity of 1.9x10{sup -4} {Omega} cm and the figure of merit of 26700 ({Omega} cm){sup -1}. (orig.).

  6. Photomodulated reflectance study on optical property of InN thin films grown by reactive gas-timing rf magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porntheeraphat, S.; Nukeaw, J.

    2008-01-01

    The photoreflectance (PR) spectroscopy has been applied to investigate the band-gap energy (E g ) of indium nitride (InN) thin films grown by rf magnetron sputtering. A novel reactive gas-timing technique applied for the sputtering process has been successfully employed to grow InN thin films without neither substrate heating nor post annealing. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns exhibit strong peaks in the orientation along (0 0 2) and (1 0 1) planes, corresponding to the polycrystalline hexagonal-InN structure. The band-gap transition energy of InN was determined by fitting the PR spectra to a theoretical line shape. The PR results show the band-gap energy at 1.18 eV for hexagonal-InN thin films deposited at the rf powers of 100 and 200 W. The high rf sputtering powers in combination with the gas-timing technique should lead to a high concentration of highly excited nitrogen ions in the plasma, which enables the formation of InN without substrate heating. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) measurements further reveal traces of oxygen in these InN films. This should explain the elevated band-gap energy, in reference to the band-gap value of 0.7 eV for pristine InN films

  7. Dependence of RF power on the content and configuration of hydrogen in amorphous hydrogenated silicon by reactive sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Imura, T; Ushita, K; Mogi, K; Hiraki, A [Osaka Univ., Suita (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

    1981-06-01

    Infrared absorption spectra at stretching bands of Si-H were investigated in hydrogenated amorphous silicon fabricated by reactive sputtering in the atmosphere of Ar and H/sub 2/ (10 mole%) at various input rf powers in the range from 0.8 to 3.8 W/cm/sup 2/. Hydrogen content mainly due to the configuration of Si=H/sub 2/ in the film increased with the decreasing rf power, as the deposition rate was decreased. On the other hand, the quantity of the monohydride (Si-H) configuration depended less on the power. Attachment of hydrogen molecules onto the fresh and reactive surface of silicon deposited successively was proposed for possible process of hydrogen incusion into amorphous silicon resulting in Si=H/sub 2/ configuration. The photoconductivity increased as the input power became higher, when the deposition rate also increased linearly with the power.

  8. Bioactivity and Surface Reactivity of RF-sputtered Calcium Phosphate Thin Films

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wal, Edwin van der

    2003-01-01

    Calcium phosphates (CaP) are known to be bioactive, i.e. able to bond to bone. This makes CaPs very suitable to be aplied as thin coatings on bone-implants. In this work we studied the physicochemical behaviour of CaP coatings applied with radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering, a deposition

  9. Reactively sputtered TeOx optical recording media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Giulio, M.; Manno, D.; Micocci, G.; Rella, R.; Rizzo, A.; Tepore, A.

    1987-01-01

    Telluriom suboxide (TeO x ) thin films have been obtained by R.F. reactive sputtering deposition by using a Te target and an Ar-O 2 gas mixture. This technique of preparation has been shown to be a valid method because it is possible to easily obtain films with desired characteristics by an appropriate selection of the deposition conditions. Different samples were prepared by changing both the R.F. power (80-300 Watt) and the oxygen concentration in the sputtering gas. The films were analyzed in order to study their optical characteristics and the morphology before and after heat treatment. In particular, transmissivity and reflectivity have been found to change markedly by thermal treatment and critical temperatures in the range 120-150 grades centigrade. This property makes these films suitable for optical recording with a low output power laser diode

  10. RF sputtering: A viable tool for MEMS fabrication

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    being prepared by RF sputtering and their application in MEMS being explored. ... crystallographic properties were evaluated using XRD analysis (CuKα radiation ..... Bhatt V, Pal P, Chandra S 2005 Feasibility study of RF sputtered ZnO film for ...

  11. Reactively sputtered TeO/sub x/ thin films for optical recording systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Giulio, M.; Micocci, G.; Rella, R.; Tepore, A.

    1988-01-01

    Tellurium suboxide (TeO/sub x/ ) thin films have been obtained by rf reactive sputtering deposition by using a Te target and an Ar--O 2 gas mixture. Different samples were prepared by changing both the rf power (80--200 W) and the oxygen concentration in the sputtering gas. The transmissivity and the reflectivity of these films change markedly by thermal treatment at critical temperatures in the range 120--150 0 C. This property makes these films suitable for optical disk recording with a low-output power laser diode

  12. Preparation of transparent conducting zinc oxide films by rf reactive sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasanelli, L.; Valentini, A.; Losacco, A.

    1986-01-01

    Transparent conducting zinc oxide films have been prepared by reactive sputtering in a Ar/H/sub 2/ mixture. The optical and electrical properties of the films are presented and discussed. The effects of some post-deposition thermal treatment have been also investigated. ZnO/CdTe heterojunctions have been prepared by sputtering ZnO films on CdTe single crystals. The photovoltaic conversion efficiencies of the obtained solar cells was 6.8%

  13. Synthesis of self-assembled Ge nano crystals employing reactive RF sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hernandez H, A. [Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Escuela Superior de Apan, Calle Ejido de Chimalpa Tlalayote s/n, Col. Chimalpa, Apan, Hidalgo (Mexico); Hernandez H, L. A. [IPN, Escuela Superior de Fisica y Matematicas, San Pedro Zacatenco, 07730 Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico); Monroy, B. M.; Santana R, G. [UNAM, Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Apdo. Postal 70-360, 04510 Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico); Santoyo S, J.; Gallardo H, S. [IPN, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Departamento de Fisica, Apdo. Postal 14740, 07300 Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico); Marquez H, A. [Universidad de Guanajuato, Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, Departamento de Ingenieria Agricola, Km. 9 Carretera Irapuato-Silao, 36500 Irapuato, Guanajuato (Mexico); Mani G, P. G.; Melendez L, M. [Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, Instituto de Ingenieria y Tecnologia, Departamento de Fisica y Matematicas, 32310 Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua (Mexico)

    2016-11-01

    This work presents the results of a simple methodology able to control crystal size, dispersion and spatial distribution of germanium nano crystals (Ge-NCs). It takes advantage of a self-assembled process taken place during the deposit of the system SiO{sub 2}/Ge/SiO{sub 2} by reactive RF sputtering. Nanoparticles formation is controlled mainly by the roughness of the first SiO{sub 2} layer buy the ulterior interaction of the interlayer with the top layer also play a role. Structural quality of germanium nano crystals increases with roughness and the interlayer thickness. The tetragonal phase of germanium is produced and its crystallographic quality improves with interlayer thickness and oxygen partial pressure. Room temperature photoluminescence emission without a post growth thermal annealing process indicates that our methodology produces a low density of non-radiative traps. The surface topography of SiO{sub 2} reference samples was carried out by atomic force microscopy. The crystallographic properties of the samples were studied by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction at 1.5 degrees carried out in a Siemens D-5000 system employing the Cu Kα wavelength. (Author)

  14. Role of copper/vanadium on the optoelectronic properties of reactive RF magnetron sputtered NiO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panneerselvam, Vengatesh; Chinnakutti, Karthik Kumar; Thankaraj Salammal, Shyju; Soman, Ajith Kumar; Parasuraman, Kuppusami; Vishwakarma, Vinita; Kanagasabai, Viswanathan

    2018-04-01

    In this study, pristine nickel oxide (NiO), copper-doped NiO (Cu-NiO) and vanadium-doped NiO (V-NiO) thin films were deposited using reactive RF magnetron co-sputtering as a function of dopant sputtering power. Cu (0-8 at%) and V (0-1 at%) were doped into the NiO lattice by varying the sputtering power of Cu and V in the range of 5-15 W. The effect of dopant concentration on optoelectronic behavior is investigated by UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer and Hall measurements. XRD analysis showed that the preferred orientation of the cubic phase for undoped NiO changes from (200) to (111) plane when the sputtering parameters are varied. The observed changes in the lattice parameters and bonding states of the doped NiO indicate the substitution of Ni ions by monovalent Cu and trivalent V ions. The optical bandgap of pristine NiO, Cu-NiO, and V-NiO was found to be 3.6, 3.45, and 3.05 eV, respectively, with decreased transmittance and resistivity. Further analysis using SEM and AFM described the morphological behavior of doped NiO thin films and Raman spectroscopy indicated the structural changes on doping. These findings would be helpful in fabricating solid-state solar cells using doped NiO as efficient hole transporting material.

  15. Reactive sputter deposition

    CERN Document Server

    Mahieu, Stijn

    2008-01-01

    In this valuable work, all aspects of the reactive magnetron sputtering process, from the discharge up to the resulting thin film growth, are described in detail, allowing the reader to understand the complete process. Hence, this book gives necessary information for those who want to start with reactive magnetron sputtering, understand and investigate the technique, control their sputtering process and tune their existing process, obtaining the desired thin films.

  16. Corrosion resistance of ZrNxOy thin films obtained by rf reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ariza, E.; Rocha, L.A.; Vaz, F.; Cunha, L.; Ferreira, S.C.; Carvalho, P.; Rebouta, L.; Alves, E.; Goudeau, Ph.; Riviere, J.P.

    2004-01-01

    The main aim of this work is the investigation of the corrosion resistance of single layered zirconium oxynitride, ZrN x O y , thin films in artificial sweat solution at ambient temperature. The films were produced by rf reactive magnetron sputtering, using a pure Zr target at a constant temperature of 300 deg. C. Two different sets of samples were produced. In the first set of films, the substrate bias voltage was the main variable, whereas in the second set, the flow rate of reactive gases (oxygen/nitrogen ratio) was varied. The control of the amount of oxygen allowed the film properties to be tailored from those of covalent zirconium nitride to those of the correspondent ionic oxide. The corrosion behaviour was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) tests. The analysis of EIS data provided detailed information of the corrosion processes occurring at the surface of the system throughout the immersion time. The modifications of the coating microstructure and/or chemical composition induced by the variation of the deposition parameters were also evaluated and correlated with the corrosion mechanisms occurring in each system

  17. High-surface-quality nanocrystalline InN layers deposited on GaN templates by RF sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Valdueza-Felip, Sirona; Naranjo, Fernando B.; Gonzalez-Herraez, Miguel [Grupo de Ingenieria Fotonica, Departamento de Electronica, Escuela Politecnica Superior, Universidad de Alcala, Campus Universitario, 28871 Alcala de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Lahourcade, Lise; Monroy, Eva [Equipe mixte CEA-CNRS-UJF, Nanophysique et Semiconducteurs, INAC/SP2M/PSC, CEA-Grenoble, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Fernandez, Susana [Departamento de Energias Renovables, Energia Solar Fotovoltaica, Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT), Avda. Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

    2011-01-15

    We report a detailed study of the effect of deposition parameters on optical, structural, and morphological properties of InN films grown by reactive radio-frequency (RF) sputtering on GaN-on-sapphire templates in a pure nitrogen atmosphere. Deposition parameters under study are substrate temperature, RF power, and sputtering pressure. Wurtzite crystallographic structure with c-axis preferred growth orientation is confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurements. For the optimized deposition conditions, namely at a substrate temperature of 450 C and RF power of 30 W, InN films present a root-mean-square surface roughness as low as {proportional_to}0.4 nm, comparable to the underlying substrate. The apparent optical bandgap is estimated at 720 nm (1.7 eV) in all cases. However, the InN absorption band tail is strongly influenced by the sputtering pressure due to a change in the species of the plasma. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  18. Growth of high quality AlN films on CVD diamond by RF reactive magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Liang-xian; Liu, Hao; Liu, Sheng; Li, Cheng-ming; Wang, Yi-chao; An, Kang; Hua, Chen-yi; Liu, Jin-long; Wei, Jun-jun; Hei, Li-fu; Lv, Fan-xiu

    2018-02-01

    A highly oriented AlN layer has been successfully grown along the c-axis on a polycrystalline chemical vapor deposited (CVD) diamond by RF reactive magnetron sputtering. Structural, morphological and mechanical properties of the heterostructure were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Nano-indentation and Four-probe meter. A compact AlN film was demonstrated on the diamond layer, showing columnar grains and a low surface roughness of 1.4 nm. TEM results revealed a sharp AlN/diamond interface, which was characterized by the presence of a distinct 10 nm thick buffer layer resulting from the initial AlN growth stage. The FWHM of AlN (002) diffraction peak and its rocking curve are as low as 0.41° and 3.35° respectively, indicating a highly preferred orientation along the c-axis. AlN sputtered films deposited on glass substrates show a higher bulk resistivity (up to 3 × 1012 Ω cm), compared to AlN films deposited on diamond (∼1010 Ω cm). Finally, the film hardness and Young's modulus of AlN films on diamond are 25.8 GPa and 489.5 GPa, respectively.

  19. Microstructure and mechanical properties of Zr-Si-N films prepared by rf-reactive sputtering

    CERN Document Server

    Nose, M; Zhou, M; Mae, T; Meshii, M

    2002-01-01

    ZrN and ZrSiN films were prepared in an rf sputtering apparatus that has a pair of targets facing each other (referred to as the facing target--type rf sputtering). Films were deposited on silicon wafers without bias application or substrate heating in order to examine only the effect of silicon addition to the transition metal nitride films. The contents of zirconium, nitrogen, and silicon of the films were determined with an electron probe microanalyzer. The transmission electron microscopy studies were carried out in addition to x-ray diffraction. For the high resolution transmission electron microscopy observation, the field emission type transmission electron microscope was used, which provides a point-to-point resolution of 0.1 nm. The samples were observed both parallel and perpendicular to the film surface, which were plane and cross sectional views, respectively. In order to investigate the relationship between the mechanical properties and microstructure of films, the hardness was measured by a nano...

  20. Physical–chemical and biological behavior of an amorphous calcium phosphate thin film produced by RF-magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Euler A. dos; Moldovan, Simona; Mateescu, Mihaela; Faerber, Jacques; Acosta, Manuel; Pelletier, Hervé; Anselme, Karine; Werckmann, Jacques

    2012-01-01

    This work evaluates the thermal reactivity and the biological reactivity of an amorphous calcium phosphate thin film produced by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering onto titanium substrates. The analyses showed that the sputtering conditions used in this work led to the deposition of an amorphous calcium phosphate. The thermal treatment of this amorphous coating in the presence of H 2 O and CO 2 promoted the formation of a carbonated HA crystalline coating with the entrance of CO 3 2− ions into the hydroxyl HA lattice. When immersed in culture medium, the amorphous and carbonated coatings exhibited a remarkable instability. The presence of proteins increased the dissolution process, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. Moreover, the carbonated HA coating induced precipitation independently of the presence of proteins under dynamic conditions. Despite this surface instability, this reactive calcium phosphate significantly improved the cellular behavior. The cell proliferation was higher on the Ticp than on the calcium phosphate coatings, but the two coatings increased cellular spreading and stress fiber formation. In this sense, the presence of reactive calcium phosphate coatings can stimulate cellular behavior. - Highlights: ► Functionalization of Ti with reactive CaP thin film by RF-magnetron sputtering. ► De-hydroxylation facilitating the insertion of CO 3 2− into the HA lattice. ► High surface reactivity in the presence of culture medium. ► Cell behavior improved by the presence of reactive films.

  1. Preparation of RF reactively sputtered indium-tin oxide thin films with optical properties suitable for heat mirrors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boyadzhiev, S; Dobrikov, G; Rassovska, M

    2008-01-01

    Technologies are discussed for preparing and characterizing indium-tin oxide (ITO) thin films with properties appropriate for usage as heat mirrors in solar thermal collectors. The samples were prepared by means of radio frequency (RF) reactive sputtering of indium-tin targets in oxygen. The technological parameters were optimized to obtain films with optimal properties for heat mirrors. The optical properties of the films were studied by visible and infra-red (IR) spectrophotometry and laser ellipsometry. The reflectance of the films in the thermal IR range was investigated by a Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectrophotometer. Heating of the substrates during the sputtering and their post deposition annealing in different environments were also studied. The ultimate purpose of the present research being the development of a technological process leading to low-cost ITO thin films with high transparency in the visible and near IR (0.3-2.4 μm) and high reflection in the thermal IR range (2.5-25 μm), we investigated the correlation of the ITO thin films structural and optical properties with the technological process parameters - target composition and heat treatment

  2. Temperature dependence of InN film deposition by an RF plasma-assisted reactive ion beam sputtering deposition technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shinoda, Hiroyuki; Mutsukura, Nobuki

    2005-01-01

    Indium nitride (InN) films were deposited on Si(100) substrates using a radiofrequency (RF) plasma-assisted reactive ion beam sputtering deposition technique at various substrate temperatures. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the InN films suggest that the InN films deposited at substrate temperatures up to 370 deg C were cubic crystalline InN; and at 500 deg C, the InN film was hexagonal crystalline InN. In a scanning electron microscope image of the InN film surface, facets of cubic single-crystalline InN grains were clearly observed on the InN film deposited at 370 deg C. The inclusion of metallic indium appeared on the InN film deposited at 500 deg C

  3. Reactive sputter deposition of boron nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jankowski, A.F.; Hayes, J.P.; McKernan, M.A.; Makowiecki, D.M.

    1995-10-01

    The preparation of fully dense, boron targets for use in planar magnetron sources has lead to the synthesis of Boron Nitride (BN) films by reactive rf sputtering. The deposition parameters of gas pressure, flow and composition are varied along with substrate temperature and applied bias. The films are characterized for composition using Auger electron spectroscopy, for chemical bonding using Raman spectroscopy and for crystalline structure using transmission electron microscopy. The deposition conditions are established which lead to the growth of crystalline BN phases. In particular, the growth of an adherent cubic BN coating requires 400--500 C substrate heating and an applied -300 V dc bias

  4. Zinc sulfide thin films deposited by RF reactive sputtering for photovoltaic applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shao Lexi; Chang, K.-H.; Hwang, H.-L.

    2003-01-01

    Zinc sulfide (ZnS) thin films with nano-scale grains of about 50 nm were deposited on glass substrates at a substrate temperature of 200 deg. C via RF reactive sputtering by using zinc plate target and hydrogen sulfide gas. The structure, compositions, electrical and optical characteristics of the deposited films were investigated for the photovoltaic device applications. All films showed a near stoichiometric composition as indicated in their AES data. Distinct single crystalline phase with preferential orientation along the (0 0 0 1) plane of wurtzite or the (1 1 1) plane of zinc blende (ZB) was revealed in their X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, and the spacing of the planes are well matched to those of (1 1 2) plane of the chalcopyrite CuInS 2 (CIS). UV-Vis measurement showed that the films had more than 65% transmittance in the wavelength larger than 350 nm, and the fundamental absorption edge shifted to shorter wavelength with the increase of sulfur incorporated in the films, which corresponds to an increase in the energy band gap ranging from 3.59 to 3.72 eV. It was found that ZnS films are suitable for use as the buffer layer of the CIS solar cells, and it is the viable alternative for replacing CdS in the photovoltaic cell structure

  5. Initial growth and texture formation during reactive magnetron sputtering of TiN on Si(111)

    CERN Document Server

    Li, T Q; Tsuji, Y; Ohsawa, T; Komiyama, H

    2002-01-01

    The initial growth and texture formation mechanism of titanium nitride (TiN) films were investigated by depositing TiN films on (111) silicon substrates by using reactive magnetron sputtering of a Ti metallic target under a N sub 2 /Ar atmosphere, and then analyzing the films in detail by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Two power sources for the sputtering, dc and rf, were compared. At the initial growth stage, a continuous amorphous film containing randomly oriented nuclei was observed when the film thickness was about 3 nm. The nuclei grew and formed a polycrystalline layer when the film thickness was about 6 nm. As the film grew further, its orientation changed depending on the deposition conditions. For dc sputtering, the appearance of (111) or (200)-preferred orientations depended on the N sub 2 partial pressure, and the intensity of the preferred orientation increased with increasing film thickness. For rf sputtering, however, when the film thickness was small (...

  6. Properties of TiO{sub 2} thin films deposited by rf reactive magnetron sputtering on biased substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nezar, Sawsen, E-mail: snezar@cdta.dz [Equipe Plasma & Applications, Division des Milieux Ionisés et Lasers, Centre de Développement des Technologies Avancées, Cité du 20 Aout 1956, Baba Hassen, Alger (Algeria); Laboratoire des phénomènes de transfert, génie chimique, Faculté de Génie des procèdes, USTHB, BP 32 El-alia, Bab Ezzouar, Alger (Algeria); Saoula, Nadia [Equipe Plasma & Applications, Division des Milieux Ionisés et Lasers, Centre de Développement des Technologies Avancées, Cité du 20 Aout 1956, Baba Hassen, Alger (Algeria); Sali, Samira [Centre de Recherche en Technologie des Semi-conducteurs pour l’Energétique (CRTSE Algiers) (Algeria); Faiz, Mohammed; Mekki, Mogtaba [Physics Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Laoufi, Nadia Aïcha [Laboratoire des phénomènes de transfert, génie chimique, Faculté de Génie des procèdes, USTHB, BP 32 El-alia, Bab Ezzouar, Alger (Algeria); Tabet, Nouar [Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha (Qatar)

    2017-02-15

    Highlights: • TiO{sub 2} thin films were deposited on negatively biased substrates by rf magnetron sputtering technique. • The bias favors the formation of TiO{sub 2} crystalline phase. • The roughness of the films increases and the grain size decreases as the bias voltage is varied between (0 and −100 V). • XPS reveals the presence of adsorbed humidity of the surface and Ti{sup 4+} oxidation state in the as prepared samples. - Abstract: TiO{sub 2} thin films are of paramount importance due to their pervasive applications. In contrast to previous published works where the substrate was heated at high temperatures to obtain TiO{sub 2} crystalline phase, we show in this study that it is possible to deposit crystalline TiO{sub 2} thin films on biased and unbiased substrate at room temperature using reactive rf magnetron sputtering. The bias voltage was varied from 0 V to −100 V. The deposited films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The average crystallite size was estimated using x-ray diffraction. The results showed that the application of negative bias affects the surface roughness of the films and favors the formation of the rutile phase. The root mean square roughness (R{sub rms}), the average grain size and the optical band gap of the films decreased as the substrate bias voltage was varied from 0 to −100 V. The UV–visible transmittance spectra showed that the films were transparent in the visible range and absorb strongly in the UV range. This study shows that biasing the substrate could be a promising and effective alternative to deposit TiO{sub 2} crystallized thin films of engineered properties at room temperature.

  7. RF sputtered HgCdTe films for tandem cell applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, S.L.; Lee, S.H.; Gupta, A.; Compaan, A.D.

    2004-01-01

    Polycrystalline Hg 1-x Cd x Te films were investigated for their potential as bottom cells of a CdTe-based tandem solar cell. The films were deposited by RF sputtering from a cold pressed target containing 30% HgTe+70% CdTe. The as-deposited films were highly resistive with (111) preferred orientation and a bandgap of ∝1.0 eV. Various thermal treatment schemes were investigated under different conditions of ambient and temperature to reduce the resistivity. The film properties were analyzed using infrared transmission spectra, energy dispersive X-ray spectra and X-ray diffraction. N doped p-HgCdTe films were also prepared by reactive sputtering in a N 2 /Ar ambient. P-n junction solar cells were fabricated with CdS films as the heterojunction partner. (copyright 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  8. Influence of substrate biasing on the growth of c-axis oriented AlN thin films by RF reactive sputtering in pure nitrogen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Monteagudo-Lerma, L.; Naranjo, F.B.; Gonzalez-Herraez, M. [Departamento de Electronica, Escuela Politecnica, Universidad de Alcala, Campus Universitario, 28871 Alcala de Henares (Spain); Fernandez, S. [Departamento de Energias Renovables, Energia Solar Fotovoltaica, Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT), Avda. Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

    2012-03-15

    We report on the investigation of the influence of deposition conditions on structural, morphological and optical properties of AlN thin films deposited on sapphire (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) substrates by radio-frequency (RF) reactive sputtering. The deposition parameters studied are RF power, substrate temperature and substrate bias, while using pure nitrogen as reactive gas. The effect of such deposition parameters on AlN film properties are analyzed by different characterization methods as high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and linear optical transmission. AlN thin films with a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the rocking curve obtained for the (0002) diffraction peak of 1.2 are achieved under optimized conditions. The time resolved evolution of the self and externally-induced biasing of the substrate during deposition process is monitored and analyzed in terms of the rate of atomic species incorporation into the layer. The bias-induced change of the atomic incorporation leads to an enhancement in the structural quality of the layer and an increase of the deposition rate. (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  9. Influence of R.F. sputter parameters on the magnetic orientation of Co-Cr layers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lodder, J.C.; Wielinga, T.

    1984-01-01

    Co-Cr layers for the perpendicular recording mode were deposited by means of RF-sputtering. The most important sputter parameters, i.e. the RF sputter high voltage VRF, the argon pressure Par and the substrate holder temperature Tsh, gave an optimum value for perpendicular orientation of the

  10. Properties of RF sputtered zinc oxide based thin films made from different targets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinez, M A; Herrero, J; Gutierrez, M T [Instituto de Energias Renovables, Madrid (Spain)

    1994-01-01

    The effect of deposition parameters on optoelectronic and structural properties of ZnO based thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering have been studied. Different targets (pure Zn, ZnO, Zn-Al (98/2 at%), ZnO-Al (98/2 at%), and ZnO-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (98/2 wt%)) have been investigated to compare resulting samples and establish the best target composition. From reactive sputtering, using a Zn-Al target, transparent conductive zinc oxide has been obtained at 380{sup o}C with E{sub g}=3.25-3.35 eV and {rho}=4.8x10{sup -4} {Omega}cm. Reduction of substrate temperature at 200{sup o}C has been possible by nonreactive sputtering from ZnO-Al and ZnO-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} targets. The values of the energy gap and resistivity under these conditions are 3.30-3.35 eV and 1x10{sup -3} {Omega}cm respectively

  11. Plasma properties of RF magnetron sputtering system using Zn target

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nafarizal, N.; Andreas Albert, A. R.; Sharifah Amirah, A. S.; Salwa, O.; Riyaz Ahmad, M. A. [Microelectronic and Nanotechnology - Shamsuddin Research Centre (MiNT-SRC), Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor (Malaysia)

    2012-06-29

    In the present work, we investigate the fundamental properties of magnetron sputtering plasma using Zn target and its deposited Zn thin film. The magnetron sputtering plasma was produced using radio frequency (RF) power supply and Argon (Ar) as ambient gas. A Langmuir probe was used to collect the current from the plasma and from the current intensity, we calculate the electron density and electron temperature. The properties of Zn sputtering plasma at various discharge conditions were studied. At the RF power ranging from 20 to 100 W and gas pressure 5 mTorr, we found that the electron temperature was almost unchanged between 2-2.5 eV. On the other hand, the electron temperature increased drastically from 6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} to 1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 10}cm{sup -3} when the discharge gas pressure increased from 5 to 10 mTorr. The electron microscope images show that the grain size of Zn thin film increase when the discharge power is increased. This may be due to the enhancement of plasma density and sputtered Zn density.

  12. RF Magnetron Sputtering Deposited W/Ti Thin Film For Smart Window Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oksuz, Lutfi; Kiristi, Melek; Bozduman, Ferhat; Uygun Oksuz, Aysegul

    2014-10-01

    Electrochromic (EC) devices can change reversible and persistent their optical properties in the visible region (400-800 nm) upon charge insertion/extraction according to the applied voltage. A complementary type EC is a device containing two electrochromic layers, one of which is anodically colored such as vanadium oxide (V2 O5) while the other cathodically colored such as tungsten oxide (WO3) which is separated by an ionic conduction layer (electrolyte). The use of a solid electrolyte such as Nafion eliminates the need for containment of the liquid electrolyte, which simplifies the cell design, as well as improves safety and durability. In this work, the EC device was fabricated on a ITO/glass slide. The WO3-TiO2 thin film was deposited by reactive RF magnetron sputtering using a 2-in W/Ti (9:1%wt) target with purity of 99.9% in a mixture gas of argon and oxygen. As a counter electrode layer, V2O5 film was deposited on an ITO/glass substrate using V2O3 target with the same conditions of reactive RF magnetron sputtering. Modified Nafion was used as an electrolyte to complete EC device. The transmittance spectra of the complementary EC device was measured by optical spectrophotometry when a voltage of +/-3 V was applied to the EC device by computer controlled system. The surface morphology of the films was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) (Fig. 2). The cyclic voltammetry (CV) for EC device was performed by sweeping the potential between +/-3 V at a scan rate of 50 mV/s.

  13. Optical properties of zinc titanate perovskite prepared by reactive RF sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müllerová, Jarmila; Šutta, Pavol; Medlín, Rostislav; Netrvalová, Marie; Novák, Petr

    2017-12-01

    In this paper we report results from optical transmittance spectroscopy complemented with data on structure from XRD measurements to determine optical properties of a series of ZnTiO3 perovskite thin films deposited on glass by reactive magnetron co-sputtering. The members of the series differ by the titanium content that was revealed as an origin of the changes not only in structure but also in dispersive optical properties. Low porosity has been discovered and calculated using the Bruggeman effective medium approximation. An apparent blue-shift of the optical band gap energies with increasing titanium content was observed. The observed band gap engineering is a good prospective for eg optoelectronic and photocatalytic applications of ZnTiO3.

  14. Effect of deposition temperature on the properties of nitrogen-doped AZO thin films grown on glass by rf reactive magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Shinho, E-mail: scho@silla.ac.kr [Center for Green Fusion Technology and Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Silla University, Busan 617-736 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Heetae [Backlight Technology, LCD Division, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Asan 336-841 (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-09-15

    Nitrogen-doped aluminum zinc oxide (NAZO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates at various deposition temperatures by rf reactive magnetron sputtering. The NAZO film deposited at 400 deg. C shows a strongly c-axis preferred orientation and n-type conduction with a resistivity of 2.1 x 10{sup -2} {Omega} cm, Hall mobility of 7.7 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1}, and electron concentration of 3.8 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}. The optimum crystallographic structure occurs at a deposition temperature of 400 deg. C, where a considerable crystallinity enhancement of the films is observed. The band gap energies of the NAZO films, obtained by using Tauc model and parabolic bands, are found to significantly depend on the deposition temperature, along with the band gap narrowing at higher deposition temperature due to renormalization effects.

  15. Influence of the Preparation Method, DC and RF Sputtering, on theProperties of Thin Film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tri-Mardji-Atmono; Widdi-Usada; Agus-Purwadi; Yunanto; Edi-Suharyadi

    2000-01-01

    The research on the influence of preparation method DC- and RF Sputteringon the properties of Fe-thin films has been done. The measurement with EDAXshows. that the Fe-content of RF-sputtered film increased with the increasingof self-bias voltage in the range of 850 - 1000 V. The observation ofmicrostructure using SEM shows a more homogeneity of thin film and smallergrain size with the increasing of the self-bias voltage. On the other hand,thin films with inhomogeneity of the structure were produced by DC-Sputteringprocess, indicated by the non continuity and the spread of theglow-discharge. Based on the investigation with X-ray diffraction, thin filmprepared by RF-Sputtering was amorphous, while the film produced by theDC-Sputtering is known as crystal structure. Preparation using DC-voltageshows continual sputtering-process at the voltage of 3000 V betweenelectrode. (author)

  16. Polyester fabric coated with Ag/ZnO composite film by magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yuan, Xiaohong, E-mail: yxhong1981_2004@126.com [Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu (China); Faculty of Clothing and Design, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350121, Fujian (China); Xu, Wenzheng, E-mail: xwz8199@126.com [Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu (China); Huang, Fenglin, E-mail: windhuang325@163.com [Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu (China); Chen, Dongsheng, E-mail: mjuchen@126.com [Faculty of Clothing and Design, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350121, Fujian (China); Wei, Qufu, E-mail: qfwei@jiangnan.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu (China)

    2016-12-30

    Highlights: • Ag/ZnO composite film was successfully deposited on polyester fabric by magnetron sputtering technique. • Ag film was easily oxidized into Ag{sub 2}O film in high vacuum oxygen environment. • The zinc film coated on the surface of Ag film before RF reactive sputtering could protect the silver film from oxidation. • Polyester fabric coated with Ag/ZnO composite film can obtained structural color. • The anti-ultraviolet and antistatic properties of polyester fabric coated with Ag/ZnO composite film all were good. - Abstract: Ag/ZnO composite film was successfully deposited on polyester fabric by using direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering and radio frequency (RF) magnetron reaction sputtering techniques with pure silver (Ag) and zinc (Zn) targets. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to examine the deposited film on the fabric. It was found that the zinc film coated on Ag film before RF reactive sputtering could protect the silver film from oxidation. Anti-ultraviolet property and antistatic property of the coated samples using different magnetron sputtering methods were also investigated. The experimental results showed that Ag film was oxidized into in Ag{sub 2}O film in high vacuum oxygen environment. The deposition of Zn film on the surface of the fabric coated with Ag film before RF reactive sputtering, could successfully obtained Ag/ZnO composite film, and also generated structural color on the polyester fabric.

  17. Substrate dependent hierarchical structures of RF sputtered ZnS films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalana, S. R.; Mahadevan Pillai, V. P.

    2018-05-01

    RF magnetron sputtering technique was employed to fabricate ZnS nanostructures with special emphasis given to study the effect of substrates (quartz, glass and quartz substrate pre-coated with Au, Ag, Cu and Pt) on the structure, surface evolution and optical properties. Type of substrate has a significant influence on the crystalline phase, film morphology, thickness and surface roughness. The present study elucidates the suitability of quartz substrate for the deposition of stable and highly crystalline ZnS films. We found that the role of metal layer on quartz substrate is substantial in the preparation of hierarchical ZnS structures and these structures are of great importance due to its high specific area and potential applications in various fields. A mechanism for morphological evolution of ZnS structures is also presented based on the roughness of substrates and primary nonlocal effects in sputtering. Furthermore, the findings suggest that a controlled growth of hierarchical ZnS structures may be achieved with an ordinary RF sputtering technique by changing the substrate type.

  18. Deposition of lead-silicate glassy thin coatings by RF magnetron sputtering: Correlation between deposition parameters and electrical and structural properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rigato, V.; Maggioni, G.; Boscarino, D.; Della Mea, G.; Univ. di Trento, Mesiano

    1996-01-01

    Lead-silicate glassy thin films produced by means of Reactive Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering have found recent application in the development of MicroStrip Gas Chambers radiation detectors. Here, thin films (100--400 nm) of lead silicate glass have been deposited by RF magnetron sputtering in Ar plasma at different discharge conditions. The interaction of the sputtered species with the gas atoms during the transport process through the discharge region and the kinetics of growth of the films have been investigated as a function of the target composition and of the substrate temperature. This study demonstrates the possibility of controlling the surface electrical resistance of the films in a wide range of values ranging from 10 12 to 10 17 Ω/□ during the film growth

  19. Reactive dual magnetron sputtering for large area application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Struempfel, J.

    2002-01-01

    Production lines for large area coating demand high productivity of reactive magnetron sputtering processes. Increased dynamic deposition rates for oxides and nitrides were already obtained by using of highly powered magnetrons in combination with advanced sputter techniques. However, besides high deposition rates the uniformity of such coatings has to be carefully considered. First the basics of reactive sputtering processes and dual magnetron sputtering are summarized. Different methods for process stabilization and control are commonly used for reactive sputtering. The Plasma Emission Monitor (PE M) offers the prerequisite for fast acting process control derived from the in-situ intensity measurements of a spectral line of the sputtered target material. Combined by multiple Plasma Emission Monitor control loops segmented gas manifolds are able to provide excellent thin film uniformity at high deposition rates. The Dual Magnetron allows a broad range of processing by different power supply modes. Medium frequency, DC and pulsed DC power supplies can be used for high quality layers. Whereas the large area coating of highly isolating layers like TiO 2 or SiO 2 is dominated by MF sputtering best results for coating with transparent conductive oxides are obtained by dual DC powering of the dual magnetron arrangement. (Author)

  20. Ions extraction and collection using the RF resonance method and taking into consideration the sputtering loss

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie Guofeng; Wang Dewu; Ying Chuntong

    2005-01-01

    One-dimensional ions extraction and collection using the RF resonance method is studied by PIC-MCC simulation. The energy and angle distribution of extracted ions is recorded and the sputtering loss is calculated. The results show that compared with parallel electrode method, RF resonance method has advantages such as shorter extraction time, lower collision loss and sputtering loss and higher collection ratio; the extraction time and collision loss are decreased with increasing extraction voltage, but the sputtering loss increases and collection ratio decreases; collision loss is decreased with increasing magnetic field, but the sputtering loss increases and collection ratio decreases. (authors)

  1. Influences of the RF power ratio on the optical and electrical properties of GZO thin films by DC coupled RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peng, Shou [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu 233018 (China); Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233018 (China); Yao, Tingting, E-mail: yaott0815@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu 233018 (China); Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233018 (China); Yang, Yong; Zhang, Kuanxiang; Jiang, Jiwen; Jin, Kewu; Li, Gang; Cao, Xin; Xu, Genbao; Wang, Yun [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu 233018 (China); Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233018 (China)

    2016-12-15

    Ga-doped zinc oxide (GZO) thin films were deposited by closed field unbalanced DC coupled RF magnetron sputtering system at room temperature. The RF sputtering power ratio was adjusted from 0% to 100%. The crystal structure, surface morphology, transmittance and electrical resistivity of GZO films mainly influenced by RF sputtering power ratio were investigated by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electronic microscope, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer and Hall effect measurement. The research results indicate that the increasing RF power ratio can effectively reduce the discharge voltage of system and increase the ionizing rate of particles. Meanwhile, the higher RF power ratio can increase the carrier mobility in GZO thin film and improve the optical and electrical properties of GZO thin film significantly. Within the optimal discharge voltage window, the film deposits at 80% RF power ratio exhibits the lowest resistivity of 2.6×10{sup −4} Ω cm. We obtain the GZO film with the best average optical transmittance is approximately 84% in the visible wavelength. With the increasing RF power ratio, the densification of GZO film is enhanced. The densification of GZO film is decrease when the RF power ratio is 100%.

  2. Influence of the electrical power applied to the target on the optical and structural properties of ZrON films produced via RF magnetron sputtering in a reactive atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pinzón, M.J.; Alfonso, J.E.; Olaya, J.J.; Cubillos, G.I.; Romero, E.

    2014-01-01

    The influence of the variation of electrical power applied to the target on the morphology and optical properties of zirconium oxynitride - zirconium oxide (ZrON) films deposited via RF magnetron sputtering on common glass substrates in a reactive atmosphere of N 2 /O 2 , with a flow ratio ΦN 2 /ΦO 2 of 1.25 was investigated. The crystallographic structure of the films was established through X-ray diffraction (XRD), the morphology was evaluated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the optical behavior was evaluated through transmittance measurements. The XRD analysis showed that the films grew with mixed crystalline structures: monoclinic (ZrO 2 ) and body-centered cubic (Zr 2 ON 2 ). SEM analysis showed that the films grew with a homogeneous morphology, and AFM results established that as the electrical power applied to the target increased, there were changes in the grain size and the roughness of the films. The thickness, refractive index, and absorption coefficient of the films were calculated using the values of the transmittance through the Swanepoel method. Additionally, the energy band gap was determined via analysis of the free interference region. - Highlights: • We growth zirconium oxynitride films by RF magnetron sputtering in reactive atmosphere. • We determine the influence of the electrical power applied at the target in optical and structural properties. • We determine the crystallite size, grain size and roughness of the zirconium oxynitride films. • We determine the optical parameters such refractive index of the zirconium oxynitride films through Swanepoel method. • We calculated the absorption coefficient and optical band gap of the zirconium oxynitride films

  3. Influence of the electrical power applied to the target on the optical and structural properties of ZrON films produced via RF magnetron sputtering in a reactive atmosphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pinzón, M.J. [Grupo de Ciencia de Materiales y Superficies, Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, AA 14490 Bogotá (Colombia); Alfonso, J.E., E-mail: jealfonsoo@unal.edu.co [Grupo de Ciencia de Materiales y Superficies, Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, AA 14490 Bogotá (Colombia); Olaya, J.J. [Grupo de Ciencia de Materiales y Superficies, Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, AA 14490 Bogotá (Colombia); Cubillos, G.I.; Romero, E. [Grupo de Materiales y Procesos Químicos, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, AA 14490 Bogotá (Colombia)

    2014-12-01

    The influence of the variation of electrical power applied to the target on the morphology and optical properties of zirconium oxynitride - zirconium oxide (ZrON) films deposited via RF magnetron sputtering on common glass substrates in a reactive atmosphere of N{sub 2}/O{sub 2}, with a flow ratio ΦN{sub 2}/ΦO{sub 2} of 1.25 was investigated. The crystallographic structure of the films was established through X-ray diffraction (XRD), the morphology was evaluated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the optical behavior was evaluated through transmittance measurements. The XRD analysis showed that the films grew with mixed crystalline structures: monoclinic (ZrO{sub 2}) and body-centered cubic (Zr{sub 2}ON{sub 2}). SEM analysis showed that the films grew with a homogeneous morphology, and AFM results established that as the electrical power applied to the target increased, there were changes in the grain size and the roughness of the films. The thickness, refractive index, and absorption coefficient of the films were calculated using the values of the transmittance through the Swanepoel method. Additionally, the energy band gap was determined via analysis of the free interference region. - Highlights: • We growth zirconium oxynitride films by RF magnetron sputtering in reactive atmosphere. • We determine the influence of the electrical power applied at the target in optical and structural properties. • We determine the crystallite size, grain size and roughness of the zirconium oxynitride films. • We determine the optical parameters such refractive index of the zirconium oxynitride films through Swanepoel method. • We calculated the absorption coefficient and optical band gap of the zirconium oxynitride films.

  4. Superhydrophobic and icephobic surfaces prepared by RF-sputtered polytetrafluoroethylene coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jafari, R.; Menini, R.; Farzaneh, M.

    2010-01-01

    A superhydrophobic and icephobic surface were investigated on aluminum alloy substrate. Anodizing was used first to create a micro-nanostructured aluminum oxide underlayer on the alloy substrate. In a second step, the rough surface was coated with RF-sputtered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Teflon). Scanning electron microscopy images showed a 'bird's nest'-like structure on the anodized surface. The RF-sputtered PTFE coating exhibited a high static contact angle of ∼165 deg. with a very low contact angle hysteresis of ∼3 deg. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results showed high quantities of CF 3 and CF 2 groups, which are responsible for the hydrophobic behavior of the coatings. The performance of this superhydrophobic film was studied under atmospheric icing conditions. These results showed that on superhydrophobic surfaces ice-adhesion strength was 3.5 times lower than on the polished aluminum substrate.

  5. Superhydrophobic and icephobic surfaces prepared by RF-sputtered polytetrafluoroethylene coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafari, R.; Menini, R.; Farzaneh, M.

    2010-12-01

    A superhydrophobic and icephobic surface were investigated on aluminum alloy substrate. Anodizing was used first to create a micro-nanostructured aluminum oxide underlayer on the alloy substrate. In a second step, the rough surface was coated with RF-sputtered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Teflon ®). Scanning electron microscopy images showed a " bird's nest"-like structure on the anodized surface. The RF-sputtered PTFE coating exhibited a high static contact angle of ˜165° with a very low contact angle hysteresis of ˜3°. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results showed high quantities of CF 3 and CF 2 groups, which are responsible for the hydrophobic behavior of the coatings. The performance of this superhydrophobic film was studied under atmospheric icing conditions. These results showed that on superhydrophobic surfaces ice-adhesion strength was 3.5 times lower than on the polished aluminum substrate.

  6. Applying RF Magnetron sputtering to prepare ZnO thin films and their characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saad, M.; Kassis, A.

    2009-05-01

    ZnO thin films were prepared using Rf magnetron sputtering under several preparation conditions (different values of deposition pressure, Rf power, substrate temperature). The optical properties of these films were investigated by measuring their transmission in the spectral range (300-1000 nm), and the electrical properties were investigated by measuring their electrical resistance. Results have been discussed in terms of the modified Thornton model for sputtered thin metal oxide films. Preparation conditions for depositing the highly resistive transparent i-ZnO buffer layer and the highly conducting transparent n-ZnO window layer for solar cells were proposed. (author)

  7. Superhydrophobic and icephobic surfaces prepared by RF-sputtered polytetrafluoroethylene coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jafari, R., E-mail: rjafari@uqac.ca [NSERC / Hydro-Quebec / UQAC Industrial Chair on Atmospheric Icing of Power Network Equipment (CIGELE) and Canada Research Chair on Engineering of Power Network Atmospheric Icing (INGIVRE), Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC (Canada); Menini, R.; Farzaneh, M. [NSERC / Hydro-Quebec / UQAC Industrial Chair on Atmospheric Icing of Power Network Equipment (CIGELE) and Canada Research Chair on Engineering of Power Network Atmospheric Icing (INGIVRE), Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC (Canada)

    2010-12-15

    A superhydrophobic and icephobic surface were investigated on aluminum alloy substrate. Anodizing was used first to create a micro-nanostructured aluminum oxide underlayer on the alloy substrate. In a second step, the rough surface was coated with RF-sputtered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Teflon). Scanning electron microscopy images showed a 'bird's nest'-like structure on the anodized surface. The RF-sputtered PTFE coating exhibited a high static contact angle of {approx}165 deg. with a very low contact angle hysteresis of {approx}3 deg. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results showed high quantities of CF{sub 3} and CF{sub 2} groups, which are responsible for the hydrophobic behavior of the coatings. The performance of this superhydrophobic film was studied under atmospheric icing conditions. These results showed that on superhydrophobic surfaces ice-adhesion strength was 3.5 times lower than on the polished aluminum substrate.

  8. Structural and corrosive properties of ZrO2 thin films on zircaloy-4 by RF reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Soo Ho; Lee, Kwang Hoon; Ko, Jae Hwan; Yoon, Young Soo; Baek, Jong Hyuk; Lee, Sang Jin

    2006-01-01

    Zirconium-oxide (ZrO 2 ) thin films as protective layers were grown on a Zircaloy-4 (Z-4) cladding material as a substrate by RF reactive magnetron sputtering at room temperature. To investigate the effect of plasma immersion on the structural and the corrosive properties of the as-grown ZrO 2 thin film, we immersed Z-4 in plasma during the deposition process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements showed that the as-grown ZrO 2 thin films immersed in plasma had cubic, well as monoclinic and tetragonal, phases whereas those immersed in the plasma had monoclinic and tetragonal phases only. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements of the surface morphology showed that the surface roughness of the as-grown ZrO 2 thin films immersed in plasma was larger than that of the films not immersed in plasma. In addition, the corrosive property of the as-grown ZrO 2 thin films immersed in the plasma was characterized using the weight gains of Z-4 after the corrosion test. Compared with the non-immersed films, the weight gains of the immersed films were larger. These results indicate that the ZrO 2 films immersed in plasma cannot protect Z-4 from corrosive phenomena.

  9. Chemical mechanical polishing characteristics of ITO thin film prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Kang-Yeon; Choi, Gwon-Woo; Kim, Yong-Jae; Choi, Youn-Ok; Kim, Nam-Oh

    2012-01-01

    Indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin films have attracted intensive interest because of their unique properties of good conductivity, high optical transmittance over the visible region and easy patterning ability. ITO thin films have found many applications in anti-static coatings, thermal heaters, solar cells, flat panel displays (FPDs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), electroluminescent devices, sensors and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). ITO thin films are generally fabricated by using various methods, such as spraying, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), evaporation, electron gun deposition, direct current electroplating, high frequency sputtering, and reactive sputtering. In this research, ITO films were grown on glass substrates by using a radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. In order to achieve a high transmittance and a low resistivity, we examined the various film deposition conditions, such as substrate temperature, working pressure, annealing temperature, and deposition time. Next, in order to improve the surface quality of the ITO thin films, we performed a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) with different process parameters and compared the electrical and the optical properties of the polished ITO thin films. The best CMP conditions with a high removal rate, low nonuniformity, low resistivity and high transmittance were as follows: platen speed, head speed, polishing time, and slurry flow rate of 30 rpm, 30 rpm, 60 sec, and 60 ml/min, respectively.

  10. Sputter deposition of tantalum-nitride films on copper using an rf-plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walter, K.C.; Fetherston, R.P.; Sridharan, K.; Chen, A.; Shamim, M.M.; Conrad, J.R.

    1994-01-01

    A tantalum-nitride film was successfully deposited at ambient temperature on copper with a modified ion-assisted-deposition (IAD) technique. The process uses an argon and nitrogen plasma to sputter deposit from a tantalum rf-cathode and ion implant the deposited film simultaneously. Both argon and nitrogen ions are used for sputtering and ion implantation. Auger spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction were used to characterize the resulting film

  11. High temperature superconducting films by rf magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kadin, A.M.; Ballentine, P.H.

    1989-01-01

    The authors have produced sputtered films of Y-Ba-Cu-O and Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O by rf magnetron sputtering from an oxide target consisting of loose reacted powder. The use of a large 8-inch stoichiometric target in the magnetron mode permits films located above the central region to be free of negative-ion resputtering effects, and hence yields reproducible, uniform stoichiometric compositions for a wide range of substrate temperatures. Superconducting YBCO films have been obtained either by sputtering at low temperatures followed by an 850 0 C oxygen anneal, or alternatively by depositing onto substrates heated to ∼600 - 650 0 C and cooling in oxygen. Films prepared by the former method on cubic zirconia substrate consist of randomly oriented crystallites with zero resistance above 83 K. Those deposited on zirconia at medium temperatures without the high-temperature anneal contain smooth partially oriented crystallites, with a slightly depressed T/sub c/ ∼75K. Finally, superconducting films have been deposited on MgO using a BiSrCaCu/sub 2/O/sub x/ powder target

  12. Transparent conducting Al-doped ZnO thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering with dc and rf powers applied in combination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Minami, Tadatsugu; Ohtani, Yuusuke; Miyata, Toshihiro; Kuboi, Takeshi

    2007-01-01

    A newly developed Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin-film magnetron-sputtering deposition technique that decreases resistivity, improves resistivity distribution, and produces high-rate depositions has been demonstrated by dc magnetron-sputtering depositions that incorporate rf power (dc+rf-MS), either with or without the introduction of H 2 gas into the deposition chamber. The dc+rf-MS preparations were carried out in a pure Ar or an Ar+H 2 (0%-2%) gas atmosphere at a pressure of 0.4 Pa by adding a rf component (13.56 MHz) to a constant dc power of 80 W. The deposition rate in a dc+rf-MS deposition incorporating a rf power of 150 W was approximately 62 nm/min, an increase from the approximately 35 nm/min observed in dc magnetron sputtering with a dc power of 80 W. A resistivity as low as 3x10 -4 Ω cm and an improved resistivity distribution could be obtained in AZO thin films deposited on substrates at a low temperature of 150 deg. C by dc+rf-MS with the introduction of hydrogen gas with a content of 1.5%. This article describes the effects of adding a rf power component (i.e., dc+rf-MS deposition) as well as introducing H 2 gas into dc magnetron-sputtering preparations of transparent conducting AZO thin films

  13. Characteristics of ZnO/diamond thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

    CERN Document Server

    Park, Y W; Lee, J G; Baik, Y J; Kim, H J; Jung, H J; Choi, W K; Cho, B H; Park, C Y

    1999-01-01

    Due to its high Young's modulus, diamond has the highest acoustic wave velocity among all materials and is expected to be a candidate substrate for high-frequency surface acoustic wave(SAW) devices. In this study, the deposition of ZnO, as a piezoelectric layer, on a diamond substrate is investigated. ZnO has been fabricated by using RF magnetron sputtering with a ZnO target and various Ar/O sub 2 gas ratios, RF powers, and substrate temperatures at a vacuum of 10 sup - sup 5 Torr. The sputtered ZnO films are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and I-V characteristics. All the films show only a (002) orientation. The atomic concentration of the sputtered ZnO films is changed by the oxygen gas ratio, and the ZnO films are grown with a homogeneous composition over their entire thickness. The electrical resistivity of the films varied from 4x10 sup 3 to 7x10 sup 8 OMEGA cm, depending on the Ar/O sub 2 gas ratio. The phase...

  14. Additive manufactured Ti6Al4V scaffolds with the RF- magnetron sputter deposited hydroxyapatite coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chudinova, E; Surmeneva, M; Surmenev, R; Koptioug, A; Scoglund, P

    2016-01-01

    Present paper reports on the results of surface modification of the additively manufactured porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds. Radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering was used to modify the surface of the alloy via deposition of the biocompatible hydroxyapatite (HA) coating. The surface morphology, chemical and phase composition of the HA-coated alloy were studied. It was revealed that RF magnetron sputtering allows preparing a homogeneous HA coating onto the entire surface of scaffolds. (paper)

  15. Preparation and Characterization of FC Films Coated on PET Substrates by RF Magnetron Sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Mei-lin

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Fluorocarbon (FC films were prepared on polyethylene terephthalate (PET plates and PET fabrics respectively by a radiofrequency (RF magnetron sputtering technique using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE as a target. Scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to investigate the morphology, structure and composition of the obtained FC films. The hydrophobicity and uvioresistant properties of the FC film coated fabric were studied. The results show that the FC films were successfully deposited on the PET substrates by a RF magnetron sputtering. The deposited films are made up of four components -CF3, -CF2-, CF- and -C-. The proportions of the four components and surface morphologies of the deposited films vary with the sputtering conditions. Compared with the original fabric samples, the hydrophobicity of the FC film coated fabrics is quite good and improved significantly.

  16. RF power dependent formation of amorphous MoO3-x nanorods by RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Navas, I.; Vinodkumar, R.; Detty, A.P.; Mahadevan Pillai, V.P.

    2009-01-01

    Full text: The fabrication of nanorods has received increasing attention for their unique physical and chemical properties and a wide range of potential applications such as photonics and nanoelectronics Molybdenum oxide nanorods with high activity can be used in a wide variety of applications such as cathodes in rechargeable batteries, field emission devices, solid lubricants, superconductors thermoelectric materials, and electrochromic devices. In this paper, amorphous MoO 3-x nanorods can find excellent applications in electrochromic and gas sensing have been successfully prepared by varying the R F power in R F Magnetron Sputtering system without heating the substrate; other parameters which are optimised in our earlier studies. We have found that the optimum RF power for nanorod formation is 200W. At a moderate RF power (200W), sputtering redeposition takes places constructively which leads to formation of fine nanorods. Large RF power creates high energetic ion bombardment on the grains surfaces which can lead to re-nucleation, so the grains become smaller and columnar growth is interrupted. Beyond the RF power 200W, the etching effect of the plasma became more severe and damaged the surface of the nanorods. All the molybdenum oxide films prepared are amorphous; the XRD patterns exhibit no characteristic peak corresponds to MoO 3 . The amorphous nature is preferred for good electrochromic colouration The spectroscopic properties of the nanorods have been investigated systematically using atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction, micro-Raman, UV-visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The films exhibit two emission bands; a near band edge UV emission and a defect related deep level visible emission

  17. RF-superimposed DC and pulsed DC sputtering for deposition of transparent conductive oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stowell, Michael; Mueller, Joachim; Ruske, Manfred; Lutz, Mark; Linz, Thomas

    2007-01-01

    Transparent conductive oxide films are widely used materials for electronic applications such as flat panel displays and solar cells. The superposition of DC and pulsed DC power by a certain fraction of RF power was applied to deposit indium tin oxide films. This technique allows an additional tuning of different parameters relevant to film growth, and yields high quality films even under kinetically limited conditions. A long-term stable RF/DC process could be realized by using different combinations of standard power supply components, which includes a fully reliable arc handling system for both the RF and DC generators. The effectiveness of the arc handling system is illustrated by the current and voltage behavior recorded for actual arcing events. The resistivity of indium tin oxide films is strongly influenced by the respective sputtering mode. The best resistivity values of 145-148 μΩ cm were obtained by RF-superimposed pulsed DC sputtering at a pulse frequency between 100 and 200 kHz and a substrate temperature as low as 140 deg. C. In addition, the films were extremely smooth with a surface roughness of 1-2.5 nm

  18. Synthesis and characterization of CdTe nanostructures grown by RF magnetron sputtering method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akbarnejad, Elaheh; Ghoranneviss, Mahmood; Hantehzadeh, Mohammad Reza

    2017-08-01

    In this paper, we synthesize Cadmium Telluride nanostructures by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering system on soda lime glass at various thicknesses. The effect of CdTe nanostructures thickness on crystalline, optical and morphological properties has been studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The XRD parameters of CdTe nanostructures such as microstrain, dislocation density, and crystal size have been examined. From XRD analysis, it could be assumed that increasing deposition time caused the formation of the wurtzite hexagonal structure of the sputtered films. Optical properties of the grown nanostructures as a function of film thickness have been observed. All the films indicate more than 60% transmission over a wide range of wavelengths. The optical band gap values of the films have obtained in the range of 1.62-1.45 eV. The results indicate that an RF sputtering method succeeded in depositing of CdTe nanostructures with high purity and controllable physical properties, which is appropriate for photovoltaic and nuclear detector applications.

  19. Reactive magnetron sputtering model at making Ti-TiOx coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luchkin, A G; Kashapov, N F

    2014-01-01

    Mathematical model of reactive magnetron sputtering for plant VU 700-D is described. Approximating curves for experimental current-voltage characteristic for two gas input schemas are shown. Choice of gas input schema influences on model parameters (mainly on pumping speed). Reactive magnetron sputtering model allows develop technology of Ti - TiO x coatings deposition without changing atmosphere and pressure in vacuum chamber

  20. ITO/InP solar cells: A comparison of devices fabricated by ion beam and RF sputtering of the ITO

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coutts, T. J.

    1987-01-01

    This work was performed with the view of elucidating the behavior of indium tin oxide/indium phosphide (ITO/InP) solar cells prepared by RF and ion beam sputtering. It was found that using RF sputter deposition of the ITO always leads to more efficient devices than ion beam sputter deposition. An important aspect of the former technique is the exposure of the single crystal p-InP substrates to a very low plasma power prior to deposition. Substrates treated in this manner have also been used for ion beam deposition of ITO. In this case the cells behave very similarly to the RF deposited cells, thus suggesting that the lower power plasma exposure (LPPE) is the crucial process step.

  1. Optical properties and thermal stability of TiAlN/AlON tandem absorber prepared by reactive DC/RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barshilia, Harish C.; Selvakumar, N.; Rajam, K.S. [Surface Engineering Division, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore 560 017 (India); Biswas, A. [Spectroscopy Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai 400 085 (India)

    2008-11-15

    Spectrally selective TiAlN/AlON tandem absorbers were deposited on copper and stainless steel substrates using a reactive DC/RF magnetron sputtering system. The compositions and thicknesses of the individual component layers were optimized to achieve high absorptance ({alpha}=0.931-0.942) and low emittance ({epsilon}=0.05-0.06) on copper substrate. The experimental spectroscopic ellipsometric data have been fitted with the theoretical models to derive the dispersion of the optical constants (n and k). In order to study the thermal stability of the tandem absorbers, they were subjected to heat treatment (in air and vacuum) for different durations and temperatures. The tandem absorber deposited on Cu substrates exhibited high solar selectivity ({alpha}/{epsilon}) of 0.946/0.07 even after heat treatment in air up to 600 C for 2 h. At 625 C, the solar selectivity decreased significantly on Cu substrates (e.g., {alpha}/{epsilon}=0.924/0.30). The tandem absorber on Cu substrates was also stable in air up to 100 h at 400 C with a solar selectivity of 0.919/0.06. Studies on the accelerated aging tests indicated that the activation energy for the degradation of the tandem absorber is of the order of 100 kJ/mol. (author)

  2. Growth of ZnO nanocrystals in silica by rf co-sputter deposition and post-annealing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siva Kumar, V.V.; Singh, F.; Kumar, Amit; Avasthi, D.K.

    2006-01-01

    Thin films with ZnO nanocrystals in silica were synthesized by rf reactive magnetron co-sputter deposition and post-annealing. The films were deposited from a ZnO/Si composite target in an rf oxygen plasma. The deposited films were annealed in air/vacuum at high temperatures to grow ZnO nanocrystals. The deposited and annealed films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), uv-vis spectroscopy (UV-VIS) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. FT-IR results of the films show the vibrational features of Si-O-Si and Zn-O bonds. UV-VIS spectra of the deposited film shows the band edge of ZnO. The XRD results of the films annealed at 750 deg. C and 1000 deg. C indicate the growth of ZnO nanocrystals with average crystallite sizes between 7 nm and 26 nm. PL measurements of the deposited film show a broad visible luminescence peak which can be due to ZnO. These results suggest the growth of ZnO nanocrystals in silica matrix

  3. Piezoelectric Response Evaluation of ZnO Thin Film Prepared by RF Magnetron Sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng Da-Long

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The most important parameter of piezoelectric materials is piezoelectric coefficient (d33. In this study, the piezoelectric ZnO thin films were deposited on the SiNx/Si substrate. The 4 inches substrate is diced into 8 cm× 8 cm piece. During the deposition process, a zinc target (99.999 wt% of 2 inches diameter was used. The vertical distance between the target and the substrate holder was fixed at 5 cm. The piezoelectric response of zinc oxide (ZnO thin films were obtained by using a direct measurement system. The system adopts a mini impact tip to generate an impulsive force and read out the piezoelectric signals immediately. Experimentally, a servo motor is used to produce a fixed quantity of force, for giving an impact against to the piezoelectric film. The ZnO thin films were deposited using the reactive radio frequency (RF magnetron sputtering method. The electric charges should be generated because of the material’s extrusion. This phenomenon was investigated through the oscilloscope by one shot trigger. It was apparent that all ZnO films exhibit piezoelectric responses evaluated by our measurement system, however, its exhibit a significant discrepancy. The piezoelectric responses of ZnO thin film at various deposition positions were measured and the crystal structures of the sputtering pressure were also discussed. The crystalline characteristics of ZnO thin films are investigated through the XRD and SEM. The results show the ZnO thin film exhibits good crystalline pattern and surface morphology with controlled sputtering condition. The ZnO thin films sputtered using 2 inches target present various piezoelectric responses. With the exactly related position, a best piezoelectric response of ZnO thin film can be achieved.

  4. Development of nanocrystalline Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) thin films using RF-magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamilselvan, N.; Thilakan, Periyasamy

    2013-01-01

    ITO thin films have been deposited on glass substrate using RF Magnetron puttering Technique from the pre-synthesized ITO target. The sputtering parameters such as the deposition temperature, gas composition and the RF power densities were varied. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the crystallization of the films is mostly depending on the RF power density and substrate temperature. Crystallized films exhibited a change in the preferred orientation from (111) plane to (100) plane at specific conditions such as high RF power density and high oxygen mixing to the plasma. Change in the film microstructure and a shift in the optical bandgap were recorded from the SEM and UV-Visible measurements respectively. (author)

  5. Geometric considerations in magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thornton, J.A.

    1982-01-01

    The recent development of high performance magnetron type discharge sources has greatly enhaced the range of coating applications where sputtering is a viable deposition process. Magnetron sources can provide high current densities and sputtering rates, even at low pressures. They have much reduced substrate heating rates and can be scaled to large sizes. Magnetron sputter coating apparatuses can have a variety of geometric and plasma configurations. The target geometry affects the emission directions of both the sputtered atoms and the energetic ions which are neutralized and reflected at the cathode. This fact, coupled with the long mean free particle paths which are prevalent at low pressures, can make the coating properties very dependent on the apparatus geometry. This paper reviews the physics of magnetron operation and discusses the influences of apparatus geometry on the use of magnetrons for rf sputtering and reactive sputtering, as well as on the microstructure and internal stresses in sputtered metallic coatings. (author) [pt

  6. Copper deposition on fabrics by rf plasma sputtering for medical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Segura, G; Guzmán, P; Barrantes, Y; Navarro, G; Asenjo, J; Guadamuz, S; Vargas, VI; Zuñiga, P; Chaves, S; Chaves, J

    2015-01-01

    The present work is about preparation and characterization of RF sputtered Cu films on cotton by the usage of a Magnetron Sputter Source and 99.995% purity Cu target at room temperature. Cotton fabric samples of 1, 2 and 4 min of sputtering time at discharge pressure of 1×10 −2 Torr and distance between target and sample of 8 cm were used. The main goal was to qualitatively test the antimicrobial action of copper on fabrics. For that purpose, a reference strain of Escherichia Coli ATCC 35218 that were grown in TSA plates was implemented. Results indicated a decrease in the growth of bacteria by contact with Cu; for fabric samples with longer sputtering presented lower development of E. coli colonies. The scope of this research focused on using these new textiles in health field, for example socks can be made with this textile for the treatment of athlete's foot and the use in pajamas, sheets, pillow covers and robes in hospital setting for reducing the spread of microorganisms. (paper)

  7. CIGS thin film solar cell prepared by reactive co-sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jeha; Lee, Ho-Sub; Park, Nae-Man

    2013-09-01

    The reactive co-sputtering was developed as a new way of preparing high quality CuInGaSe2(CIGS) films from two sets of targets; Cu0.6Ga 0.4 and Cu0.4In0.6 alloy and Cu and (In0.7Ga0.3)2Se3 compound targets. During sputtering, Cu, In, Ga metallic elements as well as the compound materials were reacted to form CIGS simultaneously in highly reactive elemental Se atmosphere generated by a thermal cracker. CIGS layer had been grown on Mo/soda-lime glass(SLG) at 500°C. For both sets of targets, we controlled the composition of CIGS thin film by changing the RF power for target components. All the films showed a preferential (112) orientation as observed from X-ray diffraction analysis. The composition ratios of CIGS were easily set to 0.71-0.95, 0.10-0.30 for [Cu]/[III] and [Ga]/[III], respectively. The grain size and the surface roughness of a CIGS film increased as the [Cu]/[III] ratios increased. The solar cells were fabricated using a standard base line process in the device structure of grid/ITO/i-ZnO/CdS/CIGS/Mo/ SLG. The best performance was obtained the performance of Voc = 0.45 V, Jsc =35.6, FF = 0.535, η = 8.6% with a 0.9 μm-CIGS solar cell from alloy targets while Voc = 0.54 V, Jsc =30.8, FF = 0.509, η = 8.5% with a 0.8 μm-CIGS solar cell from Cu and (In0.7Ga0.3)2Se3.

  8. Dependence of energy per molecule on sputtering yields with reactive gas cluster ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toyoda, Noriaki; Yamada, Isao

    2010-01-01

    Gas cluster ions show dense energy deposition on a target surface, which result in the enhancement of chemical reactions. In reactive sputtering with gas cluster ions, the energy per atom or molecule plays an important role. In this study, the average cluster size (N, the number of atoms or molecules in a cluster ion) was controlled; thereby the dependences of the energy per molecule on the sputtering yields of carbon by CO 2 cluster ions and that of Si by SF 6 /Ar mixed gas cluster ions were investigated. Large CO 2 cluster ions with energy per molecule of 1 eV showed high reactive sputtering yield of an amorphous carbon film. However, these ions did not cause the formation of large craters on a graphite surface. It is possible to achieve very low damage etching by controlling the energy per molecule of reactive cluster ions. Further, in the case of SF 6 /Ar mixed cluster ions, it was found that reactive sputtering was enhanced when a small amount of SF 6 gas (∼10%) was mixed with Ar. The reactive sputtering yield of Si by one SF 6 molecule linearly increased with the energy per molecule.

  9. Influence of stress on the structural and dielectric properties of rf magnetron sputtered zinc oxide thin film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menon, Rashmi; Sreenivas, K.; Gupta, Vinay

    2008-05-01

    Highly c axis oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been prepared on 1737 Corning glass substrate by planar rf magnetron sputtering under varying pressure (10-50mTorr) and different oxygen percentage (40%-100%) in reactive gas mixtures. The as-grown ZnO thin films were found to have stress over a wide range from -6×1010to-9×107dynes/cm2. The presence of stress depends strongly on processing conditions, and films become almost stress free under a unique combination of sputtering pressure and reactive gas composition. The studies show a correlation of stress with structural and electrical properties of the ZnO thin film. The stressed films possess high electrical conductivity and exhibits strong dielectric dispersion over a wide frequency (1kHz-1MHz). The dielectric constant ɛ'(ω) of stress free ZnO film was almost frequency independent and was close to the bulk value. The measured value of dc conductivity, σdc(ω) and ac conductivity σac(ω) of stress free ZnO film was 1.3×10-9 and 6.8×10-5Ω-1cm-1, respectively. The observed variation in the structural and electrical properties of ZnO thin film with stress has been analyzed in the light of growth kinetics.

  10. Titanium carbide coatings on molybdenum by means of reactive sputtering and electron beam techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Obata, T.; Aida, H.; Hirohata, Y.; Mohri, M.; Yamashina, T.

    1982-01-01

    This study is an experimental investigation of TiC coatings on Mo substrate by means of a reactive r.f. sputtering in the presence of CH 4 and a chemical reaction with interdiffusion in the sandwich structure of Ti/C/Mo by electron beam evaporation and heating. Using the reactive sputtering method, a homogeneous TiC coating with stoichiometric composition and good adhesion could be produced in the conditions of the partial pressure range of CH 4 , 2 approx. equal to 5 x 10 -4 Torr (total pressure, Psub(Ar) + Psub(CH) 4 = 5.6 x 10 -2 Torr) at 300 0 C (substrate). By using the electron beams, successively evaporated carbon and Ti on a Mo substrate was heated to 700 0 C to form a TiC surface layer on the top which then remained stable during further heating to 1000 0 C. Godd adhesion was brought about by interdiffusion to produce Mo 2 C layer between TiC layer and Mo substrate. It was also found that further heating of the coating layers subsequent to Ti evaporation on the TiC layer produced thicker TiC layer due to a chemical reaction between Ti and inner carbon layers. This could be a promising method of in situ replenishment for TiC coatings on the first wall and the limiter materials. (orig.)

  11. Intrinsic Photocatalytic Assessment of Reactively Sputtered TiO2 Films

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rafieian Boroujeni, Damon; Driessen, Rick Theodorus; Driessen, Rick T.; Ogieglo, Wojciech; Lammertink, Rob G.H.

    2015-01-01

    Thin TiO2 films were prepared by DC magnetron reactive sputtering at different oxygen partial pressures. Depending on the oxygen partial pressure during sputtering, a transition from metallic Ti to TiO2 was identified by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The crystalline nature of the film developed during

  12. Structural and electrical properties of sputtering power and gas pressure on Ti-dope In2O3 transparent conductive films by RF magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaoumead, Accarat; Joo, Bong-Hyun; Kwak, Dong-Joo; Sung, Youl-Moon

    2013-06-01

    Transparent conductive titanium-doped indium oxide (ITiO) films were deposited on Corning glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering method. The effects of RF sputtering power and Ar gas pressure on the structural and electrical properties of the films were investigated experimentally, using a 2.5 wt% TiO2-doped In2O3 target. The deposition rate was in the range of around 20-60 nm/min under the experimental conditions of 5-20 mTorr of gas pressure and 220-350 W of RF power. The lowest resistivity of 1.2 × 10-4 Ω cm, the average optical transmittance of 75%, the high hall mobility of 47.03 cm2/V s and the relatively low carrier concentration of 1.15E+21 cm-3 were obtained for the ITiO film, prepared at RF power of 300 W and Ar gas pressure of 15 mTorr. This resistivity of 1.2 × 10-4 Ω cm is low enough as a transparent conducting layer in various electro-optical devices and it is comparable with that of ITO or ZnO:Al conducting layer.

  13. Catalytic growth of ZnO nanostructures by r.f. magnetron sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arroyo-Hernández María

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The catalytic effect of gold seed particles deposited on a substrate prior to zinc oxide (ZnO thin film growth by magnetron sputtering was investigated. For this purpose, selected ultra thin gold layers, with thicknesses close to the percolation threshold, are deposited by thermal evaporation in ultra high vacuum (UHV conditions and subsequently annealed to form gold nanodroplets. The ZnO structures are subsequently deposited by r.f. magnetron sputtering in a UHV chamber, and possible morphological differences between the ZnO grown on top of the substrate and on the gold are investigated. The results indicate a moderate catalytic effect for a deposited gold underlayer of 4 nm, quite close to the gold thin film percolation thickness.

  14. Intrinsic photocatalytic assessment of reactively sputtered TiO₂ films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rafieian, Damon; Driessen, Rick T; Ogieglo, Wojciech; Lammertink, Rob G H

    2015-04-29

    Thin TiO2 films were prepared by DC magnetron reactive sputtering at different oxygen partial pressures. Depending on the oxygen partial pressure during sputtering, a transition from metallic Ti to TiO2 was identified by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The crystalline nature of the film developed during a subsequent annealing step, resulting in thin anatase TiO2 layers, displaying photocatalytic activity. The intrinsic photocatalytic activity of the catalysts was evaluated for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) using a microfluidic reactor. A numerical model was employed to extract the intrinsic reaction rate constants. High conversion rates (90% degradation within 20 s residence time) were observed within these microreactors because of the efficient mass transport and light distribution. To evaluate the intrinsic reaction kinetics, we argue that mass transport has to be accounted for. The obtained surface reaction rate constants demonstrate very high reactivity for the sputtered TiO2 films. Only for the thinnest film, 9 nm, slightly lower kinetics were observed.

  15. Plasma polymer films rf sputtered from PTFE under various argon pressures

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Stelmashuk, Vitaliy; Biederman, H.; Slavinská, D.; Zemek, Josef; Trchová, Miroslava

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 77, č. 2 (2005), s. 131-137 ISSN 0042-207X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) OC 527.10; GA MŠk(CZ) OC 527.90 Grant - others:EUREKAΣ2080(XE) OE57 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521; CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : RF sputtering * PTFE * fluorcarbon plasma polymers * thin film * teflon * deposition Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.909, year: 2005

  16. Thin films preparation of the Ti-Al-O system by rf-sputtering;Preparacion de peliculas delgadas del sistema Ti-Al-O mediante rf-sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Montes de Oca, J. A.; Ceballos A, J.; Galaviz P, J. [IPN, Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Unidad Altamira, Km 14.5 Carretera Tampico-Puerto Industrial Altamira, 89600 Altamira, Tamaulipas (Mexico); Manaud, J. P.; Lahaye, M. [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Chimie de la Matiere Condensee, Universite Bordeaux I, 87, Av. du Dr. Schweitzer, F-33608 Pessac-Cedex (France); Munoz S, J., E-mail: jmontedeocacv@ipn.m [IPN, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Unidad Queretaro, Libramiento Norponiente No. 2000, Fracc. Real de Juriquilla, 76230 Santiago de Queretaro, Qro. (Mexico)

    2010-07-01

    In the present work Ti-Al-O thin films were synthesized by rf-sputtering technique on glass and silicon (Si) substrates using Ti Al and Ti{sub 3}Al targets in a sputtering chamber with an Ar-O{sub 2} atmosphere. Ti-Al-O thin films were obtained varying experimental parameters such as oxygen percent fed to the reaction chamber, plasma power density and substrate temperature. The films deposited on glass substrates were used to evaluate their optical properties, while those deposited on Si substrates were used to evaluate mechanical and morphological properties. The crystalline structure, morphology, chemical composition and optical properties of the films were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron microscopy and visible UV spectroscopy. Films thicknesses were measured using a profiler. The roughness and mechanical properties such as hardness and Young modulus were analyzed by atomic force microscopy and nano indentation technique, respectively. (Author)

  17. RF Magnetron Sputtering Coating Of Hydroxyapatite On Alkali Solution Treated Titanate Nanorods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee K.

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Hydroxyapatite (HA is a material with outstanding biocompatibility. It is chemically similar to natural bone tissue, and has therefore been favored for use as a coating material for dental and orthopedic implants. In this study, RF magnetron sputtering was applied for HA coating. And Alkali treatment was performed in a 5 M NaOH solution at 60°C. The coated HA thin film was heat-treated at a range of temperatures from 300 to 600°C. The morphological characterization and crystal structures of the coated specimens were then obtained via FE-SEM, XRD, and FT-IR. The amorphous thin film obtained on hydrothermally treated nanorods transformed into a crystalline thin film after the heat treatment. The change in the phase transformation, with an enhanced crystallinity, showed a reduced wettability. The hydrothermally treated nanorods with an amorphous thin film, on the other hand, showed an outstanding wettability. The HA thin film perpendicularly coated the nanorods in the upper and inner parts via RF magnetron sputtering, and the FT-IR results confirmed that the molecular bonding of the coated film had an HA structure.

  18. Investigation of optical and microstructural properties of RF magnetron sputtered PTFE films for hydrophobic applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tripathi, S.; Haque, S. Maidul; Rao, K. Divakar; De, Rajnarayan; Shripathi, T.; Deshpande, U.; Ganesan, V.; Sahoo, N.K.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Polytetrafluoroethylene films were made by RF sputtering by varying deposition time. • With increasing deposition time, thickness shows unusual trend due to backsputtering. • Major contribution of CF 2 and CF 3 bonds in the samples is seen by ATR-FTIR. • Deposition time influences film thickness but all samples remain hydrophobic. • XPS spectra show strong CF x bonds at the surface. - Abstract: The deposition time dependence of optical, structural and morphological properties of thin as well as ultrathin Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sputtered films have been explored in the present communication. The films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering under high vacuum condition, as a function of deposition time. The ellipsometry as well as X-ray reflectivity data show a drastic reduction in film thickness as the deposition time increases from 5 s to 10 s, possibly as a consequence of back sputtering. With subsequent deposition, back sputtering component decreases and hence, thickness increases with increase in deposition time. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images show a slight change in growth morphology although roughness is independent of deposition time. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) measurements showed the presence of C−C and CF x (x = 1–3) bonds in all the PTFE films. Supporting this, corresponding X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) curves fitted for C-1s and F-1s peaks revealed a major contribution from CF 2 bonds along with significant contribution from CF 3 bonds leading to an F/C ratio of ∼1.5 giving hydrophobic nature of all the films.

  19. Fabrication and properties of yttrium doped barium titanate film by RF sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Igarashi, H.; Yuasa, M.; Okazaki, K.

    1985-01-01

    Semiconductive barium titanate films were fabricated by RF sputtering on fused quartz, alumina and barium titanate ceramic substrates using barium titanate ceramic with a small amount of yttria as a target. The films on the barium titanate substrates turned blue color and showed a small PTC effect by heat-treating at 1000 0 C in the air after deposition at the substrate temperature of 600 0 C

  20. TiCx thin films coatings prepared by reactive sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saoula, N.; Handa, K.; Kesri, R.

    2004-01-01

    Full text.Transition metal carbides and nitrides attract large technological interest due to their unique properties like high hardness and young modulus, high electric conductivity, a considerable high-temperature strength, high corrosion resistance and high melting or decomposition temperatures. They have been applied as coatings for tools because of their superior properties. these materials have such properties due to atomic bonding, which shows a mixed covalent, metallic and ionic character. Among these nitrides and carbides titanium carbide is a compound of particular importance. Titanium carbide combines the advantages of a high melting point (3140 celsius degree) and hardness (3000 Hv) with those of relative lightness (density 4.93 10 3 Kg m -3 ).It also exhibits high resistance to both corrosion and oxidation and a relatively low friction coefficient. Usually, TiC films are produced by deposition with plasma-enhanced CVD (PCVD), thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD) or activated reactive evaporation methods. However, these methods require high temperature (>600 celsius degree) substrates to achieve the deposition, which sometimes causes thermal damage to the deposited films. At temperature above 550 celsius degree, thermal diffusion of materials not suitable may also occur. In addition, it has been reported that the maximum temperature which permits the appropriate coating of hardened steel tools is 500 celsius degree. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a deposition technique for TiC films using low-temperature substrates to avoid thermal damage. So, different physical vapour deposition (PVD) processes for deposition of TiC at relatively low temperatures have been used through the years. These processes are based on vaporisation of titanium in hydrocarbon atmosphere or on sputtering of solid TiC target or titanium target in hydrocarbon atmosphere. the most often-used hydrocarbon gases are methane, acetylene, ethene and ethane. In previous works, we

  1. Some magnetic and magnetoresistive properties of RF-sputtered thin NiFe-Si films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vatskicheva, M.; Vatskichev, Ly.; Dimitrov, I.; Kunev, B.

    The galvanomagnetic properties and some structural peculiarities of rf-sputtered alloy films (NI80Fe20)100-xSix at 0 < x < 30 at. % were studied and compared with the corresponding properties of evaporated films of the same thickness and composition. The content of silicon increased with the increasing of the velocity of deposition and led to the amorphousation of the films. Coercivity decreased with the velocity of growth but it did not depend on the thickness and on the velocity of film deposition. The magnetoresistance ratio Dr/r of the sputtered films was about three times higher then that of the evaporated films.

  2. Hysteretic current-voltage characteristics in RF-sputtered nanocrystalline TiO2 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villafuerte, Manuel; Juarez, Gabriel; Heluani, Silvia P. de; Comedi, David

    2007-01-01

    We have measured the current-voltage characteristics at room temperature of a nanocrystalline TiO 2 thin film fabricated by reactive RF-sputtering deposition and sandwiched between ITO (indium-tin-oxide)-buffered glass substrate and an indium top electrode. The I-V characteristics are ohmic for low voltages and become non-linear, hysteretic and asymmetric as the voltage is increased. The system is shown to be well represented by two distinct resistance states in the non-ohmic region. Current transient evolutions were also measured for constant voltage excitations. The resistance is stable in time for voltages in the ohmic regime. In contrast, for voltages in the non-ohmic regime, the resistance has a small variation for a short period of time (order of tens seconds) and then increases with time. For those transients, long characteristic times (on the order of tens of minutes up to hours) were found. The behavior of the system is discussed on the basis of experimental results reported in the literature for similar systems and existing models for electric-field induced resistive switching

  3. Reactive magnetron sputtering of N-doped carbon thin films on quartz glass for transmission photocathode applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balalykin, N. I.; Huran, J.; Nozdrin, M. A.; Feshchenko, A. A.; Kobzev, A. P.; Sasinková, V.; Boháček, P.; Arbet, J.

    2018-03-01

    N-doped carbon thin films were deposited on a silicon substrate and quartz glass by RF reactive magnetron sputtering using a carbon target and an Ar+N2 gas mixture. During the magnetron sputtering, the substrate holder temperatures was kept at 800 °C. The carbon film thickness on the silicon substrate was about 70 nm, while on the quartz glass it was in the range 15 nm – 60 nm. The elemental concentration in the films was determined by RBS and ERD. Raman spectroscopy was used to evaluate the intensity ratios I D/I G of the D and G peaks of the carbon films. The transmission photocathodes prepared were placed in the hollow-cathode assembly of a Pierce-structure DC gun to produce photoelectrons. The quantum efficiency (QE) was calculated from the laser energy and cathode charge measured. The properties of the transmission photocathodes based on semitransparent N-doped carbon thin films on quartz glass and their potential for application in DC gun technology are discussed.

  4. Improvement of InN layers deposited on Si(111) by RF sputtering using a low-growth-rate InN buffer layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valdueza-Felip, S.; Ibáñez, J.; Monroy, E.; González-Herráez, M.; Artús, L.; Naranjo, F.B.

    2012-01-01

    We investigate the influence of a low-growth-rate InN buffer layer on structural and optical properties of wurtzite nanocrystalline InN films deposited on Si(111) substrates by reactive radio-frequency sputtering. The deposition conditions of the InN buffer layer were optimized in terms of morphological and structural quality, leading to films with surface root-mean-square roughness of ∼ 1 nm under low-growth-rate conditions (60 nm/h). The use of the developed InN buffer layer improves the crystalline quality of the subsequent InN thick films deposited at high growth rate (180 nm/h), as confirmed by the narrowing of X-ray diffraction peaks and the increase of the average grain size of the layers. This improvement of the structural quality is further confirmed by Raman scattering spectroscopy measurements. Room temperature PL emission peaking at ∼ 1.58 eV is observed for InN samples grown with the developed buffer layer. The crystal and optical quality obtained for InN films grown on Si(111) using the low-growth-rate InN buffer layer become comparable to high-quality InN films deposited directly on GaN templates by RF sputtering. - Highlights: ► Improved RF-sputtered InN films on Si(111) using a low-growth-rate InN buffer layer. ► Enhanced structural quality confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Raman measurements. ► Room-temperature photoluminescence emission at 1.58 eV. ► InN films deposited with buffer layer on Si comparable to InN LAYERS on GaN templates.

  5. Improvement of InN layers deposited on Si(111) by RF sputtering using a low-growth-rate InN buffer layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Valdueza-Felip, S., E-mail: sirona.valdueza@depeca.uah.es [Electronics Dept., Polytechnic School, University of Alcala, Madrid-Barcelona Road, km 33.6, 28871 Alcala de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Ibanez, J. [Institut de Ciencies de la Terra Jaume Almera, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), c/Lluis Sole Sabaris s/n, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Monroy, E. [CEA-Grenoble, INAC/SP2M/NPSC, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Gonzalez-Herraez, M. [Electronics Dept., Polytechnic School, University of Alcala, Madrid-Barcelona Road, km 33.6, 28871 Alcala de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Artus, L. [Institut de Ciencies de la Terra Jaume Almera, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), c/Lluis Sole Sabaris s/n, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Naranjo, F.B. [Electronics Dept., Polytechnic School, University of Alcala, Madrid-Barcelona Road, km 33.6, 28871 Alcala de Henares, Madrid (Spain)

    2012-01-31

    We investigate the influence of a low-growth-rate InN buffer layer on structural and optical properties of wurtzite nanocrystalline InN films deposited on Si(111) substrates by reactive radio-frequency sputtering. The deposition conditions of the InN buffer layer were optimized in terms of morphological and structural quality, leading to films with surface root-mean-square roughness of {approx} 1 nm under low-growth-rate conditions (60 nm/h). The use of the developed InN buffer layer improves the crystalline quality of the subsequent InN thick films deposited at high growth rate (180 nm/h), as confirmed by the narrowing of X-ray diffraction peaks and the increase of the average grain size of the layers. This improvement of the structural quality is further confirmed by Raman scattering spectroscopy measurements. Room temperature PL emission peaking at {approx} 1.58 eV is observed for InN samples grown with the developed buffer layer. The crystal and optical quality obtained for InN films grown on Si(111) using the low-growth-rate InN buffer layer become comparable to high-quality InN films deposited directly on GaN templates by RF sputtering. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Improved RF-sputtered InN films on Si(111) using a low-growth-rate InN buffer layer. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Enhanced structural quality confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Raman measurements. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Room-temperature photoluminescence emission at 1.58 eV. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer InN films deposited with buffer layer on Si comparable to InN LAYERS on GaN templates.

  6. Growth and characterization of high quality ZnS thin films by RF sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, C.; Rajiv, K.; Gupta, P.; Sinha, A. K.; Abhinandan, L.

    2012-06-01

    High optical quality ZnS films are deposited on glass and Si wafer by RF sputtering from pure ZnS target. Optical transmittance, reflectance, ellipsometry, FTIR and AFM measurements are carried out. Effect of substrate temperature and chamber baking for long duration on film properties have been studied. Roughness of the films as measured by AFM are low (1-2Å).

  7. Effect of N_2 flow rate on the properties of N doped TiO_2 films deposited by DC coupled RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Shou; Yang, Yong; Li, Gang; Jiang, Jiwen; Jin, Kewu; Yao, TingTing; Zhang, Kuanxiang; Cao, Xin; Wang, Yun; Xu, Genbao

    2016-01-01

    N doped TiO_2 films were deposited on glass substrates at room temperature using DC coupled RF magnetron sputtering with a TiO_2 ceramic target. The influences of N_2 flow rate on the deposition rate, crystal structure, chemical composition and band gap of the deposited films were investigated by Optical profiler, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscope and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The film growth rate gradually decreased with increasing N_2 flow rate. As N_2 flow rate increased, the crystallization of the films deteriorated, and the films tended to form amorphous structure. XPS analysis revealed that N dopant atoms were added at the substitutional sites into TiO_2 lattice structure. FE-SEM results showed that the grain size of the film decreased and the crystallinity degraded as N_2 flow rate increases. In addition, N doping caused an obvious red shift in the optical absorption edge. - Highlights: • N doped TiO_2 films were deposited by DC coupled RF magnetron reactive sputtering. • As N_2 flow rate increases, the crystallization of the deposited films degrades. • The higher N_2 flow rate is beneficial to form more substituted N in the film. • N doping causes an obvious red shift in the absorption wavelength.

  8. Structural and optical properties of titanium dioxide films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in pure oxygen plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asanuma, T.; Matsutani, T.; Liu, C.; Mihara, T.; Kiuchi, M.

    2004-01-01

    Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) thin films were deposited on unheated quartz (SiO 2 ) substrates in 'pure oxygen' plasma by reactive radio-frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering. The structural and optical properties of deposited films were systematically studied by changing the deposition parameters, and it was very recently found that crystalline TiO 2 films grew effectively in pure O 2 atmosphere. For TiO 2 films deposited at a rf power P rf of 200 W, x-ray diffraction patterns show the following features: (a) no diffraction peak was observed at a total sputtering pressure p tot of 1.3 Pa; (b) rutile (110) diffraction was observed at 4.0 Pa, (c) the dominant diffraction was from anatase (101) planes, with additional diffraction from (200), under p tot between 6.7 and 13 Pa. For the deposition at 140 W, however, crystalline films with mixed phases were observed only between 4.0 and 6.7 Pa. The peaks of both the deposition rate and the anatase weight ratio for the films produced at 140 W were found at p tot of approximately 6.7 Pa. This suggests that the nucleation and growth of TiO 2 films were affected by the composition, density, and kinetic energy of the particles impinging on the substrate surface. The optical absorption edge analysis showed that the optical band gap E g and the constant B could sensitively detect the film growth behavior, and determine the film structure and optical absorption. The change in the shape of the fundamental absorption edge is considered to reflect the variation of density and the short-range structural modifications

  9. Ultra-hard AlMgB14 coatings fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering from a stoichiometric target

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grishin, A. M.; Khartsev, S. I.; Böhlmark, J.; Ahlgren, M.

    2015-01-01

    For the first time hard aluminum magnesium boride films were fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering from a single stoichiometric ceramic AlMgB14 target. Optimized processing conditions (substrate temperature, target sputtering power and target-to-substrate distance) enable fabrication of stoichiometric in-depth compositionally homogeneous films with the peak values of nanohardness 88 GPa and Young's modulus 517 GPa at the penetration depth of 26 nm and, respectively, 35 and 275 GPa at 200 nm depth in 2 μm thick film.

  10. Characteristics of Bilayer Molybdenum Films Deposited Using RF Sputtering for Back Contact of Thin Film Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sea-Fue Wang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Mo films prepared under a single deposition condition seldom simultaneously obtain a low resistivity and a good adhesion necessary for use in solar cells. In order to surmount the obstacle, bilayer Mo films using DC sputtering at a higher working pressure and a lower working pressure have been attempted as reported in the literature. In this study, RF sputtering with different powers in conjunction with different working pressures was explored to prepare bilayer Mo film. The first bottom layer was grown at a RF sputtering power of 30 W and a working pressure of 12 mTorr, and the second top layer was deposited at 100 W and 4.5 mTorr. The films revealed a columnar growth with a preferred orientation along the (110 plane. The bilayer Mo films reported an electrical resistivity of 6.35 × 10−5 Ω-cm and passed the Scotch tape test for adhesion to the soda-lime glass substrate, thereby qualifying the bilayer Mo films for use as back metal contacts for CIGS substrates.

  11. Optical emission studies of atomic and ionic species in the ionized sputter-deposition process of magnesium oxide thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuda, Y.; Koyama, Y.; Iwaya, M.; Shinohara, M.; Fujiyama, H.

    2005-01-01

    Planar magnetron (PM) power and ICP-RF power dependences of the optical emission intensities of excited atomic and ionic species in the reactive ionized sputter-deposition of magnesium oxide (MgO) thin films were investigated. With the increase in PM power at constant ICP-RF power, Mg I emission intensity increased and Ar I emission intensity gradually decreased. With the increase in ICP-RF power at constant PM power, the Mg I emission intensity increased at lower ICP-RF power and then gradually decreased at higher ICP-RF power; on the contrary, Ar I emission intensity monotonically increased. Emission intensity of atomic oxygen was negligibly small compared with those of Mg I and Ar I under the metallic sputtering mode condition

  12. Target surface condition during reactive glow discharge sputtering of copper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Depla, D; Haemers, J; Gryse, R De

    2002-01-01

    During reactive glow discharge sputtering of copper in an argon/nitrogen plasma, we noticed an abrupt change of the target voltage and the deposition rate when the nitrogen concentration in the plasma exceeds a critical value. To explain this behaviour, the target surface after reactive glow discharge sputtering was examined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). An experimental arrangement was constructed that allows direct transfer of the glow discharge cathode to the XPS analysis chamber without air exposure. These XPS measurements revealed that several different chemical states of nitrogen are present in the layer that forms on the target surface. The relative concentration of these different states changes when the critical nitrogen concentration in the plasma is exceeded

  13. Substrate temperature effects on reactively sputtered Cr2O3/n-Si heterojunctions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ocak, Yusuf Selim; Genisel, Mustafa Fatih; Issa, Ali Ahmed; Tombak, Ahmet; Kilicoglu, Tahsin

    2016-01-01

    To see the effects of substrate temperature on Cr 2 O 3 /n-Si heterojunctions, Cr 2 O 3 thin films were formed on n-Si and glass substrates at 40, 150 and 250 °C by radio frequency (RF) reactive sputtering technique. High purity Cr was used as target and oxygen was used as reactive gas. Optical properties of Cr 2 O 3 /n-Si thin films were analyzed using UV-vis data. The band gaps of the films were compared. The electrical properties of Cr 2 O 3 /n-Si heterojunction were tested by their current voltage ( I-V ) measurements in dark. It was observed that the heterojunction which was fabricated by forming Cr 2 O 3 thin film at 250 °C gave better rectification. The characteristic electrical parameters such as barrier height, ideality factor and series resistance were calculated by using its I-V data. The influence of light intensity on photovoltaic effect behavior of the device was also calculated, finally the barrier height value of the structure obtained from capacitance-voltage ( C-V ) data were compared with the one calculated from I-V measurements. (paper)

  14. Dispersive transport in hydrogenated a-Si prepared by rf sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirafuji, Junji; Kim, Gi-Il; Sawadsaringkarn, M.; Inuishi, Yoshio

    1981-01-01

    Time-of-flight measurement of photo-excited carriers has been carried out in hydrogenated a-Si deposited by rf sputtering method. Both electrons and holes show highly dispersive transport. The electron drift mobility near room temperature ranges from 5 x 10 -3 to 4 x 10 -5 cm 2 /V.s, much lower than that of GD samples, and the activation energy is about 0.3 eV. The value of the hole mobility is comparable with that in GD specimens, but its activation energy is about 0.2 eV which is about half of that observed in GD a-Si. (author)

  15. The Effects of RF Sputtering Power and Gas Pressure on Structural and Electrical Properties of ITiO Thin Film

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Accarat Chaoumead

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Transparent conductive titanium-doped indium oxide (ITiO films were deposited on corning glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering method. The effects of RF sputtering power and Ar gas pressure on the structural and electrical properties of the films were investigated experimentally, using a 2.5 wt% TiO2-doped In2O3 target. The deposition rate was in the range of around 20~60 nm/min under the experimental conditions of 5~20 mTorr of gas pressure and 220~350 W of RF power. The lowest volume resistivity of 1.2×10−4  Ω-cm and the average optical transmittance of 75% were obtained for the ITiO film, prepared at RF power of 300 W and Ar gas pressure of 15 mTorr. This volume resistivity of 1.2×10−4  Ω-cm is low enough as a transparent conducting layer in various electrooptical devices, and it is comparable with that of ITO or ZnO:Al conducting layer.

  16. Thickness characteristics of YBaCuO system thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furuhashi, Hideo; Jinno, Makoto; Takashima, Osamu; Uchida, Yoshiyuki; Maeda, Akinori; Kojima, Kenzo; Ochiai, Shizuyasu; Ohashi, Asao

    1994-01-01

    The practical use of oxide high temperature superconductors for electronics field has been advanced. The oxide high temperature superconductor thin films is very sensitive to the production conditions, and their making with good reproducibility is difficult. In this study, the method of producing the thin films having good quality with good reproducibility by RF magnetron sputtering, and the relation of the film thickness with the superconductivity characteristics of YBaCuO system thin films in the different methods of substrate washing were examined. The sputtering conditions are shown. For the purpose of preventing the worsening of the film quality due to the reverse sputtering of oxygen negative ions to the thin film surface, sputtering gas pressure was set up high at 30 Pa. The film thickness and the temperature-resistance characteristics were measured. The experimental method and the experimental results are reported. By keeping the temperature on substrate surfaces constant, the reproducibility in the production of the thin films was improved remarkably. The effect of substrate washing was large. (K.I.)

  17. The influence of RF power on the electrical properties of sputtered amorphous In—Ga—Zn—O thin films and devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi Junfei; Dong Chengyuan; Wu Jie; Chen Yuting; Zhan Runze; Dai Wenjun

    2013-01-01

    The influence of radio frequency (RF) power on the properties of magnetron sputtered amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin films and the related thin-film transistor (TFT) devices is investigated comprehensively. A series of a-IGZO thin films prepared with magnetron sputtering at various RF powers are examined. The results prove that the deposition rate sensitively depends on RF power. In addition, the carrier concentration increases from 0.91 × 10 19 to 2.15 × 10 19 cm −3 with the RF power rising from 40 to 80 W, which may account for the corresponding decrease in the resistivity of the a-IGZO thin films. No evident impacts of RF power are observed on the surface roughness, crystalline nature and stoichiometry of the a-IGZO samples. On the other hand, optical transmittance is apparently influenced by RF power where the extracted optical band-gap value increases from 3.48 to 3.56 eV with RF power varying from 40 to 80 W, as is supposed to result from the carrier-induced band-filling effect. The rise in RF power can also affect the performance of a-IGZO TFTs, in particular by increasing the field-effect mobility clearly, which is assumed to be due to the alteration of the extended states in a-IGZO thin films. (semiconductor devices)

  18. Low-cost ZnO:Al transparent contact by reactive rotatable magnetron sputtering for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar modules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Menner, R.; Hariskos, D.; Linss, V.; Powalla, M.

    2011-01-01

    Sputtering ZnO as transparent front contact (TCO) is standard in today's industrial scale Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) module manufacturing. Although innovative concepts like rotatable magnetron sputtering from ceramic targets have been realised, costs are still high due to expensive ceramic targets. Significant cost reductions are expected by using reactive sputtering of metallic targets. Therefore, ZSW and industrial partners investigated the reactive sputtering of Al-doped zinc oxide (ZAO) as TCO on CIGS absorbers of high quality and industrial relevance. The reactive DC sputtering from rotatable magnetron targets is controlled in the transition mode by adjusting oxygen flow and discharge voltage. Optimisation leads to ZAO films with a TCO quality nearly comparable to standard films deposited by DC ceramic sputtering. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Hall analyses of the ZAO films are performed. Medium-size CIGS modules are coated with reactively sputtered ZAO, resulting in 12.8% module efficiency and surpassing the efficiency of the ceramic witness device. Cd-free buffered devices are also successfully coated with reactive TCO. Damp heat stability according to IEC61646 is met by all reactively sputtered devices.

  19. Measurement of the extinction of sputtered TiO/sub 2/ films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Welsch, E; Lieder, G; Walther, H G; Hacker, E

    1982-05-28

    In this paper a method for separate measurement of the extinction of optical thin films is presented. The method combines a laser calorimetric technique and a light-scattering goniophotometer. As an example, the spectral extinction properties of r.f. reactively sputtered TiO/sub 2/ films were measured. Under certain conditions absorption indices of 10/sup -5/ or less can be achieved. Thus light scattering, rather than absorption, is the dominant optical loss mechanism in sputtered TiO/sub 2/ films.

  20. Fundamental aspects of cathodic sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harman, R.

    1979-01-01

    The main fundamental aspects and problems of cathodic sputtering used mainly for thin film deposition and sputter etching are discussed. Among many types of known sputtering techniques the radiofrequency /RF/ diode sputtering is the most universal one and is used for deposition of metals, alloys, metallic compounds, semiconductors and insulators. It seems that nowadays the largest number of working sputtering systems is of diode type. Sometimes also the dc or rf triode sputtering systems are used. The problems in these processes are practically equivalent and comparable with the problems in the diode method and therefore our discussion will be, in most cases applicable for both, the diode and triode methods

  1. Physicochemical model for reactive sputtering of hot target

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shapovalov, Viktor I., E-mail: vishapovalov@mail.ru; Karzin, Vitaliy V.; Bondarenko, Anastasia S.

    2017-02-05

    A physicochemical model for reactive magnetron sputtering of a metal target is described in this paper. The target temperature in the model is defined as a function of the ion current density. Synthesis of the coating occurs due to the surface chemical reaction. The law of mass action, the Langmuir isotherm and the Arrhenius equation for non-isothermal conditions were used for mathematical description of the reaction. The model takes into consideration thermal electron emission and evaporation of the target surface. The system of eight algebraic equations, describing the model, was solved for the tantalum target sputtered in the oxygen environment. It was established that the hysteresis effect disappears with the increase of the ion current density. - Highlights: • When model is applied for a cold target, hysteresis width is proportional to the ion current density. • Two types of processes of hot target sputtering are possible, depending on the current density: with and without the hysteresis. • Sputtering process is dominant at current densities less than 50 A/m{sup 2} and evaporation can be neglected. • For current densities over 50 A/m{sup 2} the hysteresis width reaches its maximum and the role of evaporation increases.

  2. Low temperature rf sputtering deposition of (Ba, Sr) TiO3 thin film with crystallization enhancement by rf power supplied to the substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshimaru, Masaki; Takehiro, Shinobu; Abe, Kazuhide; Onoda, Hiroshi

    2005-01-01

    The (Ba, Sr) TiO 3 thin film deposited by radio frequency (rf) sputtering requires a high deposition temperature near 500 deg. C to realize a high relative dielectric constant over of 300. For example, the film deposited at 330 deg. C contains an amorphous phase and shows a low relative dielectric constant of less than 100. We found that rf power supplied not only to the (Ba, Sr) TiO 3 sputtering target, but also to the substrate during the initial step of film deposition, enhanced the crystallization of the (Ba, Sr) TiO 3 film drastically and realized a high dielectric constant of the film even at low deposition temperatures near 300 deg. C. The 50-nm-thick film with only a 10 nm initial layer deposited with the substrate rf biasing is crystallized completely and shows a high relative dielectric constant of 380 at the deposition temperature of 330 deg. C. The (Ba, Sr) TiO 3 film deposited at higher temperatures (upwards of 400 deg. C) shows preferred orientation, while the film deposited at 330 deg. C with the 10 nm initial layer shows a preferred orientation on a -oriented ruthenium electrode. The unit cell of (Ba, Sr) TiO 3 (111) plane is similar to that of ruthenium (001) plane. We conclude that the rf power supplied to the substrate causes ion bombardments on the (Ba, Sr) TiO 3 film surface, which assists the quasiepitaxial growth of (Ba, Sr) TiO 3 film on the ruthenium electrode at low temperatures of less than 400 deg. C

  3. Low temperature rf sputtering deposition of (Ba, Sr) TiO3 thin film with crystallization enhancement by rf power supplied to the substrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshimaru, Masaki; Takehiro, Shinobu; Abe, Kazuhide; Onoda, Hiroshi

    2005-05-01

    The (Ba, Sr) TiO3 thin film deposited by radio frequency (rf) sputtering requires a high deposition temperature near 500 °C to realize a high relative dielectric constant over of 300. For example, the film deposited at 330 °C contains an amorphous phase and shows a low relative dielectric constant of less than 100. We found that rf power supplied not only to the (Ba, Sr) TiO3 sputtering target, but also to the substrate during the initial step of film deposition, enhanced the crystallization of the (Ba, Sr) TiO3 film drastically and realized a high dielectric constant of the film even at low deposition temperatures near 300 °C. The 50-nm-thick film with only a 10 nm initial layer deposited with the substrate rf biasing is crystallized completely and shows a high relative dielectric constant of 380 at the deposition temperature of 330 °C. The (Ba, Sr) TiO3 film deposited at higher temperatures (upwards of 400 °C) shows preferred orientation, while the film deposited at 330 °C with the 10 nm initial layer shows a preferred orientation on a -oriented ruthenium electrode. The unit cell of (Ba, Sr) TiO3 (111) plane is similar to that of ruthenium (001) plane. We conclude that the rf power supplied to the substrate causes ion bombardments on the (Ba, Sr) TiO3 film surface, which assists the quasiepitaxial growth of (Ba, Sr) TiO3 film on the ruthenium electrode at low temperatures of less than 400 °C.

  4. Indium oxide-based transparent conductive films deposited by reactive sputtering using alloy targets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyazaki, Yusuke; Maruyama, Eri; Jia, Junjun; Machinaga, Hironobu; Shigesato, Yuzo

    2017-04-01

    High-quality transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films, Sn-doped In2O3 (ITO) and In2O3-ZnO (IZO), were successfully deposited on either synthetic silica or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates in the “transition region” by reactive dc magnetron sputtering using In-Zn and In-Sn alloy targets, respectively, with a specially designed plasma emission feedback system. The composition, crystallinity, surface morphology, and electrical and optical properties of the films were analyzed. All of the IZO films were amorphous, whereas the ITO films were polycrystalline over a wide range of deposition conditions. The minimum resistivities of the IZO and ITO films deposited on the heated PET substrates at 150 °C were 3.3 × 10-4 and 5.4 × 10-4 Ω·cm, respectively. By applying rf bias to unheated PET substrates, ITO films with a resistivity of 4.4 × 10-4 Ω·cm were deposited at a dc self-bias voltage of -60 V.

  5. Metastable bcc Fe-Mn alloys produced by rf sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sumiyama, Kenji; Kadono, Masaru; Nakamura, Yoji

    1981-01-01

    Fe sub(1-x)Mn sub(x) alloy films obtained by rf sputtering technique have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, magnetization and Moessbauer effect measurements. The single bcc phase extends up to about x = 0.2, while a bcc-fcc mixed phase appears for x = 0.2 - 0.26. The lattice constants of the bcc phase are about 0.5% larger than those of the bulk specimens. The magnetization decreases monotonically with increasing x in the bcc phase, while it decreases sharply in the bcc-fcc mixed phase. These results are consistent with the Moessbauer spectra of these alloy films. The volume fraction of bcc and fcc phases has been estimated from Moessbauer analyses as well as magnetization measurements. (author)

  6. Deposition of nanostructured fluorocarbon plasma polymer films by RF magnetron sputtering of polytetrafluoroethylene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kylian, Ondrej, E-mail: ondrej.kylian@gmail.com; Drabik, Martin; Polonskyi, Oleksandr; Cechvala, Juraj; Artemenko, Anna; Gordeev, Ivan; Choukourov, Andrei; Matolinova, Iva; Slavinska, Danka; Biederman, Hynek, E-mail: bieder@kmf.troja.mff.cuni.cz

    2011-07-29

    The RF magnetron sputtering of polytetrafluoroethylene target is studied with the aim to find out conditions leading to the deposition of super-hydrophobic thin films. It is shown that such coatings can be prepared at elevated pressures and a longer distance between the sputtered target and the substrate. This is explained by an increase in the density of longer C{sub x}F{sub y} molecules that reach the substrate and a lower flux of ions and CF{sub 2} radicals on the surface of growing film under such deposition conditions, as observed by optical emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Such changes in plasma composition result in a deposition of rough films having F/C ratio close to 2 as observed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. These findings clearly distinguish our results from the previous investigations of polytetrafluoroethylene sputtering performed at shorter distances from the target, where either low F/C ratio or low roughness of the deposited films did not allow reaching super-hydrophobic character of the coatings.

  7. Electrochemical characterization of silicon/graphene/MWCNT hybrid lithium-ion battery anodes produced via RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toçoğlu, Ubeyd, E-mail: utocoglu@sakarya.edu.tr; Hatipoğlu, Gizem; Alaf, Miraç; Kayış, Fuat; Akbulut, Hatem

    2016-12-15

    Graphical abstract: Silicon/graphene/MWCNT hybrid composite anodes were produced via RF magnetron sputtering technique. CR2016 type coin cells were assembled for electrochemical characterization of anodes. Electrochemical characterizations of anodes were conducted via galvanostatic charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. - Highlights: • Silicon/graphene/MWCNT hybrid negative lithium ion battery anodes were produced via magnetron sputtering. • Structural and electrochemical characterizations of composite anodes were conducted comprehensively. • The capacity values exhibited by composite anodes were found to be almost more than two times compared to thin film anodes after 100 cycles. - Abstract: In this study it was aimed to enhance cycling performance of silicon lithium ion battery anodes via producing flexible Silicon/Graphene/MWCNT composite structures. The volumetric expansions, which are the primary obstacle that hinders the practical usage of silicon anodes, were tried to suppress using flexible graphene/MWCNT paper substrates. Moreover to achieve lightweight and high electrical conductive anodes, the advantage of graphene was aimed to be exploited. Silicon/graphene/MWCNT flexible composite anodes were produced via radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. Graphene/MWCNT papers were produced with vacuum filtration technique as substrate for sputtering process. At coating process of papers constant sputtering power was applied. Phase analysis was conducted with X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and Raman spectroscopy. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests were carried out to reveal reversible reactions between silicon and lithium. Galvanostatic charge/discharge technique was employed to determine the cyclic performance of anodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique was used to understand the relation between cyclic performance and

  8. Electrochemical characterization of silicon/graphene/MWCNT hybrid lithium-ion battery anodes produced via RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toçoğlu, Ubeyd; Hatipoğlu, Gizem; Alaf, Miraç; Kayış, Fuat; Akbulut, Hatem

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Silicon/graphene/MWCNT hybrid composite anodes were produced via RF magnetron sputtering technique. CR2016 type coin cells were assembled for electrochemical characterization of anodes. Electrochemical characterizations of anodes were conducted via galvanostatic charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. - Highlights: • Silicon/graphene/MWCNT hybrid negative lithium ion battery anodes were produced via magnetron sputtering. • Structural and electrochemical characterizations of composite anodes were conducted comprehensively. • The capacity values exhibited by composite anodes were found to be almost more than two times compared to thin film anodes after 100 cycles. - Abstract: In this study it was aimed to enhance cycling performance of silicon lithium ion battery anodes via producing flexible Silicon/Graphene/MWCNT composite structures. The volumetric expansions, which are the primary obstacle that hinders the practical usage of silicon anodes, were tried to suppress using flexible graphene/MWCNT paper substrates. Moreover to achieve lightweight and high electrical conductive anodes, the advantage of graphene was aimed to be exploited. Silicon/graphene/MWCNT flexible composite anodes were produced via radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. Graphene/MWCNT papers were produced with vacuum filtration technique as substrate for sputtering process. At coating process of papers constant sputtering power was applied. Phase analysis was conducted with X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and Raman spectroscopy. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests were carried out to reveal reversible reactions between silicon and lithium. Galvanostatic charge/discharge technique was employed to determine the cyclic performance of anodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique was used to understand the relation between cyclic performance and

  9. Thin films preparation of the Ti-Al-O system by rf-sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montes de Oca, J. A.; Ceballos A, J.; Galaviz P, J.; Manaud, J. P.; Lahaye, M.; Munoz S, J.

    2010-01-01

    In the present work Ti-Al-O thin films were synthesized by rf-sputtering technique on glass and silicon (Si) substrates using Ti Al and Ti 3 Al targets in a sputtering chamber with an Ar-O 2 atmosphere. Ti-Al-O thin films were obtained varying experimental parameters such as oxygen percent fed to the reaction chamber, plasma power density and substrate temperature. The films deposited on glass substrates were used to evaluate their optical properties, while those deposited on Si substrates were used to evaluate mechanical and morphological properties. The crystalline structure, morphology, chemical composition and optical properties of the films were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron microscopy and visible UV spectroscopy. Films thicknesses were measured using a profiler. The roughness and mechanical properties such as hardness and Young modulus were analyzed by atomic force microscopy and nano indentation technique, respectively. (Author)

  10. Studying the Properties of RF-Sputtered Nanocrystalline Tin-Doped Indium Oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abd El-Hady B. Kashyout

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The ceramic target of Indium tinoxide (ITO (90% In2O3-10%SnO2 has been used to prepare transparent semiconductive thin films on glass substrate by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The properties of the thin films are affected by controlling the deposition parameters, namely, RF power values and deposition times. The structure, morphology, optical and electrical properties of the thin films are investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM, atomic force microscope (AFM, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, and four-point probe measurement. Nanoparticles of 10–20 nm are measured and confirmed using both FESEM and AFM. The main preferred orientations of the prepared thin films are (222 and (400 of the cubic ITO structure. The transparent semiconductive films have high transmittance within the visible range of values 80–90% and resistivity of about 1.62×10−4 Ω⋅cm.

  11. Effect of RF power and substrate temperature on physical properties of Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 films by RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu Cheng-Shing; Huang Cheng-Liang

    2001-01-01

    Physical properties of rf-sputtered crystalline (Zr 0.8 Sn 0.2 )TiO 4 (ZST) thin films deposited on n-type Si(100) substrates at different rf powers and substrate temperatures have been investigated. The structural and morphological characteristics analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were found to be sensitive to deposition conditions, such as rf power from 300 W to 400 W and substrate temperature (400degC, 450degC). Highly oriented ZST (111) and (002) perpendicular to the substrate surface were identified at a rf power of 400 W and a substrate temperature of 450degC. The selected-area diffraction pattern showed that the deposited films exhibited a polycrystalline microstructure. The grain size as well as the deposition rate of the film increased with the increase in both the rf power and the substrate temperature. The leakage current decreased with increasing rf power and substrate temperature. As rf power = 400 W and substrate temperature = 450degC, a leakage current of 7.2x10 -11 A was obtained at 1 V. (author)

  12. Structural and optical properties of amorphous oxygenated iron boron nitride thin films produced by reactive co-sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Essafti, A.; Abouelaoualim, A.; Fierro, J.L.G.; Ech-chamikh, E.

    2009-01-01

    Amorphous oxygenated iron boron nitride (a-FeBN:O) thin films were prepared by reactive radio-frequency (RF) sputtering, from hexagonal boron nitride chips placed on iron target, under a total pressure of a gas mixture of argon and oxygen maintained at 1 Pa. The films were deposited onto silicon and glass substrates, at room temperature. The power of the generator RF was varied from 150 to 350 W. The chemical and structural analyses were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive of X-ray and X-ray reflectometry (XRR). The optical properties of the films were obtained from the optical transmittance and reflectance measurements in the ultraviolet-visible-near infrared wavelengths range. XPS reveals the presence of boron, nitrogen, iron and oxygen atoms and also the formation of different chemical bonds such as Fe-O, B-N, B-O and the ternary BNO phase. This latter phase is predominant in the deposited films as observed in the B 1s and N 1s core level spectra. As the RF power increases, the contribution of N-B bonds in the as-deposited films decreases. The XRR results show that the mass density of a-FeBN:O thin films increases from 2.6 to 4.12 g/cm 3 with increasing the RF power from 150 to 350 W. This behavior is more important for films deposited at RF power higher than 150 W, and has been associated with the enhancement of iron atoms in the film structure. The optical band gap decreases from 3.74 to 3.12 eV with increasing the RF power from 150 to 350 W.

  13. Development of low temperature RF magnetron sputtered ITO films on flexible substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muneshwar, T.P.; Varma, V.; Meshram, N; Soni, S.; Dusane, R.O. [Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076 (India)

    2010-09-15

    Indium tin oxide (ITO) is one of the important materials used as transparent conducting oxide (TCO) layer in thin film solar cells, digital displays and other similar applications. For applications involving flexible polymeric substrates, it is important that deposition of ITO is carried out at near room temperature. This requirement puts constraint on stoichiometry leading to undesired electrical and optical properties. Effect of oxygen partial pressure on ITO films deposited on flexible Kapton {sup registered} by the RF magnetron sputtering is reported in this paper. (author)

  14. Decorative black TiCxOy film fabricated by DC magnetron sputtering without importing oxygen reactive gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ono, Katsushi; Wakabayashi, Masao; Tsukakoshi, Yukio; Abe, Yoshiyuki

    2016-02-01

    Decorative black TiCxOy films were fabricated by dc (direct current) magnetron sputtering without importing the oxygen reactive gas into the sputtering chamber. Using a ceramic target of titanium oxycarbide (TiC1.59O0.31), the oxygen content in the films could be easily controlled by adjustment of total sputtering gas pressure without remarkable change of the carbon content. The films deposited at 2.0 and 4.0 Pa, those are higher pressure when compared with that in conventional magnetron sputtering, showed an attractive black color. In particular, the film at 4.0 Pa had the composition of TiC1.03O1.10, exhibited the L* of 41.5, a* of 0.2 and b* of 0.6 in CIELAB color space. These values were smaller than those in the TiC0.29O1.38 films (L* of 45.8, a* of 1.2 and b* of 1.2) fabricated by conventional reactive sputtering method from the same target under the conditions of gas pressure of 0.3 Pa and optimized oxygen reactive gas concentration of 2.5 vol.% in sputtering gas. Analysis of XRD and XPS revealed that the black film deposited at 4.0 Pa was the amorphous film composed of TiC, TiO and C. The adhesion property and the heat resisting property were enough for decorative uses. This sputtering process has an industrial advantage that the decorative black coating with color uniformity in large area can be easily obtained by plain operation because of unnecessary of the oxygen reactive gas importing which is difficult to be controlled uniformly in the sputtering chamber.

  15. Epitaxial growth of "infinite layer” thin films and multilayers by rf magnetron sputtering

    OpenAIRE

    Fàbrega, L.; Koller, E.; Triscone, J. M.; Fischer, Ø.

    2017-01-01

    We report on the preparation and characterization of epitaxial ACuO2 (A = Sr, Ca, Ba) thin films and multilayers with the so- called infinite layer (IL) structure, by rf magnetron sputtering. Films and multilayers without Ba have a remarkable crystal quality, whereas those containing this large ion are often multiphased and unstable. In spite of the excellent crystalline quality of these samples, obtaining thin films having both IL structure and displaying superconducting properties has not s...

  16. Ferroelectric properties of barium strontium titanate thin films grown by RF co-sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zapata-Navarro, A.; Marquez-Herrera, A.; Cruz-Jauregui, M.P.; Calzada, M.L.

    2005-01-01

    In this work, we present the variation of the ferroelectric properties of Ba 1-x Sr x TiO 3 films deposited on Pt/TiO 2 /SiO 2 /Si substrates by RF co-sputtering with 0≤x≤1. The co-sputtering was done using a single magnetron with BaTiO 3 /SrTiO 3 targets in a pie mosaics configuration. Smooth and uniform films were obtained using the same conditions of growth and annealing temperature. The X-ray diffraction and EDS results show that the processes were managed to obtain crystalline materials with x from 0 to 1. The behaviour of P-E loops suggests that the ferroelectric properties of the films were tuned by changing the concentration of the cation. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  17. Electrical insulation properties of RF-sputtered LiPON layers towards electrochemical stability of lithium batteries

    OpenAIRE

    Vieira, E. M. F.; Ribeiro, J. F.; Silva, Maria Manuela; Barradas, N. P.; Alves, E.; Alves, A.; Correia, M. R.; Gonçalves, L. M.

    2016-01-01

    Electrochemical stability, moderate ionic conductivity and low electronic conductivity make the lithium phosphorous oxynitride (LiPON) electrolyte suitable for micro and nanoscale lithium batteries. The electrical and electrochemical properties of thin-film electrolytes can seriously compromise full battery performance. Here, radio-frequency (RF)-sputtered LiPON thin films were fabricated in nitrogen plasma under different working pressure conditions. With a slight decrease in ...

  18. Controlled formation of anatase and rutile TiO2 thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering

    OpenAIRE

    Rafieian Boroujeni, Damon; Ogieglo, Wojciech; Savenije, Tom; Lammertink, Rob G.H.

    2015-01-01

    We discuss the formation of TiO2 thin films via DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The oxygen concentration during sputtering proved to be a crucial parameter with respect to the final film structure and properties. The initial deposition provided amorphous films that crystallise upon annealing to anatase or rutile, depending on the initial sputtering conditions. Substoichiometric films (TiOx

  19. Effect of N{sub 2} flow rate on the properties of N doped TiO{sub 2} films deposited by DC coupled RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peng, Shou [State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430000 (China); State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233000 (China); Yang, Yong, E-mail: 88087113@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233000 (China); Li, Gang; Jiang, Jiwen; Jin, Kewu; Yao, TingTing; Zhang, Kuanxiang [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233000 (China); Cao, Xin [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233000 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116000 (China); Wang, Yun; Xu, Genbao [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233000 (China)

    2016-09-05

    N doped TiO{sub 2} films were deposited on glass substrates at room temperature using DC coupled RF magnetron sputtering with a TiO{sub 2} ceramic target. The influences of N{sub 2} flow rate on the deposition rate, crystal structure, chemical composition and band gap of the deposited films were investigated by Optical profiler, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscope and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The film growth rate gradually decreased with increasing N{sub 2} flow rate. As N{sub 2} flow rate increased, the crystallization of the films deteriorated, and the films tended to form amorphous structure. XPS analysis revealed that N dopant atoms were added at the substitutional sites into TiO{sub 2} lattice structure. FE-SEM results showed that the grain size of the film decreased and the crystallinity degraded as N{sub 2} flow rate increases. In addition, N doping caused an obvious red shift in the optical absorption edge. - Highlights: • N doped TiO{sub 2} films were deposited by DC coupled RF magnetron reactive sputtering. • As N{sub 2} flow rate increases, the crystallization of the deposited films degrades. • The higher N{sub 2} flow rate is beneficial to form more substituted N in the film. • N doping causes an obvious red shift in the absorption wavelength.

  20. Ferroelectric properties of barium strontium titanate thin films grown by RF co-sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zapata-Navarro, A.; Marquez-Herrera, A. [CICATA-IPN, Km. 14.5 Carretera Tampico-Puerto Ind. Altamira, Altamira Tamaulipas 89600 (Mexico); Cruz-Jauregui, M.P. [CCMC-UNAM, Km. 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada B.C. 22800 (Mexico); Calzada, M.L. [ICMM (CSIC) Madrid, Cantoblanco Madrid 28049 (Spain)

    2005-08-01

    In this work, we present the variation of the ferroelectric properties of Ba{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}TiO{sub 3} films deposited on Pt/TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrates by RF co-sputtering with 0{<=}x{<=}1. The co-sputtering was done using a single magnetron with BaTiO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} targets in a pie mosaics configuration. Smooth and uniform films were obtained using the same conditions of growth and annealing temperature. The X-ray diffraction and EDS results show that the processes were managed to obtain crystalline materials with x from 0 to 1. The behaviour of P-E loops suggests that the ferroelectric properties of the films were tuned by changing the concentration of the cation. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  1. Dielectric properties of DC reactive magnetron sputtered Al2O3 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prasanna, S.; Mohan Rao, G.; Jayakumar, S.; Kannan, M.D.; Ganesan, V.

    2012-01-01

    Alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) thin films were sputter deposited over well-cleaned glass and Si substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering under various oxygen gas pressures and sputtering powers. The composition of the films was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and an optimal O/Al atomic ratio of 1.59 was obtained at a reactive gas pressure of 0.03 Pa and sputtering power of 70 W. X-ray diffraction results revealed that the films were amorphous until 550 °C. The surface morphology of the films was studied using scanning electron microscopy and the as-deposited films were found to be smooth. The topography of the as-deposited and annealed films was analyzed by atomic force microscopy and a progressive increase in the rms roughness of the films from 3.2 nm to 4.53 nm was also observed with increase in the annealing temperature. Al-Al 2 O 3 -Al thin film capacitors were then fabricated on glass substrates to study the effect of temperature and frequency on the dielectric property of the films. Temperature coefficient of capacitance, AC conductivity and activation energy were determined and the results are discussed. - Highlights: ► Al 2 O 3 thin films were deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering. ► The films were found to be amorphous up to annealing temperature of 550 C. ► An increase in rms roughness of the films was observed with annealing. ► Al-Al 2 O 3 -Al thin film capacitors were fabricated and dielectric constant was 7.5. ► The activation energy decreased with increase in frequency.

  2. High rate reactive sputtering in an opposed cathode closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sproul, William D.; Rudnik, Paul J.; Graham, Michael E.; Rohde, Suzanne L.

    1990-01-01

    Attention is given to an opposed cathode sputtering system constructed with the ability to coat parts with a size up to 15 cm in diameter and 30 cm in length. Initial trials with this system revealed very low substrate bias currents. When the AlNiCo magnets in the two opposed cathodes were arranged in a mirrored configuration, the plasma density at the substrate was low, and the substrate bias current density was less than 1 mA/sq cm. If the magnets were arranged in a closed-field configuration where the field lines from one set of magnets were coupled with the other set, the substrate bias current density was as high as 5.7 mA/sq cm when NdFeB magnets were used. In the closed-field configuration, the substrate bias current density was related to the magnetic field strength between the two cathodes and to the sputtering pressure. Hard well-adhered TiN coatings were reactively sputtered in the opposed cathode system in the closed-field configuration, but the mirrored configuration produced films with poor adhesion because of etching problems and low plasma density at the substrate.

  3. Hydrogen and helium trapping in tungsten deposition layers formed by RF plasma sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kazunari Katayama; Kazumi Imaoka; Takayuki Okamura; Masabumi Nishikawa

    2006-01-01

    Understanding of tritium behavior in plasma facing materials is an important issue for fusion reactor from viewpoints of fuel control and radiation safety. Tungsten is used as a plasma facing material in the divertor region of ITER. However, investigation of hydrogen isotope behavior in tungsten deposition layer is not sufficient so far. It is also necessary to evaluate an effect of helium on a formation of deposition layer and an accumulation of hydrogen isotopes because helium generated by fusion reaction exists in fusion plasma. In this study, tungsten deposition layers were formed by sputtering method using hydrogen and helium RF plasma. An erosion rate and a deposition rate of tungsten were estimated by weight measurement. Hydrogen and helium retention were investigated by thermal desorption method. Tungsten deposition was performed using a capacitively-coupled RF plasma device equipped with parallel-plate electrodes. A tungsten target was mounted on one electrode which is supplied with RF power at 200 W. Tungsten substrates were mounted on the other electrode which is at ground potential. The plasma discharge was continued for 120 hours where pressure of hydrogen or helium was controlled to be 10 Pa. The amounts of hydrogen and helium released from deposition layers was quantified by a gas chromatograph. The erosion rate of target tungsten under helium plasma was estimated to be 1.8 times larger than that under hydrogen plasma. The deposition rate on tungsten substrate under helium plasma was estimated to be 4.1 times larger than that under hydrogen plasma. Atomic ratio of hydrogen to tungsten in a deposition layer formed by hydrogen plasma was estimated to be 0.17 by heating to 600 o C. From a deposition layer formed by helium plasma, not only helium but also hydrogen was released by heating to 500 o C. Atomic ratios of helium and hydrogen to tungsten were estimated to be 0.080 and 0.075, respectively. The trapped hydrogen is probably impurity hydrogen

  4. RF magnetron sputtered La3+-modified PZT thin films: Perovskite phase stabilization and properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Ravindra; Goel, T.C.; Chandra, Sudhir

    2008-01-01

    In this work, we report the preparation of lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) thin films in pure perovskite phase by RF magnetron sputtering. Various deposition parameters such as target-to-substrate spacing, sputtering gas composition, deposition temperature, post-deposition annealing temperature and time have been optimized to obtain PLZT films in pure perovskite phase. The films prepared in pure argon at 100 W RF power without external substrate heating exhibit pure perovskite phase after rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 700 deg. C for 5 min. The film prepared at 225 deg. C substrate temperature also exhibits pure perovskite phase after RTA at 700 deg. C for 2 min. SIMS depth profile performed on one of the pure perovskite films (RTA at 700 deg. C for 5 min) shows very good stoichiometric uniformity of all elements of PLZT. The surface morphology of the films was examined using SEM and AFM. The dielectric, ferroelectric and electrical properties of the pure perovskite films were also investigated in detail. The remanent polarization for the films annealed at 700 deg. C for 5 and 2 min were found to be 15 and 13.5 μC cm -2 , respectively. Both the films have high DC resistivity of the order of 10 11 Ω cm at the electric field of ∼80 kV cm -1

  5. Cholesterol biosensor based on rf sputtered zinc oxide nanoporous thin film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, S. P.; Arya, Sunil K.; Pandey, Pratibha; Malhotra, B. D.; Saha, Shibu; Sreenivas, K.; Gupta, Vinay

    2007-01-01

    Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) has been immobilized onto zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoporous thin films grown on gold surface. A preferred c-axis oriented ZnO thin film with porous surface morphology has been fabricated by rf sputtering under high pressure. Optical studies and cyclic voltammetric measurements show that the ChOx/ZnO/Au bioelectrode is sensitive to the detection of cholesterol in 25-400 mg/dl range. A relatively low value of enzyme's kinetic parameter (Michaelis-Menten constant) ∼2.1 mM indicates enhanced enzyme affinity of ChOx to cholesterol. The observed results show promising application of nanoporous ZnO thin film for biosensing application without any functionalization

  6. Mechanical properties of TiN films deposited by changed-pressure r.f. sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubo, Y.; Hashimoto, M.

    1991-01-01

    TiN was deposited onto glass, stainless steel and cemented carbide by r.f. magnetron sputtering. The mechanical properties of TiN such as hardness, internal stress and adhesion were assessed by the Vickers microhardness test, the bending method and the modified scratch test. It was found that the operating pressure during sputtering deposition strongly affects these mechanical properties. As the operating pressure is increased beyond 0.6-0.7 Pa, the adhesion of TiN films onto the substrate increases enormously, but the hardness decreases owing to the release of the high compressive stress in the film. Therefore changing the pressure from high to low during deposition could be a good way of optimizing both hardness and adhesion. The effectiveness of this changed-pressure process was experimentally verified by cutting tests using TiN-coated cemented carbide tools. This process will be applicable to any other hard coating materials having high compressive stresses. (orig.)

  7. Optical emission spectroscopy during fabrication of indium-tin-oxynitride films by RF-sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koufaki, M.; Sifakis, M.; Iliopoulos, E.; Pelekanos, N.; Modreanu, M.; Cimalla, V.; Ecke, G.; Aperathitis, E.

    2006-01-01

    Indium-tin-oxide (ITO) and indium-tin-oxynitride (ITON) films have been deposited on glass by rf-sputtering from an ITO target, using Ar plasma and N 2 plasma, respectively, and different rf-power. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was employed to identify the species present in the plasma and to correlate them with the properties of the ITO and ITON thin films. Emission lines of ionic In could only be detected in N 2 plasma, whereas in the Ar plasma additional lines corresponding to atomic In and InO, were detected. The deposition rate of thin films was correlated with the In species, rather than the nitrogen species, emission intensity in the plasma. The higher resistivity and lower carrier concentration of the ITON films, as compared to the respective properties of the ITO films, were attributed to the incorporation of nitrogen, instead of oxygen, in the ITON structure

  8. Properties of nano structured Ag-TiO{sub 2} composite coating on stainless steel using RF sputtering method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bakar, S. Abu; Jamuna-Thevi, K.; Abu, N.; Mohd Toff, M. R. [Advanced Materials Research Centre (AMREC), SIRIM Berhad, Lot 34, Jalan Hi- Tech 2/3, Kulim Hi-Tech Park, 09000 Kulim (Malaysia)

    2012-07-02

    RF Sputtering system is one of the Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) methods that have been widely used to produce hard coating. This technique is used to deposit thin layers of metallic substrates such as stainless steel (SS). From this process, a good adhesiveness and wear resistance coating can be produced for biomedical applications. In this study, RF sputtering method was used to deposit TiO{sub 2}-Ag composite coatings via various deposition parameters. The parameters are RF power of 350W, gas composition (Ar: O{sub 2}) 50:5 and deposition time at 1, 2, 4 and 6 hours. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize surface area of coated samples. The formation of nanocrystalline thin film and the surface morphology were examined using SEM. The crystallite size of TiO{sub 2}-Ag composite coatings were estimated between 20-60 nm based on XRD analysis using Scherer equation and SEM evaluation. The Raman and XRD results suggested that the structure of the TiO{sub 2}-Ag consist of anatase and rutile phases. It also showed that the intensity of anatase peaks increased after samples undergone annealing process at 500 Degree-Sign C.

  9. Tribological characterization of TiN coatings prepared by magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makwana, Nishant S.; Chauhan, Kamlesh V.; Sonera, Akshay L.; Chauhan, Dharmesh B.; Dave, Divyeshkumar P.; Rawal, Sushant K.

    2018-05-01

    Titanium nitride (TiN) coating deposited on aluminium and brass pin substrates using RF reactive magnetron sputtering. The structural properties and surface morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). There was formation of (101) Ti2N, (110) TiN2 and (102) TiN0.30 peaks at 3.5Pa, 2Pa and 1.25Pa sputtering pressure respectively. The tribological properties of coating were inspected using pin on disc tribometer equipment. It was observed that TiN coated aluminium and brass pins demonstrated improved wear resistance than uncoated aluminium and brass pins.

  10. Properties of reactively radio frequency-magnetron sputtered (Zr,Sn)TiO4 dielectric films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, C.-L.; Hsu, C.-H.

    2004-01-01

    Zirconium tin titanium oxide doped 1 wt % ZnO thin films on n-type Si substrate were deposited by rf magnetron sputtering at a fixed rf power of 350 W with various argon-oxygen (Ar/O 2 ) mixture and different substrate temperatures. Electrical properties and microstructures of ZnO-doped (Zr 0.8 Sn 0.2 )TiO 4 thin films prepared by rf magnetron sputtering on n-type Si(100) substrates at different Ar/O 2 ratios and substrate temperatures have been investigated. The surface structural and morphological characteristics analyzed by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscope were sensitive to the deposition conditions, such as Ar/O 2 ratio (100/0-80/20) and substrate temperature (350 deg. C-450 deg. C). The selected-area diffraction pattern showed that the deposited films exhibited a polycrystalline microstructure. All films exhibited ZST (111) orientation perpendicular to the substrate surface and the grain size as well as the deposition rate of the films increased with the increase of both the Ar partial pressure and the substrate temperature. At a Ar/O 2 ratio of 100/0, rf power level of 350 W and substrate temperature of 450 deg. C, the Zr 0.8 Sn 0.2 TiO 4 films with 6.44 μm thickness possess a dielectric constant of 42 (at 10 MHz), a dissipation factor of 0.065 (at 10 MHz), and a leakage current density of 2x10 -7 A/cm 2 at an electrical field of 1 kV/cm

  11. Type II textured molybdenum disulphide films produced by direct vapour transport and rf-magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohlken, S.F.; Lemon, K.D.; Jakovidis, G.; Taheri, E.H.

    1999-01-01

    Full text: Molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ) is one of the few naturally occurring Layered Transition Metal Dichalcogenides and is the primary source for elemental molybdenum. It displays exceptional lubrication performance in both vacuum and atmospheric conditions over a wide temperature range. An important emerging application of MoS 2 and related materials is photovoltaics. Films of MoS 2 exhibit several morphologies described by the orientation of platelets with respect to the substrate. Films with platelets perpendicular or parallel to the substrate are referred to by their morphology, which is type-I or type-II respectively. Production of exclusive type-II films is highly desirable in applications involving lubrication and photovoltaics. For example, type-II morphology reduces friction and minority carrier recombination centres, thus improving tribological and photovoltaic performance. We have successfully produced type-II films using both direct vapour transport and rf-magnetron sputtering Continuous polycrystalline films (∼ 10 μm thick) grown in our laboratory using vapour transport have typical areas 1000 mm 2 . A novel ejecta filtration technique was applied to rf-magnetron sputtering. Films produced using this approach retain exclusive type-II morphology at thicknesses where type-I would normally be observed (∼ 200nm)

  12. Growth of polycrystalline Pr_2NiO_4_+_δ coating on alumina substrate by RF magnetron co-sputtering from composite targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sediri, A.; Zaghrioui, M.; Barichard, A.; Autret, C.; Negulescu, B.; Del Campo, L.; Echegut, P.; Laffez, P.

    2016-01-01

    Polycrystalline Pr_2NiO_4_+_δ coatings have been deposited on alumina substrates at room temperature by RF magnetron co-sputtering from Pr and Ni metallic composite target. The mixed target's area and the sputtering conditions were optimized to reach an atomic ratio Pr/Ni of 2. A subsequent annealing, at 1050–1100 °C, allowed obtaining Pr_2NiO_4_+_δ phase after in situ high temperature x-ray diffraction study performed on as-deposited film. Microstructural analyses (SEM and AFM) revealed dense and rough microstructure. Normal spectral emittance measurements performed at 794 °C in the spectral range 400–5000 cm"-"1 showed an emissivity of ε ≈ 0.8. - Highlights: • Pr_2NiO_4_+_δ coatings deposited by RF magnetron co-sputtering • Crystallization kinetic studied by X-ray diffraction versus temperature • SEM and AFM observations showed dense and rough microstructure • Normal spectral emittance reaches to ε = 0.8 at 794 °C in the opaque zone.

  13. Controlled formation of anatase and rutile TiO2 thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rafieian Boroujeni, Damon; Ogieglo, Wojciech; Savenije, Tom; Lammertink, Rob G.H.

    2015-01-01

    We discuss the formation of TiO2 thin films via DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The oxygen concentration during sputtering proved to be a crucial parameter with respect to the final film structure and properties. The initial deposition provided amorphous films that crystallise upon annealing to

  14. Fractal features of CdTe thin films grown by RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hosseinpanahi, Fayegh, E-mail: f.hosseinpanahi@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Payame Noor University, P.O. Box 19395-4697, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Raoufi, Davood [Department of Physics, University of Bu Ali Sina, P.O. Box 65174, Hamedan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ranjbarghanei, Khadijeh [Department of Physics, Plasma Physics Research Center, Science & Research Branch Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Karimi, Bayan [Department of Physics, Payame Noor University, P.O. Box 19395-4697, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Babaei, Reza [Department of Physics, Plasma Physics Research Center, Science & Research Branch Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hasani, Ebrahim [Department of Physics, University of Bu Ali Sina, P.O. Box 65174, Hamedan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-12-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • CdTe thin films were deposited on glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature with different deposition time 5, 10 and 15 min. • Nanostructure of CdTe layer indicates that CdTe films are polycrystalline and have zinc blende structure, irrespective of their deposition time. • Complexity and roughness of the CdTe films and strength of multifractality increase with increasing deposition time. • Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and also multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) methods showed that prepared CdTe films have multifractal nature. - Abstract: Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering on glass substrates at room temperature (RT). The film deposition was performed for 5, 10, and 15 min at power of 30 W with a frequency of 13.56 MHz. The crystal structure of the prepared CdTe thin films was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. XRD analyses indicate that the CdTe films are polycrystalline, having zinc blende structure of CdTe irrespective of their deposition time. All CdTe films showed a preferred orientation along (1 1 1) crystalline plane. The surface morphology characterization of the films was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The quantitative AFM characterization shows that the RMS surface roughness of the prepared CdTe thin films increases with increasing the deposition time. The detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and also multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) methods showed that prepared CdTe thin films have multifractal nature. The complexity, roughness of the CdTe thin films and strength of the multifractality increase as deposition time increases.

  15. Fractal features of CdTe thin films grown by RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hosseinpanahi, Fayegh; Raoufi, Davood; Ranjbarghanei, Khadijeh; Karimi, Bayan; Babaei, Reza; Hasani, Ebrahim

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • CdTe thin films were deposited on glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature with different deposition time 5, 10 and 15 min. • Nanostructure of CdTe layer indicates that CdTe films are polycrystalline and have zinc blende structure, irrespective of their deposition time. • Complexity and roughness of the CdTe films and strength of multifractality increase with increasing deposition time. • Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and also multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) methods showed that prepared CdTe films have multifractal nature. - Abstract: Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering on glass substrates at room temperature (RT). The film deposition was performed for 5, 10, and 15 min at power of 30 W with a frequency of 13.56 MHz. The crystal structure of the prepared CdTe thin films was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. XRD analyses indicate that the CdTe films are polycrystalline, having zinc blende structure of CdTe irrespective of their deposition time. All CdTe films showed a preferred orientation along (1 1 1) crystalline plane. The surface morphology characterization of the films was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The quantitative AFM characterization shows that the RMS surface roughness of the prepared CdTe thin films increases with increasing the deposition time. The detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and also multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) methods showed that prepared CdTe thin films have multifractal nature. The complexity, roughness of the CdTe thin films and strength of the multifractality increase as deposition time increases.

  16. Niobium-based catalysts prepared by reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering and arc plasma methods as non-noble metal cathode catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohnishi, Ryohji; Katayama, Masao; Takanabe, Kazuhiro; Kubota, Jun; Domen, Kazunari

    2010-01-01

    Two vacuum methods, reactive radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and arc plasma deposition, were used to prepare niobium-based catalysts for an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as non-noble metal cathodes for polymer electrode fuel cells (PEFCs). Thin films with various N and O contents, denoted as NbO x and Nb-O-N, were prepared on glassy carbon plates by RF magnetron sputtering with controlled partial pressures of oxygen and nitrogen. Electrochemical measurements indicated that the introduction of the nitrogen species into the thin film resulted in improved ORR activity compared to the oxide-only film. Using an arc plasma method, niobium was deposited on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrates, and the sub-nanoscale surface morphology of the deposited particles was investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). To prepare practical cathode catalysts, niobium was deposited on carbon black (CB) powders by arc plasma method. STM and transmission electron microscopy observations of samples on HOPG and CB indicated that the prepared catalysts were highly dispersed at the atomic level. The onset potential of oxygen reduction on Nb-O-N/CB was 0.86 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode, and the apparent current density was drastically improved by the introduction of nitrogen.

  17. Recent Developments in R.F. Magnetron Sputtered Thin Films for pH Sensing Applications—An Overview

    OpenAIRE

    D. K. Maurya; A. Sardarinejad; K. Alameh

    2014-01-01

    pH sensors are widely used in chemical and biological applications. Metal oxides-based pH sensors have many attractive features including insolubility, stability, mechanical strength, electrocatalyst and manufacturing technology. Various metal oxide thin films prepared by radio frequency (R.F.) magnetron sputtering have attractive features, including high pH sensitivity, fast response, high resolution, good stability and reversibility as well as potential for measuring pH under conditions th...

  18. Controlled formation of anatase and rutile TiO2 thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering

    OpenAIRE

    Rafieian, Damon; Ogieglo, Wojciech; Savenije, T.J.; Lammertink, Rob G H

    2015-01-01

    We discuss the formation of TiO2 thin films via DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The oxygen concentration during sputtering proved to be a crucial parameter with respect to the final film structure and properties. The initial deposition provided amorphous films that crystallise upon annealing to anatase or rutile, depending on the initial sputtering conditions. Substoichiometric films (TiOx), obtained by sputtering at relatively low oxygen concentration, formed rutile upon annealing in air, ...

  19. Characterization of ZnO:SnO{sub 2} (50:50) thin film deposited by RF magnetron sputtering technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cynthia, S. R.; Sanjeeviraja, C.; Ponmudi, S. [Department of Physics, Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering and Technology, Karaikudi-630004 (India); Sivakumar, R., E-mail: krsivakumar1979@yahoo.com [Directorate of Distance Education, Alagappa University, Karaikudi-630004 (India)

    2016-05-06

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) and tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) thin films have attracted significant interest recently for use in optoelectronic application such as solar cells, flat panel displays, photonic devices, laser diodes and gas sensors because of their desirable electrical and optical properties and wide band gap. In the present study, thin films of ZnO:SnO{sub 2} (50:50) were deposited on pre-cleaned microscopic glass substrate by RF magnetron sputtering technique. The substrate temperature and RF power induced changes in structural, surface morphological, compositional and optical properties of the films have been studied.

  20. Structure, optical properties and thermal stability of HfErO films deposited by simultaneous RF and VHF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, H.Y.; He, H.J.; Zhang, Z.; Jin, C.G.; Yang, Y.; Wang, Y.Y.; Ye, C.; Zhuge, L.J.; Wu, X.M.

    2015-01-01

    HfErO films are deposited on Si substrates by simultaneous radio frequency (RF) and very high frequency (VHF) magnetron sputtering technique. The content of the doped ingredient of Er and the body composition of HfO x are, respectively, controlled through the VHF and RF powers. Low content of Er doping in the HfErO films can be achieved, because the VHF source of 27.12 MHz has higher ion energy and lower ion flux than the RF source resulting in low sputtering rate in the magnetron sputtering system. The structure, optical properties and thermal stability of the HfErO films are investigated in this work. Results show that the doped content of Er is independently controlled by the VHF power. The oxygen vacancies are created by the Er incorporation. The hafnium in the HfErO films forms mixed valence of Hf 2+ and Hf 4+ . The HfErO films are composed with the structures of HfO 2 , HfO and ErO x , which can be optimized through the VHF power. At high VHF power, the Hf-Er-O bonds are formed, which demonstrates that the Er atoms are doped into the lattice of HfO 2 in the HfErO films. The HfErO films have bad thermal stability as the crystallization temperature decreases from 900 to 800 C. After thermal annealing, cubic phase of HfO 2 are stabilized, which is ascribed to the oxygen vacancies creation by the Er incorporation. The optical properties such as the refractive index and the optical band gap of the HfErO films are optimized by the VHF power. (orig.)

  1. Electrical resistivity of sputtered molybdenum films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagano, J.

    1980-01-01

    The electrical resistivity of r.f. sputtered molybdenum films of thickness 5-150 nm deposited on oxidized silicon substrates was resolved into the three electron scattering components: isotropic background scattering, scattering at grain boundaries and scattering at surfaces. It was concluded that the isotropic background scattering is almost equal to that of bulk molybdenum and is not influenced by sputtering and annealing conditions. When the film thickness is sufficient that surface scattering can be ignored, the decrease in film resistivity after annealing is caused by the decrease in scattering at the grain boundaries for zero bias sputtered films, and is caused by an increase of the grain diameter for r.f. bias sputtered films. (Auth.)

  2. Microhardness variation and related microstructure in Al-Cu alloys prepared by HF induction melting and RF sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boukhris, N.; Lallouche, S.; Debili, M. Y.; Draissia, M.

    2009-03-01

    The materials under consideration are binary aluminium-copper alloys (10 at% to 90.3 at%Cu) produced by HF melting and RF magnetron sputtering. The resulting micro structures have been observed by standard metallographic techniques, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Vickers microhardness of bulk Al-Cu alloys reaches a maximum of 1800 MPa at 70.16 at%Cu. An unexpected metastable θ ' phase has been observed within aluminium grain in Al-37 at%Cu. The mechanical properties of a family of homogeneous Al{1-x}Cu{x} (0 Al-Cu targets have been investigated. The as-deposited microstructures for all film compositions consisted of a mixture of the two expected face-centred-cubic (fcc) Al solid solution and tetragonal θ (Al{2}Cu) phases. The microhardness regularly increases and the grain size decreases both with copper concentration. This phenomenon of significant mechanical strengthening of aluminium by means of copper is essentially due to a combination between solid solution effects and grain size refinement. This paper reports some structural features of different Al-Cu alloys prepared by HF melting and RF magnetron on glass substrate sputtering.

  3. Particle beam experiments for the analysis of reactive sputtering processes in metals and polymer surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Corbella, Carles; Grosse-Kreul, Simon; Kreiter, Oliver; Arcos, Teresa de los; Benedikt, Jan; Keudell, Achim von [RD Plasmas with Complex Interactions, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44780 Bochum (Germany)

    2013-10-15

    A beam experiment is presented to study heterogeneous reactions relevant to plasma-surface interactions in reactive sputtering applications. Atom and ion sources are focused onto the sample to expose it to quantified beams of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, noble gas ions, and metal vapor. The heterogeneous surface processes are monitored in situ by means of a quartz crystal microbalance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Two examples illustrate the capabilities of the particle beam setup: oxidation and nitriding of aluminum as a model of target poisoning during reactive magnetron sputtering, and plasma pre-treatment of polymers (PET, PP)

  4. Deposition of amino-rich thin films by RF magnetron sputtering of nylon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kylian, O; Hanus, J; Choukourov, A; Kousal, J; SlavInska, D; Biederman, H, E-mail: ondrej.kylian@gmail.co [Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, V Holesovickach 2, Prague 8, 180 00 (Czech Republic)

    2009-07-21

    RF magnetron sputtering of a nylon target in different gas mixtures was studied in order to evaluate the capability of this process to deposit amino-rich coatings needed in a wide range of biomedical applications. It has been demonstrated that both the deposition rate of the coatings and the surface density of primary amino groups are strongly linked with working gas mixture composition. From this point of view, a sufficiently high deposition rate as well as the highest amine efficiency reaching a NH{sub 2}/C value of 18% was observed in the N{sub 2}/H{sub 2} discharge, which leads to the surface exhibiting a high rate of protein adsorption. (fast track communication)

  5. Fabrication of electrocatalytic Ta nanoparticles by reactive sputtering and ion soft landing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, Grant E.; Moser, Trevor; Engelhard, Mark; Browning, Nigel D.; Laskin, Julia

    2016-11-07

    About 40 years ago, it was shown that tungsten carbide exhibits similar catalytic behavior to Pt for certain commercially relevant reactions, thereby suggesting the possibility of cheaper and earth-abundant substitutes for costly and rare precious metal catalysts. In this work, reactive magnetron sputtering of Ta in the presence of three model hydrocarbons (2-butanol, heptane, and m-xylene) combined with gas aggregation and ion soft landing was employed to prepare organic-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) on surfaces for evaluation of catalytic activity and durability. The electro-catalytic behavior of the NPs supported on glassy carbon was evaluated in acidic aqueous solution by cyclic voltammetry. The Ta-heptane and Ta-xylene NPs were revealed to be active and robust toward promotion of the oxygen reduction reaction, an important process occurring at the cathode in fuel cells. In comparison, pure Ta and Ta-butanol NPs were essentially unreactive. Characterization techniques including atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were applied to probe how different sputtering conditions such as the flow rates of gases, sputtering current, and aggregation length affect the properties of the NPs. AFM images reveal the focused size of the NPs as well as their preferential binding along the step edges of graphite surfaces. In comparison, TEM images of the same NPs on carbon grids show that they bind randomly to the surface with some agglomeration but little coalescence. The TEM images also reveal morphologies with crystalline cores surrounded by amorphous regions for NPs formed in the presence of 2-butanol and heptane. In contrast, NPs formed in the presence of m-xylene are amorphous throughout. XPS spectra indicate that while the percentage of Ta, C, and O in the NPs varies depending on the sputtering conditions and hydrocarbon employed, the electron binding energies of the elements are similar

  6. High photoconductive hydrogenated silicon by reactive sputtering in helium containing atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohbiki, Tohru; Imura, Takeshi; Hiraki, Akio

    1982-01-01

    Mixed phase of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon-hydrogen alloys has been fabricated by reactive sputtering in He containing H 2 of which mole fraction is less than about 5 mole%. The degree of the crystallization, evaluated by electron microscopy and optical absorption spectroscopy, becomes high as the amount of H 2 in the atmosphere increases. The conductivity in dark and photoconductivity increase as the partial pressure of H 2 increases (form 0 to 1 mole%) and also as the pressure during sputtering increases. This increase in conductivity and photoconductivity is supposed to be related to the development of microcrystals. The highest photoconductivity is observed at the H 2 mole fraction of about 1 mole%. This film contains a small amount of microcrystals and show the photoconductivity higher by 2 orders of magnitude than that in a film sputter-deposited in Ar and H 2 atmosphere in the same apparatus. (author)

  7. Metal-semiconductor transition materials. FeS and VO2 thin films by RF reactive sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, Ganhua

    2007-06-01

    In the present work, two MST systems, FeS and VO 2 thin films were investigated. Iron sulfide thin films over a range of composition were prepared by reactive sputtering. The influence of the substrate, sputter power, substrate temperature and stoichiometry on the structure and MST of iron sulfide films was investigated. Iron sulfide films deposited at different temperatures show temperature dependent structure and MST. FeS films on float glass show (110) and (112) orientations when the substrate temperature is 200 and 500 C, respectively. The transition temperature and width of the hysteresis loop determined from the temperature dependent conductivity curves of iron sulfide films decrease with the substrate temperature. Fe and S excess in FeS films both result in the decrease of the transition temperature and width of the hysteresis loop. The vacuum-annealing affects the MST of FeS films significantly. When FeS films were annealed below the deposition temperature, the transition temperature decreases; otherwise increases. The residual stress plays an important role during the annealing process. The higher the residual stress inside the FeS films is, the higher the transition temperature of FeS films. With the increase of the annealing temperature, the residual stress in FeS films is first released and then enhances, which gives rise first to the decrease and then increase of the transition temperature of FeS films. At high substrate temperatures, the residual stress is higher. In addition, the MST of FeS films was influenced by the ambient aging. With the increase of the aging time, the transition temperature first increases and then decreases. FeS films with different thicknesses were prepared. The correlation between the film thickness (grain size) and the MST switching characteristics of FeS films was established. With the decrease of the grain size, the density of grain boundaries increases, causing the increase of the conductivity of the semiconducting phase

  8. Tuning silver ion release properties in reactively sputtered Ag/TiOx nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, J.; Ghori, M. Z.; Henkel, B.; Strunskus, T.; Schürmann, U.; Deng, M.; Kienle, L.; Faupel, F.

    2017-07-01

    Silver/titania nanocomposites with strong bactericidal effects and good biocompatibility/environmental safety show a high potential for antibacterial applications. Tailoring the silver ion release is thus highly promising to optimize the antibacterial properties of such coatings and to preserve biocompatibility. Reactive sputtering is a fast and versatile method for the preparation of such Ag/TiOx nanocomposites coatings. The present work is concerned with the influence of sputter parameters on the surface morphology and silver ion release properties of reactively sputtered Ag/TiOx nanocomposites coatings showing a silver nanoparticle size distribution in the range from 1 to 20 nm. It is shown that the silver ion release rate strongly depends on the total pressure: the coatings prepared at lower pressure present a lower but long-lasting release behavior. The much denser structure produced under these conditions reduces the transport of water molecules into the coating. In addition, the influence of microstructure and thickness of titanium oxide barriers on the silver ion release were investigated intensively. Moreover, for the coatings prepared at high total pressure, it was demonstrated that stable and long-lasting silver release can be achieved by depositing a barrier with a high rate. Nanocomposites produced under these conditions show well controllable silver ion release properties for applications as antibacterial coatings.

  9. Growth of polycrystalline Pr{sub 2}NiO{sub 4+δ} coating on alumina substrate by RF magnetron co-sputtering from composite targets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sediri, A., E-mail: amal.sediri@univ-tours.fr [Université François-Rabelais de Tours, GREMAN UMR 7347 CNRS, IUT de Blois 15 rue de la chocolaterie CS 2903, 41029 Blois Cedex (France); Zaghrioui, M.; Barichard, A.; Autret, C.; Negulescu, B. [Université François-Rabelais de Tours, GREMAN UMR 7347 CNRS, IUT de Blois 15 rue de la chocolaterie CS 2903, 41029 Blois Cedex (France); Del Campo, L.; Echegut, P. [CNRS, UPR 3079 CEMHTI, 45071 Orléans Cedex 2 (France); Laffez, P. [Université François-Rabelais de Tours, GREMAN UMR 7347 CNRS, IUT de Blois 15 rue de la chocolaterie CS 2903, 41029 Blois Cedex (France)

    2016-02-01

    Polycrystalline Pr{sub 2}NiO{sub 4+δ} coatings have been deposited on alumina substrates at room temperature by RF magnetron co-sputtering from Pr and Ni metallic composite target. The mixed target's area and the sputtering conditions were optimized to reach an atomic ratio Pr/Ni of 2. A subsequent annealing, at 1050–1100 °C, allowed obtaining Pr{sub 2}NiO{sub 4+δ} phase after in situ high temperature x-ray diffraction study performed on as-deposited film. Microstructural analyses (SEM and AFM) revealed dense and rough microstructure. Normal spectral emittance measurements performed at 794 °C in the spectral range 400–5000 cm{sup -1} showed an emissivity of ε ≈ 0.8. - Highlights: • Pr{sub 2}NiO{sub 4+δ} coatings deposited by RF magnetron co-sputtering • Crystallization kinetic studied by X-ray diffraction versus temperature • SEM and AFM observations showed dense and rough microstructure • Normal spectral emittance reaches to ε = 0.8 at 794 °C in the opaque zone.

  10. Structure, optical properties and thermal stability of HfErO films deposited by simultaneous RF and VHF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, H.Y. [Soochow University, College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Suzhou (China); Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, School of Tongda, Nanjing (China); Soochow University, Key Lab of Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies of Jiangsu Province and Key Lab of Modern Optical Technologies of Education Ministry of China, Suzhou (China); He, H.J.; Zhang, Z.; Jin, C.G.; Yang, Y.; Wang, Y.Y.; Ye, C. [Soochow University, College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Suzhou (China); Soochow University, Key Lab of Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies of Jiangsu Province and Key Lab of Modern Optical Technologies of Education Ministry of China, Suzhou (China); Zhuge, L.J. [Soochow University, Key Lab of Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies of Jiangsu Province and Key Lab of Modern Optical Technologies of Education Ministry of China, Suzhou (China); Soochow University, Analysis and Testing Center, Suzhou (China); Wu, X.M. [Soochow University, College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Suzhou (China); Soochow University, Key Lab of Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies of Jiangsu Province and Key Lab of Modern Optical Technologies of Education Ministry of China, Suzhou (China); Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Shanghai (China)

    2015-01-23

    HfErO films are deposited on Si substrates by simultaneous radio frequency (RF) and very high frequency (VHF) magnetron sputtering technique. The content of the doped ingredient of Er and the body composition of HfO{sub x} are, respectively, controlled through the VHF and RF powers. Low content of Er doping in the HfErO films can be achieved, because the VHF source of 27.12 MHz has higher ion energy and lower ion flux than the RF source resulting in low sputtering rate in the magnetron sputtering system. The structure, optical properties and thermal stability of the HfErO films are investigated in this work. Results show that the doped content of Er is independently controlled by the VHF power. The oxygen vacancies are created by the Er incorporation. The hafnium in the HfErO films forms mixed valence of Hf{sup 2+} and Hf{sup 4+}. The HfErO films are composed with the structures of HfO{sub 2}, HfO and ErO{sub x}, which can be optimized through the VHF power. At high VHF power, the Hf-Er-O bonds are formed, which demonstrates that the Er atoms are doped into the lattice of HfO{sub 2} in the HfErO films. The HfErO films have bad thermal stability as the crystallization temperature decreases from 900 to 800 C. After thermal annealing, cubic phase of HfO{sub 2} are stabilized, which is ascribed to the oxygen vacancies creation by the Er incorporation. The optical properties such as the refractive index and the optical band gap of the HfErO films are optimized by the VHF power. (orig.)

  11. Influence of RF power on performance of sputtered a-IGZO based liquid crystal cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, G.M., E-mail: wu@mail.cgu.edu.tw; Sahoo, A.K.; Liu, C.Y.

    2015-12-01

    The influence of radio-frequency (RF) power on sputter-deposited amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) films and the corresponding liquid crystal cell performances have been investigated. The inorganic films were used as alternative alignment layers for liquid crystal display cells. The columnar growth of film was achieved by non-contact, fixed oblique deposition using RF sputtering at the power of 50 W, 60 W and 70 W. The experiments have been carried out to compare the physical characteristics with those of the traditional polyimide (PI) alignment layers used for liquid crystal cells. The cell performances in voltage-transmittance, contrast ratio, and response time were all evaluated. The liquid crystal pretilt angle has been determined to be about 13° using 70 W power deposited a-IGZO film. It was 6° for the 60 W deposited film and only 1.5° for the PI alignment film. The experimental cell rise time and fall time was 1.25 ms and 2.96 ms, respectively. Thus, a very quick response time of 4.21 ms has been achieved. It was about 6.62 ms for the PI alignment control cell. - Highlights: • Radio-frequency power of indium gallium zinc oxide film deposition was studied. • The oblique deposition technique was used to prepare the alignment layers. • The liquid crystal pretilt angle was about 13° using 70 W. • The corresponding liquid crystal cells exhibited fast response time at 4.21 ms. • The cells showed low threshold voltage of 1.78 V and excellent contrast ratio.

  12. Influence of RF power on the properties of sputtered ZnO:Al thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Antony, Aldrin; Carreras, Paz; Keitzl, Thomas; Roldan, Ruben; Nos, Oriol; Frigeri, Paolo; Asensi, Jose Miguel; Bertomeu, Joan [Grup d' Energia Solar, Universitat de Barcelona (Spain)

    2010-07-15

    Transparent conducting, aluminium doped zinc oxide thin films (ZnO:Al) were deposited by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The RF power was varied from 60 to 350 W whereas the substrate temperature was kept at 160 C. The structural, electrical and optical properties of the as-deposited films were found to be influenced by the deposition power. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed that all the films have a strong preferred orientation along the [001] direction. The crystallite size was varied from 14 to 36 nm, however no significant change was observed in the case of lattice constant. The optical band gap varied in the range 3.44-3.58 eV. The lowest resistivity of 1.2 x 10{sup -3}{omega} cm was shown by the films deposited at 250 W. The mobility of the films was found to increase with the deposition power. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  13. High photoconductive hydrogenated silicon by reactive sputtering in helium containing atmosphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohbiki, Tohru; Imura, Takeshi; Hiraki, Akio

    1982-08-01

    Mixed phase of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon-hydrogen alloys has been fabricated by reactive sputtering in He containing H/sub 2/ of which mole fraction is less than about 5 mole%. The degree of the crystallization, evaluated by electron microscopy and optical absorption spectroscopy, becomes high as the amount of H/sub 2/ in the atmosphere increases. The conductivity in dark and photoconductivity increase as the partial pressure of H/sub 2/ increases (form 0 to 1 mole%) and also as the pressure during sputtering increases. This increase in conductivity and photoconductivity is supposed to be related to the development of microcrystals. The highest photoconductivity is observed at the H/sub 2/ mole fraction of about 1 mole%. This film contains a small amount of microcrystals and show the photoconductivity higher by 2 orders of magnitude than that in a film sputter-deposited in Ar and H/sub 2/ atmosphere in the same apparatus.

  14. A High-Intensity, RF Plasma-Sputter Negative Ion Source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alton, G.D.; Bao, Y.; Cui, B.; Lohwasser, R.; Reed, C.A.; Zhang, T.

    1999-01-01

    A high-intensity, plasma-sputter negative-ion source based on the use of RF power for plasma generation has been developed that can be operated in either pulsed or dc modes. The source utilizes a high-Q, self-igniting, inductively coupled antenna system, operating at 80 MHz that has been optimized to generate Cs-seeded plasmas at low pressures (typically, - (610 microA); F - (100 microA); Si - (500 microA); S - (500 microA); P - (125 microA); Cl - (200 microA); Ni - (150 microA); Cu - (230 microA); Ge - (125 microA); As - (100 microA); Se - (200 microA); Ag - (70 microA); Pt - (125 microA); Au - (250 microA). The normalized emittance var e psilon n of the source at the 80% contour is: var e psilon n = 7.5 mm.mrad.(MeV) 1/2 . The design principles of the source, operational parameters, ion optics, emittance and intensities for a number of negative-ion species will be presented in this report

  15. Preparation of transparent Cu{sub 2}Y{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films by RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chiu, Te-Wei, E-mail: tewei@ntut.edu.tw; Chang, Chih-Hao; Yang, Li-Wei; Wang, Yung-Po

    2015-11-01

    Highlights: • Cu{sub 2}Y{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. • Cu{sub 2}Y{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films have high transmittance and antibacterial properties. • Mechanical properties of Cu{sub 2}Y{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films were investigated. - Abstract: Cu{sub 2}Y{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films were deposited on non-alkali glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. Its crystal structure, microstructure, optical property, mechanical property, and antibacterial activity were investigated by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction, transmittance spectra, nanoindenter, and antibiotics test, respectively. A single-phase of Cu{sub 2}Y{sub 2}O{sub 5} was obtained while annealing at 700 °C in air and its optical transparency was >80% in the visible region. The hardness and elastic modulus of the film were 6.7 GPa and 82 GPa, respectively. Antibiotics testing result revealed that Cu{sub 2}Y{sub 2}O{sub 5} surface had a superior antibacterial performance even at a dark environment. Therefore, Cu{sub 2}Y{sub 2}O{sub 5} is a promising novel transparent antibacterial hard coating material.

  16. CrN thin films prepared by reactive DC magnetron sputtering for symmetric supercapacitors

    KAUST Repository

    Wei, Binbin; Liang, Hanfeng; Zhang, Dongfang; Wu, Zhengtao; Qi, Zhengbing; Wang, Zhoucheng

    2016-01-01

    stability are promising candidates as supercapacitor electrode materials. In this work, we report the fabrication of CrN thin films using reactive DC magnetron sputtering and further their applications for symmetric supercapacitors for the first time. The Cr

  17. Formation and characterization of titanium nitride and titanium carbide films prepared by reactive sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sundgren, J.-E.

    1982-01-01

    Titanium has been reactively r.f. sputtered in mixed Ar-N 2 and Ar-CH 4 discharges on to substrates held at 775 K. The films obtained have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and by measurements of hardness and electrical resistivity. The compositions of the films have been determined using Auger electron spectroscopy. The processes occurring both on substrates and target surfaces have been studied and it is shown that the latter is of great importance for the composition and structure of deposited films. Titanium nitride films of full density and with electrical resistivity and hardness values close to those of bulk TiN were only obtained in a narrow range close to the stoichiometric composition. Titanium carbide films grown on non-biased substrates were found to have an open structure and thus a low density. A bias applied to the substrate, however, improved the quality of the films. It is also shown that the heat of formation of the compounds plays an important role in the formation of carbides and nitrides. A large value promotes the development of large grains and dense structures. (Auth.)

  18. Investigation of the influence of growth parameters on self-catalyzed ITO nanowires by high RF-power sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qiang; Zhang, Yuantao; Feng, Lungang; Wang, Zuming; Wang, Tao; Yun, Feng

    2018-04-01

    Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) nanowires are successfully fabricated using a radio frequency (RF) sputtering technique with a high RF power of 250 W. The fabrication of the ITO nanowires is optimized through the study of oxygen flow rates, temperatures and RF power. The difference in the morphology of the ITO nanowires prepared by using a new target and a used target is observed and the mechanism for the difference is discussed in detail. A hollow structure and air voids within the nanowires are formed during the process of the nanowire growth. The ITO nanowires fabricated by this method demonstrated good conductivity (15 Ω sq-1) and a transmittance of more than 64% at a wavelength longer than 550 nm after annealing. Furthermore, detailed microstructure studies show that the ITO nanowires exhibit a large number of oxygen vacancies. As a result, it is expected that they can be useful for the fabrication of gas sensor devices.

  19. Rotating dust ring in an RF discharge coupled with a dc-magnetron sputter source. Experiment and simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matyash, K; Froehlich, M; Kersten, H; Thieme, G; Schneider, R; Hannemann, M; Hippler, R

    2004-01-01

    During an experiment involving coating of dust grains trapped in an RF discharge using a sputtering dc-magnetron source, a rotating dust ring was observed and investigated. After the magnetron was switched on, the dust cloud levitating above the RF electrode formed a ring rotating as a rigid body. Langmuir probe diagnostics were used for the measurement of plasma density and potential. It was discovered that the coupling of the dc-magnetron source to the RF discharge causes steep radial gradients in electron density and plasma potential. The rotation of the dust ring is attributed to the azimuthal component of the ion drag force, which appears due to the azimuthal drift of the ions caused by crossed radial electric and axial magnetic fields. In order to get more insight into the mechanism of dust ring rotation, a Particle-in-Cell simulation of a rotating dust cloud was performed. The results of the experiment and simulation are presented and discussed

  20. Rotating dust ring in an RF discharge coupled with a dc-magnetron sputter source. Experiment and simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matyash, K [Institut fuer Niedertemperaturplasmaphysik Greifswald, Fr.-L.-Jahn-Strasse 19, 17489 Greifswald (Germany); Froehlich, M [Institut fuer Physik, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitaet Greifswald, Domstrasse 10a, 17487 Greifswald (Germany); Kersten, H [Institut fuer Niedertemperaturplasmaphysik Greifswald, Fr.-L.-Jahn-Strasse 19, 17489 Greifswald (Germany); Thieme, G [Institut fuer Physik, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitaet Greifswald, Domstrasse 10a, 17487 Greifswald (Germany); Schneider, R [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Teilinstitut Greifswald, Wendelsteinstrasse 1, 17489 Greifswald (Germany); Hannemann, M [Institut fuer Niedertemperaturplasmaphysik Greifswald, Fr.-L.-Jahn-Strasse 19, 17489 Greifswald (Germany); Hippler, R [Institut fuer Physik, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitaet Greifswald, Domstrasse 10a, 17487 Greifswald (Germany)

    2004-10-07

    During an experiment involving coating of dust grains trapped in an RF discharge using a sputtering dc-magnetron source, a rotating dust ring was observed and investigated. After the magnetron was switched on, the dust cloud levitating above the RF electrode formed a ring rotating as a rigid body. Langmuir probe diagnostics were used for the measurement of plasma density and potential. It was discovered that the coupling of the dc-magnetron source to the RF discharge causes steep radial gradients in electron density and plasma potential. The rotation of the dust ring is attributed to the azimuthal component of the ion drag force, which appears due to the azimuthal drift of the ions caused by crossed radial electric and axial magnetic fields. In order to get more insight into the mechanism of dust ring rotation, a Particle-in-Cell simulation of a rotating dust cloud was performed. The results of the experiment and simulation are presented and discussed.

  1. On the synthesis of a compound with positive enthalpy of formation: Zinc-blende-like RuN thin films obtained by rf-magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cattaruzza, E., E-mail: cattaruz@unive.it [Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155/B, 30172 Mestre-VE (Italy); Battaglin, G.; Riello, P. [Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155/B, 30172 Mestre-VE (Italy); Cristofori, D. [Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Centre for Electron Microscopy “Giovanni Stevanato”, Via Torino 155/B, 30172 Mestre-VE (Italy); Tamisari, M. [Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, 44121 Ferrara (Italy)

    2014-11-30

    Highlights: • RuN thin films in the zinc-blende structure have been synthesized by rf-magnetron sputtering. • Contribute is given to the understanding of phase-formation mechanisms in systems that under ambient conditions present positive enthalpies of formation. • Contribute is given to the understanding of phenomena occurring during reactive sputtering processes. • Nanopillar structure: suitable for application requiring a high effective area, like sensing, catalysis, and electrode material for energy-storage devices. - Abstract: 4d- and 5d-transition metal nitrides are of interest both because of their importance for the understanding of mechanisms of phase formation in systems that under ambient conditions present positive enthalpies of formation and because of their appealing structural and electronic properties. In this study, we report the synthesis of thin films of ruthenium mononitride (RuN) in the zinc-blende structure by radio-frequency-magnetron sputtering. Films present a characteristic structure of packed columns ending with tetrahedral tips. The effect of changing the synthesis parameters was investigated in detail. It was found that RuN can be formed if the nitrogen partial pressure exceeds a minimum value and that the addition of argon has the major effect of increasing the deposition rate because of its higher sputter ability. Temperature plays an important role: if it is too high, decomposition/desorption effects overcome those leading to the formation of the compound. Phenomena resulting in the formation of RuN occur at the surface of the growing films and are related to the interactions of ruthenium with energetic nitrogen ions, or atoms, which can penetrate the first atomic layers by low energy implantation. Because of its properties and structure, this material is a promising candidate for applications like sensing, catalysis, and electrode material for energy-storage devices.

  2. The pH Sensing Properties of RF Sputtered RuO2 Thin-Film Prepared Using Different Ar/O2 Flow Ratio

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Sardarinejad

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The influence of the Ar/O2 gas ratio during radio frequency (RF sputtering of the RuO2 sensing electrode on the pH sensing performance is investigated. The developed pH sensor consists in an RF sputtered ruthenium oxide thin-film sensing electrode, in conjunction with an electroplated Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The performance and characterization of the developed pH sensors in terms of sensitivity, response time, stability, reversibility, and hysteresis are investigated. Experimental results show that the pH sensor exhibits super-Nernstian slopes in the range of 64.33–73.83 mV/pH for Ar/O2 gas ratio between 10/0–7/3. In particular, the best pH sensing performance, in terms of sensitivity, response time, reversibility and hysteresis, is achieved when the Ar/O2 gas ratio is 8/2, at which a high sensitivity, a low hysteresis and a short response time are attained simultaneously.

  3. Morphology, optical and electrical properties of Cu-Ni nanoparticles in a-C:H prepared by co-deposition of RF-sputtering and RF-PECVD

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghodselahi, T., E-mail: ghodselahi@ipm.ir [School of Physics, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), P.O. Box 19395-5531, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Vesaghi, M.A. [School of Physics, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), P.O. Box 19395-5531, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Physics, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box 11365-9161, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Gelali, A.; Zahrabi, H.; Solaymani, S. [Young Researchers Club, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah Branch, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2011-11-01

    We report optical and electrical properties of Cu-Ni nanoparticles in hydrogenated amorphous carbon (Cu-Ni NPs - a-C:H) with different surface morphology. Ni NPs with layer thicknesses of 5, 10 and 15 nm over Cu NPs - a-C:H were prepared by co-deposition of RF-sputtering and RF-Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (RF-PECVD) from acetylene gas and Cu and Ni targets. A nonmetal-metal transition was observed as the thickness of Ni over layer increases. The surface morphology of the sample was described by a two dimensional (2D) Gaussian self-affine fractal, except the sample with 10 nm thickness of Ni over layer, which is in the nonmetal-metal transition region. X-ray diffraction profile indicates that Cu NPs and Ni NPs with fcc crystalline structure are formed in these films. Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) peak of Cu NPs is observed around 600 nm in visible spectra, which is widen and shifted to lower wavelengths as the thickness of Ni over layer increases. The variation of LSPR peak width correlates with conductivity variation of these bilayers. We assign both effects to surface electron delocalization of Cu NPs.

  4. Dielectric properties of DC reactive magnetron sputtered Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prasanna, S. [Thin Film Center, Department of Physics, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, 641 004 (India); Mohan Rao, G. [Department of Instrumentation, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, 560 012 (India); Jayakumar, S., E-mail: s_jayakumar_99@yahoo.com [Thin Film Center, Department of Physics, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, 641 004 (India); Kannan, M.D. [Thin Film Center, Department of Physics, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, 641 004 (India); Ganesan, V. [Low Temperature Lab, UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research (CSR), Indore, 452 017 (India)

    2012-01-31

    Alumina (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) thin films were sputter deposited over well-cleaned glass and Si < 100 > substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering under various oxygen gas pressures and sputtering powers. The composition of the films was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and an optimal O/Al atomic ratio of 1.59 was obtained at a reactive gas pressure of 0.03 Pa and sputtering power of 70 W. X-ray diffraction results revealed that the films were amorphous until 550 Degree-Sign C. The surface morphology of the films was studied using scanning electron microscopy and the as-deposited films were found to be smooth. The topography of the as-deposited and annealed films was analyzed by atomic force microscopy and a progressive increase in the rms roughness of the films from 3.2 nm to 4.53 nm was also observed with increase in the annealing temperature. Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Al thin film capacitors were then fabricated on glass substrates to study the effect of temperature and frequency on the dielectric property of the films. Temperature coefficient of capacitance, AC conductivity and activation energy were determined and the results are discussed. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films were deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The films were found to be amorphous up to annealing temperature of 550 C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An increase in rms roughness of the films was observed with annealing. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Al thin film capacitors were fabricated and dielectric constant was 7.5. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The activation energy decreased with increase in frequency.

  5. Hydroxyapatite formation on biomedical Ti–Ta–Zr alloys by magnetron sputtering and electrochemical deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hyun-Ju [Department of Dental Materials, Research Center of Nano-Interface Activation for Biomaterials, and Research Center for Oral Disease Regulation of the Aged, School of Dentistry, Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Yong-Hoon [Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Division of Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (United States); Choe, Han-Cheol, E-mail: hcchoe@chosun.ac.kr [Department of Dental Materials, Research Center of Nano-Interface Activation for Biomaterials, and Research Center for Oral Disease Regulation of the Aged, School of Dentistry, Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Brantley, William A. [Division of Prosthodontics and Restorative Science, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (United States)

    2014-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate hydroxyapatite formation on Ti-25Ta-xZr titanium alloys resulting from radio-frequency magnetron sputtering and electrochemical deposition. Electrochemical deposition of hydroxyapatite (HA) was first carried out using a cyclic voltammetry (CV) method at 80 °C in 5 mM Ca (NO{sub 3}){sub 2} + 3 mM NH{sub 4}H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}. Then a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating was obtained by a radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. The microstructures, phase transformations, and morphologies of the hydroxyapatite films deposited on the titanium alloys were analyzed by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The morphologies of electrochemically deposited HA showed plate-like shapes on the titanium alloys, and the morphologies of the RF-sputtered HA coating had the appearance droplet particles on the plate-like precipitates that had formed by electrochemical deposition. For the RF-sputtered HA coatings, the Ca/P ratio was increased, compared to that for the electrochemically deposited HA surface. Moreover, the RF-sputtered HA coating, consisting of agglomerated droplet particles on the electrochemically deposited HA surface, had better wettability compared to the bulk titanium alloy surface. - Highlights: • Hydroxyapatite (HA) was deposited on Ti–Ta–Zr alloys by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and a cyclic voltammetry. • The morphologies of the RF-sputtered HA coating on electrochemical deposits presented plate-like shapes with a droplet particle. • The Ca/P ratio for RF-sputtered HA coatings was greater than that for electrochemical deposited HA coatings. • The RF-sputtered and electrochemical HA coatings had superior wettability compared to the electrochemically deposited coatings.

  6. Hydroxyapatite formation on biomedical Ti–Ta–Zr alloys by magnetron sputtering and electrochemical deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyun-Ju; Jeong, Yong-Hoon; Choe, Han-Cheol; Brantley, William A.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate hydroxyapatite formation on Ti-25Ta-xZr titanium alloys resulting from radio-frequency magnetron sputtering and electrochemical deposition. Electrochemical deposition of hydroxyapatite (HA) was first carried out using a cyclic voltammetry (CV) method at 80 °C in 5 mM Ca (NO 3 ) 2 + 3 mM NH 4 H 2 PO 4 . Then a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating was obtained by a radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. The microstructures, phase transformations, and morphologies of the hydroxyapatite films deposited on the titanium alloys were analyzed by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The morphologies of electrochemically deposited HA showed plate-like shapes on the titanium alloys, and the morphologies of the RF-sputtered HA coating had the appearance droplet particles on the plate-like precipitates that had formed by electrochemical deposition. For the RF-sputtered HA coatings, the Ca/P ratio was increased, compared to that for the electrochemically deposited HA surface. Moreover, the RF-sputtered HA coating, consisting of agglomerated droplet particles on the electrochemically deposited HA surface, had better wettability compared to the bulk titanium alloy surface. - Highlights: • Hydroxyapatite (HA) was deposited on Ti–Ta–Zr alloys by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and a cyclic voltammetry. • The morphologies of the RF-sputtered HA coating on electrochemical deposits presented plate-like shapes with a droplet particle. • The Ca/P ratio for RF-sputtered HA coatings was greater than that for electrochemical deposited HA coatings. • The RF-sputtered and electrochemical HA coatings had superior wettability compared to the electrochemically deposited coatings

  7. Preparation and comparison of a-C:H coatings using reactive sputter techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keunecke, M., E-mail: martin.keunecke@ist.fraunhofer.d [Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (IST), Braunschweig (Germany); Weigel, K.; Bewilogua, K. [Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (IST), Braunschweig (Germany); Cremer, R.; Fuss, H.-G. [CemeCon AG, Wuerselen (Germany)

    2009-12-31

    Amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) coatings are widely used in several industrial applications. These coatings commonly will be prepared by plasma activated chemical vapor deposition (PACVD). The main method used to prepare a-C:H coating in industrial scale is based on a glow discharge in a hydrocarbon gas like acetylene or methane using a substrate electrode powered with medium frequency (m.f. - some 10 to 300 kHz). Some aims of further development are adhesion improvement, increase of hardness and high coating quality on complex geometries. A relatively new and promising technique to fulfil these requirements is the deposition of a-C:H coatings by a reactive d.c. magnetron sputter deposition from a graphite target with acetylene as reactive gas. An advancement of this technique is the deposition in a pulsed magnetron sputter process. Using these three mentioned techniques a-C:H coatings were prepared in the same deposition machine. For adhesion improvement different interlayer systems were applied. The effect of different substrate bias voltages (d.c. and d.c. pulse) was investigated. By applying the magnetron sputter technique in the d.c. pulse mode, plastic hardness values up to 40 GPa could be reached. Besides hardness other mechanical properties like resistance against abrasive wear were measured and compared. Cross sectional SEM images showed the growth structure of the coatings.

  8. Effects of variable sticking coefficients on the stability of reactive sputtering process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Chuan; Hsieh Janghsing

    2004-01-01

    In reactive sputtering, the introduction of a reactive gas can lead to a hysteresis transition from metal to compounds in both the target and substrate. The hysteresis transition is characterized by a sudden change in partial pressure, sputtering rate, fraction of compound formation, etc. Therefore, stability is an important issue in the process control. In this paper, a mathematical model with variable sticking coefficients based on surface kinetics is used to study the stability of the process. The variable sticking coefficient represents different mechanisms for surface reactions from the Langmuir to precursor type. In order to facilitate the analysis, several nondimensional parameters are identified and used for formulation. Results show that an unsteady system converges to a steady state relatively fast at low inflow rates. With an eigenvalue analysis, the range of positive eigenvalues is consistent with the presence of a hysteresis loop. It is also found that when the chemical reaction on the substrate is moderate, a higher sputter yield of the compound leads to a more stable steady state at lower inflow rates. Regarding the sticking mechanism, for the type of precursors with the parameter k < 1, the compound is easier to form and saturate on the surface due to the higher default sticking coefficient and the lower operating conditions for the hysteresis transition

  9. Control of electrical resistivity of TaN thin films by reactive sputtering for embedded passive resistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, S.M.; Yoon, S.G.; Suh, S.J.; Yoon, D.H.

    2008-01-01

    Tantalum nitride thin films were deposited by radio frequency (RF) reactive sputtering at various N 2 /Ar gas flow ratios and working pressures to examine the change of their electrical resistivity. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and four-point probe sheet resistance measurements of the TaN x films, it was found that the change of the crystalline structures of the TaN x films as a function of the N 2 partial pressure caused an abrupt change of the electrical resistivity. When the hexagonal structure TaN thin films changed to an f.c.c. structure, the sheet resistance increased from 16 Ω/sq to 1396 Ω/sq. However, we were able to control the electrical resistivity of the TaN thin film in the range from 69 Ω/sq to 875 Ω/sq, with no change in crystalline structure, within a certain range of working pressures. The size of the grains in the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images seemed to decrease with the increase of working pressure

  10. Process stabilization by peak current regulation in reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering of hafnium nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimizu, T; Villamayor, M; Helmersson, U; Lundin, D

    2016-01-01

    A simple and cost effective approach to stabilize the sputtering process in the transition zone during reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) is proposed. The method is based on real-time monitoring and control of the discharge current waveforms. To stabilize the process conditions at a given set point, a feedback control system was implemented that automatically regulates the pulse frequency, and thereby the average sputtering power, to maintain a constant maximum discharge current. In the present study, the variation of the pulse current waveforms over a wide range of reactive gas flows and pulse frequencies during a reactive HiPIMS process of Hf-N in an Ar–N 2 atmosphere illustrates that the discharge current waveform is a an excellent indicator of the process conditions. Activating the reactive HiPIMS peak current regulation, stable process conditions were maintained when varying the N 2 flow from 2.1 to 3.5 sccm by an automatic adjustment of the pulse frequency from 600 Hz to 1150 Hz and consequently an increase of the average power from 110 to 270 W. Hf–N films deposited using peak current regulation exhibited a stable stoichiometry, a nearly constant power-normalized deposition rate, and a polycrystalline cubic phase Hf-N with (1 1 1)-preferred orientation over the entire reactive gas flow range investigated. The physical reasons for the change in the current pulse waveform for different process conditions are discussed in some detail. (paper)

  11. The Effect of Ar/O2 Ratio on Electrochromic Response Time of Ni Oxides Grown Using an RF Sputtering System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Kwang-Soon; Nah, Yoon-Chae; Yum, Jun-Ho; Sung, Yung-Eun

    2002-02-01

    The effect of Ar:O2 ratio on the electrochromic properties and the response time of NiO grown by RF sputtering were investigated by in situ transmittance measurements with continuous potential cycling and pulse potential cycling. The transmittance difference, coloration efficiency, memory effect, and cycling stability were all found to be independent of the Ar:O2 ratio. However, the transmittance of the as-deposited NiO as well as the response time were significantly affected. This may be attributed to the excess of oxygen occupied interstitial sites in the sputtered NiO that could result in the generation of Ni3+ ions and interference with proton intercalation/deintercalation.

  12. Deposition of indium tin oxide films on acrylic substrates by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiou, B.S.; Hsieh, S.T.; Wu, W.F.

    1994-01-01

    Indium tin oxide (ITO) films were deposited onto acrylic substrates by rf magnetron sputtering. Low substrate temperature (< 80 C) and low rf power (< 28 W) were maintained during sputtering to prevent acrylic substrate deformation. The influence of sputtering parameters, such as rf power, target-to-substrate distance, and chamber pressure, on the film deposition rate, the electrical properties, as well as the optical properties of the deposited films was investigated. Both the refractive index and the extinction coefficient were derived. The high reflection at wavelengths greater than 3 μm made these sputtered ITO films applicable to infrared mirrors

  13. Modelling of the reactive sputtering process with non-uniform discharge current density and different temperature conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasina, P; Hytkova, T; Elias, M

    2009-01-01

    The majority of current models of the reactive magnetron sputtering assume a uniform shape of the discharge current density and the same temperature near the target and the substrate. However, in the real experimental set-up, the presence of the magnetic field causes high density plasma to form in front of the cathode in the shape of a toroid. Consequently, the discharge current density is laterally non-uniform. In addition to this, the heating of the background gas by sputtered particles, which is usually referred to as the gas rarefaction, plays an important role. This paper presents an extended model of the reactive magnetron sputtering that assumes the non-uniform discharge current density and which accommodates the gas rarefaction effect. It is devoted mainly to the study of the behaviour of the reactive sputtering rather that to the prediction of the coating properties. Outputs of this model are compared with those that assume uniform discharge current density and uniform temperature profile in the deposition chamber. Particular attention is paid to the modelling of the radial variation of the target composition near transitions from the metallic to the compound mode and vice versa. A study of the target utilization in the metallic and compound mode is performed for two different discharge current density profiles corresponding to typical two pole and multipole magnetics available on the market now. Different shapes of the discharge current density were tested. Finally, hysteresis curves are plotted for various temperature conditions in the reactor.

  14. Influence of Substrate Temperature on Structural, Electrical and Optical Properties of Ito Thin Films Prepared by RF Magnetron Sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Bo; Zhao, Lei; Xu, Jing; Xing, Huaizhong; Xue, Shaolin; Jiang, Meng

    2013-10-01

    In this paper, we investigated indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin films on glass substrates deposited by RF magnetron sputtering using ceramic target to find the optimal condition for fabricating optoelectronic devices. The structural, electrical and optical properties of the ITO films prepared at various substrate temperatures were investigated. The results indicate the grain size increases with substrate temperature increases. As the substrate temperature grew up, the resistivity of ITO films greatly decreased. The ITO film possesses high quality in terms of electrode functions, when substrate temperature is 480°C. The resistivity is as low as 9.42 × 10-5 Ω•cm, while the carrier concentration and mobility are as high as 3.461 × 1021 atom/cm3 and 19.1 cm2/Vṡs, respectively. The average transmittance of the film is about 95% in the visible region. The novel ITO/np-Silicon frame, which prepared by RF magnetron sputtering at 480°C substrate temperature, can be used not only for low-cost solar cell, but also for high quantum efficiency of UV and visible lights enhanced photodetector for various applications.

  15. Co-sputtered optical films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Misiano, C; Simonetti, E [Selenia S.p.A., Rome (Italy)

    1977-06-01

    The co-sputtering of two dielectric materials with indices of refraction as widely different as possible has been investigated with the aim of obtaining both homogeneous films with an intermediate index of refraction and inhomogeneous films with predetermined profiles. An rf sputtering module is described which has been especially designed, with two separate cathodes and two independent tunable rf generators. The substrates are placed on a circular anode rotating underneath the two cathodes. So far mainly CeO/sub 2/, TiO2 and SiO/sub 2/ targets have been used. The deposition rate from each cathode and the total film thickness are determined by means of two quartz thickness monitors, sputtering compatible. Values obtained for the refractive index and optical thickness are reported, as well as repeatability, mechanical and chemical characteristics, reliability and high power optical radiation resistance. Finally, results obtained on optical components of practical interest are discussed.

  16. Investigation of growth parameters influence on self-catalyzed ITO nanowires by high RF-power sputtering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qiang; Zhang, Yuantao; Feng, Lungang; Wang, Zuming; Wang, Tao; Yun, Feng

    2018-02-15

    ITO nanowires have been successfully fabricated using a radio-frequency sputtering technique with a high RF-power of 250W. The fabrication of the ITO nanowires has been optimized through the study of oxygen flow rates, temperatures and RF-power. The difference in the morphology of the ITO nanowires prepared by using a new target and a used target has been first observed and the mechanism for the difference has been discussed in detail. A hollow structure and air voids within the nanowires are formed during the process of the nanowire growth. The ITO nanowires fabricated by this method has demonstrated good conductivity (15Ω/sq) and a transmittance of more than 64% at a wavelength longer than 550nm after annealing. Furthermore, detailed microstructure studies show that the ITO nanowires exhibit a large number of oxygen vacancies. As a result, it is expected that they can be useful for the fabrication of gas sensor devices. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

  17. Metal-semiconductor transition materials. FeS and VO{sub 2} thin films by RF reactive sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fu Ganhua

    2007-06-15

    In the present work, two MST systems, FeS and VO{sub 2} thin films were investigated. Iron sulfide thin films over a range of composition were prepared by reactive sputtering. The influence of the substrate, sputter power, substrate temperature and stoichiometry on the structure and MST of iron sulfide films was investigated. Iron sulfide films deposited at different temperatures show temperature dependent structure and MST. FeS films on float glass show (110) and (112) orientations when the substrate temperature is 200 and 500 C, respectively. The transition temperature and width of the hysteresis loop determined from the temperature dependent conductivity curves of iron sulfide films decrease with the substrate temperature. Fe and S excess in FeS films both result in the decrease of the transition temperature and width of the hysteresis loop. The vacuum-annealing affects the MST of FeS films significantly. When FeS films were annealed below the deposition temperature, the transition temperature decreases; otherwise increases. The residual stress plays an important role during the annealing process. The higher the residual stress inside the FeS films is, the higher the transition temperature of FeS films. With the increase of the annealing temperature, the residual stress in FeS films is first released and then enhances, which gives rise first to the decrease and then increase of the transition temperature of FeS films. At high substrate temperatures, the residual stress is higher. In addition, the MST of FeS films was influenced by the ambient aging. With the increase of the aging time, the transition temperature first increases and then decreases. FeS films with different thicknesses were prepared. The correlation between the film thickness (grain size) and the MST switching characteristics of FeS films was established. With the decrease of the grain size, the density of grain boundaries increases, causing the increase of the conductivity of the semiconducting

  18. Surface chemistry and cytotoxicity of reactively sputtered tantalum oxide films on NiTi plates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McNamara, K. [Materials and Surface Science Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland); Department of Physics & Energy, University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland); Kolaj-Robin, O.; Belochapkine, S.; Laffir, F. [Materials and Surface Science Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland); Gandhi, A.A. [Materials and Surface Science Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland); Department of Physics & Energy, University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland); Tofail, S.A.M., E-mail: tofail.syed@ul.ie [Materials and Surface Science Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland); Department of Physics & Energy, University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland)

    2015-08-31

    NiTi, an equiatomic alloy containing nickel and titanium, exhibits unique properties such as shape memory effect and superelasticity. NiTi also forms a spontaneous protective titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) layer that allows its use in biomedical applications. Despite the widely perceived biocompatibility there remain some concerns about the sustainability of the alloy's biocompatibility due to the defects in the TiO{sub 2} protective layer and the presence of high amount of sub-surface Ni, which can give allergic reactions. Many surface treatments have been investigated to try to improve both the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of this layer. For such purposes, we have sputter deposited tantalum (Ta) oxide thin films onto the surface of the NiTi alloy. Despite being one of the promising metals for biomedical applications, Ta, and its various oxides and their interactions with cells have received relatively less attention. The oxidation chemistry, crystal structure, morphology and biocompatibility of these films have been investigated. In general, reactive sputtering especially in the presence of a low oxygen mixture yields a thicker film with better control of the film quality. The sputtering power influenced the surface oxidation states of Ta. Both microscopic and quantitative cytotoxicity measurements show that Ta films on NiTi are biocompatible with little to no variation in cytotoxic response when the surface oxidation state of Ta changes. - Highlights: • Reactive sputtering in low oxygen mixture yields thicker better quality films. • Sputtering power influenced surface oxidation states of Ta. • Cytotoxicity measurements show Ta films on NiTi are biocompatible. • Little to no variation in cytotoxic response when oxidation state changes.

  19. Vortex trapping in Pb-alloy Josephson junctions induced by strong sputtering of the base electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wada, M.; Nakano, J.; Yanagawa, F.

    1985-01-01

    It is observed that strong rf sputtering of the Pb-alloy base electrodes causes the junctions to trap magnetic vortices and thus induces Josephson current (I/sub J/) suppression. Trapping begins to occur when the rf sputtering that removes the native thermal oxide on the base electrode is carried out prior to rf plasma oxidation. Observed large I/sub J/ suppression is presumably induced by the concentration of vortices into the sputtered area upon cooling the sample below the transition temperature. This suggests a new method of the circumvention of the vortex trapping by strongly rf sputtering the areas of the electrode other than the junction areas

  20. Effects of various deposition times and RF powers on CdTe thin film growth using magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghorannevis, Z.; Akbarnejad, E.; Ghoranneviss, M.

    2016-09-01

    Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is a p-type II-VI compound semiconductor, which is an active component for producing photovoltaic solar cells in the form of thin films, due to its desirable physical properties. In this study, CdTe film was deposited using the radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering system onto a glass substrate. To improve the properties of the CdTe film, effects of two experimental parameters of deposition time and RF power were investigated on the physical properties of the CdTe films. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and spectrophotometer were used to study the structural, morphological and optical properties of the CdTe samples grown at different experimental conditions, respectively. Our results suggest that film properties strongly depend on the experimental parameters and by optimizing these parameters, it is possible to tune the desired structural, morphological and optical properties. From XRD data, it is found that increasing the deposition time and RF power leads to increasing the crystallinity as well as the crystal sizes of the grown film, and all the films represent zinc blende cubic structure. Roughness values given from AFM images suggest increasing the roughness of the CdTe films by increasing the RF power and deposition times. Finally, optical investigations reveal increasing the film band gaps by increasing the RF power and the deposition time.

  1. Textured ZnO thin films by RF magnetron sputtering

    CERN Document Server

    Ginting, M; Kang, K H; Kim, S K; Yoon, K H; Park, I J; Song, J S

    1999-01-01

    Textured thin films ZnO has been successfully grown by rf magnetron sputtering method using a special technique of introducing a small amount of water and methanol on the deposition chamber. The grain size of the textured surface is highly dependent on the argon pressure during the deposition. The pressure in this experiment was varied from 50 mTorr down to 5 mTorr and the highest grain size of the film is obtained at 5 mTorr. The total transmittance of the films are more than 85% in the wavelength of 400 to 800 nm, and haze ratio of about 14% is obtained at 400 nm wavelength. Beside the textured surface, these films also have very low resistivity, which is lower than 1.4x10 sup - sup 3 OMEGA centre dot cm. X-ray analysis shows that the films with textured surface have four diffraction peaks on the direction of (110), (002), (101) and (112), while the non-textured films have only (110) and (002) peaks. Due to the excellent characteristics of this film, it will make the film very good TCO alternatives for the ...

  2. Development of thin film cathodes for lithium-ion batteries in the material system Li–Mn–O by r.f. magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, J.; Adelhelm, C.; Bergfeldt, T.; Chang, K.; Ziebert, C.; Leiste, H.; Stüber, M.; Ulrich, S.; Music, D.; Hallstedt, B.; Seifert, H.J.

    2013-01-01

    Today most commercially available lithium ion batteries are still based on the toxic and expensive LiCoO 2 as a standard cathode material. However, lithium manganese based cathode materials are cheaper and environmentally friendlier. In this work cubic-LiMn 2 O 4 spinel, monoclinic-Li 2 MnO 3 and orthorhombic-LiMnO 2 thin films have been synthesized by non-reactive r.f. magnetron sputtering from two ceramic targets (LiMn 2 O 4 , LiMnO 2 ) in a pure argon discharge. The deposition parameters, namely target power and working gas pressure, were optimized in a combination with a post deposition heat treatment with respect to microstructure and electrochemical behavior. The chemical composition was determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and carrier gas hot extraction. The films' crystal structure, phase evolution and morphology were investigated by X-ray diffraction, micro Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Due to the fact that these thin films consist of the pure active material without any impurities, such as binders or conductive additives like carbon black, they are particularly well suited for measurements of the intrinsic physical properties, which is essential for fundamental understanding. The electrochemical behavior of the cubic and the orthorhombic films was investigated by galvanostatic cycling in half cells against metallic lithium. The cubic spinel films exhibit a maximum specific capacity of ∼ 82 mAh/g, while a specific capacity of nearly 150 mAh/g can be reached for the orthorhombic counterparts. These films are promising candidates for future all solid state battery applications. - Highlights: ► Synthesis of 3 Li–Mn–O structures by one up-scalable thin film deposition method ► Formation of o-LiMnO 2 by r.f. magnetron sputtering in combination with post-annealing ► Discharge capacity with o-LiMnO 2 cathodes twice as high as for c-LiMn 2 O 4 ► Thin film deposition of m-Li 2 MnO 3 and

  3. Fabrication of hydroxyapatite thin films for biomedical applications using RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaguchi, Tetsuro; Tanaka, Yoshikazu; Ide-Ektessabi, Ari

    2006-01-01

    The calcium phosphate thin films for medical applications require similar chemical properties as those of natural bone as well as a uniform surface without any defect, such as cracks and pinholes. In this study, the calcium phosphate thin films were fabricated using RF magnetron sputtering deposition technique at discharge power of 200W, 300W and 400W. The target used for the deposition was sintered HAp. RBS analysis showed that the Ca/P ratio increased with the discharge power becoming close to that of Ca/P=1.67 in ideal HAp. XPS analysis revealed the presence of PO 4 3- and OH - bonds in the calcium phosphate films fabricated. The chemical properties of the calcium phosphate thin films were similar to those of ideal HAp. The AFM results revealed that the thin films prepared had a uniform surface

  4. Morphology control of tungsten nanorods grown by glancing angle RF magnetron sputtering under variable argon pressure and flow rate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khedir, Khedir R.; Kannarpady, Ganesh K.; Ishihara, Hidetaka; Woo, Justin; Ryerson, Charles; Biris, Alexandru S.

    2010-01-01

    Morphologically novel tungsten nanorods (WNRs) with the co-existence of two crystalline phases, α-W (thermodynamically stable) and β-W, were fabricated by glancing angle RF magnetron sputtering technique under various Ar pressures and flow rates. For these nanorods, a significant variation in their morphology and surface roughness was observed. These structures could be useful in a wide range of applications such as field emission, robust superhydrophobic coatings, energy, and medicine.

  5. INFLUENCE OF SUBSTRATE TEMPERATURE ON STRUCTURAL, ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF ITO THIN FILMS PREPARED BY RF MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

    OpenAIRE

    BO HE; LEI ZHAO; JING XU; HUAIZHONG XING; SHAOLIN XUE; MENG JIANG

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we investigated indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin films on glass substrates deposited by RF magnetron sputtering using ceramic target to find the optimal condition for fabricating optoelectronic devices. The structural, electrical and optical properties of the ITO films prepared at various substrate temperatures were investigated. The results indicate the grain size increases with substrate temperature increases. As the substrate temperature grew up, the resistivity of ITO films grea...

  6. Optimizing electrical conductivity and optical transparency of IZO thin film deposited by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lei

    Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin films of In2O3, SnO2, ZnO, and their mixtures have been extensively used in optoelectronic applications such as transparent electrodes in solar photovoltaic devices. In this project I deposited amorphous indium-zinc oxide (IZO) thin films by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering from a In2O3-10 wt.% ZnO sintered ceramic target to optimize the RF power, argon gas flowing rate, and the thickness of film to reach the maximum conductivity and transparency in visible spectrum. The results indicated optimized conductivity and transparency of IZO thin film is closer to ITO's conductivity and transparency, and is even better when the film was deposited with one specific tilted angle. National Science Foundation (NSF) MRSEC program at University of Nebraska Lincoln, and was hosted by Professor Jeff Shields lab.

  7. Surface characteristics of hydroxyapatite/titanium composite layer on the Ti-35Ta-xZr surface by RF and DC sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Won-Gi; Choe, Han-Cheol

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the surface characteristics of hydroxyapatite (HA)/titanium (Ti) composite layer on the Ti-35Ta-xZr alloy surface by radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) sputtering for dental application. The magnetron sputtered deposition for the HA was performed in the RF mode and for the Ti in the DC mode. Microstructures of the alloys were examined by optical microscopy (OM) and x-ray diffractometer (XRD). Surface characteristics of coated film was investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer (EDS), and XRD. Microstructures of the Ti-35Ta-xZr alloys were changed from α'' phase to β phase, and changed from a needle-like structure to an equiaxed structure with increasing Zr content. From the results of polarization behavior in the Ti-35Ta-15Zr alloy, HA/Ti composite layer showed the good corrosion resistance compared to Ti single layer. The results of alternating current (AC) impedance test indicated that the presence of ha coating acted as a stable barrier in increasing the corrosion resistance.

  8. Epitaxial ZnO gate dielectrics deposited by RF sputter for AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Seonno; Lee, Seungmin; Kim, Hyun-Seop; Cha, Ho-Young; Lee, Hi-Deok; Oh, Jungwoo

    2018-01-01

    Radio frequency (RF)-sputtered ZnO gate dielectrics for AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors (MOS-HEMTs) were investigated with varying O2/Ar ratios. The ZnO deposited with a low oxygen content of 4.5% showed a high dielectric constant and low interface trap density due to the compensation of oxygen vacancies during the sputtering process. The good capacitance-voltage characteristics of ZnO-on-AlGaN/GaN capacitors resulted from the high crystallinity of oxide at the interface, as investigated by x-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The MOS-HEMTs demonstrated comparable output electrical characteristics with conventional Ni/Au HEMTs but a lower gate leakage current. At a gate voltage of -20 V, the typical gate leakage current for a MOS-HEMT with a gate length of 6 μm and width of 100 μm was found to be as low as 8.2 × 10-7 mA mm-1, which was three orders lower than that of the Ni/Au Schottky gate HEMT. The reduction of the gate leakage current improved the on/off current ratio by three orders of magnitude. These results indicate that RF-sputtered ZnO with a low O2/Ar ratio is a good gate dielectric for high-performance AlGaN/GaN MOS-HEMTs.

  9. Effect of R.F. Power to the Structural Properties of ZnO Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sin, N.D.M.; Rusop, M.

    2011-01-01

    The effect of RF power variation (100 watt∼400 watt ) on the zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films electrical, optical and structural properties were examined using current voltage (I-V) measurement, UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscope (AFM). ZnO thin films were prepared at room temperature in pure argon atmosphere by a RF magnetron sputtering using ZnO target. The resistivity of thin film show the lowest at 300 watt. The absorption coefficient spectra obtained from UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer measurement show all films have low absorbance in visible and near infrared (IR) region but have high UV absorption properties using UV-VIS spectrophotometer (JASCO 670) . Highly oriented ZnO thin films [002] direction were obtained by using Rigaku Ultima IV. (author)

  10. FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Deposition of amino-rich thin films by RF magnetron sputtering of nylon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kylián, O.; Hanuš, J.; Choukourov, A.; Kousal, J.; Slavínská, D.; Biederman, H.

    2009-07-01

    RF magnetron sputtering of a nylon target in different gas mixtures was studied in order to evaluate the capability of this process to deposit amino-rich coatings needed in a wide range of biomedical applications. It has been demonstrated that both the deposition rate of the coatings and the surface density of primary amino groups are strongly linked with working gas mixture composition. From this point of view, a sufficiently high deposition rate as well as the highest amine efficiency reaching a NH2/C value of 18% was observed in the N2/H2 discharge, which leads to the surface exhibiting a high rate of protein adsorption.

  11. Corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of zirconium oxynitride thin film growth by RF sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cubillos, G. I.; Olaya, J. J.; Clavijo, D.; Alfonso, J. E. [Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45 No. 26-85, AA 14490 Bogota D. C. (Colombia); Bethencourt, M., E-mail: jealfonsoo@unal.edu.co [Universidad de Cadiz, Centro Andaluz de Ciencia y Tecnologia Marinas, Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingenieria Metalurgica y Quimica Inorganica, Av. Republica de Saharaui, Puerto Real, E-11510 Cadiz (Spain)

    2012-07-01

    Thin films of zirconium oxynitride were grown on common glass, silicon (100) and stainless steel 316 L substrates using the reactive RF magnetron sputtering technique. The films were analyzed through structural, morphological and biocompatibility studies. The structural analysis was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the morphological analysis was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (Sem) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). These studies were done as a function of growth parameters, such as power applied to the target, substrate temperature, and flow ratios. The corrosion resistance studies were made on samples of stainless steel 316 L coated and uncoated with Zr{sub x}N{sub y}O films, through of polarization curves. The studies of biocompatibility were carried out on zirconium oxynitride films deposited on stainless steel 316 L through proliferation and cellular adhesion. The XRD analysis shows that films deposited at 623 K, with a flow ratio {Phi}N{sub 2}/{Phi}O{sub 2} of 1.25 and a total deposit time of 30 minutes grew preferentially oriented along the (111) plane of the zirconium oxynitride monoclinic phase. The Sem analyses showed that the films grew homogeneously, and the AFM studies indicated that the average rugosity of the film was 5.9 nm and the average particle size was 150 nm. The analysis of the corrosion resistant, shows that the stainless steel coated with the film was increased a factor 10. Finally; through the analysis of the biocompatibility we established that the films have a better surface than the substrate (stainless steel 316 L) in terms of the adhesion and proliferation of bone cells. (Author)

  12. Sputtering. [as deposition technique in mechanical engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spalvins, T.

    1976-01-01

    This paper primarily reviews the potential of using the sputtering process as a deposition technique; however, the manufacturing and sputter etching aspects are also discussed. Since sputtering is not regulated by classical thermodynamics, new multicomponent materials can be developed in any possible chemical composition. The basic mechanism for dc and rf sputtering is described. Sputter-deposition is described in terms of the unique advantageous features it offers such as versatility, momentum transfer, stoichiometry, sputter-etching, target geometry (coating complex surfaces), precise controls, flexibility, ecology, and sputtering rates. Sputtered film characteristics, such as strong adherence and coherence and film morphology, are briefly evaluated in terms of varying the sputtering parameters. Also described are some of the specific industrial areas which are turning to sputter-deposition techniques.

  13. Huge increase in gas phase nanoparticle generation by pulsed direct current sputtering in a reactive gas admixture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polonskyi, Oleksandr; Peter, Tilo; Mohammad Ahadi, Amir; Hinz, Alexander; Strunskus, Thomas; Zaporojtchenko, Vladimir; Biederman, Hynek; Faupel, Franz

    2013-07-01

    Using reactive DC sputtering in a gas aggregation cluster source, we show that pulsed discharge gives rise to a huge increase in deposition rate of nanoparticles by more than one order of magnitude compared to continuous operation. We suggest that this effect is caused by an equilibrium between slight target oxidation (during "time-off") and subsequent sputtering of Ti oxides (sub-oxides) at "time-on" with high power impulse.

  14. Controlled formation of anatase and rutile TiO2 thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Damon Rafieian

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available We discuss the formation of TiO2 thin films via DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The oxygen concentration during sputtering proved to be a crucial parameter with respect to the final film structure and properties. The initial deposition provided amorphous films that crystallise upon annealing to anatase or rutile, depending on the initial sputtering conditions. Substoichiometric films (TiOx<2, obtained by sputtering at relatively low oxygen concentration, formed rutile upon annealing in air, whereas stoichiometric films formed anatase. This route therefore presents a formation route for rutile films via lower (<500 °C temperature pathways. The dynamics of the annealing process were followed by in situ ellipsometry, showing the optical properties transformation. The final crystal structures were identified by XRD. The anatase film obtained by this deposition method displayed high carriers mobility as measured by time-resolved microwave conductance. This also confirms the high photocatalytic activity of the anatase films.

  15. Influence of Oxygen Concentration on the Performance of Ultra-Thin RF Magnetron Sputter Deposited Indium Tin Oxide Films as a Top Electrode for Photovoltaic Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jephias Gwamuri

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The opportunity for substantial efficiency enhancements of thin film hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H solar photovoltaic (PV cells using plasmonic absorbers requires ultra-thin transparent conducting oxide top electrodes with low resistivity and high transmittances in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Fabricating ultra-thin indium tin oxide (ITO films (sub-50 nm using conventional methods has presented a number of challenges; however, a novel method involving chemical shaving of thicker (greater than 80 nm RF sputter deposited high-quality ITO films has been demonstrated. This study investigates the effect of oxygen concentration on the etch rates of RF sputter deposited ITO films to provide a detailed understanding of the interaction of all critical experimental parameters to help create even thinner layers to allow for more finely tune plasmonic resonances. ITO films were deposited on silicon substrates with a 98-nm, thermally grown oxide using RF magnetron sputtering with oxygen concentrations of 0, 0.4 and 1.0 sccm and annealed at 300 °C air ambient. Then the films were etched using a combination of water and hydrochloric and nitric acids for 1, 3, 5 and 8 min at room temperature. In-between each etching process cycle, the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, 4-point probe (electrical conductivity, and variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. All the films were polycrystalline in nature and highly oriented along the (222 reflection. Ultra-thin ITO films with record low resistivity values (as low as 5.83 × 10−4 Ω·cm were obtained and high optical transparency is exhibited in the 300–1000 nm wavelength region for all the ITO films. The etch rate, preferred crystal lattice growth plane, d-spacing and lattice distortion were also observed to be highly dependent on the nature of growth environment for RF sputter deposited ITO films. The structural, electrical

  16. Intrinsic anomalous surface roughening of TiN films deposited by reactive sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Auger, M. A.; Vazquez, L.; Sanchez, O.; Cuerno, R.; Castro, M.; Jergel, M.

    2006-01-01

    We study surface kinetic roughening of TiN films grown on Si(100) substrates by dc reactive sputtering. The surface morphology of films deposited for different growth times under the same experimental conditions were analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The TiN films exhibit intrinsic anomalous scaling and multiscaling. The film kinetic roughening is characterized by a set of local exponent values α loc =1.0 and β loc =0.39, and global exponent values α=1.7 and β=0.67, with a coarsening exponent of 1/z=0.39. These properties are correlated to the local height-difference distribution function obeying power-law statistics. We associate this intrinsic anomalous scaling with the instability due to nonlocal shadowing effects that take place during thin-film growth by sputtering

  17. Growth of Sr1-xNdxCuOy thin films by rf-magnetron sputtering and pulsed-laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugii, N.; Ichikawa, M.; Kuba, K.; Sakurai, T.; Iamamoto, K.; Yamauchi, H.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports on Sr 1- x Nd x CuO y thin films grown on SrTiO 3 substrates by rf-magnetron sputtering and pulsed-laser deposition. The sputter-deposited film with x=0 has an infinite-layer structure whose lattice constants are: a=0.390 nm and c=0.347 nm. When x is larger than 0.1, the films contain a phase of the Sr 14 Cu 24 O 41 structure. The laser-deposited films of Sr 1- x Nd x CuO y with x ≥ 0.075 were single phase of the infinite-layer structure. The lattice parameter c decreased and the lattice parameter a increased, as the Nd content, x, increased. The films with x=0.10 and 0.125 exhibited superconducting onset temperatures around 26 K. Weak Meissner signals were observed for these films at temperatures below 30 K

  18. Effect of substrate temperature on the morphological, structural, and optical properties of RF sputtered Ge1−x Snx films on Si substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahmodi, H; Hashim, M R

    2017-01-01

    In this study, Ge 1−x Sn x alloy films are co-sputtered on Si(100) substrates using RF magnetron sputtering at different substrate temperatures. Scanning electron micrographs, atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) are conducted to investigate the effect of substrate temperature on the structural and optical properties of grown GeSn alloy films. AFM results show that RMS surface roughness of the films increases from 1.02 to 2.30 nm when raising the substrate temperature. This increase could be due to Sn surface segregation that occurs when raising the substrate temperature. Raman spectra exhibits the lowest FWHM value and highest phonon intensity for a film sputtered at 140 °C. The spectra show that decreasing the deposition temperature to 140 °C improves the crystalline quality of the alloy films and increases nanocrystalline phase formation. The results of Raman spectra and XPS confirm Ge–Sn bond formation. The optoelectronic characteristics of fabricated metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors on sputtered samples at room temperature (RT) and 140 °C are studied in the dark and under illumination. The sample sputtered at 140 °C performs better than the RT sputtered sample. (paper)

  19. Formation of metal nanoparticles by short-distance sputter deposition in a reactive ion etching chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nie Min; Meng, Dennis Desheng; Sun Kai

    2009-01-01

    A new method is reported to form metal nanoparticles by sputter deposition inside a reactive ion etching chamber with a very short target-substrate distance. The distribution and morphology of nanoparticles are found to be affected by the distance, the ion concentration, and the sputtering time. Densely distributed nanoparticles of various compositions were fabricated on the substrates that were kept at a distance of 130 μm or smaller from the target. When the distance was increased to 510 μm, island structures were formed, indicating the tendency to form continuous thin film with longer distance. The observed trend for nanoparticle formation is opposite to the previously reported mechanism for the formation of nanoparticles by sputtering. A new mechanism based on the seeding effect of the substrate is proposed to interpret the experimental results.

  20. Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2 Thin Films Obtained by the Sputtering RF in Wastewater

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardona Bedoya, Jairo Armando; Sanchez Velandia, Wilmer Asmed; Delgado Rosero, Miguel Iban; Florido Cuellar, Alex Enrique; Zelaya Angel, Orlando; Mendoza Alvarez, Julio G.

    2011-03-01

    The photocatalytic activity of Ti O2 thin films in wastewater, under an UV irradiation, is studied. The films were prepared on corning glass substrates by the sputtering RF technique. We present evidence on the photocatalytic degradation, carried out by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in domestic wastewater pretreated with UASB (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket) reactors. Ti O2 films were illuminated with ultraviolet light during a time of 4 hours (λ ≅ 264 nm). We could see the effect of degraded operation in the absorbance measurement using UV-VIS spectrophotometry. The results show an increased rate of degradation of the wastewater by 30% compared to the values reflected biologically treated wastewater by anaerobic reactors.

  1. Crystallization of Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 Thin Films on LaNiO3 Electrodes by RF Magnetron Reactive Sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jong, Chao-An; Gan, Jon-Yiew

    2000-02-01

    Strontium barium niobium (Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6) (SBN) thin films are prepared on conductive-oxide LNO (LaNiO3) electrodes by the rf magnetron sputtering system. Instead of conventional furnace annealing, SBN thin films are crystallized by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) above 700°C for 5 min. The textured SBN films are crystallized with two orientations: one is the (001) or (310) direction, and the other is the (002) or (620) direction. Films compositions measured by the electron spectroscopy of chemical analysis (ESCA) quantitative analysis method show nearly the same stoichiometric ratio as the target. The depth profiles of SBN films and the target are examined by secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS). The concentrations of the films are quite uniform. After being heat treated at 800°C for 5 min by RTA, La and Ni diffuse into the SBN film. The diffusion coefficient of La in SBN films is also calculated.

  2. Structural and optical properties of zirconia thin films deposited by reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Xiaoli; Jin, Jie [Tianjin University, School of Electronic Information Engineering, Tianjin (China); Cheng, Jui-Ching, E-mail: juiching@ntut.edu.tw [Chang-Gung University, Department of Electronics, Taoyuan, Taiwan (China); Lee, Jyh-Wei [Ming Chi University of Technology, College of Materials Engineering, New Taipei City, Taiwan (China); Wu, Kuo-Hong [Chang-Gung University, Department of Electronics, Taoyuan, Taiwan (China); Lin, Kuo-Cheng; Tsai, Jung-Ruey [Asia University, Department of Photonics and Communication Engineering, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Liu, Kou-Chen, E-mail: jacobliu@mail.cgu.edu.tw [Chang-Gung University, Department of Electronics, Taoyuan, Taiwan (China)

    2014-11-03

    Zirconia films are deposited by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) technology on glass and indium-tin-oxide (ITO)/glass substrates. Preparation, microstructure and optical characteristics of the films have been studied. During deposition, the influence of the target power and duty cycle on the peak current–voltage and power density has been observed in oxide mode. Transparent thin films under different oxygen proportions are obtained on the two substrates. Atomic force microscopy measurements showed that the surface roughness of the films was lower by reactive HiPIMS than DC sputtering for all oxygen contents. The transmission and reflectance properties of differently grown zirconia films were also investigated using an ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer. The optical transmittance of films grown on glass substrates by HiPIMS reached maximum values above 90%, which exceeded that by DC sputtering. The band edge near 5.86 eV shifted to a lower wavelength for zirconia films prepared with oxygen flow rates lower than 4.5 sccm. For the films prepared on ITO/glass substrates, the transmittance and the band gap of zirconia films were limited by ITO films; a maximum average transmittance of 84% was obtained at 4.5 sccm O{sub 2} and the energy band gap was in the range of 3.7–3.8 eV for oxygen flow rates ranging from 3.5 to 5.0 sccm. Finally, the electrical properties of zirconia films have also been discussed. - Highlights: • Zirconia films are deposited by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering. • Low roughness films are obtained. • Films show a high transmittance (> 90%). • Films prepared on glass have a band gap of 5.9 eV.

  3. Electrochemical characterization of V{sub x}Nb{sub y}C{sub z}/Bi{sub x}Ti{sub y}O{sub z} coatings produced through thermo-reactive diffusion and the sputtering technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castro H, S. A.; Alfonso, J. E.; Olaya, J. J., E-mail: jealfonso@unal.edu.co [Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Departamento de Fisica, Grupo de Ciencia de Materiales y Superficies, AA-14490 Bogota (Colombia)

    2016-11-01

    We present and experimental study of the structural evolution of a bilayer V{sub x}Nb{sub y}C{sub z}/Bi{sub x}Ti{sub y}O{sub z} coating produced via thermo-reactive diffusion (TRD) and the RF sputtering process on D-2 steel substrate. The TRD treatments were carried out in a molten mixture consisting of borax, ferro-niobium, ferro-vanadium, and aluminum, at 1313 K for 3 hours, using a resistance-heating furnace. Bi{sub x}Ti{sub y}O{sub z} coatings were deposited using RF magnetron sputtering on TRD coatings, in order to carry out a study of the corrosion behavior of this compound. The crystallographic structure of the coatings was determined via X-ray diffraction, the corrosion resistance was analyzed through the potentiodynamic polarization test (Tafel Extrapolation) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic analysis (EIS). X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the ternary coating (VNbC{sub 2}) was preferentially oriented along the [200] direction with a cubic-centered face structure, and the Bi{sub x}Ti{sub y}O{sub z} coatings were amorphous. The electrochemical studies showed that the resistance corrosion of the coatings increased with respect to the bare substrate, and that polarization resistance in the bilayer coatings increased with respect to the ternary coatings, suggesting that the titanate has anti corrosive barrier effects. (Author)

  4. Residual stress and texture in Aluminum doped Zinc Oxide layers deposited by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Azanza Ricardo, C.L., E-mail: Cristy.Azanza@ing.unitn.it [Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, 38123 via Mesiano 77, Trento (Italy); Pastorelli, M.; D' Incau, M. [Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, 38123 via Mesiano 77, Trento (Italy); Aswath, P. [College of Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, TX (United States); Scardi, P. [Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, 38123 via Mesiano 77, Trento (Italy)

    2016-04-30

    Aluminum doped Zinc Oxide thin films were deposited on standard soda-lime substrates by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Residual stress and texture were studied by X-ray diffraction, while X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy provided information on the Al environment in the best performing thin films. The influence of deposition parameters on structural and microstructural properties is discussed. A correlation between microstructure and residual stress state with electrical and optical properties is proposed. - Highlights: • Al doped ZnO thin films were obtained by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering. • Correlation of stresses and texture with electrical and optical properties is shown. • Homogeneous and stress-free thin-films are the best performing ones. • XANES confirmed the doping mechanism and excluded some spurious phases.

  5. The rf-power dependences of the deposition rate, the hardness and the corrosion-resistance of the chromium nitride film deposited by using a dual ion beam sputtering system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, Jongmin; Lee, Chongmu

    2006-01-01

    The hexavalent chromium used in chromium plating is so toxic that it is very hazardous to human body and possibly causes cancer in humans. Therefore, it is indispensable to develop an alternative deposition technique. Dependences of the deposition rate, the phases, the hardness, the surface roughness and the corrosion-resistance of CrN x deposited on the high speed steel substrate by using a dual ion beam sputtering system on the rf-power were investigated to see the feasibility of sputtering as an alternative technique for chromium plating. The dual ion beam sputtering system used in this study was designed in such a way as the primary argon ion beam and the secondary nitrogen ion beam are injected toward the target and the substrate, respectively so that the chromium atoms at the chromium target surface may not nearly react with nitrogen atoms. The hardness and the surface roughness were measured by a micro-Vicker's hardness tester and an atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. X-ray diffraction analyses were performed to identify phases in the films. The deposition rate of CrN x depends more strongly upon the rf-power for argon ion beam than that for nitrogen ion beam. The hardness of the CrN x film is highest when the volume percent of the Cr 2 N phase in the film is highest. Amorphous films are obtained when the rf-power for nitrogen ion beam is much higher than that for argon ion beam. The CrN x film deposited by using the sputtering technique under the optimal condition provides corrosion-resistance comparable to that of the electroplated chromium

  6. Magnetron reactively sputtered Ti-DLC coatings on HNBR rubber : The influence of substrate bias

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bui, X.L.; Pei, Y.T.; Hosson, J.Th.M. De

    2008-01-01

    In this study, Ti-containing diamond-like carbon (Ti-DLC) coatings have been deposited on HNBR (hydrogenated nitrile butadiene) rubber and also on Si wafer as reference via unbalanced magnetroli reactive sputtering from a Ti target in C2H2/Ar plasma. The deposition rates of coatings on rubber and Si

  7. Development of thin film cathodes for lithium-ion batteries in the material system Li–Mn–O by r.f. magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fischer, J., E-mail: julian.fischer@kit.edu [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Materials, Applied Materials Physics (IAM-AWP), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Adelhelm, C.; Bergfeldt, T. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Materials, Applied Materials Physics (IAM-AWP), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Chang, K. [RWTH Aachen University, Materials Chemistry, Kopernikusstrasse 10, 46 52074 Aachen (Germany); Ziebert, C.; Leiste, H.; Stüber, M.; Ulrich, S. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Materials, Applied Materials Physics (IAM-AWP), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Music, D.; Hallstedt, B. [RWTH Aachen University, Materials Chemistry, Kopernikusstrasse 10, 46 52074 Aachen (Germany); Seifert, H.J. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Materials, Applied Materials Physics (IAM-AWP), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

    2013-01-01

    Today most commercially available lithium ion batteries are still based on the toxic and expensive LiCoO{sub 2} as a standard cathode material. However, lithium manganese based cathode materials are cheaper and environmentally friendlier. In this work cubic-LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} spinel, monoclinic-Li{sub 2}MnO{sub 3} and orthorhombic-LiMnO{sub 2} thin films have been synthesized by non-reactive r.f. magnetron sputtering from two ceramic targets (LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4}, LiMnO{sub 2}) in a pure argon discharge. The deposition parameters, namely target power and working gas pressure, were optimized in a combination with a post deposition heat treatment with respect to microstructure and electrochemical behavior. The chemical composition was determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and carrier gas hot extraction. The films' crystal structure, phase evolution and morphology were investigated by X-ray diffraction, micro Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Due to the fact that these thin films consist of the pure active material without any impurities, such as binders or conductive additives like carbon black, they are particularly well suited for measurements of the intrinsic physical properties, which is essential for fundamental understanding. The electrochemical behavior of the cubic and the orthorhombic films was investigated by galvanostatic cycling in half cells against metallic lithium. The cubic spinel films exhibit a maximum specific capacity of ∼ 82 mAh/g, while a specific capacity of nearly 150 mAh/g can be reached for the orthorhombic counterparts. These films are promising candidates for future all solid state battery applications. - Highlights: ► Synthesis of 3 Li–Mn–O structures by one up-scalable thin film deposition method ► Formation of o-LiMnO{sub 2} by r.f. magnetron sputtering in combination with post-annealing ► Discharge capacity with o-LiMnO{sub 2} cathodes twice as high as for c

  8. Composition and optical properties tunability of hydrogenated silicon carbonitride thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bachar, A.; Bousquet, A.; Mehdi, H.; Monier, G.; Robert-Goumet, C.; Thomas, L.; Belmahi, M.; Goullet, A.; Sauvage, T.; Tomasella, E.

    2018-06-01

    Radiofrequency reactive magnetron sputtering was used to deposit hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbonitride (a-SiCxNy:H) at 400 °C by sputtering a silicon target under CH4 and N2 reactive gas mixture. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry revealed that the change of reactive gases flow rate (the ratio R = FN2/(FN2+FCH4)) induced a smooth chemical composition tunability from a silicon carbide-like film for R = 0 to a silicon nitride-like one at R = 1 with a large area of silicon carbonitrides between the two regions. The deconvolution of Fourier Transform InfraRed and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum highlighted a shift of the chemical environment of the deposited films corresponding to the changes seen by RBS. The consequence of these observations is that a control of refractive index in the range of [1.9-2.5] at λ = 633 nm and optical bandgap in the range [2 eV-3.8 eV] have been obtained which induces that these coatings can be used as antireflective coatings in silicon photovoltaic cells.

  9. Control of the optical properties of silicon and chromium mixed oxides deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vergara, L.; Galindo, R. Escobar; Martinez, R.; Sanchez, O.; Palacio, C.; Albella, J.M.

    2011-01-01

    The development of mixed-oxide thin films allows obtaining materials with better properties than those of the different binary oxides, which makes them suitable for a great number of applications in different fields, such as tribology, optics or microelectronics. In this paper we investigate the deposition of mixed chromium and silicon oxides deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering with a view to use them as optical coatings with an adjustable refractive index. These films have been characterized by means of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry so as to determine how the deposition conditions influence the characteristics of the material. We have found that the deposition parameter whose influence determines the properties of the films to a greater extent is the amount of oxygen in the reactive sputtering gas.

  10. Mechanical, tribological and corrosion properties of CrBN films deposited by combined direct current and radio frequency magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jahodova, Vera; Ding, Xing-zhao; Seng, Debbie H.L.; Gulbinski, W.; Louda, P.

    2013-01-01

    Cr–B–N films were deposited on stainless steel substrates by a combined direct current and radio frequency (RF) reactive unbalanced magnetron sputtering process using two elemental Cr and one compound BN targets. Boron content in the as-deposited films was qualitatively analyzed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy. Films' microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation and pin-on-disk tribometer experiments. Corrosion behavior of the Cr–B–N films was evaluated by electrochemical potentiodynamic polarization method in a 3 wt.% NaCl solution. All the films were crystallized into a NaCl-type cubic structure. At lower RF power applied on the BN target (≤ 600 W), films are relatively randomly oriented, and films' crystallinity increased with increasing RF power. With increasing RF power further (≥ 800 W), films became (200) preferentially oriented, and films' crystallinity decreased gradually. With incorporation of a small amount of boron atoms into the CrN films, hardness, wear- and corrosion-resistance were all improved evidently. The best wear and corrosion resistance was obtained for the film deposited with 600 W RF power applied on the BN target. - Highlights: • CrBN films deposited by direct current and radio frequency magnetron sputtering. • CrBN exhibited higher hardness, wear- and corrosion-resistance than pure CrN. • The best wear- and corrosion-resistant film was deposited with 600 W RF power

  11. Magnetoresistance and anomalous Hall effect of reactive sputtered polycrystalline Ti1 - XCrxN films

    KAUST Repository

    Duan, Xiaofei; Mi, Wenbo; Guo, Zaibing; Bai, Haili

    2013-01-01

    The reactive-sputtered polycrystalline Ti1 - xCrxN films with 0.17 ≤ x ≤ 0.51 are ferromagnetic and at x = 0.47 the Curie temperature TC shows a maximum of ~ 120 K. The films are metallic at 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.47, while the films with x = 0.51 and 0

  12. Comparative study of nanocomposites prepared by pulsed and dc sputtering combined with plasma polymerization suitable for photovoltaic device applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussain, Amreen A.; Pal, Arup R.; Kar, Rajib; Bailung, Heremba; Chutia, Joyanti; Patil, Dinkar S.

    2014-01-01

    Plasma processing, a single step method for production of large area composite films, is employed to deposit plasma polymerized aniline-Titanium dioxide (PPani-TiO 2 ) nanocomposite thin films. The deposition of PPani-TiO 2 nanocomposite films are made using reactive magnetron sputtering and plasma polymerization combined process. This study focuses on the direct comparison between continuous and pulsed dc magnetron sputtering techniques of titanium in combination with rf plasma polymerization of aniline. The deposited PPani-TiO 2 nanocomposite films are characterized and discussed in terms of structural, morphological and optical properties. A self powered hybrid photodetector has been developed by plasma based process. The proposed method provides a new route where the self-assembly of molecules, that is, the spontaneous association of atomic or molecular building blocks under plasma environment, emerge as a successful strategy to form well-defined structural and morphological units of nanometer dimensions. - Highlights: • PPani-TiO 2 nanocomposite by pulsed and dc sputtering with rf plasma polymerization. • In-situ and Ex-situ H 2 SO 4 doping in PPani-TiO 2 nanocomposite. • PPani-TiO 2 nanocomposite based self-powered-hybrid photodetector

  13. Aluminum oxide films deposited in low pressure conditions by reactive pulsed dc magnetron sputtering

    CERN Document Server

    Seino, T

    2002-01-01

    The reactive pulsed dc sputtering technique is widely used for the deposition of oxide films. The operating pressure for sputtering is commonly above 0.13 Pa. In this study, however, aluminum oxide (alumina) films were deposited at operating pressures from 0.06 to 0.4 Pa using a sputtering system equipped with a scanning magnetron cathode and a pulsed dc power supply. The pulsed dc power was found to be useful not only to reduce arcing, but also to sustain the discharge at low pressure. The electrical breakdown field, intrinsic stress, O/Al ratio, refractive index, and surface roughness were investigated. Both a low intrinsic stress and an O/Al ratio around the stoichiometry were required to get the film having a high breakdown field. A low operating pressure of 0.1 Pa was found to provide the necessary stress and O/Al ratio targets. A 50-nm-thick alumina film having a maximum breakdown field of 7.4 MV/cm was obtained.

  14. Microstructure and characterization of Al-doped ZnO films prepared by RF power sputtering on Al and ZnO targets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tseng, Chun-An [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan (China); Lin, Jing-Chie, E-mail: jclincom@cc.ncu.edu.tw [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan (China); Institute of Material Science and Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan (China); Chang, Yu-Fong [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan (China); Chyou, San-Der [Power Research Institute, Taiwan Power Company, Taiwan (China); Peng, Kun-Cheng [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Mingchi University of Technology, Taiwan (China)

    2012-06-01

    Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) transparent conductive films were prepared on a glass substrate using a magnetron sputtering system with a pure zinc oxide (ZnO) target and a pure Al target sputtered using radio frequency (RF) power. The RF power was set at 100 W for the ZnO target and varied from 20 to 150 W for the Al target. The morphology of the thin films was examined by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and their composition was analyzed by the equipped energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The cross section of the films determined through FE-SEM indicated that their thickness was around 650 nm. EDS analysis revealed that the Al-dopant concentration of the AZO films increased in the following order: 0.85 at.% (20 W) < 1.60 at.% (40 W) < 3.52 at.% (100 W) < 4.34 at.% (150 W). Analysis of the films using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) indicated that all films had a wurtzite structure with a texture of (0 0 2). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) revealed a number of defects in the films, such as stacking faults and dislocations. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) was used to estimate the optical energy gap (E{sub g}) for the AZO thin films. The energy gap increases from 3.39 to 3.58 eV as the RF power applied to the Al target increase. The electrical resistivity of the films decreased from 3.43 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -2} {Omega} cm to 3.29 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -3} {Omega} cm as the RF power increased from 20 to 150 W when a four-point probe was used to investigate. Atomic force microscope (AFM) revealed that the surface roughness of the films increased with increasing RF power. The average optical transmittance of the films was determined by UV-visible spectrometer. The films are suitable for use as transparent conductive oxide films in the optoelectronic industry. A decrease in the electrical resistivity of the film with increasing Al-dopant concentration was ascribed to an increase in the carrier

  15. Fabrication and characterization of anatase/rutile–TiO2 thin films by magnetron sputtering: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sakae Tanemura, Lei Miao, Wilfried Wunderlich, Masaki Tanemura, Yukimasa Mori, Shoichi Toh and Kenji Kaneko

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available This review article summarizes briefly some important achievements of our recent reserach on anatase and/or rutile TiO2 thin films, fabricated by helicon RF magnetron sputtering, with good crystal quality and high density, and gives the-state-of-the-art of the knowledge on systematic interrelationship for fabrication conditions, crystal structure, composition, optical properties, and bactericidal abilities, and on the effective surface treatment to improve the optical reactivity of the obtained films.

  16. RF magnetron sputtering of a hydroxyapatite target: A comparison study on polytetrafluorethylene and titanium substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surmenev, Roman A.; Surmeneva, Maria A.; Grubova, Irina Yu.; Chernozem, Roman V.; Krause, Bärbel; Baumbach, Tilo; Loza, Kateryna; Epple, Matthias

    2017-08-01

    A pure hydroxyapatite (HA) target was used to prepare the biocompatible coating of HA on the surface of a polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) substrate, which was placed on the same substrate holder with technically pure titanium (Ti) in the single deposition runs by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The XPS, XRD and FTIR analyses of the obtained surfaces showed that for all substrates, instead of the HA coating deposition, the coating of a mixture of calcium carbonate and calcium fluoride was grown. According to SEM investigations, the surface of PTFE was etched, and the surface topography of uncoated Ti was preserved after the depositions. The FTIR results reveal no phosphate bonds; only calcium tracks were observed in the EDX-spectra on the surface of the coated PTFE substrates. Phosphate oxide (V), which originated from the target, could be removed using a vacuum pump system, or no phosphate-containing bonds could be formed on the substrate surface because of the severe substrate bombardment process, which prevented the HA coating deposition. The observed results may be connected with the surface re-sputtering effect of the growing film by high-energy negatively charged ions (most probably oxygen or fluorine), which are accelerated in the cathode dark sheath.

  17. Thin TiO2 films deposited by implantation and sputtering in RF inductively coupled plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valencia-Alvarado, R; López-Callejas, R; Barocio, S R; Mercado-Cabrera, A; Peña-Eguiluz, R; Muñoz-Castro, A E; Rodríguez-Méndez, B G; De la Piedad-Beneitez, A; De la Rosa-Vázquez, J M

    2012-01-01

    The achievement of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) thin films in the rutile crystalline phase is reported. The samples result from the implantation of oxygen ions of Ti in argon/oxygen plasma generated by inductively coupled RF at a commercial 13.56 MHz frequency. Simultaneously, a sputtering process is conducted on the titanium target in order to produce TiO 2 thin films in the anatase phase over silicon and glass substrates. Both implantation and sputtering processes shared the same 500 W plasma with the target, polarized between 0 and -3 kV. The substrates were placed between 2 and 3 cm from the target, this distance being found to be determinant of the TiO 2 deposition rate. The rutile phase in the target was obtained at temperatures in the order of 680 degrees C and the anatase (unbiased) one at about 300 degrees C without any auxiliary heating. The crystalline phases were characterized by x ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The morphology and average roughness were established by means of scanning electronic and atomic force microscopy, whereas the reaction products generated during the oxidation process were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Finally, the stoichiometric composition was measured by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

  18. Giant Negative Piezoresistive Effect in Diamond-like Carbon and Diamond-like Carbon-Based Nickel Nanocomposite Films Deposited by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering of Ni Target

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meškinis, Šaru Nas; Gudaitis, Rimantas; Šlapikas, Kęstutis

    2018-01-01

    deposited by either reactive HIPIMS or dc magnetron sputtering of Ni target was explained by possible clustering of the sp2-bonded carbon and/or formation of areas with the decreased hydrogen content. It was suggested that the tensile stress-induced rearrangements of these conglomerations have resulted......Piezoresistive properties of hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC) and DLC-based nickel nanocomposite (DLC:Ni) films were studied in the range of low concentration of nickel nanoparticles. The films were deposited by reactive high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) of Ni target, and some...... samples were deposited by direct current (dc) reactive magnetron sputtering for comparison purposes. Raman scattering spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to study the structure and chemical composition of the films. A four...

  19. Comparison of lanthanum substituted bismuth titanate (BLT) thin films deposited by sputtering and pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Besland, M.P.; Djani-ait Aissa, H.; Barroy, P.R.J.; Lafane, S.; Tessier, P.Y.; Angleraud, B.; Richard-Plouet, M.; Brohan, L.; Djouadi, M.A.

    2006-01-01

    Bi 4-x La x Ti 3 O 12 (BLT x ) (x = 0 to 1) thin films were grown on silicon (100) and platinized substrates Pt/TiO 2 /SiO 2 /Si using RF diode sputtering, magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Stoichiometric home-synthesized targets were used. Reactive sputtering was investigated in argon/oxygen gas mixture, with a pressure ranging from 0.33 to 10 Pa without heating the substrate. PLD was investigated in pure oxygen, at a chamber pressure of 20 Pa for a substrate temperature of 400-440 deg. C. Comparative structural, chemical, optical and morphological characterizations of BLT thin films have been performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Spectro-ellipsometric measurements (SE) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Both sputtering techniques allow to obtain uniform films with thickness ranging from 200 to 1000 nm and chemical composition varying from (Bi,La) 2 Ti 3 O 12 to (Bi,La) 4.5 Ti 3 O 12 , depending on deposition pressure and RF power. In addition, BLT films deposited by magnetron sputtering, at a pressure deposition ranging from 1.1 to 5 Pa, were well-crystallized after a post-deposition annealing at 650 deg. C in oxygen. They exhibit a refractive index and optical band gap of 2.7 and 3.15 eV, respectively. Regarding PLD, single phase and well-crystallized, 100-200 nm thick BLT films with a stoichiometric (Bi,La) 4 Ti 3 O 12 chemical composition were obtained, exhibiting in addition a preferential orientation along (200). It is worth noting that BLT films deposited by magnetron sputtering are as well-crystallized than PLD ones

  20. The improvement of all-solid-state electrochromic devices fabricated with the reactive sputter and cathodic arc technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min-Chuan Wang

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The all-solid-state electrochromic device (ECD with the one substrate structure fabricated by the reactive dc magnetron sputtering (DCMS and cathodic vacuum arc plasma (CVAP technology has been developed for smart electrochromic (EC glass application. The EC layer and ion conductor layer were deposited by reactive DCMS and CVAP technology, respectively. The ion conductor layer Ta2O5 deposited by the CVAP technology has provided the better porous material structure for ion transportation and showed 1.76 times ion conductivity than devices with all sputtering process. At the same time, the EC layer WO3 and NiO deposited by the reactive DCMS have also provided the high quality and uniform characteristic to overcome the surface roughness effect of the CVAP ion conductor layer in multilayer device structure. The all-solid-state ECD with the CVAP ion conductor layer has demonstrated a maximum transmittance variation (ΔT of 55% at 550nm and a faster-switching speed. Furthermore, the lower equipment cost and higher deposition rate could be achieved by the application of CVAP technology.

  1. Crystal Structure And Optical Properties Of TiO2 Thin Films Prepared By Reactive RF Magnetron Sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goto S.

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In sputtering deposition process of TiO2, metal Ti or sintered TiO2 target is used as deposition source. In this study, we have compared the characteristic of target materials. When TiO2 target was used, stoichiometric TiO2 films was deposited under the Ar atmosphere containing 1.0% of oxygen. The highest sputtering rate under this atmosphere was 3.9nm/min at 3.4W/cm2. But, sintered TiO2 target is fragile and cannot endure higher density of input power than 3.4W/cm2. On the other hand, Ti target needs higher oxygen concentration (8% in sputtering gas atmosphere for obtaining rutile/anatase. Even though Ti target can be input twice power density of 7.9W/cm2, the highest deposition rate for Ti target was 1.4/nm, which was ~35% of the highest rate for TiO2 target. Then we have study out the composite target consisting of Ti plate and TiO2 chips. Using the composite target, stoichiometric TiO2 films were prepared in the rate of 9.6nm/min at 6.8 W/cm2 under the atmosphere of Ar/2.5%O2. Furthermore, we have found that the TiO2 films obtained from the composite target consisted of about 100% anatase, whereas TiO2 films obtained from other target have rutile dominant structure. The optical band gap energy of the film is determined by using the Tauc plot. The calculated band gap energies for the films deposited by Ti target and composite target were 2.95 and 3.24eV, which are equivalent to that of rutile and anatase structure, respectively.

  2. Enhancement of room temperature ferromagnetic behavior of rf sputtered Ni-CeO_2 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murugan, R.; Vijayaprasath, G.; Mahalingam, T.; Ravi, G.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Ni-CeO_2 thin films deposited by using rf Magnetron sputtering with different concentrations of Ni. • Deposited thin films have single crystalline and uniform surface morphology. • Photoluminescence and micro-Raman spectra were interpreted for Ni-CeO_2 thin films. • XPS spectra confirmed Ni ions were present in the doped CeO_2 thin films. • Ni ions induced ferromagnetic behavior of Ni-CeO_2 films were confirmed through VSM. - Abstract: Ni-doped CeO_2 thin films were prepared under Ar"+ atmosphere on glass substrates using rf magnetron sputtering. To assess the properties of the prepared thin films, the influence of various amounts of Ni dopant on structural, morphological, optical, vibrational, compositional and magnetic properties of the CeO_2 films were studied by using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM), photoluminescence (PL), micro-Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). XRD patterns for all the samples revealed the expected CeO_2 cubic fluorite-type structure and Ni ions were uniformly distributed in the samples. AFM images of the prepared samples indicate high dense, columnar structure with uniform distribution of CeO_2. Room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) and micro-Raman spectroscopic studies revealed an increase of oxygen vacancies with higher concentration of Ni in CeO_2. XPS results confirm the presence of Ni_2_p, O_1_s and Ce and depict that cerium is present as both Ce"4"+ and Ce"3"+ oxidation states in Ce_1_−_xNi_xO_2 (x = 15%) thin film. Field dependent magnetization measurements revealed a paramagnetic behavior for pure CeO_2, while a ferromagnetic behavior appeared when Ni is doped in CeO_2 films. Doping dependent magnetization measurements suggest that the observed ferromagnetism is due to the presence of metallic Ni clusters with nanometric size and broad size distribution.

  3. Optical and electron transport properties of reactively sputtered Cu/sub x/S

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leong, J.Y.C.

    1980-01-01

    Thin films of Cu/sub x/S were deposited on glass slides by sputtering Cu in a reactive H 2 S/Ar environment. Optical transmittance and reflectance measurements were used to explore the infrared absorption spectra of the material. Analysis of the absorption edge characteristics resulted in the identification of an indirect bandgap at 1.15 (+-.05) eV, a direct bandgap at 1.30 (+-.05) eV, and an electron effective mass of 1.0 (+-0.2) m 0 . Electrical data consisting of resistivity and Hall effect measurements from liquid nitrogen to room temperature were analyzed to determine the dominant scattering mechanisms limiting the hole mobility in the material. Ionized impurity scattering was the dominant mechanism at low temperatures (T 0 K) and polar optical phonon scattering was most effective at high temperatures (T > 150 0 K). All films were p-type. Effects of sputtering gas pressure, heat treatments, and temperature on the properties were studied

  4. Comparison study of V-doped ZnO thin films on polycarbonate and quartz substrates deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suzuki, Tomoya, E-mail: tomoya@ecei.tohoku.ac.jp; Chiba, Hiroshi; Kawashima, Tomoyuki; Washio, Katsuyoshi

    2016-04-30

    Vanadium (V) doped ZnO (VZO) thin films were deposited on flexible polymer and quartz substrates by RF magnetron sputtering, and influences of deposition parameters of V concentration, RF power and growth temperature on resistivity, transmittance and crystallinity were investigated. For the polymer substrates, both a high heat-resistant polycarbonate (PC) film and a functional-layer-coated PC film were adopted. The resistivity decreased gradually but the transmittance was worsened with increasing V concentration. Low RF power and high growth temperature improved both transparency and conductivity. By over-coating of the functional layers, c-axis orientation was deteriorated while low-resistivity and high-transmittance characteristics were achieved. Resistivity and average visible-transmittance (wavelength = 450–800 nm) of VZO films on untreated PC and over-coated PC substrates were 0.98 mΩ cm and 83.7%, and 1.2 mΩ cm and 80.3%, respectively, at V concentration of 2 at.%, RF power of 100 W and growth temperature of 175 °C. VZO films on the polymer substrates had slightly high resistivity but nearly the same optical transmittance, compared to those on quartz, under the identical deposition parameters. These results indicate that good electrical and optical properties can be achieved for the VZO films on PC substrate. - Highlights: • V-doped ZnO (VZO) was deposited on polymer substrate. • Effects of V concentration, RF power and growth temperature were investigated. • Resistivity decreased gradually with increasing V concentration. • Low RF power was suitable to obtain low resistivity and high transmittance. • High growth temperature improved both transparency and conductivity.

  5. Thin Film growth and characterization of Ti doped ZnO by RF/DC magnetron sputtering

    KAUST Repository

    Baseer Haider, M.

    2015-01-01

    Thin film Ti doped ZnO (Ti-ZnO) film were grown on sapphire (0001) substrate by RF and DC magnetron sputtering. Films were grown at a substrate temperature of 250 °C with different Ti/Zn concentration. Surface chemical study of the samples was performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to determine the stoichiometry and Ti/Zn ratio for all samples. Surface morphology of the samples were studied by atomic force microscopy. X-ray diffraction was carried out to determine the crystallinity of the film. No secondary phases of TixOy was observed. We observed a slight increase in the lattice constant with the increase in Ti concentration in ZnO. No ferromagnetic signal was observed for any of the samples. However, some samples showed super-paramagnetic phase. © 2015 Materials Research Society.

  6. Photoluminescence and charge-transport characteristics of nano-columnar titanium dioxide films prepared by rf-sputtering on alumina templates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kheirandish, E.; Hosseini, T.; Yavarishad, N.; King, S.; Kouklin, N.

    2018-02-01

    The current study presents the synthesis and characterization of poly-crystalline TiO2 thin-film prepared by rf-sputtering on top of a highly regimented nanoporous Au-coated Al2O3 substrate. The film’s physical and electronic properties were characterized via SEM, EDS, x-ray diffraction and RAMAN spectroscopy as well as temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) and I-V measurements. The films feature a 1D, columnar-like structure and exhibit a medium strength, spectrally-broad light emission in the UV-visible range. PL emission shows a weak T-dependence and is attributed to interband electronic transitions and defect-assisted radiative recombinations. The charge transport is confirmed to be polaronic in nature with both thermally-assisted hopping and quantum mechanical tunneling regulating a charge flow within the columns in the intermediate temperature regime of ˜200-320 K. These results open a door to utilizing nano-textured substrates/scaffolds to produce electronic-grade anatase TiO2 by sputtering for advanced opto-electronic device applications.

  7. 125 MeV Si 9+ ion irradiation of calcium phosphate thin film coated by rf-magnetron sputtering technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elayaraja, K.; Joshy, M. I. Ahymah; Suganthi, R. V.; Kalkura, S. Narayana; Palanichamy, M.; Ashok, M.; Sivakumar, V. V.; Kulriya, P. K.; Sulania, I.; Kanjilal, D.; Asokan, K.

    2011-01-01

    Titanium substrate was coated with hydroxyapatite by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering (rf-magnetron sputtering) technique and subjected to swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation of 125 MeV with Si 9+ at fluences of 1 × 10 10, 1 × 10 11 and 1 × 10 12 ions/cm 2. The glancing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) analysis confirmed the HAp phase of the irradiated film. There was a considerable decrease in crystallinity and particle size after irradiation. In addition, DRS-UV reflectance spectra revealed a decrease in optical band gap ( Eg) from 5.2 to 4.6 eV. Wettability of biocompatible materials plays an important role in biological cells proliferation for tissue engineering, drug delivery, gene transfer and bone growth. HAp thin films irradiated with 1 × 10 11 ions/cm 2 fluence showed significant increase in wettability. While the SHI irradiated samples exhibited enhanced bioactivity, there was no significant variation in cell viability. Surface roughness, pores and average particle size were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM).

  8. Polarity inversion of AlN film grown on nitrided a-plane sapphire substrate with pulsed DC reactive sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marsetio Noorprajuda

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The effect of oxygen partial pressure (PO2 on polarity and crystalline quality of AlN films grown on nitrided a-plane sapphire substrates by pulsed direct current (DC reactive sputtering was investigated as a fundamental study. The polarity inversion of AlN from nitrogen (−c-polarity to aluminum (+c-polarity occurred during growth at a high PO2 of 9.4×103 Pa owing to Al-O octahedral formation at the interface of nitrided layer and AlN sputtered film which reset the polarity of AlN. The top part of the 1300 nm-thick AlN film sputtered at the high PO2 was polycrystallized. The crystalline quality was improved owing to the high kinetic energy of Al sputtered atom in the sputtering phenomena. Thinner AlN films were also fabricated at the high PO2 to eliminate the polycrystallization. For the 200 nm-thick AlN film sputtered at the high PO2, the full width at half-maximum values of the AlN (0002 and (10−12 X-ray diffraction rocking curves were 47 and 637 arcsec, respectively.

  9. Process effects on radio frequency diode reactively sputtered ZrO2 films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, M.M.; Reith, T.M.; Lin, C.J.

    1990-01-01

    The ZrO 2 thin film is deposited by means of a reactive radio frequency diode sputtering from an elemental zirconium target in an argon--oxygen mixture gas. The influence of the deposition process parameters on the microinstructure, composition, film stress, and refractive index is investigated. It is noted that the process parameters, in particular substrate bias, have a profound effect on the structure and properties. The possible mechanism, in terms of bombardment of energetic particles and adatom mobility on the film surface, is discussed

  10. Reactive-environment, hollow cathode sputtering: Basic characteristics and application to Al2O3, doped ZnO, and In2O3:Mo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delahoy, A.E.; Guo, S.Y.; Paduraru, C.; Belkind, A.

    2004-01-01

    A method for thin-film deposition has been studied. The method is based on metal sputtering in a hollow cathode configuration with supply of a reactive gas in the vicinity of the substrate. The working gas and entrained sputtered atoms exit the cathode through an elongated slot. The reactive gas is thereby largely prevented from reaching the target. The basic operation of the cathode was studied using a Cu target and pulsed power excitation. These studies included the dependence of deposition rate on power, pressure, and flow rate, film thickness profiles, and film resistivity as a function of substrate conditions. Modeling was conducted to calculate the gas velocity distribution and pressure inside the cavity. Al 2 O 3 films were prepared in a reactive environment of oxygen by sputtering an Al target. It was demonstrated that only a very small amount of oxygen passing through the cathode will oxidize (poison) the target, whereas large quantities of oxygen supplied externally to the cathode need not affect the target at all. A very stable discharge and ease of Al 2 O 3 formation were realized in this latter mode. The method was applied to the preparation of transparent, conductive films of ZnO doped with either Al or B. High deposition rates were achieved, and, at appropriate oxygen flow rates, low film resistivities. High-mobility In 2 O 3 :Mo transparent conductors were also prepared, with resistivities as low as 1.9x10 -4 Ω cm. Scaling relations for hollow cathodes, and deposition efficiency, and process comparisons between magnetron sputtering and linear, reactive-environment, hollow cathode sputtering are presented

  11. Mn-coatings on the micro-pore formed Ti-29Nb-xHf alloys by RF-magnetron sputtering for dental applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Seon-Yeong; Choe, Han-Cheol

    2018-02-01

    In this study, Mn-coatings on the micro-pore formed Ti-29Nb-xHf alloys by RF-magnetrons sputtering for dental applications were studied using different experimental techniques. Mn coating films were formed on Ti-29Nb-xHf alloys by a radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique for 0, 1, 3, and 5 min at 45 W. The microstructure, composition, and phase structure of the coated alloys were examined by optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The microstructure of Ti-29Nb alloy showed α" phase in the needle-like structure and Ti-29Nb-15Hf alloy showed β phase in the equiaxed structure. As the sputtering time increased, the circular particles of Mn coatings on the Ti-29Nb alloy increased at inside and outside surfaces. As the sputtering time increased, [Mn + Ca/P] ratio of the plasma electrolytic oxidized films in Ti- 29Nb-xHf alloys increased. The corrosion potential (Ecorr) of Mn coatings on the Ti-29Nb alloy showed higher than that of Mn coatings on the Ti-29Nb-15Hf alloy. The passive current density (Ipass) of the Mn coating on the Ti-29Nb alloy and Mn coatings on the Ti-29Nb-15Hf alloy was less noble than the non-Mn coated Ti-29Nb and Ti-29Nb-15Hf alloys surface.

  12. Magnetic Properties of Fe(001) Thin Films on GaAs(001) Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikeya, Hirokazu; Takahashi, Yutaka; Inaba, Nobuyuki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi; Ohtake, Mitsuru; Futamoto, Masaaki

    2011-01-01

    Fe thin films, down to 6 nm thick, were prepared on GaAs(001) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses show that the epitaxial thin films of Fe(001) were grown with cube-on-cube orientation on GaAs(001). Magnetic properties were investigated by vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectroscopy. The magnetization curves obtained by applying in-plane magnetic fields indicate that easy (hard) direction is along [100] ([110]) and the saturation magnetization is close to the bulk values. The in-plane magnetic anisotropy measured by FMR shows four-fold symmetry, as expected for bcc Fe. We did not observe the in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy reported on the MBE-grown Fe films on GaAs substrates.

  13. Comparative study of nanocomposites prepared by pulsed and dc sputtering combined with plasma polymerization suitable for photovoltaic device applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hussain, Amreen A. [Physical Sciences Division, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Guwahati, Assam (India); Pal, Arup R., E-mail: arpal@iasst.gov.in [Physical Sciences Division, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Guwahati, Assam (India); Kar, Rajib [Laser and Plasma Technology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Trombay, Mumbai (India); Bailung, Heremba; Chutia, Joyanti [Physical Sciences Division, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Guwahati, Assam (India); Patil, Dinkar S. [Laser and Plasma Technology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Trombay, Mumbai (India)

    2014-12-15

    Plasma processing, a single step method for production of large area composite films, is employed to deposit plasma polymerized aniline-Titanium dioxide (PPani-TiO{sub 2}) nanocomposite thin films. The deposition of PPani-TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite films are made using reactive magnetron sputtering and plasma polymerization combined process. This study focuses on the direct comparison between continuous and pulsed dc magnetron sputtering techniques of titanium in combination with rf plasma polymerization of aniline. The deposited PPani-TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite films are characterized and discussed in terms of structural, morphological and optical properties. A self powered hybrid photodetector has been developed by plasma based process. The proposed method provides a new route where the self-assembly of molecules, that is, the spontaneous association of atomic or molecular building blocks under plasma environment, emerge as a successful strategy to form well-defined structural and morphological units of nanometer dimensions. - Highlights: • PPani-TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite by pulsed and dc sputtering with rf plasma polymerization. • In-situ and Ex-situ H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} doping in PPani-TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite. • PPani-TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite based self-powered-hybrid photodetector.

  14. Origin of stress in radio frequency magnetron sputtered zinc oxide thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menon, Rashmi; Gupta, Vinay; Tan, H. H.; Sreenivas, K.; Jagadish, C.

    2011-03-01

    Highly c-axis oriented ZnO thin films have been deposited on silicon substrates by planar rf magnetron sputtering under varying pressure (10-50 mTorr) and oxygen percentage (50-100%) in the reactive gas (Ar + O2) mixture. The as-grown films were found to be stressed over a wide range from -1 × 1011 to -2 × 108 dyne/cm2 that in turn depends strongly on the processing conditions, and the film becomes stress free at a unique combination of sputtering pressure and reactive gas composition. Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) analyses identified the origin of stress as lattice distortion due to defects introduced in the ZnO thin film. FTIR study reveals that Zn-O bond becomes stronger with the increase in oxygen fraction in the reactive gas mixture. The lattice distortion or stress depends on the type of defects introduced during deposition. PL spectra show the formation of a shoulder in band emission with an increase in the processing pressure and are related to the presence of stress. The ratio of band emission to defect emission decreases with the increase in oxygen percentage from 50 to 100%. The studies show a correlation of stress with the structural, vibrational, and photoluminescence properties of the ZnO thin film. The systematic study of the stress will help in the fabrication of efficient devices based on ZnO film.

  15. Effect of thickness on surface morphology, optical and humidity sensing properties of RF magnetron sputtered CCTO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmadipour, Mohsen [Structural Materials Niche Area, School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang (Malaysia); Ain, Mohd Fadzil [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang (Malaysia); Ahmad, Zainal Arifin, E-mail: srzainal@usm.my [Structural Materials Niche Area, School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang (Malaysia)

    2016-11-01

    Highlights: • CCTO thin film was synthesized by RF magnetron sputtering successfully. • Increase in thickness lead to increase in grain size and decrease in band gap. • Short response times and recovery times of lead CCTO humidity sensor. • Sensor could detect humidity range (30–90%). - Abstract: In this study, calcium copper titanate (CCTO) thin films were deposited on ITO substrates successfully by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method in argon atmosphere. The CCTO thin films present a polycrystalline, uniform and porous structure. The surface morphology, optical and humidity sensing properties of the synthesized CCTO thin films have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV–vis spectrophotometer and current-voltage (I–V) analysis. XRD and AFM confirmed that the intensity of peaks and pore size of CCTO thin films were enhanced by increasing the thin films. Tauc plot method was adopted to estimate the optical band gaps. The surface structure and energy band gaps of the deposited films were affected by film thickness. Energy band gap of the layers were 3.76 eV, 3.68 eV and 3.5 eV for 200 nm, 400 nm, and 600 nm CCTO thin films layer, respectively. The humidity sensing properties were measured by using direct current (DC) analysis method. The response times were 12 s, 22 s, and 35 s while the recovery times were 500 s, 600 s, and 650 s for 200 nm, 400 nm, and 600 nm CCTO thin films, respectively at humidity range of 30–90% relative humidity (RH).

  16. In Situ and Ex Situ Studies of Molybdenum Thin Films Deposited by rf and dc Magnetron Sputtering as a Back Contact for CIGS Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Aryal

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Molybdenum thin films were deposited by rf and dc magnetron sputtering and their properties analyzed with regards to their potential application as a back contact for CIGS solar cells. It is shown that both types of films tend to transition from tensile to compressive strain when the deposition pressure increases, while the conductivity and the grain size decreas. The nucleation of the films characterized by in situ and real time spectroscopic ellipsometry shows that both films follow a Volmer-Weber growth, with a higher surface roughness and lower deposition rate for the rf deposited films. The electronic relaxation time was then extracted as a function of bulk layer thickness for rf and dc films by fitting each dielectric function to a Drude free-electron model combined with a broad Lorentz oscillator. The values were fitted to a conical growth mode and demonstrated that the rf-deposited films have already smaller grains than the dc films when the bulk layer thickness is 30 nm.

  17. RF sputtering deposited a-IGZO films for LCD alignment layer application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, G.M.; Liu, C.Y.; Sahoo, A.K.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • a-IGZO nanolayer has been presented for alignment of liquid crystals in LCD. • RF sputtering deposition at an oblique angle has been performed to grow the films. • High transparency over 90% was obtained in the visible wavelength range. • The OCB cells exhibited fast on-off and short response time of 5.04 ms. • V–T characteristics proved high contrast ratio for LCD display applications. - Abstract: In this paper, amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) inorganic films were deposited at a fixed oblique angle using radio-frequency sputtering on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass as alternative alignment layer for liquid crystal displays. A series of experiments have been carried out to reveal the physical characteristics of the a-IGZO films, such as optical transmittance, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The special treatment a-IGZO films were used to fabricate liquid crystal (LC) cells and investigate the performances of these cells. Pretilt angles were measured with anti-parallel LC cells and voltage–transmittance (V–T) curve, contrast ratio, and response time were evaluated with optically compensated bend (OCB) LC cells. The electro-optical characteristics of the aligned homogenous LCs, and OCB mode cells based on the a-IGZO alignment layer were compared to those based on rubbing processed polyimide (PI). The results showed that the average transmittance in the visible wavelength range was higher than 90% for the a-IGZO alignment layer. The LC pretilt angle has been determined at about 6°. The evaluted cell critical voltage at maximum transmittance was 1.8 V, lower than the control cell using PI alignment layer. The OCB cell rise time and fall time were 1.55 ms and 3.49 ms, respectivly. A very quick response time of 5.04 ms has thus been achived. In addition, the study of V–T characteristics suggested higher contrast ratio for LCD display applications.

  18. RF sputtering deposited a-IGZO films for LCD alignment layer application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, G.M., E-mail: wu@mail.cgu.edu.tw; Liu, C.Y.; Sahoo, A.K.

    2015-11-01

    Highlights: • a-IGZO nanolayer has been presented for alignment of liquid crystals in LCD. • RF sputtering deposition at an oblique angle has been performed to grow the films. • High transparency over 90% was obtained in the visible wavelength range. • The OCB cells exhibited fast on-off and short response time of 5.04 ms. • V–T characteristics proved high contrast ratio for LCD display applications. - Abstract: In this paper, amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) inorganic films were deposited at a fixed oblique angle using radio-frequency sputtering on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass as alternative alignment layer for liquid crystal displays. A series of experiments have been carried out to reveal the physical characteristics of the a-IGZO films, such as optical transmittance, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The special treatment a-IGZO films were used to fabricate liquid crystal (LC) cells and investigate the performances of these cells. Pretilt angles were measured with anti-parallel LC cells and voltage–transmittance (V–T) curve, contrast ratio, and response time were evaluated with optically compensated bend (OCB) LC cells. The electro-optical characteristics of the aligned homogenous LCs, and OCB mode cells based on the a-IGZO alignment layer were compared to those based on rubbing processed polyimide (PI). The results showed that the average transmittance in the visible wavelength range was higher than 90% for the a-IGZO alignment layer. The LC pretilt angle has been determined at about 6°. The evaluted cell critical voltage at maximum transmittance was 1.8 V, lower than the control cell using PI alignment layer. The OCB cell rise time and fall time were 1.55 ms and 3.49 ms, respectivly. A very quick response time of 5.04 ms has thus been achived. In addition, the study of V–T characteristics suggested higher contrast ratio for LCD display applications.

  19. Electrochemical behaviour of titanium coated stainless steel by r.f. sputtering in synthetic sweat solutions for electrode applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fonseca, C.; Vaz, F.; Barbosa, M.A.

    2004-01-01

    The r.f. sputtering technique was used to deposit titanium thin films on stainless steel substrates, aiming at the application of the coated samples as skin contact materials for 'dry' active electrodes. In this work the electrochemical behaviour of the coated samples was investigated in synthetic sweat solutions and their performance was compared with that of uncoated stainless steel and bulk titanium. The characterisation of the samples was carried out by electrochemical techniques and scanning electron microscopy. The coated samples displayed corrosion resistance values in synthetic sweat solutions much higher than stainless steel samples and of the same order of the values measured for bulk titanium in the same conditions

  20. Faraday screen sputtering on TPX

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehst, D.A.

    1994-12-01

    The TPX design stipulates that the ion-cyclotron resonance frequency (ICRF) antenna must have a Faraday screen (FS). The author considers here possible low Z coatings for the screen, as well as sputtering behavior of the Ni and Ti substrates. The theory of rf-induced sputtering has been developed, and he follows those theoretical approaches. The author's emphasis will be on both impurity generation as a possible source of increased Z eff , and also on actual erosion-lifetime of the materials under worst case conditions

  1. Reactively sputtered epitaxial γ′-Fe4N films: Surface morphology, microstructure, magnetic and electrical transport properties

    KAUST Repository

    Mi, Wenbo; Guo, Zaibing; Feng, X. P.; Bai, Haili

    2013-01-01

    Epitaxial γ′-Fe4N films with (1 0 0) and (1 1 0) orientations have been fabricated by reactive sputtering; these films were characterized by X-ray θ-2θ and φ scans, pole figures and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The film surface

  2. Titanium dioxide (TIO2) thin film and plasma properties in RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, Riyaz Ahmad Mohamed; Nayan, Nafarizal

    2013-01-01

    Lately, titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) films with anatase crystalline property received numerous attentions as unique material properties. There are wide applications of TiO 2 thin film such as for photocatalytic application in solar cell. In the present study, radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique has been used to produce high dense, homogeneously controllable film layer at low deposition temperature using titanium (Ti) target. The diameter of the Ti target is 3 inch with fixed discharge power of 400W. Magnetron sputtering plasma has been produced in high purity 99.99% Argon (Ar) and 99.99% Oxygen (O 2 ) environment pressure ranging from 5 to 20 mTorr. The TiO2 were growth on silicon and glass substrates. Substrate temperature during deposition was kept constant at 400°C. The distance between target and substrate holder was maintain at 14 cm with rotation of 10 rotation-per-minutes. Our X-ray diffraction result, shows anatase crystalline successfully formed with characterization peaks of plane (101) at 2θ = 25.28°, plane (202) at 2θ = 48.05° and plane (211) at 2θ = 55.06°. In addition, it is our interest to study the plasma properties and optical spectrum of Ti, Ti+ , O- , ArM and Ar+ in the chamber during the deposition process. Result of emission line intensities, electron density and temperature from optical spectroscope and Langmuir probe will be discuss further during the workshop. This works were supported by Graduate Incentive Scheme of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) and Fundamental Research Grant Scheme of Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia. (author)

  3. Combinatorial study of WInZnO films deposited by rf magnetron co-sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Byeong-Yun; Park, Jae-Cheol; Lee, Young-Jun; Cha, Sang-Jun; Kim, Joo-Hyung; Kim, Kwang-Young; Kim, Tae-Won; Heo, Gi-Seok

    2011-01-01

    The compositional dependence of co-sputtered tungsten indium zinc oxide (WInZnO) film properties was first investigated by means of a combinatorial technique. Indium zinc oxide (IZO) and WO 3 targets were used with different target power. W composition ratio [W/(In+Zn+W)] was varied between 3 and 30 at% and film thickness was reduced as the sample position moved toward WO 3 target. Furthermore, the optical bandgap energy increased gradually, which might be affected by the reduction in film thickness. All the WInZnO films showed an amorphous phase regardless of the W/(In+Zn+W) ratio. As the W/(In+Zn+W) ratio in WInZnO films increased, the carrier concentration was restricted, causing the increase in electrical resistivity. W cations worked as oxygen binders in determining the electronic properties, resulting in suppressing the formation of oxygen vacancies. Consequentially, W metal cations were effectively incorporated into the WInZnO films as a suppressor against the oxygen vacancies and the carrier generation by employing the combinatorial technique. - Graphical abstract: The film thickness and the sheet resistance (R s ) with respect to the sample position of WInZnO films, which is compositionally graded by rf power for each target, are exhibited. Highlights: → The compositional dependence of co-sputtered WInZnO film properties is first investigated. → W cations work as oxygen binders in determining the electronic properties. → All the WInZnO films show an amorphous phase regardless of the W/(In+Zn+W) ratio. → W metal cations are effectively incorporated into the WInZnO films by the combinatorial technique.

  4. Biocompatibility of GaSb thin films grown by RF magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishimoto, Naoki; Fujihara, Junko; Yoshino, Katsumi

    2017-07-01

    GaSb may be suitable for biological applications, such as cellular sensors and bio-medical instrumentation because of its low toxicity compared with As (III) compounds and its band gap energy. Therefore, the biocompatibility and the film properties under physiological conditions were investigated for GaSb thin films with or without a surface coating. GaSb thin films were grown on quartz substrates by RF magnetron sputtering, and then coated with (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPT). The electrical properties, surface morphology, and crystal structure of the GaSb thin film were unaffected by the MPT coating. The cell viability assay suggested that MPT-coated GaSb thin films are biocompatible. Bare GaSb was particularly unstable in pH9 buffer. Ga elution was prevented by the MPT coating, although the Ga concentration in the pH 9 buffer was higher than that in the other solutions. The surface morphology and crystal structure were not changed by exposure to the solutions, except for the pH 9 buffer, and the thin film properties of MPT-coated GaSb exposed to distilled water and H2O2 in saline were maintained. These results indicate that MPT-coated GaSb thin films are biocompatible and could be used for temporary biomedical devices.

  5. Heteroepitaxial growth of CuInS2 thin films on sapphire by radio frequency reactive sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Y.B.; Kriegseis, W.; Meyer, B.K.; Polity, A.; Serafin, M.

    2003-01-01

    Direct heteroepitaxial growth of uniform stoichiometric CuInS 2 (CIS) thin films on sapphire (0001) substrates has been achieved by radio frequency reactive sputtering. X-ray ω-2θ scans reveal that the sputtered layers grow in a (112) orientation with a chalcopyrite structure. A rocking curve full width at half maximum of about 0.05 deg. (180 arc sec) for the (112) peak demonstrates a nearly perfect out-of-plane arrangement of CIS (112) parallel sapphire (0001). X-ray diffraction Phi scans further illustrate an excellent in-plane ordering of CIS [1-bar10] parallel sapphire (101-bar0). The sputtered thin CIS epilayers had a smooth surface with a typical root-mean-square roughness of about 3.3 nm as evaluated by atomic force microscopy. The epitaxial growth of tetragonal CIS on hexagonal sapphire provides evidence that heteroepitaxial growth may be realized between structures of different symmetry, such as films of cubic or tetragonal structures on hexagonal substrates or vice versa

  6. Optical properties of tungsten oxide thin films by non-reactive sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Acosta, M.; Gonzalez, D.; Riech, I.

    2008-01-01

    Tungsten oxide thin films were grown on glass substrates by RF sputtering at room temperature using a tungsten trioxide target for several values of the Argon pressure (PAr). The structural and morphological properties of these films were studied using X-ray diffraction and Atomic Force Microscopy. The as-deposited films were amorphous irrespective of the Argon pressure, and crystallized in a mixture of hexagonal and monoclinic phases after annealing at a temperature of 3500 C in air. Surface-Roughness increased by an order of magnitude (from 1 nm to 20 nm) after thermal treatment. The Argon pressure, however, had a strong influence on the optical properties of the films. Three different regions are clearly identified: deep blue films for PAr 40 mTorr with high transmittance values. We suggest that the observed changes in optical properties are due to an increasing number of Oxygen vacancies as the growth Argon pressure decreases. (Full text)

  7. Growth of TiO2 Thin Film on Various Substrates using RF Magnetron Sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, Riyaz Ahmad Mohamed; Nayan, Nafarizal

    2011-01-01

    The conductivity of Titanium Dioxide (TiO 2 ) thin film fabricated using Radio Frequency (RF) Magnetron Sputtering on Silicon (Si), Indium doped--Tin Oxide (ITO) and microscope glass (M) substrates is presented in this paper. The dependant of thin film thickness and type of substrate been discussed. TiO 2 was deposited using Ti target in Ar+O 2 (45:10) mixture at 250 W for 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 minute. Resultant thickness varies from 295 nm to 724 nm with deposition rate 6.4 nm/min. On the other hand, resistivity, Rs value for ITO substrate is between 5.72x10 -7 to 1.54x10 -6 Ω.m, Si substrate range is between 3.52x10 -6 to 1.76x10 -5 Ω.m and M substrate range is between 99 to 332 Ω.m. The value of resistivity increases with the thickness of the thin film.

  8. Annealing Temperature Dependent Structural and Optical Properties of RF Sputtered ZnO Thin Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Shashikant; Varma, Tarun; Asokan, K; Periasamy, C; Boolchandani, Dharmendar

    2017-01-01

    This work investigates the effect of annealing temperature on structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films grown over Si 100 and glass substrates using RF sputtering technique. Annealing temperature has been varied from 300 °C to 600 °C in steps of 100, and different microstructural parameters such as grain size, dislocation density, lattice constant, stress and strain have been evaluated. The structural and surface morphological characterization has been done using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). XRD analysis reveals that the peak intensity of 002 crystallographic orientation increases with increased annealing temperature. Optical characterization of deposited films have been done using UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectrometer. An increase in optical bandgap of deposited ZnO thin films with increasing annealing temperature has been observed. The average optical transmittance was found to be more than 85% for all deposited films. Photoluminiscense spectra (PL) suggest that the crystalline quality of deposited film has increased at higher annealing temperature.

  9. Structural, optical and electrical peculiarities of r.f. plasma sputtered indium tin oxide films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boycheva, Sylvia; Sytchkova, Anna Krasilnikova; Grilli, Maria Luisa; Piegari, Angela

    2007-01-01

    In this work the influence of the deposition conditions on the structural, electrical and optical properties of the ITO films was studied. Films were deposited by r.f. plasma sputtering technique in Ar and varying Ar + O 2 gas mixtures, with and without substrate heating. Transmittance and reflectance of the films were measured in the range 350-2500 nm; the refractive index (n) and the extinction coefficient (k) were calculated by the spectral data simulation. The sheet resistance of the films was measured by four-point probe method. X-ray diffraction analysis was performed to study the texture of the films. Threshold behaviour was observed in the optical and electrical properties of ITO films deposited in Ar + O 2 atmosphere at a certain oxygen concentration determined by a fix combination of all other deposition conditions. A schematic diagram for the change of the film properties versus composition was suggested, which explains the obtained results

  10. Electrical properties of resistive switches based on Ba1-χSrχTiO3 thin films prepared by RF co-sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marquez H, A.; Hernandez R, E.; Zapata T, M.; Guillen R, J.; Cruz, M. P.; Calzadilla A, O.; Melendez L, M.

    2010-01-01

    In this work, was proposed the use of Ba 1-χ Sr χ TiO 3 (0≤x≤1) thin films for the construction of metal-insulator-metal heterostructures; and their great potential for the development of non-volatile resistance memories (ReRAM) is shown. The deposition of Ba 1-χ Sr χ TiO 3 thin films was done by the RF co-sputtering technique using two magnetron sputtering cathodes with BaTiO 3 and SrTiO 3 targets. The chemical composition (x parameter) in the deposited Ba 1-χ Sr χ TiO 3 thin films was varied through the RF powder applied to the targets. The constructed metal-insulator-metal heterostructures were Al/Ba 1-χ Sr χ TiO 3 /nichrome. The I-V measurements of the heterostructures showed that their hysteretic characteristics change depending on the Ba/Sr ratio of the Ba 1-χ Sr χ TiO 3 thin films; the Ba/Sr ratio was determined by employing the energy dispersive spectroscopy; Sem micrographs showed that Ba 1-χ Sr χ TiO 3 thin films were uniform without cracks or pinholes. Additionally, the analysis of the X-ray diffraction results indicated the substitutional incorporation of Sr into the BaTiO 3 lattice and the obtainment of crystalline films for the entire range of the x values. (Author)

  11. Characterization of AZO and Ag based films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miao, Dagang; Jiang, Shouxiang; Zhao, Hongmei; Shang, Songmin; Chen, Zhuoming

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Highly infrared reflective AZO and Ag based films were prepared. • Ag showed better crystallization on AZO film than on glass substrate. • Infrared reflection rate was inversely proportional to the film sheet resistance. • Film with infrared reflection of 97% in FIR region was acquired. - Abstract: Ag, AZO/Ag, Ag/AZO and AZO/Ag/AZO films were prepared on glass substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technology. The prepared films were systematically investigated by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), UV–visible spectrophotometer, a four-point probe system and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The results indicated that Ag inner layer starts forming a continuous film at the thickness of 10 nm and Ag layer presents superior crystallization on AZO substrate than that on glass substrate. The continuous Ag inner layer film provided the highest average visible transmittance of 85.4% (AZO/Ag/AZO). The lowest sheet resistance of 3.21 Ω/sq and the highest infrared reflection rate of 97% in FIR region can be obtained on AZO/Ag (15 nm)/AZO film. The high infrared reflection property of the AZO/Ag/AZO coating makes it a promising candidate for solar control films

  12. Optical, electrical, structural and microstructural characteristics of rf sputtered ITO films developed for art protection coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krasilnikova Sytchkova, A.; Grilli, M.L.; Piegari, A.; Boycheva, S.

    2007-01-01

    Transparent and conductive tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films have been prepared by rf sputtering in an Ar and Ar+O 2 gas mixture, both with and without additional substrate heating. The influence of both deposition conditions and post-annealing treatment on optical, electrical, structural and microstructural properties of the ITO films has been investigated. The optical constants have been calculated in the range 320-2500 nm using a combination of several theoretical models. A schematic diagram for the film properties change versus composition has been proposed in terms of a generalized parameter characterising the energy efficiency of the film formation. The deposition conditions and the optical and electrical properties of the films have been optimized with respect to the requirements for their application in art protection coatings. (orig.)

  13. SiC formation for a solar cell passivation layer using an RF magnetron co-sputtering system

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we describe a method of amorphous silicon carbide film formation for a solar cell passivation layer. The film was deposited on p-type silicon (100) and glass substrates by an RF magnetron co-sputtering system using a Si target and a C target at a room-temperature condition. Several different SiC [Si1-xCx] film compositions were achieved by controlling the Si target power with a fixed C target power at 150 W. Then, structural, optical, and electrical properties of the Si1-xCx films were studied. The structural properties were investigated by transmission electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry. The optical properties were achieved by UV-visible spectroscopy and ellipsometry. The performance of Si1-xCx passivation was explored by carrier lifetime measurement. PMID:22221730

  14. Characterization of barium strontium titanate thin films on sapphire substrate prepared via RF magnetron sputtering system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamaluddin, F. W.; Khalid, M. F. Abdul; Mamat, M. H.; Zoolfakar, A. S.; Zulkefle, M. A.; Rusop, M.; Awang, Z.

    2018-05-01

    Barium Strontium Titanate (Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3) is known to have a high dielectric constant and low loss at microwave frequencies. These unique features are useful for many electronic applications. This paper focuses on material characterization of BST thin films deposited on sapphire substrate by RF magnetron sputtering system. The sample was then annealed at 900 °C for two hours. Several methods were used to characterize the structural properties of the material such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to analyze the surface morphology of the thin film. From the results obtained, it can be shown that the annealed sample had a rougher surface and better crystallinity as compared to as-deposited sample.

  15. On niobium sputter coated cavities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnolds-Mayer, G.; Kaufmann, U.; Downar, H.

    1988-01-01

    To coat copper cavities with a thin film of niobium, facilities for electropolishing and sputter deposition have been installed at Dornier. Experiments have been performed on samples to optimize electropolishing and deposition parameters. In this paper, characteristics concerning surface properties, adhesion of the niobium film to the copper substrate, and film properties were studied on planar samples. A 1.5 GHz single cell cavity made from oxygen free high conductivity (OFHC) copper was sputter coated twice. First rf measurements were performed in the temperature range from 300 K to 2 K

  16. Preparation and characterization of RF magnetron sputtered CuO/CaTi{sub 4}O{sub 9} thin films with enhanced third-order nonlinear optical properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yin, Congfei; Liang, Xiaojuan, E-mail: lxj6126@126.com; Hu, Guangcai; Hu, Xie; Chen, Xipeng; Li, Pengzhi; Xiang, Weidong, E-mail: xiangweidong001@126.com

    2017-04-15

    The titanate, is a material of interest for various energy applications, including photovoltaics, catalysts, and high-rate energy storage devices. Herein, its related materials, CuO/CaTi{sub 4}O{sub 9} [CCTO] thin films, were successfully fabricated on SrTiO{sub 3} (100) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering assisted with subsequent oxygen annealing. This obtained CCTO thin films were then systemically studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scan electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). It was found that CuO and CaTi{sub 4}O{sub 9} (001) particles were closely accumulated together on the surface of the substrate in the annealing process after comparing with that of the as-prepared thin film, which was verified by SEM and AFM results. Furthermore, we investigated the third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of the as-prepared and annealed CCTO thin film by means of the Z-scan technique using 650 nm femtosecond laser pulse. Post-deposition oxygen annealing was found to modify the morphological characteristics of the films, resulting in enhancing their NLO properties. The observation of NLO performance of annealed CCTO thin film indicates that RF magnetron sputtering is a feasible method for the fabrication of optical thin films, which can be expanded to fabricate other NLO materials from the corresponding dispersions. Naturally, we concluded that the CCTO thin film occupy a better NLO property, and thus enlarge its application in nonlinear optics. - Highlights: • The CCTO thin film was prepared using the RF magnetron sputtering and oxygen annealing. • The film was prepared on the SrTiO{sub 3}(100) substrates with a Ca{sub 2}CuO{sub 3} target. • The oxygen annealing was found can effectively enhance the film quality and NLO property. • The film was characterized using XPS, SEM, AFM, TEM, XRD and Z-scan techniques.

  17. Origin of high carrier mobility and low residual stress in RF superimposed DC sputtered Al doped ZnO thin film for next generation flexible devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Naveen; Dubey, Ashish; Bahrami, Behzad; Venkatesan, S.; Qiao, Qiquan; Kumar, Mukesh

    2018-04-01

    In this work, the energy and flux of high energetic ions were controlled by RF superimposed DC sputtering process to increase the grain size and suppress grain boundary potential with minimum residual stress in Al doped ZnO (AZO) thin film. AZO thin films were deposited at different RF/(RF + DC) ratios by keeping total power same and were investigated for their electrical, optical, structural and nanoscale grain boundaries potential. All AZO thin film showed high crystallinity and orientation along (002) with peak shift as RF/(RF + DC) ratio increased from 0.0, pure DC, to 1.0, pure RF. This peak shift was correlated with high residual stress in as-grown thin film. AZO thin film grown at mixed RF/(RF + DC) of 0.75 showed high electron mobility, low residual stress and large crystallite size in comparison to other AZO thin films. The nanoscale grain boundary potential was mapped using Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy in all AZO thin film and it was observed that carrier mobility is controlled not only by grains size but also by grain boundary potential. The XPS analysis confirms the variation in oxygen vacancies and zinc interstitials which explain the origin of low grain boundaries potential and high carrier mobility in AZO thin film deposited at 0.75 RF/(RF + DC) ratio. This study proposes a new way to control the grain size and grain boundary potential to further tune the optoelectronic-mechanical properties of AZO thin films for next generation flexible and optoelectronic devices.

  18. Improved performance of dye-sensitized solar cell with a specially tailored TiO{sub 2} compact layer prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abdullah, M.H., E-mail: hanapiah801@ppinang.uitm.edu.my [NANO-Electronic Centre, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Rusop, M. [NANO-Electronic Centre, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); NANO-SciTech Centre, Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia)

    2014-07-05

    Highlights: • A novel gradient index antireflective TiO{sub 2} compact layer based DSSC was fabricated. • Higher right-shifted transmittance spectra favour the spectral response of N719 dye. • The arc-TiO{sub 2} film on ITO has decreased the charge interfacial resistance, R{sub 1}. • The arc-TiO{sub 2} film prevents electrons recombination at ITO and nc-TiO{sub 2} interfaces. • Almost 42% increment in the overall efficiency compared to the bare ITO cell. - Abstract: We demonstrate that a graded index TiO{sub 2} antireflective compact layer (arc-TiO{sub 2}) employed by RF sputtering can modulate the optical transmittance and reduce the electron recombination in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The spectral response of the DSSC is improved, due to higher and red-shifted transmittance spectra in a specific region that favours the sensitization effect of the dye. The effects of arc-TiO{sub 2} prepared at various RF sputtering powers to the performances of DSSC were investigated by means of the incident photo to current efficiency (IPCE), open-circuit voltage decay (OCVD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The slow decay of the photo-voltage attributed to the desirable merits of the arc-TiO{sub 2} compact layer has been evidenced by the OCVD measurement. Meanwhile, the improvement of adhesion between an arc-TiO{sub 2} film and porous-TiO{sub 2} has decreased the interfacial-charge resistance, R{sub 1} in the EIS measurement. This lower R{sub 1} then facilitates the charge-transfer process of the electron in the DSSC. At 100 W of RF power, these blended effects improved the overall conversion efficiency of the DSSC by an increase of 42% compared to the cell without the compact layer.

  19. Structural and superconducting properties of sputter-deposited niobium films for applications in RF accelerating cavities

    CERN Document Server

    Peck, M A

    2000-01-01

    The present work presents the results of a systematic study of superconducting and structural properties of niobium films sputter deposited onto the inner walls of radiofrequency copper resonators. The measured superconducting quantities include the surface resistance, the critical temperature, the penetration depth and the upper and lower critical fields. In addition to films grown with different discharge gases (Xe, Kr, Ar, Ne and Ar-Ne mixtures) and to films grown on substrates prepared under different conditions, the study also includes massive niobium cavities. The surface resistance is analysed in terms of its dependence on the temperature and on the rf field amplitude and, when possible, compared to theoretical predictions. In general, good agreement with BCS theory is observed. All experimental results are presented in the form of a simple, but adequate parameterisation. The residual resistance is observed to be essentially uncorrelated with the other variables, but strongly dependent on the macroscop...

  20. Origin of stress in radio frequency magnetron sputtered zinc oxide thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Menon, Rashmi; Gupta, Vinay; Sreenivas, K.; Tan, H. H.; Jagadish, C.

    2011-01-01

    Highly c-axis oriented ZnO thin films have been deposited on silicon substrates by planar rf magnetron sputtering under varying pressure (10-50 mTorr) and oxygen percentage (50-100%) in the reactive gas (Ar + O 2 ) mixture. The as-grown films were found to be stressed over a wide range from -1 x 10 11 to -2 x 10 8 dyne/cm 2 that in turn depends strongly on the processing conditions, and the film becomes stress free at a unique combination of sputtering pressure and reactive gas composition. Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) analyses identified the origin of stress as lattice distortion due to defects introduced in the ZnO thin film. FTIR study reveals that Zn-O bond becomes stronger with the increase in oxygen fraction in the reactive gas mixture. The lattice distortion or stress depends on the type of defects introduced during deposition. PL spectra show the formation of a shoulder in band emission with an increase in the processing pressure and are related to the presence of stress. The ratio of band emission to defect emission decreases with the increase in oxygen percentage from 50 to 100%. The studies show a correlation of stress with the structural, vibrational, and photoluminescence properties of the ZnO thin film. The systematic study of the stress will help in the fabrication of efficient devices based on ZnO film.

  1. Proposal to negotiate a collaboration agreement related to the application of novel cavity fabrication techniques and Nb/Cu sputter coating technology in the field of superconducting RF for the Future Circular Collider (FCC) study

    CERN Document Server

    2015-01-01

    Proposal to negotiate a collaboration agreement related to the application of novel cavity fabrication techniques and Nb/Cu sputter coating technology in the field of superconducting RF for the Future Circular Collider (FCC) study

  2. AES depth profiles in Mo-coated 304L stainless steel achieved by RF-magnetron sputtering and influence of Mo on the corrosion in 3.5% NaCl solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saidi, D. [Département de métallurgie, Division de Technologie du Combustible, Centre de Recherche Nucléaire de Draria CRND, BP. 43 Draria, Alger (Algeria); Zaid, B., E-mail: zaidbachir@yahoo.com [Département de métallurgie, Division de Technologie du Combustible, Centre de Recherche Nucléaire de Draria CRND, BP. 43 Draria, Alger (Algeria); Souami, N. [Centre de Recherche Nucléaire d’Alger CRNA, 2 Bd. Frantz Fanon, Alger (Algeria); Saoula, N. [Division des Milieux Ionisés et Lasers, Centre de Développement des Technologies Avancées CDTA, Cité du 20 août 1956, Baba Hassan, BP n 17, Alger (Algeria); Siad, M. [Centre de Recherche Nucléaire d’Alger CRNA, 2 Bd. Frantz Fanon, Alger (Algeria); Si Ahmed, A. [Im2np, UMR 7334 CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20 (France); Biberian, J.P. [CINaM, UMR 7525 CNRS, Aix Marseille Université, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9 (France)

    2015-10-05

    Highlights: • Mo coating of 304L stainless steel is achieved via RF-magnetron sputtering. • The AES depth profiles before and after annealing in air (at 973 K) are analyzed. • The corrosions in NaCl solution of bare and Mo-coated samples are compared. • Mo-coated steels exhibit better corrosion behaviors. • The positive action of Mo oxide via its semi-conducting properties is deduced. - Abstract: Molybdenum-coated 304L stainless steel samples, fabricated by RF-magnetron sputtering, are characterized by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) before and after annealing in air at 973 K. The electrochemical parameters of bare and coated materials, in NaCl 3.5% water solution at 298 K, are derived from the potentiodynamic polarization curves. The corrosion current of Mo-coated samples (before and after annealing) is significantly lower than that of its bare counterpart. The information gained from the AES depth profiles leads us to infer that the positive action of molybdenum on the corrosion behavior may be attributed to the changes induced by the semi-conducting properties of Mo oxide in the passive film.

  3. Columnar structure of reactively sputtered aluminium nitride films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Chisan; Hwang Binghwai; Lu Hongyang; Hsu Tzuchien

    2002-01-01

    Columnar structure of thin aluminium nitride (AlN) films is examined by x-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The films were deposited on SiO 2 /Si(100) substrate using radiofrequency reactive sputtering method. Strong [0001] preferred orientation is observed by XRD and confirmed by selected area diffraction pattern of TEM. Columnar grains of ∼50-100 nm inclined at an angle of ∼10 deg. to the substrate normal are observed by SEM. As revealed by TEM, each columnar grain is composed of nano-grains of the order of 10 nm and no faceting is observed in the nano-grains and columns. The [0001] preferred orientation results as columnar grains are oriented at various azimuthal angles with their c-axes perpendicular to the substrate surface. A slight tilt of a few tenths of a degree between adjacent nano-grains within a column is also observed. The random azimuthal orientation of columnar grains and small tilt between nano-grains in the films are accommodated by the amorphous phase present in the grain boundaries

  4. Effects of processing parameters on the properties of tantalum nitride thin films deposited by reactive sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nazon, J.; Sarradin, J.; Flaud, V.; Tedenac, J.C. [Institut Charles Gerhardt, UMR 5253 CNRS-UM2-ENSCM-UM1, cc 1504, Place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 (France); Frety, N. [Institut Charles Gerhardt, UMR 5253 CNRS-UM2-ENSCM-UM1, cc 1504, Place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 (France)], E-mail: Nicole.Frety@univ-montp2.fr

    2008-09-22

    The effects of processing parameters on the properties of tantalum nitride thin films deposited by radio frequency reactive sputtering have been investigated. The influence of the N{sub 2} partial and (Ar + N{sub 2}) total gas pressures as well as the sputtering power on the microstructure and electrical properties is reported. Rising the N{sub 2} partial pressure, from 2 to 10.7%, induces a change in the composition of the {delta}-TaN phase, from TaN to TaN{sub 1.13}. This composition change is associated with a drastic increase of the electrical resistivity over a 7.3% N{sub 2} partial pressure. The total gas pressure is revealed to strongly affect the film microstructure since a variation in both composition and grain size is observed when the gas pressure rises from 6.8 to 24.6 Pa. When the sputtering power varied between 50 and 110 W, an increase of the grain size related to a decrease of the electrical resistivity is observed.

  5. Investigation of nanoporous platinum thin films fabricated by reactive sputtering: Application as micro-SOFC electrode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, WooChul; Kim, Jae Jin; Tuller, Harry L.

    2015-02-01

    Highly porous Pt thin films, with nano-scale porosity, were fabricated by reactive sputtering. The strategy involved deposition of thin film PtOx at room temperature, followed by the subsequent decomposition of the oxide by rapid heat treatment. The resulting films exhibited percolating Pt networks infiltrated with interconnected nanosized pores, critical for superior solid oxide fuel cell cathode performance. This approach is particularly attractive for micro-fabricated solid oxide fuel cells, since it enables fabrication of the entire cell stack (anode/electrolyte/cathode) within the sputtering chamber, without breaking vacuum. In this work, the morphological, crystallographic and chemical properties of the porous electrode were systematically varied by control of deposition conditions. Oxygen reduction reaction kinetics were investigated by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, demonstrating the critical role of nano-pores in achieving satisfactory micro-SOFC cathode performance.

  6. Annealing dependent evolution of columnar nanostructures in RF magnetron sputtered PTFE films for hydrophobic applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripathi, S.; De, Rajnarayan; Maidul Haque, S.; Divakar Rao, K.; Misal, J. S.; Prathap, C.; Das, S. C.; Patidar, Manju M.; Ganesan, V.; Sahoo, N. K.

    2018-01-01

    Present communication focuses on a relatively less explored direction of producing rough polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surfaces for possible hydrophobic applications. The experiments were carried out to make rough PTFE films without losing much of the transmission, which is an important factor while designing futuristic solar cell protection covers. After annealing temperature optimization, as grown RF magnetron sputtered PTFE films (prepared at 160 W RF power) were subjected to vacuum annealing at 200 °C for different time durations ranging from 1 to 4 h. The films show morphological evolution exhibiting formation and growth of columnar nanostructures that are responsible for roughening of the films due to annealing induced molecular migration and rearrangement. In agreement with this, qualitative analysis of corresponding x-ray reflectivity data shows modification in film thickness, which may again be attributed to the growth of columns at the expense of the atoms of remaining film molecules. However, the observations reveal that the film annealed at 200 °C for 2 h gives a combination of patterned columnar structures and reasonable transmission of >85% (in 500-1000 nm wavelength range), both of which are deteriorated when the films are annealed either at high temperature beyond 200 °C or for long durations >3 h. In addition, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results reveal that the molecular bonds remain intact upon annealing at any temperature within the studied range indicating the stable nature of the films.

  7. ZnO:Al thin films deposited by RF-magnetron sputtering with tunable and uniform properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miorin, E; Montagner, F; Battiston, S; Fiameni, S; Fabrizio, M

    2011-03-01

    Nanostructured, high quality and large area Al-doped ZnO (ZnO:Al) thin films were obtained by radiofrequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The sample rotation during deposition has resulted in excellent spatial distribution of thickness and electro-optical properties compared to that obtained under static conditions. ZnO:Al thin films are employed in a large number of devices, including thin film solar cells, where the uniformity of the properties is a key factor for a possible up-scaling of the research results to industrially relevant substrate sizes. A chemical post etching treatment was employed achieving tunable surface nanotextures to generate light scattering at the desired wavelength for improved cell efficiency. Since the film resistivity is only slightly increased by the etching, this post-deposition step allows separating the optimization of electro-optical properties from light scattering behavior. The thin films were characterized by FE-SEM, XRD, UV-VIS spectroscopy, four probe and van der Paw techniques.

  8. Surface roughness of sputtered ZnO films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Y S [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Dong Hwa University, 1, Sec. 2, Da Hsueh Rd. Shou-Feng, Hualien, Taiwan (China); Hsu, K C [Department of Photonics and Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Huang, Y M [Institute of Electronics Engineering, Southern Taiwan University of Technology, 1 Nan-Tai Street, Taiwan (China)

    2006-09-01

    ZnO films are grown on Si and glass substrates by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The crystalline structures are investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, the roughness characteristics of the films are examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). All films exhibit strong (002) preferential orientation. The influence of the RF power and target-to-substrate distance (D{sub ts}) on the properties of ZnO is studied. Under the optimized conditions of the RF power and D{sub ts}, root-mean-square (RMS) surface roughnesses of <0.8 nm are achieved.

  9. Surface roughness of sputtered ZnO films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Y S; Hsu, K C; Huang, Y M

    2006-01-01

    ZnO films are grown on Si and glass substrates by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The crystalline structures are investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, the roughness characteristics of the films are examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). All films exhibit strong (002) preferential orientation. The influence of the RF power and target-to-substrate distance (D ts ) on the properties of ZnO is studied. Under the optimized conditions of the RF power and D ts , root-mean-square (RMS) surface roughnesses of <0.8 nm are achieved

  10. Oxygen Partial Pressure Impact on Characteristics of Indium Titanium Zinc Oxide Thin Film Transistor Fabricated via RF Sputtering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Ming-Hung; Chang, Sheng-Po; Chang, Shoou-Jinn; Wu, Wei-Ting; Li, Jyun-Yi

    2017-06-26

    Indium titanium zinc oxide (InTiZnO) as the channel layer in thin film transistor (TFT) grown by RF sputtering system is proposed in this work. Optical and electrical properties were investigated. By changing the oxygen flow ratio, we can suppress excess and undesirable oxygen-related defects to some extent, making it possible to fabricate the optimized device. XPS patterns for O 1s of InTiZnO thin films indicated that the amount of oxygen vacancy was apparently declined with the increasing oxygen flow ratio. The fabricated TFTs showed a threshold voltage of -0.9 V, mobility of 0.884 cm²/Vs, on-off ratio of 5.5 × 10⁵, and subthreshold swing of 0.41 V/dec.

  11. Optical properties of tungsten oxide thin films by non-reactive sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Acosta, M.; Gonzalez, D.; Riech, I.

    2009-01-01

    Tungsten oxide thin films were grown on glass substrates by RF sputtering at room temperature using a tungsten trioxide target for several values of the argon pressure (P Ar ). The structural and morphological properties of these films were studied using X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The as-deposited films were amorphous irrespective of the argon pressure, and crystallized in a mixture of hexagonal and monoclinic phases after annealing at a temperature of 350 o C in air. Surface-roughness increased by an order of magnitude (from 1 nm to 20 nm) after thermal treatment. The argon pressure, however, had a strong influence on the optical properties of the films. Three different regions are clearly identified: deep blue films for P Ar ≤ 2.67 Pa with low transmittance values, light blue films for 2.67 Pa Ar Ar ≥ 6 Pa with high transmittance values. We suggest that the observed changes in optical properties are due to an increasing number of oxygen vacancies as the growth argon pressure decreases.

  12. TiO2 thin and thick films grown on Si/glass by sputtering of titanium targets in an RF inductively coupled plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valencia-Alvarado, R; López-Callejas, R; Mercado-Cabrera, A; Peña-Eguiluz, R; Muñoz-Castro, A E; Rodríguez-Méndez, B G; De la Piedad-Beneitez, A; De la Rosa-Vázquez, J M

    2015-01-01

    TiO 2 thin and thick films were deposited on silicon/glass substrates using RF inductive plasma in continuous wave. The films thickness, as well as phases control, is achieved with a gradual increase in temperature substrates varying supplied RF power or working gas pressure besides deposition time as well. The deposition conditions were: argon 80%/oxygen 20% carefully calibrated mixture of 2 to 7×10 −2 mbar as working gas pressure range. Deposition time 0.5 to 5 hours, 500 or 600 W RF power at 13.56 MHz frequency and 242-345 °C substrates temperature range. The titanium dioxide deposited on the substrates is grown by sputtering of a titanium target negatively polarized at 3-5 kV DC situated 14 mm in front of such substrates. The plasma reactor is a simple Pyrex-like glass cylindrical vessel of 50 cm long and 20 cm in diameter. Using the before describe plasma parameters we obtained films only anatase and both anatase/rutile phases with stoichiometric different. The films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), stylus profilometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. (paper)

  13. Bunch motion in the presence of the self-induced voltage due to a reactive impedance with RF off

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shaposhnikova, E [European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva (Switzerland)

    1996-08-01

    Analytic self-consistent solutions have been found for the nonlinear Vlasov equation describing different types of behaviour with time of an intense bunch under the influence of voltage induced due to a reactive part of broad band impedance. The problem is solved for the particular type of the initial distribution function in longitudinal phase space which is elliptic and corresponds to parabolic line density. This paper is devoted to the consideration of the effects in the machine with RF off. In this case the induced voltage is changing with time and can significantly affect bunch motion. The same method applied in the case with RF on allows the time dependent effects of potential well distortion to be analysed. Numerical estimations for the CERN SPS show that effect of induced voltage is important for beam manipulations with RF off. Measurements of the change in the rate of debunching with intensity can be used to estimate the value of the reactive impedance. (author)

  14. Effects of in-plane compressive stress on electrical properties of (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin film capacitors prepared by on- and off-axis rf magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Woo Young; Ahn, Kun Ho; Hwang, Cheol Seong

    2003-01-01

    This study investigated the structural and electrical properties of (Ba,Sr)TiO 3 (BST) thin film capacitors with thicknesses ranging from 18 to 215 nm, which were prepared by on- and off-axis rf magnetron sputtering technique on Pt/SiO 2 /Si substrates. The deposition rate and cation composition ratios of the films were controlled to be the same regardless of the sputtering geometry. All the films show elongations in the out-of-plane lattice spacing, suggesting the presence of compressive stress with a smaller value by on-axis sputtering than by the off-axis system. There was no thickness dependence of the strain in the polycrystalline BST films. The BST films deposited using the on-axis system showed a higher bulk dielectric constant with a higher interfacial capacitance and a lower leakage current level than the films produced by the off-axis system. The strain effect was proposed to explain the correlations between the structural and electrical properties

  15. Niobium sputter deposition on quarter wave resonators

    CERN Document Server

    Viswanadham, C; Jayaprakash, D; Mishra, R L

    2003-01-01

    Niobium sputter deposition on quarter wave copper R.F resonators, have been taken up in our laboratory, An ultra high vacuum system was made for this purpose. Niobium exhibits superconducting properties at liquid Helium temperature. A uniform coating of about 1.5 mu m of niobium on the internal surfaces of the copper resonant cavities is desired. Power dissipation in the resonators can be greatly reduced by making the internal surfaces of the R.F cavity super conducting. (author)

  16. Electrical and ferroelectric properties of RF sputtered PZT/SBN on silicon for non-volatile memory applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Prashant; Jha, Rajesh Kumar; Singh, Rajat Kumar; Singh, B. R.

    2018-02-01

    We report the integration of multilayer ferroelectric film deposited by RF magnetron sputtering and explore the electrical characteristics for its application as the gate of ferroelectric field effect transistor for non-volatile memories. PZT (Pb[Zr0.35Ti0.65]O3) and SBN (SrBi2Nb2O9) ferroelectric materials were selected for the stack fabrication due to their large polarization and fatigue free properties respectively. Electrical characterization has been carried out to obtain memory window, leakage current density, PUND and endurance characteristics. Fabricated multilayer ferroelectric film capacitor structure shows large memory window of 17.73 V and leakage current density of the order 10-6 A cm-2 for the voltage sweep of -30 to +30 V. This multilayer gate stack of PZT/SBN shows promising endurance property with no degradation in the remnant polarization for the read/write iteration cycles upto 108.

  17. Rutile TiO2 thin films grown by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agnarsson, B.; Magnus, F.; Tryggvason, T.K.; Ingason, A.S.; Leosson, K.; Olafsson, S.; Gudmundsson, J.T.

    2013-01-01

    Thin TiO 2 films were grown on Si(001) substrates by reactive dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) at temperatures ranging from 300 to 700 °C. Optical and structural properties of films were compared both before and after post-annealing using scanning electron microscopy, low angle X-ray reflection (XRR), grazing incidence X-ray diffractometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Both dcMS- and HiPIMS-grown films reveal polycrystalline rutile TiO 2 , even prior to post-annealing. The HiPIMS-grown films exhibit significantly larger grains compared to that of dcMC-grown films, approaching 100% of the film thickness for films grown at 700 °C. In addition, the XRR surface roughness of HiPIMS-grown films was significantly lower than that of dcMS-grown films over the whole temperature range 300–700 °C. Dispersion curves could only be obtained for the HiPIMS-grown films, which were shown to have a refractive index in the range of 2.7–2.85 at 500 nm. The results show that thin, rutile TiO 2 films, with high refractive index, can be obtained by HiPIMS at relatively low growth temperatures, without post-annealing. Furthermore, these films are smoother and show better optical characteristics than their dcMS-grown counterparts. - Highlights: • We demonstrate growth of rutile TiO 2 on Si (111) by high power impulse magnetron sputtering. • The films exhibit significantly larger grains than dc magnetron sputtered films • TiO 2 films with high refractive index are obtained without post-growth annealing

  18. Sputter deposition of BSCCO films from a hollow cathode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lanagan, M.T.; Kampwirth, R.T.; Doyle, K.; Kowalski, S.; Miller, D.; Gray, K.E.

    1991-01-01

    High-T c superconducting thin films were deposited onto MgO single crystal substrates from a hollow cathode onto ceramic targets with the nominal composition of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O x . Films similar in composition to those used for the targets were deposited on MgO substrates by rf sputtering. The effects of sputtering time, rf power, and post-annealing on film microstructure and properties were studied in detail. Substrate temperature was found to have a significant influence on the film characteristics. Initial results show that deposition rates from a hollow cathode are an order of magnitude higher than those of a planar magnetron source at equivalent power levels. Large deposition rates allow for the coating of long lengths of wire

  19. Effect of N Concentration on Microstructure Evolution of the Nanostructured (Al, Ti, SiN Coatings Prepared by d.c. Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Jakab-Farkas

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Nanostructured (Al, Ti, SiN thin film coatings were synthesized by d.c. reactive magnetron sputtering, performed in an Ar/N2 gas mixture from a planar rectangular Al:Ti:Si=50:25:25 alloyed target. The mass flow of N2 reactive gas was strictly controlled in sputtering process. Conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM technique was used for microstructure investigation of the as deposited films. Cross-sectional cuts performed through the deposited films revealed distinct microstructure evolution for different samples. It was found that the variation of the reactive gas amount induced changes in film microstructure. The metallic AlTiSi film exhibited strong columnar growth with a crystalline structure. The addition of a small amount of nitrogen to the process gas leads to a crystallite refinement. Further increase of N concentration resulted in evolution of fine lamellae growth morphology consisting of hainlike pearls in a dendrite, clusters of very fine grains in close crystallographic orientation.

  20. Ferromagnetism in reactive sputtered Cu0.96Fe 0.04O1-δ nanocrystalline films evidenced by anomalous Hall effect

    KAUST Repository

    Mi, Wenbo; Bai, Haili; Zhang, Qiang; Zhang, Bei; Zhang, Xixiang

    2011-01-01

    Cu0.96Fe0.04O1-δ nanocrystalline films were fabricated using reactive sputtering at different oxygen partial pressures (PO2). The electrical transport properties of the films were measured in a broad temperature range (10-300 K) under magnetic

  1. Enhancement in dye-sensitized solar cells based on MgO-coated TiO2 electrodes by reactive DC magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Sujuan; Han Hongwei; Tai Qidong; Zhang Jing; Xu Sheng; Zhou Conghua; Yang Ying; Hu Hao; Chen Bolei; Sebo, Bobby; Zhao Xingzhong

    2008-01-01

    A surface modification method was carried out by reactive DC magnetron sputtering to fabricate TiO 2 electrodes coated with insulating MgO for dye-sensitized solar cells. The MgO-coated TiO 2 electrode had been characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis spectrophotometer, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The study results revealed that the TiO 2 modification increases dye adsorption, decreases trap states and suppresses interfacial recombination. The effects of sputtering MgO for different times on the performance of DSSCs were investigated. It indicated that sputtering MgO for 3 min on TiO 2 increases all cell parameters, resulting in increasing efficiency from 6.45% to 7.57%

  2. Pattern transfer on fused silica samples using sub-aperture reactive ion beam etching

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miessler, Andre; Arnold, Thomas [Leibniz-Institut fuer Oberflaechenmodifizierung (IOM), Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    In comparison to sole Ar ion beam sputtering Reactive Ion Beam Etching (RIBE) reveals the main advantage of increasing the selectivity for different kind of materials due to chemical contributions during the material removal. Therefore RIBE is qualified to be an excellent candidate for pattern transfer applications. The goal of the present study is to apply a sub-aperture reactive ion beam for pattern transfer on large fused silica samples. Concerning this matter, the etching behavior in the ion beam periphery plays a decisive role. Using a Kaufman-typed ion source with NF{sub 3} as reactive gas, XPS measurements of the modified surface exposes impurities like Ni, Fe and Cr, which belongs to chemically eroded material of the plasma pot and a layer formation of silicon nitride, handicaps the etching process mainly in the beam periphery where the sputtering contribution decrease. These side effects influence the pattern transfer of trench structures, produced in AZ MIR 701 photoresist by lithography on a 2'' fused silica plate, by changing the selectivity due to modified chemical reactions of the resist layer. Concerning this we investigate a RF-Ion source for sub aperture reactive ion beam applications and finally we examine the pattern transfer on large fused silica plates using NF{sub 3}-sub-aperture RIBE.

  3. Optimal series-parallel connection method of dye-sensitized solar cell for Pt thin film deposition using a radio frequency sputter system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Jin-Young; Hong, Ji-Tae; Seo, Hyunwoong; Kim, Mijeong; Son, Min-Kyu; Lee, Kyoung-Jun [Department of Electrical Engineering, Pusan National University Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 609-735 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Dong-Yoon [Advanced Materials and Application research Laboratory, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, 28-1, Seongju-dong, Changwon-city, Kyongnam, 641-120 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hee-Je [Department of Electrical Engineering, Pusan National University Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 609-735 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: heeje@pusan.ac.kr

    2008-11-28

    The counter electrode widely used in DSC (Dye-sensitized solar cells) is constructed of a conducting glass substrate coated with a Pt film, in which the platinum acts as a catalyst. The characteristics of the platinum electrode depend strongly on the fabrication process and the electrode's surface condition. In this study, Pt counter electrodes were deposited by radio frequency (RF) sputtering with 6.7 x 10{sup -1} Pa Ar, RF power of 120 W and substrate temperature of 100 deg. C . The surface morphology of Pt electrodes was investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Comparison of samples prepared by RF sputtering and RF magnetron sputtering showed that the surface of the RF sputter deposited electrode had a larger surface area resulting in more effective catalytic characteristics. Finally, an open voltage of 4.8 V, a short circuit current of 569 mA and a photoelectric conversion efficiency of approximately 3.6% were achieved for cells composed of 30 DSC units of 6 cm x 4 cm DSC units with 6 cells in series and 5 cells in parallel.

  4. Determination of the sputter rate variation pattern of a silicon carbide target for radio frequency magnetron sputtering using optical transmission measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galvez de la Puente, G.; Guerra Torres, J.A.; Erlenbach, O.; Steidl, M.; Weingaertner, R.; De Zela, F.; Winnacker, A.

    2010-01-01

    We produce amorphous silicon carbide thin films (a-SiC) by radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering from SiC bulk target. We present the emission pattern of the rf magnetron with SiC target as a function of process parameters, like target sample distance, rf power, sputtering rate and process gas pressure. The emission pattern is determined by means of thickness distribution of the deposited a-SiC films obtained from optical transmission measurements using a slightly improved method of Swanepoel concerning the determination of construction of the envelopes in the interference pattern of the transmission spectra. A calibration curve is presented which allows the conversion of integrated transmission to film thickness. Holding constant a set of process parameters and only varying the target sample distance the emission pattern of the rf magnetron with SiC target was determined, which allowed us to predict the deposition rate distribution for a wide range of process parameters and target geometry. In addition, we have found that the transmission spectra of the a-SiC films change with time and saturate after approximately 10 days. Within this process no change in thickness is involved, so that the determination of thickness using transmission data is justified.

  5. Development of an inductively coupled impulse sputtering source for coating deposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loch, Daniel Alexander Llewellyn

    In recent years, highly ionised pulsed plasma processes have had a great impact on improving the coating performance of various applications, such as for cutting tools and ITO coatings, allowing for a longer service life and improved defect densities. These improvements stem from the higher ionisation degree of the sputtered material in these processes and with this the possibility of controlling the flux of sputtered material, allowing the regulation of the hardness and density of coatings and the ability to sputter onto complex contoured substrates. The development of Inductively Coupled Impulse Sputtering (ICIS) is aimed at the potential of utilising the advantages of highly ionised plasma for the sputtering of ferromagnetic material. In traditional magnetron based sputter processes ferromagnetic materials would shunt the magnetic field of the magnetron, thus reducing the sputter yield and ionisation efficiency. By generating the plasma within a high power pulsed radio frequency (RF) driven coil in front of the cathode, it is possible to remove the need for a magnetron by applying a high voltage pulsed direct current to the cathode attracting argon ions from the plasma to initiate sputtering. This is the first time that ICIS technology has been deployed in a sputter coating system. To study the characteristics of ICIS, current and voltage waveforms have been measured to examine the effect of increasing RF-power. Plasma analysis has been conducted by optical emission spectroscopy to investigate the excitation mechanisms and the emission intensity. These are correlated to the set RF-power by modelling assumptions based on electron collisions. Mass spectroscopy is used to measure the plasma potential and ion energy distribution function. Pure copper, titanium and nickel coatings have been deposited on silicon with high aspect ratio via to measure the deposition rate and characterise the microstructure. For titanium and nickel the emission modelling results are in

  6. High power pulsed magnetron sputtering of transparent conducting oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sittinger, V.; Ruske, F.; Werner, W.; Jacobs, C.; Szyszka, B.; Christie, D.J.

    2008-01-01

    High power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS) has been used in order to study the deposition of transparent conducting oxides. We summarize the studies carried out on different materials (indium tin oxide-ITO and aluminium-doped zinc oxide-AZO) using rather different technological approaches, namely sputtering of ceramic targets and reactive sputtering. For the deposition of AZO reactive HPPMS for metallic targets has been used. A feedback control loop has been implemented in order to stabilize the discharge at any given setpoint on the hysteresis curve. The hysteresis was also found to have a rather untypical form. Reactive HPPMS was found to be a promising tool for obtaining high quality films of low total thickness. In the case of ITO deposition a ceramic target has been used. The process has been characterized in terms of its plasma emission and increasing indium ionization was found for higher peak power densities. The properties of the deposited films were compared to DC sputtered films. While for DC sputtering the choice of oxygen addition and shieldings is crucial for determining surface morphology and resistivity, in HPPMS sputtering peak power density has been found to be a good parameter for influencing the crystal structure. The morphologies obtained differ strongly from those seen in DC sputtering. At high power densities films with low surface roughness and excellent resistivity could be deposited without the use of shieldings

  7. Effects of Al concentrations on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–Al–N films deposited by RF-ICPIS enhanced magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Dongke [The School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, SCNU, Guangzhou 510000 (China); Chen, JunFang, E-mail: chenjf@scnu.edu.com [The School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, SCNU, Guangzhou 510000 (China); Research Resources Center, SCNU, Guangzhou 510000 (China); Zou, Changwei, E-mail: qingyihaiyanas@163.com [Department of Physics and Development Center for New Materials Engineering and Technology in University of Guangdong, Zhanjiang Normal University, Zhanjiang 524048 (China); Ma, Junhui; Li, Pengfei; Li, Ye [The School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, SCNU, Guangzhou 510000 (China)

    2014-10-01

    Highlights: • RF-ICPIS enhanced magnetron sputtering technique is used for Ti–Al–N deposition. • Al contents has closed relation with total gas pressure. • Ti–Al–N films with high Al contents of 34.16 at.% are obtained. • Effects of Al on the microstructure and mechanical properties are discussed. - Abstract: Ti–Al–N films were deposited on Si (1 0 0) and mirror-polished stainless steel at 300 °C by RF-ICPIS enhanced magnetron sputtering technique. Focusing on the effects of Al concentrations on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–Al–N films, the structure and the growth morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Ti–Al–N films with highest Al contents of were deposited at total gas pressure of 1.0 Pa. XRD experiments exhibited that the Ti–Al–N films were f.c.c structure with diffraction peaks at 2θ = 37.1°, 43.5°, 63.2°, and 75.1°, respectively. The FWHM values of (1 1 1) diffraction peaks showed a decrease while the (2 2 0) diffraction peaks showed an increase trend with the increasing of Al concentrations. With the variation of total gas pressure from 0.5 to 1.5 Pa, the RMS values of Ti–Al–N films increased from 1.286 to 7.751 nm. The hardness of the Ti–Al–N films was in the range of 28.4–36.2 GPa while the friction coefficients were in the range of 0.339–0.732.

  8. High-rate deposition of Ta-doped SnO2 films by reactive magnetron sputtering using a Sn–Ta metal-sintered target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muto, Y.; Nakatomi, S.; Oka, N.; Iwabuchi, Y.; Kotsubo, H.; Shigesato, Y.

    2012-01-01

    Ta-doped SnO 2 films were deposited on glass substrate (either unheated or heated at 200 °C) by reactive magnetron sputtering with a Sn–Ta metal-sintered target using a plasma control unit (PCU) and mid-frequency (mf, 50 kHz) unipolar pulsing. The PCU feedback system precisely controlled the flow of the reactive and sputtering gases (O 2 and Ar, respectively) by monitoring either discharge impedance or the plasma emission of the atomic O* line at 777 nm. The planar target was connected to the switching unit, which was operated in unipolar pulse mode. Power density on the target was maintained at 4.4 W cm −2 during deposition. The lowest obtained resistivity for the films deposited on heated substrate was 6.4 × 10 −3 Ωcm, where the deposition rate was 250 nm min −1 .

  9. Comparison of Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films deposited on different preferred oriented Mo back contact by RF sputtering from a quaternary target

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tian, Jing [Sichuan University, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chengdu (China); Solar Energy Research Institute, Yunnan Normal University, Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Kunming (China); Peng, Lianqin; Chen, Jinwei; Wang, Gang; Wang, Xueqin; Kang, Hong; Wang, Ruilin [Sichuan University, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chengdu (China)

    2014-09-15

    The Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films were deposited on bare glass and DC sputtered preferential oriented Mo-coated glass by RF sputtering from a single quaternary target. The structural and morphological properties of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) and atomic force microscope (AFM). Preferred orientation of the Mo back contact was tuned between (110) and (211) plane by controlling the thickness. All the deposited CIGS thin films show (112) preferred oriented chalcopyrite structures. The films prepared on Mo-coated glass show higher quality crystallinity, better stoichiometry composition and more smooth surface morphology. Especially, the film on (211) oriented Mo-coated glass with the best integrated performance is expected to be a candidate absorber for high-efficiency CIGS solar cell device. (orig.)

  10. Optical emission and mass spectroscopy of plasma processes in reactive DC pulsed magnetron sputtering of aluminium oxide

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Novotný, Michal; Bulíř, Jiří; Pokorný, Petr; Bočan, Jiří; Fitl, Přemysl; Lančok, Ján; Musil, Jindřich

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 12, č. 3 (2010), 697-700 ISSN 1454-4164 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100100718; GA AV ČR KAN400100653; GA ČR GP202/09/P324 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100522 Keywords : reactive magnetron sputtering * alumina * plasma spectroscopy * mass spectroscopy * optical emission spectroscopy Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 0.412, year: 2010

  11. Characterization of reactively sputtered c-axis aligned nanocrystalline InGaZnO{sub 4}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lynch, David M.; Zhu, Bin; Ast, Dieter G.; Thompson, Michael O. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States); Levin, Barnaby D. A. [School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States); Muller, David A. [School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States); Kavli Institute for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States); Greene, Raymond G. [Corning Incorporated, Corning, New York 14831 (United States)

    2014-12-29

    Crystallinity and texturing of RF sputtered c-axis aligned crystal InGaZnO{sub 4} (CAAC IGZO) thin films were quantified using X-ray diffraction techniques. Above 190 °C, nanocrystalline films with an X-ray peak at 2θ = 30° (009 planes) developed with increasing c-axis normal texturing up to 310 °C. Under optimal conditions (310 °C, 10% O{sub 2}), films exhibited a c-axis texture full-width half-maximum of 20°. Cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirmed these results, showing alignment variation of ±9° over a 15 × 15 nm field of view and indicating formation of much larger aligned domains than previously reported. At higher deposition temperatures, c-axis alignment was gradually lost as polycrystalline films developed.

  12. Gas barrier properties of titanium oxynitride films deposited on polyethylene terephthalate substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, M.-C. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National ChungHsin University, 250, Kuo-Kung Road, 40227 Taichung, Taiwan (China); Chang, L.-S. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National ChungHsin University, 250, Kuo-Kung Road, 40227 Taichung, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: lschang@dragon.nchu.edu.tw; Lin, H.C. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, 106 Taipei, Taiwan (China)

    2008-03-30

    Titanium oxynitride (TiN{sub x}O{sub y}) films were deposited on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates by means of a reactive radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering system in which the power density and substrate bias were the varied parameters. Experimental results show that the deposited TiN{sub x}O{sub y} films exhibited an amorphous or a columnar structure with fine crystalline dependent on power density. The deposition rate increases significantly in conjunction as the power density increases from 2 W/cm{sup 2} to 7 W/cm{sup 2}. The maximum deposition rate occurs, as the substrate bias is -40 V at a certain power densities chosen in this study. The film's roughness slightly decreases with increasing substrate bias. The TiN{sub x}O{sub y} films deposited at power densities above 4 W/cm{sup 2} show a steady Ti:N:O ratio of about 1:1:0.8. The water vapor and oxygen transmission rates of the TiN{sub x}O{sub y} films reach values as low as 0.98 g/m{sup 2}-day-atm and 0.60 cm{sup 3}/m{sup 2}-day-atm which are about 6 and 47 times lower than those of the uncoated PET substrate, respectively. These transmission rates are comparable to those of DLC, carbon-based and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} barrier films. Therefore, TiN{sub x}O{sub y} films are potential candidates to be used as a gas permeation barrier for PET substrate.

  13. Fabrication of AZO TCO Films by RF-sputtering and Their Physical Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jang T.S.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We report on the fabrication of Al-doped ZnO (AZO transparent-conductive oxide (TCO films on glass substrates by RF-sputtering, their physical properties, and the effect of thermal annealing on the AZO TCO films. The AZO films on glass substrates have a preferred orientation of the c-axis, irrespective of deposition conditions, which means that the AZO films have textured structures along the c-axis. The film thickness and surface roughness in the AZO films are proportional to plasma power and deposition time, while they are inverse-proportional to working gas ratio and working pressure. The AZO films have the optical transmittance over 80 % in the wavelength range of 400 – 1000 nm, irrespective of deposition conditions. The plasma power and the deposition time relatively give a large influence on the optical transmittance, compared to the working gas ratio and the working pressure. The AZO films deposited at room temperature have poor electrical properties, while the thermal annealing under Ar ambient significantly improves the electrical conductivity of the AZO films: an as-deposited sample has an electrical resistivity of 87 Wcm and an electron concentration of 1.3´1017 cm−3, while the annealed sample has an electrical resistivity of 3.7´10-2 Wcm and an electron concentration of 1.2´1020 cm−3.

  14. Ion beam analysis, corrosion resistance and nanomechanical properties of TiAlCN/CN{sub x} multilayer grown by reactive magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alemón, B.; Flores, M. [Departamento de Ingeniería de Proyectos, CUCEI, Universidad de Guadalajara, J. Guadalupe Zuno 48, Los Belenes, Zapopan, Jal. 45101 (Mexico); Canto, C. [Instituto de Física, UNAM, Avenida de la Investigación S/N, Coyoacán, Mexico, DF 04510 (Mexico); Andrade, E., E-mail: andrade@fisica.unam.mx [Instituto de Física, UNAM, Avenida de la Investigación S/N, Coyoacán, Mexico, DF 04510 (Mexico); Lucio, O.G. de [Instituto de Física, UNAM, Avenida de la Investigación S/N, Coyoacán, Mexico, DF 04510 (Mexico); Rocha, M.F. [ESIME-Z, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, ALM Zacatenco, Mexico, DF 07738 (Mexico); Broitman, E. [Thin Films Physics Division, IFM, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping (Sweden)

    2014-07-15

    A novel TiAlCN/CN{sub x} multilayer coating, consisting of nine TiAlCN/CN{sub x} periods with a top layer 0.5 μm of CN{sub x}, was designed to enhance the corrosion resistance of CoCrMo biomedical alloy. The multilayers were deposited by dc and RF reactive magnetron sputtering from Ti{sub 0.5}Al{sub 0.5} and C targets respectively in a N{sub 2}/Ar plasma. The corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of the multilayer coatings were analyzed and compared to CoCrMo bulk alloy. Ion beam analysis (IBA) and X-ray diffraction tests were used to measure the element composition profiles and crystalline structure of the films. Corrosion resistance was evaluated by means of potentiodynamic polarization measurements using simulated body fluid (SBF) at typical body temperature and the nanomechanical properties of the multilayer evaluated by nanoindentation tests were analyzed and compared to CoCrMo bulk alloy. It was found that the multilayer hardness and the elastic recovery are higher than the substrate of CoCrMo. Furthermore the coated substrate shows a better general corrosion resistance than that of the CoCrMo alloy alone with no observation of pitting corrosion.

  15. Effect of nitrogen incorporation on the structural, optical and dielectric properties of reactive sputter grown ITO films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gartner, M.; Stroescu, H. [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Marin, A., E-mail: alexmarin@icf.ro [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Osiceanu, P. [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Anastasescu, M., E-mail: manastasescu@icf.ro [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Stoica, M.; Nicolescu, M.; Duta, M.; Preda, S. [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Aperathitis, E.; Pantazis, A.; Kampylafka, V. [FORTH-IESL, Crete (Greece); Modreanu, M. [Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork (Ireland); Zaharescu, M. [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania)

    2014-09-15

    Highlights: • Graded optical model for ITON films is presented. • ITON thin films retain an amorphous structure even after RTA at 500 °C in N{sub 2} ambient. • The lowest resistivity was 2 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm for films deposited in 75%N{sub 2} and RTA at 500 °C. • Films deposited in 75% N{sub 2} and RTA at 500 °C have degenerate semiconductor behavior. • Chemical composition before and after RTA has been analyzed by XPS depth profiling. - Abstract: The changes in the optical, microstructural and electrical properties, following the nitrogen incorporation into indium tin oxide thin films are investigated. The films are formed by r.f. sputtering from an indium-tin-oxide (80% In{sub 2}O{sub 3}–20% SnO{sub 2}) target in a mixture of Ar and N{sub 2} plasma (75% N{sub 2}–25% Ar and 100% N{sub 2} respectively) on fused silica glass substrate. The impact of rapid thermal annealing (up to 500 °C, in N{sub 2} ambient) on the properties of indium tin oxynitride (ITON) thin films is also reported. The UV–vis–NIR ellipsometry (SE) characterization of ITON films was performed assuming several realistic approaches based on various oscillator models, using a chemical composition gradient depth profiling, in agreement with the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. The Hall measurements show that the ITON films prepared by r.f. sputtering in 75% N{sub 2} and annealed at 500 °C behave as degenerate semiconductors. X-ray diffraction analysis proved that ITON thin films retain an amorphous structure even after RTA at 500 °C in N{sub 2} ambient and atomic force microscopy showed the formation of continuous and smooth ITON thin films, with a morphology consisting in quasispherical nanometric particles.

  16. Defect induced activation of Raman silent modes in rf co-sputtered Mn doped ZnO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yadav, Harish Kumar [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 (India); Sreenivas, K [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 (India); Katiyar, R S [Department of Physics, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00931-3343 (Puerto Rico); Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 (India)

    2007-10-07

    We study the influence of Mn doping on the vibrational properties of rf sputtered ZnO thin films. Raman spectra of the Mn doped ZnO samples reveal two additional vibrational modes, in addition to the host phonon modes, at 252 and 524 cm{sup -1}. The intensity of the additional modes increases continuously with Mn concentration in ZnO and can be used as an indication of Mn incorporation in ZnO. The modes are assigned to the activation of ZnO silent modes due to relaxation of Raman selection rules produced by the breakdown of the translational symmetry of the crystal lattice with the incorporation of Mn at the Zn site. Furthermore, the A{sub 1} (LO) mode is observed with very high intensity in the Raman spectra of undoped ZnO thin film and is attributed to the built-in electric field at the grain boundaries.

  17. Defect induced activation of Raman silent modes in rf co-sputtered Mn doped ZnO thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yadav, Harish Kumar; Sreenivas, K; Katiyar, R S; Gupta, Vinay

    2007-01-01

    We study the influence of Mn doping on the vibrational properties of rf sputtered ZnO thin films. Raman spectra of the Mn doped ZnO samples reveal two additional vibrational modes, in addition to the host phonon modes, at 252 and 524 cm -1 . The intensity of the additional modes increases continuously with Mn concentration in ZnO and can be used as an indication of Mn incorporation in ZnO. The modes are assigned to the activation of ZnO silent modes due to relaxation of Raman selection rules produced by the breakdown of the translational symmetry of the crystal lattice with the incorporation of Mn at the Zn site. Furthermore, the A 1 (LO) mode is observed with very high intensity in the Raman spectra of undoped ZnO thin film and is attributed to the built-in electric field at the grain boundaries

  18. Fabrication and characterization of He-charged ODS-FeCrNi films deposited by a radio-frequency plasma magnetron sputtering technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Liang; Wang, Xianping; Wang, Le; Zhang, Ying; Liu, Wang; Jiang, Weibing; Zhang, Tao; Fang, Qianfeng; Liu, Changsong

    2017-04-01

    He-charged oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrNi films were prepared by a radio-frequency (RF) plasma magnetron sputtering method in a He and Ar mixed atmosphere at 150 °C. As a comparison, He-charged FeCrNi films were also fabricated at the same conditions through direct current (DC) plasma magnetron sputtering. The doping of He atoms and Y2O3 in the FeCrNi films was realized by the high backscattered rate of He ions and Y2O3/FeCrNi composite target sputtering method, respectively. Inductive coupled plasma (ICP) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the existence of Y2O3 in FeCrNi films, and Y2O3 content hardly changed with sputtering He/Ar ratio. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the FeCrNi films were composed of dense columnar nanocrystallines and the thickness of the films was obviously dependent on He/Ar ratio. Nanoindentation measurements revealed that the FeCrNi films fabricated through DC/RF plasma magnetron sputtering methods exhibited similar hardness values at each He/Ar ratio, while the dispersion of Y2O3 apparently increased the hardness of the films. Elastic recoil detection (ERD) showed that DC/RF magnetron sputtered FeCrNi films contained similar He amounts (˜17 at.%). Compared with the minimal change of He level with depth in DC-sputtered films, the He amount decreases gradually in depth in the RF-sputtered films. The Y2O3-doped FeCrNi films were shown to exhibit much smaller amounts of He owing to the lower backscattering possibility of Y2O3 and the inhibition effect of nano-sized Y2O3 particles on the He element.

  19. Surface morphology, structural and electrical properties of RF ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    5

    electrical properties of RF sputtered ITO thin films deposited onto Si(100). .... scanning electron microscopy (SEM) surface images are shown along with the cross- ..... annealing effect”, J. of Alloys and Compounds 509, (2011) 6072-6076.

  20. Thermal oxidation of reactively sputtered amorphous W80N20 films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vu, Q.T.; Pokela, P.J.; Garden, C.L.; Kolawa, E.; Raud, S.; Nicolet, M.

    1990-01-01

    The oxidation behavior of reactively sputtered amorphous tungsten nitride of composition W 80 N 20 was investigated in dry and wet oxidizing ambient in the temperature range of 450 degree C--575 degree C. A single WO 3 oxide phase is observed. The growth of the oxide follows a parabolic time dependence which is attributed to a process controlled by the diffusivity of the oxidant in the oxide. The oxidation process is thermally activated with an activation energy of 2.5±0.05 eV for dry ambient and 2.35±0.05 eV for wet ambient. The pre-exponential factor of the reaction constant for dry ambient is 1.1x10 21 A 2 /min; that for wet ambient is only about 10 times less and is equal to 1.3x10 20 A 2 /min

  1. Determination of the number density of excited and ground Zn atoms during rf magnetron sputtering of ZnO target

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maaloul, L.; Gangwar, R. K.; Stafford, L., E-mail: luc.stafford@umontreal.ca [Département de Physique, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7 (Canada)

    2015-07-15

    A combination of optical absorption spectroscopy (OAS) and optical emission spectroscopy measurements was used to monitor the number density of Zn atoms in excited 4s4p ({sup 3}P{sub 2} and {sup 3}P{sub 0}) metastable states as well as in ground 4s{sup 2} ({sup 1}S{sub 0}) state in a 5 mTorr Ar radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering plasma used for the deposition of ZnO-based thin films. OAS measurements revealed an increase by about one order of magnitude of Zn {sup 3}P{sub 2} and {sup 3}P{sub 0} metastable atoms by varying the self-bias voltage on the ZnO target from −115 to −300 V. Over the whole range of experimental conditions investigated, the triplet-to-singlet metastable density ratio was 5 ± 1, which matches the statistical weight ratio of these states in Boltzmann equilibrium. Construction of a Boltzmann plot using all Zn I emission lines in the 200–500 nm revealed a constant excitation temperature of 0.33 ± 0.04 eV. In combination with measured populations of Zn {sup 3}P{sub 2} and {sup 3}P{sub 0} metastable atoms, this temperature was used to extrapolate the absolute number density of ground state Zn atoms. The results were found to be in excellent agreement with those obtained previously by actinometry on Zn atoms using Ar as the actinometer gas [L. Maaloul and L. Stafford, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 31, 061306 (2013)]. This set of data was then correlated to spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements of the deposition rate of Zn atoms on a Si substrate positioned at 12 cm away from the ZnO target. The deposition rate scaled linearly with the number density of Zn atoms. In sharp contrast with previous studies on RF magnetron sputtering of Cu targets, these findings indicate that metastable atoms play a negligible role on the plasma deposition dynamics of Zn-based coatings.

  2. Effect of hydrogen on the diode properties of reactively sputtered amorphous silicon Schottky barrier structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morel, D.L.; Moustakas, T.D.

    1981-01-01

    The diode properties of reactively sputtered hydrogenated amorphous silicon Schottky barrier structures (a-SiH/sub x/ /Pt) have been investigated. We find a systematic relation between the changes in the open circuit voltage, the barrier height, and the diode quality factor. These results are accounted for by assuming that hydrogen incorporation into the amorphous silicon network removes states from the top of the valence band and sharpens the valence-band tail. Interfacial oxide layers play a significant role in the low hydrogen content, and low band-gap regime

  3. Observation of a periodic runaway in the reactive Ar/O2 high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyedmohammad Shayestehaminzadeh

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports the observation of a periodic runaway of plasma to a higher density for the reactive discharge of the target material (Ti with moderate sputter yield. Variable emission of secondary electrons, for the alternating transition of the target from metal mode to oxide mode, is understood to be the main reason for the runaway occurring periodically. Increasing the pulsing frequency can bring the target back to a metal (or suboxide mode, and eliminate the periodic transition of the target. Therefore, a pulsing frequency interval is defined for the reactive Ar/O2 discharge in order to sustain the plasma in a runaway-free mode without exceeding the maximum power that the magnetron can tolerate.

  4. Effect of stress, strain and optical properties in vacuum and normal annealed ZnO thin films using RF magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, B. Santhosh; Purvaja, K.; Harinee, N.; Venkateswaran, C.

    2018-05-01

    Zinc oxide thin films have been deposited on quartz substrate using RF magnetron sputtering. The deposited films were subjected to different annealing atmosphere at a fixed temperature of 500 °C for 5h. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveals the shift in the peak of both normal annealed and vacuum annealed thin films when compared to as-deposited ZnO film. The crystallite size, intrinsic stress and other parameters were calculated from XRD data. The surface morphology of the obtained films were studied using Atomic force microscopy (AFM). From Uv-Visible spectroscopy, the peak at 374 nm of all the films is characteristics of ZnO. The structural, thermal stability and optical properties of the annealed ZnO films are discussed in detail.

  5. Atomistic self-sputtering mechanisms of rf breakdown in high-gradient linacs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Insepov, Z.; Norem, J.; Veitzer, S.

    2010-01-01

    Molecular dynamics (MD) models of sputtering solid and liquid surfaces - including the surfaces charged by interaction with plasma, Coulomb explosion, and Taylor cone formation - were developed. MD simulations of self-sputtering of a crystalline (1 0 0) copper surface by Cu + ions in a wide range of ion energies (50 eV-50 keV) were performed. In order to accommodate energetic ion impacts on a target, a computational model was developed that utilizes MD to simulate rapid atomic collisions in the central impact zone, and a finite-difference method to absorb the energy and shock wave for the collisional processes occurring at a longer time scales. The sputtering yield increases if the surface temperature rises and the surface melts as a result of heat from plasma. Electrostatic charging of the surface under bombardment with plasma ions is another mechanism that can dramatically increase the sputtering yield because it reduces the surface binding energy and the surface tension. An MD model of Taylor cone formation at a sharp tip placed in a high electric field was developed, and the model was used to simulate Taylor cone formation for the first time. Good agreement was obtained between the calculated Taylor cone angle (104.3 deg.) and the experimental one (98.6 deg.). A Coulomb explosion (CE) was proposed as the main surface failure mechanism triggering breakdown, and the dynamics of CE was studied by MD.

  6. In vitro behaviour of nanocrystalline silver-sputtered thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piedade, A P; Vieira, M T; Martins, A; Silva, F

    2007-01-01

    Silver thin films were deposited with different preferential orientations and special attention was paid to the bioreactivity of the surfaces. The study was essentially focused on the evaluation of the films by x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and contact angle measurements. The deposited thin films were characterized before and after immersion in S-enriched simulated human plasma in order to estimate the influence of the preferential crystallographic orientation on the in vitro behaviour. Silver thin films with and without (111) preferential crystallographic orientation were deposited by r.f. magnetron sputtering to yield nanocrystalline coatings, high compact structures, very hydrophobic surfaces and low roughness. These properties reduce the chemisorption of reactive species onto the film surface. The in vitro tests indicate that silver thin films can be used as coatings for biomaterials applications

  7. Titanium dioxide fine structures by RF magnetron sputter method deposited on an electron-beam resist mask

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashiba, Hideomi; Miyazaki, Yuta; Matsushita, Sachiko

    2013-09-01

    Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been draw attention for wide range of applications from photonic crystals for visible light range by its catalytic characteristics to tera-hertz range by its high refractive index. We present an experimental study of fabrication of fine structures of TiO2 with a ZEP electron beam resist mask followed by Ti sputter deposition techniques. A TiO2 thin layer of 150 nm thick was grown on an FTO glass substrate with a fine patterned ZEP resist mask by a conventional RF magnetron sputter method with Ti target. The deposition was carried out with argon-oxygen gases at a pressure of 5.0 x 10 -1 Pa in a chamber. During the deposition, ratio of Ar-O2 gas was kept to the ratio of 2:1 and the deposition ratio was around 0.5 Å/s to ensure enough oxygen to form TiO2 and low temperature to avoid deformation of fine pattern of the ZPU resist mask. Deposited TiO2 layers are white-transparent, amorphous, and those roughnesses are around 7 nm. Fabricated TiO2 PCs have wider TiO2 slabs of 112 nm width leaving periodic 410 x 410 nm2 air gaps. We also studied transformation of TiO2 layers and TiO2 fine structures by baking at 500 °C. XRD measurement for TiO2 shows that the amorphous TiO2 transforms to rutile and anatase forms by the baking while keeping the same profile of the fine structures. Our fabrication method can be one of a promising technique to optic devices on researches and industrial area.

  8. First prototype Copper-Niobium RF Superconducting Cavity

    CERN Multimedia

    1983-01-01

    This is the first RF superconducting cavity made of copper with a very thin layer of pure niobium deposited on the inner wall by sputtering. This new developpment lead to a considerable increase of performance and stability of superconducting cavities and to non-negligible economy. The work was carried out in the ISR workshop. This technique was adopted for the LEP II accelerating cavities. At the centre is Cristoforo Benvenuti, inventor of this important technology, with his assistants, Nadia Circelli and Max Hauer, carrying the sputtering electrode. See also 8209255, 8312339.

  9. Internal stress and opto-electronic properties of ZnO thin films deposited by reactive sputtering in various oxygen partial pressures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuyaerts, Romain; Poncelet, Olivier; Raskin, Jean-Pierre; Proost, Joris

    2017-10-01

    In this article, we propose ZnO thin films as a suitable material for piezoresistors in transparent and flexible electronics. ZnO thin films have been deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering at room temperature at various oxygen partial pressures. All the films have a wurtzite structure with a strong (0002) texture measured by XRD and are almost stoichiometric as measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The effect of oxygen concentration on grain growth has been studied by in-situ multi-beam optical stress sensor, showing internal stress going from 350 MPa to -1.1 GPa. The transition between tensile and compressive stress corresponds to the transition between metallic and oxidized mode of reactive sputtering. This transition also induces a large variation in optical properties—from absorbent to transparent, and in the resistivity—from 4 × 10 - 2 Ω .cm to insulating. Finally, the piezoresistance of the thin film has been studied and showed a gauge factor (ΔR/R)/ɛ comprised between -5.8 and -8.5.

  10. Improvement of dielectric properties of BLT thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Besland, M P; Barroy, P R J; Richard-Plouet, M; Tessier, P Y; Brohan, L; Djouadi, M A; Borderon, C; Tacon, S Le; Averty, D; Gundel, H W

    2008-01-01

    Well crystallized BLT thin films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering using a target of Aurivillius phase Bi 3.25 La 0.75 Ti 3 O 12 (BLT 0,75 ), elaborated in our institute. RF sputtering experiments were performed at room temperature with an argon/oxygen mixture, in a pressure range of 20-50 mTorr. Optimisation of the plasma parameters, namely deposition pressure, RF power and oxygen content in the gas phase, allows obtaining BLT films with a chemical composition close to Bi 3.25 La 0.75 Ti 3 O 12 . After ex-situ annealing under oxygen atmosphere at 650 deg. C, BLT films deposited on Pt/TiO 2 /SiO 2 /Si (multilayer) substrates exhibit well defined rod-like grains morphology. A two step deposition process appeared to be necessary in order to reach satisfying dielectric properties. The effect of the plasma parameters on the chemical composition and electrical properties are presented and discussed

  11. Visible light active Au:TiO2 nanocomposite photoanodes for water splitting: Sol-gel vs. sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naseri, N.; Sangpour, P.; Moshfegh, A.Z.

    2011-01-01

    In this study, pure TiO 2 and Au:TiO 2 nanocomposite thin films are both synthesized using sol-gel and RF reactive co-sputtering methods. Physical and photoelectrochemical properties of the thin films deposited by each method are compared. The optical density spectra and scanning electron microscopy images of the Au:TiO 2 films reveal formation of gold nanoparticles in the all nanocomposite films synthesized by two methods. Moreover, the optical bandgap energy of the thin films decreases with addition of Au nanoparticles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that the presence of gold in metallic state and the formation of TiO 2 is stoichiometric. The photoelectrochemical properties of the TiO 2 and Au:TiO 2 thin films are characterized by using a compartment cell containing KOH solution as electrolyte. It is found that in the pure systems, TiO 2 sputtered films shows a higher photocurrent under visible light illumination while a reverse result is obtained for the Au:TiO 2 systems. In addition, photoirradiation on electrode/electrolyte (EE) and substrate/electrode (SE) interfaces for the sputtered samples reveals the EE illumination enhances the photoresponse of the layers as compared to SE case.

  12. Effect of substrate temperature and oxygen partial pressure on RF sputtered NiO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheemadan, Saheer; Santhosh Kumar, M. C.

    2018-04-01

    Nickel oxide (NiO) thin films were deposited by RF sputtering process and the physical properties were investigated for varying substrate temperatures and oxygen partial pressure. The variation of the crystallographic orientation and microstructure of the NiO thin films with an increase in substrate temperature were studied. It was observed that NiO thin films deposited at 350 °C shows relatively good crystalline characteristics with a preferential orientation along (111) plane. With the optimum substrate temperature of 350 °C, the NiO thin films were deposited under various oxygen partial pressures at the same experimental conditions. The structural, optical and electrical properties of NiO thin films under varying oxygen partial pressure of 10%–50% were investigated. From XRD it is clear that the films prepared in the pure argon atmosphere were amorphous while the films in oxygen partial pressure exhibited polycrystalline NiO phase. SEM and AFM investigations unveil that the higher substrate temperature improves the microstructure of the thin films. It is revealed that the NiO thin films deposited at oxygen partial pressure of 40% and a substrate temperature of 350 °C, showed higher electrical conductivity with p-type characteristics.

  13. Indium tin oxide thin films by bias magnetron rf sputtering for heterojunction solar cells application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Liang; Zhou Zhibin; Peng Hua; Cui Rongqiang

    2005-01-01

    In this investigation ITO thin films were prepared by bias magnetron rf sputtering technique at substrate temperature of 180 deg. C and low substrate-target distance for future a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction (HJ) solar cells application. Microstructure, surface morphology, electrical and optical properties of these films were characterized and analyzed. The effects of ion bombardments on growing ITO films are well discussed. XRD analysis revealed a change in preferential orientation of polycrystalline structure from (2 2 2) to (4 0 0) plane with the increase of negative bias voltage. Textured surface were observed on AFM graphs of samples prepared at high negative bias. Hall measurements showed that the carrier density and Hall mobility of these ITO films are sensitive to the bias voltage applied. We attributed these effects to the sensitivity of energy of Ar + ions bombarding on growing films to the applied bias voltage in our experiments. At last the figure of merit was calculated to evaluate the quality of ITO thin films, the results of which show that sample prepared at bias voltage of -75 V is good to be used in HJ cells application

  14. Superhydrophobic photocatalytic PTFE – Titania coatings deposited by reactive pDC magnetron sputtering from a blended powder target

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ratova, Marina, E-mail: marina_ratova@hotmail.com; Kelly, Peter J.; West, Glen T.

    2017-04-01

    The production of photocatalytic coatings with superhydrophobic properties, as opposed to the conventional hydrophilic properties, is desirable for the prevention of adhesion of contaminants to photocatalytic surfaces with subsequent deterioration of photocatalytic properties. In this work polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) – TiO{sub 2} composite thin films were deposited using a novel method of reactive pulsed direct current (pDC) magnetron sputtering of a blended PTFE – titanium oxide powder target. The surface characteristics and photocatalytic properties of the deposited composite coatings were studied. The as-deposited coatings were annealed at 523 K in air and analysed with Raman spectroscopy, optical profilometry and scanning electron microscopy. Hydrophobicity was assessed though measurements of water contact angles, and photocatalytic properties were studied via methylene blue dye degradation under UV irradiation. It was found that variations of gas flow and, hence, process pressures allowed deposition of samples combining superhydrophobicity with stable photocatalytic efficiency under UV light irradiation. Reversible wettability behaviour was observed with the alternation of light-dark cycles. - Highlights: • PTFE-TiO{sub 2} coatings were deposited by pDC reactive magnetron sputtering. • Blended powder target was used for coatings deposition. • Deposited coatings combined superhydrophobic and photocatalytic properties. • Under UV irradiation coatings exhibited reversible wettability.

  15. Influence of rf-magnetron Sputtered ITO and Al:ZnO on Photovoltaic Behaviour Related to CuInSe2-Based Photovoltaic Solar Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez, M.A.; Guillen, C; Dona, J. M.; Herrero, J; Gutierrez, M. T.

    2000-01-01

    This paper describes several investigations, made in the CIEMAT, on the capability of depositing transparent conducting oxides at room temperature by rf-magnetron sputtering, and their application in CuInSe 2 -based photovoltaic solar cells. ITO and Al:ZnO thin films having simultaneously high transmittance in the visible range and low resistivity, 10 3 -10 - 4 Ωcm, can be obtained only if oxygen mass-flow rate is constrained to a very narrow range (0.5 - 1 sccm). Cell efficiency enhance when transparent conducting oxides are made without intentional heating and, after, the total devices are annealed in air at 200 degree centigree. (Author) 40 refs

  16. Deposition and characterization of ZrMoN thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fontes Junir, A.S.; Felix, L.C.; Oliveira, G.B. de; Fernandez, D.R.; Carvalho, R.G.; Tentardini, E.K.; Silva Junior, A.H. da

    2016-01-01

    Thin films of ZrMoN were deposited by magnetron reactive sputtering technique in order to study the molybdenum influence on the mechanical properties and oxidation resistance of these coatings. Three thin films with molybdenum concentrations from 25 to 40 at.% were selected. The displacement of characteristic peaks of ZrN where identified by GIXRD results of films with larger Mo content. This result is indicative of the Mo accommodation in the lattice structure. Hardness tests revealed favorable results with values up to 33 GPa. Oxidation tests showed that ZrN oxidized at 500 °C with a monoclinic ZrO 2 and tetragonal formation; whereas the thin films with Mo addition impeded the formation of the monoclinic ZrO 2 phase at partial oxidation. (author)

  17. Structural and thermal properties of nanocrystalline CuO synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verma, M. [Department of Chemistry, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee-247667, India and Nano Science Laboratory, Institute Instrumentation Centre, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee-247667 (India); Gupta, V. K. [Department of Chemistry, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee-247667 (India); Gautam, Y. K.; Dave, V.; Chandra, R. [Nano Science Laboratory, Institute Instrumentation Centre, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee-247667 (India)

    2014-01-28

    Recent research has shown immense application of metal oxides like CuO, MgO, CaO, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, etc. in different areas which includes chemical warfare agents, medical drugs, magnetic storage media and solar energy transformation. Among the metal oxides, CuO nanoparticles are of special interest because of their excellent gas sensing and catalytic properties. In this paper we report structural and thermal properties of CuO synthesized by reactive magnetron DC sputtering. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffractometer. The XRD result reveals that as DC power increased from 30W to 80W, size of the CuO nanoparticles increased. The same results have been verified through TEM analysis. Thermal properties of these particles were studied using thermogravimetry.

  18. Electrochromic Properties of Tungsten Oxide Films Prepared by Reactive Sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Min Hong; Kang, Tai Young; Jung, Yu Sup; Kim, Kyung Hwan

    2013-05-01

    WO3-x thin films were deposited on induim tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates with various oxygen flow ratios from 0.55 to 0.7 by the reactive facing-target sputtering method, at a power density of 4 W/cm2 and room temperature. The structural properties of the WO3-x thin films were measured by X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectral analysis. As-deposited WO3-x thin films had an amorphous structure. In the Raman spectra, WO3-x thin films exhibited two strong peaks at 770 and 950 cm-1 attributed to the vibrations of W6+-O and W6+=O bonds, respectively. The electrochemical and optical properties of WO3-x thin films were measured by cyclic voltammetry and UV/vis spectrometry. The results showed the highest charge density at an oxygen flow ratio of 0.7 and the highest transmittance in the visible range. The maximum coloration efficiency was 30.82 cm2/C at an oxygen flow ratio of 0.7.

  19. Visible and infrared photoluminescence from erbium-doped silicon nanocrystals produced by rf sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cerqueira, M.F.; Alpuim, P. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade do Minho, Braga (Portugal); Losurdo, M. [Plasma Chemistry Research Center, CNR, Bari (Italy); Monteiro, T.; Soares, M.J.; Peres, M. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro (Portugal); Stepikova, M. [Institute for Physics of Microstructures RAS, 603600 Nizhnij Novgorod GSP-105 (Russian Federation)

    2007-06-15

    Erbium-doped low-dimensional Si films with different microstructures were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering on glass substrates by varying the hydrogen flow rate during deposition. Amorphous, micro- and nanocrystalline samples, consisting of Si nanocrystalls embedded in silicon-based matrices with different structures, were achieved with optical properties in the visible and IR depending on nanocrystalline fraction and matrix structure and chemical composition. Structural characterization was performed by X-ray diffraction in the grazing incidence geometry and Raman spectroscopy. The chemical composition was studied using RBS/ERD techniques. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was combined with the previous techniques to further resolve the film microstructure and composition. In particular, the distribution along the film thickness of the volume fractions of nanocrystalline/amorphous silicon and SiO{sub x} phases has been obtained. In this contribution we discuss visible and infrared photoluminescence as a function of sample microstructure and of the oxygen/hydrogen concentration ratio present in the matrix. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  20. Visible-light active thin-film WO3 photocatalyst with controlled high-rate deposition by low-damage reactive-gas-flow sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nobuto Oka

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available A process based on reactive gas flow sputtering (GFS for depositing visible-light active photocatalytic WO3 films at high deposition rates and with high film quality was successfully demonstrated. The deposition rate for this process was over 10 times higher than that achieved by the conventional sputtering process and the process was highly stable. Furthermore, Pt nanoparticle-loaded WO3 films deposited by the GFS process exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than those deposited by conventional sputtering, where the photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the extent of decomposition of CH3CHO under visible light irradiation. The decomposition time for 60 ppm of CH3CHO was 7.5 times more rapid on the films deposited by the GFS process than on the films deposited by the conventional process. During GFS deposition, there are no high-energy particles bombarding the growing film surface, whereas the bombardment of the surface with high-energy particles is a key feature of conventional sputtering. Hence, the WO3 films deposited by GFS should be of higher quality, with fewer structural defects, which would lead to a decrease in the number of centers for electron-hole recombination and to the efficient use of photogenerated holes for the decomposition of CH3CHO.

  1. Sputter crater formation in the case of microsecond pulsed glow discharge in a Grimm-type source. Comparison of direct current and radio frequency modes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Efimova, Varvara; Hoffmann, Volker; Eckert, Jürgen

    2012-10-01

    Depth profiling with pulsed glow discharge is a promising technique. The application of pulsed voltage for sputtering reduces the sputtering rate and thermal stress and hereby improves the analysis of thin layered and thermally fragile samples. However pulsed glow discharge is not well studied and this limits its practical use. The current work deals with the questions which usually arise when the pulsed mode is applied: Which duty cycle, frequency and pulse length must be chosen to get the optimal sputtering rate and crater shape? Are the well-known sputtering effects of the continuous mode valid also for the pulsed regime? Is there any difference between dc and rf pulsing in terms of sputtering? It is found that the pulse length is a crucial parameter for the crater shape and thermal effects. Sputtering with pulsed dc and rf modes is found to be similar. The observed sputtering effects at various pulsing parameters helped to interpret and optimize the depth resolution of GD OES depth profiles.

  2. Growth and structural properties of reactively co-sputtered CIGS films and their solar cell applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jeha [Cheongju University, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of); Park, Nae-Man [Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-02-15

    Using reactive sputtering, we fabricated stoichiometric CuIn{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films. Both Cu{sub 0.6}Ga{sub 0.4} (CuGa) and Cu{sub 0.4}In{sub 0.6} (CuIn) alloy targets were simultaneously sputtered under the delivery of elemental Se produced from a thermal cracker. By changing the sputtering rates of the CuGa and the CuIn, we were able to obtain the composition ratios of Cu/(Ga+In) and Ga/(Ga+In) in the range of 0.71-0.95 and 0.10-0.30, respectively. Both the grain size and the surface roughness of the CIGS film increased as the Cu/(Ga+In) ratio increased. In the X-ray diffraction analysis on CIGS films of 0.9 m, preferential growth with a [112] orientation was found, and reflections from the (211), (220)/(204), (301), (312)/(116), (400)/(008), and (332)/(316) planes were observed. The CIGS films showed the existence of Cu{sub 2-x}Se phases in the Cu-rich samples and ordered defect compound (ODC) phases in the Cu-poor films, as confirmed in the Raman measurements. A best device performance of η = 8.1%, V{sub oc} = 0.442 V, J{sub sc} = 34.3 mA/cm{sup 2}, and FF = 53.4% was obtained from a cell fabricated with a CIGS layer (t = 0.9 μm) with the Cu/(Ga+In) ratio = 0.71 and the Ga/(Ga+In) ratio = 0.10.

  3. Significant effect of substrate temperature on the phase structure, optical and electrical properties of RF sputtered CIGS films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu Zhou; Yan Yong; Li Shasha; Zhang Yanxia; Yan Chuanpeng; Liu Lian; Zhang Yong [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Suspension Technology and Maglev Vehicle, Ministry of Education, Superconductivity and New energy R and D Center (SNERDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Zhao Yong, E-mail: yzhao@swjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Suspension Technology and Maglev Vehicle, Ministry of Education, Superconductivity and New energy R and D Center (SNERDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW (Australia)

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Secondary phase exist in the RF sputtered CIGS films as it deposited at 150 Degree-Sign C and 500 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CIGS films deposited beyond 350 Degree-Sign C show (1 1 2) prefer orientation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer E{sub g} of the CIGS films increased with the increase of substrate temperature. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Conductivity of the films is affected by 'variable range hopping' mechanism. - Abstract: This work studied the effect of substrate temperature on the phase structure, optical and electrical properties of the one-step radio frequency sputtered Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that all the deposited CIGS films are chalcopyrite phase with polycrystalline structure. The films deposited beyond the substrate temperature of 350 Degree-Sign C show (1 1 2) prefer orientation. Raman spectra reveal that the 150 Degree-Sign C deposited CIGS film coexists with Cu{sub 2-x}Se phase and the 500 Degree-Sign C deposited film contains ordered defect compound (ODC) phase. With the increase of substrate temperature, energy band gap of the CIGS film increase from 0.99 to 1.27 eV. Films deposited at higher temperature exhibit larger electrical conductivity. Conductivity of the CIGS films is dominated by 'variable range hopping' mechanism. The disorder in our CIGS the films is associated with the formation of intrinsic defects such as V{sub Se} and In{sub Cu} for their low formation energy.

  4. Electrical transport properties of V2O5 thin films obtained by thermal annealing of layers grown by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giannetta, H.M.R.; Calaza, C.; Lamas, D.G.; Fonseca, L.; Fraigi, L.

    2015-01-01

    The present study investigates the main electrical transport mechanism in V 2 O 5 thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on the basis of the Mott's small polaron hopping model. The material under test was obtained at room temperature from a V 2 O 5 target and then oxidized at high temperature under air atmosphere to obtain the desired V 2 O 5 phase. The dependence of the electrical conductivity of the V 2 O 5 thin films with temperature was analyzed using the Mott's small polarons hopping transport model under the Schnakenberg form. Model results suggest a polaron binding energy W H = 0.1682 eV, with a structural disorder energy W D = 0.2241 eV and an optical phonon frequency ν 0 = 0.468 × 10 13 s −1 . These results are in agreement with data reported in literature for single crystal V 2 O 5 . However, the carrier mobility μ = 1.5019 × 10 −5 cm 2 /Vs computed in the non-adiabatic regime is significantly smaller than that of the single crystal, suggesting a strong electron–phonon coupling in the V 2 O 5 thin films obtained with the proposed deposition method. - Highlights: • A two-stage deposition method compatible with lift-off patterning is proposed. • V 2 O 5 films are deposited by RF magnetron sputtering and then annealed in air. • Films are analyzed by SEM and its pure phase nature is confirmed by XRD. • Electrical conductivity was fitted using Mott's model for small polarons. • Fit derived parameters confirm charge transport through small-polarons hopping

  5. Influence of deposition parameters on the optical and structural properties of TiO/sub 2/ films produced by reactive dc plasmatron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schiller, S; Beister, G; Sieber, W; Schirmer, G; Hacker, E

    1981-09-11

    We investigated the variations in the structure and optical properties of TiO/sub 2/ films produced by reactive d.c. plasmatron sputtering with the most important deposition parameters. Over a wide range, the phase composition (ratio of rutile to anatase) and the grain size of the TiO/sub 2/ films can be influenced in a controlled manner by variations in the substrate temperature and the oxygen partial pressure. Because of their high refractive index and low light-scattering losses, plasmatron-sputtered TiO/sub 2/ films are of great interest in the field of optical interference coatings, e.g. for dielectric multilayer stacks.

  6. Composition changes in sputter deposition of Y-Ba-Cu-O films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoshi, Y.; Naoe, M.

    1989-01-01

    The authors discuss the mechanism of the composition change in sputter deposition of Y-BA-Cu-O film from YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-chi target investigated by means of a rf planar magnetron sputtering apparatus. Film composition changes significantly with not only substrate temperature Ts and sputtering gas pressure, but also substrate position. Lack of Cu and Ba content is significant in the film deposited at the substrate position just above the erosion area of the sputtering target. Suppression of bombardment of the substrate surface by negative ions emitted from the target and substrate is effective in increasing Cu and Ba content in the film. These results indicate not only that the sticking probability of the sputtered particles changes with Ts and incident particle energy, but also that high energy particle bombardment of the substrate surface plays an important role in the change of the film composition

  7. Effect of thickness on optoelectrical properties of Nb-doped indium tin oxide thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shi-na; Ma, Rui-xin; Ma, Chun-hong; Li, Dong-ran; Xiao, Yu-qin; He, Liang-wei; Zhu, Hong-min

    2013-05-01

    Niobium-doped indium tin oxide (ITO:Nb) thin films are prepared on glass substrates with various film thicknesses by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering from one piece of ceramic target material. The effects of thickness (60-360 nm) on the structural, electrical and optical properties of ITO: Nb films are investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy, and electrical measurements. XRD patterns show the highly oriented (400) direction. The lowest resistivity of the films without any heat treatment is 3.1×10-4Ω·cm-1, and the resistivity decreases with the increase of substrate temperature. The highest Hall mobility and carrier concentration are 17.6 N·S and 1.36×1021 cm-3, respectively. Band gap energy of the films depends on substrate temperature, which varies from 3.48 eV to 3.62 eV.

  8. Magnetostrictive thin films prepared by RF sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carabias, I.; Martinez, A.; Garcia, M.A.; Pina, E.; Gonzalez, J.M.; Hernando, A.; Crespo, P.

    2005-01-01

    Fe 80 B 20 thin films have been prepared by ion beam sputtering magnetron on room temperature. The films were fabricated on different substrates to compare the different magnetic and structural properties. In particular the growth of films on flexible substrates (PDMS, Kapton) has been studied to allow a simple integration of the system in miniaturized magnetostrictive devices. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that films are mainly amorphous although the presence of some Fe nanoparticles cannot be ruled out. The coercive field of thin films ranges between 15 and 35 Oe, depending on substrate. Magnetostriction measurements indicate the strong dependence of the saturation magnetostriction with the substrate. Samples on flexible substrates exhibit a better performance than samples deposited onto glass substrates

  9. Growth dynamics of reactive-sputtering-deposited AlN films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Auger, M.A.; Vazquez, L.; Sanchez, O.; Jergel, M.; Cuerno, R.; Castro, M.

    2005-01-01

    We have studied the surface kinetic roughening of AlN films grown on Si(100) substrates by dc reactive sputtering within the framework of the dynamic scaling theory. Films deposited under the same experimental conditions for different growth times were analyzed by atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction. The AlN films display a (002) preferred orientation. We have found two growth regimes with a crossover time of 36 min. In the first regime, the growth dynamics is unstable and the films present two types of textured domains, well textured and randomly oriented, respectively. In contrast, in the second regime the films are homogeneous and well textured, leading to a relative stabilization of the surface roughness characterized by a growth exponent β=0.37±0.03. In this regime a superrough scaling behavior is found with the following exponents: (i) Global exponents: roughness exponent α=1.2±0.2 and β=0.37±0.03 and coarsening exponent 1/z=0.32±0.05; (ii) local exponents: α loc =1, β loc =0.32±0.01. The differences between the growth modes are found to be related to the different main growth mechanisms dominating their growth dynamics: sticking anisotropy and shadowing, respectively

  10. Deposition Rates of High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering: Physics and Economics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anders, Andre

    2009-11-22

    Deposition by high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) is considered by some as the new paradigm of advanced sputtering technology, yet this is met with skepticism by others for the reported lower deposition rates, if compared to rates of more conventional sputtering of equal average power. In this contribution, the underlying physical reasons for the rate changes are discussed, including (i) ion return to the target and self-sputtering, (ii) the less-than-linear increase of the sputtering yield with increasing ion energy, (iii) yield changes due to the shift of species responsible for sputtering, (iv) changes to due to greater film density, limited sticking, and self-sputtering on the substrate, (v) noticeable power losses in the switch module, (vi) changes of the magnetic balance and particle confinement of the magnetron due to self-fields at high current, and (vii) superposition of sputtering and sublimation/evaporation for selected materials. The situation is even more complicated for reactive systems where the target surface chemistry is a function of the reactive gas partial pressure and discharge conditions. While most of these factors imply a reduction of the normalized deposition rate, increased rates have been reported for certain conditions using hot targets and less poisoned targets. Finally, some points of economics and HIPIMS benefits considered.

  11. Deposition rates of high power impulse magnetron sputtering: Physics and economics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anders, Andre

    2010-01-01

    Deposition by high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) is considered by some as the new paradigm of advanced sputtering technology, yet this is met with skepticism by others for the reported lower deposition rates, if compared to rates of more conventional sputtering of equal average power. In this contribution, the underlying physical reasons for the rate changes are discussed, including (i) ion return to the target and self-sputtering, (ii) the less-than-linear increase in the sputtering yield with increasing ion energy, (iii) yield changes due to the shift of species responsible for sputtering, (iv) changes due to greater film density, limited sticking, and self-sputtering on the substrate, (v) noticeable power losses in the switch module, (vi) changes in the magnetic balance and particle confinement of the magnetron due to self-fields at high current, and (vii) superposition of sputtering and sublimation/evaporation for selected materials. The situation is even more complicated for reactive systems where the target surface chemistry is a function of the reactive gas partial pressure and discharge conditions. While most of these factors imply a reduction in the normalized deposition rate, increased rates have been reported for certain conditions using hot targets and less poisoned targets. Finally, some points of economics and HIPIMS benefits are considered.

  12. Enhancement of optical transmittance and electrical resistivity of post-annealed ITO thin films RF sputtered on Si

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Ahmad Hadi; Hassan, Zainuriah; Shuhaimi, Ahmad

    2018-06-01

    This paper reports on the enhancement of optical transmittance and electrical resistivity of indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent conductive oxides (TCO) deposited by radio frequency (RF) sputtering on Si substrate. Post-annealing was conducted on the samples at temperature ranges of 500-700 °C. From X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), ITO (2 2 2) peak was observed after post-annealing indicating crystallization phase of the films. From UV-vis measurements, the ITO thin film shows highest transmittance of more than 90% at post-annealing temperature of 700 °C as compared to the as-deposited thin films. From atomic force microscope (AFM), the surface roughness becomes smoother after post-annealing as compared to the as-deposited. The lowest electrical resistivity for ITO sample is 6.68 × 10-4 Ω cm after post-annealed at 700 °C that are contributed by high carrier concentration and mobility. The improved structural and surface morphological characteristics helps in increasing the optical transmittance and reducing the electrical resistivity of the ITO thin films.

  13. Effects of gas flow rate on the structure and elemental composition of tin oxide thin films deposited by RF sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Mansoori, Muntaser; Al-Shaibani, Sahar; Al-Jaeedi, Ahlam; Lee, Jisung; Choi, Daniel; Hasoon, Falah S.

    2017-12-01

    Photovoltaic technology is one of the key answers for a better sustainable future. An important layer in the structure of common photovoltaic cells is the transparent conductive oxide. A widely applied transparent conductive oxide is tin oxide (SnO2). The advantage of using tin oxide comes from its high stability and low cost in processing. In our study, we investigate effects of working gas flow rate and oxygen content in radio frequency (RF)-sputtering system on the growth of intrinsic SnO2 (i-SnO2) layers. X-ray diffraction results showed that amorphous-like with nano-crystallite structure, and the surface roughness varied from 1.715 to 3.936 nm. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed different types of point defects, such as tin interstitials and oxygen vacancies, in deposited i-SnO2 films.

  14. Effects of gas flow rate on the structure and elemental composition of tin oxide thin films deposited by RF sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muntaser Al-Mansoori

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Photovoltaic technology is one of the key answers for a better sustainable future. An important layer in the structure of common photovoltaic cells is the transparent conductive oxide. A widely applied transparent conductive oxide is tin oxide (SnO2. The advantage of using tin oxide comes from its high stability and low cost in processing. In our study, we investigate effects of working gas flow rate and oxygen content in radio frequency (RF-sputtering system on the growth of intrinsic SnO2 (i-SnO2 layers. X-ray diffraction results showed that amorphous-like with nano-crystallite structure, and the surface roughness varied from 1.715 to 3.936 nm. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed different types of point defects, such as tin interstitials and oxygen vacancies, in deposited i-SnO2 films.

  15. Effects of oxygen addition in reactive cluster beam deposition of tungsten by magnetron sputtering with gas aggregation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Polášek, J., E-mail: xpolasekj@seznam.cz [Department of Surface and Plasma Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Physic, Charles University, V Holešovičkách 2, Prague 8, CZ-18000 (Czech Republic); Mašek, K. [Department of Surface and Plasma Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Physic, Charles University, V Holešovičkách 2, Prague 8, CZ-18000 (Czech Republic); Marek, A.; Vyskočil, J. [HVM Plasma Ltd., Na Hutmance 2, Prague 5, CZ-158 00 (Czech Republic)

    2015-09-30

    In this work, we investigated the possibilities of tungsten and tungsten oxide nanoclusters generation by means of non-reactive and reactive magnetron sputtering with gas aggregation. It was found that in pure argon atmosphere, cluster aggregation proceeded in two regimes depending on argon pressure in the aggregation chamber. At the lower pressure, cluster generation was dominated by two-body collisions yielding larger clusters (about 5.5 nm in diameter) at lower rate. At higher pressures, cluster generation was dominated by three-body collisions yielding smaller clusters (3–4 nm in diameter) at higher rate. The small amount of oxygen admixture in the aggregation chamber had considerable influence on cluster aggregation process. At certain critical pressure, the presence of oxygen led to the raise of deposition rate and cluster size. Resulting clusters were composed mostly of tungsten trioxide. The oxygen pressure higher than critical led to the target poisoning and the decrease in the sputtering rate. Critical oxygen pressure decreased with increasing argon pressure, suggesting that cluster aggregation process was influenced by atomic oxygen species (namely, O{sup −} ion) generated by oxygen–argon collisions in the magnetron plasma. - Highlights: • Formation of tungsten and tungsten oxide clusters was observed. • Two modes of cluster aggregation in pure argon atmosphere were found. • Dependence of cluster deposition speed and size on oxygen admixture was observed. • Changes of dependence on oxygen with changing argon pressure were described.

  16. Effects of oxygen addition in reactive cluster beam deposition of tungsten by magnetron sputtering with gas aggregation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Polášek, J.; Mašek, K.; Marek, A.; Vyskočil, J.

    2015-01-01

    In this work, we investigated the possibilities of tungsten and tungsten oxide nanoclusters generation by means of non-reactive and reactive magnetron sputtering with gas aggregation. It was found that in pure argon atmosphere, cluster aggregation proceeded in two regimes depending on argon pressure in the aggregation chamber. At the lower pressure, cluster generation was dominated by two-body collisions yielding larger clusters (about 5.5 nm in diameter) at lower rate. At higher pressures, cluster generation was dominated by three-body collisions yielding smaller clusters (3–4 nm in diameter) at higher rate. The small amount of oxygen admixture in the aggregation chamber had considerable influence on cluster aggregation process. At certain critical pressure, the presence of oxygen led to the raise of deposition rate and cluster size. Resulting clusters were composed mostly of tungsten trioxide. The oxygen pressure higher than critical led to the target poisoning and the decrease in the sputtering rate. Critical oxygen pressure decreased with increasing argon pressure, suggesting that cluster aggregation process was influenced by atomic oxygen species (namely, O"− ion) generated by oxygen–argon collisions in the magnetron plasma. - Highlights: • Formation of tungsten and tungsten oxide clusters was observed. • Two modes of cluster aggregation in pure argon atmosphere were found. • Dependence of cluster deposition speed and size on oxygen admixture was observed. • Changes of dependence on oxygen with changing argon pressure were described.

  17. Improvement of dielectric properties of BLT thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Besland, M P; Barroy, P R J; Richard-Plouet, M; Tessier, P Y; Brohan, L; Djouadi, M A [Universite de Nantes - Institut des Materiaux Jean Rouxel, UMR CNRS 6502, 2, rue de la Houssiniere BP32229, 44322 Nantes Cedex (France); Borderon, C; Tacon, S Le; Averty, D; Gundel, H W [Institut de Recherche en Electrotechnique et Electronique de Nantes Atlantique, UPRES-EA 1770, IREENA, Universite de Nantes, 2, rue de la Houssiniere, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex (France)], E-mail: Marie-Paule.Besland@cnrs-imn.fr

    2008-01-15

    Well crystallized BLT thin films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering using a target of Aurivillius phase Bi{sub 3.25}La{sub 0.75}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 12}(BLT{sub 0,75}), elaborated in our institute. RF sputtering experiments were performed at room temperature with an argon/oxygen mixture, in a pressure range of 20-50 mTorr. Optimisation of the plasma parameters, namely deposition pressure, RF power and oxygen content in the gas phase, allows obtaining BLT films with a chemical composition close to Bi{sub 3.25}La{sub 0.75}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 12}. After ex-situ annealing under oxygen atmosphere at 650 deg. C, BLT films deposited on Pt/TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Si (multilayer) substrates exhibit well defined rod-like grains morphology. A two step deposition process appeared to be necessary in order to reach satisfying dielectric properties. The effect of the plasma parameters on the chemical composition and electrical properties are presented and discussed.

  18. Effects of sputtering power on properties of copper oxides thin films deposited on glass substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ooi, P. K.; Ng, S. S.; Abdullah, M. J. [Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang (Malaysia)

    2015-04-24

    Copper oxides are deposited by radio frequency sputtering using copper target in the mixture of argon and oxygen gasses. The structural and optical properties of the copper oxides deposited at different sputtering powers have been investigated. All the films are single phase polycrystalline. At low RF power (100 W), the film is monoclinic structure of cupric oxide (CuO). Meanwhile, the films are cubic structure of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) at higher RF power. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images show the films have different morphologies with small grain size and consist of a lot of voids. The analysis of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy shows that the ratio of Cu to O is increased as the RF power increased. From the ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, the films have a broad absorption edge in the range of 300–500 nm. The band gap of the films grown at RF power of 100 W, and 120 W and above, were 1.18 eV and 2.16 eV, respectively.

  19. Morphology and life-time investigations of dry-lubricating MoS2 films deposited by RF-sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Menoud, C.; Kocher, H.; Hinterman, H.E.

    1985-01-01

    Morphology and life-time investigations in vacuum, dry and humid air, of thin, dry-lubricating MoS 2 -films, deposited by rf-sputtering, are reported, using scanning electron microscopical analysis (SEM) and pin on disc friction measurements. Beyond a certain relative humidity the life-time decreases rapidly by about two orders of magnitude, and the coefficient of friction increases from 0.02 to 0.04 in vacuum to 0.20 to 0.30 in humid air. Considering these changes, the useful life-time of a coating was defined as the number of revolutions at a given radius till the coefficient of friction reaches a value of 0.4. Life-time studies were also conducted with Rhodium interlayers and other substrate and pin materials. With the above life-time criterion and the selected pin-on-disc test conditions, the life-time does not show any significant change within an MoS 2 thickness range of 0.2 to 1.5 μm. Finally the life-time distribution of 160 depositions as well as some preliminary results on torque measurements with MoS 2 coated precision roller bearings are presented. (author)

  20. Effects of deposition temperatures on structure and physical properties of Cd 1-xZn xTe films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Dongmei; Jie, Wanqi; Zhou, Hai; Yang, Yingge

    2010-02-01

    Cd 1-xZn xTe films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering from Cd 0.9Zn 0.1Te crystals target at different substrate temperatures (100-400 °C). The effects of the deposition temperature on structure and physical properties of Cd 1-xZn xTe films have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), step profilometer, atomic force microscopy (AFM), ultraviolet spectrophotometer and Hall effect measurements. X-ray studies suggest that the deposited films were polycrystalline with preferential (1 1 1) orientation. AFM micrographs show that the grain size was changed from 50 to 250 nm with the increase of deposition temperatures, the increased grain size may result from kinetic factors during sputtering growth. The optical transmission data indicate that shallow absorption edge occurs in the range of 744-835 nm and that the optical absorption coefficient is varied with the increase of deposition temperatures. In Hall Effect measurements, the sheet resistivities of the deposited films are 3.2×10 8, 3.0×10 8, 1.9×10 8 and 1.1×10 8 Ohm/sq, which were decreased with the increase of substrate temperatures. Analysis of the resistivity of films depended on the substrate temperatures is discussed.

  1. Effect of oxygen intercalation on properties of sputtered CuYO 2 for ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Keywords. Transparent conducting oxide; RF sputtering; -type TCO. ... The positive sign of Seebeck coefficient (+274 VK-1) confirms the -type conductivity of the films. The optical bandgap of CuYO2 ... Bulletin of Materials Science | News.

  2. Optical and electrical characterization of r.f. sputtered ITO films developed as art protection coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boycheva, Sylvia; Sytchkova, Anna Krasilnikova; Piegari, Angela

    2007-01-01

    Transparent and conductive tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films have been prepared by r.f. plasma sputtering technique in Ar and Ar + O 2 gas mixture. The influence of the deposition conditions, film thickness, and substrate heating, as well as the post-annealing treatment on the optical and electrical properties of the ITO films has been investigated. The present study has extended the optical behaviour characterization of the ITO films in a wide UV-VIS-IR spectral region in addition to the comprehensive optical studies of this material at shorter wavelengths. The optical constants: refractive index (n), extinction (k) and absorption (α) coefficient, and the optical band gap (E go ) have been calculated for the ITO films in the spectral range between 350 and 2500 nm. A combination of several well-known theoretical models has been applied to describe precisely the complex optical behaviour of ITO films in separate spectral parts. In this approach, a good overlapping between the experimental and the simulated spectra in the whole investigated spectral region has been achieved. The deposition conditions and the optical and electrical properties of the ITO films have been optimized with respect to the requirements for their applications in art protection coatings

  3. Structural, chemical and nanomechanical investigations of SiC/polymeric a-C:H films deposited by reactive RF unbalanced magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomastik, C.; Lackner, J. M.; Pauschitz, A.; Roy, M.

    2016-03-01

    Amorphous carbon (or diamond-like carbon, DLC) films have shown a number of important properties usable for a wide range of applications for very thin coatings with low friction and good wear resistance. DLC films alloyed with (semi-)metals show some improved properties and can be deposited by various methods. Among those, the widely used magnetron sputtering of carbon targets is known to increase the number of defects in the films. Therefore, in this paper an alternative approach of depositing silicon-carbide-containing polymeric hydrogenated DLC films using unbalanced magnetron sputtering was investigated. The influence of the C2H2 precursor concentration in the deposition chamber on the chemical and structural properties of the deposited films was investigated by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and elastic recoil detection analysis. Roughness, mechanical properties and scratch response of the films were evaluated with the help of atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation. The Raman spectra revealed a strong correlation of the film structure with the C2H2 concentration during deposition. A higher C2H2 flow rate results in an increase in SiC content and decrease in hydrogen content in the film. This in turn increases hardness and elastic modulus and decreases the ratio H/E and H3/E2. The highest scratch resistance is exhibited by the film with the highest hardness, and the film having the highest overall sp3 bond content shows the highest elastic recovery during scratching.

  4. Influence of sputtering power on the optical properties of ITO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    K, Aijo John; M, Deepak, E-mail: manju.thankamoni@gmail.com; T, Manju, E-mail: manju.thankamoni@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Sree Sankara College, Kalady P. O., Ernakulam Dist., Kerala (India); Kumar, Vineetha V. [Dept. of Physics, K. E. College, Mannanam, Kottayam Dist., Kerala (India)

    2014-10-15

    Tin doped indium oxide films are widely used in transparent conducting coatings such as flat panel displays, crystal displays and in optical devices such as solar cells and organic light emitting diodes due to the high electrical resistivity and optical transparency in the visible region of solar spectrum. The deposition parameters have a commendable influence on the optical and electrical properties of the thin films. In this study, ITO thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. The properties of the films prepared under varying sputtering power were compared using UV- visible spectrophotometry. Effect of sputtering power on the energy band gap, absorption coefficient and refractive index are investigated.

  5. Electrical and optical properties of reactive dc magnetron sputtered silver-doped indium oxide thin films: role of oxygen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subrahmanyam, A.; Barik, U.K.

    2006-01-01

    Silver-doped indium oxide thin films have been prepared on glass and quartz substrates at room temperature (300 K) by a reactive dc magnetron sputtering technique using an alloy target of pure indium and silver (80:20 at. %). During sputtering, the oxygen flow rates are varied in the range 0.00-2.86 sccm keeping the magnetron power constant at 40 W. The resistivity of these films is in the range 10 0 -10 -3 Ωcm and they show a negative temperature coefficient of resistivity. The films exhibit p-type conductivity at an oxygen flow rate of 1.71 sccm. The work function of these silver-indium oxide films has been measured by a Kelvin probe technique. The refractive index of the films (at 632.8 nm) varies in the range 1.13-1.20. Silver doping in indium oxide narrows the band gap of indium oxide (3.75 eV). (orig.)

  6. Electrical and optical properties of reactive dc magnetron sputtered silver-doped indium oxide thin films: role of oxygen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Subrahmanyam, A; Barik, U K [Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Semiconductor Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Chennai (India)

    2006-07-15

    Silver-doped indium oxide thin films have been prepared on glass and quartz substrates at room temperature (300 K) by a reactive dc magnetron sputtering technique using an alloy target of pure indium and silver (80:20 at. %). During sputtering, the oxygen flow rates are varied in the range 0.00-2.86 sccm keeping the magnetron power constant at 40 W. The resistivity of these films is in the range 10{sup 0}-10{sup -3} {omega}cm and they show a negative temperature coefficient of resistivity. The films exhibit p-type conductivity at an oxygen flow rate of 1.71 sccm. The work function of these silver-indium oxide films has been measured by a Kelvin probe technique. The refractive index of the films (at 632.8 nm) varies in the range 1.13-1.20. Silver doping in indium oxide narrows the band gap of indium oxide (3.75 eV). (orig.)

  7. SHI induced effects on the electrical and optical properties of HfO_2 thin films deposited by RF sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manikanthababu, N.; Dhanunjaya, M.; Nageswara Rao, S.V.S.; Pathak, A.P.

    2016-01-01

    The continuous downscaling of Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) devices has reached a limit with SiO_2 as a gate dielectric material. Introducing high-k dielectric materials as a replacement for the conservative SiO_2 is the only alternative to reduce the leakage current. HfO_2 is a reliable and an impending material for the wide usage as a gate dielectric in semiconductor industry. HfO_2 thin films were synthesized by RF sputtering technique. Here, we present a study of Swift Heavy Ion (SHI) irradiation with100 MeV Ag ions for studying the optical properties as well as 80 MeV Ni ions for studying the electrical properties of HfO_2/Si thin films. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), profilometer and I–V (leakage current) measurements have been employed to study the SHI induced effects on both the structural, electrical and optical properties.

  8. Effect of substrate temperature in the structural, optical and ferroelectric properties of thin films of BaTiO{sub 3} deposited by RF sputtering; Efecto de la temperatura de substrato en las propiedades estructurales, opticas y ferroelectricas de peliculas delgadas de BaTiO{sub 3} depositadas por RF sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marquez H, A. [Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Coordinacion Academica Region Altiplano, Carretera a Cedral Km. 5 -600, Matehuala, 78800 San Luis Potosi (Mexico); Hernandez R, E.; Zapata T, M. [IPN, Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Unidad Legaria, Calz. Legaria 694, Col. Irrigacion, 11500 Mexico D. F. (Mexico); Calzadilla A, O. [Universidad de la Habana, Facultad de Fisica-IMRE, San Lazaro y L. Municipio Plaza de la Revolucion, La Habana (Cuba); Melendez L, M. [IPN, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Departamento de Fisica, Apdo. Postal 14-740, 07000 Mexico D. F. (Mexico)

    2012-07-01

    Thin films of Barium Titanate (BaTiO{sub 3}) were grown on nichrome and quartz substrates, using a BaTiO{sub 3} target, by RF sputtering technique. We varied the substrate temperature in order to study its effect on the structural, optical and ferroelectric properties of the samples. The results of the X-ray diffraction showed tetragonal structure with increases of the crystallinity as increases the substrate temperature. Furthermore, it observed by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy that the band gap decreased as the substrate temperature increases showing abrupt sharp decrease at 494.8{sup o} C. The ferroelectric properties of the films showed a dependence with substrate temperature, the best ferroelectric answer was obtained at 494.8{sup o} C. (Author)

  9. Effect of Sb content on the thermoelectric properties of annealed CoSb_3 thin films deposited via RF co-sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, Aziz; Han, Seungwoo

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The X-ray diffraction patterns and temperature dependence of the Seebeck coefficient of the annealed Co–Sb thin films. - Highlights: • CoSb_3 phase thin films were prepared using RF co sputtering method. • Thin film thermoelectric properties were hugely dependent on Sb content. • All thin films shows n-type conduction behavior at high temperatures. • The thin films with excess Sb possess the largest Seebeck coefficient. • The thin films with CoSb_2 phase possess the largest power factor. - Abstract: A series of CoSb_3 thin films with Sb contents in the range 70–79 at.% were deposited at room temperature via RF co-sputtering. The thin films were amorphous in the as-deposited state and annealed at 300 °C for 3 h to obtain crystalline samples. The annealed thin films were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and these data indicate that the films exhibited good crystallinity. The XRD patterns indicate single-phase CoSb_3 thin films in the Sb-rich samples. For the Sb-deficient samples, however, mixed-phase thin films consisting of CoSb_2 and CoSb_3 components were obtained. The electrical and thermoelectric properties were measured at temperatures up to 760 K and found to be highly sensitive to the phases that were present. We observed a change in the thermoelectric properties of the films from p-type at low temperatures to n-type at high temperatures, which indicates potential applications as n-type thermoelectric thin films. A large Seebeck coefficient and power factor was obtained for the single-phase CoSb_3 thin films. The CoSb_2 phase thin films were also found to possess a significant Seebeck coefficient, which coupled with the much smaller electrical resistivity, provided a larger power factor than the single-phase CoSb_3 thin films. We report maximum power factor of 7.92 mW/m K"2 for the CoSb_2-containing mixed phase thin film and 1.26 mW/m K"2 for the stoichiometric CoSb_3 thin film.

  10. Microstructural Analysis of TiAl x N y O z Coatings Fabricated by DC Reactive Sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-González, L.; Hernández-Torres, J.; Flores-Ramírez, N.; Martínez-Castillo, J.; García-Ramírez, P. J.; Muñoz-Saldaña, J.; Espinoza-Beltrán, F. J.

    2009-02-01

    TiAl x N y O z coatings were prepared by DC reactive sputtering on AISI D2 tool steel substrates, using a target of Ti-Al-O fabricated from a mixture of powders of Ti (22.60 wt.%), Al (24.77 wt.%), and O (52.63 wt.%). The coatings were deposited on substrates at room temperature in a reactive atmosphere of nitrogen and argon under a pressure of 8.5 × 10-3 mbar. X-ray diffraction, electron dispersive spectroscopy, Raman scattering, and nanoindentation techniques were employed to investigate the coatings. The results show that the increment in the nitrogen flow affects the structure and the mechanical properties of the coatings. The sample with the lowest nitrogen flow presented the highest hardness (10.5 GPa) and the Young’s modulus (179.5 GPa). The hardness of the coatings TiAl x N y O z as a function of crystalline grain size shows a behavior consistent with the Hall-Petch relation.

  11. Structural and mechanical properties of ZrSiN thin films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freitas, F.G.R.; Conceicao, A.G.S.; Vitoria, E.R.; Carvalho, R.G.; Tentardini, E.K.; Hübler, R.; Soares, G.

    2014-01-01

    Zirconium silicon nitride (ZrSiN) thin films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in order to verify the silicon influence on coating morphology and mechanical properties. The Si/(Zr+Si) ratio was adjusted between 0 to 14.5% just modifying the power applied on the silicon target. Only peaks associated to ZrN crystalline structure were observed in XRD analysis, since Si_3N_4 phase was amorphous. All samples have (111) preferred orientation, but there is a peak intensity reduction and a broadening increase for the sample with the highest Si/(Zr+Si) ratio (14.5%), demonstrating a considerable loss of crystallinity or grain size reduction (about 8 nm calculated by Scherrer). It was also observed that the texture coefficient for (200) increases with silicon addition. Chemical composition and thickness of the coatings were determined by RBS analysis. No significant changes in nano hardness with increasing Si content were found. The thin film morphology observed by SEM presents columnar and non columnar characteristics. The set of results suggests that Si addition is restricting the columnar growth of ZrN thin films. This conclusion is justified by the fact that Si contributes to increase the ZrN grains nucleation during the sputtering process. (author)

  12. Determination of the oxidation mechanism to Cd Te obtained by rf reactive magnetron sputtering in a plasma of Ar-N{sub 2}O; Determinacion del mecanismo de oxigenacion del CdTe obtenido por rf sputtering reactivo con magnetron en un plasma de Ar-N{sub 2}O

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Caballero B, F.; Zapata N, A.; Bartolo P, P.; Castro R, R.; Zapata T, M.; Cauich, W.; Pena, J.L. [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Centro deInvestigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Unidad Merida, Apartado postal 73, Cordemex, 97310 Merida, Yucatan (Mexico)

    1998-12-31

    In this work we did studies to determinate the oxidation site and incorporation mechanism of oxygen to Cd Te, when preparing Cd Te:O thin films by r f reactive magnetron sputtering, using a Cd Te target and a controlled plasma of Ar-N{sub 2}O. We study the influence in the oxygen content in films due to the variation of N{sub 2}O partial pressure, plasma power and substrate position. We monitored the process in situ by mass spectrometry to determinate the variation of present compounds when varying the N{sub 2}O partial pressure and plasma power. Thin films composition was determined by Auger electron spectroscopy and their structure by X-ray diffraction. We demonstrate that oxygen incorporation has place mainly in the substrate, forming an amorphous Cd Te:O film. We found that exists Cd Te oxidation without using nitrous oxide, may be due to residual atmosphere. We demonstrate that Cd Te oxidation depends on nitrous oxide partial pressure and plasma power. We found that deposition rate of Cd Te:O thin films depend on nitrous oxide interaction with Cd Te in the target and on the chamber walls. We propose a reaction mechanism to explain the oxygen incorporation to Cd Te. (Author)

  13. Electrical properties of resistive switches based on Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3} thin films prepared by RF co-sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marquez H, A.; Hernandez R, E.; Zapata T, M. [IPN, Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Calzada Legaria No. 694, Col. Irrigacion, 11500 Mexico D. F. (Mexico); Guillen R, J. [Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Tampico, Puerto Industrial, Altamira 89600, Tamaulipas (Mexico); Cruz, M. P. [UNAM, Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnologia, Km. 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, 22860 Ensenada, Baja California (Mexico); Calzadilla A, O. [Universidad de la Habana, Facultad de Fisica-IMRE, San Lazaro y L. Municipio Plaza de la Revolucion, La Habana, Cuba (Cuba); Melendez L, M., E-mail: amarquez@ipn.m [IPN, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Departamento de Fisica, A. P. 14-740, 07000 Mexico D. F. (Mexico)

    2010-07-01

    In this work, was proposed the use of Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3}(0{<=}x{<=}1) thin films for the construction of metal-insulator-metal heterostructures; and their great potential for the development of non-volatile resistance memories (ReRAM) is shown. The deposition of Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3} thin films was done by the RF co-sputtering technique using two magnetron sputtering cathodes with BaTiO{sub 3} and SrTiO{sub 3} targets. The chemical composition (x parameter) in the deposited Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3} thin films was varied through the RF powder applied to the targets. The constructed metal-insulator-metal heterostructures were Al/Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3}/nichrome. The I-V measurements of the heterostructures showed that their hysteretic characteristics change depending on the Ba/Sr ratio of the Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3} thin films; the Ba/Sr ratio was determined by employing the energy dispersive spectroscopy; Sem micrographs showed that Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3} thin films were uniform without cracks or pinholes. Additionally, the analysis of the X-ray diffraction results indicated the substitutional incorporation of Sr into the BaTiO{sub 3} lattice and the obtainment of crystalline films for the entire range of the x values. (Author)

  14. The effect of sputtering gas pressure on the structure and optical properties of MgNiO films grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, Wuze; Jiao, Shujie, E-mail: shujiejiao@gmail.com; Wang, Dongbo; Gao, Shiyong; Wang, Jinzhong; Yu, Qingjiang; Li, Hongtao

    2017-05-31

    Highlights: • MgNiO thin films were fabricated by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. • The structure and optical properties of MgNiO films were studied. • The mechanism of phase separation was discussed in detail. • The effect of different sputtering pressure also was discussed. - Abstract: In this study, MgNiO thin films were grown on quartz substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The influence of different sputtering pressures on the crystalline and optical properties of MgNiO thin films has been studied. X-ray diffraction measurement indicates that the MgNiO films are cubic structure with (200) preferred orientation. UV–vis transmission spectra show that all the MgNiO thin films show more than 75% transmission at visible region, and the absorption edges of all thin films locate at solar-blind region (220 nm–280 nm). The lattice constant and Mg content of MgNiO samples were calculated using X-ray diffraction and transmission spectra data. The phase separation is observed both in the X-ray diffraction patterns and transmission spectra, and the phase separation is studied in detail based on the crystal growth theory and sputtering process.

  15. Resistance changes of Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films deposited through rf-magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Kwangseok; Han, Seungwoo; Park, Kyoungwan; Sok, Junghyun

    2006-01-01

    In this paper, the resistance-change behavior of a perovskite material was studied. In particular, Pr 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 (PCMO) films were deposited on a Pt bottom electrode by using an rf-magnetron sputtering system. The PCMO films showed a resistance-switching behavior at room temperature. They were then deposited at 300 .deg. C with different oxygen flow rates, and the deposited films were post-annealed at various temperatures in an O 2 or N 2 atmosphere. The ratio of the resistance change of the post-annealed PCMO films in the high-resistance state to that in the low-resistance state in an O 2 atmosphere turned out to be much larger than that of the post-annealed films in a N 2 atmosphere. The electrical properties of the PCMO films were also significantly affected by the top electrode. The resistance changes of the Ag/PCMO/Pt device turned out to be larger than those of the Au/PCMO/Pt device. It can, therefore, be concluded that the O 2 content and the top electrode improve the electroresistance.

  16. The effect of FR enhancement in reactive ion beam sputtered Bi, Gd, Al-substituted iron- garnets: Bi2O3 nanocomposite films

    OpenAIRE

    Berzhansky, V.; Shaposhnikov, A.; Karavainikov, A.; Prokopov, A.; Mikhailova, T.; Lukienko, I.; Kharchenko, Yu.; Miloslavskaya, O.; Kharchenko, N.

    2012-01-01

    The effect of considerable Faraday rotation (FR) and figure of merit (Q) enhancement in Bi, Gd, Al-substituted iron garnets: Bi2O3 nano-composite films produced by separate reactive ion beam sputtered Bi:YIG and Bi2O3 films was found. It reached threefold enhancement of the FR and twofold of the Q one on GGG substrates.

  17. Structure and mechanical properties of reactive sputter deposited TiN/TaN multilayered films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soe, W.H.; Yamamoto, R.; Ueda, H.; Shima, N.

    1998-01-01

    TiN/TaN multilayers were grown by reactive magnetron sputtering on WC-Co sintered hard alloy and MgO(100) single crystal substrates. Multilayer structure and composition modulation amplitudes were studied using x-ray diffraction method. Hardness and elastic modulus were measured by nanoindentation tester. For bilayer thickness (Λ) larger than 80 angstrom, hardness are lower than rule-of-mixtures value of individual single layers, and increased rapidly with decreasing Λ, peaking at hardness values ∼33% higher than that at Λ = 43 angstrom. As a result of analysis the inclination of applied load for indenter displacement on P-h curve (ΔP/Δh), this paper exhibits that the enhancement of the resistance to dislocation motion and elastic anomaly due to coherency strains are responsible for the hardness change

  18. Synthesis and characterization of Al2O3 and SiO2 films with fluoropolymer content using rf-plasma magnetron sputtering technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Islam, Mohammad; Inal, Osman T.

    2008-01-01

    Pure and molecularly mixed inorganic films for protection against atomic oxygen in lower earth orbit were prepared using radio-frequency (rf) plasma magnetron sputtering technique. Alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) and silica (SiO 2 ) films with average grain size in the range of 30-80 nm and fully dense or dense columnar structure were synthesized under different conditions of pressure and power. Simultaneous oxide sputtering and plasma polymerization (PP) of hexafluoropropylene (HFP) led to the formation of molecularly mixed films with fluoropolymer content. The degree of plasma polymerization was strongly influenced by total chamber pressure and the argon to HFP molar ratio (n Ar /n M ). An order of magnitude increase in pressure due to argon during codeposition changed the plasma-polymerization mechanism from radical-chain- to radical-radical-type processes. Subsequently, a shift from linear CH 2 group based chain polymerization to highly disordered fluoropolymer content with branching and cross-linking was observed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies revealed chemical interaction between depositing SiO 2 and PP-HFP through appearance of absorption bands characteristic of Si-F stretching and expansion of SiO 2 network. The relative amount and composition of plasma-polymerized fluoropolymer in such films can be controlled by changing argon to HFP flow ratio, total chamber pressure, and applied power. These films offer great potential for use as protective coatings in aerospace applications

  19. Silicon oxynitride films deposited by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering using nitrous oxide as a single-source precursor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hänninen, Tuomas, E-mail: tuoha@ifm.liu.se; Schmidt, Susann; Jensen, Jens; Hultman, Lars; Högberg, Hans [Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping SE-581 83 (Sweden)

    2015-09-15

    Silicon oxynitride thin films were synthesized by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering of silicon in argon/nitrous oxide plasmas. Nitrous oxide was employed as a single-source precursor supplying oxygen and nitrogen for the film growth. The films were characterized by elastic recoil detection analysis, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflectivity, scanning electron microscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Results show that the films are silicon rich, amorphous, and exhibit a random chemical bonding structure. The optical properties with the refractive index and the extinction coefficient correlate with the film elemental composition, showing decreasing values with increasing film oxygen and nitrogen content. The total percentage of oxygen and nitrogen in the films is controlled by adjusting the gas flow ratio in the deposition processes. Furthermore, it is shown that the film oxygen-to-nitrogen ratio can be tailored by the high power impulse magnetron sputtering-specific parameters pulse frequency and energy per pulse.

  20. Preparation of Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 Thin Films by Plasma-Assisted Sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hioki, Tsuyoshi; Akiyama, Masahiko; Ueda, Tomomasa; Onozuka, Yutaka; Suzuki, Kouji

    1999-09-01

    A novel plasma-assisted RF magnetron sputtering system with an immersed coil antenna between a target and a substrate was applied for preparing Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT) thin films. The antenna enabled the generation of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) independently of the target RF source. The plasma assisted by the antenna resulted in the changes of ion fluxes and these energy distributions irradiating to the substrate. The crystalline phase of the deposited PZT thin films was occupied by the perovskite phase depending on the antenna power. In addition, a high deposition rate, modified uniformity of film thickness, and a dense film structure with large columnar grains were obtained as a result of effects of the assisted plasma. The application of the plasma-assisted sputtering method may enable the preparation of PZT thin films that haveexcellent properties.

  1. Substrates effect on Zn1-xMnxO thin films grown by RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elanchezhiyan, J.; Bhuvana, K.P.; Gopalakrishnan, N.; Balasubramanian, T.

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, we have presented the surface effect of the substrates on Mn doped ZnO (Zn 1-x Mn x O) thin films grown on Si(1 0 0) and sapphire [i.e. Al 2 O 3 (0 0 0 1)] by RF magnetron sputtering. These grown films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) to know its structural, optical and magnetic properties. All these properties have been found to be strongly influenced by the substrate surface on which the films have been deposited. The XRD results show that the Mn doped ZnO films deposited on Si(1 0 0) exhibit a polycrystalline nature whereas the films on sapphire substrate have only (0 0 2) preferential orientations indicating that the films are single crystalline. The studies of room temperature PL spectra reveal that the Zn 1-x Mn x O/Si(1 0 0) system is under severe compressive strain while the strain is almost relaxed in Zn 1-x Mn x O/Al 2 O 3 (0 0 0 1) system. It has been observed from VSM studies that Zn 1-x Mn x O/Al 2 O 3 (0 0 0 1) system shows ferromagnetic nature while the paramagnetic behaviour observed in Zn 1-x Mn x O/Si(1 0 0) system

  2. Electrical properties of AlN{sub x}O{sub y} thin films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borges, J., E-mail: joelborges@fisica.uminho.pt [Centro de Fisica, Universidade do Minho, 4710-057 Braga (Portugal); Martin, N. [Institut FEMTO-ST, Departement MN2S, UMR 6174 (CNRS, UFC, ENSMM, UTBM) 32, Avenue de l' Observatoire 25044 BESANCON Cedex (France); Barradas, N.P.; Alves, E. [Instituto Superior Tecnico, Instituto Tecnologico Nuclear, E.N. 10, 2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal); Eyidi, D.; Beaufort, M.F.; Riviere, J.P. [Institut PPRIME, UPR 3346 CNRS-Universite de Poitiers-ENSMA, Departement de Physique et Mecanique des Materiaux, BP 30179 86962 Chasseneuil-Futuroscope Cedex (France); Vaz, F.; Marques, L. [Centro de Fisica, Universidade do Minho, 4710-057 Braga (Portugal)

    2012-08-31

    Direct current magnetron sputtering was used to produce AlN{sub x}O{sub y} thin films, using an aluminum target, argon and a mixture of N{sub 2} + O{sub 2} (17:3) as reactive gases. The partial pressure of the reactive gas mixture was increased, maintaining the discharge current constant. Within the two identified regimes of the target (metallic and compound), four different tendencies for the deposition rate were found and a morphological evolution from columnar towards cauliflower-type, ending up as dense and featureless-type films. The structure was found to be Al-type (face centered cubic) and the structural characterization carried out by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy suggested the formation of an aluminum-based polycrystalline phase dispersed in an amorphous aluminum oxide/nitride (or oxynitride) matrix. This type of structure, composition, morphology and grain size, were found to be strongly correlated with the electrical response of the films, which showed a gradual transition between metallic-like responses towards semiconducting and even insulating-type behaviors. A group of films with high aluminum content revealed a sharp decrease of the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) as the concentration ratio of non-metallic/aluminum atomic ratio increased. Another group of samples, where the non-metallic content became more important, revealed a smooth transition between positive and negative values of TCR. In order to test whether the oxynitride films have a unique behavior or simply a transition between the typical responses of aluminum and of those of the correspondent nitride and oxide, the electrical properties of the ternary oxynitride system were compared with AlN{sub x} and AlO{sub y} systems, prepared in similar conditions. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer AlN{sub x}O{sub y} thin films were produced using magnetron sputtering. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer AlN{sub x}O{sub y} film morphology, composition and

  3. Fabrication and characterization of implantable and flexible nerve cuff electrodes with Pt, Ir and IrOx films deposited by RF sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Soo Hyun; Jung, Jung Hwan; Chae, Youn Mee; Kang, Ji Yoon; Suh, Jun-Kyo Francis

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of implantable and flexible nerve cuff electrodes for neural interfaces using the conventional BioMEMS technique. In order to fabricate a flexible nerve electrode, polyimide (PI) was chosen as the substrate material. Then, nerve electrodes were thermally re-formed in a cuff shape so as to increase the area in which the charges were transferred to the nerve. Platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir) and iridium oxide (IrO x ) films, which were to serve as conducting materials for the nerve electrodes, were deposited at different working pressures by RF magnetron sputtering. The electrochemical properties of the deposited films were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The charge delivery capacities of the films were recorded and calculated by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The deposited films of Pt, Ir and IrO x have strong differences in electrochemical properties, which depend on the working pressure of sputter. Each film deposited at 30 mTorr of working pressure shows the highest value of charge delivery capacity (CDC). For the IrO x films, the electrochemical properties were strongly affected by the working pressure as well as the Ar:O 2 gas ratio. The IrO x film deposited with an Ar:O 2 gas ratio of 8:1 showed the highest CDC of 59.5 mC cm −2 , which was about five times higher than that of films deposited with a 1:1 gas ratio.

  4. Effect of Sb content on the thermoelectric properties of annealed CoSb{sub 3} thin films deposited via RF co-sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmed, Aziz, E-mail: aziz_ahmed@ust.ac.kr [Department of Nano-Mechatronics, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-350 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nano-Mechanics, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), 156 Gajeongbuk-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-343 (Korea, Republic of); Han, Seungwoo, E-mail: swhan@kimm.re.kr [Department of Nano-Mechatronics, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-350 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nano-Mechanics, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), 156 Gajeongbuk-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-343 (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-06-30

    Graphical abstract: The X-ray diffraction patterns and temperature dependence of the Seebeck coefficient of the annealed Co–Sb thin films. - Highlights: • CoSb{sub 3} phase thin films were prepared using RF co sputtering method. • Thin film thermoelectric properties were hugely dependent on Sb content. • All thin films shows n-type conduction behavior at high temperatures. • The thin films with excess Sb possess the largest Seebeck coefficient. • The thin films with CoSb{sub 2} phase possess the largest power factor. - Abstract: A series of CoSb{sub 3} thin films with Sb contents in the range 70–79 at.% were deposited at room temperature via RF co-sputtering. The thin films were amorphous in the as-deposited state and annealed at 300 °C for 3 h to obtain crystalline samples. The annealed thin films were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and these data indicate that the films exhibited good crystallinity. The XRD patterns indicate single-phase CoSb{sub 3} thin films in the Sb-rich samples. For the Sb-deficient samples, however, mixed-phase thin films consisting of CoSb{sub 2} and CoSb{sub 3} components were obtained. The electrical and thermoelectric properties were measured at temperatures up to 760 K and found to be highly sensitive to the phases that were present. We observed a change in the thermoelectric properties of the films from p-type at low temperatures to n-type at high temperatures, which indicates potential applications as n-type thermoelectric thin films. A large Seebeck coefficient and power factor was obtained for the single-phase CoSb{sub 3} thin films. The CoSb{sub 2} phase thin films were also found to possess a significant Seebeck coefficient, which coupled with the much smaller electrical resistivity, provided a larger power factor than the single-phase CoSb{sub 3} thin films. We report maximum power factor of 7.92 mW/m K{sup 2} for the CoSb{sub 2}-containing mixed phase thin film and 1

  5. SHI induced effects on the electrical and optical properties of HfO{sub 2} thin films deposited by RF sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manikanthababu, N.; Dhanunjaya, M.; Nageswara Rao, S.V.S.; Pathak, A.P., E-mail: appsp@uohyd.ernet.in

    2016-07-15

    The continuous downscaling of Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) devices has reached a limit with SiO{sub 2} as a gate dielectric material. Introducing high-k dielectric materials as a replacement for the conservative SiO{sub 2} is the only alternative to reduce the leakage current. HfO{sub 2} is a reliable and an impending material for the wide usage as a gate dielectric in semiconductor industry. HfO{sub 2} thin films were synthesized by RF sputtering technique. Here, we present a study of Swift Heavy Ion (SHI) irradiation with100 MeV Ag ions for studying the optical properties as well as 80 MeV Ni ions for studying the electrical properties of HfO{sub 2}/Si thin films. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), profilometer and I–V (leakage current) measurements have been employed to study the SHI induced effects on both the structural, electrical and optical properties.

  6. Performance of RF sputtered p-Si/n-ZnO nanoparticle thin film heterojunction diodes in high temperature environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Satyendra Kumar, E-mail: satyndra.singh.eee09@itbhu.ac.in [Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Model Institute of Engineering and Technology, Jammu, 181122 (India); Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, 211004 (India); Hazra, Purnima, E-mail: purnima.hazra@smvdu.ac.in [Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, 182320 (India)

    2017-04-01

    Highlights: • Synthesize ZnO nanoparticle thin film on p-Si substrate using RF sputtering method. • I–V and C–V characteristics of Si/ZnO heterojunction diode are studied. • High temperature performance is analyzed accounting barrier height inhomogeneities. • Gaussian distribution of BH inhomogeneities is considered to modify Richardson plot. • Modified R constant is 33.06 Acm{sup −2}K{sup −2}, i.e. nearer to theoretical value 32 Acm{sup −2}K{sup −2}. - Abstract: In this article, temperature-dependent current-voltage characteristics of n-ZnO/p-Si nanoparticle thin film heterojunction diode grown by RF sputtering technique are analyzed in the temperature range of 300–433 k to investigate the performance of the device in high temperature environment. The microstructural, morphological, optical and temptrature dependent electrical properties of as-grown nanoparticle thin film were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emmision scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), variable angle ellipsometer and semiconductor device analyzer. XRD spectra of as-grown ZnO films are exhibited that highly c-axis oriented ZnO nanostructures are grown on p- Si〈100〉 substrate whereas AFM and FESEM images confirm the homogeneous deposition of ZnO nanoparticles on surface of Si substratewith minimum roughness.The optical propertiesof as-grown ZnO nanoparticles have been measured in the spectral range of 300–800 nm using variable angle ellipsometer.To measure electrical parameters of the device prototype in the temperature range of room temperature (300 K) to 433 K, large area ohmic contacts were fabricated on both side of the ZnO/Si heterostructure. From the current-voltage charcteristics of ZnO/Si heterojunction device, it is observed that the device exhibits rectifing nature at room temperature. However, with increase in temperature, reverse saturation current and barrier

  7. Optimal conditions for the deposition of novel anticorrosive coatings by RF magnetron sputtering for aluminum alloy AA6082

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brachetti-Sibaja, S.B.; Domínguez-Crespo, M.A.; Rodil, S.E.; Torres-Huerta, A.M.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Non-conventional technique for improving the corrosion resistance of aluminum alloys. • Effect of the deposition parameters: power, substrate temperature and deposition time. • Changes in the crystallinity of the coatings are observed with the temperature. • The structure of these coatings is found to be dependent on the nature of the substrate. • La coatings can provide a better physical barrier to inhibit the corrosion attack. - Abstract: Cerium and lanthanum coatings were deposited on glass, silicon (1 0 0), and aluminum alloy by RF magnetron sputtering in which several experimental conditions such as power, substrate temperature, and deposition time were varied, using pure CeO 2 and La 2 O 3 targets. The effect of deposition parameters on the bonding structure, surface morphology and properties against corrosion of rare earth (RE) coatings formed on metallic substrate was reported. The microstructure and chemistry of the thin film were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); whereas their use as corrosion resistant coatings was studied in aqueous NaCl solution (3.0 wt%) by using polarization curves. Variations in these properties were observed by increasing the substrate temperature which modifies the crystallinity of the rare earth coatings. XRD and XPS findings indicate that the cerium coatings are composed by CeO 2 and a significant quantity of Ce 2 O 3 due to oxygen deficiency in the sputtering chamber, whereas La 2 O 3 /La(OH) 3 and some La intermetallic compounds are detected in the lanthanum films. Variations in the E corr and I corr were found as a function of the thickness, texture, and morphology of the as-prepared coatings

  8. Deposition of the low resistive ITO-films by means of reactive magnetron sputtering of the In/Sn target on the cold substrate

    OpenAIRE

    Zhidik, Y. S.; Troyan, P. E.; Baturina, E. V.; Korzhenko, Dmitry Vladimirovich; Yuriev, Yuri Nikolaevich

    2016-01-01

    Detailed information on the deposition technology of the low-resistive ITO-films in oxygen-containing media by magnetron reactive sputtering from the In(90%)/Sn(10%) target on the cold substrate is given. Developed technology allows deposition ITO-films with sheet resistance transparency higher than 90%. Developed technology is notable for high reproducibility of results and is compatible with production technology of semiconductor devices of optoelectronics.

  9. Bonding structure and morphology of chromium oxide films grown by pulsed-DC reactive magnetron sputter deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gago, R., E-mail: rgago@icmm.csic.es [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Vinnichenko, M. [Fraunhofer-Institut für Keramische Technologien und Systeme IKTS, D-01277 Dresden (Germany); Hübner, R. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf, Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden (Germany); Redondo-Cubero, A. [Departamento de Física Aplicada and Centro de Microanálisis de Materiales, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid (Spain)

    2016-07-05

    Chromium oxide (CrO{sub x}) thin films were grown by pulsed-DC reactive magnetron sputter deposition in an Ar/O{sub 2} discharge as a function of the O{sub 2} fraction in the gas mixture (ƒ) and for substrate temperatures, T{sub s}, up to 450 °C. The samples were analysed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). On unheated substrates, by increasing ƒ the growth rate is higher and the O/Cr ratio (x) rises from ∼2 up to ∼2.5. Inversely, by increasing T{sub s} the atomic incorporation rate drops and x falls to ∼1.8. XRD shows that samples grown on unheated substrates are amorphous and that nanocrystalline Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} (x = 1.5) is formed by increasing T{sub s}. In amorphous CrO{sub x}, XANES reveals the presence of multiple Cr environments that indicate the growth of mixed-valence oxides, with progressive promotion of hexavalent states with ƒ. XANES data also confirms the formation of single-phase nanocrystalline Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} at elevated T{sub s}. These structural changes also reflect on the optical and morphological properties of the films. - Highlights: • XANES of CrO{sub x} thin films grown by pulsed-DC reactive magnetron sputtering. • Identification of mixed-valence amorphous CrO{sub x} oxides on unheated substrates. • Promotion of amorphous chromic acid (Cr{sup VI}) by increasing O{sub 2} partial pressure. • Production of single-phase Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} films by increasing substrate temperature. • Correlation of bonding structure with morphological and optical properties.

  10. Sputtered Encapsulation as Wafer Level Packaging for Isolatable MEMS Devices: A Technique Demonstrated on a Capacitive Accelerometer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azrul Azlan Hamzah

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses sputtered silicon encapsulation as a wafer level packaging approach for isolatable MEMS devices. Devices such as accelerometers, RF switches, inductors, and filters that do not require interaction with the surroundings to function, could thus be fully encapsulated at the wafer level after fabrication. A MEMSTech 50g capacitive accelerometer was used to demonstrate a sputtered encapsulation technique. Encapsulation with a very uniform surface profile was achieved using spin-on glass (SOG as a sacrificial layer, SU-8 as base layer, RF sputtered silicon as main structural layer, eutectic gold-silicon as seal layer, and liquid crystal polymer (LCP as outer encapsulant layer. SEM inspection and capacitance test indicated that the movable elements were released after encapsulation. Nanoindentation test confirmed that the encapsulated device is sufficiently robust to withstand a transfer molding process. Thus, an encapsulation technique that is robust, CMOS compatible, and economical has been successfully developed for packaging isolatable MEMS devices at the wafer level.

  11. Epitaxial growth of rhenium with sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oh, Seongshik [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States) and Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)]. E-mail: soh@boulder.nist.gov; Hite, Dustin A. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Cicak, K. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Osborn, Kevin D. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Simmonds, Raymond W. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); McDermott, Robert [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Cooper, Ken B. [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Steffen, Matthias [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Martinis, John M. [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Pappas, David P. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States)

    2006-02-21

    We have grown epitaxial Rhenium (Re) (0001) films on {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (0001) substrates using sputter deposition in an ultra high vacuum system. We find that better epitaxy is achieved with DC rather than with RF sputtering. With DC sputtering, epitaxy is obtained with the substrate temperatures above 700 deg. C and deposition rates below 0.1 nm/s. The epitaxial Re films are typically composed of terraced hexagonal islands with screw dislocations, and island size gets larger with high temperature post-deposition annealing. The growth starts in a three dimensional mode but transforms into two dimensional mode as the film gets thicker. With a thin ({approx}2 nm) seed layer deposited at room temperature and annealed at a high temperature, the initial three dimensional growth can be suppressed. This results in larger islands when a thick film is grown at 850 deg. C on the seed layer. We also find that when a room temperature deposited Re film is annealed to higher temperatures, epitaxial features start to show up above {approx}600 deg. C, but the film tends to be disordered.

  12. Effects of oxygen contents on the electrochromic properties of tungsten oxide films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, H.-H.

    2008-01-01

    The electrochromism have been extensively investigated due to their potential applications such as smart window of architecture and automobile glazing to save energy and modulate the transmittance of light and solar radiation. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of sputtering conditions on the microstructure and electrochromic properties of tungsten oxide films prepared by dc reactive magnetron sputtering. Experimental results showed that the deposition rate of WO 3-y films decreased with increasing oxygen flow rate. XRD and Raman spectra analysis suggests that the WO 3-y films deposited at various oxygen flow rates are poor crystallinity or amorphous. The transmission change between colored and bleached states at a wavelength of 550 nm was 61.4% as the oxygen content was 60%. The coloration efficiency slightly increases with increasing oxygen flow rate in the low oxygen content region and reaching a maximum value of 38.94 cm 2 /C at 60% oxygen content. In addition, the films deposited at 60% oxygen content showed a good reversibility. The effects of lithium ions intercalated on the transmission of WO 3-y films were also discussed

  13. High-speed deposition of protective films of aluminium oxide by the method of reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bugaev, S.P.; Zakhrov, A.N.; Ladyzhenskii, O.P.; Sochugov, M.S.

    2001-01-01

    The high optical characteristics of aluminium films made them attractive for different functional and decorative applications. It is well-known that the corrosion resistance of alloying is determined by the presence of the oxide film on its surface, but on the aluminium films, deposited by vacuum methods, the resistance is extremely low resulting in the relatively rapid failure of the coating. At present, there is a large number of methods of depositing the films of aluminium oxide. In most cases, it is recommended to use reactive magnetron sputtering of an aluminium target in a magnetron spraying system (MSS) using direct current, on dispersion of the target of aluminium oxide in a high-frequency MSS

  14. Rf-sputtered vanadium oxide thin films: effect of oxygen partial pressure on structural and electrochemical properties

    CERN Document Server

    Park, Y J; Ryu, K S; Chang, S H; Park, S C; Yoon, S M; Kim, D K

    2001-01-01

    Vanadium oxide thin films with thickness of about 2000 A have been prepared by radio frequency sputter deposition using a V sub 2 O sub 5 target in a mixed argon and oxygen atmosphere with different Ar/O sub 2 ratio ranging from 99/1 to 90/10. X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopic studies show that the oxygen content higher than 5% crystallizes a stoichiometric V sub O sub 5 phase, while oxygen deficient phase is formed in the lower oxygen content. The oxygen content in the mixed Ar + O sub 2 has a significant influence on electrochemical lithium insertion/deinsertion property. The discharge-charge capacity of vanadium oxide film increases with increasing the reactive oxygen content. The V sub O sub 5 film deposited at the Ar/O sub 2 ratio of 90/10 exhibits high discharge capacity of 100 mu Ah/cm sup 2 -mu m along with good cycle performance.

  15. Underlying role of mechanical rigidity and topological constraints in physical sputtering and reactive ion etching of amorphous materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattarai, Gyanendra; Dhungana, Shailesh; Nordell, Bradley J.; Caruso, Anthony N.; Paquette, Michelle M.; Lanford, William A.; King, Sean W.

    2018-05-01

    Analytical expressions describing ion-induced sputter or etch processes generally relate the sputter yield to the surface atomic binding energy (Usb) for the target material. While straightforward to measure for the crystalline elemental solids, Usb is more complicated to establish for amorphous and multielement materials due to composition-driven variations and incongruent sublimation. In this regard, we show that for amorphous multielement materials, the ion-driven yield can instead be better understood via a consideration of mechanical rigidity and network topology. We first demonstrate a direct relationship between Usb, bulk modulus, and ion sputter yield for the elements, and then subsequently prove our hypothesis for amorphous multielement compounds by demonstrating that the same relationships exist between the reactive ion etch (RIE) rate and nanoindentation Young's modulus for a series of a -Si Nx :H and a -Si OxCy :H thin films. The impact of network topology is further revealed via application of the Phillips-Thorpe theory of topological constraints, which directly relates the Young's modulus to the mean atomic coordination () for an amorphous solid. The combined analysis allows the trends and plateaus in the RIE rate to be ultimately reinterpreted in terms of the atomic structure of the target material through a consideration of . These findings establish the important underlying role of mechanical rigidity and network topology in ion-solid interactions and provide additional considerations for the design and optimization of radiation-hard materials in nuclear and outer space environments.

  16. Scaling of Anomalous Hall Effects in Facing-Target Reactively Sputtered Fe4N Films

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Yan

    2015-05-13

    Anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in the reactively sputtered epitaxial and polycrystalline γ′-Fe4N films is investigated systematically. The Hall resistivity is positive in the entire temperature range. The magnetization, carrier density and grain boundaries scattering have a major impact on the AHE scaling law. The scaling exponent γ in the conventional scaling of is larger than 2 in both the epitaxial and polycrystalline γ′-Fe4N films. Although γ>2 has been found in heterogeneous systems due to the effects of the surface and interface scattering on AHE, γ>2 is not expected in homogenous epitaxial systems. We demonstrated that γ>2 results from residual resistivity (ρxx0) in γ′-Fe4N films. Furthermore, the side-jump and intrinsic mechanisms are dominant in both epitaxial and polycrystalline samples according to the proper scaling relation.

  17. Reactive sputtering of TiN films at large substrate to target distances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Musil, J.; Kadlec, S.

    1990-01-01

    This paper is a critical review of the present status of the magnetron ion sputter plating of thin CiN films. Thus different possibilities of extracting high ion currents 1 s from the magnetron discharge to substrates located not only at standard target to substrate distances d S-T of about 50 mm but also at larger distances d S-T are discussed in detail. Special attention is devoted to magnetron sputtering systems with enhanced ionization, to plasma confinement in the magnetron sputtering systems and to the discharge characteristics of an unbalanced magnetron (UM). It is shown that a UM can be operated in the regime of a double-site-sustained discharge (DSSD) and in this case large 1 s can be extracted to substrates located in large D S-T of about 200 mm and even at high pressures p = 5 Pa. A physical comparison of the conventional magnetron (CM), UM and DSSD is also given. Considerable attention is also devoted to the effect of ion bombardment on properties of TiN films created in the sputtering system using DSSD. (author)

  18. Intrinsic ZnO films fabricated by DC sputtering from oxygen-deficient targets for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell application

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Chongyin Yang; DongyunWan; Zhou Wang; Fuqiang Huang

    2011-01-01

    Intrinsic zinc oxide films, normally deposited by radio frequency (RF) sputtering, are fabricated by direct current (DC) sputtering. The oxygen-deficient targets are prepared via a newly developed double crucible method. The 800-nm-thick film obtaines significantly higher carrier mobility compareing with that of the 800-nm-thick ZnO film. This is achieved by the widely used RF sputtering, which favors the prevention of carrier recombination at the interfaces and reduction of the series resistance of solar cells. The optimal ZnO film is used in a Cu (In, Ga) Se2 (CIGS) solar cell with a high efficiency of 11.57%. This letter demonstrates that the insulating ZnO films can be deposited by DC sputtering from oxygen-deficient ZnO targets to lower the cost of thin film solar cells.%Intrinsic zinc oxide films,normally deposited by radio frequency (RF) sputtering,are fabricated by direct current (DC) sputtering.The oxygen-deficient targets are prepared via a newly developed double crucible method.The 800-nm-thick film obtaines significantly higher carrier mobility compareing with that of the 800-nm-thick ZnO film.This is achieved by the widely used RF sputtering,which favors the prevention of carrier recombination at the interfaces and reduction of the series resistance of solar cells.The optimal ZnO film is used in a Cu (In,Ga) Se2 (C1GS) solar cell with a high efficiency of 11.57%.This letter demonstrates that the insulating ZnO films can be deposited by DC sputtering from oxygen-deficient ZnO targets to lower the cost of thin film solar cells.High resistance transparent intrinsic zinc oxide (i-ZnO)thin film has been widely nsed as the front electrode in transparent electronics and photovoltaic devices because of its low cost and nontoxicity.Owing to its unique characteristics of high transparency and adjustable resistivity in a certain range,the use of i-ZnO thin films as diffusion barrier layers of a-Si/μc-Si,CdTe,and CIGS thin-film solar cells has been advantageous

  19. Deposition and characterization of NbAIN thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carvalho, R.G.; Felix, L.C.; Fernandez, D.A.R.; Fontes Junior, A.S.; Oliveira, G.B.; Tentardini, E.K.

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this work was to study NbAlN thin films and the influence of variation in the concentration of aluminum in the crystal structure and oxidation resistance of these coatings. The thin films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering and characterized by Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and oxidation tests at high temperatures. NbAlN thin films were deposited and present at concentration of 10, 20 and 42 at% Al. The NbAlN crystalline phase obtained was the δ-NbN, however it was observed a shift of the peaks in the patterns obtained GIXRD of regions for larger angles for these samples, indicating the formation of a solid solution. The higher oxidation resistance temperature was 700° C for the sample with 42 in at% Al. From the SEM analysis it was possible to observe the surface of the film after oxidation, all films showed defects, however the amount of such defects was lower in samples with higher aluminum concentrations. (author)

  20. Tuning the optoelectronic properties of amorphous MoOx films by reactive sputtering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fernandes Cauduro, André Luis; Fabrim, Zacarias Eduardo; Ahmadpour, Mehrad

    2015-01-01

    In this letter, we report on the effect of oxygen partial pressure and sputtering power on amorphous DC-sputtered MoOx films. We observe abrupt changes in the optoelectronic properties of the reported films by increasing the oxygen partial pressure from 1.00 ? 10?3 mbar to 1.37 ? 10?3 mbar during...... significantly the microstructure of the studied films. The presence of states within the band gap due to the lack of oxygen is the most probable mechanism for generat- ing a change in electrical conductivity as well as optical absorption in DC-sputtered MoOx. The large tuning range of the optoelectronic...... properties in these films holds strong promise for their implementation in optoelectronic devices....

  1. Thermal stability of tungsten sub-nitride thin film prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, X.X. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050 (China); State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050 (China); Wu, Y.Z., E-mail: youzhiwu@163.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050 (China); Mu, B. [College of Petrochemical Technology, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050 (China); Qiao, L. [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050 (China); Li, W.X.; Li, J.J. [Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Wang, P., E-mail: pengwang@licp.cas.cn [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050 (China)

    2017-03-15

    Tungsten sub-nitride thin films deposited on silicon samples by reactive magnetron sputtering were used as a model system to study the phase stability and microstructural evolution during thermal treatments. XRD, SEM&FIB, XPS, RBS and TDS were applied to investigate the stability of tungsten nitride films after heating up to 1473 K in vacuum. At the given experimental parameters a 920 nm thick crystalline film with a tungsten and nitrogen stoichiometry of 2:1 were achieved. The results showed that no phase and microstructure change occurred due to W{sub 2}N film annealing in vacuum up to 973 K. Heating up to 1073 K led to a partial decomposition of the W{sub 2}N phase and the formation of a W enrichment layer at the surface. Increasing the annealing time at the same temperature, the further decomposition of the W{sub 2}N phase was negligible. The complete decomposition of W{sub 2}N film happened as the temperature reached up to 1473 K.

  2. Films deposited from reactive sputtering of aluminum acetylacetonate under low energy ion bombardment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Battaglin, Felipe Augusto Darriba; Prado, Eduardo Silva; Cruz, Nilson Cristino da; Rangel, Elidiane Cipriano, E-mail: elidiane@sorocaba.unesp.br [Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Sorocaba, SP (Brazil). Lab. de Plasmas Tecnologicos; Caseli, Luciano [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Diadema, SP (Brazil). Instituto de Ciencias Ambientais, Quimicas e Farmaceuticas; Silva, Tiago Fiorini da; Tabacniks, Manfredo Harri [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Instituto de Fisica

    2017-07-15

    Films were deposited from aluminum acetylacetonate (Al(acac)3 ) using a methodology involving reactive sputtering and low energy ion bombardment. The plasma was generated by the application of radiofrequency power to the powder containing electrode and simultaneously, negative pulses were supplied to the electrode where the substrates were attached. It was investigated the effect of the duty cycle of the pulses (Δ) on the properties of the coatings. Association of ion bombardment to the deposition process increased film thickness, structure reticulation and organic content. Ions from the deposition environment were implanted at the film-air interface or underneath it. Morphology and topography were altered depending on Δ. Considering the enhancement of Δ, it affected the flux of ions reaching the depositing interface and then the deposition rate, H content, crosslinking degree and surface microstructure. Alumina groups were detected in the infrared spectra, whereas the precipitation of amorphous alumina was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. (author)

  3. Growth of epitaxial Pt thin films on (0 0 1) SrTiO{sub 3} by rf magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kahsay, A. [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Polo, M.C., E-mail: mcpolo@ub.edu [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Ferrater, C.; Ventura, J. [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Rebled, J.M. [Departament d’Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia IN 2UB, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Varela, M. [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

    2014-07-01

    The growth of platinum thin film by rf magnetron sputtering on SrTiO{sub 3}(0 0 1) substrates for oxide based devices was investigated. Platinum films grown at temperatures higher than 750 °C were epitaxial ([1 0 0]Pt(0 0 1)//[1 0 0]STO(0 0 1)), whereas at lower temperatures Pt(1 1 1) films were obtained. The surface morphology of the Pt films showed a strong dependence on the deposition temperature as was revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). At elevated temperatures there is a three-dimensional (3D) growth of rectangular atomically flat islands with deep boundaries between them. On the other hand, at low deposition temperatures, a two-dimensional (2D) layered growth was observed. The transition from 2D to 3D growth modes was observed that occurs for temperatures around 450 °C. The obtained epitaxial thin films also formed an atomically sharp interface with the SrTiO{sub 3}(0 0 1) substrate as confirmed by HRTEM.

  4. Influence of oxygen flow rate on metal-insulator transition of vanadium oxide thin films grown by RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, Xu; Liu, Xinkun; Li, Haizhu; Huang, Mingju [Henan University, Key Lab of Informational Opto-Electronical Materials and Apparatus, School of Physics and Electronics, Kaifeng (China); Zhang, Angran [South China Normal University, Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, Guangzhou (China)

    2017-03-15

    High-quality vanadium oxide (VO{sub 2}) films have been fabricated on Si (111) substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering deposition method. The sheet resistance of VO{sub 2} has a significant change (close to 5 orders of magnitude) in the process of the metal-insulator phase transition (MIT). The field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) results show the grain size of VO{sub 2} thin films is larger with the increase of oxygen flow. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate the thin films fabricated at different oxygen flow rates grow along the (011) crystalline orientation. As the oxygen flow rate increases from 3 sccm to 6 sccm, the phase transition temperature of the films reduces from 341 to 320 K, the width of the thermal hysteresis loop decreases from 32 to 9 K. The thin films fabricated in the condition of 5 sccm have a high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) -3.455%/K with a small resistivity of 2.795 ρ/Ω cm. (orig.)

  5. Structural evolution and growth mechanisms of RF-magnetron sputter-deposited hydroxyapatite thin films on the basis of unified principles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivanova, Anna A.; Surmeneva, Maria A.; Surmenev, Roman A.; Depla, Diederik

    2017-12-01

    The structural features of RF-magnetron sputter-deposited hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings are investigated in order to reveal the effect of the working gas composition and the sample position of the substrate relative to the target erosion zone. The film properties were observed to change as a result of bombardment with energetic ions. XRD analysis of the coated substrates indicates that with the increase of the ion-to-atom ratio, the fiber texture changes from a mixed (11 2 bar 2) + (0002) over (0002) orientation, finally reaching a (30 3 bar 0) out-of-plane orientation at high ion-to-atom ratios. TEM reveals that the microstructure of the HA coating consists of columnar grains and differs with the coating texture. The contribution of Ji/Ja to the development of microstructure and texture of the HA coating is schematically represented and discussed. The obtained results may contribute substantially to the progress of research into the development of HA coatings with tailored properties, and these coatings may be applied on the surfaces of metal implants used in bone surgery.

  6. SnO{sub 2}:F thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering: effect of the SnF{sub 2} amount in the target on the physical properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Moure F, F. [universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Facultad de Quimica Materiales, Queretaro 76010, Queretaro (Mexico); Guillen C, A.; Nieto Z, K. E.; Quinones G, J. G.; Hernandez H, A.; Melendez L, M.; Olvera, M. de la L., E-mail: fcomoure@hotmail.com [IPN, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Departamento de Fisica, Apdo. Postal 14-740, 07360 Mexico D. F. (Mexico)

    2013-08-01

    SnO{sub 2}:F thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering onto glass substrates using SnF{sub 2} as fluorine source. The films were deposited under a mixed argon/hydrogen atmosphere at a substrate temperature of 500 C. The X-ray diffraction shows that polycrystalline films were grown with a phases mixture of SnO{sub 2} and Sn O. The optical transmittance is between 80 and 90%. The physical properties of the films suggest that SnO{sub 2} thin films grown with small SnF{sub 2} content in the target can be considered as candidates for transparent electrodes. (Author)

  7. Properties of RF magnetron sputtered gallium nitride semiconductors doped with erbium

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Peřina, Vratislav; Macková, Anna; Hnatowicz, Vladimír; Prajzler, V.; Machovič, V.; Matějka, P.; Schröfel, J.

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 36, č. 8 (2004), s. 952-954 ISSN 0142-2421 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA104/03/0387 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1048901 Keywords : Er-doped GaN * luminescence * magnetron sputtering Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders Impact factor: 1.209, year: 2004

  8. Bioactivity response of Ta_1_-_xO_x coatings deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almeida Alves, C.F.; Cavaleiro, A.; Carvalho, S.

    2016-01-01

    The use of dental implants is sometimes accompanied by failure due to periimplantitis disease and subsequently poor esthetics when soft–hard tissue margin recedes. As a consequence, further research is needed for developing new bioactive surfaces able to enhance the osseous growth. Tantalum (Ta) is a promising material for dental implants since, comparing with titanium (Ti), it is bioactive and has an interesting chemistry which promotes the osseointegration. Another promising approach for implantology is the development of implants with oxidized surfaces since bone progenitor cells interact with the oxide layer forming a diffusion zone due to its ability to bind with calcium which promotes a stronger bond. In the present report Ta-based coatings were deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering onto Ti CP substrates in an Ar + O_2 atmosphere. In order to assess the osteoconductive response of the studied materials, contact angle and in vitro tests of the samples immersed in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) were performed. Structural results showed that oxide phases where achieved with larger amounts of oxygen (70 at.% O). More compact and smooth coatings were deposited by increasing the oxygen content. The as-deposited Ta coating presented the most hydrophobic character (100°); with increasing oxygen amount contact angles progressively diminished, down to the lowest measured value, 63°. The higher wettability is also accompanied by an increase on the surface energy. Bioactivity tests demonstrated that highest O-content coating, in good agreement with wettability and surface energy values, showed an increased affinity for apatite adhesion, with higher Ca/P ratio formation, when compared to the bare Ti substrates. - Highlights: • Ta_1_-_xO_x coatings were deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering. • Amorphous oxide phases were achieved with higher oxygen amounts. • Contact angles progressively diminished, with increasing oxygen content. • Ta oxide surface

  9. Electrical transport properties of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films obtained by thermal annealing of layers grown by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giannetta, H.M.R., E-mail: hgiann@inti.gov.ar [Centro de Micro y Nano Electrónica del Bicentenario (CMNB), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI), San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN) — Facultad Regional Buenos Aires (FRBA) (Argentina); Calaza, C. [Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona, Centro Nacional de Microelectrónica (IMB-CNM, CSIC), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona (Spain); Lamas, D.G. [Universidad Nacional del Comahue CONICET-CITEFA — Laboratorio de Caracterización de Materiales, Facultad de Ingeniería, Neuquen (Argentina); Fonseca, L. [Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona, Centro Nacional de Microelectrónica (IMB-CNM, CSIC), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona (Spain); Fraigi, L. [Centro de Micro y Nano Electrónica del Bicentenario (CMNB), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI), San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN) — Facultad Regional Buenos Aires (FRBA) (Argentina)

    2015-08-31

    The present study investigates the main electrical transport mechanism in V{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on the basis of the Mott's small polaron hopping model. The material under test was obtained at room temperature from a V{sub 2}O{sub 5} target and then oxidized at high temperature under air atmosphere to obtain the desired V{sub 2}O{sub 5} phase. The dependence of the electrical conductivity of the V{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films with temperature was analyzed using the Mott's small polarons hopping transport model under the Schnakenberg form. Model results suggest a polaron binding energy W{sub H} = 0.1682 eV, with a structural disorder energy W{sub D} = 0.2241 eV and an optical phonon frequency ν{sub 0} = 0.468 × 10{sup 13}s{sup −1}. These results are in agreement with data reported in literature for single crystal V{sub 2}O{sub 5}. However, the carrier mobility μ = 1.5019 × 10{sup −5} cm{sup 2}/Vs computed in the non-adiabatic regime is significantly smaller than that of the single crystal, suggesting a strong electron–phonon coupling in the V{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films obtained with the proposed deposition method. - Highlights: • A two-stage deposition method compatible with lift-off patterning is proposed. • V{sub 2}O{sub 5} films are deposited by RF magnetron sputtering and then annealed in air. • Films are analyzed by SEM and its pure phase nature is confirmed by XRD. • Electrical conductivity was fitted using Mott's model for small polarons. • Fit derived parameters confirm charge transport through small-polarons hopping.

  10. Deposition of the low resistive ITO-films by means of reactive magnetron sputtering of the In/Sn target on the cold substrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhidik, Y. S.; Troyan, P. E.; Baturina, E. V.; Korzhenko, D. V.; Yurjev, Y. N.

    2016-06-01

    Detailed information on the deposition technology of the low-resistive ITO-films in oxygen-containing media by magnetron reactive sputtering from the In(90%)/Sn(10%) target on the cold substrate is given. Developed technology allows deposition ITO-films with sheet resistance 2-3 Ω/□, transparency higher than 90%. Developed technology is notable for high reproducibility of results and is compatible with production technology of semiconductor devices of optoelectronics.

  11. High-rate deposition of high-quality Sn-doped In2O3 films by reactive magnetron sputtering using alloy targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oka, Nobuto; Kawase, Yukari; Shigesato, Yuzo

    2012-01-01

    Sn-doped In 2 O 3 (ITO) films were deposited on heated (200 °C) fused silica glass substrates by reactive DC sputtering with mid-frequency pulsing (50 kHz) and a plasma control unit combined with a feedback system of the optical emission intensity for the atomic O* line at 777 nm. A planar In–Sn alloy target was connected to the switching unit, which was operated in the unipolar pulse mode. The power density on the target was maintained at 4.4 W cm −2 during deposition. The feedback system precisely controlled the oxidation of the target surface in “the transition region.” The ITO film with lowest resistivity (3.1 × 10 −4 Ω cm) was obtained with a deposition rate of 310 nm min −1 and transmittance in the visible region of approximately 80%. The deposition rate was about 6 times higher than that of ITO films deposited by conventional sputtering using an oxide target.

  12. Bunch motion in the presence of the self-induced voltage due to a reactive impedance; 1, RF off

    CERN Document Server

    Shaposhnikova, Elena

    1995-01-01

    Analytic self-consistent solutions have been found for the nonlinear Vlasov equation describing different types of behaviour with time of an intense bunch under the influence of voltage induced due to a reactive part of broad band impedance. The problem is solved for the particular type of the initial distribution function in longitudinal phase space which is elliptic and corresponds to parabolic line density. The first part of the paper is devoted to the consideration of the effects in the machine with RF off. In this case induced voltage is changing with time and, as in the case with RF on, can have a significant effect on bunch motion. Numerical estimations for the SPS show that this effect can be important for manipulations with beam at 26GeV. Measurements of the change in the rate of debunching with intensity can also be used to estimate the value of the impedance. The same method is applied in the second part of the paper to analyse time dependent effects of potential well distortion when RF is on.

  13. Preparation of YBaCuO superconducting tape by RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fukutomi, Masao; Akutsu, Nakao; Tanaka, Yoshiaki; Asano, Toshihisa; Maeda, Hiroshi (National Research Inst. for Metals, Tsukuba (Japan); Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd., Tokyo (Japan))

    1989-04-01

    The effect of buffer layers, conditions of film preparation, and the relation between superconducting characteristics and bombardment of high energy ions on films were discussed in an attempt to fabricate YBaCuO films on metallic substrates by sputtering. Hastelloy-X tapes and Chromel (Ni-10Cr) fine wires were used as metallic substrates, and MgO films as buffer layers, which were provided by sputtering a MgO sintered target and annealing. As a result, superconducting films were favorably obtained on the Hastelloy tapes with the MgO buffer layers, however, counter diffusion at the interface of the film and layer was unavoidable in annealing. C axis-highly oriented film with high zero resistance Tc was obtained in such an arrangement of the target and substrate as to lower the effect of 0{sup {minus}} ion resputtering, resulting in the most favorable Tc=80.4K. YBaCuO superconducting films could be also deposited on a bundle of Chromel fine wires preliminarily. 11 refs., 7 figs.

  14. Fabrication and Physical Properties of Titanium Nitride/Hydroxyapatite Composites on Polyether Ether Ketone by RF Magnetron Sputtering Technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nupangtha, W.; Boonyawan, D.

    2017-09-01

    Titanium nitride (TiN) coatings have been used very successfully in a variety of applications because of their excellent properties, such as the high hardness meaning good wear resistance and also used for covering medical implants. Hydroxyapatite is a bioactive ceramic that contributes to the restoration of bone tissue, which together with titanium nitride may contribute to obtaining a superior composite in terms of mechanical and bone tissue interaction matters. This paper aims to explain how to optimize deposition conditions for films synthesis on PEEK by varying sputtering parameters such as nitrogen flow rate and direction, deposition time, d-s (target-to-substrate distance) and 13.56 MHz RF power. The plasma conditions used to deposit films were monitored by the optical emission spectroscopy (OES). Titanium nitride/Hydroxyapatite composite films were performed by gas mixture with nitrogen and argon ratio of 1:3 and target-to-substrate distance at 8 cm. The gold colour, as-deposited film was found on PEEK with high hardness and higher surface energy than uncoated PEEK. X-ray diffraction characterization study was carried to study the crystal structural properties of these composites.

  15. Synergistic effect of indium and gallium co-doping on the properties of RF sputtered ZnO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaheera, M.; Girija, K. G.; Kaur, Manmeet; Geetha, V.; Debnath, A. K.; Karri, Malvika; Thota, Manoj Kumar; Vatsa, R. K.; Muthe, K. P.; Gadkari, S. C.

    2018-04-01

    ZnO thin films were synthesized using RF magnetron sputtering, with simultaneous incorporation of Indium (In) and Gallium (Ga). The structural, optical, chemical composition and surface morphology of the pure and co-doped (IGZO) thin films were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Raman spectroscopy. XRD revealed that these films were oriented along c-axis with hexagonal wurtzite structure. The (002) diffraction peak in the co-doped sample was observed at 33.76° with a slight shift towards lower 2θ values as compared to pure ZnO. The surface morphology of the two thin films was observed to differ. For pure ZnO films, round grains were observed and for IGZO thin films round as well as rod type grains were observed. All thin films synthesized show excellent optical properties with more than 90% transmission in the visible region and band gap of the films is observed to decrease with co-doping. The co doping of In and Ga is therefore expected to provide a broad range optical and physical properties of ZnO thin films for a variety of optoelectronic applications.

  16. Transparent conducting thin films by co-sputtering of ZnO-ITO targets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carreras, Paz; Antony, Aldrin; Roldan, Ruben; Nos, Oriol; Frigeri, Paolo Antonio; Asensi, Jose Miguel; Bertomeu, Joan [Grup d' Energia Solar, Universitat de Barcelona (Spain)

    2010-04-15

    Transparent and conductive Zn-In-Sn-O (ZITO) amorphous thin films have been deposited at room temperature by the rf magnetron co-sputtering of ITO and ZnO targets. Co-sputtering gives the possibility to deposit multicomponent oxide thin films with different compositions by varying the power to one of the targets. In order to make ZITO films with different Zn content, a constant rf power of 50 W was used for the ITO target, where as the rf power to ZnO target was varied from 25 W to 150 W. The as deposited films showed an increase in Zn content ratio from 17 to 67% as the power to ZnO target was increased from 25 to 150 W. The structural, electrical and optical properties of the as deposited films are reported. The films showed an average transmittance over 80% in the visible wavelength range. The electrical resistivity and optical band gap of the ZITO films were found to depend on the Zn content in the film. The ZITO films deposited at room temperature with lower Zn content ratios showed better optical transmission and electrical properties compared to ITO film. (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  17. Highly c-axis oriented ZnO:Ni thin film nanostructure by RF magnetron sputtering: Structural, morphological and magnetic studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siddheswaran, R.; Savková, Jarmila; Medlín, Rostislav; Očenášek, Jan; Životský, Ondřej; Novák, Petr; Šutta, Pavol

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Highly preferred oriented columnar ZnO:Ni thin films were prepared by magnetron sputtering. • XRD and azimuthal studies explain the characteristics of orientation in [0 0 1] direction. • Surface morphology and grains distribution were explained by FE-SEM. • XTEM specimen prepared by ion slicing used for TEM microstructure analyses. • Tendency of ferromagnetism by influence of Ni content was studied by VSM. - Abstract: Nickel doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Ni) thin films with different Ni concentrations were deposited on silicon substrates at 400 °C by reactive magnetron sputtering using a mixture of Ar and O 2 gases. The X-ray diffraction and azimuthal patterns of the ZnO:Ni were carried out, and the quality of the strong preferred orientation of crystalline columns in the direction [0 0 1] perpendicular to the substrate surface were analysed. The grain size, distribution, and homogeneity of the thin film surfaces were studied by FE-SEM. The EDX and mapping confirmed that the Ni is incorporated into ZnO uniformly. The microstructure of the textured columns was analysed by TEM and HRTEM analyses. The average thickness and length of the columns were found to be about 50 nm and 600 nm, respectively. The rise of ferromagnetism by the influence of Ni content was studied by VSM magnetic studies at room temperature

  18. Characteristics of sputtered Al-doped ZnO films for transparent electrodes of organic thin-film transistor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Yong Seob; Kim, Han-Ki

    2011-01-01

    Aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) thin-films were deposited with various RF powers at room temperature by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. The electrical properties of the AZO film were improved with the increasing RF power. These results can be explained by the improvement of the crystallinity in the AZO film. We fabricated the organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) of the bottom gate structure using pentacene active and poly-4-vinyl phenol gate dielectric layers on the indium tin oxide gate electrode, and estimated the device properties of the OTFTs including drain current-drain voltage (I D -V D ), drain current-gate voltage (I D -V G ), threshold voltage (V T ), on/off ratio and field effect mobility. The AZO film that grown at 160 W RF power exhibited low resistivity (1.54 x 10 -3 Ω.cm), high crystallinity and uniform surface morphology. The pentacene thin-film transistor using the AZO film that's fabricated at 160 W RF power exhibited good device performance such as the mobility of 0.94 cm 2 /V s and the on/off ratio of ∼ 10 5 . Consequently, the performance of the OTFT such as larger field-effect carrier mobility was determined the conductivity of the AZO source/drain (S/D) electrode. AZO films prepared at room temperature by the sputtering method are suitable for the S/D electrodes in the OTFTs.

  19. Oxygen partial pressure effects on the RF sputtered p-type NiO hydrogen gas sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turgut, Erdal; Çoban, Ömer; Sarıtaş, Sevda; Tüzemen, Sebahattin; Yıldırım, Muhammet; Gür, Emre

    2018-03-01

    NiO thin films were grown by Radio Frequency (RF) Magnetron Sputtering method under different oxygen partial pressures, which are 0.6 mTorr, 1.3 mTorr and 2.0 mTorr. The effects of oxygen partial pressures on the thin films were analyzed through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Hall measurements. The change in the surface morphology of the thin films has been observed with the SEM and AFM measurements. While nano-pyramids have been obtained on the thin film grown at the lowest oxygen partial pressure, the spherical granules lower than 60 nm in size has been observed for the samples grown at higher oxygen partial pressures. The shift in the dominant XRD peak is realized to the lower two theta angle with increasing the oxygen partial pressures. XPS measurements showed that the Ni2p peak involves satellite peaks and two oxidation states of Ni, Ni2+ and Ni3+, have been existed together with the corresponding splitting in O1s spectrum. P-type conductivity of the grown NiO thin films are confirmed by the Hall measurements with concentrations on the order of 1013 holes/cm-3. Gas sensor measurements revealed minimum of 10% response to the 10 ppm H2 level. Enhanced responsivity of the gas sensor devices of NiO thin films is shown as the oxygen partial pressure increases.

  20. RF magnetron sputtering and evaporation of polyisobutylene and low density polyethylene

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kousal, J.; Hanuš, J.; Choukourov, A.; Hlídek, P.; Biederman, H.; Slavinská, D.; Zemek, Josef

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 200, 1-4 (2005), s. 472-475 ISSN 0257-8972 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) OC 527.10; GA MŠk(CZ) ME 553 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : magnetron * radio frequency * sputtering * polyethylene * polyisobutylene Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.646, year: 2005

  1. Sputtered indium-tin oxide/cadmium telluride junctions and cadmium telluride surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Courreges, F.G.; Fahrenbruch, A.L.; Bube, R.H.

    1980-01-01

    The properties of indium-tin oxide (ITO)/CdTe junction solar cells prepared by rf sputtering of ITO on P-doped CdTe single-crystal substrates have been investigated through measurements of the electrical and photovoltaic properties of ITO/CdTe and In/CdTe junctions, and of electron beam induced currents (EBIC) in ITO/CdTe junctions. In addition, surface properties of CdTe related to the sputtering process were investigated as a function of sputter etching and thermal oxidation using the techniques of surface photovoltage and photoluminescence. ITO/CdTe cells prepared by this sputtering method consist of an n + -ITO/n-CdTe/p-CdTe buried homojunction with about a 1-μm-thick n-type CdTe layer formed by heating of the surface of the CdTe during sputtering. Solar efficiencies up to 8% have been observed with V/sub 0c/=0.82 V and J/sub s/c=14.5 mA/cm 2 . The chief degradation mechanism involves a decrease in V/sub 0c/ with a transformation of the buried homojunction structure to an actual ITO/CdTe heterojunction

  2. Ion implantation induced structural changes in reactively sputtered Cr-N layers on Si substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novakovic, M.; Popovic, M.; Perusko, D.; Milinovic, V.; Radovic, I.; Bibic, N.; Mitric, M.; Milosavljevic, M.

    2007-01-01

    This paper presents a study of the structure and composition of reactively sputtered Cr-N layers as a function of deposition parameters, and the effects of ion implantation on these structures. The layers were deposited on (1 0 0) Si substrates to a thickness of 240-280 nm, at different nitrogen partial pressure, and subsequently irradiated with 120 keV Ar ions. Structural characterisation of the samples was performed with Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. We also measured their electrical resistivity with a four point probe. It was found that the layers grow in form of columnar structures, and their composition, Cr 2 N or CrN, strongly depends on the nitrogen partial pressure during deposition. Ion irradiation induces local micro-structural changes, formation of nano-particles and defects, which can be nicely correlated to the measured electrical resistivity

  3. Reactive radio frequency sputtering deposition and characterization of zinc nitride and oxynitride thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang, Nanke; Georgiev, Daniel G.; Wen, Ting; Jayatissa, Ahalapitiya H.

    2012-01-01

    Zinc nitride films were deposited on glass or silicon substrates by reactive magnetron radio frequency sputtering of zinc in either N 2 –Ar or N 2 –Ar–O 2 ambient. The effects of varying the nitrogen contents and the substrate temperature were investigated. X-ray diffraction data showed that the as-deposited films contain the zinc nitride cubic crystalline phase with a preferred orientation, and Raman scattering measurements revealed Zn-N related modes. According to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis, the as-deposited films were nitrogen-rich and contained only a small fraction of oxygen. Hall-effect measurements showed that p-type zinc nitride with carrier concentration of ∼ 10 19 cm −3 , mobility of ∼ 10 1 cm 2 /Vs, resistivity of ∼ 10 −2 Ω ∗ cm, was obtained. The photon energy dependence of optical transmittance suggested that the material has an indirect bandgap.

  4. Influence of ferroelectric layer on artificial multiferroic LSMO/BTO bilayers deposited by Dc and RF sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ordonez, J. E.; Gomez, M. E.; Lopera, W. [Universidad del Valle, Department of Physics, A. A. 25360 Cali (Colombia)

    2016-11-01

    La{sub 2/3}Sr{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} (LSMO)/BaTiO{sub 3} (BTO) bilayers were deposited on (001) SrTiO{sub 3} substrates via Dc and RF sputtering at pure oxygen atmosphere at a substrate temperature of 830 degrees Celsius. We studied the structural, electrical and magnetic properties on LSMO/BTO bilayers, when LSMO thickness is fixed at nm and BTO thickness is varied from 20 to 100 nm. Reciprocal Space Maps in LSMO show a strained growth for all samples, while BTO layers are always relaxed. Magnetization and electrical measurements indicate the influence of the ferroelectric layer, due to saturation magnetization increases from 500 to 590 emu/cm{sup 3} and coercive field decreases from 178 to 82 Oe with BTO thickness. Mean Field mechanism is identified on all samples with critical exponent β between 0.42 and 0.54. Resistivity measurements show electron-electron and magnon-magnon scattering conduction mechanisms. The influence on magnetic and electrical properties of bilayers with BTO thickness is attributed to crystallographic strains at the interface and the corresponding relaxation with increasing BTO layer thickness. The thickness of the individual layers were obtained by X-ray reflectivity measurements in the bilayers, not shown. X-ray diffraction and Reciprocal Space Maps measurements show highly textured layers with preferential growth in the c-axis direction. (Author)

  5. Effect of Mg doping in the gas-sensing performance of RF-sputtered ZnO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinoth, E.; Gowrishankar, S.; Gopalakrishnan, N.

    2018-06-01

    Thin films of Mg-free and Mg-doped (3, 10 and 20 mol%) ZnO thin films have been deposited on Si (100) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering for gas-sensing application. Preferential orientation along (002) plane with hexagonal wurtzite structure has been observed in X-ray diffraction analysis. The conductivity, resistivity, and mobility of the deposited films have been measured by Hall effect measurement. The bandgap of the films has been calculated from the UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy. It has been found that the bandgap was increased from 3.35 to 3.91 eV with Mg content in ZnO due to the radiative recombination of excitons. The change in morphology of the grown films has been investigated by scanning electron microscope. Gas-sensing measurements have been conducted for fabricated films. The sensor response, selectivity, and stability measurement were done for the fabricated films. Though better response was found towards ethanol, methanol, and ammonia for MZ2 (Mg at 10 mol%) film and maximum gas response was observed towards ammonia. The selectivity measurement reveals maximum sensitivity about 42% for ammonia. The low response time of 123 s and recovery time of 152 s towards ammonia were observed for MZ2 (Mg at 10 mol%). Stability of the Mg-doped ZnO thin film confirmed by the continuous sensing measurements for 4 months.

  6. Indium--tin oxide films radio frequency sputtered from specially formulated high density indium--tin oxide targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kulkarni, S.; Bayard, M.

    1991-01-01

    High density ITO (indium--tin oxide) targets doped with Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 manufactured in the Tektronix Ceramics Division have been used to rf sputter ITO films of various thicknesses on borosilicate glass substrates. Sputtering in an oxygen--argon gas mixture and annealing in forming gas, resulted in ITO films exhibiting 90% transmission at 550 nm and a sheet resistance of 15 Ω/sq for a thickness of 1100 A. Sputtering in an oxygen--argon gas mixture and annealing in air increased sheet resistance without a large effect on the transmission. Films sputtered in argon gas alone were transparent in the visible and the sheet resistance was found to be 100--180 Ω/sq for the same thickness, without annealing

  7. Preparation and switching kinetics of Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 thin films deposited by reactive sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hase, Takashi; Shiosaki, Tadashi

    1991-01-01

    Ferroelectric Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 [PZT] thin films have been prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si and Pt/SiO 2 /Si substrates using the reactive sputtering method with a metal composite target. The (111)-oriented PZT (80/20) thin films with a perovskite structure have been obtained at a substrate temperature of 595degC on highly (111)-oriented Pt films formed on SiO 2 /Si substrates. When an 8 V pulse sequence was applied to a 265 nm-thick film with an electrode area of 50 x 50 μm 2 , the switching time and the switched charge density measured were 20 ns and 10 μC/cm 2 , respectively. The switching time was strongly dependent on the electrode area. (author)

  8. Raman studies of reactive DC-magnetron sputtered thin films of YBaCuO on MgO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheng, K.C.; Lee, S.J.; Shen, Y.H.; Wang, X.K.; Rippert, E.D.; Van Duyne, R.P.; Ketterson, J.B.; Chang, R.P.H.

    1989-01-01

    Raman spectroscopy was employed to study Y-Ba-Cu-O films prepared by multilayer, reactive sputtering from separate Y, Cu, and Ba 0.5 Cu 0.5 targets. A set of films having the composition Y x Ba 2 Cu y O z with 0.7 c (R=0), ranging from 25 to 90 K was studied with the Raman technique. The correlation between Raman data and critical temperature, T c , was investigated. This technique provides important information concerning the film crystallinity, homogeneity, and impurity content (including other phases) which is useful in judging the quality of high T c superconducting films. We also found that the rapid thermal annealing process is a very efficient way to reduce chemical reactions between the film and the substrate

  9. Transparent conducting zinc oxide thin film prepared by off-axis rf ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Highly conducting and transparent ZnO : Al thin films were grown by off-axis rf magnetron sputtering on amorphous silica substrates without any post-deposition annealing. The electrical and optical properties of the films deposited at various substrate temperatures and target to substrate distances were investigated in detail ...

  10. Spectroellipsometric detection of silicon substrate damage caused by radiofrequency sputtering of niobium oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohner, Tivadar; Serényi, Miklós; Szilágyi, Edit; Zolnai, Zsolt; Czigány, Zsolt; Khánh, Nguyen Quoc; Petrik, Péter; Fried, Miklós

    2017-11-01

    Substrate surface damage induced by deposition of metal atoms by radiofrequency (rf) sputtering or ion beam sputtering onto single-crystalline silicon (c-Si) surface has been characterized earlier by electrical measurements. The question arises whether it is possible to characterize surface damage using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). In our experiments niobium oxide layers were deposited by rf sputtering on c-Si substrates in gas mixture of oxygen and argon. Multiple angle of incidence spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements were performed, a four-layer optical model (surface roughness layer, niobium oxide layer, native silicon oxide layer and ion implantation-amorphized silicon [i-a-Si] layer on a c-Si substrate) was created in order to evaluate the spectra. The evaluations yielded thicknesses of several nm for the i-a-Si layer. Better agreement could be achieved between the measured and the generated spectra by inserting a mixed layer (with components of c-Si and i-a-Si applying the effective medium approximation) between the silicon oxide layer and the c-Si substrate. High depth resolution Rutherford backscattering (RBS) measurements were performed to investigate the interface disorder between the deposited niobium oxide layer and the c-Si substrate. Atomic resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy investigation was applied to visualize the details of the damaged subsurface region of the substrate.

  11. Relation between the plasma characteristics and physical properties of functional zinc oxide thin film prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, Che-Wei; Cheng, Tsung-Chieh; Huang, Wen-Hsien; Wu, Jong-Shinn; Cheng, Cheng-Chih; Cheng, Kai-Wen; Huang, Shih-Chiang

    2010-01-01

    The ZnO thin film was deposited on a glass substrate by a RF reactive magnetron sputtering method. Results showed that plasma density, electron temperature, deposition rate and estimated ion bombardment energy increase with increasing applied RF power. Three distinct power regimes were observed, which are strongly correlated with plasma properties. In the low-power regime, the largest grain size was observed due to slow deposition rate. In the medium-power regime, the smallest grain size was found, which is attributed to insufficient time for the adatoms to migrate on substrate surface. In the high-power regime, relatively larger grain size was found due to very large ion bombardment energy which enhances the thermal migration of adatoms. Regardless of pure ZnO thin film or ZnO on glass, high transmittance (> 80%) in the visible region can be generally observed. However, the film thickness plays a more important role for controlling optical properties, especially in the UV region, than the applied RF power. In general, with properly coated ZnO thin film, we can obtain a glass substrate which is highly transparent in the visible region, is of good anti-UV characteristics, and is highly hydrophobic, which is highly suitable for applications in the glass industry.

  12. Mechanical Properties And Microstructure Of AlN/SiCN Nanocomposite Coatings Prepared By R.F.-Reactive Sputtering Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nakafushi Y.

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available FIn this work, AlN/SiCN composite coatings were deposited by r.f.-reactive sputtering method using a facing target-type sputtering (FTS apparatus with composite targets consisting of Al plate and SiC chips in a gaseous mixture of Ar and N2, and investigated their mechanical properties and microstructure. The indentation hardness (HIT of AlN/SiCN coatings prepared from composite targets consisting of 8 ~32 chips of SiC and Al plate showed the maximum value of about 29~32 GPa at a proper nitrogen gas flow rate. X-ray diffraction (XRD patterns for the AlN/SiCN composite coatings indicated the presence of the only peeks of hexagonal (B4 structured AlN phase. AlN coatings clarified the columnar structure of the cross sectional view TEM observation. On the other hand, microstructure of AlN/SiCN composite coatings changed from columnar to equiaxed structure with increasing SiCN content. HR-TEM observation clarified that the composite coatings consisted of very fine equiaxial grains of B4 structured AlN phase and amorphous phase.

  13. Structural and photocarrier radiometric characterization of Cux(CdTe)yOz thin films growth by reactive sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Velazquez-Hernandez, R.; Rojas-Rodriguez, I.; Carmona-Rodriguez, J.; Jimenez-Sandoval, S.; Rodriguez-Garcia, M.E.

    2011-01-01

    This research presents a structural and photocarrier radiometric (PCR) characterization of Cu x (CdTe) y O z thin films grown using reactive radiofrequency co-sputtering. Electronic distribution induced by variations in dopant concentration as a function of the position was studied using photocarrier radiometric images. Optical and structural characterization of these thin films was carried out by using micro Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Due to its nondestructive and noncontact characteristics, the PCR is an excellent technique that permits one to obtain details of lateral electronic distribution across the sample. It was found that Cu target power influences the electronic distribution and produces different phases such as Cu 2 Te and CdO.

  14. Electrochemical reaction of lithium with orthorhombic bismuth tungstate thin films fabricated by radio-frequency sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Chilin; Sun Ke; Yu Le; Fu Zhengwen

    2009-01-01

    Bi 2 WO 6 thin films with fast deposition rate have been fabricated by radio-frequency (R.F.) sputtering deposition, and are used as positive electrodes in rechargeable thin film lithium batteries. An initial discharge capacity of 113 μAh/cm 2 -μm is obtainable for Bi 2 WO 6 film electrode with good capacity reversibility. A multiple-center reactive mechanism associated with both Bi 3+ /Bi 0 and W 6+ /W x+ (x 2 WO 6 electrochemical performance with those of Bi 2 O 3 and WO 3 thin films. A possible explanation about smooth capacity loss of Bi 2 WO 6 after long-term cycling is suggested from the incomplete reaction of Bi component. The advantages of Bi 2 WO 6 thin films over the singer-center Bi 2 O 3 or WO 3 thin films are shown in both the aspects of volumetric capacity and cycling life.

  15. Effects of Mg Doping on the Performance of InGaN Films Made by Reactive Sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Dong-Hau; Li, Cheng-Che; Tuan, Thi Tran Anh; Yen, Wei-Chun

    2015-01-01

    Mg-doped InGaN (Mg-InGaN) films have been deposited directly on Si (100) substrates by radio-frequency reactive sputtering technique with single cermet targets in an Ar/N2 atmosphere. The cermet targets with a constant 5% indium content were made by hot pressing the mixture of metallic In, Ga, and Mg powders and ceramic GaN powder. The Mg-InGaN films had a wurtzite structure with a preferential () growth plane. The SEM images showed that Mg-InGaN films were smooth, continuous, free from cracks and holes, and composed of nanometer-sized grains. As the Mg dopant content in Mg-InGaN increased to 7.7 at.%, the film was directly transformed into p-type conduction without a post-annealing process. It had high hole concentration of 5.53 × 1018 cm-3 and electrical mobility of 15.7 ± 4.2 cm2 V-1 s-1. The over-doping of Mg in InGaN degraded the electrical properties. The bandgap of Mg-InGaN films decreased from 2.92 eV to 2.84 eV, as the Mg content increased from 7.7% to 18.2%. The constructed p-type Mg-InGaN/ n-type GaN diode was used to confirm the realization of the p-type InGaN by sputtering technique.

  16. Fabrication, ultra-structure characterization and in vitro studies of RF magnetron sputter deposited nano-hydroxyapatite thin films for biomedical applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surmeneva, Maria A.; Surmenev, Roman A.; Nikonova, Yulia A.; Selezneva, Irina I.; Ivanova, Anna A.; Putlyaev, Valery I.; Prymak, Oleg; Epple, Matthias

    2014-10-01

    A series of nanostructured low-crystalline hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings averaging 170, 250, and 440 nm in thickness were deposited onto previously etched titanium substrates through radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The HA coatings were analyzed using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). Cross sections of the thin specimens were prepared by FIB to study the microstructure of the coatings by TEM. The deposition process formed nano-scale grains, generating an amorphous layer at the substrate/coating interface and inducing the growth of a columnar grain structure perpendicular to the substrate surface. A microstructural analysis of the film confirmed that the grain size and crystallinity increased when increasing the deposition time. The nanostructured HA coatings were not cytotoxic, as proven by in vitro assays using primary dental pulp stem cells and mouse fibroblast NCTC clone L929 cells. Low-crystallinity HA coatings with different thicknesses stimulated cells to attach, proliferate and form mineralized nodules on the surface better than uncoated titanium substrates.

  17. Charge ordering in reactive sputtered (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) oriented epitaxial Fe3O4 films

    KAUST Repository

    Mi, Wenbo

    2013-06-01

    Epitaxial Fe3O4 films with (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) orientations fabricated by reactive sputtering present simultaneous magnetic and electrical transitions at 120 and 124 K, respectively. The symmetry decreases from face-centered cubic to monoclinic structure across the Verwey transition. Extra spots with different brightness at different positions appear in selected-area diffraction patterns at 95 K. The extra spots come from the charge ordering of outer-layer electrons of Fe atoms, and should be related to the charge ordering of octahedral B-site Fe atoms. © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Charge ordering in reactive sputtered (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) oriented epitaxial Fe3O4 films

    KAUST Repository

    Mi, Wenbo; Guo, Zaibing; Wang, Qingxiao; Yang, Yang; Bai, Haili

    2013-01-01

    Epitaxial Fe3O4 films with (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) orientations fabricated by reactive sputtering present simultaneous magnetic and electrical transitions at 120 and 124 K, respectively. The symmetry decreases from face-centered cubic to monoclinic structure across the Verwey transition. Extra spots with different brightness at different positions appear in selected-area diffraction patterns at 95 K. The extra spots come from the charge ordering of outer-layer electrons of Fe atoms, and should be related to the charge ordering of octahedral B-site Fe atoms. © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Modelling of low energy ion sputtering from oxide surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubart, T; Nyberg, T; Berg, S

    2010-01-01

    The main aim of this work is to present a way to estimate the values of surface binding energy for oxides. This is done by fitting results from the binary collisions approximation code Tridyn with data from the reactive sputtering processing curves, as well as the elemental composition obtained from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Oxide targets of Al, Ti, V, Nb and Ta are studied. The obtained surface binding energies are then used to predict the partial sputtering yields. Anomalously high sputtering yield is observed for the TiO 2 target. This is attributed to the high sputtering yield of Ti lower oxides. Such an effect is not observed for the other studied metals. XPS measurement of the oxide targets confirms the formation of suboxides during ion bombardment as well as an oxygen deficient surface in the steady state. These effects are confirmed from the processing curves from the oxide targets showing an elevated sputtering rate in pure argon.

  20. Shape memory characteristics of sputter-deposited Ti-Ni thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyazaki, Shuichi; Ishida, Akira.

    1994-01-01

    Ti-Ni shape memory alloy thin films were deposited using an RF magnetron sputtering apparatus. The as-sputtered films were heat-treated in order to crystallize and memorize. After the heat treatment, the shape memory characteristics have been investigated using DSC and thermomechanical tests. Upon cooling the thin films, the solution-treated films showed a single peak in the DSC curve indicating a single stage transformation occurring from B2 to the martensitic phase, while the age-treated films showed double peaks indicating a two-stage transformation, i.e., from B2 to the R-phase, then to the martensitic phase. A perfect shape memory effect was achieved in these sputter-deposited Ti-Ni thin films in association both with the R-phase and martensitic transformations. Transformation temperatures increased linearly with increasing applied stress. The transformation strain also increased with increasing stress. The shape memory characteristics were strongly affected by heat-treatment conditions. (author)

  1. Adhesion analysis for chromium nitride thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rusu, F. M.; Merie, V. V.; Pintea, I. M.; Molea, A.

    2016-08-01

    The thin film industry is continuously growing due to the wide range of applications that require the fabrication of advanced components such as sensors, biological implants, micro-electromechanical devices, optical coatings and so on. The selection regarding the deposition materials, as well as the deposition technology influences the properties of the material and determines the suitability of devices for certain real-world applications. This paper is focused on the adhesion force for several chromium nitride thin films obtained by reactive magnetron sputtering. All chromium nitride thin films were deposited on a silicon substrate, the discharge current and the argon flow being kept constant. The main purpose of the paper is to determine the influence of deposition parameters on the adhesion force. Therefore some of the deposition parameters were varied in order to study their effect on the adhesion force. Experimentally, the values of the adhesion force were determined in multiple points for each sample using the spectroscopy in point mode of the atomic force microscope. The obtained values were used to estimate the surface energy of the CrN thin films based on two existing mathematical models for the adhesion force when considering the contact between two bodies.

  2. Measurement and modeling of plasma parameters in reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering of Ti in Ar/O.sub.2./sub. mixtures

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Čada, Martin; Lundin, D.; Hubička, Zdeněk

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 121, č. 17 (2017), s. 1-7, č. článku 171913. ISSN 0021-8979 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-00863S EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 608800 - HIPPOCAMP Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : reactive sputtering * HiPIMS * Langmuir probe * R-IRM model * plasma density * electron temperature Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics OBOR OECD: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics) Impact factor: 2.068, year: 2016

  3. High-rate reactive magnetron sputtering of zirconia films for laser optics applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juskevicius, K.; Subacius, A.; Drazdys, R.; Juskenas, R.; Audronis, M.; Matthews, A.; Leyland, A.

    2014-01-01

    ZrO 2 exhibits low optical absorption in the near-UV range and is one of the highest laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) materials; it is, therefore, very attractive for laser optics applications. This paper reports explorations of reactive sputtering technology for deposition of ZrO 2 films with low extinction coefficient k values in the UV spectrum region at low substrate temperature. A high deposition rate (64 % of the pure metal rate) process is obtained by employing active feedback reactive gas control which creates a stable and repeatable deposition processes in the transition region. Substrate heating at 200 C was found to have no significant effect on the optical ZrO 2 film properties. The addition of nitrogen to a closed-loop controlled process was found to have mostly negative effects in terms of deposition rate and optical properties. Open-loop O 2 gas-regulated ZrO 2 film deposition is slow and requires elevated (200 C) substrate temperature or post-deposition annealing to reduce absorption losses. Refractive indices of the films were distributed in the range n = 2.05-2.20 at 1,000 nm and extinction coefficients were in the range k = 0.6 x 10 -4 and 4.8 x 10 -3 at 350 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis showed crystalline ZrO 2 films consisted of monoclinic + tetragonal phases when produced in Ar/O 2 atmosphere and monoclinic + rhombohedral or a single rhombohedral phase when produced in Ar/O 2 + N 2 . Optical and physical properties of the ZrO 2 layers produced in this study are suitable for high-power laser applications in the near-UV range. (orig.)

  4. Reactive magnetron sputtering deposition of bismuth tungstate onto titania nanoparticles for enhancing visible light photocatalytic activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ratova, Marina, E-mail: marina_ratova@hotmail.com [Surface Engineering Group, School of Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD (United Kingdom); Kelly, Peter J.; West, Glen T. [Surface Engineering Group, School of Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD (United Kingdom); Tosheva, Lubomira; Edge, Michele [School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GD (United Kingdom)

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Bismuth tungstate coatings were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. • Oscillating bowl was introduced to the system to enable coating of nanopartulates. • Deposition of Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} enhanced visible light activity of titania nanoparticles. • The best results were obtained for coating with Bi:W ratio of approximately 2:1. • Deposition of Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} onto TiO{sub 2} resulted in more efficient electron-hole separation. - Abstract: Titanium dioxide − bismuth tungstate composite materials were prepared by pulsed DC reactive magnetron sputtering of bismuth and tungsten metallic targets in argon/oxygen atmosphere onto anatase and rutile titania nanoparticles. The use of an oscillating bowl placed beneath the two magnetrons arranged in a co-planar closed field configuration enabled the deposition of bismuth tungstate onto loose powders, rather than a solid substrate. The atomic ratio of the bismuth/tungsten coatings was controlled by varying the power applied to each target. The effect of the bismuth tungstate coatings on the phase, optical and photocatalytic properties of titania was investigated by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and an acetone degradation test. The latter involved measurements of the rate of CO{sub 2} evolution under visible light irradiation of the photocatalysts, which indicated that the deposition of bismuth tungstate resulted in a significant enhancement of visible light activity, for both anatase and rutile titania particles. The best results were achieved for coatings with a bismuth to tungsten atomic ratio of 2:1. In addition, the mechanism by which the photocatalytic activity of the TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles was enhanced by compounding it with bismuth tungstate was studied by microwave cavity perturbation. The results of these

  5. Magnetoresistance and anomalous Hall effect of reactive sputtered polycrystalline Ti1 - XCrxN films

    KAUST Repository

    Duan, Xiaofei

    2013-09-01

    The reactive-sputtered polycrystalline Ti1 - xCrxN films with 0.17 ≤ x ≤ 0.51 are ferromagnetic and at x = 0.47 the Curie temperature TC shows a maximum of ~ 120 K. The films are metallic at 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.47, while the films with x = 0.51 and 0.78 are semiconducting-like. The upturn of resistivity below 70 K observed in the films with 0.10 ≤ x ≤ 0.47 is from the effects of the electron-electron interaction and weak localization. The negative magnetoresistance (MR) of the films with 0.10 ≤ x ≤ 0.51 is dominated by the double-exchange interaction, while at x = 0.78, MR is related to the localized magnetic moment scattering at the grain boundaries. The scaling ρxyA/n ∝ ρxx2.19 suggests that the anomalous Hall effect in the polycrystalline Ti1 - xCrxN films is scattering-independent. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Some Characteristics of r.f. Sputtered CuInS2 Thin Films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samaan, A.N.Y.; Al-Saffar, I.S.; Wasim, S.M.; Hill, A.E.; Armour, D.G.; Tomlinson, R.D.

    1983-01-01

    Electrical data from sputtered and annealed p-type CuInS 2 thin films have been obtained over a range of temperatures. An analysis of hole mobility vs. temperature data indicates that the charge carriers are predominantly scattered by neutral and ionized impurities and by acoustic-mode vibrations

  7. CrN thin films prepared by reactive DC magnetron sputtering for symmetric supercapacitors

    KAUST Repository

    Wei, Binbin

    2016-12-29

    Supercapacitors have been becoming indispensable energy storage devices in micro-electromechanical systems and have been widely studied over the past few decades. Transition metal nitrides with excellent electrical conductivity and superior cycling stability are promising candidates as supercapacitor electrode materials. In this work, we report the fabrication of CrN thin films using reactive DC magnetron sputtering and further their applications for symmetric supercapacitors for the first time. The CrN thin film electrodes fabricated under the deposition pressure of 3.5 Pa show an areal specific capacitance of 12.8 mF cm at 1.0 mA cm and high cycling stability with 92.1% capacitance retention after 20 000 cycles in a 0.5 M HSO electrolyte. Furthermore, our developed CrN//CrN symmetric supercapacitor can deliver a high energy density of 8.2 mW h cm at the power density of 0.7 W cm along with outstanding cycling stability. Thus, the CrN thin films have great potential for application in supercapacitors and other energy storage systems.

  8. Development of ZnO:Al-based transparent contacts deposited at low-temperature by RF-sputtering on InN layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fernandez, S. [Departamento de Energias Renovables, Energia Solar Fotovoltaica, Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT), Avda. Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Naranjo, F.B.; Valdueza-Felip, S. [Grupo de Ingenieria Fotonica, Departamento de Electronica, Escuela Politecnica Superior, Universidad de Alcala Campus Universitario, 28871 Alcala de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Abril, O. de [ISOM and Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieros de Telecomunicacion, Universidad Politenica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

    2012-03-15

    Nitride semiconductors (Al,Ga,In)N attain material properties that make them suitable for photovoltaic and optoelectronics devices to be used in hard environments. These properties include an energy gap continuously tuneable within the energy range of the solar spectrum, a high radiation resistance and thermal stability. The developing of efficient devices requires contacts with low resistivity and high transmittance in visible region. ZnO:Al (AZO) emerges as a feasible candidate for transparent contact to nitride semiconductors, taking advantage of its low resistivity, high transparency in visible wavelengths and a very low lattice mismatch with respect to nitride semiconductors. This work presents a study of the applications of AZO films deposited at low-temperature by RF magnetron sputtering as transparent contact for InN layers. The optimization of AZO conditions deposition lead to the obtaining of contacts which shows an ohmic behaviour for the as-deposited layer, regardless the thickness of the ZnO:Al contact layer. Specific contact resistances of 1.6 {omega}.cm{sup 2} were achieved for the contact with 90 nm thick ZnO:Al layer without any post-deposition treatment (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  9. Transparent Conductive In and Ga Doped ZnO/Cu Bi-Layered Films Deposited by DC and RF Magnetron Sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moon, Hyun-Joo; Song, Young-Hwan; Oh, Jung-Hyun; Heo, Sung-Bo; Kim, Daeil

    2016-01-01

    In- and Ga-doped ZnO (IGZO) films were deposited on 5 nm thick Cu film buffered poly-carbonate substrates with RF magnetron sputtering and the effects of the Cu buffer layer on the optical and electrical properties of the films were investigated. The IGZO single layer films exhibited an electrical resistivity of 1.2×10"-1 Ω cm while the IGZO/Cu bi-layered films exhibited a lower resistivity of 1.6×10"-3 Ω cm. With respect to optical properties, the optical band gap of the IGZO films appeared to decrease as a result of an increasing carrier concentration due to the Cu buffer layer. In addition, the RMS roughness (8.2 nm) of the IGZO films also decreased to 6.8 nm by a Cu buffer layer in AFM observation. Although the optical transmittance in the range of visible wavelengths was deteriorated by the Cu buffer layer, the IGZO films with a 5 nm thick Cu buffer layer exhibited a higher figure of merit of 2.6×10"-4 Ω"-1 compared with the IGZO single layer films due to enhanced optoelectrical performance.

  10. Transparent Conductive In and Ga Doped ZnO/Cu Bi-Layered Films Deposited by DC and RF Magnetron Sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moon, Hyun-Joo; Song, Young-Hwan; Oh, Jung-Hyun; Heo, Sung-Bo; Kim, Daeil [University of Ulsan, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-06-15

    In- and Ga-doped ZnO (IGZO) films were deposited on 5 nm thick Cu film buffered poly-carbonate substrates with RF magnetron sputtering and the effects of the Cu buffer layer on the optical and electrical properties of the films were investigated. The IGZO single layer films exhibited an electrical resistivity of 1.2×10{sup -}1 Ω cm while the IGZO/Cu bi-layered films exhibited a lower resistivity of 1.6×10{sup -}3 Ω cm. With respect to optical properties, the optical band gap of the IGZO films appeared to decrease as a result of an increasing carrier concentration due to the Cu buffer layer. In addition, the RMS roughness (8.2 nm) of the IGZO films also decreased to 6.8 nm by a Cu buffer layer in AFM observation. Although the optical transmittance in the range of visible wavelengths was deteriorated by the Cu buffer layer, the IGZO films with a 5 nm thick Cu buffer layer exhibited a higher figure of merit of 2.6×10{sup -}4 Ω{sup -}1 compared with the IGZO single layer films due to enhanced optoelectrical performance.

  11. Studies on the electrical properties of reactive DC magnetron-sputtered indium-doped silver oxide thin films: The role of oxygen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Subrahmanyam, A [Semiconductor Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Barik, Ullash Kumar [Semiconductor Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India)

    2007-03-15

    Indium ({approx}10 at.%)-doped silver oxide (AIO) thin films have been prepared on glass substrates at room temperature (300 K) by reactive DC magnetron sputtering technique using an alloy target made of pure (99.99%) silver and indium (90:10 at.%) metals. The oxygen flow rates have been varied in the range 0.00-3.44 sccm during sputtering. The X-ray diffraction data on these indium-doped silver oxide films show polycrystalline nature. With increasing oxygen flow rate, the carrier concentration, the Hall mobility and the electron mean free path decrease. These films show a very low positive temperature coefficient of resistivity {approx}3.40x10{sup -8} ohm-cm/K. The work function values for these films (measured by Kelvin probe technique) are in the range 4.81-5.07 eV. The high electrical resistivity indicate that the films are in the island state (size effects). Calculations of the partial ionic charge (by Sanderson's theory) show that indium doping in silver oxide thin films enhance the ionicity.

  12. Studies on the electrical properties of reactive DC magnetron-sputtered indium-doped silver oxide thin films: The role of oxygen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subrahmanyam, A.; Barik, Ullash Kumar

    2007-01-01

    Indium (∼10 at.%)-doped silver oxide (AIO) thin films have been prepared on glass substrates at room temperature (300 K) by reactive DC magnetron sputtering technique using an alloy target made of pure (99.99%) silver and indium (90:10 at.%) metals. The oxygen flow rates have been varied in the range 0.00-3.44 sccm during sputtering. The X-ray diffraction data on these indium-doped silver oxide films show polycrystalline nature. With increasing oxygen flow rate, the carrier concentration, the Hall mobility and the electron mean free path decrease. These films show a very low positive temperature coefficient of resistivity ∼3.40x10 -8 ohm-cm/K. The work function values for these films (measured by Kelvin probe technique) are in the range 4.81-5.07 eV. The high electrical resistivity indicate that the films are in the island state (size effects). Calculations of the partial ionic charge (by Sanderson's theory) show that indium doping in silver oxide thin films enhance the ionicity

  13. Study on the preheating duration of Cu{sub 2}SnS{sub 3} thin films using RF magnetron sputtering technique for photovoltaics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dong, Yuchen; He, Jun; Li, Xinran; Chen, Ye; Sun, Lin, E-mail: lsun@ee.ecnu.edu.cn; Yang, Pingxiong; Chu, Junhao

    2016-04-25

    Cu{sub 2}SnS{sub 3} (CTS) thin films are prepared by sulfurization the stacked metallic precursors deposited by raido-frequency magnetron sputtering method on molybdenum-coated soda lime glass substrates. The details of sulfurization process and the effect of preheating duration on the properties of CTS thin films have been investigated. It is found that the content of element tin strongly depend on the preheating duration. X-ray diffraction patterns identify that the CTS thin films exhibit the monoclinic structure. Raman scattering spectra make a further confirmation for the crystal structure. Fourier transform infrared reflectance spectroscopy (FTIR) is first used to study the properties of CTS thin films. The assigned active modes in Raman scattering spectra is consistent with the analysis in FTIR. Morphology analysis reveals long preheating duration would make the quality of films deteriorate. The thin film solar cell (TFSC) fabricated using the CTS absorber layer synthesized at preheating duration of 15 min shows that a power conversion efficiency up to 0.76% for a 0.19 cm{sup 2} area. The electrical characterization of CTS TFSC is first studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which implies the existence of MoS{sub x} and defects in the CTS/CdS interface. - Highlights: • CTS thin films and solar cells prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. • Preheating duration is a critical way to remain the Sn content in CTS thin film. • XRD, Raman, FTIR and XPS confirmed the single phase of CTS thin film. • The device characterization of CTS solar cell has been systematically investigated.

  14. Preparation and thermoelectric properties of RF co-sputtered CoSb{sub 3} skutteruddite thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmed, Aziz [University of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Han, Seungwoo [Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); University of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-11-15

    Various skutterudites have been under investigation because of their potential application in thermoelectric materials and devices. These studies indicate that bulk materials with a skutterudite type structure show reasonable thermoelectric behaviors at elevated temperatures, which make them suitable for high-temperature thermoelectric applications. The results of thermoelectric-property measurements on skutterudite-phase CoSb{sub 3} thin films are presented in this study in order to extend the bulk material concept to micro-device applications by using thin film deposition technology. Thin films are deposited on oxidized silicon substrates by using the RF co-sputtering method. The film's composition is found to depend strongly on the deposition conditions. The temperature at which the deposited films transition from an amorphous state to a crystalline state has been reported to be about 153 .deg. C. Therefore, some experiments are performed with the substrate temperature kept at 200 .deg. C to obtain polycrystalline films. The crystal structure of the film is evaluated by using x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) is used to determine the film's composition whereas the surface morphology and the thickness are investigated and measured by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, the thermoelectric properties, namely, the electrical resistivity and the Seebeck coefficient, are used to calculate the power factor of the deposited thin films and, their variations with temperature are measured. We report a maximum power factor of 0.41 mW/mK{sup 2} for the film deposited at a 200 .deg. C substrate temperature.

  15. Sequential sputtered Co-HfO{sub 2} granular films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chadha, M.; Ng, V.

    2017-03-15

    A systematic study of magnetic, magneto-transport and micro-structural properties of Co-HfO{sub 2} granular films fabricated by sequential sputtering is presented. We demonstrate reduction in ferromagnetic-oxide formation by using HfO{sub 2} as the insulting matrix. Microstructure evaluation of the films showed that the film structure consisted of discrete hcp-Co grains embedded in HfO{sub 2} matrix. Films with varying compositions were prepared and their macroscopic properties were studied. We correlate the variation in these properties to the variation in film microstructure. Our study shows that Co-HfO{sub 2} films with reduced cobalt oxide and varying properties can be prepared using sequential sputtering technique. - Highlights: • Co-HfO{sub 2} granular films were prepared using sequential sputtering. • A reduction in ferromagnetic-oxide formation is observed. • Co-HfO{sub 2} films display superparamagnetism and tunnelling magneto-resistance. • Varying macroscopic properties were achieved by changing film composition. • Applications can be found in moderate MR sensors and high –frequency RF devices.

  16. Hetero-epitaxial growth of TiC films on MgO(001) at 100 °C by DC reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braic, M.; Zoita, N.C.; Danila, M.; Grigorescu, C.E.A.; Logofatu, C.

    2015-01-01

    Hetero-epitaxial TiC thin films were deposited at 100 °C on MgO(001) by DC reactive magnetron sputtering in a mixture of Ar and CH 4 . The 62 nm thick films were analyzed for elemental composition and chemical bonding by Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The crystallographic structure investigation by high resolution X-ray diffraction revealed that the films consist of two layers: an interface partially strained epilayer with high crystalline quality, and a relaxed layer, formed by columnar grains, maintaining the epitaxial relationship with the substrate. The films presented smooth surfaces (RMS roughness ~ 0.55 nm), with circular equi-sized grains/crystallites, as observed by atomic force microscopy. The Hall measurements in Van der Pauw geometry revealed relatively high resistivity value ~ 620 μΩ cm, ascribed to electron scattering on interfaces, on grain boundaries and on different defects/dislocations. - Highlights: • Hetero-epitaxial TiC 0.84 thin films were grown on MgO(001) at 100 °C by magnetron sputtering. • 62 nm thick films were synthesized by magnetron sputtering, using Ti, Ar and CH 4 . • The film comprises a partially strained interface epilayer and a relaxed top layer. • Both layers preserve the epitaxial relationship with the substrate. • Low RMS surface roughness ~ 0.55 nm and grains with mean lateral size of ~ 38.5 nm were observed

  17. Hetero-epitaxial growth of TiC films on MgO(001) at 100 °C by DC reactive magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Braic, M. [National Institute for Optoelectronics, 409 Atomistilor St., 077125 Magurele (Romania); Zoita, N.C., E-mail: cnzoita@inoe.ro [National Institute for Optoelectronics, 409 Atomistilor St., 077125 Magurele (Romania); Danila, M. [National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnology, 126A Erou Iancu Nicolae Blvd., 077190 Bucharest (Romania); Grigorescu, C.E.A. [National Institute for Optoelectronics, 409 Atomistilor St., 077125 Magurele (Romania); Logofatu, C. [National Institute of Materials Physics, 105 bis Atomistilor St., 077125 Magurele (Romania)

    2015-08-31

    Hetero-epitaxial TiC thin films were deposited at 100 °C on MgO(001) by DC reactive magnetron sputtering in a mixture of Ar and CH{sub 4}. The 62 nm thick films were analyzed for elemental composition and chemical bonding by Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The crystallographic structure investigation by high resolution X-ray diffraction revealed that the films consist of two layers: an interface partially strained epilayer with high crystalline quality, and a relaxed layer, formed by columnar grains, maintaining the epitaxial relationship with the substrate. The films presented smooth surfaces (RMS roughness ~ 0.55 nm), with circular equi-sized grains/crystallites, as observed by atomic force microscopy. The Hall measurements in Van der Pauw geometry revealed relatively high resistivity value ~ 620 μΩ cm, ascribed to electron scattering on interfaces, on grain boundaries and on different defects/dislocations. - Highlights: • Hetero-epitaxial TiC{sub 0.84} thin films were grown on MgO(001) at 100 °C by magnetron sputtering. • 62 nm thick films were synthesized by magnetron sputtering, using Ti, Ar and CH{sub 4}. • The film comprises a partially strained interface epilayer and a relaxed top layer. • Both layers preserve the epitaxial relationship with the substrate. • Low RMS surface roughness ~ 0.55 nm and grains with mean lateral size of ~ 38.5 nm were observed.

  18. Synthesis and biological characterization of zirconium oxynitride thin film growth by radio-frequency sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cubillos, G.I. [Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, AA 14490 Bogotá (Colombia); Olaya, J.J. [Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, AA 14490 Bogotá (Colombia); Clavijo, D. [Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, AA 14490 Bogotá (Colombia); Alfonso, J.E., E-mail: jealfonsoo@unal.edu.co [Grupo de materiales con Aplicaciones Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, AA 14490 Bogotá (Colombia); Cardozo, C. [Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, AA 14490 Bogotá (Colombia)

    2013-02-01

    Thin films of zirconium oxynitride were grown on common glass, silicon substrates (100) and on stainless steel 316L using the reactive RF magnetron sputtering technique. The films were analyzed through structural, morphological, and biocompatibility studies. The structural analysis was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the morphological analysis was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). These studies were done as a function of growth parameters, such as power applied to the target, substrate temperature, and flow ratios. The studies of biocompatibility were carried out on zirconium oxynitride films deposited on stainless steel 316L through proliferation and cellular adhesion. The XRD analysis showed that films deposited at 623 K, with a flow ratio ΦN{sub 2}/ΦO{sub 2} of 1.25 and a total deposit time of 30 min grew preferentially oriented along the (111) plane of the zirconium oxynitride monoclinic phase. The SEM analyses showed that the films grew homogeneously, and the AFM studies indicated that the average rugosity of the film was 5.9 nm and the average particle size was 150 nm. Finally, through the analysis of the biocompatibility, we established that the films have a better surface than the substrate (stainless steel 316L) in terms of adhesion and proliferation of bone cells. - Highlights: ►ZrO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films were deposited using reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. ►We studied the effect of deposition parameters on ZrO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films microstructure. ►We have been able to grow bone cells on ZrO{sub x}N{sub y} coated stainless steel 316L.

  19. Characterization of high quality Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films prepared by rf-magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bouchama, Idris [Departement d' Electronique, Faculte de Technologie, Universite de Msila (Algeria); Djessas, Kamal [Laboratoire Procedes Materiaux et Energie Solaire, PROMES-CNRS, Rambla de la Thermodynamique, Technosud, 66100 Perpignan (France); Bouloufa, Abdeslam [Laboratoire d' Electrochimie et Materiaux, Universite Ferhat Abbas de Setif (Algeria); Gauffier, Jean-Luc [Departement de Physique, INSA de Toulouse, 135, Avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse Cedex 4 (France)

    2013-01-15

    This paper reports the production of high quality polycrystalline thin layers of CuIn{sub 0.7}Ga{sub 0.3}Se{sub 2} (CIGS), using rf-magnetron sputtering, from a powder target. These films are designed to be used as absorbers in solar cells. The depositions were carried out at substrate temperatures below 250 C and glass substrates was used. The influence of the substrate temperatures on the crystalline quality as well as structural, optical and electrical properties of thin layers obtained has been studied. X-ray diffraction showed that the films were highly orientated in the (112) and/or (204)/(220) direction. In{sub 2}Se{sub 3} secondary phase was observed on the samples grown at lower substrate temperatures. The surface morphology of CIGS layers studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) has been also discussed. The most surprising and exciting outcome of this study was that the as grown films were of near stoichiometric composition. Resistivity measurements were carried out using the four point probe method. The optical absorption showed that energy gap values are between 1.13 and 1.18 eV and rather sharp absorption fronts. Thin film resistivities are between 10.7 and 60.9 {Omega}.cm depending on the experimental growth conditions (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  20. Atomistic growth phenomena of reactively sputtered RuO2 and MnO2 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Music, Denis; Bliem, Pascal; Geyer, Richard W.; Schneider, Jochen M.

    2015-01-01

    We have synthesized RuO 2 and MnO 2 thin films under identical growth conditions using reactive DC sputtering. Strikingly different morphologies, namely, the formation of RuO 2 nanorods and faceted, nanocrystalline MnO 2 , are observed. To identify the underlying mechanisms, we have carried out density functional theory based molecular dynamics simulations of the growth of one monolayer. Ru and O 2 molecules are preferentially adsorbed at their respective RuO 2 ideal surface sites. This is consistent with the close to defect free growth observed experimentally. In contrast, Mn penetrates the MnO 2 surface reaching the third subsurface layer and remains at this deep interstitial site 3.10 Å below the pristine surface, resulting in atomic scale decomposition of MnO 2 . Due to this atomic scale decomposition, MnO 2 may have to be renucleated during growth, which is consistent with experiments

  1. Structural, electrical and magnetic characterization of in-situ crystallized ZnO:Co thin films synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lardjane, Soumia, E-mail: lardjanesoumia@yahoo.fr [IRTES-LERMPS, UTBM, Site de Montbéliard, 90010 Belfort Cedex (France); Division Etude et Prédiction des Matériaux, Unité de Recherche Matériaux et Energies Renouvelables, Université Abou Bekr Belkaid, Tlemcen (Algeria); Pour Yazdi, Mohammad Arab [IRTES-LERMPS, UTBM, Site de Montbéliard, 90010 Belfort Cedex (France); Martin, Nicolas [FEMTO-ST, Département MN2S, UMR 6174 CNRS, Université de Franche-Comté, ENSMM, UTBM, 32, Avenue de l’Observatoire, 25044 Besancon Cedex (France); Bellouard, Christine [Laboratoire de Physique des Matériaux, Nancy University, CNRS, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex (France); Fenineche, Nour-eddine [IRTES-LERMPS, UTBM, Site de Montbéliard, 90010 Belfort Cedex (France); Schuler, Andreas [Solar Energy and Buildings Physics Laboratory, EPFL ENAC IIC LESO-PB, Station 18, Bâtiment LE, 1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Merad, Ghouti [Division Etude et Prédiction des Matériaux, Unité de Recherche Matériaux et Energies Renouvelables, Université Abou Bekr Belkaid, Tlemcen (Algeria); Billard, Alain [IRTES-LERMPS, UTBM, Site de Montbéliard, 90010 Belfort Cedex (France)

    2015-07-01

    Zn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}O (0 < x < 0.146) conductive thin films have been deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering of metallic Zn and Co targets at high pressure and temperature. The structural properties have been investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It has been observed that all as-deposited films are crystallized in pure hcp ZnO structure and neither traces of metallic nor oxide Co-rich clusters were detected. The average grain size estimated from full width at half maximum of XRD results varied between 65 and 83 nm. XPS analyses exhibit that Co ions are successfully entered into ZnO lattice as Co{sup +2}. The electrical properties including conductivity, carrier density and carrier mobility were determined by Hall effect measurements in a temperature range from 300 K to 475 K. The conductivity of the films decreases from σ{sub 300K} = 2.2 × 10{sup 4} to 2.3 × 10{sup −1} Sm{sup −1} as the Co content changes from 0 to 0.146. Magnetic measurements reveal the absence of ferromagnetism even at 3 K and a paramagnetic Curie–Weiss behavior associated to magnetic clusters. - Highlights: • Zn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}O conductive thin films were synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering. • Structural characterization exhibited the absence of Co clusters or secondary phases. • The film conductivity decreased with increasing of Co concentration. • No ferromagnetism was observed in all Co doped ZnO samples. • Magnetic properties are described by a Curie–Weiss behavior associated to clusters.

  2. Control of p-type and n-type thermoelectric properties of bismuth telluride thin films by combinatorial sputter coating technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goto, Masahiro; Sasaki, Michiko; Xu, Yibin; Zhan, Tianzhuo; Isoda, Yukihiro; Shinohara, Yoshikazu

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • p- and n-type bismuth telluride thin films have been synthesized using a combinatorial sputter coating system (COSCOS) while changing only one of the experimental conditions, the RF power. • The dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) was optimized by the technique. • The fabrication of a Π-structured TE device was demonstrated. - Abstract: p- and n-type bismuth telluride thin films have been synthesized by using a combinatorial sputter coating system (COSCOS). The crystal structure and crystal preferred orientation of the thin films were changed by controlling the coating condition of the radio frequency (RF) power during the sputter coating. As a result, the p- and n-type films and their dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) were optimized by the technique. The properties of the thin films such as the crystal structure, crystal preferred orientation, material composition and surface morphology were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Also, the thermoelectric properties of the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity were measured. ZT for n- and p-type bismuth telluride thin films was found to be 0.27 and 0.40 at RF powers of 90 and 120 W, respectively. The proposed technology can be used to fabricate thermoelectric p–n modules of bismuth telluride without any doping process.

  3. Control of p-type and n-type thermoelectric properties of bismuth telluride thin films by combinatorial sputter coating technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goto, Masahiro, E-mail: goto.masahiro@nims.go.jp [Thermoelectric Materials Group, Center for Green Research on Energy and Environmental Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Thermal Management and Thermoelectric Materials Group, Center for Materials Research by Information Integration (CMI2), National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Sasaki, Michiko [Thermal Management and Thermoelectric Materials Group, Center for Materials Research by Information Integration (CMI2), National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Xu, Yibin [Thermal Management and Thermoelectric Materials Group, Center for Materials Research by Information Integration (CMI2), National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Materials Database Group, Center for Materials Research by Information Integration (CMI2), National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Zhan, Tianzhuo [Thermal Management and Thermoelectric Materials Group, Center for Materials Research by Information Integration (CMI2), National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Isoda, Yukihiro [Thermoelectric Materials Group, Center for Green Research on Energy and Environmental Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Shinohara, Yoshikazu [Thermoelectric Materials Group, Center for Green Research on Energy and Environmental Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Thermal Management and Thermoelectric Materials Group, Center for Materials Research by Information Integration (CMI2), National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan)

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • p- and n-type bismuth telluride thin films have been synthesized using a combinatorial sputter coating system (COSCOS) while changing only one of the experimental conditions, the RF power. • The dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) was optimized by the technique. • The fabrication of a Π-structured TE device was demonstrated. - Abstract: p- and n-type bismuth telluride thin films have been synthesized by using a combinatorial sputter coating system (COSCOS). The crystal structure and crystal preferred orientation of the thin films were changed by controlling the coating condition of the radio frequency (RF) power during the sputter coating. As a result, the p- and n-type films and their dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) were optimized by the technique. The properties of the thin films such as the crystal structure, crystal preferred orientation, material composition and surface morphology were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Also, the thermoelectric properties of the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity were measured. ZT for n- and p-type bismuth telluride thin films was found to be 0.27 and 0.40 at RF powers of 90 and 120 W, respectively. The proposed technology can be used to fabricate thermoelectric p–n modules of bismuth telluride without any doping process.

  4. On angle resolved RF magnetron sputtering of Ge-Sb-Te thin films

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Gutwirth, J.; Wágner, T.; Bezdička, Petr; Hrdlička, M.; Vlček, Milan; Frumar, M.

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 355, 37-42 (2009), s. 1935-1938 ISSN 0022-3093 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC523; GA ČR GA203/06/1368 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40320502; CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : amorphous semiconductors * films and coatings * sputtering Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.252, year: 2009

  5. Microstructural variation in titanium oxide thin films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pandian, Ramanathaswamy; Natarajan, Gomathi; Kamruddin, M.; Tyagi, A.K.

    2013-01-01

    We report on the microstructural evolution of titanium oxide thin films deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering using titanium metal target. By varying the ratio of sputter-gas mixture containing argon, oxygen and nitrogen various phases of titanium oxide, almost pure rutile, rutile-rich and anatase-rich nano-crystalline, were deposited on Si substrates at room temperature. Using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman techniques the microstructure of the films were revealed. The relationship between the microstructure of the films and the oxygen partial pressure during sputtering is discussed

  6. Evaluation of Cu2ZnSnS4 Absorber Films Sputtered from a Single, Quaternary Target

    OpenAIRE

    Carlhamn Rasmussen, Liv

    2013-01-01

    Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is a promising absorber material for thin-film solar cells since it contains no rare or toxic elements, has a high absorption coefficient and a near ideal bandgap energy. It does, however, present some challenges due to the limited single-phase region of the desired kesterite phase and its instability towards decomposition. Sputtering of CZTS from quaternary, compound targets using RF magnetron sputtering is known. In this thesis work CZTS absorbers were made using pulsed DC ...

  7. Growth of amorphous Zn–Sn–O thin films by RF sputtering for buffer layers of CuInSe2 and SnS solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Shao-Wei; Ishikawa, Kaoru; Sugiyama, Mutsumi

    2015-01-01

    We propose using amorphous Zn–Sn–O (α-ZTO) deposited by RF sputtering as an alternative n-type buffer layer for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 and SnS solar cells. The order of the carrier density, n, is increased from the order of 10 15 to 10 17 cm −1 as the Sn/(Sn + Zn) atomic ratio increases from 0.29 to 0.40. On the other hand, the order of n decreased from 10 17 to 10 11 cm −1 as the oxygen partial pressure increased from 0 to 10%. Further, for the α-ZTO film with the Sn/(Sn + Zn) atomic ratio at 0.38 and the oxygen partial pressure at 0%, valence band discontinuities of α-ZTO/CuInSe 2 and α-ZTO/SnS were determined using photoelectron yield spectroscopy measurements. The band discontinuities of each of these interfaces form a spike structure in the conduction band offset, which enables a high-performance solar cell to be obtained. - Highlights: • We propose using amorphous Zn–Sn–O as a n-type layer for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 and SnS solar cells. • The carrier density was controlled by total and/or oxygen partial pressure during sputtering. • Valence band discontinuities of Zn–Sn–O/CuInSe 2 and Zn–Sn–O/SnS were determined. • The conduction band discontinuities of each of these interfaces form a spike structure

  8. Improvement of corrosion protection property of Mg-alloy by DLC and Si-DLC coatings with PBII technique and multi-target DC-RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masami, Ikeyama; Setsuo, Nakao; Tsutomu, Sonoda; Junho, Choi

    2009-01-01

    Magnesium alloys have been considered as one of the most promising light weight materials with potential applications for automobile and aircraft components. Their poor corrosion resistance, however, has to date prevented wider usage. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) and silicon-incorporated DLC (Si-DLC) coatings are known to provide a high degree of corrosion protection, and hold accordingly promise for enhancing the corrosion resistance of the magnesium alloys. In this work we have studied the effect of coating conditions of DLC coatings as well as Si incorporation into coating on corrosion resistance, deposited onto AZ91 magnesium alloy substrates by plasma based ion implantation (PBII). The influences of a Ti interlayer beneath the DLC, Si-DLC and Ti incorporated DLC (Ti-DLC) coatings fabricated by multi-target direct-current radio-frequency (DC-RF) magnetron sputtering were also examined on both the adhesion strength and corrosion resistance of the materials. We have also examined the effect of the Si content in the Si-DLC coatings made by magnetron sputtering on the alloys' corrosion resistance. The results of potentiodynamic polarization measurements demonstrate that Si-DLC coating deposited by PBII exhibits the highest corrosion resistance in an aqueous 0.05 M NaCl solution. Although Ti layer is helpful in increasing adhesion between DLC coating and AZ91 substrate, it also influences adversely corrosion protection. The ozone treatment of the magnesium alloy's surface before the formation of coatings has been found to improve both adhesion strength and corrosion resistance.

  9. Improvement of corrosion protection property of Mg-alloy by DLC and Si-DLC coatings with PBII technique and multi-target DC-RF magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masami, Ikeyama; Setsuo, Nakao; Tsutomu, Sonoda; Junho, Choi

    2009-05-01

    Magnesium alloys have been considered as one of the most promising light weight materials with potential applications for automobile and aircraft components. Their poor corrosion resistance, however, has to date prevented wider usage. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) and silicon-incorporated DLC (Si-DLC) coatings are known to provide a high degree of corrosion protection, and hold accordingly promise for enhancing the corrosion resistance of the magnesium alloys. In this work we have studied the effect of coating conditions of DLC coatings as well as Si incorporation into coating on corrosion resistance, deposited onto AZ91 magnesium alloy substrates by plasma based ion implantation (PBII). The influences of a Ti interlayer beneath the DLC, Si-DLC and Ti incorporated DLC (Ti-DLC) coatings fabricated by multi-target direct-current radio-frequency (DC-RF) magnetron sputtering were also examined on both the adhesion strength and corrosion resistance of the materials. We have also examined the effect of the Si content in the Si-DLC coatings made by magnetron sputtering on the alloys' corrosion resistance. The results of potentiodynamic polarization measurements demonstrate that Si-DLC coating deposited by PBII exhibits the highest corrosion resistance in an aqueous 0.05 M NaCl solution. Although Ti layer is helpful in increasing adhesion between DLC coating and AZ91 substrate, it also influences adversely corrosion protection. The ozone treatment of the magnesium alloy's surface before the formation of coatings has been found to improve both adhesion strength and corrosion resistance.

  10. Mechanical and structural properties of sputtered Ni/Ti multilayers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Senthil Kumar, M.; Boeni, P.; Tixier, S.; Clemens, D.; Horisberger, M. [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

    1997-09-01

    Ni/Ti bilayers have been prepared by dc-magnetron sputtering in order to study their mechanical and structural properties. A remarkable reduction of stress is observed when the Ni layers are sputtered reactively in argon with a high partial pressure of air. The high angle x-ray diffraction studies show a tendency towards amorphisation of the Ni layers with increasing air flow. The low angle measurements indicate a substantial reduction of interdiffusion resulting in smoother interfaces with increasing air content. (author) 2 figs., 2 refs.

  11. Quantitative characterization of silicon- and aluminium oxynitride films produced by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dreer, S.

    2000-05-01

    The deposition of aluminum and silicon oxynitride films by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering was systematically planned by design of experiments, carried out and evaluated with the application of specialized statistics software. The influence of the deposition parameters on the resulting films was evaluated by multiple regression analysis. With the obtained data a model of the deposition process for the quantitative prediction of the deposition parameters necessary to obtain films with desired composition was built. This is also of technological importance, since the physical properties of the films strongly depend on their composition. Furthermore, the long term repeatability of the deposition process was implemented into the model. A precise and economic way for quantitative bulk analysis of silicon/aluminum, oxygen and nitrogen based on EPMA was presented and the use of data gained by the latter method is discussed for the calculation of relative sensitivity factors for SIMS and hf-SNMS. Advantages and disadvantages of SIMS, hf-SNMS, hf-GD-OES, and sputter AES were compared. The combination FT-IR/EPMA/SIMS at present offers the best possibility for a quantitative bulk and in depth distribution analysis of such films in the range of 20 to 1000 nm thickness. The films were also characterized by XRD and PAA. The refractive index and the growth rate of the films were determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry. With indentation by a nano hardness tester the hardness and the Young's modulus of the films were obtained. The results of these measurements were evaluated by statistical software. The dependencies of the physical properties on the deposition parameters and on the film thickness were evaluated and quantified. Furthermore, the dependencies of the physical properties on the film composition represented by the oxygen content were evaluated. (author)

  12. A global plasma model for reactive deposition of compound films by modulated pulsed power magnetron sputtering discharges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, B. C.; Wu, Z. L.; Wu, B.; Li, Y. G.; Lei, M. K.

    2017-05-01

    A spatially averaged, time-dependent global plasma model has been developed to describe the reactive deposition of a TiAlSiN thin film by modulated pulsed power magnetron sputtering (MPPMS) discharges in Ar/N2 mixture gas, based on the particle balance and the energy balance in the ionization region, and considering the formation and erosion of the compound at the target surface. The modeling results show that, with increasing the N2 partial pressure from 0% to 40% at a constant working pressure of 0.3 Pa, the electron temperature during the strongly ionized period increases from 4 to 7 eV and the effective power transfer coefficient, which represents the power fraction that effectively heats the electrons and maintains the discharge, increases from about 4% to 7%; with increasing the working pressure from 0.1 to 0.7 Pa at a constant N2 partial pressure of 25%, the electron temperature decreases from 10 to 4 eV and the effective power transfer coefficient decreases from 8% to 5%. Using the modeled plasma parameters to evaluate the kinetic energy of arriving ions, the ion-to-neutral flux ratio of deposited species, and the substrate heating, the variations of process parameters that increase these values lead to an enhanced adatom mobility at the target surface and an increased input energy to the substrate, corresponding to the experimental observation of surface roughness reduction, the microstructure transition from the columnar structure to the dense featureless structure, and the enhancement of phase separation. At higher N2 partial pressure or lower working pressure, the modeling results demonstrate an increase in electron temperature, which shifts the discharge balance of Ti species from Ti+ to Ti2+ and results in a higher return fraction of Ti species, corresponding to the higher Al/Ti ratio of deposited films at these conditions. The modeling results are well correlated with the experimental observation of the composition variation and the microstructure

  13. Bioactivity response of Ta{sub 1-x}O{sub x} coatings deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Almeida Alves, C.F., E-mail: cristiana.alves@fisica.uminho.pt [GRF-CFUM, Physics Departament, University of Minho, Campus of Azurem, Guimaraes 4800-058 (Portugal); Cavaleiro, A. [SEG-CEMUC, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3030-788 (Portugal); Carvalho, S. [GRF-CFUM, Physics Departament, University of Minho, Campus of Azurem, Guimaraes 4800-058 (Portugal); SEG-CEMUC, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3030-788 (Portugal)

    2016-01-01

    The use of dental implants is sometimes accompanied by failure due to periimplantitis disease and subsequently poor esthetics when soft–hard tissue margin recedes. As a consequence, further research is needed for developing new bioactive surfaces able to enhance the osseous growth. Tantalum (Ta) is a promising material for dental implants since, comparing with titanium (Ti), it is bioactive and has an interesting chemistry which promotes the osseointegration. Another promising approach for implantology is the development of implants with oxidized surfaces since bone progenitor cells interact with the oxide layer forming a diffusion zone due to its ability to bind with calcium which promotes a stronger bond. In the present report Ta-based coatings were deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering onto Ti CP substrates in an Ar + O{sub 2} atmosphere. In order to assess the osteoconductive response of the studied materials, contact angle and in vitro tests of the samples immersed in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) were performed. Structural results showed that oxide phases where achieved with larger amounts of oxygen (70 at.% O). More compact and smooth coatings were deposited by increasing the oxygen content. The as-deposited Ta coating presented the most hydrophobic character (100°); with increasing oxygen amount contact angles progressively diminished, down to the lowest measured value, 63°. The higher wettability is also accompanied by an increase on the surface energy. Bioactivity tests demonstrated that highest O-content coating, in good agreement with wettability and surface energy values, showed an increased affinity for apatite adhesion, with higher Ca/P ratio formation, when compared to the bare Ti substrates. - Highlights: • Ta{sub 1-x}O{sub x} coatings were deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering. • Amorphous oxide phases were achieved with higher oxygen amounts. • Contact angles progressively diminished, with increasing oxygen content. • Ta

  14. Structural transformation of sputtered o-LiMnO2 thin-film cathodes induced by electrochemical cycling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, J.; Chang, K.; Ye, J.; Ulrich, S.; Ziebert, C.; Music, D.; Hallstedt, B.; Seifert, H.J.

    2013-01-01

    Orthorhombic LiMnO 2 (o-LiMnO 2 ) thin films were produced by non-reactive r.f. magnetron sputtering in combination with thermal post-annealing. Oxide phase formation was investigated by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. In order to assign the X-ray signals and estimate the grain size, a simulation of the diffraction pattern was performed and compared with experimental data. The density of the films was determined to be 3.39 g/cm 3 using X-ray reflectivity. Electrochemical characterization was carried out by galvanostatic cycling and cyclic voltammetry of Li/o-LiMnO 2 half cells. There are distinct redox reactions at approx. 3 V and 4 V, whereas the latter splits into multiple peaks. Using ab initio calculations and thermodynamic models, Gibbs energies of o-LiMnO 2 and c-LiMn 2 O 4 were determined. The relation between these energies explains the irreversible phase transformation that has been observed during the cycling of the Li/o-LiMnO 2 half cell. - Highlights: • Quantitative, thermodynamic modeling of the o-LiMnO 2 /c-LiMn 2 O 4 phase transformation • First CV-investigations on magnetron sputtered nanocrystalline o-LiMnO 2 thin films • Synthesis of o-LiMnO 2 planar model systems for protective coating and SEI development

  15. Radio frequency sputtering equipment: design considerations for the disc and annulus system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Usher, D.M.; Cox, G.A.

    1981-01-01

    The basic equations important in the design of rf sputtering equipment are presented. Attention is restricted to the 'disc and annulus' system and simple techniques in lead-through fabrication and electrode shielding are described. Also rf power oscillator theory is used to derive the important parameters of power generation. Load coupling and power matching techniques are discussed. Problems of the magnetic field coil design are analysed and a value for the thermal conductivity of coils wound from polyurethane coated wire is given, namely k = 0.64 W m -1 / 0 C -1 , permitting the steady state temperature distribution inside such coils to be predicted. (author)

  16. Effect of Ti Doping to Maintain Structural Disorder in InOx-Based Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated by RF Magnetron Sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aikawa, Shinya

    2017-12-01

    The effect of Ti doping in an indium oxide (InOx)-based semiconductor is investigated for the thin-film transistor (TFT) property and crystal structure of the film. InOx and Ti-doped InOx (InTiOx) films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering under the same O2 partial pressure conditions were systematically compared. The TFT behavior of the InOx showed higher conductivity than that of the InTiOx and was drastically changed to metallic conduction after annealing at 150 °C. Under the annealing conditions when the electrical transition to the metallic behavior occurred, the InOx film was crystallized. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the shrinkage of the In2O3 unit cell is pronounced in the case of InOx films. Thus, Ti dopants may play the role as a suppressor for shrinkage of the unit cell, i.e. maintaining neighboring In-In distances, in addition to suppression of oxygen vacancies. The In-In distance, which is related to the overlapping of In 5 s orbitals, is considered to be one of the key factor for which InOx-based materials are utilized as conducting films or semiconducting channels.

  17. Deposition and characterization of IrOx nanofoils on carbon nanotube templates by reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Yi-Min; Cai, Jhen-Hong; Huang, Ying-Sheng; Lee, Kuei-Yi; Tsai, Dah-Shyang; Tiong, Kwong-Kau

    2012-01-01

    Large surface area IrO x nanofoils (IrO x NF) were deposited on multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) templates, forming IrO x /MWCNT nanocomposites, by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering using Ir metal target. The structural and spectroscopic properties of IrO x NF were characterized. The micrographs of field emission scanning electron microscopy showed the formation of foil-like structure for the as-deposited samples. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed the contiguous presence of glassy iridium oxide, iridium metal, and iridium dioxide nanocrystals in the foil. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis provided the information of the oxidation states and the stoichiometry of IrO x NF. Raman spectra revealed the amorphous-like phase of the as-deposited IrO x NF. The nanofoil structure provided ultra-high surface area for electrical charge storage which made the IrO x /MWCNT nanocomposites as an attractive candidate for the supercapacitor applications.

  18. Reactively sputtered epitaxial γ′-Fe4N films: Surface morphology, microstructure, magnetic and electrical transport properties

    KAUST Repository

    Mi, Wenbo

    2013-10-01

    Epitaxial γ′-Fe4N films with (1 0 0) and (1 1 0) orientations have been fabricated by reactive sputtering; these films were characterized by X-ray θ-2θ and φ scans, pole figures and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The film surface is very smooth as the film is less than 58 nm thick. The films exhibit soft ferromagnetism, and the saturation magnetization decreases with an increase in temperature, following Bloch\\'s spin wave theory. The films also exhibit a metallic conductance mechanism. Below 30 K, magnetoresistance (MR) is positive and increases linearly with the applied field in the high-field range. In the low-field range, MR increases abruptly. Above 30 K, MR is negative, and its value increases linearly with the applied field.

  19. Preparation and switching kinetics of Pb(Zr, Ti)O sub 3 thin films deposited by reactive sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hase, Takashi; Shiosaki, Tadashi [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

    1991-09-01

    Ferroelectric Pb(Zr, Ti)O{sub 3} (PZT) thin films have been prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si and Pt/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrates using the reactive sputtering method with a metal composite target. The (111)-oriented PZT (80/20) thin films with a perovskite structure have been obtained at a substrate temperature of 595degC on highly (111)-oriented Pt films formed on SiO{sub 2}/Si substrates. When an 8 V pulse sequence was applied to a 265 nm-thick film with an electrode area of 50 x 50 {mu}m{sup 2}, the switching time and the switched charge density measured were 20 ns and 10 {mu}C/cm{sup 2}, respectively. The switching time was strongly dependent on the electrode area. (author).

  20. Effect of substrate roughness and working pressure on photocatalyst of N-doped TiOx films prepared by reactive sputtering with air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Seon-Hong; Yamasue, Eiji; Okumura, Hideyuki; Ishihara, Keiichi N.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Effect of substrate roughness and working pressure on the physical properties and the photocatalytic properties of the N-doped TiO x films are investigated. • Surface roughness of glass substrate has little influence on the film properties, but significant influence on the photocatalytic ability. • Working pressure has little influence on the produced phases and the atomic bonding configurations, but significant influence on the atomic concentration of the N-doped TiO x film. • High photocatalysis of N-doped TiO x film requires the permissible range of the N doping concentration which shows the interstitial complex N doping states in TiO 2 . - Abstract: N-doped TiO x films on the glass substrate were prepared by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron reactive sputtering of Ti target in a mixed gas of argon and dry air. The effect of substrate roughness and working pressure on the physical properties and the photocatalytic properties of the N-doped TiO x films was investigated. The surface roughness of glass substrate has little influence on the film properties such as produced phases, lattice parameters, introduced nitrogen contents, and atomic bonding configurations, but significant influence on the surface roughness of film resulting in the variation of the photocatalytic ability. The working pressure has little influence on the produced phases and the atomic bonding configurations, but significant influence on the atomic concentration of the N-doped TiO x film, resulting in the large variation of optical, structural, and photocatalytic properties. It is suggested that the high photocatalysis of N-doped TiO x film requires a certain range of the N doping concentration which shows the interstitial complex N doping states in TiO 2

  1. Fabrication and RF characterization of zinc oxide based Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Raju; Bansal, Deepak; Agrawal, Vimal Kumar; Rangra, Kamaljit; Boolchandani, Dharmendar

    2018-06-01

    This work reports fabrication and characterization of Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator (FBAR) to improve the performance characteristics for RF filter and sensing application. Zinc oxide as a piezoelectric (PZE) material was deposited on an aluminum bottom electrode using an RF magnetron sputtering, at room temperature, and gold as top electrode for the resonator. Tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) setup was used for bulk silicon etching to make back side cavity to confine the acoustic signals. The transmission characteristics show that the FBARs have a central frequency at 1.77 GHz with a return loss of -10.7 dB.

  2. Structural and optical properties of DC reactive magnetron sputtered zinc aluminum oxide thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, B. Rajesh, E-mail: rajphyind@gmail.com [Department of Physics, GITAM Institute of Technology, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam - 530 045, A.P. (India); Rao, T. Subba, E-mail: thotasubbarao6@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapuramu - 515 003, A.P. (India)

    2014-10-15

    Highly transparent conductive Zinc Aluminum Oxide (ZAO) thin films have been deposited on glass substrates using DC reactive magnetron sputtering method. The thin films were deposited at 200 °C and post-deposition annealing from 15 to 90 min. XRD patterns of ZAO films exhibit only (0 0 2) diffraction peak, indicating that they have c-axis preferred orientation perpendicular to the substrate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to study the surface morphology of the films. The grain size obtained from SEM images of ZAO thin films are found to be in the range of 20 - 26 nm. The minimum resistivity of 1.74 × 10{sup −4} Ω cm and an average transmittance of 92% are obtained for the thin film post annealed for 30 min. The optical band gap of ZAO thin films increased from 3.49 to 3.60 eV with the increase of annealing time due to Burstein-Moss effect. The optical constants refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k) were also determined from the optical transmission spectra.

  3. Chemical environment of iron atoms in iron oxynitride films synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grafoute, M.; Petitjean, C.; Rousselot, C.; Pierson, J.F.; Greneche, J.M.

    2007-01-01

    An iron oxynitride film was deposited on silicon and glass substrates by magnetron sputtering in an Ar-N 2 -O 2 reactive mixture. Rutherford back-scattering spectrometry was used to determine the film composition (Fe 1.06 O 0.35 N 0.65 ). X-ray diffraction revealed the formation of a face-centred cubic (fcc) structure with a lattice parameter close to that of γ'''-FeN. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed the occurrence of Fe-N and Fe-O bonds in the film. The local environment of iron atoms studied by 57 Fe Moessbauer spectrometry at both 300 and 77 K gives clear evidence that the Fe 1.06 O 0.35 N 0.65 is not a mixture of iron oxide and iron nitride phases. Despite a small amount of an iron nitride phase, the main sample consists of an iron oxynitride phase with an NaCl-type structure where oxygen atoms partially substitute for nitrogen atoms, thus indicating the formation of a iron oxynitride with an fcc structure

  4. Experimental investigation on photoelectric properties of ZAO thin film deposited on flexible substrate by magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Ming; Liu, Kun; Liu, Xinghua; Wang, Dongyang; Ba, Dechun; Xie, Yuanhua; Du, Guangyu; Ba, Yaoshuai

    2016-12-01

    Transparent conductive ZAO (Zinc Aluminum Oxide) films on flexible substrates have a great potential for low-cost mass-production solar cells. ZAO thin films were achieved on flexible PET (polyethylene terephthalate) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering technology. The surface morphology and element content, the transmittance and the sheet resistance of the films were measured to determine the optical process parameters. The results show that the ZAO thin film shows the best parameters in terms of photoelectric performance including sputtering power, working pressure, sputtering time, substrate temperature (100 W, 1.5 Pa, 60 min, 125 °C). The sheet resistance of 510 Ω and transmittance in visible region of 92% were obtained after characterization. Surface morphology was uniform and compact with a good crystal grain.

  5. Effects of substrate temperature, substrate orientation, and energetic atomic collisions on the structure of GaN films grown by reactive sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schiaber, Ziani S.; Lisboa-Filho, Paulo N.; Silva, José H. D. da [Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Bauru, São Paulo 17033-360 (Brazil); Leite, Douglas M. G. [Universidade Federal de Itajubá, UNIFEI, Itajubá, Minas Gerais 37500-903 (Brazil); Bortoleto, José R. R. [Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Sorocaba, São Paulo 18087-180 (Brazil)

    2013-11-14

    The combined effects of substrate temperature, substrate orientation, and energetic particle impingement on the structure of GaN films grown by reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering are investigated. Monte-Carlo based simulations are employed to analyze the energies of the species generated in the plasma and colliding with the growing surface. Polycrystalline films grown at temperatures ranging from 500 to 1000 °C clearly showed a dependence of orientation texture and surface morphology on substrate orientation (c- and a-plane sapphire) in which the (0001) GaN planes were parallel to the substrate surface. A large increase in interplanar spacing associated with the increase in both a- and c-parameters of the hexagonal lattice and a redshift of the optical bandgap were observed at substrate temperatures higher than 600 °C. The results showed that the tensile stresses produced during the film's growth in high-temperature deposition ranges were much larger than the expected compressive stresses caused by the difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of the film and substrate in the cool-down process after the film growth. The best films were deposited at 500 °C, 30 W and 600 °C, 45 W, which corresponds to conditions where the out diffusion from the film is low. Under these conditions the benefits of the temperature increase because of the decrease in defect density are greater than the problems caused by the strongly strained lattice that occurr at higher temperatures. The results are useful to the analysis of the growth conditions of GaN films by reactive sputtering.

  6. Deposition and characterization of zirconium nitride (ZrN) thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering with linear gas ion source and bias voltage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kavitha, A.; Kannan, R. [Department of Physics, University College of Engineering, Anna University, Dindugal-624622 (India); Subramanian, N. Sankara [Department of Physics, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai -625015, Tamilnadu (India); Loganathan, S. [Ion Plating, Titan Industries Ltd., Hosur - 635126, Tamilnadu (India)

    2014-04-24

    Zirconium nitride thin films have been prepared on stainless steel substrate (304L grade) by reactive cylindrical magnetron sputtering method with Gas Ion Source (GIS) and bias voltage using optimized coating parameters. The structure and surface morphologies of the ZrN films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, atomic microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The adhesion property of ZrN thin film has been increased due to the GIS. The coating exhibits better adhesion strength up to 10 N whereas the ZrN thin film with bias voltage exhibits adhesion up to 500 mN.

  7. Study of the role of the interface between niobium films and copper RF resonators

    CERN Document Server

    Benvenuti, Cristoforo; Campisi, I E; Darriulat, Pierre; Peck, M A; Russo, R

    1997-01-01

    Niobium-coated copper resonators are usually produced with an oxide interface between the film and the substrate. This oxide has two sources: the passivation layer inevitably formed on the surface of the cavity after chemical preparation before coating, and the niobium oxide which builds up on the surface of the cathode when it is exposed to air, and is transferred to the cavity surface during coa ting. The oxide layer may influence both the purity and the structural properties of the film, and in turn its RF behaviour. To study its effect, some cavities have been coated with a special two-cath ode sputtering system, allowing for a complete removal of both oxide layers by sputter-etching. For comparison, a few cavities have also been produced with the same coating system without sputter-etch ing, or with a controlled oxidation of the copper surface of the cavity after sputter-etching. Two cavities have also been produced without oxide interface using Kr and Ne as sputter gas instead of Ar .

  8. Effect of time varying phosphorus implantation on optoelectronics properties of RF sputtered ZnO thin-films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murkute, Punam; Ghadi, Hemant; Saha, Shantanu; Chavan, Vinayak; Chakrabarti, Subhananda

    2018-03-01

    ZnO has potential application in the field of short wavelength devices like LED's, laser diodes, UV detectors etc, because of its wide band gap (3.34 eV) and high exciton binding energy (60 meV). ZnO possess N-type conductivity due to presence of defects arising from oxygen and zinc interstitial vacancies. In order to achieve P-type or intrinsic carrier concentration an implantation study is preferred. In this report, we have varied phosphorous implantation time and studied its effect on optical as well structural properties of RF sputtered ZnO thin-films. Implantation was carried out using Plasma Immersion ion implantation technique for 10 and 20 s. These films were further annealed at 900°C for 10 s in oxygen ambient to activate phosphorous dopants. Low temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra measured two distinct peaks at 3.32 and 3.199 eV for 20 s implanted sample annealed at 900°C. Temperature dependent PL measurement shows slightly blue shift in peak position from 18 K to 300 K. 3.199 eV peak can be attributed to donoracceptor pair (DAP) emission and 3.32 eV peak corresponds to conduction-band-to-acceptor (eA0) transition. High resolution x-ray diffraction revels dominant (002) peak from all samples. Increasing implantation time resulted in low peak intensity suggesting a formation of implantation related defects. Compression in C-axis with implantation time indicates incorporation of phosphorus in the formed film. Improvement in surface quality was observed from 20 s implanted sample which annealed at 900°C.

  9. Discharge Characteristic of VHF-DC Superimposed Magnetron Sputtering System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toyoda, Hirotaka; Fukuoka, Yushi; Fukui, Takashi; Takada, Noriharu; Sasai, Kensuke

    2014-10-01

    Magnetron plasmas are one of the most important tools for sputter deposition of thin films. However, energetic particles from the sputtered target such as backscattered rare gas atoms or oxygen negative ions from oxide targets sometimes induce physical and chemical damages as well as surface roughening to the deposited film surface during the sputtering processes. To suppress kinetic energy of such particles, superposition of RF or VHF power to the DC power has been investigated. In this study, influence of the VHF power superposition on the DC target voltage, which is important factor to determine kinetic energy of high energy particles, is investigated. In the study, 40 MHz VHF power was superimposed to an ITO target and decrease in the target DC voltage was measured as well as deposited film deposition properties such as deposition rate or electrical conductivity. From systematic measurement of the target voltage, it was revealed that the target voltage can be determined by a very simple parameter, i.e., a ratio of VHF power to the total input power (DC and VHF powers) in spite of the DC discharge current. Part of this work was supported by ASTEP, JST.

  10. Study on the preparation of boron-rich film by magnetron sputtering in oxygen atmosphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pan, Zhangmin; Yang, Yiming; Huang, Jian; Ren, Bing; Yu, Hongze; Xu, Run; Ji, Huanhuan; Wang, Lin; Wang, Linjun, E-mail: ljwang@shu.edu.cn

    2016-12-01

    Highlights: • Boron ({sup 10}B) oxide films were successfully grown using RF magnetron sputtering. • Effects of oxygen partial pressure on the property of the films were studied. • Substrates were covered with B-rich film and film surface was covered with B{sub 2}O{sub 3}. • The growth mechanism of films in oxygen atmosphere was analyzed using XPS. - Abstract: In this paper, the growth of boron ({sup 10}B) oxide films on (1 0 0) silicon substrate were achieved by radio frequency (r.f.) magnetron sputtering under the different oxygen partial pressure with a target of boron and boron oxide. The structure and properties of deposited films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectrometer (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The results showed that the substrate was covered with boron-rich films tightly and the surface of films was covered with B{sub 2}O{sub 3}. And the growth mechanism of boron-rich film in oxygen atmosphere was also analyzed.

  11. H2O2 sensing using HRP modified catalyst-free ZnO nanorods synthesized by RF sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Amit; Kumar, Naresh; Singh, Priti; Singh, Sunil Kumar

    2017-06-01

    Catalyst-free ( 00 l) oriented ZnO nanorods (NRs) -based biosensor for the H2O2 sensing has been reported. The (002) oriented ZnO NRs as confirmed by X-ray diffraction were successfully grown on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate by radio frequency (RF) sputtering technique without using any catalyst. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme was immobilized on ZnO NRs by physical adsorption technique to prepare the biosensor. In this HRP/ZnO NR/ITO bioelectrode, nafion solution was added to form a tight membrane on surface. The prepared bioelectrode has been used for biosensing measurements by electrochemical analyzer. The electrochemical studies reveal that the prepared HRP/ZnO NR/ITO biosensor is highly sensitive to the detection of H2O2 over a linear range of 0.250-10 μM. The ZnO NR-based biosensor showed lower value of detection limit (0.125 μM) and higher sensitivity (13.40 µA/µM cm2) towards H2O2. The observed value of higher sensitivity attributed to larger surface area of ZnO nanostructure for effective loading of HRP besides its high electron communication capability. In addition, the biosensor also shows lower value of enzyme's kinetic parameter (Michaelis-Menten constant, K m) of 0.262 μM which indicates enhanced enzyme affinity of HRP to H2O2. The reported biosensor may be useful for various applications in biosensing, clinical, food, and beverage industry.

  12. Study the target effect on the structural, surface and optical properties of TiO2 thin film fabricated by RF sputtering method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vyas, Sumit; Tiwary, Rohit; Shubham, Kumar; Chakrabarti, P.

    2015-04-01

    The effect of target (Ti metal target and TiO2 target) on Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) thin films grown on ITO coated glass substrate by RF magnetron sputtering has been investigated. A comparative study of both the films was done in respect of crystalline structure, surface morphology and optical properties by using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) studies and ellipsometric measurements. The XRD results confirmed the crystalline structure and indicated that the deposited films have the intensities of anatase phase. The surface morphology and roughness values indicated that the film using Ti metal target has a smoother surface and densely packed with grains as compared to films obtained using TiO2 target. A high transmission in the visible region, and direct band gap of 3.67 eV and 3.75 eV for films derived by using Ti metal and TiO2 target respectively and indirect bandgap of 3.39 eV for the films derived from both the targets (Ti metal and TiO2 target) were observed by the ellipsometric measurements.

  13. Microstructure and properties of in-situ rf sputtered YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} thin films for microwave applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reagor, D.W.; Houlton, R.J.; Garzon, F.H.; Hawley, M.; Raistrick, I.D. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Piza, M.E. [Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science

    1992-06-01

    The residual surface resistance of a number of films of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}, prepared by off-axis sputtering onto MgO substrates, has been measured using parallel-plate resonator technique. Deposition conditions were kept constant, apart from the substrate temperature. There is no correlation between surface resistance and other important microscopic parameters, such as T{sub c} and c-axis lattice parameter. There is, however, a trend to higher R{sub s} with increasing volume fraction of in-plane misoriented material, although the correlation is not perfect. Furthermore, we have found that most of the misoriented material is localized at the film substrate interface and therefore is probably not responsible for most of the RF losses. The data suggest that at higher deposition temperatures, there is an increasing tendency for 45{degrees}-misoriented material to appear in the films, and it may be that a significant fraction of this material is present closer to the free film surface. STM qualitatively supports this conclusion.

  14. Microstructure and properties of in-situ rf sputtered YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 7 thin films for microwave applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reagor, D.W.; Houlton, R.J.; Garzon, F.H.; Hawley, M.; Raistrick, I.D. (Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)); Piza, M.E. (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science)

    1992-01-01

    The residual surface resistance of a number of films of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}, prepared by off-axis sputtering onto MgO substrates, has been measured using parallel-plate resonator technique. Deposition conditions were kept constant, apart from the substrate temperature. There is no correlation between surface resistance and other important microscopic parameters, such as T{sub c} and c-axis lattice parameter. There is, however, a trend to higher R{sub s} with increasing volume fraction of in-plane misoriented material, although the correlation is not perfect. Furthermore, we have found that most of the misoriented material is localized at the film substrate interface and therefore is probably not responsible for most of the RF losses. The data suggest that at higher deposition temperatures, there is an increasing tendency for 45{degrees}-misoriented material to appear in the films, and it may be that a significant fraction of this material is present closer to the free film surface. STM qualitatively supports this conclusion.

  15. High-coercivity FePt sputtered films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luong, N.H.; Hiep, V.V.; Hong, D.M.; Chau, N.; Linh, N.D.; Kurisu, M.; Anh, D.T.K.; Nakamoto, G.

    2005-01-01

    Fe 56 Pt 44 thin films have been prepared by RF magnetron sputtering on Si substrates. The substrate temperature was kept at 350 deg C. The X-ray diffraction patterns of as-deposited FePt films exhibited a disordered structure. Annealing of the films at 650-685 deg C for 1 h yielded an ordered L1 0 phase with FCT structure. The high value for coercivity H C of 17 kOe was obtained at room temperature for the 68 nm thick film annealed at 685 deg C. The hard magnetic properties as well as grain structure of the films strongly depend on the annealing conditions

  16. Photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performance of Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} microcolumn films fabricated using facile reactive sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Der-Hwa [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Road, Tainan City 70101, Taiwan (China); Chang, Kao-Shuo, E-mail: kschang@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Road, Tainan City 70101, Taiwan (China); Promotion Center for Global Materials Research, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Road, Tainan City 70101, Taiwan (China)

    2016-08-21

    This paper presents the photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} microcolumn films. The highlights include (1) overcoming the fundamental barrier of standard reactive sputtering for fabricating microcolumns; (2) preventing unnecessary complexity from complicating facile sputtering; (3) an alternative but effective approach for fabricating Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} without using caustic NH{sub 3} gases; (4) investigating morphology tuning for favorable photocatalysis and PEC reactions; and (5) elucidating the relationships of the structures, morphologies, and properties of Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} microcolumns. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selective-area electron diffraction verified the polycrystallinity of Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} microcolumns, of which the elemental compositions and stoichiometry were measured using electron-probe energy dispersive spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The corresponding band gap was determined to be approximately 2.1 eV. The sample exhibited a superior photodegradation capability; the photodegradation rate constant k was determined to be approximately 1.4 times higher than that of P25 under UV irradiation. A photocatalytic and PEC cycling test indicated the photodegradation reusability and photostability of the Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} microcolumns. The incident photon-to-current efficiency performance reached 6%, suggesting that these microcolumns hold potential for application in PEC devices.

  17. Studies on the reactive pulsed-magnetron sputtering of ITO from metallic targets; Untersuchungen zum reaktiven Pulsmagnetronsputtern von ITO von metallischen Targets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gnehr, W.M.

    2006-06-15

    The thesis deals with a reactive sputter process for the deposition of ITO- films. In contrast to the usual technique, the sputter targets consists of indium-tin-alloy instead of ceramic ITO. All experiments were conducted on an inline coater with 600 mm target-width. The process is stabilized by a control loop based on optical emission detection. The experiments prove, that this control loop guarantees a long term stability of the outcomes of the coating process.Process parameters, that are crucial for the optical and electrical properties of the deposited thin films are identified and studied. Among them are the flow of oxygen and the substrate temperature but also less obvious parameters such as the distance between target and substrate.Througout the work the focus is on the film deposition with pulsed plasmas. Novel bipolar DC pulse- and pulse package generators are employed for the deposition.In order to shed some light onto the influence of certain pulse parameters on the outcome of a particular coating process, a Monte-Carlo-Simulation of the particle flow in pulsed plasmas is developed. This simulation yields the distribution of particles and their respective energies on deliberately placed planes in the process chamber. Particles under investigation are both sputtered species and neutral sputter gas atoms reflected at the target. The results of this simulation provide an explanation for the influence of certain pulse parameters on the outcome of the coating process. The further investigations deal with the influence of the construction of the process chamber on the coating process. For this purpose, locally resolved optical spectra are recorded. In order to analyse these spectra, a novel connected fit algorithm is developed.This algorithm yields the distribution of certain fitparameters on the substrate. Provided the most complex of the discussed parametrizations of the dielectric function are used, these can be crucial properties such as the carrier

  18. Optical and structural characterization of titanium dioxide films growth by the r f-sputtering technique; Caracterizacion optica y estructural de peliculas de dioxido de titanio crecidas por la tecnica de rf-sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Florido C, A.; Calderon, A. [CICATA-IPN, Av. Legaria 694, 11500 Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Mendoza A, J.G.; Becerril, M.; Zelaya A, O. [CINVESTAV, A.P. 14-740, 07000 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

    2007-07-01

    Full text: The elaboration of a series of grown films of TiO on Corning glaze substrates, as well as silicon, by means of the rf-sputtering technique using one power of 160 watts, with the objective of obtaining the anatase phase which one presents better activity for applications in photo catalysis. In the process of growth it was used a temperature in the range from 300 to 600 C and a separation distance among the target and the substrate of 3.5 cm. The used atmosphere was a mixture of argon and oxygen. It was carried out the characterization of the films obtained by means of UV-vis spectrophotometry, and photoluminescence (FL). The microstructure analysis was carried out by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-Raman (MR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). By means of the diffractographs it was determined the grain size. Our results show that in our films they are present the anatase and rutile phases of the titanium dioxide. The analysis of the results of optical spectra shows a forbidden band of the titanium dioxide around 3.2 eV. (Author)

  19. Influence of reactive sputtering process parameters on the structure and properties of TiO{sub 2} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    El-Hamshary, Azza Amin

    2011-07-11

    In this work, an atomistic understanding of the growth of TiO{sub 2} thin films under the influence of various sputtering process parameters has been developed. It has been demonstrated that tailoring the structure of the reactively sputtered TiO{sub 2} thin films is possible by controlling the sputtering process parameters. Different sputtering techniques like dcMS, IBAS and HiPIMS have been utilized to fabricate TiO{sub 2} thin films. These films exhibit two crystalline structures, namely anatase and rutile. Sample preparation has been performed at different conditions, varying e.g. energetic bombardment, oxygen partial pressure and film thickness. It has been found that the formation of each phase is governed by specific parameters. For instance, energetic bombardment promotes the growth of the rutile structure. On the other hand, the growth of the anatase phase profits from the absence or very weak ion bombardment. Additionally, the anatase phase was often found for growth at high oxygen partial pressure or for thick films, whereas a rutile structure was formed otherwise. Additional substrate heating was also found to support the formation of the anatase phase. It has been demonstrated that energetic bombardment plays a dominant role in the structure formation. It has been proven that the bombardment of the growing film with highly energetic negative oxygen ions inherent in the sputtering process promotes the growth of the rutile structure. This has been observed by an investigation of the sample profile utilizing new and aged targets, since the distribution of oxygen ion bombardment along the substrate depends on the age of the target. Further support was found from investigating films grown in a HiPIMS process, where the negative oxygen ions with high energies are the dominant species governing structure formation. Furthermore, pure rutile films have also been grown under additional ion bombardment in an ion-assisted DC sputtering process. These results also

  20. SiO2-Ta2O5 sputtering yields: simulated and experimental results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vireton, E.; Ganau, P.; Mackowski, J.M.; Michel, C.; Pinard, L.; Remillieux, A.

    1994-09-01

    To improve mirrors coating, we have modeled sputtering of binary oxide targets using TRIM code. First, we have proposed a method to calculate TRIM input parameters using on the one hand thermodynamic cycle and on the other hand Malherbe's results. Secondly, an iterative processing has provided for oxide steady targets caused by ionic bombardment. Thirdly, we have exposed a model to get experimental sputtering yields. Fourthly, for (Ar - SiO 2 ) pair, we have determined that steady target is a silica one. A good agreement between simulated and experimental yields versus ion incident angle has been found. For (Ar - Ta 2 O 5 ) pair, we have to introduce preferential sputtering concept to explain discrepancy between simulation and experiment. In this case, steady target is tantalum monoxide. For (Ar - Ta(+O 2 ) pair, tantalum sputtered by argon ions in reactive oxygen atmosphere, we have to take into account new concept of oxidation stimulated by ion beam. We have supposed that tantalum target becomes a Ta 2 O 5 one in reactive oxygen atmosphere. Then, following mechanism is similar to previous pair. We have obtained steady target of tantalum monoxide too. Comparison between simulated and experimental sputtering yields versus ion incident angle has given very good agreement. By simulation, we have found that tantalum monoxide target has at least 15 angstrom thickness. Those results are compatible with Malherbe's and Taglauer's ones. (authors)

  1. Functional nanostructured titanium nitride films obtained by sputtering magnetron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanchez, O.; Hernandez-Velez, M.; Navas, D.; Auger, M.A.; Baldonedo, J.L.; Sanz, R.; Pirota, K.R.; Vazquez, M.

    2006-01-01

    Development of new methods in the formation of hollow structures, in particular, nanotubes and nanocages are currently generating a great interest as a consequence of the growing relevance of these nanostructures on many technological fields, ranging from optoelectronics to biotechnology. In this work, we report the formation of titanium nitride (TiN) nanotubes and nanohills via reactive sputtering magnetron processes. Anodic Alumina Membranes (AAM) were used as template substrates to grow the TiN nanostructures. The AAM were obtained through electrochemical anodization processes by using oxalic acid solutions as electrolytes. The nanotubes were produced at temperatures below 100 deg. C, and using a pure titanium (99.995%) sputtering target and nitrogen as reactive gas. The obtained TiN thin films showed surface morphologies adjusted to pore diameter and interpore distance of the substrates, as well as ordered arrays of nanotubes or nanohills depending on the sputtering and template conditions. High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HRSEM) was used to elucidate both the surface order and morphology of the different grown nanostructures. The crystalline structure of the samples was examined using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns and their qualitative chemical composition by using X-ray Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (XEDS) in a scanning electron microscopy

  2. Effect of deposition conditions on mechanical stresses and microstructure of sputter-deposited molybdenum and reactively sputter-deposited molybdenum nitride films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen, Y.G.

    2003-01-01

    A combined investigation of mechanical stress generation by in situ substrate curvature measurements during the growth of MoN x thin films, with 0≤x≤0.35, and of structural properties by ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), transmission electron diffraction (TED), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is reported. It was found that the Mo film stresses strongly depended on the Ar sputtering pressure and changed from highly compressive to highly tensile in a relatively narrow pressure range of 6-12 mTorr. For pressures exceeding ∼40 mTorr, the stress in the film was nearly zero. Cross-sectional TEM measurements indicated that the compressively stressed films contained a dense microstructure without any columns, while the films having tensile stress had a very columnar microstructure. High sputtering-gas pressure conditions yielded dendritic-like film growth, resulting in complete relaxation of the mechanical tensile stresses. It was also found that the properties of the deposited MoN x films depended not only on the nitrogen partial pressure in Ar-N 2 gas mixtures but also on the total sputtering-gas pressure. Cross-sectional TEM studies showed that an average column width for 160 nm-thick films near stoichiometry of Mo 2 N was about ∼15-20 nm. Using the electron scattering data collected from a range of crystalline samples for calculating the pair distribution function (PDF) by Fourier transformation in real space, Mo-N and Mo-Mo bonding in the films was also identified. Once the Mo 2 N phase was formed, the density, microstructure and bonding feature were similar and insensitive to the total sputtering pressure used in this study

  3. Microstructure and optical properties of Ba0.65Sr0.35TiO3 thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Tianjin; Li Songzhan; Zhang Baishun; Pan Ruikun; Jiang Juan; Huang Weihua

    2005-01-01

    Ba 0.65 Sr 0.35 TiO 3 thin films have been prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. The crystallization and microstructure of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scan electronic microstructure (SEM) and atom force microstructure (AFM). As-deposited thin films were found to be amorphous. The more intense characteristic diffraction peaks and improved crystallization can be observed in (Ba,Sr)TiO 3 (BST) thin films deposited at high temperatures and annealed at higher than 650degC. Optical constants were determined from transmittance spectra by using the envelope method. The refractive index increased from 1.778 to 1.961 as the substrate temperature increased from 560 to 650degC. Both the refractive index and extinction coefficient increased with annealing temperature. The refractive index and extinction coefficient increased when the oxygen-to-argon ratio increased from 1:4 to 1:1. The dispersion of relation of the extinction coefficient vs wavelength was also investigated. The optical band gap of BST thin films was found to be about 3.56 eV, which decreased apparently with increasing annealing temperature. (author)

  4. Computer modelling of RF ablation in cortical osteoid osteoma: Assessment of the insulating effect of the reactive zone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irastorza, Ramiro M; Trujillo, Macarena; Martel Villagrán, Jose; Berjano, Enrique

    2016-05-01

    The aim was to study by computer simulations the insulating role of the reactive zone surrounding a cortical osteoid osteoma (OO) in terms of electrical and thermal performance during radiofrequency ablation (RFA). We modelled a cortical OO consisting of a nidus (10 mm diameter) enclosed by a reactive zone. The OO was near a layer of cortical bone 1.5 mm thick. Trabecular bone partially surrounds the OO and there was muscle around the cortical bone layer. We modelled RF ablations with a non-cooled-tip 17-gauge needle electrode (300 s duration and 90 °C target temperature). Sensitivity analyses were conducted assuming a reactive zone electrical conductivity value (σrz) within the limits of the cortical and trabecular bone, i.e. 0.02 S/m and 0.087 S/m, respectively. In this way we were really modelling the different degrees of osteosclerosis associated with the reactive zone. The presence of the reactive zone drastically reduced the maximum temperature reached outside it. The temperature drop was proportional to the thickness of the reactive zone: from 68 °C when it was absent to 44 °C when it is 7.5 mm thick. Higher nidus conductivity values (σn) implied higher temperatures, while lower temperatures meant higher σrz values. Changing σrz from 0.02 S/m to 0.087 S/m reduced lesion diameters from 2.4 cm to 1.8 cm. The computer results suggest that the reactive zone plays the role of insulator in terms of reducing the temperature in the surrounding area.

  5. A comparative study on NbOx films reactively sputtered from sintered and cold gas sprayed targets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorenz, Roland; O'Sullivan, Michael; Fian, Alexander; Sprenger, Dietmar; Lang, Bernhard; Mitterer, Christian

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this work is to evaluate novel cold gas sprayed Nb targets in a reactive sputter deposition process of thin films with respect to the widely used sintered Nb targets. With the exception of a higher target discharge voltage of ∼100 V for the cold gas sprayed targets and the thus higher film growth rate compared to sintered targets, NbOx films with comparable microstructure and properties were obtained for both target variants. The amorphous films with thicknesses between 2.9 and 4.9 μm present an optical shift from dark and non-transparent towards transparent properties, as the oxygen partial pressure increases. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the occurrence of the Nb5+ oxidation state for the highest oxygen partial pressure, while Nb4+ is additionally present at lower oxygen partial pressure settings. With a maximal transparency of ∼80% and a refractive index of ∼2.5, the transparent films show characteristics similar to Nb2O5.

  6. Cathode and ion-luminescence of Eu:ZnO thin films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering and plasma decomposition of non-volatile precursors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gil-Rostra, Jorge [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla, CSIC, Univ. Sevilla, C/Américo Vespucio 49, E-41092 Sevilla (Spain); Ferrer, Francisco J. [Centro Nacional de Aceleradores, CSIC, Univ. Sevilla, Av. Thomas A. Edison 7, E-41092 Sevilla (Spain); Martín, Inocencio R. [Departamento de Física Fundamental y Experimental, Electrónica y Sistemas, U. La Laguna, C/Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, E-38206 La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain); González-Elipe, Agustín R.; Yubero, Francisco [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla, CSIC, Univ. Sevilla, C/Américo Vespucio 49, E-41092 Sevilla (Spain)

    2016-10-15

    This paper reports the luminescent behavior of Eu:ZnO thin films prepared by an one-step procedure that combines reactive magnetron sputtering deposition of ZnO with the plasma activated decomposition of a non-volatile acetylacetonate precursor of Eu sublimated in an effusion cell. Chemical composition and microstructure of the Eu:ZnO thin films have been characterized by several methods and their photo-, cathode- and ion-luminescent properties studied as a function of Eu concentration. The high transparency and well controlled optical properties of the films have demonstrated to be ideal for the development of cathode- and ion- luminescence sensors.

  7. Laser damage resistance of hafnia thin films deposited by electron beam deposition, reactive low voltage ion plating, and dual ion beam sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gallais, Laurent; Capoulade, Jeremie; Natoli, Jean-Yves; Commandre, Mireille; Cathelinaud, Michel; Koc, Cian; Lequime, Michel

    2008-01-01

    A comparative study is made of the laser damage resistance of hafnia coatings deposited on fused silica substrates with different technologies: electron beam deposition (from Hf or HfO2 starting material), reactive low voltage ion plating, and dual ion beam sputtering.The laser damage thresholds of these coatings are determined at 1064 and 355 nm using a nanosecond pulsed YAG laser and a one-on-one test procedure. The results are associated with a complete characterization of the samples: refractive index n measured by spectrophotometry, extinction coefficient k measured by photothermal deflection, and roughness measured by atomic force microscopy

  8. Sputtering of octatetraene by 15 keV C{sub 60} projectiles: Comparison of reactive interatomic potentials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kanski, Michal; Maciazek, Dawid; Golunski, Mikolaj; Postawa, Zbigniew, E-mail: zbigniew.postawa@uj.edu.pl

    2017-02-15

    Highlights: • Probing the effect of interatomic potentials on sputtering of an octatetraene sample. • Problems with charge calculations are observed during cluster impact for ReaxFF. • COMB3 leads to a very low sputtering yield due to abrupt energy dissipation. • AIREBO is computationally the most efficient, while ReaxFF is more accurate. - Abstract: Molecular dynamics computer simulations have been used to probe the effect of the AIREBO, ReaxFF and COMB3 interatomic potentials on sputtering of an organic sample composed of octatetraene molecules. The system is bombarded by a 15 keV C{sub 60} projectile at normal incidence. The effect of the applied force fields on the total time of simulation, the calculated sputtering yield and the angular distribution of sputtered particles is investigated and discussed. It has been found that caution should be taken when simulating particles ejection from nonhomogeneous systems that undergo significant fragmentation described by the ReaxFF. In this case, the charge state of many particles is improper due to an inadequacy of a procedure used for calculating partial charges on atoms in molecules for conditions present during sputtering. A two-step simulation procedure is proposed to minimize the effect of this deficiency. There is also a possible problem with the COMB3 potential, at least at conditions present during cluster impact, as its results are very different from AIREBO or ReaxFF.

  9. INFLUENCE OF LOW-ENERGY AR-SPUTTERING ON THE ELECTRONIC-PROPERTIES OF INAS-BASED QUANTUM-WELL STRUCTURES

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Magnee, P.H.C.; den Hartog, S.G.; Wees, B.J.van; Klapwijk, T.M; van de Graaf, W.; Borghs, G.

    1995-01-01

    The influence of low energy (80-500 eV) Ar-ion milling cleaning techniques on InAs based quantum well structures is investigated. It is found that both etching with a Kaufmann source and sputter-etching with a rf-plasma enhances the electron density and reduces the mobility. An anneal at 180 degrees

  10. Change of wettability of PTFE surface by sputter etching and excimer laser. Sputter etching oyobi excimer laser ni yoru PTFE hyomen no shinsuika

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamamoto, S. (Nitto Denko Corp., Osaka (Japan)); Kubo, U. (Kinki University, Osaka (Japan))

    1994-06-20

    The wettability of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) surfaces was improved by sputter etching and excimer laser irradiation. In sputter etching, the PTFE surface was treated by reactive sputter etching with H2O gas to give active groups on the surface. In laser irradiation, the surface was irradiated in pure water by high-energy KrF excimer laser. As the surface wettability was evaluated with a contact angle to water, the contact angle decreased remarkably in both treatments resulting in a good improvement effect. In sputter etching, various new chemical bonds such as F-C=O, F2C-FC-O, F2C-C-O and C-O were observed because of a decrease in F and incorporation of oxygen. Such chemical bonds could be eliminated by ultraviolet ray irradiation, and the treated surface condition approached the initial condition after irradiation of 200 hours. In laser irradiation, it was suggested that C-F bonds were broken, and OH groups were added to the surface by dissociation of H2O to H and OH. 7 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

  11. Visible luminescence from highly textured Tb{sup 3+} doped RF sputtered zinc oxide films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sreedharan, R. Sreeja; Krishnan, R. Reshmi; Bose, R. Jolly; Kavitha, V.S.; Suresh, S. [Department of Optoelectronics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala (India); Vinodkumar, R. [Department of Optoelectronics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala (India); Department of Physics, University College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala (India); Sudheer, S.K. [Department of Optoelectronics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala (India); Pillai, V.P. Mahadevan, E-mail: vpmpillai9@gmail.com [Department of Optoelectronics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala (India)

    2017-04-15

    Highly transparent, luminescent, c-axis oriented Tb{sup 3+} doped ZnO films are prepared by RF magnetron sputtering technique. The structural, morphological, optical and luminescence properties of these films are investigated as a function of Tb{sup 3+} doping concentration by X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), spectroscopic ellipsometry, UV-Visible spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The as-deposited films are found to be highly crystalline with wurtzite hexagonal phase of ZnO. The characteristic features of hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO, particularly the appearance of non-polar E{sub 2} modes are easily identified from the Raman spectra of the films. The surface morphology of the films revealed by FESEM and AFM images present a dense distribution of grains. The elemental analysis carried out using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectra confirms the incorporation of Tb{sup 3+} ions in the ZnO lattice. The films are highly transparent in the visible region. Using ellipsometric analysis, the variation of refractive index, dielectric constant and thickness of the films are studied as a function of Tb{sup 3+} doping concentration. The photoluminescence spectra of the Tb{sup 3+} doped ZnO films recorded using an excitation radiation of wavelength 325 nm from a He-Cd laser exhibit visible luminescence ~430, 490, 516 and 542 nm. The origin of visible emissions ~490 and 542 nm in the doped films can be attributed to 5D{sub 4}→7F{sub 6} and 5D{sub 4}→7F{sub 5} transition of Tb{sup 3+} ion respectively. The intensity of the emission at 542 nm is found to be decreasing at higher doping concentration due to concentration quenching effect. The blue emission in the films can be attributed to the electron transition from shallow donor level formed by interstitial Zn atoms to the top of the valence band. The origin of the visible emission ~516 nm is attributed

  12. Preparation and characterization of thick metastable sputter deposits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, R.P.; Dahlgren, S.D.; Merz, M.D.

    1975-01-01

    High-rate dc supported-discharge sputtering techniques were developed and used to prepare 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm-thick deposits of a variety of metastable materials including amorphous alloys representing more than 15 different rare-earth-transition metal systems and a wide range of compositions and deposition conditions. The ability to prepare thick, homogeneous deposits has made it possible for the first time to investigate the structure, properties, and annealing behavior of these unique sputtered alloys using neutron diffraction, ultrasonic, and other experimental techniques that are difficult or impractical for thin films. More importantly, these characterization studies show that the structure and properties of the massive sputter deposits are independent of thickness and can be reproduced from deposit to deposit. Other advantages and applications of this metastable materials preparation technique include the possibility of varying structure and properties by control of the deposition parameters and the ability to deposit even reactive alloys with a very low impurity content

  13. Magnetic properties of in-plane oriented barium hexaferrite thin films prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Xiaozhi; Yue, Zhenxing, E-mail: yuezhx@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn; Meng, Siqin; Yuan, Lixin [State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2014-12-28

    In-plane c-axis oriented Ba-hexaferrite (BaM) thin films were prepared on a-plane (112{sup ¯}0) sapphire (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) substrates by DC magnetron sputtering followed by ex-situ annealing. The DC magnetron sputtering was demonstrated to have obvious advantages over the traditionally used RF magnetron sputtering in sputtering rate and operation simplicity. The sputtering power had a remarkable influence on the Ba/Fe ratio, the hematite secondary phase, and the grain morphology of the as-prepared BaM films. Under 80 W of sputtering power, in-plane c-axis highly oriented BaM films were obtained. These films had strong magnetic anisotropy with high hysteresis loop squareness (M{sub r}/M{sub s} of 0.96) along the in-plane easy axis and low M{sub r}/M{sub s} of 0.03 along the in-plane hard axis. X-ray diffraction patterns and pole figures revealed that the oriented BaM films grew via an epitaxy-like growth process with the crystallographic relationship BaM (101{sup ¯}0)//α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(112{sup ¯}0)//Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(112{sup ¯}0)

  14. Sputter deposition system for controlled fabrication of multilayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Nardo, R.P.; Takacs, P.Z.; Majkrzak, C.F.; Stefan, P.M.

    1985-06-01

    A detailed description of a sputter deposition system constructed specifically for the fabrication of x-ray and neutron multilayer monochromators and supermirrors is given. One of the principal design criteria is to maintain precise control of film thickness and uniformity over large substrate areas. Regulation of critical system parameters is fully automated so that response to feedback control information is rapid and complicated layer thickness sequences can be deposited accurately and efficiently. The use of either dc or rf magnetron sources makes it possible to satisfy the diverse material requirements of both x-ray and neutron optics

  15. Wet chemical etching of Al-doped ZnO film deposited by RF magnetron sputtering method on textured glass substrate for energy application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, Ki Hwan; Nam, Sang Hun; Jung, Won Suk; Lee, Yong Min; Yang, Hee Su; Boo, Jin Hyo [Dept. of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-03-15

    The etching of glasses in aqueous hydrofluoric acid (HF) solutions is applied in many technological fields. Particularly, the textured transparent conductive oxide materials on the glass substrate etched by HF were used to improve the current density of solar cells. In this study, the textured glass substrate has been etched by solution and the Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films have been prepared on this textured glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering method. After the AZO film deposition, the surface of AZO has been etched by hydrochloric acid with different concentration and etching time. Etched AZO thin films had higher haze ratio and sheet resistance than bare AZO glass. Increases in the root-mean-square surface roughness of AZO films enhanced from 53.78 to 84.46 nm the haze ratio in above 700 nm wavelength. Our process could be applicable in texturing glass and etching AZO surface to fabricate solar cell in industrial scale. We also carried out fabricating an organic solar-cell device. Energy conversion efficiency improvement of 123% was obtained with textured AZO-based solar-cell device compared with that of nontextured solar-cell device.

  16. Niobium films produced by magnetron sputtering using an Ar-He mixture as discharge gas

    CERN Document Server

    Schucan, G M; Calatroni, Sergio

    1995-01-01

    Superconducting RF accelerating cavities have been produced at CERN by sputter-coating, with a thin niobium layer, cavities made of copper. In the present work, the discharge behaviour and niobium film properties have been investigated when part of the argon sputtering gas is replaced with helium. Helium is chosen because of its low mass, which reduces the energy lost by the niobium atoms colliding with the sputter gas atoms. The higher niobium atom energy should lead to higher adatom mobility on the substrate and, hence, to a larger grain size, a feature which is highly desirable to reduce the cavity surface resistance. It has been found that helium addition effectively helps to maintain the discharge at considerably lower argon pressures, via metastable-neutral ionisation and high secondary electron yield. However, a large amount of helium is trapped in the film, amount which is proportional to the helium partial pressure during the discharge, resulting in a reduction of both Residual Resistivity Ratio and ...

  17. Microstructure and tribological properties of NbN-Ag composite films by reactive magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ju, Hongbo; Xu, Junhua, E-mail: jhxu@just.edu.cn

    2015-11-15

    Highlights: • NbN-Ag films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. • The fcc-NbN, hcp-NbN and fcc-Ag coexisted in NbN-Ag films. • The incorporation of Ag into NbN matrix led to the decrease of hardness. • The films (9.2–13.5 at.% Ag) were found to be optimized for wear resistance tools. - Abstract: Recently, the chameleon thin films were developed with the purpose of adjusting their chemistry at self-mating interfaces in response to environmental changes at a wide temperature range. However, very few studies have focused on what state the lubricious noble metal exists in the films and the tribological properties at room temperature (RT). Composite NbN-Ag films with various Ag content (Ag/(Nb + Ag)) were deposited using reactive magnetron sputtering to investigate the crystal structure, mechanical and tribological properties. A combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analyses showed that face-centered cubic (fcc) NbN, hexagonal close-packed (hcp) NbN and fcc silver coexisted in NbN-Ag films. The incorporation of soft Ag into NbN matrix led to the hardness decrease from 29.6 GPa at 0 at.% Ag to 11.3 GPa at 19.9 at.% Ag. Tribological properties of NbN-Ag films performed using dry pin-on-disc wear tests against Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} depended on Ag content to a large extent. The average friction coefficient and wear rate of NbN-Ag films decreased as Ag content increased from 4.0 to 9.2 at.%. With a further increase of Ag content, the average friction coefficient further decreased, while the wear rate increased gradually. The optimal Ag content was found to be 9.2–13.5 at.%, which showed low average friction coefficient values of 0.46–0.40 and wear rate values of 1.1 × 10{sup −8} to 1.7 × 10{sup −8} mm{sup 3}/(mm N). 3D Profiler and Raman spectroscopy measurements revealed that the lubricant tribo-film AgNbO{sub 3} detected on the surface of the

  18. Optical, electrical and mechanical properties of the tantalum oxynitride thin films deposited by pulsing reactive gas sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Dreo, H.; Banakh, O.; Keppner, H.; Steinmann, P.-A.; Briand, D.; Rooij, N.F. de

    2006-01-01

    Thin films of tantalum oxynitride were prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering using a Ta target and N 2 and O 2 as reactive gases. The nitrogen flow was kept constant while the oxygen flow was pulsed periodically. The film composition evolves progressively from TaO 0.25 N 1.51 to TaO 2.42 N 0.25 while increasing the oxygen pulse duty cycle without any abrupt change in the elemental content. The optical transmission spectra of the films deposited on glass show a 'blue shift' of the absorption edge with increasing oxygen content. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of all films exhibit broad peaks typical for nanocrystalline materials. Cross-section film morphology is rather featureless and surface topography is smooth exhibiting very small grains, in agreement with the results obtained by XRD. The optical properties of the films are very sensitive to their chemical composition. All films exhibit semiconducting behaviour with an optical band gap changing from 1.85 to 4.0 eV with increasing oxygen content. In order to evaluate the potential of the tantalum oxynitride films for microelectronic applications some Ta-O-N films were integrated in a MOS structure. The results of the capacitance-voltage measurements of the system Al//Ta-O-N//p-Si are discussed with respect to the chemical composition of the Ta-O-N films

  19. Physical properties evolution of sputtered zirconium oxynitride films: effects of the growth temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rizzo, A; Signore, M A; Mirenghi, L; Piscopiello, E; Tapfer, L

    2009-01-01

    Zirconium oxynitride (ZrNO) films were deposited by RF reactive magnetron sputtering in water vapour-nitrogen atmosphere varying the deposition temperature from RT to 600 0 C. Optical analysis, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are the employed characterization techniques to investigate the influence of the substrate temperature on the films physical properties. It was found that the variation of the substrate temperature from RT to 600 0 C caused a structural transition from cubic phase of Zr 2 ON 2 to ZrN one, as confirmed by TEM observations too. In particular, Forouhi-Bloomer dispersion equations for optical parameters (n and k) and deconvolution of XPS spectra allowed further chemical properties be elucidated. They also permitted identification of two oxynitride phases, γ phase (E g = 1.94 eV) and β phase (E g = 1.7 eV), and an over-stoichiometric nitride one. The use of [E c - E v ] values helped to confirm further the distinction between (γ, β)-phases and N-rich zirconium nitride compound, which is unachievable by using only E g values.

  20. Physical properties evolution of sputtered zirconium oxynitride films: effects of the growth temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rizzo, A; Signore, M A; Mirenghi, L; Piscopiello, E; Tapfer, L [ENEA, Department of Physical Technologies and New Materials, SS7, Appia, km 706, 72100 Brindisi (Italy)

    2009-12-07

    Zirconium oxynitride (ZrNO) films were deposited by RF reactive magnetron sputtering in water vapour-nitrogen atmosphere varying the deposition temperature from RT to 600 {sup 0}C. Optical analysis, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are the employed characterization techniques to investigate the influence of the substrate temperature on the films physical properties. It was found that the variation of the substrate temperature from RT to 600 {sup 0}C caused a structural transition from cubic phase of Zr{sub 2}ON{sub 2} to ZrN one, as confirmed by TEM observations too. In particular, Forouhi-Bloomer dispersion equations for optical parameters (n and k) and deconvolution of XPS spectra allowed further chemical properties be elucidated. They also permitted identification of two oxynitride phases, {gamma} phase (E{sub g} = 1.94 eV) and {beta} phase (E{sub g} = 1.7 eV), and an over-stoichiometric nitride one. The use of [E{sub c} - E{sub v}] values helped to confirm further the distinction between ({gamma}, {beta})-phases and N-rich zirconium nitride compound, which is unachievable by using only E{sub g} values.