Thermal Stability of Copper-Aluminum Alloy Thin Films for Barrierless Copper Metallization on Silicon Substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, C. P.; Dai, T.; Lu, Y.; Shi, Z.; Ruan, J. J.; Guo, Y. H.; Liu, X. J.

2017-08-01

Copper thin films with thickness of about 500 nm doped with different aluminum concentrations have been prepared by magnetron sputtering on Si substrate and their crystal structure, microstructure, and electrical resistivity after annealing at various temperatures (200°C to 600°C) for 1 h or at 400°C for different durations (1 h to 11 h) investigated by grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and four-point probe (FPP) measurements. Cu-1.8Al alloy thin film exhibited good thermal stability and low electrical resistivity (˜5.0 μΩ cm) after annealing at 500°C for 1 h or 400°C for 7 h. No copper silicide was observed at the Cu-Al/Si interface by GIXRD analysis or SEM for this sample. This result indicates that doping Cu thin film with small amounts of Al can achieve high thermal stability and low electrical resistivity, suggesting that Cu-1.8Al alloy thin film could be used for barrierless Cu metallization on Si substrate.

Morphology and thermal stability of Ti-doped copper nitride films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Xiaoyan; Wu Zhiguo; Li Huajun; Geng Baisong; Li Chun; Yan Pengxun

2007-01-01

A weakly Ti-doped copper nitride (Cu 3 N) film was prepared by cylindrical magnetron sputtering. The XPS results indicate that Ti atoms do not substitute for the Cu atoms but probably locate at the grain boundaries. The columnar grains size is about half of that of the undoped Cu 3 N film and the surface is smoother. For weakly Ti-doped Cu 3 N films, a dense layer appears on top of the columnar crystals. The RMS of the Cu film formed by annealing of the weakly Ti-doped Cu 3 N film is more than twice larger than that of the film before annealing. Compared with the undoped Cu 3 N film, it possesses fine thermal stability both in vacuum and in atmosphere

Effect of annealing on bulk heterojunction organic solar cells based on copper phthalocyanine and perylene derivative

KAUST Repository

Kim, Inho

2012-02-01

We investigated the effects of annealing on device performances of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells based on copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and N,N′-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI-C6). Blended films of CuPc and PTCDI-C6 with annealing at elevated temperature were characterized by measuring optical absorption, photoluminescence, and X-ray diffraction. Enhanced molecular ordering and increments in domain sizes of donor and acceptor for the blended films were observed, and their influences on device performances were discussed. Annealing led to substantial improvements in photocurrent owing to enhanced molecular ordering and formation of percolation pathways. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of interdiffusion in copper-nickel bilayer thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdul-Lettif, Ahmed M. [Physics Department, College of Science, Babylon University, Hilla (Iraq)]. E-mail: abdullettif@yahoo.com

2007-01-15

Auger depth profiling technique and X-ray diffraction analysis have been employed to study the interdiffusion in vacuum-deposited copper-nickel bilayer thin films. An adaptation of the Whipple model was used to determine the diffusion coefficients of both nickel in copper and copper in nickel. The calculated diffusion coefficient is (2.0x10{sup -7} cm{sup 2}/s)exp(-1.0 eV/kT) for nickel in copper, and (6x10{sup -8} cm{sup 2}/s)exp(-0.98 eV/kT) for copper in nickel. The difference between the diffusion parameters obtained in the present work and those extracted by other investigators is attributed essentially to the difference in the films microstructure and to the annealing ambient. It is concluded that interdiffusion in the investigated films is described by type-B kinetics in which rapid grain-boundary diffusion is coupled to defect-enhanced diffusion into the grain interior. The present data raise a question about the effectiveness of nickel as a diffusion barrier between copper and the silicon substrate.

Interpretation of microstructure evolution during self-annealing and thermal annealing of nanocrystalline electrodeposits—A comparative study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pantleon, Karen; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2010-01-01

and nickel electrodeposits was achieved by time-resolved X-ray diffraction line profile analysis and crystallographic texture analysis during room temperature storage and during isothermal annealing at elevated temperatures. These in-situ studies with unique time resolution allowed quantification of the self-annealing......Electrodeposition results in a non-equilibrium state of the as-deposited nanocrystalline microstructure, which evolves towards an energetically more favorable state as a function of time and/or temperature upon deposition. Real-time investigation of the evolving microstructure in copper, silver...... kinetics of copper and silver electrodeposits as well as the annealing kinetics of electrodeposited nickel. Similarities and characteristic differences of the kinetics and mechanisms of microstructure evolution in the various electrodeposits are discussed and the experimental results are attempted...

Interpretation of microstructure evolution during self-annealing and thermal annealing of nanocrystalline electrodeposits-A comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pantleon, Karen; Somers, Marcel A.J.

2010-01-01

Electrodeposition results in a non-equilibrium state of the as-deposited nanocrystalline microstructure, which evolves towards an energetically more favorable state as a function of time and/or temperature upon deposition. Real-time investigation of the evolving microstructure in copper, silver and nickel electrodeposits was achieved by time-resolved X-ray diffraction line profile analysis and crystallographic texture analysis during room temperature storage and during isothermal annealing at elevated temperatures. These in-situ studies with unique time resolution allowed quantification of the self-annealing kinetics of copper and silver electrodeposits as well as the annealing kinetics of electrodeposited nickel. Similarities and characteristic differences of the kinetics and mechanisms of microstructure evolution in the various electrodeposits are discussed and the experimental results are attempted to be interpreted in terms of recovery, recrystallization and grain growth.

Effect of annealing temperature on the PEC performance of electrodeposited copper oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Marathey, Priyanka; Pati, Ranjan; Mukhopadhyay, Indrajit; Ray, Abhijit

2018-05-01

In this work, we have deposited Cu2O film on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate by electrodeposition. Pure CuO phase has been obtained by annealing the electrodeposited Cu2O film at optimized temperature (500°C) for two hours in air. Copper(I) oxide films showed good photo response with a current density of 0.54mA/cm2 at 0 V vs RHE. It is evident from UV-Visible spectroscopic analysis that the bandgap of Cu(I) and Cu(II) oxides differs from each other resulting in significant change in photo current for these two phases, observed in the PEC study. However CuO film showed better stability as compared to Cu2O film.

Determination of the optical band gap for amorphous and nanocrystalline copper oxide thin films prepared by SILAR technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel Rafea, M; Roushdy, N

2009-01-01

Amorphous copper oxide films were deposited using the SILAR technique. Both Cu 2 O and CuO crystallographic phases exist in deposited and annealed films. Crystallization and growth processes by annealing at temperatures up to 823 K form grains with nano- and micro-spherical shapes. The calculated crystallite size from the XRD measurement was found to be in the range 14-21 nm while nano-spheres in the diameter range 50-100 nm were observed by SEM micrographs. The band gap for amorphous film was found to be 2.3 eV which increased slowly to 2.4 eV by annealing the film at 373 K. This was explained by defect redistribution in amorphous films. Annealing in the temperature range 373-673 K decreased the band gap gradually to 1.85 eV. The decrease of the band gap with annealing temperature in the range 373-673 K agrees well with the Brus model of the energy gap confinement effect in nanostructured semiconducting materials. Annealing in the temperature range 673-823 K decreases the band gap slowly to 1.7 eV due to the smaller contribution of the confinement effect. Below 573 K, Cu 2 O is the most probable crystalline phase in the film, while Cu 2 O and CuO crystalline phases may coexist at annealing temperatures above 573 K due to further oxidation of Cu 2 O. A wider transmittance spectral window in the visible region was obtained by controlling the annealing conditions of the amorphous copper oxide film and its applicability to the window layer of solar cell was suggested.

Annealing effect of ITO and ITO/Cu transparent conductive films in low pressure hydrogen atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, T.-C.; Chang, S.-C.; Chiu, C.-F.

2006-01-01

A layer of copper was sputtered onto an indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates to form an ITO/Cu film, using a direct current magnetron operated at room temperature and in argon gas. The ITO and ITO/Cu films were heated in vacuum, and in hydrogen gas, to study their dependence of electronic and optical properties on annealing temperature. The resistivity of the ITO film was reduced from 6.2 x 10 -4 to 2.7 x 10 -4 Ω cm, and the average optical transmittance was improved to above 90% by the annealing process. The ITO/Cu film showed a low value of resistivity of 2.8 x 10 -4 Ω cm and the transmittance was between 58 and 72%

Thermal Annealing Effect on Poly(3-hexylthiophene: Fullerene:Copper-Phthalocyanine Ternary Photoactive Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Derouiche

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We have fabricated poly(3-hexylthiophene (P3HT/copper phthalocyanine (CuPc/fullerene (C60 ternary blend films. This photoactive layer is sandwiched between an indium tin oxide (ITO/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:poly(styrene sulfonate (PEDOT/PSS photoanode and a bathocuproine (BCP/aluminium photocathode. The thin films have been characterized by atomic force microscope (AFM and ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy in order to study the influence of P3HT doping on the morphological and optical properties of the photoactive layer. We have also compared the characteristics of three different organic solar cells: ITO/PEDOT:PSS/CuPc0.5:C600.5/BCP/Al and ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT0.3:CuPc0.3:C600.4/BCP/Al with and without annealing. Both structures show good photovoltaic behaviour. Indeed, the incorporation of P3HT into CuPc:C60 thin film improves all the photovoltaic characteristics. We have also seen that thermal annealing significantly improves the optical absorption ability and stabilizes the organic solar cells making it more robust to chemical degradation.

Structural, optical and electrical properties of copper antimony sulfide thin films grown by a citrate-assisted single chemical bath deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Loranca-Ramos, F. E.; Diliegros-Godines, C. J.; Silva González, R.; Pal, Mou

2018-01-01

Copper antimony sulfide (CAS) has been proposed as low toxicity and earth abundant absorber materials for thin film photovoltaics due to their suitable optical band gap, high absorption coefficient and p-type electrical conductivity. The present work reports the formation of copper antimony sulfide by chemical bath deposition using sodium citrate as a complexing agent. We show that by tuning the annealing condition, one can obtain either chalcostibite or tetrahedrite phase. However, the main challenge was co-deposition of copper and antimony as ternary sulfides from a single chemical bath due to the distinct chemical behavior of these metals. The as-deposited films were subjected to several trials of thermal treatment using different temperatures and time to find the optimized annealing condition. The films were characterized by different techniques including Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), profilometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis spectrophotometer, and Hall Effect measurements. The results show that the formation of chalcostibite and tetrahedrite phases is highly sensitive to annealing conditions. The electrical properties obtained for the chalcostibite films varied as the annealing temperature increases from 280 to 350 °C: hole concentration (n) = 1017-1018 cm-3, resistivity (ρ) = 1.74-2.14 Ωcm and carrier mobility (μ) = 4.7-9.26 cm2/Vseg. While for the tetrahedrite films, the electrical properties were n = 5 × 1019 cm-3, μ = 18.24 cm2/Vseg, and ρ = 5.8 × 10-3 Ωcm. A possible mechanism for the formation of ternary copper antimony sulfide has also been proposed.

Pulsed Laser Annealing of Thin Films of Self-Assembled Nanocrystals

KAUST Repository

Baumgardner, William J.; Choi, Joshua J.; Bian, Kaifu; Fitting Kourkoutis, Lena; Smilgies, Detlef-M.; Thompson, Michael O.; Hanrath, Tobias

2011-01-01

We investigated how pulsed laser annealing can be applied to process thin films of colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) into interconnected nanostructures. We illustrate the relationship between incident laser fluence and changes in morphology of PbSe NC

Effect of annealing on the structural properties of electron beam deposited CIGS thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkatachalam, M. [Department of Electronics, Erode Arts College, Erode (India)], E-mail: prabhu7737@yahoo.com; Kannan, M.D.; Jayakumar, S.; Balasundaraprabhu, R. [Thin Film Center, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore (India); Muthukumarasamy, N. [Department of Physics, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore (India)

2008-08-30

CIGS bulk compound of three different compositions CuIn{sub 0.85}Ga{sub 0.15}Se{sub 2}, CuIn{sub 0.80}Ga{sub 0.20}Se{sub 2} and CuIn{sub 0.75}Ga{sub 0.25}Se{sub 2} have been prepared by direct reaction of elemental copper, indium, gallium and selenium. CIGS thin films of the three compositions have been deposited onto glass and silicon substrates using the prepared bulk by electron beam deposition method. The structural properties of the deposited films have been studied using X-ray diffraction technique. The as-deposited CIGS films have been found to be amorphous in nature. To study the effect of annealing on the structural properties, the films have been annealed in vacuum of the order of 10{sup -5} Torr. The X-ray diffractograms of the annealed CIGS films exhibited peaks revealing that the annealed films are crystalline in nature with tetragonal chalcopyrite structure. The (112) peak corresponding to the chalcopyrite structure has been observed to be the dominating peak in all the annealed films. The position of the (112) peak and other peaks in the X-ray diffraction pattern has been observed to shift to higher values of 2{theta} with the increase of gallium concentration. The lattice parameter values 'a' and 'c' have been calculated and they are found to be dependent on the concentration of gallium in the films. The FWHM in the X-ray diffraction pattern is found to decrease with an increase in annealing temperature indicating that the crystalline nature of the CIGS improves with increase in annealing temperature. The films grown on silicon substrates have been found to be of better crystalline quality than those deposited on glass substrates. The micro structural parameters like grain size, dislocation density and strain have been evaluated. The chemical constituents present in the deposited CIGS films have been identified using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The surface topographical study on the films has been performed by AFM. The

Dry air effects on the copper oxides sensitive layers formation for ethanol vapor detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labidi, A.; Bejaoui, A.; Ouali, H.; Akkari, F. Chaffar; Hajjaji, A.; Gaidi, M.; Kanzari, M.; Bessais, B.; Maaref, M.

2011-01-01

The copper oxide films have been deposited by thermal evaporation and annealed under ambient air and dry air respectively, at different temperatures. The structural characteristics of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction. They showed the presences of two hydroxy-carbonate minerals of copper for annealing temperatures below 250 deg. C. Above this temperature the conductivity measurements during the annealing process, show a transition phase from metallic copper to copper oxides. The copper oxides sensitivity toward ethanol were performed using conductivity measurements at the working temperature of 200 deg. C. A decrease of conductivity was observed under ethanol vapor, showing the p-type semi-conducting characters of obtained copper oxide films. It was found that the sensing properties of copper oxide toward ethanol depend mainly on the annealing conditions. The best responses were obtained with copper layers annealed under dry air.

Dry air effects on the copper oxides sensitive layers formation for ethanol vapor detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Labidi, A., E-mail: Ahmed_laabidi@yahoo.fr [URPSC (UR 99/13-18) Unite de Recherche de Physique des Semiconducteurs et Capteurs, IPEST, Universite de Carthage, BP 51, La Marsa 2070, Tunis (Tunisia); Bejaoui, A.; Ouali, H. [URPSC (UR 99/13-18) Unite de Recherche de Physique des Semiconducteurs et Capteurs, IPEST, Universite de Carthage, BP 51, La Marsa 2070, Tunis (Tunisia); Akkari, F. Chaffar [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique et Materiaux Semi-conducteurs, ENIT, Universite de Tunis el Manar, BP 37, Le belvedere 1002, Tunis (Tunisia); Hajjaji, A.; Gaidi, M. [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique, Centre de Recherches et de technologies de l' energie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia); Kanzari, M. [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique et Materiaux Semi-conducteurs, ENIT, Universite de Tunis el Manar, BP 37, Le belvedere 1002, Tunis (Tunisia); Bessais, B. [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique, Centre de Recherches et de technologies de l' energie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia); Maaref, M. [URPSC (UR 99/13-18) Unite de Recherche de Physique des Semiconducteurs et Capteurs, IPEST, Universite de Carthage, BP 51, La Marsa 2070, Tunis (Tunisia)

2011-09-15

The copper oxide films have been deposited by thermal evaporation and annealed under ambient air and dry air respectively, at different temperatures. The structural characteristics of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction. They showed the presences of two hydroxy-carbonate minerals of copper for annealing temperatures below 250 deg. C. Above this temperature the conductivity measurements during the annealing process, show a transition phase from metallic copper to copper oxides. The copper oxides sensitivity toward ethanol were performed using conductivity measurements at the working temperature of 200 deg. C. A decrease of conductivity was observed under ethanol vapor, showing the p-type semi-conducting characters of obtained copper oxide films. It was found that the sensing properties of copper oxide toward ethanol depend mainly on the annealing conditions. The best responses were obtained with copper layers annealed under dry air.

The measurement of conductivity of copper indium disulphide thin films against temperature and thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yussof Wahab; Roslinda Zainal; Samsudi Sakrani

1996-01-01

Ternary semiconductor copper indium disulphide (CuInS sub 2) thin films have been prepared by thermal evaporation. Three stacked layers of film starting with copper, indium and finally sulphur was deposited on glass substrate in the thickness ratio of 1: 1: I0. The films were then annealed in carbon block by method known as encapsulated sulphurization at 350 degree C for 4 hours. The XRD analysis for four samples of thickness of 449.5, 586, 612 and 654 nm showed that stoichiometric CuInS sub 2, were formed at this annealing condition. The electrical conductivity of CuInS sub 2 thin films were measured against temperature from 150K to 300K. The conductivity values were between 76.6 Sm sup -1 to 631.26 Sm sup -1 and the result showed that it increase exponentially with temperature for the above temperature range. The resulting activation energies were found to be in the range 0.05 to 0.08 eV. This suggested that hopping mechanism predominant to the conducting process. It also found that the conductivity decreased with increasing film thickness

Annealing enhancement effect by light illumination on proton irradiated Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawakita, Shirou; Imaizumi, Mitsuru; Matsuda, Sumio; Yamaguchi, Masafumi; Kushiya, Katsumi; Ohshima, Takeshi; Itoh, Hisayoshi

2002-01-01

In this paper, we investigated the high radiation tolerance of copper indium gallium di-selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells by conducting in situ measurements of short circuit current and open circuit voltage of CIGS thin-film solar cells during and after proton irradiation under short circuit condition. We found that the annealing rate of proton-induced defects in CIGS thin-film solar cells under light illumination with an AM0 solar simulator is higher than that under dark conditions. The activation energy of proton-induced defects in the CIGS thin-film solar cells with (without) light illumination is 0.80 eV (0.92 eV), which implies on enhanced defect annealing rate in CIGS thin-film solar cells due to minority-carrier injection. (author)

Synthesis of CuInSe2 thin films from electrodeposited Cu11In9 precursors by two-step annealing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TSUNG-WEI CHANG

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In this study, copper indium selenide (CIS films were synthesized from electrodeposited Cu-In-Se precursors by two-step annealing. The agglomeration phenomenon of the electrodeposited In layer usually occurred on the Cu surface. A thermal process was adopted to turn Cu-In precursors into uniform Cu11In9 binary compounds. After deposition of the Se layer, annealing was employed to form chalcopyrite CIS. However, synthesis of CIS from Cu11In9 requires sufficient thermal energy. Annealing temperature and time were investigated to grow high quality CIS film. Various electrodeposition conditions were investigated to achieve the proper atomic ratio of CIS. The properties of the CIS films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, X-ray Diffraction (XRD, and Raman spectra.

Cyclic Solvent Vapor Annealing for Rapid, Robust Vertical Orientation of Features in BCP Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Paradiso, Sean; Delaney, Kris; Fredrickson, Glenn

2015-03-01

Methods for reliably controlling block copolymer self assembly have seen much attention over the past decade as new applications for nanostructured thin films emerge in the fields of nanopatterning and lithography. While solvent assisted annealing techniques are established as flexible and simple methods for achieving long range order, solvent annealing alone exhibits a very weak thermodynamic driving force for vertically orienting domains with respect to the free surface. To address the desire for oriented features, we have investigated a cyclic solvent vapor annealing (CSVA) approach that combines the mobility benefits of solvent annealing with selective stress experienced by structures oriented parallel to the free surface as the film is repeatedly swollen with solvent and dried. Using dynamical self-consistent field theory (DSCFT) calculations, we establish the conditions under which the method significantly outperforms both static and cyclic thermal annealing and implicate the orientation selection as a consequence of the swelling/deswelling process. Our results suggest that CSVA may prove to be a potent method for the rapid formation of highly ordered, vertically oriented features in block copolymer thin films.

Synthesis and characterization of copper antimony tin sulphide thin films for solar cell applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ali, N., E-mail: nisar.ali@utm.my [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM Skudai, 81310 Johor (Malaysia); Department of Physics, Govt. Post Graduate Jehanzeb College Saidu Sharif, Swat, 19200 (Pakistan); Hussain, A. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM Skudai, 81310 Johor (Malaysia); Ahmed, R., E-mail: rashidahmed@utm.my [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM Skudai, 81310 Johor (Malaysia); Wan Shamsuri, W.N. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM Skudai, 81310 Johor (Malaysia); Fu, Y.Q., E-mail: richard.fu@northumbria.ac.uk [Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Environment, University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST (United Kingdom)

2016-12-30

Highlights: • A new and novel material for solar cell applications is demonstrated as a replacement for toxic and expansive compounds. • The materials used in this compound are abundant and low cost. • Compound exhibit unusual optical and electrical properties. • The band gap was found to be comparable with that of GaAs. - Abstract: Low price thin film modules based on Copper antimony tin sulphide (CATS) are introduced for solar harvesting to compete for the already developed compound semiconductors. Here, CATS thin films were deposited on soda lime glass by thermal evaporation technique followed by a rapid thermal annealing in an argon atmosphere. From Our XRD analysis, it was revealed that the annealed samples were poly-crystalline and their crystallinity was improved with increasing annealing temperature. The constituent elements and their corresponding chemical states were identified using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The obtained optical band gap of 1.4 eV for CATS thin film is found nearly equal to GaAs – one of the highly efficient thin film material for solar cell technology. Furthermore, our observed good optical absorbance and low transmittance for the annealed CATS thin films in the visible region of light spectrum assured the aptness of the CATS thin films for solar cell applications.

Optical scattering characteristic of annealed niobium oxide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai Fachun; Li Ming; Wang Haiqian; Hu Hailong; Wang Xiaoping; Hou, J.G.; Song Yizhou; Jiang Yousong

2005-01-01

Niobium oxide (Nb 2 O 5 ) films with thicknesses ranging from 200 to 1600 nm were deposited on fused silica at room temperature by low frequency reactive magnetron sputtering system. In order to study the optical losses resulting from the microstructures, the films with 500 nm thickness were annealed at temperatures between 600 and 1100 deg. C, and films with thicknesses from 200 to 1600 nm were annealed at 800 deg. C. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images show that the root mean square of surface roughness, the grain size, voids, microcracks, and grain boundaries increase with increasing both the annealing temperature and the thickness. Correspondingly, the optical transmittance and reflectance decrease, and the optical loss increases. The mechanisms of the optical losses are discussed. The results suggest that defects in the volume and the surface roughness should be the major source for the optical losses of the annealed films by causing pronounced scattering. For samples with a determined thickness, there is a critical annealing temperature, above which the surface scattering contributes to the major optical losses. In the experimental scope, for the films annealed at temperatures below 900 deg. C, the major optical losses resulted from volume scattering. However, surface roughness was the major source for the optical losses when the 500-nm films were annealed at temperatures above 900 deg. C

New barrierless copper-alloy film for future applications

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chon-Hsin Lin

2015-09-01

Since Cu metallization results in a conductivity and an electromigration resistance greater than those of Al, it has become popular for making Si-based interconnects for numerous devices in the field of microelectronics. Following the current trend of miniaturization required for most electronic components, there is a greater need for further size reduction in Si-based devices. The most critical side effect of size reduction is the increase in electronic scattering and resistivity when the barrier-layer thickness is further reduced. To explore advanced Cu-metallization methods and to develop a more economical manufacturing process for Cu-alloy films, the development of Cu materials having better quality and higher thermal stability becomes imperative for the metallization and annealing processes. For this purpose, we first fabricated Cu(GeNx) films and examined their thermal stability and electrical reliability after either cyclic or isothermal annealing. The excellent thermal and electrical properties make these new Cu-alloy films highly promising for applications that require more reliable and inexpensive copper interconnects. In this study, we fabricated Cu alloy films by doping a minute amount of Ge or GeNx, respectively, into the Cu films via barrierless Cu metallization, an inexpensive manufacturing method. Using these newly fabricated alloy films, we were able to eliminate or at least substantially reduce the detrimental interaction between the alloy and the barrierless Si substrate. The Cu(GeNx) films also exhibited high thermal stability, low resistivity and leakage current, and long time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) lifetimes, making such novel films a candidate for high-quality, economical, and more reliable Cu interconnects.

Self-assembled 1-octadecyl-1H-benzimidazole film on copper ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

ature for the formation of a protective film on copper have been established using impedance studies. The. OBI film ... these molecules limits their application in industry.7. Owing to strict ..... and (b) shows AFM images such as 3D-topography,.

Surface Impedance of Copper MOB Depending on the Annealing Temperature and Deformation Degree

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kutovoj, V.A.; Nikolaenko, A.A.; Stoev, P.I.; Vinogradov, D.V.

2006-01-01

Results of researches of influence of annealing temperature and deformation degree on mechanical features of copper MOB are presented. It is shown that minimal surface resistance is observed in copper samples that were subject to pre-deformation and were annealed in the range of temperatures 873...923 K

Structural and optical properties of Ag-doped copper oxide thin films on polyethylene napthalate substrate prepared by low temperature microwave annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, Sayantan; Alford, T. L. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA and School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States)

2013-06-28

Silver doped cupric oxide thin films are prepared on polyethylene naphthalate (flexible polymer) substrates. Thin films Ag-doped CuO are deposited on the substrate by co-sputtering followed by microwave assisted oxidation of the metal films. The low temperature tolerance of the polymer substrates led to the search for innovative low temperature processing techniques. Cupric oxide is a p-type semiconductor with an indirect band gap and is used as selective absorption layer solar cells. X-ray diffraction identifies the CuO phases. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry measurements confirm the stoichiometry of each copper oxide formed. The surface morphology is determined by atomic force microscopy. The microstructural properties such as crystallite size and the microstrain for (-111) and (111) planes are calculated and discussed. Incorporation of Ag led to the lowering of band gap in CuO. Consequently, it is determined that Ag addition has a strong effect on the structural, morphological, surface, and optical properties of CuO grown on flexible substrates by microwave annealing. Tauc's plot is used to determine the optical band gap of CuO and Ag doped CuO films. The values of the indirect and direct band gap for CuO are found to be 2.02 eV and 3.19 eV, respectively.

In situ annealing of hydroxyapatite thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, Shevon; Haluska, Michael; Narayan, Roger J.; Snyder, Robert L.

2006-01-01

Hydroxyapatite is a bioactive ceramic that mimics the mineral composition of natural bone. Unfortunately, problems with adhesion, poor mechanical integrity, and incomplete bone ingrowth limit the use of many conventional hydroxyapatite surfaces. In this work, we have developed a novel technique to produce crystalline hydroxyapatite thin films involving pulsed laser deposition and postdeposition annealing. Hydroxyapatite films were deposited on Ti-6Al-4V alloy and Si (100) using pulsed laser deposition, and annealed within a high temperature X-ray diffraction system. The transformation from amorphous to crystalline hydroxyapatite was observed at 340 deg. C. Mechanical and adhesive properties were examined using nanoindentation and scratch adhesion testing, respectively. Nanohardness and Young's modulus values of 3.48 and 91.24 GPa were realized in unannealed hydroxyapatite films. Unannealed and 350 deg. C annealed hydroxyapatite films exhibited excellent adhesion to Ti-6Al-4V alloy substrates. We anticipate that the adhesion and biological properties of crystalline hydroxyapatite thin films may be enhanced by further consideration of deposition and annealing parameters

Crystallinity and mechanical effects from annealing Parylene thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, Nathan, E-mail: Nathan.Jackson@tyndall.ie [Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork (Ireland); Stam, Frank; O' Brien, Joe [Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork (Ireland); Kailas, Lekshmi [University of Limerick, Limerick (Ireland); Mathewson, Alan; O' Murchu, Cian [Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork (Ireland)

2016-03-31

Parylene is commonly used as thin film polymer for MEMS devices and smart materials. This paper investigates the impact on bulk properties due to annealing various types of Parylene films. A thin film of Parylene N, C and a hybrid material consisting of Parylene N and C were deposited using a standard Gorham process. The thin film samples were annealed at varying temperatures from room temperature up to 300 °C. The films were analyzed to determine the mechanical and crystallinity effects due to different annealing temperatures. The results demonstrate that the percentage of crystallinity and the full-width-half-maximum value on the 2θ X-ray diffraction scan increases as the annealing temperature increases until the melting temperature of the Parylene films was achieved. Highly crystalline films of 85% and 92% crystallinity were achieved for Parylene C and N respectively. Investigation of the hybrid film showed that the individual Parylene films behave independently to each other, and the crystallinity of one film had no significant impact to the other film. Mechanical testing showed that the elastic modulus and yield strength increase as a function of annealing, whereas the elongation-to-break parameter decreases. The change in elastic modulus was more significant for Parylene C than Parylene N and this is attributed to the larger change in crystallinity that was observed. Parylene C had a 112% increase in crystallinity compared to a 61% increase for Parylene N, because the original Parylene N material was more crystalline than Parylene C so the change of crystallinity was greater for Parylene C. - Highlights: • A hybrid material consisting of Parylene N and C was developed. • Parylene N has greater crystallinity than Parylene C. • Phase transition of Parylene N due to annealing results in increased crystallinity. • Annealing caused increased crystallinity and elastic modulus in Parylene films. • Annealed hybrid Parylene films crystallinity behave

Thin copper oxide films prepared by ion beam sputtering with subsequent thermal oxidation: Application in chemiresistors

Science.gov (United States)

Horak, P.; Bejsovec, V.; Vacik, J.; Lavrentiev, V.; Vrnata, M.; Kormunda, M.; Danis, S.

2016-12-01

Copper oxide films were prepared by thermal oxidation of thin Cu films deposited on substrates by ion beam sputtering. The subsequent oxidation was achieved in the temperature range of 200 °C-600 °C with time of treatment from 1 to 7 h (with a 1-h step) in a furnace open to air. At temperatures 250 °C-600 °C, the dominant phase formed was CuO, while at 200 °C mainly the Cu2O phase was identified. However, the oxidation at 200 °C led to a more complicated composition - in the depth Cu2O phase was observed, though in the near-surface layer the CuO dominant phase was found with a significant presence of Cu(OH)2. A limited amount of Cu2O was also found in samples annealed at 600 °C. The sheet resistance RS of the as-deposited Cu sample was 2.22 Ω/□, after gradual annealing RS was measured in the range 2.64 MΩ/□-2.45 GΩ/□. The highest RS values were obtained after annealing at 300 °C and 350 °C, respectively. Oxygen depth distribution was studied using the 16O(α,α) nuclear reaction with the resonance at energy 3032 keV. It was confirmed that the higher oxidation degree of copper is located in the near-surface region. Preliminary tests of the copper oxide films as an active layer of a chemiresistor were also performed. Hydrogen and methanol vapours, with a concentration of 1000 ppm, were detected by the sensor at an operating temperature of 300 °C and 350 °C, respectively. The response of the sensors, pointed at the p-type conductivity, was improved by the addition of thin Pd or Au catalytic films to the oxidic film surface. Pd-covered films showed an increased response to hydrogen at 300 °C, while Au-covered films were more sensitive to methanol vapours at 350 °C.

Effects of solvent evaporation conditions on solvent vapor annealed cylinder-forming block polymer thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Meagan; Jakubowski, William; Nelson, Gunnar; Drapes, Chloe; Baruth, A.

Solvent vapor annealing is a less time and energy intensive method compared to thermal annealing, to direct the self-assembly of block polymer thin films. Periodic nanostructures have applications in ultrafiltration, magnetic arrays, or other structures with nanometer dimensions, driving its continued interest. Our goal is to create thin films with hexagonally packed, perpendicular aligned cylinders of poly(lactide) in a poly(styrene) matrix that span the thickness of the film with low anneal times and low defect densities, all with high reproducibility, where the latter is paramount. Through the use of our computer-controlled, pneumatically-actuated, purpose-built solvent vapor annealing chamber, we have the ability to monitor and control vapor pressure, solvent concentration within the film, and solvent evaporation rate with unprecedented precision and reliability. Focusing on evaporation, we report on two previously unexplored areas, chamber pressure during solvent evaporation and the flow rate of purging gas aiding the evaporation. We will report our exhaustive results following atomic force microscopy analysis of films exposed to a wide range of pressures and flow rates. Reliably achieving well-ordered films, while occurring within a large section of this parameter space, was correlated with high-flow evaporation rates and low chamber pressures. These results have significant implications on other methods of solvent annealing, including ``jar'' techniques.

Thin copper oxide films prepared by ion beam sputtering with subsequent thermal oxidation: Application in chemiresistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horak, P., E-mail: phorak@ujf.cas.cz [Nuclear Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 250 68 Řež (Czech Republic); Bejsovec, V.; Vacik, J.; Lavrentiev, V. [Nuclear Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 250 68 Řež (Czech Republic); Vrnata, M. [Department of Physics and Measurements, The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Kormunda, M. [Department of Physics, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, České mládeže 8, 400 96 Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic); Danis, S. [Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Ke Karlovu 5, 121 16 Prague 2 (Czech Republic)

2016-12-15

Highlights: • A rapid oxidation process of thin copper films. • Sheet resistance up to 10{sup 9} Ω/◊. • Mixed oxide phase at 200 °C with significant hydroxide presence. • Gas sensing response to 1000 ppm of hydrogen and methanol vapours. • Increased sensitivity with Pd and Au catalyst to hydrogen and methanol, respectively. - Abstract: Copper oxide films were prepared by thermal oxidation of thin Cu films deposited on substrates by ion beam sputtering. The subsequent oxidation was achieved in the temperature range of 200 °C–600 °C with time of treatment from 1 to 7 h (with a 1-h step) in a furnace open to air. At temperatures 250 °C–600 °C, the dominant phase formed was CuO, while at 200 °C mainly the Cu{sub 2}O phase was identified. However, the oxidation at 200 °C led to a more complicated composition − in the depth Cu{sub 2}O phase was observed, though in the near-surface layer the CuO dominant phase was found with a significant presence of Cu(OH){sub 2}. A limited amount of Cu{sub 2}O was also found in samples annealed at 600 °C. The sheet resistance R{sub S} of the as-deposited Cu sample was 2.22 Ω/□, after gradual annealing R{sub S} was measured in the range 2.64 MΩ/□–2.45 GΩ/□. The highest R{sub S} values were obtained after annealing at 300 °C and 350 °C, respectively. Oxygen depth distribution was studied using the {sup 16}O(α,α) nuclear reaction with the resonance at energy 3032 keV. It was confirmed that the higher oxidation degree of copper is located in the near-surface region. Preliminary tests of the copper oxide films as an active layer of a chemiresistor were also performed. Hydrogen and methanol vapours, with a concentration of 1000 ppm, were detected by the sensor at an operating temperature of 300 °C and 350 °C, respectively. The response of the sensors, pointed at the p-type conductivity, was improved by the addition of thin Pd or Au catalytic films to the oxidic film surface. Pd-covered films showed

Rapid thermal annealing of FePt and FePt/Cu thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brombacher, Christoph

2011-01-10

Chemically ordered FePt is one of the most promising materials to reach the ultimate limitations in storage density of future magnetic recording devices due to its high uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy and a corrosion resistance superior to rare-earth based magnets. In this study, FePt and FePt/Cu bilayers have been sputter deposited at room temperature onto thermally oxidized silicon wafers, glass substrates and self-assembled arrays of spherical SiO{sub 2} particles with diameters down to 10 nm. Millisecond flash lamp annealing, as well as conventional rapid thermal annealing was employed to induce the phase transformation from the chemically disordered A1 phase into the chemically ordered L1{sub 0} phase. The influence of the annealing temperature, annealing time and the film thickness on the ordering transformation and (001) texture evolution of FePt films with near equiatomic composition was studied. Whereas flash lamp annealed FePt films exhibit a polycrystalline morphology with high chemical L1{sub 0} order, rapid thermal annealing can lead to the formation of chemically ordered FePt films with (001) texture on amorphous SiO{sub 2}/Si substrates. The resultant high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and large coercivities up to 40 kOe are demonstrated. Simultaneously to the ordering transformation, rapid thermal annealing to temperatures exceeding 600 C leads to a break up of the continuous FePt film into separated islands. This dewetting behavior was utilized to create regular arrays of FePt nanostructures on SiO{sub 2} particle templates with periods down to 50 nm. The addition of Cu improves the (001) texture formation and chemical ordering for annealing temperatures T{sub a} {<=}600 C. In addition, the magnetic anisotropy and the coercivity of the ternary FePtCu alloy can be effectively tailored by adjusting the Cu content. The prospects of FePtCu based exchange spring media, as well as the magnetic properties of FePtCu nanostructures fabricated

The influence of annealing atmosphere on the material properties of sol-gel derived SnO2:Sb films before and after annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeng, Jiann-Shing

2012-01-01

SnO 2 films with and without Sb doping were prepared by the sol-gel spin-coating method. Material properties of the SnO 2 films with different Sb contents were investigated before and after annealing under O 2 or N 2 . When SnO 2 films are annealed under N 2 or O 2 , the resistivity decreases with increasing annealing temperature, which may be related to the increased crystallinity and reduced film defects. The intensity of SnO 2 peaks for both O 2 - and N 2 -annealed films increases as the annealing temperature increases. Small nodules are revealed on the surface of SnO 2 films after annealing in N 2 or O 2 atmospheres, and some voids are present on the surface of N 2 -annealed SnO 2 films. After doping with Sb, the resistivity of SnO 2 films after annealing in O 2 is greater than that of N 2 -annealed SnO 2 films. The surface morphology of SnO 2 films incorporating different molar ratios of Sb after annealing are similar to that of as-spun SnO 2 films with adding Sb. There were no voids found on the surfaces of N 2 -annealed SnO 2 :Sb films. In addition, the peak intensity of SnO 2 :Sb films after O 2 -annealing is higher than those films after N 2 -annealing. The chemical binding states and Hall mobility of the high-temperature annealed SnO 2 films without and with adding Sb are also related to the annealing atmospheres. This study discusses the connection among the material properties of the SnO 2 films with different Sb contents and how these properties are influenced by the Sb-doping concentration and the annealing atmospheres of SnO 2 films.

Evolution of subsurface nanocavities in copper under argon bombardment and annealing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kulikov, D.V.; Kurnosikov, O.; Kharlamov, V.S.; Trushin, Yu.V.

2013-01-01

The experimental and theoretical studies of evolution of nanocavities in argon-irradiated copper under annealing are presented. The subsurface argon-filled nanocavities are formed during a short annealing at a temperature around 1000 K by migration and interaction of complexes of the simplest

Post-annealing effects on pulsed laser deposition-grown GaN thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Yu-Wen; Wu, Hao-Yu; Lin, Yu-Zhong; Lee, Cheng-Che; Lin, Ching-Fuh

2015-01-01

In this work, the post-annealing effects on gallium nitride (GaN) thin films grown from pulsed laser deposition (PLD) are investigated. The as-deposited GaN thin films grown from PLD are annealed at different temperatures in nitrogen ambient. Significant changes of the GaN crystal properties are observed. Raman spectroscopy is used to observe the crystallinity, the change of residual stress, and the thermal decomposition of the annealed GaN thin films. X-ray diffraction is also applied to identify the crystal phase of GaN thin films, and the surface morphology of GaN thin films annealed at different temperatures is observed by scanning electron microscopy. Through the above analyses, the GaN thin films grown by PLD undergo three stages: phase transition, stress alteration, and thermal decomposition. At a low annealing temperature, the rock salt GaN in GaN films is transformed into wurtzite. The rock salt GaN diminishes with increasing annealing temperature. At a medium annealing temperature, the residual stress of the film changes significantly from compressive strain to tensile strain. As the annealing temperature further increases, the GaN undergoes thermal decomposition and the surface becomes granular. By investigating the annealing temperature effects and controlling the optimized annealing temperature of the GaN thin films, we are able to obtain highly crystalline and strain-free GaN thin films by PLD. - Highlights: • The GaN thin film is grown on sapphire by pulsed laser deposition. • The GaN film undergoes three stages with increasing annealing temperature. • In the first stage, the film transfers from rock salt to wurtzite phase. • In the second stage, the stress in film changes from compressive to tensile. • In the final stage, the film thermally decomposes and becomes granular

Chemical Annealing of Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrin Films: Effects on Film Morphology and Organic Photovoltaic Performance

KAUST Repository

Trinh, Cong

2012-07-10

We present a chemical annealing process for organic thin films. In this process, a thin film of a molecular material, such as zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP), is exposed to a vapor of nitrogen-based ligand (e.g., pyrazine, pz, and triazine, tz), forming a film composed of the metal-ligand complex. Fast and quantitative formation of the complex leads to marked changes in the morphology and optical properties of the film. X-ray diffraction studies show that the chemical annealing process converts amorphous ZnTPP films to crystalline ZnTPP•ligand films, whose porphryin planes lie nearly parallel to the substrate (average deviation is 8° for the ZnTPP•pz film). Organic solar cells were prepared with ZnTPP donor and C 60 acceptor layers. Devices were prepared with and without chemical annealing of the ZnTPP layer with a pyrazine ligand. The devices with chemically annealed ZnTPP donor layer show an increase in short-circuit current (J SC) and fill factor (FF) relative to analogous unannealed devices, presumably because of enhanced exciton diffusion length and improved charge conductivity. The open circuit voltages (V OC) of the chemically annealed devices are lower than their unannealed counterpart because of enhanced polaron pair recombination at the donor/acceptor heterojunction. A net improvement of 5-20% in efficiency has been achieved, after chemical annealing of ZnTPP films with pyrazine. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Effects of annealing on evaporated SnS thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samsudi Sakrani; Bakar Ismail

1994-01-01

The effects of annealing of evaporated tin sulphide thin films (SnS) are described. The films were initially deposited onto glass substrate, followed by annealing in an encapsulated carbon block under the running argon gas at 310 degree Celsius. Short time annealing of the films results in a slight change of the compositions to a mix SnS/SnS sub 2 compound, and the tendency of increasing SnS sub 2 formation was observed on the films annealed for longer periods up to 20 hours. X-ray results showed the transformation of SnS peaks (040) and (080) to predominantly SnS sub 2 peaks - (001), (100), (101), and (110). The associated absorption coefficients measured on the films were found to be greater than 10 sup 5 cm sup -1, with indication of higher photon energy leading to the formation of SnS sub 2 compound

Effects of annealing on evaporated SnS thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakrani, Samsudi; Ismail, Bakar [Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor Bahru (Malaysia). Dept. of Physics

1994-12-31

The effects of annealing of evaporated tin sulphide thin films (SnS) are described. The films were initially deposited onto glass substrate, followed by annealing in an encapsulated carbon block under the running argon gas at 310 degree Celsius. Short time annealing of the films results in a slight change of the compositions to a mix SnS/SnS sub 2 compound, and the tendency of increasing SnS sub 2 formation was observed on the films annealed for longer periods up to 20 hours. X-ray results showed the transformation of SnS peaks (040) and (080) to predominantly SnS sub 2 peaks - (001), (100), (101), and (110). The associated absorption coefficients measured on the films were found to be greater than 10 sup 5 cm sup -1, with indication of higher photon energy leading to the formation of SnS sub 2 compound.

Effects of different annealing atmospheres on the properties of cadmium sulfide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yücel, E., E-mail: dr.ersinyucel@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Mustafa Kemal University, 31034 Hatay (Turkey); Kahraman, S. [Department of Metallurgy and Material Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Mustafa Kemal University, 31034 Hatay (Turkey); Güder, H.S. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Mustafa Kemal University, 31034 Hatay (Turkey)

2015-08-15

Graphical abstract: The effects of different annealing atmospheres (air and sulfur) on the structural, morphological and optical properties of CdS thin films were studied at three different pH values. - Highlights: • Compactness and smoothness of the films were enhanced after sulfur annealing. • Micro-strain values of some films were improved after sulfur annealing. • Dislocation density values of some films were improved after sulfur annealing. • Band gap values of the films were improved after sulfur annealing. - Abstract: Cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films were prepared on glass substrates by using chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique. The effects of different annealing atmospheres (air and sulfur) on the structural, morphological and optical properties of CdS thin films were studied at three different pH values. Compactness and smoothness of the films (especially for pH 10.5 and 11) enhanced after sulfur annealing. pH value of the precursor solution remarkably affected the roughness, uniformity and particle sizes of the films. Based on the analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the films, micro-strain and dislocation density values of the sulfur-annealed films (pH 10.5 and 11) were found to be lower than those of air-annealed films. Air-annealed films (pH 10.5, 11 and 11.5) exhibited higher transmittance than sulfur-annealed films in the wavelength region of 550–800 nm. Optical band gap values of the films were found between 2.31 eV and 2.36 eV.

Enhanced Self-Biased Magnetoelectric Coupling in Laser-Annealed Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 Thick Film Deposited on Ni Foil.

Science.gov (United States)

Palneedi, Haribabu; Maurya, Deepam; Geng, Liwei D; Song, Hyun-Cheol; Hwang, Geon-Tae; Peddigari, Mahesh; Annapureddy, Venkateswarlu; Song, Kyung; Oh, Yoon Seok; Yang, Su-Chul; Wang, Yu U; Priya, Shashank; Ryu, Jungho

2018-04-04

Enhanced and self-biased magnetoelectric (ME) coupling is demonstrated in a laminate heterostructure comprising 4 μm-thick Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) film deposited on 50 μm-thick flexible nickel (Ni) foil. A unique fabrication approach, combining room temperature deposition of PZT film by granule spray in vacuum (GSV) process and localized thermal treatment of the film by laser radiation, is utilized. This approach addresses the challenges in integrating ceramic films on metal substrates, which is often limited by the interfacial chemical reactions occurring at high processing temperatures. Laser-induced crystallinity improvement in the PZT thick film led to enhanced dielectric, ferroelectric, and magnetoelectric properties of the PZT/Ni composite. A high self-biased ME response on the order of 3.15 V/cm·Oe was obtained from the laser-annealed PZT/Ni film heterostructure. This value corresponds to a ∼2000% increment from the ME response (0.16 V/cm·Oe) measured from the as-deposited PZT/Ni sample. This result is also one of the highest reported values among similar ME composite systems. The tunability of self-biased ME coupling in PZT/Ni composite has been found to be related to the demagnetization field in Ni, strain mismatch between PZT and Ni, and flexural moment of the laminate structure. The phase-field model provides quantitative insight into these factors and illustrates their contributions toward the observed self-biased ME response. The results present a viable pathway toward designing and integrating ME components for a new generation of miniaturized tunable electronic devices.

Enhanced dielectric and electrical properties of annealed PVDF thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Arshad, A. N.; Rozana, M. D.; Wahid, M. H. M.; Mahmood, M. K. A.; Sarip, M. N.; Habibah, Z.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Poly (vinylideneflouride) (PVDF) thin films were annealed at various annealing temperatures ranging from 70°C to 170°C. This study demonstrates that PVDF thin films annealed at temperature of 70°C (AN70) showed significant enhancement in their dielectric constant (14) at frequency of 1 kHz in comparison to un-annealed PVDF (UN-PVDF), dielectric constant (10) at the same measured frequency. As the annealing temperature was increased from 90°C (AN90) to 150°C (AN150), the dielectric constant value of PVDF thin films was observed to decrease gradually to 11. AN70 also revealed low tangent loss (tan δ) value at similar frequency. With respect to its resistivity properties, the values were found to increase from 1.98×104 Ω.cm to 3.24×104 Ω.cm for AN70 and UN-PVDF films respectively. The improved in dielectric constant, with low tangent loss and high resistivity value suggests that 70°C is the favorable annealing temperature for PVDF thin films. Hence, AN70 is a promising film to be utilized for application in electronic devices such as low frequency capacitor.

On crystallization of bisphenol-A polycarbonate thin films upon annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Chunhong; Li, Qichao; Mao, Wenfeng; Wang, Peng; He, Chunqing, E-mail: hecq@whu.edu.cn

2015-10-16

Crystallization of polycarbonate (PC) films as a function of annealing time has been investigated by various methods. A distinct diffraction peak at 17.56°, a sharp decrease of film thickness, an increase of refractive index and branch-type structures on the surface are found merely for the film after crystallization. Interestingly, positron annihilation parameters demonstrate fractional free-volumes in PC films vary significantly not only before crystallization but also at the early stage of annealing, which are not found by other methods. The results show that free-volumes in PC film must be increased remarkably before crystallization, which enables the occurrence of molecule rearrangement. - Highlights: • Fractional free-volume in PC film decreased of early stage of annealing. • Crystallization of PC film on Si substrate occurred after annealed for ∼48 hours. • Fractional free-volume in PC film increased remarkably before crystallization. • Positron diffusion length and S parameter revealed the variation of free volumes.

On crystallization of bisphenol-A polycarbonate thin films upon annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chunhong; Li, Qichao; Mao, Wenfeng; Wang, Peng; He, Chunqing

2015-01-01

Crystallization of polycarbonate (PC) films as a function of annealing time has been investigated by various methods. A distinct diffraction peak at 17.56°, a sharp decrease of film thickness, an increase of refractive index and branch-type structures on the surface are found merely for the film after crystallization. Interestingly, positron annihilation parameters demonstrate fractional free-volumes in PC films vary significantly not only before crystallization but also at the early stage of annealing, which are not found by other methods. The results show that free-volumes in PC film must be increased remarkably before crystallization, which enables the occurrence of molecule rearrangement. - Highlights: • Fractional free-volume in PC film decreased of early stage of annealing. • Crystallization of PC film on Si substrate occurred after annealed for ∼48 hours. • Fractional free-volume in PC film increased remarkably before crystallization. • Positron diffusion length and S parameter revealed the variation of free volumes

Nano-crystallization in ZnO-doped In_2O_3 thin films via excimer laser annealing for thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Mami N.; Ishikawa, Yasuaki; Bermundo, Juan Paolo Soria; Uraoka, Yukiharu; Ishihara, Ryoichi; Cingel, Johan van der; Mofrad, Mohammad R. T.; Kawashima, Emi; Tomai, Shigekazu; Yano, Koki

2016-01-01

In a previous work, we reported the high field effect mobility of ZnO-doped In_2O_3 (IZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) irradiated by excimer laser annealing (ELA) [M. Fujii et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 122107 (2013)]. However, a deeper understanding of the effect of ELA on the IZO film characteristics based on crystallinity, carrier concentrations, and optical properties is needed to control localized carrier concentrations for fabricating self-aligned structures in the same oxide film and to adequately explain the physical characteristics. In the case of as-deposited IZO film used as the channel, a high carrier concentration due to a high density of oxygen vacancies was observed; such a film does not show the required TFT characteristics but can act as a conductive film. We achieved a decrease in the carrier concentration of IZO films by crystallization using ELA. This means that ELA can form localized conductive or semi-conductive areas on the IZO film. We confirmed that the reason for the carrier concentration decrease was the decrease of oxygen-deficient regions and film crystallization. The annealed IZO films showed nano-crystalline phase, and the temperature at the substrate was substantially less than the temperature limit for flexible films such as plastic, which is 50°C. This paves the way for the formation of self-aligned structures and separately formed conductive and semi-conductive regions in the same oxide film.

Surface films and corrosion of copper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hilden, J.; Laitinen, T.; Maekelae, K.; Saario, T.; Bojinov, M.

1999-03-01

In Sweden and Finland the spent nuclear fuel is planned to be encapsulated in cast iron canisters that have an outer shield made of copper. The copper shield is responsible for the corrosion protection of the canister construction. General corrosion of the copper is not expected to be the limiting factor in the waste repository environment when estimating the life-time of the canister construction. However, different forms of localised corrosion, i.e. pitting, stress corrosion cracking, or environmentally assisted creep fracture may cause premature failure of the copper shield. Of the probable constituents in the groundwater, nitrites, chlorides, sulphides and carbonates have been suggested to promote localised corrosion of copper. The main assumption made in planning this research program is that the surface films forming on copper in the repository environment largely determine the susceptibility of copper to the different forms of localised corrosion. The availability of reactants, which also may become corrosion rate limiting, is investigated in several other research programs. This research program consists of a set of successive projects targeted at characterising the properties of surface films on copper in repository environment containing different detrimental anions. A further aim was to assess the significance of the anion-induced changes in the stability of the oxide films with regard to localised corrosion of copper. This report summarises the results from a series of investigations on properties of surface films forming on copper in water of pH = 8.9 at temperature of 80 deg C and pressure of 2 MPa. The main results gained so far in this research program are as follows: The surface films forming on copper in the thermodynamic stability region of monovalent copper at 80 deg C consist of a bulk part (about 1 mm thick) which is a good ionic and electronic conductor, and an outer, interfacial layer (0.001 - 0.005 mm thick) which shows p-type semiconductor

Preparation of CuGaSe2 absorber layers for thin film solar cells by annealing of efficiently electrodeposited Cu-Ga precursor layers from ionic liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steichen, M.; Larsen, J.; Guetay, L.; Siebentritt, S.; Dale, P.J.

2011-01-01

CuGaSe 2 absorber layers were prepared on molybdenum substrates by electrochemical codeposition of copper and gallium and subsequential annealing in selenium vapour. The electrodeposition was made from a deep eutectic based ionic liquid consisting of choline chloride/urea (Reline) with a plating efficiency of over 85%. The precursor film composition is controlled by the ratio of the copper to gallium fluxes under hydrodynamic conditions and by the applied deposition potential. X-ray diffraction reveals CuGa 2 alloying during the electrodeposition and CuGaSe 2 formation after annealing. Photoluminescence (PL) and photocurrent spectroscopy revealed the good opto-electronic properties of the CuGaSe 2 absorber films. The absorber layers have been converted to full devices with the best device achieving 4.0 % solar conversion efficiency.

Effects of structural modification via high-pressure annealing on solution-processed InGaO films and thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rim, You Seung; Choi, Hyung-Wook; Kim, Kyung Hwan; Kim, Hyun Jae

2016-01-01

We investigated the structural modification of solution-processed nanocrystalline InGaO films via high-pressure annealing and fabricated thin-film transistors. The grain size of InGaO films annealed in the presence of oxygen under high pressure was significantly changed compared the films annealed without high pressure ambient. The O1s XPS peak distribution of InGaO films annealed under high pressure at 350 °C showed a peak similar to that of the non-pressure annealed film at 500 °C. The high-pressure annealing process promoted the elimination of organic residues and dehydroxylation of the metal hydroxide (M–OH) complex. We confirmed the improved device performance of high-pressure annealed InGaO-based thin-film transistors owing to the reduction in charge-trap density. (paper)

Solution-processed copper-nickel nanowire anodes for organic solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Ian E.; Rathmell, Aaron R.; Yan, Liang; Ye, Shengrong; Flowers, Patrick F.; You, Wei; Wiley, Benjamin J.

2014-05-01

This work describes a process to make anodes for organic solar cells from copper-nickel nanowires with solution-phase processing. Copper nanowire films were coated from solution onto glass and made conductive by dipping them in acetic acid. Acetic acid removes the passivating oxide from the surface of copper nanowires, thereby reducing the contact resistance between nanowires to nearly the same extent as hydrogen annealing. Films of copper nanowires were made as oxidation resistant as silver nanowires under dry and humid conditions by dipping them in an electroless nickel plating solution. Organic solar cells utilizing these completely solution-processed copper-nickel nanowire films exhibited efficiencies of 4.9%.This work describes a process to make anodes for organic solar cells from copper-nickel nanowires with solution-phase processing. Copper nanowire films were coated from solution onto glass and made conductive by dipping them in acetic acid. Acetic acid removes the passivating oxide from the surface of copper nanowires, thereby reducing the contact resistance between nanowires to nearly the same extent as hydrogen annealing. Films of copper nanowires were made as oxidation resistant as silver nanowires under dry and humid conditions by dipping them in an electroless nickel plating solution. Organic solar cells utilizing these completely solution-processed copper-nickel nanowire films exhibited efficiencies of 4.9%. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr01024h

Annealing assisted structural and surface morphological changes in Langmuir–Blodgett films of nickel octabutoxy phthalocyanine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shilpa Harish, T.; Viswanath, P., E-mail: viswanath@cnsms.res.in

2016-01-01

We report our studies on thin films of metallo-phthalocyanine (MPc), Nickel(II)1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octabutoxy-29H,31H-phthalocyanine (NiPc(OBu){sub 8}) transferred in a well defined thermodynamic state over a self assembled monolayer (octadecyl trichlorosilane)/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate using the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) method. The films are characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. DSC studies on powdered samples in the bulk indicate enantiotropic solid–solid phase transition. GIXD studies on the as-deposited LB film show a Bragg peak indicating crystallinity of the thin film. Annealing (373 K) results in reduction of lattice spacing (1.21 Å) signifying changes in molecular packing within the unit cell. At this stage, an additional Bragg peak is observed which grows at the expense of the former one and they coexist between 373 K and 423 K. A discontinuity in lattice spacing from 20.73 to 15.12 Å with annealing indicates clearly a structural change of the underlying crystalline lattice. Correspondingly, the surface morphology images obtained using AFM show, with annealing, a transformation from spherical granular morphology to elongated, flat crystallites suggesting asymmetric growth process. Statistical parameters of the grain extracted from the AFM images show that the size, fractal dimension and circularity are affected by annealing. Based on these studies, we infer the structural and surface morphological changes of the meta-stable phase (Form I) to the stable phase (Form II) in annealed LB films of phthalocyanine. - Highlights: • Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films of phthalocyanine subjected to thermal annealing. • Structural transformation and coexistence of polymorphs in LB films • Surface morphology changes from nanoscale grains to elongated crystallites. • Reduction of fractal dimension and circularity index reveals asymmetric growth.

Synthesizing photovoltaic thin films of high quality copper-zinc-tin alloy with at least one chalcogen species

Science.gov (United States)

Teeter, Glenn; Du, Hui; Young, Matthew

2013-08-06

A method for synthesizing a thin film of copper, zinc, tin, and a chalcogen species ("CZTCh" or "CZTSS") with well-controlled properties. The method includes depositing a thin film of precursor materials, e.g., approximately stoichiometric amounts of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), and a chalcogen species (Ch). The method then involves re-crystallizing and grain growth at higher temperatures, e.g., between about 725 and 925 degrees K, and annealing the precursor film at relatively lower temperatures, e.g., between 600 and 650 degrees K. The processing of the precursor film takes place in the presence of a quasi-equilibrium vapor, e.g., Sn and chalcogen species. The quasi-equilibrium vapor is used to maintain the precursor film in a quasi-equilibrium condition to reduce and even prevent decomposition of the CZTCh and is provided at a rate to balance desorption fluxes of Sn and chalcogens.

Solvent annealing induced phase separation and dewetting in PMMA∕SAN blend film: film thickness and solvent dependence.

Science.gov (United States)

You, Jichun; Zhang, Shuangshuang; Huang, Gang; Shi, Tongfei; Li, Yongjin

2013-06-28

The competition between "dewetting" and "phase separation" behaviors in polymer blend films attracts significant attention in the last decade. The simultaneous phase separation and dewetting in PMMA∕SAN [poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(styrene-ran-acrylonitrile)] blend ultrathin films upon solvent annealing have been observed for the first time in our previous work. In this work, film thickness and annealing solvent dependence of phase behaviors in this system has been investigated using atomic force microscopy and grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). On one hand, both vertical phase separation and dewetting take place upon selective solvent vapor annealing, leading to the formation of droplet∕mimic-film structures with various sizes (depending on original film thickness). On the other hand, the whole blend film dewets the substrate and produces dispersed droplets on the silicon oxide upon common solvent annealing. GISAXS results demonstrate the phase separation in the big dewetted droplets resulted from the thicker film (39.8 nm). In contrast, no period structure is detected in small droplets from the thinner film (5.1 nm and 9.7 nm). This investigation indicates that dewetting and phase separation in PMMA∕SAN blend film upon solvent annealing depend crucially on the film thickness and the atmosphere during annealing.

Annealing effects on the photoresponse properties of CdSe nanocrystal thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lou Shiyun; Zhou Changhua; Wang Hongzhe; Shen Huaibin; Cheng Gang; Du Zuliang; Zhou, Shaomin; Li Linsong

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The as-prepared CdSe nanocrystal films were treated at 500 deg. C for 3 h under continuous N 2 . → Annealing process removed the organic capping completely and eliminated oxide on the CdSe surface. → Thermal annealing resulted the increase of the crystallite sizes and necking the NCs. → The photoresponse speed of the CdSe nanocrystal films was improved. - Abstract: The photoresponse properties of the as-prepared and annealed close-packed CdSe nanocrystal (NC) films were investigated under laser illumination by Kelvin probe force microscopy. The annealing process improved the photoresponse speed of the CdSe NC films. The work function of the annealed CdSe NC films changed more rapidly than that of the non-annealed film in air at room temperature. Combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements and thermogravimetric analysis, the observed phenomena can be interpreted that annealing process removed the organic capping agents completely and eliminated oxide on the CdSe surface, which formed the tunnel barrier between NCs in the CdSe NC films. Consequently, it improved the separation rate of photoelectric charges and thus provided high speed photoresponse.

Deconvoluting the mechanism of microwave annealing of block copolymer thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Cong; Murphy, Jeffrey N; Harris, Kenneth D; Buriak, Jillian M

2014-04-22

The self-assembly of block copolymer (BCP) thin films is a versatile method for producing periodic nanoscale patterns with a variety of shapes. The key to attaining a desired pattern or structure is the annealing step undertaken to facilitate the reorganization of nanoscale phase-segregated domains of the BCP on a surface. Annealing BCPs on silicon substrates using a microwave oven has been shown to be very fast (seconds to minutes), both with and without contributions from solvent vapor. The mechanism of the microwave annealing process remains, however, unclear. This work endeavors to uncover the key steps that take place during microwave annealing, which enable the self-assembly process to proceed. Through the use of in situ temperature monitoring with a fiber optic temperature probe in direct contact with the sample, we have demonstrated that the silicon substrate on which the BCP film is cast is the dominant source of heating if the doping of the silicon wafer is sufficiently low. Surface temperatures as high as 240 °C are reached in under 1 min for lightly doped, high resistivity silicon wafers (n- or p-type). The influence of doping, sample size, and BCP composition was analyzed to rule out other possible mechanisms. In situ temperature monitoring of various polymer samples (PS, P2VP, PMMA, and the BCPs used here) showed that the polymers do not heat to any significant extent on their own with microwave irradiation of this frequency (2.45 GHz) and power (∼600 W). It was demonstrated that BCP annealing can be effectively carried out in 60 s on non-microwave-responsive substrates, such as highly doped silicon, indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass, glass, and Kapton, by placing a piece of high resistivity silicon wafer in contact with the sample-in this configuration, the silicon wafer is termed the heating element. Annealing and self-assembly of polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) and polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS

Solvothermal Vapor Annealing of Lamellar Poly(styrene)-block-poly(d,l-lactide) Block Copolymer Thin Films for Directed Self-Assembly Application.

Science.gov (United States)

Cummins, Cian; Mokarian-Tabari, Parvaneh; Andreazza, Pascal; Sinturel, Christophe; Morris, Michael A

2016-03-01

Solvothermal vapor annealing (STVA) was employed to induce microphase separation in a lamellar forming block copolymer (BCP) thin film containing a readily degradable block. Directed self-assembly of poly(styrene)-block-poly(d,l-lactide) (PS-b-PLA) BCP films using topographically patterned silicon nitride was demonstrated with alignment over macroscopic areas. Interestingly, we observed lamellar patterns aligned parallel as well as perpendicular (perpendicular microdomains to substrate in both cases) to the topography of the graphoepitaxial guiding patterns. PS-b-PLA BCP microphase separated with a high degree of order in an atmosphere of tetrahydrofuran (THF) at an elevated vapor pressure (at approximately 40-60 °C). Grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) measurements of PS-b-PLA films reveal the through-film uniformity of perpendicular microdomains after STVA. Perpendicular lamellar orientation was observed on both hydrophilic and relatively hydrophobic surfaces with a domain spacing (L0) of ∼32.5 nm. The rapid removal of the PLA microdomains is demonstrated using a mild basic solution for the development of a well-defined PS mask template. GISAXS data reveal the through-film uniformity is retained following wet etching. The experimental results in this article demonstrate highly oriented PS-b-PLA microdomains after a short annealing period and facile PLA removal to form porous on-chip etch masks for nanolithography application.

Valence control of cobalt oxide thin films by annealing atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Shijing; Zhang Boping; Zhao Cuihua; Li Songjie; Zhang Meixia; Yan Liping

2011-01-01

The cobalt oxide (CoO and Co 3 O 4 ) thin films were successfully prepared using a spin-coating technique by a chemical solution method with CH 3 OCH 2 CH 2 OH and Co(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O as starting materials. The grayish cobalt oxide films had uniform crystalline grains with less than 50 nm in diameter. The phase structure is able to tailor by controlling the annealing atmosphere and temperature, in which Co 3 O 4 thin film was obtained by annealing in air at 300-600, and N 2 at 300, and transferred to CoO thin film by raising annealing temperature in N 2 . The fitted X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of the Co2p electrons are distinguishable from different valence states of cobalt oxide especially for their satellite structure. The valence control of cobalt oxide thin films by annealing atmosphere contributes to the tailored optical absorption property.

Thermal annealing of amorphous Ti-Si-O thin films

OpenAIRE

Hodroj , Abbas; Chaix-Pluchery , Odette; Audier , Marc; Gottlieb , Ulrich; Deschanvres , Jean-Luc

2008-01-01

International audience; Ti-Si-O thin films were deposited using an aerosol chemical vapor deposition process at atmospheric pressure. The film structure and microstructure were analysed using several techniques before and after thermal annealing. Diffraction results indicate that the films remain X-ray amorphous after annealing whereas Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy gives evidence of a phase segregation between amorphous SiO2 and well crystallized anatase TiO2. Crystallization of ana...

Nano-crystallization in ZnO-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films via excimer laser annealing for thin-film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujii, Mami N., E-mail: f-mami@ms.naist.jp; Ishikawa, Yasuaki; Bermundo, Juan Paolo Soria; Uraoka, Yukiharu [Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192 (Japan); Ishihara, Ryoichi; Cingel, Johan van der; Mofrad, Mohammad R. T. [Delft University of Technology, Feldmannweg 17, P.O. Box 5053, 2600 GB Delft (Netherlands); Kawashima, Emi; Tomai, Shigekazu; Yano, Koki [Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., 1280 Kami-izumi, Sodegaura, Chiba, 299-0293 (Japan)

2016-06-15

In a previous work, we reported the high field effect mobility of ZnO-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} (IZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) irradiated by excimer laser annealing (ELA) [M. Fujii et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 122107 (2013)]. However, a deeper understanding of the effect of ELA on the IZO film characteristics based on crystallinity, carrier concentrations, and optical properties is needed to control localized carrier concentrations for fabricating self-aligned structures in the same oxide film and to adequately explain the physical characteristics. In the case of as-deposited IZO film used as the channel, a high carrier concentration due to a high density of oxygen vacancies was observed; such a film does not show the required TFT characteristics but can act as a conductive film. We achieved a decrease in the carrier concentration of IZO films by crystallization using ELA. This means that ELA can form localized conductive or semi-conductive areas on the IZO film. We confirmed that the reason for the carrier concentration decrease was the decrease of oxygen-deficient regions and film crystallization. The annealed IZO films showed nano-crystalline phase, and the temperature at the substrate was substantially less than the temperature limit for flexible films such as plastic, which is 50°C. This paves the way for the formation of self-aligned structures and separately formed conductive and semi-conductive regions in the same oxide film.

Effect of Copper on the Carrier Lifetime in Black Silicon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Porte, Henrik; Turchinovich, Dmitry; Persheyev, Saydulla

2011-01-01

Black silicon is produced by laser annealing of a-Si:H films. During annealing, silicon microstructures are formed on the surface. We use time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy to study the photoconductivity dynamics in black silicon. We find that when a copper film is deposited on top of the a......-Si:H layer prior to laser annealing, the carrier lifetime of black silicon is significantly reduced....

Annealing induced structural evolution and electrochromic properties of nanostructured tungsten oxide films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Ching-Lin [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC (China); Lin, Chung-Kwei [School of Dental Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City 110, Taiwan, ROC (China); Wang, Chun-Kai [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC (China); Wang, Sheng-Chang [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Southern Taiwan University, Tainan 710, Taiwan, ROC (China); Huang, Jow-Lay, E-mail: JLH888@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC (China); Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 81148, Taiwan, ROC (China); Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC (China)

2013-12-31

The effect of microstructure on the optical and electrochemical properties of nanostructured tungsten oxide films was evaluated as a function of annealing temperature. The films using block copolymer as the template were prepared from peroxotungstic acid (PTA) by spin-coating onto the substrate and post-annealed at 250–400 °C to form tungsten oxide films with nanostructure. The microstructure of the films was measured by X-ray diffraction and surface electron microscopy. The films annealed at temperatures below 300 °C are characterized by amorphous or nanocrystalline structures with a pore size of less than 10 nm. The evaluated annealing temperature caused a triclinic crystalline structure and microcracks. Cyclic voltammetry measurements were performed in a LiClO{sub 4}-propylene carbonate electrolyte. The results showed that the ion inserted capacity were maximized for films annealed at 300 °C and decreased with the increasing of annealing temperature. The electrochromic properties of the nanostructured tungsten oxide films were evaluated simultaneously by potentiostat and UV–vis spectroscopy. The films annealed at 300 °C exhibit high transmission modulation (∆T ∼ 40%) at λ = 633 nm and good kinetic properties. As a result, the correlation between the microstructure and kinetic properties was established, and the electrochromic properties have been demonstrated. - Highlights: • Surfactant-assisted WO{sub 3} films have been prepared by sol–gel method. • Nanostructure of porous WO{sub 3} film is retained after crystallization. • Kinetic properties of WO{sub 3} can be improved by nanostructure and crystallinity.

Transpassive Dissolution of Copper and Rapid Formation of Brilliant Colored Copper Oxide Films

Science.gov (United States)

Fredj, Narjes; Burleigh, T. David; New Mexico Tech Team

2014-03-01

This investigation describes an electrochemical technique for growing adhesive copper oxide films on copper with attractive colors ranging from gold-brown to pearl with intermediate colors from red violet to gold green. The technique consists of anodically dissolving copper at transpassive potentials in hot sodium hydroxide, and then depositing brilliant color films of Cu2O onto the surface of copper after the anodic potential has been turned off. The color of the copper oxide film depends on the temperature, the anodic potential, the time t1 of polarization, and the time t2, which is the time of immersion after potential has been turned off. The brilliant colored films were characterized using glancing angle x-ray diffraction, and the film was found to be primarily Cu2O. Cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were also used to characterize these films.

Atomic-layer-deposited WNxCy thin films as diffusion barrier for copper metallization

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soo-Hyun; Oh, Su Suk; Kim, Ki-Bum; Kang, Dae-Hwan; Li, Wei-Min; Haukka, Suvi; Tuominen, Marko

2003-06-01

The properties of WNxCy films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using WF6, NH3, and triethyl boron as source gases were characterized as a diffusion barrier for copper metallization. It is noted that the as-deposited film shows an extremely low resistivity of about 350 μΩ cm with a film density of 15.37 g/cm3. The film composition measured from Rutherford backscattering spectrometry shows W, C, and N of ˜48, 32, and 20 at. %, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy analyses show that the as-deposited film is composed of face-centered-cubic phase with a lattice parameter similar to both β-WC1-x and β-W2N with an equiaxed microstructure. The barrier property of this ALD-WNxCy film at a nominal thickness of 12 nm deposited between Cu and Si fails only after annealing at 700 °C for 30 min.

Annealing-induced recovery of indents in thin Au(Fe bilayer films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Kosinova

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We employed depth-sensing nanoindentation to produce ordered arrays of indents on the surface of 50 nm-thick Au(Fe films deposited on sapphire substrates. The maximum depth of the indents was approximately one-half of the film thickness. The indented films were annealed at a temperature of 700 °C in a forming gas atmosphere. While the onset of solid-state dewetting was observed in the unperturbed regions of the film, no holes to the substrate were observed in the indented regions. Instead, the film annealing resulted in the formation of hillocks at the indent locations, followed by their dissipation and the formation of shallow depressions nearby after subsequent annealing treatments. This annealing-induced evolution of nanoindents was interpreted in terms of annihilation of dislocation loops generated during indentation, accompanied by the formation of nanopores at the grain boundaries and their subsequent dissolution. The application of the processes uncovered in this work show great potential for the patterning of thin films.

Thin films of copper oxide and copper grown by atomic layer deposition for applications in metallization systems of microelectronic devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waechtler, Thomas

2010-05-25

Copper-based multi-level metallization systems in today's ultralarge-scale integrated electronic circuits require the fabrication of diffusion barriers and conductive seed layers for the electrochemical metal deposition. Such films of only several nanometers in thickness have to be deposited void-free and conformal in patterned dielectrics. The envisaged further reduction of the geometric dimensions of the interconnect system calls for coating techniques that circumvent the drawbacks of the well-established physical vapor deposition. The atomic layer deposition method (ALD) allows depositing films on the nanometer scale conformally both on three-dimensional objects as well as on large-area substrates. The present work therefore is concerned with the development of an ALD process to grow copper oxide films based on the metal-organic precursor bis(trin- butylphosphane)copper(I)acetylacetonate [({sup n}Bu{sub 3}P){sub 2}Cu(acac)]. This liquid, non-fluorinated {beta}-diketonate is brought to react with a mixture of water vapor and oxygen at temperatures from 100 to 160 C. Typical ALD-like growth behavior arises between 100 and 130 C, depending on the respective substrate used. On tantalum nitride and silicon dioxide substrates, smooth films and selfsaturating film growth, typical for ALD, are obtained. On ruthenium substrates, positive deposition results are obtained as well. However, a considerable intermixing of the ALD copper oxide with the underlying films takes place. Tantalum substrates lead to a fast self-decomposition of the copper precursor. As a consequence, isolated nuclei or larger particles are always obtained together with continuous films. The copper oxide films grown by ALD can be reduced to copper by vapor-phase processes. If formic acid is used as the reducing agent, these processes can already be carried out at similar temperatures as the ALD, so that agglomeration of the films is largely avoided. Also for an integration with subsequent

Thin films of copper oxide and copper grown by atomic layer deposition for applications in metallization systems of microelectronic devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waechtler, Thomas

2010-05-25

Copper-based multi-level metallization systems in today's ultralarge-scale integrated electronic circuits require the fabrication of diffusion barriers and conductive seed layers for the electrochemical metal deposition. Such films of only several nanometers in thickness have to be deposited void-free and conformal in patterned dielectrics. The envisaged further reduction of the geometric dimensions of the interconnect system calls for coating techniques that circumvent the drawbacks of the well-established physical vapor deposition. The atomic layer deposition method (ALD) allows depositing films on the nanometer scale conformally both on three-dimensional objects as well as on large-area substrates. The present work therefore is concerned with the development of an ALD process to grow copper oxide films based on the metal-organic precursor bis(trin- butylphosphane)copper(I)acetylacetonate [({sup n}Bu{sub 3}P){sub 2}Cu(acac)]. This liquid, non-fluorinated {beta}-diketonate is brought to react with a mixture of water vapor and oxygen at temperatures from 100 to 160 C. Typical ALD-like growth behavior arises between 100 and 130 C, depending on the respective substrate used. On tantalum nitride and silicon dioxide substrates, smooth films and selfsaturating film growth, typical for ALD, are obtained. On ruthenium substrates, positive deposition results are obtained as well. However, a considerable intermixing of the ALD copper oxide with the underlying films takes place. Tantalum substrates lead to a fast self-decomposition of the copper precursor. As a consequence, isolated nuclei or larger particles are always obtained together with continuous films. The copper oxide films grown by ALD can be reduced to copper by vapor-phase processes. If formic acid is used as the reducing agent, these processes can already be carried out at similar temperatures as the ALD, so that agglomeration of the films is largely avoided. Also for an integration with subsequent

Effect of vacuum annealing on evaporated pentacene thin films for memory device applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gayathri, A.G.; Joseph, C.M.

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: Switching of ITO/pentacene/Al thin films for different annealing temperatures. - Highlights: • Memory device performance in pentacene improved considerably with annealing. • ON/OFF ratio of the pentacene device increases due to annealing. • Threshold voltage reduces from 2.55 V to 1.35 V due to annealing. • Structure of pentacene thin films is also dependent on annealing temperature. - Abstract: Thin films of pentacene were deposited thermally onto glass substrates and annealed at 323 K, 373 K, 423 K, 473 K and 523 K in high vacuum. Effect of annealing on the morphological and structural properties of these films was studied. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the crystalline nature of the films. Electrical studies for the use as write once read many (WORM) memory devices were done for the vacuum deposited pentacene thin films on indium tin oxide coated glass. Due to annealing, a sharp increase in the ON/OFF ratio of current and a decrease in threshold voltage were observed at around 373 K. This device showed a stable switching with an ON/OFF current ratio as high as 10 9 and a switching threshold voltage of 1.35 V. The performance of the device degraded above 423 K due to the changes in the crystallinity of the film.

Effect of vacuum annealing on evaporated pentacene thin films for memory device applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gayathri, A.G., E-mail: gaythri305@yahoo.com; Joseph, C.M., E-mail: cmjoseph@rediffmail.com

2016-09-15

Graphical abstract: Switching of ITO/pentacene/Al thin films for different annealing temperatures. - Highlights: • Memory device performance in pentacene improved considerably with annealing. • ON/OFF ratio of the pentacene device increases due to annealing. • Threshold voltage reduces from 2.55 V to 1.35 V due to annealing. • Structure of pentacene thin films is also dependent on annealing temperature. - Abstract: Thin films of pentacene were deposited thermally onto glass substrates and annealed at 323 K, 373 K, 423 K, 473 K and 523 K in high vacuum. Effect of annealing on the morphological and structural properties of these films was studied. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the crystalline nature of the films. Electrical studies for the use as write once read many (WORM) memory devices were done for the vacuum deposited pentacene thin films on indium tin oxide coated glass. Due to annealing, a sharp increase in the ON/OFF ratio of current and a decrease in threshold voltage were observed at around 373 K. This device showed a stable switching with an ON/OFF current ratio as high as 10{sup 9} and a switching threshold voltage of 1.35 V. The performance of the device degraded above 423 K due to the changes in the crystallinity of the film.

Valence control of cobalt oxide thin films by annealing atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Shijing [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, No. 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083 (China); Zhang Boping, E-mail: bpzhang@ustb.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, No. 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083 (China); Zhao Cuihua; Li Songjie; Zhang Meixia; Yan Liping [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, No. 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083 (China)

2011-02-01

The cobalt oxide (CoO and Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}) thin films were successfully prepared using a spin-coating technique by a chemical solution method with CH{sub 3}OCH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}OH and Co(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}.6H{sub 2}O as starting materials. The grayish cobalt oxide films had uniform crystalline grains with less than 50 nm in diameter. The phase structure is able to tailor by controlling the annealing atmosphere and temperature, in which Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} thin film was obtained by annealing in air at 300-600, and N{sub 2} at 300, and transferred to CoO thin film by raising annealing temperature in N{sub 2}. The fitted X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of the Co2p electrons are distinguishable from different valence states of cobalt oxide especially for their satellite structure. The valence control of cobalt oxide thin films by annealing atmosphere contributes to the tailored optical absorption property.

Toward the understanding of annealing effects on (GaIn)2O3 films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Fabi; Jan, Hideki; Saito, Katsuhiko; Tanaka, Tooru; Nishio, Mitsuhiro; Nagaoka, Takashi; Arita, Makoto; Guo, Qixin

2015-01-01

(GaIn) 2 O 3 films with nominal indium content of 0.3 deposited at room temperature by pulsed laser deposition have been annealed in different gas ambient (N 2 , vacuum, Ar, O 2 ) and temperatures (700–1000 °C) in order to understand the annealing effects. X-ray diffraction and X-ray rocking curve revealed that the film annealed at 800 °C under O 2 ambient has best crystallinity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that oxygen ambient annealing has greatly helped on decreasing the oxygen vacancy. (GaIn) 2 O 3 films with different nominal indium content varying from 0.2 to 0.7 annealed at 800 °C under O 2 ambient also showed high crystal quality, improved optical transmittance, and smooth surface. - Highlights: • (GaIn) 2 O 3 films have been annealed in different gas ambient and temperature. • Only oxygen ambient can crystallize (GaIn) 2 O 3 film. • Film annealed at 800 °C appears best crystal quality. • High quality films were obtained with wide indium content varying from 0.2 to 0.7

Annealing effects on electron-beam evaporated Al2O3 films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shang Shuzhen; Chen Lei; Hou Haihong; Yi Kui; Fan Zhengxiu; Shao Jianda

2005-01-01

The effects of post-deposited annealing on structure and optical properties of electron-beam evaporated Al 2 O 3 single layers were investigated. The films were annealed in air for 1.5 h at different temperatures from 250 to 400 deg. C. The optical constants and cut-off wavelength were deduced. Microstructure of the samples was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Profile and surface roughness measurement instrument was used to determine the rms surface roughness. It was found that the cut-off wavelength shifted to short wavelength as the annealing temperature increased and the total optical loss decreased. The film structure remained amorphous even after annealing at 400 deg. C temperature and the samples annealed at higher temperature had the higher rms surface roughness. The decreasing total optical loss with annealing temperature was attributed to the reduction of absorption owing to oxidation of the film by annealing. Guidance to reduce the optical loss of excimer laser mirrors was given

Annealing effects on electron-beam evaporated Al 2O 3 films

Science.gov (United States)

Shuzhen, Shang; Lei, Chen; Haihong, Hou; Kui, Yi; Zhengxiu, Fan; Jianda, Shao

2005-04-01

The effects of post-deposited annealing on structure and optical properties of electron-beam evaporated Al 2O 3 single layers were investigated. The films were annealed in air for 1.5 h at different temperatures from 250 to 400 °C. The optical constants and cut-off wavelength were deduced. Microstructure of the samples was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Profile and surface roughness measurement instrument was used to determine the rms surface roughness. It was found that the cut-off wavelength shifted to short wavelength as the annealing temperature increased and the total optical loss decreased. The film structure remained amorphous even after annealing at 400 °C temperature and the samples annealed at higher temperature had the higher rms surface roughness. The decreasing total optical loss with annealing temperature was attributed to the reduction of absorption owing to oxidation of the film by annealing. Guidance to reduce the optical loss of excimer laser mirrors was given.

Effects of Annealing on TiN Thin Film Growth by DC Magnetron Sputtering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azadeh Jafari

2014-07-01

Full Text Available We have reviewed the deposition of titanium nitride (TiN thin films on stainless steel substrates by a DC magnetron sputtering method and annealing at different annealing temperatures of 500, 600, and 700°C for 120 min in nitrogen/argon atmospheres. Effects of annealing temperatures on the structural and the optical properties of TiN films were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD, atomic force microscope (AFM, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM, and UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Our experimental studies reveal that the annealing temperature appreciably affected the structures, crystallite sizes, and reflection of the films. By increasing the annealing temperature to 700°C crystallinity and reflection of the film increase. These results suggest that annealed TiN films can be good candidate for tokamak first wall due to their structural and optical properties.

Characteristics of rapid-thermal-annealed LiCoO2 cathode film for an all-solid-state thin film microbattery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Han-Ki; Yoon, Young Soo

2004-01-01

We report on the fabrication of a LiCoO 2 film for an all-solid-state thin film microbattery by using a rapid-thermal-annealing (RTA) process. The LiCoO 2 films were grown by rf magnetron sputtering using a synthesized LiCoO 2 target in a [O 2 /(Ar+O 2 )] ratio of 10%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analysis results showed that the surface layer on the as-deposited LiCoO 2 film was completely removed by rapid thermal annealing process in oxygen ambient for 20 min. In addition, the thin film microbattery fabricated with the annealed LiCoO 2 film shows fairly stable cyclability with a specific discharge capacity of 56.49 μAh/cm2 μm. These results show the possibility of the RTA LiCoO 2 film and rapid thermal annealing process being a promising cathode material and annealing process for thin film microbatteries, respectively

Intense pulsed light annealing of copper zinc tin sulfide nanocrystal coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Bryce A.; Smeaton, Michelle A.; Holgate, Collin S.; Trejo, Nancy D.; Francis, Lorraine F., E-mail: francis@umn.edu; Aydil, Eray S., E-mail: aydil@umn.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 151 Amundson Hall, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (United States)

2016-09-15

A promising method for forming the absorber layer in copper zinc tin sulfide [Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS)] thin film solar cells is thermal annealing of coatings cast from dispersions of CZTS nanocrystals. Intense pulsed light (IPL) annealing utilizing xenon flash lamps is a potential high-throughput, low-cost, roll-to-roll manufacturing compatible alternative to thermal annealing in conventional furnaces. The authors studied the effects of flash energy density (3.9–11.6 J/cm{sup 2}) and number of flashes (1–400) during IPL annealing on the microstructure of CZTS nanocrystal coatings cast on molybdenum-coated soda lime glass substrates (Mo-coated SLG). The annealed coatings exhibited cracks with two distinct linear crack densities, 0.01 and 0.2 μm{sup −1}, depending on the flash intensity and total number of flashes. Low density cracking (0.01 μm{sup −1}, ∼1 crack per 100 μm) is caused by decomposition of CZTS at the Mo-coating interface. Vapor decomposition products at the interface cause blisters as they escape the coating. Residual decomposition products within the blisters were imaged using confocal Raman spectroscopy. In support of this hypothesis, replacing the Mo-coated SLG substrate with quartz eliminated blistering and low-density cracking. High density cracking is caused by rapid thermal expansion and contraction of the coating constricted on the substrate as it is heated and cooled during IPL annealing. Finite element modeling showed that CZTS coatings on low thermal diffusivity materials (i.e., SLG) underwent significant differential heating with respect to the substrate with rapid rises and falls of the coating temperature as the flash is turned on and off, possibly causing a build-up of tensile stress within the coating prompting cracking. Use of a high thermal diffusivity substrate, such as a molybdenum foil (Mo foil), reduces this differential heating and eliminates the high-density cracking. IPL annealing in presence of sulfur

Diffusion and adhesion properties of Cu films on polyimide substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, T.X.; Liu, Y.Q.; Fu, Z.Q.; Luo, T.Y.; Zhang, K.Y.

2005-01-01

Copper thin films were prepared on polyimide (PI) substrates by physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Titanium nitride (TiN) diffusion barrier layers were deposited between the copper films and the PI substrates by PVD. Auger electron spectroscopy compositional depth profile showed that TiN barrier layer was very effective in preventing copper diffusion into PI substrate even after the Cu/TiN/PI samples were annealed at 300 deg. C for 5 h. For the as-deposited CVD-Cu/PI, CVD-Cu/TiN/PI, and as-deposited PVD-Cu/PI samples, the residual stress in Cu films was very small. Relatively larger residual stress existed in Cu films for PVD-Cu/TiN/PI samples. For PVD-Cu/TiN/PI samples, annealing can increase the peeling strength to the level observed without a diffusion barrier. The adhesion improvement of Cu films by annealing treatment can be attributed to lowering of the residual tensile stress in Cu films

Effects of Thermal Annealing Conditions on Cupric Oxide Thin Film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyo Seon; Oh, Hee-bong; Ryu, Hyukhyun [Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Won-Jae [Dong-Eui University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-07-15

In this study, cupric oxide (CuO) thin films were grown on fluorine doped tin oxide(FTO) substrate by using spin coating method. We investigated the effects of thermal annealing temperature and thermal annealing duration on the morphological, structural, optical and photoelectrochemical properties of the CuO film. From the results, we could find that the morphologies, grain sizes, crystallinity and photoelectrochemical properties were dependent on the annealing conditions. As a result, the maximum photocurrent density of -1.47 mA/cm{sup 2} (vs. SCE) was obtained from the sample with the thermal annealing conditions of 500 ℃ and 40 min.

Atomic-layer-deposited WNxCy thin films as diffusion barrier for copper metallization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Soo-Hyun; Oh, Su Suk; Kim, Ki-Bum; Kang, Dae-Hwan; Li, Wei-Min; Haukka, Suvi; Tuominen, Marko

2003-01-01

The properties of WN x C y films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using WF 6 , NH 3 , and triethyl boron as source gases were characterized as a diffusion barrier for copper metallization. It is noted that the as-deposited film shows an extremely low resistivity of about 350 μΩ cm with a film density of 15.37 g/cm 3 . The film composition measured from Rutherford backscattering spectrometry shows W, C, and N of ∼48, 32, and 20 at. %, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy analyses show that the as-deposited film is composed of face-centered-cubic phase with a lattice parameter similar to both β-WC 1-x and β-W 2 N with an equiaxed microstructure. The barrier property of this ALD-WN x C y film at a nominal thickness of 12 nm deposited between Cu and Si fails only after annealing at 700 deg. C for 30 min

Improvement of physical properties of IGZO thin films prepared by excimer laser annealing of sol–gel derived precursor films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsay, Chien-Yie; Huang, Tzu-Teng

2013-01-01

Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) transparent semiconductor thin films were prepared by KrF excimer laser annealing of sol–gel derived precursor films. Each as-coated film was dried at 150 °C in air and then annealed using excimer laser irradiation. The influence of laser irradiation energy density on surface conditions, optical transmittances, and electrical properties of laser annealed IGZO thin films were investigated, and the physical properties of the excimer laser annealed (ELA) and the thermally annealed (TA) thin films were compared. Experimental results showed that two kinds of surface morphology resulted from excimer laser annealing. Irradiation with a lower energy density (≤250 mJ cm −2 ) produced wavy and irregular surfaces, while irradiation with a higher energy density (≥350 mJ cm −2 ) produced flat and dense surfaces consisting of uniform nano-sized amorphous particles. The explanation for the differences in surface features and film quality is that using laser irradiation energy to form IGZO thin films improves the film density and removes organic constituents. The dried IGZO sol–gel films irradiated with a laser energy density of 350 mJ/cm 2 had the best physical properties of all the ELA IGZO thin films. The mean resistivity of the ELA 350 thin films (4.48 × 10 3 Ω cm) was lower than that of TA thin films (1.39 × 10 4 Ω cm), and the average optical transmittance in the visible range (90.2%) of the ELA 350 thin films was slightly higher than that of TA thin films (89.7%). - Highlights: • IGZO semiconductor films were prepared by laser annealing of sol–gel derived films. • Surface roughness and resistivity of ELA samples were affected by energy density. • The ELA 350 IGZO film exhibited the best properties among all of ELA IGZO films. • Transmittance and resistivity of ELA 350 films are greater than those of TA films

Improvement of physical properties of IGZO thin films prepared by excimer laser annealing of sol–gel derived precursor films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsay, Chien-Yie, E-mail: cytsay@fcu.edu.tw; Huang, Tzu-Teng

2013-06-15

Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) transparent semiconductor thin films were prepared by KrF excimer laser annealing of sol–gel derived precursor films. Each as-coated film was dried at 150 °C in air and then annealed using excimer laser irradiation. The influence of laser irradiation energy density on surface conditions, optical transmittances, and electrical properties of laser annealed IGZO thin films were investigated, and the physical properties of the excimer laser annealed (ELA) and the thermally annealed (TA) thin films were compared. Experimental results showed that two kinds of surface morphology resulted from excimer laser annealing. Irradiation with a lower energy density (≤250 mJ cm{sup −2}) produced wavy and irregular surfaces, while irradiation with a higher energy density (≥350 mJ cm{sup −2}) produced flat and dense surfaces consisting of uniform nano-sized amorphous particles. The explanation for the differences in surface features and film quality is that using laser irradiation energy to form IGZO thin films improves the film density and removes organic constituents. The dried IGZO sol–gel films irradiated with a laser energy density of 350 mJ/cm{sup 2} had the best physical properties of all the ELA IGZO thin films. The mean resistivity of the ELA 350 thin films (4.48 × 10{sup 3} Ω cm) was lower than that of TA thin films (1.39 × 10{sup 4} Ω cm), and the average optical transmittance in the visible range (90.2%) of the ELA 350 thin films was slightly higher than that of TA thin films (89.7%). - Highlights: • IGZO semiconductor films were prepared by laser annealing of sol–gel derived films. • Surface roughness and resistivity of ELA samples were affected by energy density. • The ELA 350 IGZO film exhibited the best properties among all of ELA IGZO films. • Transmittance and resistivity of ELA 350 films are greater than those of TA films.

Photoelectrochemistry of copper(I) acetylide films electrodeposited onto copper electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zotti, G.; Cattarin, S.; Mengoli, G.; Fleischmann, M.; Peter, L.M.

1986-01-01

Films of copper acetylide (Cu/sub 2/C/sub 2/) were grown electrochemically on copper and characterized by transmittance and reflectance techniques. The photoelectrochemical properties of the filmed electrodes in alkaline solution indicate that Cu/sub 2/C/sub 2/ behaves as a p-type semiconducting material (1.5 eV band gap). The photocurrents depend on film thickness and aging and high resistivity or recombination losses limit the quantum yield to some 4% for thicknesses of practical importance (250 nm).

Effect of annealing and UV-radiation time over micropore architecture of self-assembled block copolymer thin film

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. del C. Pizarro

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Block copolymers have been recognized as versatile materials to prepare nanoporous polymer films or membranes, but their potential has not been completely explored. This study focuses on the formation and characterization of nanoporous polymer films based on poly(styrene-block-(methylmethacrylate/methacrylic acid; (PS-b-MMA/MAA were obtained through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP, by using two different protocols: annealing and annealingirradiation; for improving the formation of microporous surface. The composition, crystallinity and structural order of the films were studied by Raman spectroscopy. The film polymer thickness was obtained through very high resolution ellipsometry (VHRE. Finally, atomic force microcopy (AFM and scanning electron microscopy (SEM techniques were used to detect changes in the porous-structure. These results show that the morphological properties of the block copolymer were affected via the modification of two variables, UV-radiation time and annealing. SEM and AFM micrographs showed that the morphology exhibit a porous ordered structure. Contact angle measurement suggests additional interactions between hydrophilic functional groups that influence the film wettability.

Phase and structural transformations in annealed copper coatings in relation to oxide whisker growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dorogov, M.V.; Priezzheva, A.N. [Togliatti State University, Belorusskaya 14, 445667 Togliatti (Russian Federation); Vlassov, S., E-mail: vlassovs@ut.ee [Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Kengaraga 8, LV-1063 Riga (Latvia); Kink, I.; Shulga, E. [Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ravila 14c, 50411 Tartu (Estonia); Dorogin, L.M. [Togliatti State University, Belorusskaya 14, 445667 Togliatti (Russian Federation); Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ravila 14c, 50411 Tartu (Estonia); ITMO University, Kronverkskiy 49, 197101 Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation); Lõhmus, R. [Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ravila 14c, 50411 Tartu (Estonia); Tyurkov, M.N.; Vikarchuk, A.A. [Togliatti State University, Belorusskaya 14, 445667 Togliatti (Russian Federation); Romanov, A.E. [Togliatti State University, Belorusskaya 14, 445667 Togliatti (Russian Federation); Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Ravila 14c, 50411 Tartu (Estonia); ITMO University, Kronverkskiy 49, 197101 Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation); Ioffe Physical Technical Institute, RAS, Polytechnicheskaya 26, 194021 Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation)

2015-08-15

Highlights: • Coatings prepared by Cu microparticle electrodeposition. • Structural and phase transformation in Cu coatings annealed at 400 °C. • Annealing is accompanied by intensive growth of CuO whiskers. • Layered oxide phases (Cu{sub 2}O and CuO) in the coating are characterized. • Formation of volumetric defects in the coating is demonstrated. - Abstract: We describe structural and phase transformation in copper coatings made of microparticles during heating and annealing in air in the temperature range up to 400 °C. Such thermal treatment is accompanied by intensive CuO nanowhisker growth on the coating surface and the formation of the layered oxide phases (Cu{sub 2}O and CuO) in the coating interior. X-ray diffraction and focused ion beam (FIB) are employed to characterize the multilayer structure of annealed copper coatings. Formation of volumetric defects such as voids and cracks in the coating is demonstrated.

High Temperature Annealing Studies on the Piezoelectric Properties of Thin Aluminum Nitride Films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farrell, R.; Pagan, V.R.; Kabulski, A.; Kuchibhatla, S.; Harman, J.; Kasarla, K.R.; Rodak, L.E.; Hensel, J.P.; Famouri, P.; Korakakis, D.

2008-01-01

A Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) system was used to anneal sputtered and MOVPE-grown Aluminum Nitride (AlN) thin films at temperatures up to 1000°C in ambient and controlled environments. According to Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDAX), the films annealed in an ambient environment rapidly oxidize after five minutes at 1000°C. Below 1000°C the films oxidized linearly as a function of annealing temperature which is consistent with what has been reported in literature [1]. Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) was used to measure the piezoelectric coefficient, d33, of these films. Films annealed in an ambient environment had a weak piezoelectric response indicating that oxidation on the surface of the film reduces the value of d33. A high temperature furnace has been built that is capable of taking in-situ measurements of the piezoelectric response of AlN films. In-situ d33 measurements are recorded up to 300°C for both sputtered and MOVPE-grown AlN thin films. The measured piezoelectric response appears to increase with temperature up to 300°C possibly due to stress in the film.

High Temperature Annealing Studies on the Piezoelectric Properties of Thin Aluminum Nitride Films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R. Farrell; V. R. Pagan; A. Kabulski; Sridhar Kuchibhatl; J. Harman; K. R. Kasarla; L. E. Rodak; P. Famouri; J. Peter Hensel; D. Korakakis

2008-05-01

A Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) system was used to anneal sputtered and MOVPE grown Aluminum Nitride (AlN) thin films at temperatures up to 1000°C in ambient and controlled environments. According to Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDAX), the films annealed in an ambient environment rapidly oxidize after five minutes at 1000°C. Below 1000°C the films oxidized linearly as a function of annealing temperature which is consistent with what has been reported in literature [1]. Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) was used to measure the piezoelectric coefficient, d33, of these films. Films annealed in an ambient environment had a weak piezoelectric response indicating that oxidation on the surface of the film reduces the value of d33. A high temperature furnace has been built that is capable of taking in-situ measurements of the piezoelectric response of AlN films. In-situ d33 measurements are recorded up to 300°C for both sputtered and MOVPE-grown AlN thin films. The measured piezoelectric response appears to increase with temperature up to 300°C possibly due to stress in the film.

Surfactant-assisted synthesis of Ag nanostructures and their self-assembled films on copper and aluminum substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuo Yujiang; Sun Wendong; Dong Lihong; Chu Ying

2011-01-01

In this paper, silver nanostructures with controlled morphologies, such as plates, rods, belts, sheets and their self-assembled films have been prepared on copper and aluminum substrates by a surfactant-assisted colloidal chemical method. The X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns indicated that the Ag nanostructures grew on the substrates with cubic symmetry and single-crystalline in nature. An oriented attachment with surfactant-assisted mechanism and a cooperative effect of surfactant and chloride ion on the morphology of Ag nanostructures were investigated systematically and synthetically.

Surface structure of ultrathin metal films deposited on copper single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butterfield, M.T.

2000-04-01

Ultrathin films of Cobalt, Iron and Manganese have been thermally evaporated onto an fcc Copper (111) single crystal substrate and investigated using a variety of surface structural techniques. The small lattice mismatch between these metals and the Cu (111) substrate make them an ideal candidate for the study of the phenomena of pseudomorphic film growth. This is important for the understanding of the close relationship between film structure and magnetic properties. Growing films with the structure of their substrate rather than their bulk phase may provide an opportunity to grow materials with novel physical and magnetic properties, and hence new technological applications. Both Cobalt and Iron have been found to initially maintain a registry with the fcc Cu (111) surface in a manner consistent with pseudomorphic growth. This growth is complicated by island rather than layer by layer growth in the initials stages of the film. In both cases a change in the structure of the film seems to occur at a point where the coalescence of islands in the film may be expected to occur. When the film does change structure they do not form a perfect overlayer with the structure of their bulk counterpart. The films do contain a number of features representative of the bulk phase but also contain considerable disorder and possibly remnants of fcc (111) structure. The order present in these films can be greatly improved by annealing. Manganese appears to grow with an fcc Mn (111) lattice spacing and there is no sign of a change in structure in films of up to 4.61 ML thick. The gradual deposition and annealing of a film to 300 deg. C, with a total deposition time the same as that for a 1 ML thick film, causes a surface reconstruction to occur that is apparent in a R30 deg. (√3 x √3) LEED pattern. This is attributed to the formation of a surface alloy, which is also supported by the local expansion of the Cu lattice in the (111) direction. (author)

Effect of annealing on the mechanical and scratch properties of BCN films obtained by magnetron sputtering deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Shuyan, E-mail: xsynefu@126.com [Key Laboratory of Forest Sustainable Management and Environmental Microorganism Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040 (China); Ma, Xinxin [School of Material Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Wen, Huiying [Key Laboratory of Forest Sustainable Management and Environmental Microorganism Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040 (China); Tang, Guangze [School of Material Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Li, Chunwei [Key Laboratory of Forest Sustainable Management and Environmental Microorganism Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040 (China)

2014-09-15

Highlights: • The amorphous BCN films were annealed at different temperatures under vacuum condition. • The order degree increases with the annealing temperature increasing, and the films do not decompose even the annealing temperature rise to 1000 °C. • The nano-hardness and modulus of the films decrease with the increasing of annealing temperatures. • The critical load of BCN films is not affected by the annealing temperature, and the films have good interfacial adhesion. • The scratch resistance properties of BCN film are improved by annealing at 600 °C. - Abstract: Boron-carbon-nitride (BCN) films have been fabricated by direct current unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Boron carbide/graphite compound and a mixture of nitrogen and argon are used as target and carrier gas, respectively, during BCN synthesis. The obtained BCN films are annealed at different temperatures under vacuum condition. The effect of annealing temperature on the structure, mechanical properties and scratch behavior of the BCN films has been investigated. The results indicate that no decomposition products are found even the BCN films are annealed at 1000 °C. The hardness and elastic modulus of the films decrease with the increase of annealing temperatures. The BCN film annealed at 600 °C has the strongest scratch resistance. The friction coefficient of all BCN films is in range of 0.05 to 0.15.

Effect of annealing on the mechanical and scratch properties of BCN films obtained by magnetron sputtering deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Shuyan; Ma, Xinxin; Wen, Huiying; Tang, Guangze; Li, Chunwei

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The amorphous BCN films were annealed at different temperatures under vacuum condition. • The order degree increases with the annealing temperature increasing, and the films do not decompose even the annealing temperature rise to 1000 °C. • The nano-hardness and modulus of the films decrease with the increasing of annealing temperatures. • The critical load of BCN films is not affected by the annealing temperature, and the films have good interfacial adhesion. • The scratch resistance properties of BCN film are improved by annealing at 600 °C. - Abstract: Boron-carbon-nitride (BCN) films have been fabricated by direct current unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Boron carbide/graphite compound and a mixture of nitrogen and argon are used as target and carrier gas, respectively, during BCN synthesis. The obtained BCN films are annealed at different temperatures under vacuum condition. The effect of annealing temperature on the structure, mechanical properties and scratch behavior of the BCN films has been investigated. The results indicate that no decomposition products are found even the BCN films are annealed at 1000 °C. The hardness and elastic modulus of the films decrease with the increase of annealing temperatures. The BCN film annealed at 600 °C has the strongest scratch resistance. The friction coefficient of all BCN films is in range of 0.05 to 0.15

Annealing effect on the microstructure modification and tribological properties of amorphous carbon nitride films

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhou; Wang, Chengbing; Wang, Qi; Zhang, Junyan

2008-10-01

The influences of thermal annealing on the microstructural and tribological properties of amorphous carbon nitride films were investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer were utilized to characterize bond configuration and chemical state of the films. The results indicated that at low annealing temperatures (200 and 300 °C), the volatile species and surface contamination are easily dissociated without obvious bulk modification; while at high annealing temperatures (400 and 500 °C), the microstructure of carbon nitride films changed and favored a graphitization process, which indicated the growth of more graphitic film structures. The faint Raman signal of C≡N decreased with annealing temperature (TA) and completely disappeared at TA of 500 °C, indicating that nitrile bonds were thermal unstable under high temperature. Surprisingly, the tribological properties of the films showed a remarkably decreasing in friction coefficient as the TA increased; it is attributed to the graphitization of carbon nitride films during thermal annealing, which favored transfer film formation between the carbon nitride films and counterface materials. The transfer films benefit the decrease in coefficient of friction.

Fabrication of textured SnO2 transparent conductive films using self-assembled Sn nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Fukumoto, Michitaka; Nakao, Shoichiro; Hirose, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

2018-06-01

We present a novel method to fabricate textured surfaces on transparent conductive SnO2 films by processing substrates through a bottom-up technique with potential for industrially scalable production. The substrate processing consists of three steps: deposition of precursor Sn films on glass substrates, formation of a self-assembled Sn nanosphere layer with reductive annealing, and conversion of Sn to SnO2 by oxidative annealing. Ta-doped SnO2 films conformally deposited on the self-assembled nanospherical SnO2 templates exhibited attractive optical and electrical properties, namely, enhanced haze values and low sheet resistances, for applications as transparent electrodes in photovoltaics.

Effect of annealing on structural, optical and electrical properties of SILAR synthesized CuO thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Das, M. R.; Mukherjee, A.; Mitra, P.

2017-05-01

Nano crystalline CuO thin films were synthesize on glass substrate using SILAR technique. The structural, optical and electrical properties of the films were carried out for as deposited as well as for films post annealed in the temperature range 300 - 500° C. The X-ray diffraction pattern shows all the films are polycrystalline in nature with monoclinic phase. The crystallite size increase and lattice strain decreases with increase of annealing temperature indicating high quality of the films for annealed films. The value of band gap decreases with increases of annealing temperature of the film. The effect of annealing temperature on ionic conductivity and activation energy to electrical conduction process are discussed.

Oxidation phase growth diagram of vanadium oxides film fabricated by rapid thermal annealing

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Tamura KOZO; Zheng-cao LI; Yu-quan WANG; Jie NI; Yin HU; Zheng-jun ZHANG

2009-01-01

Thermal evaporation deposited vanadium oxide films were annealed in air by rapid thermal annealing (RTP). By adjusting the annealing temperature and time, a series of vanadium oxide films with various oxidation phases and surface morphologies were fabricated, and an oxidation phase growth diagram was established. It was observed that different oxidation phases appear at a limited and continuous annealing condition range, and the morphologic changes are related to the oxidation process.

Electrochemical Behavior of Pure Copper in Phosphate Buffer Solutions: A Comparison Between Micro- and Nano-Grained Copper

Science.gov (United States)

Imantalab, O.; Fattah-alhosseini, A.; Keshavarz, M. K.; Mazaheri, Y.

2016-02-01

In this work, electrochemical behavior of annealed (micro-) and nano-grained pure copper (fabricated by accumulative roll bonding process) in phosphate buffer solutions of various pH values ranging from 10.69 to 12.59 has been studied. Before any electrochemical measurements, evaluation of microstructure was obtained by optical microscope and transmission electron microscopy. To investigate the electrochemical behavior of the samples, the potentiodynamic polarization, Mott-Schottky analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were carried out. Potentiodynamic polarization plots and EIS measurements revealed that as a result of grain refinement, the passive behavior of the nano-grained sample was improved compared to that of annealed pure copper. Also, Mott-Schottky analysis indicated that the passive films behaved as p-type semiconductors and grain refinement did not change the semiconductor type of passive films.

Effect of Different Post Deposition Annealing Treatments on Properties of Zinc Oxide Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arti Arora

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Two different post deposition annealing atmospheres of oxygen and forming gas have been investigated for the improvement of rf sputtered zinc oxide thin films. The results show that type of atmosphere (oxidant o reduction plays an important role in the changes observed in structural, electrical and optical properties. It has been found that the structural properties of rf sputtered zinc oxide films improve in all the annealing environments. The intensity and grain size increases as the annealing temperature increases. It has been found that films become stress free at lowest temperature in oxygen as compare to forming gas annealing. The zinc oxide films annealed in oxygen shows sufficient resistivity associated to high transmittance (83 % characteristics required for MEMS based acoustic devices.

Yield strength of attached copper film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yan; Zhang Jian-Min

2011-01-01

Variation of stress in attached copper film with an applied strain is measured by X-ray diffraction combined with a four-point bending method. A lower slope of the initial elastic segment of the curve of X-ray measured stress versus applied strain results from incomplete elastic strain transferred from the substrate to the film due to insufficiently strong interface cohesion. So the slope of the initial elastic segment of the X-ray stress (or X-ray strain directly) of the film against the substrate applied strain may be used to measure the film-substrate cohesive strength. The yield strength of the attached copper film is much higher than that of the bulk material and varies linearly with the inverse of the film thickness. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

Effects of annealing temperature on mechanical durability of indium-tin oxide film on polyethylene terephthalate substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machinaga, Hironobu; Ueda, Eri; Mizuike, Atsuko; Takeda, Yuuki; Shimokita, Keisuke; Miyazaki, Tsukasa

2014-01-01

Effects of the annealing temperature on mechanical durability of indium-tin oxide (ITO) thin films deposited on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates were investigated. The ITO films were annealed at the range from 150 °C to 195 °C after the DC sputtering deposition for the production of polycrystalline ITO layers on the substrates. The onset strains of cracking in the annealed ITO films were evaluated by the uniaxial stretching tests with electrical resistance measurements during film stretching. The results indicate that the onset strain of cracking in the ITO film is clearly increased by increasing the annealing temperature. The in-situ measurements of the inter-planer spacing of the (222) plane in the crystalline ITO films during film stretching by using synchrotron radiation strongly suggest that the large compressive stress in the ITO film increases the onset strain of cracking in the film. X-ray stress analyses of the annealed ITO films and thermal mechanical analyses of the PET substrates also clarifies that the residual compressive stress in the ITO film is enhanced with increasing the annealing temperature due to the considerably larger shrinkage of the PET substrate. - Highlights: • Indium-tin oxide (ITO) films were deposited on polyethylene terephthalate (PET). • Mechanical durability of the ITO is improved by high temperature post-annealing. • The shrinkage in the PET increases with rising the post-annealing temperature. • The shrinkage of the PET enhances the compressive stress in the ITO film. • Large compressive stress in the ITO film may improve its mechanical durability

Improved luminescence intensity and stability of thermal annealed ZnO incorporated Alq3 composite films.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuba, M; Muralidharan, G

2015-11-01

The 30 wt% of ZnO (weight percentage of ZnO has been optimised) incorporated tris- (8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3) has been synthesised and coated on to glass substrates using dip coating method. The structural and optical properties of the Alq3/ZnO composite film after thermal annealing from 50 to 300 °C insteps 50° has been studied and reported. XRD pattern reveals the presence of crystalline ZnO in all the annealed films. The films annealed above 150 °C reveal the presence of crystalline Alq3 along with crystalline ZnO. The FTIR spectra confirm the presence of hydroxyquinoline and ZnO vibration in all the annealed composite films. The composite films annealed above 150 °C show a partial sublimation and degradation of hydroxyquinoline compounds. The ZnO incorporated composite films (Alq3/ZnO) exhibit two emission peaks, one corresponding to ZnO at 487 nm and another at 513 nm due to Alq3. The films annealed at 200 °C exhibit maximum photoluminescence (PL) intensity than pristine film at 513 nm when excited at 390 nm.

Post-annealing effect on the room-temperature ferromagnetism in Cu-doped ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Yu-Min; Kuang, Chein-Hsiun; Han, Tai-Chun; Yu, Chin-Chung; Li, Sih-Sian

2015-01-01

In this work, we investigated the structural and magnetic properties of both as-deposited and post-annealed Cu-doped ZnO thin films for better understanding the possible mechanisms of room-temperature ferromagnetism (RT-FM) in ZnO-based diluted magnetic oxides. All of the films have a c-axis-oriented wurtzite structure and display RT-FM. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that the incorporated Cu ions in as-deposited films are in 1+ valence state merely, while an additional 2+ valence state occurs in post-annealed films. The presence of Cu 2+ state in post-annealed film accompanies a higher magnetization value than that of as-deposited film and, in particular, the magnetization curves at 10 K and 300 K of the post-annealed film separate distinctly. Since Cu 1+ ion has a filled 3d band, the RT-FM in as-deposited Cu-doped ZnO thin films may stem solely from intrinsic defects, while that in post-annealed films is enhanced due to the presence of CuO crystallites

Encapsulation of electroless copper patterns into diamond films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pimenov, S.M.; Shafeev, G.A.; Lavrischev, S.V. [General Physics Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation)] [and others

1995-12-31

The results are reported on encapsulating copper lines into diamond films grown by a DC plasma CVD. The process includes the steps of (i) laser activation of diamond for electroless metal plating, (ii) electroless copper deposition selectively onto the activated surface regions, and (iii) diamond regrowth on the Cu-patterned diamond films. The composition and electrical properties of the encapsulated copper lines were examined, revealing high purity and low electrical resistivity of the encapsulated electroless copper.

Influence of annealing temperature and environment on the properties of indium tin oxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, R X; Beling, C D; Fung, S; Djurisic, A B; Ling, C C; Kwong, C; Li, S

2005-01-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates using the e-beam evaporating technique. The influence of deposition rate and post-deposition annealing on the optical properties of the films was investigated in detail. It is found that the deposition rate and annealing conditions strongly affect the optical properties of the films. The transmittance of films greatly increases with increasing annealing temperature below 300 deg. C but drastically drops at 400 deg. C when they are annealed in forming gas (mixed N 2 and H 2 gas). An interesting phenomenon observed is that the transmittance of the darkened film can recover under further 400 deg. C annealing in air. Atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy were employed to obtain information on the chemical state and crystallization of the films. Analysis of these data suggests that the loss and re-incorporating of oxygen are responsible for the reversible behaviour of the ITO thin films

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.

Annealing of dislocation loops in neutron-irradiated copper investigated by positron annihilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauster, W.B.; Mantl, S.; Schober, T.; Triftshauser, W.

1975-01-01

Positron annihilation angular correlation measurements were carried out on neutron-irradiated copper as a function of annealing temperature. Two types of specimens were used: single crystals irradiated with fast neutrons, and 10 B-doped polycrystalline samples irradiated with thermal neutrons. All irradiations were at approximately 320 0 K. A structure in the annealing curve, not previously observed by other techniques, indicates that between 460 and 600 0 K the dislocation loops present after irradiation dissociate and more effective positron trapping sites are formed. (auth)

Tuning microstructure and magnetic properties of electrodeposited CoNiP films by high magnetic field annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Chun; Wang, Kai [Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Processing of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Li, Donggang, E-mail: lidonggang@smm.neu.edu.cn [School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Lou, Changsheng [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenyang Ligong University, Shenyang 110159 (China); Zhao, Yue; Gao, Yang [Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Processing of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Wang, Qiang, E-mail: wangq@mail.neu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Processing of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China)

2016-10-15

A high magnetic field (up to 12 T) has been used to anneal 2.6-µm-thick Co{sub 50}Ni{sub 40}P{sub 10} films formed by pulse electrodeposition. The effects of high magnetic field annealing on the microstructure and magnetic properties of CoNiP thin films have been investigated. It was found that a high magnetic field accelerated a phase transformation from fcc to hcp and enhanced the preferred hcp-(002) orientation during annealing. Compared with the films annealed without a magnetic field, annealing at 12 T decreased the surface particle size, roughness, and coercivity, but increased the saturation magnetization and remanent magnetization of CoNiP films. The out-of-plane coercivity was higher than that the in-plane for the as-deposited films. After annealing without a magnetic field, the out-of-plane coercivity was equal to that of the in-plane. However, the out-of-plane coercivity was higher than that of the in-plane when annealing at 12 T. These results indicate that high magnetic field annealing is an effective method for tuning the microstructure and magnetic properties of thin films. - Highlights: • High magnetic field annealing accelerated phase transformation from γ to ε. • High magnetic field annealing enhanced preferred hcp-(002) orientation. • High magnetic field annealing decreased particle size, roughness and coercivity. • High magnetic field annealing increased the saturation and remanent magnetization.

Annealing Effect on the Photoelectrochemical Properties of BiVO_4 Thin Film Electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Nur Farhana Mohd Nasir; Mohd Asri Mat Teridi; Mehdi Ebadi; Sagu, J.S.

2015-01-01

Monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BiVO_4) thin film electrodes were fabricated on fluorine-doped tin oxide via aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD). Annealing and without annealing effect of thin films were analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis) and current voltage measurement. All BiVO_4 thin films showed an anodic photocurrent. The sample of BiVO_4 annealed at 400 degree Celsius exhibited the highest photocurrent density of 0.44 mAcm"-"2 vs. Ag/ AgCl at 1.23 V. (author)

Effect of annealing time on optical and electrical properties of CdS thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Soliya, Vanshika; Tandel, Digisha; Patel, Chandani; Patel, Kinjal

2018-05-01

Cadmium sulphide (CdS) is semiconductor compound of II-VI group. Thin film of CdS widely used in the applications such as, a buffer layer in copper indium diselenide (CIS) hetrojunction based solar cells, transistors, photo detectors and light emitting diodes. Because of the ease of making like chemical bath deposition (CBD), screen printing and thermal evaporation. It is extensively used in the CIS based solar cells as a buffer layers. The buffer layers usually used for reducing the interface recombination of the photo generated carriers by means of improving the lattice mismatch between the layers. The optimum thickness and the optoelectronics properties of CdS thin films like, optical band gap, electrical resistivity, structure, and composition etc., are to be considering for its use as a buffer layer. In the present study the CdS thin film were grown by simple dip coating method. In this method we had prepared 0.1M Cadmium-thiourea precursor solution. Before the deposition process of CdS, glass substrate has been cleaned using Methanol, Acetone, Trichloroethylene and De-ionized (DI) water. After coating of precursor layer, it was heated at 200 °C for themolysis. Then after CdS films were annealed at 200 °C for different time and studied its influence on the optical transmission, band gap, XRD, raman and the electrical resistivity. As increasing the annealing time we had observed the average transmission of the films was reduce after the absorption edge. In addition to the blue shift of absorption edge was observed. The observed optimum band gap was around 2.50 eV. XRD and raman analysis confirms the cubuc phase of CdS. Hot probe method confirms the n-type conductivity of the CdS film. Hall probe data shows the resistivity of the films was in the order of 103 Ωcm. Observed data signifies its future use in the many optoelectronics devices.

Rapid preparation of solution-processed InGaZnO thin films by microwave annealing and photoirradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheong, Heajeong; Ogura, Shintaro; Ushijima, Hirobumi; Yoshida, Manabu; Fukuda, Nobuko; Uemura, Sei

2015-01-01

We fabricated solution-processed indium–gallium–zinc oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) by microwave (MW) annealing an IGZO precursor film followed by irradiating with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light. MW annealing allows more rapid heating of the precursor film than conventional annealing processes using a hot plate or electric oven and promotes the crystallization of IGZO. VUV irradiation was used to reduce the duration and temperature of the post-annealing step. Consequently, the IGZO TFTs fabricated through MW annealing for 5 min and VUV irradiation for 1 min exhibited an on/off current ratio of 10 8 and a field-effect mobility of 0.3 cm 2  V −1  s −1 . These results indicate that MW annealing and photoirradiation is an effective combination for annealing solution processed IGZO precursor films to prepare the semiconductor layers of TFTs

Structural, morphological and optical properties of thermal annealed TiO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zribi, M.; Kanzari, M.; Rezig, B.

2008-01-01

Structural, morphological and optical properties of TiO thin films grown by single source thermal evaporation method were studied. The films were annealed from 300 to 520 deg. C in air after evaporation. Qualitative film analysis was performed with X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and optical transmittance and reflectance spectra. A correlation was established between the optical properties, surface roughness and growth morphology of the evaporated TiO thin films. The X-ray diffraction spectra indicated the presence of the TiO 2 phase for the annealing temperature above 400 deg. C

Influence of annealing on X-ray radiation sensing properties of TiO2 thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Sarma, M. P.; Kalita, J. M.; Wary, G.

2018-03-01

A recent study shows that the titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin film synthesised by a chemical bath deposition technique is a very useful material for the X-ray radiation sensor. In this work, we reported the influence of annealing on the X-ray radiation detection sensitivity of the TiO2 film. The films were annealed at 333 K, 363 K, 393 K, 473 K, and 573 K for 1 hour. Structural analyses showed that the microstrain and dislocation density decreased whereas the average crystallite size increased with annealing. The band gap of the films also decreased from 3.26 eV to 3.10 eV after annealing. The I-V characteristics record under the dark condition and under the X-ray irradiation showed that the conductivity increased with annealing. The influence of annealing on the detection sensitivity was negligible if the bias voltage applied across the films was low (within 0.2 V‒1.0 V). At higher bias voltage (>1.0 V), the contribution of electrons excited by X-ray became less significant which affected the detection sensitivity.

Control of crystal structure, morphology and optical properties of ceria films by post deposition annealing treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eltayeb, Asmaa; Vijayaraghavan, Rajani K.; McCoy, Anthony P.; Cullen, Joseph; Daniels, Stephen; McGlynn, Enda

2016-01-01

In this paper, the effects of post-deposition annealing temperature and atmosphere on the properties of pulsed DC magnetron sputtered ceria (CeO_2) thin films, including crystalline structure, grain size and shape and optical properties were investigated. Experimental results, obtained from X-ray diffraction (XRD), showed that the prepared films crystallised predominantly in the CeO_2 cubic fluorite structure, although evidence of Ce_2O_3 was also seen and this was quantified by a Rietveld refinement. The anneal temperature and oxygen content of the Ar/O_2 annealing atmosphere both played important roles on the size and shape of the nanocrystals as determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The average grain size (determined by an AFM) as well as the out of plane coherence length (obtained from XRD) varied with increasing oxygen flow rate (OFR) in the annealing chamber. In addition, the shape of the grains seen in the AFM studies transformed from circular to triangular as the OFR was raised from 20 sccm to 30 sccm during an 800 °C thermal anneal. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to measure near-surface oxidation states of the thin-films with varying OFR in the annealing chamber. The bandgap energies were estimated from the ultra-violet and visible absorption spectra and low-temperature photoluminescence. An extracted bandgap value of 3.04 eV was determined for as-deposited CeO_2 films and this value increased with increasing annealing temperatures. However, no difference was observed in bandgap energies with variation of annealing atmosphere. - Highlights: • Deposition of ceria thin films by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering • Effect of annealing temperature and gas ambient on film crystalline structure • Evidence for control of the film roughness and grain size and shape is achieved. • Investigation of the effect of post-deposition annealing on the film stoichiometry • Films showed blue shifts in bandgap energies with increasing annealing

Annealing of TiO2 Films Deposited on Si by Irradiating Nitrogen Ion Beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yokota, Katsuhiro; Yano, Yoshinori; Miyashita, Fumiyoshi

2006-01-01

Thin TiO2 films were deposited on Si at a temperature of 600 deg. C by an ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) method. The TiO2 films were annealed for 30 min in Ar at temperatures below 700 deg. C. The as-deposited TiO2 films had high permittivities such 200 εo and consisted of crystallites that were not preferentially oriented to the c-axis but had an expanded c-axis. On the annealed TiO2 films, permittivities became lower with increasing annealing temperature, and crystallites were oriented preferentially to the (110) plane

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.

Structural, electrical and optical studies of SILAR deposited cadmium oxide thin films: Annealing effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salunkhe, R.R.; Dhawale, D.S.; Gujar, T.P.; Lokhande, C.D.

2009-01-01

Successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method has been successfully employed for the deposition of cadmium oxide (CdO) thin films. The films were annealed at 623 K for 2 h in an air and changes in the structural, electrical and optical properties were studied. From the X-ray diffraction patterns, it was found that after annealing, H 2 O vapors from as-deposited Cd(O 2 ) 0.88 (OH) 0.24 were removed and pure cubic cadmium oxide was obtained. The as-deposited film consists of nanocrystalline grains of average diameter about 20-30 nm with uniform coverage of the substrate surface, whereas for the annealed film randomly oriented morphology with slight increase in the crystallite size has been observed. The electrical resistivity showed the semiconducting nature with room temperature electrical resistivity decreased from 10 -2 to 10 -3 Ω cm after annealing. The decrease in the band gap energy from 3.3 to 2.7 eV was observed after the annealing

Effect of Vertical Annealing on the Nitrogen Dioxide Response of Organic Thin Film Transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sihui Hou

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Nitrogen dioxide (NO2 sensors based on organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs were fabricated by conventional annealing (horizontal and vertical annealing processes of organic semiconductor (OSC films. The NO2 responsivity of OTFTs to 15 ppm of NO2 is 1408% under conditions of vertical annealing and only 72% when conventional annealing is applied. Moreover, gas sensors obtained by vertical annealing achieve a high sensing performance of 589% already at 1 ppm of NO2, while showing a preferential response to NO2 compared with SO2, NH3, CO, and H2S. To analyze the mechanism of performance improvement of OTFT gas sensors, the morphologies of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl-pentacene (TIPS-pentacene films were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM in tapping mode. The results show that, in well-aligned TIPS-pentacene films, a large number of effective grain boundaries inside the conducting channel contribute to the enhancement of NO2 gas sensing performance.

Influence of interdiffusion on the magnetic properties of Co/Si (100) films after high magnetic field annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Yue; Wang, Kai; Wang, Qiang; Li, Guojian; Lou, Changsheng; Pang, Hongxuan; He, Jicheng

2015-01-01

The influence of interdiffusion on the magnetic properties of Co/Si (100) films after thermal annealing in the presence of a strong magnetic field was investigated. The interdiffusion coefficients of films that were annealed at temperatures of 380 °C and 420 °C in the presence of high magnetic fields were not affected. However, the interdiffusion coefficient of films annealed at 400 °C in the presence of a high magnetic field decreased significantly. The change in the interdiffusion coefficient, caused by high magnetic field annealing, increased the content of the magnetic phase. This increase in the magnetic phase improved the saturation magnetization. A new method of high magnetic field annealing is presented that can modulate the diffusion and magnetic properties of thin films. - Highlights: • Interdiffusion of Co/Si (100) films by high magnetic field annealing was studied. • Thickness of the diffusion layer was reduced by magnetic field annealing at 400 °C. • Interdiffusion coefficient decreased following magnetic field annealing at 400 °C. • Saturation magnetization increased after high magnetic field annealing at 400 °C

Effect of annealing temperature on the tribological behavior of ZnO films prepared by sol-gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Liyu; Kim, Dae-Eun

2009-01-01

The tribological behavior of zinc oxide (ZnO) films grown on glass and silicon (100) substrates by sol-gel method was investigated. Particularly, the as-coated films were post-annealed at different temperatures in air to investigate the effect of annealing temperature. Crystal structural and surface morphology of the films were measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). XRD patterns and AFM images indicated that the crystallinity and grain size of the films were enhanced and increased, respectively, with temperature. The tribological behavior of films was evaluated by sliding the ZnO films against a Si 3 N 4 ball under 0.5 gf normal load using a reciprocating pin-on-plate tribo-tester. The wear tracks of the films were measured by AFM to quantify the wear resistance of the films. The results showed that the wear resistance of the films could be improved by the annealing process. The wear resistance of the films generally increased with annealing temperature. Specifically, the wear resistance of the films was significantly improved when the annealing temperature was higher than 550 deg. C. The increase in the wear resistance is attributed to the increase in hardness and modulus of the film with annealing temperature

Perpendicular Structure Formation of Block Copolymer Thin Films during Thermal Solvent Vapor Annealing: Solvent and Thickness Effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiuyan Yang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Solvent vapor annealing of block copolymer (BCP thin films can produce a range of interesting morphologies, especially when the perpendicular orientation of micro-domains with respect to the substrate plays a role. This, for instance, allows BCP thin films to serve as useful templates for nanolithography and hybrid materials preparation. However, precise control of the arising morphologies is essential, but in most cases difficult to achieve. In this work, we investigated the solvent and thickness effects on the morphology of poly(styrene-b-2 vinyl pyridine (PS-b-P2VP thin films with a film thickness range from 0.4 L0 up to 0.8 L0. Ordered perpendicular structures were achieved. One of the main merits of our work is that the phase behavior of the ultra-high molecular weight BCP thin films, which hold a 100-nm sized domain distance, can be easily monitored via current available techniques, such as scanning electron microscope (SEM, atomic force microscope (AFM, and transmission electron microscope (TEM. Systematic monitoring of the self-assembly behavior during solvent vapor annealing can thus provide an experimental guideline for the optimization of processing conditions of related BCP films systems.

Annealing temperature dependence of the structures and properties of Co-implanted ZnO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Bin; Tang, Kun; Gu, Shulin; Ye, Jiandong; Huang, Shimin; Gu, Ran; Zhang, Yang; Yao, Zhengrong; Zhu, Shunming; Zheng, Youdou

2014-01-01

Highlights: • To avoid the forming of Co clusters and explore the origin of the magnetism, detailed investigation on the properties of the Co-implanted ZnO films with a rather low dose of 8 × 10 15 cm −2 and high implantation energy of 1 MeV were carried out. • The crystalline structure of the damaged region caused by ion-implantation has been recovered via the thermal annealing treatment at the temperature of 900 °C and above. • The low temperature magnetic hysteresis loops have indicated paramagnetism for the annealed films with weak ferromagnetic characteristics. • The zero-field cooling (ZFC) magnetization curves of the Co-implanted ZnO samples have varied from concave shape to convex one as the annealing temperature increased from 750 °C to 1000 °C. - Abstract: The effects of thermal annealing treatment on the structural, electrical, optical and magnetic properties of Co-implanted ZnO (0 0 0 1) films have been investigated in detail. The crystalline structure of the damaged region caused by ion implantation has been recovered via the thermal annealing at the temperature of 900 °C and above, and no Co clusters or its related oxide phases have been observed. The electrical and optical properties of the annealed films have shown strong dependence on the annealing temperature. The zero field cooling magnetization curves of the annealed films have varied from concave shape to convex one as the annealing temperature increased from 750 °C to 1000 °C, which are possibly tuned by the changes of the ratio of the itinerant carriers over the localized spin density. The low temperature magnetic hysteresis loops have indicated paramagnetic behavior for the annealed films with weak ferromagnetic characteristics. The ferromagnetism is attributed to the substituted Co 2+ ions and vacancy defects, while the paramagnetism could be induced by ionized interstitial Zn defects

Rapid preparation of solution-processed InGaZnO thin films by microwave annealing and photoirradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheong, Heajeong; Ogura, Shintaro; Ushijima, Hirobumi; Yoshida, Manabu; Fukuda, Nobuko; Uemura, Sei, E-mail: sei-uemura@aist.go.jp [Flexible Electronics Research Center (FLEC), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565 (Japan)

2015-06-15

We fabricated solution-processed indium–gallium–zinc oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) by microwave (MW) annealing an IGZO precursor film followed by irradiating with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light. MW annealing allows more rapid heating of the precursor film than conventional annealing processes using a hot plate or electric oven and promotes the crystallization of IGZO. VUV irradiation was used to reduce the duration and temperature of the post-annealing step. Consequently, the IGZO TFTs fabricated through MW annealing for 5 min and VUV irradiation for 1 min exhibited an on/off current ratio of 10{sup 8} and a field-effect mobility of 0.3 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}. These results indicate that MW annealing and photoirradiation is an effective combination for annealing solution processed IGZO precursor films to prepare the semiconductor layers of TFTs.

Influence of annealing temperature on Raman and photoluminescence spectra of electron beam evaporated TiO₂ thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Vishwas, M; Narasimha Rao, K; Chakradhar, R P S

2012-12-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) thin films were deposited on fused quartz substrates by electron beam evaporation method at room temperature. The films were annealed at different temperatures in ambient air. The surface morphology/roughness at different annealing temperatures were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The crystallinity of the film has improved with the increase of annealing temperature. The effect of annealing temperature on optical, photoluminescence and Raman spectra of TiO(2) films were investigated. The refractive index of TiO(2) films were studied by envelope method and reflectance spectra and it is observed that the refractive index of the films was high. The photoluminescence intensity corresponding to green emission was enhanced with increase of annealing temperature. The peaks in Raman spectra depicts that the TiO(2) film is of anatase phase after annealing at 300°C and higher. The films show high refractive index, good optical quality and photoluminescence characteristics suggest that possible usage in opto-electronic and optical coating applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of annealing time on morphological characteristics of Ba(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavalcante, L.S.; Anicete-Santos, M.; Pontes, F.M.; Souza, I.A.; Santos, L.P.S.; Rosa, I.L.V.; Santos, M.R.M.C.; Santos-Junior, L.S.; Leite, E.R.; Longo, E.

2007-01-01

Ba(Zr 0.50 Ti 0.50 )O 3 thin films were prepared by the polymeric precursor method using the annealing low temperature of 300 o C for 8, 16, 24, 48, 96 and 192h in a furnace tube with oxygen atmosphere. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the film annealed for 192 h presented some crystallographic planes (1bar 0bar 0) (1bar 1bar 0) and (2bar 0bar 0) in its crystalline lattice. Fourier transformed infrared presented the formation of metal-oxygen stretching at around 756cm -1 . The atomic force microscopy analysis presented the growth of granules in the Ba(Zr 0.50 Ti 0.50 )O 3 films annealed from 8 to 96h. The crystalline film annealed for 192h already presents grains in its perovskite structure. It evidenced a reduction in the thickness of the thin films with the increase of the annealing time

Chemical Annealing of Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrin Films: Effects on Film Morphology and Organic Photovoltaic Performance

KAUST Repository

Trinh, Cong; Whited, Matthew T.; Steiner, Andrew; Tassone, Christopher J.; Toney, Michael F.; Thompson, Mark E.

2012-01-01

We present a chemical annealing process for organic thin films. In this process, a thin film of a molecular material, such as zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP), is exposed to a vapor of nitrogen-based ligand (e.g., pyrazine, pz, and triazine, tz

Preparation of nickel oxide thin films at different annealing temperature by sol-gel spin coating method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdullah, M. A. R., E-mail: ameerridhwan89@gmail.com; Mamat, M. H., E-mail: hafiz-030@yahoo.com; Ismail, A. S., E-mail: kyrin-samaxi@yahoo.com [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Malek, M. F., E-mail: firz-solarzelle@yahoo.com [NANO-SciTech Centre (NST), Institute of Science (IOS), Universiti Teknologi MARA - UiTM, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Alrokayan, Salman A. H., E-mail: dr.salman@alrokayan.com; Khan, Haseeb A., E-mail: khan-haseeb@yahoo.com [Chair of Targeting and Treatment of Cancer Using Nanoparticles, Deanship of Scientific Research, King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Rusop, M., E-mail: rusop@salam.uitm.my [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); NANO-SciTech Centre (NST), Institute of Science (IOS), Universiti Teknologi MARA - UiTM, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia)

2016-07-06

Preparation of NiO thin films at different annealing temperature by sol-gel method was conducted to synthesize the quality of the surface thin films. The effects of annealing temperature on the surface topology were systematically investigated. Our studies confirmed that the surface roughness of the thin films was increased whenever annealing temperature was increase. NiO thin films morphology structure analysis was confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscope. Surface roughness of the thin films was investigated by atomic force microscopy.

Preparation of nickel oxide thin films at different annealing temperature by sol-gel spin coating method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdullah, M. A. R.; Mamat, M. H.; Ismail, A. S.; Malek, M. F.; Alrokayan, Salman A. H.; Khan, Haseeb A.; Rusop, M.

2016-01-01

Preparation of NiO thin films at different annealing temperature by sol-gel method was conducted to synthesize the quality of the surface thin films. The effects of annealing temperature on the surface topology were systematically investigated. Our studies confirmed that the surface roughness of the thin films was increased whenever annealing temperature was increase. NiO thin films morphology structure analysis was confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscope. Surface roughness of the thin films was investigated by atomic force microscopy.

Effect of annealing temperatures on the morphology and structural properties of PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Rozana, M. D.; Arshad, A. N.; Wahid, M. H. M.; Habibah, Z.; Sarip, M. N.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

This study investigates the effect of annealing on the topography, morphology and crystal phases of poly(vinylideneflouride)/Magnesium Oxide (MgO) nanocomposites thin films via AFM, FESEM and ATR-FTIR. The nanocomposites thin films were annealed at temperatures ranging from 70°C to 170°C. The annealed PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films were then cooled at room temperature before removal from the oven. This is to restructure the crystal lattice and to reduce imperfection for the PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films. PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films with annealing temperatures of 70°C, 90°C and 110°C showed uniform distribution of MgO nanoparticles, relatively low average surface roughness and no visible of defects. High application of annealing temperature on PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films caused tear-like defects on the thin films surface as observed by FESEM. The PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films annealed at 70°C was found to be a favourable film to be utilized in this study due to its enhanced β-crystalites of PVDF as evident in ATR-FTIR spectra.

Rapid thermal annealing of Ti-rich TiNi thin films: A new approach to fabricate patterned shape memory thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motemani, Y.; Tan, M.J.; White, T.J.; Huang, W.M.

2011-01-01

This paper reports the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of Ti-rich TiNi thin films, synthesized by the co-sputtering of TiNi and Ti targets. Long-range order of aperiodic alloy could be achieved in a few seconds with the optimum temperature of 773 K. Longer annealing (773 K/240 s), transformed the film to a poorly ordered vitreous phase, suggesting a novel method for solid state amorphization. Reitveld refinement analyses showed significant differences in structural parameters of the films crystallized by rapid and conventional thermal annealing. Dependence of the elastic modulus on the valence electron density (VED) of the crystallized films was studied. It is suggested that RTA provides a new approach to fabricate patterned shape memory thin films.

Formation of copper-indium-selenide and/or copper-indium-gallium-selenide films from indium selenide and copper selenide precursors

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Calvin J [Lakewood, CO; Miedaner, Alexander [Boulder, CO; Van Hest, Maikel [Lakewood, CO; Ginley, David S [Evergreen, CO; Nekuda, Jennifer A [Lakewood, CO

2011-11-15

Liquid-based indium selenide and copper selenide precursors, including copper-organoselenides, particulate copper selenide suspensions, copper selenide ethylene diamine in liquid solvent, nanoparticulate indium selenide suspensions, and indium selenide ethylene diamine coordination compounds in solvent, are used to form crystalline copper-indium-selenide, and/or copper indium gallium selenide films (66) on substrates (52).

Step driven competitive epitaxial and self-limited growth of graphene on copper surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lili Fan

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The existence of surface steps was found to have significant function and influence on the growth of graphene on copper via chemical vapor deposition. The two typical growth modes involved were found to be influenced by the step morphologies on copper surface, which led to our proposed step driven competitive growth mechanism. We also discovered a protective role of graphene in preserving steps on copper surface. Our results showed that wide and high steps promoted epitaxial growth and yielded multilayer graphene domains with regular shape, while dense and low steps favored self-limited growth and led to large-area monolayer graphene films. We have demonstrated that controllable growth of graphene domains of specific shape and large-area continuous graphene films are feasible.

Annealing impact on the structural and photoluminescence properties of ZnO thin films on Ag substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Linhua; Zheng, Gaige; Lai, Min; Pei, Shixin

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: The Gaussian fitting indicates that the PL spectra of the ZnO thin films include four emission peaks which are centered at 380, 520, 570 and 610 nm, respectively. The ZnO thin film deposited on an Ag substrate shows a stronger green emission and a weaker UV emission than the ZnO thin film directly deposited on a Si substrate annealed at 400 °C. With the rise of annealing temperature, the visible emission intensity and wavelength are largely changed. Highlights: • ZnO thin films have been prepared on Ag substrates by sol–gel method. • The Ag substrates have a great effect on the photoluminescence of ZnO thin films. • All the films exhibit three visible emission bands including green, yellow and red. • Annealing causes a large change of the visible emission intensity and wavelength. -- Abstract: In this work, ZnO thin films were prepared by sol–gel method on Ag substrates. The structural and optical properties of the films annealed at different temperatures were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence, respectively. The results of XRD showed that all the ZnO thin films had a wurtzite phase and were preferentially oriented along the c-axis direction. The sample annealed at 400 °C exhibited better crystalline quality than the ZnO thin film directly deposited on a Si substrate annealed at the same temperature. The photoluminescence spectra showed that ZnO thin films had an ultraviolet emission band and three visible emission bands including green, yellow and red band. The sample annealed at 400 °C exhibited a stronger green emission and a weaker ultraviolet emission compared with the ZnO thin film deposited on a Si substrate annealed at the same temperature. The difference of the luminescence properties was thought to be originated from different substrates. As for the ZnO films on Ag substrates, the increase of annealing temperature led to different changes of visible emissions

Effect of native oxide layers on copper thin-film tensile properties: A reactive molecular dynamics study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skarlinski, Michael D., E-mail: michael.skarlinski@rochester.edu [Materials Science Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Quesnel, David J. [Materials Science Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States)

2015-12-21

Metal-oxide layers are likely to be present on metallic nano-structures due to either environmental exposure during use, or high temperature processing techniques such as annealing. It is well known that nano-structured metals have vastly different mechanical properties from bulk metals; however, difficulties in modeling the transition between metallic and ionic bonding have prevented the computational investigation of the effects of oxide surface layers. Newly developed charge-optimized many body [Liang et al., Mater. Sci. Eng., R 74, 255 (2013)] potentials are used to perform fully reactive molecular dynamics simulations which elucidate the effects that metal-oxide layers have on the mechanical properties of a copper thin-film. Simulated tensile tests are performed on thin-films while using different strain-rates, temperatures, and oxide thicknesses to evaluate changes in yield stress, modulus, and failure mechanisms. Findings indicate that copper-thin film mechanical properties are strongly affected by native oxide layers. The formed oxide layers have an amorphous structure with lower Cu-O bond-densities than bulk CuO, and a mixture of Cu{sub 2}O and CuO charge character. It is found that oxidation will cause modifications to the strain response of the elastic modulii, producing a stiffened modulii at low temperatures (<75 K) and low strain values (<5%), and a softened modulii at higher temperatures. While under strain, structural reorganization within the oxide layers facilitates brittle yielding through nucleation of defects across the oxide/metal interface. The oxide-free copper thin-film yielding mechanism is found to be a tensile-axis reorientation and grain creation. The oxide layers change the observed yielding mechanism, allowing for the inner copper thin-film to sustain an FCC-to-BCC transition during yielding. The mechanical properties are fit to a thermodynamic model based on classical nucleation theory. The fit implies that the oxidation of the

Excimer pulsed laser deposition and annealing of YSZ nanometric films on Si substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caricato, A.P.; Barucca, G.; Di Cristoforo, A.; Leggieri, G.; Luches, A.; Majni, G.; Martino, M.; Mengucci, P.

2005-01-01

We report experimental results obtained for electrical and structural characteristics of yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on Si substrates at room temperature. Some samples were submitted to thermal treatments in different ambient atmospheres (vacuum, N 2 and O 2 ) at a moderate temperature. The effects of thermal treatments on the film electrical properties were studied by C-V and I-V measurements. Structural characteristics were obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. The as-deposited film was amorphous with an in-depth non-uniform density. The annealed films became polycrystalline with a more uniform density. The sample annealed in O 2 was uniform over all the thickness. Electrical characterisation showed large hysteresis, high leakage current and positive charges trapped in the oxide in the as-deposited film. Post-deposition annealing, especially in O 2 atmosphere, improved considerably the electrical properties of the films

Orientation of rapid thermally annealed lead zirconate titanate thin films on (111) Pt substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, K.G.; Reaney, I.M.; Klissurska, R.; Huang, Y.; Bursill, L.A.; Setter, N.

1994-01-01

The nucleation, growth and orientation of lead zirconate titanate thin films prepared from organometallic precursor solutions by spin coating on (111) oriented platinum substrates and crystallized by rapid thermal annealing was investigated. The effects of pyrolysis temperature, post-pyrolysis thermal treatments, excess lead addition, and Nb dopant substitution are reported. The use of post pyrolysis oxygen anneals at temperatures in the regime of 350-450 deg C was found to strongly effect the kinetics of subsequent amorphous-pyrochlore perovskite crystallization by rapid thermal annealing. It has also allowed films of reproducible microstructure and textures (both (100) and (111)) to be prepared by rapid thermal annealing. It is suggested that such anneals and pyrolysis temperature affect the oxygen concentration/average Pb valence in the amorphous films prior to annealing. The changes in Pb valence state then affect the stability of the transient pyrochlore phase and thus the kinetics of perovskite crystallization. Nb dopant was also found to influence the crystallization kinetics. 28 refs., 18 figs

Precursors for formation of copper selenide, indium selenide, copper indium diselenide, and/or copper indium gallium diselenide films

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Calvin J; Miedaner, Alexander; Van Hest, Maikel; Ginley, David S

2014-11-04

Liquid-based precursors for formation of Copper Selenide, Indium Selenide, Copper Indium Diselenide, and/or copper Indium Galium Diselenide include copper-organoselenides, particulate copper selenide suspensions, copper selenide ethylene diamine in liquid solvent, nanoparticulate indium selenide suspensions, and indium selenide ethylene diamine coordination compounds in solvent. These liquid-based precursors can be deposited in liquid form onto substrates and treated by rapid thermal processing to form crystalline copper selenide and indium selenide films.

Processing of Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide Nanocrystal Dispersions for Thin Film Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Bryce Arthur

A scalable and inexpensive renewable energy source is needed to meet the expected increase in electricity demand throughout the developed and developing world in the next 15 years without contributing further to global warming through CO2 emissions. Photovoltaics may meet this need but current technologies are less than ideal requiring complex manufacturing processes and/or use of toxic, rare-earth materials. Copper zinc tin sulfide (Cu 2ZnSnS4, CZTS) solar cells offer a true "green" alternative based upon non-toxic and abundant elements. Solution-based processes utilizing CZTS nanocrystal dispersions followed by high temperature annealing have received significant research attention due to their compatibility with traditional roll-to-roll coating processes. In this work, CZTS nanocrystal (5-35 nm diameters) dispersions were utilized as a production pathway to form solar absorber layers. Aerosol-based coating methods (aerosol jet printing and ultrasonic spray coating) were optimized for formation of dense, crack-free CZTS nanocrystal coatings. The primary variables underlying determination of coating morphology within the aerosol-coating parameter space were investigated. It was found that the liquid content of the aerosol droplets at the time of substrate impingement play a critical role. Evaporation of the liquid from the aerosol droplets during coating was altered through changes to coating parameters as well as to the CZTS nanocrystal dispersions. In addition, factors influencing conversion of CZTS nanocrystal coatings into dense, large-grained polycrystalline films suitable for solar cell development during thermal annealing were studied. The roles nanocrystal size, carbon content, sodium uptake, and sulfur pressure were found to have pivotal roles in film microstructure evolution. The effects of these parameters on film morphology, grain growth rates, and chemical makeup were analyzed from electron microscopy images as well as compositional analysis

Influence of film structure on the dewetting kinetics of thin polymer films in the solvent annealing process.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Huanhuan; Xu, Lin; Lai, Yuqing; Shi, Tongfei

2016-06-28

On a non-wetting solid substrate, the solvent annealing process of a thin polymer film includes the swelling process and the dewetting process. Owing to difficulties in the in situ analysis of the two processes simultaneously, a quantitative study on the solvent annealing process of thin polymer films on the non-wetting solid substrate is extremely rare. In this paper, we design an experimental method by combining spectroscopic ellipsometry with optical microscopy to achieve the simultaneous in situ study. Using this method, we investigate the influence of the structure of swollen film on its dewetting kinetics during the solvent annealing process. The results show that for a thin PS film with low Mw (Mw = 4.1 kg mol(-1)), acetone molecules can form an ultrathin enriched layer between the PS film and the solid substrate during the swelling process. The presence of the acetone enriched layer accounts for the exponential kinetic behavior in the case of a thin PS film with low Mw. However, the acetone enriched layer is not observed in the case of a thin PS film with high Mw (Mw = 400 kg mol(-1)) and the slippage effect of polymer chains is valid during the dewetting process.

Effects of annealing time on the structure, morphology, and stress of gold–chromium bilayer film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Hong; Wang Hu; Huang Hao-Peng; Jin Yun-Xia; Kong Fang-Yu; Cui Yun

2016-01-01

In this work, a 200-nm-thick gold film with a 10-nm-thick chromium layer used as an adhesive layer is fabricated on fused silica by the electron beam evaporation method. The effects of annealing time at 300 °C on the structure, morphology and stress of the film are studied. We find that chromium could diffuse to the surface of the film by formatting a solid solution with gold during annealing. Meanwhile, chromium is oxidized on the surface and diffused downward along the grain grooves in the gold film. The various operant mechanisms that change the residual stresses of gold films for different annealing times are discussed. (paper)

Study of post annealing influence on structural, chemical and electrical properties of ZTO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jain, Vipin Kumar; Kumar, Praveen; Kumar, Mahesh; Jain, Praveen; Bhandari, Deepika; Vijay, Y.K.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Structural, chemical and electrical properties of cost effective ZTO thin films with varying concentrations. → Effect of annealing of ZTO films. - Abstract: Zinc-Tin-Oxide (ZTO) thin films were deposited on glass substrate with varying concentrations (ZnO:SnO 2 ; 100:0, 90:10, 70:30 and 50:50 wt.%) at room temperature by flash evaporation technique. These deposited ZTO films were annealed at 450 deg. C in vacuum. These films were characterized to study the effect of annealing and addition of SnO 2 concentration on the structural, chemical and electrical properties. The XRD analysis indicates that crystallization of the ZTO films strongly depends on the concentration of SnO 2 and post annealing where annealed films showed polycrystalline nature. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images manifest the surface morphology of these ZTO thin films. The XPS core level spectra of Zn(2p), O(1s) and Sn(3d) have been deconvoluted into their Gaussian component to evaluate the chemical changes, while valence band spectra reveal the electronic structures of these films. A small shift in Zn(2p) and Sn(3d) core level towards higher binding energy and O(1s) core level towards lower binding energy have been observed. The minimum electrical resistivity (ρ ∼ 3.69 x 10 -2 Ω-cm), maximum carrier concentration (n ∼ 3.26 x 10 19 cm -3 ) and Hall mobility (μ ∼ 5.2 cm 2 v -1 s -1 ) were obtained for as-prepared ZTO (50:50) film thereafter move towards lowest resistivity (ρ ∼ 1.12 x 10 -3 Ω-cm), highest carrier concentration (n ∼ 2.96 x 10 20 cm -3 ) and mobility (μ ∼ 18.8 cm 2 v -1 s -1 ) for annealed ZTO (50:50) thin film.

Annealing effect on structural and optical properties of chemical bath deposited MnS thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ulutas, Cemal, E-mail: cemalulutas@hakkari.edu.tr [Faculty of Education, Hakkari Universty, 30000, Hakkari (Turkey); Gumus, Cebrail [Faculty of Science and Letters, Cukurova University, 01330, Adana (Turkey)

2016-03-25

MnS thin film was prepared by the chemical bath deposition (CBD) method on commercial microscope glass substrate deposited at 30 °C. The as-deposited film was given thermal annealing treatment in air atmosphere at various temperatures (150, 300 and 450 °C) for 1 h. The MnS thin film was characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectrophotometer and Hall effect measurement system. The effect of annealing temperature on the structural, electrical and optical properties such as optical constants of refractive index (n) and energy band gap (E{sub g}) of the film was determined. XRD measurements reveal that the film is crystallized in the wurtzite phase and changed to tetragonal Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} phase after being annealed at 300 °C. The energy band gap of film decreased from 3.69 eV to 3.21 eV based on the annealing temperature.

Influence of annealing atmosphere on structural and superconducting properties of MgB{sub 2} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gregor, M., E-mail: gregor@fmph.uniba.sk; Plecenik, T.; Sobota, R.; Brndiarova, J.; Roch, T.; Satrapinskyy, L.; Kus, P.; Plecenik, A.

2014-09-01

Highlights: • Superconducting MgB{sub 2} thin film were deposited by co-deposition using the thermal and e-beam evaporation. • Ex situ annealing process was done using various atmospheres. • Influence of annealing atmosphere and temperature on superconducting and structural properties were studied. • Possible mechanisms of the formation and crystallization of MgB{sub 2} thin film are discussed. - Abstract: Influence of an ex situ annealing temperature and atmosphere on chemical composition and structural and superconducting properties of MgB{sub 2} thin films deposited by vacuum evaporation has been investigated. The annealing has been done in Ar, N{sub 2} and Ar + 5%H{sub 2} atmospheres at pressure of 700 Pa and temperature varying from 700 to 800 °C. It has been shown that annealing in Ar and N{sub 2} atmosphere at 700–800 °C produces relatively thick MgO layer on the surface of the films, while creation of such layer is highly reduced if the annealing is done in reducing Ar + 5%H{sub 2} atmosphere. The XPS and XRD results suggest that the MgO layer prevents out-diffusion of Mg from the film during the annealing, what assures better stoichiometry of the films as well as creation of larger MgB{sub 2} grains. The films with the highest amount of MgO on the surface, annealed in nitrogen atmosphere, thus paradoxically exhibited the highest critical temperature of T{sub c0} = 34.8 K with very sharp transition width of 0.1 K.

Characterization of in-situ annealed sub-micron thick Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ko, Byoung-Soo; Sung, Shi-Joon; Hwang, Dae-Kue, E-mail: dkhwang@dgist.ac.kr

2015-09-01

Sub-micron thick Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films were deposited on Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrates under various conditions by single-stage co-evaporation. Generally, the short circuit current (J{sub sc}) decreased with the decreasing thickness of the absorber layer. However, in this study, J{sub sc} was nearly unchanged with decreasing thickness, while the open circuit voltage (V{sub oc}) and fill factor (FF) decreased by 31.9 and 31.1%, respectively. We believe that the remarkable change of V{sub oc} and FF can be attributed to the difference in the total amount of injected thermal energy. Using scanning electron microscopy, we confirmed that the surface morphology becomes smooth and the grain size increased after the annealing process. In the X-ray diffraction patterns, the CIGS thin film also showed an improved crystal quality. We observed that the electric properties were improved by the in-situ annealing of CIGS thin films. The reverse saturation current density of the annealed CIGS solar cell was 100 times smaller than that of reference solar cell. Thus, sub-micron CIGS thin films annealed under a constant Se rate showed a 64.7% improvement in efficiency. - Highlights: • The effects of in-situ annealing the sub-micron CIGS film have been investigated. • The surface morphology and the grain size were improved by in-situ annealing. • The V{sub oc} and FF of the films were increased by about 30% after in-situ annealing. • In-situ annealing of sub-micron thick CIGS films can be improved an efficiency.

Crystallization to polycrystalline silicon thin film and simultaneous inactivation of electrical defects by underwater laser annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machida, Emi [Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192 (Japan); Research Fellowships of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 1-8 Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-8472 (Japan); Horita, Masahiro; Ishikawa, Yasuaki; Uraoka, Yukiharu [Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192 (Japan); Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012 (Japan); Ikenoue, Hiroshi [Graduate School of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan)

2012-12-17

We propose a low-temperature laser annealing method of a underwater laser annealing (WLA) for polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) films. We performed crystallization to poly-Si films by laser irradiation in flowing deionized-water where KrF excimer laser was used for annealing. We demonstrated that the maximum value of maximum grain size of WLA samples was 1.5 {mu}m, and that of the average grain size was 2.8 times larger than that of conventional laser annealing in air (LA) samples. Moreover, WLA forms poly-Si films which show lower conductivity and larger carrier life time attributed to fewer electrical defects as compared to LA poly-Si films.

Nanocarbon-copper thin film as transparent electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isaacs, R. A.; Zhu, H.; Preston, Colin; LeMieux, M.; Jaim, H. M. Iftekhar; Hu, L.; Salamanca-Riba, L. G.; Mansour, A.; Zavalij, P. Y.; Rabin, O.

2015-01-01

Researchers seeking to enhance the properties of metals have long pursued incorporating carbon in the metallic host lattice in order to combine the strongly bonded electrons in the metal lattice that yield high ampacity and the free electrons available in carbon nanostructures that give rise to high conductivity. The incorporation of carbon nanostructures into the copper lattice has the potential to improve the current density of copper to meet the ever-increasing demands of nanoelectronic devices. We report on the structure and properties of carbon incorporated in concentrations up to 5 wt. % (∼22 at. %) into the crystal structure of copper. Carbon nanoparticles of 5 nm–200 nm in diameter in an interconnecting carbon matrix are formed within the bulk Cu samples. The carbon does not phase separate after subsequent melting and re-solidification despite the absence of a predicted solid solution at such concentrations in the C-Cu binary phase diagram. This material, so-called, Cu covetic, makes deposition of Cu films containing carbon with similar microstructure to the metal possible. Copper covetic films exhibit greater transparency, higher conductivity, and resistance to oxidation than pure copper films of the same thickness, making them a suitable choice for transparent conductors

Nanocarbon-copper thin film as transparent electrode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isaacs, R. A.; Zhu, H.; Preston, Colin; LeMieux, M.; Jaim, H. M. Iftekhar; Hu, L., E-mail: binghu@umd.edu; Salamanca-Riba, L. G., E-mail: riba@umd.edu [Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States); Mansour, A. [Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, West Bethesda, Maryland 20817 (United States); Zavalij, P. Y. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States); Rabin, O. [Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States); Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States)

2015-05-11

Researchers seeking to enhance the properties of metals have long pursued incorporating carbon in the metallic host lattice in order to combine the strongly bonded electrons in the metal lattice that yield high ampacity and the free electrons available in carbon nanostructures that give rise to high conductivity. The incorporation of carbon nanostructures into the copper lattice has the potential to improve the current density of copper to meet the ever-increasing demands of nanoelectronic devices. We report on the structure and properties of carbon incorporated in concentrations up to 5 wt. % (∼22 at. %) into the crystal structure of copper. Carbon nanoparticles of 5 nm–200 nm in diameter in an interconnecting carbon matrix are formed within the bulk Cu samples. The carbon does not phase separate after subsequent melting and re-solidification despite the absence of a predicted solid solution at such concentrations in the C-Cu binary phase diagram. This material, so-called, Cu covetic, makes deposition of Cu films containing carbon with similar microstructure to the metal possible. Copper covetic films exhibit greater transparency, higher conductivity, and resistance to oxidation than pure copper films of the same thickness, making them a suitable choice for transparent conductors.

Comparative Study of Furnace and Flash Lamp Annealed Silicon Thin Films Grown by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maheshwar Shrestha

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Low-temperature growth of microcrystalline silicon (mc-Si is attractive for many optoelectronic device applications. This paper reports a detailed comparison of optical properties, microstructure, and morphology of amorphous silicon (a-Si thin films crystallized by furnace annealing and flash lamp annealing (FLA at temperatures below the softening point of glass substrate. The initial a-Si films were grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD. Reflectance measurement indicated characteristic peak in the UV region ~280 nm for the furnace annealed (>550 °C and flash lamp annealed films, which provided evidence of crystallization. The film surface roughness increased with increasing the annealing temperature as well as after the flash lamp annealing. X-ray diffraction (XRD measurement indicated that the as-deposited samples were purely amorphous and after furnace crystallization, the crystallites tended to align in one single direction (202 with uniform size that increased with the annealing temperature. On the other hand, the flash lamp crystalized films had randomly oriented crystallites with different sizes. Raman spectroscopy showed the crystalline volume fraction of 23.5%, 47.3%, and 61.3% for the samples annealed at 550 °C, 650 °C, and with flash lamp, respectively. The flash lamp annealed film was better crystallized with rougher surface compared to furnace annealed ones.

Optoelectronic study and annealing stability of room temperature pulsed laser ablated ZnSe polycrystalline thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, Taj Muhammad, E-mail: tajakashne@gmail.com; Zakria, M.; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Shakoor, Rana I.

2014-03-15

In principal, we described stability of the room temperature ZnSe thin films with thermal annealing deposited onto glass by pulsed laser deposition technique using third harmonic 355 nm of Nd: YAG laser beam. Optoelectronic analysis and stability with thermal annealing was described in terms of structural and optical properties. These properties were investigated via X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope, scanning electron microscope, Raman, Fourier transform infrared and photoluminescence spectroscopies. From the strong reflection corresponding to the (1 1 1) plane (2θ=27.48°) and the longitudinal optical “LO” phonon modes at 250 cm{sup −1} and 500 cm{sup −1} in the X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra, a polycrystalline zincblende structure of the film was established. At 300 and 350 °C annealing temperatures, the film crystallites were preferentially oriented with the (1 1 1) plane parallel to the substrate and became amorphous at 400 °C. Atomic force microscopic images showed that the morphologies of ZnSe films became smooth with root mean squared roughness 9.86 nm after annealing at 300 and 350 °C while a rougher surface was observed for the amorphous film at 400 °C. Fourier transform infrared study illustrated the chemical nature and Zn–Se bonding in the deposited films. For the as-deposited and annealed samples at 300 and 350 °C, scanning electron micrographs revealed mono-dispersed indistinguishable ZnSe grains and smooth morphological structure which changed to a cracking and bumpy surface after annealing at 400 °C. The physical phenomenon of annealing induced morphological changes could be explained in terms of “structure zone model”. Excitonic emission at 456 nm was observed for both as-deposited and annealed film at 350 °C. The transmission spectrum shows oscillatory behavior because of the thin film interference and exhibited a high degree of transparency down to a wavelength ∼500 nm in the IR region. Energy band-gap was

Structural Properties Characterized by the Film Thickness and Annealing Temperature for La2O3 Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xing; Liu, Hongxia; Zhao, Lu; Fei, Chenxi; Feng, Xingyao; Chen, Shupeng; Wang, Yongte

2017-12-01

La 2 O 3 films were grown on Si substrates by atomic layer deposition technique with different thickness. Crystallization characteristics of the La 2 O 3 films were analyzed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction after post-deposition rapid thermal annealing treatments at several annealing temperatures. It was found that the crystallization behaviors of the La 2 O 3 films are affected by the film thickness and annealing temperatures as a relationship with the diffusion of Si substrate. Compared with the amorphous La 2 O 3 films, the crystallized films were observed to be more unstable due to the hygroscopicity of La 2 O 3 . Besides, the impacts of crystallization characteristics on the bandgap and refractive index of the La 2 O 3 films were also investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry, respectively.

Effect of annealing and In content on the properties of electron beam evaporated ZnO films

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed, S. H.; Ali, H. M.; Mohamed, H. A.; Salem, A. M.

2005-08-01

The effect of both annealing and In content on the properties of ZnO films prepared by electron beam evaporation were investigated. The evaporation was carried out at room temperature from bulk samples prepared by sintering technique. X-ray diffraction showed that the structure of ZnO-In{2}O{3} films depends on both the In content and annealing temperature. Amorphous, highly transparent and relatively low resistive films which can be suitable for the usage as transparent electrode of organic light-emitting diode were obtained upon annealing at 300 circC. Partially crystalline, highly transparent and highly resistive films which can be used in piezoelectric applications were obtained upon annealing at 500 circC. For each composition the refractive index has no monotonic variation upon increasing annealing temperature.

Effects of Ge- and Sb-doping and annealing on the tunable bandgaps of SnS films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsu, Hsuan-Tai; Chiang, Ming-Hung; Huang, Chen-Hao [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan (China); Lin, Wen-Tai, E-mail: wtlin@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan (China); Fu, Yaw-Shyan [Department of Greenergy, National University of Tainan, Tainan 700, Taiwan (China); Guo, Tzung-Fang [Department of Photonics, Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan (China)

2015-06-01

SnS, Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films with single orthorhombic SnS phase were fabricated via solvothermal routes and subsequent spin-coating, respectively. The substitution solubilities of Ge and Sb in SnS are about 6 and 5 at.%, respectively. The bandgaps of Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films can be tuned in the ranges of 1.25–1.35 and 1.30–1.39 eV, respectively. The possible mechanisms for the tunable bandgaps of Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films are discussed. For the Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films subjected to annealing at 200–350 °C in N{sub 2}, the bandgaps of 200 °C-annealed films remain unchanged, while those of 300 °C- and 350 °C-annealed films decrease with the annealing temperature because of the evaporation of Ge and Sb respectively. - Highlights: • Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films were fabricated via spin-coating. • The solubilities of Ge and Sb in SnS are about 6 and 5 at.%, respectively. • The bandgaps of SnS films can be tuned by Ge and Sb doping respectively. • Annealing above 300 °C reduces the bandgaps of Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films.

Electrical properties of vacuum-annealed titanium-doped indium oxide films

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yan, L.T.; Rath, J.K.; Schropp, R.E.I.

2011-01-01

Titanium-doped indium oxide (ITiO) films were deposited on Corning glass 2000 substrates at room temperature by radio frequency magnetron sputtering followed by vacuum post-annealing. With increasing deposition power, the as-deposited films showed an increasingly crystalline nature. As-deposited

Annealing temperature effect on structure and electrical properties of films formed of Ge nanoparticles in SiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stavarache, Ionel; Lepadatu, Ana-Maria; Stoica, Toma; Ciurea, Magdalena Lidia

2013-01-01

Ge–SiO 2 films with high Ge/Si atomic ratio of about 1.86 were obtained by co-sputtering of Ge and SiO 2 targets and subsequently annealed at different temperatures between 600 and 1000 °C in a conventional furnace in order to show how the annealing process influences the film morphology concerning the Ge nanocrystal and/or amorphous nanoparticle formation and to study their electrical behaviour. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging, Raman spectroscopy and electrical conductance measurements were performed in order to find out the annealing effect on the film surface morphology, as well as the Ge nanoparticle formation in correlation with the hopping conductivity of the films. AFM images show that the films annealed at 600 and 700 °C present a granular surface with particle height of about 15 nm, while those annealed at higher temperatures have smoother surface. The Raman investigations evidence Ge nanocrystals (including small ones) coexisting with amorphous Ge in the films annealed at 600 °C and show that almost all Ge is crystallized in the films annealed at 700 °C. The annealing at 800 °C disadvantages the Ge nanocrystal formation due to the strong Ge diffusion. This transition in Ge nanocrystals formation process by annealing temperature increase from 700 to 800 °C revealed by AFM and Raman spectroscopy measurements corresponds to a change in the electrical transport mechanism. Thus, in the 700 °C annealed films, the current depends on temperature according to a T −1/2 law which is typical for a tunnelling mechanism between neighbour Ge nanocrystals. In the 800 °C annealed films, the current–temperature characteristic has a T −1/4 dependence showing a hopping mechanism within an electronic band of localized states related to diffused Ge in SiO 2 .

Structural and chemical analysis of annealed plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition aluminum nitride films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Broas, Mikael, E-mail: mikael.broas@aalto.fi; Vuorinen, Vesa [Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, P.O. Box 13500, FIN-00076 Aalto, Espoo (Finland); Sippola, Perttu; Pyymaki Perros, Alexander; Lipsanen, Harri [Department of Micro- and Nanosciences, Aalto University, P.O. Box 13500, FIN-00076 Aalto, Espoo (Finland); Sajavaara, Timo [Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FIN-40014 Jyväskylä (Finland); Paulasto-Kröckel, Mervi [Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University. P.O. Box 13500, FIN-00076 Aalto, Espoo (Finland)

2016-07-15

Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition was utilized to grow aluminum nitride (AlN) films on Si from trimethylaluminum and N{sub 2}:H{sub 2} plasma at 200 °C. Thermal treatments were then applied on the films which caused changes in their chemical composition and nanostructure. These changes were observed to manifest in the refractive indices and densities of the films. The AlN films were identified to contain light element impurities, namely, H, C, and excess N due to nonideal precursor reactions. Oxygen contamination was also identified in the films. Many of the embedded impurities became volatile in the elevated annealing temperatures. Most notably, high amounts of H were observed to desorb from the AlN films. Furthermore, dinitrogen triple bonds were identified with infrared spectroscopy in the films. The triple bonds broke after annealing at 1000 °C for 1 h which likely caused enhanced hydrolysis of the films. The nanostructure of the films was identified to be amorphous in the as-deposited state and to become nanocrystalline after 1 h of annealing at 1000 °C.

Investigation of gallium redistribution processes during Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} absorber formation from electrodeposited/annealed oxide precursor films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sidali, T., E-mail: tarik.sidali@edf.fr; Duchatelet, A.; Chassaing, E.; Lincot, D.

2015-05-01

A way to prepare metallic precursors for CuIn{sub 1−x},Ga{sub x}Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells has been recently introduced leading to efficiencies above 12.4%. It consists in the electrodeposition of Cu-In-Ga mixed oxides in an acidic nitrate aqueous solution followed by thermal reduction and selenization. This paper investigates, in a first part, the nucleation and growth mechanisms taking place during the co-electrodeposition of Cu-In-Ga oxide/hydroxide film. Scanning Electron Microscope observations coupled to Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometry point out that the deposition is initiated by the formation of metallic copper nuclei. These nuclei enable the growth of Cu-In-Ga oxide film. This observation confirms that freshly deposited copper catalyzes nitrate reduction leading to an increase in the surface pH enabling the precipitation of the Cu-In-Ga hydroxides. In a second part, precursor films were elaborated with increasing Ga(NO{sub 3}){sub 3} concentration. After reduction of the films in hydrogen and selenization heat treatments, X-ray diffraction analysis shows the incorporation of Ga into the CIGS phase with increasing Ga content in the optimal composition range for photovoltaic applications (x = 0.25-0.34). Gallium composition profiles are evidenced in the films with a tendency to higher concentration near the Mo surface. Increasing annealing temperature allows a better homogenization of Ga in the film. The consequences are correlated to optoelectronic measurements (Eg and cell efficiency) with bandgap measurement and cell efficiencies (10 to 12%). - Highlights: • Electrodeposition starts with copper nucleation. • Gallium content in the precursor is tuned by Ga(III) concentration. • Increasing selenization temperature promotes Ga homogenization in CIGS.

Evidence of room temperature ferromagnetism in argon/oxygen annealed TiO2 thin films deposited by electron beam evaporation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohanty, P.; Kabiraj, D.; Mandal, R.K.; Kulriya, P.K.; Sinha, A.S.K.; Rath, Chandana

2014-01-01

TiO 2 thin films deposited by electron beam evaporation technique annealed in either O 2 or Ar atmosphere showed ferromagnetism at room temperature. The pristine amorphous film demonstrates anatase phase after annealing under Ar/O 2 atmosphere. While the pristine film shows a super-paramagnetic behavior, both O 2 and Ar annealed films display hysteresis at 300 K. X-ray photo emission spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, Rutherford’s backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to refute the possible role of impurities/contaminants in magnetic properties of the films. The saturation magnetization of the O 2 annealed film is found to be higher than the Ar annealed one. It is revealed from shifting of O 1s and Ti 2p core level spectra as well as from the enhancement of high binding energy component of O 1s spectra that the higher magnetic moment is associated with higher oxygen vacancies. In addition, O 2 annealed film demonstrates better crystallinity, uniform deposition and smoother surface than that of the Ar annealed one from glancing angle X-ray diffraction (GAXRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We conclude that although ferromagnetism is due to oxygen vacancies, the higher magnetization in O 2 annealed film could be due to crystallinity, which has been observed earlier in Co doped TiO 2 film deposited by pulsed laser deposition (Mohanty et al., 2012 [10]). - Highlights: • TiO 2 films were deposited by e-beam evaporation technique and post annealed under O 2 /Ar at 500 °C. • The pristine film shows SPM behavior where as O 2 and Ar annealed films demonstrate RTFM. • The presence of magnetic impurities has been discarded by various characterization techniques. • The magnetic moment is found to be higher in O 2 annealed film than the Ar annealed one. • The higher M s in O 2 annealed film is attributed to oxygen vacancies as well as crystallinity

Copper diffusion in Ti-Si-N layers formed by inductively coupled plasma implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ee, Y.C.; Chen, Z.; Law, S.B.; Xu, S.; Yakovlev, N.L.; Lai, M.Y.

2006-01-01

Ternary Ti-Si-N refractory barrier films of 15 nm thick was prepared by low frequency, high density, inductively coupled plasma implantation of N into Ti x Si y substrate. This leads to the formation of Ti-N and Si-N compounds in the ternary film. Diffusion of copper in the barrier layer after annealing treatment at various temperatures was investigated using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometer (ToF-SIMS) depth profiling, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and sheet resistance measurement. The current study found that barrier failure did not occur until 650 deg. C annealing for 30 min. The failure occurs by the diffusion of copper into the Ti-Si-N film to form Cu-Ti and Cu-N compounds. FESEM surface morphology and EDX show that copper compounds were formed on the ridge areas of the Ti-Si-N film. The sheet resistance verifies the diffusion of Cu into the Ti-Si-N film; there is a sudden drop in the resistance with Cu compound formation. This finding provides a simple and effective method of monitoring Cu diffusion in TiN-based diffusion barriers

Formation of a Polycrystalline Silicon Thin Film by Using Blue Laser Diode Annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Young-Hwan; Ryu, Han-Youl

2018-04-01

We report the crystallization of an amorphous silicon thin film deposited on a SiO2/Si wafer using an annealing process with a high-power blue laser diode (LD). The laser annealing process was performed using a continuous-wave blue LD of 450 nm in wavelength with varying laser output power in a nitrogen atmosphere. The crystallinity of the annealed poly-silicon films was investigated using ellipsometry, electron microscope observation, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Polysilicon grains with > 100-nm diameter were observed to be formed after the blue LD annealing. The crystal quality was found to be improved as the laser power was increased up to 4 W. The demonstrated blue LD annealing is expected to provide a low-cost and versatile solution for lowtemperature poly-silicon processes.

Resistance and magnetoresistance of annealed amorphous carbon films containing Fe3C nanograins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee Yuhua; Han Taichun; Wur, C.-S.

2004-01-01

The temperature-dependent resistance and the field-dependent magnetoresistance were measured for films annealed at temperatures from 250 deg. C to 550 deg. C for a period of 60 min. Results of temperature-dependent resistance show electrical tunneling conductance in the films annealed at T a =250 deg. C and 350 deg. C only. The largest magnetoresistance ratio (MR) of 23% at temperature T=2 K was observed for T a =350 deg. C. The variations of both the temperature dependence of resistance and the magnetoresistance with the annealing temperature are discussed

Laser-Induced, Local Oxidation of Copper Nanoparticle Films During Raman Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Hight Walker, Angela R.; Cheng, Guangjun; Calizo, Irene

2011-03-01

The optical properties of gold and silver nanoparticles and their films have been thoroughly investigated as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates and chemical reaction promoters. Similar to gold and silver nanoparticles, copper nanoparticles exhibit distinct plasmon absorptions in the visible region. The work on copper nanoparticles and their films is limited due to their oxidization in air. However, their high reactivity actually provides an opportunity to exploit the laser-induced thermal effect and chemical reactions of these nanoparticles. Here, we present our investigation of the local oxidation of a copper nanoparticle film induced by a visible laser source during Raman spectroscopic measurements. The copper nanoparticle film is prepared by drop-casting chemically synthesized copper colloid onto silicon oxide/silicon substrate. The local oxidation induced by visible lasers in Raman spectroscopy is monitored with the distinct scattering peaks for copper oxides. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy have been used to characterize the laser-induced morphological changes in the film. The results of this oxidation process with different excitation wavelengths and different laser powers will be presented.

High-temperature laser annealing for thin film polycrystalline silicon solar cell on glass substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Chowdhury, A.; Schneider, J.; Dore, J.; Mermet, F.; Slaoui, A.

2012-06-01

Thin film polycrystalline silicon films grown on glass substrate were irradiated with an infrared continuous wave laser for defects annealing and/or dopants activation. The samples were uniformly scanned using an attachment with the laser system. Substrate temperature, scan speed and laser power were varied to find suitable laser annealing conditions. The Raman spectroscopy and Suns- V oc analysis were carried out to qualify the films quality after laser annealing. A maximum enhancement of the open circuit voltage V oc of about 100 mV is obtained after laser annealing of as-grown polysilicon structures. A strong correlation was found between the full width half maximum of the Si crystalline peak and V oc. It is interpreted as due to defects annealing as well as to dopants activation in the absorbing silicon layer. The maximum V oc reached is 485 mV after laser treatment and plasma hydrogenation, thanks to defects passivation.

Effects of annealing on the compositional heterogeneity and structure in zirconium-based bulk metallic glass thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, L.; Chu, J.P.; Li, C.-L.; Lee, C.-M.; Chen, Y.-C.; Liaw, P.K.; Voyles, P.M.

2014-01-01

In-situ heating fluctuation electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy have been utilized to study compositional and structural heterogeneities in Zr 51 Cu 32 Al 9 Ni 8 thin films upon annealing. Composition fluctuations are present in the as-deposited thin films. Well below the glass transition temperature, the composition fluctuations increase with annealing time. Short- and medium-range order also change with annealing temperature. The observed heterogeneities in the glass structure persist until annealing causes crystallization. The 20 nm thick Zr 51 Cu 32 Al 9 Ni 8 films contain oxide layers both at the surface and the film/substrate interface with the total thickness of 7–8 nm. In-situ annealing increased the oxygen content of the whole films to about 24 wt.% after 2 h at 400 °C. - Highlights: • Zr 51 Cu 32 Al 9 Ni 8 thin films were studied with in-situ heating electron microscopy. • Annealing at 400 °C increases the Zr and Cu compositional fluctuations. • Short-range order in Zr 51 Cu 32 Al 9 Ni 8 becomes less homogeneous above 350 °C. • Medium-range order changes in degree and types at 400 °C, well below T g . • Annealing increases composition and structure heterogeneities until crystallization

Residual stress change by thermal annealing in amorphous Sm-Fe-B thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, S.M.; Suh, S.J.; Kim, H.J.; Lim, S.H.

2002-01-01

The change in the residual stress and its effect on mechanical bending and magnetic properties of sputtered amorphous Sm-Fe-B thin films are investigated as a function of annealing temperature. Two stress components of intrinsic compressive stress and tensile stress due to the difference of the thermal expansion coefficients between the substrate and thin film are used to explain the stress state in as-deposited thin films, and the annealing temperature dependence of residual stress, mechanical bending and magnetic properties

Structural and optical properties of Cu2SnS3 thin films obtained by SILAR method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aykut ASTAM

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Cu2SnS3 thin films were obtained by annealing of SILAR deposited films at 350°C for 1 hour in sulphur atmosphere. The structural and optical properties of the films were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX and optical absorption measurements, before and after annealing. The XRD results showed that the annealing process transformed the crystal structure of the films from amorphous to polycrystalline. SEM images revealed that the surface morphology of films was changed after annealing while EDAX analysis showed that the films were excess in copper concentration before and after annealing. Optical absorption measurements confirmed that the direct band gap of films decreased from 1.27 eV to 1.21 eV with annealing.

Behaviour of Charge Carriers in As-Deposited and Annealed Undoped TCO Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Yan-Wen; Wu Fa-Yu; Zheng Chun-Yan

2011-01-01

We examine the structures, cut-off points of transmittance spectra and electric properties of undoped ZnO, SnO 2 and CdO films by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, spectrophotometer and Hall-effect measurements, respectively. The films are deposited by using an rf magnetron sputtering system from powder targets in argon and then annealed in vacuum. The structures and properties of the as-deposited films are compared with those of the annealed one. We try to explain the behaviour of charge carriers based on the semiconductor physics theory. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Electrodeposited porous and amorphous copper oxide film for application in supercapacitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patake, V.D. [Thin Film Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416004, (M.S.) (India); Joshi, S.S. [Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Cheongryang, Seoul 130-650 (Korea, Republic of); Lokhande, C.D. [Thin Film Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416004, (M.S.) (India); Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Cheongryang, Seoul 130-650 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: l_chandrakant@yahoo.com; Joo, Oh-Shim [Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Cheongryang, Seoul 130-650 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: joocat@kist.rre.kr

2009-03-15

In present study, the porous amorphous copper oxide thin films have been deposited from alkaline sulphate bath. The cathodic electrodeposition method was employed to deposit copper oxide film at room temperature on stainless steel substrate. Their structural and surface morphological properties were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron micrograph (SEM), respectively. To propose this as a new material for possible application in the supercapacitor, its electrochemical properties have been studied in aqueous 1 M Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} electrolyte using cyclic voltammetry. The structural analysis from XRD pattern showed the formation of amorphous copper oxide film on the substrate. The surface morphological studies from scanning electron micrographs revealed the formation of porous cauliflower-like copper oxide film. The cyclic voltammetric curves showed symmetric nature and increase in capacitance with increase in film thickness. The maximum specific capacitance of 36 F g{sup -1} was exhibited for the 0.6959 mg cm{sup -2} film thickness. This shows that low-cost copper oxide electrode will be a potential application in supercapacitor.

Friction force microscopy study of annealed diamond-like carbon film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Won Seok; Joung, Yeun-Ho; Heo, Jinhee; Hong, Byungyou

2012-01-01

In this paper we introduce mechanical and structural characteristics of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films which were prepared on silicon substrates by radio frequency (RF) plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method using methane (CH 4 ) and hydrogen (H 2 ) gas. The films were annealed at various temperatures ranging from 300 to 900 °C in steps of 200 °C using rapid thermal processor (RTP) in nitrogen ambient. Tribological properties of the DLC films were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in friction force microscopy (FFM) mode. The structural properties of the films were obtained by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The wettability of the films was obtained using contact angle measurement. XPS analysis showed that the sp 3 content is decreased from 75.2% to 24.1% while the sp 2 content is increased from 24.8% to 75.9% when the temperature is changed from 300 to 900 °C. The contact angles of DLC films were higher than 70°. The FFM measurement results show that the highest friction coefficient value was achieved at 900 °C annealing temperature.

Friction force microscopy study of annealed diamond-like carbon film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Won Seok; Joung, Yeun-Ho [School of Electrical Engineering, Hanbat National University, Daejeon 305-719 (Korea, Republic of); Heo, Jinhee [Materials Safety Evaluation Group, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon 641-831 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Byungyou, E-mail: byhong@skku.edu [School of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-10-15

In this paper we introduce mechanical and structural characteristics of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films which were prepared on silicon substrates by radio frequency (RF) plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method using methane (CH{sub 4}) and hydrogen (H{sub 2}) gas. The films were annealed at various temperatures ranging from 300 to 900 °C in steps of 200 °C using rapid thermal processor (RTP) in nitrogen ambient. Tribological properties of the DLC films were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in friction force microscopy (FFM) mode. The structural properties of the films were obtained by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The wettability of the films was obtained using contact angle measurement. XPS analysis showed that the sp{sup 3} content is decreased from 75.2% to 24.1% while the sp{sup 2} content is increased from 24.8% to 75.9% when the temperature is changed from 300 to 900 °C. The contact angles of DLC films were higher than 70°. The FFM measurement results show that the highest friction coefficient value was achieved at 900 °C annealing temperature.

Influence of heat treatment on fatigue performances for self-piercing riveting similar and dissimilar titanium, aluminium and copper alloys

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Xianlian; He, Xiaocong; Xing, Baoying; Zhao, Lun; Lu, Yi; Gu, Fengshou; Ball, Andrew

2016-01-01

The fatigue performances of self-piercing riveting (SPR) joints connecting similar and dissimilar sheets of TA1 titanium alloy (TA1), Al5052 aluminium alloy (Al5052) and H62 copper alloy (H62) were studied in this paper. The specimens of similar TA1 sheets treated with stress relief annealing were prepared to investigate the influence of relief annealing on the mechanical properties of SPR joints. Fatigue tests were conducted to characterize the fatigue lives and failure modes of the joints. ...

Reduced water vapor transmission rates of low-temperature solution-processed metal oxide barrier films via ultraviolet annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Seonuk; Jeong, Yong Jin; Baek, Yonghwa; Kim, Lae Ho; Jang, Jin Hyuk; Kim, Yebyeol [POSTECH Organic Electronics Laboratory, Polymer Research Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); An, Tae Kyu [Department of Polymer Science & Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, 50 Daehak-Ro, Chungju (Korea, Republic of); Nam, Sooji, E-mail: sjnam15@etri.re.kr [Information Control Device Section, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, 305-700 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Se Hyun, E-mail: shkim97@yu.ac.kr [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Jang, Jaeyoung, E-mail: jyjang15@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Chan Eon, E-mail: cep@postech.ac.kr [POSTECH Organic Electronics Laboratory, Polymer Research Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-31

Highlights: • Sol-gel-derived aluminum oxide thin films were prepared using ultraviolet (UV) annealing. • UV irradiation dramatically promoted the densification of AlO{sub x} during the annealing stage, thereby forming a close-packed AlO{sub x} film. • The resulting AlO{sub x} films deposited on polymer substrates exhibited good water vapor blocking properties with low water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs). - Abstract: Here, we report the fabrication of low-temperature sol-gel-derived aluminum oxide (AlO{sub x}) films via ultraviolet (UV) annealing and the investigation of their water vapor blocking properties by measuring the water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs). The UV annealing process induced the formation of a dense metal-oxygen-metal bond (Al-O-Al structure) at low temperatures (<200 °C) that are compatible with commercial plastic substrates. The density of the UV-annealed AlO{sub x} thin film at 180 °C was comparable to that of AlO{sub x} thin films that have been thermally annealed at 350 °C. Furthermore, the UV-annealed AlO{sub x} thin films exhibited a high optical transparency in the visible region (>99%) and good electrical insulating properties (∼10{sup −7} A/cm{sup 2} at 2 MV/cm). Finally, we confirmed that a dense AlO{sub x} thin film was successfully deposited onto the plastic substrate via UV annealing at low temperatures, leading to a substantial reduction in the WVTRs. The Ca corrosion test was used to measure the WVTRs of AlO{sub x} thin films deposited onto polyethylene naphthalate or polyimide substrates, determined to be 0.0095 g m{sup −2} day{sup −1} (25 °C, 50% relative humidity) and 0.26 g m{sup −2} day{sup −1}, respectively.

The influence of predeformations and annealings on yield stress and modulus of elongation essentially yttrium doped copper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neklyudov, I.M.; Sytin, V.I.; Voevodin, V.N.

2003-01-01

The researches results of influence of predeformations and annealings on elastic and plastic characteristics of vacuum melting and yttrium doped copper are given. The interrelation between elastic and plastic characteristics has been shown. It is shown that the yield stress and modulus of elongation essentially depend on predeformations and annealings and they are the structurally sensitive characteristics

Deposition and characterisation of copper for high density interconnects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCusker, N.

1999-09-01

Copper has been deposited by sputtering and investigated for application as high density interconnects, with a view to maximising its performance and reliability. A sputter deposition process using gettering has been developed, which produces consistently pure, low resistivity films. A relationship between film thickness and resistivity has been explained by studying the grain growth process in copper films using atomic force microscopy. The Maydas-Shatzkes model has been used to separate the contributions of grain boundary and surface scattering to thin film resistivity, in copper and gold. Stress and texture in copper film have been studied. Annealing has been used to promote grain growth and texture development. Electromigration has been studied in copper and aluminium interconnects using a multi-line accelerated test set-up. A difference in failure distributions and void morphologies has been explained by an entirely different damage mechanism. The importance of surface/interface migration in electromigration damage of copper lines has been established and explained using a grain boundary-grooving model. A tantalum overlayer was found to extend the lifetime of copper lines. A composite sputtering target has been used to deposit copper/zirconium alloy films. The composition of the alloys was studied by Rutherford backscattering, Auger and secondary neutral mass spectrometry. The alloy films had an improved electromigration lifetime. A surface controlled mechanism is proposed to explain the advantage. A metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor technique is used to investigate barrier reliability. Tungsten is shown to be an effective diffusion barrier for copper, up to 700 deg. C. (author)

Effects of hydrothermal annealing on characteristics of CuInS{sub 2} thin films by SILAR method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi Yong, E-mail: sys-99@163.com [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Xue Fanghong [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Li Chunyan [School of Materials, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Zhao Qidong; Qu Zhenping; Li Xinyong [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China)

2012-07-15

CuInS{sub 2} thin films have been deposited by successive ionic layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) method, then annealed in a Na{sub 2}S solution (denoted as hydrothermal annealing) at 200 Degree-Sign C for different time. The effect of hydrothermal annealing on the properties of the films was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and optical absorption spectroscopy. The XRD, TEM and SEM results indicate that well-crystallized CuInS{sub 2} films could be obtained after annealing in 0.1 mol/L Na{sub 2}S solution for 1.5 h. The annealed CuInS{sub 2} films were slightly S-rich and the direct band gap varied from 1.32 to 1.58 eV as the annealing time increased from 0.5 h to 2 h.

The effect of annealing on structural, optical and photosensitive properties of electrodeposited cadmium selenide thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Somnath Mahato

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Cadmium selenide (CdSe thin films have been deposited on indium tin oxide coated glass substrate by simple electrodeposition method. X-ray Diffraction (XRD studies identify that the as-deposited CdSe films are highly oriented to [002] direction and they belong to nanocrystalline hexagonal phase. The films are changed to polycrystalline structure after annealing in air for temperatures up to 450 °C and begin to degrade afterwards with the occurrence of oxidation and porosity. CdSe completely ceases to exist at higher annealing temperatures. CdSe films exhibit a maximum absorbance in the violet to blue-green region of an optical spectrum. The absorbance increases while the band gap decreases with increasing annealing temperature. Surface morphology also shows that the increase of the annealing temperature caused the grain growth. In addition, a number of distinct crystals is formed on top of the film surface. Electrical characteristics show that the films are photosensitive with a maximum sensitivity at 350 °C.

Improving hemocompatibility and accelerating endothelialization of vascular stents by a copper-titanium film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Hengquan, E-mail: 99xyxy@163.com [College of Materials and Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059 (China); Pan, Changjiang [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Interventional Medical Devices, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaiyin 223033 (China); Zhou, Shijie; Li, Junfeng [College of Materials and Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059 (China); Huang, Nan [Key Laboratory for Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Dong, Lihua [Department of Research & Development, Lifetech Scientific (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd, Shenzhen 518057 (China)

2016-12-01

Bio-inorganic films and drug-eluting coatings are usually used to improve the hemocompatibility and inhibit restenosis of vascular stent; however, above bio-performances couldn't combine together with single materials. In the present study, we reported a simple approach to fabricate a metal film with the aim of imparting the stent with good blood compatibility and accelerating endothelialization. The films with various ratios of Cu and Ti were prepared through the physical vapor deposition. Phase structure and element composition were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The releasing volume of copper ion in Cu/Ti film was determined by immersing test. The hemolysis ratio, platelet adhesion and clotting time were applied to evaluate the hemocompatibility. The proliferative behaviors of endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells under certain copper concentration were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Results indicated that copper-titanium films exhibited good hemocompatibility in vitro; however, the increase of Cu/Ti ratio could lead to increasing hemolysis ratio. Endothelial cells displayed more proliferative than smooth muscle cells when the copper concentration was < 7.5 μg/ml, however both cells tended to apoptosis to some degree when the copper concentration was increased. The complete endothelialization of the film with low copper in vivo was observed at the 2nd week, indicating that the copper-titanium film with the lower copper concentration could promote endothelialization. Therefore, the inorganic copper-titanium film could be potential biomaterials to improve blood compatibility and accelerating endothelialization of vascular stents. - Highlight: • The Cu/Ti film with regulating the various responses of ECs and SMCs has been prepared. • The hemocompatibility of Cu/Ti film is favorable and regulatable. • The volume of copper ion released from film could be designed. �

Enhanced tribology durability of a self-assembled monolayer of alkylphosphonic acid on a textured copper substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan Yong; Wang Yinhu; Zhang Quan; Wang Zhongqian; Xu Zhen; Liu Changsong; Zhang Junyan

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A textured surface is prepared on the copper substrate by chemical etching. ► The alkylphosphonic acid is assembled on the etched copper substrate. ► Combining texturing and alkylphosphonic acid coating render the films hydrophobicity. ► The dual-layer films possess low friction with extremely long duration. - Abstract: A simple two-step process was developed to render the copper surface with lower friction and long durability. The copper substrate was immersed in a 0.01 M NaOH solution to fabricate a textured Cu 2 O film. A self-assembled monolayer of alkylphosphonic acid was then deposited on the Cu 2 O film to acquire high hydrophobicity. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared microscopy and water contact angle measurements were used to analyze the morphological features, the chemical composition and hydrophobicity of freshly prepared samples, respectively. Moreover, the friction-reducing behavior of the organic-inorganic composite film sliding against steel was evaluated in a ball-on-plate configuration. It was found that the alkylphosphonic acid films on the textured Cu 2 O film led to decreased friction with significantly extended life. For a constant load, the increase in chain length of alkylphosphonic acid yields the films that are dramatically more stable against tribological deformation and provide low coefficients of friction over much longer periods of time.

Ion-beam mixing and thermal annealing of Al--Nb and Al--Ta thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rai, A.K.; Bhattacharya, R.S.; Mendiratta, M.G.; Subramanian, P.R.; Dimiduk, D.M.

1988-01-01

Ion-beam mixing and thermal annealing of thin, alternating layers of Al and Nb, as well as Al and Ta, were investigated by selected area diffraction and Rutherford backscattering. The individual layer thicknesses were adjusted to obtain the overall compositions as Al 3 Nb and Al 3 Ta. The films were ion mixed with 1 MeV Au + ions at a dose of 1 x 10 16 ions cm/sup -2/ . Uniform mixing and amorphization were achieved for both Al--Nb and Al--Ta systems. Equilibrium crystalline Al 3 Nb and Al 3 Ta phases were formed after annealing of ion mixed amorphous films at 400 0 C for 6 h. Unmixed films, however, remained unreacted at 400 0 C for 1 h. Partial reaction was observed in the unmixed film of Al--Nb at 400 0 C for 6 h. After annealing at 500 0 C for 1 h, a complete reaction and formation of Al 3 Nb and Al 3 Ta phases in the respective films were observed. The influence of thermodynamics on the phase formation by ion mixing and thermal annealing is discussed

The strength limits of ultra-thin copper films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiederhirn, Guillaume

2007-07-02

Elucidating size effects in ultra-thin films is essential to ensure the performance and reliability of MEMS and electronic devices. In this dissertation, the influence of a capping layer on the mechanical behavior of copper (Cu) films was analyzed. Passivation is expected to shut down surface diffusion and thus to alter the contributions of dislocation- and diffusion-based plasticity in thin films. Experiments were carried out on 25 nm to 2 {mu}m thick Cu films magnetron-sputtered onto amorphous-silicon nitride coated silicon (111) substrates. These films were capped with 10 nm of aluminum oxide or silicon nitride passivation without breaking vacuum either directly after Cu deposition or after a 500 C anneal. The evolution of thermal stresses in these films was investigated mainly by the substrate curvature method between -160 C and 500 C. Negligible differences were detected for the silicon nitride vs. the aluminum oxide passivated Cu films. The processing parameters associated with the passivation deposition also had no noticeable effect on the stress-temperature behavior of the Cu. However, the thermomechanical behavior of passivated Cu films strongly depended on the Cu film thickness. For films in the micrometer range, the influence of the passivation layer was not significant, which suggests that the Cu deformed mainly by dislocation plasticity. However, diffusional creep plays an increasing role with decreasing film thickness since it becomes increasingly difficult to nucleate dislocations in smaller grains. Size effects were investigated by plotting the stress at room temperature after thermal cycling as a function of the inverse film thickness. Between 2 {mu}m and 200 nm, the room temperature stress was inversely proportional to the film thickness. The passivation exerted a strong effect on Cu films thinner than 100 nm by effectively shutting down surface diffusion mechanisms. Since dislocation processes were also shut off in these ultra-thin films, they

Effects of thermal annealing on elimination of deep defects in amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O thin-film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang, Haochun; Ide, Keisuke [Materials and Structures Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Hiramatsu, Hidenori [Materials and Structures Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Mailbox SE-6, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Ueda, Shigenori [National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Ohashi, Naoki [Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Mailbox SE-6, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Kumomi, Hideya [Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Mailbox SE-6, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Hosono, Hideo [Materials and Structures Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Mailbox SE-6, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Kamiya, Toshio, E-mail: tkamiya@msl.titech.ac.jp [Materials and Structures Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Materials Research Center for Element Strategy, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Mailbox SE-6, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan)

2016-09-01

We investigated the effects of thermal annealing for high-density subgap states in amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O (a-IGZO) films by focusing on low-quality defective films deposited without O{sub 2} supply (LQ films). It was found that most of the subgap states were thermally unstable and decreased dramatically by annealing at ≤ 400 °C in O{sub 2}. These defects (but with different shapes) were further reduced by 600 °C annealing, whose subgap states appeared similar to that of a-IGZO films deposited at an optimum condition (high quality, HQ films) and annealed at 300 °C. However, electron Hall mobilities and field-effect mobilities of their thin-film transistors (TFTs) were low for the LQ films/TFTs even annealed at 600 °C compared to those for the HQ films/TFTs. It implies that not only the subgap states but also heavier structural disorder deteriorated the electron transport in the LQ films. The present results also suggest that although a-IGZO deposition without O{sub 2} supply is sometimes employed in particular for DC sputtering, supplying some O{sub 2} gas would be better to produce good TFTs at lower temperatures. - Highlights: • Effects of thermal annealing on subgap states in a-In–Ga–Zn–O films were studied. • Hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy was employed. • Low-quality films require annealing at 600 °C to make an operating transistor. • This temperature is much higher than those for high-quality films (300–400 °C). • The high temperature is required because some subgap states are very stable.

Improving the performance of nickel-coated fluorine-doped tin oxide thin films by magnetic-field-assisted laser annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Bao-jia, E-mail: li_bjia@126.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Center for Photon Manufacturing Science and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Huang, Li-jing [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Center for Photon Manufacturing Science and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Ren, Nai-fei [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Center for Photon Manufacturing Science and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Kong, Xia; Cai, Yun-long; Zhang, Jie-lu [Jiangsu Tailong Reduction Box Co. Ltd., Taixing 225400 (China)

2015-10-01

Highlights: • Ni/FTO films were prepared by sputtering Ni layers on commercial FTO glass. • The as-prepared Ni/FTO films underwent magnetic-field-assisted laser annealing. • Magnetic field and laser fluence were crucial for improving quality of the films. • All Ni/FTO films displayed enhanced compactness after magnetic laser annealing. • Magnetic laser annealing using a fluence of 0.9 J/cm{sup 2} led to the best film quality. - Abstract: Nickel-coated fluorine-doped tin oxide (Ni/FTO) thin films were prepared by sputtering Ni layers on commercial FTO glass. The as-prepared Ni/FTO films underwent nanosecond pulsed laser annealing in an external magnetic field (0.4 T). The effects of the presence of magnetic field and laser fluence on surface morphology, crystal structure and photoelectric properties of the films were investigated. All the films displayed enhanced compactness after magnetic-field-assisted laser annealing. It was notable that both crystallinity and grain size of the films gradually increased with increasing laser fluence from 0.6 to 0.9 J/cm{sup 2}, and then decreased slightly with an increase in laser fluence to 1.1 J/cm{sup 2}. As a result, the film obtained by magnetic-field-assisted laser annealing using a fluence of 0.9 J/cm{sup 2} had the best overall photoelectric property with an average transmittance of 81.2%, a sheet resistance of 5.5 Ω/sq and a figure of merit of 2.27 × 10{sup −2} Ω{sup −1}, outperforming that of the film obtained by pure laser annealing using the same fluence.

Far-infrared spectroscopy of thermally annealed tungsten silicide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amiotti, M.; Borghesi, A.; Guizzetti, G.; Nava, F.; Santoro, G.

1991-01-01

The far-infrared transmittance spectrum of tungsten silicide has been observed for the first time. WSi 2 polycrystalline films were prepared by coevaporation and chemical-vapour deposition on silicon wafers, and subsequently thermally annealed at different temperatures. The observed structures are interpreted, on the basis of the symmetry properties of the crystal, such as infrared-active vibrational modes. Moreover, the marked lineshape dependence on annealing temperature enables this technique to analyse the formation of the solid silicide phases

Simulation of Defect Reduction in Block Copolymer Thin Films by Solvent Annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hur, Su-Mi; Khaira, Gurdaman S.; Ramírez-Hernández, Abelardo; Müller, Marcus; Nealey, Paul F.; de Pablo, Juan J.

2015-01-20

Solvent annealing provides an effective means to control the self-assembly of block copolymer (BCP) thin films. Multiple effects, including swelling, shrinkage, and morphological transitions, act in concert to yield ordered or disordered structures. The current understanding of these processes is limited; by relying on a theoretically informed coarse-grained model of block copolymers, a conceptual framework is presented that permits prediction and rationalization of experimentally observed behaviors. Through proper selection of several process conditions, it is shown that a narrow window of solvent pressures exists over which one can direct a BCP material to form well-ordered, defect-free structures.

Impact of soft annealing on the performance of solution-processed amorphous zinc tin oxide thin-film transistors

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.

2013-05-08

It is demonstrated that soft annealing duration strongly affects the performance of solution-processed amorphous zinc tin oxide thin-film transistors. Prolonged soft annealing times are found to induce two important changes in the device: (i) a decrease in zinc tin oxide film thickness, and (ii) an increase in oxygen vacancy concentration. The devices prepared without soft annealing exhibited inferior transistor performances, in comparison to devices in which the active channel layer (zinc tin oxide) was subjected to soft annealing. The highest saturation field-effect mobility - 5.6 cm2 V-1 s-1 with a drain-to-source on-off current ratio (Ion/Ioff) of 2 × 108 - was achieved in the case of devices with 10-min soft-annealed zinc tin oxide thin films as the channel layer. The findings of this work identify soft annealing as a critical parameter for the processing of chemically derived thin-film transistors, and it correlates device performance to the changes in material structure induced by soft annealing. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Effect of thermal annealing on the structural and optical properties of tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum(III) (Alq3 ) films.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuba, M; Muralidharan, G

2015-05-01

Tris-(8-hydroxyquionoline)aluminum (Alq3 ) was synthesized and coated on to a glass substrate using the dip coating method. The structural and optical properties of the Alq3 film after thermal annealing from 50°C to 300°C in 50° steps was studied. The films have been prepared with 2 to 16 layers (42-324 nm). The thickness and thermal annealing of Alq3 films were optimized for maximum luminescence yield. The Fourier transform infrared spectrum confirms the formation of quinoline with absorption in the region 700 - 500/cm. Partial sublimation and decomposition of quinoline ion was observed with the Alq3 films annealed at 300°C. The X-ray diffraction pattern of the Alq3 film annealed at 50°C to 150°C reveals the amorphous nature of the films. The Alq3 film annealed above 150°C were crystalline nature. Film annealed at 150°C exhibits a photoluminescence intensity maximum at 512 nm when excited at 390 nm. The Alq3 thin film deposited with 10 layers (220 nm) at 150°C exhibited maximum luminescence yield. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Annealing effects on photoluminescence of SiNx films grown by PECVD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komarov, F.F.; Parkhomenko, I.N.; Vlasukova, L.A.; Milchanin, O.V.; Togambayeva, A.K.; Kovalchuk, N.S.

2013-01-01

Si-rich and N-rich silicon nitride films were deposited at low temperature 300 °C by using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The optical and structural properties of these films have been investigated by ellipsometry, Rutherford backscattering (RBS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy (RS) and photoluminescence (PL). The formation of silicon clusters in both Si-rich and N-rich silicon nitride films after annealing at 900 °C and 1000 °C for hour in N 2 ambient has been revealed by TEM. Dependency of PL spectra on stoichiometry and post-annealing temperature was analyzed. The contribution of Si and N-related defects in emitting properties of Si-rich and N-rich SiN x has been discussed. (authors)

Post-growth annealing treatment effects on properties of Na-doped CuInS2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zribi, M.; Kanzari, M.; Rezig, B.

2008-01-01

Structural and optical properties of Na-doped CuInS 2 thin films grown by double source thermal evaporation method were studied. The films were annealed from 250 to 500 deg. C in a vacuum after evaporation. X-ray diffraction pattern indicated that there are traces of Cu and In 6 S 7 , which disappeared on annealing above 350 deg. C. Good quality CuInS 2 :Na 0.3% films were obtained on annealing at 500 deg. C. Furthermore, we found that the absorption coefficient of Na-doped CuInS 2 thin films reached 1.5 x 10 5 cm -1 . The change in band gap of the doped samples annealed in the temperatures from 250 to 500 deg. C was in the range 0.038-0.105 eV

Effect of annealing on refractive indices of radio-frequency magnetron sputtered waveguiding zinc oxide films on glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehan, Navina; Gupta, Vinay; Sreenivas, Kondepudy; Mansingh, Abhai

2004-01-01

The effects of annealing and gas composition on the refractive indices of zinc oxide films were studied in light of the structural properties. ZnO films (1 μm) were deposited by rf magnetron sputtering in different oxygen:argon mixtures on glass and annealed at 380 deg. C in air, at different times. Waveguide modes were excited in the films by prism coupling using a He-Ne laser. The estimated values of the extraordinary and ordinary refractive indices of the films, which were close to the corresponding bulk values (n e =2.006, n o =1.990), initially decreased with annealing time and later increased before becoming constant with further annealing. The variation in refractive indices was explained on the basis of contribution from both packing density p and lattice constant c of the films. The initial decrease in refractive indices was attributed to the observed lattice contraction, and the latter increase was explained in terms of the increase in packing density (p) of the films on annealing. A relation is proposed to estimate the refractive indices of films, which have the lattice constant c different from the bulk value

Effect of annealing atmosphere on optic-electric properties of Zn O thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bueno, C.; Pacio, M.; Juarez, H.; Osorio, E.; Perez, R.

2017-01-01

In this work the study of structural, morphologic characteristics, optical and electrical properties of the thin films of Zn O in temperatures and annealing atmospheres different was realized. The films were obtained by the sol-gel method, utilizing zinc acetate dihydrate as the precursor, monoethanolamine (Mea) as a stabilizing agent and 2-methoxyethanol as a solvent and deposited by spin-coating. The films were crystallized at 600, 800 and 1000 degrees Celsius in oxygen and nitrogen atmospheres. The results obtained by XRD, Sem, photoluminescence and Hall effects of the Zn O films were related and depend strongly on the temperature and atmosphere annealing. (Author)

Effect of annealing atmosphere on optic-electric properties of Zn O thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bueno, C. [Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Facultad de Ingenieria, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio s/n, 72570 Puebla (Mexico); Pacio, M.; Juarez, H. [Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Posgrado en Dispositivos Semiconductores, Av. San Claudio y 14 Sur, 72450 Puebla (Mexico); Osorio, E. [Universidad de Quinta Roo, Blvd. Bahia s/n, esquina Ignacio Comonfort, El Bosque, 77019 Chetumal, Quintana Roo (Mexico); Perez, R., E-mail: cba3009@gmail.com [Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Facultad de Ingenieria Quimica, Av. San Claudio y 18 Sur, 72570 Puebla (Mexico)

2017-11-01

In this work the study of structural, morphologic characteristics, optical and electrical properties of the thin films of Zn O in temperatures and annealing atmospheres different was realized. The films were obtained by the sol-gel method, utilizing zinc acetate dihydrate as the precursor, monoethanolamine (Mea) as a stabilizing agent and 2-methoxyethanol as a solvent and deposited by spin-coating. The films were crystallized at 600, 800 and 1000 degrees Celsius in oxygen and nitrogen atmospheres. The results obtained by XRD, Sem, photoluminescence and Hall effects of the Zn O films were related and depend strongly on the temperature and atmosphere annealing. (Author)

Impact of high temperature and short period annealing on SnS films deposited by E-beam evaporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gedi, Sreedevi; Reddy, Vasudeva Reddy Minnam; Kang, Jeong-yoon; Jeon, Chan-Wook

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Preparation SnS films using electron beam evaporation at room temperature. • SnS films were annealed at a high temperaure for different short period of times. • The films showed highly oriented (111) planes with orthorhombic crystal structure. • Surface morphology showed bigger and faceted grains embedded in orthorombic. • The TEM confirmed that big orthorombic slabs had single-crystalline nature. - Abstract: Thin films of SnS were deposited on Mo-substrate using electron beam evaporation at room temperature. As-deposited SnS films were annealed at a constant high temperaure of 860 K for different short period of times, 1 min, 3 min, and 5 min. The impact of heat treatment period on the physical properties of SnS films was investigated using appropriate characterization tools. XRD analysis revealed that the films were highly oriented along (111) plane with orthorhombic crystal structure. Surface morphology of as-deposited SnS films showed an identical leaf texture where as the annealed films showed large orthorombic slab shape grains in adidition to the leaf shape grains, which indicates the significance of short period annealing at high temperature. The transmission electron microscopy confirmed that those large orthorombic slabs had single-crystalline nature. The results emphasized that the short period annealing treatment at high temperature stimulated the growth of film towards the single crystallinity.

Impact of high temperature and short period annealing on SnS films deposited by E-beam evaporation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gedi, Sreedevi; Reddy, Vasudeva Reddy Minnam; Kang, Jeong-yoon; Jeon, Chan-Wook, E-mail: cwjeon@ynu.ac.kr

2017-04-30

Highlights: • Preparation SnS films using electron beam evaporation at room temperature. • SnS films were annealed at a high temperaure for different short period of times. • The films showed highly oriented (111) planes with orthorhombic crystal structure. • Surface morphology showed bigger and faceted grains embedded in orthorombic. • The TEM confirmed that big orthorombic slabs had single-crystalline nature. - Abstract: Thin films of SnS were deposited on Mo-substrate using electron beam evaporation at room temperature. As-deposited SnS films were annealed at a constant high temperaure of 860 K for different short period of times, 1 min, 3 min, and 5 min. The impact of heat treatment period on the physical properties of SnS films was investigated using appropriate characterization tools. XRD analysis revealed that the films were highly oriented along (111) plane with orthorhombic crystal structure. Surface morphology of as-deposited SnS films showed an identical leaf texture where as the annealed films showed large orthorombic slab shape grains in adidition to the leaf shape grains, which indicates the significance of short period annealing at high temperature. The transmission electron microscopy confirmed that those large orthorombic slabs had single-crystalline nature. The results emphasized that the short period annealing treatment at high temperature stimulated the growth of film towards the single crystallinity.

Annealing effects in plated-wire memory elements. I - Interdiffusion of copper and Permalloy.

Science.gov (United States)

Knudson, C. I.; Kench, J. R.

1971-01-01

Results of investigations using X-ray diffraction and electron-beam microprobe techniques have shown that copper and Permalloy platings interdiffuse at low temperatures when plated-wire memory elements are annealed for times as short as 50 hr. Measurable interdiffusion between Permalloy platings and gold substrates does not occur in similar conditions. Both magnetic and compositional changes during aging are found to occur by a thermally activated process with activation energies around 38 kcal/mol. It is shown, however, that copper-diffusion and magnetic-dispersion changes during aging are merely concurrent processes, neither being the other's cause.

Effect of High Temperature Annealing on Conduction-Type ZnO Films Prepared by Direct-Current Magnetron Sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Li-Jie; He Dong-Kai; Xu Xiao-Qiu; Zhong Ze; Wu Xiao-Peng; Lin Bi-Xia; Fu Zhu-Xi

2010-01-01

We experimentally find that the ZnO thin films deposited by dc-magnetron sputtering have different conduction types after annealing at high temperature in different ambient. Hall measurements show that ZnO films annealed at 1100°C in N 2 and in O 2 ambient become n-type and p-type, respectively. This is due to the generation of different intrinsic defects by annealing in different ambient. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photolumi-nescence measurements indicate that zinc interstitial becomes a main defects after annealing at 1100°C in N 2 ambient, and these defects play an important role for n-type conductivity of ZnO. While the ZnO films annealed at 1100°C in O 2 ambient, the oxygen antisite contributes ZnO films to p-type. (condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties)

Growth Mechanism for Low Temperature PVD Graphene Synthesis on Copper Using Amorphous Carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Narula, Udit; Tan, Cher Ming; Lai, Chao Sung

2017-03-01

Growth mechanism for synthesizing PVD based Graphene using Amorphous Carbon, catalyzed by Copper is investigated in this work. Different experiments with respect to Amorphous Carbon film thickness, annealing time and temperature are performed for the investigation. Copper film stress and its effect on hydrogen diffusion through the film grain boundaries are found to be the key factors for the growth mechanism, and supported by our Finite Element Modeling. Low temperature growth of Graphene is achieved and the proposed growth mechanism is found to remain valid at low temperatures.

Electrical behavior of amide functionalized graphene oxide and graphene oxide films annealed at different temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rani, Sumita; Kumar, Mukesh; Kumar, Dinesh; Sharma, Sumit

2015-01-01

Films of graphene oxide (GO) and amide functionalized graphene oxides (AGOs) were deposited on SiO 2 /Si(100) by spin coating and were thermally annealed at different temperatures. Sheet resistance of GO and AGOs films was measured using four probe resistivity method. GO an insulator at room temperature, exhibits decrease in sheet resistance with increase in annealing temperature. However, AGOs' low sheet resistance (250.43 Ω) at room temperature further decreases to 39.26 Ω after annealing at 800 °C. It was observed that the sheet resistance of GO was more than AGOs up to 700 °C, but effect was reversed after annealing at higher temperature. At higher annealing temperatures the oxygen functionality reduces in GO and sheet resistance decreases. Sheet resistance was found to be annealing time dependent. Longer duration of annealing at a particular temperature results in decrease of sheet resistance. - Highlights: • Amide functionalized graphene oxides (AGOs) were synthesized at room temperature (RT). • AGO films have low sheet resistance at RT as compared to graphene oxide (GO). • Fast decrease in the sheet resistance of GO with annealing as compared to AGOs • AGOs were found to be highly dispersible in polar solvents

Influence of annealing temperature on the structural, optical and mechanical properties of ALD-derived ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yen, C.-Y.; Jian, S.-R.; Chen, G.-J.; Lin, C.-M.; Lee, H.-Y.; Ke, W.-C.; Liao, Y.-Y.; Yang, P.-F.; Wang, C.-T.; Lai, Y.-S.; Jang, Jason S.-C.; Juang, J.-Y.

2011-01-01

ZnO thin films grown on Si(1 1 1) substrates by using atomic layer deposition (ALD) were annealed at the temperatures ranging from 300 to 500 deg. C. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that the annealed ZnO thin films are highly (0 0 2)-oriented, indicating a well ordered microstructure. The film surface examined by the atomic force microscopy (AFM), however, indicated that the roughness increases with increasing annealing temperature. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum showed that the intensity of UV emission was strongest for films annealed at 500 deg. C. The mechanical properties of the resultant ZnO thin films investigated by nanoindentation reveal that the hardness decreases from 9.2 GPa to 7.2 GPa for films annealed at 300 deg. C and 500 deg. C, respectively. On the other hand, the Young's modulus for the former is 168.6 GPa as compared to a value of 139.5 GPa for the latter. Moreover, the relationship between the hardness and film grain size appear to follow closely with the Hall-Petch equation.

Activation of visible up-conversion luminescence in transparent and conducting ZnO:Er:Yb films by laser annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lluscà, M.; López-Vidrier, J.; Lauzurica, S.; Sánchez-Aniorte, M.I.; Antony, A.; Molpeceres, C.; Hernández, S.; Garrido, B.; Bertomeu, J.

2015-01-01

Transparent and conducting ZnO:Er:Yb thin films with visible up-conversion (660-nm emission under 980-nm excitation) were fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering. The as-deposited films were found to be transparent and conducting and the activation of the Er ions in these films to produce up-conversion luminescence was achieved by different post-deposition annealing treatments in air, vacuum or by laser annealing using a Nd:YVO 4 laser. The structural, electrical and optical properties and the up-conversion efficiency of these films were found to be strongly influenced by the annealing method, and a detailed study is reported in this paper. It has been demonstrated that, although the air annealing was the most efficient in terms of up-conversion, laser annealing was the only method capable of activating Er ions while preserving the electrical conductivity of the doped films. It has been shown that a minimum energy was needed in laser annealing to optically activate the rare earth ions in the ZnO host material to produce up-conversion. Up-converting and transparent conducting ZnO:Er:Yb films with an electrical resistivity of 5×10 −2 Ω cm and transparency ~80% in the visible wavelength range has been achieved by laser annealing. - Highlights: • Transparent and conducting ZnO:Er:Yb films were grown via magnetron sputtering. • Post-annealing ZnO:Er:Yb is needed to optically activate Er ions. • Visible up-conversion emission at 660 nm is observed under 980 nm excitation. • A transparent and conducting up-converter is achieved by laser annealing

Seeding of silicon by copper ion implantation for selective electroless copper plating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhansali, S.; Sood, D.K.; Zmood, R.B. [Microelectronic and Materials Technology Centre, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technolgy, Melbourne, VIC (Australia)

1993-12-31

We report on the successful use of copper(self) ion implantation into silicon to seed the electroless plating of copper on silicon (100) surfaces. Copper ions have been implanted to doses of 5E14-6.4E16 ions/cm{sup 2} using a MEEVA ion implanter at extraction voltage of 40kV. Dose was varied in fine steps to determine the threshold dose of 2E15 Cu ions/cm{sup 2} for `seed` formation of copper films on silicon using a commercial electroless plating solution. Plated films were studied with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, EDX and profilometry . The adhesion of films was measured by `scotch tape test`. The adhesion was found to improve with increasing dose. However thicker films exhibited rather poor adhesion and high internal stress. SEM results show that the films grow first as isolated islands which become larger and eventually impinge into a continuous film as the plating time is increased. (authors). 5 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs.

Seeding of silicon by copper ion implantation for selective electroless copper plating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhansali, S; Sood, D K; Zmood, R B [Microelectronic and Materials Technology Centre, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technolgy, Melbourne, VIC (Australia)

1994-12-31

We report on the successful use of copper(self) ion implantation into silicon to seed the electroless plating of copper on silicon (100) surfaces. Copper ions have been implanted to doses of 5E14-6.4E16 ions/cm{sup 2} using a MEEVA ion implanter at extraction voltage of 40kV. Dose was varied in fine steps to determine the threshold dose of 2E15 Cu ions/cm{sup 2} for `seed` formation of copper films on silicon using a commercial electroless plating solution. Plated films were studied with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, EDX and profilometry . The adhesion of films was measured by `scotch tape test`. The adhesion was found to improve with increasing dose. However thicker films exhibited rather poor adhesion and high internal stress. SEM results show that the films grow first as isolated islands which become larger and eventually impinge into a continuous film as the plating time is increased. (authors). 5 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs.

Seeding of silicon by copper ion implantation for selective electroless copper plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhansali, S.; Sood, D.K.; Zmood, R.B.

1993-01-01

We report on the successful use of copper(self) ion implantation into silicon to seed the electroless plating of copper on silicon (100) surfaces. Copper ions have been implanted to doses of 5E14-6.4E16 ions/cm 2 using a MEEVA ion implanter at extraction voltage of 40kV. Dose was varied in fine steps to determine the threshold dose of 2E15 Cu ions/cm 2 for 'seed' formation of copper films on silicon using a commercial electroless plating solution. Plated films were studied with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, EDX and profilometry . The adhesion of films was measured by 'scotch tape test'. The adhesion was found to improve with increasing dose. However thicker films exhibited rather poor adhesion and high internal stress. SEM results show that the films grow first as isolated islands which become larger and eventually impinge into a continuous film as the plating time is increased. (authors). 5 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs

Influence of annealing temperature on the structural, mechanical and wetting property of TiO2 films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pradhan, Swati S.; Sahoo, Sambita; Pradhan, S.K.

2010-01-01

TiO 2 films have been deposited on silicon substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering of a pure Ti target in Ar/O 2 plasma. The TiO 2 films deposited at room temperature were annealed for 1 h at different temperatures ranging from 400 o C to 800 o C. The structural, morphological, mechanical properties and the wetting behavior of the as deposited and annealed films were obtained using Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, nanoindentation and water contact angle (CA) measurements. The as deposited films were amorphous, and the Raman results showed that anatase phase crystallization was initiated at annealing temperature close to 400 o C. The film annealed at 400 o C showed higher hardness than the film annealed at 600 o C. In addition, the wettability of film surface was enhanced with an increase in annealing temperature from 400 o C to 800 o C, as revealed by a decrease in water CA from 87 o to 50 o . Moreover, the water CA of the films obtained before and after UV light irradiation revealed that the annealed films remained more hydrophilic than the as deposited film after irradiation.

In Situ Hall Effect Monitoring of Vacuum Annealing of In2O3:H Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans F. Wardenga

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Hydrogen doped In2O3 thin films were prepared by room temperature sputter deposition with the addition of H2O to the sputter gas. By subsequent vacuum annealing, the films obtain high mobility up to 90 cm2/Vs. The films were analyzed in situ by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and ex situ by X-ray diffraction (XRD, optical transmission and Hall effect measurements. Furthermore, we present results from in situ Hall effect measurements during vacuum annealing of In2O3:H films, revealing distinct dependence of carrier concentration and mobility with time at different annealing temperatures. We suggest hydrogen passivation of grain boundaries as the main reason for the high mobility obtained with In2O3:H films.

Enhanced tribology durability of a self-assembled monolayer of alkylphosphonic acid on a textured copper substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wan Yong, E-mail: wanyong@qtech.edu.cn [School of Mechanical Engineering, Qingdao Technological University, Qingdao 266033 (China); Wang Yinhu; Zhang Quan; Wang Zhongqian; Xu Zhen; Liu Changsong [School of Mechanical Engineering, Qingdao Technological University, Qingdao 266033 (China); Zhang Junyan [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

2012-10-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A textured surface is prepared on the copper substrate by chemical etching. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The alkylphosphonic acid is assembled on the etched copper substrate. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Combining texturing and alkylphosphonic acid coating render the films hydrophobicity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The dual-layer films possess low friction with extremely long duration. - Abstract: A simple two-step process was developed to render the copper surface with lower friction and long durability. The copper substrate was immersed in a 0.01 M NaOH solution to fabricate a textured Cu{sub 2}O film. A self-assembled monolayer of alkylphosphonic acid was then deposited on the Cu{sub 2}O film to acquire high hydrophobicity. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared microscopy and water contact angle measurements were used to analyze the morphological features, the chemical composition and hydrophobicity of freshly prepared samples, respectively. Moreover, the friction-reducing behavior of the organic-inorganic composite film sliding against steel was evaluated in a ball-on-plate configuration. It was found that the alkylphosphonic acid films on the textured Cu{sub 2}O film led to decreased friction with significantly extended life. For a constant load, the increase in chain length of alkylphosphonic acid yields the films that are dramatically more stable against tribological deformation and provide low coefficients of friction over much longer periods of time.

Annealing effect on optical properties of ZnO films fabricated by cathodic electrodeposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Qingtao; Wang Guanzhong; Jie Jiansheng; Han Xinhai; Xu Bo; Hou, J.G.

2005-01-01

(001)-oriented ZnO films on Zn substrates were synthesized by cathodic electrodeposition from an aqueous solution composed only of 0.05 M zinc nitrate at 65 deg. C. A bound exciton emission band around 3.34 eV along with three longitudinal optical (LO) phonon replicas and an intensive broad emission band around 2.17 eV were observed from the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnO films prepared at more positive potential (- 0.6∼- 0.8 V). When more negative potential (- 1.0∼- 1.4 V) was applied, the ultraviolet emission band disappeared. These results indicate that more positive electrodeposition potential favors the high quality ZnO film growth. The PL spectra of the annealed ZnO films prepared at more positive electrodeposition potentials - 0.6∼- 1.0 V exhibit the ultraviolet emission at 3.35 eV and a negligibly weak emission from defects. Annealing resulted in the enhancement and sharpening of the excitonic emission band and decrease of the deep level emission. The bandgap (E g ) of the ZnO film prepared at - 1.0 V on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate decreased from 3.56 to 3.29 eV due to the removing of Zn(OH) 2 from the film after annealing

Advances in copper-chalcopyrite thin films for solar energy conversion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaneshiro, Jess; Gaillard, Nicolas; Rocheleau, Richard; Miller, Eric [Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1680 East-West Road, Post 109, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States)

2010-01-15

Promising alternatives to crystalline silicon as the basic building block of solar cells include copper-chalcopyrite thin films such as copper indium gallium diselenide, a class of thin films exhibiting bandgap-tunable semiconductor behavior, direct bandgaps and high absorption coefficients. These properties allow for the development of novel solar-energy conversion configurations like ultra-high efficiency multi-junction solar cells utilizing combinations of photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical junctions for hydrogen production. This paper discusses the current worldwide status as well as the development and optimization of copper-chalcopyrite thin films deposited onto various substrate types for different photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical applications at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute. (author)

Effect of substrate temperature and post annealing temperature on ZnO:Zn PLD thin film properties

Science.gov (United States)

Hasabeldaim, E.; Ntwaeaborwa, O. M.; Kroon, R. E.; Coetsee, E.; Swart, H. C.

2017-12-01

The pulsed laser deposition (PLD) substrate temperature and post-annealing temperature are effective methods to control the film optical and structural properties. The structure, morphology and optical properties of the deposited and post-annealed PLD ZnO:Zn films were studied. The films were deposited at different substrate temperatures of 50 °C, 200 °C and 400 °C. The films deposited at the substrate temperature of 50 °C and 200 °C were post-annealed in air at 400 °C and 600 °C for two hours. The films all had a highly preferential orientation with the hexagonal c-axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. The stress was found to be compressive stress with values -3.289 GPa, -4.864 GPa and -4.425 GPa for the film deposited at 50 °C, 200 °C and 400 °C, respectively. After post-annealing treatments, the stress of the films was almost completely released and stress-free films were obtained. The crystallite sizes were 19 nm, 25 nm and 39 nm, while the average particles sizes were 95 nm, 85 nm and 129 nm for the film deposited at 50 °C, 200 °C and 400 °C respectively. The crystallite sizes and particles sizes seemed to increase with the increase in the substrate temperature. Contrary to this, the change in crystallite sizes were inversely proportional to the particles size when increasing the post-annealing temperatures. Deconvoluted X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy peaks of the O1s binding energy region revealed that the films deposited at different substrate temperatures contained oxygen-related defects. Photoluminescence studies revealed that the films all emitted ultra-violet emission around 379 nm. The film deposited at 50 °C emitted a broad green emission centered at ∼524 nm. By increasing the substrate temperature up to 200 °C and 400 °C a new orange emission around 621 nm and 634 nm as well as a weak emission around 416 nm and 500 nm were observed, respectively. After post-annealing treatments, new bands over the visible region (blue, green

Annealing temperature effect on self-assembled Au droplets on Si (111).

Science.gov (United States)

Sui, Mao; Li, Ming-Yu; Kim, Eun-Soo; Lee, Jihoon

2013-12-13

We investigate the effect of annealing temperature on self-assembled Au droplets on Si (111). The annealing temperature is systematically varied while fixing other growth parameters such as deposition amount and annealing duration clearly to observe the annealing temperature effect. Self-assembled Au droplets are fabricated by annealing from 50°C to 850°C with 2-nm Au deposition for 30 s. With increased annealing temperatures, Au droplets show gradually increased height and diameter while the density of droplets progressively decreases. Self-assembled Au droplets with fine uniformity can be fabricated between 550°C and 800°C. While Au droplets become much larger with increased deposition amount, the extended annealing duration only mildly affects droplet size and density. The results are systematically analyzed with cross-sectional line profiles, Fourier filter transform power spectra, height histogram, surface area ratio, and size and density plots. This study can provide an aid point for the fabrication of nanowires on Si (111).

Evolution of structural and magnetic properties of sputtered nanocrystalline Co thin films with thermal annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Dileep; Gupta, Ajay

2007-01-01

Ultrafine grain films of cobalt prepared using ion-beam sputtering have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray reflectivity (XRR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) measurements. As-prepared films have very smooth surface owing to the ultrafine nature of the grains. Evolution of the structure and morphology of the film with thermal annealing has been studied and the same is correlated with the magnetic properties. Above an annealing temperature of 300 deg. C, the film gradually transforms from HCP to FCC phase that remains stable at room temperature. A significant contribution of the surface energy, due to small grain size, results in stabilisation of the FCC phase at room temperature. It is found that other processes like stress relaxation, grain texturing and growth also exhibit an enhanced rate above 300 deg. C, and may be associated with an enhanced mobility of the atoms above this temperature. Films possess a uniaxial anisotropy, which exhibits a non-monotonous behaviour with thermal annealing. The observed variation in the anisotropy and coercivity with annealing can be understood in terms of variations in the internal stresses, surface roughness, and grain structure

Selective Template Wetting Routes to Hierarchical Polymer Films: Polymer Nanotubes from Phase-Separated Films via Solvent Annealing.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Hao-Wen; Cheng, Ming-Hsiang; Chi, Mu-Huan; Chang, Chun-Wei; Chen, Jiun-Tai

2016-03-01

We demonstrate a novel wetting method to prepare hierarchical polymer films with polymer nanotubes on selective regions. This strategy is based on the selective wetting abilities of polymer chains, annealed in different solvent vapors, into the nanopores of porous templates. Phase-separated films of polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), two commonly used polymers, are prepared as a model system. After anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates are placed on the films, the samples are annealed in vapors of acetic acid, in which the PMMA chains are swollen and wet the nanopores of the AAO templates selectively. As a result, hierarchical polymer films containing PMMA nanotubes can be obtained after the AAO templates are removed. The distribution of the PMMA nanotubes of the hierarchical polymer films can also be controlled by changing the compositions of the polymer blends. This work not only presents a novel method to fabricate hierarchical polymer films with polymer nanotubes on selective regions, but also gives a deeper understanding in the selective wetting ability of polymer chains in solvent vapors.

Short-term annealing of mixed amorphous molybdenum-silicon films by means of a conventional diffusion equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufmann, C.; Raschke, T.; Rockoff, A.; Temmler, D.

1985-01-01

A short-term annealing procedure is described of mixed amorphous Mo-Si films in a retrofitted conventional diffusion equipment. By means of a special charging jig it is possible to siliconize repeatably between 1 and 120 s in oxygen-free atmosphere. The heat-treated films transform into crystalline MoSi 2 films at temperatures of 1100 0 C and 1200 0 C, respectively, and attain resistance values which correspond to a one-hour treatment at temperatures of 900 0 C up to 1000 0 C. Therefore, the procedure could be used for the production of VLSI circuits with silicide metallization. After short-term annealing the MoSi 2 films show smaller grain sizes compared to conventionally annealed samples

Evolution of the microstructure in nanocrystalline copper electrodeposits during room temperature storage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pantleon, Karen; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2007-01-01

The microstructure evolution in copper electrodeposits at room temperature (self-annealing) was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction analysis and simultaneous measurement of the electrical resistivity as a function of time. In-situ studies were started immediately after electrodeposition......, crystallographic texture changes by multiple twinning and a decrease of the electrical resistivity occurred as a function of time at room temperature. The kinetics of self-annealing is strongly affected by the layer thickness: the thinner the layer the slower is the microstructure evolution and self-annealing...

Nanostructured Zn and ZnO nanowire thin films for mechanical and self-cleaning applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shaik, Ummar Pasha [Advanced Centre of Research in High Energy Materials, University of Hyderabad, Prof. C R Rao Road, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046 (India); Purkayastha, Debarun Dhar, E-mail: ddebarun@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology Nagaland, Chumukedima, Dimapur 797103 (India); Krishna, M. Ghanashyam [Advanced Centre of Research in High Energy Materials, University of Hyderabad, Prof. C R Rao Road, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046 (India); School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Prof. C R Rao Road, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046 (India); Madhurima, V. [Department of Physics, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur 610004 (India)

2015-03-01

Highlights: • Zn metal films were deposited by thermal evaporation, on various substrates. • Upon annealing Zn there is transformation of the Zn nanosheets into ZnO nanowires. • ZnO nanowires are superhydrophobic and exhibit wetting transition on UV exposure. • ZnO will be useful in self-cleaning, mechanical and oxidation resistance surfaces. - Abstract: Nanostructured Zn metal films were deposited by thermal evaporation, on borosilicate glass, Quartz, sapphire, lanthanum aluminate and yttria stabilized zirconia substrates. The as-deposited films are nanocrystalline and show a morphology that consists of triangular nanosheets. The films are hydrophobic with contact angles between 102° and 120° with hardness and Young's modulus between 0.15–0.8 GPa and 18–300 GPa, respectively. Thermal annealing of the films at 500 °C results only in partial oxidation of Zn to ZnO, which indicates good oxidation resistance. Annealing also causes transformation of the Zn nanosheets into ZnO nanowires that are polycrystalline in nature. The ZnO nanowires are superhydrophobic with contact angles between 159° and 162°, contact angle hysteresis between 5° and 10° and exhibit a reversible superhydrophobic–hydrophilic transition under UV irradiation. The nanowires are much softer than the as-deposited Zn metal films, with hardness between 0.02 and 0.4 GPa and Young's modulus between 3 and 35 GPa. The current study thus demonstrates a simple process for fabrication of nanostructured Zn metal films followed by a one-step transformation to nanowires with properties that will be very attractive for mechanical and self-cleaning applications.

Fabricated super-hydrophobic film with potentiostatic electrolysis method on copper for corrosion protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Peng; Qiu Ri; Zhang Dun; Lin Zhifeng; Hou Baorong

2010-01-01

A novel one-step potentiostatic electrolysis method was proposed to fabricate super-hydrophobic film on copper surface. The resulted film was characterized by contact angle tests, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and electrochemical measurements. It could be inferred that the super-hydrophobic property resulted from the flower-like structure of copper tetradecanoate film. In the presence of super-hydrophobic film, the anodic and cathodic polarization current densities are reduced for more than five and four orders of magnitude, respectively. The air trapped in the film is the essential contributor of the anticorrosion property of film for its insulation, the copper tetradecanoate film itself acts as a 'frame' to trap air as well as a coating with inhibition effect. The super-hydrophobic film presents excellent inhibition effect to the copper corrosion and stability in water containing Cl - .

Damp heat stability and annealing behavior of aluminum doped zinc oxide films prepared by magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tohsophon, T.; Huepkes, J.; Calnan, S.; Reetz, W.; Rech, B.; Beyer, W.; Sirikulrat, N.

2006-01-01

The damp heat stability and subsequent vacuum annealing behavior of aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) films was investigated using Hall effect measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical spectrometry techniques. The AZO films were deposited on glass or silicon wafers using reactive and non-reactive magnetron sputtering from metallic and ceramic targets, respectively. Additionally, we characterized surface textured AZO films, which are used as light scattering transparent conductive oxide (TCO) in silicon thin film solar cells. For all films a degradation of the electrical film properties was found after the damp heat treatment. For thick compact films, with large grain size, only a small increase in the electrical resistivity was observed, whereas less compact films prepared at high deposition pressures or very thin films (< 300 nm) showed an increase in resistivity by up to a factor of three already after 300 h. The conductivity degradation during damp heat treatment could be largely reversed by annealing in vacuum. However, annealing temperatures of at least 150 deg. C were required. Possible mechanisms explaining the experimental results are discussed

Vapor annealing synthesis of non-epitaxial MgB2 films on glassy carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, A. A.; Bayu Aji, L. B.; Bae, J. H.; Stavrou, E.; Steich, D. J.; McCall, S. K.; Kucheyev, S. O.

2018-05-01

We describe the fabrication and characterization of 25–800 nm thick MgB2 films on glassy carbon substrates by Mg vapor annealing of sputter-deposited amorphous B films. Results demonstrate a critical role of both the initial B film thickness and the temperature–time profile on the microstructure, elemental composition, and superconducting properties of the resultant MgB2 films. Films with thicknesses of 55 nm and below exhibit a smooth surface, with a roughness of 1.1 nm, while thicker films have surface morphology consisting of elongated nano-crystallites. The suppression of the superconducting transition temperature for thin films scales linearly with the oxygen impurity concentration and also correlates with the amount of lattice disorder probed by Raman scattering. The best results are obtained by a rapid (12 min) anneal at 850 °C with large temperature ramp and cooling rates of ∼540 °C min‑1. Such fast processing suppresses the deleterious oxygen uptake.

Reversible p-type conductivity in H passivated nitrogen and phosphorous codoped ZnO thin films using rapid thermal annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mannam, Ramanjaneyulu, E-mail: ramu.nov9@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Nano Functional Materials Technology Centre and Materials Science Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Kumar, E. Senthil [SRM Research Institute, Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM University, Kattankulathur 603203, Tamil Nadu (India); DasGupta, Nandita [Microelectronics and MEMS Laboratory, Electrical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Ramachandra Rao, M.S., E-mail: msrrao@iitm.ac.in [Department of Physics, Nano Functional Materials Technology Centre and Materials Science Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India)

2017-04-01

Highlights: • Electrical transport measurements revel that the (P, N) codoped ZnO thin films exhibited change in conductivity from p-type to n-type over a span of 120 days. • Hydrogen and carbon are found to be the main unintentional impurities in n-type (P, N) codoped ZnO thin films. • Rapid thermal annealing has been used to remove both H and C from the films. • Carbon can be removed at an annealing temperature of 600 °C, whereas, the dissociation of N−H complex takes place only at 800 °C. • The n-type (P, N) codoped ZnO thin film exhibited change in conductivity to p-type at an annealing temperature of 800 °C. - Abstract: We demonstrate reversible p-type nature of pulsed laser deposited (P, N) codoped ZnO thin films using rapid thermal annealing process. As grown thin films exhibited change in conductivity from p to n-type over a span of 120 days. Non-annealed n-type thin films contain unintentional donor impurities such as hydrogen and carbon. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman measurements conclusively show that hydrogen passivates nitrogen acceptors by forming N−H complex. Carbon can be annealed out at 600 °C, whereas, the dissociation of N−H complex takes place at 800 °C. The films revert its p-type nature at an annealing temperature of 800 °C.

Role of Annealing Temperature on Morphology of Alumina Thin Film Prepared by Wet-Chemical Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manju Pandey

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we reported the compositional, morphological and structural properties of the alumina(Al2O3 thin films prepared by sol-gel technique and annealed between 800 0C to 1200 0C for 1-hour in an air atmosphere. The deposited films were polycrystalline in nature. Thin films were found uniform and adherent to the alumina substrate. Effect of annealing temperature on structural parameters such as pore size and surface area were calculated. The result indicates that pore size and surface area was decreased by increasing annealing temperature. The material characterization was done by field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM and Brunaur, Emmet and Teller (BET.

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.

A study on electric properties for pulse laser annealing of ITO film after wet etching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, C.J.; Lin, H.K.; Li, C.H.; Chen, L.X.; Lee, C.C.; Wu, C.W.; Huang, J.C.

2012-01-01

The electric properties of ITO thin film after UV or IR laser annealing and wet etching was analyzed via grazing incidence in-plane X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectra and residual stress measurement. The laser annealing process readily induced microcracks or quasi-microcracks on the ITO thin film due to the residual tension stress of crystalline phase transformation between irradiated and non-irradiated areas, and these defects then became the preferred sites for a higher etching rate, resulting in discontinuities in the ITO thin film after the wet etching process. The discontinuities in the residual ITO thin film obstruct carrier transmission and further result in electric failure. - Highlights: ► The laser annealing process induces microcracks in InSnO 2 thin films. ► The defects result in higher local etching rate during wet etching. ► These process defects originate from residual tension stress. ► Decreasing the thermal shock is suggested in order to reduce these process defects.

Studies on phase transformation and molecular orientation in nanostructured zinc phthalocyanine thin films annealed at different temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chowdhury, Avijit; Biswas, Bipul; Majumder, Manisree; Sanyal, Manik Kumar; Mallik, Biswanath, E-mail: spbm@iacs.res.in

2012-08-31

Studies on the electronic and optical properties of thin films of organometallic compounds such as phthalocyanine are very important for the development of devices based on these compounds. The nucleation and grain growth mechanism play an important role for the final electronic as well as optoelectronic properties of the organic and organometallic thin films. The present article deals with the change in the film morphology, grain orientation of nanocrystallites and optical properties of zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPc) thin films as a function of the post deposition annealing temperature. The effect of annealing temperature on the optical and structural property of vacuum evaporated ZnPc thin films deposited at room temperature (30 Degree-Sign C) on quartz glass and Si(100) substrates has been investigated. The thin films have been characterized by the UV-vis optical absorption spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. From the studies of UV-vis absorption spectra and XRD data, a metastable {alpha} to {beta}-phase transformation has been observed when the thin films were annealed at a temperature greater than about 250 Degree-Sign C. The FESEM images have shown the particlelike structure at room temperature and the structure became rodlike when the films were annealed at high temperatures. TEM image of ZnPc film dissolved in ethanol has shown spectacular rod-shaped crystallites. High resolution transmission electron microscopy image of a single nanorod has shown beautiful 'honey-comb' like structure. Particle size and root mean square roughness were calculated from AFM images. The changes in band gap energy with increase in annealing temperature have been evaluated. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Morphology and orientation of grains in zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) thin films. Black

Effects of reductive annealing on insulating polycrystalline thin films of Nb-doped anatase TiO2: recovery of high conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakao, Shoichiro; Hirose, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

2016-01-01

We studied the effects of reductive annealing on insulating polycrystalline thin films of anatase Nb-doped TiO 2 (TNO). The insulating TNO films were intentionally fabricated by annealing conductive TNO films in oxygen ambient at 400 °C. Reduced free carrier absorption in the insulating TNO films indicated carrier compensation due to excess oxygen. With H 2 -annealing, both carrier density and Hall mobility recovered to the level of conducting TNO, demonstrating that the excess oxygen can be efficiently removed by the annealing process without introducing additional scattering centers. (paper)

CdO thin films based on the annealing temperature differences prepared by sol-gel method and their heterojunction devices

Science.gov (United States)

Soylu, M.; Yazici, T.

2017-12-01

Undoped CdO films were prepared on glass substrate and p-type silicon wafer using sol-gel spin coating method. The structural and optical properties of the films were investigated as a function of the annealing temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal that the films are formed from CdO with cubic crystal structure and (1 1 1) preferred orientation. It is seen that good crystallinity is due to the high annealing temperature. The surface morphology of the CdO films was found to be depending on the annealing temperature, showing cauliflower like structure. Optical band gaps for annealing temperature of 250 °C and 450 °C were found to be 2.49 eV and 2.27 eV, respectively, showing a decrease with raising temperature. Optics parameters such as extinction coefficient, refractive index, and surface-volume energy loss were determined with spectrophotometric analysis as a function of annealing temperature. CdO/p-Si heterojunction structure showed weak rectifying behavior. The diode parameters were found to be depending on annealing temperature. The results are encouraging to get better conjunction with CdO thin film component at optimize annealing temperature.

Combined influence of fluorine doping and vacuum annealing on the electrical properties of ZnO:Ta films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Subha, K. [Materials Science Research Laboratory, PG and Research Department of Physics, AVVM Sri Pushpam College (Autonomous), Poondi, Thanjavur, 613 503, Tamil Nadu (India); Research Department of Physics, Kunthavai Naachiyaar Govt. Arts College for Women (Autonomous), Thanjavur, 613 007, Tamil Nadu (India); Ravichandran, K., E-mail: kkr1365@yahoo.com [Materials Science Research Laboratory, PG and Research Department of Physics, AVVM Sri Pushpam College (Autonomous), Poondi, Thanjavur, 613 503, Tamil Nadu (India); Sriram, S. [School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, 613 401, Tamil Nadu (India)

2017-07-01

Highlights: • First report on combined effect of F doping and annealing on resistivity of ZnO:Ta films. • Various possible incorporation mechanisms of tantalum and fluorine are addressed. • Theoretical validation of Ta and F incorporation by DFT analysis is done. • Quality factor comparable with those obtained by physical methods is achieved.. - Abstract: In this study, our main focus is to investigate the effects of F doping and post deposition annealing (air and vacuum) on the optical and electrical characteristics of tantalum doped zinc oxide films (ZnO:Ta). A cost-effective, automated jet nebulizer spray pyrolysis technique is adopted to deposit the ZnO:Ta:F films. The doping level of Ta is kept constant (1 at.%) and that of F is varied from 5 to 20 at.% in steps of 5 at.%. The electrical resistivity of the as-deposited films decreases for 10 at.% of F concentration. The resistance increases thereafter. The same trend is also observed in annealed films. The reasons for these variations are addressed based on the effective F incorporation into the ZnO lattice and annealing atmosphere with the help of XRD, FESEM, AFM and PL studies. The incorporation of the dopants was confirmed from XPS and EDX analyses and the DFT studies show that the incorporation of the dopants does not affect the stability of the ZnO lattice. Vacuum-annealed films show better electrical properties over the as-deposited and air-annealed counterparts, though their transparency is affected marginally. A minimum resistivity of 0.81 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm and an enhanced quality factor of 2.265 × 10{sup −4} (Ω/sq){sup −1} are achieved for the vacuum-annealed films having Ta + F doping levels as 1 + 10 at.%. These results make this sample a desirable candidate for transparent electrode applications.

Effects of substrate temperature and post-deposition anneal on properties of evaporated cadmium telluride films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacaksiz, E.; Basol, B.M.; Altunbas, M.; Novruzov, V.; Yanmaz, E.; Nezir, S.

2007-01-01

The effects of substrate temperature and post-deposition heat treatment steps on the morphology, structural, optical and electrical properties of thin film CdTe layers grown by vacuum evaporation were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were employed to study the structural changes. It was observed that the grain sizes and morphologies of as-deposited layers were similar for substrate temperatures of - 173 deg. C and - 73 deg. C. However, CdTe films produced at a substrate temperature of 27 deg. C had substantially larger grain size and clearly facetted morphology. Annealing at 200-400 deg. C in air did not cause any appreciable grain growth in any of the films irrespective of their growth temperature. However, annealing at 400 deg. C reduced faceting in all cases and initiated fusing between grains. XRD studies showed that this behavior after annealing at 400 deg. C coincided with an onset of a degree of randomization in the originally strong (111) texture of the as-grown layers. Optical band gap measurements showed sharpening of the band-edge upon annealing at 400 deg. C and a band gap value in the range of 1.46-1.49 eV. Resistivity measurements indicated that annealing at 400 deg. C in air forms a highly resistive compensated CdTe film. All results point to 400 deg. C to be a critical annealing temperature at which optical, structural and electrical properties of CdTe layers start to change

Effect of post annealing treatment on electrochromic properties of spray deposited niobium oxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mujawar, S.H.; Inamdar, A.I.; Betty, C.A.; Ganesan, V.; Patil, P.S.

2007-01-01

Niobium oxide thin films were deposited on the glass and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates using simple and inexpensive spray pyrolysis technique. During deposition of the films various process parameters like nozzle to substrate distance, spray rate, concentration of sprayed solution were optimized to obtain well adherent and transparent films. The films prepared were further annealed and effect of post annealing on the structural, morphological, optical and electrochromic properties was studied. Structural and morphological characterizations of the films were carried out using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. Electrochemical properties of the niobium oxide thin films were studied by using cyclic-voltammetry, chronoamperometry and chronocoulometry

AFM, XRD and HRTEM Studies of Annealed FePd Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perzanowski, M.; Zabila, Y.; Polit, A.; Krupinski, M.; Dobrowolska, A.; Marszalek, M.; Morgiel, J.

2010-01-01

Ferromagnetic FePd L1 0 ordered alloys are highly expected as forthcoming high-density recording materials, because they reveal a large perpendicular magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The value of the magnetic anisotropy of FePd alloy strongly depends on the alloy composition, degree of alloy order as well as on the crystallographic grain orientation. In particular, to obtain the perpendicular anisotropy, it is necessary to get the films with (001) texture. One of the successful methods, which allows one to obtain highly ordered alloy, is a subsequent deposition of Fe and Pd layers, followed by an annealing at high temperature. This paper presents the study of the FePd thin alloy film structure changing in the result of high temperature annealing. During the annealing in high vacuum, the measurements of electrical resistance were performed, indicating the regions of different structure evolution. Changes in the crystal structure and surface morphology induced by thermal treatment were investigated by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, as well as high resolution transmission electron microscopy and then compared with electrical resistivity measurement. The slow thermal annealing of the deposited layers leads to the formation of L1 0 ordered FePd alloy with preferred (111) grain orientation. After the annealing at the highest used temperature, the dewetting process was observed, resulting in a creation of well oriented, regular nanoparticles. (author)

Microstructural and conductivity changes induced by annealing of ZnO:B thin films deposited by chemical vapour deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, C; Girardeau, T; Paumier, F; Eyidi, D; Guerin, P; Marteau, M; Lacroix, B; Papathanasiou, N; Tinkham, B P

2011-01-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have attracted much attention in recent years due to progress in crystal growth for a large variety of technological applications including optoelectronics and transparent electrodes in solar cells. Boron (B)-doped ZnO thin films are deposited by low pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD) on Si(100). These films exhibit a strong (002) texture with a pyramidal grain structure. The ZnO films were annealed after growth; the annealing temperature and the atmosphere appear to strongly impact the layer conductivity. This work will first present the modification of the physical properties (carrier concentration, mobility) extracted from the simulation of layer reflection in the infrared range. At low annealing temperatures the mobility increases slightly before decreasing drastically above a temperature close to 250 deg. C. The chemical and structural evolution (XPS, x-ray diffraction) of the films was also studied to identify the relationship between microstructural modifications and the variations observed in the film conductivity. An in situ XRD study during annealing has been performed under air and low pressure conditions. As observed for electrical properties, the microstructural modifications shift to higher temperatures for vacuum annealing.

Lamellar Diblock Copolymer Thin Films during Solvent Vapor Annealing Studied by GISAXS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Jianqi; Posselt, Dorthe; Smilgies, Detlef-M.

2014-01-01

The reorientation of lamellae and the dependence of the lamellar spacing, Dlam, on polymer volume fraction, ϕP, Dlam ∝ ϕP–β, in diblock copolymer thin films during solvent vapor annealing (SVA) are examined by combining white light interferometry (WLI) and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scat......The reorientation of lamellae and the dependence of the lamellar spacing, Dlam, on polymer volume fraction, ϕP, Dlam ∝ ϕP–β, in diblock copolymer thin films during solvent vapor annealing (SVA) are examined by combining white light interferometry (WLI) and grazing-incidence small-angle X...

Crystallization behavior and domain structure in textured Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 thin films by different annealing processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, W.; Jiang, S.W.; Li, Y.R.; Zhu, J.; Zhang, Y.; Wei, X.H.; Zeng, H.Z.

2006-01-01

Amorphous Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 (PZT) thin films were prepared on the Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering at room temperature. After rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and conventional furnace annealing (CFA) at different temperatures, the films were transformed into polycrystalline PZT thin films with (111) and (100) orientation, respectively. The phase formation and ferroelectric domains correlated with different orientation were systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction and piezoresponse force microscopy. The results showed that the perovskite PZT crystal with [111] orientation hetero-nucleated preferentially on top of the PtPb intermetallic phase at the PZT/Pt interface during RTA process. It is of interest to find that the domain self-organized into a structure with rounded shape at the early stage of crystallization. While the nucleation of the films treated by CFA dominantly homo-nucleated, thus the (100) orientation grains with minimum surface energy were easy to grow. The texture effects on ferroelectric properties of PZT films were also discussed in relation to the domain structure

Cyclical Annealing Technique To Enhance Reliability of Amorphous Metal Oxide Thin Film Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hong-Chih; Chang, Ting-Chang; Lai, Wei-Chih; Chen, Guan-Fu; Chen, Bo-Wei; Hung, Yu-Ju; Chang, Kuo-Jui; Cheng, Kai-Chung; Huang, Chen-Shuo; Chen, Kuo-Kuang; Lu, Hsueh-Hsing; Lin, Yu-Hsin

2018-02-26

This study introduces a cyclical annealing technique that enhances the reliability of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) via-type structure thin film transistors (TFTs). By utilizing this treatment, negative gate-bias illumination stress (NBIS)-induced instabilities can be effectively alleviated. The cyclical annealing provides several cooling steps, which are exothermic processes that can form stronger ionic bonds. An additional advantage is that the total annealing time is much shorter than when using conventional long-term annealing. With the use of cyclical annealing, the reliability of the a-IGZO can be effectively optimized, and the shorter process time can increase fabrication efficiency.

Transitions of microstructure and photoluminescence properties of the Ge/ZnO multilayer films in certain annealing temperature region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Tianhang; Li Ziquan; Chen Jiankang; Shen Kai; Sun Kefei

2006-01-01

The Ge/ZnO multilayer films have been prepared by rf magnetron sputtering. The effects of annealing on the microstructure and photoluminescence properties of the multilayers have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry and photoluminescence (PL) spectrometry. The investigation of structural properties indicates that Zn 2 GeO 4 has been formed with (220) texture and Zn deficiency from Ge/ZnO multilayer films in the process of annealing. However, lower Zn/Ge ratio can be improved by annealing. The annealed multilayers show three main emission bands at 532, 700, and 761nm, which originate from the transition between oxygen vacancy (V o * ) and Zn vacancies (V Zn ), the radiative recombination of quantum-confined excitons (QCE) in Ge nanocrystals, and the optical transition in the GeO color centers, respectively. Finally, the fabrication of thin film Zn 2 GeO 4 from Ge/ZnO multilayer films by annealing at low temperature provides another approach to prepare the green-emitting oxide phosphor film:Zn 2 GeO 4 :Mn

Annealing Effect on the Structural and Optical Properties of Sputter-Grown Bismuth Titanium Oxide Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José E. Alfonso

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to assess the evolution of the structural and optical properties of BixTiyOz films grown by rf magnetron sputtering upon post-deposition annealing treatments in order to obtain good quality films with large grain size, low defect density and high refractive index similar to that of single crystals. Films with thickness in the range of 220–250 nm have been successfully grown. After annealing treatment at 600 °C the films show excellent transparency and full crystallization. It is shown that to achieve larger crystallite sizes, up to 17 nm, it is better to carry the annealing under dry air than under oxygen atmosphere, probably because the nucleation rate is reduced. The refractive index of the films is similar under both atmospheres and it is very high (n =2.5 at 589 nm. However it is still slightly lower than that of the single crystal value due to the polycrystalline morphology of the thin films.

The Effect of Annealing on Nanothick Indium Tin Oxide Transparent Conductive Films for Touch Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shih-Hao Chan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study aims to discuss the sheet resistance of ultrathin indium tin oxide (ITO transparent conductive films during the postannealing treatment. The thickness of the ultrathin ITO films is 20 nm. They are prepared on B270 glass substrates at room temperature by a direct-current pulsed magnetron sputtering system. Ultrathin ITO films with high sheet resistance are commonly used for touch panel applications. As the annealing temperature is increased, the structure of the ultrathin ITO film changes from amorphous to polycrystalline. The crystalline of ultrathin ITO films becomes stronger with an increase of annealing temperature, which further leads to the effect of enhanced Hall mobility. A postannealing treatment in an atmosphere can enhance the optical transmittance owing to the filling of oxygen vacancies, but the sheet resistance rises sharply. However, a higher annealing temperature, above 250°C, results in a decrease in the sheet resistance of ultrathin ITO films, because more Sn ions become an effective dopant. An optimum sheet resistance of 336 Ω/sqr was obtained for ultrathin ITO films at 400°C with an average optical transmittance of 86.8% for touch sensor applications.

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.

Annealing dependence of residual stress and optical properties of TiO2 thin film deposited by different deposition methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsi-Chao; Lee, Kuan-Shiang; Lee, Cheng-Chung

2008-05-01

Titanium oxide (TiO(2)) thin films were prepared by different deposition methods. The methods were E-gun evaporation with ion-assisted deposition (IAD), radio-frequency (RF) ion-beam sputtering, and direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering. Residual stress was released after annealing the films deposited by RF ion-beam or DC magnetron sputtering but not evaporation, and the extinction coefficient varied significantly. The surface roughness of the evaporated films exceeded that of both sputtered films. At the annealing temperature of 300 degrees C, anatase crystallization occurred in evaporated film but not in the RF ion-beam or DC magnetron-sputtered films. TiO(2) films deposited by sputtering were generally more stable during annealing than those deposited by evaporation.

Characterisation of amorphous silicon alloys by RBS/ERD with self consistent data analysis using simulated annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barradas, N.P.; Wendler, E.; Jeynes, C.; Summers, S.; Reehal, H.S.; Summers, S.

1999-01-01

Full text: Hydrogenated amorphous silicon films are deposited by CVD onto insulating (silica) substrates for the fabrication of solar cells. 1.5MeV 4 He ERD/RBS is applied to the films, and a self consistent depth profile of Si and H using the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm was obtained for each sample. The analytical procedure is described in detail, and the confidence limits of the profiles are obtained using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method which is a natural extension of the SA algorithm. We show how the results are of great benefit to the growers

Self-assembly morphology effects on the crystallization of semicrystalline block copolymer thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Yuhan; Pan, Caiyuan; Li, Binyao; Han, Yanchun

2007-03-01

Self-assembly morphology effects on the crystalline behavior of asymmetric semicrystalline block copolymer polystyrene-block-poly(L-lactic acid) thin film were investigated. Firstly, a series of distinctive self-assembly aggregates, from spherical to ellipsoid and rhombic lamellar micelles (two different kinds of rhombic micelles, defined as rhomb 1 and rhomb 2) was prepared by means of promoting the solvent selectivity. Then, the effects of these self-assembly aggregates on crystallization at the early stage of film evolution were investigated by in situ hot stage atomic force microscopy. Heterogeneous nucleation initiated from the spherical micelles and dendrites with flat on crystals appeared with increasing temperature. At high temperature, protruding structures were observed due to the thickening of the flat-on crystals and finally more thermodynamically stable crystallization formed. Annealing the rhombic lamellar micelles resulted in different phenomena. Turtle-shell-like crystalline structure initiated from the periphery of the rhombic micelle 1 and spread over the whole film surface in the presence of mostly noncrystalline domain interior. Erosion and small hole appeared at the surface of the rhombic lamellar micelle 2; no crystallization like that in rhomb 1 occurred. It indicated that the chain-folding degree was different in these two micelles, which resulted in different annealing behaviors.

Effect of annealing temperature on electrical properties of poly (methyl methacrylate): titanium dioxide nanocomposite films using spin coating deposition technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail, L N; Habibah, Z; Herman, S H; Rusop, M

2014-01-01

Nanocomposite poly (methyl methacrylate) :titanium dioxide (PMMA :TiO 2 ) film were deposited on glass substrate. The effect of annealing temperature, especially on electrical, dielectric and the morphological properties of the thin films were investigated by current-voltage (I-V) measurement, impedance spectroscopy, and FESEM. The annealing temperature is varies from 120°C, 140°C, 160°C, 180°C and 200°C. The electrical properties results showing when nanocomposite film annealed at '20°C produce the lowest current. Meanwhile, when the annealing temperature increased, the current increased drastically and this indicates the PMMA:TiO 2 nanocomposite film are no longer having insulating properties. The dielectric properties also indicate that film annealed at 120°C has the best dielectric properties compared to other temperature. The FESEM results show that as the temperature increased, the PMMA:TiO 2 nanocomposite film started to create a phase separation between the PMMA matrix and TiO 2 nanoparticles

Multilayer TiC/TiN diffusion barrier films for copper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoganand, S.N.; Raghuveer, M.S.; Jagannadham, K.; Wu, L.; Karoui, A.; Rozgonyi, G.

2002-01-01

TiC/TiN thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering on Si (100) substrates were investigated by transmission electron microscopy for microstructure and by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) for diffusion barrier against copper. TiN thin films deposited on Si substrates at a substrate temperature of 600 deg. C were textured, and TiC thin films deposited at the same temperature were polycrystalline. TiC/TiN multilayer films also showed the same characteristics with the formation of an additional interaction layer. The diffusion barrier characteristics of the TiC/TiN/Si were determined by DLTS and the results showed that the films completely prevented diffusion of copper into Si

Influence of gaseous annealing environment on the properties of indium-tin-oxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, R.X.; Beling, C.D.; Fung, S.; Djurisic, A.B.; Ling, C.C.; Li, S.

2005-01-01

The influence of postannealing in different gaseous environments on the optical properties of indiu-tin-oxide (ITO) thin films deposited on glass substrates using e-beam evaporation has been systematically investigated. It is found that the annealing conditions affect the optical and electrical properties of the films. Atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to obtain information on the chemical state and crystallization of the films. These data suggest that the chemical states and surface morphology of the ITO film are strongly influenced by the gaseous environment during the annealing process. The XPS data indicate that the observed variations in the optical transmittance can be explained by oxygen incorporation into the film, decomposition of the indium oxide phases, as well as the removal of metallic In

Influence of surfactant and annealing temperature on optical properties of sol-gel derived nano-crystalline TiO2 thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Vishwas, M; Sharma, Sudhir Kumar; Rao, K Narasimha; Mohan, S; Gowda, K V Arjuna; Chakradhar, R P S

2010-03-01

Titanium dioxide thin films have been synthesized by sol-gel spin coating technique on glass and silicon substrates with and without surfactant polyethylene glycol (PEG). XRD and SEM results confirm the presence of nano-crystalline (anatase) phase at an annealing temperature of 300 degrees C. The influence of surfactant and annealing temperature on optical properties of TiO(2) thin films has been studied. Optical constants and film thickness were estimated by Swanepoel's (envelope) method and by ellipsometric measurements in the visible spectral range. The optical transmittance and reflectance were found to decrease with an increase in PEG percentage. Refractive index of the films decreased and film thickness increased with the increase in percentage of surfactant. The refractive index of the un-doped TiO(2) films was estimated at different annealing temperatures and it has increased with the increasing annealing temperature. The optical band gap of pure TiO(2) films was estimated by Tauc's method at different annealing temperature. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Effects of annealing temperature on the structure and optical properties of ZnMgO films prepared by atom layer deposition].

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Dong-Xiao; Li, Jin-Hua; Fang, Xuan; Chen, Xin-Ying; Fang, Fang; Chu, Xue-Ying; Wei, Zhi-Peng; Wang, Xiao-Hua

2014-07-01

In the present paper, we report the research on the effects of annealing temperature on the crystal quality and optical properties of ZnMgO films deposited by atom layer deposition(ALD). ZnMgO films were prepared on quartz substrates by ALD and then some of the samples were treated in air ambient at different annealing temperature. The effects of annealing temperature on the crystal quality and optical properties of ZnMgO films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra. The XRD results showed that the crystal quality of ZnMgO films was significantly improved when the annealing temperature was 600 degrees C, meanwhile the intensity of(100) diffraction peak was the strongest. Combination of PL and UV-Vis absorption measurements showed that it can strongly promote the Mg content increasing in ZnMgO films and increase the band gap of films. So the results illustrate that suitable annealing temperature can effectively improve the crystal quality and optical properties of ZnMgO films.

Annealing of SnO2 thin films by ultra-short laser pulses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scorticati, D.; Illiberi, A.; Bor, T.; Eijt, S.W.H.; Schut, H.; Römer, G.R.B.E.; Lange, D.F. de; Huis In't Veld, A.J.

2014-01-01

Post-deposition annealing by ultra-short laser pulses can modify the optical properties of SnO2 thin films by means of thermal processing. Industrial grade SnO2 films exhibited improved optical properties after picosecond laser irradiation, at the expense of a slightly increased sheet resistance

Influence of alloying and secondary annealing on anneal hardening ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Influence of alloying and secondary annealing on anneal hardening effect at sintered copper alloys. SVETLANA NESTOROVIC. Technical Faculty Bor, University of Belgrade, Bor, Yugoslavia. MS received 11 February 2004; revised 29 October 2004. Abstract. This paper reports results of investigation carried out on sintered ...

Rapid fabrication of transparent conductive films with controllable sheet resistance on glass substrates by laser annealing of diamond-like carbon films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Keunhee; Ki, Hyungson

2016-01-01

We report a laser-based method for directly fabricating large-area, transparent conductive films with customizable electrical resistance on glass. In this method, a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film is deposited first on a glass substrate by pulsed laser deposition, which is then annealed in a helium shielding environment by a 2 kW continuous-wave fiber laser with a wavelength of 1070 nm, which is transparent to glass but is absorbed by DLC to transform the amorphous carbons to graphene. When a 510 nm thick film was annealed at a scanning speed of 1 m/s by a 200 μm top-hat laser beam, the sp 3 fraction was decreased from 43.1% to 8.1% after the annealing process, and the transformed film showed a transparency of ∼80% (at 550 nm) and a sheet resistance of ∼2050 Ω/sq. We also showed that sheet resistance and transparency can be controlled by changing processing parameters. To show the scalability of the method, a 15 mm wide line beam was used to produce a 15 mm × 15 mm film. This method is simple, fully scalable, transfer-free and catalyst-free, and we believe that the fabricated films can have many applications with further research, such as transparent heating films, electromagnetic shielding films, and transparent electrodes.

The role of oxygen in the deposition of copper–calcium thin film as diffusion barrier for copper metallization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Zhinong, E-mail: znyu@bit.edu.cn [School of Optoelectronics and Beijing Engineering Research Center of Mixed Reality and Advanced Display, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China); Ren, Ruihuang [School of Optoelectronics and Beijing Engineering Research Center of Mixed Reality and Advanced Display, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China); Xue, Jianshe; Yao, Qi; Li, Zhengliang; Hui, Guanbao [Beijing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing 100176 (China); Xue, Wei [School of Optoelectronics and Beijing Engineering Research Center of Mixed Reality and Advanced Display, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China)

2015-02-15

Highlights: • The CuCa film as the diffusion barrier of Cu film improves the adhesion of Cu film. • The introduction of oxygen into the deposition of CuCa film is necessary to improve the adhesion of Cu film. • The CuCa alloy barrier layer deposited at oxygen atmosphere has perfect anti-diffusion between Cu film and substrate. - Abstract: The properties of copper (Cu) metallization based on copper–calcium (CuCa) diffusion barrier as a function of oxygen flux in the CuCa film deposition were investigated in view of adhesion, diffusion and electronic properties. The CuCa film as the diffusion barrier of Cu film improves the adhesion of Cu film, however, and increases the resistance of Cu film. The introduction of oxygen into the deposition of CuCa film induces the improvement of adhesion and crystallinity of Cu film, but produces a slight increase of resistance. The increased resistance results from the partial oxidation of Cu film. The annealing process in vacuum further improves the adhesion, crystallinity and conductivity of Cu film. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) show that the CuCa alloy barrier layer deposited at oxygen atmosphere has perfect anti-diffusion between Cu film and substrate due to the formation of Ca oxide in the interface of CuCa/substrate.

The effect of thermal annealing on pentacene thin film transistor with micro contact printing.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Hong-Sik; Yun, Ho-Jin; Baek, Kyu-Ha; Ham, Yong-Hyun; Park, Kun-Sik; Kim, Dong-Pyo; Lee, Ga-Won; Lee, Hi-Deok; Lee, Kijun; Do, Lee-Mi

2012-07-01

We used micro contact printing (micro-CP) to fabricate inverted coplanar pentacene thin film transistors (TFTs) with 1-microm channels. The patterning of micro-scale source/drain electrodes without etch process was successfully achieved using Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer stamp. We used the Ag nano particle ink as an electrode material, and the sheet resistance and surface roughness of the Ag electrodes were effectively reduced with the 2-step thermal annealing on a hotplate, which improved the mobility, the on-off ratio, and the subthreshold slope (SS) of the pentacene TFTs. In addition, the device annealing on a hotplate in a N2 atmosphere for 30 sec can enhance the off-current and the mobility properties of OTFTs without damaging the pentacene thin films and increase the adhesion between pentacene and dielectric layer (SiO2), which was investigated with the pentacene films phase change of the XRD spectrum after device annealing.

A comparative study of thermal annealing effects under various atmospheres on nano-structured CdS thin films prepared by CBD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kong, Lingjun; Li, Jianmin; Chen, Guilin; Zhu, Changfei, E-mail: cfzhu@ustc.edu.cn; Liu, Weifeng, E-mail: liuwf@ustc.edu.cn

2013-10-05

Highlights: •Smooth and uniform CdS thin films were deposited successfully by CBD method. •The influence of CdCl{sub 2}-assisted annealing under various atmospheres of CdS films has been investigated. •We gave a more detailed research on annealing temperature after identified the most optimal annealing method. •High quality CdS films were obtained with air–CdCl{sub 2}-assisted treatments at 400 °C for 0.5 h. •GIXRD was used as a new analysis method of CdS in this paper. -- Abstract: Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanofilms have been deposited on the glass substrate using the chemical bath technique. The effects of CdCl{sub 2}-assisted annealing under different atmosphere (vacuum, Ar and air) on the structural, morphological and optical properties of CdS nanofilms have been studied. After identifying the optimal annealing atmosphere, we also investigated the CdS thin film annealed at different annealing temperature (300, 400 and 500 °C). Films have been characterized by GI-XRD analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometer. The as-deposited CdS films have been found to be nanocrystalline in nature with a mixture of two crystallographic phases: a hexagonal phase and a cubic phase. After annealed in air with a CdCl{sub 2} coating layer at 400 °C, the films showed pure hexagonal phase, indicating the phase transition of CdS. It was found that the treatment in air with a CdCl{sub 2} coating layer increased the crystallinity and the mean grain size of CdS film, which are advantageous to the application in solar cells as a window layer material.

Laser annealed HWCVD and PECVD thin silicon films. Electron field emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Neill, K.A.; Shaikh, M.Z.; Lyttle, G.; Anthony, S.; Fan, Y.C.; Persheyev, S.K.; Rose, M.J.

2006-01-01

Electron Field Emission (FE) properties of various laser annealed thin silicon films on different substrates were investigated. HWCVD microcrystalline and PECVD amorphous silicon films were irradiated with Nd : YAG and XeCl Excimer lasers at varying energy densities. Encouraging FE results were mainly from XeCl Excimer laser processed PECVD and HWCVD films on metal backplanes. FE measurements were complemented by the study of film surface morphology. Geometric field enhancement factors from surface measurements and Fowler-Nordheim Theory (FNT) were compared. FE properties of the films were also found to be particularly influenced by the backplane material

Evolution of microstructure and texture in copper during repetitive extrusion-upsetting and subsequent annealing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Q.; Shu, D. Y.; Lin, J.

2017-01-01

The evolution of the microstructure and texture in copper has been studied during repetitive extrusion-upsetting (REU) to a total von Mises strain of 4.7 and during subsequent annealing at different temperatures. It is found that the texture is significantly altered by each deformation pass...... strain of 4.7 is measured to be ∼0.3μm. This refined microstructure is unstable at room temperature as is evident from the presence of a small number of recrystallized grains in the deformed matrix. Pronounced recrystallization took place during annealing at 200 °C for 1 h with recrystallized grains...... developing predominantly in high misorientation regions. At 350 ºC the microstructure is fully recrystallized with an average grain size of only 2.3 μm and a very weak crystallographic texture. This REU-processed and subsequently annealed material is considered to be potentially suitable for using...

Organization of copper nanoclusters in Langmuir–Blodgett films

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Stable nanoclusters of Cu were synthesized using Langmuir–Blodgett films of octadecylsuccinic acid (ODSA) as template. The Langmuir–Blodgett films of ODSA formed from subphase containing copper ions were first subjected to sulphidation (S) using sodium sulphide and then hydrogenated (H) using hydrogen gas.

Annealing effects on the structural and optical properties of vanadium oxide film obtained by the hot-filament metal oxide deposition technique (HFMOD)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scarminio, Jair; Silva, Paulo Rogerio Catarini da, E-mail: scarmini@uel.br, E-mail: prcsilva@uel.br [Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), PR (Brazil). Departamento de Fisica; Gelamo, Rogerio Valentim, E-mail: rogelamo@gmail.com [Universidade Federal do Triangulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG (Brazil); Moraes, Mario Antonio Bica de, E-mail: bmoraes@mailhost.ifi.unicamp.br [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil)

2017-01-15

Vanadium oxide films amorphous, nonstoichiometric and highly absorbing in the optical region were deposited on ITO-coated glass and on silicon substrates, by the hot-filament metal oxide deposition technique (HFMOD) and oxidized by ex-situ annealing in a furnace at 200, 300, 400 and 500 deg C, under an atmosphere of argon and rarefied oxygen. X-ray diffraction, Raman and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy as well as optical transmission were employed to characterize the amorphous and annealed films. When annealed at 200 and 300 deg C the as-deposited opaque films become transparent but still amorphous. Under treatments at 400 and 500 deg C a crystalline nonstoichiometric V{sub 2}O{sub 5} structure is formed. All the annealed films became semiconducting, with their optical absorption coefficients changing with the annealing temperature. An optical gap of 2.25 eV was measured for the films annealed at 400 and 500 deg C. The annealing in rarefied oxygen atmosphere proved to be a useful and simple ex-situ method to modulate the structural and optical properties of vanadium oxide films deposited by HFMOD technique. This technique could be applied to other amorphous and non-absorbing oxide films, replacing the conventional and sometimes expensive method of modulate desirable film properties by controlling the film deposition parameters. Even more, the HFMOD technique can be an inexpensive alternative to deposit metal oxide films. (author)

Influence of deposition parameters and annealing on Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films grown by SILAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, Kinjal; Shah, Dimple V.; Kheraj, Vipul

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Optimisation of Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) thin film deposition using SILAR method. • Study on effects of annealing at different temperature under two different ambients, viz. sulphur and tin sulphide. • Formation of CZTS thin films with good crystalline quality confirmed by XRD and Raman spectra. - Abstract: Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) thin films were deposited on glass substrates using Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) technique at the room-temperature. The deposition parameters such as concentration of precursors and number of cycles were optimised for the deposition of uniform CZTS thin films. Effects of annealing at different temperature under two different ambient, viz. sulphur and tin sulphide have also been investigated. The structural and optical properties of the films were studied using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and UV-visible spectra in light with the deposition parameters and annealing conditions. It is observed that a good quality CZTS film can be obtained by SILAR at room temperature followed by annealing at 500 °C in presence of sulphur

Effect of annealing on the electrical, optical and structural properties of cadmium stannate thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumaravel, R.; Krishnakumar, V.; Gokulakrishnan, V.; Ramamurthi, K.; Jeganathan, K.

2010-01-01

Polycrystalline thin films of cadmium stannate (Cd 2 SnO 4 ) were deposited by spray pyrolysis method on the Corning substrates at substrate temperature of 525 o C. Further, the films were annealed at 600 o C in vacuum for 30 min. These films were characterized for their structural, electrical and optical properties. The experimental results showed that the post-deposition annealing in vacuum has a significant influence on the properties of the films. The average grain size of the film was increased from 27.3 to 35.0 nm on heat treatment. The average optical transmittance in the visible region (500-850 nm) is decreased from 81.4% to 73.4% after annealing in vacuum. The minimum resistivity achieved in the present study for the vacuum annealed films is the lowest among the reported values for the Cd 2 SnO 4 thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis method.

Effect of thickness and temperature of copper phthalocyanine films on their properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alieva Kh. S.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The research has shown that copper phthalocyanine films, having a set of unique properties, can be successfully used as gas-sensitive coating of resistive structures. The thickness of the film, in contrast to its temperature, is not the determining factor for high sensitivity. Low operating temperature of structures with copper phthalocyanine films allows to exploit them in economy mode.

Study of fine films nature on the surface of copper band by photoelectron spectroscopy method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reznichenko, K.N.; Fedorov, V.N.; Shevakin, Yu.F.

1983-01-01

The composition of surface films formed on the copper band of industrial production under atmospheric conditions, its changes in thickness and determination of chemical state of the above films are studied. It has been found by the methods of X-ray photoelectronic and Auger-spectroscopy that defect formations on the surface of the copper band of industrial production represent copper oxides in the form of fine films, their change in colour from blue to dark blue probably is determined by different thickness of these defects. The said films on copper have practically identical chemical composition characterized by the presence of unequally valent copper, oxygen in various states (adsorbed and in the form of oxides), carbon and iron. By means of chemical shifts of the line Cu 2psub(3/2) and Ol s the presence in the external part of the film of CuO copper oxide is established and nearer to the interface surface film-metal-of Cu 2 O cuprous oxide which indicates a two-layer surface film structure. The presence of adsorbed carbon and iron in the film composition is a result of surface contamination

Atomic layer deposition of copper thin film and feasibility of deposition on inner walls of waveguides

Science.gov (United States)

Yuqing, XIONG; Hengjiao, GAO; Ni, REN; Zhongwei, LIU

2018-03-01

Copper thin films were deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition at low temperature, using copper(I)-N,N‧-di-sec-butylacetamidinate as a precursor and hydrogen as a reductive gas. The influence of temperature, plasma power, mode of plasma, and pulse time, on the deposition rate of copper thin film, the purity of the film and the step coverage were studied. The feasibility of copper film deposition on the inner wall of a carbon fibre reinforced plastic waveguide with high aspect ratio was also studied. The morphology and composition of the thin film were studied by atomic force microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The square resistance of the thin film was also tested by a four-probe technique. On the basis of on-line diagnosis, a growth mechanism of copper thin film was put forward, and it was considered that surface functional group played an important role in the process of nucleation and in determining the properties of thin films. A high density of plasma and high free-radical content were helpful for the deposition of copper thin films.

Influence of Al concentration and annealing temperature on structural, optical, and electrical properties of Al co-doped ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gürbüz, Osman; Kurt, İsmail; Çalışkan, Serkan; Güner, Sadık

2015-01-01

Highlights: • RF magnetron sputtering technique seems to be very efficient method for fabrication of Al doped ZnO (AZO) films. • Long range single crystalline structure improves with annealing process. • Optical properties became much better after annealing process especially for the AZO films that include high Al concentration. • Much greater conductivity with increasing Al concentration and annealing process. • AZO films have potential applicability in spintronic devices. - Abstract: The pure ZnO and Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films (thickness: 200 nm) were prepared on both side polished silica (SiO 2 ) substrates via RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature by using 2.5 inches high-purity ZnO (99.9%) and Al (99.9%) targets. The samples were annealed at 300 °C, 400 °C and 500 °C for 45 min in N 2 ambient in quartz annealing furnace system, respectively. We investigated the effects of various Al concentrations and annealing treatment on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of films. The preferred crystallization was observed along c axis (single (0 0 2) diffraction peak) from substrate surface assigning the single crystalline Würtzite lattice for pure ZnO and AZO thin films. Although increasing Al concentration decreases the order of crystallization of as-grown films, annealing process increases the long range crystal order. The crystallite sizes vary between minimum 12.98 nm and maximum 20.79 nm for as-grown and annealed samples. The crystallite sizes decrease with increasing Al concentration but increase with increasing annealing temperature as general trend. The grain size and porosity of films change with annealing treatment. The smaller grains coalesce together to form larger grains for many films. However, a reverse behavior is seen for Al 2.23 ZnO and Al 12.30 ZnO samples. That is, Al concentration plays critical role as well as temperature on grain size. Low percent optical transmittance (T%) is observed due to higher Al

Phase transformations in sputter-deposited W-doped TiO2 films during annealing in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saladukhin, I. A.; Abadias, G.

2013-01-01

Pure and tungsten-doped TiO 2 films are characterized as amorphous in the as-deposited state by XRD. A crystallization of titanium dioxide occurs during their annealing in air. Depending on the tungsten and nitrogen doping level, anatase or rutile phase formation is observed. Both of these phases are thermally stable in all interval of the temperatures used during annealing. Phase composition and lattice parameter analysis indicates on the formation of substitutional Ti 1 -xW x O 2 films. N-doped Ti 0 .75W 0 .25O 2 film is more resistant against high-temperature oxidation as compared to Ti 0 .74W 0 .26O 2 film and, especially, as compared to Ti 0 .60W 0 .40O 2 film. (authors)

Current-induced metal-insulator transition in VO x thin film prepared by rapid-thermal-annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Choong-Rae; Cho, SungIl; Vadim, Sidorkin; Jung, Ranju; Yoo, Inkyeong

2006-01-01

The phenomenon of metal-insulator transition (MIT) in polycrystalline VO x thin films and their preparations have been studied. The films were prepared by sputtering of vanadium thin films succeeded by Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) in oxygen ambient at 500 deg. C. Crystalline, compositional, and morphological characterizations reveal a continuous change of phase from vanadium metal to the highest oxide phase, V 2 O 5 , with the time of annealing. Electrical MIT switching has been observed in these films. Sweeping mode, electrode area, and temperature dependent MIT has been studied in Pt/VO x /Pt vertical structure. The important parameters for MIT in VO x have been found to be the current density and the electric field, which depend on carrier density in the films

Comparative studies of laser annealing technique and furnace annealing by X-ray diffraction and Raman analysis of lithium manganese oxide thin films for lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pröll, J.; Weidler, P.G.; Kohler, R.; Mangang, A.; Heißler, S.; Seifert, H.J.; Pfleging, W.

2013-01-01

The structure and phase formations of radio frequency magnetron sputtered lithium manganese oxide thin films (Li 1.1 Mn 1.9 O 4 ) under ambient air were studied. The influence of laser annealing and furnace annealing, respectively, on the bulk structure and surface phases was compared by using ex-situ X-ray diffraction and Raman analysis. Laser annealing technique formed a dominant (440)-reflection, furnace annealing led to both, (111)- and (440)-reflections within a cubic symmetry (S.G. Fd3m (227)). Additionally, in-situ Raman and in-situ X-ray diffraction were applied for online detection of phase transformation temperatures. In-situ X-ray diffraction measurements clearly identified the starting temperature for the (111)- and (440)-reflections around 525 °C and 400 °C, respectively. The 2θ Bragg peak positions of the characteristic (111)- and (440)-reflections were in good agreement with those obtained through conventional furnace annealing. Laser annealing of lithium manganese oxide films provided a quick and efficient technique and delivered a dominant (440)-reflection which showed the expected electrochemical behavior of the well-known two-step de-/intercalation process of lithium-ions into the cubic spinel structure within galvanostatic testing and cyclic voltammetry. - Highlights: ► Formation of cubic spinel-like phase of Li–Mn–O thin films by rapid laser annealing ► Laser annealing at 680 °C and 100 s was demonstrated as quick crystallization method. ► 400 °C was identified as characteristic onset temperature for (440)-reflex formation

Effects of deposition temperature and in-situ annealing time on structure and magnetic properties of (001) orientation FePt films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Yongsheng; George, T.A.; Li, Haibo; Sun, Daqian; Ren, Zhenan; Sellmyer, D.J.

2013-01-01

FePt films were prepared on (100) oriented single crystal MgO substrates at high temperature ranging from 620 until 800 °C and in-situ annealed for different times ranging from 0 to 60 min to obtain ordered FePt films. The structural analysis indicates that FePt films grow epitaxially on MgO (100) substrates. Both increasing deposition temperature and in-situ annealing time enhance the (001) texture and ordering of FePt films. The magnetic analysis shows that these L1 0 FePt films have perpendicular anisotropy and the easy magnetization c-axis is perpendicular to the film plane. Magnetization reversal is controlled by a rotational mechanism. The hard magnetic properties of the films are improved with increasing deposition temperature or in-situ annealing time. - Highlights: ► The paper reports the texture and magnetic evolution of FePt films deposited on MgO substrates. ► Increasing deposition temperature or annealing time enhanced the texture and ordering. ► The magnetic analysis shows L1 0 FePt films have perpendicular anisotropy.

Effect of annealing on properties of sputtered and nitrogen-implanted ZnO:Ga thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vojs M.

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Thin films of gallium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga were deposited on Corning glass substrates by rf diode sputtering and then implanted with 180 keV nitrogen ions in the dose range of 1 × 1015 ÷ 2 × 1016 cm-2. After the ion implantation, the films were annealed under oxygen and nitrogen ambient, at different temperatures and time, and the effect on their microstructure, type and range of conductivity, and optical properties was investigated. Post-implantation annealing at 550 °C resulted in n-type conductivity films with the highest electron concentration of 1.4 × 1020 cm-3. It was found that the annealing parameters had a profound impact on the film’s properties. A p-type conductivity (a hole concentration of 2.8 × 1019 cm-3, mobility of 0.6 cm2/V s was observed in a sample implanted with 1 × 1016 cm-2 after a rapid thermal annealing (RTA in N2 at 400 °C. Optical transmittance of all films was >84% in the wavelength range of 390–1100 nm. The SIMS depth profile of the complex 30NO− ions reproduces well a Gaussian profile of ion implantation. XRD patterns reveal a polycrystalline structure of N-implanted ZnO:Ga films with a c-axis preferred orientation of the crystallites. Depending on the annealing conditions, the estimated crystallite size increased 25 ÷ 42 nm and average micro-strains decreased 1.19 × 10-2 ÷ 6.5 × 10-3 respectively.

Investigation of optimum annealing parameters for formation of dip coated Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaudhari, Sushmita; Kannan, P.K.; Dey, Suhash R., E-mail: suhash@iith.ac.in

2016-08-01

Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS) is most attractive absorber material for inorganic solar cell applications because of its cost effective and ecofriendly nature. To obtain phase pure CZTS film, effects of annealing parameters on synthesis of CZTS thin film are investigated. CZTS films are deposited through dip coating method followed by heat treatment to form crystalline CZTS thin films. Factors influencing the crystallinity, morphology and composition of the films such as annealing temperature, time, rate and atmosphere are studied through X-Ray Diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy. After numerous experiments of synthesis of CZTS in different annealing conditions and its characterization, it is observed that 1.4 eV band gap CZTS thin film of kesterite structure is obtained by annealing the film in nitrogen atmosphere for 60 min at 300 °C with 10 °C/min ramping rate. - Highlights: • Dip coated Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} film is developed using non-hydrazine based precursor solution. • Optimum annealing condition to achieve best crystalline film is studied. • Optimal condition is 300 °C in N{sub 2} atmosphere for 60 min at 10 °C/min ramping rate. • Bandgap of prepared films is 1.4 eV, suitable for solar cell applications.

The annealing temperature dependences of microstructures and magnetic properties in electro-chemical deposited CoNiFe thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suharyadi, Edi; Riyanto, Agus; Abraha, Kamsul

2016-01-01

CoNiFe thin films with various compositions had been successfully fabricated using electro-chemical deposition method. The crystal structure of Co_6_5Ni_1_5Fe_2_0, Co_6_2Ni_1_5Fe_2_3, and Co_5_5Ni_1_5Fe_3_0 thin films was fcc, bcc-fcc mix, and bcc, respectively. The difference crystal structure results the difference in magnetic properties. The saturation magnetic flux density (Bs) of Co_6_5Ni_1_5Fe_2_0, Co_6_2Ni_1_5Fe_2_3, and Co_5_5Ni_1_5Fe_3_0 thin films was 1.89 T, 1.93 T, and 2.05 T, respectively. An optimal annealing temperature was determined for controlling the microstructure and magnetic properties of CoNiFe thin films. Depending on annealing temperature, the ratio of bcc and fcc structure varied without changing the film composition. By annealing at temperature of T ≥ 350°C, the intensity ratio of X-ray diffraction peaks for bcc(110) to fcc(111) increased. The increase of phase ratio of bcc(110) to fcc(111) caused the increase of Bs, from 1.89 T to 1.95 T. Coercivity (Hc) also increased after annealing, from 2.6 Oe to 18.6 Oe for fcc phase thin films, from 2.0 Oe to 12.0 Oe for fcc-bcc mix phase thin films, and 7.8 Oe to 8 Oe for bcc phase thin films. The changing crystal structures during annealing process indicated that the thermal treatment at high temperature cause the changing crystallinity and atomic displacement. The TEM bright-field images with corresponding selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns showed that there are strongly effects of thermal annealing on the size of fcc and bcc phase crystalline grain as described by size of individual spot and discontinuous rings. The size of crystalline grains increased by thermal annealing. The evolution of bcc and fcc structures of CoNiFe during annealing is though to be responsible for the change of magnetic properties.

Structural and electrical properties of room temperature pulsed laser deposited and post-annealed thin SrRuO3 films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gautreau, O.; Harnagea, C.; Normandin, F.; Veres, T.; Pignolet, A.

2007-01-01

Good quality strontium ruthenate (SrRuO 3 ) thin continuous films (15 to 125 nm thick) have been synthesized on silicon (100) substrates by room temperature pulsed laser deposition under vacuum followed by a post-deposition annealing, a route unexplored and yet not reported for SrRuO 3 film growth. The presence of an interfacial Sr 2 SiO 4 layer has been identified for films annealed at high temperature, and the properties of this interface layer as well as the properties of the SrRuO 3 film have been analyzed and characterized as a function of the annealing temperature. The room temperature resistivity of the SrRuO 3 films deposited by laser ablation at room temperature and post-annealed is 2000 μΩ.cm. A critical thickness of 120 nm has been determined above which the influence of the interface layer on the resistivity becomes negligible

Vacuum-annealing induced enhancements in the transparent conducting properties of Mo  +  F doped ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Dineshbabu, N.; Ravichandran, K.

2017-09-01

The decisive aim of the present study is to enhance the transparent conducting properties of Mo  +  F co-doped ZnO films through annealing. In this work, Mo  +  F co-doped ZnO (MFZO) films were deposited on glass substrates at a deposition temperature of 350 °C using a home-made nebulizer spray pyrolysis technique and the prepared samples were annealed under air and vacuum atmosphere at 400 °C for 2 h. The structural, electrical, optical, surface morphological and elemental properties of as-deposited, air-annealed and vacuum-annealed samples were compared using various analytical techniques. The vacuum-annealed sample shows lowest resistivity of 1.364  ×  10-3 Ω cm and high transmittance of 90% in the visible region with high ohmic conducting nature. The optical bandgap of the sample was found to be increased to 3.36 eV after vacuum annealing treatment. The XRD patterns of the films confirmed the polycrystalline nature. The PL measurements show the defect levels of the deposited films. The FESEM and AFM studies show an increase in the grain size and roughness of the films, respectively, after vacuum-annealing treatment. The presence of the elements before and after annealing treatment was confirmed using XPS analysis.

Improved electrical conduction properties in unintentionally-doped ZnO thin films treated by rapid thermal annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Youngmin; Lee, Choeun; Shim, Eunhee; Jung, Eiwhan; Lee, Jinyong; Kim, Deukyoung; Lee, Sejoon; Fu, Dejun; Yoon, Hyungdo

2011-01-01

The effects of thermal treatments on the electrical conduction properties for the unintentionally doped ZnO thin films were investigated. Despite the decreased carrier density in the annealed ZnO thin films, the conductivity was increased because the contribution of the effective carrier mobility to the conductivity of the unintentionally-doped ZnO thin films is greater than that of the carrier density. The resistivity exponentially decreased with increasing RTA temperature, and this result was confirmed to come from the enhanced effective carrier-mobility, which originated from the increased crystallite size in the annealed ZnO thin films.

Improved electrical conduction properties in unintentionally-doped ZnO thin films treated by rapid thermal annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Youngmin; Lee, Choeun; Shim, Eunhee; Jung, Eiwhan; Lee, Jinyong; Kim, Deukyoung; Lee, Sejoon [Dongguk University-Seoul, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Fu, Dejun [Wuhan University, Wuhan (China); Yoon, Hyungdo [Korea Electronics Technology Institute, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of)

2011-10-15

The effects of thermal treatments on the electrical conduction properties for the unintentionally doped ZnO thin films were investigated. Despite the decreased carrier density in the annealed ZnO thin films, the conductivity was increased because the contribution of the effective carrier mobility to the conductivity of the unintentionally-doped ZnO thin films is greater than that of the carrier density. The resistivity exponentially decreased with increasing RTA temperature, and this result was confirmed to come from the enhanced effective carrier-mobility, which originated from the increased crystallite size in the annealed ZnO thin films.

Thermoelectric properties of P-type Sb2Te3 thick film processed by a screen-printing technique and a subsequent annealing process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sun Jin; We, Ju Hyung; Kim, Jin Sang; Kim, Gyung Soo; Cho, Byung Jin

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We report on thermoelectric properties of screen-printed Sb 2 Te 3 thick film. • Subsequent annealing process determines thermoelectric properties of Sb 2 Te 3 film. • Annealing in tellurium powder ambient contributes to tellurium-rich Sb 2 Te 3 film. • Annealing in tellurium powder ambient enhances carrier mobility of Sb 2 Te 3 film. -- Abstract: We herein report the thermoelectric properties of Sb 2 Te 3 thick film fabricated by a screen-printing technique and a subsequent annealing process. Each step of the screen-printing fabrication process of Sb 2 Te 3 thick film is described in detail. It was found that the subsequent annealing process must be carefully designed to achieve good thermoelectric properties of the screen-printed film. The results show that the annealing of the screen-printed Sb 2 Te 3 thick film together with tellurium powder in the same process chamber significantly improves the carrier mobility by increasing the average scattering time of the carrier in the film, resulting in a large improvement of the power factor. By optimizing the annealing process, we achieved a maximum thermoelectric figure-of-merit, ZT, of 0.32 at room temperature, which is slightly higher than that of bulk Sb 2 Te 3 . Because screen-printing is a simple and low-cost process and given that it is easy to scale up to large sizes, this result will be useful for the realization of large, film-type thermoelectric devices

Effect of an annealing on magnetic properties of Fe-Ni films electroplated in citric-acid-based plating baths

Science.gov (United States)

Yanai, T.; Koda, K.; Eguchi, K.; Morimura, T.; Takashima, K.; Nakano, M.; Fukunaga, H.

2018-04-01

We have already reported Fe-Ni films with good soft magnetic properties prepared by using an electroplating method. In the present study, we employed an annealing for further improvement in soft magnetic properties of the electroplated Fe-Ni films. The annealing reduces the coercivity of the films, and the reduction rate of the coercivity depended on the Cl- ion concentration in the bath. The Fe22Ni78 films prepared in the plating bath with high Cl- ion concentration showed large reduction rate of the coercivity, and we found that the annealing is more effective for high Cl- ion concentration bath since much lower coercivity value can be obtained compared with that for low Cl- ion concentration one.

Post-growth annealing of zinc oxide thin films pulsed laser deposited under enhanced oxygen pressure on quartz and silicon substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rusop, M.; Uma, K.; Soga, T.; Jimbo, T.

2006-01-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique at room temperature on quartz and single crystal silicon (1 0 0) substrates. The oxygen ambient gas pressure was attained at 6 Torr during the deposition. The deposited films were post-growth annealed in air at various annealing temperatures for 30 min. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical and electrical properties have been measured to study the properties of the films as a function of annealing temperatures. XRD has shown the strength of (0 0 2) peak increases and FWHM value decreases as the annealing temperatures increases from 200 to 600 deg. C. The post-growth annealed at 600 deg. C show dominant c-axis oriented hexagonal wurtize crystal structure and exhibit high average transmittance about 85% in the visible region and very sharp absorption edge at 376 nm with energy band gap of approximately 3.46 eV. Electrical measurement indicates the resistivity decreases with the annealing temperatures up to 600 deg. C, after which it increases with higher annealing temperatures at 800 deg. C. The complex of oxygen vacancy in the ZnO films may be the source of low conductivity in undoped ZnO films

Effect of deposition temperature and thermal annealing on the dry etch rate of a-C: H films for the dry etch hard process of semiconductor devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Moo; Won, Jaihyung; Yim, Soyoung; Park, Se Jun; Choi, Jongsik; Kim, Jeongtae; Lee, Hyeondeok; Byun, Dongjin

2012-01-01

The effect of deposition and thermal annealing temperatures on the dry etch rate of a-C:H films was investigated to increase our fundamental understanding of the relationship between thermal annealing and dry etch rate and to obtain a low dry etch rate hard mask. The hydrocarbon contents and hydrogen concentration were decreased with increasing deposition and annealing temperatures. The I(D)/I(G) intensity ratio and extinction coefficient of the a-C:H films were increased with increasing deposition and annealing temperatures because of the increase of sp 2 bonds in the a-C:H films. There was no relationship between the density of the unpaired electrons and the deposition temperature, or between the density of the unpaired electrons and the annealing temperature. However, the thermally annealed a-C:H films had fewer unpaired electrons compared with the as-deposited ones. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed the absence of any crystallographic change after thermal annealing. The density of the as-deposited films was increased with increasing deposition temperature. The density of the 600 °C annealed a-C:H films deposited under 450 °C was decreased but at 550 °C was increased, and the density of all 800 °C annealed films was increased. The dry etch rate of the as-deposited a-C:H films was negatively correlated with the deposition temperature. The dry etch rate of the 600 °C annealed a-C:H films deposited at 350 °C and 450 °C was faster than that of the as-deposited film and that of the 800 °C annealed a-C:H films deposited at 350 °C and 450 °C was 17% faster than that of the as-deposited film. However, the dry etch rate of the 550 °C deposited a-C:H film was decreased after annealing at 600 °C and 800 °C. The dry etch rate of the as-deposited films was decreased with increasing density but that of the annealed a-C:H films was not. These results indicated that the dry etch rate of a-C:H films for dry etch hard masks can be further decreased by

Evaluation of the Process of Solvent Vapor Annealing on Organic Thin Films

KAUST Repository

Ren, Yi

2011-07-01

Solvent vapor annealing has recently emerged as an intriguing, room-temperature, and highly versatile alternative to thermal annealing. The chemically selective interaction between solvents and organic semiconductors opens new opportunities to selectively anneal certain components of the device, while leaving others intact. On the downside, these interactions are complex and rather unpredictable, requiring further investigation. We propose a novel methodology to investigate solvent-film interactions, based on use of an in situ quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) capability and in situ grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). These methods make it possible to investigate both qualitatively and quantitatively the solvent vapor uptake, the resulting softening and changes (reversible and/or irreversible) in crystallinity. Using this strategy, we have investigated the solvent vapor annealing of traditional donor and acceptor materials, namely poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and [6,6]-Phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). We find these materials retain their rigid structure during toluene vapor annealing and do not dewet. We also investigated the toluene vapor annealing of several newly proposed acceptor molecules (pentacene-based) modified with various silyl groups and electron withdrawing groups to tune the packing structure of the acceptor domains and energy levels at the donor-acceptor interface. We found a dramatic effect of the electron-withdrawing group on vapor uptake and whether the film remains rigid, softens, or dissolves completely. In the case of trifluoromethyl electron-withdrawing group, we found the film dissolves, resulting in complete and irreversible loss of long range order. By contrast, the cyano group prevented loss of long range order, instead promoting crystallization in some cases. The silyl groups had a secondary effect in comparison to these. In the last part of the thesis, we investigated the

Effect of annealing temperature on the crystalline quality and phase transformation of chemically deposited CdSe films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zapata-Torres, M.; Chale-Lara, F.; Caballero-Briones, F.; Calzadilla, O.

2005-01-01

Polycrystalline CdSe thin films were grown on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition at 50 C. The samples were annealed in air atmosphere at different temperatures and characterized by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the as-grown films have cubic structure. These samples maintain their cubic structure for annealing temperatures between 60 C and 300 C. For annealing temperatures higher than 300 C we obtain a mixture of cubic and hexagonal phases. The analysis made by X-ray diffraction and Raman dispersion show that the samples annealed at temperatures under the phase-transition temperature increase their crystalline quality. In order to determinate the temperature for the complete transition of the cubic phase, we used the precipitated material obtained during the grown of the CdSe films. This material was annealed on air atmosphere between 300 C and 500 C with 50 intervals. The samples were measured by X-ray diffraction. The samples maintained the cubic structure if the annealing temperature is under 300 C. For temperatures between 300 C and 450 C we found a mixture of cubic and hexagonal phase. For an annealing temperature of 500 C we obtain only the hexagonal phase. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Solid state de-wetting observed for vapor deposited copper films on carbon substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schrank, C.; Eisenmenger-Sittner, C.; Neubauer, E.; Bangert, H.; Bergauer, A.

2004-01-01

Copper-Carbon composites are a good example for novel materials consisting of components with extremely different physical and chemical properties. They have a high potential for an application as heat sinks for electronic components, but the joining of the two materials is a difficult task. To obtain reasonable mechanical and thermal contact between copper and carbon the following route was chosen. First glassy-carbon substrates were subjected to an RF-Nitrogen plasma treatment. Then 300 nm thick copper coatings were sputter-deposited on the plasma treated surface within the same vacuum chamber. Finally, the samples were removed from the deposition chamber and either investigated immediately or thermally annealed at 850 deg. C under high vacuum conditions (10 -4 Pa). While non-annealed copper-coatings were continuous and showed excellent adhesion values of approximately 700 N/cm 2 , the heat treated samples lose their continuity by a de-wetting process. At the beginning holes are formed, then a labyrinth-like morphology develops and finally the coating consists of isolated droplets. All these processes occur well below the melting temperature of copper and were observed by AFM and SEM. The mechanism of this solid-state de-wetting process is investigated in relation to the recent literature on de-wetting and its consequences on the manufacturing of copper-carbon composites are discussed

Step dynamics and terrace-width distribution on flame-annealed gold films: The effect of step-step interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimoni, Nira; Ayal, Shai; Millo, Oded

2000-01-01

Dynamics of atomic steps and the terrace-width distribution within step bunches on flame-annealed gold films are studied using scanning tunneling microscopy. The distribution is narrower than commonly observed for vicinal planes and has a Gaussian shape, indicating a short-range repulsive interaction between the steps, with an apparently large interaction constant. The dynamics of the atomic steps, on the other hand, appear to be influenced, in addition to these short-range interactions, also by a longer-range attraction of steps towards step bunches. Both types of interactions promote self-ordering of terrace structures on the surface. When current is driven through the films a step-fingering instability sets in, reminiscent of the Bales-Zangwill instability

Thermal annealing evolution to physical properties of ZnS thin films as buffer layer for solar cell applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kaushalya; Patel, S. L.; Purohit, A.; Chander, S.; Dhaka, M. S.

2018-07-01

The conventional CdS window layer in solar cells is found to be hazardous for the environment due to toxic nature of the cadmium. Therefore, in order to seek an alternative, a study on effect of post-annealing treatment on physical properties of e-beam evaporated ZnS thin films has been carried out where films of thickness 150 nm were deposited on glass and indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. The post annealing treatment was performed in air atmosphere within the temperature range from 100 °C to 500 °C. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the films on glass substrate are found to be amorphous at low temperature annealing (≤300 °C) while have α-ZnS hexagonal phase (wurtzite structure) at higher annealing. The patterns also show that the possibility of oxidation is increased significantly at temperature 500 °C which leads to decrease in direct band gap from 3.28 eV to 3.18 eV except films annealed at 300 °C (i.e. 3.39 eV). The maximum transmittance is found about 95% as a result of Doppler blue shift while electrical analysis indicated almost ohmic behavior between current and voltage and surface roughness is increased with post-annealing treatment.

Magnetic and structural properties of NdFeB thin film prepared by step annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serrona, Leo K.E.B.; Sugimura, A.; Fujisaki, R.; Okuda, T.; Adachi, N.; Ohsato, H.; Sakamoto, I.; Nakanishi, A.; Motokawa, M.

2003-01-01

The crystallization of the amorphous phase into the tetragonal Nd 2 Fe 14 B (PHI) phase and the corresponding changes in magnetic properties have been examined by step annealing experiment using a 2 μm thick NdFeB film sample. Microstructural and magnetic analysis indicate that the film was magnetically soft as deposited with the coercivity H ciperp -1 and the remnant magnetization 4πM rperp -1 was developed and diffraction analysis showed evidence of PHI phase 002l peaks being aligned perpendicular to the film plane. At an optimum annealing temperature of 575 deg. C, the remnant magnetization of this anisotropic thin film is around 0.60 T with intrinsic coercivity of ∼1340 kA m -1 . Annealing the film sample at 200 deg. C≤T ann ≤750 deg. C showed variations in magnetic properties that were mostly due to the change in the perpendicular anisotropy. Based on 4πM sperpendicular values plotted against T ann , a dip in 4πM sperpendicular values was observed as T ann increased in the soft-to-hard magnetic characteristics transition region and rose as the hard crystalline phase started to form. The results show that the magnetic properties of the NdFeB film were slightly influenced by the presence of NdO, film surface roughening and the small increase in crystal size as a consequence of repeated heat treatment. At T ann ∼300 deg. C, the nominal saturation magnetization indicated a certain degree of weak perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the film sample considered to be essential in the enhancement of coercivity in crystallized films

Studies on annealed ZnO:V thin films deposited by nebulised spray pyrolysis method

Science.gov (United States)

Malini, D. Rachel

2018-04-01

Structural, optical and photoluminescence properties of annealed ZnO:V thin films deposited by nebulized spray pyrolysis technique by varying vanadium concentration are studied. Thickness of thin films varies from 1.52µm to 7.78µm. V2O5, VO2 and ZnO peaks are observed in XRD patterns deposited with high vanadium concentration and the intensity of peaks corresponding to ZnO decreases in those samples. Morphological properties were studied by analysing SEM images and annealed thin films deposited at ZnO:V = 50:50 possess dumb bell shape grains. Emission peaks corresponding to both Augur transition and deep level transition are observed in the PL spectra of the samples.

Effect of thermal annealing of lead oxide film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Oh Hyeon; Kim, Sang Su; Suh, Jong Hee; Cho, Shin Hang; Kim, Ki Hyun; Hong, Jin Ki; Kim, Sun Ung

2011-01-01

Oxygen partial pressure in a growth process of lead oxide determines chemical and physical properties as well as crystalline structure. In order to supply oxygen, two ring-shape suppliers have been installed in a growth chamber. Films have been deposited using vacuum thermal evaporation from a raw material of yellow lead oxide powder (5N). Growth rate is controlled to be about 400 A/s, and film thickness more than 50 μm has been achieved. After deposition, the film is annealed at various temperatures under an oxygen atmosphere. In this study, an optimum growth condition for a good X-ray detector has been achieved by fine control of oxygen flow-rate and by thermal treatment. An electrical resistivity of 4.5x10 12 Ω cm is measured, and is comparable with the best data of PbO.

Annealing effect on the structural, morphological and electrical properties of TiO2/ZnO bilayer thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, M. I.; Imran, S.; Shahnawaz; Saleem, Muhammad; Ur Rehman, Saif

2018-03-01

The effect of annealing temperature on the structural, morphological and electrical properties of TiO2/ZnO (TZ) thin films has been observed. Bilayer thin films of TiO2/ZnO are deposited on FTO glass substrate by spray pyrolysis method. After deposition, these films are annealed at 573 K, 723 K and 873 K. XRD shows that TiO2 is present in anatase phase only and ZnO is present in hexagonal phase. No other phases of TiO2 and ZnO are present. Also, there is no evidence of other compounds like Zn-Ti etc. It also shows that the average grain size of TiO2/ZnO films is increased by increasing annealing temperature. AFM (Atomic force microscope) showed that the average roughness of TiO2/ZnO films is decreased at temperature 573-723 K and then increased at 873 K. The calculated average sheet resistivity of thin films annealed at 573 K, 723 K and 873 K is 152.28 × 102, 75.29 × 102 and 63.34 × 102 ohm-m respectively. This decrease in sheet resistivity might be due to the increment of electron concentration with increasing thickness and the temperature of thin films.

Fabrication of zinc indium oxide thin films and effect of post annealing on structural, chemical and electrical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jain, Vipin Kumar, E-mail: vipinjain7678@gmail.com [Institute of Engineering and Technology, JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur 302026 (India); Kumar, Praveen [Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore 560064 (India); Srivastava, Subodh; Vijay, Y.K. [Thin film and Membrane Science Laboratory, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur 302004 (India)

2012-07-25

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ZIO films have been prepared by flash evaporation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thermal stability of ZIO films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Structural, optical, electrical and other properties have been studied. - Abstract: In the present study, zinc indium oxide (ZIO) thin films were deposited on glass substrate with varying concentration (ZnO:In{sub 2}O{sub 3} - 100:0, 90:10, 70:30 and 50:50 wt.%) at room temperature by flash evaporation technique. These deposited ZIO films were annealed in vacuum to study the thermal stability and to see the effects on the structural, chemical and electrical properties. The XRD analysis indicates that crystallization of the ZIO films strongly depends on concentration of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} and post annealing where annealed films showed polycrystalline nature. The surface morphological study of the films using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the formation of nanostructured ZIO thin films. The surface composition and oxidation state were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. XPS spectra shows that as the concentration of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} increases from 10 to 50 wt%, the surface composition ratio In/Zn and O/Zn increases for as-prepared and annealed ZIO films while the XPS valance band spectra manifest the electronic transitions. The electrical resistivity was found to be decreased while carrier concentration and Hall mobility increased for both types of films with increasing concentration of In{sub 2}O{sub 3}.

Study on structural properties of epitaxial silicon films on annealed double layer porous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yue Zhihao; Shen Honglie; Cai Hong; Lv Hongjie; Liu Bin

2012-01-01

In this paper, epitaxial silicon films were grown on annealed double layer porous silicon by LPCVD. The evolvement of the double layer porous silicon before and after thermal annealing was investigated by scanning electron microscope. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the structural properties of the epitaxial silicon thin films grown at different temperature and different pressure. The results show that the surface of the low-porosity layer becomes smooth and there are just few silicon-bridges connecting the porous layer and the substrate wafer. The qualities of the epitaxial silicon thin films become better along with increasing deposition temperature. All of the Raman peaks of silicon films with different deposition pressure are situated at 521 cm -1 under the deposition temperature of 1100 °C, and the Raman intensity of the silicon film deposited at 100 Pa is much closer to that of the monocrystalline silicon wafer. The epitaxial silicon films are all (4 0 0)-oriented and (4 0 0) peak of silicon film deposited at 100 Pa is more symmetric.

Method for fabrication of ceramic dielectric films on copper foils

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Beihai; Narayanan, Manoj; Dorris, Stephen E.; Balachandran, Uthamalingam

2015-03-10

The present invention provides a method for fabricating a ceramic film on a copper foil. The method comprises applying a layer of a sol-gel composition onto a copper foil. The sol-gel composition comprises a precursor of a ceramic material suspended in 2-methoxyethanol. The layer of sol-gel is then dried at a temperature up to about 250.degree. C. The dried layer is then pyrolyzed at a temperature in the range of about 300 to about 450.degree. C. to form a ceramic film from the ceramic precursor. The ceramic film is then crystallized at a temperature in the range of about 600 to about 750.degree. C. The drying, pyrolyzing and crystallizing are performed under a flowing stream of an inert gas. In some embodiments an additional layer of the sol-gel composition is applied onto the ceramic film and the drying, pyrolyzing and crystallizing steps are repeated for the additional layer to build up a thicker ceramic layer on the copper foil. The process can be repeated one or more times if desired.

Microstructural evolution of Au/TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite films: The influence of Au concentration and thermal annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borges, J., E-mail: joelborges@fisica.uminho.pt [Instituto Pedro Nunes, Laboratório de Ensaios, Desgaste e Materiais, Rua Pedro Nunes, 3030-199 Coimbra (Portugal); SEG-CEMUC, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra (Portugal); Centro/Departamento de Física, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga (Portugal); Kubart, T.; Kumar, S.; Leifer, K. [Solid-State Electronics, Department of Engineering Sciences, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 534, Uppsala SE-751 21 (Sweden); Rodrigues, M.S. [Instituto Pedro Nunes, Laboratório de Ensaios, Desgaste e Materiais, Rua Pedro Nunes, 3030-199 Coimbra (Portugal); Centro/Departamento de Física, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga (Portugal); Duarte, N.; Martins, B.; Dias, J.P. [Instituto Pedro Nunes, Laboratório de Ensaios, Desgaste e Materiais, Rua Pedro Nunes, 3030-199 Coimbra (Portugal); Cavaleiro, A. [SEG-CEMUC, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra (Portugal); Vaz, F. [SEG-CEMUC, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra (Portugal); Centro/Departamento de Física, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga (Portugal)

2015-04-01

Nanocomposite thin films consisting of a dielectric matrix, such as titanium oxide (TiO{sub 2}), with embedded gold (Au) nanoparticles were prepared and will be analysed and discussed in detail in the present work. The evolution of morphological and structural features was studied for a wide range of Au concentrations and for annealing treatments in air, for temperatures ranging from 200 to 800 °C. Major findings revealed that for low Au atomic concentrations (at.%), there are only traces of clustering, and just for relatively high annealing temperatures, T ≥ 500 °C. Furthermore, the number of Au nanoparticles is extremely low, even for the highest annealing temperature, T = 800 °C. It is noteworthy that the TiO{sub 2} matrix also crystallizes in the anatase phase for annealing temperatures above 300 °C. For intermediate Au contents (5 at.% ≤ C{sub Au} ≤ 15 at.%), the formation of gold nanoclusters was much more evident, beginning at lower annealing temperatures (T ≥ 200 °C) with sizes ranging from 2 to 25 nm as the temperature increased. A change in the matrix crystallization from anatase to rutile was also observed in this intermediate range of compositions. For the highest Au concentrations (> 20 at.%), the films tended to form relatively larger clusters, with sizes above 20 nm (for T ≥ 400 °C). It is demonstrated that the structural and morphological characteristics of the films are strongly affected by the annealing temperature, as well as by the particular amounts, size and distribution of the Au nanoparticles dispersed in the TiO{sub 2} matrix. - Highlights: • Au:TiO{sub 2} films were produced by magnetron sputtering and post-deposition annealing. • The Au concentration in the films increases with the Au pellet area. • Annealing induced microstructural changes in the films. • The nanoparticle size evolution with temperature depends on the Au concentration.

Aqueous chemical growth of Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS) thin films: Air annealing and photoelectrochemical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shinde, N.M.; Deshmukh, P.R.; Patil, S.V. [Thin Film Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416004, M.S. (India); Lokhande, C.D., E-mail: l_chandrakant@yahoo.com [Thin Film Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416004, M.S. (India)

2013-05-15

Highlights: ► Facile and efficient route for synthesis of CZTS film. ► Effect of annealing on structural, morphological and electrical properties of CZTS films. ► Solar cell study. - Abstract: In present investigation, Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS) thin films have been deposited on to glass substrates by novel chemical successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The effect of air annealing in the temperature range between 573 and 773 K on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties has been studied. The X-ray diffraction studies revealed the formation of polycrystalline CZTS films. The surface morphological study showed smooth, compact and uniform film formation after annealing formation. The band gap was in between range from 1.5 to 1.8 eV depending on annealing temperature. The thermo emf measurement revealed that the CZTS exhibits p-type electrical conductivity. Further, photoactivity of CZTS thin films was tested by forming the photoelectrochemical cell.

Effect of annealing temperature on a single step processed Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} thin film via solution method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prabeesh, P.; Selvam, I. Packia; Potty, S.N.

2016-05-01

Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS) is a promising material for thin film solar cell applications because of its excellent photovoltaic properties, high abundance and non-toxicity. Thin films of CZTS are generally fabricated by vacuum based techniques or by using toxic solvents and these routes reduce its attention as a low cost and environmental friendly material. In this study, we have prepared CZTS through a solution based single step approach using non-toxic chemicals by spin coating and studied the effect of annealing temperature in the range 350–550 °C in nitrogen atmosphere on structural, optical and electrical properties. XRD results revealed the formation of kesterite phase at all annealing temperatures, while the Raman studies indicated Cu{sub 2}SnS{sub 2} impurity phase in the film annealed at 550 °C. Band gap of the films annealed in nitrogen varies from 1.46 eV to 1.56 eV, depending on the annealing temperature. Optimum properties, such as, good crystallinity, dense structure, ideal band gap (1.49 eV) and good absorption coefficient (10{sup 4} cm{sup −1}), were obtained for the film annealed at 500 °C for 30 min in nitrogen. - Highlights: • Prepared CZTS film through one-step liquid based approach using non-toxic chemicals. • Studied the effect of N{sub 2} annealing on structural, optical and electrical properties. • The phase pure CZTS absorber film exhibited excellent photovoltaic properties • The film annealed at 500 °C for 30 min in nitrogen exhibited optimum properties.

Effects of vacuum rapid thermal annealing on the electrical characteristics of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyun-Woo; Cho, Won-Ju

2018-01-01

We investigated the effects of vacuum rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on the electrical characteristics of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin films. The a-IGZO films deposited by radiofrequency sputtering were subjected to vacuum annealing under various temperature and pressure conditions with the RTA system. The carrier concentration was evaluated by Hall measurement; the electron concentration of the a-IGZO film increased and the resistivity decreased as the RTA temperature increased under vacuum conditions. In a-IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a bottom-gate top-contact structure, the threshold voltage decreased and the leakage current increased as the vacuum RTA temperature increased. As the annealing pressure decreased, the threshold voltage decreased, and the leakage current increased. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated changes in the lattice oxygen and oxygen vacancies of the a-IGZO films after vacuum RTA. At higher annealing temperatures, the lattice oxygen decreased and oxygen vacancies increased, which suggests that oxygen was diffused out in a reduced pressure atmosphere. The formation of oxygen vacancies increased the electron concentration, which consequently increased the conductivity of the a-IGZO films and reduced the threshold voltage of the TFTs. The results showed that the oxygen vacancies and electron concentrations of the a-IGZO thin films changed with the vacuum RTA conditions and that high-temperature RTA treatment at low pressure converted the IGZO thin film to a conductor.

Hydrogen termination of CVD diamond films by high-temperature annealing at atmospheric pressure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seshan, V.; Ullien, D.; Castellanos-Gomez, A.; Sachdeva, S.; Murthy, D.H.K.; Savenije, T.J.; Ahmad, H.A.; Nunney, T.S.; Janssens, S.D.; Haenen, K.; Nesládek, M.; Van der Zant, H.S.J.; Sudhölter, E.J.R.; De Smet, L.C.P.M.

2013-01-01

A high-temperature procedure to hydrogenate diamond films using molecular hydrogen at atmospheric pressure was explored. Undoped and doped chemical vapour deposited (CVD) polycrystalline diamond films were treated according to our annealing method using a H2 gas flow down to ?50 ml/min (STP) at

Annealing time dependence of the physical, electrical and pH response characteristics of spin coated TiO2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zulkefle, M A; Rahman, R A; Yusoff, K A; Herman, S H; Abdullah, W F H; Rusop, M

2015-01-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) thin film was deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate and used as sensing membrane of EGFET pH sensor. The thin film was fabricated using sol- gel spin coating method. All samples were annealed at 400 °C but the annealing time was varied. This is done to study the effects of annealing time on physical and electrical properties of titanium dioxide thin film. The sensitivity of each sample towards H + ion was measured and result shows that sample annealed for 45 minutes has the highest sensitivity (52.6 mV/pH). It is found that increasing annealing duration will increase the pH sensitivity but a limit will be reached at certain point. Longer annealing processes done beyond this point will results in lower pH sensitivity. (paper)

Effect of an annealing on magnetic properties of Fe-Ni films electroplated in citric-acid-based plating baths

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Yanai

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We have already reported Fe-Ni films with good soft magnetic properties prepared by using an electroplating method. In the present study, we employed an annealing for further improvement in soft magnetic properties of the electroplated Fe-Ni films. The annealing reduces the coercivity of the films, and the reduction rate of the coercivity depended on the Cl- ion concentration in the bath. The Fe22Ni78 films prepared in the plating bath with high Cl- ion concentration showed large reduction rate of the coercivity, and we found that the annealing is more effective for high Cl- ion concentration bath since much lower coercivity value can be obtained compared with that for low Cl- ion concentration one.

Effect of annealing on the magnetic properties and microstructure of NdFeB/Tb multilayered films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, D S; Suzuki, S; Liu, W F; Horikawa, T; Machida, K [Center for Advanced Science and Innovation, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)], E-mail: machida@casi.osaka-u.ac.jp

2009-02-01

The magnetic properties of NdFeB/Tb multilayered films annealed at 773-1273K were investigated by evaluating the effect of Tb spacer layer and comparing them with those of NdFeB single layered films. The as-deposited NdFeB/Tb film with a amorphous structure was crystallized at the higher annealing temperature than 923K and Nd-rich phases were formed at 1073 K, meanwhile the coercivity increased substantially. By observations of the microstructure, Tb element was found to diffuse into the Nd-rich phases to form a Tb-enriched phase around the Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B primary phase particles in the multilayered films.

Effect of annealing on the magnetic properties and microstructure of NdFeB/Tb multilayered films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, D S; Suzuki, S; Liu, W F; Horikawa, T; Machida, K

2009-01-01

The magnetic properties of NdFeB/Tb multilayered films annealed at 773-1273K were investigated by evaluating the effect of Tb spacer layer and comparing them with those of NdFeB single layered films. The as-deposited NdFeB/Tb film with a amorphous structure was crystallized at the higher annealing temperature than 923K and Nd-rich phases were formed at 1073 K, meanwhile the coercivity increased substantially. By observations of the microstructure, Tb element was found to diffuse into the Nd-rich phases to form a Tb-enriched phase around the Nd 2 Fe 14 B primary phase particles in the multilayered films.

Annealing effects on the microwave linewidth broadening of FeCuNbSiB ferromagnetic films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alves, M. J. P.; Gonzalez-Chavez, D. E.; Sommer, R. L. [Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Rua Dr. Xavier Sigaud 150, Urca, 22290-180 Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Bohn, F. [Departamento de Física Teórica e Experimental, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59078-900 Natal, RN (Brazil)

2015-03-28

We systematically investigate the annealing effects on the microwave linewidth broadening of FeCuNbSiB ferromagnetic films with thickness of 100 nm. We correlate the non-uniform residual stress obtained from grazing incidence x-ray diffraction measurements with the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) linewidth due to effective field inhomogeneities measured from broadband ferromagnetic resonance absorption measurements. We also estimate the annealing temperature effect on the Gilbert and two-magnon scattering contributions to the total ferromagnetic resonance FMR linewidth. We show that the effective field inhomogeneities constitute the main contribution to the microwave linewidth, while this contribution is related to the non-uniform residual stress in the films which is reduced by thermal annealing.

Controlling the Performance of P-type Cu2O/SnO Bilayer Thin-Film Transistors by Adjusting the Thickness of the Copper Oxide Layer

KAUST Repository

Al-Jawhari, Hala A.

2014-11-11

The effect of copper oxide layer thickness on the performance of Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors was investigated. By using sputtered Cu2O films produced at an oxygen partial pressure, Opp, of 10% as the upper layer and 3% Opp SnO films as the lower layer we built a matrix of bottom-gate Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors of different thickness. We found that the thickness of the Cu2O layer is of major importance in oxidation of the SnO layer underneath. The thicker the Cu2O layer, the more the underlying SnO layer is oxidized, and, hence, the more transistor mobility is enhanced at a specific temperature. Both device performance and the annealing temperature required could be adjusted by controlling the thickness of each layer of Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors.

In-situ x-ray absorption study of copper films in ground water solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kvashnina, K.O.; Butorin, S.M.; Modin, A.; Soroka, I.; Marcellini, M.; Nordgren, J.; Guo, J.-H.; Werme, L.

2007-01-01

This study illustrates how the damage from copper corrosion can be reduced by modifying the chemistry of the copper surface environment. The surface modification of oxidized copper films induced by chemical reaction with Cl - and HCO 3 - in aqueous solutions was monitored by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The results show that corrosion of copper can be significantly reduced by adding even a small amount of sodium bicarbonate. The studied copper films corroded quickly in chloride solutions, whereas the same solution containing 1.1 mM HCO 3 - prevented or slowed down the corrosion processes

Solvent vapor annealing in the molecular regime drastically improves carrier transport in small-molecule thin-film transistors

KAUST Repository

Khan, Hadayat Ullah

2013-04-10

We demonstrate a new way to investigate and control the solvent vapor annealing of solution-cast organic semiconductor thin films. Solvent vapor annealing of spin-cast films of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-Pn) is investigated in situ using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) capability, allowing us to monitor both solvent mass uptake and changes in the mechanical rigidity of the film. Using time-resolved grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) and complementary static atomic force microscopy (AFM), we demonstrate that solvent vapor annealing in the molecular regime can cause significant performance improvements in organic thin film transistors (OTFTs), whereas allowing the solvent to percolate and form a liquid phase results in catastrophic reorganization and dewetting of the film, making the process counterproductive. Using these lessons we devise processing conditions which prevent percolation of the adsorbed solvent vapor molecules for extended periods, thus extending the benefits of solvent vapor annealing and improving carrier mobility by nearly two orders of magnitude. Ultimately, it is demonstrated that QCM-D is a very powerful sensor of the state of the adsorbed solvent as well as the thin film, thus making it suitable for process development as well as in-line process monitoring both in laboratory and in future manufacturing settings. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Solvent vapor annealing in the molecular regime drastically improves carrier transport in small-molecule thin-film transistors

KAUST Repository

Khan, Hadayat Ullah; Li, Ruipeng; Ren, Yi; Chen, Long; Payne, Marcia M.; Bhansali, Unnat Sampatraj; Smilgies, Detlef Matthias; Anthony, John Edward; Amassian, Aram

2013-01-01

We demonstrate a new way to investigate and control the solvent vapor annealing of solution-cast organic semiconductor thin films. Solvent vapor annealing of spin-cast films of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-Pn) is investigated in situ using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) capability, allowing us to monitor both solvent mass uptake and changes in the mechanical rigidity of the film. Using time-resolved grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) and complementary static atomic force microscopy (AFM), we demonstrate that solvent vapor annealing in the molecular regime can cause significant performance improvements in organic thin film transistors (OTFTs), whereas allowing the solvent to percolate and form a liquid phase results in catastrophic reorganization and dewetting of the film, making the process counterproductive. Using these lessons we devise processing conditions which prevent percolation of the adsorbed solvent vapor molecules for extended periods, thus extending the benefits of solvent vapor annealing and improving carrier mobility by nearly two orders of magnitude. Ultimately, it is demonstrated that QCM-D is a very powerful sensor of the state of the adsorbed solvent as well as the thin film, thus making it suitable for process development as well as in-line process monitoring both in laboratory and in future manufacturing settings. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

High-voltage electron-microscope investigation of point-defect agglomerates in irradiated copper during in-situ annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaeger, W.; Urban, K.; Frank, W.

1980-01-01

Thin copper foils were irradiated with 650 keV electrons at 10 K in a high-voltage electron microscope (HVEM) to doses phi in the range 2 x 10 23 electrons/m 2 approximately 25 electrons /m 2 and then annealed in situ up to room temperature and outside the HVEM between room temperature and 470 K. During irradiation visible defect clusters were formed only at phi >= 2.5 x 10 24 electrons/m 2 . At smaller doses defect clusters became visible after annealing at 50 K. Between 50 K and 120 K further clusters, mainly dislocation loops on brace111 planes, appeared. Above 120 K, particularly between 160 K and 300 K, some of the dislocation loops became glissile. They glided out of the specimens or agglomerated to larger clusters of frequently complex shapes. As a consequence between 160 K and 300 K the cluster density decreased strongly, whereas the mean cluster size increased monotonously through the entire range of annealing temperatures covered. Contrast analyses between 180 K and 400 K revealed that the great majority of the dislocation loops were of interstitial type. At 470 K a new type of small clusters emerged, presumably of vacancy type. These observations are compared with other studies on electron-irradiated copper and with the current models of radiation damage in metals. (author)

Hierarchical Micro/Nano Structures by Combined Self-Organized Dewetting and Photopatterning of Photoresist Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Sachan, Priyanka; Kulkarni, Manish; Sharma, Ashutosh

2015-11-17

Photoresists are the materials of choice for micro/nanopatterning and device fabrication but are rarely used as a self-assembly material. We report for the first time a novel interplay of self-assembly and photolithography for fabrication of hierarchical and ordered micro/nano structures. We create self-organized structures by the intensified dewetting of unstable thin (∼10 nm to 1 μm) photoresist films by annealing them in an optimal solvent and nonsolvent liquid mixture that allows spontaneous dewetting to form micro/nano smooth dome-like structures. The density, size (∼100 nm to millimeters), and curvature/contact angle of the dome/droplet structures are controlled by the film thickness, composition of the dewetting liquid, and time of annealing. Ordered dewetted structures are obtained simply by creating spatial variation of viscosity by ultraviolet exposure or by photopatterning before dewetting. Further, the structures thus fabricated are readily photopatterned again on the finer length scales after dewetting. We illustrate the approach by fabricating several three-dimensional structures of varying complexity with secondary and tertiary features.

In-situ investigation of the microstructure evolution in nanocrystalline copper electrodeposits at room temperature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pantleon, Karen; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2006-01-01

The microstructure evolution in copper electrodeposits at room temperature (self-annealing) was investigated by means of x-ray diffraction analysis and simultaneous measurements of the electrical resistivity as a function of time. In situ studies were started immediately after deposition...... growth, crystallographic texture changes by multiple twinning, and a decrease of the electrical resistivity occurred as a function of time at room temperature. The kinetics of self-annealing is strongly affected by the layer thickness: the thinner the layer, the slower the microstructure evolution is......, and self-annealing is suppressed completely for a thin layer with 0.4 µm. The preferred crystallographic orientation of the as-deposited crystallites is suggested to cause the observed thickness dependence of the self-annealing kinetics. ©2006 American Institute of Physics...

A novel application of the CuI thin film for preparing thin copper nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Shuo; Sun Jialin; Zhang Jianhong; Cao Yang

2005-01-01

We present a novel application of the CuI thin film for preparing thin copper nanowires under a direct current electric field (DCEF). The CuI thin film was used as a medium for transmitting cuprous ions during the growing process of copper nanowires. As electrodes are the source of cuprous ions, high-purity copper films were deposited on both ends of the CuI thin film. At 353 K, under whole solid condition, without any templates, and having applied a DCEF of 1.5x10 4 V/m, cuprous ions were generated at the anode and migrated towards the cathode through the CuI film. At the edge of the cathode, cuprous ions obtained electrons and congregated to form a disordered thin copper nanowires bundle. The SEM images showed that these copper nanowires were from 10 to 20 nm in diameter and several hundred nanometers in length. The effect of the electric field intensity and the growth temperature on the diameter of the nanowires was also studied

The role of surface preparation in corrosion protection of copper with nanometer-thick ALD alumina coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mirhashemihaghighi, Shadi; Światowska, Jolanta [PSL Research University, CNRS – Chimie ParisTech, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France); Maurice, Vincent, E-mail: vincent.maurice@chimie-paristech.fr [PSL Research University, CNRS – Chimie ParisTech, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France); Seyeux, Antoine; Klein, Lorena H. [PSL Research University, CNRS – Chimie ParisTech, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France); Salmi, Emma; Ritala, Mikko [Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 55, FIN-00014 Helsinki (Finland); Marcus, Philippe [PSL Research University, CNRS – Chimie ParisTech, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France)

2016-11-30

Highlights: • 10–50 nm thick alumina coatings were grown on copper by atomic layer deposition. • Surface smoothening by substrate annealing was studied as pre-deposition treatment. • Corrosion protection is promoted by pre-treatment for 10 nm but not for thicker films. • Local adhesion failure is assigned to the stresses accumulated in the thicker films. • Surface smoothening decreases the interfacial strength bearing the film stresses. - Abstract: Surface smoothening by substrate annealing was studied as a pre-treatment for improving the corrosion protection provided to copper by 10, 20 and 50 nm thick alumina coatings deposited by atomic layer deposition. The interplay between substrate surface state and deposited film thickness for controlling the corrosion protection provided by ultrathin barrier films is demonstrated. Pre-annealing at 750 °C heals out the dispersed surface heterogeneities left by electropolishing and reduces the surface roughness to less than 2 nm independently of the deposited film thickness. For 10 nm coatings, substrate surface smoothening promotes the corrosion resistance. However, for 20 and 50 nm coatings, it is detrimental to the corrosion protection due to local detachment of the deposited films. The weaker adherence of the thicker coatings is assigned to the stresses accumulated in the films with increasing deposited thickness. Healing out the local heterogeneities on the substrate surface diminishes the interfacial strength that is bearing the stresses of the deposited films, thereby increasing adhesion failure for the thicker films. Pitting corrosion occurs at the local sites of adhesion failure. Intergranular corrosion occurs at the initially well coated substrate grain boundaries because of the growth of a more defective and permeable coating at grain boundaries.

An optimized In–CuGa metallic precursors for chalcopyrite thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Jun-feng, E-mail: junfeng.han@cnrs-imn.fr [Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel (IMN), Université de Nantes, UMR CNRS 6502, 2 rue de la Houssinière, BP 32229, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3 (France); Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Liao, Cheng [Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Chengdu Green Energy and Green Manufacturing Technology R and D Center, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 601207 (China); Jiang, Tao; Xie, Hua-mu; Zhao, Kui [Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Besland, M.-P. [Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel (IMN), Université de Nantes, UMR CNRS 6502, 2 rue de la Houssinière, BP 32229, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3 (France)

2013-10-31

We report a study of CuGa–In metallic precursors for chalcopyrite thin film. CuGa and In thin films were prepared by DC sputtering at room temperature. Due to low melting point of indium, the sputtering power on indium target was optimized. Then, CuGa and In multilayers were annealed at low temperature. At 120 °C, the annealing treatment could enhance diffusion and alloying of CuGa and In layers; however, at 160 °C, it caused a cohesion and crystalline of indium from the alloy which consequently formed irregular nodules on the film surface. The precursors were selenized to form copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin films. The morphological and structural properties were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra. The relationships between metallic precursors and CIGS films were discussed in the paper. A smooth precursor layer was the key factor to obtain a homogeneous and compact CIGS film. - Highlights: • An optimized sputtered indium film • An optimized alloying process of metallic precursor • An observation of nodules forming on the indium film and precursor surface • An observation of cauliflower structure in copper indium gallium selenide film • The relationship between precursor and CIGS film surface morphology.

Effects of thickness and annealing condition on magnetic properties and thermal stabilities of Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta sandwiched films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Wen-Feng; Zhang Min-Gang; Zhang Ke-Wei; Zhang Hai-Jie; Chai Yue-Sheng; Xu Xiao-Hong

2016-01-01

Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta sandwiched films are deposited by magnetron sputtering on Si (100) substrates, and subsequently annealed in vacuum at different temperatures for different time. It is found that both the thickness of NdFeB and Nd layer and the annealing condition can affect the magnetic properties of Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta films. Interestingly, the thickness and annealing temperature show the relevant behaviors that can affect the magnetic properties of the film. The high coercivity of 24.1 kOe (1 Oe = 79.5775 A/m) and remanence ratio (remanent magnetization/saturation magnetization) of 0.94 can be obtained in a Ta/Nd(250 nm)/NdFeB(600 nm)/Nd(250 nm)/Ta film annealed for 3 min at 1023 K. In addition, the thermal stability of the film is also linked to the thickness of NdFeB and Nd layer and the annealing temperature as well. The excellent thermal stability can be achieved in a Ta/Nd(250 nm)/NdFeB(600 nm)/Nd(250 nm)/Ta film annealed at 1023 K. (paper)

Effect of annealing temperature on the supercapacitor behaviour of β-V{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeyalakshmi, K. [Department of Physics, PSNA College of Engineering and Technology, Dindigul 624622 (India); Vijayakumar, S.; Nagamuthu, S. [Department of Physics, Gandhigram Rural Institute, Deemed University, Gandhigram 624302 (India); Muralidharan, G., E-mail: muralg@rediffmail.com [Department of Physics, Gandhigram Rural Institute, Deemed University, Gandhigram 624302 (India)

2013-02-15

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Structural, optical, supercapacitor properties of β-V{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films are reported. ► Influence of annealing temperature on β-V{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films have been studied. ► Film annealed at 300 °C exhibit lower charge transfer resistance. -- Abstract: Vanadium pentoxide thin films are prepared via sol–gel spin coating method. The films coated on FTO and glass substrates are treated at different temperatures ranging from 250 °C to 400 °C. The structural, optical and electrochemical investigations are made. X-ray diffraction analysis shows the film to be composed of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} in β-phase up to annealing temperature of 350 °C and at 400 °C the structural transformation to α-phase is observed. FTIR spectrum shows the formation of V-O bond. The SEM images reveal the formation of nanopores. Optical absorption studies indicate a band gap of 2.2–2.4 eV. The supercapacitor behaviour is studied using cyclic voltammetery technique and electrochemical impedance analysis. The vanadium pentoxide films annealed at 300 °C for an hour exhibits a maximum specific capacitance of 346 F g{sup −1} at a scan rate of 5 mV s{sup −1}.

Patterned self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols on copper nanomembranes by submerged laser ablation

Science.gov (United States)

Rhinow, Daniel; Hampp, Norbert A.

2012-06-01

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols are major building blocks for nanotechnology. SAMs provide a functional interface between electrodes and biomolecules, which makes them attractive for biochip fabrication. Although gold has emerged as a standard, copper has several advantages, such as compatibility with semiconductors. However, as copper is easily oxidized in air, patterning SAMs on copper is a challenging task. In this work we demonstrate that submerged laser ablation (SLAB) is well-suited for this purpose, as thiols are exchanged in-situ, avoiding air exposition. Using different types of ω-substituted alkanethiols we show that alkanethiol SAMs on copper surfaces can be patterned using SLAB. The resulting patterns were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both methods indicate that the intense laser beam promotes the exchange of thiols at the copper surface. Furthermore, we present a procedure for the production of free-standing copper nanomembranes, oxidation-protected by alkanethiol SAMs. Incubation of copper-coated mica in alkanethiol solutions leads to SAM formation on both surfaces of the copper film due to intercalation of the organic molecules. Corrosion-protected copper nanomembranes were floated onto water, transferred to electron microscopy grids, and subsequently analyzed by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).

Microstructural modifications induced by rapid thermal annealing in plasma deposited SiOxNyHz films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prado, A. del; San Andres, E.; Martil, I.; Gonzalez-Diaz, G.; Bravo, D.; Lopez, F.J.; Fernandez, M.; Martinez, F.L.

2003-01-01

The effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) processes on the structural properties of SiO x N y H z films was investigated. The samples were deposited by the electron cyclotron resonance plasma method, using SiH 4 , O 2 and N 2 as precursor gases. For SiO x N y H z films with composition close to that of SiO 2 , which have a very low H content, RTA induces thermal relaxation of the lattice and improvement of the structural order. For films of intermediate composition and of compositions close to SiN y H z , the main effect of RTA is the release of H at high temperatures (T>700 deg. C). This H release is more significant in films containing both Si-H and N-H bonds, due to cooperative reactions between both kinds of bonds. In these films the degradation of structural order associated to H release prevails over thermal relaxation, while in those films with only N-H bonds, thermal relaxation predominates. For annealing temperatures in the 500-700 deg. C range, the passivation of dangling bonds by the nonbonded H in the films and the transition from the paramagnetic state to the diamagnetic state of the K center result in a decrease of the density of paramagnetic defects. The H release observed at high annealing temperatures is accompanied by an increase of density of paramagnetic defects

Influence of annealing temperature on passivation performance of thermal atomic layer deposition Al2O3 films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiang; Liu Bang-Wu; Li Chao-Bo; Xia Yang; Zhao Yan

2013-01-01

Chemical and field-effect passivation of atomic layer deposition (ALD) Al 2 O 3 films are investigated, mainly by corona charging measurement. The interface structure and material properties are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Passivation performance is improved remarkably by annealing at temperatures of 450 °C and 500 °C, while the improvement is quite weak at 600 °C, which can be attributed to the poor quality of chemical passivation. An increase of fixed negative charge density in the films during annealing can be explained by the Al 2 O 3 /Si interface structural change. The Al—OH groups play an important role in chemical passivation, and the Al—OH concentration in an as-deposited film subsequently determines the passivation quality of that film when it is annealed, to a certain degree. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Thermoelectric properties of bismuth antimony tellurium thin films through bilayer annealing prepared by ion beam sputtering deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Zhuang-hao [College of Physics Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, 518060 (China); Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Fan, Ping, E-mail: fanping308@126.com [College of Physics Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, 518060 (China); Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Luo, Jing-ting [College of Physics Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, 518060 (China); Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Cai, Xing-min; Liang, Guang-xing; Zhang, Dong-ping [College of Physics Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, 518060 (China); Ye, Fan [Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology, Shenzhen 518060 (China)

2014-07-01

Bismuth antimony tellurium is one of the most important tellurium-based materials for high-efficient thermoelectric application. In this paper, ion beam sputtering was used to deposit Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} bilayer thin films on borosilicate substrates at room-temperature. Then the bismuth antimony tellurium thin films were synthesized via post thermal treatment of the Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} bilayer thin films. The effect of annealing temperature and compositions on the thermoelectric properties of the thin films was investigated. After the thin films were annealed from 150 °C to 350 °C for 1 h in the high vacuum condition, the Seebeck coefficient changed from a negative sign to a positive sign. The X-ray diffraction results showed that the synthesized tellurium-based thermoelectric thin film exhibited various alloys phases, which contributed different thermoelectricity conductivity to the synthesized thin film. The overall Seebeck coefficient of the synthesized thin film changed from negative sign to positive sign, which was due to the change of the primary phase of the tellurium-based materials at different annealing conditions. Similarly, the thermoelectric properties of the films were also associated with the grown phase. High-quality thin film with the Seebeck coefficient of 240 μV K{sup −1} and the power factor of 2.67 × 10{sup −3} Wm{sup −1} K{sup −2} showed a single Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3} phase when the Sb/Te thin film sputtering time was 40 min. - Highlights: • Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3} thermoelectric thin films synthesized via bilayer annealing • The film has single Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3} phase with best thermoelectric performance. • The film has high thermoelectric properties comparable with other best results.

Hard magnetic properties of rapidly annealed NdFeB thin films on Nb and V buffer layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, H.; Evans, J.; O'Shea, M.J.; Du Jianhua

2001-01-01

NdFeB thin films of the form A (20 nm)/NdFeB(d nm)/A(20 nm), where d ranges from 54 to 540 nm and the buffer layer A is Nb or V were prepared on a Si(1 0 0) substrate by magnetron sputtering. The hard Nd 2 Fe 14 B phase is formed by a 30 s rapid anneal or a 20 min anneal. Average crystallite size ranged from 20 to 35 nm with the rapidly annealed samples having the smaller crystallite size. These samples also exhibited a larger coercivity and energy product than those treated by a 20 min vacuum anneal. A maximum coercivity of 26.3 kOe at room temperature was obtained for a Nb/NdFeB (180 nm)/Nb film after a rapid anneal at 725 deg. C. Initial magnetization curves indicate magnetization rotation rather than nucleation of reverse domains is important in the magnetization process. A Brown's equation analysis of the coercivity as a function of temperature allowed us to compare the rapidly annealed and 20 min annealed samples. This analysis suggests that rapid annealing gives higher quality crystalline grains than the 20 min annealed sample leading to the observed large coercivity in the rapidly annealed samples

Precision Photothermal Annealing of Nanoporous Gold Thin Films for the Microfabrication of a Single-chip Material Libraries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harris, C. D. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Shen, N. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Rubenchik, A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Demos, S. G. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Matthews, M. J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2015-06-30

Single-chip material libraries of thin films of nanostructured materials are a promising approach for high throughput studies of structure-property relationship in the fields of physics and biology. Nanoporous gold (np-Au), produced by an alloy corrosion process, is a nanostructured material of specific interest in both these fields. One attractive property of np-Au is its self-similar coarsening behavior by thermally induced surface diffusion. However, traditional heat application techniques for the modification of np-Au are bulk processes that cannot be used to generate a library of different pore sizes on a single chip. Laser micromachining offers an attractive solution to this problem by providing a means to apply energy with high spatial and temporal resolution. In the present study we use finite element multiphysics simulations to predict the effects of laser mode (continuous-wave vs. pulsed) and supporting substrate thermal conductivity on the local np-Au film temperatures during photothermal annealing and subsequently investigate the mechanisms by which the np-Au network is coarsening. Our simulations predict that continuous-wave mode laser irradiation on a silicon supporting substrate supports the widest range of morphologies that can be created through the photothermal annealing of thin film np-Au. Using this result we successfully fabricate a single-chip material library consisting of 81 np-Au samples of 9 different morphologies for use in increased throughput material interaction studies.

solution growth and characterization of copper oxide thin films ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thin films of copper oxide (CuO) were grown on glass slides by using the solution growth technique. Copper cloride (CuCl ) and potassium telluride (K T O ) were used. Buffer 2 2e 3 solution was used as complexing agent. The solid state properties and optical properties were obtained from characterization done using PYE ...

Effects of vacuum rapid thermal annealing on the electrical characteristics of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyun-Woo Lee

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We investigated the effects of vacuum rapid thermal annealing (RTA on the electrical characteristics of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO thin films. The a-IGZO films deposited by radiofrequency sputtering were subjected to vacuum annealing under various temperature and pressure conditions with the RTA system. The carrier concentration was evaluated by Hall measurement; the electron concentration of the a-IGZO film increased and the resistivity decreased as the RTA temperature increased under vacuum conditions. In a-IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs with a bottom-gate top-contact structure, the threshold voltage decreased and the leakage current increased as the vacuum RTA temperature increased. As the annealing pressure decreased, the threshold voltage decreased, and the leakage current increased. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated changes in the lattice oxygen and oxygen vacancies of the a-IGZO films after vacuum RTA. At higher annealing temperatures, the lattice oxygen decreased and oxygen vacancies increased, which suggests that oxygen was diffused out in a reduced pressure atmosphere. The formation of oxygen vacancies increased the electron concentration, which consequently increased the conductivity of the a-IGZO films and reduced the threshold voltage of the TFTs. The results showed that the oxygen vacancies and electron concentrations of the a-IGZO thin films changed with the vacuum RTA conditions and that high-temperature RTA treatment at low pressure converted the IGZO thin film to a conductor.

Annealing of RF-magnetron sputtered SnS{sub 2} precursors as a new route for single phase SnS thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sousa, M.G., E-mail: martasousa@ua.pt [AIN, I3N and Departamento de Física, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Cunha, A.F. da, E-mail: antonio.cunha@ua.pt [AIN, I3N and Departamento de Física, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Fernandes, P.A., E-mail: pafernandes@ua.pt [AIN, I3N and Departamento de Física, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Departamento de Física, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4200-072 Porto (Portugal)

2014-04-01

Tin sulphide thin films have been grown on soda-lime glass substrates through the annealing of RF-magnetron sputtered SnS{sub 2} precursors. Three different approaches to the annealing were compared and the resulting films thoroughly studied. One series of precursors was annealed in a tubular furnace directly exposed to a flux of sulphur vapour plus forming gas, N{sub 2} + 5%H{sub 2}, and at a constant pressure of 500 mbar. The other two series of identical precursors were annealed in the same furnace but inside a graphite box with and without elemental sulphur evaporation again in the presence of N{sub 2} + 5%H{sub 2} and at the same pressure as for the sulphur flux experiments. Different maximum annealing temperatures for each set of samples, in the range of 300–570 °C, were tested to study their effects on the properties of the final films. The resulting phases were structurally investigated by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Annealing of SnS{sub 2} precursors in sulphur flux produced films where SnS{sub 2} was dominant for temperatures up to 480 °C. Increasing the temperature to 530 °C and 570 °C led to films where the dominant phase became Sn{sub 2}S{sub 3}. Annealing of SnS{sub 2} precursors in a graphite box with sulphur vapour at temperatures in the range between 300 °C and 480 °C the films are multi-phase, containing Sn{sub 2}S{sub 3}, SnS{sub 2} and SnS. For high annealing temperatures of 530 °C and 570 °C the films have SnS as the dominant phase. Annealing of SnS{sub 2} precursors in a graphite box without sulphur vapour at 300 °C and 360 °C the films are essentially amorphous, at 420 °C SnS{sub 2} is the dominant phase. For temperatures of 480 °C and 530 °C SnS is the dominant phase but also same residual SnS{sub 2} and Sn{sub 2}S{sub 3} phases are observed. For annealing at 570 °C, according to the XRD results the films appear to be single phase SnS. The composition was studied using energy dispersive spectroscopy being

Role of annealing temperature on microstructural and electro-optical properties of ITO films produced by sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Senol, Abdulkadir; Gulen, Mahir; Yildirim, Gurcan; Ozturk, Ozgur; Varilci, Ahmet; Terzioglu, Cabir; Belenli, Ibrahim

2013-03-01

In this study, we investigate the effect of annealing temperature on electrical, optical and microstructural properties of indium tin oxide (ITO) films deposited onto Soda lime glass substrates by conventional direct current (DC) magnetron reactive sputtering technique at 100 watt using an ITO ceramic target (In2O3:SnO2, 90:10 wt. %) in argon atmosphere at room temperature. The films obtained are exposed to the calcination process at different temperature up to 700 ° C. Resistivity, Hall Effect, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), ultra violet-visible spectrometer (UV-vis) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements are performed to characterize the samples. Moreover, phase purity, surface morphology, optical and photocatalytic properties of the films are compared with each other. Furthermore, mobility, carrier density and conductivity characteristics of the samples prepared are carried out as function of temperature in the range of 80-300 K at the magnetic field of 0.550 T. The results obtained show that all the properties depend strongly on the annealing temperature and in fact the film annealed at 400 ° C obtains the better optical properties due to the high refractive index while the film produced at 100 °C exhibits much better photoactivity than the other films as a result of the large optical energy band gap.

Impact of annealing temperature on the mechanical and electrical properties of sputtered aluminum nitride thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gillinger, M.; Schneider, M.; Bittner, A.; Schmid, U. [Institute of Sensor and Actuator Systems, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna 1040 (Austria); Nicolay, P. [CTR Carinthian Tech Research AG, Villach 9524 (Austria)

2015-02-14

Aluminium nitride (AlN) is a promising material for challenging sensor applications such as process monitoring in harsh environments (e.g., turbine exhaust), due to its piezoelectric properties, its high temperature stability and good thermal match to silicon. Basically, the operational temperature of piezoelectric materials is limited by the increase of the leakage current as well as by enhanced diffusion effects in the material at elevated temperatures. This work focuses on the characterization of aluminum nitride thin films after post deposition annealings up to temperatures of 1000 °C in harsh environments. For this purpose, thin film samples were temperature loaded for 2 h in pure nitrogen and oxygen gas atmospheres and characterized with respect to the film stress and the leakage current behaviour. The X-ray diffraction results show that AlN thin films are chemically stable in oxygen atmospheres for 2 h at annealing temperatures of up to 900 °C. At 1000 °C, a 100 nm thick AlN layer oxidizes completely. For nitrogen, the layer is stable up to 1000 °C. The activation energy of the samples was determined from leakage current measurements at different sample temperatures, in the range between 25 and 300 °C. Up to an annealing temperature of 700 °C, the leakage current in the thin film is dominated by Poole-Frenkel behavior, while at higher annealing temperatures, a mixture of different leakage current mechanisms is observed.

Enhancement of electron transfer from CdSe core/shell quantum dots to TiO2 films by thermal annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao, Cong; Meng, Xiangdong; Jing, Pengtao; Sun, Mingye; Zhao, Jialong; Li, Haibo

2013-01-01

We demonstrated the enhancement of electron transfer from CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) to TiO 2 films via thermal annealing by means of steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The significant decrease in PL intensities and lifetimes of the QDs on TiO 2 films was clearly observed after thermal annealing at temperature ranging from 100 °C to 300 °C. The obtained rates of electron transfer from CdSe core/shell QDs with red, yellow, and green emissions to TiO 2 films were significantly enhanced from several times to an order of magnitude (from ∼10 7 s −1 to ∼10 8 s −1 ). The improvement in efficiencies of electron transfer in the TiO 2 /CdSe QD systems was also confirmed. The enhancement could be considered to result from the thermal annealing reduced distance between CdSe QDs and TiO 2 films. The experimental results revealed that thermal annealing would play an important role on improving performances of QD based optoelectronic devices. -- Highlights: • Annealing-induced enhancement of electron transfer from CdSe to TiO 2 is reported. • CdSe QDs on TiO 2 and SiO 2 films are annealed at various temperatures. • Steady-state and time-resolved PL spectroscopy of CdSe QDs is studied. • The enhancement is related to the reduced distance between CdSe QDs and TiO 2

Implantation and annealing effects in molecular organic films

CERN Document Server

Pakhomov, G L; Shashkin, V I; Tura, J M; Ribo, J M; Ottaviano, L

2002-01-01

Ion implantation and annealing effects on the surface of phthalocyanine thin films have been studied by means of atomic force microscopy and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. Both the topology and the chemical composition of the surface are affected by irradiation. The influence of the irradiation dose is shown. The chemical degradation of the layer results mainly in the decrease of atomic concentration of nitrogen and chlorine, and in the increase of atomic concentration of oxygen. At highest dose, carbonization becomes important. Furthermore, N 1s, C 1s and Cl 2p core levels testify that the formation of new chemical species occurs in implanted pthalocyanine films. All these processes are modified by subsequent heat treatment in different ways, depending on the applied implantation fluence.

Thermodynamic investigation of the MOCVD of copper films from bis ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Equilibrium concentrations of various condensed and gaseous phases have been thermodynamically calculated, using the free energy minimization criterion, for the metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) of copper films using bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptadionato)copper(II) as the precursor material.

The effect of annealing ambient on the characteristics of an indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin film transistor.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Soyeon; Bang, Seokhwan; Lee, Seungjun; Park, Joohyun; Ko, Youngbin; Jeon, Hyeongtag

2011-07-01

In this study, the effects of different annealing conditions (air, O2, N2, vacuum) on the chemical and electrical characteristics of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFT) were investigated. The contact resistance and interface properties between the IGZO film and the gate dielectric improved after an annealing treatment. However, the chemical bonds in the IGZO bulk changed under various annealing atmospheres, which, in turn, altered the characteristics of the TFTs. The TFTs annealed in vacuum and N2 ambients exhibited undesired switching properties due to the high carrier concentration (>10(17) cm(-3)) of the IGZO active layer. In contrast, the IGZO TFTs annealed in air and oxygen ambients displayed clear transfer characteristics due to an adequately adjusted carrier concentration in the operating range of the TFT. Such an optimal carrier concentration arose through the stabilization of unstable chemical bonds in the IGZO film. With regard to device performance, the TFTs annealed in O2 and air exhibited saturation mobility values of 8.29 and 7.54 cm2/Vs, on-off ratios of 7.34 x 10(8) and 3.95 x 10(8), and subthreshold swing (SS) values of 0.23 and 0.19 V/decade, respectively. Therefore, proper annealing ambients contributed to internal modifications in the IGZO structure and led to an enhancement in the oxidation state of the metal. As a result, defects such as oxygen vacancies were eliminated. Oxygen annealing is thus effective for controlling the carrier concentration of the active layer, decreasing electron traps, and enhancing TFT performance.

Effect of neutron irradiation and post-irradiation annealing on microstructure and mechanical properties of OFHC-copper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, B.N.; Edwards, D.J.; Toft, P.

2001-01-01

Specimens of oxygen-free high conductivity (OFHC) copper were irradiated in the DR-3 reactor at Risoe at 100 deg. C to doses in the range 0.01-0.3 dpa (NRT). Some of the specimens were tensile tested in the as-irradiated condition at 100 deg. C whereas others were given a post-irradiation annealing treatment at 300 deg. C for 50 h and subsequently tested at 100 deg. C. The microstructure of specimens was characterized in the as-irradiated as well as irradiated and annealed conditions both before and after tensile deformation. While the interstitial loop microstructure coarsens with irradiation dose, no significant changes were observed in the population of stacking fault tetrahedra (SFT). The post-irradiation annealing leads to only a partial recovery and the level of recovery depends on the irradiation dose level. However, the post-irradiation annealing eliminates the yield drop and reinstates enough uniform elongation to render the material useful again. These results are discussed in terms of the cascade-induced source hardening (CISH) model

Effect of neutron irradiation and post-irradiation annealing on microstructure and mechanical properties of OFHC-copper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, B.N. E-mail: bachu.singh@risoe.dk; Edwards, D.J.; Toft, P

2001-12-01

Specimens of oxygen-free high conductivity (OFHC) copper were irradiated in the DR-3 reactor at Risoe at 100 deg. C to doses in the range 0.01-0.3 dpa (NRT). Some of the specimens were tensile tested in the as-irradiated condition at 100 deg. C whereas others were given a post-irradiation annealing treatment at 300 deg. C for 50 h and subsequently tested at 100 deg. C. The microstructure of specimens was characterized in the as-irradiated as well as irradiated and annealed conditions both before and after tensile deformation. While the interstitial loop microstructure coarsens with irradiation dose, no significant changes were observed in the population of stacking fault tetrahedra (SFT). The post-irradiation annealing leads to only a partial recovery and the level of recovery depends on the irradiation dose level. However, the post-irradiation annealing eliminates the yield drop and reinstates enough uniform elongation to render the material useful again. These results are discussed in terms of the cascade-induced source hardening (CISH) model.