WorldWideScience

Sample records for thin film fabricated

  1. Nanocrystal thin film fabrication methods and apparatus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kagan, Cherie R.; Kim, David K.; Choi, Ji-Hyuk; Lai, Yuming

    2018-01-09

    Nanocrystal thin film devices and methods for fabricating nanocrystal thin film devices are disclosed. The nanocrystal thin films are diffused with a dopant such as Indium, Potassium, Tin, etc. to reduce surface states. The thin film devices may be exposed to air during a portion of the fabrication. This enables fabrication of nanocrystal-based devices using a wider range of techniques such as photolithography and photolithographic patterning in an air environment.

  2. Subtractive fabrication of ferroelectric thin films with precisely controlled thickness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ievlev, Anton V.; Chyasnavichyus, Marius; Leonard, Donovan N.; Agar, Joshua C.; Velarde, Gabriel A.; Martin, Lane W.; Kalinin, Sergei V.; Maksymovych, Petro; Ovchinnikova, Olga S.

    2018-04-01

    The ability to control thin-film growth has led to advances in our understanding of fundamental physics as well as to the emergence of novel technologies. However, common thin-film growth techniques introduce a number of limitations related to the concentration of defects on film interfaces and surfaces that limit the scope of systems that can be produced and studied experimentally. Here, we developed an ion-beam based subtractive fabrication process that enables creation and modification of thin films with pre-defined thicknesses. To accomplish this we transformed a multimodal imaging platform that combines time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry with atomic force microscopy to a unique fabrication tool that allows for precise sputtering of the nanometer-thin layers of material. To demonstrate fabrication of thin-films with in situ feedback and control on film thickness and functionality we systematically studied thickness dependence of ferroelectric switching of lead-zirconate-titanate, within a single epitaxial film. Our results demonstrate that through a subtractive film fabrication process we can control the piezoelectric response as a function of film thickness as well as improve on the overall piezoelectric response versus an untreated film.

  3. Fabrication of Ultra-thin Color Films with Highly Absorbing Media Using Oblique Angle Deposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Young Jin; Lee, Gil Ju; Jang, Kyung-In; Song, Young Min

    2017-08-29

    Ultra-thin film structures have been studied extensively for use as optical coatings, but performance and fabrication challenges remain.  We present an advanced method for fabricating ultra-thin color films with improved characteristics. The proposed process addresses several fabrication issues, including large area processing. Specifically, the protocol describes a process for fabricating ultra-thin color films using an electron beam evaporator for oblique angle deposition of germanium (Ge) and gold (Au) on silicon (Si) substrates.  Film porosity produced by the oblique angle deposition induces color changes in the ultra-thin film. The degree of color change depends on factors such as deposition angle and film thickness. Fabricated samples of the ultra-thin color films showed improved color tunability and color purity. In addition, the measured reflectance of the fabricated samples was converted into chromatic values and analyzed in terms of color. Our ultra-thin film fabricating method is expected to be used for various ultra-thin film applications such as flexible color electrodes, thin film solar cells, and optical filters. Also, the process developed here for analyzing the color of the fabricated samples is broadly useful for studying various color structures.

  4. Fabrication of semi-transparent superoleophobic thin film from fabrics and nanoparticle-based hierarchical structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nishizawa S.

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Superoleophobic thin films have many potential applications including fluid transfer, fluid power systems, stain resistant and antifouling materials, and microfluidics among others. Transparency is also desired with superhydrophobicity for their numerous applications; however transparency and oleophobicity are almost incompatible relationship with each other in the point of surface structure. Because oleophobicity required rougher structure at nano-micro scale than hydrophobicity, and these rough structure brings light scattering. So far, there is very few report of the compatible of transparency and superoleophobicity. In this report, we proposed the see-through type fabrics using the nanoparticle-based hierarchical structure thin film for improving both of oleophobicity and transparency. The vacant space between fibrils of fabrics has two important roles: the one is to through the light, another one is to introduce air layer to realize Cassie state of liquid droplet on thin film. To realize the low surface energy and nanoscale rough structure surface on fibrils, we used the spray method with perfluoroalkyl methacrylic copolymer (PMC, silica nano particles and volatile solvent. From the SEM image, the hierarchical structures of nanoparticle were formed uniformly on the fabrics. The transparency of thin film obtained was approximately 61% and the change of transparency between pre-coated fabrics and coated was 11%. From investigation of the surface wettability, the contact angles of oils (rapeseed oil and hexadecane and water droplet on the fabricated film were over 150 degree.

  5. Fabrication and properties of SmFe2-PZT magnetoelectric thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Giouroudi, Ioanna

    2013-05-17

    Magnetoelectric (ME) thin film composites are attracting a continually increasing interest due to their unique features and potential applications in multifunctional microdevices and integrated units such as sensors, actuators and energy harvesting modules. By combining piezoelectric and highly magnetostrictive thin films, the potentialities of these materials increase. In this paper we report the fabrication of SmFe2 and PZT thin films and the investigation of their properties. First of all, a ~ 400 nm thin SmFe film was deposited on top of Si/SiO2 substrate by magnetron sputter deposition. Afterwards, a 140 nm Pt bottom electrode was sputtered on top of the SmFe film forming a bottom electrode. Spin coating was employed for the deposition of the 150 nm thin PZT layer. A PZT solution with 10 %Pb excess was utilized for this fabrication step. Finally, circular Pt top electrodes were sputtered as top electrodes. This paper focuses on the microstructure of the individual films characterized by X-Ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A piezoelectric evaluation system, aixPES, with TF2000E analyzer component was used for the electric hysteresis measurements of PZT thin films and a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) was employed for the magnetic characterization of the SmFe. The developed thin films and the fabricated double layer SmFe-PZT exhibit both good ferromagnetic and piezoelectric responses which predict a promising ME composite structure. The quantitative chemical composition of the samples was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX). © (2013) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

  6. Fabrication and properties of SmFe2-PZT magnetoelectric thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Giouroudi, Ioanna; Alnassar, Mohammed; Kosel, Jü rgen

    2013-01-01

    Magnetoelectric (ME) thin film composites are attracting a continually increasing interest due to their unique features and potential applications in multifunctional microdevices and integrated units such as sensors, actuators and energy harvesting modules. By combining piezoelectric and highly magnetostrictive thin films, the potentialities of these materials increase. In this paper we report the fabrication of SmFe2 and PZT thin films and the investigation of their properties. First of all, a ~ 400 nm thin SmFe film was deposited on top of Si/SiO2 substrate by magnetron sputter deposition. Afterwards, a 140 nm Pt bottom electrode was sputtered on top of the SmFe film forming a bottom electrode. Spin coating was employed for the deposition of the 150 nm thin PZT layer. A PZT solution with 10 %Pb excess was utilized for this fabrication step. Finally, circular Pt top electrodes were sputtered as top electrodes. This paper focuses on the microstructure of the individual films characterized by X-Ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A piezoelectric evaluation system, aixPES, with TF2000E analyzer component was used for the electric hysteresis measurements of PZT thin films and a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) was employed for the magnetic characterization of the SmFe. The developed thin films and the fabricated double layer SmFe-PZT exhibit both good ferromagnetic and piezoelectric responses which predict a promising ME composite structure. The quantitative chemical composition of the samples was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX). © (2013) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2006-01-01

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

  8. Ga–Ge–Te amorphous thin films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Němec, P.; Nazabal, V.; Dussauze, M.; Ma, H.-L.; Bouyrie, Y.; Zhang, X.-H.

    2013-01-01

    UV pulsed laser deposition was employed for the fabrication of amorphous Ga–Ge–Te thin films. The local structure of the bulk glasses as well as corresponding thin films was studied using Raman scattering spectroscopy; the main structural motifs were found to be [GeTe 4 ], eventually [GaTe 4 ] corner-sharing tetrahedra and disordered Te chains. Optical functions of the films (refractive index, extinction coefficient) were characterized by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. Photostability experiments showed all Ga–Ge–Te laser deposited films to be stable against 1550 nm laser irradiation in an as-deposited state. In an annealed state, the most photostable composition seems to be Ga 10 Ge 15 Te 75 . This particular composition was further studied from the point of view of thermal stability and stability against ageing in as-deposited state. - Highlights: ► Pulsed laser deposition was used for fabrication of amorphous Ga–Ge–Te thin films. ► GeTe 4 , eventually GaTe 4 tetrahedra and disordered Te chains form the film structure. ► Optical functions of Ge–Ga–Te films were characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry. ► All as-deposited Ga–Ge–Te thin films are stable against 1550 nm irradiation. ► In annealed state, the most photostable composition seems to be Ga 10 Ge 15 Te 75

  9. A Confined Fabrication of Perovskite Quantum Dots in Oriented MOF Thin Film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zheng; Gu, Zhi-Gang; Fu, Wen-Qiang; Wang, Fei; Zhang, Jian

    2016-10-26

    Organic-inorganic hybrid lead organohalide perovskites are inexpensive materials for high-efficiency photovoltaic solar cells, optical properties, and superior electrical conductivity. However, the fabrication of their quantum dots (QDs) with uniform ultrasmall particles is still a challenge. Here we use oriented microporous metal-organic framework (MOF) thin film prepared by liquid phase epitaxy approach as a template for CH 3 NH 3 PbI 2 X (X = Cl, Br, and I) perovskite QDs fabrication. By introducing the PbI 2 and CH 3 NH 3 X (MAX) precursors into MOF HKUST-1 (Cu 3 (BTC) 2 , BTC = 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylate) thin film in a stepwise approach, the resulting perovskite MAPbI 2 X (X = Cl, Br, and I) QDs with uniform diameters of 1.5-2 nm match the pore size of HKUST-1. Furthermore, the photoluminescent properties and stability in the moist air of the perovskite QDs loaded HKUST-1 thin film were studied. This confined fabrication strategy demonstrates that the perovskite QDs loaded MOF thin film will be insensitive to air exposure and offers a novel means of confining the uniform size of the similar perovskite QDs according to the oriented porous MOF materials.

  10. Characterization of Ag nanostructures fabricated by laser-induced dewetting of thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nikov, Ru.G., E-mail: rumen_nikov24@abv.bg [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tzarigradsko Chaussee 72, Sofia 1784 (Bulgaria); Nedyalkov, N.N.; Atanasov, P.A. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tzarigradsko Chaussee 72, Sofia 1784 (Bulgaria); Hirsch, D.; Rauschenbach, B. [Leibniz Institute of Surface Modification (IOM), 15 Permoserstrasse, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Grochowska, K.; Sliwinski, G. [Centre for Plasma and Laser Engineering, The Szewalski Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 14 Fiszera St., 80-231 Gdansk (Poland)

    2016-06-30

    Highlights: • Laser processing of Ag films produces nanoparticles with narrow size distribution. • The parameters of the nanoparticle array depend on the environment at annealing. • Raman analysis indicates that the fabricated structures can be used in SERS. - Abstract: The paper presents results on laser nanostructuring of Ag thin films. The thin films are deposited on glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition technology. The as fabricated films are then annealed by nanosecond laser pulses delivered by Nd:YAG laser system operated at λ = 355 nm. The film modification is studied as a function of the film thickness and the parameters of the laser irradiation as pulse number and laser fluence. In order to estimate the influence of the environment on the characteristics of the fabricated structures the Ag films are annealed in different surrounding media: water, air and vacuum. It is found that at certain conditions the laser treatment may lead to decomposition of the films into a monolayer of nanoparticles with narrow size distribution. The optical properties of the fabricated nanostructures are investigated on the basis of transmission spectra taken by optical spectrometer. In the measured spectra plasmon resonance band is observed as its shape and position vary depending on the processing conditions. The fabricated structures are covered with Rhodamine 6G and tested as active substrates for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS).

  11. Fabrication of organic-inorganic perovskite thin films for planar solar cells via pulsed laser deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liang, Yangang; Zhang, Xiaohang; Gong, Yunhui; Shin, Jongmoon; Wachsman, Eric D.; Takeuchi, Ichiro, E-mail: takeuchi@umd.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740 (United States); Yao, Yangyi; Hsu, Wei-Lun; Dagenais, Mario [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740 (United States)

    2016-01-15

    We report on fabrication of organic-inorganic perovskite thin films using a hybrid method consisting of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of lead iodide and spin-coating of methylammonium iodide. Smooth and highly crystalline CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3} thin films have been fabricated on silicon and glass coated substrates with fluorine doped tin oxide using this PLD-based hybrid method. Planar perovskite solar cells with an inverted structure have been successfully fabricated using the perovskite films. Because of its versatility, the PLD-based hybrid fabrication method not only provides an easy and precise control of the thickness of the perovskite thin films, but also offers a straightforward platform for studying the potential feasibility in using other metal halides and organic salts for formation of the organic-inorganic perovskite structure.

  12. Fabrication of organic-inorganic perovskite thin films for planar solar cells via pulsed laser deposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yangang Liang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We report on fabrication of organic-inorganic perovskite thin films using a hybrid method consisting of pulsed laser deposition (PLD of lead iodide and spin-coating of methylammonium iodide. Smooth and highly crystalline CH3NH3PbI3 thin films have been fabricated on silicon and glass coated substrates with fluorine doped tin oxide using this PLD-based hybrid method. Planar perovskite solar cells with an inverted structure have been successfully fabricated using the perovskite films. Because of its versatility, the PLD-based hybrid fabrication method not only provides an easy and precise control of the thickness of the perovskite thin films, but also offers a straightforward platform for studying the potential feasibility in using other metal halides and organic salts for formation of the organic-inorganic perovskite structure.

  13. Fabrication of high-quality single-crystal Cu thin films using radio-frequency sputtering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seunghun; Kim, Ji Young; Lee, Tae-Woo; Kim, Won-Kyung; Kim, Bum-Su; Park, Ji Hun; Bae, Jong-Seong; Cho, Yong Chan; Kim, Jungdae; Oh, Min-Wook; Hwang, Cheol Seong; Jeong, Se-Young

    2014-08-29

    Copper (Cu) thin films have been widely used as electrodes and interconnection wires in integrated electronic circuits, and more recently as substrates for the synthesis of graphene. However, the ultra-high vacuum processes required for high-quality Cu film fabrication, such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), restricts mass production with low cost. In this work, we demonstrated high-quality Cu thin films using a single-crystal Cu target and radio-frequency (RF) sputtering technique; the resulting film quality was comparable to that produced using MBE, even under unfavorable conditions for pure Cu film growth. The Cu thin film was epitaxially grown on an Al2O3 (sapphire) (0001) substrate, and had high crystalline orientation along the (111) direction. Despite the 10(-3) Pa vacuum conditions, the resulting thin film was oxygen free due to the high chemical stability of the sputtered specimen from a single-crystal target; moreover, the deposited film had >5× higher adhesion force than that produced using a polycrystalline target. This fabrication method enabled Cu films to be obtained using a simple, manufacturing-friendly process on a large-area substrate, making our findings relevant for industrial applications.

  14. Rapid fabrication of hierarchically structured supramolecular nanocomposite thin films in one minute

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Ting; Kao, Joseph

    2016-11-08

    Functional nanocomposites containing nanoparticles of different chemical compositions may exhibit new properties to meet demands for advanced technology. It is imperative to simultaneously achieve hierarchical structural control and to develop rapid, scalable fabrication to minimize degradation of nanoparticle properties and for compatibility with nanomanufacturing. The assembly kinetics of supramolecular nanocomposite in thin films is governed by the energetic cost arising from defects, the chain mobility, and the activation energy for inter-domain diffusion. By optimizing only one parameter, the solvent fraction in the film, the assembly kinetics can be precisely tailored to produce hierarchically structured thin films of supramolecular nanocomposites in approximately one minute. Moreover, the strong wavelength dependent optical anisotropy in the nanocomposite highlights their potential applications for light manipulation and information transmission. The present invention opens a new avenue in designing manufacture-friendly continuous processing for the fabrication of functional nanocomposite thin films.

  15. Material engineering to fabricate rare earth erbium thin films for exploring nuclear energy sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, A.; Abhilash, S. R.; Umapathy, G. R.; Kabiraj, D.; Ojha, S.; Mandal, S.

    2018-04-01

    High vacuum evaporation and cold-rolling techniques to fabricate thin films of the rare earth lanthanide-erbium have been discussed in this communication. Cold rolling has been used for the first time to successfully fabricate films of enriched and highly expensive erbium metal with areal density in the range of 0.5-1.0 mg/cm2. The fabricated films were used as target materials in an advanced nuclear physics experiment. The experiment was designed to investigate isomeric states in the heavy nuclei mass region for exploring physics related to nuclear energy sources. The films fabricated using different techniques varied in thickness as well as purity. Methods to fabricate films with thickness of the order of 0.9 mg/cm2 were different than those of 0.4 mg/cm2 areal density. All the thin films were characterized using multiple advanced techniques to accurately ascertain levels of contamination as well as to determine their exact surface density. Detailed fabrication methods as well as characterization techniques have been discussed.

  16. Fabrication of cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet thin films by a mist CVD method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Murai, Shunsuke, E-mail: murai@dipole7.kuic.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Sato, Takafumi; Yao, Situ; Kamakura, Ryosuke; Fujita, Koji; Tanaka, Katsuhisa

    2016-02-15

    We synthesized thin films, consisting of yttrium aluminum garnet doped with Ce{sup 3+} (YAG:Ce), using the mist chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, which allows the fabrication of high-quality thin films under atmospheric conditions without the use of vacuum equipment. Under a deposition rate of approximately 1 μm/h, the obtained thin films had a typical thickness of 2 μm. The XRD analysis indicated that the thin films consisted of single-phase YAG:Ce. The Rutherford backscattering confirmed the stoichiometry; the composition of the film was determined to be (Y, Ce){sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}, with a Ce content of Ce/(Y+Ce)=2.5%. The YAG:Ce thin films exhibited fluorescence due to the 5d–4f electronic transitions characteristic of the Ce ions occupying the eight-coordinated dodecahedral sites in the YAG lattice. - Highlights: • We have synthesized thin films of yttrium aluminum garnet doped with Ce{sup 3+} (YAG:Ce) by using a mist chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method for the first time. • The thickness of the single-phase and stoichiometric thin film obtained by 2 h deposition and following heat treatments is 2 μm. • The thin film is porous but optically transparent, and shows yellow fluorescence upon irradiation with a blue light. • Mist-CVD is a green and sustainable technique that allows fabrication of high-quality thin films at atmospheric conditions without vacuum equipment.

  17. Fabrication of yttrium-doped barium zirconate thin films with sub-micrometer thickness by a sol–gel spin coating method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, Hanlin; Su, Pei-Chen, E-mail: peichensu@ntu.edu.sg

    2015-06-01

    A modified sol–gel process was developed for the fabrication of sub-micrometer scale yttrium-doped barium zirconate (BZY) thin film at much lower processing temperatures. The film was fabricated by direct spin-coating of the sol on a Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} passivated Si substrate, followed by low temperature thermal annealing at 1000 °C, and single BZY phase without barium carbonate residue was obtained. A 200 nm-thick thin film without obvious through-film cracks was fabricated with optimized process parameters of sol concentration and heating rate. The stoichiometry of the BZY thin film was well-controlled and no Ba evaporation was observed due to the low processing temperature. The combination of sol–gel and spin coating method can be a promising alternative to vacuum-based thin film deposition techniques for the fabrication of sub-micrometer scale BZY thin film. - Highlights: • A sol–gel spin coating method was developed for the fabrication of BZY thin films. • The processing temperature was much lower compared to powder-based sintering. • Sub-micrometer scale BZY thin film with well-controlled stoichiometry was obtained.

  18. Fabrication and nano-imprintabilities of Zr-, Pd- and Cu-based glassy alloy thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takenaka, Kana; Saidoh, Noriko; Nishiyama, Nobuyuki; Inoue, Akihisa

    2011-01-01

    With the aim of investigating nano-imprintability of glassy alloys in a film form, Zr 49 Al 11 Ni 8 Cu 32 , Pd 39 Cu 29 Ni 13 P 19 and Cu 38 Zr 47 Al 9 Ag 6 glassy alloy thin films were fabricated on Si substrate by a magnetron sputtering method. These films exhibit a very smooth surface, a distinct glass transition phenomenon and a large supercooled liquid region of about 80 K, which are suitable for imprinting materials. Moreover, thermal nano-imprintability of these obtained films is demonstrated by using a dot array mold with a dot diameter of 90 nm. Surface observations revealed that periodic nano-hole arrays with a hole diameter of 90 nm were successfully imprinted on the surface of these films. Among them, Pd-based glassy alloy thin film indicated more precise pattern imprintability, namely, flatter residual surface plane and sharper hole edge. It is said that these glassy alloy thin films, especially Pd-based glassy alloy thin film, are one of the promising materials for fabricating micro-machines and nano-devices by thermal imprinting.

  19. Fabrication of PDMS/SWCNT thin films as saturable absorbers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez-Romano, I; Sanchez-Mondragon, J J; Davila-Rodriguez, J; Delfyett, P J; May-Arrioja, D A

    2011-01-01

    We present a novel technique to fabricate a saturable absorber thin film based on Polydimethylsiloxane doped with Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes. Using this film a passive mode-locked fiber laser in a standard ring cavity configuration was built by inserting the film between two angled connectors. Self-starting passively mode-locked laser operation was easily observed. The generated pulses have a width of 1.26 ps at a repetition rate of 22.7 MHz with an average power of 4.89 mW.

  20. Fabrication of flexible polymer dispersed liquid crystal films using conducting polymer thin films as the driving electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Yang-Bae; Park, Sucheol; Hong, Jin-Who

    2009-01-01

    Conducting polymers exhibit good mechanical and interfacial compatibility with plastic substrates. We prepared an optimized coating formulation based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl acrylate and fabricated a transparent electrode on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate. The surface resistances and transmittance of the prepared thin films were 500-600 Ω/□ and 87% at 500 nm, respectively. To evaluate the performance of the conducting polymer electrode, we fabricated a five-layer flexible polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) device as a PET-PEDOT-PDLC-PEDOT-PET flexible film. The prepared PDLC device exhibited a low driving voltage (15 VAC), high contrast ratio (60:1), and high transmittance in the ON state (60%), characteristics that are comparable with those of conventional PDLC film based on indium tin oxide electrodes. The fabrication of conducting polymer thin films as the driving electrodes in this study showed that such films can be used as a substitute for an indium tin oxide electrode, which further enhances the flexibility of PDLC film

  1. Antimicrobial activity of biopolymer–antibiotic thin films fabricated by advanced pulsed laser methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cristescu, R., E-mail: rodica.cristescu@inflpr.ro [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Lasers Department, P.O. Box MG-36, Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Popescu, C.; Dorcioman, G.; Miroiu, F.M.; Socol, G.; Mihailescu, I.N. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Lasers Department, P.O. Box MG-36, Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Gittard, S.D.; Miller, P.R.; Narayan, R.J. [Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7575 (United States); Enculescu, M. [National Institute for Materials Physics, PO Box MG-7, Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Chrisey, D.B. [Tulane University, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, New Orleans, LA (United States)

    2013-08-01

    We report on thin film deposition by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) of two polymer–drug composite thin film systems. A pulsed KrF* excimer laser source (λ = 248 nm, τ = 25 ns, ν = 10 Hz) was used to deposit composite thin films of poly(D,L-lactide) (PDLLA) containing several gentamicin concentrations. FTIR spectroscopy was used to demonstrate that MAPLE-transferred materials exhibited chemical structures similar to those of drop cast materials. Scanning electron microscopy data indicated that MAPLE may be used to fabricate thin films of good morphological quality. The activity of PDLLA–gentamicin composite thin films against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria was demonstrated using drop testing. The influence of drug concentration on microbial viability was also assessed. Our studies indicate that polymer–drug composite thin films prepared by MAPLE may be used to impart antimicrobial activity to implants, medical devices, and other contact surfaces.

  2. Fabrication of bright and thin Zn₂SiO₄ luminescent film for electron beam excitation-assisted optical microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furukawa, Taichi; Kanamori, Satoshi; Fukuta, Masahiro; Nawa, Yasunori; Kominami, Hiroko; Nakanishi, Yoichiro; Sugita, Atsushi; Inami, Wataru; Kawata, Yoshimasa

    2015-07-13

    We fabricated a bright and thin Zn₂SiO₄ luminescent film to serve as a nanometric light source for high-spatial-resolution optical microscopy based on electron beam excitation. The Zn₂SiO₄ luminescent thin film was fabricated by annealing a ZnO film on a Si₃N₄ substrate at 1000 °C in N₂. The annealed film emitted bright cathodoluminescence compared with the as-deposited film. The film is promising for nano-imaging with electron beam excitation-assisted optical microscopy. We evaluated the spatial resolution of a microscope developed using this Zn₂SiO₄ luminescent thin film. This is the first report of the investigation and application of ZnO/Si₃N₄ annealed at a high temperature (1000 °C). The fabricated Zn₂SiO₄ film is expected to enable high-frame-rate dynamic observation with ultra-high resolution using our electron beam excitation-assisted optical microscopy.

  3. Ni-Cr thin film resistor fabrication for GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vinayak, Seema; Vyas, H.P.; Muraleedharan, K.; Vankar, V.D.

    2006-01-01

    Different Ni-Cr alloys were sputter-deposited on silicon nitride-coated GaAs substrates and covered with a spin-coated polyimide layer to develop thin film metal resistors for GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs). The contact to the resistors was made through vias in the polyimide layer by sputter-deposited Ti/Au interconnect metal. The variation of contact resistance, sheet resistance (R S ) and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the Ni-Cr resistors with fabrication process parameters such as polyimide curing thermal cycles and surface treatment given to the wafer prior to interconnect metal deposition has been studied. The Ni-Cr thin film resistors exhibited lower R S and higher TCR compared to the as-deposited Ni-Cr film that was not subjected to thermal cycles involved in the MMIC fabrication process. The change in resistivity and TCR values of Ni-Cr films during the MMIC fabrication process was found to be dependent on the Ni-Cr alloy composition

  4. 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.

  5. Optically transparent super-hydrophobic thin film fabricated by reusable polyurethane-acrylate (PUA) mold

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, J.-S.; Park, J.-H.; Lee, D.-W.

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, we describe a simple manufacturing method for producing an optically transparent super-hydrophobic polymer thin film using a reusable photo-curable polymer mold. Soluble photoresist (PR) molds were prepared with under-exposed and under-baked processes, which created unique hierarchical micro/nano structures. The reverse phase of the PR mold was replicated on the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. The unique patterns on the replicated PDMS molds were successfully transferred back to the UV curable polyurethane-acrylate (PUA) using a laboratory-made UV exposure system. Continuous production of the super-hydrophobic PDMS thin film was demonstrated using the reusable PUA mold. In addition, hydrophobic nano-silica powder was sprayed onto the micro/nano structured PDMS surfaces to further improve hydrophobicity. The fabricated PDMS thin films with hierarchical surface texturing showed a water contact angle  ⩾150°. Excellent optical transmittance within the range of visible light of wavelengths between 400-800 nm was experimentally confirmed using a spectrophotometer. High efficiency of the super-hydrophobic PDMS film in optical transparency was also confirmed using solar panels. The fabricated PUA molds are very suitable for use in roll-to-roll or roll-to-plate systems which allow continuous production of super-hydrophobic thin films with an excellent optical transparency.

  6. Fabrication and optical properties of SnS thin films by SILAR method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, Biswajit; Das, Madhumita; Banerjee, Pushan; Das, Subrata

    2008-01-01

    Although the fabrication of tin disulfide thin films by SILAR method is quiet common, there is, however, no report is available on the growth of SnS thin film using above technique. In the present work, SnS films of 0.20 μm thickness were grown on glass and ITO substrates by SILAR method using SnSO 4 and Na 2 S solution. The as-grown films were smooth and strongly adherent to the substrate. XRD confirmed the deposition of SnS thin films. Scanning electron micrograph revealed almost equal distribution of the particle size well covered on the surface of the substrate. EDAX showed that as-grown SnS films were slightly rich in tin component while UV-vis transmission spectra exhibited high absorption in the visible region. The intense and sharp emission peaks at 680 and 825 nm (near band edge emission) dominated the photoluminescence spectra

  7. Fabrication and Antibacterial Effects of Polycarbonate/Leaf Extract Based Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Mahendran

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We have reported the preparation and antibacterial activities of leaf extract incorporated polycarbonate thin films to improve the antibacterial characteristics of host polycarbonates (PCs. Crude extracts of Azadirachta indica, Psidium guajava, Acalypha indica, Andrographis paniculata, and Ocimum sanctum were prepared by maceration using Dimethylformamide as solvent. The leaf extracts (LE were incorporated into the PC matrix by solution blending method, and the thin films were fabricated by Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS technique. The antibacterial activities of the as-prepared films were evaluated against E. coli and S. aureus by disk diffusion method. The inhibitory effects of the PC/LE films are higher for S. aureus than the E. coli, but pristine PC film did not exhibit any remarkable antibacterial characteristics. Further, the model fruit (Prunus studies revealed that the PC/LE films retained the freshness of the fruits for more than 11 days. This study demonstrates that the PC/LE films have excellent antibacterial activities; thus, the films could be promising candidate for active antibacterial packaging applications.

  8. Fabrication of 3D Microfluidic Devices by Thermal Bonding of Thin Poly(methyl methacrylate) Films

    KAUST Repository

    Perez, Paul

    2012-07-01

    The use of thin-film techniques for the fabrication of microfluidic devices has gained attention over the last decade, particularly for three-dimensional channel structures. The reasons for this include effective use of chip volume, mechanical flexibility, dead volume reduction, enhanced design capabilities, integration of passive elements, and scalability. Several fabrication techniques have been adapted for use on thin films: laser ablation and hot embossing are popular for channel fabrication, and lamination is widely used for channel enclosure. However, none of the previous studies have been able to achieve a strong bond that is reliable under moderate positive pressures. The present work aims to develop a thin-film process that provides design versatility, speed, channel profile homogeneity, and the reliability that others fail to achieve. The three building blocks of the proposed baseline were fifty-micron poly(methyl methacrylate) thin films as substrates, channel patterning by laser ablation, and device assembly by thermal-fusion bonding. Channel fabrication was characterized and tuned to produce the desired dimensions and surface roughness. Thermal bonding was performed using an adapted mechanical testing device and optimized to produce the maximum bonding strength without significant channel deformation. Bonding multilayered devices, incorporating conduction lines, and integrating various types of membranes as passive elements demonstrated the versatility of the process. Finally, this baseline was used to fabricate a droplet generator and a DNA detection chip based on micro-bead agglomeration. It was found that a combination of low laser power and scanning speed produced channel surfaces with better uniformity than those obtained with higher values. In addition, the implemented bonding technique provided the process with the most reliable bond strength reported, so far, for thin-film microfluidics. Overall, the present work proved to be versatile

  9. Electrochemical reaction of lithium with orthorhombic bismuth tungstate thin films fabricated by radio-frequency sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Chilin; Sun Ke; Yu Le; Fu Zhengwen

    2009-01-01

    Bi 2 WO 6 thin films with fast deposition rate have been fabricated by radio-frequency (R.F.) sputtering deposition, and are used as positive electrodes in rechargeable thin film lithium batteries. An initial discharge capacity of 113 μAh/cm 2 -μm is obtainable for Bi 2 WO 6 film electrode with good capacity reversibility. A multiple-center reactive mechanism associated with both Bi 3+ /Bi 0 and W 6+ /W x+ (x 2 WO 6 electrochemical performance with those of Bi 2 O 3 and WO 3 thin films. A possible explanation about smooth capacity loss of Bi 2 WO 6 after long-term cycling is suggested from the incomplete reaction of Bi component. The advantages of Bi 2 WO 6 thin films over the singer-center Bi 2 O 3 or WO 3 thin films are shown in both the aspects of volumetric capacity and cycling life.

  10. Nanostructured thin films and coatings functional properties

    CERN Document Server

    Zhang, Sam

    2010-01-01

    The second volume in ""The Handbook of Nanostructured Thin Films and Coatings"" set, this book focuses on functional properties, including optical, electronic, and electrical properties, as well as related devices and applications. It explores the large-scale fabrication of functional thin films with nanoarchitecture via chemical routes, the fabrication and characterization of SiC nanostructured/nanocomposite films, and low-dimensional nanocomposite fabrication and applications. The book also presents the properties of sol-gel-derived nanostructured thin films as well as silicon nanocrystals e

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-02-01

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

  12. Nanocomposite Thin Film of Poly(3-aminobenzoic acid and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Fabricated through an Electrochemical Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paphawadee Netsuwan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The composite thin films of poly(3-aminobenzoic acid (PABA and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs are successfully fabricated through an electrochemical method. The composite mixtures containing 50 mM of 3-aminobenzoic acid with various concentrations of MWNTs (1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10 mg/mL in 0.5 M H2SO4 were prepared and used in this study. Cyclic voltammetry (CV was used for fabrication and monitoring the electropolymerization of the composite thin films with potential range of 0 to 1100 mV for 5 cycles at scan rate of 20 mV/s on indium tin oxide- (ITO-coated glass substrate. UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM techniques were employed to characterize the obtained composite thin films. It was found that MWNTs can enhance the peak current of CV traces of the PABA/MWNTs composite thin films without affecting the UV-vis absorption spectra. The surface morphology of the thin films can be studied using AFM and SEM techniques.

  13. Characterization of piesoelectric ZnO thin films and the fabrication of piezoelectric micro-cantilevers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, Raegan Lynn [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2005-01-01

    In Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), a microcantilever is raster scanned across the surface of a sample in order to obtain a topographical image of the sample's surface. In a traditional, optical AFM, the sample rests on a bulk piezoelectric tube and a control loop is used to control the tip-sample separation by actuating the piezo-tube. This method has several disadvantages--the most noticeable one being that response time of the piezo-tube is rather long which leads to slow imaging speeds. One possible solution aimed at improving the speed of imaging is to incorporate a thin piezoelectric film on top of the cantilever beam. This design not only improves the speed of imaging because the piezoelectric film replaces the piezo-tube as an actuator, but the film can also act as a sensor. In addition, the piezoelectric film can excite the cantilever beam near its resonance frequency. This project aims to fabricate piezoelectric microcantilevers for use in the AFM. Prior to fabricating the cantilevers and also part of this project, a systematic study was performed to examine the effects of deposition conditions on the quality of piezoelectric ZnO thin films deposited by RF sputtering. These results will be presented. The deposition parameters that produced the highest quality ZnO film were used in the fabrication of the piezoelectric cantilevers. Unfortunately, the fabricated cantilevers warped due to the intrinsic stress of the ZnO film and were therefore not usable in the AFM. The complete fabrication process will be detailed, the results will be discussed and reasons for the warping will be examined.

  14. Excimer laser sintering of indium tin oxide nanoparticles for fabricating thin films of variable thickness on flexible substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Taesoon; Kim, Dongsik

    2015-01-01

    Technology to fabricate electrically-conducting, transparent thin-film patterns on flexible substrates has possible applications in flexible electronics. In this work, a pulsed-laser sintering process applicable to indium tin oxide (ITO) thin-film fabrication on a substrate without thermal damage to the substrate was developed. A nanosecond pulsed laser was used to minimize thermal penetration into the substrate and to control the thickness of the sintered layer. ITO nanoparticles (NPs) of ~ 20 nm diameter were used to lower the process temperature by exploiting their low melting point. ITO thin film patterns were fabricated by first spin coating the NPs onto a surface, then sintering them using a KrF excimer laser. The sintered films were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrical resistivity and transparency of the film were measured by varying the process parameters. A single laser pulse could generate the polycrystalline structure (average grain size ~ 200 nm), reducing the electrical resistivity of the film by a factor of ~ 1000. The sintering process led to a minimum resistivity of 1.1 × 10 −4 Ω·m without losing the transparency of the film. The thickness of the sintered layer could be varied up to 150 nm by adjusting the laser fluence. Because the estimated thermal penetration depth in the ITO film was less than 200 nm, no thermal damage was observed in the substrate. This work suggests that the proposed process, combined with various particle deposition methods, can be an effective tool to form thin-film ITO patterns on flexible substrates. - Highlights: • Excimer laser sintering can fabricate ITO thin films on flexible substrates. • The laser pulse can form a polycrystalline structure without thermal damage. • The laser sintering process can reduce the electrical resistivity substantially. • The thickness of the sintered layer can be varied effectively

  15. Excimer laser sintering of indium tin oxide nanoparticles for fabricating thin films of variable thickness on flexible substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Taesoon; Kim, Dongsik, E-mail: dskim87@postech.ac.kr

    2015-03-02

    Technology to fabricate electrically-conducting, transparent thin-film patterns on flexible substrates has possible applications in flexible electronics. In this work, a pulsed-laser sintering process applicable to indium tin oxide (ITO) thin-film fabrication on a substrate without thermal damage to the substrate was developed. A nanosecond pulsed laser was used to minimize thermal penetration into the substrate and to control the thickness of the sintered layer. ITO nanoparticles (NPs) of ~ 20 nm diameter were used to lower the process temperature by exploiting their low melting point. ITO thin film patterns were fabricated by first spin coating the NPs onto a surface, then sintering them using a KrF excimer laser. The sintered films were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrical resistivity and transparency of the film were measured by varying the process parameters. A single laser pulse could generate the polycrystalline structure (average grain size ~ 200 nm), reducing the electrical resistivity of the film by a factor of ~ 1000. The sintering process led to a minimum resistivity of 1.1 × 10{sup −4} Ω·m without losing the transparency of the film. The thickness of the sintered layer could be varied up to 150 nm by adjusting the laser fluence. Because the estimated thermal penetration depth in the ITO film was less than 200 nm, no thermal damage was observed in the substrate. This work suggests that the proposed process, combined with various particle deposition methods, can be an effective tool to form thin-film ITO patterns on flexible substrates. - Highlights: • Excimer laser sintering can fabricate ITO thin films on flexible substrates. • The laser pulse can form a polycrystalline structure without thermal damage. • The laser sintering process can reduce the electrical resistivity substantially. • The thickness of the sintered layer can be varied effectively.

  16. Fabrication and characterization of thin-film phosphor combinatorial libraries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mordkovich, V. Z.; Jin, Zhengwu; Yamada, Y.; Fukumura, T.; Kawasaki, M.; Koinuma, H.

    2002-05-01

    The laser molecular beam epitaxy method was employed to fabricate thin-film combinatorial libraries of ZnO-based phosphors on different substrates. Fabrication of both pixel libraries, on the example of Fe-doped ZnO, and spread libraries, on the example of Eu-doped ZnO, has been demonstrated. Screening of the Fe-doped ZnO libraries led to the discovery of weak green cathodoluminescence with the maximum efficiency at the Fe content of 0.58 mol %. Screening of the Eu-doped ZnO libraries led to the discovery of unusual reddish-violet cathodoluminescence which is observed in a broad range of Eu concentration. No photoluminescence was registered in either system.

  17. Direct-current substrate bias effects on amorphous silicon sputter-deposited films for thin film transistor fabrication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jun, Seung-Ik; Rack, Philip D.; McKnight, Timothy E.; Melechko, Anatoli V.; Simpson, Michael L.

    2005-01-01

    The effect that direct current (dc) substrate bias has on radio frequency-sputter-deposited amorphous silicon (a-Si) films has been investigated. The substrate bias produces a denser a-Si film with fewer defects compared to unbiased films. The reduced number of defects results in a higher resistivity because defect-mediated conduction paths are reduced. Thin film transistors (TFTs) that were completely sputter deposited were fabricated and characterized. The TFT with the biased a-Si film showed lower leakage (off-state) current, higher on/off current ratio, and higher transconductance (field effect mobility) than the TFT with the unbiased a-Si film

  18. Superhydrophobic Thin Films Fabricated by Reactive Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Azlactone-Functionalized Polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buck, Maren E; Schwartz, Sarina C; Lynn, David M

    2010-09-11

    We report an approach to the fabrication of superhydrophobic thin films that is based on the 'reactive' layer-by-layer assembly of azlactone-containing polymer multilayers. We demonstrate that films fabricated from alternating layers of the azlactone functionalized polymer poly(2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone) (PVDMA) and poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) exhibit micro- and nanoscale surface features that result in water contact angles in excess of 150º. Our results reveal that the formation of these surface features is (i) dependent upon film thickness (i.e., the number of layers of PEI and PVDMA deposited) and (ii) that it is influenced strongly by the presence (or absence) of cyclic azlactone-functionalized oligomers that can form upon storage of the 2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone (VDMA) used to synthesize PVDMA. For example, films fabricated using polymers synthesized in the presence of these oligomers exhibited rough, textured surfaces and superhydrophobic behavior (i.e., advancing contact angles in excess of 150º). In contrast, films fabricated from PVDMA polymerized in the absence of this oligomer (e.g., using freshly distilled monomer) were smooth and only moderately hydrophobic (i.e., advancing contact angles of ~75º). The addition of authentic, independently synthesized oligomer to samples of distilled VDMA at specified and controlled concentrations permitted reproducible fabrication of superhydrophobic thin films on the surfaces of a variety of different substrates. The surfaces of these films were demonstrated to be superhydrophobic immediately after fabrication, but they became hydrophilic after exposure to water for six days. Additional experiments demonstrated that it was possible to stabilize and prolong the superhydrophobic properties of these films (e.g., advancing contact angles in excess of 150° even after complete submersion in water for at least six weeks) by exploiting the reactivity of residual azlactones to functionalize the surfaces of the films

  19. Fabrication of Pb (Zr, Ti) O3 Thin Film for Non-Volatile Memory Device Application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mar Lar Win

    2011-12-01

    Ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate powder was composed of mainly the oxides of titanium, zirconium and lead. PZT powder was firstly prepared by thermal synthesis at different Zr/Ti ratios with various sintering temperatures. PZT thin film was fabricated on SiO2/Si substrate by using thermal evaporation method. Physical and elemental analysis were carried out by using SEM, EDX and XRD The ferroelectric properties and the switching behaviour of the PZT thin films were investigated. The ferroelectric properties and switching properties of the PZT thin film (near morphotropic phase boundary sintered at 800 C) could function as a nonvolatile memory.

  20. Fabrication of Hydrogenated Amorphous Germanium Thin Layer Film and ItsCharacterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agus-Santoso; Lely-Susita RM; Tjipto-Sujitno

    2000-01-01

    Fabrication of hydrogenated amorphous Germanium thin film by vacuumevaporation method and then deposition with hydrogen atom by glow dischargeplasma radio frequency has been done. This germanium amorphous (a-Ge) thinfilm involves a lot of dangling bonds in the network due to the irregularityof the atomic structures and it will decrease is conductivity. To improve theband properties of (a-Ge) thin film layer a hydrogenated plasma isintroduced. Process of introducing of the hydrogen into the a-Ge film is meanto reduce the dangling bonds so that the best electric conductivity of a Ge:Hthin film will obtained. To identify the hydrogen atom in the sample acharacterization using infrared spectrometer has been done, as well as themeasurement of conductivity of the samples. From the characterization usinginfrared spectroscopy the existence of hydrogen atom was found at absorptionpeak with wave number 1637.5 cm -1 , while the optimum conductivity of thesample 1634.86 Ω -1 cm -1 was achieved at 343 o K. (author)

  1. Fabrication of Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure thin film and its tunable energetics and tailorable optical properties

    OpenAIRE

    Ruijin Hong; Jialin Ji; Chunxian Tao; Daohua Zhang; Dawei Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure thin film was fabricated. The effects of graphene oxide (GO) and bimetal on the structure and optical properties of metal silver films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical absorption, and Raman intensity measurements, respectively. Compared to silver thin film, Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure composite thin films were observed with wider optical absorption peak and enhanced absorption intensity. The Raman signal for Rhodamine B ...

  2. Fabrication, characterization and sensing properties of Cu(II) ion imprinted sol–gel thin film on QCM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su, Pi-Guey; Hung, Fang-Chieh; Lin, Po-Hung

    2012-01-01

    Cu(II)-molecularly imprinted sol–gel films (Cu(II)-MISGF), coated on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) chip, were fabricated using a sol–gel procedure. Co-hydrolysis and co-condensation of Cu(II) (templates), 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTS, functional monomer) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS, cross-linking agent) were performed with acid and base catalysis. The properties of the Cu(II)-MISGF were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the electrochemical methods of cyclic voltammetry (CV). Microstructural observations revealed that the acid-catalyzed system yielded more mechanically stable thin films. A combined Cu(II)-MISGF-QCM with flow injection analysis (FIA) method was utilized to investigate the sensing performance of the Cu(II)-MISGF, with special emphasis on the most important properties of sensitivity, selectivity and response time. The Cu(II)-MISGF-QCM sensor, at a TEOS/APTS molar ratio of 10, exhibited excellent selectivity and rapidly responded to Cu(II) ions. - Highlights: ► A Cu(II)-molecularly imprinted sol–gel thin film on chip was fabricated. ► The thin film had mechanical stability using acidic catalyst. ► The thin film had good selectivity and response time for Cu(II) ions.

  3. Ready fabrication of thin-film electrodes from building nanocrystals for micro-supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zheng; Weng, Ding; Wang, Xiaolei; Cheng, Yanhua; Wang, Ge; Lu, Yunfeng

    2012-04-18

    Thin-film pseudocapacitor electrodes with ultrafast lithium storage kinetics, high capacitance and excellent cycling stability were fabricated from monodispersed TiO(2) building nanocrystals, providing a novel approach towards next-generation micro-supercapacitor applications. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

  4. Fabrication of Carbon Nanotube Thin Films by Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Han

    2015-01-01

    In summary, we have prepared single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) thin films by the method of evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA). Using the scalable two-plate or lens setups, sorts of different film types or patterns of SWNTs has been successfully fabricated directly from the evaporation of solvents and could be precisely controlled by the concentrations of SWNT in ambient conditions. The special geometry of meniscus as the capillary bridge has not only given rise to a much higher efficie...

  5. Fabrication of nanostructured Al-doped ZnO thin film for methane sensing applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shafura, A. K., E-mail: shafura@ymail.com; Azhar, N. E. I.; Uzer, M.; Mamat, M. H. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Sin, N. D. Md. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Johor, Kampus Pasir Gudang, 81750 Masai, Johor (Malaysia); Saurdi, I. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sarawak, Kampus Kota Samarahan Jalan Meranek, Sarawak (Malaysia); Shuhaimi, A. [Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University ofMalaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Alrokayan, Salman A. H.; Khan, Haseeb A. [Research Chair of Targeting and Treatment Cancer Using Nanoparticles, Department Of Biochemistry, College Of Science, King Saud University, P.O: 2454 Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Rusop, M., E-mail: nanouitm@gmail.com [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); NANO-SciTech Centre (NST), Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia)

    2016-07-06

    CH{sub 4} gas sensor was fabricated using spin-coating method of the nanostructured ZnO thin film. Effect of annealing temperature on the electrical and structural properties of the film was investigated. Dense nanostructured ZnO film are obtained at higher annealing temperature. The optimal condition of annealing temperature is 500°C which has conductivity and sensitivity value of 3.3 × 10{sup −3} S/cm and 11.5%, respectively.

  6. Structural study and fabrication of nano-pattern on ultra thin film of Ag grown by magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banerjee, S.; Mukherjee, S.; Kundu, S.

    2001-01-01

    We present the structural study of ultra thin Ag films using grazing incidence x-ray reflectivity and the modification of these films with the tip of an atomic force microscope. Ag thin films are deposited using dc magnetron sputtering on a Si(001) substrate. Initially, the growth of the film is carpet like and above a certain thickness (∼42 A) the film structure changes to form mounds. This ultra thin film of Ag having carpet-like growth can be modified by the tip of an atomic force microscope, which occurs due to the porous nature of the film. A periodic pattern of nanometer dimensions has been fabricated on this film using the atomic force microscope tip. (author)

  7. Ion beam-based characterization of multicomponent oxide thin films and thin film layered structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krauss, A.R.; Rangaswamy, M.; Lin, Yuping; Gruen, D.M.; Schultz, J.A.; Schmidt, H.K.; Chang, R.P.H.

    1992-01-01

    Fabrication of thin film layered structures of multi-component materials such as high temperature superconductors, ferroelectric and electro-optic materials, and alloy semiconductors, and the development of hybrid materials requires understanding of film growth and interface properties. For High Temperature Superconductors, the superconducting coherence length is extremely short (5--15 Angstrom), and fabrication of reliable devices will require control of film properties at extremely sharp interfaces; it will be necessary to verify the integrity of thin layers and layered structure devices over thicknesses comparable to the atomic layer spacing. Analytical techniques which probe the first 1--2 atomic layers are therefore necessary for in-situ characterization of relevant thin film growth processes. However, most surface-analytical techniques are sensitive to a region within 10--40 Angstrom of the surface and are physically incompatible with thin film deposition and are typically restricted to ultra high vacuum conditions. A review of ion beam-based analytical methods for the characterization of thin film and multi-layered thin film structures incorporating layers of multicomponent oxides is presented. Particular attention will be paid to the use of time-of-flight techniques based on the use of 1- 15 key ion beams which show potential for use as nondestructive, real-time, in-situ surface diagnostics for the growth of multicomponent metal and metal oxide thin films

  8. Single source precursors for fabrication of I-III-VI{sub 2} thin-film solar cells via spray CVD

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hollingsworth, J.A.; Banger, K.K.; Jin, M.H.-C.; Harris, J.D.; Cowen, J.E.; Bohannan, E.W.; Switzer, J.A.; Buhro, W.E.; Hepp, A.F

    2003-05-01

    The development of thin-film solar cells on flexible, lightweight, space-qualified substrates provides an attractive cost solution to fabricating solar arrays with high specific power (W/kg). Thin-film fabrication studies demonstrate that ternary single source precursors can be used in either a hot, or cold-wall spray chemical vapour deposition reactor, for depositing CuInS{sub 2}, CuGaS{sub 2} and CuGaInS{sub 2} at reduced temperatures (400-450 sign C), which display good electrical and optical properties suitable for photovoltaic devices. X-ray diffraction studies, energy dispersive spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of the single phase CIS, CGS, CIGS thin-films on various substrates at reduced temperatures.

  9. Ovine tendon collagen: Extraction, characterisation and fabrication of thin films for tissue engineering applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fauzi, M.B.; Lokanathan, Y. [Tissue Engineering Centre, UKM Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Aminuddin, B.S. [Tissue Engineering Centre, UKM Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Ear, Nose & Throat Consultant Clinic, Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital, Taman Dato Ahmad Razali, 68000 Ampang, Selangor (Malaysia); Ruszymah, B.H.I. [Tissue Engineering Centre, UKM Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Department of Physiology, UKM Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Chowdhury, S.R., E-mail: shiplu@ppukm.ukm.edu.my [Tissue Engineering Centre, UKM Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    2016-11-01

    Collagen is the most abundant extracellular matrix (ECM) protein in the human body, thus widely used in tissue engineering and subsequent clinical applications. This study aimed to extract collagen from ovine (Ovis aries) Achilles tendon (OTC), and to evaluate its physicochemical properties and its potential to fabricate thin film with collagen fibrils in a random or aligned orientation. Acid-solubilized protein was extracted from ovine Achilles tendon using 0.35 M acetic acid, and 80% of extracted protein was measured as collagen. SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of alpha 1 and alpha 2 chain of collagen type I (col I). Further analysis with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirms the presence of triple helix structure of col I, similar to commercially available rat tail col I. Drying the OTC solution at 37°C resulted in formation of a thin film with randomly orientated collagen fibrils (random collagen film; RCF). Introduction of unidirectional mechanical intervention using a platform rocker prior to drying facilitated the fabrication of a film with aligned orientation of collagen fibril (aligned collagen film; ACF). It was shown that both RCF and ACF significantly enhanced human dermal fibroblast (HDF) attachment and proliferation than that on plastic surface. Moreover, cells were distributed randomly on RCF, but aligned with the direction of mechanical intervention on ACF. In conclusion, ovine tendon could be an alternative source of col I to fabricate scaffold for tissue engineering applications. - Highlights: • Isolated collagen from ovine tendon was characterized as collagen type I. • Collagen film was fabricated via air drying of ovine tendon collagen. • Collagen fibril alignment was realized via unidirectional platform rocker. • Orientation of cells was attained depending on collagen fibril direction in the film. • Collagen films

  10. Fabrication and characterization of optical sensors using metallic core-shell thin film nanoislands for ozone detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Addanki, Satish; Nedumaran, D.

    2017-07-01

    Core-Shell nanostructures play a vital role in the sensor field owing to their performance improvements in sensing characteristics and well-established synthesis procedures. These nanostructures can be ingeniously tuned to achieve tailored properties for a particular application of interest. In this work, an Ag-Au core-shell thin film nanoislands with APTMS (3-Aminopropyl trimethoxysilane) and PVA (Polyvinyl alcohol) binding agents was modeled, synthesized and characterized. The simulation results were used to fabricate the sensor through chemical route. The results of this study confirmed that the APTMS based Ag-Au core-shell thin film nanoislands offered a better performance over the PVA based Ag-Au core-shell thin film nanoislands. Also, the APTMS based Ag-Au core-shell thin film nanoislands exhibited better sensitivity towards ozone sensing over the other types, viz., APTMS/PVA based Au-Ag core-shell and standalone Au/Ag thin film nanoislands.

  11. High-temperature fabrication of Ag(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin films for applications in solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Xianfeng [International Center for Science and Engineering Programs, Waseda University, Tokyo (Japan); Yamada, Akira [Department of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo (Japan); Kobayashi, Masakazu [Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Waseda University, Tokyo (Japan); Kagami Memorial Research Institute for Materials Science, Waseda University, Tokyo (Japan)

    2017-10-15

    Molecular beam epitaxy was used to fabricate Ag(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (AIGS) thin films. To improve the diffusion of Ag, high-temperature deposition and high-temperature annealing methods were applied to fabricate AIGS films. The as-grown AIGS thin films were then used to make AIGS solar cells. We found that grain size and crystallinity of AIGS films were considerably improved by increasing the deposition and annealing temperature. For high-temperature deposition, temperatures over 600 C led to decomposition of the AIGS film, desorption of In, and deterioration of its crystallinity. The most appropriate deposition temperature was 590 C and a solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 4.1% was obtained. High-temperature annealing of the AIGS thin films showed improved crystallinity as annealing temperature was increased and film decomposition and In desorption were prevented. A solar cell based on this film showed the highest conversion efficiency of 6.4% when annealed at 600 C. When the annealing temperature was further increased to 610 C, the performance of the cell deteriorated due to loss of the out-of-plane Ga gradient. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  12. Advanced fabrication method for the preparation of MOF thin films: Liquid-phase epitaxy approach meets spin coating method.

    KAUST Repository

    Chernikova, Valeriya

    2016-07-14

    Here we report a new and advanced method for the fabrication of highly oriented/polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films. Building on the attractive features of the liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) approach, a facile spin coating method was implemented to generate MOF thin films in a high-throughput fashion. Advantageously, this approach offers a great prospective to cost-effectively construct thin-films with a significantly shortened preparation time and a lessened chemicals and solvents consumption, as compared to the conventional LPE-process. Certainly, this new spin-coating approach has been implemented successfully to construct various MOF thin films, ranging in thickness from a few micrometers down to the nanometer scale, spanning 2-D and 3-D benchmark MOF materials including Cu2(bdc)2•xH2O, Zn2(bdc)2•xH2O, HKUST-1 and ZIF-8. This method was appraised and proved effective on a variety of substrates comprising functionalized gold, silicon, glass, porous stainless steel and aluminum oxide. The facile, high-throughput and cost-effective nature of this approach, coupled with the successful thin film growth and substrate versatility, represents the next generation of methods for MOF thin film fabrication. Thereby paving the way for these unique MOF materials to address a wide range of challenges in the areas of sensing devices and membrane technology.

  13. Ultrasonic Substrate Vibration-Assisted Drop Casting (SVADC) for the Fabrication of Photovoltaic Solar Cell Arrays and Thin-Film Devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eslamian, Morteza; Zabihi, Fatemeh

    2015-12-01

    A simple, low-cost, versatile, and potentially scalable casting method is proposed for the fabrication of micro- and nano-thin films, herein termed as ultrasonic "substrate vibration-assisted drop casting" (SVADC). The impingement of a solution drop onto a substrate in a simple process called drop casting, usually results in spreading of the liquid solution and the formation of a non-uniform thin solid film after solvent evaporation. Our previous and current supporting results, as well as few similar reports by others, confirm that imposing ultrasonic vibration on the substrate can simply convert the uncontrollable drop casting method into a controllable coating technique. Therefore, the SVADC may be used to fabricate an array of emerging thin-film solar cells, such as polymer, perovskite, and quantum-dot solar cells, as well as other small thin-film devices, in a roll-to-roll and automated fabrication process. The preliminary results demonstrate a ten-fold increase in electrical conductivity of PSS made by SVADC compared with the film made by conventional drop casting. Also, simple planar perovskite solar cells made here using SVADC show promising performance with an efficiency of over 3 % for a simple structure without performing process optimization or using expensive materials and treatments.

  14. Fabrication and characterization of vacuum deposited fluorescein thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jalkanen, Pasi, E-mail: pasi.jalkanen@gmail.co [University of Jyvaeskylae, Department of Physics, Nanoscience center (NSC), P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Kulju, Sampo, E-mail: sampo.j.kulju@jyu.f [University of Jyvaeskylae, Department of Physics, Nanoscience center (NSC), P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Arutyunov, Konstantin, E-mail: konstantin.arutyunov@jyu.f [University of Jyvaeskylae, Department of Physics, Nanoscience center (NSC), P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Antila, Liisa, E-mail: liisa.j.antila@jyu.f [University of Jyvaeskylae, Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience center (NSC) P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Myllyperkioe, Pasi, E-mail: pasi.myllyperkio@jyu.f [University of Jyvaeskylae, Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience center (NSC) P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Ihalainen, Teemu, E-mail: teemu.o.ihalainen@jyu.f [University of Jyvaeskylae, Department of Biology, Nanoscience center (NSC), P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Kaeaeriaeinen, Tommi, E-mail: tommi.kaariainen@lut.f [Lappeenranta University of Technology, ASTRal, P.O. Box 181, FI-50101 Mikkeli (Finland); Kaeaeriaeinen, Marja-Leena, E-mail: marja-leena.kaariainen@lut.f [Lappeenranta University of Technology, ASTRal, P.O. Box 181, FI-50101 Mikkeli (Finland); Korppi-Tommola, Jouko, E-mail: jouko.korppi-tommola@jyu.f [University of Jyvaeskylae, Department of Biology, Nanoscience center (NSC), P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyvaeskylae (Finland)

    2011-03-31

    Simple vacuum evaporation technique for deposition of dyes on various solid surfaces has been developed. The method is compatible with conventional solvent-free nanofabrication processing enabling fabrication of nanoscale optoelectronic devices. Thin films of fluorescein were deposited on glass, fluorine-tin-oxide (FTO) coated glass with and without atomically layer deposited (ALD) nanocrystalline 20 nm thick anatase TiO{sub 2} coating. Surface topology, absorption and emission spectra of the films depend on their thickness and the material of supporting substrate. On a smooth glass surface the dye initially forms islands before merging into a uniform layer after 5 to 10 monolayers. On FTO covered glass the absorption spectra are similar to fluorescein solution in ethanol. Absorption spectra on ALD-TiO{sub 2} is red shifted compared to the film deposited on bare FTO. The corresponding emission spectra at {lambda} = 458 nm excitation show various thickness and substrate dependent features, while the emission of films deposited on TiO{sub 2} is quenched due to the effective electron transfer to the semiconductor conduction band.

  15. Fabrication and characterization of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-pentacene active semiconductor thin films prepared by flow-coating method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mohamad, Khairul Anuar; Rusnan, Fara Naila; Seria, Dzulfahmi Mohd Husin; Saad, Ismail; Alias, Afishah [Nano Engineering & Materials (NEMs) Research Group, Faculty of Engineering Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400 Sabah (Malaysia); Katsuhiro, Uesugi; Hisashi, Fukuda [Division of Engineering for Composite Functions, Muroran Institute of Technology 27-1 Mizumoto, Muroran 050-8585 Hokkaido (Japan)

    2015-08-28

    Investigation on the physical characterization and comparison of organic thin film based on a soluble 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) (TIPS) pentacene is reported. Oriented thin-films of pentacene have been successfully deposited by flow-coating method, in which the chloroform solution is sandwiched between a transparent substrate and a slide glass, followed by slow-drawing of the substrate with respect to the slide glass. Molecular orientation of flow-coated TIPS-pentacene is comparable to that of the thermal-evaporated pentacene thin film by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results. XRD results showed that the morphology of flow-coated soluble pentacene is similar to that of the thermal-evaporated pentacene thin films in series of (00l) diffraction peaks where the (001) diffraction peaks are strongest in the nominally out-of-plane intensity and interplanar spacing located at approximately 2θ = 5.33° (d-spacing, d{sub 001} = 16 Å). Following that, ITO/p-TIPS-pentacene/n-ZnO/Au vertical diode was fabricated. The diode exhibited almost linear characteristics at low voltage with nonlinear characteristics at higher voltage which similar to a pn junction behavior. The results indicated that the TIPS-pentacene semiconductor active thin films can be used as a hole injection layer for fabrication of a vertical organic transistor.

  16. Fabrication of SnS thin films by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, Biswajit; Das, Madhumita; Banerjee, Pushan; Das, Subrata

    2008-01-01

    Tin sulfide films of 0.20 µm thickness were grown on glass and ITO substrates by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method using SnSO 4 and Na 2 S solution. The as-grown films were well covered and strongly adherent to the substrate. XRD confirmed the deposition of SnS thin films and provided information on the crystallite size and residual strain of the thin films. FESEM revealed almost equal distribution of the particle size well covered on the surface of the substrate. EDX showed that as-grown SnS films were slightly rich in tin component. High absorption in the visible region was evident from UV–Vis transmission spectra. PL studies were carried out with 550 nm photon excitation. To the best of our knowledge, however, no attempt has been made to fabricate a SnS thin film using the SILAR technique

  17. Low temperature high-mobility InZnO thin-film transistors fabricated by excimer laser annealing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fujii, M.; Ishikawa, Y.; Ishihara, R.; Van der Cingel, J.; Mofrad, M.R.T.; Horita, M.; Uraoka, Y.

    2013-01-01

    In this study, we successfully achieved a relatively high field-effect mobility of 37.7?cm2/Vs in an InZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by excimer layer annealing (ELA). The ELA process allowed us to fabricate such a high-performance InZnO TFT at the substrate temperature less than 50?°C

  18. Fabrication of p-type conductivity in SnO{sub 2} thin films through Ga doping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsay, Chien-Yie, E-mail: cytsay@fcu.edu.tw; Liang, Shan-Chien

    2015-02-15

    Highlights: • P-type Ga-doped SnO{sub 2} semiconductor films were prepared by sol-gel spin coating. • Optical bandgaps of the SnO{sub 2}:Ga films are narrower than that of the SnO{sub 2} film. • SnO{sub 2}:Ga films exhibited p-type conductivity as Ga doping content higher than 10%. • A p-n heterojunction composed of p-type SnO{sub 2}:Ga and n-type ZnO:Al was fabricated. - Abstract: P-type transparent tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) based semiconductor thin films were deposited onto alkali-free glass substrates by a sol-gel spin-coating method using gallium (Ga) as acceptor dopant. In this study, we investigated the influence of Ga doping concentration ([Ga]/[Sn] + [Ga] = 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) on the structural, optical and electrical properties of SnO{sub 2} thin films. XRD analysis results showed that dried Ga-doped SnO{sub 2} (SnO{sub 2}:Ga) sol-gel films annealed in oxygen ambient at 520 °C for 1 h exhibited only the tetragonal rutile phase. The average optical transmittance of as-prepared thin film samples was higher than 87.0% in the visible light region; the optical band gap energy slightly decreased from 3.92 eV to 3.83 eV with increases in Ga doping content. Hall effect measurement showed that the nature of conductivity of SnO{sub 2}:Ga thin films changed from n-type to p-type when the Ga doping level was 10%, and when it was at 15%, Ga-doped SnO{sub 2} thin films exhibited the highest mean hole concentration of 1.70 × 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}. Furthermore, a transparent p-SnO{sub 2}:Ga (Ga doping level of 15%)/n-ZnO:Al (Al doping level of 2%) heterojunction was fabricated on alkali-free glass. The I-V curve measurement for the p-n heterojunction diode showed a typical rectifying characteristic with a forward turn-on voltage of 0.65 V.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

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

    2005-01-01

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

  20. Gasochromic performance of WO3-nanorod thin films fabricated with an ArF excimer laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yaacob, M. H.; Ou, J. Z.; Wlodarski, W.; Kim, C. S.; Lee, J. Y.; Kim, Y. H.; Oh, C. M.; Dhakal, K. P.; Kim, J. Y.; Kang, J. H.

    2012-01-01

    Thin films with tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ) nanorods were fabricated by using an ArF pulsed laser deposition system. Because the ArF excimer laser operates at a very short wavelength of 193 nm, short enough to expect strong absorption of the photons in the semiconductor oxide targets, and because the clusters incoming to the substrates have high momentum, we could build thin films with good surface morphology. Highly homogeneous arrays of nanorods with sizes mostly in the range of 30 - 40 nm were observed. The absorbance response towards hydrogen (H 2 ) gas was investigated for a WO 3 film coated with 25-A-thick palladium (Pd). The Pd/WO 3 -nanorod thin films exhibited excellent gasochromic response when measured in the visible-NIR range (400 - 1000 nm). As low as 0.06% H 2 concentration was clearly sensed. A significant reversible absorbance change and fast recovery ( 2 at different concentrations.

  1. Fabrication of Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure thin film and its tunable energetics and tailorable optical properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruijin Hong

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure thin film was fabricated. The effects of graphene oxide (GO and bimetal on the structure and optical properties of metal silver films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD, optical absorption, and Raman intensity measurements, respectively. Compared to silver thin film, Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure composite thin films were observed with wider optical absorption peak and enhanced absorption intensity. The Raman signal for Rhodamine B molecules based on the Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich nanostructure substrate were obviously enhanced due to the bimetal layer and GO layer with tunable absorption intensity and fluorescence quenching effects.

  2. Research on fabrication technology for thin film solar cells for practical use. Technological development for qualitative improvement (development of fabrication technology of thin film polycrystalline Si solar cell); Usumaku taiyo denchi seizo gijutsu no jitsuyoka kenkyu. Kohinshitsuka gijutsu (usumaku takessho silicon kei taiyo denchi seizo no gijutsu kaihatsu)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tatsuta, M [New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Tokyo (Japan)

    1994-12-01

    This paper reports the study results on the fabrication technology of thin film polycrystalline Si solar cells in fiscal 1994. (1) On the fabrication technology of high-quality Si thin films, the new equipment was studied which allows uniform stable melting recrystallization over a large area. The new equipment adopted a heating method based on RTP system, and is now under adjustment. (2) On the fabrication technology of light/carrier confinement structure, degradation of hydrogen-treated thin film Si solar cells by light irradiation was examined. As a result, since any characteristic degradation was not found even by long time light irradiation, the high quality of the cells was confirmed regardless of hydrogen-treatment. Fabrication of stable reproducible fine texture structure became possible by using fabrication technology of light confinement structure by texture treatment of cell surfaces. (3) On low-cost process technology, design by VEST process, estimation of cell characteristics by simulation, and characteristics of prototype cells were reported. 33 figs., 1 tab.

  3. Flame retardant behavior of polyelectrolyte-clay thin film assemblies on cotton fabric.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yu-Chin; Schulz, Jessica; Mannen, Sarah; Delhom, Chris; Condon, Brian; Chang, Sechin; Zammarano, Mauro; Grunlan, Jaime C

    2010-06-22

    Cotton fabric was treated with flame-retardant coatings composed of branched polyethylenimine (BPEI) and sodium montmorillonite (MMT) clay, prepared via layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. Four coating recipes were created by exposing fabric to aqueous solutions of BPEI (pH 7 or 10) and MMT (0.2 or 1 wt %). BPEI pH 10 produces the thickest films, while 1 wt % MMT gives the highest clay loading. Each coating recipe was evaluated at 5 and 20 bilayers. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that coated fabrics left as much as 13% char after heating to 500 degrees C, nearly 2 orders of magnitude more than uncoated fabric, with less than 4 wt % coming from the coating itself. These coatings also reduced afterglow time in vertical flame tests. Postburn residues of coated fabrics were examined with SEM and revealed that the weave structure and fiber shape in all coated fabrics were preserved. The BPEI pH 7/1 wt % MMT recipe was most effective. Microcombustion calorimeter testing showed that all coated fabrics reduced the total heat release and heat release capacity of the fabric. Fiber count and strength of uncoated and coated fabric are similar. These results demonstrate that LbL assembly is a relatively simple method for imparting flame-retardant behavior to cotton fabric. This work lays the foundation for using these types of thin film assemblies to make a variety of complex substrates (foam, fabrics, etc.) flame resistant.

  4. The importance of spinning speed in fabrication of spin-coated organic thin film transistors: Film morphology and field effect mobility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotsuki, Kenji; Tanaka, Hiroshige; Obata, Seiji; Stauss, Sven; Terashima, Kazuo; Saiki, Koichiro

    2014-01-01

    We have investigated the film morphology and the field effect mobility of 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C8-BTBT) thin films which were formed by spin coating on the SiO 2 substrate with solution-processed graphene electrodes. The domain size and the density of aggregates in the C8-BTBT film showed the same dependence on the spinning speed. These competitive two factors (domain size and density of aggregates) give an optimum spinning speed, at which the field effect mobility of C8-BTBT transistor showed a maximum (2.6 cm 2 /V s). This result indicates the importance of spinning speed in the fabrication of solution processed organic thin film transistors by spin coating.

  5. Rapid fabrication of mesoporous TiO2 thin films by pulsed fibre laser for dye sensitized solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadi, Aseel; Alhabradi, Mansour; Chen, Qian; Liu, Hong; Guo, Wei; Curioni, Michele; Cernik, Robert; Liu, Zhu

    2018-01-01

    In this paper we demonstrate for the first time that a fibre laser with a wavelength of 1070 nm and a pulse width of milliseconds can be applied to generate mesoporous nanocrystalline (nc) TiO2 thin films on ITO coated glass in ambient atmosphere, by complete vaporisation of organic binder and inter-connection of TiO2 nanoparticles, without thermally damaging the ITO layer and the glass substrate. The fabrication of the mesoporous TiO2 thin films was achieved by stationary laser beam irradiation of 1 min. The dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) with the laser-sintered TiO2 photoanode reached higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.20% for the TiO2 film thickness of 6 μm compared with 2.99% for the furnace-sintered. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies revealed that the laser sintering under the optimised condition effectively decreased charge transfer resistance and increased electron lifetime of the TiO2 thin films. The use of the fibre laser with over 40% wall-plug efficiency offers an economically-feasible, industrial viable solution to the major challenge of rapid fabrication of large scale, mass production of mesoporous metal oxide thin film based solar energy systems, potentially for perovskite and monolithic tandem solar cells, in the future.

  6. How do evaporating thin films evolve? Unravelling phase-separation mechanisms during solvent-based fabrication of polymer blends

    KAUST Repository

    Wodo, Olga; Ganapathysubramanian, Baskar

    2014-01-01

    © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC. Solvent-based fabrication is a flexible and affordable approach to manufacture polymer thin films. The properties of products made from such films can be tailored by the internal organization (morphology) of the films. However, a precise knowledge of morphology evolution leading to the final film structure remains elusive, thus limiting morphology control to a trial and error approach. In particular, understanding when and where phases are formed, and how they evolve would provide rational guidelines for more rigorous control. Here, we identify four modes of phase formation and subsequent propagation within the thinning film during solvent-based fabrication. We unravel the origin and propagation characteristics of each of these modes. Finally, we construct a mode diagram that maps processing conditions with individual modes. The idea introduced here enables choosing processing conditions to tailor film morphology characteristics and paves the ground for a deeper understanding of morphology control with the ultimate goal of precise, yet affordable, morphology manipulation for a large spectrum of applications.

  7. How do evaporating thin films evolve? Unravelling phase-separation mechanisms during solvent-based fabrication of polymer blends

    KAUST Repository

    Wodo, Olga

    2014-10-13

    © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC. Solvent-based fabrication is a flexible and affordable approach to manufacture polymer thin films. The properties of products made from such films can be tailored by the internal organization (morphology) of the films. However, a precise knowledge of morphology evolution leading to the final film structure remains elusive, thus limiting morphology control to a trial and error approach. In particular, understanding when and where phases are formed, and how they evolve would provide rational guidelines for more rigorous control. Here, we identify four modes of phase formation and subsequent propagation within the thinning film during solvent-based fabrication. We unravel the origin and propagation characteristics of each of these modes. Finally, we construct a mode diagram that maps processing conditions with individual modes. The idea introduced here enables choosing processing conditions to tailor film morphology characteristics and paves the ground for a deeper understanding of morphology control with the ultimate goal of precise, yet affordable, morphology manipulation for a large spectrum of applications.

  8. Comparison of Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Bi{sup 3+} phosphor thin films fabricated by the spin coating and radio frequency magnetron techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jafer, R.M.; Yousif, A. [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein ZA 9300 (South Africa); Department of Physics, Faculty of Education, University of Khartoum, P.O. Box 321, Postal Code 11115 Omdurman (Sudan); Kumar, Vinod [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein ZA 9300 (South Africa); Photovoltaic Laboratory, Centre for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016 (India); Pathak, Trilok Kumar [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein ZA 9300 (South Africa); Semiconductor Physics Lab, Department of Physics, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar (India); Purohit, L.P. [Semiconductor Physics Lab, Department of Physics, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar (India); Swart, H.C., E-mail: swarthc@ufs.ac.za [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein ZA 9300 (South Africa); Coetsee, E., E-mail: CoetseeE@ufs.ac.za [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein ZA 9300 (South Africa)

    2016-09-15

    The reactive radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and spin coating fabrication techniques were used to fabricate Y{sub 2−x}O{sub 3}:Bi{sub x=0.5%} phosphor thin films. The two techniques were analysed and compared as part of investigations being done on the application of down-conversion materials for a Si solar cell. The morphology, structural and optical properties of these thin films were investigated. The X-ray diffraction results of the thin films fabricated by both techniques showed cubic structures with different space groups. The optical properties showed different results because the Bi{sup 3+} ion is very sensitive towards its environment. The luminescence results for the thin film fabricated by the spin coating technique is very similar to the luminescence observed in the powder form. It showed three obvious emission bands in the blue and green regions centered at about 360, 410 and 495 nm. These emissions were related to the {sup 3}P{sub 1}–{sup 1}S{sub 0} transition of the Bi{sup 3+} ion situated in the two different sites of the Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} matrix with I a-3(206) space group. Whereas the thin film fabricated by the radio frequency magnetron technique showed a broad single emission band in the blue region centered at about 416 nm. This was assigned to the {sup 3}P{sub 1}–{sup 1}S{sub 0} transition of the Bi{sup 3+} ion situated in one of the Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} matrix's sites with a Fm-3 (225) space group. The spin coating fabrication technique is suggested to be the best technique to fabricate the Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Bi{sup 3+} phosphor thin films. - Highlights: • RF sputtering and spin coating were used to fabricate Y{sub 2−x}O{sub 3}:Bi{sub x=0.5%} phosphor thin films. • XRD results of the two films showed cubic structures with different space groups. • PL showed different emission for the Bi{sup 3+} ions in the two films. • Three emission bands in the blue and green regions centered at about 360, 410 and 495 nm. • RF

  9. Thin Film Microbatteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dudney, Nancy J.

    2008-01-01

    aerosol spray coating, for one or more components of the battery. The active materials used for the thin film cathodes and anodes are familiar intercalation compounds, but the microstructures and often the cycling properties of the thin films may be quite distinct from those of battery electrodes formed from powders. The thin film cathodes are dense and homogeneous with no added phases such as binders or electrolytes. When deposited at ambient temperatures, the films of cathodes, such as LiCoO 2 , V 2 O 5 , LiMn 2 O4 , LiFePO 4 are amorphous or nanocrystalline. But even in this form, they often act as excellent cathodes with large specific capacities and good stability for hundreds to thousands of cycles. Annealing the cathode films at temperatures of 300 to 800 C may be used to induce crystallization and grain growth of the desired intercalation compound. Crystallizing the cathode film generally improves the Li chemical diffusivity in the electrode material, and hence the power delivered by the battery, by 1-2 orders of magnitude. The microstructure is also tailored by the deposition and heat treatment. Figure 3 shows a fracture edge of an annealed LiCoO 2 cathode film on an alumina substrate. The columnar microstructure, which is typical of a vapor deposited film, sinters at high temperatures leaving small fissures between the dense columns. Such crystalline films also may have a preferred crystallographic orientation. For LiCoO 2 films the crystallographic texture differs for films deposited by sputtering versus pulse laser ablation processes. To improve the manufacturability of the thin film batteries, it would be beneficial to eliminate or minimize the temperature or duration of the annealing step. Several efforts have lead to low temperature fabrication of thin film batteries on polyimide substrates, but the battery capacity and rate are lower than those treated at high temperatures. For the battery anode, many designs use a vapor-deposited metallic lithium film as

  10. Fabrication and characteristics of magnetic field sensors based on nano-polysilicon thin-film transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Xiaofeng; Wen Dianzhong; Zhuang Cuicui; Cao Jingya; Wang Zhiqiang

    2013-01-01

    A magnetic field sensor based on nano-polysilicon thin films transistors (TFTs) with Hall probes is proposed. The magnetic field sensors are fabricated on 〈100〉 orientation high resistivity (ρ > 500 Ω·cm) silicon substrates by using CMOS technology, which adopt nano-polysilicon thin films with thicknesses of 90 nm and heterojunction interfaces between the nano-polysilicon thin films and the high resistivity silicon substrates as the sensing layers. The experimental results show that when V DS = 5.0 V, the magnetic sensitivities of magnetic field sensors based on nano-polysilicon TFTs with length—width ratios of 160 μm/80 μm, 320 μm/80 μm and 480 μm/80 μm are 78 mV/T, 55 mV/T and 34 mV/T, respectively. Under the same conditions, the magnetic sensitivity of the obtained magnetic field sensor is significantly improved in comparison with a Hall magnetic field sensor adopting silicon as the sensing layers. (semiconductor technology)

  11. All-solid-state thin film battery based on well-aligned slanted LiCoO{sub 2} nanowires fabricated by glancing angle deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoon, Miyoung [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Seunghwan [High Temperature Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Daehee [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Joosun, E-mail: joosun@kist.re.kr [High Temperature Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Moon, Jooho, E-mail: jmoon@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-08-01

    Graphical abstract: We successfully fabricated well-aligned slanted LiCoO{sub 2} nanowires as a one-dimensional nanostructured cathode by glancing angle deposition to enhance the electrochemical performance of all-solid-state thin film batteries. - Highlights: • Well-aligned slanted LiCoO{sub 2} nanowires are fabricated by glancing angle deposition. • One-dimensional nanostructured LiCoO{sub 2} cathode enlarges the contact area. • All-solid-state thin film battery exhibits enhances rate capability and cycling stability. - Abstract: We fabricated all-solid-state thin film batteries based on well-aligned slanted LiCoO{sub 2} nanowires by glancing angle deposition, as a facile template-free method in order to increase the electrochemically active site, i.e., the contact area between the solid electrolyte and the electrode. A highly porous thin film composed of well-separated slanted LiCoO{sub 2} nanowires not only facilitates the penetration of solid electrolyte phase into the cathode, but also alleviates the thermally and mechanically induced stresses during post-annealing and electrochemical cycling. The all-solid-state thin film battery based on the well-aligned slanted LiCoO{sub 2} nanowires, whose contact area between electrolyte and electrode was three times as high as that of a dense thin film, could provide additional migration pathways for lithium ion diffusion due to the enlarged reaction sites. This resulted in enhanced electrochemical kinetics, thereby leading to better rate capability and long-term cyclic stability as compared to the dense LiCoO{sub 2} thin film.

  12. A micro-fabricated force sensor using an all thin film piezoelectric active sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Junwoo; Choi, Wook; Yoo, Yong Kyoung; Hwang, Kyo Seon; Lee, Sang-Myung; Kang, Sungchul; Kim, Jinseok; Lee, Jeong Hoon

    2014-11-25

    The ability to measure pressure and force is essential in biomedical applications such as minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and palpation for detecting cancer cysts. Here, we report a force sensor for measuring a shear and normal force by combining an arrayed piezoelectric sensors layer with a precut glass top plate connected by four stress concentrating legs. We designed and fabricated a thin film piezoelectric force sensor and proposed an enhanced sensing tool to be used for analyzing gentle touches without the external voltage source used in FET sensors. Both the linear sensor response from 3 kPa to 30 kPa and the exact signal responses from the moving direction illustrate the strong feasibility of the described thin film miniaturized piezoelectric force sensor.

  13. A Micro-Fabricated Force Sensor Using an All Thin Film Piezoelectric Active Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junwoo Lee

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The ability to measure pressure and force is essential in biomedical applications such as minimally invasive surgery (MIS and palpation for detecting cancer cysts. Here, we report a force sensor for measuring a shear and normal force by combining an arrayed piezoelectric sensors layer with a precut glass top plate connected by four stress concentrating legs. We designed and fabricated a thin film piezoelectric force sensor and proposed an enhanced sensing tool to be used for analyzing gentle touches without the external voltage source used in FET sensors. Both the linear sensor response from 3 kPa to 30 kPa and the exact signal responses from the moving direction illustrate the strong feasibility of the described thin film miniaturized piezoelectric force sensor.

  14. Fast electrochemical deposition of Ni(OH)2 precursor involving water electrolysis for fabrication of NiO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koyama, Miki; Ichimura, Masaya

    2018-05-01

    Ni(OH)2 precursor films were deposited by galvanostatic electrochemical deposition (ECD), and NiO thin films were fabricated by annealing in air. The effects of the deposition current densities were studied in a range that included current densities high enough to electrolyze water and generate hydrogen bubbles. The films fabricated by ECD involving water electrolysis had higher transparency and smoother surface morphology than those deposited with lower current densities. In addition, the annealed NiO films clearly had preferred (111) orientation when the deposition was accompanied by water electrolysis. p-type conduction was confirmed for the annealed films.

  15. Electrochemical fabrication of nanoporous polypyrrole thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Mei [Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 (China); Yuan Jinying [Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 (China)], E-mail: yuanjy@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn; Shi Gaoquan [Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 (China)], E-mail: gshi@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

    2008-04-30

    Polypyrrole thin films with pores in nanometer scale were synthesized by direct electrochemical oxidation of pyrrole in a mixed electrolyte of isopropyl alcohol, boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, sodium dodecylsulfonate and poly(ethylene glycol) using well-aligned ZnO nanowires arrays as templates. The thin films exhibit high conductivity of ca. {sigma}{sub rt} {approx} 20.5 s/cm and can be driven to bend during redox processes in 1.0 M lithium perchlorate aqueous solution. The movement rate of an actuator based on this nanoporous film was measured to be over 90{sup o}/s at a driving potential of 0.8 V (vs. Ag/AgCl)

  16. Electrochemical fabrication of nanoporous polypyrrole thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Mei; Yuan Jinying; Shi Gaoquan

    2008-01-01

    Polypyrrole thin films with pores in nanometer scale were synthesized by direct electrochemical oxidation of pyrrole in a mixed electrolyte of isopropyl alcohol, boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, sodium dodecylsulfonate and poly(ethylene glycol) using well-aligned ZnO nanowires arrays as templates. The thin films exhibit high conductivity of ca. σ rt ∼ 20.5 s/cm and can be driven to bend during redox processes in 1.0 M lithium perchlorate aqueous solution. The movement rate of an actuator based on this nanoporous film was measured to be over 90 o /s at a driving potential of 0.8 V (vs. Ag/AgCl)

  17. Ferroelectric BaTiO3 thin films on Ti substrate fabricated using pulsed-laser deposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, J; Jiang, J C; Liu, J; Collins, G; Chen, C L; Lin, B; Giurgiutiu, V; Guo, R Y; Bhalla, A; Meletis, E I

    2010-09-01

    We report on the fabrication of ferroelectric BaTiO3 thin films on titanium substrates using pulsed laser deposition and their microstructures and properties. Electron microscopy studies reveal that BaTiO3 films are composed of crystalline assemblage of nanopillars with average cross sections from 100 nm to 200 nm. The BaTiO3 films have good interface structures and strong adhesion with respect to Ti substrates by forming a rutile TiO2 intermediate layer with a gradient microstructure. The room temperature ferroelectric polarization measurements show that the as-deposited BTO films possess nearly the same spontaneous polarization as the bulk BTO ceramics indicating formation of ferroelectric domains in the films. Successful fabrication of such ferroelectric films on Ti has significant importance for the development of new applications such as structural health monitoring spanning from aerospace to civil infrastructure. The work can be extended to integrate other ferroelectric oxide films with various promising properties to monitor the structural health of materials.

  18. Mesoscopic layered structure in conducting polymer thin film fabricated by potential-programmed electropolymerization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujitsuka, Mamoru (Div. of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto Univ. (Japan)); Nakahara, Reiko (Div. of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto Univ. (Japan)); Iyoda, Tomokazu (Div. of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto Univ. (Japan)); Shimidzu, Takeo (Div. of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto Univ. (Japan)); Tomita, Shigehisa (Toray Research Center Co., Ltd., Shiga (Japan)); Hatano, Yayoi (Toray Research Center Co., Ltd., Shiga (Japan)); Soeda, Fusami (Toray Research Center Co., Ltd., Shiga (Japan)); Ishitani, Akira (Toray Research Center Co., Ltd., Shiga (Japan)); Tsuchiya, Hajime (Nitto Technical Information Center Co., Ltd., Shimohozumi Ibaraki, Osaka (Japan)); Ohtani, Akira (Central Research Lab., Nitto Denko Co., Ltd., Shimohozumi Ibaraki, Osaka (Japan))

    1992-11-01

    Mesoscopic layered structures in conducting polymer thin films are fabricated by the potential-programmed electropolymerization method. High lateral quality in the layered structure is realized by the improvement of polymerization conditions, i.e., a mixture of pyrrole and bithiophene as monomers, a silicon single-crystal wafer as a working electrode and propylene carbonate as a solvent. SIMS depth profiling of the resulting layered films indicates a significant linear correlation between the electric charge passed and the thickness of the individual layers on a 100 A scale. (orig.)

  19. Laser nanostructuring of ZnO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nedyalkov, N., E-mail: nned@ie.bas.bg [Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 223-8522 (Japan); Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tzarigradsko shousse 72, Sofia 1784 (Bulgaria); Koleva, M.; Nikov, R.; Atanasov, P. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tzarigradsko shousse 72, Sofia 1784 (Bulgaria); Nakajima, Y.; Takami, A.; Shibata, A.; Terakawa, M. [Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 223-8522 (Japan)

    2016-06-30

    Highlights: • Nanosecond laser pulse nanostructuring of ZnO thin films on metal substrate is demonstrated. • Two regimes of the thin film modification are observed depending on the applied laser fluence. • At high fluence regime the ZnO film is homogeneously decomposed into nanosized particles. • The characteristic size of the formed nanostructures corresponds to the domain size of the thin film. - Abstract: In this work, results on laser processing of thin zinc oxide films deposited on metal substrate are presented. ZnO films are obtained by classical nanosecond pulsed laser deposition method in oxygen atmosphere on tantalum substrate. The produced films are then processed by nanosecond laser pulses at wavelength of 355 nm. The laser processing parameters and the film thickness are varied and their influence on the fabricated structures is estimated. The film morphology after the laser treatment is found to depend strongly on the laser fluence as two regimes are defined. It is shown that at certain conditions (high fluence regime) the laser treatment of the film leads to formation of a discrete nanostructure, composed of spherical like nanoparticles with narrow size distribution. The dynamics of the melt film on the substrate and fast cooling are found to be the main mechanisms for fabrication of the observed structures. The demonstrated method is an alternative way for direct fabrication of ZnO nanostructures on metal which can be easy implemented in applications as resistive sensor devices, electroluminescent elements, solar cell technology.

  20. Fabrication of thermally evaporated Al thin film on cylindrical PET monofilament for wearable computing devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yang; Kim, Eunju; Han, Jeong In

    2016-01-01

    During the initial development of wearable computing devices, the conductive fibers of Al thin film on cylindrical PET monofilament were fabricated by thermal evaporation. Their electrical current-voltage characteristics curves were excellent for incorporation into wearable devices such as fiber-based cylindrical capacitors or thin film transistors. Their surfaces were modified by UV exposure and dip coating of acryl or PVP to investigate the surface effect. The conductive fiber with PVP coating showed the best conductivities because the rough surface of the PET substrate transformed into a smooth surface. The conductivities of PET fiber with and without PVP were 6.81 × 103 Ω-1cm-1 and 5.62 × 103 Ω-1cm-1, respectively. In order to understand the deposition process of Al thin film on cylindrical PET, Al thin film on PET fiber was studied using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), conductivities and thickness measurements. Hillocks on the surface of conductive PET fibers were observed and investigated by AFM on the surface. Hillocks were formed and grown during Al thermal evaporation because of severe compressive strain and plastic deformation induced by large differences in thermal expansion between PET substrate and Al thin film. From the analysis of hillock size distribution, it turns out that hillocks grew not transversely but longitudinally. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  1. Fabrication of high crystalline SnS and SnS2 thin films, and their switching device characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Hyeongsu; Lee, Jeongsu; Shin, Seokyoon; Lee, Juhyun; Lee, Seungjin; Park, Hyunwoo; Kwon, Sejin; Lee, Namgue; Bang, Minwook; Lee, Seung-Beck; Jeon, Hyeongtag

    2018-05-01

    Representative tin sulfide compounds, tin monosulfide (SnS) and tin disulfide (SnS2) are strong candidates for future nanoelectronic devices, based on non-toxicity, low cost, unique structures and optoelectronic properties. However, it is insufficient for synthesizing of tin sulfide thin films using vapor phase deposition method which is capable of fabricating reproducible device and securing high quality films, and their device characteristics. In this study, we obtained highly crystalline SnS thin films by atomic layer deposition and obtained highly crystalline SnS2 thin films by phase transition of the SnS thin films. The SnS thin film was transformed into SnS2 thin film by annealing at 450 °C for 1 h in H2S atmosphere. This phase transition was confirmed by x-ray diffractometer and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and we studied the cause of the phase transition. We then compared the film characteristics of these two tin sulfide thin films and their switching device characteristics. SnS and SnS2 thin films had optical bandgaps of 1.35 and 2.70 eV, and absorption coefficients of about 105 and 104 cm‑1 in the visible region, respectively. In addition, SnS and SnS2 thin films exhibited p-type and n-type semiconductor characteristics. In the images of high resolution-transmission electron microscopy, SnS and SnS2 directly showed a highly crystalline orthorhombic and hexagonal layered structure. The field effect transistors of SnS and SnS2 thin films exhibited on–off drain current ratios of 8.8 and 2.1 × 103 and mobilities of 0.21 and 0.014 cm2 V‑1 s‑1, respectively. This difference in switching device characteristics mainly depends on the carrier concentration because it contributes to off-state conductance and mobility. The major carrier concentrations of the SnS and SnS2 thin films were 6.0 × 1016 and 8.7 × 1013 cm‑3, respectively, in this experiment.

  2. Fabrication of ATO/Graphene Multi-layered Transparent Conducting Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Na; Chen, Fei; Shen, Qiang; Wang, Chuanbin; Zhang, Lianmeng

    2013-03-01

    A novel transparent conducting oxide based on the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films has been developed to satisfy the application of transparent conductive electrode in solar cells. The ATO thin films are prepared by pulsed laser deposition method with high quality, namely the sheet resistance of 49.5 Ω/sq and average transmittance of 81.9 %. The prepared graphene sheet is well reduced and shows atomically thin, spotty distributed appearance on the top of the ATO thin films. The XRD and optical micrographs are used to confirm the successfully preparation of the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films. The Hall measurements and UV-Vis spectrophotometer are conducted to evaluate the sheet resistance and optical transmittance of the innovative structure. It is found that graphene can improve the electrical properties of the ATO thin films with little influence on the optical transmittance.

  3. Fabrication of ATO/Graphene Multi-layered Transparent Conducting Thin Films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Na; Chen Fei; Shen Qiang; Wang Chuanbin; Zhang Lianmeng

    2013-01-01

    A novel transparent conducting oxide based on the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films has been developed to satisfy the application of transparent conductive electrode in solar cells. The ATO thin films are prepared by pulsed laser deposition method with high quality, namely the sheet resistance of 49.5 Ω/sq and average transmittance of 81.9 %. The prepared graphene sheet is well reduced and shows atomically thin, spotty distributed appearance on the top of the ATO thin films. The XRD and optical micrographs are used to confirm the successfully preparation of the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films. The Hall measurements and UV-Vis spectrophotometer are conducted to evaluate the sheet resistance and optical transmittance of the innovative structure. It is found that graphene can improve the electrical properties of the ATO thin films with little influence on the optical transmittance.

  4. P-type thin films transistors with solution-deposited lead sulfide films as semiconductor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carrillo-Castillo, A.; Salas-Villasenor, A.; Mejia, I. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States); Aguirre-Tostado, S. [Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, S. C. Alianza Norte 202, Parque de Investigacion e Innovacion Tecnologica, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, C.P. 666000 (Mexico); Gnade, B.E. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States); Quevedo-Lopez, M.A., E-mail: mxq071000@utdallas.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States)

    2012-01-31

    In this paper we demonstrate p-type thin film transistors fabricated with lead sulfide (PbS) as semiconductor deposited by chemical bath deposition methods. Crystallinity and morphology of the resulting PbS films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Devices were fabricated using photolithographic processes in a bottom gate configuration with Au as source and drain top contacts. Field effect mobility for as-fabricated devices was {approx} 0.09 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1} whereas the mobility for devices annealed at 150 Degree-Sign C/h in forming gas increased up to {approx} 0.14 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1}. Besides the thermal annealing, the entire fabrications process was maintained below 100 Degree-Sign C. The electrical performance of the PbS-thin film transistors was studied before and after the 150 Degree-Sign C anneal as well as a function of the PbS active layer thicknesses. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thin film transistors with PbS as semiconductor deposited by chemical bath deposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Photolithography-based thin film transistors with PbS films at low temperatures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electron mobility for anneal-PbS devices of {approx} 0.14 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Highest mobility reported in thin film transistors with PbS as the semiconductor.

  5. Fabrication of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film with pre-treated sol coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Sung-Jei; Han, Jeong-In

    2004-01-01

    A new pre-treated sol-coating method to fabricate an indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film is introduced in this paper. The pre-treatment sol-coating method is to form a seed layer on the substrate before spin coating of ITO sol. The pre-treatment was carried out at room temperature in order not to damage the substrate during the pre-treatment. It is effective to enhance the formation of the ITO sol film on the substrate, owing to the seed layer. The seed layer consists of ultrafine grains, which are observed at the pre-treated substrate. For the optimal pre-treatment condition, we used pre-treatment times of 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours to observe the effect on the characteristics of ITO sol film. As a result, the lowest resistance could be achieved with a pre-treatment time of 72 hours. The optical transmittance of the ITO sol film with the pre-treatment time of 72 hours exceeded 80 % at a wavelength of 400 nm. So, an ITO sol film with good electrical and optical properties could be fabricated by using the pretreatment sol coating.

  6. Fabrication and characterization of CuAlO2 transparent thin films prepared by spray technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouzidi, C.; Bouzouita, H.; Timoumi, A.; Rezig, B.

    2005-01-01

    CuAlO 2 thin films have been grown on glass substrates using spray technique; a low-cost method of thin films depositing. The deposition was carried out in a 450-525 deg. C range of substrate temperature. The solution and gas flow rates were kept constant at 5 cm 3 min -1 and 6.10 -3 m 3 min -1 , respectively. Compressed air was used as a carrier gas. The structural, morphological and optical properties of these thin films have been studied. These properties are strongly related to the substrate temperature and to the [Cu]/[Al] molar ratio r. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the initial amorphous nature of as-deposited films and phase transition into crystalline CuAlO 2 with the preferential orientation (1 0 1) upon annealing at 570 deg. C. The optical transmission of 80% has been achieved in the visible spectrum. CuAlO 2 band gap energy in the range of 3.34-3.87 eV has been found by optical measurement depending on fabrication parameters

  7. Fabrication of amorphous IGZO thin film transistor using self-aligned imprint lithography with a sacrificial layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sung Jin; Kim, Hyung Tae; Choi, Jong Hoon; Chung, Ho Kyoon; Cho, Sung Min

    2018-04-01

    An amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistor (TFT) was fabricated by a self-aligned imprint lithography (SAIL) method with a sacrificial photoresist layer. The SAIL is a top-down method to fabricate a TFT using a three-dimensional multilayer etch mask having all pattern information for the TFT. The sacrificial layer was applied in the SAIL process for the purpose of removing the resin residues that were inevitably left when the etch mask was thinned by plasma etching. This work demonstrated that the a-IGZO TFT could be fabricated by the SAIL process with the sacrificial layer. Specifically, the simple fabrication process utilized in this study can be utilized for the TFT with a plasma-sensitive semiconductor such as the a-IGZO and further extended for the roll-to-roll TFT fabrication.

  8. Nanostructured thin films as functional coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lazar, Manoj A; Tadvani, Jalil K; Tung, Wing Sze; Lopez, Lorena; Daoud, Walid A, E-mail: Walid.Daoud@sci.monash.edu.au [School of Applied Sciences and Engineering, Monash University, Churchill, VIC 3842 (Australia)

    2010-06-15

    Nanostructured thin films is one of the highly exploiting research areas particularly in applications such as photovoltaics, photocatalysis and sensor technologies. Highly tuned thin films, in terms of thickness, crystallinity, porosity and optical properties, can be fabricated on different substrates using the sol-gel method, chemical solution deposition (CSD), electrochemical etching, along with other conventional methods such as chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and physical vapour deposition (PVD). The above mentioned properties of these films are usually characterised using surface analysis techniques such as XRD, SEM, TEM, AFM, ellipsometry, electrochemistry, SAXS, reflectance spectroscopy, STM, XPS, SIMS, ESCA, X-ray topography and DOSY-NMR. This article presents a short review of the preparation and characterisation of thin films of nanocrystalline titanium dioxide and modified silicon as well as their application in solar cells, water treatment, water splitting, self cleaning fabrics, sensors, optoelectronic devices and lab on chip systems.

  9. Fabrication of graphene-nanoflake/poly(4-vinylphenol) polymer nanocomposite thin film by electrohydrodynamic atomization and its application as flexible resistive switching device

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Kyung Hyun; Ali, Junaid [Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756 (Korea, Republic of); Na, Kyoung-Hoan, E-mail: khna@dankook.ac.kr [College of Engineering, Dankook University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 448-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-15

    This paper describes synthesis of graphene/poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP) nanocomposite and deposition of thin film by electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) for fabrication flexible resistive switching device. EHDA technique proved its viability for thin film deposition after surface morphology analyses by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and non-destructive 3D Nano-profilometry, as the deposited films were, devoid of abnormalities. The commercially available graphene micro-flakes were exfoliated and broken down to ultra-small (20 nm–200 nm) nano-flakes by ultra-sonication in presence of N-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP). These graphene nanoflakes with PVP nanocomposite, were successfully deposited as thin films (thickness ~140±7 nm, R{sub a}=2.59 nm) on indium–tin-oxide (ITO) coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. Transmittance data revealed that thin films are up to ~87% transparent in visible and NIR region. Resistive switching behaviour of graphene/PVP nanocomposite thin film was studied by using the nanocomposite as active layer in Ag/active layer/ITO sandwich structure. The resistive switching devices thus fabricated, showed characteristic OFF to ON (high resistance to low resistance) transition at low voltages, when operated between ±3 V, characterized at 10 nA compliance currents. The devices fabricated by this approach exhibited a stable room temperature, low power current–voltage hysteresis and well over 1 h retentivity, and R{sub OFF}/R{sub ON}≈35:1. The device showed stable flexibility up to a minimum bending diameter of 1.8 cm.

  10. New route to the fabrication of nanocrystalline diamond films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varshney, Deepak; Morell, Gerardo; Palomino, Javier; Resto, Oscar; Gil, Jennifer; Weiner, Brad R.

    2014-01-01

    Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin films offer applications in various fields, but the existing synthetic approaches are cumbersome and destructive. A major breakthrough has been achieved by our group in the direction of a non-destructive, scalable, and economic process of NCD thin-film fabrication. Here, we report a cheap precursor for the growth of nanocrystalline diamond in the form of paraffin wax. We show that NCD thin films can be fabricated on a copper support by using simple, commonplace paraffin wax under reaction conditions of Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HFCVD). Surprisingly, even the presence of any catalyst or seeding that has been conventionally used in the state-of-the-art is not required. The structure of the obtained films was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Raman spectroscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy recorded at the carbon K-edge region confirm the presence of nanocrystalline diamond. The process is a significant step towards cost-effective and non-cumbersome fabrication of nanocrystalline diamond thin films for commercial production

  11. Gasochromic performance of WO{sub 3}-nanorod thin films fabricated with an ArF excimer laser

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yaacob, M. H. [RMIT University, Melbourne (Australia); Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor (Malaysia); Ou, J. Z.; Wlodarski, W. [RMIT University, Melbourne (Australia); Kim, C. S.; Lee, J. Y. [KAIST, Daejon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Y. H. [KIST, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Oh, C. M.; Dhakal, K. P.; Kim, J. Y.; Kang, J. H. [University of Incheon, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-02-15

    Thin films with tungsten trioxide (WO{sub 3}) nanorods were fabricated by using an ArF pulsed laser deposition system. Because the ArF excimer laser operates at a very short wavelength of 193 nm, short enough to expect strong absorption of the photons in the semiconductor oxide targets, and because the clusters incoming to the substrates have high momentum, we could build thin films with good surface morphology. Highly homogeneous arrays of nanorods with sizes mostly in the range of 30 - 40 nm were observed. The absorbance response towards hydrogen (H{sub 2}) gas was investigated for a WO{sub 3} film coated with 25-A-thick palladium (Pd). The Pd/WO{sub 3}-nanorod thin films exhibited excellent gasochromic response when measured in the visible-NIR range (400 - 1000 nm). As low as 0.06% H{sub 2} concentration was clearly sensed. A significant reversible absorbance change and fast recovery (<2 min) were observed when the films were exposed to H{sub 2} at different concentrations.

  12. Photosensitive thin-film In/p-Pb{sub x}Sn{sub 1-x}S Schottky barriers: Fabrication and properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gremenok, V. F., E-mail: gremenok@ifttp.bas-net.by [Scientific-Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus State Scientific and Production Association (Belarus); Rud' , V. Yu., E-mail: rudvas.spb@gmail.com [St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University (Russian Federation); Rud' , Yu. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical Technical Institute (Russian Federation); Bashkirov, S. A.; Ivanov, V. A. [Scientific-Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus State Scientific and Production Association (Belarus)

    2011-08-15

    Thin Pb{sub x}Sn{sub 1-x}S films are obtained by the 'hot-wall' method at substrate temperatures of 210-330 Degree-Sign C. The microstructure, composition, morphology, and electrical characteristics of films are investigated. On the basis of the obtained films, photosensitive In/p-Pb{sub x}Sn{sub 1-x}S Schottky barriers are fabricated for the first time. The photosensivity spectra of these structures are investigated, and the character of interband transitions and the band-gap values are determined from them. The conclusion is drawn that Pb{sub x}Sn{sub 1-x}S thin polycrystalline films may be used in solar-energy converters.

  13. Studies on fully transparent Al-Sn-Zn-O thin-film transistors fabricated on glass at low temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cong, Yingying; Han, Dedong; Wu, Jing; Zhao, Nannan; Chen, Zhuofa; Zhao, Feilong; Dong, Junchen; Zhang, Shengdong; Zhang, Xing; Wang, Yi

    2015-04-01

    High-performance fully transparent Al-Sn-Zn-O thin-film transistors (ATZO TFTs) with excellent electrical performance have been successfully fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering on glass at low temperatures. Two kinds of appropriate ATZO compositions are compared from several perspectives, including film material characteristics, device electrical performances, and fabrication process conditions. Finally, we achieve two excellent ATZO TFTs with competitive advantages. The ATZO TFT with larger amounts of dopants exhibits a superior field effect mobility μFE of 102.38 cm2 V-1 s-1, an ON/OFF current ratio (Ion/Ioff) of 1.18 × 107, and a threshold voltage VT of 1.35 V. The device with smaller amounts of dopants demonstrates better crystal quality and an excellent subthreshold swing SS of 155 mV/dec. Furthermore, it is less affected by oxygen partial pressure. The ATZO thin films display a high transmittance of over 80% in the visible light range.

  14. PZT Thin-Film Micro Probe Device with Dual Top Electrodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Chuan

    Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin-film actuators have been studied intensively for years because of their potential applications in many fields. In this dissertation, a PZT thin-film micro probe device is designed, fabricated, studied, and proven to be acceptable as an intracochlear acoustic actuator. The micro probe device takes the form of a cantilever with a PZT thin-film diaphragm at the tip of the probe. The tip portion of the probe will be implanted in cochlea later in animal tests to prove its feasibility in hearing rehabilitation. The contribution of the dissertation is three-fold. First, a dual top electrodes design, consisting of a center electrode and an outer electrode, is developed to improve actuation displacement of the PZT thin-film diaphragm. The improvement by the dual top electrodes design is studied via a finite element model. When the dimensions of the dual electrodes are optimized, the displacement of the PZT thin-film diaphragm increases about 30%. A PZT thin-film diaphragm with dual top electrodes is fabricated to prove the concept, and experimental results confirm the predictions from the finite element analyses. Moreover, the dual electrode design can accommodate presence of significant residual stresses in the PZT thin-film diaphragm by changing the phase difference between the two electrodes. Second, a PZT thin-film micro probe device is fabricated and tested. The fabrication process consists of PZT thin-film deposition and deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). The uniqueness of the fabrication process is an automatic dicing mechanism that allows a large number of probes to be released easily from the wafer. Moreover, the fabrication is very efficient, because the DRIE process will form the PZT thin-film diaphragm and the special dicing mechanism simultaneously. After the probes are fabricated, they are tested with various possible implantation depths (i.e., boundary conditions). Experimental results show that future implantation depths

  15. Thin film fabrication and transport properties of the heavy Fermion oxide LiV{sub 2}O{sub 4}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niemann, Ulrike [Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart (Germany); Hirai, Daigorou [University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Takagi, Hidenori [Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart (Germany); University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Institute for Functional Matter and Quantum Technologies, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart (Germany)

    2016-07-01

    The spinel compound LiV{sub 2}O{sub 4} is well-known for its heavy fermion behaviour, although it contains no f-electron bands. This unexpected behaviour has been a subject of several studies, but the origin of it is still not fully understood. In this study, we successfully fabricated single crystalline epitaxial thin film of LiV{sub 2}O{sub 4} on SrTiO{sub 3}, LSAT and MgO substrates, using a pulsed laser deposition technique. By changing film thickness and substrate materials, dimensionality and epitaxial strain was controlled. The formation of an epitaxially grown LiV{sub 2}O{sub 4} phase has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurements. LiV{sub 2}O{sub 4} films on MgO were found to be strained, due to the small lattice mismatch, in contrast to fully relaxed films on SrTiO{sub 3}.The heavy fermion behaviour of bulk LiV{sub 2}O{sub 4} at low temperatures is well reproduced in thick enough (∼ 7 nm) films on SrTiO{sub 3} substrates. In contrast, an insulating phase was found in strained LiV{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films on MgO substrates, revealing the key role of the lattice in stabilising the metallic ground state. In this presentation, we discuss the thin film fabrication and the effect of epitaxial strain on heavy fermion behaviour in LiV{sub 2}O{sub 4}.

  16. A novel approach to fabricate dye-encapsulated polymeric micro- and nanoparticles by thin film dewetting technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatterjee, Manosree; Hens, Abhiram; Mahato, Kuldeep; Jaiswal, Namita; Mahato, Nivedita; Nagahanumaiah; Chanda, Nripen

    2017-11-15

    A new method is reported for fabrication of polymeric micro- and nanoparticles from an intermediate patterned surface originated by dewetting of a polymeric thin film. Poly (d, l-lactide-co-glycolide) or PLGA, a biocompatible polymer is used to develop a thin film over a clean glass substrate which dewets spontaneously in the micro-/nano-patterned surface of size range 50nm to 3.5µm. Since another water-soluble polymer, poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) is coated on the same glass substrate before PLGA thin film formation, developed micro-/nano-patterns are easily extracted in water in the form of micro- and nanoparticle mixture of size range 50nm to 3.0µm. This simplified method is also used to effectively encapsulate a dye molecule, rhodamine B inside the PLGA micro-/nanoparticles. The developed dye-encapsulated nanoparticles, PLGA-rhodamine are separated from the mixture and tested for in-vitro delivery application of external molecules inside human lung cancer cells. For the first time, the use of thin film dewetting technique is reported as a potential route for the synthesis of polymeric micro-/nanoparticles and effective encapsulation of external species therein. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-06-26

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

  18. Study on fabrication of TiO{sub 2} thin films by spin – coating and their optical properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zharvan, Vicran, E-mail: vicran.zharvan@gmail.com; Daniyati, Risqa; Nur Ichzan, A.S.; Yudoyono, Gatut; Darminto, E-mail: darminto@physics.its.ac.id [Department of Physics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Kampus ITS Sukolilo, Surabaya 60111 (Indonesia)

    2016-03-11

    Study on fabrication of TiO{sub 2} thin films and their optical properties in UV-VIS spectrum has been conducted. TiO{sub 2} nanopowders were prepared by co-precipitation method with varying mixing duration for 5, 10 and 25 hours using TiCl{sub 3} as precursor. The as-synthesized TiO{sub 2} phase is anatase having crystalline size of 14.25 nm, 13.75 nm and 12.62, respectively for the corresponding mixing duration. Thin films of TiO{sub 2} were fabricated by spin coating method and then checked by XRD diffractometer and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer to examine their structure and band gap energy. The prepared films also contain anatase phase of TiO{sub 2} with respective band gap of 3.70 eV, 3.74 eV and 3.76 eV, depending on the powders and their treatment.

  19. Optical constants and structural properties of thin gold films

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yakubovsky, Dmitry I.; Arsenin, Aleksey V.; Stebunov, Yury V.

    2017-01-01

    We report a comprehensive experimental study of optical and electrical properties of thin polycrystalline gold films in a wide range of film thicknesses (from 20 to 200 nm). Our experimental results are supported by theoretical calculations based on the measured morphology of the fabricated gold...... rules for thin-film plasmonic and nanophotonic devices....... films. We demonstrate that the dielectric function of the metal is determined by its structural morphology. Although the fabrication process can be absolutely the same for different films, the dielectric function can strongly depend on the film thickness. Our studies show that the imaginary part...

  20. Growth and characterization of tin oxide thin films and fabrication of transparent p-SnO/n-ZnO p–n hetero junction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanal, K.C., E-mail: sanalcusat@gmail.com [Nanophotonic and Optoelectronic Devices Laboratory, Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala 682 022 (India); Inter University Center for Nanomaterials and Devices (IUCND), Cochin University of Science and Technology (India); Jayaraj, M.K. [Nanophotonic and Optoelectronic Devices Laboratory, Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala 682 022 (India)

    2013-07-01

    Highlights: • Growth of p-type semiconducting SnO thin films by rf sputtering. • Varying the type of charge carriers with oxygen partial pressure. • Atomic percentage of SnO{sub x} thin films from the XPS analysis. • Demonstration of transparent p–n hetero junctions fabricated in the structure glass/ITO/n-ZnO/p-SnO. -- Abstract: p-Type and n-type tin oxide thin films were deposited by rf-magnetron sputtering of metal tin target by varying the oxygen pressure. Chemical composition of SnO thin film according to the intensity of the XPS peak is about 48.85% and 51.15% for tin and oxygen respectively. Nearest neighbor distance of the atoms calculated from SAED patterns is 2.9 Åand 2.7 Åfor SnO and SnO{sub 2} respectively. The Raman scattering spectrum obtained from SnO thin films showed two peaks, one at 113 cm{sup −1} and the other at 211 cm{sup −1}. Band gap of as-deposited SnO{sub x} thin films vary from 1.6 eV to 3.2 eV on varying the oxygen partial pressure from 3% to 30% which indicates the oxidization of metallic phase Sn to SnO and SnO{sub 2}. p-Type conductivity of SnO thin films and n-type conductivity of SnO{sub 2} thin films were confirmed through Hall coefficient measurement. Transparent p–n hetero junction fabricated in the structure glass/ITO/n-ZnO/p-SnO shows rectification with forward to reverse current ratio as 12 at 4.5 V.

  1. Fabrication and Performance Study of Uniform Thin Film Integrated ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The transmission line model of a uniform rectangular thin film R-C-KR structure consisting of a dielectric layer of constant per unit shunt capacitance C sandwiched between two resistive thin films of constant per unit length resistances R and KR has been analysed using the concept of matrix parameter functions. The above ...

  2. Magnetic domain observation of FeCo thin films fabricated by alternate monoatomic layer deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohtsuki, T., E-mail: ohtsuki@spring8.or.jp; Kotsugi, M.; Ohkochi, T. [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), 1-1-1 Koto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Kojima, T.; Mizuguchi, M.; Takanashi, K. [Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan)

    2014-01-28

    FeCo thin films are fabricated by alternate monoatomic layer deposition method on a Cu{sub 3}Au buffer layer, which in-plane lattice constant is very close to the predicted value to obtain a large magnetic anisotropy constant. The variation of the in-plane lattice constant during the deposition process is investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The magnetic domain images are also observed by a photoelectron emission microscope in order to microscopically understand the magnetic structure. As a result, element-specific magnetic domain images show that Fe and Co magnetic moments align parallel. A series of images obtained with various azimuth reveal that the FeCo thin films show fourfold in-plane magnetic anisotropy along 〈110〉 direction, and that the magnetic domain structure is composed only of 90∘ wall.

  3. Fabrication and Film Qualification of Sr Modified Pb(Ca) TiO3 Thin Films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naw Hla Myat San; Khin Aye Thwe; Than Than Win; Yin Maung Maung; Ko Ko Kyaw Soe

    2011-12-01

    Strontium and calcium - modified lead titanate (Pb0.7 Ca0.15 Sr0.15 ) TiO3 (PCST)thin films were prepared by using spin coating technique. Phase transition of PCST was interpreted by means of Er-T characteristics. Process temperature dependence on micro-structure of PCST film was studied. Charge conduction mechanism of PCST thin film was also investigated for film qualification.

  4. Antimicrobial activity of biopolymeric thin films containing flavonoid natural compounds and silver nanoparticles fabricated by MAPLE: A comparative study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cristescu, R.; Visan, A.; Socol, G.; Surdu, A. V.; Oprea, A. E.; Grumezescu, A. M.; Chifiriuc, M. C.; Boehm, R. D.; Yamaleyeva, D.; Taylor, M.; Narayan, R. J.; Chrisey, D. B.

    2016-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the interactions between microorganisms, including the planktonic and adherent organisms, and biopolymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone), flavonoid (quercetin dihydrate and resveratrol)-biopolymer, and silver nanoparticles-biopolymer composite thin films that were deposited using matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). A pulsed KrF* excimer laser source was used to deposit the aforementioned composite thin films, which were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), infrared microscopy (IRM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The antimicrobial activity of thin films was quantified using an adapted disk diffusion assay against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains. FT-IR, AFM and SEM studies confirmed that MAPLE may be used to fabricate thin films with chemical properties corresponding to the input materials as well as surface properties that are appropriate for medical use. The silver nanoparticles and flavonoid-containing films exhibited an antimicrobial activity both against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains demonstrating the potential use of these hybrid systems for the development of novel antimicrobial strategies.

  5. Thin Film Approaches to the SRF Cavity Problem Fabrication and Characterization of Superconducting Thin Films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beringer, Douglas [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)

    2017-08-01

    Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities are responsible for the acceleration of charged particles to relativistic velocities in most modern linear accelerators, such as those employed at high-energy research facilities like Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory’s CEBAF and the LHC at CERN. Recognizing SRF as primarily a surface phenomenon enables the possibility of applying thin films to the interior surface of SRF cavities, opening a formidable tool chest of opportunities by combining and designing materials that offer greater performance benefit. Thus, while improvements in radio frequency cavity design and refinements in cavity processing techniques have improved accelerator performance and efficiency – 1.5 GHz bulk niobium SRF cavities have achieved accelerating gradients in excess of 35 MV/m – there exist fundamental material bounds in bulk superconductors limiting the maximally sustained accelerating field gradient (≈ 45 MV/m for Nb) where inevitable thermodynamic breakdown occurs. With state of the art Nb based cavity design fast approaching these theoretical limits, novel material innovations must be sought in order to realize next generation SRF cavities. One proposed method to improve SRF performance is to utilize thin film superconducting-insulating-superconducting (SIS) multilayer structures to effectively magnetically screen a bulk superconducting layer such that it can operate at higher field gradients before suffering critically detrimental SRF losses. This dissertation focuses on the production and characterization of thin film superconductors for such SIS layers for radio frequency applications. Correlated studies on structure, surface morphology and superconducting properties of epitaxial Nb and MgB2 thin films are presented.

  6. Advanced fabrication method for the preparation of MOF thin films: Liquid-phase epitaxy approach meets spin coating method.

    KAUST Repository

    Chernikova, Valeriya; Shekhah, Osama; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

    2016-01-01

    Here we report a new and advanced method for the fabrication of highly oriented/polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films. Building on the attractive features of the liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) approach, a facile spin coating method

  7. Application-related properties of giant magnetostrictive thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2002-01-01

    In an effort to facilitate the utilization of giant magnetostrictive thin films in microdevices, application-related properties of these thin films, which include induced anisotropy, residual stress and corrosion properties, are investigated. A large induced anisotropy with an energy of 6x10 4 J/m 3 is formed in field-sputtered amorphous Sm-Fe-B thin films, resulting in a large magnetostriction anisotropy. Two components of residual stress, intrinsic compressive stress and tensile stress due to the difference of the thermal expansion coefficients between the substrate and thin film, are identified. The variation of residual stress with fabrication parameter and annealing temperature, and its influence on mechanical bending and magnetic properties are examined. Better corrosion properties are observed in Sm-Fe thin films than in Tb-Fe. Corrosion properties of Tb-Fe thin films, however, are much improved with the introduction of nitrogen to the thin films without deteriorating magnetostrictive properties

  8. All-Aluminum Thin Film Transistor Fabrication at Room Temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rihui Yao

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Bottom-gate all-aluminum thin film transistors with multi conductor/insulator nanometer heterojunction were investigated in this article. Alumina (Al2O3 insulating layer was deposited on the surface of aluminum doping zinc oxide (AZO conductive layer, as one AZO/Al2O3 heterojunction unit. The measurements of transmittance electronic microscopy (TEM and X-ray reflectivity (XRR revealed the smooth interfaces between ~2.2-nm-thick Al2O3 layers and ~2.7-nm-thick AZO layers. The devices were entirely composited by aluminiferous materials, that is, their gate and source/drain electrodes were respectively fabricated by aluminum neodymium alloy (Al:Nd and pure Al, with Al2O3/AZO multilayered channel and AlOx:Nd gate dielectric layer. As a result, the all-aluminum TFT with two Al2O3/AZO heterojunction units exhibited a mobility of 2.47 cm2/V·s and an Ion/Ioff ratio of 106. All processes were carried out at room temperature, which created new possibilities for green displays industry by allowing for the devices fabricated on plastic-like substrates or papers, mainly using no toxic/rare materials.

  9. Electron-beam deposition of vanadium dioxide thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marvel, R.E.; Appavoo, K. [Vanderbilt University, Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program, Nashville, TN (United States); Choi, B.K. [Vanderbilt University, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Nashville, TN (United States); Nag, J. [Vanderbilt University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Nashville, TN (United States); Haglund, R.F. [Vanderbilt University, Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program, Nashville, TN (United States); Vanderbilt University, Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Nashville, TN (United States); Vanderbilt University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Nashville, TN (United States)

    2013-06-15

    Developing a reliable and efficient fabrication method for phase-transition thin-film technology is critical for electronic and photonic applications. We demonstrate a novel method for fabricating polycrystalline, switchable vanadium dioxide thin films on glass and silicon substrates and show that the optical switching contrast is not strongly affected by post-processing annealing times. The method relies on electron-beam evaporation of a nominally stoichiometric powder, followed by fast annealing. As a result of the short annealing procedure we demonstrate that films deposited on silicon substrates appear to be smoother, in comparison to pulsed laser deposition and sputtering. However, optical performance of e-beam evaporated film on silicon is affected by annealing time, in contrast to glass. (orig.)

  10. Fabrication of superhydrophobic niobium pentoxide thin films by anodization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeong, Bong-Yong [Future Convergence Ceramic Division, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Seoul 153-801 (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Eun-Hye [Future Convergence Ceramic Division, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Seoul 153-801 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Chemical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 402-024 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jin-Ho, E-mail: jhkim@kicet.re.kr [Electronic and Optic Materials Division, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Seoul 153-801 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-07-01

    We report a simple method to fabricate a niobium oxide film with a lotus-like micro–nano surface structure. Self-assembled niobium pentoxide (Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5}) films with superhydrophobic property were fabricated by an anodization and a hydrophobic treatment. This process has several advantages such as low cost, simplicity and easy coverage of a large area. The surface of fabricated Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} film was changed from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic surface by a treatment using fluoroaldyltrimethoxysilane (FAS) solution. This value is considered to be the lowest surface free energy of any solid, based on the alignment of -CF{sub 3} groups on the surface. In particular, among FAS coated surfaces, the micro–nano complex cone structured Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} film showed the highest water-repellent property with a static contact angle of ca. 162°. This study gives promising routes from biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces.

  11. Effect of dopants and thermal treatment on properties of Ga-Al-ZnO thin films fabricated by hetero targets sputtering system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, JeongSoo; Matsushita, Nobuhiro; Kim, KyungHwan

    2013-01-01

    In this study, we fabricated Ga and Al doped ZnO (Ga-Al-ZnO; GAZO) thin films by using the facing targets sputtering system under various conditions such as input current and thermal treatment temperature. The properties of the as-deposited GAZO thin films were examined by four-point, UV/Vis spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The result showed that the lowest sheet resistance of the films was 59.3 ohm/sq and transmittance was about 85%. After thermal treatment, the properties of GAZO thin films were improved. The lowest sheet resistance (47.3 ohm/sq) of the GAZO thin films were obtained at thermal treatment temperature of 300 °C, considered to be the result of continuous substitutions by dopants and improved crystallinity by the thermal treatment. - Highlights: ► Ga and Al doped ZnO thin films were prepared by hetero targets sputtering system. ► Free electrons were increased due to the continuous substitutions of Ga and Al. ► Crystallinity was improved by recombination of particles with increasing of temperature

  12. Design and fabrication of ZnO/TiO2-based thin-film inverter circuits using solution processing techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liau, Leo Chau-Kuang; Kuo, Juo-Wei; Chiang, Hsin-Ni

    2012-01-01

    Novel and cost-effective ceramic-based thin-film inverter circuits, based on two layers of TiO 2 and ZnO films to construct junction field-effect transistors (FETs), were designed and fabricated by solution coating techniques. The double layers of the sol–gel ZnO and TiO 2 films were coated and characterized as a diode according to the current–voltage performance. Two types of FETs, the p-channel (p-FET) and the n-channel (n-FET) devices, were produced using different coating sequences of ZnO and TiO 2 layers. Both of the transistor performances were evaluated by analyzing the source–drain current versus voltage (I ds –V ds ) data with the control of the gate voltage (V g ). The ZnO/TiO 2 -based inverter circuits, such as the complementary-FET device, were further fabricated using the integration of the p-FET and the n-FET. The voltage transfer characteristics of the inverters were estimated by the tests of the input voltage (V in ) versus the output voltage (V out ) for the thin-film inverter circuits. (paper)

  13. Facile and Scalable Fabrication of Highly Efficient Lead Iodide Perovskite Thin-Film Solar Cells in Air Using Gas Pump Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Bin; Gao, Lili; Liang, Lusheng; Chu, Qianqian; Song, Xiaoxuan; Li, Yan; Yang, Guanjun; Fan, Bin; Wang, Mingkui; Li, Chengxin; Li, Changjiu

    2016-08-10

    Control of the perovskite film formation process to produce high-quality organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite thin films with uniform morphology, high surface coverage, and minimum pinholes is of great importance to highly efficient solar cells. Herein, we report on large-area light-absorbing perovskite films fabrication with a new facile and scalable gas pump method. By decreasing the total pressure in the evaporation environment, the gas pump method can significantly enhance the solvent evaporation rate by 8 times faster and thereby produce an extremely dense, uniform, and full-coverage perovskite thin film. The resulting planar perovskite solar cells can achieve an impressive power conversion efficiency up to 19.00% with an average efficiency of 17.38 ± 0.70% for 32 devices with an area of 5 × 2 mm, 13.91% for devices with a large area up to 1.13 cm(2). The perovskite films can be easily fabricated in air conditions with a relative humidity of 45-55%, which definitely has a promising prospect in industrial application of large-area perovskite solar panels.

  14. Physical properties and characterization of Ag doped CdS thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shah, N.A.; Nazir, A.; Mahmood, W.; Syed, W.A.A.; Butt, S.; Ali, Z.; Maqsood, A.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► CdS thin films were grown. ► By ion exchange, Ag was doped. ► Physical properties were investigated. - Abstract: Thin films of cadmium sulfide with very well defined preferential orientation and relatively high absorption coefficient were fabricated by thermal evaporation technique. The research is focused to the fabrication and characterization of the compositional data of CdS thin films obtained by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope along with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The optical properties were studied by using a UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer. The effects of silver-doping by ion exchange process on the properties of as-deposited CdS thin films have been investigated.

  15. FABRICATION OF ZNS THIN FILM FOR INORGANIC EL BY THE VACCUUM EVAPORATION

    OpenAIRE

    龍見, 雅美; 島谷, 圭市; 小西, 信行; 元木, 健作

    2008-01-01

    "Zinc sulfide is a typical material for inorganic electroluminescent(EL) device. Recently very high luminance and life time e has been reported on an inorganic EL device based on thin film zinc sulfide material. The present study tries to realize high quality zinc sulfide thin film for EL device. The thin film was grown by the vacuum evaporation method. In order to obtain stoichiometric thin film, the vacuum evaporation was carried out in a quasi-closed vessel under a condition of sulfur atmo...

  16. Few-Layer MoS2-Organic Thin-Film Hybrid Complementary Inverter Pixel Fabricated on a Glass Substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hee Sung; Shin, Jae Min; Jeon, Pyo Jin; Lee, Junyeong; Kim, Jin Sung; Hwang, Hyun Chul; Park, Eunyoung; Yoon, Woojin; Ju, Sang-Yong; Im, Seongil

    2015-05-13

    Few-layer MoS2-organic thin-film hybrid complementary inverters demonstrate a great deal of device performance with a decent voltage gain of ≈12, a few hundred pW power consumption, and 480 Hz switching speed. As fabricated on glass, this hybrid CMOS inverter operates as a light-detecting pixel as well, using a thin MoS2 channel. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Nanomechanical investigation of thin-film electroceramic/metal-organic framework multilayers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Best, James P.; Michler, Johann; Liu, Jianxi; Wang, Zhengbang; Tsotsalas, Manuel; Maeder, Xavier; Röse, Silvana; Oberst, Vanessa; Liu, Jinxuan; Walheim, Stefan; Gliemann, Hartmut; Weidler, Peter G.; Redel, Engelbert; Wöll, Christof

    2015-09-01

    Thin-film multilayer stacks of mechanically hard magnetron sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO) and mechanically soft highly porous surface anchored metal-organic framework (SURMOF) HKUST-1 were studied using nanoindentation. Crystalline, continuous, and monolithic surface anchored MOF thin films were fabricated using a liquid-phase epitaxial growth method. Control over respective fabrication processes allowed for tuning of the thickness of the thin film systems with a high degree of precision. It was found that the mechanical indentation of such thin films is significantly affected by the substrate properties; however, elastic parameters were able to be decoupled for constituent thin-film materials (EITO ≈ 96.7 GPa, EHKUST-1 ≈ 22.0 GPa). For indentation of multilayer stacks, it was found that as the layer thicknesses were increased, while holding the relative thickness of ITO and HKUST-1 constant, the resistance to deformation was significantly altered. Such an observation is likely due to small, albeit significant, changes in film texture, interfacial roughness, size effects, and controlling deformation mechanism as a result of increasing material deposition during processing. Such effects may have consequences regarding the rational mechanical design and utilization of MOF-based hybrid thin-film devices.

  18. XRay Study of Transfer Printed Pentacene Thin Films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shao, Y.; Solin, S. A.; Hines, D. R.; Williams, E. D.

    2007-01-01

    We investigated the structural properties and transfer properties of pentacene thin films fabricated by thermal deposition and transfer printing onto SiO2 and plastic substrates, respectively. The dependence of the crystallite size on the printing time, temperature and pressure were measured. The increases of crystalline size were observed when pentacene thin films were printed under specific conditions, e.g. 120 deg. C and 600 psi and can be correlated with the improvement of the field effect mobility of pentacene thin-film transistors

  19. Fabrication of Thermoelectric Sensor and Cooling Devices Based on Elaborated Bismuth-Telluride Alloy Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdellah Boulouz

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The principal motivation of this work is the development and realization of smart cooling and sensors devices based on the elaborated and characterized semiconducting thermoelectric thin film materials. For the first time, the details design of our sensor and the principal results are published. Fabrication and characterization of Bi/Sb/Te (BST semiconducting thin films have been successfully investigated. The best values of Seebeck coefficient (α(T at room temperature for Bi2Te3, and (Bi1−xSbx2Te3 with x = 0.77 are found to be −220 µV/K and +240 µV/K, respectively. Fabrication and evaluation of performance devices are reported. 2.60°C of cooling of only one Peltier module device for an optimal current of Iopt=2.50 mA is obtained. The values of temperature measured by infrared camera, by simulation, and those measured by the integrated and external thermocouple are reported. A sensitivity of the sensors of 5 mV Torr−1 mW−1 for the pressure sensor has been found with a response time of about 600 ms.

  20. Fabrication of thin-film thermoelectric generators with ball lenses for conversion of near-infrared solar light

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Yoshitaka; Mizoshiri, Mizue; Mikami, Masashi; Kondo, Tasuku; Sakurai, Junpei; Hata, Seiichi

    2017-06-01

    We designed and fabricated thin-film thermoelectric generators (TEGs) with ball lenses, which separated visible light and near-infrared (NIR) solar light using a chromatic aberration. The transmitted visible light was used as daylight and the NIR light was used for thermoelectric generation. Solar light was estimated to be separated into the visible light and NIR light by a ray tracing method. 92.7% of the visible light was used as daylight and 9.9% of the NIR light was used for thermoelectric generation. Then, the temperature difference of the pn junctions of the TEG surface was 0.71 K, determined by heat conduction analysis using a finite element method. The thin-film TEGs were fabricated using lithography and deposition processes. When the solar light (A.M. 1.5) was irradiated to the TEGs, the open-circuit voltage and maximum power were 4.5 V/m2 and 51 µW/m2, respectively. These TEGs are expected to be used as an energy supply for Internet of Things sensors.

  1. UHV-cluster-tool for fabrication of thin film structures and transport- and noise properties of YBa2Cu3O7-δ grain boundary-SQUIDs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Back, Christoph

    2007-01-01

    A UHV-thin-film-deposition system for the fabrication of thin film structures of metals and oxides was designed and optimized. For oxide materials, Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) was implemented. Epitaxial thin film growth can be analyzed during the PLD process by high-pressure RHEED (Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction). Furthermore layer-by-layer growth can be triggered by Pulsed Laser Intervall Deposition (PLiD). Heteroepitaxial multilayers can be fabricated automatically. Metal thin films can be grown by planar magnetron sputtering and by electron beam evaporation. Furthermore the system contains an rf-plasma source for surface cleaning and Ion Beam Etching (IBE). The three different deposition techniques are located in separate vacuum chambers which are connected by a central handling chamber allowing to combine all these processes in-situ. Furthermore superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) were fabricated out of epitaxially grown high-temperature superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 -films on bicrystals. The SQUIDs were structured using a combined process of ion milling and chemical wet etching. By this combined etching process, edge signals that appear during imaging of flux quanta by low temperature scanning microscopy can be avoided. The transport- and noise properties of the SQUIDs were investigated. (orig.)

  2. Fabrication of high-performance InGaZnOx thin film transistors based on control of oxidation using a low-temperature plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takenaka, Kosuke; Endo, Masashi; Uchida, Giichiro; Setsuhara, Yuichi

    2018-04-01

    This work demonstrated the low-temperature control of the oxidation of Amorphous InGaZnOx (a-IGZO) films using inductively coupled plasma as a means of precisely tuning the properties of thin film transistors (TFTs) and as an alternative to post-deposition annealing at high temperatures. The effects of the plasma treatment of the as-deposited a-IGZO films were investigated by assessing the electrical properties of TFTs incorporating these films. A TFT fabricated using an a-IGZO film exposed to an Ar-H2-O2 plasma at substrate temperatures as low as 300 °C exhibited the best performance, with a field effect mobility as high as 42.2 cm2 V-1 s-1, a subthreshold gate voltage swing of 1.2 V decade-1, and a threshold voltage of 2.8 V. The improved transfer characteristics of TFTs fabricated with a-IGZO thin films treated using an Ar-H2-O2 plasma are attributed to the termination of oxygen vacancies around Ga and Zn atoms by OH radicals in the gas phase.

  3. Comparative Review on Thin Film Growth of Iron-Based Superconductors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshinori Imai

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Since the discovery of the novel iron-based superconductors, both theoretical and experimental studies have been performed intensively. Because iron-based superconductors have a smaller anisotropy than high-Tc cuprates and a high superconducting transition temperature, there have been a lot of researchers working on the film fabrication of iron-based superconductors and their application. Accordingly, many novel features have been reported in the films of iron-based superconductors, for example, the fabrication of the epitaxial film with a higher Tc than bulk samples, the extraction of the metastable phase which cannot be obtained by the conventional solid state reaction, and so on. In this paper, we review the progress of research on thin film fabrications of iron-based superconductors, especially the four categories: LnFeAs(O,F (Ln = Lanthanide, AEFe2As2 (AE = Alkaline-earth metal, FeCh (Ch = Chalcogen, and FeSe monolayer. Furthermore, we focus on two important topics in thin films of iron-based superconductors; one is the substrate material for thin film growth on the iron-based superconductors, and the other is the whole phase diagram in FeSe1-xTex which can be obtained only by using film-fabrication technique.

  4. Fabrication of assembled ZnO/TiO2 heterojunction thin film transistors using solution processing technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liau, Leo Chau-Kuang; Lin, Yun-Guo

    2015-01-01

    Ceramic-based metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) field-effect thin film transistors (TFTs), which were assembled by ZnO and TiO2 heterojunction films coated using solution processing technique, were fabricated and characterized. The fabrication of the device began with the preparation of ZnO and TiO2 films by spin coating. The ZnO and TiO2 films that were stacked together and annealed at 450 °C were characterized as a p-n junction diode. Two types of the devices, p-channel and n-channel TFTs, were produced using different assemblies of ZnO and TiO2 films. Results show that the p-channel TFTs (p-TFTs) and n-channel TFTs (n-TFTs) using the assemblies of ZnO and TiO2 films were demonstrated by source-drain current vs. drain voltage (IDS-VDS) measurements. Several electronic properties of the p- and n- TFTs, such as threshold voltage (Vth), on-off ratio, channel mobility, and subthreshold swing (SS), were determined by current-voltage (I-V) data analysis. The ZnO/TiO2-based TFTs can be produced using solution processing technique and an assembly approach.

  5. Nanometric thin film membranes manufactured on square meter scale: ultra-thin films for CO 2 capture

    KAUST Repository

    Yave, Wilfredo

    2010-09-01

    Miniaturization and manipulation of materials at nanometer scale are key challenges in nanoscience and nanotechnology. In membrane science and technology, the fabrication of ultra-thin polymer films (defect-free) on square meter scale with uniform thickness (<100 nm) is crucial. By using a tailor-made polymer and by controlling the nanofabrication conditions, we developed and manufactured defect-free ultra-thin film membranes with unmatched carbon dioxide permeances, i.e. >5 m3 (STP) m-2 h -1 bar-1. The permeances are extremely high, because the membranes are made from a CO2 philic polymer material and they are only a few tens of nanometers thin. Thus, these thin film membranes have potential application in the treatment of large gas streams under low pressure like, e.g., carbon dioxide separation from flue gas. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.

  6. Numerical simulations of electrohydrodynamic evolution of thin polymer films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borglum, Joshua Christopher

    Recently developed needleless electrospinning and electrolithography are two successful techniques that have been utilized extensively for low-cost, scalable, and continuous nano-fabrication. Rational understanding of the electrohydrodynamic principles underneath these nano-manufacturing methods is crucial to fabrication of continuous nanofibers and patterned thin films. This research project is to formulate robust, high-efficiency finite-difference Fourier spectral methods to simulate the electrohydrodynamic evolution of thin polymer films. Two thin-film models were considered and refined. The first was based on reduced lubrication theory; the second further took into account the effect of solvent drying and dewetting of the substrate. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) based spectral method was integrated into the finite-difference algorithms for fast, accurately solving the governing nonlinear partial differential equations. The present methods have been used to examine the dependencies of the evolving surface features of the thin films upon the model parameters. The present study can be used for fast, controllable nanofabrication.

  7. Aluminum nitride and nanodiamond thin film microstructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Knoebber, Fabian; Bludau, Oliver; Roehlig, Claus-Christian; Williams, Oliver; Sah, Ram Ekwal; Kirste, Lutz; Cimalla, Volker; Lebedev, Vadim; Nebel, Christoph; Ambacher, Oliver [Fraunhofer-Institute for Applied Solid State Physics, Freiburg (Germany)

    2010-07-01

    In this work, aluminum nitride (AlN) and nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin film microstructures have been developed. Freestanding NCD membranes were coated with a piezoelectrical AlN layer in order to build tunable micro-lens arrays. For the evaluation of the single material quality, AlN and NCD thin films on silicon substrates were fabricated using RF magnetron sputtering and microwave chemical vapor deposition techniques, respectively. The crystal quality of AlN was investigated by X-ray diffraction. The piezoelectric constant d{sub 33} was determined by scanning laser vibrometry. The NCD thin films were optimized with respect to surface roughness, mechanical stability, intrinsic stress and transparency. To determine the mechanical properties of the materials, both, micromechanical resonator and membrane structures were fabricated and measured by magnetomotive resonant frequency spectroscopy and bulging experiments, respectively. Finally, the behavior of AlN/NCD heterostructures was modeled using the finite element method and the first structures were characterized by piezoelectrical measurements.

  8. Polyurethane-acrylate-based hydrophobic film: Facile fabrication, characterization, and application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jongsung; Nguyen, Bui Quoc Huy; Kim, Ji-Kwan; Shanmugasundaram, Arunkumar; Lee, Dong-Weon

    2018-06-01

    Polyurethane-acrylate (PUA) is a versatile UV-curable polymer with a short curing time at room temperature, whose surface structure can be flexibly modified by applying various micropatterns. In this paper, we propose a facile and cost-effective fabrication method for the continuous production of an optically transparent PUA-based superhydrophobic thin film. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was employed as a soft mold for the fabrication of PUA films through the roll-to-roll technique. In addition, nanosilica was spray-coated onto the PUA surface to further improve the hydrophobicity. The fabricated PUA thin film showed the highest static water contact angle (WCA) of ∼140°. The high durability of the PUA film was also demonstrated through mechanical impacting tests. Furthermore, only ∼2% of voltage loss was observed in the solar panel covered with the PUA-based superhydrophobic film. These obtained results indicate the feasibility of applying the film as a protective layer in applications requiring a high transparency and a self-cleaning effect.

  9. Laser deposition and direct-writing of thermoelectric misfit cobaltite thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jikun; Palla-Papavlu, Alexandra; Li, Yulong; Chen, Lidong; Shi, Xun; Döbeli, Max; Stender, Dieter; Populoh, Sascha; Xie, Wenjie; Weidenkaff, Anke; Schneider, Christof W.; Wokaun, Alexander; Lippert, Thomas

    2014-06-01

    A two-step process combining pulsed laser deposition of calcium cobaltite thin films and a subsequent laser induced forward transfer as micro-pixel is demonstrated as a direct writing approach of micro-scale thin film structures for potential applications in thermoelectric micro-devices. To achieve the desired thermo-electric properties of the cobaltite thin film, the laser induced plasma properties have been characterized utilizing plasma mass spectrometry establishing a direct correlation to the corresponding film composition and structure. The introduction of a platinum sacrificial layer when growing the oxide thin film enables a damage-free laser transfer of calcium cobaltite thereby preserving the film composition and crystallinity as well as the shape integrity of the as-transferred pixels. The demonstrated direct writing approach simplifies the fabrication of micro-devices and provides a large degree of flexibility in designing and fabricating fully functional thermoelectric micro-devices.

  10. Nanomechanical investigation of thin-film electroceramic/metal-organic framework multilayers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Best, James P., E-mail: james.best@empa.ch, E-mail: engelbert.redel@kit.edu, E-mail: christof.woell@kit.edu; Michler, Johann; Maeder, Xavier [Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures, Feuerwerkerstrasse 39, CH-3602 Thun (Switzerland); Liu, Jianxi; Wang, Zhengbang; Tsotsalas, Manuel; Liu, Jinxuan; Gliemann, Hartmut; Weidler, Peter G.; Redel, Engelbert, E-mail: james.best@empa.ch, E-mail: engelbert.redel@kit.edu, E-mail: christof.woell@kit.edu; Wöll, Christof, E-mail: james.best@empa.ch, E-mail: engelbert.redel@kit.edu, E-mail: christof.woell@kit.edu [Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Röse, Silvana [Preparative Macromolecular Chemistry, Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ICTP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engesserstrasse 18, 76128 Karlsruhe (Germany); Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Herrmann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Oberst, Vanessa [Institute of Applied Materials (IAM), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Walheim, Stefan [Institute of Nanotechnology (INT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

    2015-09-07

    Thin-film multilayer stacks of mechanically hard magnetron sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO) and mechanically soft highly porous surface anchored metal-organic framework (SURMOF) HKUST-1 were studied using nanoindentation. Crystalline, continuous, and monolithic surface anchored MOF thin films were fabricated using a liquid-phase epitaxial growth method. Control over respective fabrication processes allowed for tuning of the thickness of the thin film systems with a high degree of precision. It was found that the mechanical indentation of such thin films is significantly affected by the substrate properties; however, elastic parameters were able to be decoupled for constituent thin-film materials (E{sub ITO} ≈ 96.7 GPa, E{sub HKUST−1} ≈ 22.0 GPa). For indentation of multilayer stacks, it was found that as the layer thicknesses were increased, while holding the relative thickness of ITO and HKUST-1 constant, the resistance to deformation was significantly altered. Such an observation is likely due to small, albeit significant, changes in film texture, interfacial roughness, size effects, and controlling deformation mechanism as a result of increasing material deposition during processing. Such effects may have consequences regarding the rational mechanical design and utilization of MOF-based hybrid thin-film devices.

  11. Nanomechanical investigation of thin-film electroceramic/metal-organic framework multilayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Best, James P.; Michler, Johann; Maeder, Xavier; Liu, Jianxi; Wang, Zhengbang; Tsotsalas, Manuel; Liu, Jinxuan; Gliemann, Hartmut; Weidler, Peter G.; Redel, Engelbert; Wöll, Christof; Röse, Silvana; Oberst, Vanessa; Walheim, Stefan

    2015-01-01

    Thin-film multilayer stacks of mechanically hard magnetron sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO) and mechanically soft highly porous surface anchored metal-organic framework (SURMOF) HKUST-1 were studied using nanoindentation. Crystalline, continuous, and monolithic surface anchored MOF thin films were fabricated using a liquid-phase epitaxial growth method. Control over respective fabrication processes allowed for tuning of the thickness of the thin film systems with a high degree of precision. It was found that the mechanical indentation of such thin films is significantly affected by the substrate properties; however, elastic parameters were able to be decoupled for constituent thin-film materials (E ITO  ≈ 96.7 GPa, E HKUST−1  ≈ 22.0 GPa). For indentation of multilayer stacks, it was found that as the layer thicknesses were increased, while holding the relative thickness of ITO and HKUST-1 constant, the resistance to deformation was significantly altered. Such an observation is likely due to small, albeit significant, changes in film texture, interfacial roughness, size effects, and controlling deformation mechanism as a result of increasing material deposition during processing. Such effects may have consequences regarding the rational mechanical design and utilization of MOF-based hybrid thin-film devices

  12. Fabrication and non-covalent modification of highly oriented thin films of a zeolite-like metal-organic framework (ZMOF) with rho topology

    KAUST Repository

    Shekhah, Osama

    2015-01-01

    Here we report the fabrication of the first thin film of a zeolite-like metal-organic framework (ZMOF) with rho topology (rho-ZMOF-1, ([In48(HImDC)96]48-)n) in a highly oriented fashion on a gold-functionalized substrate. The oriented rho-ZMOF-1 film was functionalized by non-covalent modification via post-synthetic exchange of different probe molecules, such as acridine yellow, methylene blue, and Nile red. In addition, encapsulation of a porphyrin moiety was achieved via in situ synthesis and construction of the rho-ZMOF. Adsorption kinetics of volatile organic compounds on rho-ZMOF-1 thin films was also investigated. This study suggests that rho-ZMOF-1 thin films can be regarded as a promising platform for various applications such as sensing and catalysis. This journal is

  13. Dual purpose laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for pulsed laser deposition and diagnostics of thin film fabrication: preliminary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azdejković, Mersida Janeva; van Elteren, Johannes Teun; Rozman, Kristina Zuzek; Jaćimović, Radojko; Sarantopoulou, Evangelia; Kobe, Spomenka; Cefalas, Alkiviadis Constantinos

    2009-08-15

    PLD (pulsed laser deposition) is an attractive technique to fabricate thin films with a stoichiometry reflecting that of the target material. Conventional PLD instruments are more or less black boxes in which PLD is performed virtually "blind", i.e. without having great control on the important PLD parameters. In this preliminary study, for the first time, a 213 nm Nd-YAG commercial laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICPMS) intended for microanalysis work was used for PLD under atmospheric pressure and in and ex situ ICPMS analysis for diagnostics of the thin film fabrication process. A PLD demonstration experiment in a He atmosphere was performed with a Sm(13.8)Fe(82.2)Ta(4.0) target-Ta-coated silicon wafer substrate (contraption with defined geometry in the laser ablation chamber) to transfer the permanent magnetic properties of the target to the film. Although this paper is not dealing with the magnetic properties of the film, elemental analysis was applied as a means of depicting the PLD process. It was shown that in situ ICPMS monitoring of the ablation plume as a function of the laser fluence, beam diameter and repetition rate may be used to ensure the absence of large particles (normally having a stoichiometry somewhat different from the target). Furthermore, ex situ microanalysis of the deposited particles on the substrate, using the LA-ICPMS as an elemental mapping tool, allowed for the investigation of PLD parameters critical in the fabrication of a thin film with appropriate density, homogeneity and stoichiometry.

  14. Thin films and nanomaterials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jayakumar, S.; Kannan, M.D.; Prasanna, S.

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this book is to disseminate the most recent research in Thin Films, Nanomaterials, Corrosion and Metallurgy presented at the International Conference on Advanced Materials (ICAM 2011) held in PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, India during 12-16 December 2011. The book is a compilation of 113 chapters written by active researchers providing information and critical insights into the recent advancements that have taken place. Important new applications are possible today in the fields of microelectronics, opto-electronics, metallurgy and energy by the application of thin films on solid surfaces. Recent progress in high vacuum technology and new materials has a remarkable effect in thin film quality and cost. This has led to the development of new single or multi-layered thin film devices with diverse applications in a multitude of production areas, such as optics, thermal barrier coatings and wear protections, enhancing service life of tools and to protect materials against thermal and atmospheric influence. On the other hand, thin film process techniques and research are strongly related to the basic research activities in nano technology, an increasingly important field with countless opportunities for applications due to the emergence of new properties at the nanoscale level. Materials and structures that are designed and fabricated at the nano scale level, offer the potential to produce new devices and processes that may enhance efficiencies and reduce costs in many areas, as photovoltaic systems, hydrogen storage, fuel cells and solar thermal systems. In the book, the contributed papers are classified under two sections i) thin films and ii) nanomaterials. The thin film section includes single or multi layer conducting, insulating or semiconducting films synthesized by a wide variety of physical or chemical techniques and characterized or analyzed for different applications. The nanomaterials section deals with novel or exciting materials

  15. Antimicrobial activity of biopolymeric thin films containing flavonoid natural compounds and silver nanoparticles fabricated by MAPLE: A comparative study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cristescu, R.; Visan, A.; Socol, G.; Surdu, A.V.; Oprea, A.E.; Grumezescu, A.M.; Chifiriuc, M.C.; Boehm, R.D.; Yamaleyeva, D.; Taylor, M.; Narayan, R.J.; Chrisey, D.B.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • We successfully deposited composite quercetin dehydrate-, resveratrol- and silver nanoparticle-polyvinylpyrrolidone thin coatings with chemical structure close to that of the starting materials by MAPLE. • Thin film morphology studies revealed a uniform surface without aggregates or grains on the top of the surface. • MAPLE-deposited thin films exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. • We demonstrated the potential use of these hybrid systems and MAPLE deposition method for the development of new harmless, ecological antimicrobial strategies. - Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the interactions between microorganisms, including the planktonic and adherent organisms, and biopolymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone), flavonoid (quercetin dihydrate and resveratrol)-biopolymer, and silver nanoparticles-biopolymer composite thin films that were deposited using matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). A pulsed KrF * excimer laser source was used to deposit the aforementioned composite thin films, which were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), infrared microscopy (IRM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The antimicrobial activity of thin films was quantified using an adapted disk diffusion assay against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains. FT-IR, AFM and SEM studies confirmed that MAPLE may be used to fabricate thin films with chemical properties corresponding to the input materials as well as surface properties that are appropriate for medical use. The silver nanoparticles and flavonoid-containing films exhibited an antimicrobial activity both against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains demonstrating the potential use of these hybrid systems for the development of novel antimicrobial strategies.

  16. Antimicrobial activity of biopolymeric thin films containing flavonoid natural compounds and silver nanoparticles fabricated by MAPLE: A comparative study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cristescu, R., E-mail: rodica.cristescu@inflpr.ro [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma & Radiation Physics, Lasers Department, P.O. Box MG-36, Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Visan, A.; Socol, G. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma & Radiation Physics, Lasers Department, P.O. Box MG-36, Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Surdu, A.V.; Oprea, A.E.; Grumezescu, A.M. [Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Politehnica University of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, Bucharest, 011061 Romania (Romania); Chifiriuc, M.C. [Microbiology Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest - ICUB, Bucharest, 77206 (Romania); Boehm, R.D.; Yamaleyeva, D.; Taylor, M.; Narayan, R.J. [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Chrisey, D.B. [Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA (United States)

    2016-06-30

    Highlights: • We successfully deposited composite quercetin dehydrate-, resveratrol- and silver nanoparticle-polyvinylpyrrolidone thin coatings with chemical structure close to that of the starting materials by MAPLE. • Thin film morphology studies revealed a uniform surface without aggregates or grains on the top of the surface. • MAPLE-deposited thin films exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. • We demonstrated the potential use of these hybrid systems and MAPLE deposition method for the development of new harmless, ecological antimicrobial strategies. - Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the interactions between microorganisms, including the planktonic and adherent organisms, and biopolymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone), flavonoid (quercetin dihydrate and resveratrol)-biopolymer, and silver nanoparticles-biopolymer composite thin films that were deposited using matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). A pulsed KrF{sup *} excimer laser source was used to deposit the aforementioned composite thin films, which were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), infrared microscopy (IRM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The antimicrobial activity of thin films was quantified using an adapted disk diffusion assay against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains. FT-IR, AFM and SEM studies confirmed that MAPLE may be used to fabricate thin films with chemical properties corresponding to the input materials as well as surface properties that are appropriate for medical use. The silver nanoparticles and flavonoid-containing films exhibited an antimicrobial activity both against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains demonstrating the potential use of these hybrid systems for the development of novel antimicrobial strategies.

  17. Facile fabrication of wire-type indium gallium zinc oxide thin-film transistors applicable to ultrasensitive flexible sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yeong-Gyu; Tak, Young Jun; Kim, Hee Jun; Kim, Won-Gi; Yoo, Hyukjoon; Kim, Hyun Jae

    2018-04-03

    We fabricated wire-type indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) using a self-formed cracked template based on a lift-off process. The electrical characteristics of wire-type IGZO TFTs could be controlled by changing the width and density of IGZO wires through varying the coating conditions of template solution or multi-stacking additional layers. The fabricated wire-type devices were applied to sensors after functionalizing the surface. The wire-type pH sensor showed a sensitivity of 45.4 mV/pH, and this value was an improved sensitivity compared with that of the film-type device (27.6 mV/pH). Similarly, when the wire-type device was used as a glucose sensor, it showed more variation in electrical characteristics than the film-type device. The improved sensing properties resulted from the large surface area of the wire-type device compared with that of the film-type device. In addition, we fabricated wire-type IGZO TFTs on flexible substrates and confirmed that such structures were very resistant to mechanical stresses at a bending radius of 10 mm.

  18. Directed self-assembly of nanoporous metallic- and bimetallic nanoparticle thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pietsch, Torsten [Fachbereich Physik, Universitaet Konstanz (Germany); Gindy, Nabil; Fahmi, Amir [Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Nottingham (United Kingdom)

    2010-07-01

    Nanoporous thin films attracted considerable interest due to potential applications in optical coatings, catalysis, sensors as well as electronic devices. Recently, such films were prepared by post deposition treatments. The present study is focused on the fabrication of nanoporous thin films via directed self-assembly of hybrid materials. Due to the nature of this process no additional treatments are necessary to develop the pores. Hierarchical nanoporous structures are fabricated directly via deposition of polymer templated Au-nanoparticles onto hydrophilic substrates. These films exhibit two different pore diameters and a total pore density of more than 10{sup 10} holes per cm{sup 2}. Control over the pore size is achieved by changing the molecular weight of the PS-b-P4VP diblock copolymer. Moreover, the porous morphology is used as a template to fabricate bimetallic nanostructured thin films. Such well-defined nanostructures, not only exhibit unique physical properties but also provide control over the hydrophobicity of the coated surfaces.

  19. The Structure and Stability of Molybdenum Ditelluride Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhouling Wang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Molybdenum-tellurium alloy thin films were fabricated by electron beam evaporation and the films were annealed in different conditions in N2 ambient. The hexagonal molybdenum ditelluride thin films with well crystallization annealed at 470°C or higher were obtained by solid state reactions. Thermal stability measurements indicate the formation of MoTe2 took place at about 350°C, and a subtle weight-loss was in the range between 30°C and 500°C. The evolution of the chemistry for Mo-Te thin films was performed to investigate the growth of the MoTe2 thin films free of any secondary phase. And the effect of other postdeposition treatments on the film characteristics was also investigated.

  20. Nanometric thin film membranes manufactured on square meter scale: ultra-thin films for CO 2 capture

    KAUST Repository

    Yave, Wilfredo; Car, Anja; Wind, Jan; Peinemann, Klaus Viktor

    2010-01-01

    Miniaturization and manipulation of materials at nanometer scale are key challenges in nanoscience and nanotechnology. In membrane science and technology, the fabrication of ultra-thin polymer films (defect-free) on square meter scale with uniform

  1. Flexible magnetic thin films and devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheng, Ping; Wang, Baomin; Li, Runwei

    2018-01-01

    Flexible electronic devices are highly attractive for a variety of applications such as flexible circuit boards, solar cells, paper-like displays, and sensitive skin, due to their stretchable, biocompatible, light-weight, portable, and low cost properties. Due to magnetic devices being important parts of electronic devices, it is essential to study the magnetic properties of magnetic thin films and devices fabricated on flexible substrates. In this review, we mainly introduce the recent progress in flexible magnetic thin films and devices, including the study on the stress-dependent magnetic properties of magnetic thin films and devices, and controlling the properties of flexible magnetic films by stress-related multi-fields, and the design and fabrication of flexible magnetic devices. Project supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2016YFA0201102), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51571208, 51301191, 51525103, 11274321, 11474295, 51401230), the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. 2016270), the Key Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KJZD-EW-M05), the Ningbo Major Project for Science and Technology (No. 2014B11011), the Ningbo Science and Technology Innovation Team (No. 2015B11001), and the Ningbo Natural Science Foundation (No. 2015A610110).

  2. The Impact of Graphene on the Fabrication of Thin Film Solar Cells: Current Status and Future Prospects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhengqi Shi

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Commercial solar cells have a power conversion efficiency (PCE in the range of 10–22% with different light absorbers. Graphene, with demonstrated unique structural, physical, and electrical properties, is expected to bring the positive effects on the development of thin film solar cells. Investigations have been carried out to understand whether graphene can be used as a front and back contacts and active interfacial layer in solar cell fabrication. In this review, the current progress of this research is analyzed, starting from the graphene and graphene-based Schottky diode. Also, the discussion was focused on the progress of graphene-incorporated thin film solar cells that were fabricated with different light absorbers, in particular, the synthesis, fabrication, and characterization of devices. The effect of doping and layer thickness of graphene on PCE was also included. Currently, the PCE of graphene-incorporated bulk-heterojunction devices have enhanced in the range of 0.5–3%. However, device durability and cost-effectiveness are also the challenging factors for commercial production of graphene-incorporated solar cells. In addition to the application of graphene, graphene oxides have been also used in perovskite solar cells. The current needs and likely future investigations for graphene-incorporated solar cells are also discussed.

  3. Single-Crystal Mesoporous ZnO Thin Films Composed of Nanowalls

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Xudong

    2009-02-05

    This paper presents a controlled, large scale fabrication of mesoporous ZnO thin films. The entire ZnO mesoporous film is one piece of a single crystal, while high porosity made of nanowalls is present. The growth mechanism was proposed in comparison with the growth of ZnO nanowires. The ZnO mesoporous film was successfully applied as a gas sensor. The fabrication and growth analysis of the mesoporous ZnO thin film gi ve general guidance for the controlled growth of nanostructures. It also pro vides a unique structure with a superhigh surface-to-volume ratio for surface-related applications. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

  4. Fabrication and characterization of high-mobility solution-based chalcogenide thin-film transistors

    KAUST Repository

    Mejia, Israel I.; Salas Villaseñ or, Ana L.; Cha, Dong Kyu; Alshareef, Husam N.; Gnade, Bruce E.; Quevedo-Ló pez, Manuel Angel Quevedo

    2013-01-01

    We report device and material considerations for the fabrication of high-mobility thin-film transistors (TFTs) compatible with large-area and inexpensive processes. In particular, this paper reports photolithographically defined n-type TFTs (n-TFTs) based on cadmium sulfide (CdS) films deposited using solution-based techniques. The integration process consists of four mask levels with a maximum processing temperature of 100 °C. The TFT performance was analyzed in terms of the CdS semiconductor thickness and as a function of postdeposition annealing in a reducing ambient. The IonI off ratios are ∼107 with field-effect mobilities of ∼5.3 and ∼4.7cm2V̇s for Al and Au source-drain contacts, respectively, using 70 nm of CdS. Transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy were used to analyze the CdS-metal interfaces. © 1963-2012 IEEE.

  5. Thin Film Approaches to the SRF Cavity Problem: Fabrication and Characterization of Superconducting Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beringer, Douglas B.

    Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities are responsible for the acceleration of charged particles to relativistic velocities in most modern linear accelerators, such as those employed at high-energy research facilities like Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory's CEBAF and the LHC at CERN. Recognizing SRF as primarily a surface phenomenon enables the possibility of applying thin films to the interior surface of SRF cavities, opening a formidable tool chest of opportunities by combining and designing materials that offer greater benefit. Thus, while improvements in radio frequency cavity design and refinements in cavity processing techniques have improved accelerator performance and efficiency - 1.5 GHz bulk niobium SRF cavities have achieved accelerating gradients in excess of 35 MV/m - there exist fundamental material bounds in bulk superconductors limiting the maximally sustained accelerating field gradient (approximately 45 MV/m for Niobium) where inevitable thermodynamic breakdown occurs. With state of the art niobium based cavity design fast approaching these theoretical limits, novel material innovations must be sought in order to realize next generation SRF cavities. One proposed method to improve SRF performance is to utilize thin film superconducting-insulating-superconducting (SIS) multilayer structures to effectively magnetically screen a bulk superconducting layer such that it can operate at higher field gradients before suffering critically detrimental SRF losses. This dissertation focuses on the production and characterization of thin film superconductors for such SIS layers for radio-frequency applications.

  6. Soft Magnetic Multilayered Thin Films for HF Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loizos, George; Giannopoulos, George; Serletis, Christos; Maity, Tuhin; Roy, Saibal; Lupu, Nicoleta; Kijima, Hanae; Yamaguchi, Masahiro; Niarchos, Dimitris

    Multilayered thin films from various soft magnetic materials were successfully prepared by magnetron sputtering in Ar atmosphere. The magnetic properties and microstructure were investigated. It is found that the films show good soft magnetic properties: magnetic coercivity of 1-10 Oe and saturation magnetization higher than 1T. The initial permeability of the films is greater than 300 and flattens up to 600 MHz. The multilayer thin film properties in combination with their easy, fast and reproducible fabrication indicate that they are potential candidates for high frequency applications.

  7. Efficient thin-film stack characterization using parametric sensitivity analysis for spectroscopic ellipsometry in semiconductor device fabrication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Likhachev, D.V.

    2015-01-01

    During semiconductor device fabrication, control of the layer thicknesses is an important task for in-line metrology since the correct thickness values are essential for proper device performance. At the present time, ellipsometry is widely used for routine process monitoring and process improvement as well as characterization of various materials in the modern nanoelectronic manufacturing. The wide recognition of this technique is based on its non-invasive, non-intrusive and non-destructive nature, high measurement precision, accuracy and speed, and versatility to characterize practically all types of materials used in modern semiconductor industry (dielectrics, semiconductors, metals, polymers, etc.). However, it requires the use of one of the multi-parameter non-linear optimization methods due to its indirect nature. This fact creates a big challenge for analysis of multilayered structures since the number of simultaneously determined model parameters, for instance, thin film thicknesses and model variables related to film optical properties, should be restricted due to parameter cross-correlations. In this paper, we use parametric sensitivity analysis to evaluate the importance of various model parameters and to suggest their optimal search ranges. In this work, the method is applied practically for analysis of a few structures with up to five-layered film stack. It demonstrates an evidence-based improvement in accuracy of multilayered thin-film thickness measurements which suggests that the proposed approach can be useful for industrial applications. - Highlights: • An improved method for multilayered thin-film stack characterization is proposed. • The screening-type technique based on so-called “elementary effects” was employed. • The model parameters were ranked according to relative importance for model output. • The method is tested using two examples of complex thin-film stack characterization. • The approach can be useful in many practical

  8. Efficient thin-film stack characterization using parametric sensitivity analysis for spectroscopic ellipsometry in semiconductor device fabrication

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Likhachev, D.V., E-mail: dmitriy.likhachev@globalfoundries.com

    2015-08-31

    During semiconductor device fabrication, control of the layer thicknesses is an important task for in-line metrology since the correct thickness values are essential for proper device performance. At the present time, ellipsometry is widely used for routine process monitoring and process improvement as well as characterization of various materials in the modern nanoelectronic manufacturing. The wide recognition of this technique is based on its non-invasive, non-intrusive and non-destructive nature, high measurement precision, accuracy and speed, and versatility to characterize practically all types of materials used in modern semiconductor industry (dielectrics, semiconductors, metals, polymers, etc.). However, it requires the use of one of the multi-parameter non-linear optimization methods due to its indirect nature. This fact creates a big challenge for analysis of multilayered structures since the number of simultaneously determined model parameters, for instance, thin film thicknesses and model variables related to film optical properties, should be restricted due to parameter cross-correlations. In this paper, we use parametric sensitivity analysis to evaluate the importance of various model parameters and to suggest their optimal search ranges. In this work, the method is applied practically for analysis of a few structures with up to five-layered film stack. It demonstrates an evidence-based improvement in accuracy of multilayered thin-film thickness measurements which suggests that the proposed approach can be useful for industrial applications. - Highlights: • An improved method for multilayered thin-film stack characterization is proposed. • The screening-type technique based on so-called “elementary effects” was employed. • The model parameters were ranked according to relative importance for model output. • The method is tested using two examples of complex thin-film stack characterization. • The approach can be useful in many practical

  9. The influence of thin film grain size on the size of nanoparticles generated during UV femtosecond laser ablation of thin gold films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haustrup, N.; O’Connor, G.M.

    2013-01-01

    The upsurge in the number of thin film products has encouraged studies into every aspect of their fabrication and application. An additional source of industrial interest is the laser ablation of thin films to generate nanoparticles. This technique offers advantages over other fabrication methods, as no chemical pre-cursers are required, thereby giving rise to a pure product. The main disadvantage lies in the difficulty with controlling the size of the nanoparticles. This study aims to clarify the influence of the microstructure of a thin film on its optical properties and also to establish the size relationship between the film grain and the nanoparticles generated during laser ablation. A comprehensive sample set of Gold (Au) films with different grain sizes was achieved using different deposition rates, temperatures, film thicknesses (<100 nm) and substrates: Silica, Quartz and Sapphire. The microstructure of each film was analyzed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Single femtosecond laser pulses, above the ablation threshold fluence of each film, were applied to generate nanoparticles. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to image the re-deposited nanoparticles, from which the nanoparticle size distribution was established. Results confirm that the film microstructure is directly linked to the nanoparticles generated during laser ablation.

  10. The influence of thin film grain size on the size of nanoparticles generated during UV femtosecond laser ablation of thin gold films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haustrup, N., E-mail: natalie.haustrup@nuigalway.ie [National Centre for Laser Applications, School of Physics, National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland); O’Connor, G.M. [National Centre for Laser Applications, School of Physics, National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland)

    2013-08-01

    The upsurge in the number of thin film products has encouraged studies into every aspect of their fabrication and application. An additional source of industrial interest is the laser ablation of thin films to generate nanoparticles. This technique offers advantages over other fabrication methods, as no chemical pre-cursers are required, thereby giving rise to a pure product. The main disadvantage lies in the difficulty with controlling the size of the nanoparticles. This study aims to clarify the influence of the microstructure of a thin film on its optical properties and also to establish the size relationship between the film grain and the nanoparticles generated during laser ablation. A comprehensive sample set of Gold (Au) films with different grain sizes was achieved using different deposition rates, temperatures, film thicknesses (<100 nm) and substrates: Silica, Quartz and Sapphire. The microstructure of each film was analyzed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Single femtosecond laser pulses, above the ablation threshold fluence of each film, were applied to generate nanoparticles. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to image the re-deposited nanoparticles, from which the nanoparticle size distribution was established. Results confirm that the film microstructure is directly linked to the nanoparticles generated during laser ablation.

  11. A „Hybrid“ Thin-Film pH Sensor with Integrated Thick-Film Reference

    OpenAIRE

    Simonis, Anette; Krings, Thomas; Lüth, Hans; Wang, Joseph; Schöning, Michael J.

    2001-01-01

    A reference electrode fabricated by means of thick-film technique is deposited onto a silicon substrate and combined with a thin-film pH sensor to a “hybrid†chip system. To evaluate the suitability of this combination, first investigations were carried out. The characteristics of the thin-film pH sensor were studied towards the thick-film Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Measurements were performed in the capacitance/voltage (C/V) and constant capacitance (Concap) mode for different pH ...

  12. Yttrium-enriched YBa2Cu3Ox thin films for coated conductors fabricated by pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khoryushin, Alexey V.; Mozhaev, Peter B.; Mozhaeva, Julia E.; Andersen, Niels H.; Grivel, Jean-Claude; Hansen, Jørn Bindslev; Jacobsen, Claus S.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► YBCO films were fabricated by PLD from targets of various elemental compositions. ► The Y-enriched films contain yttria nanoparticles which provide efficient pinning. ► The best film has 5.5× higher j c (5 T,50 K) = 2.6MA/cm 2 comparing with a reference film. ► The Y-enriched films remain c-oriented up to 500 nm. ► Films demonstrate no j c suppression with thickness and remarkable stability with time. -- Abstract: The effects of excess yttria on the structural and electrical properties of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (YBCO) thin films are studied. The films were deposited on (LaAlO 3 ) 0.3 –(Sr 2 AlTaO 8 ) 0.7 substrates by pulsed laser ablation from targets with different elemental composition. An increase of yttrium content of the target leads to formation of porous films with significantly improved current-carrying capabilities. Structural studies of these films reveal presence of yttria nanoparticles embedded into the YBCO matrix. The highest obtained critical current density in an external magnetic field of 5 T was 2.6 MA/cm 2 at 50 K and 9.4 MA/cm 2 at 20 K. The fabricated Y-enriched YBCO films remain c-oriented at least up to 600 nm thickness with no significant suppression of the critical current density

  13. Laser-Printed Organic Thin-Film Transistors

    KAUST Repository

    Diemer, Peter J.; Harper, Angela F.; Niazi, Muhammad Rizwan; Petty, Anthony J.; Anthony, John E.; Amassian, Aram; Jurchescu, Oana D.

    2017-01-01

    their incorporation in large-scale manufacturing processes. Here, the first ever organic thin-film transistor fabricated with an electrophotographic laser printing process using a standard office laser printer is reported. This completely solvent-free additive

  14. Fabrication of Lead-Free Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 Thin Films by Aqueous Chemical Solution Deposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mads Christensen

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Piezoelectric ceramics are widely used in actuator applications, and currently the vast majority of these devices are based on Pb ( Zr , Ti O 3 , which constitutes environmental and health hazards due to the toxicity of lead. One of the most promising lead-free material systems for actuators is based on Bi 0 . 5 Na 0 . 5 TiO 3 (BNT, and here we report on successful fabrication of BNT thin films by aqueous chemical solution deposition. The precursor solution used in the synthesis is based on bismuth citrate stabilized by ethanolamine, NaOH , and a Ti-citrate prepared from titanium tetraisopropoxide and citric acid. BNT thin films were deposited on SrTiO 3 and platinized silicon substrates by spin-coating, and the films were pyrolized and annealed by rapid thermal processing. The BNT perovskite phase formed after calcination at 500 °C in air. The deposited thin films were single phase according to X-ray diffraction, and the microstructures of the films shown by electron microscopy were homogeneous and dense. Decomposition of the gel was thoroughly investigated, and the conditions resulting in phase pure materials were identified. This new aqueous deposition route is low cost, robust, and suitable for development of BNT based thin film for actuator applications.

  15. An Observation of Diamond-Shaped Particle Structure in a Soya Phosphatidylcohline and Bacteriorhodopsin Composite Langmuir Blodgett Film Fabricated by Multilayer Molecular Thin Film Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsujiuchi, Y.; Makino, Y.

    A composite film of soya phosphatidylcohline (soya PC) and bacteriorhodopsin (BR) was fabricated by the multilayer molecular thin film method using fatty acid and lipid on a quartz substrate. Direct Force Microscopy (DFM), UV absorption spectra and IR absorption spectra of the film were characterized on the detail of surface structure of the film. The DFM data revealed that many rhombus (diamond-shaped) particles were observed in the film. The spectroscopic data exhibited the yield of M-intermediate of BR in the film. On our modelling of molecular configuration indicate that the coexistence of the strong inter-molecular interaction and the strong inter-molecular interaction between BR trimmers attributed to form the particles.

  16. Fabrication and magnetization measurement of Ni thin films on silicon substrate by electrodeposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang Yang [Key Laboratory of Excited State Process, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 East Nan-Hu Road, Open Economic Zone, Changchun 130033 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); Zhao Dongxu [Key Laboratory of Excited State Process, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 East Nan-Hu Road, Open Economic Zone, Changchun 130033 (China)], E-mail: dxzhao2000@yahoo.com.cn; Shen Dezhen; Zhang Jiying; Li Binghui; Lu Youming; Fan Xiwu [Key Laboratory of Excited State Process, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 East Nan-Hu Road, Open Economic Zone, Changchun 130033 (China)

    2008-02-29

    Ni thin films were electrodeposited on n-Si (100) substrate from the electrolytes containing Ni(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2} and CH{sub 3}COONH{sub 4} at room temperature. The scanning electron microscope images of the films reveals the uniform distribution of the nickel all over the substrate surface, which illustrates that the fine Ni films on large scales could be obtained through the method of electrodeposition. Vibrating sample magnetometer measurement with the applied field parallel to the surface shows obvious hysteresis loops of the magnetic thin films. The morphology and magnetism of the Ni thin films evolves with the deposition time increasing. The effect of deposition conditions on the properties of the Ni thin films is investigated.

  17. High performance thin-film composite forward osmosis membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yip, Ngai Yin; Tiraferri, Alberto; Phillip, William A; Schiffman, Jessica D; Elimelech, Menachem

    2010-05-15

    Recent studies show that osmotically driven membrane processes may be a viable technology for desalination, water and wastewater treatment, and power generation. However, the absence of a membrane designed for such processes is a significant obstacle hindering further advancements of this technology. This work presents the development of a high performance thin-film composite membrane for forward osmosis applications. The membrane consists of a selective polyamide active layer formed by interfacial polymerization on top of a polysulfone support layer fabricated by phase separation onto a thin (40 mum) polyester nonwoven fabric. By careful selection of the polysulfone casting solution (i.e., polymer concentration and solvent composition) and tailoring the casting process, we produced a support layer with a mix of finger-like and sponge-like morphologies that give significantly enhanced membrane performance. The structure and performance of the new thin-film composite forward osmosis membrane are compared with those of commercial membranes. Using a 1.5 M NaCl draw solution and a pure water feed, the fabricated membranes produced water fluxes exceeding 18 L m(2-)h(-1), while consistently maintaining observed salt rejection greater than 97%. The high water flux of the fabricated thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes was directly related to the thickness, porosity, tortuosity, and pore structure of the polysulfone support layer. Furthermore, membrane performance did not degrade after prolonged exposure to an ammonium bicarbonate draw solution.

  18. High Performance Thin-Film Composite Forward Osmosis Membrane

    KAUST Repository

    Yip, Ngai Yin

    2010-05-15

    Recent studies show that osmotically driven membrane processes may be a viable technology for desalination, water and wastewater treatment, and power generation. However, the absence of a membrane designed for such processes is a significant obstacle hindering further advancements of this technology. This work presents the development of a high performance thin-film composite membrane for forward osmosis applications. The membrane consists of a selective polyamide active layer formed by interfacial polymerization on top of a polysulfone support layer fabricated by phase separation onto a thin (40 μm) polyester nonwoven fabric. By careful selection of the polysulfone casting solution (i.e., polymer concentration and solvent composition) and tailoring the casting process, we produced a support layer with a mix of finger-like and sponge-like morphologies that give significantly enhanced membrane performance. The structure and performance of the new thin-film composite forward osmosis membrane are compared with those of commercial membranes. Using a 1.5 M NaCl draw solution and a pure water feed, the fabricated membranes produced water fluxes exceeding 18 L m2-h-1, while consistently maintaining observed salt rejection greater than 97%. The high water flux of the fabricated thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes was directly related to the thickness, porosity, tortuosity, and pore structure of the polysulfone support layer. Furthermore, membrane performance did not degrade after prolonged exposure to an ammonium bicarbonate draw solution. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  19. Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O; Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S

    2008-01-01

    The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process

  20. Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O [Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7 (Canada); Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S [Materials Design and Integration Laboratory, Xerox Research Centre of Canada, 2660 Speakman Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5K 2L1 (Canada)], E-mail: lichnsa@163.com

    2008-06-21

    The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process.

  1. Alkali semi-metal films and method and apparatus for fabricating them

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhandari, Harish B.; Nagarkar, Vivek V.; Ovechkina, Olena E.; Frisch, Henry J.; Attenkofer, Klaus; Smedley, John M.

    2018-03-13

    Methods and systems for fabricating a film, such as, for example, a photocathode, having a tailored band structure and thin-film components that can be tailored for specific applications, such as, for example photocathode having a high quantum efficiency, and simple components fabricated by those methods.

  2. Fabrication of cerium-doped β-Ga2O3 epitaxial thin films and deep ultraviolet photodetectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wenhao; Zhao, Xiaolong; Zhi, Yusong; Zhang, Xuhui; Chen, Zhengwei; Chu, Xulong; Yang, Hujiang; Wu, Zhenping; Tang, Weihua

    2018-01-20

    High-quality cerium-doped β-Ga 2 O 3 (Ga 2 O 3 :Ce) thin films could be achieved on (0001)α-Al 2 O 3 substrates using a pulsed-laser deposition method. The impact of dopant contents concentration on crystal structure, optical absorption, photoluminescence, and photoelectric properties has been intensively studied. X-ray diffraction analysis results have shown that Ga 2 O 3 :Ce films are highly (2¯01) oriented, and the lattice spacing of the (4¯02) planes is sensitive to the Ce doping level. The prepared Ga 2 O 3 :Ce films show a sharp absorption edge at about 250 nm, meaning a high transparency to deep ultraviolet (DUV) light. The photoluminescence results revealed that the emissions were in the violet-blue-green region, which are associated with the donor-acceptor transitions with the Ce 3+ and oxygen vacancies related defects. A simple DUV photodetector device with a metal-semiconductor-metal structure has also been fabricated based on Ga 2 O 3 :Ce thin film. A distinct DUV photoresponse was obtained, suggesting a potential application in DUV photodetector devices.

  3. Wafer scale nano-membrane supported on a silicon microsieve using thin-film transfer technology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Unnikrishnan, S.; Jansen, Henricus V.; Berenschot, Johan W.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

    A new micromachining method to fabricate wafer scale nano-membranes is described. The delicate thin-film nano-membrane is supported on a robust silicon microsieve fabricated by plasma etching. The silicon sieve is micromachined independently of the thin-film, which is later transferred onto it by

  4. Heat shrink formation of a corrugated thin film thermoelectric generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Tianlei; Peavey, Jennifer L.; David Shelby, M.; Ferguson, Scott; O’Connor, Brendan T.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Demonstrate and characterize a thermoelectric generator with a corrugated geometry. • Employ a novel heat shrink fabrication approach compatible with low-cost processing. • Use thermal impedance modeling to explore design potential. • Corrugated design shown to be advantageous for low heat-flux density applications. - Abstract: A thin film thermoelectric (TE) generator with a corrugated architecture is demonstrated formed using a heat-shrink fabrication approach. Fabrication of the corrugated TE structure consists of depositing thin film thermoelectric elements onto a planar non-shrink polyimide substrate that is then sandwiched between two uniaxial stretch-oriented co-polyester (PET) films. The heat shrink PET films are adhered to the polyimide in select locations, such that when the structure is placed in a high temperature environment, the outer films shrink resulting in a corrugated core film and thermoelectric elements spanning between the outer PET films. The module has a cross-plane heat transfer architecture similar to a conventional bulk TE module, but with heat transfer in the plane of the thin film thermoelectric elements, which assists in maintaining a significant temperature difference across the thermoelectric junctions. In this demonstration, Ag and Ni films are used as the thermoelectric elements and a Seebeck coefficient of 14 μV K −1 is measured with a maximum power output of 0.22 nW per couple at a temperature difference of 7.0 K. We then theoretically consider the performance of this device architecture with high performance thermoelectric materials in the heat sink limited regime. The results show that the heat-shrink approach is a simple fabrication method that may be advantageous in large-area, low power density applications. The fabrication method is also compatible with simple geometric modification to achieve various form factors and power densities to customize the TE generator for a range of applications

  5. Research on fabrication technology for thin film solar cells for practical use. Survey on the commercialization analysis; Usumaku taiyo denchi seizo gijutsu no jitsuyoka kenkyu. Jitsuyoka kaiseki ni kansuru chosa kenkyu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tatsuta, M [New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Tokyo (Japan)

    1994-12-01

    This paper reports the survey results on the technological trend, safety and latest technologies of thin film solar cells in fiscal 1994. As the fabrication technology for amorphous film solar cells, three-electrode plasma CVD was surveyed as fabrication method for high-mobility materials, and hydrogen radical CVD as fabrication method for high-photostable films. Current foreign and domestic reliability tests were surveyed for reliability evaluation of solar cells. In order to ascertain the performance, efficiency, physical properties and optimum structure of polycrystalline Si thin film solar cells, previously reported test results on physical properties such as carrier concentration, carrier lifetime and mobility of films were surveyed together with device simulation results. In addition, technologies for high-efficiency CuInSe2 system and CdTe system solar cells, technologies for cost reduction and mass production, and environmental influence were surveyed. Estimation of production costs for cell modules, and safety of thin film solar cells were also surveyed.

  6. Preparation and optical characterization of DNA-riboflavin thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paulson, Bjorn; Shin, Inchul; Kong, Byungjoo; Sauer, Gregor; Dugasani, Sreekantha Reddy; Khazaeinezhad, Reza; Jung, Woohyun; Joo, Boram; Oh, Kyunghwan

    2016-09-01

    Thin films of DNA biopolymer thin film are fabricated by a drop casting process on glass and silicon substrates, as well as freestanding. The refractive index is measured by elliposmetry and in bulk DNA film the refractive index is shown to be increased in the 600 to 900 nm DNA transparency window by doping with riboflavin. Further analysis with FT-IR, Raman, and XRD are used to determine whether binding between riboflavin and DNA occurs.

  7. Thin film shape memory alloys for optical sensing applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, Y Q; Luo, J K; Huang, W M; Flewitt, A J; Milne, W I

    2007-01-01

    Based on shape memory effect of the sputtered thin film shape memory alloys, different types of micromirror structures were designed and fabricated for optical sensing application. Using surface micromachining, TiNi membrane mirror structure has been fabricated, which can be actuated based on intrinsic two-way shape memory effect of the free-standing TiNi film. Using bulk micromachining, TiNi/Si and TiNi/Si 3 N 4 microcantilever mirror structures were fabricated

  8. Surface characterization and assessment of cell attachment capabilities of thin films fabricated by ion-beam irradiation of poly(L-lactic acid) substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanaka, Toshiyuki, E-mail: tttanaka@riken.jp [RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Tokyo University of Science, 1-3 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8601 (Japan); Suzuki, Yoshiaki [RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Tsuchiya, Koji; Yajima, Hirofumi [Tokyo University of Science, 1-3 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8601 (Japan)

    2013-01-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thin films can be obtained by ion-beam irradiation of poly(L-lactic acid). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Both surfaces of the thin film were carbonized by the irradiation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer No significant changes were noticed in the topographies of the two surfaces. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fibroblasts attached firmly to the bottom as well as the top surface of the film. - Abstract: The ion-beam irradiation of substrates of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), a biodegradable polymer, gave rise to exfoliatable thin films when the substrate was immersed in an aqueous solution. The thin films exhibited excellent cell affinity, and hence, can be useful in bioengineering applications. In this study, we characterized both surfaces of the thin films and evaluated their cell attachment capabilities. Each surface was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and dynamic force microscopy (DFM). These analyses showed that carbonization took place at both surfaces. In addition, no significant changes were noticed in the topographies of the two surfaces. Finally, the cell attachment capabilities of the surfaces were determined by culturing mouse fibroblasts on them. The cells attached firmly to the bottom as well as the top surface of the film and were well spread out. These results could be attributed to the carbonization of the surfaces of the thin-film. Such thin films, fabricated by the irradiation of a biodegradable polymer, are expected to find wide application in areas such as tissue regeneration and cell transplantation.

  9. Pulsed Photoinitiated Fabrication of Inkjet Printed Titanium Dioxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Thin Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourgeois, Briley; Luo, Sijun; Riggs, Brian; Ji, Yaping; Adireddy, Shiva; Schroder, Kurt; Farnsworth, Stan; Chrisey, Douglas B; Escarra, Matthew

    2018-05-08

    This work reports a new technique for scalable and low temperature processing of nanostructured-TiO2 thin films, allowing for practical manufacturing of TiO2 based devices such as perovskite solar cells at low temperature or on flexible substrates. Dual layers of dense and mesoporous TiO2/graphitic oxide nanocomposite films are synthesized simultaneously using inkjet printing and pulsed photonic irradiation. Investigation of process parameters including precursor concentration (10-20 wt%) and exposure fluence (4.5-8.5 J/cm2) reveals control over crystalline quality, graphitic oxide phase, film thickness, dendrite density, and optical properties. Raman spectroscopy shows the E¬g peak, characteristic of anatase phase titania, increases in intensity with higher photonic irradiation fluence, suggesting increased crystallinity through higher fluence processing. Film thickness and dendrite density is shown to increase with precursor concentration in the printed ink. The dense base layer thickness was controlled between 20 nm to 80 nm. The refractive index of the films is determined by ellipsometry to be 1.92 +/- 0.08 at 650 nm. Films exhibit an energy weighted optical transparency of 91.1%, in comparison to 91.3% of a thermally processed film, when in situ carbon materials were removed. Transmission and diffuse reflectance are used to determine optical band gaps of the films ranging from 2.98 eV to 3.38 eV in accordance with the photonic irradiation fluence and suggests tunability of TiO2 phase composition. The sheet resistance of the synthesized films is measured to be 14.54 +/- 1.11 Ω/□ and 28.90 +/- 2.24 Ω/□ for films as-processed and after carbon removal, respectively, which is comparable to high temperature processed TiO2 thin films. The studied electrical and optical properties of the light processed films show comparable results to traditionally processed TiO2 while offering the distinct advantages of scalable manufacturing, low-temperature processing

  10. Development of p-type amorphous Cu{sub 1−x}B{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} thin films and fabrication of pn hetero junction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanal, K.C., E-mail: sanalcusat@gmail.com [Nanophotonic and Optoelectronic Devices Laboratory, Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala 682022 (India); Inter University Center for Nanomaterials and Devices (IUCND), Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala 682022 (India); Center for Advanced Materials, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala 682022 (India); Jayaraj, M.K., E-mail: mkj@cusat.ac.in [Nanophotonic and Optoelectronic Devices Laboratory, Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala 682022 (India); Center for Advanced Materials, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala 682022 (India)

    2014-07-01

    Highlights: • Growth of p-type semiconducting amorphous Cu{sub 1−x}B{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} thin films by co-sputtering. • Atomic percentage of Cu{sub 1−x}B{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} thin films from the XPS analysis. • Variation of bandgap with boron concentration in Cu{sub 1−x}B{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} thin films. • Demonstration of p–n hetero junctions fabricated in the structure n-Si/p-Cu{sub 1−x}B{sub x}O{sub 2−δ}/Au. - Abstract: Transparent conducting amorphous p type Cu{sub 1−x}B{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} thin films were grown by RF magnetron co-sputtering at room temperature, using copper and boron targets in oxygen atmosphere. The structural, electrical as well as optical properties were studied. Composition of the films was analyzed by XPS. Amorphous structure of as deposited films was confirmed by GXRD. Surface morphology of the films was analyzed by AFM studies. p-Type nature and concentration of carriers were investigated by Hall effect measurement. Band gap of the films was found to increase with the atomic content of boron in the film. A p–n hetero junction using p-type Cu{sub 1−x}B{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} and n-type silicon was fabricated in the structure n-Si/p-Cu{sub 1−x}B{sub x}O{sub 2−δ}/Au which showed rectifying behavior. As deposited amorphous Cu{sub 1−x}B{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} thin films with lower carrier concentration can be used as a channel layer for thin film transistors.

  11. Preparation of Aligned ZnO Nanorod Arrays on Sn-Doped ZnO Thin Films by Sonicated Sol-Gel Immersion Fabricated for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Saurdi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aligned ZnO Nanorod arrays are deposited on the Sn-doped ZnO thin film via sonicated sol-gel immersion method. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the Sn-doped ZnO thin films were investigated. Results show that the Sn-doped ZnO thin films with small grain size (~20 nm, high average transmittance (96% in visible region, and good resistivity 7.7 × 102 Ω·cm are obtained for 2 at.% Sn doping concentration. The aligned ZnO nanorod arrays with large surface area were also obtained for 2 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin film. They were grown on sol-gel derived Sn-doped ZnO thin film, which acts as a seed layer, via sonicated sol-gel immersion method. The grown aligned ZnO nanorod arrays show high transmittance at visible region. The fabricated dye-sensitised solar cell based on the 2.0 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin film with aligned ZnO nanorod arrays exhibits improved current density, open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and conversion efficiency compared with the undoped ZnO and 1 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin films.

  12. Optical constant of thin gold films

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yakubovsky, D. I.; Fedyanin, D. Yu; Arsenin, A. V.

    2017-01-01

    The performance of metal-based devices is limited by ohmic losses in the metal, which are determined by electron scattering. The structural properties of gold thin films also play an important role in the film quality, which may affect its' optical properties and the overall capability...... and spectroscopic ellipsometry, the structural morphology and optical properties of polycrystalline gold thin films (fabricated by e-beam deposition at a low sputtering rate smooth gold) in the thickness range of 20 - 200 nm. By extracting the real and imaginary dielectric function and the Drude parameter...... of the device. At the same time, metal films of different thicknesses are needed for different applications and, since these films are polycrystalline, their internal properties and surface roughness can greatly vary from one thickness to another. In this work, we study, using atomic force microscopy...

  13. Dielectric and acoustical high frequency characterisation of PZT thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conde, Janine; Muralt, Paul

    2010-01-01

    Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 (PZT) is an interesting material for bulk acoustic wave resonator applications due to its high electromechanical coupling constant, which would enable fabrication of large bandwidth frequency filters. The major challenge of the PZT solid solution system is to overcome mechanical losses generally observed in PZT ceramics. To increase the understanding of these losses in textured thin films, thin film bulk acoustic resonators (TFBAR's) based on PZT thin films with compositions either in the tetragonal region or at the morphotropic phase boundary and (111) or {100} textures were fabricated and studied up to 2 GHz. The dielectric and elastic materials coefficients were extracted from impedance measurements at the resonance frequency. The dispersion of the dielectric constant was obtained from impedance measurements up to 2 GHz. The films with varying compositions, textures and deposition methods (sol-gel or sputtering) were compared in terms of dielectric and acoustical properties.

  14. Dielectric and acoustical high frequency characterisation of PZT thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conde, Janine; Muralt, Paul

    2010-02-01

    Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT) is an interesting material for bulk acoustic wave resonator applications due to its high electromechanical coupling constant, which would enable fabrication of large bandwidth frequency filters. The major challenge of the PZT solid solution system is to overcome mechanical losses generally observed in PZT ceramics. To increase the understanding of these losses in textured thin films, thin film bulk acoustic resonators (TFBAR's) based on PZT thin films with compositions either in the tetragonal region or at the morphotropic phase boundary and (111) or {100} textures were fabricated and studied up to 2 GHz. The dielectric and elastic materials coefficients were extracted from impedance measurements at the resonance frequency. The dispersion of the dielectric constant was obtained from impedance measurements up to 2 GHz. The films with varying compositions, textures and deposition methods (sol-gel or sputtering) were compared in terms of dielectric and acoustical properties.

  15. Preparation of thin vyns films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blanc, R.; Chedin, P.; Gizon, A.

    1965-01-01

    The fabrication of thin films of VYNS resin (copolymer of chloride and vinyl acetate) of superficial density from 3 to 50 μg/cm 2 with solutions in cyclohexanone is presented. Study and discussion of some properties compared with formvar film (polyvinyl formals). It appears that both can be used as source supports but formvar films are prepared more easily and more quickly, in addition they withstand higher temperatures. The main quality of VYNS is that they can be easily separated even several days after their preparation [fr

  16. Indium Sulfide and Indium Oxide Thin Films Spin-Coated from Triethylammonium Indium Thioacetate Precursor for n-Channel Thin Film Transistor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tung, Duy Dao; Jeong, Hyun Dam [Chonnam Natioal University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-09-15

    The In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films of tetragonal structure and In{sub 2}O{sub 3} films of cubic structure were synthesized by a spin coating method from the organometallic compound precursor triethylammonium indium thioacetate ([(Et){sub 3}NH]+ [In(SCOCH{sub 3}){sub 4}]''-; TEA-InTAA). In order to determine the electron mobility of the spin-coated TEA-InTAA films, thin film transistors (TFTs) with an inverted structure using a gate dielectric of thermal oxide (SiO{sub 2}) was fabricated. These devices exhibited n-channel TFT characteristics with a field-effect electron mobility of 10.1 cm''2 V''-1s''-1 at a curing temperature of 500 o C, indicating that the semiconducting thin film material is applicable for use in low-cost, solution-processed printable electronics.

  17. Magnetostrictive thin films prepared by RF sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carabias, I.; Martinez, A.; Garcia, M.A.; Pina, E.; Gonzalez, J.M.; Hernando, A.; Crespo, P.

    2005-01-01

    Fe 80 B 20 thin films have been prepared by ion beam sputtering magnetron on room temperature. The films were fabricated on different substrates to compare the different magnetic and structural properties. In particular the growth of films on flexible substrates (PDMS, Kapton) has been studied to allow a simple integration of the system in miniaturized magnetostrictive devices. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that films are mainly amorphous although the presence of some Fe nanoparticles cannot be ruled out. The coercive field of thin films ranges between 15 and 35 Oe, depending on substrate. Magnetostriction measurements indicate the strong dependence of the saturation magnetostriction with the substrate. Samples on flexible substrates exhibit a better performance than samples deposited onto glass substrates

  18. Fabrication of amorphous silicon nanoribbons by atomic force microscope tip-induced local oxidation for thin film device applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pichon, L; Rogel, R; Demami, F

    2010-01-01

    We demonstrate the feasibility of induced local oxidation of amorphous silicon by atomic force microscopy. The resulting local oxide is used as a mask for the elaboration of a thin film silicon resistor. A thin amorphous silicon layer deposited on a glass substrate is locally oxidized following narrow continuous lines. The corresponding oxide line is then used as a mask during plasma etching of the amorphous layer leading to the formation of a nanoribbon. Such an amorphous silicon nanoribbon is used for the fabrication of the resistor

  19. Preparation of Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} thin films by sulfurizing stacked precursor thin films via successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su Zhenghua; Yan Chang; Sun Kaiwen; Han Zili [School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Liu Fangyang, E-mail: liufangyang@csu.edu.cn [School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Liu Jin [School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Lai Yanqing, E-mail: laiyanqingcsu@163.com [School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Li Jie; Liu Yexiang [School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China)

    2012-07-15

    Earth-abundant Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} is a promising alternative photovoltaic material which has been examined as absorber layer of thin film solar cells. In this study, Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS) thin films have been successfully fabricated by sulfurizing stacked precursor thin films via successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The prepared CZTS thin films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectrometer, Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, Hall effect measurements and photoelectrochemical tests. Results reveal that the thin films have kesterite structured Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} and the p-type conductivity with a carrier concentration in the order of 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3} and an optical band gap of 1.5 eV, which are suitable for applications in thin film solar cells.

  20. Topotactic synthesis of strontium cobalt oxyhydride thin film with perovskite structure

    OpenAIRE

    Tsukasa Katayama; Akira Chikamatsu; Hideyuki Kamisaka; Yuichi Yokoyama; Yasuyuki Hirata; Hiroki Wadati; Tomoteru Fukumura; Tetsuya Hasegawa

    2015-01-01

    The substitution of hydride anions (H−) into transition metal oxides has recently become possible through topotactic reactions or high-pressure synthesis methods. However, the fabrication of oxyhydrides is still difficult because of their inherently less-stable frameworks. In this study, we successfully fabricated perovskite SrCoOxHy thin films via the topotactic hydride doping of brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 epitaxial thin films with CaH2. The perovskite-type cation framework was maintained durin...

  1. Fabrication of highly spin-polarized Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 thin-films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Vahidi

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Ferromagnetic Heusler Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 epitaxial thin-films have been fabricated in the L21 structure with saturation magnetizations over 1200 emu/cm3. Andreev reflection measurements show that the spin polarization is as high as 80% in samples sputtered on unheated MgO (100 substrates and annealed at high temperatures. However, the spin polarization is considerably smaller in samples deposited on heated substrates.

  2. Magnetic properties of pure and Fe doped HoCrO{sub 3} thin films fabricated via a solution route

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yin, Shiqi; Sauyet, Theodore [Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States); Guild, Curt [Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States); Suib, S.L. [Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States); Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States); Jain, Menka, E-mail: menka.jain@uconn.edu [Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States); Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States)

    2017-04-15

    Multiferroic properties of orthorhombically distorted perovskite rare-earth chromites, such as HoCrO{sub 3}, are being investigated extensively in recent years. In the present work, we report on the effect of Fe substitution on the magnetic properties of HoCrO{sub 3} thin films. Thin films of HoCrO{sub 3} and HoCr{sub 0.7}Fe{sub 0.3}O{sub 3} were fabricated via a solution route on platinized silicon substrates. Structural properties of the films were evaluated by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy techniques. The surface morphology and cross-sections of the films were examined using scanning electron microscopy. Optical band gaps of pure and Fe doped HoCrO{sub 3} films are found to be 3.45 eV and 3.39 eV, respectively. The magnetization measurements show that the Néel temperatures (where Cr{sup 3+} orders) for the HoCrO{sub 3} and HoCr{sub 0.7}Fe{sub 0.3}O{sub 3} films are 134 and 148 K, respectively. In a magnetic field of 2 T, the maximum entropy change and relative cooling power, two parameters to evaluate the magnetocaloric properties of a material, were 0.813 J/kg K at 11 K and 21.1 J/kg for HoCrO{sub 3} film, in comparison with 0.748 J/kg K at 15 K and 26.8 J/kg for HoCr{sub 0.7}Fe{sub 0.3}O{sub 3} film. To our knowledge, this is the first work exploring the band gap and magnetocaloric properties of rare-earth chromite thin films. These findings should inspire the development of rare-earth chromite thin films for temperature control of nanoscale electronic devices and sensors in the low temperature region (< 30 K). - Highlights: • Phase-pure HoCrO{sub 3} and HoCr{sub 0.7}Fe{sub 0.3}O{sub 3}films were fabricated on platinized Sivia a solution route. • This is the first work on the exploration of band gap and magnetocaloric properties of rare-earth chromitefilms. • From 0-2 T, maximum entropy change for the HoCrO{sub 3} film was 0.813 J/kg K at 11 K.From 0-2 T, maximum entropy change for HoCr{sub 0.7}Fe{sub 0.3}O{sub 3} film was 0.748 J/kg K at 15

  3. P-type CuxS thin films: Integration in a thin film transistor structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nunes de Carvalho, C.; Parreira, P.; Lavareda, G.; Brogueira, P.; Amaral, A.

    2013-01-01

    Cu x S thin films, 80 nm thick, are deposited by vacuum thermal evaporation of sulfur-rich powder mixture, Cu 2 S:S (50:50 wt.%) with no intentional heating of the substrate. The process of deposition occurs at very low deposition rates (0.1–0.3 nm/s) to avoid the formation of Cu or S-rich films. The evolution of Cu x S films surface properties (morphology/roughness) under post deposition mild annealing in air at 270 °C and their integration in a thin film transistor (TFT) are the main objectives of this study. Accordingly, Scanning Electron Microscopy studies show Cu x S films with different surface morphologies, depending on the post deposition annealing conditions. For the shortest annealing time, the Cu x S films look to be constructed of grains with large dimension at the surface (approximately 100 nm) and consequently, irregular shape. For the longest annealing time, films with a fine-grained surface are found, with some randomly distributed large particles bound to this fine-grained surface. Atomic Force Microscopy results indicate an increase of the root-mean-square roughness of Cu x S surface with annealing time, from 13.6 up to 37.4 nm, for 255 and 345 s, respectively. The preliminary integration of Cu x S films in a TFT bottom-gate type structure allowed the study of the feasibility and compatibility of this material with the remaining stages of a TFT fabrication as well as the determination of the p-type characteristic of the Cu x S material. - Highlights: • Surface properties of annealed Cu x S films. • Variation of conductivity with annealing temperatures of Cu x S films. • Application of evaporated Cu x S films in a thin film transistor (TFT) structure. • Determination of Cu x S p-type characteristic from TFT behaviour

  4. Channel layer thickness dependence of In-Ti-Zn-O thin-film transistors fabricated using pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Q.; Shan, F. K.; Liu, G. X.; Liu, A.; Lee, W. J.; Shin, B. C.

    2014-01-01

    Amorphous indium-titanium-zinc-oxide (ITZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with various channel thicknesses were fabricated at room temperature by using pulsed laser deposition. The channel layer thickness (CLT) dependence of the TFTs was investigated. All the ITZO thin films were amorphous, and the surface roughnesses decreased slightly first and then increased with increasing CLT. With increasing CLT from 35 to 140 nm, the on/off current ratio and the field-effect mobility increased, and the subthreshold swing decreased. The TFT with a CLT of 210 nm exhibited the worst performance, while the ITZO TFT with a CLT of 140 nm exhibited the best performance with a subthreshold voltage of 2.86 V, a mobility of 53.9 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , a subthreshold swing of 0.29 V/decade and an on/off current ratio of 10 9 .

  5. Application of HTSC-thin films in microwave bandpass filters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jha, A.R.

    1993-01-01

    This paper reveals unique performance capabilities of High-Temperature Superconducting Thin-Film (HTSCTFs) for possible applications in microwave bandpass filters (BPFs). Microwave filters fabricated with HTSCTFs have demonstrated lowest insertion loss, highest rejection, and sharpest skirt selectivity. Thin films of Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO), Bismuth Strontium Calcium Copper Oxide (BSCCO) and Thallium Calcium Barium Copper Oxide (TCBCO) will be most attractive for filters

  6. Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors fabricated from an amorphous Mo0.75Ge0.25 thin film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verma, V. B.; Lita, A. E.; Vissers, M. R.; Marsili, F.; Pappas, D. P.; Mirin, R. P.; Nam, S. W.

    2014-01-01

    We present the characteristics of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) fabricated from amorphous Mo 0.75 Ge 0.25 thin-films. Fabricated devices show a saturation of the internal detection efficiency at temperatures below 1 K, with system dark count rates below 500 cps. Operation in a closed-cycle cryocooler at 2.5 K is possible with system detection efficiencies exceeding 20% for SNSPDs which have not been optimized for high detection efficiency. Jitter is observed to vary between 69 ps at 250 mK and 187 ps at 2.5 K using room temperature amplifiers.

  7. Fabrication and characterization of NiO thin films prepared by SILAR method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akaltun, Yunus; Çayır, Tuba

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • NiO thin films have been deposited on glass substrates using SILAR method for the first time. • The electron effective mass, refractive index were calculated by using the energy bandgap values. • The effect of film thickness on the structural, optical and electrical properties were studied. • The bandgap values of the films decreased from 3.71 to 3.67 eV. - Abstract: NiO thin films were synthesised on glass substrates at room temperature using the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method. The effect of film thickness on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of NiO thin films was investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies showed that all the films exhibit polycrystalline structure are covered well with glass substrates. The crystalline and surface properties of the films improved with increasing film thickness. The energy band gap values were decreased from 3.71 to 3.67 eV depending on the film thickness. The refractive index (n), optical static (ε o ) and high frequency dielectric constant (ε ∞ ) values were calculated by using the energy band gap values as a function of the film thickness. The resistivity of the films varied between 4.1 and 802.1 Ω cm with increasing film thickness at room temperature

  8. Fabrication and characterization of NiO thin films prepared by SILAR method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akaltun, Yunus [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Erzincan University, 24100 Erzincan (Turkey); Çayır, Tuba [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Erzincan University, 24100 Erzincan (Turkey)

    2015-03-15

    Highlights: • NiO thin films have been deposited on glass substrates using SILAR method for the first time. • The electron effective mass, refractive index were calculated by using the energy bandgap values. • The effect of film thickness on the structural, optical and electrical properties were studied. • The bandgap values of the films decreased from 3.71 to 3.67 eV. - Abstract: NiO thin films were synthesised on glass substrates at room temperature using the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method. The effect of film thickness on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of NiO thin films was investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies showed that all the films exhibit polycrystalline structure are covered well with glass substrates. The crystalline and surface properties of the films improved with increasing film thickness. The energy band gap values were decreased from 3.71 to 3.67 eV depending on the film thickness. The refractive index (n), optical static (ε{sub o}) and high frequency dielectric constant (ε{sub ∞}) values were calculated by using the energy band gap values as a function of the film thickness. The resistivity of the films varied between 4.1 and 802.1 Ω cm with increasing film thickness at room temperature.

  9. Fabrication of hydroxyapatite thin films on polyetheretherketone substrates using a sputtering technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ozeki, K., E-mail: kazuhide.ozeki.365@vc.ibaraki.ac.jp [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ibaraki University, 4-12-1, Nakanarusawa, Hitachi, Ibaraki 316-8511 (Japan); Masuzawa, T. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ibaraki University, 4-12-1, Nakanarusawa, Hitachi, Ibaraki 316-8511 (Japan); Aoki, H. [International Apatite Institute Co., Ltd., 2-12-9, Misaki-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0061 (Japan)

    2017-03-01

    Hydroxyapatite (HA) thin films were coated on a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) substrate using a sputtering technique. A thin titanium (Ti) intermediate layer was formed between the HA and the PEEK surface to improve adhesion of the HA film to the PEEK substrate. The coated films were recrystallized using a hydrothermal treatment to reduce the dissolution of the HA film. The films were then characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. A pull-out test was performed to measure the film-to-substrate adhesion strength, and an immersion test was performed in ultra-pure water. In the XRD patterns of the sputtered film with the Ti intermediate layer on the PEEK substrate, small HA peaks and large Ti peaks were observed. After the hydrothermal treatment, the intensity of the HA peaks increased. The transmittance of the HA films with 5 and 10 nm Ti intermediate layers was > 79% and 68%, respectively, in the visible light wavelength region (400–700 nm) after the hydrothermal treatment. The adhesion strength of the hydrothermally treated HA films increased with decreasing thickness of the Ti intermediate layer, and the strength reached 2.7 MPa with the 5-nm-thick Ti intermediate layer. In the immersion test, the HA film with a 5-nm-thick Ti intermediate layer without hydrothermal treatment exhibited a released Ti concentration of 42.0 ± 2.4 ppb. After hydrothermal treatment, the released Ti concentration decreased to 17.3 ± 1.1 ppb. - Highlights: • Hydroxyapatite (HA) thin films were coated on a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) substrate using a sputtering technique. • A thin Ti intermediate layer was formed between the HA and the PEEK surface to improve adhesion of the HA film. • The adhesion strength of the HA films with the Ti intermediate layer increased with decreasing thickness of the Ti layer.

  10. Fabrication of hydroxyapatite thin films on polyetheretherketone substrates using a sputtering technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozeki, K.; Masuzawa, T.; Aoki, H.

    2017-01-01

    Hydroxyapatite (HA) thin films were coated on a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) substrate using a sputtering technique. A thin titanium (Ti) intermediate layer was formed between the HA and the PEEK surface to improve adhesion of the HA film to the PEEK substrate. The coated films were recrystallized using a hydrothermal treatment to reduce the dissolution of the HA film. The films were then characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. A pull-out test was performed to measure the film-to-substrate adhesion strength, and an immersion test was performed in ultra-pure water. In the XRD patterns of the sputtered film with the Ti intermediate layer on the PEEK substrate, small HA peaks and large Ti peaks were observed. After the hydrothermal treatment, the intensity of the HA peaks increased. The transmittance of the HA films with 5 and 10 nm Ti intermediate layers was > 79% and 68%, respectively, in the visible light wavelength region (400–700 nm) after the hydrothermal treatment. The adhesion strength of the hydrothermally treated HA films increased with decreasing thickness of the Ti intermediate layer, and the strength reached 2.7 MPa with the 5-nm-thick Ti intermediate layer. In the immersion test, the HA film with a 5-nm-thick Ti intermediate layer without hydrothermal treatment exhibited a released Ti concentration of 42.0 ± 2.4 ppb. After hydrothermal treatment, the released Ti concentration decreased to 17.3 ± 1.1 ppb. - Highlights: • Hydroxyapatite (HA) thin films were coated on a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) substrate using a sputtering technique. • A thin Ti intermediate layer was formed between the HA and the PEEK surface to improve adhesion of the HA film. • The adhesion strength of the HA films with the Ti intermediate layer increased with decreasing thickness of the Ti layer.

  11. A novel design of submicron thin film point contacts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koch, H.

    1986-01-01

    A thin film point contact design applicable to SIS-, SNS-, and microbridge-type Josephson junctions is presented, which offers potentially advanced junction characteristics (low capacitance, low stray inductance, increased quasi-particle resistance). The design philosophy is based on the fact that a point contact results if two planes having a common symmetry axis but oriented perpendicular to each other are brought into contact with each other. For the case of thin films, instead of two-dimensional planes, the cross section of the resulting ''point''-contact is defined by the thicknesses of the two thin films. Film thicknesses can be controlled much more precisely than lateral dimensions created by lithography. Hence, submicron junction geometries can be achieved using only conventional fabrication techniques. Following this idea, Josephson weak links of the ultrashort microbridge-type have been fabricated by an all-Nb technique having a 0.3-μm X 0.2-μm cross section with a R /SUB q/ I /SUB c/ product (R /SUB q/ = quasiparticle resistance, I /SUB c/ = critical current) of more than 20 mV

  12. Experimental study of the plasma fluorination of Y-Ba-Cu-O thin films

    CERN Document Server

    Li Qi; Ji Zheng Ming; Feng Yi Jun; Kang Lin; Yang Sen Zu; Wu Pei Heng; Wang Xiao Shu; Ye Yuda

    2002-01-01

    The authors have experimentally studied the surface modifications of Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) thin films using CF sub 4 plasma. The intensity of the plasma fluorination was controlled by changing the biasing voltage and the time of the plasma treatment. Microstructural analyses reveal that the oxygen content of the YBCO thin films was changed. Transport measurements of sufficient fluorinated YBCO films imply that the films changed totally into an oxygen-deficient semi-conducting state. From these experimental results, the authors believe that plasma fluorination is quite a useful method to form controllable a thin barrier layer in fabricating interface engineered junctions and to form a stable narrow weak-link region in fabricating planar superconductor-normal-superconductor junctions

  13. Bi-axially crumpled silver thin-film electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Low, Sze-Hsien; Lau, Gih-Keong

    2014-01-01

    Metal thin films, which have high conductivity, are much stiffer and may fracture at a much lower strain than dielectric elastomers. In order to fabricate compliant electrodes for use in dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), metal thin films have been formed into either zigzag patterns or corrugations, which favour bending and only allow uniaxial DEA deformations. However, biaxially compliant electrodes are desired in order to maximize generated forces of DEA. In this paper, we present crumpled metal thin-film electrodes that are biaxially compliant and have full area coverage over the dielectric elastomer. These crumpled metal thin-film electrodes are more stretchable than flat metal thin films; they remain conductive beyond 110% radial strain. Also, crumpling reduced the stiffening effect of metal thin films on the soft elastomer. As such, DEAs using crumpled metal thin-film electrodes managed to attain relatively high actuated area strains of up to 128% at 1.8 kV (102 Vμm −1 ). (paper)

  14. Dielectric and acoustical high frequency characterisation of PZT thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Conde, Janine; Muralt, Paul, E-mail: janine.conde@epfl.ch [Department of Materials Science, EPFL (Switzerland)

    2010-02-15

    Pb(Zr, Ti)O{sub 3} (PZT) is an interesting material for bulk acoustic wave resonator applications due to its high electromechanical coupling constant, which would enable fabrication of large bandwidth frequency filters. The major challenge of the PZT solid solution system is to overcome mechanical losses generally observed in PZT ceramics. To increase the understanding of these losses in textured thin films, thin film bulk acoustic resonators (TFBAR's) based on PZT thin films with compositions either in the tetragonal region or at the morphotropic phase boundary and (111) or {l_brace}100{r_brace} textures were fabricated and studied up to 2 GHz. The dielectric and elastic materials coefficients were extracted from impedance measurements at the resonance frequency. The dispersion of the dielectric constant was obtained from impedance measurements up to 2 GHz. The films with varying compositions, textures and deposition methods (sol-gel or sputtering) were compared in terms of dielectric and acoustical properties.

  15. The Optimum Fabrication Condition of p-Type Antimony Tin Oxide Thin Films Prepared by DC Magnetron Sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huu Phuc Dang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Transparent Sb-doped tin oxide (ATO thin films were fabricated on quartz glass substrates via a mixed (SnO2 + Sb2O3 ceramic target using direct current (DC magnetron sputtering in ambient Ar gas at a working pressure of 2 × 10−3 torr. X-ray diffraction (XRD, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, Hall-effect, and UV-vis spectra measurements were performed to characterize the deposited films. The substrate temperature of the films was investigated in two ways: (1 films were annealed in Ar ambient gas after being deposited at room temperature or (2 they were deposited directly at different temperatures. The first process for fabricating the ATO films was found to be easier than the second process. The deposited films showed p-type electrical properties, a polycrystalline tetragonal rutile structure, and their average transmittance was greater than 80% in the visible light range at the optimum annealing temperature of 500°C. The best electrical properties of the film were obtained on a 10 wt% Sb2O3-doped SnO2 target with a resistivity, hole concentration, and Hall mobility of 0.55 Ω·cm, 1.2 × 1019 cm−3, and 0.54 cm2V−1s−1, respectively.

  16. Unidirectional oxide hetero-interface thin-film diode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Youngmin; Lee, Eungkyu; Lee, Jinwon; Lim, Keon-Hee; Kim, Youn Sang

    2015-01-01

    The unidirectional thin-film diode based on oxide hetero-interface, which is well compatible with conventional thin-film fabrication process, is presented. With the metal anode/electron-transporting oxide (ETO)/electron-injecting oxide (EIO)/metal cathode structure, it exhibits that electrical currents ohmically flow at the ETO/EIO hetero-interfaces for only positive voltages showing current density (J)-rectifying ratio of ∼10 5 at 5 V. The electrical properties (ex, current levels, and working device yields) of the thin-film diode (TFD) are systematically controlled by changing oxide layer thickness. Moreover, we show that the oxide hetero-interface TFD clearly rectifies an AC input within frequency (f) range of 10 2  Hz < f < 10 6  Hz, providing a high feasibility for practical applications

  17. Unidirectional oxide hetero-interface thin-film diode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Youngmin; Lee, Eungkyu; Lee, Jinwon; Lim, Keon-Hee [Program in Nano Science and Technology, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Youn Sang, E-mail: younskim@snu.ac.kr [Program in Nano Science and Technology, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Gyeonggi-do 443-270 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-05

    The unidirectional thin-film diode based on oxide hetero-interface, which is well compatible with conventional thin-film fabrication process, is presented. With the metal anode/electron-transporting oxide (ETO)/electron-injecting oxide (EIO)/metal cathode structure, it exhibits that electrical currents ohmically flow at the ETO/EIO hetero-interfaces for only positive voltages showing current density (J)-rectifying ratio of ∼10{sup 5} at 5 V. The electrical properties (ex, current levels, and working device yields) of the thin-film diode (TFD) are systematically controlled by changing oxide layer thickness. Moreover, we show that the oxide hetero-interface TFD clearly rectifies an AC input within frequency (f) range of 10{sup 2} Hz < f < 10{sup 6} Hz, providing a high feasibility for practical applications.

  18. 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

  19. Nanocrystalline Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films: A selective ethanol gas sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rao, Pratibha; Godbole, R.V.; Bhagwat, Sunita

    2016-01-01

    In this work, Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 thin films were investigated for the detection of reducing gases. These films were fabricated using spray pyrolysis technique and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the crystal structure. The surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Magnetization measurements were carried out using SQUID VSM, which shows ferrimagnetic behavior of the samples. These thin film sensors were tested against methanol, ethanol, hydrogen sulfide and liquid petroleum gas, where they were found to be more selective to ethanol. The fabricated thin film sensors exhibited linear response signal for all the gases with concentrations up to 5 w/o Pd. Reduction in optimum operating temperature and enhancement in response was also observed. Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 thin films exhibited faster response and recovery characteristic. These sensors have potential for industrial applications because of their long-term stability, low power requirement and low production cost. - Highlights: • Ethanol gas sensors based on Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 nanoparticle thin film were fabricated. • Pd incorporation in NiFe 2 O 4 matrix inhibits grain growth. • The sensors were more selective to ethanol gas. • Sensors exhibited fast response and recovery when doped with palladium. • Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 thin film sensor displays excellent long–term stability.

  20. Room temperature ferroelectricity in continuous croconic acid thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Xuanyuan; Lu, Haidong; Yin, Yuewei; Ahmadi, Zahra; Costa, Paulo S. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 (United States); Zhang, Xiaozhe [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 (United States); Department of Physics, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Wang, Xiao; Yu, Le; Cheng, Xuemei [Department of Physics, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010 (United States); DiChiara, Anthony D. [Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Gruverman, Alexei, E-mail: alexei-gruverman@unl.edu, E-mail: a.enders@me.com, E-mail: xiaoshan.xu@unl.edu; Enders, Axel, E-mail: alexei-gruverman@unl.edu, E-mail: a.enders@me.com, E-mail: xiaoshan.xu@unl.edu; Xu, Xiaoshan, E-mail: alexei-gruverman@unl.edu, E-mail: a.enders@me.com, E-mail: xiaoshan.xu@unl.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 (United States); Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 (United States)

    2016-09-05

    Ferroelectricity at room temperature has been demonstrated in nanometer-thin quasi 2D croconic acid thin films, by the polarization hysteresis loop measurements in macroscopic capacitor geometry, along with observation and manipulation of the nanoscale domain structure by piezoresponse force microscopy. The fabrication of continuous thin films of the hydrogen-bonded croconic acid was achieved by the suppression of the thermal decomposition using low evaporation temperatures in high vacuum, combined with growth conditions far from thermal equilibrium. For nominal coverages ≥20 nm, quasi 2D and polycrystalline films, with an average grain size of 50–100 nm and 3.5 nm roughness, can be obtained. Spontaneous ferroelectric domain structures of the thin films have been observed and appear to correlate with the grain patterns. The application of this solvent-free growth protocol may be a key to the development of flexible organic ferroelectric thin films for electronic applications.

  1. Fluxons in thin-film superconductor-insulator superlattices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sakai, S.; Bodin, P.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

    1993-01-01

    In a system of thin alternating layers of superconductors and insulators the equations describing static and dynamic fluxon solutions are derived. The approach, represented by a useful compact matrix form, is intended to describe systems fabricated for example of niobium or niobium-nitride thin...... films; in the limit of ultrathin superconductor films it may give a model for describing fluxon motion in layered high-Tc superconductors. Numerical examples of current versus voltage curves to be expected in such an experiment are presented. Journal of Applied Physics is copyrighted by The American...

  2. Thin film solar cells from earth abundant materials growth and characterization of Cu2(ZnSn)(SSe)4 thin films and their solar cells

    CERN Document Server

    Kodigala, Subba Ramaiah

    2013-01-01

    The fundamental concept of the book is to explain how to make thin film solar cells from the abundant solar energy materials by low cost. The proper and optimized growth conditions are very essential while sandwiching thin films to make solar cell otherwise secondary phases play a role to undermine the working function of solar cells. The book illustrates growth and characterization of Cu2ZnSn(S1-xSex)4 thin film absorbers and their solar cells. The fabrication process of absorber layers by either vacuum or non-vacuum process is readily elaborated in the book, which helps for further developm

  3. Cell adhesion on NiTi thin film sputter-deposited meshes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loger, K. [Inorganic Functional Materials, Institute for Materials Science, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kiel (Germany); Engel, A.; Haupt, J. [Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel (Germany); Li, Q. [Biocompatible Nanomaterials, Institute for Materials Science, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kiel (Germany); Lima de Miranda, R. [Inorganic Functional Materials, Institute for Materials Science, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kiel (Germany); ACQUANDAS GmbH, Kiel (Germany); Quandt, E. [Inorganic Functional Materials, Institute for Materials Science, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kiel (Germany); Lutter, G. [Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel (Germany); Selhuber-Unkel, C. [Biocompatible Nanomaterials, Institute for Materials Science, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kiel (Germany)

    2016-02-01

    Scaffolds for tissue engineering enable the possibility to fabricate and form biomedical implants in vitro, which fulfill special functionality in vivo. In this study, free-standing Nickel–Titanium (NiTi) thin film meshes were produced by means of magnetron sputter deposition. Meshes contained precisely defined rhombic holes in the size of 440 to 1309 μm{sup 2} and a strut width ranging from 5.3 to 9.2 μm. The effective mechanical properties of the microstructured superelastic NiTi thin film were examined by tensile testing. These results will be adapted for the design of the holes in the film. The influence of hole and strut dimensions on the adhesion of sheep autologous cells (CD133 +) was studied after 24 h and after seven days of incubation. Optical analysis using fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that cell adhesion depends on the structural parameters of the mesh. After 7 days in cell culture a large part of the mesh was covered with aligned fibrous material. Cell adhesion is particularly facilitated on meshes with small rhombic holes of 440 μm{sup 2} and a strut width of 5.3 μm. Our results demonstrate that free-standing NiTi thin film meshes have a promising potential for applications in cardiovascular tissue engineering, particularly for the fabrication of heart valves. - Highlights: • Freestanding NiTi thin film scaffolds were fabricated with magnetron sputtering process. • Effective mechanical properties of NiTi scaffolds can be adapted by the mesh structure parameters. • Cell adhesion on the NiTi thin film scaffold is controlled by the structure parameters of the mesh. • Cells strongly adhere after seven days and form a confluent layer on the mesh.

  4. Cell adhesion on NiTi thin film sputter-deposited meshes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loger, K.; Engel, A.; Haupt, J.; Li, Q.; Lima de Miranda, R.; Quandt, E.; Lutter, G.; Selhuber-Unkel, C.

    2016-01-01

    Scaffolds for tissue engineering enable the possibility to fabricate and form biomedical implants in vitro, which fulfill special functionality in vivo. In this study, free-standing Nickel–Titanium (NiTi) thin film meshes were produced by means of magnetron sputter deposition. Meshes contained precisely defined rhombic holes in the size of 440 to 1309 μm 2 and a strut width ranging from 5.3 to 9.2 μm. The effective mechanical properties of the microstructured superelastic NiTi thin film were examined by tensile testing. These results will be adapted for the design of the holes in the film. The influence of hole and strut dimensions on the adhesion of sheep autologous cells (CD133 +) was studied after 24 h and after seven days of incubation. Optical analysis using fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that cell adhesion depends on the structural parameters of the mesh. After 7 days in cell culture a large part of the mesh was covered with aligned fibrous material. Cell adhesion is particularly facilitated on meshes with small rhombic holes of 440 μm 2 and a strut width of 5.3 μm. Our results demonstrate that free-standing NiTi thin film meshes have a promising potential for applications in cardiovascular tissue engineering, particularly for the fabrication of heart valves. - Highlights: • Freestanding NiTi thin film scaffolds were fabricated with magnetron sputtering process. • Effective mechanical properties of NiTi scaffolds can be adapted by the mesh structure parameters. • Cell adhesion on the NiTi thin film scaffold is controlled by the structure parameters of the mesh. • Cells strongly adhere after seven days and form a confluent layer on the mesh.

  5. Nanosphere lithography applied to magnetic thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gleason, Russell

    Magnetic nanostructures have widespread applications in many areas of physics and engineering, and nanosphere lithography has recently emerged as promising tool for the fabrication of such nanostructures. The goal of this research is to explore the magnetic properties of a thin film of ferromagnetic material deposited onto a hexagonally close-packed monolayer array of polystyrene nanospheres, and how they differ from the magnetic properties of a typical flat thin film. The first portion of this research focuses on determining the optimum conditions for depositing a monolayer of nanospheres onto chemically pretreated silicon substrates (via drop-coating) and the subsequent characterization of the deposited nanosphere layer with scanning electron microscopy. Single layers of permalloy (Ni80Fe20) are then deposited on top of the nanosphere array via DC magnetron sputtering, resulting in a thin film array of magnetic nanocaps. The coercivities of the thin films are measured using a home-built magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) system in longitudinal arrangement. MOKE measurements show that for a single layer of permalloy (Py), the coercivity of a thin film deposited onto an array of nanospheres increases compared to that of a flat thin film. In addition, the coercivity increases as the nanosphere size decreases for the same deposited layer. It is postulated that magnetic exchange decoupling between neighboring nanocaps suppresses the propagation of magnetic domain walls, and this pinning of the domain walls is thought to be the primary source of the increase in coercivity.

  6. Fabrication of TiNb{sub 2}O{sub 7} thin film electrodes for Li-ion micro-batteries by pulsed laser deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Daramalla, V. [Materials Research Centre, Indian Institute of Science, Bengalore 560012 (India); Penki, Tirupathi Rao; Munichandraiah, N. [Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengalore 560012 (India); Krupanidhi, S.B., E-mail: sbk@mrc.iisc.ernet.in [Materials Research Centre, Indian Institute of Science, Bengalore 560012 (India)

    2016-11-15

    Graphical abstract: The TiNb{sub 2}O{sub 7} thin film electrodes as anode material in Li-ion rechargeable micro-batteries are successfully demonstrated. The pulsed laser deposited TiNb{sub 2}O{sub 7} thin film electrode delivers high discharge specific capacity of 143 μAh μm{sup −1} cm{sup −2} at 50 μA cm{sup −2} current density, with 92% coulombic efficiency. The thin films are very stable in crystal structure, with good fast reversible reaction at average Li-insertion voltage 1.65 V. - Highlights: • TiNb{sub 2}O{sub 7} thin films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition. • TiNb{sub 2}O{sub 7} as anode thin films demonstrated successfully. • High discharge specific capacity with 92% coulombic efficiency. • Excellent crystal stability and good reversible reaction. - Abstract: Pulsed laser deposited TiNb{sub 2}O{sub 7} thin films are demonstrated as anode materials in rechargeable Li-ion micro-batteries. The monoclinic and chemically pure TiNb{sub 2}O{sub 7} films in different morphologies were successfully deposited at 750 °C. The single phase formation was confirmed by grazing incident X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The oxygen partial pressure during the deposition significantly influenced the properties of TiNb{sub 2}O{sub 7} films. The TiNb{sub 2}O{sub 7} thin films exhibited excellent stability with fast kinetics reversible reaction. The TiNb{sub 2}O{sub 7} films showed initial discharge specific capacity of 176, 143 μAh μm{sup −1} cm{sup −2} at 30, 50 μA cm{sup −2} current densities respectively with 92% coulombic efficiency in a non-aqueous electrolyte consisting of Li{sup +} ions. The high discharge specific capacity of TiNb{sub 2}O{sub 7} thin films may be attributed to nanometer grain size with high roughness which offers high surface area for Li-diffusion during charge and discharge

  7. CO2 gas sensitivity of sputtered zinc oxide thin films

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    TECS

    Gas sensitivity; ZnO; sputtering; XRD patterns; structure; thin films. 1. Introduction. Because zinc ... voltage and absorption properties of those fabricated films have been ... tations are useful in many physical applications. The in- plane (Hegde ...

  8. Thin film microelectrodes for electrochemical detection of neurotransmitters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Simon Tylsgaard

    An important signaling process in the nervous system is the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters from neurons. In this thesis alternative thin film electrode materials for applications targeting electrochemical detection of neurotransmitters in chip devices were evaluated...... and conductive polymer microelectrodes made of Pedot:Pss were also fabricated and used successfully to measure transmitter release from cells. The use of different thin film electrodes for low-noise amperometric measurements of single events of transmitter release from neuronal cells was studied....... For this application a very low current noise is needed together with a large temporal resolution. It was shown, that resistive and capacitive properties of thin film electrode materials are determining their usefulness in low-noise amperometric measurements. An analytical expression for the noise was derived...

  9. Direct current magnetron sputter-deposited ZnO thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoon, Jian-Wei; Chan, Kah-Yoong; Krishnasamy, Jegenathan; Tou, Teck-Yong; Knipp, Dietmar

    2011-01-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a very promising electronic material for emerging transparent large-area electronic applications including thin-film sensors, transistors and solar cells. We fabricated ZnO thin films by employing direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering deposition technique. ZnO films with different thicknesses ranging from 150 nm to 750 nm were deposited on glass substrates. The deposition pressure and the substrate temperature were varied from 12 mTorr to 25 mTorr, and from room temperature to 450 deg. C, respectively. The influence of the film thickness, deposition pressure and the substrate temperature on structural and optical properties of the ZnO films was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrometer. The experimental results reveal that the film thickness, deposition pressure and the substrate temperature play significant role in the structural formation and the optical properties of the deposited ZnO thin films.

  10. Chemical solution deposition of functional oxide thin films

    CERN Document Server

    Schneller, Theodor; Kosec, Marija

    2014-01-01

    Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD) is a highly-flexible and inexpensive technique for the fabrication of functional oxide thin films. Featuring nearly 400 illustrations, this text covers all aspects of the technique.

  11. Polymer thin film as coating layer to prevent corrosion of metal/metal oxide film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarkar, Suman; Kundu, Sarathi

    2018-04-01

    Thin film of polymer is used as coating layer and the corrosion of metal/metal oxide layer is studied with the variation of the thickness of the coating layer. The thin layer of polystyrene is fabricated using spin coating method on copper oxide (CuO) film which is deposited on glass substrate using DC magnetron sputtering technique. Thickness of the polystyrene and the CuO layers are determined using X-ray reflectivity (XRR) technique. CuO thin films coated with the polystyrene layer are exposed to acetic acid (2.5 v/v% aqueous CH3COOH solution) environments and are subsequently analyzed using UV-Vis spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Surface morphology of the film before and after interaction with the acidic environment is determined using AFM. Results obtained from the XRR and UV-Vis spectroscopy confirm that the thin film of polystyrene acts as an anticorrosion coating layer and the strength of the coating depends upon the polymer layer thickness at a constant acid concentration.

  12. Fabrication of thin-film thermoelectric generators with ball lenses for conversion of near-infrared solar light

    OpenAIRE

    Ito, Yoshitaka; Mizoshiri, Mizue; Mikami, Masashi; Kondo, Tasuku; Sakurai, Junpei; Hata, Seiichi

    2017-01-01

    We designed and fabricated thin-film thermoelectric generators (TEGs) with ball lenses, which separated visible light and near-infrared (NIR) solar light using a chromatic aberration. The transmitted visible light was used as daylight and the NIR light was used for thermoelectric generation. Solar light was estimated to be separated into the visible light and NIR light by a ray tracing method. 92.7% of the visible light was used as daylight and 9.9% of the NIR light was used for thermoelectri...

  13. Research and development of photovoltaic power system. Development of novel technologies for fabrication of high quality silicon thin films for solar cells; Taiyoko hatsuden system no kenkyu kaihatsu. Kohinshitsu silicon usumaku sakusei gijutsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shimizu, T [Kanazawa University, Ishikawa (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

    1994-12-01

    Described herein are the results of the FY1994 research program for development of novel technologies for fabrication of high quality thin films of silicon for solar cells. The study on the mechanisms and effects of chemical annealing reveals that the film structure greatly varies depending on substrate temperature during the hydrotreatment process, based on the tests with substrate temperature, deposition of superthin film (T1) and hydrotreatment (T2) as the variable parameters. Chemical annealing at low temperature produces a high-quality a-Si:H film of low defect content. The study on fabrication of thin polycrystalline silicon films at low temperature observes on real time the process of deposition of the thin films on polycrystalline silicon substrates, where a natural oxide film is removed beforehand from the substrate. The results indicate that a thin polycrystalline silicon film of 100% crystallinity can be formed even on a polycrystalline silicon substrate by controlling starting gas composition and substrate temperature. The layer-by-layer method is used as the means for forming the seed crystals on a glass substrate, where deposition and hydrotreatment are repeated alternately, to produce the thin crystalline silicon films of high crystallinity. 3 figs.

  14. Topotactic synthesis of strontium cobalt oxyhydride thin film with perovskite structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katayama, Tsukasa; Chikamatsu, Akira; Kamisaka, Hideyuki; Yokoyama, Yuichi; Hirata, Yasuyuki; Wadati, Hiroki; Fukumura, Tomoteru; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

    2015-10-01

    The substitution of hydride anions (H-) into transition metal oxides has recently become possible through topotactic reactions or high-pressure synthesis methods. However, the fabrication of oxyhydrides is still difficult because of their inherently less-stable frameworks. In this study, we successfully fabricated perovskite SrCoOxHy thin films via the topotactic hydride doping of brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 epitaxial thin films with CaH2. The perovskite-type cation framework was maintained during the topotactic treatment owing to epitaxial stabilization. Structural and chemical analyses accompanied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed that the doped hydride ions form a two-dimensional network of Co-H--Co bonds, in contrast to other reported perovskite oxyhydrides, SrMO3-xHx (M = Cr, Ti, V). The SrCoOxHy thin film exhibited insulating behavior and had a direct band gap of 2.1 eV. Thus, topotactic hydride doping of transition-metal-oxide thin films on suitable substrates is a promising method for the synthesis of new transition metal oxyhydrides.

  15. Topotactic synthesis of strontium cobalt oxyhydride thin film with perovskite structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsukasa Katayama

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The substitution of hydride anions (H− into transition metal oxides has recently become possible through topotactic reactions or high-pressure synthesis methods. However, the fabrication of oxyhydrides is still difficult because of their inherently less-stable frameworks. In this study, we successfully fabricated perovskite SrCoOxHy thin films via the topotactic hydride doping of brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 epitaxial thin films with CaH2. The perovskite-type cation framework was maintained during the topotactic treatment owing to epitaxial stabilization. Structural and chemical analyses accompanied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed that the doped hydride ions form a two-dimensional network of Co-H−-Co bonds, in contrast to other reported perovskite oxyhydrides, SrMO3−xHx (M = Cr, Ti, V. The SrCoOxHy thin film exhibited insulating behavior and had a direct band gap of 2.1 eV. Thus, topotactic hydride doping of transition-metal-oxide thin films on suitable substrates is a promising method for the synthesis of new transition metal oxyhydrides.

  16. Thin films growth parameters in MAPLE; application to fibrinogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jelinek, M; Cristescu, R; Kocourek, T; Vorlicek, V; Remsa, J; Stamatin, L; Mihaiescu, D; Stamatin, I; Mihailescu, I N; Chrisey, D B

    2007-01-01

    Increasingly requirements on the thin film quality of functionalized materials are efficiently met by a novel laser processing technique - Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE). Examples of deposition conditions and main features characteristic to film growth rate of MAPLE-fabricated organic materials are summarized. MAPLE experimental results are compared with ones corresponding to the classical Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD). In particular, the results of investigation of MAPLE-deposited fibrinogen blood protein thin films using a KrF* excimer laser and characterized by FTIR and Raman spectrometry are reported

  17. Raman spectra of TiO2 thin films deposited electrochemically and by spray pyrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shishiyanu, S.; Vartic, V.; Shishiyanu, T.; Stratan, Gh.; Rusu, E.; Zarrelli, M.; Giordano, M.

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we present our experimental results concerning the fabrication of TiO 2 thin films by spray pyrolysis and electrochemical deposition method onto different substrates - Corning glass, Si and optical fibers. The surface morphology of the TiO 2 thin films have been investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy. Raman shift spectra measurements have been done for the optical characterization of the fabricated titania thin films. The post-growth rapid photothermal processing (RPP) at temperatures of 100-800 degrees Celsius for 1-3 min have been applied. Our experimental results prove that by the application of post-growth RPP is possible to essentially improve the crystallinity of the deposited TiO 2 films. (authors)

  18. Fabrication and non-covalent modification of highly oriented thin films of a zeolite-like metal-organic framework (ZMOF) with rho topology

    KAUST Repository

    Shekhah, Osama; Cadiau, Amandine; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

    2015-01-01

    Here we report the fabrication of the first thin film of a zeolite-like metal-organic framework (ZMOF) with rho topology (rho-ZMOF-1, ([In48(HImDC)96]48-)n) in a highly oriented fashion on a gold-functionalized substrate. The oriented rho-ZMOF-1

  19. Liquid phase epitaxial growth of heterostructured hierarchical MOF thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Chernikova, Valeriya

    2017-05-10

    Precise control of epitaxial growth of MOF-on-MOF thin films, for ordered hierarchical tbo-type structures is demonstrated. The heterostructured MOF thin film was fabricated by successful sequential deposition of layers from two different MOFs. The 2-periodic layers, edge-transitive 4,4-square lattices regarded as supermolecular building layers, were commendably cross-linked using a combination of inorganic/organic and organic pillars.

  20. Liquid phase epitaxial growth of heterostructured hierarchical MOF thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Chernikova, Valeriya; Shekhah, Osama; Spanopoulos, Ioannis; Trikalitis, Pantelis N.; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

    2017-01-01

    Precise control of epitaxial growth of MOF-on-MOF thin films, for ordered hierarchical tbo-type structures is demonstrated. The heterostructured MOF thin film was fabricated by successful sequential deposition of layers from two different MOFs. The 2-periodic layers, edge-transitive 4,4-square lattices regarded as supermolecular building layers, were commendably cross-linked using a combination of inorganic/organic and organic pillars.

  1. Amperometric Noise at Thin Film Band Electrodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Simon T.; Heien, Michael L.; Taboryski, Rafael

    2012-01-01

    Background current noise is often a significant limitation when using constant-potential amperometry for biosensor application such as amperometric recordings of transmitter release from single cells through exocytosis. In this paper, we fabricated thin-film electrodes of gold and conductive...

  2. Fabrication of the heterojunction diode from Y-doped ZnO thin films on p-Si substrates by sol-gel method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Sanjeev K.; Singh, Satendra Pal; Kim, Deuk Young

    2018-02-01

    The heterojunction diode of yttrium-doped ZnO (YZO) thin films was fabricated on p-Si(100) substrates by sol-gel method. The post-annealing process was performed at 600 °C in vacuum for a short time (3 min) to prevent inter-diffusion of Zn, Y, and Si atoms. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of as-grown and annealed (600 °C in vacuum) films showed the preferred orientation along the c-axis (002) regardless of dopant concentrations. The uniform surface microstructure and the absence of other metal/oxide peaks in XRD pattern confirmed the excellence of films. The increasing bandgap and carrier concentration of YZO thin films were interpreted by the BM shift, that is, the Fermi level moves towards the conduction band edge. The current-voltage characteristics of the heterojunction diode, In/n-ZnO/p-Si/Al, showed a rectification behavior. The turn-on voltage and ideality factor of n-ZnO/p-Si and n-YZO/p-Si were observed to be 3.47 V, 2.61 V, and 1.97, 1.89, respectively. Y-dopant in ZnO thin films provided more donor electrons caused the shifting of Fermi-energy level towards the conduction band and strengthen the interest for heterojunction diodes.

  3. Fabrication of thin TEM sample of ionic liquid for high-resolution ELNES measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miyata, Tomohiro, E-mail: tomo-m@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Mizoguchi, Teruyasu, E-mail: teru@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp

    2017-07-15

    Investigation of the local structure, ionic and molecular behavior, and chemical reactions at high spatial resolutions in liquids has become increasingly important. Improvements in these areas help to develop efficient batteries and improve organic syntheses. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning-TEM (STEM) have excellent spatial resolution, and the electron energy-loss near edge structure (ELNES) measured by the accompanied electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is effective to analyze the liquid local structure owing to reflecting the electronic density of states. In this study, we fabricate a liquid-layer-only sample with thickness of single to tens nanometers using an ionic liquid. Because the liquid film has a thickness much less than the inelastic mean free path (IMFP) of the electron beam, the fine structure of the C-K edge electron energy loss near edge structure (ELNES) can be measured with sufficient resolution to allow meaningful analysis. The ELNES spectrum from the thin liquid film has been interpreted using first principles ELNES calculations. - Highlights: • A fabrication method of thin liquid film samples for STEM-EELS observations is proposed. • The thickness of the fabricated thin liquid film is about 10 nm. • An ELNES is measured from the thin liquid with a high energy resolution. • The peaks of the ELNES are interpreted using first principles calculations.

  4. Feasibility Study of Thin Film Thermocouple Piles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sisk, R. C.

    2001-01-01

    Historically, thermopile detectors, generators, and refrigerators based on bulk materials have been used to measure temperature, generate power for spacecraft, and cool sensors for scientific investigations. New potential uses of small, low-power, thin film thermopiles are in the area of microelectromechanical systems since power requirements decrease as electrical and mechanical machines shrink in size. In this research activity, thin film thermopile devices are fabricated utilizing radio frequency sputter coating and photoresist lift-off techniques. Electrical characterizations are performed on two designs in order to investigate the feasibility of generating small amounts of power, utilizing any available waste heat as the energy source.

  5. Knife-edge thin film field emission cathodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, B.; Demroff, H.P.; Drew, M.M.; Elliott, T.S.; Mazumdar, T.K.; McIntyre, P.M.; Pang, Y.; Smith, D.D.; Trost, H.J.

    1993-01-01

    Cathodes made of thin-film field emission arrays (FEA) have the advantages of high current density, pulsed emission, and low bias voltage operation. The authors have developed a technology to fabricate knife-edge field emission cathodes on (110) silicon wafers. The emitter geometry is optimized for efficient modulation at high frequency. Cathode fabrication progress and preliminary analysis of their applications in RF power sources are presented

  6. Charging of carbon thin films in scanning and phase-plate transmission electron microscopy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hettler, Simon; Kano, Emi; Dries, Manuel

    2018-01-01

    A systematic study on charging of carbon thin films under intense electron-beam irradiation was performed in a transmission electron microscope to identify the underlying physics for the functionality of hole-free phase plates. Thin amorphous carbon films fabricated by different deposition techni...

  7. Porous Zinc Oxide Thin Films: Synthesis Approaches and Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Laurenti

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Zinc oxide (ZnO thin films have been widely investigated due to their multifunctional properties, i.e., catalytic, semiconducting and optical. They have found practical use in a wide number of application fields. However, the presence of a compact micro/nanostructure has often limited the resulting material properties. Moreover, with the advent of low-dimensional ZnO nanostructures featuring unique physical and chemical properties, the interest in studying ZnO thin films diminished more and more. Therefore, the possibility to combine at the same time the advantages of thin-film based synthesis technologies together with a high surface area and a porous structure might represent a powerful solution to prepare ZnO thin films with unprecedented physical and chemical characteristics that may find use in novel application fields. Within this scope, this review offers an overview on the most successful synthesis methods that are able to produce ZnO thin films with both framework and textural porosities. Moreover, we discuss the related applications, mainly focused on photocatalytic degradation of dyes, gas sensor fabrication and photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells.

  8. Development of optical thin film technology for lasers and synchrotron radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Apparao, K.V.S.R.; Bagchi, T.C.; Sahoo, N.K.

    1985-01-01

    Dielectric multilayer optical thin film devices play an important role not only in the working of lasers but also in different front line research activities using high power lasers and high intensity synchrotron radiation sources. Facilities are set up recently in the Spectroscopy Division to develop the optical thin film design and fabrication technologies indigeneously. Using the facilities thin film devices for different laser applications working in the wavelength range from 300 nm to 1064 nm were developed. Different technical aspects involved in the technology development are briefly described. (author)

  9. Thermoelectric effects of amorphous Ga-Sn-O thin film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuda, Tokiyoshi; Uenuma, Mutsunori; Kimura, Mutsumi

    2017-07-01

    The thermoelectric effects of an amorphous Ga-Sn-O (a-GTO) thin film have been evaluated as a physical parameter of a novel oxide semiconductor. Currently, a-GTO thin films are greatly desired not only because they do not contain rare metals and are therefore free from problems on the exhaustion of resources and the increase in cost but also because their initial characteristics and performance stabilities are excellent when they are used in thin-film transistors. In this study, an a-GTO thin film was deposited on a quartz substrate by RF magnetron sputtering and postannealing was performed in air at 350 °C for 1 h using an annealing furnace. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of the a-GTO thin film were -137 µV/K and 31.8 S/cm at room temperature, and -183 µV/K and 43.8 S/cm at 397 K, respectively, and as a result, the power factor was 1.47 µW/(cm·K2) at 397 K; these values were roughly as high as those of amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) thin films. Therefore, a-GTO thin films will be a candidate material for thermoelectric devices fabricated in a large area at a low cost by controlling the carrier mobility, carrier density, device structures, and so forth.

  10. Electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of a thin silver layer deposited onto PET film via atmospheric pressure plasma reduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Hyo-Jun; Dao, Van-Duong; Choi, Ho-Suk

    2018-03-01

    This study presents the first use of a plasma reduction reaction under atmospheric pressure to fabricate a thin silver layer on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film without the use of toxic chemicals, high voltages, or an expensive vacuum apparatus. The developed film is applied to electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. After repeatedly depositing a silver layer through a plasma reduction reaction on PET, we can successfully fabricate a uniformly deposited thin silver layer. It was found that both the particle size and film thickness of thin silver layers fabricated at different AgNO3 concentrations increase with an increase in the concentration of AgNO3. However, the roughness of the thin silver layer decreases when increasing the concentration of AgNO3 from 100 to 500 mM, and the roughness increases with a further increase in the concentration of AgNO3. The EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of the film is measured in the frequency range of 0.045 to 1 GHz. As a result of optimizing the electrical conductivity by measuring sheet resistance of the thin silver layer, the film fabricated from 500 mM AgNO3 exhibits the highest EMI SE among all fabricated films. The maximum values of the EMI SE are 60.490 dB at 0.1 GHz and 54.721 dB at 1.0 GHz with minimum sheet resistance of 0.244 Ω/□. Given that the proposed strategy is simple and effective, it is promising for fabricating various low-cost metal films with high EMI SE.

  11. Front and backside processed thin film electronic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Hao-Chih; Wang, Guogong; Eriksson, Mark A.; Evans, Paul G.; Lagally, Max G.; Ma, Zhenqiang

    2010-10-12

    This invention provides methods for fabricating thin film electronic devices with both front- and backside processing capabilities. Using these methods, high temperature processing steps may be carried out during both frontside and backside processing. The methods are well-suited for fabricating back-gate and double-gate field effect transistors, double-sided bipolar transistors and 3D integrated circuits.

  12. Single-Crystal Mesoporous ZnO Thin Films Composed of Nanowalls

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Xudong; Ding, Yong; Li, Zhou; Song, Jinhui; Wang, Zhong Lin

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a controlled, large scale fabrication of mesoporous ZnO thin films. The entire ZnO mesoporous film is one piece of a single crystal, while high porosity made of nanowalls is present. The growth mechanism was proposed

  13. Fabrication and Crystal Structure of Sol-Gel Deposited BST Thin Films with Compositional Gradient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Czekaj D.

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In the present research technology of compositionally graded barium strontium titanate Ba1-xSrxTiO3 thin films deposited on stainless steel substrates by sol-gel spin coating followed with thermal annealing at T = 650°C is reported. Results of thermal behavior of the sol-gel derived powders with compositions used for fabrication of graded structure (i.e. with Sr mole fraction x = 0.5, 0.4 and 0.3 are described. X-ray diffraction studies of the phase composition and crystal structure of such complex thin film configuration are given. It was found that gel powders exhibited a large total weight loss of about Δm ≈ 44-47%. Three stages of weight loss took place at temperature ranges: below T ≈ 300°C, at ΔT ≈ 300-500°C and between T = 600°C and T = 800°C. Phase analysis has shown that the dominating phase is Ba0.67Sr0.33TiO3 compound while the second phase is Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 or Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 for “up-graded” and “down-graded” structure, respectively.

  14. Compositional ratio effect on the surface characteristics of CuZn thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Ahrom; Park, Juyun; Kang, Yujin; Lee, Seokhee; Kang, Yong-Cheol

    2018-05-01

    CuZn thin films were fabricated by RF co-sputtering method on p-type Si(100) wafer with various RF powers applied on metallic Cu and Zn targets. This paper aimed to determine the morphological, chemical, and electrical properties of the deposited CuZn thin films by utilizing a surface profiler, atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), UV photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and a 4-point probe. The thickness of the thin films was fixed at 200 ± 8 nm and the roughness of the thin films containing Cu was smaller than pure Zn thin films. XRD studies confirmed that the preferred phase changed, and this tendency is dependent on the ratio of Cu to Zn. AES spectra indicate that the obtained thin films consisted of Cu and Zn. The high resolution XPS spectra indicate that as the content of Cu increased, the intensities of Zn2+ decreased. The work function of CuZn thin films increased from 4.87 to 5.36 eV. The conductivity of CuZn alloy thin films was higher than pure metallic thin films.

  15. The Optical Properties of Thin Film Reduced Graphene Oxide/Poly (3,4 Ethylenedioxtriophene):Poly (Styrene Sulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS) Fabricated by Spin Coating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rokmana, Arinta W.; Asriani, A.; Suhendar, H.; Triyana, K.; Kusumaatmaja, A.; Santoso, I.

    2018-04-01

    Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) has been successfully synthesized from Graphite powder through chemical process using modified Hummers method by removing NaNO3 from reaction formula. Hydrazine hydrate 80 wt% has been chosen as reductor to eliminate the epoxy group in GO. FTIR and Uv-Vis spectroscopy result showed that Graphene Oxide (GO) and rGO were formed. Our produced rGO then used to fabricated the composite thin film rGO/PEDOT:PSS by spin coating at room temperature. The optical constant of thin film rGO/PEDOT:PSS were calculated from the absorbance spectrum of Uv-Visible spectra. The result showed that the value of coefficient absorbance of rGO dropped from 4.7×106 m-1 to 1.3×106 m-1 after doped with 0.02 mL PEDOT:PSS, then increase with the addition volume concentration of PEDOT:PSS. The value of extinction coefficient decrease from 0.31 to 0.08 after rGO doped with 0.02 ml PEDOT:PSS and then increase with the addition concentration of PEDOT:PSS. Our result show that thin film rGO/PEDOT:PSS was more transparent than that of thin film rGO.

  16. Low-Temperature Fabrication of Robust, Transparent, and Flexible Thin-Film Transistors with a Nanolaminated Insulator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Jeong Hyun; Park, Junhong; Lee, Myung Keun; Park, Jeong Woo; Jeon, Yongmin; Shin, Jeong Bin; Nam, Minwoo; Kim, Choong-Ki; Choi, Yang-Kyu; Choi, Kyung Cheol

    2018-05-09

    The lack of reliable, transparent, and flexible electrodes and insulators for applications in thin-film transistors (TFTs) makes it difficult to commercialize transparent, flexible TFTs (TF-TFTs). More specifically, conventional high process temperatures and the brittleness of these elements have been hurdles in developing flexible substrates vulnerable to heat. Here, we propose electrode and insulator fabrication techniques considering process temperature, transmittance, flexibility, and environmental stability. A transparent and flexible indium tin oxide (ITO)/Ag/ITO (IAI) electrode and an Al 2 O 3 /MgO (AM)-laminated insulator were optimized at the low temperature of 70 °C for the fabrication of TF-TFTs on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The optimized IAI electrode with a sheet resistance of 7 Ω/sq exhibited the luminous transmittance of 85.17% and maintained its electrical conductivity after exposure to damp heat conditions because of an environmentally stable ITO capping layer. In addition, the electrical conductivity of IAI was maintained after 10 000 bending cycles with a tensile strain of 3% because of the ductile Ag film. In the metal/insulator/metal structure, the insulating and mechanical properties of the optimized AM-laminated film deposited at 70 °C were significantly improved because of the highly dense nanolaminate system, compared to those of the Al 2 O 3 film deposited at 70 °C. In addition, the amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) was used as the active channel for TF-TFTs because of its excellent chemical stability. In the environmental stability test, the ITO, a-IGZO, and AM-laminated films showed the excellent environmental stability. Therefore, our IGZO-based TFT with IAI electrodes and the 70 °C AM-laminated insulator was fabricated to evaluate robustness, transparency, flexibility, and process temperature, resulting in transfer characteristics comparable to those of an IGZO-based TFT with a 150 °C Al 2 O 3

  17. Investigation on synthesis of Bi-based thin films on flat sputter-deposited Ag film by melting process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su Yanjing; Satoh, Yoshimasa; Arisawa, Shunichi; Awane, Toru; Fukuyo, Akihiro; Takano, Yoshihiko; Ishii, Akira; Hatano, Takeshi; Togano, Kazumasa

    2003-01-01

    We report on the fabrication of ribbon-like thin films on flat sputter-deposited Ag films whose surface smoothness remained within the order of tens of nm. It was found that the addition of Pb to the starting material improves the wettability of molten phase and facilitates the growth of Bi-2212 ribbon-like thin films on a flat Ag substrate, and that the increase of Ca and Cu in starting material suppresses the intergrowth of the Bi-2201 phase in ribbon-like thin films. By using (Bi,Pb)-2246 powders, with nominal composition of Bi 1.6 Pb 0.4 Sr 1.6 Ca 3.2 Cu 4.8 O y , as the starting material, the superconducting Bi-2212 ribbon-like thin films with an onset T c at 74 K on a very flat Ag substrate were successfully synthesized. Additionally, the growth mechanism of ribbon-like thin films on flat Ag substrate was investigated by in situ high temperature microscope observation

  18. Structural and Electrochemical Properties of Lithium Nickel Oxide Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gyu-bong Cho

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available LiNiO2 thin films were fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering. The microstructure of the films was determined by X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties were investigated with a battery cycler using coin-type half-cells. The LiNiO2 thin films annealed below 500°C had the surface carbonate. The results suggest that surface carbonate interrupted the Li intercalation and deintercalation during charge/discharge. Although the annealing process enhanced the crystallization of LiNiO2, the capacity did not increase. When the annealing temperature was increased to 600°C, the FeCrNiO4 oxide phase was generated and the discharge capacity decreased due to an oxygen deficiency in the LiNiO2 thin film. The ZrO2-coated LiNiO2 thin film provided an improved discharge capacity compared to bare LiNiO2 thin film suggesting that the improved electrochemical characteristic may be attributed to the inhibition of surface carbonate by ZrO2 coating layer.

  19. Fabrication, microstructure and stress effects in sputtered TiNi thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grummon, D.S.

    2000-01-01

    Sputtered thin films of equiatomic TiNi and TiNiX ternary alloys have excellent mechanical properties and exhibit robust shape-memory and transformational superelasticity. Furthermore, the energetic nature of the sputter deposition process allows the creation of highly refined microstructures that are difficult to achieve by melt-solidification. The present paper will present recent work on the relationship between processing, microstructure and properties of binary TiNi thin films, focusing primarily on residual stresses, kinetics of stress-relaxation and crystallization, and fine grain sizes achievable using hot-substrate direct crystallization. (orig.)

  20. Recent progress in Si thin film technology for solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuwano, Yukinori; Nakano, Shoichi; Tsuda, Shinya

    1991-11-01

    Progress in Si thin film technology 'specifically amorphous Si (a-Si) and polycrystalline Si (poly-Si) thin film' for solar cells is summarized here from fabrication method, material, and structural viewpoints. In addition to a-Si, primary results on poly-Si thin film research are discussed. Various applications for a-Si solar cells are mentioned, and consumer applications and a-Si solar cell photovoltaic systems are introduced. New product developments include see-through solar cells, solar cell roofing tiles, and ultra-light flexible solar cells. As for new systems, air conditioning equipment powered by solar cells is described. Looking to the future, the proposed GENESIS project is discussed.

  1. Junctionless Thin-Film Transistors Gated by an H₃PO₄-Incorporated Chitosan Proton Conductor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Huixuan; Xun, Damao

    2018-04-01

    We fabricated an H3PO4-incorporated chitosan proton conductor film that exhibited the electric double layer effect and showed a high specific capacitance of 4.42 μF/cm2. Transparent indium tin oxide thin-film transistors gated by H3PO4-incorporated chitosan films were fabricated by sputtering through a shadow mask. The operating voltage was as low as 1.2 V because of the high specific capacitance of the H3PO4-incorporated chitosan dielectrics. The junctionless transparent indium tin oxide thin film transistors exhibited good performance, including an estimated current on/off ratio and field-effect mobility of 1.2 × 106 and 6.63 cm2V-1s-1, respectively. These low-voltage thin-film electric-double-layer transistors gated by H3PO4-incorporated chitosan are promising for next generation battery-powered "see-through" portable sensors.

  2. Method of preparing high-temperature-stable thin-film resistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raymond, L.S.

    1980-11-12

    A chemical vapor deposition method for manufacturing tungsten-silicide thin-film resistors of predetermined bulk resistivity and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) is disclosed. Gaseous compounds of tungsten and silicon are decomposed on a hot substrate to deposit a thin-film of tungsten-silicide. The TCR of the film is determined by the crystallinity of the grain structure, which is controlled by the temperature of deposition and the tungsten to silicon ratio. The bulk resistivity is determined by the tungsten to silicon ratio. Manipulation of the fabrication parameters allows for sensitive control of the properties of the resistor.

  3. Method of preparing high-temperature-stable thin-film resistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raymond, L.S.

    1983-01-01

    A chemical vapor deposition method is disclosed for manufacturing tungsten-silicide thin-film resistors of predetermined bulk resistivity and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR). Gaseous compounds of tungsten and silicon are decomposed on a hot substrate to deposit a thin-film of tungsten-silicide. The TCR of the film is determined by the crystallinity of the grain structure, which is controlled by the temperature of deposition and the tungsten to silicon ratio. The bulk resistivity is determined by the tungsten to silicon ratio. Manipulation of the fabrication parameters allows for sensitive control of the properties of the resistor

  4. Nanocrystalline Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films: A selective ethanol gas sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Pratibha; Godbole, R. V.; Bhagwat, Sunita

    2016-10-01

    In this work, Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films were investigated for the detection of reducing gases. These films were fabricated using spray pyrolysis technique and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the crystal structure. The surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Magnetization measurements were carried out using SQUID VSM, which shows ferrimagnetic behavior of the samples. These thin film sensors were tested against methanol, ethanol, hydrogen sulfide and liquid petroleum gas, where they were found to be more selective to ethanol. The fabricated thin film sensors exhibited linear response signal for all the gases with concentrations up to 5 w/o Pd. Reduction in optimum operating temperature and enhancement in response was also observed. Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films exhibited faster response and recovery characteristic. These sensors have potential for industrial applications because of their long-term stability, low power requirement and low production cost.

  5. Characteristics of sputtered Al-doped ZnO films for transparent electrodes of organic thin-film transistor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Yong Seob; Kim, Han-Ki

    2011-01-01

    Aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) thin-films were deposited with various RF powers at room temperature by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. The electrical properties of the AZO film were improved with the increasing RF power. These results can be explained by the improvement of the crystallinity in the AZO film. We fabricated the organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) of the bottom gate structure using pentacene active and poly-4-vinyl phenol gate dielectric layers on the indium tin oxide gate electrode, and estimated the device properties of the OTFTs including drain current-drain voltage (I D -V D ), drain current-gate voltage (I D -V G ), threshold voltage (V T ), on/off ratio and field effect mobility. The AZO film that grown at 160 W RF power exhibited low resistivity (1.54 x 10 -3 Ω.cm), high crystallinity and uniform surface morphology. The pentacene thin-film transistor using the AZO film that's fabricated at 160 W RF power exhibited good device performance such as the mobility of 0.94 cm 2 /V s and the on/off ratio of ∼ 10 5 . Consequently, the performance of the OTFT such as larger field-effect carrier mobility was determined the conductivity of the AZO source/drain (S/D) electrode. AZO films prepared at room temperature by the sputtering method are suitable for the S/D electrodes in the OTFTs.

  6. Universal Method for Creating Hierarchical Wrinkles on Thin-Film Surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Woo-Bin; Cho, Kyeong Min; Lee, Won-Kyu; Odom, Teri W; Jung, Hee-Tae

    2018-01-10

    One of the most interesting topics in physical science and materials science is the creation of complex wrinkled structures on thin-film surfaces because of their several advantages of high surface area, localized strain, and stress tolerance. In this study, a significant step was taken toward solving limitations imposed by the fabrication of previous artificial wrinkles. A universal method for preparing hierarchical three-dimensional wrinkle structures of thin films on a multiple scale (e.g., nanometers to micrometers) by sequential wrinkling with different skin layers was developed. Notably, this method was not limited to specific materials, and it was applicable to fabricating hierarchical wrinkles on all of the thin-film surfaces tested thus far, including those of metals, two-dimensional and one-dimensional materials, and polymers. The hierarchical wrinkles with multiscale structures were prepared by sequential wrinkling, in which a sacrificial layer was used as the additional skin layer between sequences. For example, a hierarchical MoS 2 wrinkle exhibited highly enhanced catalytic behavior because of the superaerophobicity and effective surface area, which are related to topological effects. As the developed method can be adopted to a majority of thin films, it is thought to be a universal method for enhancing the physical properties of various materials.

  7. COVALENTLY ATTACHED MULTILAYER ULTRA-THIN FILMS FROM DIAZORESIN AND CALIXARENES

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zhao-hui Yang; Wei-xiao Cao

    2003-01-01

    A kind of photosensitive ultra-thin film was fabricated from diazoresin (DR) and various calixarenes by using the self-assembly technique. Under UV irradiation both the ionic- and hydrogen bonds between the layers of the film will convert into covalent bonds. As a result, the stability of the film toward polar solvents increases dramatically.

  8. Topotactic synthesis of strontium cobalt oxyhydride thin film with perovskite structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katayama, Tsukasa [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Chikamatsu, Akira, E-mail: chikamatsu@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Kamisaka, Hideyuki [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Yokoyama, Yuichi; Hirata, Yasuyuki; Wadati, Hiroki [Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8581 (Japan); Fukumura, Tomoteru [CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8578 (Japan); Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan)

    2015-10-15

    The substitution of hydride anions (H{sup −}) into transition metal oxides has recently become possible through topotactic reactions or high-pressure synthesis methods. However, the fabrication of oxyhydrides is still difficult because of their inherently less-stable frameworks. In this study, we successfully fabricated perovskite SrCoO{sub x}H{sub y} thin films via the topotactic hydride doping of brownmillerite SrCoO{sub 2.5} epitaxial thin films with CaH{sub 2}. The perovskite-type cation framework was maintained during the topotactic treatment owing to epitaxial stabilization. Structural and chemical analyses accompanied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed that the doped hydride ions form a two-dimensional network of Co-H{sup −}-Co bonds, in contrast to other reported perovskite oxyhydrides, SrMO{sub 3−x}H{sub x} (M = Cr, Ti, V). The SrCoO{sub x}H{sub y} thin film exhibited insulating behavior and had a direct band gap of 2.1 eV. Thus, topotactic hydride doping of transition-metal-oxide thin films on suitable substrates is a promising method for the synthesis of new transition metal oxyhydrides.

  9. Fabrication and evaluation of green-light emitting Ta2O5:Er, Ce co-sputtered thin films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Miura

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Erbium and cerium co-doped tantalum-oxide (Ta2O5:Er, Ce thin films were fabricated using radio-frequency co-sputtering of Ta2O5, Er2O3, and CeO2 for the first time. Enhanced green-light emission due to Er3+ that seems to be sensitized by Ce3+ was observed from the film annealed at 900 °C for 20 min. From XRD measurements of the films, the β-Ta2O5 (orthorhombic, δ-Ta2O5 (hexagonal, and (201 Ta2O5 phases seem to be very important for obtaining green PL from them. Such Ta2O5:Er, Ce co-sputtered films can be used as high-refractive-index materials of autocloned photonic crystals that can be applied to novel green-light-emitting devices, and they will also be used as multi-functional coating films that can work both as anti-reflection and down-conversion films for realizing high-efficiency silicon solar cells.

  10. Hall effect of K-doped superconducting thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Son, Eunseon; Lee, Nam Hoon; Kang, Won Nam [Dept. of physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Tae Jong; Kim, Dong Ho [Dept. of physics, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan(Korea, Republic of)

    2013-09-15

    We have studied Hall effect for potassium (K)-doped BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2}superconducting thin films by analyzing the relation between the longitudinal resistivity (ρ{sub xy}) and the Hall resistivity (ρ{sub xy}). The thin films used in this study were fabricated on Al{sub O3} (000l) substrates by using an ex-situ pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique under a high-vacuum condition of ∼10{sup -6} Torr. The samples showed the high superconducting transition temperatures (T{sub C}) of ∼40 K. The ρ{sub xx} and ρ{sub xy}the for K-doped BaFeAs{sub 2} thin films were measured by using a physical property measurement system (PPMS) with a temperature sweep (T-sweep) mode at an applied current density of 100 A/cm{sup 2} and at magnetic fields from 0 up to 9 T. We report the T-sweep results of the ρ{sub xx} and the ρ{sub xy} to investigate Hall scaling behavior on the basis of the relation of ρ{sub xy} = A(ρ{sub xy}){sup β}. The ρ{sub xx} values are 3.0 ± 0.2 in the c-axis-oriented K-doped BaFeAs{sub 2} thin films, whereas the thin films with various oriented-directions like a polycrystal showed slightly lower β than that of c-axis-oriented thin films. Interestingly, the β value is decreased with increasing magnetic fields.

  11. Thin film heat flux sensors for accurate transient and unidirectional heat transfer analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azerou, B; Garnier, B; Lahmar, J

    2012-01-01

    Heat flux measurement is needed in many heat transfer studies. For the best unbiased heat flux sensors (HFS), the heat flux is obtained using temperature measurements at different locations and also an inverse heat conduction method (function specification...) in order to calculate the heat flux. Systematic errors can come from the uncertainty in the wire thermocouples locations and from errors in the knowledge of distances between two consecutive wire thermocouples. The main idea in this work is to use thin film thermoresistances deposited on a flexible thin polymer substrate instead of wire thermocouples welded on metallic sample. The interest of using thin film thermoresistances instead of wire thermocouples is a lower disturbance due to the smaller thickness of the thin film sensors (typically less than 1μm) and a much better knowledge of the distances between the different thin film thermoresistances which are precisely defined in the mask used for the metallic thin film pattern fabrication. In this paper, we present the fabrication of the new heat flux sensor with thin film thermoresistances, the study of the effect of the self heating (due to Joule effect in thermoresistances) and the performances of this new HFS with the comparison with classical HFS using wire thermocouples. For this study, a symmetric experimental setup is used with metallic samples equipped with an etched foil heater and both classical and new HFS. For several heating conditions, it appears that a better accuracy is always obtained with the new HFS using thin film thermoresistances.

  12. Properties of Nanostructure Bismuth Telluride Thin Films Using Thermal Evaporation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swati Arora

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Bismuth telluride has high thermoelectric performance at room temperature; in present work, various nanostructure thin films of bismuth telluride were fabricated on silicon substrates at room temperature using thermal evaporation method. Tellurium (Te and bismuth (Bi were deposited on silicon substrate in different ratio of thickness. These films were annealed at 50°C and 100°C. After heat treatment, the thin films attained the semiconductor nature. Samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM to show granular growth.

  13. The Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin films solar cells synthesized by electrodeposition route

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ji; Ma, Tuteng; Wei, Ming; Liu, Weifeng; Jiang, Guoshun; Zhu, Changfei

    2012-06-01

    An electrodeposition route for preparing Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin films for thin film solar cell absorber layers is demonstrated. The Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin films are prepared by co-electrodeposition Cu-Zn-Sn metallic precursor and subsequently annealing in element selenium atmosphere. The structure, composition and optical properties of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrometry, energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy. The Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin film with high crystalline quality was obtained, the band gap and absorption coefficient were 1.0 eV and 10-4 cm-1, which is quite suitable for solar cells fabrication. A solar cell with the structure of ZnO:Al/i-ZnO/CdS/Cu2ZnSnSe4/Mo/glass was fabricated and achieved an conversion efficiency of 1.7%.

  14. Picosecond and subpicosecond pulsed laser deposition of Pb thin films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Gontad

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Pb thin films were deposited on Nb substrates by means of pulsed laser deposition (PLD with UV radiation (248 nm, in two different ablation regimes: picosecond (5 ps and subpicosecond (0.5 ps. Granular films with grain size on the micron scale have been obtained, with no evidence of large droplet formation. All films presented a polycrystalline character with preferential orientation along the (111 crystalline planes. A maximum quantum efficiency (QE of 7.3×10^{-5} (at 266 nm and 7 ns pulse duration was measured, after laser cleaning, demonstrating good photoemission performance for Pb thin films deposited by ultrashort PLD. Moreover, Pb thin film photocathodes have maintained their QE for days, providing excellent chemical stability and durability. These results suggest that Pb thin films deposited on Nb by ultrashort PLD are a noteworthy alternative for the fabrication of photocathodes for superconductive radio-frequency electron guns. Finally, a comparison with the characteristics of Pb films prepared by ns PLD is illustrated and discussed.

  15. Nanoporous Thin Film Templates for the Fabrication of Nanowires and Nanotubes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bordo, Kirill

    2011-01-01

    (silicon, glass, ITO-glass, mica) with the use of different electrolytes (oxalic, sulphuric and phosphoric acid) has also been systematically studied. It has been found that the structure of such films depends strongly on the structure and morphology of the initial thin Al films as well...

  16. Gamma Radiation Dosimetry Using Tellurium Dioxide Thin Film Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga Korostynska

    2002-08-01

    Full Text Available Thin films of Tellurium dioxide (TeO2 were investigated for γ-radiation dosimetry purposes. Samples were fabricated using thin film vapour deposition technique. Thin films of TeO2 were exposed to a 60Co γ-radiation source at a dose rate of 6 Gy/min at room temperature. Absorption spectra for TeO2 films were recorded and the values of the optical band gap and energies of the localized states for as-deposited and γ-irradiated samples were calculated. It was found that the optical band gap values were decreased as the radiation dose was increased. Samples with electrical contacts having a planar structure showed a linear increase in current values with the increase in radiation dose up to a certain dose level. The observed changes in both the optical and the electrical properties suggest that TeO2 thin film may be considered as an effective material for room temperature real time γ-radiation dosimetry.

  17. Thin film polarizer and color filter based on photo-polymerizable nematic liquid crystal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadimasoudi, Mohammad; Neyts, Kristiaan; Beeckman, Jeroen

    2015-03-01

    We present a method to fabricate a thin film color filter based on a mixture of photo-polymerizable liquid crystal and chiral dopant. A chiral nematic liquid crystal layer reflects light for a certain wavelength interval Δλ (= Δn.P) with the period and Δn the birefringence of the liquid crystal. The reflection band is determined by the chiral dopant concentration. The bandwidth is limited to 80nm and the reflectance is at most 50% for unpolarized incident light. The thin color filter is interesting for innovative applications like polarizer-free reflective displays, polarization-independent devices, stealth technologies, or smart switchable reflective windows to control solar light and heat. The reflected light has strong color saturation without absorption because of the sharp band edges. A thin film polarizer is developed by using a mixture of photo-polymerizable liquid crystal and color-neutral dye. The fabricated thin film absorbs light that is polarized parallel to the c axis of the LC. The obtained polarization ratio is 80% for a film of only 12 μm. The thin film polarizer and the color filter feature excellent film characteristics without domains and can be detached from the substrate which is useful for e.g. flexible substrates.

  18. Fabrication of Robust Biomolecular Patterns by Reactive Microcontact Printing on NHS Ester Containing Polymer Films

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feng, C.L.; Vancso, Gyula J.; Schönherr, Holger

    2006-01-01

    The fabrication of robust biomolecule microarrays by reactive microcontact printing (CP) on spin-coated thin films of poly(N-hydroxysuccinimidyl methacrylate) (PNHSMA) on oxidized silicon and glass is described. The approach combines the advantages of activated polymer thin films as coupling layers,

  19. Effect of Sr doping on LaTiO3 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vilquin, B.; Kanki, T.; Yanagida, T.; Tanaka, H.; Kawai, T.

    2005-01-01

    We report on the electric properties of La 1-x Sr x TiO 3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) thin films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition method. Crystallographic measurement of the thin films showed the epitaxial c-axis perovskite structure. The electric property of LaTiO 3 thin film, which is a typical Mott insulative material in bulk, showed insulative behaviour, while the Sr-doped films showed metallic conduction suffering electron-electron scattering. Below x = 0.1, the major carrier type was identified to be hole, and switched to electron with further increasing Sr-doping above x = 0.15. In fact, the switching from p-type to n-type for La 1-x Sr x TiO 3 thin films is first demonstrated in this study. The transition suggests that effective Coulomb gap vanishes due to over-additional Sr doping

  20. Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors fabricated from an amorphous Mo{sub 0.75}Ge{sub 0.25} thin film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verma, V. B.; Lita, A. E.; Vissers, M. R.; Marsili, F.; Pappas, D. P.; Mirin, R. P.; Nam, S. W. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States)

    2014-07-14

    We present the characteristics of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) fabricated from amorphous Mo{sub 0.75}Ge{sub 0.25} thin-films. Fabricated devices show a saturation of the internal detection efficiency at temperatures below 1 K, with system dark count rates below 500 cps. Operation in a closed-cycle cryocooler at 2.5 K is possible with system detection efficiencies exceeding 20% for SNSPDs which have not been optimized for high detection efficiency. Jitter is observed to vary between 69 ps at 250 mK and 187 ps at 2.5 K using room temperature amplifiers.

  1. Laser deposition of SmCo thin film and coating on different substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allocca, L; Bonavolonta, C; Valentino, M; Giardini, A; Lopizzo, T; Morone, A; Verrastro, M F; Viggiano, V

    2008-01-01

    Thin films and coatings of permanent magnetic materials are very important for different electronic and micromechanical applications. This paper deals with the fabrication, using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique, of good quality magnetic SmCo thin films on polycarbonate, steel, silicon and amorphous quartz substrates, for low cost electronic applications like radio frequency identification (RFID) antennas and electromechanical devices for fuel feeding control in the automotive. X-ray fluorescence and magnetic scanning measurements using giant magneto-resistive (GMR) sensors have been performed to study the functional magnetic properties of the deposited thin films.

  2. Achieving 3-D Nanoparticle Assembly in Nanocomposite Thin Films via Kinetic Control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Jingyu; Xiao, Yihan; Xu, Ting [UCB

    2017-02-20

    Nanocomposite thin films containing well-ordered nanoparticle (NP) assemblies are ideal candidates for the fabrication of metamaterials. Achieving 3-D assembly of NPs in nanocomposite thin films is thermodynamically challenging as the particle size gets similar to that of a single polymer chain. The entropic penalties of polymeric matrix upon NP incorporation leads to NP aggregation on the film surface or within the defects in the film. Controlling the kinetic pathways of assembly process provides an alternative path forward by arresting the system in nonequilibrium states. Here, we report the thin film 3-D hierarchical assembly of 20 nm NPs in supramolecules with a 30 nm periodicity. By mediating the NP diffusion kinetics in the supramolecular matrix, surface aggregation of NPs was suppressed and NPs coassemble with supramolecules to form new 3-D morphologies in thin films. The present studies opened a viable route to achieve designer functional composite thin films via kinetic control.

  3. Dual-Input AND Gate From Single-Channel Thin-Film FET

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miranda, F. A.; Pinto, N. J.; Perez, R.; Mueller, C. H.

    2008-01-01

    A regio-regular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (RRP3HT) thin-film transistor having a split-gate architecture has been fabricated on a doped silicon/silicon nitride substrate and characterized. RRP3HT is a semiconducting polymer that has a carrier mobility and on/off ratio when used in a field effect transistor (FET) configuration. This commercially available polymer is very soluble in common organic solvents and is easily processed to form uniform thin films. The most important polymer-based device fabricated and studied is the FET, since it forms the building block in logic circuits and switches for active matrix (light-emitting-diode) (LED) displays, smart cards, and radio frequency identification (RFID) cards.

  4. Optical and morphological characterizations of pyronin dye-poly (vinyl alcohol) thin films formed on glass substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meral, Kadem; Arik, Mustafa; Onganer, Yavuz

    2016-01-01

    Thin films of pyronin dye mixed with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) on glass substrate were prepared by using spin-coating technique. The optical and morphological properties of the thin films were studied by UV-Vis., steady-state fluorescence spectroscopies and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The thin films on glass substrate were fabricated at various [PVA]/[dye] (P/D) ratios. Hence, the monomeric and H-aggregates thin films of pyronin dye mixed with PVA were formed as a function of the dye and PVA concentration. It was determined that while the monomeric thin films showed strong fluorescence, the formation of H-aggregates in the thin film caused to decreasing the fluorescence intensity. AFM studies demonstrated that the morphology of the thin film was drastically varied with changing the optical property of the thin film such as monomeric and H-aggregates thin films.

  5. Optical and morphological characterizations of pyronin dye-poly (vinyl alcohol) thin films formed on glass substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meral, Kadem, E-mail: kademm@atauni.edu.tr; Arik, Mustafa, E-mail: marik@tatauni.edu.tr; Onganer, Yavuz, E-mail: yonganer@atauni.edu.tr [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Atatürk University, 25240 Erzurum (Turkey)

    2016-04-18

    Thin films of pyronin dye mixed with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) on glass substrate were prepared by using spin-coating technique. The optical and morphological properties of the thin films were studied by UV-Vis., steady-state fluorescence spectroscopies and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The thin films on glass substrate were fabricated at various [PVA]/[dye] (P/D) ratios. Hence, the monomeric and H-aggregates thin films of pyronin dye mixed with PVA were formed as a function of the dye and PVA concentration. It was determined that while the monomeric thin films showed strong fluorescence, the formation of H-aggregates in the thin film caused to decreasing the fluorescence intensity. AFM studies demonstrated that the morphology of the thin film was drastically varied with changing the optical property of the thin film such as monomeric and H-aggregates thin films.

  6. Fabrication and characterization of ZnO:In thin film as photoanode for DSSC using natural fruit dyes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mohamad, Ili Salwani; Norizan, Mohd Natashah; Hanifiah, Mohd Khairul Fikri Mohd [School of Microelectronic Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kampus Pauh Putra, 02600 Arau, Perlis (Malaysia); Amin, Intan Azanni Mohd [Department of Eectrical, Electronic and Systems, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, National University of Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Shahimin, Mukhzeer Mohamad [Semiconductor Photonics and Integrated Lightwave Systems (SPILS), Tun Abdul Razak Laser Laboratory (TAREL), School of Microelectronic Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kampus Pauh Putra, 02600 Arau, Perlis (Malaysia)

    2015-05-15

    Dye synthesized solar cell (DSSC) is the third generation solar cell and is considered as low cost solar cell as it does not involved neither complicated fabrication process nor expensive materials. DSSC is made of two conductive glasses, photoanode, counter electrode, electrolyte and dye. Previously, majority of the researchers have been using titanium dioxide and ruthenium as the photoanode and dye respectively. This project is carried out to produce a lower cost DSSC by using natural fruit as the dye and exploring the potential of zinc oxide (ZnO) and indium (In) as the photoanode. The morphology of the thin film surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy which shows that the increment of indium dopant changes the rough surface texture of the thin film and directly reduces the empty spaces between the particles. Theoretically, this structure can help to reduce the light reflection on the solar cell surface. The thin ZnO:In films are immersed in 3 different fruit dyes (plum, apple and orange). The electrical properties of the DSSCs are displayed in the I-V curves and from this research, it shows that the highest efficiency of DSSC is gained from the dopant combination of ZnO{sub 0.8}In{sub 0.2} for all the dyes. The best efficiency of this research is the DSSC using plum dye with 0.34% compared to apple dye and orange dye which give 0.23% and 0.19% respectively.

  7. Cell culture arrays using micron-sized ferromagnetic ring-shaped thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Chen-Yu; Wei, Zung-Hang, E-mail: wei@pme.nthu.edu.tw [Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City 300, Taiwan (China); Lai, Mei-Feng; Ger, Tzong-Rong [Institute of NanoEngineering and MicroSystems, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City 300, Taiwan (China)

    2015-05-07

    Cell patterning has become an important technology for tissue engineering. In this research, domain walls are formed at the two ends of a ferromagnetic ring thin film after applying a strong external magnetic field, which can effectively attract magnetically labeled cells and control the position for biological cell. Magnetophoresis experiment was conducted to quantify the magnetic nanoparticle inside the cells. A ring-shaped magnetic thin films array was fabricated through photolithography. It is observed that magnetically labeled cells can be successfully attracted to the two ends of the ring-shaped magnetic thin film structure and more cells were attracted and further attached to the structures. The cells are co-cultured with the structure and kept proliferating; therefore, such ring thin film can be an important candidate for in-vitro biomedical chips or tissue engineering.

  8. Cell culture arrays using micron-sized ferromagnetic ring-shaped thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Chen-Yu; Wei, Zung-Hang; Lai, Mei-Feng; Ger, Tzong-Rong

    2015-01-01

    Cell patterning has become an important technology for tissue engineering. In this research, domain walls are formed at the two ends of a ferromagnetic ring thin film after applying a strong external magnetic field, which can effectively attract magnetically labeled cells and control the position for biological cell. Magnetophoresis experiment was conducted to quantify the magnetic nanoparticle inside the cells. A ring-shaped magnetic thin films array was fabricated through photolithography. It is observed that magnetically labeled cells can be successfully attracted to the two ends of the ring-shaped magnetic thin film structure and more cells were attracted and further attached to the structures. The cells are co-cultured with the structure and kept proliferating; therefore, such ring thin film can be an important candidate for in-vitro biomedical chips or tissue engineering

  9. CMOS compatible thin-film ALD tungsten nanoelectromechanical devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, Bradley Darren

    This research focuses on the development of a novel, low-temperature, CMOS compatible, atomic-layer-deposition (ALD) enabled NEMS fabrication process for the development of ALD Tungsten (WALD) NEMS devices. The devices are intended for use in CMOS/NEMS hybrid systems, and NEMS based micro-processors/controllers capable of reliable operation in harsh environments not accessible to standard CMOS technologies. The majority of NEMS switches/devices to date have been based on carbon-nano-tube (CNT) designs. The devices consume little power during actuation, and as expected, have demonstrated actuation voltages much smaller than MEMS switches. Unfortunately, NEMS CNT switches are not typically CMOS integrable due to the high temperatures required for their growth, and their fabrication typically results in extremely low and unpredictable yields. Thin-film NEMS devices offer great advantages over reported CNT devices for several reasons, including: higher fabrication yields, low-temperature (CMOS compatible) deposition techniques like ALD, and increased control over design parameters/device performance metrics, i.e., device geometry. Furthermore, top-down, thin-film, nano-fabrication techniques are better capable of producing complicated device geometries than CNT based processes, enabling the design and development of multi-terminal switches well-suited for low-power hybrid NEMS/CMOS systems as well as electromechanical transistors and logic devices for use in temperature/radiation hard computing architectures. In this work several novel, low-temperature, CMOS compatible fabrication technologies, employing WALD as a structural layer for MEMS or NEMS devices, were developed. The technologies developed are top-down nano-scale fabrication processes based on traditional micro-machining techniques commonly used in the fabrication of MEMS devices. Using these processes a variety of novel WALD NEMS devices have been successfully fabricated and characterized. Using two different

  10. Photocatalytic Graphene-TiO2 Thin Films Fabricated by Low-Temperature Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Spin and Spray Coating in a Sol-Gel Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatemeh Zabihi

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In this work, we communicate a facile and low temperature synthesis process for the fabrication of graphene-TiO2 photocatalytic composite thin films. A sol-gel chemical route is used to synthesize TiO2 from the precursor solutions and spin and spray coating are used to deposit the films. Excitation of the wet films during the casting process by ultrasonic vibration favorably influences both the sol-gel route and the deposition process, through the following mechanisms. The ultrasound energy imparted to the wet film breaks down the physical bonds of the gel phase. As a result, only a low-temperature post annealing process is required to eliminate the residues to complete the conversion of precursors to TiO2. In addition, ultrasonic vibration creates a nanoscale agitating motion or microstreaming in the liquid film that facilitates mixing of TiO2 and graphene nanosheets. The films made based on the above-mentioned ultrasonic vibration-assisted method and annealed at 150 °C contain both rutile and anatase phases of TiO2, which is the most favorable configuration for photocatalytic applications. The photoinduced and photocatalytic experiments demonstrate effective photocurrent generation and elimination of pollutants by graphene-TiO2 composite thin films fabricated via scalable spray coating and mild temperature processing, the results of which are comparable with those made using lab-scale and energy-intensive processes.

  11. Research Progress on Measurement Methods and Influence Factors of Thin-film Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MA Yibo

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available With the size of thin-film electronic devices decreasing, the film stress became an important reason for the failure of thin film devices. Film stress not only affected the membrane structure, but also associated with film optics, electricity, mechanics and other properties, therefore film stress turned into one hot spot in the research field of thin-film materials. This paper reviewed the latest research progress of film stress, substrate curvature method, X-ray diffraction technique and Raman spectroscopy, several frequently used stress measuring techniques were compared and analyzed, and composition ratios of thin film, substrate types, magnetron sputtering process parameters (sputtering power, work pressure, substrate temperature and annealing etc. factors influencing thin film stress were summarized. It was found that substrate curvature method was suitable for measuring almost all kinds of thin film materials. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were just fit for measuring materials with characteristic peaks. Nanoindentation method required extra stress-free samples as comparison experiments. During film fabrication and annealing process, film stress usually transited from compressive to tensile status, and several factors combined together could affect stress, so film stress could be reached the minimum value or even stress-free status through setting appropriate parameters. Finally, combined with film stress research status, accurate stress measurement methods for different materials as a thin-film stress research direction were introduced, and challenges in thin film detection range were pointed out.

  12. Polycystalline silicon thin films for electronic applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jaeger, Christian Claus

    2012-01-15

    For the thin polycrystalline Si films fabricated with the aluminium-induced-layer-exchange (ALILE) process a good structural quality up to a layer-thickness value of 10 nm was determined. For 5 nm thick layers however after the layer exchange no closes poly-silicon film was present. In this case the substrate was covered with spherically arranged semiconductor material. Furthermore amorphous contributions in the layer could be determined. The electrical characterization of the samples at room temperature proved a high hole concentration in the range 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3} up to 9.10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}, which is influenced by the process temperature and the layer thickness. Hereby higher hole concentrations at higher process temperatures and thinner films were observed. Furthermore above 150-200 K a thermically activated behaviour of the electrical conductivity was observed. At lower temperatures a deviation of the measured characteristic from the exponential Arrhenius behaviour was determined. For low temperatures (below 20 K) the conductivity follows the behaviour {sigma}{proportional_to}[-(T{sub 0}/T){sup 1/4}]. The hole mobility in the layers was lowered by a passivation step, which can be explained by defect states at the grain boundaries. The for these very thin layers present situation was simulated in the framework of the model of Seto, whereby both the defect states at the grain boundaries (with an area density Q{sub t}) and the defect states at the interfaces (with an area density Q{sub it}) were regarded. By this the values Q{sub t}{approx}(3-4).10{sup 12} cm{sup -2} and Q{sub it}{approx}(2-5).10{sup 12} cm{sup -2} could be determined for these thin ALILE layers on quartz substrates. Additionally th R-ALILE process was studied, which uses the reverse precursor-layer sequence substrate/amorphous silicon/oxide/aluminium. Hereby two steps in the crystallization process of the R-ALILE process were found. First a substrate/Al-Si mixture/poly-Si layer structure

  13. Nanocrystalline Pd:NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films: A selective ethanol gas sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rao, Pratibha; Godbole, R.V.; Bhagwat, Sunita, E-mail: smb.agc@gmail.com

    2016-10-15

    In this work, Pd:NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films were investigated for the detection of reducing gases. These films were fabricated using spray pyrolysis technique and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the crystal structure. The surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Magnetization measurements were carried out using SQUID VSM, which shows ferrimagnetic behavior of the samples. These thin film sensors were tested against methanol, ethanol, hydrogen sulfide and liquid petroleum gas, where they were found to be more selective to ethanol. The fabricated thin film sensors exhibited linear response signal for all the gases with concentrations up to 5 w/o Pd. Reduction in optimum operating temperature and enhancement in response was also observed. Pd:NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films exhibited faster response and recovery characteristic. These sensors have potential for industrial applications because of their long-term stability, low power requirement and low production cost. - Highlights: • Ethanol gas sensors based on Pd:NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticle thin film were fabricated. • Pd incorporation in NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} matrix inhibits grain growth. • The sensors were more selective to ethanol gas. • Sensors exhibited fast response and recovery when doped with palladium. • Pd:NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin film sensor displays excellent long–term stability.

  14. Synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films by a precursor solution paste for thin film solar cell applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Jin Woo; Ismail, Agus; Park, Se Jin; Kim, Woong; Yoon, Sungho; Min, Byoung Koun

    2013-05-22

    Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is a very promising semiconductor material when used for the absorber layer of thin film solar cells because it consists of only abundant and inexpensive elements. In addition, a low-cost solution process is applicable to the preparation of CZTS absorber films, which reduces the cost when this film is used for the production of thin film solar cells. To fabricate solution-processed CZTS thin film using an easily scalable and relatively safe method, we suggest a precursor solution paste coating method with a two-step heating process (oxidation and sulfurization). The synthesized CZTS film was observed to be composed of grains of a size of ~300 nm, showing an overall densely packed morphology with some pores and voids. A solar cell device with this film as an absorber layer showed the highest efficiency of 3.02% with an open circuit voltage of 556 mV, a short current density of 13.5 mA/cm(2), and a fill factor of 40.3%. We also noted the existence of Cd moieties and an inhomogeneous Zn distribution in the CZTS film, which may have been triggered by the presence of pores and voids in the CZTS film.

  15. Layer-by-Layer Assembly of a pH-Responsive and Electrochromic Thin Film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Daniel J.; Pridgen, Eric M.; Hammond, Paula T.; Love, J. Christopher

    2010-01-01

    This article summarizes an experiment on thin-film fabrication with layer-by-layer assembly that is appropriate for undergraduate laboratory courses. The purpose of this experiment is to teach students about self-assembly in the context of thin films and to expose students to the concepts of functional polymeric coatings. Students dip coat…

  16. Materials science and integration bases for fabrication of (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 thin film capacitors with layered Cu-based electrodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, W.; Kabius, B.; Hiller, J. M.; Saha, S.; Carlisle, J. A.; Auciello, O.; Chang, R. P. H.; Ramesh, R.

    2003-11-01

    The synthesis and fundamental material properties of layered TiAl/Cu/Ta electrodes were investigated to achieve the integration of Cu electrodes with high-dielectric constant (κ) oxide thin films for application to the fabrication of high-frequency devices. The Ta layer is an excellent diffusion barrier to inhibit deleterious Cu diffusion into the Si substrate, while the TiAl layer provides an excellent barrier against oxygen diffusion into the Cu layer to inhibit Cu oxidation during the growth of the high-κ layer in an oxygen atmosphere. Polycrystalline (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 (BST) thin films were grown on the Cu-based bottom electrode by rf magnetron sputtering at temperatures in the range 400-600 °C in oxygen, to investigate the performance of BST/Cu-based capacitors. Characterization of the Cu-based layered structure using surface analytical methods showed that two amorphous oxide layers were formed on both sides of the TiAl barrier, such that the oxide layer on the free surface of the TiAl layer correlates with TiAlOx, while the oxide layer at the TiAl/Cu interface is an Al2O3-rich layer. This double amorphous barrier layer structure effectively prevents oxygen penetration towards the underlying Cu and Ta layers. The TiAlOx interfacial layer, which has a relatively low dielectric constant compared with BST, reduced the total capacitance of the BST thin film capacitors. In addition, the layered electrode-oxide interface roughening observed during the growth of BST films at high temperature, due to copper grain growth, resulted in large dielectric loss on the fabricated BST capacitors. These problems were solved by growing the BST layer at 450 °C followed by a rapid thermal annealing at 700 °C. This process significantly reduced the thickness of the TiAlOx layer and interface roughness resulting in BST capacitors exhibiting properties suitable for the fabrication of high-performance high-frequency devices. In summary, relatively high dielectric constant (280), low

  17. Materials science and integration bases for fabrication of (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 thin film capacitors with layered Cu-based electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan, W.; Kabius, B.; Hiller, J.M.; Saha, S.; Carlisle, J.A.; Auciello, O.; Chang, R.P.H.; Ramesh, R.

    2003-01-01

    The synthesis and fundamental material properties of layered TiAl/Cu/Ta electrodes were investigated to achieve the integration of Cu electrodes with high-dielectric constant (κ) oxide thin films for application to the fabrication of high-frequency devices. The Ta layer is an excellent diffusion barrier to inhibit deleterious Cu diffusion into the Si substrate, while the TiAl layer provides an excellent barrier against oxygen diffusion into the Cu layer to inhibit Cu oxidation during the growth of the high-κ layer in an oxygen atmosphere. Polycrystalline (Ba x Sr 1-x )TiO 3 (BST) thin films were grown on the Cu-based bottom electrode by rf magnetron sputtering at temperatures in the range 400-600 deg. C in oxygen, to investigate the performance of BST/Cu-based capacitors. Characterization of the Cu-based layered structure using surface analytical methods showed that two amorphous oxide layers were formed on both sides of the TiAl barrier, such that the oxide layer on the free surface of the TiAl layer correlates with TiAlO x , while the oxide layer at the TiAl/Cu interface is an Al 2 O 3 -rich layer. This double amorphous barrier layer structure effectively prevents oxygen penetration towards the underlying Cu and Ta layers. The TiAlO x interfacial layer, which has a relatively low dielectric constant compared with BST, reduced the total capacitance of the BST thin film capacitors. In addition, the layered electrode-oxide interface roughening observed during the growth of BST films at high temperature, due to copper grain growth, resulted in large dielectric loss on the fabricated BST capacitors. These problems were solved by growing the BST layer at 450 deg. C followed by a rapid thermal annealing at 700 deg. C. This process significantly reduced the thickness of the TiAlO x layer and interface roughness resulting in BST capacitors exhibiting properties suitable for the fabrication of high-performance high-frequency devices. In summary, relatively high

  18. Method for double-sided processing of thin film transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Hao-Chih; Wang, Guogong; Eriksson, Mark A.; Evans, Paul G.; Lagally, Max G.; Ma, Zhenqiang

    2008-04-08

    This invention provides methods for fabricating thin film electronic devices with both front- and backside processing capabilities. Using these methods, high temperature processing steps may be carried out during both frontside and backside processing. The methods are well-suited for fabricating back-gate and double-gate field effect transistors, double-sided bipolar transistors and 3D integrated circuits.

  19. Electric Transport Phenomena of Nanocomposite Organic Polymer Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jira, Nicholas C.; Sabirianov, Ildar; Ilie, Carolina C.

    We discuss herein the nanocomposite organic thin film diodes for the use of plasmonic solar cells. This experimental work follows the theoretical calculations done for plasmonic solar cells using the MNPBEM toolbox for MatLab. These calculations include dispersion curves and amount of light scattering cross sections for different metallic nanoparticles. This study gives us clear ideas on what to expect from different metals, allowing us to make the best choice on what to use to obtain the best results. One specific technique for light trapping in thin films solar cells utilizes metal nanoparticles on the surface of the semiconductor. The characteristics of the metal, semiconductor interface allows for light to be guided in between them causing it to be scattered, allowing for more chances of absorption. The samples were fabricated using organic thin films made from polymers and metallic nanoparticles, more specifically Poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) copolymer and silver or gold nanoparticles. The two fabrication methods applied include spin coating and Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The transport properties are obtained by analyzing the I-V curves. We will also discuss the resistance, resistivity, conductance, density of charge carriers. SUNY Oswego SCAC Grant.

  20. Characterization of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene organic thin film transistors fabricated using pattern-induced confined structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Kyohyeok; Kwon, Namyong; Chung, Ilsub

    2014-01-01

    Bottom gate organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) were fabricated on polyethersulphone substrate using an ink jet printing method. 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) (TIPS) pentacene and poly-4-vinylphenol (PVP) were used as an active material and as a gate insulator, respectively. In an attempt to reduce the coffee stain effect, TIPS pentacene active layer was printed onto the pattern-induced confined structure (PICS) which had been obtained by orthogonally printing Ag electrodes on the pre-printed PVP layer. The resolution of Ag patterns was obtained by modifying the surface energy using UV irradiation and substrate temperature. The channel lengths of the aforementioned PICS OTFTs were in the range of 10 μm to 50 μm. The average mobility and on/off ratio of PICS OTFTs were 0.034 cm 2 /Vs and 10 3 , respectively. - Highlights: • Ink-jet printed bottom gate organic thin film transistor on plastic substrate • Ag lines orthogonally printed on pre-printed poly-4-vinylphenol lines • Pattern-induced confined structures obtained • UV irradiation affects the surface energy and the resolution of the Ag patterns

  1. Structure and electrical properties of Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 deposited on textured Pt thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Jongin; Song, Han Wook; Lee, Hee Chul; Lee, Won Jong; No, Kwangsoo

    2001-01-01

    The texturing of the bottom electrode plays a key role in the structure and electrical properties of Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) thin films. We fabricated Pt bottom electrodes having a different thickness on MgO single crystals at 600 o C by rf magnetron sputtering. As the thickness of platinum (Pt) thin film increased, the preferred orientation of Pt thin film changed from (200) to (111). PZT thin films were fabricated at 450 o C by electron cyclotron resonance-plasma enhanced metal organic chemical vapor deposition on the textured Pt thin films. The texturing of the bottom electrode caused drastic changes in the C--V characteristics, P--E characteristics, and fatigue characteristics of metal/ferroelectric material/metal (MFM) capacitors. The difference of the electrical properties between the PZT thin films having different texturing was discussed in terms-of the x--y alignment and the interface between electrode and PZT in MFM capacitors. copyright 2001 American Institute of Physics

  2. Thin film silicon photovoltaics: Architectural perspectives and technological issues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mercaldo, Lucia Vittoria; Addonizio, Maria Luisa; Noce, Marco Della; Veneri, Paola Delli; Scognamiglio, Alessandra; Privato, Carlo [ENEA, Portici Research Center, Piazzale E. Fermi, 80055 Portici (Napoli) (Italy)

    2009-10-15

    Thin film photovoltaics is a particularly attractive technology for building integration. In this paper, we present our analysis on architectural issues and technological developments of thin film silicon photovoltaics. In particular, we focus on our activities related to transparent and conductive oxide (TCO) and thin film amorphous and microcrystalline silicon solar cells. The research on TCO films is mainly dedicated to large-area deposition of zinc oxide (ZnO) by low pressure-metallorganic chemical vapor deposition. ZnO material, with a low sheet resistance (<8 {omega}/sq) and with an excellent transmittance (>82%) in the whole wavelength range of photovoltaic interest, has been obtained. ''Micromorph'' tandem devices, consisting of an amorphous silicon top cell and a microcrystalline silicon bottom cell, are fabricated by using the very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique. An initial efficiency of 11.1% (>10% stabilized) has been obtained. (author)

  3. Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrochemical Properties of Polyaniline Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rami, Soukaina

    Conjugated polymers have been used in various applications (battery, supercapacitor, electromagnetic shielding, chemical sensor, biosensor, nanocomposite, light-emitting-diode, electrochromic display etc.) due to their excellent conductivity, electrochemical and optical properties, and low cost. Polyaniline has attracted the researchers from all disciplines of science, engineering, and industry due to its redox properties, environmental stability, conductivity, and optical properties. Moreover, it is a polymer with fast electroactive switching and reversible properties displayed at low potential, which is an important feature in many applications. The thin oriented polyaniline films have been fabricated using self-assembly, Langmuir-Blodgett, in-situ self-assembly, layer-by-layer, and electrochemical technique. The focus of this thesis is to synthesize and characterize polyaniline thin films with and without dyes. Also, the purpose of this thesis is to find the fastest electroactive switching PANI electrode in different electrolytic medium by studying their electrochemical properties. These films were fabricated using two deposition techniques: in-situ self-assembly and electrochemical deposition. The characterization of these films was done using techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). FTIR and UV-spectroscopy showed similar results in the structure of the polyaniline films. However, for the dye incorporated films, since there was an addition in the synthesis of the material, peak locations shifted, and new peaks corresponding to these materials appeared. The 1 layer PANI showed compact film morphology, comparing to other PANI films, which displayed a fiber-like structure. Finally, the electrochemical properties of these thin films were studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in

  4. Solid thin film materials for use in thin film charge-coupled devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lynch, S.J.

    1983-01-01

    Solid thin films deposited by vacuum deposition were evaluated to ascertain their effectiveness for use in the manufacturing of charge-coupled devices (CCDs). Optical and electrical characteristics of tellurium and Bi 2 Te 3 solid thin films were obtained in order to design and to simulate successfully the operation of thin film (TF) CCDs. In this article some of the material differences between single-crystal material and the island-structured thin film used in TFCCDs are discussed. The electrical parameters were obtained and tabulated, e.g. the mobility, conductivity, dielectric constants, permittivity, lifetime of holes and electrons in the thin films and drift diffusion constants. The optical parameters were also measured and analyzed. After the design was complete, experimental TFCCDs were manufactured and were successfully operated utilizing the aforementioned solid thin films. (Auth.)

  5. Fabrication of ionic liquid electrodeposited Cu--Sn--Zn--S--Se thin films and method of making

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharya, Raghu Nath

    2016-01-12

    A semiconductor thin-film and method for producing a semiconductor thin-films comprising a metallic salt, an ionic compound in a non-aqueous solution mixed with a solvent and processing the stacked layer in chalcogen that results in a CZTS/CZTSS thin films that may be deposited on a substrate is disclosed.

  6. Fabrication and improved photoelectrochemical properties of a transferred GaN-based thin film with InGaN/GaN layers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Dezhong; Xiao, Hongdi; Gao, Qingxue; Yang, Xiaokun; Luan, Caina; Mao, Hongzhi; Liu, Jianqiang; Liu, Xiangdong

    2017-08-17

    Herein, a lift-off mesoporous GaN-based thin film, which consisted of a strong phase-separated InGaN/GaN layer and an n-GaN layer, was fabricated via an electrochemical etching method in a hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution for the first time and then transferred onto quartz or n-Si substrates, acting as photoanodes during photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting in a 1 M NaCl aqueous solution. Compared to the as-grown GaN-based film, the transferred GaN-based thin films possess higher and blue-shifted light emission, presumably resulting from an increase in the surface area and stress relaxation in the InGaN/GaN layer embedded on the mesoporous n-GaN. The properties such as (i) high photoconversion efficiency, (ii) low turn-on voltage (-0.79 V versus Ag/AgCl), and (iii) outstanding stability enable the transferred films to have excellent PEC water splitting ability. Furthermore, as compared to the film transferred onto the quartz substrate, the film transferred onto the n-Si substrate exhibits higher photoconversion efficiency (2.99% at -0.10 V) due to holes (h + ) in the mesoporous n-GaN layer that originate from the n-Si substrate.

  7. Performance of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell with thin film catalyst electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chun, Young Gab; Kim, Chang Soo; Peck, Dong Hyun; Shin, Dong Ryul [Korea Institute of Energy Research, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1998-03-15

    In order to develop a kW-class polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), several electrodes have been fabricated by different catalyst layer preparation procedures and evaluated based on the cell performance. Conventional carbon paper and carbon cloth electrodes were fabricated using a ptfe-bonded Pt/C electrol catalyst by coating and rolling methods. Thin-film catalyst/ionomer composite layers were also formed on the membrane by direct coating and transfer printing techniques. The performance evaluation with catalyst layer preparation methods was carried out using a large or small electrode single cell. Conventional and thin film membrane and electrode assemblies (MEAs) with small electrode area showed a performance of 350 and 650 mA/cm{sup 2} at 0.6 V, respectively. The performance of direct coated thin film catalyst layer with 300 cm{sup 2} MEAs was higher than those of the conventional and transfer printing technique MEAs. The influence of some characteristic parameters of the thin film electrode on electrochemical performance was examined. Various other aspects of overall operation of PEMFC stacks were also discussed. (orig.)

  8. Superhydrophobic nanostructured ZnO thin films on aluminum alloy substrates by electrophoretic deposition process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Ying; Sarkar, D.K., E-mail: dsarkar@uqac.ca; Chen, X-Grant

    2015-02-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Fabrication of superhydrophobic ZnO thin films surfaces by electrophoretic deposition process on aluminum substrates. • Effect of bath temperature on the physical and superhydrophobic properties of thin films. • The water contact angle of 155° ± 3 with roll off property has been observed on the film that was grown at bath temperatures of 50 °C. • The activation energy for electrophoretic deposition of SA-functionalized ZnO nanoparticle is calculated to be 0.50 eV. - Abstract: Superhydrophobic thin films have been fabricated on aluminum alloy substrates by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process using stearic acid (SA) functionalized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles suspension in alcohols at varying bath temperatures. The deposited thin films have been characterized using both X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy and it is found that the films contain low surface energy zinc stearate and ZnO nanoparticles. It is also observed that the atomic percentage of Zn and O, roughness and water contact angle of the thin films increase with the increase of the deposited bath temperature. Furthermore, the thin film deposited at 50 °C, having a roughness of 4.54 ± 0.23 μm, shows superhydrophobic properties providing a water contact angle of 155 ± 3° with rolling off properties. Also, the activation energy of electrophoretic deposition of stearic-acid-functionalized ZnO nanoparticles is calculated to be 0.5 eV.

  9. Thin-film photovoltaic technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhattacharya, R.N. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States)

    2010-07-01

    The high material and processing costs associated with single-crystal and polycrystalline silicon wafers that are commonly used in photovoltaic cells render these modules expensive. This presentation described thin-film solar cell technology as a promising alternative to silicon solar cell technology. Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films along with copper, indium, gallium, and selenium (CIGS) thin films have become the leaders in this field. Their large optical absorption coefficient can be attributed to a direct energy gap that allows the use of thin layers (1-2 {mu}m) of active material. The efficiency of thin-film solar cell devices based on CIGS is 20 per cent, compared to 16.7 per cent for thin-film solar cell devices based on CdTe. IBM recently reported an efficiency of 9.7 per cent for a new type of inorganic thin-film solar cell based on a Cu{sub 2}ZnSn(S, Se){sub 4} compound. The efficiency of an organic thin-film solar cell is 7.9 per cent. This presentation included a graph of PV device efficiencies and discussed technological advances in non-vacuum deposited, CIGS-based thin-film solar cells. 1 fig.

  10. Study and fabrication of ZnNb2O6 thin films by sol-gel method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, Cheng-Hsing; Yang, Pai-Chuan; Yang, Hsi-Wen; Yan, Shu-Fong; Tung, Hsin-Han

    2011-01-01

    Zinc niobium oxide (ZnNb 2 O 6 ) thin films were grown on ITO/glass substrate by sol-gel process. Microstructure and surface morphology of the ZnNb 2 O 6 thin films have been studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Optical properties of the ZnNb 2 O 6 thin films were obtained by UV-visible recording spectrophotometer. The dependence of the microstructure, optical transmittance spectra, optical band gap on annealing temperature was also investigated.

  11. Low-density silicon thin films for lithium-ion battery anodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Demirkan, M.T., E-mail: tmdemirkan@ualr.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR 72204 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gebze Technical University, Kocaeli (Turkey); Trahey, L. [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Karabacak, T. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR 72204 (United States)

    2016-02-01

    Density of sputter deposited silicon (Si) thin films was changed by a simple working gas pressure control process, and its effects on the cycling performance of Si films in Li-ion batteries as anodes was investigated. Higher gas pressure results in reduced film densities due to a shadowing effect originating from lower mean free path of sputter atoms, which leads to a wider angular distribution of the incoming flux and formation of a porous film microstructure. Si thin film anodes of different densities ranging from 2.27 g/cm{sup 3} (film porosity ~ 3%) down to 1.64 g/cm{sup 3} (~ 30% porosity) were fabricated by magnetron sputtering at argon pressures varying from 0.2 Pa to 2.6 Pa, respectively. High density Si thin film anodes of 2.27 g/cm{sup 3} suffered from an unstable cycling behavior during charging/discharging depicted by a continuous reduction in specific down to ~ 830 mAh/g at the 100th cycle. Electrochemical properties of lower density films with 1.99 g/cm{sup 3} (~ 15% porosity) and 1.77 g/cm{sup 3} (~ 24% porosity) got worse resulting in only ~ 100 mAh/g capacity at 100th cycle. On the other hand, as the density of anode was further reduced down to about 1.64 g/cm{sup 3} (~ 30% porosity), cycling stability and capacity retention significantly improved resulting in specific capacity values ~ 650 mAh/g at 100th cycle with coulombic efficiencies of > 98%. Enhancement in our low density Si film anodes are believed to mainly originate from the availability of voids for volumetric expansion during lithiation and resulting compliant behavior that provides superior mechanical and electrochemical stability. - Highlights: • Low density Si thin films were studied as Li-ion battery anodes. • Low density Si films were fabricated by magnetron sputter deposition. • Density of Si films reduced down to as low as ~ 1.64 g/cm{sup 3} with a porosity of ~ 30% • Low density Si films presented superior mechanical properties during cycling.

  12. Low operating voltage InGaZnO thin-film transistors based on Al2O3 high-k dielectrics fabricated using pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geng, G. Z.; Liu, G. X.; Zhang, Q.; Shan, F. K.; Lee, W. J.; Shin, B. C.; Cho, C. R.

    2014-01-01

    Low-voltage-driven amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with an Al 2 O 3 dielectric were fabricated on a Si substrate by using pulsed laser deposition. Both Al 2 O 3 and IGZO thin films are amorphous, and the thin films have very smooth surfaces. The Al 2 O 3 gate dielectric exhibits a very low leakage current density of 1.3 x 10 -8 A/cm 2 at 5 V and a high capacitance density of 60.9 nF/cm 2 . The IGZO TFT with a structure of Ni/IGZO/Al 2 O 3 /Si exhibits high performance with a low threshold voltage of 1.18 V, a high field effect mobility of 20.25 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , an ultra small subthreshold swing of 87 mV/decade, and a high on/off current ratio of 3 x 10 7 .

  13. Effects of the magnesium oxide thin films' microstructures on the residual stresses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, Li-jun, E-mail: helijun4@126.com [The School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065 (China); The State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Microelectronics and Solid-State Electronics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China); Wang, Li-yan [Electronic Information and Networking Research Institute, Collaborative Innovation Center for Information Communication Technology, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065 (China); Chen, Wei-Zhong [The School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065 (China); Liu, Xing-zhao [The State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Microelectronics and Solid-State Electronics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China)

    2016-09-15

    The MgO thin films are deposited at various inclined angles. The morphology investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) shows the MgO thin films deposited at high inclined angles have columnar grain. The relationships between full width high maximum (FWHM) of ω-scan, residual stresses and the inclined angles are studied. The results show the smallest FWHM of MgO (002) is 4.968°, the residual stress of MgO thin films is compressive stress, and the residual stress of MgO thin films deposited at the inclined angle of 55° is the smallest. So the microstructures of MgO thin films fabricated by the oblique angle deposition (OAD) technique effectively control the residual stresses. - Highlights: • MgO thin films are deposited by oblique angle deposition technique. • The FWHMs of MgO is the smallest at the inclined angle of 55°. • Residual stress of MgO is the smallest at the inclined angle of 55°.

  14. Thin film processes II

    CERN Document Server

    Kern, Werner

    1991-01-01

    This sequel to the 1978 classic, Thin Film Processes, gives a clear, practical exposition of important thin film deposition and etching processes that have not yet been adequately reviewed. It discusses selected processes in tutorial overviews with implementation guide lines and an introduction to the literature. Though edited to stand alone, when taken together, Thin Film Processes II and its predecessor present a thorough grounding in modern thin film techniques.Key Features* Provides an all-new sequel to the 1978 classic, Thin Film Processes* Introduces new topics, and sever

  15. Fabrication of Cu–Zn–Sn–S–O Thin Films by the Electrochemical Deposition Method and Application to Heterojunction Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai Yang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A new multinary semiconductor Cu2ZnSnS4−O (CZTSO, which does not contain toxic elements and expensive rare metals, was fabricated by the electrochemical deposition (ECD method. CZTSO thin films were deposited onto indium tin oxide (ITO- coated glass substrates by DC and two-step pulsed ECD from aqueous solutions containing CuSO4, ZnSO4, SnSO4, and Na2S2O3. The films deposited by pulsed ECD contained smaller amount of oxygen than those deposited by DC ECD. The films had band gap energies in a range from 1.5 eV and 2.1 eV. By a photoelectrochemical measurement, it was confirmed that CZTSO films showed p-type conduction and photosensitivity. CZTSO/ZnO heterojunctions exhibited rectification properties in a current-voltage measurement.

  16. Study of neural cells on organic semiconductor ultra thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bystrenova, Eva; Tonazzini, Ilaria; Stoliar, Pablo; Greco, Pierpaolo; Lazar, Adina; Dutta, Soumya; Dionigi, Chiara; Cacace, Marcello; Biscarini, Fabio [ISMN-CNR, Bologna (Italy); Jelitai, Marta; Madarasz, Emilia [IEM- HAS, Budapest (Hungary); Huth, Martin; Nickel, Bert [LMU, Munich (Germany); Martini, Claudia [Dept. PNPB, Univ. of Pisa (Italy)

    2008-07-01

    Many technological advances are currently being developed for nano-fabrication, offering the ability to create and control patterns of soft materials. We report the deposition of cells on organic semiconductor ultra-thin films. This is a first step towards the development of active bio/non bio systems for electrical transduction. Thin films of pentacene, whose thickness was systematically varied, were grown by high vacuum sublimation. We report adhesion, growth, and differentiation of human astroglial cells and mouse neural stem cells on an organic semiconductor. Viability of astroglial cells in time was measured as a function of the roughness and the characteristic morphology of ultra thin organic film, as well as the features of the patterned molecules. Optical fluorescence microscope coupled to atomic force microscope was used to monitor the presence, density and shape of deposited cells. Neural stem cells remain viable, differentiate by retinoic acid and form dense neuronal networks. We have shown the possibility to integrate living neural cells on organic semiconductor thin films.

  17. Fabrication of Nonvolatile Memory Effects in High-k Dielectric Thin Films Using Electron Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Chanrock; Cho, Daehee; Kim, Jeongeun; Hwang, Jinha

    2010-01-01

    Electron Irradiation can be applied towards nano-floating gate memories which are recognized as one of the next-generation nonvolatile memory semiconductors. NFGMs can overcome the preexisting limitations encountered in Dynamic Random Access Memories and Flash memories with the excellent advantages, i. e. high-density information storage, high response speed, high compactness, etc. The traditional nano-floating gate memories are fabricated through multi-layered nano structures of the dissimilar materials where the charge-trapping portions are sandwiched into the high-k dielectrics. However, this work reports the unique nonvolatile responses in single-layered high-k dielectric thin films if irradiated with highly accelerated electron beams. The implications of the electron irradiation will be discussed towards high-performance nano-floating gate memories

  18. High efficiency copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin film solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajanikant, Ray Jayminkumar

    The generation of electrical current from the solar radiation is known as the photovoltaic effect. Solar cell, also known as photovoltaic (PV) cell, is a device that works on the principle of photovoltaic effect, and is widely used for the generation of electricity. Thin film polycrystalline solar cells based on copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) are admirable candidates for clean energy production with competitive prices in the near future. CIGS based polycrystalline thin film solar cells with efficiencies of 20.3 % and excellent temperature stability have already been reported at the laboratory level. The present study discusses about the fabrication of CIGS solar cell. Before the fabrication part of CIGS solar cell, a numerical simulation is carried out using One-Dimensional Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structures (AMPS-ID) for understanding the physics of a solar cell device, so that an optimal structure is analyzed. In the fabrication part of CIGS solar cell, Molybdenum (Mo) thin film, which acts as a 'low' resistance metallic back contact, is deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on organically cleaned soda lime glass substrate. The major advantages for using Mo are high temperature, (greater than 600 °C), stability and inertness to CIGS layer (i.e., no diffusion of CIGS into Mo). Mo thin film is deposited at room temperature (RT) by varying the RF power and the working pressure. The Mo thin films deposited with 100 W RF power and 1 mTorr working pressure show a reflectivity of above average 50 % and the low sheet resistance of about 1 O/□. The p-type CIGS layer is deposited on Mo. Before making thin films of CIGS, a powder of CIGS material is synthesized using melt-quenching method. Thin films of CIGS are prepared by a single-stage flash evaporation process on glass substrates, initially, for optimization of deposition parameters and than on Mo coated glass substrates for device fabrication. CIGS thin film is deposited at 250 °C at a

  19. Formation mechanisms of metallic Zn nanodots by using ZnO thin films deposited on n-Si substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuk, J. M.; Lee, J. Y.; Kim, Y.; No, Y. S.; Kim, T. W.; Choi, W. K.

    2010-01-01

    High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy results showed that metallic Zn nanodots (NDs) were fabricated through transformation of ZnO thin films by deposition of SiO x on ZnO/n-Si (100) heterostructures. The Zn NDs with various sizes and densities were formed due to the occurrence of the mass diffusion of atoms along the grain boundaries in the ZnO thin films. The fabrication mechanisms of metallic Zn NDs through transformation of ZnO thin films deposited on n-Si substrates are described on the basis of the experimental results.

  20. 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)

  1. The Importance of Moisture in Hybrid Lead Halide Perovskite Thin Film Fabrication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eperon, Giles E; Habisreutinger, Severin N; Leijtens, Tomas; Bruijnaers, Bardo J; van Franeker, Jacobus J; deQuilettes, Dane W; Pathak, Sandeep; Sutton, Rebecca J; Grancini, Giulia; Ginger, David S; Janssen, Rene A J; Petrozza, Annamaria; Snaith, Henry J

    2015-09-22

    Moisture, in the form of ambient humidity, has a significant impact on methylammonium lead halide perovskite films. In particular, due to the hygroscopic nature of the methylammonium component, moisture plays a significant role during film formation. This issue has so far not been well understood and neither has the impact of moisture on the physical properties of resultant films. Herein, we carry out a comprehensive and well-controlled study of the effect of moisture exposure on methylammonium lead halide perovskite film formation and properties. We find that films formed in higher humidity atmospheres have a less continuous morphology but significantly improved photoluminescence, and that film formation is faster. In photovoltaic devices, we find that exposure to moisture, either in the precursor solution or in the atmosphere during formation, results in significantly improved open-circuit voltages and hence overall device performance. We then find that by post-treating dry films with moisture exposure, we can enhance photovoltaic performance and photoluminescence in a similar way. The enhanced photoluminescence and open-circuit voltage imply that the material quality is improved in films that have been exposed to moisture. We determine that this improvement stems from a reduction in trap density in the films, which we postulate to be due to the partial solvation of the methylammonium component and "self-healing" of the perovskite lattice. This work highlights the importance of controlled moisture exposure when fabricating high-performance perovskite devices and provides guidelines for the optimum environment for fabrication. Moreover, we note that often an unintentional water exposure is likely responsible for the high performance of solar cells produced in some laboratories, whereas careful synthesis and fabrication in a dry environment will lead to lower-performing devices.

  2. Fabrication and characterization of high-quality (Hg,Re)Ba sub 2 CaCu sub 2 O sub y thin films on LSAT substrates

    CERN Document Server

    Ogawa, A; Sugano, T; Adachi, S; Suzuki, K; Nakagaki, N; Enomoto, Y; Tanabe, K

    2002-01-01

    We have succeeded in fabricating high-quality (Hg,Re)Ba sub 2 CaCu sub 2 O sub y ((Hg,Re)-1212) thin films with a thickness of 300 nm on (LaAlO sub 3) sub 0 sub . sub 3 -(SrAl sub 0 sub . sub 5 Ta sub 0 sub . sub 5 O sub 3) sub 0 sub . sub 7 (LSAT) substrates. The films were fabricated by repeating the two-step process, which consists of the preparation of a precursor film and the heat treatment in Hg-vapour atmosphere. For the purpose of improving their crystal quality, the heat treatment in the final process was carried out in a lower Hg-vapour pressure for a longer time. The obtained films had a flat surface and no appreciable outgrowth. The films exhibited a T sub c value of 120 K and a J sub c value of 4.4 x 10 sup 6 A cm sup - sup 2 at 77 K in a self-field, which are substantially higher than those for the films fabricated in higher Hg-vapour atmosphere. Their electrical transport properties in magnetic fields up to 7 T were investigated. Their lower irreversibility fields at 77 K as well as the higher ...

  3. Amorphous Hafnium-Indium-Zinc Oxide Semiconductor Thin Film Transistors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheng-Po Chang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We reported on the performance and electrical properties of co-sputtering-processed amorphous hafnium-indium-zinc oxide (α-HfIZO thin film transistors (TFTs. Co-sputtering-processed α-HfIZO thin films have shown an amorphous phase in nature. We could modulate the In, Hf, and Zn components by changing the co-sputtering power. Additionally, the chemical composition of α-HfIZO had a significant effect on reliability, hysteresis, field-effect mobility (μFE, carrier concentration, and subthreshold swing (S of the device. Our results indicated that we could successfully and easily fabricate α-HfIZO TFTs with excellent performance by the co-sputtering process. Co-sputtering-processed α-HfIZO TFTs were fabricated with an on/off current ratio of ~106, higher mobility, and a subthreshold slope as steep as 0.55 V/dec.

  4. Investigation of phase transformation for ferrite–austenite structure in stainless steel thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Merakeb, Noureddine [Laboratory of Physical Metallurgy and Property of Materials (LM2PM), Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Department, Badji Mokhtar University, P.O. Box 12, Annaba 23000 (Algeria); Messai, Amel [Laboratoire d' Ingénierie et Sciences des Matériaux Avancés (ISMA), Institut des Sciences et Technologie, Abbès Laghrour University, Khenchela 40000 (Algeria); Ayesh, Ahmad I., E-mail: ayesh@qu.edu.qa [Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Qatar University, Doha (Qatar)

    2016-05-01

    In this work we report on phase transformation of 304 stainless steel thin films due to heat treatment. Ex-situ annealing was applied for evaporated 304 stainless steel thin films inside an ultra-high vacuum chamber with a pressure of 3 × 10{sup −7} Pa at temperatures of 500 °C and 600 °C. The structure of thin films was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) techniques. The results revealed a transformation from α-phase that exhibits a body-centered cubic structure (BCC) to γ-phase that exhibits a face-centered cubic (FCC) due to annealing. In addition, the percentage of γ-phase structure increased with the increase of annealing temperature. Annealing thin films increased the crystal size of both phases (α and γ), however, the increase was nonlinear. The results also showed that phase transformation was produced by recrystallization of α and γ crystals with a temporal evolution at each annealing temperature. The texture degree of thin films was investigated by XRD rocking curve method, while residual stress was evaluated using curvature method. - Highlights: • Stainless steel thin films were fabricated by thermal evaporation on quartz. • Alpha to gamma phase transformation of thin films was investigated. • Annealing of thin films reduces disruption in crystal lattice. • The stress of as-grown thin films was independent on the thin film thickness. • The stress of the thin films was reduced due to annealing.

  5. Simple gun for vapor deposition of organic thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, N.; Seki, K.; Inokuchi, H.

    1987-01-01

    A simple evaporation gun for preparing organic thin films was fabricated using commercially available parts of an electron gun for a TV Braun tube. The device permits sample heating to be easily controlled because of the small heat capacity

  6. Resistivity behavior of optimized PbTiO3 thin films prepared by spin coating method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nurbaya, Z.; Wahid, M. H.; Rozana, M. D.; Alrokayan, S. A. H.; Khan, H. A.; Rusop, M.

    2018-05-01

    Th is study presents the resistivity behavior of PbTiO3 thin films which were prepared towards metal-insulator-metal capacitor device fabrication. The PbTiO3 thin films were prepared through sol-gel spin coating method that involved various deposition parameters that is (1) different molar concentration of PbTiO3 solutions, (2) various additional PbAc-content in PbTiO3 solutions, and (3) various annealing temperature on PbTiO3 thin films. Hence, an electrical measurement of current versus voltage was done to determine the resistivity behavior of PbTiO3 thin films.

  7. Growth and applications of superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pinto, R.

    1991-01-01

    This paper attempt to highlight the important PVD techniques such as evaporation, sputtering, ion beam deposition and excimer laser ablation for the preparation of superconducting YBaCuO thin films. Since enormous amount of work has been published over the last few years, this review is not comprehensive even in PVD techniques. In the area of applications for electronics, thin film appear to be much more promising than bulk high T c superconductors. Already high J c values in the region of 4 x 10 6 A cm -2 have been realized in thin films. Resonators and transmission lines have been fabricated using 123 films showing a transmission loss significantly lower than that of copper at 77 degrees K at X-band frequencies. This review will discuss some of the important electronic applications feasible with 123 films

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2007-01-01

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

  9. Design, Fabrication and Characterization of Thin Film Structures through Oxidation Kinetics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diaz Leon, Juan Jose

    Materials science and engineering is devoted to the understanding of the physics and chemistry of materials at the mesoscale and to applying that knowledge into real-life applications. In this work, different oxide materials and different oxidation methods are studied from a materials science point of view and for specific applications. First, the deposition of complex metal oxides is explored for solar energy concentration. This requires a number of multi-cation oxide structures such as thin-film dielectric barriers, low loss waveguides or the use of continuously graded composition oxides for antireflection coatings and light concentration. Then, oxidation via Joule heating is used for the self-alignment of a selector on top of a memristor structure on a nanovia. Simulations are used to explore the necessary voltage for the insulator-to-metal transition temperature of NbO2 using finite element analysis, followed by the fabrication and the characterization of such a device. Finally, long-term copper oxidation at room temperature and pressure is studied using optical techniques. Alternative characterization techniques are used to confirm the growth rate and phase change, and an application of copper oxide as a volatile conductive bridge is shown. All these examples show how the combination of novel simulation, fabrication and characterization techniques can be used to understand physical mechanisms and enable disruptive technologies in fields such as solar cells, light emitting diodes, photodetectors or memory devices.

  10. Fabrication of band gap engineered nanostructured tri-metallic (Mn-Co-Ti) oxide thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansoor, Muhammad Adil; Yusof, Farazila Binti; Nay-Ming, Huang

    2018-04-01

    In continuation of our previous studies on photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of titanium based composite oxide thin films, an effort is made to develop thin films of 1:1:2 manganese-cobalt-titanium oxide composite, Mn2O3-Co2O3-4TiO2 (MCT), using Co(OAc)2 and a bimetallic manganese-titanium complex, [Mn2Ti4(TFA)8(THF)6(OH)4(O)2].0.4THF (1), where OAc = acetato, TFA = trifluoroacetato and THF = tetrahydrofuran, via aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) technique. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopic analyses confirmed formation of thin film of Mn2O3-Co2O3-4TiO2 composite material with uniformly distributed agglomerated particles. The average size of 39.5 nm, of the particles embedded inside agglomerates, was estimated by Scherer's equation. Further, UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to estimate the band gap of 2.62 eV for MCT composite thin film.

  11. Chalcogenide phase-change thin films used as grayscale photolithography materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Rui; Wei, Jingsong; Fan, Yongtao

    2014-03-10

    Chalcogenide phase-change thin films are used in many fields, such as optical information storage and solid-state memory. In this work, we present another application of chalcogenide phase-change thin films, i.e., as grayscale photolithgraphy materials. The grayscale patterns can be directly inscribed on the chalcogenide phase-change thin films by a single process through direct laser writing method. In grayscale photolithography, the laser pulse can induce the formation of bump structure, and the bump height and size can be precisely controlled by changing laser energy. Bumps with different height and size present different optical reflection and transmission spectra, leading to the different gray levels. For example, the continuous-tone grayscale images of lifelike bird and cat are successfully inscribed onto Sb(2)Te(3) chalcogenide phase-change thin films using a home-built laser direct writer, where the expression and appearance of the lifelike bird and cat are fully presented. This work provides a way to fabricate complicated grayscale patterns using laser-induced bump structures onto chalcogenide phase-change thin films, different from current techniques such as photolithography, electron beam lithography, and focused ion beam lithography. The ability to form grayscale patterns of chalcogenide phase-change thin films reveals many potential applications in high-resolution optical images for micro/nano image storage, microartworks, and grayscale photomasks.

  12. Low temperature fabrication of CuxO thin-film transistors and investigation on the origin of low field effect mobility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shijeesh, M. R.; Jayaraj, M. K.

    2018-04-01

    Cuprous (Cu2O) and cupric (CuO) oxide thin films have been deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering with two different oxygen partial pressures. The as-deposited copper oxide films were subjected to post-annealing at 300 °C for 30 min to improve the microstructural, morphological, and optical properties of thin films. Optical absorption studies revealed the existence of a large number of subgap states inside CuO films than Cu2O films. Cu2O and CuO thin film transistors (TFTs) were fabricated in an inverted staggered structure by using a post-annealed channel layer. The field effect mobility values of Cu2O and CuO TFTs were 5.20 × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 2.33 × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. The poor values of subthreshold swing, threshold voltage, and field effect mobility of the TFTs were due to the charge trap density at the copper oxide/dielectric interface as well as defect induced trap states originated from the oxygen vacancies inside the bulk copper oxide. In order to study the distribution of the trap states in the Cu2O and CuO active layer, the temperature dependent transfer characteristics of transistors in the temperature range between 310 K and 340 K were studied. The observed subgap states were found to be decreasing exponentially inside the bandgap, with CuO TFT showing higher subgap states than Cu2O TFT. The high-density hole trap states in the CuO channel are one of the plausible reasons for the lower mobility in CuO TFT than in Cu2O TFT. The origin of these subgap states was attributed to the impurities or oxygen vacancies present in the CuO channel layer.

  13. Pyrolyzed thin film carbon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai, Yu-Chong (Inventor); Liger, Matthieu (Inventor); Harder, Theodore (Inventor); Konishi, Satoshi (Inventor); Miserendino, Scott (Inventor)

    2010-01-01

    A method of making carbon thin films comprises depositing a catalyst on a substrate, depositing a hydrocarbon in contact with the catalyst and pyrolyzing the hydrocarbon. A method of controlling a carbon thin film density comprises etching a cavity into a substrate, depositing a hydrocarbon into the cavity, and pyrolyzing the hydrocarbon while in the cavity to form a carbon thin film. Controlling a carbon thin film density is achieved by changing the volume of the cavity. Methods of making carbon containing patterned structures are also provided. Carbon thin films and carbon containing patterned structures can be used in NEMS, MEMS, liquid chromatography, and sensor devices.

  14. Fabrication of flexible thermoelectric microcoolers using planar thin-film technologies

    OpenAIRE

    Gonçalves, L. M.; Rocha, J. G.; Couto, Carlos; Alpuim, P.; Min, Gao; Rowe, D. M.; Correia, J. H.

    2007-01-01

    The present work reports on the fabrication and characterization of a planar Peltier cooler on a flexible substrate. The device was fabricated on a 12 νm thick Kapton(c) polyimide substrate using Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 thermoelectric elements deposited by thermal co-evaporation. The cold area of the device is cooled with four thermoelectric junctions, connected in series using metal contacts. Plastic substrates add uncommon mechanical properties to the composite film-substrate and enable integrati...

  15. Room temperature deposition of perpendicular magnetic anisotropic Co{sub 3}Pt thin films on glass substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Yu-Shen; Dai, Hong-Yu; Hsu, Yi-Wei [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan-Ze University, Chung-Li 32003, Taiwan (China); Ou, Sin-Liang, E-mail: slo@mail.dyu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Da-Yeh University, Changhua 51591, Taiwan (China); Chen, Shi-Wei [National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC), Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China); Lu, Hsi-Chuan; Wang, Sea-Fue [Department of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Sun, An-Cheng, E-mail: acsun@saturn.yzu.edu.tw [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan-Ze University, Chung-Li 32003, Taiwan (China)

    2017-03-01

    Co{sub 3}Pt alloy thin films were deposited on the glass substrate at room temperature (RT) and 300 °C, which showed high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and isotropy magnetic behaviors, respectively. Co{sub 3}Pt HCP (0002) planes grew along the substrate plane for the films deposited at RT. The easy axis [0001] was consequently vertical to the substrate surface and obtained the predominant PMA. Large magnetic domains and sharp boundary also supported high PMA in RT-deposited samples. On the other hand, the PMA was significantly decreased with increasing the deposition temperature from RT to 300 °C. Hard HCP(0002) and soft A1(111) co-existed in the film and the magnetic exchanged coupling between these two phases induced isotropy magnetic behavior. In addition, the various thicknesses (t) of the RT-deposited Co{sub 3}Pt films were deposited with different base pressures prior to sputtering. The Kerr rotation loops showed high PMA and out-of-plane squareness (S{sub ⊥}) of ~0.9 were found in low base pressure chamber. Within high base pressure chamber, Co{sub 3}Pt films just show magnetic isotropy behaviors. This study provides a fabrication method for the preparation of high PMA HCP-type Co{sub 3}Pt films on the glass substrate without any underlayer at RT. The results could be the base for future development of RT-deposited magnetic alloy thin film with high PMA. - Highlights: • Fabricated high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy Co{sub 3}Pt thin film on glass substrate. • Prepared HCP Co{sub 3}Pt thin film at room temperature. • The key to enhance the PMA of the Co{sub 3}Pt films. • Thinner film is good to fabricate PMA Co{sub 3}Pt thin films.

  16. Effects of bacteria on CdS thin films used in technological devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alpdoğan, S.; Adıgüzel, A. O.; Sahan, B.; Tunçer, M.; Metin Gubur, H.

    2017-04-01

    Cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films were fabricated on glass substrates by the chemical bath deposition method at 70 {}^\\circ \\text{C} considering deposition times ranging from 2 h to 5 h. The optical band gaps of CdS thin films were found to be in the 2.42-2.37 eV range. CdS thin films had uniform spherical nano-size grains which had polycrystalline, hexagonal and cubic phases. The films had a characteristic electrical resistivity of the order of {{10}5} Ω \\text{cm} and n-type conductivity at room condition. CdS thin films were incubated in cultures of B.domonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, which exist abundantly in the environment, and form biofilms. SEM images showed that S. aureus and K. pneumonia were detected significantly on the film surfaces with a few of P. aeruginosa and B. subtilis cells attached. CdS thin film surface exhibits relatively good resistance to the colonization of P. aeruginosa and B. subtilis. Optical results showed that the band gap of CdS thin films which interacted with the bacteria is 2.42 \\text{eV} . The crystal structure and electrical properties of CdS thin films were not affected by bacterial adhesion. The antimicrobial effect of CdS nanoparticles was different for different bacterial strains.

  17. Seebeck coefficient of synthesized Titanium Dioxide thin film on FTO glass substrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usop, R.; Hamed, N. K. A.; Megat Hasnan, M. M. I.; Ikeda, H.; Sabri, M. F. M.; Ahmad, M. K.; Said, S. M.; Salleh, F.

    2018-04-01

    In order to fabricate a thermoelectric device on glass substrate for harvesting waste heat energy through house appliances, the Seebeck coefficient of translucent TiO2 thin film was investigated. The TiO2 thin film was synthesized by using hydrothermal method with F-SnO2 coated glass as substrate. From scanning electron microscopy analysis, the synthesized TiO2 thin film was found to be in nanometer-scale rod structure with a thickness of 4 µm. The Seebeck coefficient was measured in the temperature range of 300 – 400 K. The Seebeck coefficient is found to be in negative value which shows that synthesized film is an n-type semiconductor material, and is lower than the value of bulk-size material. This reduction in Seebeck coefficient of TiO2 thin film is likely due to the low dimensional effect and the difference of carrier concentration.

  18. A new concept in polymeric thin-film composite nanofiltration membranes with antibacterial properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mollahosseini, Arash; Rahimpour, Ahmad

    2013-01-01

    A new, thin film, biofouling resistant, nanofiltration (NF) membrane was fabricated with two key characteristics, viz. a low rate of silver (Ag) release and long-lasting antibacterial properties. In the new approach, nanoparticles were embedded completely in a polymeric thin-film layer. A comparison was made between the new thin-film composite (TFC), NF membrane and thin-film nanocomposite (TFN), and antibacterial NF membranes. Both types of NF membrane were fabricated by interfacial polymerization on a polysulphone sublayer using m-phenylenediamine and trimesoyl chloride as an amine monomer and an acid chloride monomer, respectively. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis demonstrated the presence of Ag nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to study the cross-sectional and surface morphological properties of the NF membranes. Permeability and salt rejection were tested using a dead-end filtration cell. Ag leaching from the membranes was measured using inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Morphological studies showed that the TFC NF membranes had better thin-film formation (a more compact structure and a smoother surface) than TFN NF membranes. Performance experiments on TFC NF membranes revealed that permeability was good, without sacrificing salt rejection. The antibacterial properties of the fabricated membranes were tested using the disk diffusion method and viable plate counts. The antibiofouling properties of the membranes were examined by measuring the quantity of bacterial cells released from the biofilm formed (as a function of the amount of biofilm present). A more sensitive surface was observed compared to that of a typical antibacterial NF membrane. The Ag leaching rates were low, which will likely result in long-lasting antibacterial and biofouling resistant properties.

  19. In situ spectroscopic ellipsometry as a surface sensitive tool to probe thin film growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, C.

    1999-01-01

    Sputtered thin film and multilayer x-ray mirrors are made routinely at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) for the APS users. Precise film growth control and characterization are very critical in fabricating high-quality x-ray mirrors. Film thickness calibrations are carried out using in situ and ex situ spectroscopic ellipsometry, interferometry, and x-ray scattering. To better understand the growth and optical properties of different thin film systems, we have carried out a systematic study of sputtered thin films of Au, Rh, Pg Pd, Cu, and Cr, using in situ ellipsometry. Multiple data sets were obtained in situ for each film material with incremental thicknesses and were analyzed with their correlation in mind. We found that in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry as a surface-sensitive tool can also be used to probe the growth and morphology of the thin film system. This application of in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry for metal thin film systems will be discussed

  20. Yttrium-enriched YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} thin films for coated conductors fabricated by pulsed laser deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khoryushin, Alexey V., E-mail: khoryushin@ya.ru [Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Mozhaev, Peter B.; Mozhaeva, Julia E.; Andersen, Niels H. [Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Grivel, Jean-Claude [Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Hansen, Jørn Bindslev; Jacobsen, Claus S. [Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)

    2013-02-14

    Highlights: ► YBCO films were fabricated by PLD from targets of various elemental compositions. ► The Y-enriched films contain yttria nanoparticles which provide efficient pinning. ► The best film has 5.5× higher j{sub c}(5 T,50 K) = 2.6MA/cm{sup 2} comparing with a reference film. ► The Y-enriched films remain c-oriented up to 500 nm. ► Films demonstrate no j{sub c} suppression with thickness and remarkable stability with time. -- Abstract: The effects of excess yttria on the structural and electrical properties of the YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} (YBCO) thin films are studied. The films were deposited on (LaAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.3}–(Sr{sub 2}AlTaO{sub 8}){sub 0.7} substrates by pulsed laser ablation from targets with different elemental composition. An increase of yttrium content of the target leads to formation of porous films with significantly improved current-carrying capabilities. Structural studies of these films reveal presence of yttria nanoparticles embedded into the YBCO matrix. The highest obtained critical current density in an external magnetic field of 5 T was 2.6 MA/cm{sup 2} at 50 K and 9.4 MA/cm{sup 2} at 20 K. The fabricated Y-enriched YBCO films remain c-oriented at least up to 600 nm thickness with no significant suppression of the critical current density.

  1. Pt-based Thin Films as Efficient and Stable Catalysts for Oxygen Electroreduction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zamburlini, Eleonora

    at the cathode of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). Herein the fabrication method, which consists of co-sputtering of thin films, is presented in detail, explaining the challenges one must face in order to fabricate oxygen-free Pt-lanthanides and Pt-early transition metals alloys......This thesis presents the fabrication and characterization of Pt-based thin film catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR). Gadolinium and Yttrium have been used as alloying materials, in preparation for the replacement of the traditional but economically disadvantageous pure Pt catalysts......, and the proposed solutions. The characterization of the catalysts focused mainly on the electrochemical testing using a Rotating Ring Disk Electrode (RRDE) setup, and includes X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS), Angle-Resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (AR-XPS), Scanning...

  2. thin films

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    microscopy (SEM) studies, respectively. The Fourier transform ... Thin films; chemical synthesis; hydrous tin oxide; FTIR; electrical properties. 1. Introduction ... dehydrogenation of organic compounds (Hattori et al 1987). .... SEM images of (a) bare stainless steel and (b) SnO2:H2O thin film on stainless steel substrate at a ...

  3. A rapid process of Yba2Cu3O7-δ thin film fabrication using trifluoroacetate metal-organic deposition with polyethylene glycol additive

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Wei; Feng, Feng; Shi, Kai

    2013-01-01

    Trifluoroacetate metal-organic deposition (TFA-MOD) is a promising technique to fabricate YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) superconducting films. However, its slow pyrolysis process, which usually takes more than 10 h, constitutes a barrier for industrial production. In this study, polyethylene glycol (PEG......) was utilized to reduce the stress generation inside the coated films when the strong pyrolysis reactions happen. With the addition of 30 wt% PEG2000 to the precursor solution, a smooth film surface could be obtained through a rapid pyrolysis process of 15 min. After the optimizations of the crystallization...... and oxygenation processes, mass percentage and molecular weight of PEG additive, YBCO thin films with Jc of about 4.5 MA cm-2 (77 K, self-field) could be routinely fabricated using (20-30) wt% PEG(1000-2000) additive with a total treatment time of about 2 h including the 15 min pyrolysis process time. The effects...

  4. Enhanced Absorption in Organic Thin-Films from Imprinted Concave Nanostructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Goszczak, Arkadiusz Jaroslaw; Rubahn, Horst-Günter; Madsen, Morten

    2017-01-01

    In this work, a rapid, replicable method for imprinting concave nanostructures to be used as functional light-trapping nanostructures in organic thin-films is presented. Porous anodic alumina templates were fabricated both by anodization of thick Al foils and by anodization of submicrometer thin Al...... patterns and used for imprinting of spin coated photoresist on glass substrates. We have investigated semi-periodic and aperiodic imprinted large concave patterns fabricated from rigid masters after anodization of Al in H3PO4. We show that metal covered imprinted concaves show enhancement in absorption...

  5. Soft Magnetic Properties of High-Entropy Fe-Co-Ni-Cr-Al-Si Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pei-Chung Lin

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Soft magnetic properties of Fe-Co-Ni-Al-Cr-Si thin films were studied. As-deposited Fe-Co-Ni-Al-Cr-Si nano-grained thin films showing no magnetic anisotropy were subjected to field-annealing at different temperatures to induce magnetic anisotropy. Optimized magnetic and electrical properties of Fe-Co-Ni-Al-Cr-Si films annealed at 200 °C are saturation magnetization 9.13 × 105 A/m, coercivity 79.6 A/m, out-of-plane uniaxial anisotropy field 1.59 × 103 A/m, and electrical resistivity 3.75 μΩ·m. Based on these excellent properties, we employed such films to fabricate magnetic thin film inductor. The performance of the high entropy alloy thin film inductors is superior to that of air core inductor.

  6. Transparent and conductive electrodes by large-scale nano-structuring of noble metal thin-films

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Linnet, Jes; Runge Walther, Anders; Wolff, Christian

    2018-01-01

    grid, and nano-wire thin-films. The indium and carbon films do not match the chemical stability nor the electrical performance of the noble metals, and many metal films are not uniform in material distribution leading to significant surface roughness and randomized transmission haze. We demonstrate...... solution-processed masks for physical vapor-deposited metal electrodes consisting of hexagonally ordered aperture arrays with scalable aperture-size and spacing in an otherwise homogeneous noble metal thin-film that may exhibit better electrical performance than carbon nanotube-based thin-films...... for equivalent optical transparency. The fabricated electrodes are characterized optically and electrically by measuring transmittance and sheet resistance. The presented methods yield large-scale reproducible results. Experimentally realized thin-films with very low sheet resistance, Rsh = 2.01 ± 0.14 Ω...

  7. Thin film Ag superlens towards lab-on-a-chip integration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jeppesen, Claus; Nielsen, Rasmus Bundgaard; Boltasseva, Alexandra

    2009-01-01

    A thin metal film near-field superlens, as originally suggested by Pendry and realized by Fang et al. and Melville et al., is investigated with emphasis on materials suitable for integration on a lab-on-a-chip platform. A chemically resistant cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC), mr-I-T85 from microresist...... technology, is applied as dielectric matrix/spacer for an Ag thin film superlens. The superlens successfully resolves 80 nm half-pitch gratings when illuminated with UV radiation at a free space wavelength of 365 nm. The superlens design, fabrication and characterization is discussed....

  8. Characterization of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene organic thin film transistors fabricated using pattern-induced confined structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Kyohyeok; Kwon, Namyong [Sungkyunkwan University Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Chung, Ilsub, E-mail: ichung@skku.ac.kr [Sungkyunkwan University Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); College of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-01-01

    Bottom gate organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) were fabricated on polyethersulphone substrate using an ink jet printing method. 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) (TIPS) pentacene and poly-4-vinylphenol (PVP) were used as an active material and as a gate insulator, respectively. In an attempt to reduce the coffee stain effect, TIPS pentacene active layer was printed onto the pattern-induced confined structure (PICS) which had been obtained by orthogonally printing Ag electrodes on the pre-printed PVP layer. The resolution of Ag patterns was obtained by modifying the surface energy using UV irradiation and substrate temperature. The channel lengths of the aforementioned PICS OTFTs were in the range of 10 μm to 50 μm. The average mobility and on/off ratio of PICS OTFTs were 0.034 cm{sup 2}/Vs and 10{sup 3}, respectively. - Highlights: • Ink-jet printed bottom gate organic thin film transistor on plastic substrate • Ag lines orthogonally printed on pre-printed poly-4-vinylphenol lines • Pattern-induced confined structures obtained • UV irradiation affects the surface energy and the resolution of the Ag patterns.

  9. Thermal oxidation of Ni films for p-type thin-film transistors

    KAUST Repository

    Jiang, Jie; Wang, Xinghui; Zhang, Qing; Li, Jingqi; Zhang, Xixiang

    2013-01-01

    p-Type nanocrystal NiO-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) are fabricated by simply oxidizing thin Ni films at temperatures as low as 400 °C. The highest field-effect mobility in a linear region and the current on-off ratio are found to be 5.2 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 2.2 × 103, respectively. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and electrical performances of the TFTs with "top contact" and "bottom contact" channels suggest that the upper parts of the Ni films are clearly oxidized. In contrast, the lower parts in contact with the gate dielectric are partially oxidized to form a quasi-discontinuous Ni layer, which does not fully shield the gate electric field, but still conduct the source and drain current. This simple method for producing p-type TFTs may be promising for the next-generation oxide-based electronic applications. © 2013 the Owner Societies.

  10. Fabrication of High-Quality SmBa2Cu3O7-δ Thin Films by a Modified TFA-MOD Process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Duck Jin; Moon, Seung Hyun; Park, Chan; Yoo, Sang Im; Song, Kyu Jeong

    2005-01-01

    We report a successful fabrication of high-quality SmBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (SmBCO) thin films on LaAlO 3 (LAO)(100) single crystalline substrates by a modified TFA-MOD method. After the pyrolysis heat treatment of spin-coated films up to 400 degree C, SmBCO films were fired at various temperatures ranging from 810 to 850 degree C in a reduced oxygen atmosphere (10 ppm O 2 in Ar). Optimally processed SmBCO films exhibited the zero-resistance temperature (T c ,zero) of 90.2 K and the critical current density (J c ) of 0.8 MA/cm 2 at 77K in self-field. Compared with the J c values (normally, > 2 MA/cm 2 at 77 K) of MOD-TFA processed YBCO films, rather depressed J c values in SmBCO films are most probably attributed to the existence of alpha-axis oriented grains.

  11. Triple-junction thin-film silicon solar cell fabricated on periodically textured substrate with a stabilized efficiency of 13.6%

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sai, Hitoshi; Matsui, Takuya; Koida, Takashi; Matsubara, Koji; Kondo, Michio; Sugiyama, Shuichiro; Katayama, Hirotaka; Takeuchi, Yoshiaki; Yoshida, Isao

    2015-05-01

    We report a high-efficiency triple-junction thin-film silicon solar cell fabricated with the so-called substrate configuration. It was verified whether the design criteria for developing single-junction microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) solar cells are applicable to multijunction solar cells. Furthermore, a notably high short-circuit current density of 32.9 mA/cm2 was achieved in a single-junction μc-Si:H cell fabricated on a periodically textured substrate with a high-mobility front transparent contacting layer. These technologies were also combined into a-Si:H/μc-Si:H/μc-Si:H triple-junction cells, and a world record stabilized efficiency of 13.6% was achieved.

  12. Fabrication of metallic nanoparticles by spinodal dewetting of thin films: A high-throughput approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Michalak, William D.; Miller, James B. [U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA 15262 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Yolcu, Cem [Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Gellman, Andrew J., E-mail: gellman@cmu.edu [U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA 15262 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States)

    2012-11-01

    Metal nanoparticles on structured supports are used in a variety of technological applications including biosensing, energy harvesting, and electronics. In every case, the functions and properties of the metallic nanostructures depend on both their composition and structure (i.e. size, shape, and spatial distribution). Among the challenges to the development of metal nanoparticles for these applications is the characterization of relationships between their structure and their functional properties over multiple structural degrees of freedom spanning a large range of values. In this work, a method for creating a morphological gradient of metal nanoparticles on a substrate is described. The approach, suited for high-throughput fabrication and characterization, is based on spinodal dewetting of a metallic thin film from its substrate. Through control of initial film thickness, anneal temperature, and anneal time, spinodal dewetting results in supported nanoparticles with well-defined and controlled structure. The approach is demonstrated through its application to preparation of Pd nanoparticles on a silicon nitride substrate. The morphologies of the particles were characterized by scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. Free energy-based stability and topological analyses were used to confirm the dewetting mechanism. In addition, the stability theory provides a connection to the thermophysical properties of the resulting nanoparticle array. The dewetting approach is general to any metal/support system and provides an alternative, inexpensive, and robust means to rapidly create metal nanostructures with control of morphology. It shows promise for large scale production of metal nanoparticles structures, as well as understanding basic stability properties of thin metal films. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Pd dewetting from SiN occurs by a spinodal dewetting mechanism. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dewetting occurs at temperatures well below the

  13. Fabrication of metallic nanoparticles by spinodal dewetting of thin films: A high-throughput approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michalak, William D.; Miller, James B.; Yolcu, Cem; Gellman, Andrew J.

    2012-01-01

    Metal nanoparticles on structured supports are used in a variety of technological applications including biosensing, energy harvesting, and electronics. In every case, the functions and properties of the metallic nanostructures depend on both their composition and structure (i.e. size, shape, and spatial distribution). Among the challenges to the development of metal nanoparticles for these applications is the characterization of relationships between their structure and their functional properties over multiple structural degrees of freedom spanning a large range of values. In this work, a method for creating a morphological gradient of metal nanoparticles on a substrate is described. The approach, suited for high-throughput fabrication and characterization, is based on spinodal dewetting of a metallic thin film from its substrate. Through control of initial film thickness, anneal temperature, and anneal time, spinodal dewetting results in supported nanoparticles with well-defined and controlled structure. The approach is demonstrated through its application to preparation of Pd nanoparticles on a silicon nitride substrate. The morphologies of the particles were characterized by scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. Free energy-based stability and topological analyses were used to confirm the dewetting mechanism. In addition, the stability theory provides a connection to the thermophysical properties of the resulting nanoparticle array. The dewetting approach is general to any metal/support system and provides an alternative, inexpensive, and robust means to rapidly create metal nanostructures with control of morphology. It shows promise for large scale production of metal nanoparticles structures, as well as understanding basic stability properties of thin metal films. - Highlights: ► Pd dewetting from SiN occurs by a spinodal dewetting mechanism. ► Dewetting occurs at temperatures well below the melting point of Pd. ► Spinodal dewetting allows

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2012-01-01

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

  15. Thickness, morphology, and optoelectronic characteristics of pristine and surfactant-modified DNA thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arasu, Velu; Reddy Dugasani, Sreekantha; Son, Junyoung; Gnapareddy, Bramaramba; Ha Park, Sung; Jeon, Sohee; Jeong, Jun-Ho

    2017-01-01

    Although the preparation of DNA thin films with well-defined thicknesses controlled by simple physical parameters is crucial for constructing efficient, stable, and reliable DNA-based optoelectronic devices and sensors, it has not been comprehensively studied yet. Here, we construct DNA and surfactant-modified DNA thin films by drop-casting and spin-coating techniques. The DNA thin films formed with different control parameters, such as drop-volume and spin-speed at given DNA concentrations, exhibit characteristic thickness, surface roughness, surface potential, and absorbance, which are measured by a field emission scanning electron microscope, a surface profilometer, an ellipsometer, an atomic force microscope, a Kelvin probe force microscope, and an UV–visible spectroscope. From the observations, we realized that thickness significantly affects the physical properties of DNA thin films. This comprehensive study of thickness-dependent characteristics of DNA and surfactant-modified DNA thin films provides insight into the choice of fabrication techniques in order for the DNA thin films to have desired physical characteristics in further applications, such as optoelectronic devices and sensors. (paper)

  16. Printable Thin Film Supercapacitors Using Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

    KAUST Repository

    Kaempgen, Martti

    2009-05-13

    Thin film supercapacitors were fabricated using printable materials to make flexible devices on plastic. The active electrodes were made from sprayed networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) serving as both electrodes and charge collectors. Using a printable aqueous gel electrolyte as well as an organic liquid electrolyte, the performances of the devices show very high energy and power densities (6 W h/kg for both electrolytes and 23 and 70 kW/kg for aqueous gel electrolyte and organic electrolyte, respectively) which is comparable to performance in other SWCNT-based supercapacitor devices fabricated using different methods. The results underline the potential of printable thin film supercapacitors. The simplified architecture and the sole use of printable materials may lead to a new class of entirely printable charge storage devices allowing for full integration with the emerging field of printed electronics. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

  17. Conformable Skin-Like Conductive Thin Films with AgNWs Strips for Flexible Electronic Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuhang SUN

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Keeping good conductivity at high stretching strain is one of the main requirements for the fabrication of flexible electronic devices. The elastic nature of siloxane-based elastomers enables many innovative designs in wearable sensor devices and non-invasive insertion instruments, including skin-like tactile sensors. Over the last few years, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS thin films have been widely used as the substrates in the fabrication of flexible electronic devices due to their good elasticity and outstanding biocompatibility. However, these kind of thin films usually suffer poor resistance to tearing and insufficient compliance to curved surfaces, which limits their applications. Currently no three-dimensionally mountable tactile sensor arrays have been reported commercially available. In this work, we developed a kind of mechanically compliant skin-like conductive thin film by patterning silver nano wire traces in strip-style on Dragon Skin® (DS substrates instead of PDMS. High cross- link quality was achieved then. To further improve the conductivity, a thin gold layer was coated onto the silver nanowires (AgNWs strips. Four different gold deposition routines have been designed and investigated by using different E-beam and spin coating processing methods. Owning to the intrinsically outstanding physical property of the Dragon Skin material and the uniform embedment built in the gold deposition processes, the DS/AgNWs thin films showed convincible advantages over PDMS/AgNWs thin films in both mechanical capability and conductive stability. Through experimental tests, the DS/AgNWs electrode thin films were proven to be able to maintain high conductivity following repeated linear deformations.

  18. Effects of excitation intensity on the photocurrent response of thin film silicon solar modules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Q.; Shumka, A.; Trask, J.

    1986-01-01

    Photocurrent responses of amorphous thin film silicon solar modules at room temperature were studied at different excitation intensities using various monochromatic light sources. Photocurrent imaging techniques have been effectively used to locate rapidly, and non-destructively, failure and defect sites in the multilayer thin film device. Differences observed in the photocurrent response characteristics for two different cells in the same amorphous thin film silicon solar module suggest the possibility of the formation of dissimilarly active devices, even though the module is processed in the same fabrication process. Possible mechanisms are discussed.

  19. Comparison of chemical solution deposition systems for the fabrication of lead zirconate titanate thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lecarpentier, F.; Daglish, M.; Kemmitt, T.

    2001-01-01

    Ferroelectric thin films of lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr x Ti 1-x )O 3 (PZT) were prepared from five chemical solution deposition (CSD) systems, namely methoxyethanol, citrate, diol, acetic acid and triethanolamine. Physical characteristics of the solutions, processing parameters and physical and electrical properties of the films were used to assess the relative advantages and disadvantages of the different chemical systems. All the CSD systems decomposed to produce single phase perovskite PZT at temperatures above 650 deg C. Thin film deposition was influenced by the specific characteristics of each system such as wetting on the substrate and viscosity. Distinct precursor effects on the thin film crystallinity and electrical performance were revealed. The diol route yielded films with the highest crystallite size, highest permittivity and lowest loss tangent. The relative permittivity exhibited by films made by the other routes were 25% to 35% lower at equivalent thicknesses. Copyright (2001) The Australian Ceramic Society

  20. Layer-by-layer strippable Ag multilayer films fabricated by modular assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yan; Chen, Xiaoyan; Li, Qianqian; Song, Kai; Wang, Shihui; Chen, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Kai; Fu, Yu; Jiao, Yong-Hua; Sun, Ting; Liu, Fu-Chun; Han, En-Hou

    2014-01-21

    We have developed a new method to fabricate multilayer films, which uses prepared thin films as modular blocks and transfer as operation mode to build up multilayer structures. In order to distinguish it from the in situ fabrication manner, this method is called modular assembly in this study. On the basis of such concept, we have fabricated a multilayer film using the silver mirror film as the modular block and poly(lactic acid) as the transfer tool. Due to the special double-layer structure of the silver mirror film, the resulting multilayer film had a well-defined stratified architecture with alternate porous/compact layers. As a consequence of the distinct structure, the interaction between the adjacent layers was so weak that the multilayer film could be layer-by-layer stripped. In addition, the top layer in the film could provide an effective protection on the morphology and surface property of the underlying layers. This suggests that if the surface of the film was deteriorated, the top layer could be peeled off and the freshly exposed surface would still maintain the original function. The successful preparation of the layer-by-layer strippable silver multilayer demonstrates that modular assembly is a feasible and effective method to build up multilayer films capable of creating novel and attractive micro/nanostructures, having great potential in the fabrication of nanodevices and coatings.

  1. A Water-Based Silver-Nanowire Screen-Print Ink for the Fabrication of Stretchable Conductors and Wearable Thin-Film Transistors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Jiajie; Tong, Kwing; Pei, Qibing

    2016-07-01

    A water-based silver-nanowire (AgNW) ink is formulated for screen printing. Screen-printed AgNW patterns have uniform sharp edges, ≈50 μm resolution, and electrical conductivity as high as 4.67 × 10(4) S cm(-1) . The screen-printed AgNW patterns are used to fabricate a stretchable composite conductor, and a fully printed and intrinsically stretchable thin-film transistor array is also realized. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Hydrophobicity studies of polymer thin films with varied CNT concentration

    Science.gov (United States)

    M. Rodzi, N. H.; M. Shahimin, M.; Poopalan, P.; Man, B.; M. Nor, M. N.

    2013-12-01

    Surface functionalization studies for re-creating a `Lotus Leaf' effect (superhydrophobic) have been carried out for the past decade; looking for the material which can provide high transparency, low energy surface and high surface roughness. Fabrication of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) hybrid thin film variations on glass to produce near-superhydrophobic surfaces is presented in this paper. There are three important parameters studied in producing hydrophobic surfaces based on the hybrid thin films; concentration of PDMS, concentration of MWCNT and droplet sizes. The study is carried out by using PDMS of varied cross linker ratio (10:1, 30:1 and 50:1) with MWCNT concentration of 1mg, 10mg and 15mg for 0.5 μl, 2.0 μl, 5.0 μl and 10 μl droplet sizes. The resulting hybrid thin films show that hydrophobicity increased with increasing cross linker ratio and MWCNT percentage in the PDMS solution. A near superhydrophobic surface can be created when using 15 mg of MWCNT with 50:1 cross linker ratio PDMS thin films, measured on 10 μl droplet size. The hybrid thin films produced can be potentially tailored to the application of biosensors, MEMS and even commercial devices.

  3. Effect of etching stop layer on characteristics of amorphous IGZO thin film transistor fabricated at low temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xifeng Li

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Transparent bottom-gate amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc Oxide (a-IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs had been successfully fabricated at relative low temperature. The influence of reaction gas ratio of N2O and SiH4 during the growth of etching stop layer (SiOx on the characteristics of a-IGZO TFTs was investigated. The transfer characteristics of the TFTs were changed markedly because active layer of a-IGZO films was modified by plasma in the growth process of SiOx. By optimizing the deposition parameters of etching stop layer process, a-IGZO TFTs were manufactured and exhibited good performance with a field-effect mobility of 8.5 cm2V-1s-1, a threshold voltage of 1.3 V, and good stability under gate bias stress of 20 V for 10000 s.

  4. Thin film platinum–palladium thermocouples for gas turbine engine applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tougas, Ian M.; Gregory, Otto J., E-mail: gregory@egr.uri.edu

    2013-07-31

    Thin film platinum:palladium thermocouples were fabricated on alumina and mullite surfaces using radio frequency sputtering and characterized after high temperature exposure to oxidizing environments. The thermoelectric output, hysteresis, and drift of these sensors were measured at temperatures up to 1100 °C. Auger electron spectroscopy was used to follow the extent of oxidation in each thermocouple leg and interdiffusion at the metallurgical junction. Minimal oxidation of the platinum and palladium thermoelements was observed after high temperature exposure, but considerable dewetting and faceting of the films were observed in scanning electron microscopy. An Arrhenius temperature dependence on the drift rate was observed and later attributed to microstructural changes during thermal cycling. The thin film thermocouples, however, did exhibit excellent stability at 1000 °C with drift rates comparable to commercial type-K wire thermocouples. Based on these results, platinum:palladium thin film thermocouples have considerable potential for use in the hot sections of gas turbine engines. - Highlights: • Stable thin film platinum:palladium thermocouples for gas turbine engines • Little oxidation but significant microstructural changes from thermal cycling • Minimal hysteresis during repeated thermal cycling • Drift comparable to commercial wire thermocouples.

  5. Reflectivity and diffraction of X rays applied to organic thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rieutord, Francois

    1987-01-01

    This research thesis reports the study of organic thin films by using X-ray-based technologies, and more particularly X-ray reflectivity. After some recalls on X ray diffraction, and on the fabrication of Langmuir-Blodgett films, the author shows how, by combining three X-ray-based techniques, it is possible to study a volume structure of a thin film. He describes the technique of measurement by X- ray reflexivity, its experimental implementation, and methods for result interpretation. In the next part, the author reports the study of peculiar interference effects which are noticed in reflexivity on Langmuir-Blodgett films, and then describes the nature of these films by correlating results of X ray reflexivity with direct observations performed by electronic microscopy on replica [fr

  6. Effect on the properties of ITO thin films in Gamma environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sofi, A. H.; Shah, M. A.; Asokan, K.

    2018-04-01

    The present study reports the effect of gamma irradiation of varying doses (0-200 kGy) on the physical properties of the indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films. The films were fabricated by thermal evaporation method using indium-tin (InSn) ingots followed by an oxidation in atmosphere at a temperature of 550 °C. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the body-centered cubic (BCC) structure corresponds to the ITO thin films, high phase purity and a variation in crystallite size between 30-44 nm. While the optical studies revealed an increase in transmission as well as variation in optical band gap, the electrical studies confirmed n-type semiconductive behavior of the thin films, increase in mobility and a decrease in resistivity from 2.33×10-2 - 9.31×10-4 Ωcm with the increase in gamma dose from 0-200 kGy. The gamma irradiation caused totally electronic excitation and resulted in this modifications. The degenerate electron gas model was considered when attempting to understand the prevalent scattering mechanism in gamma irradiated ITO thin films.

  7. FABRICATION OF Cu-Al-Ni SHAPE MEMORY THIN FILM BY THERMAL EVOPRATION

    OpenAIRE

    Özkul, İskender; Canbay, Canan Aksu; Tekataş, Ayşe

    2017-01-01

    Among the functional, materials shape memory alloysare important because of their unique properties. So, these materials haveattracted more attention to be used in micro/nano electronic andelectromechanic systems. In this work, thermal evaporation method has been usedto produce CuAlNi shape memory alloy thin film. The produced CuAlNi thin filmhas been characterized and the presence of the martensite phase wasinvestigated and compared with the CuAlNi alloy sample. CuAlNi shape memoryalloy thin...

  8. Efficient fabrication of transparent antimicrobial poly(vinyl alcohol) thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Shuxia; He Junhui; Xue Jianfeng; Ding Wenjun

    2009-01-01

    We have explored in situ synthesis of Ag nanoparticles in transparent PVA films in view of increasing areas of application of those films. The two-step procedure consists of ion incorporation in the matrix and subsequent thermal reduction. Smooth and transparent PVA films containing Ag nanoparticles of 5-20 nm were fabricated by this approach. The optical property of the films and the size of metal nanoparticles could be controlled by changing the reaction conditions. By increasing heating temperature, the absorbance and wavelength of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the composite film increased, and nanoparticles with larger particle sizes and broader size distributions were obtained. In the temperature range of 130-170 o C, the wavelength of SPR increased with increasing the AgNO 3 concentration. At 190 o C, however, the wavelenght of SPR blue-shifted initially when the AgNO 3 concentration increased from 10 to 80 mmol/L, and red-shifted thereafter. The composite films showed excellent antimicrobial performance toward bacteria such as Escherchia coli. Such hybrids afford very effective and environment-friendly antimicrobial surface coatings.

  9. Spray pyrolyzed Cu2SnS3 thin films for photovoltaic application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Biren; Waldiya, Manmohansingh; Pati, Ranjan K.; Mukhopadhyay, Indrajit; Ray, Abhijit

    2018-05-01

    We report the fabrication of Cu2SnS3 (CTS) thin films by a non-vacuum and low cost spray pyrolysis technique. Annealing of the as-deposited film in the sulphur atmosphere produces highly stoichiometric, granular and crystalline CTS phase. The CTS thin films shows direct optical band gap of 1.58 eV with high absorption coefficient of 105 cm-1. Hall measurement shows the carrier concentration of the order of 1021 cm-3 and a favourable resistivity of 10-3 Ω cm. A solar cell architecture of Glass/FTO/CTS/CdS/Al:ZnO/Al was fabricated and its current-voltage characteristic shows an open circuit voltage, short circuit current density and fill-factor of 12.6 mV, 20.2 µA/cm2 and 26% respectively. A further improvement in the solar cell parameters is underway.

  10. Ternary Precursors for Depositing I-III-VI2 Thin Films for Solar Cells via Spray CVD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banger, K. K.; Hollingsworth, J. A.; Jin, M. H.-C.; Harris, J. D.; Duraj, S. A.; Smith, M.; Scheiman, D.; Bohannan, E. W.; Switzer, J. A.; Buhro, W. E.

    2002-01-01

    The development of thin-film solar cells on flexible, lightweight, space-qualified substrates provides an attractive cost solution to fabricating solar arrays with high specific power (W/kg). Thin-film fabrication studies demonstrate that ternary single source precursors (SSP's) can be used in either a hot or cold-wall spray chemical vapour deposition (CVD) reactor, for depositing CuInS2, CuGaS2, and CuGaInS2 at reduced temperatures (400 to 450 C), which display good electrical and optical properties suitable for photovoltaic (PV) devices. X-ray diffraction studies, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the formation of the single phase CIS, CGS, CIGS thin-films on various substrates at reduced temperatures.

  11. Deposition and Characterization of CVD-Grown Ge-Sb Thin Film Device for Phase-Change Memory Application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. C. Huang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Germanium antimony (Ge-Sb thin films with tuneable compositions have been fabricated on SiO2/Si, borosilicate glass, and quartz glass substrates by chemical vapour deposition (CVD. Deposition takes place at atmospheric pressure using metal chloride precursors at reaction temperatures between 750 and 875°C. The compositions and structures of these thin films have been characterized by micro-Raman, scanning electron microscope (SEM with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX and X-ray diffraction (XRD techniques. A prototype Ge-Sb thin film phase-change memory device has been fabricated and reversible threshold and phase-change switching demonstrated electrically, with a threshold voltage of 2.2–2.5 V. These CVD-grown Ge-Sb films show promise for applications such as phase-change memory and optical, electronic, and plasmonic switching.

  12. Using high thermal stability flexible thin film thermoelectric generator at moderate temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Zhuang-Hao; Luo, Jing-Ting; Chen, Tian-Bao; Zhang, Xiang-Hua; Liang, Guang-Xing; Fan, Ping

    2018-04-01

    Flexible thin film thermoelectric devices are extensively used in the microscale industry for powering wearable electronics. In this study, comprehensive optimization was conducted in materials and connection design for fabricating a high thermal stability flexible thin film thermoelectric generator. First, the thin films in the generator, including the electrodes, were prepared by magnetron sputtering deposition. The "NiCu-Cu-NiCu" multilayer electrode structure was applied to ensure the thermal stability of the device used at moderate temperature in an air atmosphere. A design with metal layer bonding and series accordant connection was then employed. The maximum efficiency of a single PN thermocouple generator is >11%, and the output power loss of the generator is <10% after integration.

  13. The Relation Between Structure-Performance of Thin Film Composite Membranes and the Tools Used for Their Fabrication Method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Briceno, Kelly; Javakhishvili, Irakli; Guo, Haofei

    For more than 30 years polyimides (PA) have been one of the main polymers for the fabrication of thin film composite membranes. Several researchers have assessed the main fabrication variables that influence the final structure of the polyamide layers including monomer concentration, solvents....... A polymeric support is initially brought in contact with the aqueous phase containing m-phenylene diamine (MPD) monomer and then with the organic phase containing the trimesoly chloride (TMC) monomer in order to promote PA formation through interfacial polymerization. The critical step occurs immediately......, or for that matter the absence of any tool using only water evaporation. In this work different methods of avoiding drop formation during the membrane preparation are tested to evaluate how the preparation methods influence the membrane structure and the final membrane properties. Understanding the membrane...

  14. Preparation and Analysis of Platinum Thin Films for High Temperature Sensor Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wrbanek, John D.; Laster, Kimala L. H.

    2005-01-01

    A study has been made of platinum thin films for application as high temperature resistive sensors. To support NASA Glenn Research Center s high temperature thin film sensor effort, a magnetron sputtering system was installed recently in the GRC Microsystems Fabrication Clean Room Facility. Several samples of platinum films were prepared using various system parameters to establish run conditions. These films were characterized with the intended application of being used as resistive sensing elements, either for temperature or strain measurement. The resistances of several patterned sensors were monitored to document the effect of changes in parameters of deposition and annealing. The parameters were optimized for uniformity and intrinsic strain. The evaporation of platinum via oxidation during annealing over 900 C was documented, and a model for the process developed. The film adhesion was explored on films annealed to 1000 C with various bondcoats on fused quartz and alumina. From this compiled data, a list of optimal parameters and characteristics determined for patterned platinum thin films is given.

  15. Silicone Adhesives for High Temperature Inflatable Fabrics and Polymer Films, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Thin films, elastomeric materials, high temperature fabrics and adhesives that are capable of withstanding thermal extremes (-130oC to 500oC) are highly desirable...

  16. Crystallinity and electrical properties of neodymium-substituted bismuth titanate thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Y.-C.; Hsiung, C.-P.; Chen, C.-Y.; Gan, J.-Y.; Sun, Y.-M.; Lin, C.-P.

    2006-01-01

    We report on the properties of Nd-substituted bismuth titanate Bi 4-x Nd x Ti 3 O 12 (BNdT) thin films for ferroelectric non-volatile memory applications. The Nd-substituted bismuth titanate thin films fabricated by modified chemical solution deposition technique showed much improved properties compared to pure bismuth titanate. A pyrochlore free crystalline phase was obtained at a low annealing temperature of 640 deg. C and grain size was found to be considerably increased as the annealing temperature increased. The film properties were found to be strongly dependent on the Nd content and annealing temperatures. The measured dielectric constant of BNdT thin films was in the range 172-130 for Bi 4-x Nd x Ti 3 O 12 with x 0.0-0.75. Ferroelectric properties of Nd-substituted bismuth titanate thin films were significantly improved compared to pure bismuth titanate. For example, the observed 2P r and E c for Bi 3.25 Nd 0.75 Ti 3 O 12 , annealed at 680 deg. C, were 38 μC/cm 2 and 98 kV/cm, respectively. The improved microstructural and ferroelectric properties of BNdT thin films suggest their suitability for high density ferroelectric random access memory applications

  17. Fabrication of a thin-film capacitive force sensor array for tactile feedback in robotic surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paydar, Omeed H; Wottawa, Christopher R; Fan, Richard E; Dutson, Erik P; Grundfest, Warren S; Culjat, Martin O; Candler, Rob N

    2012-01-01

    Although surgical robotic systems provide several advantages over conventional minimally invasive techniques, they are limited by a lack of tactile feedback. Recent research efforts have successfully integrated tactile feedback components onto surgical robotic systems, and have shown significant improvement to surgical control during in vitro experiments. The primary barrier to the adoption of tactile feedback in clinical use is the unavailability of suitable force sensing technologies. This paper describes the design and fabrication of a thin-film capacitive force sensor array that is intended for integration with tactile feedback systems. This capacitive force sensing technology could provide precise, high-sensitivity, real-time responses to both static and dynamic loads. Capacitive force sensors were designed to operate with optimal sensitivity and dynamic range in the range of forces typical in minimally invasive surgery (0-40 N). Initial results validate the fabrication of these capacitive force-sensing arrays. We report 16.3 pF and 146 pF for 1-mm(2) and 9-mm(2) capacitive areas, respectively, whose values are within 3% of theoretical predictions.

  18. Improvement of the Surface Hardness of Stainless Steel with the TitaniumCarbonitride Ti(CN) Thin Films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agus-Purwadi; Tri-Mardji Atmono; Widdi-Usada; Lely-Susita; Yunanto

    2000-01-01

    Fabrication of the T i (CN) thin films with methods of implantation and RFsputtering for improving the surfaces hardness of stainless steel (SS) hasbeen done. Some kinds of T i C thin films which made individually by varyingof RF sputtering power from 0 up to 160 watt are implanted by the nitrogenion beams on the doses and energy ion optimum of 6.107 x 10 17 ion/cm 2 and100 keV, also fabrication of T i (CN) thin films use RF sputtering method withT i target and reaction gases as argon, silene and nitrogen on the optimum ofsputtering parameter condition. The thin films yields are characterized byusing Microhardness Tester MX 170, obtained SS hardness which layered T i (CN)as 402.5 KHN from its initial of 215.54 KHN and 371.74 KHN (layered T i C), itmeans that the SS surface hardness improve 1.867 times cumulatively. From theX-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis yield showed that the microstructure ofT i (CN) films on the SS substrates are dominated by characteristic cubiccrystal structure with Miller plane orientation (111) on the scattering angleof 2 θ = 44 o . Morphology visualization of T i (CN) thin films crosssection on the SS substrate is realized by Spectroscopy Electron Microscope(SEM). (author)

  19. Structure and photoluminescence of Mn-passivated nanocrystalline ZnO:S thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tong, Y.H.; Tang, Q.X.; Liu, Y.C.; Shao, C.L.; Xu, C.S.; Liu, Y.X.

    2005-01-01

    Mn-passivated nanocrystalline ZnO:S thin films were fabricated by thermally oxidizing Mn-doped ZnS (ZnS:Mn) films prepared by electron beam evaporation. Mn was introduced to passivate the surface defects of ZnO and to improve the optical properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra at 81.9 K indicated the S content in ZnO thin film gradually decreased with increasing annealing temperature. The fitted result of the temperature-dependent PL spectra in the range from 81.9 to 302.2 K showed that S dopant could broaden the optical band gap energy of ZnO. Room temperature PL spectra confirmed that the ultraviolet peak shifted to lower energy with the decrease of S content in the thin film because of the Burstein-Moss effect

  20. Paper-based transparent flexible thin film supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Kezheng; Shao, Ziqiang; Wu, Xue; Wang, Xi; Zhang, Yunhua; Wang, Wenjun; Wang, Feijun

    2013-05-01

    Paper-based transparent flexible thin film supercapacitors were fabricated using CNF-[RGO]n hybrid paper as an electrode material and charge collector. Owing to the self-anti-stacking of distorted RGO nanosheets and internal electrolyte nanoscale-reservoirs, the device exhibited good electrochemical performance (about 1.73 mF cm-2), and a transmittance of about 56% (at 550 nm).Paper-based transparent flexible thin film supercapacitors were fabricated using CNF-[RGO]n hybrid paper as an electrode material and charge collector. Owing to the self-anti-stacking of distorted RGO nanosheets and internal electrolyte nanoscale-reservoirs, the device exhibited good electrochemical performance (about 1.73 mF cm-2), and a transmittance of about 56% (at 550 nm). Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental, TEM image, IR spectra, and XRD spectra of cellulose nanofibers, TEM image, and XRD spectra of RGO, graphite, GO nanosheets, CNF paper, and CNF-[RGO]20 hybrid paper, high-resolution C1s spectra of GO, Raman spectra of GO nanosheets, cross-sectional FESEM image of CNF-[RGO]20 hybrid paper and stress-strain curve of T-SC-20. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00674c

  1. Clean graphene electrodes on organic thin-film devices via orthogonal fluorinated chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beck, Jonathan H; Barton, Robert A; Cox, Marshall P; Alexandrou, Konstantinos; Petrone, Nicholas; Olivieri, Giorgia; Yang, Shyuan; Hone, James; Kymissis, Ioannis

    2015-04-08

    Graphene is a promising flexible, highly transparent, and elementally abundant electrode for organic electronics. Typical methods utilized to transfer large-area films of graphene synthesized by chemical vapor deposition on metal catalysts are not compatible with organic thin-films, limiting the integration of graphene into organic optoelectronic devices. This article describes a graphene transfer process onto chemically sensitive organic semiconductor thin-films. The process incorporates an elastomeric stamp with a fluorinated polymer release layer that can be removed, post-transfer, via a fluorinated solvent; neither fluorinated material adversely affects the organic semiconductor materials. We used Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy to show that chemical vapor deposition graphene can be successfully transferred without inducing defects in the graphene film. To demonstrate our transfer method's compatibility with organic semiconductors, we fabricate three classes of organic thin-film devices: graphene field effect transistors without additional cleaning processes, transparent organic light-emitting diodes, and transparent small-molecule organic photovoltaic devices. These experiments demonstrate the potential of hybrid graphene/organic devices in which graphene is deposited directly onto underlying organic thin-film structures.

  2. Ceramic Composite Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruoff, Rodney S. (Inventor); Stankovich, Sasha (Inventor); Dikin, Dmitriy A. (Inventor); Nguyen, SonBinh T. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    A ceramic composite thin film or layer includes individual graphene oxide and/or electrically conductive graphene sheets dispersed in a ceramic (e.g. silica) matrix. The thin film or layer can be electrically conductive film or layer depending the amount of graphene sheets present. The composite films or layers are transparent, chemically inert and compatible with both glass and hydrophilic SiOx/silicon substrates. The composite film or layer can be produced by making a suspension of graphene oxide sheet fragments, introducing a silica-precursor or silica to the suspension to form a sol, depositing the sol on a substrate as thin film or layer, at least partially reducing the graphene oxide sheets to conductive graphene sheets, and thermally consolidating the thin film or layer to form a silica matrix in which the graphene oxide and/or graphene sheets are dispersed.

  3. Effects of DC gate and drain bias stresses on the degradation of excimer laser crystallized polysilicon thin film transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kouvatsos, D N; Michalas, L; Voutsas, A T; Papaioannou, G J

    2005-01-01

    The effects of gate and drain bias stresses on thin film transistors fabricated in polysilicon films crystallized using the advanced sequential lateral solidification excimer laser annealing (SLS ELA) process, which yields very elongated polysilicon grains and allows the fabrication of TFTs without grain boundary barriers to current flow, are investigated as a function of the active layer thickness and of the TFT orientation relative to the grains. The application of hot carrier stress, with a condition of V GS = V DS /2, was determined to induce threshold voltage, subthreshold swing and transconductance degradation for TFTs in thicker polysilicon films and the associated stress-induced increase in the active layer trap density was evaluated. However, this device degradation was drastically reduced for TFTs fabricated in ultra-thin films. Furthermore, the application of the same stress condition to TFTs oriented vertically to the elongated grains resulted in similar threshold voltage shift but in substantially decreased subthreshold swing and transconductance degradation. The immunity of ultra-thin active layer devices to degradation under hot carrier stress clearly suggests the implementation of ultra thin SLS ELA polysilicon films for the fabrication of TFTs exhibiting not only high performance but, especially, the high reliability needed for integrated systems on panel

  4. Epitaxial thin film growth and properties of unconventional oxide superconductors. Cuprates and cobaltates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krockenberger, Y.

    2006-01-01

    The discovery of high-temperature superconductors has strongly driven the development of suited thin film fabrication methods of complex oxides. One way is the adaptation of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) for the growth of oxide materials. Another approach is the use of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) which has the advantage of good stoichiometry transfer from target to the substrate. Both techniques are used within this thesis. Epitaxial thin films of new materials are of course needed for future applications. In addition, the controlled synthesis of thin film matter which can be formed far away from thermal equilibrium allows for the investigation of fundamental physical materials properties. (orig.)

  5. Epitaxial thin film growth and properties of unconventional oxide superconductors. Cuprates and cobaltates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krockenberger, Y.

    2006-07-01

    The discovery of high-temperature superconductors has strongly driven the development of suited thin film fabrication methods of complex oxides. One way is the adaptation of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) for the growth of oxide materials. Another approach is the use of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) which has the advantage of good stoichiometry transfer from target to the substrate. Both techniques are used within this thesis. Epitaxial thin films of new materials are of course needed for future applications. In addition, the controlled synthesis of thin film matter which can be formed far away from thermal equilibrium allows for the investigation of fundamental physical materials properties. (orig.)

  6. Thin-film composite crosslinked polythiosemicarbazide membranes for organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN)

    KAUST Repository

    Aburabie, Jamaliah; Neelakanda, Pradeep; Karunakaran, Madhavan; Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor

    2015-01-01

    In this work we report a new class of solvent stable thin-film composite (TFC) membrane fabricated on crosslinked polythiosemicarbazide (PTSC) as substrate that exhibits superior stability compared with other solvent stable polymeric membranes

  7. Solution coating of large-area organic semiconductor thin films with aligned single-crystalline domains

    KAUST Repository

    Diao, Ying

    2013-06-02

    Solution coating of organic semiconductors offers great potential for achieving low-cost manufacturing of large-area and flexible electronics. However, the rapid coating speed needed for industrial-scale production poses challenges to the control of thin-film morphology. Here, we report an approach - termed fluid-enhanced crystal engineering (FLUENCE) - that allows for a high degree of morphological control of solution-printed thin films. We designed a micropillar-patterned printing blade to induce recirculation in the ink for enhancing crystal growth, and engineered the curvature of the ink meniscus to control crystal nucleation. Using FLUENCE, we demonstrate the fast coating and patterning of millimetre-wide, centimetre-long, highly aligned single-crystalline organic semiconductor thin films. In particular, we fabricated thin films of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene having non-equilibrium single-crystalline domains and an unprecedented average and maximum mobilities of 8.1±1.2 cm2 V-1 s -1 and 11 cm2 V-1 s-1. FLUENCE of organic semiconductors with non-equilibrium single-crystalline domains may find use in the fabrication of high-performance, large-area printed electronics. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

  8. Solid-phase crystallization of amorphous silicon on ZnO:Al for thin-film solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Becker, C.; Conrad, E.; Dogan, P.; Fenske, F.; Gorka, B.; Haenel, T.; Lee, K.Y.; Rau, B.; Ruske, F.; Weber, T.; Gall, S.; Rech, B. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie (formerly Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin), Kekulestr. 5, D-12489 Berlin (Germany); Berginski, M.; Huepkes, J. [Institute of Photovoltaics, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, D-52425 Juelich (Germany)

    2009-06-15

    The suitability of ZnO:Al thin films for polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin-film solar cell fabrication was investigated. The electrical and optical properties of 700 -nm-thick ZnO:Al films on glass were analyzed after typical annealing steps occurring during poly-Si film preparation. If the ZnO:Al layer is covered by a 30 nm thin silicon film, the initial sheet resistance of ZnO:Al drops from 4.2 to 2.2 {omega} after 22 h annealing at 600 C and only slightly increases for a 200 s heat treatment at 900 C. A thin-film solar cell concept consisting of poly-Si films on ZnO:Al coated glass is introduced. First solar cell results will be presented using absorber layers either prepared by solid-phase crystallization (SPC) or by direct deposition at 600 C. (author)

  9. Enhanced Absorption in Organic Thin-Films from Imprinted Concave Nanostructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arkadiusz Jarosław GOSZCZAK

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available In this work, a rapid, replicable method for imprinting concave nanostructures to be used as functional light-trapping nanostructures in organic thin-films is presented. Porous anodic alumina templates were fabricated both by anodization of thick Al foils and by anodization of submicrometer thin Al films evaporated via e-beam evaporation on Si substrates. The template formation leads to natural patterning of the underlying Al layers that are used as rigid masters for stamp fabrication, after selective etching of the porous anodic alumina. PDMS stamps were made after replicating the Al concave patterns and used for imprinting of spin coated photoresist on glass substrates. We have investigated semi-periodic and aperiodic imprinted large concave patterns fabricated from rigid masters after anodization of Al in H3PO4. We show that metal covered imprinted concaves show enhancement in absorption that is attributed to field enhancement and diffuse scattering, leading to efficient light trapping for a selected active layer material (P3HT:PCBM.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.23.1.14188

  10. MOFs for the Sensitive Detection of Ammonia: Deployment of fcu-MOF Thin-Films as Effective Chemical Capacitive Sensors.

    KAUST Repository

    Assen, Ayalew Hussen Assen; Yassine, Omar; Shekhah, Osama; Eddaoudi, Mohamed; Salama, Khaled N.

    2017-01-01

    This work reports on the fabrication and deployment of a select metal-organic framework (MOF) thin film as an advanced chemical capacitive sensor for the sensing/detection of ammonia (NH3) at room temperature. Namely, the MOF thin film sensing layer

  11. Hybrid composite thin films composed of tin oxide nanoparticles and cellulose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahadeva, Suresha K; Nayak, Jyoti; Kim, Jaehwan

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports the preparation and characterization of hybrid thin films consisting of tin oxide (SnO 2 ) nanoparticles and cellulose. SnO 2 nanoparticle loaded cellulose hybrid thin films were fabricated by a solution blending technique, using sodium dodecyl sulfate as a dispersion agent. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy studies revealed uniform dispersion of the SnO 2 nanoparticles in the cellulose matrix. Reduction in the crystalline melting transition temperature and tensile properties of cellulose was observed due to the SnO 2 nanoparticle loading. Potential application of these hybrid thin films as low cost, flexible and biodegradable humidity sensors is examined in terms of the change in electrical resistivity of the material exposed to a wide range of humidity as well as its response–recovery behavior. (paper)

  12. Ferroelectric properties of PZT/BFO multilayer thin films prepared using the sol-gel method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jo, Seo-Hyeon; Lee, Sung-Gap; Lee, Young-Hie

    2012-01-05

    In this study, Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3/BiFeO3 [PZT/BFO] multilayer thin films were fabricated using the spin-coating method on a Pt(200 nm)/Ti(10 nm)/SiO2(100 nm)/p-Si(100) substrate alternately using BFO and PZT metal alkoxide solutions. The coating-and-heating procedure was repeated several times to form the multilayer thin films. All PZT/BFO multilayer thin films show a void-free, uniform grain structure without the presence of rosette structures. The relative dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the six-coated PZT/BFO [PZT/BFO-6] thin film were approximately 405 and 0.03%, respectively. As the number of coatings increased, the remanent polarization and coercive field increased. The values for the BFO-6 multilayer thin film were 41.3 C/cm2 and 15.1 MV/cm, respectively. The leakage current density of the BFO-6 multilayer thin film at 5 V was 2.52 × 10-7 A/cm2.

  13. Pathways to Mesoporous Resin/Carbon Thin Films with Alternating Gyroid Morphology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Qi [Department; Matsuoka, Fumiaki [Department; Suh, Hyo Seon [Institute; Materials; Beaucage, Peter A. [Department; Xiong, Shisheng [Institute; Materials; Smilgies, Detlef-M. [Cornell; Tan, Kwan Wee [Department; School; Werner, Jörg G. [Department; Nealey, Paul F. [Institute; Materials; Wiesner, Ulrich B. [Department

    2017-12-19

    Three-dimensional (3D) mesoporous thin films with sub-100 nm periodic lattices are of increasing interest as templates for a number of nanotechnology applications, yet are hard to achieve with conventional top-down fabrication methods. Block copolymer self-assembly derived mesoscale structures provide a toolbox for such 3D template formation. In this work, single (alternating) gyroidal and double gyroidal mesoporous thin-film structures are achieved via solvent vapor annealing assisted co-assembly of poly(isoprene-block-styrene-block-ethylene oxide) (PI-b-PS-b-PEO, ISO) and resorcinol/phenol formaldehyde resols. In particular, the alternating gyroid thin-film morphology is highly desirable for potential template backfilling processes as a result of the large pore volume fraction. In situ grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering during solvent annealing is employed as a tool to elucidate and navigate the pathway complexity of the structure formation processes. The resulting network structures are resistant to high temperatures provided an inert atmosphere. The thin films have tunable hydrophilicity from pyrolysis at different temperatures, while pore sizes can be tailored by varying ISO molar mass. A transfer technique between substrates is demonstrated for alternating gyroidal mesoporous thin films, circumventing the need to re-optimize film formation protocols for different substrates. Increased conductivity after pyrolysis at high temperatures demonstrates that these gyroidal mesoporous resin/carbon thin films have potential as functional 3D templates for a number of nanomaterials applications.

  14. One-Pot Fabrication of Antireflective/Antibacterial Dual-Function Ag NP-Containing Mesoporous Silica Thin Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Kaikai; He, Junhui

    2018-04-04

    Thin films that integrate antireflective and antibacterial dual functions are not only scientifically interesting but also highly desired in many practical applications. Unfortunately, very few studies have been devoted to the preparation of thin films with both antireflective and antibacterial properties. In this study, mesoporous silica (MSiO 2 ) thin films with uniformly dispersed Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were prepared through a one-pot process, which simultaneously shows high transmittance, excellent antibacterial activity, and mechanical robustness. The optimal thin-film-coated glass substrate demonstrates a maximum transmittance of 98.8% and an average transmittance of 97.1%, respectively, in the spectral range of 400-800 nm. The growth and multiplication of typical bacteria, Escherichia coli ( E. coli), were effectively inhibited on the coated glass. Pencil hardness test, tape adhesion test, and sponge washing test showed favorable mechanical robustness with 5H pencil hardness, 5A grade adhesion, and functional durability of the coating, which promises great potential for applications in various touch screens, windows for hygiene environments, and optical apparatuses for medical uses such as endoscope, and so on.

  15. Fabrication of highly sensitive and selective H{sub 2} gas sensor based on SnO{sub 2} thin film sensitized with microsized Pd islands

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Van Toan, Nguyen; Viet Chien, Nguyen; Van Duy, Nguyen [International Training Institute for Materials Science (ITIMS), Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), No. 1, Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Si Hong, Hoang [School of Electrical Engineering (SEE), Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), Hanoi (Viet Nam); Nguyen, Hugo [Division of Microsystems Technology, Department of Engineering Sciences, Uppsala University, 75237 Uppsala (Sweden); Duc Hoa, Nguyen [International Training Institute for Materials Science (ITIMS), Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), No. 1, Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Van Hieu, Nguyen, E-mail: hieu@itims.edu.vn [International Training Institute for Materials Science (ITIMS), Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), No. 1, Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi (Viet Nam)

    2016-01-15

    Highlights: • H{sub 2} gas sensors based on SnO{sub 2} thin film sensitized with Pd islands were fabricated. • The sensors could monitor hazardous H{sub 2}n gas at low concentrations of 25–250 ppm. • H{sub 2} response of Pd/SnO{sub 2} is higher than that of Pt/SnO{sub 2} and Au/SnO{sub 2} sensors. • Enhancement of sensor performance was discussed based on spillover and diffusion mechanisms. - Abstract: Ultrasensitive and selective hydrogen gas sensor is vital component in safe use of hydrogen that requires a detection and alarm of leakage. Herein, we fabricated a H{sub 2} sensing devices by adopting a simple design of planar-type structure sensor in which the heater, electrode, and sensing layer were patterned on the front side of a silicon wafer. The SnO{sub 2} thin film-based sensors that were sensitized with microsized Pd islands were fabricated at a wafer-scale by using a sputtering system combined with micro-electronic techniques. The thicknesses of SnO{sub 2} thin film and microsized Pd islands were optimized to maximize the sensing performance of the devices. The optimized sensor could be used for monitoring hydrogen gas at low concentrations of 25–250 ppm, with a linear dependence to H{sub 2} concentration and a fast response and recovery time. The sensor also showed excellent selectivity for monitoring H{sub 2} among other gases, such as CO, NH{sub 3}, and LPG, and satisfactory characteristics for ensuring safety in handling hydrogen. The hydrogen sensing characteristics of the sensors sensitized with Pt and Au islands were also studied to clarify the sensing mechanisms.

  16. Photolithographically patterened thin-film multilayer devices of YBa2Cu3O7-x

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kingston, J.J.; Wellstood, F.C.; Quan, D.; Clarke, J.

    1990-09-01

    We have fabricated thin-film YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x -SrTiO 3 -YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x multilayer interconnect structures in which each in situ laser-deposited film is independently patterned by photolithography. In particular, we have constructed the two key components necessary for a superconducting multilayer interconnect technology, crossovers and window contacts. As a further demonstration of the technology, we have fabricated a thin-film flux transformer, suitable for use with a Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID), that includes a ten-turn input coil with 6μm linewidth. Transport measurements showed that the critical temperature was 87K and the critical current was 135 μA at 82K. 7 refs., 6 figs

  17. Effect of Ag doping on opto-electrical properties of CdS thin films for solar cell applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nazir, Adnan; Toma, Andrea; Shah, Nazar Abbas; Panaro, Simone; Butt, Sajid; Sagar, Rizwan ur Rehman; Raja, Waseem; Rasool, Kamran; Maqsood, Asghari

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Polycrystalline CdS thin films are fabricated by means of Close Spaced Sublimation technique. • Ag is doped by simple ion-exchange technique in order to reduce resistivity of CdS thin films. • Remarkable reduction in resistivity without introducing many transparency losses. - Abstract: Cadmium sulfide (CdS) polycrystalline thin films of different thicknesses (ranging from 370 nm to 750 nm) were fabricated on corning glass substrates using Close Spaced Sublimation (CSS) technique. Optical and electrical investigation revealed that CdS thin films show an appreciable transparency (50–70% transmission) in visible range and a highly resistive behavior (10 6 Ω cm). Samples were doped by silver (Ag) at different concentrations, using ion exchange technique, in order to reduce the resistivity of CdS thin films and to improve their efficiency as a window layer for solar cell application. The doping of Ag in pure CdS thin films resulted into an increase of surface roughness and a decrease both in electrical resistivity and in transparency. By optimizing annealing parameters, we were able to properly control the optical properties of the present system. In fact, the Ag doping of pure CdS films has led to a decrease of the sample resistivity by three orders of magnitude (10 3 Ω cm) against a 20% cut in optical transmission

  18. Sr{sub 2}MgMoO{sub 6−δ} thin films fabricated using pulsed-laser deposition with high concentrations of oxygen vacancies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shigematsu, K. [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Chikamatsu, A., E-mail: chikamatsu@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Fukumura, T. [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); JST-CREST, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Toyoda, S. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); Ikenaga, E. [JASRI/SPring-8, Mikazuki-cho, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Hasegawa, T. [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); JST-CREST, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-0012 (Japan)

    2014-06-30

    We fabricated epitaxial thin films of oxygen-vacant Sr{sub 2}MgMoO{sub 6−δ} using pulsed laser deposition. The films showed low resistivity of the order of 10{sup −2} Ω cm at 300 K. X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that Mg and Mo ions in the Sr{sub 2}MgMoO{sub 6−δ} films were considerably disordered, compared to those in bulk Sr{sub 2}MgMoO{sub 6−δ}. The proportion of oxygen vacancies estimated through hard x-ray photoemission measurements was as large as 0.37, and correlated well with the Mg/Mo ordering.

  19. Investigation of the Optoelectronic Properties of Ti-doped Indium Tin Oxide Thin Film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pu, Nen-Wen; Liu, Wei-Sheng; Cheng, Huai-Ming; Hu, Hung-Chun; Hsieh, Wei-Ting; Yu, Hau-Wei; Liang, Shih-Chang

    2015-09-21

    : In this study, direct-current magnetron sputtering was used to fabricate Ti-doped indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films. The sputtering power during the 350-nm-thick thin-film production process was fixed at 100 W with substrate temperatures increasing from room temperature to 500 °C. The Ti-doped ITO thin films exhibited superior thin-film resistivity (1.5 × 10 - ⁴ Ω/cm), carrier concentration (4.1 × 10 21 cm - ³), carrier mobility (10 cm²/Vs), and mean visible-light transmittance (90%) at wavelengths of 400-800 nm at a deposition temperature of 400 °C. The superior carrier concentration of the Ti-doped ITO alloys (>10 21 cm - ³) with a high figure of merit (81.1 × 10 - ³ Ω - ¹) demonstrate the pronounced contribution of Ti doping, indicating their high suitability for application in optoelectronic devices.

  20. Optical and Electrical Properties of the Different Magnetron Sputter Power 300°C Deposited -ZnO Thin Films and Applications in p-i-n -Si:H Thin-Film Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang-Hsing Wang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A compound of ZnO with 3 wt% Ga2O3 (ZnO : Ga2O3 = 97 : 3 in wt%, GZO was sintered at C as a target. The GZO thin films were deposited on glass using a radio frequency magnetron sputtering system at C by changing the deposition power from 50 W to 150 W. The effects of deposition power on the crystallization size, lattice constant (c, resistivity, carrier concentration, carrier mobility, and optical transmission rate of the GZO thin films were studied. The blue shift in the transmission spectrum of the GZO thin films was found to change with the variations of the carrier concentration because of the Burstein-Moss shifting effect. The variations in the optical band gap ( value of the GZO thin films were evaluated from the plots of , revealing that the measured value decreased with increasing deposition power. As compared with the results deposited at room temperature by Gong et al., (2010 the C deposited GZO thin films had apparent blue shift in the transmission spectrum and larger value. For the deposited GZO thin films, both the carrier concentration and mobility linearly decreased and the resistivity linearly increased with increasing deposition power. The prepared GZO thin films were also used as transparent electrodes to fabricate the amorphous silicon thin-film solar cells, and their properties were also measured.

  1. Fabrication of AlN thin films on different substrates at ambient temperature

    CERN Document Server

    Cai, W X; Wu, P H; Yang, S Z; Ji, Z M

    2002-01-01

    Aluminium nitride (AlN) is very useful as a barrier in superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) device or as an insulating layer in many other applications. At ambient temperature, we deposit AlN thin films onto different substrates (such as MgO, LaAlO sub 3 and Si) by using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering and pure Al target. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and PHI-scan patterns show that the films grown on MgO substrates are excellent epitaxial films with (101) orientation of a hexagonal lattice. A possible structure of the interface between the film and the substrate is suggested and discussed.

  2. Structures and electronic properties of thin-films of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Natsume, Yutaka; Minakata, Takashi; Aoyagi, Takeshi

    2009-01-01

    We report the fabrication and characterization of organic thin-film transistors (TFTs) using several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Pentacene, ovalene, dibenzocoronene and hexabenzocoronene were deposited as organic semiconductors on silicon wafers with gold electrodes as the bottom-contact configuration of the TFTs. The pentacene TFT showed the highest field-effect mobility of more than 0.1 cm 2 /Vs in comparison with the other PAHs. The results clarified that the high field-effect mobility of the pentacene thin film is due to large grain size and intrinsic electronic properties

  3. High energy density capacitors fabricated by thin film technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbee, T W; Johnson, G W; Wagner, A V.

    1999-01-01

    Low energy density in conventional capacitors severely limits efforts to miniaturize power electronics and imposes design limitations on electronics in general. We have successfully applied physical vapor deposition technology to greatly increase capacitor energy density. The high dielectric breakdown strength we have achieved in alumina thin films allows high energy density to be achieved with this moderately low dielectric constant material. The small temperature dependence of the dielectric constant, and the high reliability, high resistivity, and low dielectric loss of Al 2 O 3 , make it even more appealing. We have constructed single dielectric layer thin film capacitors and shown that they can be stacked to form multilayered structures with no loss in yield for a given capacitance. Control of film growth morphology is critical for achieving the smooth, high quality interfaces between metal and dielectric necessary for device operation at high electric fields. Most importantly, high rate deposition with extremely low particle generation is essential for achieving high energy storage at a reasonable cost. This has been achieved by reactive magnetron sputtering in which the reaction to form the dielectric oxide has been confined to the deposition surface. By this technique we have achieved a yield of over 50% for 1 cm 2 devices with an energy density of 14 J per cubic centimeter of Al 2 O 3 dielectric material in 1.2 kV, 4 nF devices. By further reducing defect density and increasing the dielectric constant of the material, we will be able to increase capacitance and construct high energy density devices to meet the requirements of applications in power electronics

  4. Host thin films incorporating nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qureshi, Uzma

    The focus of this research project was the investigation of the functional properties of thin films that incorporate a secondary nanoparticulate phase. In particular to assess if the secondary nanoparticulate material enhanced a functional property of the coating on glass. In order to achieve this, new thin film deposition methods were developed, namely use of nanopowder precursors, an aerosol assisted transport technique and an aerosol into atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition system. Aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) was used to deposit 8 series of thin films on glass. Five different nanoparticles silver, gold, ceria, tungsten oxide and zinc oxide were tested and shown to successfully deposit thin films incorporating nanoparticles within a host matrix. Silver nanoparticles were synthesised and doped within a titania film by AACVD. This improved solar control properties. A unique aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) into atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD) system was used to deposit films of Au nanoparticles and thin films of gold nanoparticles incorporated within a host titania matrix. Incorporation of high refractive index contrast metal oxide particles within a host film altered the film colour. The key goal was to test the potential of nanopowder forms and transfer the suspended nanopowder via an aerosol to a substrate in order to deposit a thin film. Discrete tungsten oxide nanoparticles or ceria nanoparticles within a titanium dioxide thin film enhanced the self-cleaning and photo-induced super-hydrophilicity. The nanopowder precursor study was extended by deposition of zinc oxide thin films incorporating Au nanoparticles and also ZnO films deposited from a ZnO nanopowder precursor. Incorporation of Au nanoparticles within a VO: host matrix improved the thermochromic response, optical and colour properties. Composite VC/TiC and Au nanoparticle/V02/Ti02 thin films displayed three useful

  5. Fabrication of Quench Condensed Thin Films Using an Integrated MEMS Fab on a Chip

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lally, Richard; Reeves, Jeremy; Stark, Thomas; Barrett, Lawrence; Bishop, David

    Atomic calligraphy is a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based dynamic stencil nanolithography technique. Integrating MEMS devices into a bonded stacked array of three die provides a unique platform for conducting quench condensed thin film mesoscopic experiments. The atomic calligraphy Fab on a Chip process incorporates metal film sources, electrostatic comb driven stencil plate, mass sensor, temperature sensor, and target surface into one multi-die assembly. Three separate die are created using the PolyMUMPs process and are flip-chip bonded together. A die containing joule heated sources must be prepared with metal for evaporation prior to assembly. A backside etch of the middle/central die exposes the moveable stencil plate allowing the flux to pass through the stencil from the source die to the target die. The chip assembly is mounted in a cryogenic system at ultra-high vacuum for depositing extremely thin films down to single layers of atoms across targeted electrodes. Experiments such as the effect of thin film alloys or added impurities on their superconductivity can be measured in situ with this process.

  6. Light-emitting Si films formed by neutral cluster deposition in a thin O2 gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Honda, Y.; Takei, M.; Ohno, H.; Shida, S.; Goda, K.

    2005-01-01

    We have fabricated the light-emitting Si-rich and oxygen-rich amorphous SiO 2 (a-SiO 2 ) films using the neutral cluster deposition (NCD) method without and with oxygen gas admitted, respectively, and demonstrate for the first time that these films show a photoluminescent feature. The Si thin films were observed by atomic force microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and analyzed by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) and FTIR-attenuated total reflection measurements. All of the PL spectra show mountainous distribution with a peak around 620 nm. It is found that the increase in the oxygen termination in the a-SiO 2 films evidently makes the PL intensity increase. It is demonstrated that NCD technique is one of the hopeful methods to fabricate light-emitting Si thin films

  7. Characterization of thin films with synchrotron radiation in SPring-8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komiya, Satoshi

    2005-01-01

    Many studies about thin films by using synchrotron radiation in SPring-8 were reviewed. Structural analyses and assessment of thin films used for electronics, and also assessment of insulating films for the gate used in LSI were carried out. Film thickness, unevenness, and density of SiO 2 films in order of nanomer thickness were determined by interference fringes of x-ray reflection curves. The interface structure of (SiO 2 /Si) films was studied by x-ray crystal truncation rod scattering, and the correlation between leakage character depending on nitrogen concentration and interface structure was clarified on SiON film. The oxygen concentration in HfO films in nanometer thickness was determined by x-ray fluorescence analysis, and the interface reaction for HfO 2 /SiO 2 was clearly observed by electron spectroscopy. The structure of amorphous thin films with large dielectric constant was analyzed by x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectrum. Devices fabricated from multi-layer films showing giant magnetic resistance were developed for hard disk with a large memory. The character of giant magnetic resistance was governed by multi-layer thin film structure piled up by magnetic and nonmagnetic polycrystalline thin metals. For the multi-layer structure, the concentration distribution of constituent elements was determined to the direction of film thickness by x-ray reflection analysis and grazing incident x-ray fluorescence analysis. In the semiconductor laser source, Ga 1-x In x N, used for DVD, the local structure around In ions was studied by XAFS since constituent instability, especially overpopulation of In element, caused the deterioration of lifetime and light emission of the laser. The lattice constant of the light emission layer in InGaAs was measured by x-ray micro-beams. (author)

  8. Hybrid thin films based on bilayer heterojunction of titania nanocrystals/polypyrrole/natural dyes (Kappaphycus alvarezii) materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghazali, Salmah Mohd; Salleh, Hasiah; Dagang, Ahmad Nazri; Ghazali, Mohd Sabri Mohd; Ali, Nik Aziz Nik; Rashid, Norlaily Abdul; Kamarulzaman, Nurul Huda; Ahmad, Wan Almaz Dhafina Che Wan

    2017-09-01

    In this research, hybrid thin films which consist of a combination of organic red seaweed (RS) (Kappaphycus alvarezii) and polypyrrole (PPy) with inorganic titania nanocrystals (TiO2 NCs) materials were fabricated. These hybrid thin films were fabricated accordingly with bilayer heterojunction of ITO/TiO2 NCs/PPy/RS via electrochemical method using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The effect of number of scans (thickness) of titania on optical and electrical properties of hybrid thin films were studied. TiO2 NCs function as an electron acceptor and electronic conductor. Meanwhile, PPy acts as holes conductor and RS dye acts as a photosensitizer enhances the optical and electrical properties of the thin films. The UV absorption spectrum of TiO2 NCs, PPy and RS are characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, while the functional group of RS was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The UV-Vis spectra showed that TiO2 NCs, PPy and RS were absorbed over a wide range of light spectrum which were 200-300 nm, 300-900 nm and 250-900 nm; respectively. The FTIR spectra of the RS showed the presence of hydroxyl group which was responsible for a good sensitizer for these hybrid solar cells. The electrical conductivity of these hybrid thin films were measured by using four point probes. The electrical conductivity of ITO/ (1)TiO2 NCs/PPy/RS thin film under the radiation of 100 Wm-2 was 0.062 Scm-1, hence this hybrid thin films can be applied in solar cell application.

  9. Nanoscale aluminum concaves for light-trapping in organic thin-films

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Goszczak, Arkadiusz Jaroslaw; Adam, Jost; Cielecki, Pawel Piotr

    2016-01-01

    Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates, fabricated from oxalic acid and phosphoric acid, lead to non-periodic nanoscale concave structures in their underlying aluminum layer, which are investigated for their field-enhancement properties by applying a thin-film polymer coating based laser ablation...

  10. Effect of Substrates on the Dynamic Properties of Inkjet-Printed Ag Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deokman Kim

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The dynamic properties of inkjet-printed Ag thin films on flexible substrates were measured using flexural wave propagation. The Ag nanoparticle suspension was inkjet-printed on polyimide (PI, silicon wafer, and glass. The effects of flexible substrates on the dynamic properties of the films were investigated. Beam-shaped Ag-printed substrates were fabricated by pico-second laser pulse cutting. The wave approach was presented to analyze the vibrations of the thin film on the substrates. The Young’s modulus and loss factor of the Ag thin films with the substrates were represented by the combined bending stiffness of the bilayer beam. The vibration response of the base-excited cantilever was measured using an accelerometer and laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV. Vibration transfers were analyzed to obtain dynamic characteristics of the Ag-printed bilayer beam. The substrate affects the reduction of the Ag thin film thickness during the sintering process and surface roughness of the film. The proposed method based on the wave approach allows measurement of the dynamic properties regardless of the ratio of the modulus between the thin film and substrate.

  11. Flexible thin film circuitry enabling ubiquitous electronics via post-fabrication customization (Presentation Recording)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cobb, Brian

    2015-09-01

    For decades, the electronics industry has been accurately described by Moore's Law, where the march towards increasing density and smaller feature sizes has enabled continuous cost reductions and performance improvements. With flexible electronics, this perpetual scaling is not foreseen to occur. Instead, the industry will be dominated by Wright's Law, first proposed in 1936, where increasing demand for high volumes of product will drive costs down. We have demonstrated thin film based circuitry compatible with flexible substrates with high levels of functionality designed for such a high volume industry. This includes a generic 8-bit microprocessor totaling more than 3.5k TFTs operating at 2.1 kHz. We have also developed a post fabrication programming technique via inkjet printing of conductive spots to form a one-time programmable instruction generator, allowing customization of the processor for a specific task. The combination demonstrates the possibility to achieve the high volume production of identical products necessary to reap the benefits promised by Wright's Law, while still retaining the individualization necessary for application differentiation. This is of particular importance in the area of item level identification via RFID, where low cost and individualized identification are necessary. Remotely powered RFID tags have been fabricated using an oxide semiconductor based TFT process. This process is compatible with the post-fabrication printing process to detail individual identification codes, with the goal of producing low cost, high volume flexible tags. The goal is to produce tags compatible with existing NFC communication protocols in order to communicate with readers that are already ubiquitous in the market.

  12. Fabrication of Co thin films using pulsed laser deposition method with or without employing external magnetic field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ehsani, M.H., E-mail: Ehsani@semnan.ac.ir [Thin Film Laboratory, Faculty of Physics, Semnan University (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mehrabad, M. Jalali [Thin Film Laboratory, Faculty of Physics, Semnan University (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kameli, P. [Department of Physics, Isfahan University of technology, Isfahan 8415683111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2016-11-01

    In this work, the external magnetic field effects on growth condition during deposition processes of the Co thin films were studied. Two specimens of Co films with different condition (with and without external magnetic field) were synthesized by pulsed laser deposition method. Structural and magnetic properties of the Co thin films were systematically studied, using atomic force microscope analysis and magnetization measurement, respectively. During the deposition processes, the external applied magnetic field had been provided by a permanent magnet. The experimental results show that the external magnetic field enables one to tune the magnetic properties of the deposited thin films. To clarify this effect, using Multi-Physics COMSOL simulation environment, a study of vapor flux by applied magnetic field during deposition were performed. Comparison between experimental data and output data of the simulation show promising accommodation and approve the existence of a strong correlation between the structural and magnetic properties of the specimens, and deposition rate of Co thin films. - Graphical abstract: Simulation results of the cobalt particles tracing sputtered from the source to substrate with an external magnetic field. Convergence of the particles flux (left) and also the spiral motion of the cobalt particles (right) increase dramatically as they approach the substrate and NdFe35 magnet. - Highlights: • The external magnetic field effects on growth condition during deposition processes of the Co thin films were studied. • Structural and magnetic properties of the Co thin films were systematically studied, using atomic force microscope analysis and magnetization measurement, respectively. • The experimental results show that the external magnetic field enables one to tune the magnetic properties of the deposited thin films. • To clarify this effect, using Multi-Physics COMSOL simulation environment, a study of vapor flux by applied magnetic field

  13. Low operating voltage InGaZnO thin-film transistors based on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} high-k dielectrics fabricated using pulsed laser deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geng, G. Z.; Liu, G. X.; Zhang, Q.; Shan, F. K. [Qingdao University, Qingdao (China); DongEui University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, W. J.; Shin, B. C. [DongEui University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Cho, C. R. [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-05-15

    Low-voltage-driven amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} dielectric were fabricated on a Si substrate by using pulsed laser deposition. Both Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and IGZO thin films are amorphous, and the thin films have very smooth surfaces. The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} gate dielectric exhibits a very low leakage current density of 1.3 x 10{sup -8} A/cm{sup 2} at 5 V and a high capacitance density of 60.9 nF/cm{sup 2}. The IGZO TFT with a structure of Ni/IGZO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Si exhibits high performance with a low threshold voltage of 1.18 V, a high field effect mobility of 20.25 cm{sup 2}V{sup -1}s{sup -1}, an ultra small subthreshold swing of 87 mV/decade, and a high on/off current ratio of 3 x 10{sup 7}.

  14. NMR characterization of thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerald II, Rex E.; Klingler, Robert J.; Rathke, Jerome W.; Diaz, Rocio; Vukovic, Lela

    2010-06-15

    A method, apparatus, and system for characterizing thin film materials. The method, apparatus, and system includes a container for receiving a starting material, applying a gravitational force, a magnetic force, and an electric force or combinations thereof to at least the starting material, forming a thin film material, sensing an NMR signal from the thin film material and analyzing the NMR signal to characterize the thin film of material.

  15. NMR characterization of thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerald, II, Rex E.; Klingler, Robert J.; Rathke, Jerome W.; Diaz, Rocio; Vukovic, Lela

    2008-11-25

    A method, apparatus, and system for characterizing thin film materials. The method, apparatus, and system includes a container for receiving a starting material, applying a gravitational force, a magnetic force, and an electric force or combinations thereof to at least the starting material, forming a thin film material, sensing an NMR signal from the thin film material and analyzing the NMR signal to characterize the thin film of material.

  16. Chemically robust carbon nanotube–PTFE superhydrophobic thin films with enhanced ability of wear resistance

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Kewei Wang; Pan Xiong; Xiuping Xu; Kan Wang; YanLong Li; Yufeng Zheng

    2017-01-01

    A chemically robust superhydrophobic nanocomposite thin film with enhanced wear resistance is prepared from a composite comprising polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and carbon nanotubes. The superhydrophobic thin films with hierarchical structure are fabricated by spraying an environmentally friendly aqueous dispersion containing carbon nanotubes and PTFE resin on silicon wafer. Thin films with a contact angle of 154.1° ± 2° and a sliding angle less than 2° remain superhydrophobic after abrading over 500 times under a pressure of 50 g/cm2. The thin film is also extremely stable even under much stress conditions. To further the understanding of the enhancement of wear resistance, we investigated the formation of microsized structure and their effects. The growth of microbumps is caused by attracting solution droplet to the hydrophilic islands on hydrophobic surface.

  17. Thin film transistor performance of amorphous indium–zinc oxide semiconductor thin film prepared by ultraviolet photoassisted sol–gel processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodzasa, Takehito; Nobeshima, Taiki; Kuribara, Kazunori; Yoshida, Manabu

    2018-05-01

    We have fabricated an amorphous indium–zinc oxide (IZO, In/Zn = 3/1) semiconductor thin-film transistor (AOS-TFT) by the sol–gel technique using ultraviolet (UV) photoirradiation and post-treatment in high-pressure O2 at 200 °C. The obtained TFT showed a hole carrier mobility of 0.02 cm2 V‑1 s‑1 and an on/off current ratio of 106. UV photoirradiation leads to the decomposition of the organic agents and hydroxide group in the IZO gel film. Furthermore, the post-treatment annealing at a high O2 pressure of more than 0.6 MPa leads to the filling of the oxygen vacancies in a poor metal–oxygen network in the IZO film.

  18. The Effects of Postprocessing on Physical and Solution Deposition of Complex Oxide Thin Films for Tunable Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-02-01

    BST film capacitor devices were fabricated using physical and chemical solution deposition techniques. The typical dielectric constant of the...electrode loss, and the parallel resistor- capacitor circuit represents the capacitance and the dielectric loss, assuming lead inductance is...Thin barium strontium titanate (BST) films are being developed as dielectric film for use in tunable radio frequency (RF)/microwave applications. Thin

  19. Solution-processable precursor route for fabricating ultrathin silica film for high performance and low voltage organic transistors

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Shujing Guo; Liqiang Li; Zhongwu Wang; Zeyang Xu; Shuguang Wang; Kunjie Wu; Shufeng Chen; Zongbo Zhang; Caihong Xu; Wenfeng Qiu

    2017-01-01

    Silica is one of the most commonly used materials for dielectric layer in organic thin-film transistors due to its excellent stability,excellent electrical properties,mature preparation process,and good compatibility with organic semiconductors.However,most of conventional preparation methods for silica film are generally performed at high temperature and/or high vacuum.In this paper,we introduce a simple solution spin-coating method to fabricate silica thin film from precursor route,which possesses a low leakage current,high capacitance,and low surface roughness.The silica thin film can be produced in the condition of low temperature and atmospheric environment.To meet various demands,the thickness of film can be adjusted by means of preparation conditions such as the speed of spin-coating and the concentration of solution.The p-type and n-type organic field effect transistors fabricated by using this film as gate electrodes exhibit excellent electrical performance including low voltage and high performance.This method shows great potential for industrialization owing to its characteristic of low consumption and energy saving,time-saving and easy to operate.

  20. Handbook of thin film technology

    CERN Document Server

    Frey, Hartmut

    2015-01-01

    “Handbook of Thin Film Technology” covers all aspects of coatings preparation, characterization and applications. Different deposition techniques based on vacuum and plasma processes are presented. Methods of surface and thin film analysis including coating thickness, structural, optical, electrical, mechanical and magnetic properties of films are detailed described. The several applications of thin coatings and a special chapter focusing on nanoparticle-based films can be found in this handbook. A complete reference for students and professionals interested in the science and technology of thin films.

  1. General Space-Confined On-Substrate Fabrication of Thickness-Adjustable Hybrid Perovskite Single-Crystalline Thin Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yao-Xuan; Ge, Qian-Qing; Shi, Yang; Liu, Jie; Xue, Ding-Jiang; Ma, Jing-Yuan; Ding, Jie; Yan, Hui-Juan; Hu, Jin-Song; Wan, Li-Jun

    2016-12-21

    Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite single-crystalline thin films (SCTFs) are promising for enhancing photoelectric device performance due to high carrier mobility, long diffusion length, and carrier lifetime. However, bulk perovskite single crystals available today are not suitable for practical device application due to the unfavorable thickness. Herein, we report a facile space-confined solution-processed strategy to on-substrate grow various hybrid perovskite SCTFs in a size of submillimeter with adjustable thicknesses from nano- to micrometers. These SCTFs exhibit photoelectric properties comparable to bulk single crystals with low defect density and good air stability. The clear thickness-dependent colors allow fast visual selection of SCTFs with a suitable thickness for specific device application. The present substrate-independent growth of perovskite SCTFs opens up opportunities for on-chip fabrication of diverse high-performance devices.

  2. Size control of nanocrystals in InGaZnO4 thin films fabricated by using the sol-gel method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seo, S. J.; Cho, J. H.; Jang, Y. H.; Kim, C. H.

    2012-01-01

    We report the structural properties of InGaZnO 4 (IGZO) thin films prepared by using the sol-gel method. The structural properties of IGZO thin films were controlled by using the film thickness and thermal annealing temperature. In this study, the crystallization temperature of amorphous IGZO thin films was observed to be about 700 .deg. C. Also, we observed that the crystal size of IGZO thin films increased as the thickness and the annealing temperature were increased. In addition, we could observe that the atomic ratio of In, Ga and Zn of the IGZO thin film was slightly different from the molar ratio of a previous IGZO sol-gel solution (In:Ga:Zn = 1:1:1) post-annealed at 900 .deg. C because In and Zn are more volatile than Ga. The study of the crystallization of amorphous IGZO thin films provides an understanding of the growth mechanisms and thermal annealing effects for IGZO nanocrystals.

  3. 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)

  4. Improving the surface structure of high quality Sr{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} thin films for multilayer structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angervo, I., E-mail: ijange@utu.fi [Wihuri Physical Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, FI-20014 University of Turku (Finland); University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS), University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku (Finland); Saloaro, M. [Wihuri Physical Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, FI-20014 University of Turku (Finland); Tikkanen, J. [Wihuri Physical Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, FI-20014 University of Turku (Finland); University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS), University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku (Finland); Huhtinen, H.; Paturi, P. [Wihuri Physical Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, FI-20014 University of Turku (Finland)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • The effects of PLD laser fluence and deposition temperature are investigated on SFMO thin films. • We focus on improving the surface structure of the SFMO thin films. • Both the surface structure and the Curie temperature can be improved by fabricating the films at 900 °C. - Abstract: Two sets of Sr{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} thin films were prepared with pulsed laser deposition and the effect of the laser fluence and the deposition temperature was investigated. The Sr{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} thin films showed clear evidence of impurity phases when the laser fluence was altered. Phase pure films resulted through the whole temperature range between 900 °C and 1050 °C when a proper laser fluence was used. Films fabricated at lower deposition temperatures resulted with smaller surface roughnesses around 5 nm, higher Curie temperatures and with relatively high saturation magnetization values. The Curie temperature was determined from the minimum of the first order derivative and results showed the highest values of 350 K and above. The films with the highest Curie temperature reached zero magnetization above 400 K. The results indicate that both high microstructural and high magnetic quality Sr{sub 2}FeMoO{sub 6} thin films can be obtained with a deposition temperature between 900 °C and 950 °C. This provides better fabrication parameters for the upcoming SFMO multilayer structures.

  5. Photo-Induced Room-Temperature Gas Sensing with a-IGZO Based Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated on Flexible Plastic Foil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knobelspies, Stefan; Bierer, Benedikt; Daus, Alwin; Takabayashi, Alain; Salvatore, Giovanni Antonio; Cantarella, Giuseppe; Ortiz Perez, Alvaro; Wöllenstein, Jürgen; Palzer, Stefan; Tröster, Gerhard

    2018-01-26

    We present a gas sensitive thin-film transistor (TFT) based on an amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide (a-IGZO) semiconductor as the sensing layer, which is fabricated on a free-standing flexible polyimide foil. The photo-induced sensor response to NO₂ gas at room temperature and the cross-sensitivity to humidity are investigated. We combine the advantages of a transistor based sensor with flexible electronics technology to demonstrate the first flexible a-IGZO based gas sensitive TFT. Since flexible plastic substrates prohibit the use of high operating temperatures, the charge generation is promoted with the help of UV-light absorption, which ultimately triggers the reversible chemical reaction with the trace gas. Furthermore, the device fabrication process flow can be directly implemented in standard TFT technology, allowing for the parallel integration of the sensor and analog or logical circuits.

  6. Photo-Induced Room-Temperature Gas Sensing with a-IGZO Based Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated on Flexible Plastic Foil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Knobelspies

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a gas sensitive thin-film transistor (TFT based on an amorphous Indium–Gallium–Zinc–Oxide (a-IGZO semiconductor as the sensing layer, which is fabricated on a free-standing flexible polyimide foil. The photo-induced sensor response to NO2 gas at room temperature and the cross-sensitivity to humidity are investigated. We combine the advantages of a transistor based sensor with flexible electronics technology to demonstrate the first flexible a-IGZO based gas sensitive TFT. Since flexible plastic substrates prohibit the use of high operating temperatures, the charge generation is promoted with the help of UV-light absorption, which ultimately triggers the reversible chemical reaction with the trace gas. Furthermore, the device fabrication process flow can be directly implemented in standard TFT technology, allowing for the parallel integration of the sensor and analog or logical circuits.

  7. Rare Earth Oxide Thin Films

    CERN Document Server

    Fanciulli, Marco

    2007-01-01

    Thin rare earth (RE) oxide films are emerging materials for microelectronic, nanoelectronic, and spintronic applications. The state-of-the-art of thin film deposition techniques as well as the structural, physical, chemical, and electrical properties of thin RE oxide films and of their interface with semiconducting substrates are discussed. The aim is to identify proper methodologies for the development of RE oxides thin films and to evaluate their effectiveness as innovative materials in different applications.

  8. Characteristics research of pressure sensor based on nanopolysilicon thin films resistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xiaofeng; Li, Dandan; Wen, Dianzhong

    2017-10-01

    To further improve the sensitivity temperature characteristics of pressure sensor, a kind of pressure sensor taking nanopolysilicon thin films as piezoresistors is proposed in this paper. On the basis of the microstructure analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests, the preparing process of nanopolysilicon thin films is optimized. The effects of film thickness and annealing temperature on the micro-structure of nanopolysilicon thin films were studied, respectively. In order to realize the measurement of external pressure, four nanopolysilicon thin films resistors were arranged at the edges of square silicon diaphragm connected to a Wheatstone bridge, and the chip of the sensor was designed and fabricated on a 〈100〉 orientation silicon wafer by microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology. Experimental result shows that when I = 6.80 mA, the sensitivity of the sensor PS-1 is 0.308 mV/kPa, and the temperature coefficient of sensitivity (TCS) is about -1742 ppm/∘C in the range of -40-140∘C. It is possible to obviously improve the sensitivity temperature characteristics of pressure sensor by the proposed sensors.

  9. Thin-film solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aberle, Armin G.

    2009-01-01

    The rapid progress that is being made with inorganic thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technologies, both in the laboratory and in industry, is reviewed. While amorphous silicon based PV modules have been around for more than 20 years, recent industrial developments include the first polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells on glass and the first tandem solar cells based on stacks of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon films ('micromorph cells'). Significant thin-film PV production levels are also being set up for cadmium telluride and copper indium diselenide.

  10. Synthesis of thin films and materials utilizing a gaseous catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morse, Daniel E; Schwenzer, Birgit; Gomm, John R; Roth, Kristian M; Heiken, Brandon; Brutchey, Richard

    2013-10-29

    A method for the fabrication of nanostructured semiconducting, photoconductive, photovoltaic, optoelectronic and electrical battery thin films and materials at low temperature, with no molecular template and no organic contaminants. High-quality metal oxide semiconductor, photovoltaic and optoelectronic materials can be fabricated with nanometer-scale dimensions and high dopant densities through the use of low-temperature biologically inspired synthesis routes, without the use of any biological or biochemical templates.

  11. Fabrication and Characteristics of High Capacitance Al Thin Films Capacitor Using a Polymer Inhibitor Bath in Electroless Plating Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Young-Lae; Lee, Jung-Woo; Lee, Chang-Hyoung; Choi, Hyung-Seon; Kim, Sung-Su; Song, Young Il; Park, Chan; Suh, Su-Jeong

    2015-10-01

    An aluminum (Al) thin film capacitor was fabricated for a high capacitance capacitor using electrochemical etching, barrier-type anodizing, and electroless Ni-P plating. In this study, we focused on the bottom-up filling of Ni-P electrodes on Al2O3/Al with etched tunnels. The Al tunnel pits were irregularly distributed on the Al foil, diameters were in the range of about 0.5~1 μm, the depth of the tunnel pits was approximately 35~40 μm, and the complex structure was made full filled hard metal. To control the plating rate, the experiment was performed by adding polyethyleneimine (PEI, C2H5N), a high molecular substance. PEI forms a cross-link at the etching tunnel inlet, playing the role of delaying the inlet plating. When the PEI solution bath was used after activation, the Ni-P layer was deposited selectively on the bottoms of the tunnels. The characteristics were analyzed by adding the PEI addition quantity rate of 100~600 mg/L into the DI water. The capacitance of the Ni-P/Al2O3 (650~700 nm)/Al film was measured at 1 kHz using an impedance/gain phase analyzer. For the plane film without etch tunnels the capacitance was 12.5 nF/cm2 and for the etch film with Ni-P bottom-up filling the capacitance was 92 nF/cm2. These results illustrate a remarkable maximization of capacitance for thin film metal capacitors.

  12. Process for forming thin film, heat treatment process of thin film sheet, and heat treatment apparatus therefor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, S.

    1984-01-01

    The invention provides a process for forming a magnetic thin film on a base film, a heat treatment process of a thin film sheet consisting of the base film and the magnetic thin film, and an apparatus for performing heat treatment of the thin film sheet. Tension applied to the thin film sheet is substantially equal to that applied to the base film when the magnetic thin film is formed thereon. Then, the thin film sheet is treated with heat. The thin film sheet is heated with a given temperature gradient to a reactive temperature at which heat shrinkage occurs, while the tension is being applied thereto. Thereafter, the thin film sheet to which the tension is still applied is cooled with substantially the same temperature gradient as applied in heating. The heat treatment apparatus has a film driving unit including a supply reel, a take-up reel, a drive source and guide rollers; a heating unit including heating plates, heater blocks and a temperature controller for heating the sheet to the reactive temperature; and a heat insulating unit including a thermostat and another temperature controller for maintaining the sheet at the nonreactive temperature which is slightly lower than the reactive temperature

  13. Design and fabrication of a chamber for the deposit of thin films by laser ablation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chirino O, S.; Escobar A, I.; Camps C, E.; Garcia E, J.I.

    2000-01-01

    The laser ablation technique is an alternative for the obtention of thin films which is less expensive, more reliable, efficient and with some advantages with respect to conventional processes. On of the most important components which forms a laser ablation system is the vacuum chamber, that has as general purposes the following: a) To carry out studies about plasma such as optical emission spectroscopy and measurements by deflectometry. b) To carry out an In situ monitoring about the film growth through the reflectivity measurements of the combination substrate-film. c) To deposit thin films of different materials such as oxides, carbon, metals, etc. In this work it is showed how the vacuum chamber was designed and made to perform the store of thin films by laser ablation and for characterising the formed plasma as a result of the ablation process. The chamber design was enough versatile that will allow to add it more accessory just making it simple modifications. Its cost was very cheap more or less one twentieth of a commercial chamber. (Author)

  14. Fabrication of field-effect transistor utilizing oriented thin film of octahexyl-substituted phthalocyanine and its electrical anisotropy based on columnar structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohmori, Masashi; Nakatani, Mitsuhiro; Kajii, Hirotake; Miyamoto, Ayano; Yoneya, Makoto; Fujii, Akihiko; Ozaki, Masanori

    2018-03-01

    Field-effect transistors with molecularly oriented thin films of metal-free non-peripherally octahexyl-substituted phthalocyanine (C6PcH2), which characteristically form a columnar structure, have been fabricated, and the electrical anisotropy of C6PcH2 has been investigated. The molecularly oriented thin films of C6PcH2 were prepared by the bar-coating technique, and the uniform orientation in a large area and the surface roughness at a molecular level were observed by polarized spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, respectively. The field effect mobilities parallel and perpendicular to the column axis of C6PcH2 were estimated to be (1.54 ± 0.24) × 10-2 and (2.10 ± 0.23) × 10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. The electrical anisotropy based on the columnar structure has been discussed by taking the simulated results obtained by density functional theory calculation into consideration.

  15. Chemically fabricated LiFePO{sub 4} thin film electrode for transparent batteries and electrochromic devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Béléké, Alexis B. [Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec, 1800 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC J3X 1S3 (Canada); Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, M.H. Wong Building, 3610 rue University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B2 (Canada); Faure, Cyril [Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec, 1800 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC J3X 1S3 (Canada); Röder, Manuel [Center for Applied Electrochemistry, Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research, Neunerplatz 2, 97083 Würzburg (Germany); Hovington, Pierre [Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec, 1800 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC J3X 1S3 (Canada); Posset, Uwe [Center for Applied Electrochemistry, Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research, Neunerplatz 2, 97083 Würzburg (Germany); Guerfi, Abdelbast [Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec, 1800 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC J3X 1S3 (Canada); Zaghib, Karim, E-mail: zaghib.karim@ireq.ca [Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec, 1800 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC J3X 1S3 (Canada)

    2016-12-15

    Graphical abstract: Simplified diagram of the novel sol-gel approach of preparation of colorless and transparent LiFePO{sub 4} thin film electrode. - Highlights: • Novel sol-gel synthesis of colorless LFP thin film electrode for transparent Li-ion battery. • High performance of the electrode at various current densities: 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 μA/cm{sup 2}. • LFP nanoparticles exhibit an excellent electro-activity. • Colorless LFP thin film shows a transmittance above 80% versus FTO. • Higher transmittance of LFP electrode a potential candidate for electrochromic devices. - Abstract: We report a new sol-gel approach of synthesis of LiFePO{sub 4} (LFP) thin film and its application as cathode materials for transparent Li-ion battery in half-cell configuration. LFP thin films were obtained from an alcoholic colloidal suspension of iron acetylacetonate (Fe(AcAc){sub 3}) and aqueous lithium dihydrogen phosphate (LiH{sub 2}PO{sub 4}) deposited on fluorine tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate, followed by heating at 450 °C under nitrogen gas for 1 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that the LFP films have an orthorhombic crystal system with space group Pnma (62). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows spherical LFP nanoparticles aggregates homogenously deposited all over the surface of FTO substrate containing 3-D open pores. The electrochemical behaviors of thin film vs Li/Li{sup +} cell were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. The cycle life was evaluated by running 1000 cycles of charge-discharge at a current density of 20 μA/cm{sup 2}. The transmission spectra reveal 85–90% of transparency versus FTO as reference, which makes it a potential candidate as a complementary electrode in electrochromic devices (ECDs).

  16. Persistent superhydrophilicity of sol-gel derived nanoporous silica thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganjoo, S; Azimirad, R; Akhavan, O; Moshfegh, A Z

    2009-01-01

    In this investigation, sol-gel synthesized nanoporous silica thin films, annealed at different temperatures, with long time superhydrophilic property have been studied. Two kinds of sol-gel silica thin films were fabricated by dip-coating of glass substrates in two different solutions; with low and high water. The transparent coated films were dried at 100 deg. C and then annealed in a temperature range of 200-500 deg. C. The average water contact angle of the silica films prepared with low water content and annealed at 300 deg. C measured about 5 deg. for a long time (6 months) without any UV irradiation. Instead, adding water into the sol resulted in silica films with an average water contact angle greater than 60 deg. Atomic force microscopic analysis revealed that the silica films prepared with low water had a rough surface (∼30 nm), while the films prepared with high water had a smoother surface (∼2 nm). Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we have shown that with a decrease in the surface water on the film, its hydrophilicity increases logarithmically.

  17. Quality improvement of organic thin films deposited on vibrating substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paredes, Y.A.; Caldas, P.G.; Prioli, R.; Cremona, M., E-mail: cremona@fis.puc-rio.br

    2011-12-30

    Most of the Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) have a multilayered structure composed of functional organic layers sandwiched between two electrodes. Thin films of small molecules are generally deposited by thermal evaporation onto glass or other rigid or flexible substrates. The interface state between two organic layers in OLED device depends on the surface morphology of the layers and affects deeply the OLED performance. The morphology of organic thin films depends mostly on substrate temperature and deposition rate. Generally, the control of the substrate temperature allows improving the quality of the deposited films. For organic compounds substrate temperature cannot be increased too much due to their poor thermal stability. However, studies in inorganic thin films indicate that it is possible to modify the morphology of a film by using substrate vibration without increasing the substrate temperature. In this work, the effect of the resonance vibration of glass and silicon substrates during thermal deposition in high vacuum environment of tris(8-quinolinolate)aluminum(III) (Alq{sub 3}) and N,N Prime -Bis(naphthalene-2-yl)-N,N Prime -bis(phenyl)-benzidine ({beta}-NPB) organic thin films with different deposition rates was investigated. The vibration used was in the range of hundreds of Hz and the substrates were kept at room temperature during the process. The nucleation and subsequent growth of the organic films on the substrates have been studied by atomic force microscopy technique. For Alq{sub 3} and {beta}-NPB films grown with 0.1 nm/s as deposition rate and using a frequency of 100 Hz with oscillation amplitude of some micrometers, the results indicate a reduction of cluster density and a roughness decreasing. Moreover, OLEDs fabricated with organic films deposited under these conditions improved their power efficiency, driven at 4 mA/cm{sup 2}, passing from 0.11 lm/W to 0.24 lm/W with an increase in their luminance of about 352 cd/m{sup 2

  18. Thickness-Dependent Order-to-Order Transitions of Bolaform-like Giant Surfactant in Thin Films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsu, Chih-Hao; Yue, Kan; Wang, Jing; Dong, Xue-Hui; Xia, Yanfeng; Jiang, Zhang [X-ray; Thomas, Edwin L. [Department; Cheng, Stephen Z. D.

    2017-09-07

    Controlling self-assembled nanostructures in thin films allows the bottom-up fabrication of ordered nanoscale patterns. Here we report the unique thickness-dependent phase behavior in thin films of a bolaform-like giant surfactant, which consists of butyl- and hydroxyl-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (BPOSS and DPOSS) cages telechelically located at the chain ends of a polystyrene (PS) chain with 28 repeating monomers on average. In the bulk, BPOSS-PS28-DPOSS forms a double gyroid (DG) phase. Both grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy techniques are combined to elucidate the thin film structures. Interestingly, films with thicknesses thinner than 200 nm exhibit an irreversible phase transition from hexagonal perforated layer (HPL) to compressed hexagonally packed cylinders (c-HEX) at 130 °C, while films with thickness larger than 200 nm show an irreversible transition from HPL to DG at 200 °C. The thickness-controlled transition pathway suggests possibilities to obtain diverse patterns via thin film self-assembly.

  19. Pulsed laser deposition of high Tc superconducting thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, R.K.; Narayan, J.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports on the pulsed laser evaporation (PLE) technique for deposition of thin films characterized by a number of unique properties. Based on the experimental characteristics, a theoretical model is developed which considers the formation and anisotropic three dimensional expansion of the laser generated plasma. This model explains most of the experimental features observed in PLE. We have also employed the PLE technique for in-situ fabrication of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 superconducting thin films on different substrates in the temperature range of 500--650 degrees C. At temperatures below 600 degrees C, a biased interposing ring between the substrate and the target was found to significantly improve the superconducting properties. The minimum ion channeling yields were between 3--3.5% for films deposited on (100) SrTiO 3 and (100) LaAlO 3 substrates

  20. Process for obtaining multiple sheet resistances for thin film hybrid microcircuit resistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norwood, D.P.

    1989-01-01

    A standard thin film circuit containing Ta/sub 2/N (100 ohms/square) resistors is fabricated by depositing on a dielectric substrate successive layers of Ta/sub 2/N, Ti and Pd, with a gold layer to provide conductors. The addition of a few simple photoprocessing steps to the standard TFN manufacturing process enables the formation of Ta/sub 2/N + Ti (10 ohms/square) and Ta/sub 2/N + Ti + Pd (1 ohm/square) resistors in the same otherwise standard thin film circuit structure

  1. Berkovich Nanoindentation on AlN Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Sheng-Rui

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Berkovich nanoindentation-induced mechanical deformation mechanisms of AlN thin films have been investigated by using atomic force microscopy (AFM and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM techniques. AlN thin films are deposited on the metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD derived Si-doped (2 × 1017 cm−3 GaN template by using the helicon sputtering system. The XTEM samples were prepared by means of focused ion beam (FIB milling to accurately position the cross-section of the nanoindented area. The hardness and Young’s modulus of AlN thin films were measured by a Berkovich nanoindenter operated with the continuous contact stiffness measurements (CSM option. The obtained values of the hardness and Young’s modulus are 22 and 332 GPa, respectively. The XTEM images taken in the vicinity regions just underneath the indenter tip revealed that the multiple “pop-ins” observed in the load–displacement curve during loading are due primarily to the activities of dislocation nucleation and propagation. The absence of discontinuities in the unloading segments of load–displacement curve suggests that no pressure-induced phase transition was involved. Results obtained in this study may also have technological implications for estimating possible mechanical damages induced by the fabrication processes of making the AlN-based devices.

  2. Investigation of the Optoelectronic Properties of Ti-doped Indium Tin Oxide Thin Film

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nen-Wen Pu

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available : In this study, direct-current magnetron sputtering was used to fabricate Ti-doped indium tin oxide (ITO thin films. The sputtering power during the 350-nm-thick thin-film production process was fixed at 100 W with substrate temperatures increasing from room temperature to 500 °C. The Ti-doped ITO thin films exhibited superior thin-film resistivity (1.5 × 10−4 Ω/cm, carrier concentration (4.1 × 1021 cm−3, carrier mobility (10 cm2/Vs, and mean visible-light transmittance (90% at wavelengths of 400–800 nm at a deposition temperature of 400 °C. The superior carrier concentration of the Ti-doped ITO alloys (>1021 cm−3 with a high figure of merit (81.1 × 10−3 Ω−1 demonstrate the pronounced contribution of Ti doping, indicating their high suitability for application in optoelectronic devices.

  3. Oxide Semiconductor-Based Flexible Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated on Polydimethylsiloxane Elastomer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Soon-Won; Choi, Jeong-Seon; Park, Jung Ho; Koo, Jae Bon; Park, Chan Woo; Na, Bock Soon; Oh, Ji-Young; Lim, Sang Chul; Lee, Sang Seok; Chu, Hye Yong

    2016-03-01

    We demonstrate flexible organic/inorganic hybrid thin-film transistors (TFTs) on a polydimethysilox- ane (PDMS) elastomer substrate. The active channel and gate insulator of the hybrid TFT are composed of In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) and blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF- TrFE)] with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), respectively. It has been confirmed that the fabri- cated TFT display excellent characteristics: the recorded field-effect mobility, sub-threshold voltage swing, and I(on)/I(off) ratio were approximately 0.35 cm2 V(-1) s(-1), 1.5 V/decade, and 10(4), respectively. These characteristics did not experience any degradation at a bending radius of 15 mm. These results correspond to the first demonstration of a hybrid-type TFT using an organic gate insulator/oxide semiconducting active channel structure fabricated on PDMS elastomer, and demonstrate the feasibility of a promising device in a flexible electronic system.

  4. The chocolate-egg problem: Fabrication of thin elastic shells through coating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Anna; Marthelot, Joel; Brun, Pierre-Thomas; Reis, Pedro M.

    2015-03-01

    We study the fabrication of thin polymeric shells based on the coating of a curved surface by a viscous fluid. Upon polymerization of the resulting thin film, a slender solid structure is delivered after demolding. This technique is extensively used, empirically, in manufacturing, where it is known as rotational molding, as well as in the food industry, e.g. for chocolate-eggs. This problem is analogous to the Landau-Levich-Derjaguin coating of plates and fibers and Bretherton's problem of film deposition in cylindrical channels, albeit now on a double-curved geometry. Here, the balance between gravity, viscosity, surface tension and polymerization rate can yield a constant thickness film. We seek to identify the physical ingredients that govern the final film thickness and its profile. In our experiments using organosilicon, we systematically vary the properties of the fluid, as well as the curvature of the substrate onto which the film is coated, and characterize the final thickness profile of the shells. A reduced model is developed to rationalize the process.

  5. Fabrication of mesoporous cerium dioxide films by cathodic electrodeposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Young-Soo; Lee, Jin-Kyu; Ahn, Jae-Hoon; Park, Eun-Kyung; Kim, Gil-Pyo; Baeck, Sung-Hyeon

    2007-11-01

    Mesoporous cerium dioxide (Ceria, CeO2) thin films have been successfully electrodeposited onto ITO-coated glass substrates from an aqueous solution of cerium nitrate using CTAB (Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide) as a templating agent. The synthesized films underwent detailed characterizations. The crystallinity of synthesized CeO2 film was confirmed by XRD analysis and HR-TEM analysis, and surface morphology was investigated by SEM analysis. The presence of mesoporosity in fabricated films was confirmed by TEM and small angle X-ray analysis. As-synthesized film was observed from XRD analysis and HR-TEM image to have well-crystallized structure of cubic phase CeO2. Transmission electron microscopy and small angle X-ray analysis revealed the presence of uniform mesoporosity with a well-ordered lamellar phase in the CeO2 films electrodeposited with CTAB templating.

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

    KAUST Repository

    Wei, Binbin

    2016-12-29

    Supercapacitors have been becoming indispensable energy storage devices in micro-electromechanical systems and have been widely studied over the past few decades. Transition metal nitrides with excellent electrical conductivity and superior cycling stability are promising candidates as supercapacitor electrode materials. In this work, we report the fabrication of CrN thin films using reactive DC magnetron sputtering and further their applications for symmetric supercapacitors for the first time. The CrN thin film electrodes fabricated under the deposition pressure of 3.5 Pa show an areal specific capacitance of 12.8 mF cm at 1.0 mA cm and high cycling stability with 92.1% capacitance retention after 20 000 cycles in a 0.5 M HSO electrolyte. Furthermore, our developed CrN//CrN symmetric supercapacitor can deliver a high energy density of 8.2 mW h cm at the power density of 0.7 W cm along with outstanding cycling stability. Thus, the CrN thin films have great potential for application in supercapacitors and other energy storage systems.

  7. Pulsed laser deposition of AlMgB14 thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Britson, Jason Curtis [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2008-11-18

    Hard, wear-resistant coatings of thin film borides based on AlMgB14 have the potential to be applied industrially to improve the tool life of cutting tools and pump vanes and may account for several million dollars in savings as a result of reduced wear on these parts. Past work with this material has shown that it can have a hardness of up to 45GPa and be fabricated into thin films with a similar hardness using pulsed laser deposition. These films have already been shown to be promising for industrial applications. Cutting tools coated with AlMgB14 used to mill titanium alloys have been shown to substantially reduce the wear on the cutting tool and extend its cutting life. However, little research into the thin film fabrication process using pulsed laser deposition to make AlMgB14 has been conducted. In this work, research was conducted into methods to optimize the deposition parameters for the AlMgB14 films. Processing methods to eliminate large particles on the surface of the AlMgB14 films, produce films that were at least 1m thick, reduce the surface roughness of the films, and improve the adhesion of the thin films were investigated. Use of a femtosecond laser source rather than a nanosecond laser source was found to be effective in eliminating large particles considered detrimental to wear reduction properties from the films. Films produced with the femtosecond laser were also found to be deposited at a rate 100 times faster than those produced with the nanosecond laser. However, films produced with the femtosecond laser developed a relatively high RMS surface roughness around 55nm. Attempts to decrease the surface roughness were largely unsuccessful. Neither increasing the surface temperature of the substrate during deposition nor using a double pulse to ablate the material was found to be extremely successful to reduce the surface roughness. Finally, the adhesion of the thin films to M2 tool steel

  8. Ellipsometric study and application of rubrene thin film in organic Schottky diode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Liang; Deng, Jinxiang, E-mail: jdeng@bjut.edu.cn; Gao, Hongli; Yang, Qianqian; Kong, Le; Cui, Min; Zhang, Zijia

    2016-12-01

    Highlights: • The optical constants of rubrene were studied by ellipsometry spectroscopic. • The α reveals direct allowed transition with corresponding energy 2.21 eV. • A Schottky diodes based on rubrene were fabricated. • The basic device parameters were determined by the I–V measurement. - Abstract: Rubrene thin film was deposited by thermal evaporation technique under high vacuum (∼10{sup −4} Pa). The film surface morphology was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Ellipsometric studies on rubrene thin film were presented for understanding its growth and optical characteristics by the Classical-Oscillator model. The analysis of the absorption coefficient (α) revealed the direct allowed transition with corresponding energy 2.21 eV of the rubrene film. In order to exploring the rubrene applications, Al/rubrene/ITO Schottky diode was fabricated. The basic device parameters, barrier height and ideality factor were determined by the I–V measurement. The log(I)–log(V) characteristic indicated three distinct regions. These regions followed ohmic conduction, TCL conduction and SCLC conduction mechanisms.

  9. Thin-film VO2 submillimeter-wave modulators and polarizers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan, J.C.C.; Fetterman, H.R.; Bachner, F.J.; Zavracky, P.M.; Parker, C.D.

    1977-01-01

    Submillimeter-wave modulators and switchable polarizers have been fabricated from VO 2 thin films deposited on sapphire substrates. By passing electric current pulses through elements made from these films, the films can be thermally cycled through the insulator-to-metal transition that occurs in VO 2 at about 65 degreeC. In the insulating state, the films are found to have negligible effect on the transmission at submillimeter wavelengths, while above the phase transition the transmission is strongly reduced by the free-electron effects characteristic of a metal. Other possible applications of such switchable VO 2 elements include variable bandpass filters and diffraction grating beam-steering devices

  10. High Performance Infrared Plasmonic Metamaterial Absorbers and Their Applications to Thin-film Sensing

    KAUST Repository

    Yue, Weisheng

    2016-04-07

    Plasmonic metamaterial absorbers (PMAs) have attracted considerable attention for developing various sensing devices. In this work, we design, fabricate and characterize PMAs of different geometrical shapes operating in mid-infrared frequencies, and explore the applications of the PMAs as sensor for thin films. The PMAs, consisting of metal-insulator-metal stacks with patterned gold nanostructured surfaces (resonators), demonstrated high absorption efficiency (87 to 98 %) of electromagnetic waves in the infrared regime. The position and efficiency of resonance absorption are dependent on the shape of the resonators. Furthermore, the resonance wavelength of PMAs was sensitive to the thin film coated on the surface of the PMAs, which was tested using aluminum oxide (Al2O3) as the film. With increase of the Al2O3 thickness, the position of resonance absorption shifted to longer wavelengths. The dependence of the resonant wavelength on thin film thickness makes PMAs a suitable candidate as a sensor for thin films. Using this sensing strategy, PMAs have potential as a new method for thin film detection and in situ monitoring of surface reactions. © 2016 Springer Science+Business Media New York

  11. High Performance Infrared Plasmonic Metamaterial Absorbers and Their Applications to Thin-film Sensing

    KAUST Repository

    Yue, Weisheng; Wang, Zhihong; Yang, Yang; Han, Jiaguang; Li, Jingqi; Guo, Zaibing; Tan, Hua; Zhang, Xixiang

    2016-01-01

    Plasmonic metamaterial absorbers (PMAs) have attracted considerable attention for developing various sensing devices. In this work, we design, fabricate and characterize PMAs of different geometrical shapes operating in mid-infrared frequencies, and explore the applications of the PMAs as sensor for thin films. The PMAs, consisting of metal-insulator-metal stacks with patterned gold nanostructured surfaces (resonators), demonstrated high absorption efficiency (87 to 98 %) of electromagnetic waves in the infrared regime. The position and efficiency of resonance absorption are dependent on the shape of the resonators. Furthermore, the resonance wavelength of PMAs was sensitive to the thin film coated on the surface of the PMAs, which was tested using aluminum oxide (Al2O3) as the film. With increase of the Al2O3 thickness, the position of resonance absorption shifted to longer wavelengths. The dependence of the resonant wavelength on thin film thickness makes PMAs a suitable candidate as a sensor for thin films. Using this sensing strategy, PMAs have potential as a new method for thin film detection and in situ monitoring of surface reactions. © 2016 Springer Science+Business Media New York

  12. Fabrication and characterization of functionalized surfaces with 3-amino propyltrimethoxysilane films for anti-infective therapy applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grumezescu, Valentina [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); Lasers Department, National Institute for Lasers, Plasma & Radiation Physics, P.O. Box MG-36, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania); Andronescu, Ecaterina [Lasers Department, National Institute for Lasers, Plasma & Radiation Physics, P.O. Box MG-36, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania); Holban, Alina Maria [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); Microbiology Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest – ICUB, University of Bucharest, 1–3 Portocalelor Lane, Sector 5, 77206 Bucharest (Romania); Socol, Gabriel [Lasers Department, National Institute for Lasers, Plasma & Radiation Physics, P.O. Box MG-36, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania); Grumezescu, Alexandru Mihai, E-mail: grumezescu@yahoo.com [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); Ficai, Anton [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); Lazar, Veronica; Chifiriuc, Mariana Carmen [Microbiology Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest – ICUB, University of Bucharest, 1–3 Portocalelor Lane, Sector 5, 77206 Bucharest (Romania); Trusca, Roxana [S.C Metav-CD S.A., 31 Rosetti Str., 020015 Bucharest (Romania); and others

    2015-05-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Thin coatings based on 3-amino propyltrimethoxysilane with anti-adherent properties. • PVC modified surfaces with improved resistance to microbial colonization. • Firstly report on antimicrobial properties of 3-amino propyltrimethoxysilane. - Abstract: The purpose of this study was the fabrication of functionalized anti-adherent surfaces based on the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated with 3-amino propyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) in order to improve the resistance of PVC based prosthetic devices to microbial colonization. Infrared microscopy (IRM) investigations of APTMS thin films proved the compositional homogeneity of the prepared thin film. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed a granular morphology with microspheres harboring a diameter between 15 and 60 nm. The microbiological assays proved that MAPLE deposited APTMS films inhibited the adherence capacity and biofilm development of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus strains. Furthermore, this material proved to be highly biocompatible, allowing the normal growth and development of human endothelial cells. These traits highlight the fact that the fabricated APTMS thin films may be efficiently used for improving different surfaces of medical use, including prostheses and implantable devices.

  13. Fabrication and characterization of functionalized surfaces with 3-amino propyltrimethoxysilane films for anti-infective therapy applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grumezescu, Valentina; Andronescu, Ecaterina; Holban, Alina Maria; Socol, Gabriel; Grumezescu, Alexandru Mihai; Ficai, Anton; Lazar, Veronica; Chifiriuc, Mariana Carmen; Trusca, Roxana

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Thin coatings based on 3-amino propyltrimethoxysilane with anti-adherent properties. • PVC modified surfaces with improved resistance to microbial colonization. • Firstly report on antimicrobial properties of 3-amino propyltrimethoxysilane. - Abstract: The purpose of this study was the fabrication of functionalized anti-adherent surfaces based on the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated with 3-amino propyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) in order to improve the resistance of PVC based prosthetic devices to microbial colonization. Infrared microscopy (IRM) investigations of APTMS thin films proved the compositional homogeneity of the prepared thin film. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed a granular morphology with microspheres harboring a diameter between 15 and 60 nm. The microbiological assays proved that MAPLE deposited APTMS films inhibited the adherence capacity and biofilm development of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus strains. Furthermore, this material proved to be highly biocompatible, allowing the normal growth and development of human endothelial cells. These traits highlight the fact that the fabricated APTMS thin films may be efficiently used for improving different surfaces of medical use, including prostheses and implantable devices

  14. Miniature pulsed vacuum arc plasma gun and apparatus for thin-film fabrication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Ian G.; MacGill, Robert A.; Galvin, James E.; Ogletree, David F.; Salmeron, Miquel

    1998-01-01

    A miniature (dime-size in cross-section) vapor vacuum arc plasma gun is described for use in an apparatus to produce thin films. Any conductive material can be layered as a film on virtually any substrate. Because the entire apparatus can easily be contained in a small vacuum chamber, multiple dissimilar layers can be applied without risk of additional contamination. The invention has special applications in semiconductor manufacturing.

  15. Device and method for luminescence enhancement by resonant energy transfer from an absorptive thin film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akselrod, Gleb M.; Bawendi, Moungi G.; Bulovic, Vladimir; Tischler, Jonathan R.; Tisdale, William A.; Walker, Brian J.

    2017-12-12

    Disclosed are a device and a method for the design and fabrication of the device for enhancing the brightness of luminescent molecules, nanostructures, and thin films. The device includes a mirror, a dielectric medium or spacer, an absorptive layer, and a luminescent layer. The absorptive layer is a continuous thin film of a strongly absorbing organic or inorganic material. The luminescent layer may be a continuous luminescent thin film or an arrangement of isolated luminescent species, e.g., organic or metal-organic dye molecules, semiconductor quantum dots, or other semiconductor nanostructures, supported on top of the absorptive layer.

  16. Microbridge tests on gallium nitride thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Hai-You; Li, Zhi-Ying; Lu, Jun-Yong; Wang, Zhi-Jia; Zhang, Tong-Yi; Wang, Chong-Shun; Lau, Kei-May; Chen, Kevin Jing

    2009-01-01

    In this work, we develop further the microbridge testing method by deriving a closed formula of deflection versus load, which is applied at an arbitrary position on the microbridge beam. Testing a single beam at various positions allows us to characterize simultaneouslyYoung's modulus and residual stress of the beam. The developed method was then used to characterize the mechanical properties of GaN thin films on patterned-Si (1 1 1) substrates grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The microbridge samples were fabricated by using the microelectromechanical fabrication technique and tested with a nanoindentation system. Young's modulus and residual stress of the GaN films were determined to be 287 ± 190 GPa and 851 ± 155 MPa, respectively. In addition, alternative measurements of the residual stress, Young's modulus and hardness of the GaN films, were conducted with micro-Raman spectroscopy and the nanoindentation test, yielding the corresponding values of 847 ± 46 MPa, 269.0 ± 7.0 GPa and 17.8 ± 1.1 GPa

  17. Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films prepared by a topotactic reactive diffusion process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Siqin; Yue, Zhenxing; Zhang, Xiaozhi; Li, Longtu

    2014-01-01

    Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films (BaM) with crystallographic c-axis parallel to film normal were prepared through a topotactic reactive diffusion process using two-step solution deposition on c-plane sapphire. The two-step spin coating process involves preparing an epitaxial hematite film, coating the film with barium precursor solution and thermal annealing. The crystal orientation and magnetic anisotropy of BaM thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis, SEM observation and magnetic measurements. Hysteresis loops showed good magnetic anisotropy and high remanence ratio (RR) Mr/Ms = 0.97. The films fabricated by two-step spin coating process displayed wider rocking curve width but better magnetic anisotropy than one-step spin coating. The possible mechanism of this discrepancy is discussed in this paper.

  18. Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films prepared by a topotactic reactive diffusion process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meng, Siqin; Yue, Zhenxing, E-mail: yuezhx@tsinghua.edu.cn; Zhang, Xiaozhi; Li, Longtu

    2014-01-30

    Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films (BaM) with crystallographic c-axis parallel to film normal were prepared through a topotactic reactive diffusion process using two-step solution deposition on c-plane sapphire. The two-step spin coating process involves preparing an epitaxial hematite film, coating the film with barium precursor solution and thermal annealing. The crystal orientation and magnetic anisotropy of BaM thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis, SEM observation and magnetic measurements. Hysteresis loops showed good magnetic anisotropy and high remanence ratio (RR) Mr/Ms = 0.97. The films fabricated by two-step spin coating process displayed wider rocking curve width but better magnetic anisotropy than one-step spin coating. The possible mechanism of this discrepancy is discussed in this paper.

  19. Self-standing chitosan films as dielectrics in organic thin-film transistors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Morgado

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Organic thin film transistors, using self-standing 50 µm thick chitosan films as dielectric, are fabricated using sublimed pentacene or two conjugated polymers deposited by spin coating as semiconductors. Field-effect mobilities are found to be similar to values obtained with other dielectrics and, in the case of pentacene, a value (0.13 cm2/(V•s comparable to high performing transistors was determined. In spite of the low On/Off ratios (a maximum value of 600 was obtained for the pentacene-based transistors, these are promising results for the area of sustainable organic electronics in general and for biocompatible electronics in particular.

  20. Synthesis and characterization of multilayered BaTiO3/NiFe2O4 thin films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Branimir Bajac

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Presented research was focused on the fabrication of multiferroic thin film structures, composed of ferrielectric barium titanate perovskite phase and magnetostrictive nickel ferrite spinel phase. The applicability of different, solution based, deposition techniques (film growth from solution, dip coating and spin coating for thefabrication of multilayered BaTiO3 /NiFe2O4 thin films was investigated. It was shown that only spin coating produces films of desired nanostructure, thickness and smooth and crackfree surfaces.

  1. Solution processable semiconductor thin films: Correlation between morphological, structural, optical and charge transport properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isik, Dilek

    electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. In the context of ARTICLE 1, thin film transistors based on soluble pentacene derivatives (prepared by the research group directed by Professor J. Anthony, at the University of Kentucky) were fabricated and characterized. GIXRD results performed on the thin films suggested a molecular arrangement favorable to charge transport in the source-drain direction, with the pi-pi stacking direction perpendicular to the channel. In ARTICLE 1, HMDS-treated SiO 2 substrates were used, to improve the surface coverage and to limit charge trapping at the dielectric surface. AFM showed good film coverage. The transistors showed ambipolar characteristics, attributed to the good matching between Au electrode work function and highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the pentacene derivative. The work reported in ARTICLE 2 deals with pi-conjugated thiopheno-azomethines (both in oligomer and polymer form) and oligothiophene analogues. In the former case, couplings in the polymer are based on azomethine (-N=C-) moieties whereas in the latter case they are based on more conventional protocols (-C=C-). The effect of the coupling protocols on the corresponding thin film transistors behavior was studied. The key conclusion of this study was that thiopheno-azomethines thin films can be effectively incorporated into organic transistors: thin films of oligothiopheno-azomethines and the oligothiophenes exhibit p-type behavior whereas thin films of polythiopheno-azomethine exhibit an ambipolar behavior. The hole mobility of the heat-treated thin films of oligothiopheno-azomethines was three orders of magnitude higher compared to its oligothiophene analogue. AFM, coupled with hyperspectral fluorescence imaging, were used to investigate the micro- and nano-scale surface coverage. For the oligothiopheno-azomethine we were able to quantitatively deduce the surface coverage. To contribute to the exploration of innovative

  2. Influence of oxygen flow rate on metal-insulator transition of vanadium oxide thin films grown by RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, Xu; Liu, Xinkun; Li, Haizhu; Huang, Mingju [Henan University, Key Lab of Informational Opto-Electronical Materials and Apparatus, School of Physics and Electronics, Kaifeng (China); Zhang, Angran [South China Normal University, Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, Guangzhou (China)

    2017-03-15

    High-quality vanadium oxide (VO{sub 2}) films have been fabricated on Si (111) substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering deposition method. The sheet resistance of VO{sub 2} has a significant change (close to 5 orders of magnitude) in the process of the metal-insulator phase transition (MIT). The field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) results show the grain size of VO{sub 2} thin films is larger with the increase of oxygen flow. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate the thin films fabricated at different oxygen flow rates grow along the (011) crystalline orientation. As the oxygen flow rate increases from 3 sccm to 6 sccm, the phase transition temperature of the films reduces from 341 to 320 K, the width of the thermal hysteresis loop decreases from 32 to 9 K. The thin films fabricated in the condition of 5 sccm have a high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) -3.455%/K with a small resistivity of 2.795 ρ/Ω cm. (orig.)

  3. TTF/TCNQ-based thin films and microcrystals. Growth and charge transport phenomena

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Solovyeva, Vita

    2011-05-26

    The thesis adresses several problems related to growth and charge transport phenomena in thin films of TTF-TCNQ and (BEDT-TTF)TCNQ. The following main new problems are addressed: - The influence of thin-film specific factors, such as the substrate material and growth-induced defects, on the Peierls transition temperature in TTF-TCNQ thin films was studied; - finite-size effects in TTF-TCNQ were investigated by considering transport properties in TTF-TCNQ microcrystals. The influence of the size of the crystal on the Peierls transition temperature was studied. In this context a new method of microcontact fabrication was employed to favor the measurements; - an analysis of radiation-induced defects in TTF-TCNQ thin films and microcrystals was performed. It was demonstrated than an electron beam can induce appreciable damage to the sample such that its electronic properties are strongly modified; - a bilayer growth method was established to fabricate (BEDT-TTF)TCNQ from the gas phase. This newly developed bilayer growth method was showed to be suitable for testing (BEDT-TTF)TCNQ charge-transfer phase formation; - the structure of the formed (BEDT-TTF)TCNQ charge-transfer compounds was analyzed by using a wide range of experimental techniques. An overview and the description of the basic physical principles underlying charge-transfer compounds is given in chapter 2. Experimental techniques used for the growth and characterization of thin films and microcrystals are presented in chapter 3. Chapter 4 gives an overview of the physical properties of the studied organic materials. Chapter 5 discussed the experimental study of TTF-TCNQ thin films. he Peierls transition in TTF-TCNQ is a consequence of the quasi-one-dimensional structure of the material and depends on different factors, studied in chapters 5 and 6. In contradistinction to TTF-TTCNQ, the (BEDT-TTF)TCNQ charge-transfer compound crystallizes in several different modifications with different physical properties

  4. Crystallized InBiS3 thin films with enhanced optoelectronic properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, N.; Hussain, Arshad; Ahmed, R.; Omar, M. Firdaus Bin; Sultan, M.; Fu, Yong Qing

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, a one-step thermal evaporation approach was used for fabrication of indium bismuth sulphide thin films, and the synergetic effects of co-evaporation of two sources (indium granules and Bi2S3 powders) were investigated using different characterization techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the crystalline orthorhombic structure for the post-annealed samples. Surface roughness and crystal size of the obtained film samples were increased with increasing annealing temperatures. Analysis using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed the formation of the InBiS3 structure for the obtained films, which is also confirmed by the XRD results. The optical absorption coefficient value of the annealed samples was found to be in the order of 105 cm-1 in the visible region of the solar spectrum. The optical band gap energy and electrical resistivity of the fabricated samples were observed to decrease (from 2.2 to 1.3 eV, and from 0.3 to 0.01 Ω-cm, respectively) with increasing annealing temperatures (from 200 to 350 °C), indicating the suitability of the prepared InBiS3 thin films for solar cell applications.

  5. Luminescence evolution of porous GaN thin films prepared via UV-assisted electrochemical etching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheah, S.F.; Lee, S.C.; Ng, S.S.; Yam, F.K.; Abu Hassan, H.; Hassan, Z.

    2015-01-01

    Porous gallium nitride (GaN) thin films with different surface morphologies and free carriers properties were fabricated from Si-doped GaN thin films using ultra-violet assisted electrochemical etching approach under various etching voltages. Fluctuation of luminescence signals was observed in the photoluminescence spectra of porous GaN thin films. Taking advantage of the spectral sensitivity of infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy on semiconductor materials, roles of free carriers and porous structure in controlling luminescence properties of GaN were investigated thoroughly. The results revealed that enhancement in luminescence signal is not always attained upon porosification. Although porosification is correlated to the luminescence enhancement, however, free carrier is the primary factor to enhance luminescence intensity. Due to unavoidable significant reduction of free carriers from Si-doped GaN in the porosification process, control of etching depth (i.e., thickness of porous layer formed from the Si-doped layer) is critical in fabricating porous GaN thin film with enhanced luminescence response. - Highlights: • Various pore morphologies with free carrier properties are produced by Si-doped GaN. • Free carriers are important to control the luminescence signal of porous GaN. • Enhancement of luminescence signal relies on the pore depth of Si-doped layer

  6. Surface Acoustic Wave Monitor for Deposition and Analysis of Ultra-Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hines, Jacqueline H. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    A surface acoustic wave (SAW) based thin film deposition monitor device and system for monitoring the deposition of ultra-thin films and nanomaterials and the analysis thereof is characterized by acoustic wave device embodiments that include differential delay line device designs, and which can optionally have integral reference devices fabricated on the same substrate as the sensing device, or on a separate device in thermal contact with the film monitoring/analysis device, in order to provide inherently temperature compensated measurements. These deposition monitor and analysis devices can include inherent temperature compensation, higher sensitivity to surface interactions than quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) devices, and the ability to operate at extreme temperatures.

  7. Silicon-Light: a European FP7 Project Aiming at High Efficiency Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells on Foil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Soppe, W.; Haug, F.-J.; Couty, P.

    2011-01-01

    Silicon-Light is a European FP7 project, which started January 1st, 2010 and aims at development of low cost, high-efficiency thin film silicon solar cells on foil. Three main routes are explored to achieve these goals: a) advanced light trapping by implementing nanotexturization through UV Nano...... calculations of ideal nanotextures for light trapping in thin film silicon solar cells; the fabrication of masters and the replication and roll-to-roll fabrication of these nanotextures. Further, results on ITO variants with improved work function are presented. Finally, the status of cell fabrication on foils...

  8. Transparent megahertz circuits from solution-processed composite thin films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xingqiang; Wan, Da; Wu, Yun; Xiao, Xiangheng; Guo, Shishang; Jiang, Changzhong; Li, Jinchai; Chen, Tangsheng; Duan, Xiangfeng; Fan, Zhiyong; Liao, Lei

    2016-04-21

    Solution-processed amorphous oxide semiconductors have attracted considerable interest in large-area transparent electronics. However, due to its relative low carrier mobility (∼10 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)), the demonstrated circuit performance has been limited to 800 kHz or less. Herein, we report solution-processed high-speed thin-film transistors (TFTs) and integrated circuits with an operation frequency beyond the megahertz region on 4 inch glass. The TFTs can be fabricated from an amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide/single-walled carbon nanotube (a-IGZO/SWNT) composite thin film with high yield and high carrier mobility of >70 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). On-chip microwave measurements demonstrate that these TFTs can deliver an unprecedented operation frequency in solution-processed semiconductors, including an extrinsic cut-off frequency (f(T) = 102 MHz) and a maximum oscillation frequency (f(max) = 122 MHz). Ring oscillators further demonstrated an oscillation frequency of 4.13 MHz, for the first time, realizing megahertz circuit operation from solution-processed semiconductors. Our studies represent an important step toward high-speed solution-processed thin film electronics.

  9. Photoluminescence dynamics of weakly confined excitons in GaAs thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanno, Atsushi; Katouf, Redouane; Kojima, Osamu; Ishi-Hayase, Junko; Sasaki, Masahide; Tsuchiya, Masahiro; Isu, Toshiro

    2008-01-01

    We investigate the dynamics of weakly confined excitons in GaAs thin films measured by time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) technique. When excitation energy was above the resonant energy of the exciton, a long PL rise time of about 200 ps was observed. It is considered that an exciton formation process from excited continuum energy states to discrete energy states of the exciton in the thin film causes the slow PL rise. The observed PL decay time constant was about 14 ns due to high quality fabricated samples. The observed population dynamics can be surely ascribed to the specific features of weakly confined excitons

  10. Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconducting thin films: theory and experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yavuz, M [Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering Program, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada); Boybay, M S [Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering Program, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada); Elbuken, C [Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering Program, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada); Andrews, M J [Los Alamos National Lab, PO Box 1663, Mail Stop B 296, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Hu, C R [Department of Physics, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas 77843 (United States); Ross, J H [Department of Physics, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas 77843 (United States)

    2006-06-01

    The interest of this paper centers on fabrication and characterization and modeling of vortices in high temperature superconducting thin films. As a first step, the magnetic vertices of the superconducting matrix were modeled. As a second, Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O thin films were grown using Pulsed Laser Ablation (PLD) on single crystal MgO substrates as magnetic templates for the potential use for Nano and Microelectronic circuits, and were characterized by x-ray diffraction, electron, and atomic force microscopy. The third step (future work) will be observation and pinning of these vortices using Bitter decoration.

  11. Fabrication of fully epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co2MnSi thin film and a MgO tunnel barrier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kijima, H.; Ishikawa, T.; Marukame, T.; Matsuda, K.-I.; Uemura, T.; Yamamoto, M.

    2007-01-01

    Fully epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) were fabricated with a Co-based full-Heusler alloy Co 2 MnSi (CMS) thin film having the ordered L2 1 structure as a lower electrode, a MgO tunnel barrier, and a Co 50 Fe 50 upper electrode. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction patterns observed in situ for each layer in the MTJ layer structure during fabrication clearly indicated that all layers of the CMS lower electrode, MgO tunnel barrier, and Co 50 Fe 50 upper electrode grew epitaxially. The microfabricated fully epitaxial CMS/MgO/Co 50 Fe 50 MTJs demonstrated relatively high tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of 90% at room temperature and 192% at 4.2 K

  12. Wearable strain sensors based on thin graphite films for human activity monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Takanari; Kihara, Yusuke; Shirakashi, Jun-ichi

    2017-12-01

    Wearable health-monitoring devices have attracted increasing attention in disease diagnosis and health assessment. In many cases, such devices have been prepared by complicated multistep procedures which result in the waste of materials and require expensive facilities. In this study, we focused on pyrolytic graphite sheet (PGS), which is a low-cost, simple, and flexible material, used as wearable devices for monitoring human activity. We investigated wearable devices based on PGSs for the observation of elbow and finger motions. The thin graphite films were fabricated by cutting small films from PGSs. The wearable devices were then made from the thin graphite films assembled on a commercially available rubber glove. The human motions could be observed using the wearable devices. Therefore, these results suggested that the wearable devices based on thin graphite films may broaden their application in cost-effective wearable electronics for the observation of human activity.

  13. High-temperature performance of MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors: Direct current and pulse current-voltage characteristics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, C.; Samnakay, R.; Balandin, A. A., E-mail: balandin@ee.ucr.edu [Nano-Device Laboratory (NDL), Department of Electrical Engineering, Bourns College of Engineering, University of California—Riverside, Riverside, California 92521 (United States); Phonon Optimized Engineered Materials (POEM) Center, Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California—Riverside, Riverside, California 92521 (United States); Rumyantsev, S. L. [Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, Center for Integrated Electronics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180 (United States); Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, St. Petersburg 194021 (Russian Federation); Shur, M. S. [Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, Center for Integrated Electronics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180 (United States)

    2015-02-14

    We report on fabrication of MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors (TFTs) and experimental investigations of their high-temperature current-voltage characteristics. The measurements show that MoS{sub 2} devices remain functional to temperatures of at least as high as 500 K. The temperature increase results in decreased threshold voltage and mobility. The comparison of the direct current (DC) and pulse measurements shows that the direct current sub-linear and super-linear output characteristics of MoS{sub 2} thin-films devices result from the Joule heating and the interplay of the threshold voltage and mobility temperature dependences. At temperatures above 450 K, a kink in the drain current occurs at zero gate voltage irrespective of the threshold voltage value. This intriguing phenomenon, referred to as a “memory step,” was attributed to the slow relaxation processes in thin films similar to those in graphene and electron glasses. The fabricated MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors demonstrated stable operation after two months of aging. The obtained results suggest new applications for MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors in extreme-temperature electronics and sensors.

  14. Electrical characteristics of top contact pentacene organic thin film

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) were fabricated using pentacene as the active layer with two different gate dielectrics, namely SiO2 and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), in top contact geometry for comparative studies. OTFTs with SiO2 as dielectric and gold deposited on the rough side of highly doped silicon (n+ -Si) ...

  15. Electromagnetic and optical characteristics of Nb5+-doped double-crossover and salmon DNA thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babu Mitta, Sekhar; Reddy Dugasani, Sreekantha; Jung, Soon-Gil; Vellampatti, Srivithya; Park, Tuson; Park, Sung Ha

    2017-10-01

    We report the fabrication and physical characteristics of niobium ion (Nb5+)-doped double-crossover DNA (DX-DNA) and salmon DNA (SDNA) thin films. Different concentrations of Nb5+ ([Nb5+]) are coordinated into the DNA molecules, and the thin films are fabricated via substrate-assisted growth (DX-DNA) and drop-casting (SDNA) on oxygen plasma treated substrates. We conducted atomic force microscopy to estimate the optimum concentration of Nb5+ ([Nb5+]O = 0.08 mM) in Nb5+-doped DX-DNA thin films, up to which the DX-DNA lattices maintain their structures without deformation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed to probe the chemical nature of the intercalated Nb5+ in the SDNA thin films. The change in peak intensities and the shift in binding energy were witnessed in XPS spectra to explicate the binding and charge transfer mechanisms between Nb5+ and SDNA molecules. UV-visible, Raman, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were measured to determine the optical properties and thus investigate the binding modes, Nb5+ coordination sites in Nb5+-doped SDNA thin films, and energy transfer mechanisms, respectively. As [Nb5+] increases, the absorbance peak intensities monotonically increase until ˜[Nb5+]O and then decrease. However, from the Raman measurements, the peak intensities gradually decrease with an increase in [Nb5+] to reveal the binding mechanism and binding sites of metal ions in the SDNA molecules. From the PL, we observe the emission intensities to reduce them at up to ˜[Nb5+]O and then increase after that, expecting the energy transfer between the Nb5+ and SDNA molecules. The current-voltage measurement shows a significant increase in the current observed as [Nb5+] increases in the SDNA thin films when compared to that of pristine SDNA thin films. Finally, we investigate the temperature dependent magnetization in which the Nb5+-doped SDNA thin films reveal weak ferromagnetism due to the existence of tiny magnetic dipoles in the Nb5+-doped SDNA

  16. Research on fabrication technology for thin film solar cells for practical use. Technological development for qualitative improvement (CuInSe2 based PV cell); Usumaku taiyo denchi seizo gijutsu no jitsuyoka kenkyu. Kohinshitsuka gijutsu (CuInSe2 taiyo denchi seizo no gijutsu kaihatsu)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tatsuta, M [New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Tokyo (Japan)

    1994-12-01

    This paper reports the study results on the fabrication technology of CuInSe2 based PV cell in fiscal 1994. (1) On formation of high-quality CIGS thin films by bilayer method, Mo film was deposited on a glass substrate by sputtering, and CIGS film with different Ga/In ratios was next formed on the substrate by quaternary simultaneous deposition at different In and Ga deposition speeds. In addition, CdS film was deposited on the CIGS film, and ZnO and ITO films were finally deposited on it by sputtering to complete solar cell. This solar cell offered the maximum conversion efficiency among cells using CIGS film. (2) On formation of high-quality CIGS thin films by three-stage method, a certain correlation was found between substrate temperature and CIGS film composition by monitoring substrate temperature in film forming process. This phenomenon allowed rigorous control of CIS film compositions important for CIS thin film solar cells. (3) On low-cost process technology for thin film formation, Cu(In,Ga)S2 solid solution film was fabricated by expanded selenic process. 3 figs.

  17. Fabrication and Characterization of Thin Film Solar Cell Made from CuIn0.75Ga0.25S2 Wurtzite Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fengyan Zhang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available CuIn0.75Ga0.25S2 (CIGS thin film solar cells have been successfully fabricated using CIGS Wurtzite phase nanoparticles for the first time. The structure of the cell is Glass/Mo/CIGS/CdS/ZnO/ZnO:Al/Ag. The light absorption layer is made from CIGS Wurtzite phase nanoparticles that are formed from single-source precursors through a microwave irradiation. The Wurtzite phase nanoparticles were converted to Chalcopyrite phase film through a single-step annealing process in the presence of argon and sulfur at 450°C. The solar cell made from Wurtzite phase nanoparticles showed 1.6% efficiency and 0.42 fill factor.

  18. Measurement of incident molecular temperature in the formation of organic thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abe, Takahiro; Matsubara, Ryosuke; Hayakawa, Munetaka; Shimoyama, Akifumi; Tanaka, Takaaki; Tsuji, Akira; Takahashi, Yoshikazu; Kubono, Atsushi

    2018-03-01

    To investigate the effects of incident molecular temperature on organic-thin-film growth by vacuum evaporation, quantitative analysis of molecular temperature is required. In this study, we propose a method of determining molecular temperature based on the heat exchange between a platinum filament and molecular vapor. Molecular temperature is estimated from filament temperature, which remains unchanged even under molecular vapor supply. The results indicate that our method has sufficient sensitivity to evaluate the molecular temperature under the typical growth rate used for fabrication of functional organic thin films.

  19. Vanadium oxide thin films deposited on silicon dioxide buffer layers by magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Sihai; Ma Hong; Wang Shuangbao; Shen Nan; Xiao Jing; Zhou Hao; Zhao Xiaomei; Li Yi; Yi Xinjian

    2006-01-01

    Thin films made by vanadium oxide have been obtained by direct current magnetron sputtering method on SiO 2 buffer layers. A detailed electrical and structural characterization has been performed on the deposited films by four-point probe method and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At room temperature, the four-point probe measurement result presents the resistance of the film to be 25 kU/sheet. The temperature coefficient of resistance is - 2.0%/K. SEM image indicates that the vanadium oxide exhibits a submicrostructure with lamella size ranging from 60 nm to 300 nm. A 32 x 32-element test microbolometer was fabricated based on the deposited thin film. The infrared response testing showed that the response was 200 mV. The obtained results allow us to conclude that the vanadium oxide thin films on SiO 2 buffer layers is suitable for uncooled focal plane arrays applications

  20. Structural colors of the SiO2/polyethyleneimine thin films on poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, Yanrong; Zhang, Yun; Zhou, Qiubao; Fan, Qinguo; Shao, Jianzhong

    2014-01-01

    The SiO 2 /polyethyleneimine (PEI) films with structural colors on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates were fabricated by an electrostatic self-assembly method. The morphology of the films was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy. The results showed that there was no distinguishable multilayered structure found of SiO 2 /PEI films. The optical behaviors of the films were investigated through the color photos captured by a digital camera and the color measurement by a multi-angle spectrophotometer. Different hue and brightness were observed at various viewing angles. The structural colors were dependent on the SiO 2 particle size and the number of assembly cycles. The mechanism of the structural colors generated from the assembled films was elucidated. The morphological structures and the optical properties proved that the SiO 2 /PEI film fabricated on PET substrate formed a homogeneous inorganic/organic SiO 2 /PEI composite layer, and the structural colors were originated from single thin film interference. - Highlights: • SiO 2 /PEI thin films were electrostatic self-assembled on PET substrates. • The surface morphology and optical behavior of the film were investigated. • The structural colors varied with various SiO 2 particle sizes and assembly cycles. • Different hue and lightness of SiO 2 /PEI film were observed at various viewing angles. • Structural color of the SiO 2 /PEI film originated from single thin film interference

  1. Design and fabrication of inner-selective thin-film composite (TFC) hollow fiber modules for pressure retarded osmosis (PRO)

    KAUST Repository

    Wan, Chun Feng

    2016-08-03

    Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is a promising technology to harvest the renewable osmotic energy from salinity gradients. There are great progresses in the fabrication of PRO membranes in the last decade. Thin-film composite (TFC) hollow fibers have been widely studied and demonstrated superior performance. However, the lack of effective TFC hollow fiber modules hinders the commercialization of the PRO technology. Knowledge and experiences to fabricate TFC hollow fiber modules remain limited in the open literature. In this study, we aim to reveal the engineering and science on how to fabricate TFC hollow fiber modules including the formation of inner-selective polyamide layers and the repair of leakages. TFC-PES hollow fiber modules with 30% and 50% packing densities have been successfully fabricated, showing peak power densities of 20.0 W/m2 and 19.4 W/m2, respectively, at 20 bar using 1 M NaCl solution and DI water as feeds. The modules may be damaged during handling and high pressure testing. The repaired modules have a power density of 18.2 W/m2, 91% of the power densities of the undamaged ones. This study would make up the gap between TFC membrane fabrication and TFC membrane module fabrication in the membrane industry. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

  2. Design and fabrication of inner-selective thin-film composite (TFC) hollow fiber modules for pressure retarded osmosis (PRO)

    KAUST Repository

    Wan, Chun Feng; Li, Bofan; Yang, Tianshi; Chung, Neal Tai-Shung

    2016-01-01

    Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is a promising technology to harvest the renewable osmotic energy from salinity gradients. There are great progresses in the fabrication of PRO membranes in the last decade. Thin-film composite (TFC) hollow fibers have been widely studied and demonstrated superior performance. However, the lack of effective TFC hollow fiber modules hinders the commercialization of the PRO technology. Knowledge and experiences to fabricate TFC hollow fiber modules remain limited in the open literature. In this study, we aim to reveal the engineering and science on how to fabricate TFC hollow fiber modules including the formation of inner-selective polyamide layers and the repair of leakages. TFC-PES hollow fiber modules with 30% and 50% packing densities have been successfully fabricated, showing peak power densities of 20.0 W/m2 and 19.4 W/m2, respectively, at 20 bar using 1 M NaCl solution and DI water as feeds. The modules may be damaged during handling and high pressure testing. The repaired modules have a power density of 18.2 W/m2, 91% of the power densities of the undamaged ones. This study would make up the gap between TFC membrane fabrication and TFC membrane module fabrication in the membrane industry. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

  3. Development of natively textured surface hydrogenated Ga-doped ZnO-TCO thin films for solar cells via magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Fei; Chen, Xin-liang; Geng, Xin-hua; Zhang, De-kun; Wei, Chang-chun; Huang, Qian; Zhang, Xiao-dan; Zhao, Ying

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide (HGZO) thin films have been deposited via magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. ► The directly deposited HGZO thin films present rough crater-type surface morphology. ► Typical HGZO thin film exhibits a high electron mobility of 41.3 cm 2 /V s and a relative low sheet resistance of ∼7.0 Ω. ► These HGZO thin films have high optical transmittances in the visible and near infrared region (∼380–1100 nm). ► A gradient H 2 growth method for fabricating HGZO thin films has been proposed in magnetron sputtering process. - Abstract: The main purposes are to obtain high quality transparent conductive oxide (TCO) based on zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films with high optical transparency in the visible and near infrared spectral range, high electrical conductivity and good light-scattering capability to enhance the path of the light inside the Si-based thin film solar cells. Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped ZnO (HGZO) thin films have been deposited via pulsed direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering on glass substrates at a substrate temperature of 553 K. These natively textured HGZO thin films exhibit high optical transmittance (over 80%) in the visible and near infrared region (λ = 380–1100 nm) and excellent electrical properties. The optimized HGZO thin film with crater-type textured surface obtained at the hydrogen flow rate of ∼2.0 sccm exhibits a high electron mobility of 41.3 cm 2 /V s and a relatively low sheet resistance of ∼7.0 Ω. The influences of hydrogen flow rates on the surface morphology, electrical and optical properties of HGZO thin films were investigated in detail. In addition, we put forward a method of gradient H 2 growth technique for fabricating HGZO thin films so as to obtain rough surface structure with good light-scattering capability and high electrical conductivity. “Crater-like” surface feature size and optical transmittance

  4. Thin-film luminescent concentrators for integrated devices: a cookbook.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evenson, S A; Rawicz, A H

    1995-11-01

    A luminescent concentrator (LC) is a nonimaging optical device used for collecting light energy. As a result of its unique properties, a LC also offers the possibility of separating different portions of the spectrum and concentrating them at the same time. Hence, LC's can be applied to a whole range of problems requiring the collection, manipulation, and distribution or measurement of light. Further-more, as described in our previous research, thin-film LC elements can be deposited directly over sensor and processing electronics in the form of integrated LC devices. As an aid to further research, the materials and technology required to fabricate these thin-film LC elements through the use of an ultraviolet-curable photopolymer are documented in detail.

  5. Characterization of Ag-doped vanadium oxide (AgxV2O5) thin film for cathode of thin film battery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, H.S.; Oh, S.H.; Kim, H.S.; Cho, W.I.; Cho, B.W.; Lee, D.Y.

    2004-01-01

    The effect of silver co-sputtering on the characteristics of amorphous V 2 O 5 films, grown by dc reactive sputtering, is investigated. The co-sputtering process influences the growth mechanism as well as the characteristics of the V 2 O 5 films. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) results indicate that the microstructure of the V 2 O 5 films is affected by the rf power of the co-sputtered silver. In addition, an all-solid-state thin film battery with full cell structure of Li/LiPON/Ag x V 2 O 5 /Pt has been fabricated. It is found that the silver co-sputtered V 2 O 5 cathode film exhibits better cycle performance than an undoped one

  6. A stochastic model of solid state thin film deposition: Application to chalcopyrite growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert J. Lovelett

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Developing high fidelity quantitative models of solid state reaction systems can be challenging, especially in deposition systems where, in addition to the multiple competing processes occurring simultaneously, the solid interacts with its atmosphere. In this work, we develop a model for the growth of a thin solid film where species from the atmosphere adsorb, diffuse, and react with the film. The model is mesoscale and describes an entire film with thickness on the order of microns. Because it is stochastic, the model allows us to examine inhomogeneities and agglomerations that would be impossible to characterize with deterministic methods. We demonstrate the modeling approach with the example of chalcopyrite Cu(InGa(SeS2 thin film growth via precursor reaction, which is a common industrial method for fabricating thin film photovoltaic modules. The model is used to understand how and why through-film variation in the composition of Cu(InGa(SeS2 thin films arises and persists. We believe that the model will be valuable as an effective quantitative description of many other materials systems used in semiconductors, energy storage, and other fast-growing industries.

  7. In situ fabrication of electrochemically grown mesoporous metallic thin films by anodic dissolution in deep eutectic solvents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renjith, Anu; Roy, Arun; Lakshminarayanan, V

    2014-07-15

    We describe here a simple electrodeposition process of forming thin films of noble metallic nanoparticles such as Au, Ag and Pd in deep eutectic solvents (DES). The method consists of anodic dissolution of the corresponding metal in DES followed by the deposition on the cathodic surface. The anodic dissolution process in DES overcomes the problems associated with copious hydrogen and oxygen evolution on the electrode surface when carried out in aqueous medium. The proposed method utilizes the inherent abilities of DES to act as a reducing medium while simultaneously stabilizing the nanoparticles that are formed. The mesoporous metal films were characterized by SEM, XRD and electrochemical techniques. Potential applications of these substrates in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and electrocatalysis have been investigated. A large enhancement of Raman signal of analyte was achieved on the mesoporous silver substrate after removing all the stabilizer molecules from the surface by calcination. The highly porous texture of the electrodeposited film provides superior electro catalytic performance for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The mechanisms of HER on the fabricated substrates were studied by Tafel analysis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. DC magnetron sputtering prepared Ag-C thin film anode for thin film lithium ion microbatteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Y.; Tu, J.P.; Shi, D.Q.; Huang, X.H.; Wu, H.M.; Yuan, Y.F.; Zhao, X.B.

    2007-01-01

    An Ag-C thin film was prepared by DC magnetron co-sputtering, using pure silver and graphite as the targets. The microstructure and morphology of the deposited thin film were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrochemical performances of the Ag-C thin film anode were investigated by means of discharge/charge and cyclic voltammogram (CV) tests in model cells. The electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS) characteristics and the chemical diffusion coefficient, D Li of the Ag-C thin film electrode at different discharging states were discussed. It was believed that the excellent cycling performance of the Ag-C electrode was ascribed to the good conductivity of silver and the volume stability of the thin film

  9. Structural features of spin-coated thin films of binary AsxS100−x chalcogenide glass system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cook, J.; Slang, S.; Golovchak, R.; Jain, H.; Vlcek, M.; Kovalskiy, A.

    2015-01-01

    Spin-coating technology offers a convenient method for fabricating photostable chalcogenide glass thin films that are especially attractive for applications in IR optics. In this paper we report the structure of spin-coated As x S 100−x (x = 30, 35, 40) thin films as determined using high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy, especially in relation to composition (i.e. As/S ratio) and preparation process variables. It was observed that As atoms during preparation have a tendency to precipitate out in close to stoichiometric compositions. The mechanism of bonding between the inorganic matrix and organic residuals is discussed based on the experimental data. A weak interaction between S ions and amine-based clusters is proposed as the basis of structural organization of the organic–inorganic interface. - Highlights: • As–S spin-coated chalcogenide thin films with different As/S were fabricated. • XPS measurements support the cluster-like structure of spin-coated films. • As 2 O 3 was confirmed as the composition of precipitate formed during dissolution. • Lack of As–As bonds explains the observed photostability of the thin films

  10. Fabrication of air-stable n-type carbon nanotube thin-film transistors on flexible substrates using bilayer dielectrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Guanhong; Li, Qunqing; Jin, Yuanhao; Zhao, Yudan; Xiao, Xiaoyang; Jiang, Kaili; Wang, Jiaping; Fan, Shoushan

    2015-11-14

    Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) thin-film transistors hold great potential for flexible electronics. However, fabrication of air-stable n-type devices by methods compatible with standard photolithography on flexible substrates is challenging. Here, we demonstrated that by using a bilayer dielectric structure of MgO and atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 or HfO2, air-stable n-type devices can be obtained. The mechanism for conduction type conversion was elucidated and attributed to the hole depletion in SWNT, the decrease of the trap state density by MgO assimilating adsorbed water molecules in the vicinity of SWNT, and the energy band bending because of the positive fixed charges in the ALD layer. The key advantage of the method is the relatively low temperature (120 or 90 °C) required here for the ALD process because we need not employ this step to totally remove the absorbates on the SWNTs. This advantage facilitates the integration of both p-type and n-type transistors through a simple lift off process and compact CMOS inverters were demonstrated. We also demonstrated that the doping of SWNTs in the channel plays a more important role than the Schottky barriers at the metal contacts in carbon nanotube thin-film transistors, unlike the situation in individual SWNT-based transistors.

  11. Effect of oxygen to argon flow ratio on the properties of Al-doped ZnO films for amorphous silicon thin film solar cell applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Yang-Shih [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, ROC (China); Lien, Shui-Yang, E-mail: syl@mdu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MingDao University, ChangHua 52345, Taiwan, ROC (China); Huang, Yung-Chuan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MingDao University, ChangHua 52345, Taiwan, ROC (China); Wang, Chao-Chun [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, ROC (China); Liu, Chueh-Yang [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MingDao University, ChangHua 52345, Taiwan, ROC (China); Nautiyal, Asheesh [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yuan Ze University, 135 Yuan-Tung Road, Chungli, 320 Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC (China); Wuu, Dong-Sing [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, ROC (China); Lee, Shuo-Jun [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yuan Ze University, 135 Yuan-Tung Road, Chungli, 320 Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC (China)

    2013-02-01

    Transparent conductive oxide thin films in solar cell fabrication have attracted much attention due to their high conductivity and transmittance. In this paper, we have investigated the aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films prepared by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering on Asahi U-type SnO{sub 2} glass with different O{sub 2}/Ar flow ratios in vacuum chamber. Furthermore, the micro-structural, electrical, and optical properties of AZO/SnO{sub 2} films were studied. The change in O{sub 2}/Ar flow ratios is found to significantly affect the haze value, and slightly affect electrical resistivity and transmittance of the films. Afterward, the fabricated AZO thin films with different O{sub 2}/Ar flow ratios were used for building the solar cell devices. The current–voltage and external quantum efficiency characteristics were investigated for the solar cell devices. The optimized O{sub 2}/Ar flow ratio of 3 for solar device shows the best efficiency of 10.41%, and a 20% increase in short-circuit current density compared to typical Asahi solar cells. - Highlights: ► A thin Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) film has been deposited on SnO{sub 2} substrates. ► The AZO film deposited at an O{sub 2}/Ar ratio of 3 shows low resistivity and high haze. ► The AZO film contains tiny grains that enhance light scattering. ► The amorphous silicon solar cell with the AZO layer shows a 20% increase in Jsc.

  12. The influence of sequence of precursor films on CZTSe thin films prepared by ion-beam sputtering deposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jun; Liang, Guangxing; Zeng, Yang; Fan, Ping; Hu, Juguang; Luo, Jingting; Zhang, Dongping

    2017-02-01

    The CuZnSn (CZT) precursor thin films are grown by ion-beam sputtering Cu, Zn, Sn targets with different orders and then sputtering Se target to fabricate Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) absorber thin films on molybdenum substrates. They are annealed in the same vacuum chamber at 400 °C. The characterization methods of CZTSe thin films include X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) in order to study the crystallographic properties, composition, surface morphology, electrical properties and so on. The results display that the CZTSe thin films got the strongest diffraction peak intensity and were with good crystalline quality and its morphology appeared smooth and compact with a sequence of Cu/Zn/Sn/Se, which reveals that the expected states for CZTSe are Cu1+, Zn2+, Sn4+, Se2+. With the good crystalline quality and close to ideal stoichiometric ratio the resistivity of the CZTSe film with the sequence of Cu/Zn/Sn/Se is lower, whose optical band gap is about 1.50 eV. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61404086), the Basical Research Program of Shenzhen (Nos. JCYJ20150324140036866, JCYJ20150324141711581), and the Natural Science Foundation of SZU (No. 2014017).

  13. A comparative study of CdS thin films deposited by different techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pérez-Hernández, G., E-mail: german.perez@ujat.mx [Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Avenida Universidad s/n, Col. Magisterial, Villahermosa, Tabasco 86040 (Mexico); Pantoja-Enríquez, J. [Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Energías Renovables, UNICACH, Libramiento Norte No 1150, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas 29039 (Mexico); Escobar-Morales, B. [Instituto Tecnológico de Cancún, Avenida Kábah Km 3, Cancún, Quintana Roo 77500 (Mexico); Martinez-Hernández, D.; Díaz-Flores, L.L.; Ricardez-Jiménez, C. [Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Avenida Universidad s/n, Col. Magisterial, Villahermosa, Tabasco 86040 (Mexico); Mathews, N.R.; Mathew, X. [Centro de Investigación en Energía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Temixco, Morelos 62580 (Mexico)

    2013-05-01

    Cadmium sulfide thin-films were deposited on glass slides and SnO{sub 2}:F coated glass substrates by chemical bath deposition, sputtering and close-spaced sublimation techniques. The films were studied for the structural and opto-electronic properties after annealing in an ambient identical to that employed in the fabrication of CdTe/CdS devices. Quantum efficiency of the CdTe/CdS solar cells fabricated with CdS buffer films prepared by the three methods were investigated to understand the role of CdS film preparation method on the blue response of the devices. The higher blue response observed for the devices fabricated with chemical bath deposited CdS film is discussed. - Highlights: ► CdS films were prepared by different techniques. ► Role of CdS on the blue response of device was studied. ► Structural and optical properties of CdS were analyzed. ► Chemically deposited CdS has high blue transmittance. ► CdS deposition method influences diffusion of S and Te.

  14. Fully integrated carbon nanotube composite thin film strain sensors on flexible substrates for structural health monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burton, A. R.; Lynch, J. P.; Kurata, M.; Law, K. H.

    2017-09-01

    Multifunctional thin film materials have opened many opportunities for novel sensing strategies for structural health monitoring. While past work has established methods of optimizing multifunctional materials to exhibit sensing properties, comparatively less work has focused on their integration into fully functional sensing systems capable of being deployed in the field. This study focuses on the advancement of a scalable fabrication process for the integration of multifunctional thin films into a fully integrated sensing system. This is achieved through the development of an optimized fabrication process that can create a broad range of sensing systems using multifunctional materials. A layer-by-layer deposited multifunctional composite consisting of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) in a polyvinyl alcohol and polysodium-4-styrene sulfonate matrix are incorporated with a lithography process to produce a fully integrated sensing system deposited on a flexible substrate. To illustrate the process, a strain sensing platform consisting of a patterned SWNT-composite thin film as a strain-sensitive element within an amplified Wheatstone bridge sensing circuit is presented. Strain sensing is selected because it presents many of the design and processing challenges that are core to patterning multifunctional thin film materials into sensing systems. Strain sensors fabricated on a flexible polyimide substrate are experimentally tested under cyclic loading using standard four-point bending coupons and a partial-scale steel frame assembly under lateral loading. The study reveals the material process is highly repeatable to produce fully integrated strain sensors with linearity and sensitivity exceeding 0.99 and 5 {{V}}/{ε }, respectively. The thin film strain sensors are robust and are capable of high strain measurements beyond 3000 μ {ε }.

  15. Periodic domain inversion in x-cut single-crystal lithium niobate thin film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mackwitz, P., E-mail: peterm@mail.upb.de; Rüsing, M.; Berth, G.; Zrenner, A. [Department Physik, Universität Paderborn, 33095 Paderborn (Germany); Center for Optoelectronics and Photonics Paderborn, 33095 Paderborn (Germany); Widhalm, A.; Müller, K. [Department Physik, Universität Paderborn, 33095 Paderborn (Germany)

    2016-04-11

    We report the fabrication of periodically poled domain patterns in x-cut lithium niobate thin-film. Here, thin films on insulator have drawn particular attention due to their intrinsic waveguiding properties offering high mode confinement and smaller devices compared to in-diffused waveguides in bulk material. In contrast to z-cut thin film lithium niobate, the x-cut geometry does not require back electrodes for poling. Further, the x-cut geometry grants direct access to the largest nonlinear and electro-optical tensor element, which overall promises smaller devices. The domain inversion was realized via electric field poling utilizing deposited aluminum top electrodes on a stack of LN thin film/SiO{sub 2} layer/Bulk LN, which were patterned by optical lithography. The periodic domain inversion was verified by non-invasive confocal second harmonic microscopy. Our results show domain patterns in accordance to the electrode mask layout. The second harmonic signatures can be interpreted in terms of spatially, overlapping domain filaments which start their growth on the +z side.

  16. Thin film metal-oxides

    CERN Document Server

    Ramanathan, Shriram

    2009-01-01

    Presents an account of the fundamental structure-property relations in oxide thin films. This title discusses the functional properties of thin film oxides in the context of applications in the electronics and renewable energy technologies.

  17. Investigation of the magnetic properties of electrodeposited NiFe thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakkaloglu, O. F.; Bedir, M.; Oeztas, M.; Karahan, I. H.

    2002-01-01

    Most magnetic devices used today are based on the magnetic thin film. Rapid and extensive developments in magnetic sensor / actuator and magnetic recording technology place a growing demand on the use of different thin film fabrication techniques for magnetic materials. The electroplating technique is especially interesting due to its low cost, high throughput and high quality of the deposits which are extensively used in the magnetic recording industry to deposit relatively thick permalloy layers. Much recent attention has focused on the electrodeposited NiFe thin films, which exhibit giant magneto resistive behaviour as well as anisotropic magnetoresistance properties. n this study, NiFe thin films were developed by using electrodeposition technique and their crystallinity structures were investigated by using x-ray diffractometer measurements. The magneto resistive properties of the samples were investigated by Wan der Pauw method with a home made electromagnet under the different magnetic fields. The magnetoresistance measurements of the samples were carried out in two configurations; current parallel ( longitudinal ) and perpendicular ( transverse ) to the magnetic field. In the longitudinal configuration giant magnetoresistance was observed while anisotropic magnetoresistance was detected in the other configuration

  18. A Homogenized Free Energy Model for Hysteresis in Thin-film Shape Memory Alloys

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Massad, Jordan E; Smith, Ralph C

    2004-01-01

    Thin-film shape memory alloys (SMAs) have become excellent candidates for microactuator fabrication in MEMS due to their capability to achieve very high work densities, produce large deformations, and generate high stresses...

  19. Picosecond laser registration of interference pattern by oxidation of thin Cr films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Veiko, Vadim; Yarchuk, Michail [ITMO University, Kronverksky Ave. 49, St. Petersburg, 197101 (Russian Federation); Zakoldaev, Roman, E-mail: zakoldaev@gmail.com [ITMO University, Kronverksky Ave. 49, St. Petersburg, 197101 (Russian Federation); Gedvilas, Mindaugas; Račiukaitis, Gediminas [Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Savanoriu Ave. 231, LT-02300, Vilnius (Lithuania); Kuzivanov, Michail; Baranov, Alexander [ITMO University, Kronverksky Ave. 49, St. Petersburg, 197101 (Russian Federation)

    2017-05-15

    Highlights: • Periodical patterning of thin films was achieved by combining two technologies. • Selective chemical etching was combined with laser-induced oxidation. • Formation of the protective oxide layer prevented of chromium film from etching. • 1D binary grating with the chromium stripe width of 750 nm was fabricated. - Abstract: The laser oxidation of thin metallic films followed by its selective chemical etching is a promising method for the formation of binary metal structures on the glass substrates. It is important to confirm that even a single ultrashort laser pulse irradiation is able to create the protective oxide layer that makes possible to imprint the thermochemical image. Results of the thermo-chemical treatment of thin chromium films irradiated by picosecond laser pulse utilizing two and four beam interference combined with the chemical etching are presented. The spatial resolution of this method can be high enough due to thermo-chemical sharpening and can be close to the diffraction limit. Micro-Raman spectroscopy was applied for characterization of the chemical composition of the protective oxide layers formed under atmospheric conditions on the surface of thin chromium films.

  20. TiO2 thin-films on polymer substrates and their photocatalytic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Jae-Hun; Han, Yang-Su; Choy, Jin-Ho

    2006-01-01

    We have developed dip-coating process for TiO 2 -thin film on polymer substrates (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer: ABS, polystyrene: PS). At first, a monodispersed and transparent TiO 2 nano-sol solution was prepared by the controlled hydrolysis of titanium iso-propoxide in the presence of acetylacetone and nitric acid catalyst at 80 deg. C. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns of the dried particles are indicative of crystalline TiO 2 with anatase-type structure. According to the XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies, the mean particle size was estimated to be ca. 5 nm. The transparent thin films on ABS and PS substrates were fabricated by dip-coating process by changing the processing variables, such as the number of dip-coating and TiO 2 concentration in nano-sol solution. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis for the thin film samples reveals that the acetylacetone-modified TiO 2 nano-sol particles are effective for enhancing the interfacial adherence between films and polymeric substrates compared to the unmodified one. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) on the TiO 2 thin-films has also been systematically investigated

  1. Photoluminescence of ZnO thin films deposited at various substrate temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kao, Kuo-Sheng; Shih, Wei-Che; Ye, Wei-Tsuen; Cheng, Da-Long

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated surface acoustic wave devices with an Al/ZnO/Si structure for use in ultraviolet sensors. ZnO thin films were fabricated using a reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering system. The substrate temperature of ZnO thin films can be varied to obtain highly crystalline properties. The surface morphologies and c-axis preferred orientation of the ZnO thin films were determined using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. In addition, bright-field images of ZnO crystallization were investigated using a transmission electron microscope. From photoluminescence analysis, four peaks were obtained at 377.8, 384.9, 391.4, and 403.4 nm. Interdigital transducers of an aluminum electrode were fabricated on the ZnO/Si structure by using a direct current sputtering system and photolithography, combined with the lift-off method, thereby obtaining a surface acoustic wave device. Finally, frequency responses were measured using a network analyzer, and an illuminating test was adopted for the ultraviolet sensor, using a wavelength of 355 nm from a light-emitting diode. The sensitivities of the ultraviolet sensor were also discussed. - Highlights: • The ZnO/Si SAW devices exhibit the Rayleigh and Sezawa modes. • The crystalline of ZnO affects the EHP recombination and generation. • The PL spectrum of ZnO shows Gaussian fitting distributions. • The CTD_U_V is influenced by SAW types and ZnO film characteristics.

  2. Photoluminescence of ZnO thin films deposited at various substrate temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kao, Kuo-Sheng [Department of Computer and Communication, SHU-TE University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Shih, Wei-Che [Department of Electrical Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Ye, Wei-Tsuen [Department of Computer and Communication, SHU-TE University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Cheng, Da-Long, E-mail: dlcheng@stu.edu.tw [Department of Computer and Communication, SHU-TE University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China)

    2016-04-30

    This study investigated surface acoustic wave devices with an Al/ZnO/Si structure for use in ultraviolet sensors. ZnO thin films were fabricated using a reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering system. The substrate temperature of ZnO thin films can be varied to obtain highly crystalline properties. The surface morphologies and c-axis preferred orientation of the ZnO thin films were determined using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. In addition, bright-field images of ZnO crystallization were investigated using a transmission electron microscope. From photoluminescence analysis, four peaks were obtained at 377.8, 384.9, 391.4, and 403.4 nm. Interdigital transducers of an aluminum electrode were fabricated on the ZnO/Si structure by using a direct current sputtering system and photolithography, combined with the lift-off method, thereby obtaining a surface acoustic wave device. Finally, frequency responses were measured using a network analyzer, and an illuminating test was adopted for the ultraviolet sensor, using a wavelength of 355 nm from a light-emitting diode. The sensitivities of the ultraviolet sensor were also discussed. - Highlights: • The ZnO/Si SAW devices exhibit the Rayleigh and Sezawa modes. • The crystalline of ZnO affects the EHP recombination and generation. • The PL spectrum of ZnO shows Gaussian fitting distributions. • The CTD{sub UV} is influenced by SAW types and ZnO film characteristics.

  3. Solar cell fabricated on welded thin flexible silicon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hessmann Maik Thomas

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a thin-film crystalline silicon solar cell with an AM1.5 efficiency of 11.5% fabricated on welded 50 μm thin silicon foils. The aperture area of the cell is 1.00 cm2. The cell has an open-circuit voltage of 570 mV, a short-circuit current density of 29.9 mA cm-2 and a fill factor of 67.6%. These are the first results ever presented for solar cells on welded silicon foils. The foils were welded together in order to create the first thin flexible monocrystalline band substrate. A flexible band substrate offers the possibility to overcome the area restriction of ingot-based monocrystalline silicon wafers and the feasibility of a roll-to-roll manufacturing. In combination with an epitaxial and layer transfer process a decrease in production costs can be achieved.

  4. Thermal Molding of Organic Thin-Film Transistor Arrays on Curved Surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakai, Masatoshi; Watanabe, Kento; Ishimine, Hiroto; Okada, Yugo; Yamauchi, Hiroshi; Sadamitsu, Yuichi; Kudo, Kazuhiro

    2017-12-01

    In this work, a thermal molding technique is proposed for the fabrication of plastic electronics on curved surfaces, enabling the preparation of plastic films with freely designed shapes. The induced strain distribution observed in poly(ethylene naphthalate) films when planar sheets were deformed into hemispherical surfaces clearly indicated that natural thermal contraction played an important role in the formation of the curved surface. A fingertip-shaped organic thin-film transistor array molded from a real human finger was fabricated, and slight deformation induced by touching an object was detected from the drain current response. This type of device will lead to the development of robot fingers equipped with a sensitive tactile sense for precision work such as palpation or surgery.

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2012-01-31

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

  6. All-organic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal light-valves integrated with electroactive anthraquinone-2-sulfonate-doped polypyrrole thin films as driving electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Pen-Cheng; Yu, Jing-Yu; Li, Kuan-Hsun

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Fabrication of flexible semi-transparent all-polymer electrodes under ambient conditions without using a CVD system. → Characterization of the above electrodes based on anthraquinone-2-sulfonate-doped polypyrrole thin films. → Demonstration of all-organic liquid crystal light-valves with polypyrrole thin films as the driving electrodes. - Abstract: All-organic PDLC (polymer-dispersed liquid crystal) light-valves using all-polymer conductive substrates containing thin films of polypyrrole doped with anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQSA - ) as the driving electrodes were fabricated in this study. The all-polymer conductive substrates were prepared under ambient conditions by in situ depositing polypyrrole thin films on blank flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate), or PET, substrates from aqueous media in which oxidative polymerization of pyrrole was taking place. The obtained flexible all-polymer conductive substrates were semi-transparent with cohesive coatings of AQSA - doped polypyrrole thin films (thickness ∼55 nm). The all-polymer flexible conductive substrates had sheet resistivity ∼40 kΩ □ -1 and T% transparency against air ∼78% at 600 nm. The light-valves fabricated using the above all-polymer conductive substrates showed ∼50% transparency against air at 600 nm when 4 V μm -1 electric field was applied.

  7. Ordered Nanomaterials Thin Films via Supported Anodized Alumina Templates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed eES-SOUNI

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Supported anodized alumina template films with highly ordered porosity are best suited for fabricating large area ordered nanostructures with tunable dimensions and aspect ratios. In this paper we first discuss important issues for the generation of such templates, including required properties of the Al/Ti/Au/Ti thin film heterostructure on a substrate for high quality templates. We then show examples of anisotropic nanostructure films consisting of noble metals using these templates, discuss briefly their optical properties and their applications to molecular detection using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Finally we briefly address the possibility to make nanocomposite films, exemplary shown on a plasmonic-thermochromic nanocomposite of VO2-capped Au-nanorods.

  8. Double-layer indium doped zinc oxide for silicon thin-film solar cell prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiao Bao-Chen; Zhang Xiao-Dan; Wei Chang-Chun; Sun Jian; Ni Jian; Zhao Ying

    2011-01-01

    Indium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:In) thin films were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis on corning eagle 2000 glass substrate. 1 and 2 at.% indium doped single-layer ZnO:In thin films with different amounts of acetic acid added in the initial solution were fabricated. The 1 at.% indium doped single-layers have triangle grains. The 2 at.% indium doped single-layer with 0.18 acetic acid adding has the resistivity of 6.82×10 −3 Ω·cm and particle grains. The double-layers structure is designed to fabricate the ZnO:In thin film with low resistivity (2.58×10 −3 Ω·cm) and good surface morphology. It is found that the surface morphology of the double-layer ZnO:In film strongly depends on the substrate-layer, and the second-layer plays a large part in the resistivity of the double-layer ZnO:In thin film. Both total and direct transmittances of the double-layer ZnO:In film are above 80% in the visible light region. Single junction a-Si:H solar cell based on the double-layer ZnO:In as front electrode is also investigated. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  9. Tension Tests of Copper Thin Films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Kyung Jo; Kim, Chung Youb [Chonnam Nat’l Univ., Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-08-15

    Tension tests for copper thin films with thickness of 12 μm were performed by using a digital image correlation method based on consecutive digital images. When calculating deformation using digital image correlation, a large deformation causes errors in the calculated result. In this study, the calculation procedure was improved to reduce the error, so that the full field deformation and the strain of the specimen could be accurately and directly measured on its surface. From the calculated result, it can be seen that the strain distribution is not uniform and its variation is severe, unlike the distribution in a common bulk specimen. This might result from the surface roughness introduced in the films during the fabrication process by electro-deposition.

  10. Calixarene Langmuir-Blodgett Thin Films For Volatile Organic Compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Capan, R.

    2010-01-01

    Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) such as benzene, toluene, chloroform are chemicals that evaporate easily at room temperature and create many health effects on young children, elderly and a person with heightened sensitivity to chemicals. Concentrations of many VOC's are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors because many household products (for example paints, varnishes, many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, hobby products etc.) contains VOC's. Some effects of VOC's for human beings can be followed as the eye, nose, and throat irritations; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. These are big incentives for the development of portable, user-friendly VOC's sensors and for the investigation of the sensing properties of new materials to be prepared as a thin film sensing element. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) ultra-thin film technique allows us to produce monolayer or multilayer organic thin films that can be used as chemical sensing elements.In this work, materials known as the calix[n]arene are investigated for the production of sensing material against several VOC's such as the chloroform, benzene, ethylbenzene and toluene by using LB thin film techniques. UV-visible, Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) system and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) measurement techniques are used to check the quality of the deposition process onto a solid substrate. Surface morphology and sensing properties of the final sensing layers are then studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and SPR techniques. Our results indicated that selected calixarene materials are sensitive enough and quite suitable to fabricate a highly ordered, reproducible and uniform LB film that can be used as a very thin sensing layer against VOC's.

  11. Structural, mechanical and magnetic study on galvanostatic electroplated nanocrystalline NiFeP thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalaivani, A.; Senguttuvan, G.; Kannan, R.

    2018-03-01

    Nickel based alloys has a huge applications in microelectronics and micro electromechanical systems owing to its superior soft magnetic properties. With the advantages of simplicity, cost-effectiveness and controllable patterning, electroplating processes has been chosen to fabricate thin films in our work. The soft magnetic NiFeP thin film was successfully deposited over the surface of copper plate through galvanostatic electroplating method by applying constant current density of 10 mA cm-2 for a deposition rate for half an hour. The properties of the deposited NiFeP thin films were analyzed by subjecting it into different physio-chemical characterization such as XRD, SEM, EDAX, AFM and VSM. XRD pattern confirms the formation of NiFeP particles and the structural analysis reveals that the NiFeP particles were uniformly deposited over the surface of copper substrate. The surface roughness analysis of the NiFeP films was done using AFM analysis. The magnetic studies and the hardness of the thin film were evaluated from the VSM and hardness test. The NiFeP thin films possess lower coercivity with higher magnetization value of 69. 36 × 10-3 and 431.92 Gauss.

  12. Fabrication of a Transparent Anti-stain Thin Film Using an Atmospheric Pressure Cold Plasma Deposition System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzaki Y.

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Recently, outdoor-constructed solar panels have a problem such as power generation efficiency is reduced by the face plate dirt. On the other hand, electronic touch panels have a problem such as deterioration of visibility of the screen by finger grease stain. To solve these problems, we need to fabricate the anti-stain surfaces which have superhydrophobic and oil-repellent abilities without spoiling the transparency of the transparent substrate. In this study, we fabricated lotus leaves like surface on a glass substrate. Firstly, SiO2 particles of ca. 100 nm diameter were arranged on the glass substrates. Secondly, to obtain the fractal-like structure (ultra-micro-rough structure on the surface, ZnO thin film having a columnar structure was fabricated on the SiO2 particles by using an atmospheric pressure cold plasma deposition system. By using these processes, the ZnO columns formed radiantly on the spherical surface of the SiO2 particles. Furthermore, without spoiling the ultra-micro-rough structure, a transparent anti-stain monolayer with low surface energy was prepared by using a chemical adsorption technique onto the surface. Average value of the water droplet contact angles of the samples fabricated was 151.8 deg. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM observation reviled that this sample has a raspberry structure in which columnar structure has grown radially on the SiO2 particles.

  13. Ion induced spinodal dewetting of thin solid films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Repetto, Luca; Setina Batic, Barbara; Firpo, Giuseppe; Piano, Emanuele; Valbusa, Ugo [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova (Italy)

    2012-05-28

    We present experimental data and numerical simulations in order to show that the mechanism of spinodal dewetting is active during ion beam irradiation of thin solid films. The expected scaling law for the characteristic wavelengths versus the initial film thickness is modified by the presence of sputtering. The conclusion is fully supported by model simulation which shows a square law dependence for null sputtering yield and a bimodal trend when sputtering is included. This result is in contrast to earlier studies and opens the possibility to control and use ion induced dewetting for the fabrication of functional nanostructures.

  14. Influence of annealing on texture properties of cerium oxide thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arunkumar, P.; Suresh Babu, K.; Ramaseshan, R.; Dash, S.

    2013-01-01

    Future power demand needs an energy source with higher efficiency, better power density, clean energy and fuel flexibility. Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is one of the potential sources for future needs. Though the polymer and direct methanol based electrolyte are much suitable, for versatile applications (portable devices) they are having major challenges such as design, platinum based catalyst, lower power density and fuel flexibility (free from hydrocarbons). However, in SOFC the high operating temperature is the only major issue. Operating temperature of SOFC could be reduced by proper selection of electrolyte material which should have minimum ionic conductivity of 0.1 Scm -1 at reduced activation energy. This can be achieved by thin film based doped cerium oxide electrolyte for SOFC, leads to Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (ITSOFC). In the present work, we focus on the synthesis of cerium oxide and 20 mol % samarium doped cerium oxide (SDC) nanoparticles by co-precipitation method and to synthesis thin films of the same. Pellets of those powders were heat treated at different temperatures and used as targets for e-beam evaporation to fabricate thin film based electrolyte. Stoichiometry of both powders and thin films were confirmed by XRF and EPMA. GIXRD profiles of ceria and SDC thin films are shown below and a preferred orientation effect is observed in SDC films. In SDC films the X-ray peaks have a shift towards lower angles, due to the difference in ionic radii of Ce 4+ and Sm 3+ . The band gap of CeO 2 (2.88 eV) from optical absorption technique indicates the presence of Ce 3+ with Ce 4+ , indirectly shows the concentration of oxygen vacancies which is required for the thin film electrolyte

  15. Measurement of positron reemission from thin single-crystal W(100) films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, D.M.; Lynn, K.G.; Pareja, R.; Nielsen, B.

    1985-01-01

    Epitaxial thin single-crystal (100) tungsten films 1000, 2500, and 5000 A thick have been fabricated by high-vacuum electron-beam evaporation. These films were subsequently used as thin-film moderators for the study of the positron-transmission-reemission process with a variable-energy (0--80 keV) monoenergetic positron beam in an ultrahigh-vacuum system. The films were shown to be routinely cleanable by heating first in oxygen (10 -6 Torr) and then in vacuum (10 -9 Torr). Transmission and back reemission of slow positrons from these surfaces was observed. The positron work function, phi/sub +/ has been determined to be approx. =3.0 eV ( +- 0.3 eV). The transmission slow positrons were emitted in a narrow cone with a full width at half maximum of approx. =30 0 consistent with the angular distribution of back-reemission positrons. The reemitted yields as a function of incident positron energy were found to be very different between forward reemission and back reemission. The maximum forward-reemission yields were 18% for 1000-A-thick W film and 12% for 2500-A-thick W film at 5 and 10 keV optimum incident positron energies, respectively. These results show that one can use thin single-crystal tungsten films as positron moderators or remoderators

  16. Structure and magnetic properties of highly textured nanocrystalline Mn–Zn ferrite thin film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Joseph, Jaison, E-mail: jaisonjosephp@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Goverment College, Khandola, Goa 403107 India (India); Tangsali, R.B. [Department of Physics, Goa University, Taleigao Plateau, Goa 403206 India (India); Pillai, V.P. Mahadevan [Department of Optoelectronics, University of Kerala,Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695581 India (India); Choudhary, R.J.; Phase, D.M.; Ganeshan, V. [UGC-DAE-CSR Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452017 India. (India)

    2015-01-01

    Nanoparticles of Mn{sub 0.2}Zn{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} were chemically synthesized by co-precipitating the metal ions in aqueous solutions in a suitable alkaline medium. The identified XRD peaks confirm single phase spinal formation. The nanoparticle size authentication is carried out from XRD data using Debye Scherrer equation. Thin film fabricated from this nanomaterial by pulse laser deposition technique on quartz substrate was characterized using XRD and Raman spectroscopic techniques. XRD results revealed the formation of high degree of texture in the film. AFM analysis confirms nanogranular morphology and preferred directional growth. A high deposition pressure and the use of a laser plume confined to a small area for transportation of the target species created certain level of porosity in the deposited thin film. Magnetic property measurement of this highly textured nanocrystalline Mn–Zn ferrite thin film revealed enhancement in properties, which are explained on the basis of texture and surface features originated from film growth mechanism.

  17. Effect of sulfurization temperature on the property of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film by eco-friendly nanoparticle ink method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei; Shen, Honglie; Yao, Hanyu; Shang, Huirong; Tang, ZhengXia; Li, Yufang

    2017-09-01

    Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films were fabricated by a low-cost nanoparticle ink method. The eco-friendly hydrophilic CZTS nanoparticles were mixed with low-cost n-propanol to form nanoparticle ink. To improve crystallinity and remove oxygen element, the CZTS thin films were sulfurized further. The effects of sulfurization temperature on the structure, morphologies, and photovoltaic performances of CZTS thin films were investigated. The results showed that the crystallinity of CZTS thin film was improved with increasing sulfurization temperature. The surface morphology studies demonstrated the formation of compact and homogenous CZTS thin film at a sulfurization temperature of 600 °C. By optimizing thickness of CZTS thin film, the CZTS thin-film solar cell with an optimal efficiency of 2.1% was obtained.

  18. Liquid flow deposited spinel (Ni,Mn){sub 3}O{sub 4} thin films for microbolometer applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Le, Duc Thang, E-mail: ducthang36@skku.edu [Intelligent Electronic Component Team, Electronic Materials Convergence Division, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Seoul 153-801 (Korea, Republic of); School of Advanced Materials Science & Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Jeon, Chang Jun; Lee, Kui Woong; Jeong, Young Hun; Yun, Ji Sun [Intelligent Electronic Component Team, Electronic Materials Convergence Division, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Seoul 153-801 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Dae Ho, E-mail: dhyoon@skku.edu [School of Advanced Materials Science & Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Jeong Ho, E-mail: goedc@kicet.re.kr [Intelligent Electronic Component Team, Electronic Materials Convergence Division, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Seoul 153-801 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-03-01

    Highlights: • Highly quality (Ni,Mn){sub 3}O{sub 4} thin films were grown using liquid flow deposited (LFD) technique. • It is possible to deposit multi–component manganite–oxide thin films by LFD at low temperatures. • Nickel–manganite films showed a good negative temperature coefficient (NTC) characteristic. • Liquid flow deposited (Ni,Mn){sub 3}O{sub 4} thin films are very potential for microbolometer applications. - Abstract: A liquid flow deposition (LFD) technique was initially used for the fabrication of single-component Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} thin films onto Si wafer substrates at a range of substrate temperatures of 30–80 °C, with the introduction of an oxidizing reagent (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}). As a result, solid thin films were well formed from an aqueous solution. An X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed typical characteristics of hausmannite Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} with a spinel tetragonal phase. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) observations revealed nano-sized grains arranged uniformly on a dense and smooth surface for all of the as-deposited films. On the other hand, the LFD method was then extended to prepare two-component nickel–manganite films according to the binary chemical composition of Ni{sub x}Mn{sub 3−x}O{sub 4} with x = 0.02–0.2. The as-grown nickel–manganite films showed a surface with a good quality with a spherical bead-like architecture when x ≤ 0.10, while a conversion from spherical grains into highly porous nanowalls in the microstructure was noted in films when x ≥ 0.12. These results signify that it is possible to fabricate various multi-component manganite-oxide thin films at a low temperature. In addition, the dependences of the room-temperature electrical resistivity (ρ) and the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) on the Ni substitution level (x) were investigated on films annealed at 400 °C.

  19. Conformal Thin Film Packaging for SiC Sensor Circuits in Harsh Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scardelletti, Maximilian C.; Karnick, David A.; Ponchak, George E.; Zorman, Christian A.

    2011-01-01

    In this investigation sputtered silicon carbide annealed at 300 C for one hour is used as a conformal thin film package. A RF magnetron sputterer was used to deposit 500 nm silicon carbide films on gold metal structures on alumina wafers. To determine the reliability and resistance to immersion in harsh environments, samples were submerged in gold etchant for 24 hours, in BOE for 24 hours, and in an O2 plasma etch for one hour. The adhesion strength of the thin film was measured by a pull test before and after the chemical immersion, which indicated that the film has an adhesion strength better than 10(exp 8) N/m2; this is similar to the adhesion of the gold layer to the alumina wafer. MIM capacitors are used to determine the dielectric constant, which is dependent on the SiC anneal temperature. Finally, to demonstrate that the SiC, conformal, thin film may be used to package RF circuits and sensors, an LC resonator circuit was fabricated and tested with and without the conformal SiC thin film packaging. The results indicate that the SiC coating adds no appreciable degradation to the circuits RF performance. Index Terms Sputter, silicon carbide, MIM capacitors, LC resonators, gold etchants, BOE, O2 plasma

  20. Characterization of sputter deposited thin film scandate cathodes for miniaturized thermionic converter applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zavadil, Kevin R.; Ruffner, Judith H.; King, Donald B.

    1999-01-01

    We have successfully developed a method for fabricating scandate-based thermionic emitters in thin film form. The primary goal of our effort is to develop thin film emitters that exhibit low work function, high intrinsic electron emissivity, minimum thermal activation properties and that can be readily incorporated into a microgap converter. Our approach has been to incorporate BaSrO into a Sc2O3 matrix using rf sputtering to produce thin films. Diode testing has shown the resulting films to be electron emissive at temperatures as low as 900 K with current densities of 0.1 mA.cm-2 at 1100 K and saturation voltages. We calculate an approximate maximum work function of 1.8 eV and an apparent emission constant (Richardson's constant, A*) of 36 mA.cm-2.K-2. Film compositional and structural analysis shows that a significant surface and subsurface alkaline earth hydroxide phase can form and probably explains the limited utilization and stability of Ba and its surface complexes. The flexibility inherent in sputter deposition suggests alternate strategies for eliminating undesirable phases and optimizing thin film emitter properties.