Formation of hydrated layers in PMMA thin films in aqueous solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akers, Peter W. [School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland (New Zealand); Nelson, Andrew R.J. [The Bragg Institute, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Menai, NSW (Australia); Williams, David E. [School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland (New Zealand); MacDiarmid Institute of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington (New Zealand); McGillivray, Duncan J., E-mail: d.mcgillivray@auckland.ac.nz [School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland (New Zealand); MacDiarmid Institute of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington (New Zealand)

2015-10-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Homogeneous thin PMMA films prepared on Si/SiOx substrates and measured in air and water. • Reproducible formation of highly hydrated layer containing 50% water at the PMMA/SiOx interface. • When heated the films swell at 50 °C without loss of material. • Upon re-cooling to 25 °C the surface roughens and material is lost. - Abstract: Neutron reflectometry (NR) measurements have been made on thin (70–150 Å) poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) films on Si/SiOx substrates in aqueous conditions, and compared with parameters measured using ellipsometry and X-Ray reflectometry (XRR) on dry films. All techniques show that the thin films prepared using spin-coating techniques were uniform and had low roughness at both the silicon and subphase interfaces, and similar surface energetics to thicker PMMA films. In aqueous solution, NR measurements at 25 °C showed that PMMA forms a partially hydrated layer at the SiOx interface 10 Å under the film, while the bulk film remains intact and contains around 4% water. Both the PMMA film layer and the sublayer showed minimal swelling over a period of 24 h. At 50 °C, PMMA films in aqueous solution roughen and swell, without loss of PMMA material at the surface. After cooling back to 25 °C, swelling and roughening increases further, with loss of material from the PMMA layer.

Formation of hydrated layers in PMMA thin films in aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akers, Peter W.; Nelson, Andrew R.J.; Williams, David E.; McGillivray, Duncan J.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Homogeneous thin PMMA films prepared on Si/SiOx substrates and measured in air and water. • Reproducible formation of highly hydrated layer containing 50% water at the PMMA/SiOx interface. • When heated the films swell at 50 °C without loss of material. • Upon re-cooling to 25 °C the surface roughens and material is lost. - Abstract: Neutron reflectometry (NR) measurements have been made on thin (70–150 Å) poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) films on Si/SiOx substrates in aqueous conditions, and compared with parameters measured using ellipsometry and X-Ray reflectometry (XRR) on dry films. All techniques show that the thin films prepared using spin-coating techniques were uniform and had low roughness at both the silicon and subphase interfaces, and similar surface energetics to thicker PMMA films. In aqueous solution, NR measurements at 25 °C showed that PMMA forms a partially hydrated layer at the SiOx interface 10 Å under the film, while the bulk film remains intact and contains around 4% water. Both the PMMA film layer and the sublayer showed minimal swelling over a period of 24 h. At 50 °C, PMMA films in aqueous solution roughen and swell, without loss of PMMA material at the surface. After cooling back to 25 °C, swelling and roughening increases further, with loss of material from the PMMA layer.

Atomic layer deposition of superparamagnetic and ferrimagnetic magnetite thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yijun; Liu, Ming; Ren, Wei; Zhang, Yuepeng; Chen, Xing; Ye, Zuo-Guang

2015-01-01

One of the key challenges in realizing superparamagnetism in magnetic thin films lies in finding a low-energy growth way to create sufficiently small grains and magnetic domains which allow the magnetization to randomly and rapidly reverse. In this work, well-defined superparamagnetic and ferrimagnetic Fe 3 O 4 thin films are successfully prepared using atomic layer deposition technique by finely controlling the growth condition and post-annealing process. As-grown Fe 3 O 4 thin films exhibit a conformal surface and poly-crystalline nature with an average grain size of 7 nm, resulting in a superparamagnetic behavior with a blocking temperature of 210 K. After post-annealing in H 2 /Ar at 400 °C, the as-grown α−Fe 2 O 3 sample is reduced to Fe 3 O 4 phase, exhibiting a ferrimagnetic ordering and distinct magnetic shape anisotropy. Atomic layer deposition of magnetite thin films with well-controlled morphology and magnetic properties provides great opportunities for integrating with other order parameters to realize magnetic nano-devices with potential applications in spintronics, electronics, and bio-applications

Preparation of Ferroelectric Thin Films of Bismuth Layer Structured Compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Hitoshi; Mihara, Takashi; Yoshimori, Hiroyuki; Araujo, Carlos

1995-09-01

Ferroelectric thin films of bismuth layer structured compounds, SrBi2Ta2O9, SrBi2Nb2O9, SrBi4Ti4O15 and their solid solutions, were formed onto a sputtered platinum layer on a silicon substrate using spin-on technique and metal-organic decomposition (MOD) method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and some electrical measurements were performed on the prepared thin films. XRD results of SrBi2(Ta1- x, Nb x)2O9 films (0≤x≤1) showed that niobium ions substitute for tantalum ions in an arbitrary ratio without any change of the layer structure and lattice constants. Furthermore, XRD results of SrBi2 xTa2O9 films (0≤x≤1.5) indicated that the formation of the bismuth layer structure does not always require an accurate bismuth content. The layer structure was formed above 50% of the stoichiometric bismuth content in the general formula. SrBi2(Ta1- x, Nb x)2O9 films with various Ta/Nb ratios have large enough remanent polarization for nonvolatile memory application and have shown high fatigue resistance against 1011 cycles of full switching of the remanent polarization. Mixture films of the three compounds were also investigated.

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.

MultiLayer solid electrolyte for lithium thin film batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Se -Hee; Tracy, C. Edwin; Pitts, John Roland; Liu, Ping

2015-07-28

A lithium metal thin-film battery composite structure is provided that includes a combination of a thin, stable, solid electrolyte layer [18] such as Lipon, designed in use to be in contact with a lithium metal anode layer; and a rapid-deposit solid electrolyte layer [16] such as LiAlF.sub.4 in contact with the thin, stable, solid electrolyte layer [18]. Batteries made up of or containing these structures are more efficient to produce than other lithium metal batteries that use only a single solid electrolyte. They are also more resistant to stress and strain than batteries made using layers of only the stable, solid electrolyte materials. Furthermore, lithium anode batteries as disclosed herein are useful as rechargeable batteries.

The effect of Cr buffer layer thickness on voltage generation of thin-film thermoelectric modules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizoshiri, Mizue; Mikami, Masashi; Ozaki, Kimihiro

2013-01-01

The effect of Cr buffer layer thickness on the open-circuit voltage generated by thin-film thermoelectric modules of Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 (p-type) and Bi 2 Te 2.7 Se 0.3 (n-type) materials was investigated. A Cr buffer layer, whose thickness generally needs to be optimized to improve adhesion depending on the substrate surface condition, such as roughness, was deposited between thermoelectric thin films and glass substrates. When the Cr buffer layer was 1 nm thick, the Seebeck coefficients and electrical conductivity of 1 µm thermoelectric thin films with the buffer layers were approximately equal to those of the thermoelectric films without the buffer layers. When the thickness of the Cr buffer layer was 1 µm, the same as the thermoelectric films, the Seebeck coefficients of the bilayer films were reduced by an electrical current flowing inside the Cr buffer layer and the generation of Cr 2 Te 3 . The open-circuit voltage of the thin-film thermoelectric modules decreased with an increase in the thickness of the Cr buffer layer, which was primarily induced by the electrical current flow. The reduction caused by the Cr 2 Te 3 generation was less than 10% of the total voltage generation of the modules without the Cr buffer layers. The voltage generation of thin-film thermoelectric modules could be controlled by the Cr buffer layer thickness. (paper)

A general analytical equation for phase diagrams of an N-layer ferroelectric thin film with two surface layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Z X; Teng, B H; Rong, Y H; Lu, X H; Yang, X [School of Physical Electronics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China)], E-mail: phytbh@163.com

2010-03-15

Within the framework of effective-field theory with correlations, the phase diagrams of an N-layer ferroelectric thin film with two surface layers are studied by the differential operator technique based on the spin-1/2 transverse Ising model. A general analytical equation for the phase diagram of a ferroelectric thin film with arbitrary layer number as well as exchange interactions and transverse fields is derived, and then the effects of exchange interactions and transverse fields on phase diagrams are discussed for an arbitrary layer number N. Meanwhile, the crossover features, from the ferroelectric-dominant phase diagram (FPD) to the paraelectric-dominant phase diagram (PPD), for various parameters of an N-layer ferroelectric thin film with two surface layers are investigated. As a result, an N-independent common intersection point equation is obtained, and the three-dimensional curved surfaces for the crossover values are constructed. In comparison with the usual mean-field approximation, the differential operator technique with correlations reduces to some extent the ferroelectric features of a ferroelectric thin film.

Layer-by-layer deposition of nanostructured CsPbBr3 perovskite thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Reshetnikova, A. A.; Matyushkin, L. B.; Andronov, A. A.; Sokolov, V. S.; Aleksandrova, O. A.; Moshnikov, V. A.

2017-11-01

Layer-by-layer deposition of nanostructured perovskites cesium lead halide thin films is described. The method of deposition is based on alternate immersion of the substrate in the precursor solutions or colloidal solution of nanocrystals and methyl acetate/lead nitrate solution using the device for deposition of films by SILAR and dip-coating techniques. An example of obtaining a photosensitive structure based on nanostructures of ZnO nanowires and layers of CsBbBr3 nanocrystals is also shown.

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.

Electroresistance Effect in Gold Thin Film Induced by Ionic-Liquid-Gated Electric Double Layer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nakayama, Hiroyasu; Ye, Jianting; Ohtani, Takashi; Fujikawa, Yasunori; Ando, Kazuya; Iwasa, Yoshihiro; Saitoh, Eiji

Electroresistance effect was detected in a metallic thin film using ionic-liquid-gated electric-double-layer transistors (EDLTs). We observed reversible modulation of the electric resistance of a Au thin film. In this system, we found that an electric double layer works as a nanogap capacitor with

Epitaxially influenced boundary layer model for size effect in thin metallic films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazant, Zdenek P.; Guo Zaoyang; Espinosa, Horacio D.; Zhu Yong; Peng Bei

2005-01-01

It is shown that the size effect recently observed by Espinosa et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids51, 47 (2003)] in pure tension tests on free thin metallic films can be explained by the existence of a boundary layer of fixed thickness, located at the surface of the film that was attached onto the substrate during deposition. The boundary layer is influenced by the epitaxial effects of crystal growth on the dislocation density and texture (manifested by prevalent crystal plane orientations). This influence is assumed to cause significantly elevated yield strength. Furthermore, the observed gradual postpeak softening, along with its size independence, which is observed in short film strips subjected to pure tension, is explained by slip localization, originating at notch-like defects, and by damage, which can propagate in a stable manner when the film strip under pure tension is sufficiently thin and short. For general applications, the present epitaxially influenced boundary layer model may be combined with the classical strain-gradient plasticity proposed by Gao et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 47, 1239 (1999)], and it is shown that this combination is necessary to fit the test data on both pure tension and bending of thin films by one and the same theory. To deal with films having different crystal grain sizes, the Hall-Petch relation for the yield strength dependence on the grain size needs to be incorporated into the combined theory. For very thin films, in which a flattened grain fills the whole film thickness, the Hall-Petch relation needs a cutoff, and the asymptotic increase of yield strength with diminishing film thickness is then described by the extension of Nix's model of misfit dislocations by Zhang and Zhou [J. Adv. Mater. 38, 51 (2002)]. The final result is a proposal of a general theory for strength, size effect, hardening, and softening of thin metallic films

Epitaxially influenced boundary layer model for size effect in thin metallic films

Science.gov (United States)

Bažant, Zdeněk P.; Guo, Zaoyang; Espinosa, Horacio D.; Zhu, Yong; Peng, Bei

2005-04-01

It is shown that the size effect recently observed by Espinosa et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids51, 47 (2003)] in pure tension tests on free thin metallic films can be explained by the existence of a boundary layer of fixed thickness, located at the surface of the film that was attached onto the substrate during deposition. The boundary layer is influenced by the epitaxial effects of crystal growth on the dislocation density and texture (manifested by prevalent crystal plane orientations). This influence is assumed to cause significantly elevated yield strength. Furthermore, the observed gradual postpeak softening, along with its size independence, which is observed in short film strips subjected to pure tension, is explained by slip localization, originating at notch-like defects, and by damage, which can propagate in a stable manner when the film strip under pure tension is sufficiently thin and short. For general applications, the present epitaxially influenced boundary layer model may be combined with the classical strain-gradient plasticity proposed by Gao et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 47, 1239 (1999)], and it is shown that this combination is necessary to fit the test data on both pure tension and bending of thin films by one and the same theory. To deal with films having different crystal grain sizes, the Hall-Petch relation for the yield strength dependence on the grain size needs to be incorporated into the combined theory. For very thin films, in which a flattened grain fills the whole film thickness, the Hall-Petch relation needs a cutoff, and the asymptotic increase of yield strength with diminishing film thickness is then described by the extension of Nix's model of misfit dislocations by Zhang and Zhou [J. Adv. Mater. 38, 51 (2002)]. The final result is a proposal of a general theory for strength, size effect, hardening, and softening of thin metallic films.

Magnetic properties of amorphous Tb-Fe thin films with an artificially layered structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, N.

1986-01-01

An alternating terbium-iron (Tb-Fe) multilayer structure artificially made in amorphous Tb-Fe thin films gives rise to excellent magnetic properties of large perpendicular uniaxial anisotropy, large saturation magnetization, and large coercivity over a wide range of Tb composition in the films. The films are superior to amorphous Tb-Fe alloy thin films, especially when they are piled up with a monatomic layer of Tb and several atomic layers of Fe in an alternating fashion. Small-angle x-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the layering of monatomic layers of Tb and Fe, where the periodicity of the layers was found to be about 5.9 A. Direct evidence for an artificially layered structure was obtained by transmission electron microscopic and Auger electron spectroscopic observations. Together with magnetic measurements of hysteresis loops and torque curves, it has been concluded that the most important origin of the large magnetic uniaxial anisotropy can be attributed to the Tb-Fe pairs aligned perpendicular to the films

Layered double hydroxides/polymer thin films grown by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birjega, R.; Matei, A.; Mitu, B.; Ionita, M.D.; Filipescu, M.; Stokker-Cheregi, F.; Luculescu, C.; Dinescu, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest–Magurele (Romania); Zavoianu, R.; Pavel, O.D. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Chemical Technology and Catalysis, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Bd., Bucharest (Romania); Corobea, M.C. [National R. and S. Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry, ICECHIM, 202 Splaiul Independentei Str., CP-35-274, 060021, Bucharest (Romania)

2013-09-30

Due to their highly tunable properties, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are an emerging class of the favorably layered crystals used for the preparation of multifunctional polymer/layered crystal nanocomposites. In contrast to cationic clay materials with negatively charge layers, LDHs are the only host lattices with positively charged layers (brucite-like), with interlayer exchangeable anions and intercalated water. In this work, the deposition of thin films of Mg and Al based LDH/polymers nanocomposites by laser techniques is reported. Matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation was the method used for thin films deposition. The Mg–Al LDHs capability to act as a host for polymers and to produce hybrid LDH/polymer films has been investigated. Polyethylene glycol with different molecular mass compositions and ethylene glycol were used as polymers. The structure and surface morphology of the deposited LDH/polymers films were examined by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. - Highlights: • Hybrid composites deposited by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). • Mg–Al layered double hydroxides (LDH) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) are used. • Mixtures of PEG1450 and LDH were deposited by MAPLE. • Deposited thin films preserve the properties of the starting material. • The film wettability can be controlled by the amount of PEG.

Growth of α-sexithiophene nanostructures on C60 thin film layers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Radziwon, Michal Jędrzej; Madsen, Morten; Balzer, Frank

2014-01-01

Organic molecular beam grown -sexithiophene (-6T) forms nanostructured thin films on buckminsterfullerene (C60) thin film layers. At substrate temperatures of 300K during growth a rough continuous film is observed, which develop to larger elongated islands and dendritic- as well as needle like ...... fluorescence polarimetry measurements the in-plane orientation of the crystalline sites within the needle like structures is determined. The polarimetry investigations strongly indicate that the needle like structures consist of lying molecules....

Fabrication of Crack-Free Barium Titanate Thin Film with High Dielectric Constant Using Sub-Micrometric Scale Layer-by-Layer E-Jet Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junsheng Liang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Dense and crack-free barium titanate (BaTiO3, BTO thin films with a thickness of less than 4 μm were prepared by using sub-micrometric scale, layer-by-layer electrohydrodynamic jet (E-jet deposition of the suspension ink which is composed of BTO nanopowder and BTO sol. Impacts of the jet height and line-to-line pitch of the deposition on the micro-structure of BTO thin films were investigated. Results show that crack-free BTO thin films can be prepared with 4 mm jet height and 300 μm line-to-line pitch in this work. Dielectric constant of the prepared BTO thin film was recorded as high as 2940 at 1 kHz at room temperature. Meanwhile, low dissipation factor of the BTO thin film of about 8.6% at 1 kHz was also obtained. The layer-by-layer E-jet deposition technique developed in this work has been proved to be a cost-effective, flexible and easy to control approach for the preparation of high-quality solid thin film.

Properties of nanostructured undoped ZrO{sub 2} thin film electrolytes by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition for thin film solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Gu Young; Noh, Seungtak; Lee, Yoon Ho; Cha, Suk Won, E-mail: ybkim@hanyang.ac.kr, E-mail: swcha@snu.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-744 (Korea, Republic of); Ji, Sanghoon [Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Iui-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 443-270 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Soon Wook; Koo, Bongjun; Kim, Young-Beom, E-mail: ybkim@hanyang.ac.kr, E-mail: swcha@snu.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); An, Jihwan [Manufacturing Systems and Design Engineering Programme, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-743 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-01-15

Nanostructured ZrO{sub 2} thin films were prepared by thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) and by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). The effects of the deposition conditions of temperature, reactant, plasma power, and duration upon the physical and chemical properties of ZrO{sub 2} films were investigated. The ZrO{sub 2} films by PEALD were polycrystalline and had low contamination, rough surfaces, and relatively large grains. Increasing the plasma power and duration led to a clear polycrystalline structure with relatively large grains due to the additional energy imparted by the plasma. After characterization, the films were incorporated as electrolytes in thin film solid oxide fuel cells, and the performance was measured at 500 °C. Despite similar structure and cathode morphology of the cells studied, the thin film solid oxide fuel cell with the ZrO{sub 2} thin film electrolyte by the thermal ALD at 250 °C exhibited the highest power density (38 mW/cm{sup 2}) because of the lowest average grain size at cathode/electrolyte interface.

Organo-layered double hydroxides composite thin films deposited by laser techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birjega, R. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Vlad, A., E-mail: angela.vlad@gmail.com [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Matei, A.; Dumitru, M.; Stokker-Cheregi, F.; Dinescu, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Zavoianu, R. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Chemical Technology and Catalysis, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Bd., Bucharest 030018 (Romania); Raditoiu, V.; Corobea, M.C. [National R.& D. Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry, ICECHIM, 202 Splaiul Independentei Str., CP-35-274, 060021 Bucharest (Romania)

2016-06-30

Highlights: • PLD and MAPLE was successfully used to produce organo-layered double hydroxides. • The organic anions (dodecyl sulfate-DS) were intercalated in co-precipitation step. • Zn2.5Al-LDH (Zn/Al = 2.5) and Zn2.5Al-DS thin films obtained in this work could be suitable for further applications as hydrophobic surfaces. - Abstract: We used laser techniques to create hydrophobic thin films of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and organo-modified LDHs. A LDH based on Zn-Al with Zn{sup 2+}/Al{sup 3+} ratio of 2.5 was used as host material, while dodecyl sulfate (DS), which is an organic surfactant, acted as guest material. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) were employed for the growth of the films. The organic anions were intercalated in co-precipitation step. The powders were subsequently used either as materials for MAPLE, or they were pressed and used as targets for PLD. The surface topography of the thin films was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), the crystallographic structure of the powders and films was checked by X-ray diffraction. FTIR spectroscopy was used to evidence DS interlayer intercalation, both for powders and the derived films. Contact angle measurements were performed in order to establish the wettability properties of the as-prepared thin films, in view of functionalization applications as hydrophobic surfaces, owing to the effect of DS intercalation.

Layer-by-layer modification of thin-film metal-semiconductor multilayers with ultrashort laser pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Romashevskiy, S. A.; Tsygankov, P. A.; Ashitkov, S. I.; Agranat, M. B.

2018-05-01

The surface modifications in a multilayer thin-film structure (50-nm alternating layers of Si and Al) induced by a single Gaussian-shaped femtosecond laser pulse (350 fs, 1028 nm) in the air are investigated by means of atomic-force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and optical microscopy (OM). Depending on the laser fluence, various modifications of nanometer-scale metal and semiconductor layers, including localized formation of silicon/aluminum nanofoams and layer-by-layer removal, are found. While the nanofoams with cell sizes in the range of tens to hundreds of nanometers are produced only in the two top layers, layer-by-layer removal is observed for the four top layers under single pulse irradiation. The 50-nm films of the multilayer structure are found to be separated at their interfaces, resulting in a selective removal of several top layers (up to 4) in the form of step-like (concentric) craters. The observed phenomenon is associated with a thermo-mechanical ablation mechanism that results in splitting off at film-film interface, where the adhesion force is less than the bulk strength of the used materials, revealing linear dependence of threshold fluences on the film thickness.

Underpotential deposition-mediated layer-by-layer growth of thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jia Xu; Adzic, Radoslav R.

2015-05-19

A method of depositing contiguous, conformal submonolayer-to-multilayer thin films with atomic-level control is described. The process involves the use of underpotential deposition of a first element to mediate the growth of a second material by overpotential deposition. Deposition occurs between a potential positive to the bulk deposition potential for the mediating element where a full monolayer of mediating element forms, and a potential which is less than, or only slightly greater than, the bulk deposition potential of the material to be deposited. By cycling the applied voltage between the bulk deposition potential for the mediating element and the material to be deposited, repeated desorption/adsorption of the mediating element during each potential cycle can be used to precisely control film growth on a layer-by-layer basis. This process is especially suitable for the formation of a catalytically active layer on core-shell particles for use in energy conversion devices such as fuel cells.

Chemical bath deposition of thin semiconductor films for use as buffer layers in CuInS2 thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufmann, C.A.

2002-01-01

A CulnS 2 thin film solar cell is a multilayered semiconductor device. The solar cells discussed have a layer sequence Mo/CulnS 2 /buffer/i-ZnO/ZnO:Ga, where a heterojunction establishes between the p-type absorber and the n-type front contact. Conventionally the buffer consists of CdS, deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD). Apart from providing process oriented benefits the buffer layer functions as a tool for engineering the energy band line-up at the heterojunction interface. Motivated through environmental concern and EU legislation it is felt necessary to substitute this potentially toxic layer by an alternative, Cd-free component. This thesis investigates the suitability of various Zn- and In-compounds, in particular In(OH,O) x S y , as alternative buffer layer materials using CBD. Initial experiments were carried out depositing Zn-based compounds from aqueous solutions. Characterization of the layers, the solution and the processed solar cells was performed. This thesis focuses on the investigation of the CBD process chemistry for the deposition of In-compound thin films. A careful study of the morphology and composition of the deposited thin films was conducted using electron microscopy (SEM, HREM), elastic recoil detection analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and optical transmission spectroscopy. This allowed conclusions concerning the nucleation and film growth mechanism from the chemical bath. Connections between bath chemistry, different growth phases, layer morphology and solar cell performance were sought and an improved deposition process was developed. As a result, Cd-free CulnS 2 thin film solar cells with efficiencies of up to 10.6%) (total area) could be produced. Overall the substitution of CdS is shown to be possible by different alternative compounds, such as Zn(OH,O) x S y or In(OH,O) x S y . In the case of In(OH,O) x S y , an understanding of the CBD process and the effect of different growth phases on the resulting solar cell

Sputter Deposited TiOx Thin-Films as Electron Transport Layers in Organic Solar Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mirsafaei, Mina; Bomholt Jensen, Pia; Lakhotiya, Harish

transparency and favorable energy-level alignment with many commonly used electron-acceptor materials. There are several methods available for fabricating compact TiOx thin-films for use in organic solar cells, including sol-gel solution processing, spray pyrolysis and atomic-layer deposition; however...... of around 7%, by incorporating sputter deposited TiOx thin-films as electron-transport and exciton-blocking layers. In the work, we report on the effect of different TiOx deposition temperatures and thicknesses on the organic-solar-cell device performance. Besides optical characterization, AFM and XRD...... analyses are performed to characterize the morphology and crystal structure of the films, and external quantum efficiency measurements are employed to shed further light on the device performance. Our study presents a novel method for implementation of TiOx thin-films as electron-transport layer in organic...

Note: Automatic layer-by-layer spraying system for functional thin film coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Seongmin; Lee, Sangmin; Park, Yong Tae

2016-03-01

In this study, we have constructed an automatic spray machine for producing polyelectrolyte multilayer films containing various functional materials on wide substrates via the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique. The proposed machine exhibits advantages in terms of automation, process speed, and versatility. Furthermore, it has several features that allow a fully automated spraying operation, such as various two-dimensional spraying paths, control of the flow rate and operating speed, air-assist fan-shaped twin-fluid nozzles, and an optical display. The robot uniformly sprays aqueous mixtures containing complementary (e.g., oppositely charged, capable of hydrogen bonding, or capable of covalent bonding) species onto a large-area substrate. Between each deposition of opposite species, samples are spray-rinsed with deionized water and blow-dried with air. The spraying, rinsing, and drying areas and times are adjustable by a computer program. Twenty-bilayer flame-retardant thin films were prepared in order to compare the performance of the spray-assisted LbL assembly with a sample produced by conventional dipping. The spray-coated film exhibited a reduction of afterglow time in vertical flame tests, indicating that the spray-LbL technique is a simple method to produce functional thin film coatings.

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

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)

Transparent thin-film transistor exploratory development via sequential layer deposition and thermal annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, David; Chiang, Hai Q.; Presley, Rick E.; Dehuff, Nicole L.; Bender, Jeffrey P.; Park, Cheol-Hee; Wager, John F.; Keszler, Douglas A.

2006-01-01

A novel deposition methodology is employed for exploratory development of a class of high-performance transparent thin-film transistor (TTFT) channel materials involving oxides composed of heavy-metal cations with (n - 1)d 10 ns 0 (n ≥ 4) electronic configurations. The method involves sequential radio-frequency sputter deposition of thin, single cation oxide layers and subsequent post-deposition annealing in order to obtain a multi-component oxide thin film. The viability of this rapid materials development methodology is demonstrated through the realization of high-performance TTFTs with channel layers composed of zinc oxide/tin oxide, and tin oxide/indium oxide

Atomic Layer Control of Thin Film Growth Using Binary Reaction Sequence Chemistry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

George, Steven

1997-01-01

Our research is focusing on the atomic layer control of thin film growth. Our goal is to deposit films with precise control of thickness and conformality on both flat and high aspect ratio structures...

Modified Back Contact Interface of CZTSe Thin Film Solar Cells: Elimination of Double Layer Distribution in Absorber Layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhaojing; Yao, Liyong; Zhang, Yi; Ao, Jianping; Bi, Jinlian; Gao, Shoushuai; Gao, Qing; Jeng, Ming-Jer; Sun, Guozhong; Zhou, Zhiqiang; He, Qing; Sun, Yun

2018-02-01

Double layer distribution exists in Cu 2 SnZnSe 4 (CZTSe) thin films prepared by selenizing the metallic precursors, which will degrade the back contact of Mo substrate to absorber layer and thus suppressing the performance of solar cell. In this work, the double-layer distribution of CZTSe film is eliminated entirely and the formation of MoSe 2 interfacial layer is inhibited successfully. CZTSe film is prepared by selenizing the precursor deposited by electrodeposition method under Se and SnSe x mixed atmosphere. It is found that the insufficient reaction between ZnSe and Cu-Sn-Se phases in the bottom of the film is the reason why the double layer distribution of CZTSe film is formed. By increasing Sn content in the metallic precursor, thus making up the loss of Sn because of the decomposition of CZTSe and facilitate the diffusion of liquid Cu 2 Se, the double layer distribution is eliminated entirely. The crystallization of the formed thin film is dense and the grains go through the entire film without voids. And there is no obvious MoSe 2 layer formed between CZTSe and Mo. As a consequence, the series resistance of the solar cell reduces significantly to 0.14 Ω cm 2 and a CZTSe solar cell with efficiency of 7.2% is fabricated.

Deposition of yttrium oxysulfide thin films by atomic layer epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukli, K.; University of Tartu, Tartu,; Johansson, L-S.; Nykaenen, E.; Peussa, M.; Ninistoe, L.

1998-01-01

Full text: Yttrium oxysulfide is a highly interesting material for optoelectronic applications. It is industrially exploited in the form of doped powder in catholuminescent phosphors, e.g. Y 2 O 2 S: Eu 3+ for colour TV. Attempts to grow thin films of Y 2 O 2 S have not been frequent and only partially successful due to the difficulties in obtaining crystalline films at a reasonable temperature. Furthermore, sputtering easily leads to a sulphur deficiency. Evaporation of the elements from a multi-source offers a better control of the stoichiometry resulting in hexagonal (0002) oriented films at 580 deg C. In this paper we present the first successful thin film growth experiments using a chemical process with molecular precursors. Atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) allows the use of a relatively low deposition temperature and thus compatibility with other technologies. Already at 425 deg C the reaction between H 2 S and Y(thd) 3 (thd = 2,2,6,6 - tetramethyl-heptane-3,5- dione) yields a crystalline Y 2 O 2 S thin film which was characterized by XRD, XRF and XPS

Magnetic properties of Cobalt thin films deposited on soft organic layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergenti, I. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy)]. E-mail: i.bergenti@bo.ismn.cnr.it; Riminucci, A. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy); Arisi, E. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy); Murgia, M. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy); Cavallini, M. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy); Solzi, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita di Parma and CNISM, Parco Area delle Scienze 7/A, Parma 43100 (Italy); Casoli, F. [IMEM-CNR Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, Parma 43100 (Italy); Dediu, V. [ISMN-CNR via P. Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129 (Italy)

2007-09-15

Magnetic and morphological properties of Cobalt thin films grown by RF sputtering on organic Alq3 layers were investigated by magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) technique and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM images indicate a template growth of Co layers on top of Alq3, the magnetic film 'decorates' the surface of organic material. This peculiar morphology induces a strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the Co films, as detected by MOKE measurements. Results are important for the operation of a new class of devices-vertical organic spin valves.

Recent Advances in Gas Barrier Thin Films via Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Polymers and Platelets.

Science.gov (United States)

Priolo, Morgan A; Holder, Kevin M; Guin, Tyler; Grunlan, Jaime C

2015-05-01

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly has emerged as the leading non-vacuum technology for the fabrication of transparent, super gas barrier films. The super gas barrier performance of LbL deposited films has been demonstrated in numerous studies, with a variety of polyelectrolytes, to rival that of metal and metal oxide-based barrier films. This Feature Article is a mini-review of LbL-based multilayer thin films with a 'nanobrick wall' microstructure comprising polymeric mortar and nano-platelet bricks that impart high gas barrier to otherwise permeable polymer substrates. These transparent, water-based thin films exhibit oxygen transmission rates below 5 × 10(-3) cm(3) m(-2) day(-1) atm(-1) and lower permeability than any other barrier material reported. In an effort to put this technology in the proper context, incumbent technologies such as metallized plastics, metal oxides, and flake-filled polymers are briefly reviewed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Low-Dimensional Nanomaterials as Active Layer Components in Thin-Film Photovoltaics

Science.gov (United States)

Shastry, Tejas Attreya

Thin-film photovoltaics offer the promise of cost-effective and scalable solar energy conversion, particularly for applications of semi-transparent solar cells where the poor absorption of commercially-available silicon is inadequate. Applications ranging from roof coatings that capture solar energy to semi-transparent windows that harvest the immense amount of incident sunlight on buildings could be realized with efficient and stable thin-film solar cells. However, the lifetime and efficiency of thin-film solar cells continue to trail their inorganic silicon counterparts. Low-dimensional nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides, have recently been explored as materials in thin-film solar cells due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties, solution-processability, and chemical inertness. Thus far, issues with the processing of these materials has held back their implementation in efficient photovoltaics. This dissertation reports processing advances that enable demonstrations of low-dimensional nanomaterials in thin-film solar cells. These low-dimensional photovoltaics show enhanced photovoltaic efficiency and environmental stability in comparison to previous devices, with a focus on semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes as an active layer component. The introduction summarizes recent advances in the processing of carbon nanotubes and their implementation through the thin-film photovoltaic architecture, as well as the use of two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides in photovoltaic applications and potential future directions for all-nanomaterial solar cells. The following chapter reports a study of the interaction between carbon nanotubes and surfactants that enables them to be sorted by electronic type via density gradient ultracentrifugation. These insights are utilized to construct of a broad distribution of carbon nanotubes that absorb throughout the solar spectrum. This polychiral distribution is then shown

Titanium dioxide thin films by atomic layer deposition: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Niemelä, Janne-Petteri; Marin, Giovanni; Karppinen, Maarit

2017-09-01

Within its rich phase diagram titanium dioxide is a truly multifunctional material with a property palette that has been shown to span from dielectric to transparent-conducting characteristics, in addition to the well-known catalytic properties. At the same time down-scaling of microelectronic devices has led to an explosive growth in research on atomic layer deposition (ALD) of a wide variety of frontier thin-film materials, among which TiO2 is one of the most popular ones. In this topical review we summarize the advances in research of ALD of titanium dioxide starting from the chemistries of the over 50 different deposition routes developed for TiO2 and the resultant structural characteristics of the films. We then continue with the doped ALD-TiO2 thin films from the perspective of dielectric, transparent-conductor and photocatalytic applications. Moreover, in order to cover the latest trends in the research field, both the variously constructed TiO2 nanostructures enabled by ALD and the Ti-based hybrid inorganic-organic films grown by the emerging ALD/MLD (combined atomic/molecular layer deposition) technique are discussed.

Temperature dependence of magnetically dead layers in ferromagnetic thin-films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Tokaç

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Polarized neutron reflectometry has been used to study interface magnetism and magnetic dead layers in model amorphous CoFeB:Ta alloy thin-film multilayers with Curie temperatures tuned to be below room-temperature. This allows temperature dependent variations in the effective magnetic thickness of the film to be determined at temperatures that are a significant fraction of the Curie temperature, which cannot be achieved in the material systems used for spintronic devices. In addition to variation in the effective magnetic thickness due to compositional grading at the interface with the tantalum capping layer, the key finding is that at the interface between ferromagnetic film and GaAs(001 substrate local interfacial alloying creates an additional magnetic dead-layer. The thickness of this magnetic dead-layer is temperature dependent, which may have significant implications for elevated-temperature operation of hybrid ferromagnetic metal-semiconductor spintronic devices.

Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide transparent conductive thin films with buffer layers for solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xin-liang, E-mail: cxlruzhou@163.com; Wang, Fei; Geng, Xin-hua; Huang, Qian; Zhao, Ying; Zhang, Xiao-dan

2013-09-02

Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide (HGZO) thin films have been deposited via magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. These natively textured HGZO thin films exhibit rough pyramid-like textured surface, high optical transmittances in the visible and near infrared region and excellent electrical properties. The experiment results indicate that tungsten-doped indium oxide (In{sub 2}O{sub 3}:W, IWO) buffer layers can effectively improve the surface roughness and enhance the light scattering ability of HGZO thin films. The root-mean-square roughness of HGZO, IWO (10 nm)/HGZO and IWO (30 nm)/HGZO thin films are 28, 44 and 47 nm, respectively. The haze values at the wavelength of 550 nm increase from 7.0% of HGZO thin film without buffer layer to 18.37% of IWO (10 nm)/HGZO thin film. The optimized IWO (10 nm)/HGZO exhibits a high optical transmittance of 82.18% in the visible and near infrared region (λ ∼ 400–1100 nm) and excellent electrical properties with a relatively low sheet resistance of 3.6 Ω/□ and the resistivity of 6.21 × 10{sup −4} Ωcm. - Highlights: • Textured hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide (HGZO) films were developed. • Tungsten-doped indium oxide (IWO) buffer layers were applied for the HGZO films. • Light-scattering ability of the HGZO films can be improved through buffer layers. • Low sheet resistance and high haze were obtained for the IWO(10 nm)/HGZO film. • The IWO/HGZO films are promising transparent conductive layers for solar cells.

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

Interfacial passivation of CdS layer to CdSe quantum dots-sensitized electrodeposited ZnO nanowire thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jingbo; Sun, Chuanzhen; Bai, Shouli; Luo, Ruixian; Chen, Aifan; Sun, Lina; Lin, Yuan

2013-01-01

ZnO porous thin films with nanowire structure were deposited by the one-step electrochemical deposition method. And a CdS layer was coated on the as-deposited ZnO nanowire thin films by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method to passivate surface states. Then the films were further sensitized by CdSe quantum dots (QDs) to serve as a photoanode for fabricating quantum dots-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). The effect of the CdS interfacial passivation layer on the performance of the QDSSCs was systematically investigated by varying the SILAR cycle number and heating the passivation layer. The amorphous CdS layer with an optimized thickness can effectively suppress the recombination of the injected electrons with holes on QDs and the redox electrolyte. The newly formed CdS layer on the surface of the ZnO nanowire thin film obviously prolongs the electron lifetime in the passivated ZnO nanoporous thin film because of the lower surface trap density in the ZnO nanowires after CdS deposition, which is favorable to the higher short-circuit photocurrent density (J sc ). For the CdSe QDs-sensitized ZnO nanoporous thin film with the interfacial passivation layer, the J sc and conversion efficiency can reach a maximum of 8.36 mA cm −2 and 2.36%, respectively. The conversion efficiency was improved by 83.47% compared with that of the cell based on the CdSe QDs-sensitized ZnO nanoporous thin film without CdS interfacial passivation (0.39%)

Enhanced electrical properties of dual-layer channel ZnO thin film transistors prepared by atomic layer deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Huijin; Han, Dedong; Dong, Junchen; Yu, Wen; Liang, Yi; Luo, Zhen; Zhang, Shengdong; Zhang, Xing; Wang, Yi

2018-05-01

The thin film transistors (TFTs) with a dual-layer channel structure combing ZnO thin layer grown at 200 °C and ZnO film grown at 120 °C by atomic layer deposition are fabricated. The dual-layer channel TFT exhibits a low leakage current of 2.8 × 10-13 A, Ion/Ioff ratio of 3.4 × 109, saturation mobility μsat of 12 cm2 V-1 s-1, subthreshold swing (SS) of 0.25 V/decade. The SS value decreases to 0.18 V/decade after the annealing treatment in O2 due to the reduction of the trap states at the channel/dielectric interface and in the bulk channel layer. The enhanced performance obtained from the dual-layer channel TFTs is due to the ability of maintaining high mobility and suppressing the increase in the off-current at the same time.

Stepwise crystallization and the layered distribution in crystallization kinetics of ultra-thin poly(ethylene terephthalate) film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zuo, Biao, E-mail: chemizuo@zstu.edu.cn, E-mail: wxinping@yahoo.com; Xu, Jianquan; Sun, Shuzheng; Liu, Yue; Yang, Juping; Zhang, Li; Wang, Xinping, E-mail: chemizuo@zstu.edu.cn, E-mail: wxinping@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology of the Education Ministry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018 (China)

2016-06-21

Crystallization is an important property of polymeric materials. In conventional viewpoint, the transformation of disordered chains into crystals is usually a spatially homogeneous process (i.e., it occurs simultaneously throughout the sample), that is, the crystallization rate at each local position within the sample is almost the same. Here, we show that crystallization of ultra-thin poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films can occur in the heterogeneous way, exhibiting a stepwise crystallization process. We found that the layered distribution of glass transition dynamics of thin film modifies the corresponding crystallization behavior, giving rise to the layered distribution of the crystallization kinetics of PET films, with an 11-nm-thick surface layer having faster crystallization rate and the underlying layer showing bulk-like behavior. The layered distribution in crystallization kinetics results in a particular stepwise crystallization behavior during heating the sample, with the two cold-crystallization temperatures separated by up to 20 K. Meanwhile, interfacial interaction is crucial for the occurrence of the heterogeneous crystallization, as the thin film crystallizes simultaneously if the interfacial interaction is relatively strong. We anticipate that this mechanism of stepwise crystallization of thin polymeric films will allow new insight into the chain organization in confined environments and permit independent manipulation of localized properties of nanomaterials.

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.

Indium sulfide thin films as window layer in chemically deposited solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lugo-Loredo, S. [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL, Fac. de Ciencias Químicas, Av. Universidad S/N Ciudad Universitaria San Nicolás de Los Garza Nuevo León, C.P. 66451 (Mexico); Peña-Méndez, Y., E-mail: yolapm@gmail.com [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL, Fac. de Ciencias Químicas, Av. Universidad S/N Ciudad Universitaria San Nicolás de Los Garza Nuevo León, C.P. 66451 (Mexico); Calixto-Rodriguez, M. [Universidad Tecnológica Emiliano Zapata del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad Tecnológica No. 1, C.P. 62760 Emiliano Zapata, Morelos (Mexico); Messina-Fernández, S. [Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Ciudad de la Cultura “Amado Nervo” S/N, C.P. 63190 Tepic, Nayarit (Mexico); Alvarez-Gallegos, A. [Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Centro de Investigación en Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas, Av. Universidad 1001, C.P. 62209, Cuernavaca Morelos (Mexico); Vázquez-Dimas, A.; Hernández-García, T. [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL, Fac. de Ciencias Químicas, Av. Universidad S/N Ciudad Universitaria San Nicolás de Los Garza Nuevo León, C.P. 66451 (Mexico)

2014-01-01

Indium sulfide (In{sub 2}S{sub 3}) thin films have been synthesized by chemical bath deposition technique onto glass substrates using In(NO{sub 3}){sub 3} as indium precursor and thioacetamide as sulfur source. X-ray diffraction studies have shown that the crystalline state of the as-prepared and the annealed films is β-In{sub 2}S{sub 3}. Optical band gap values between 2.27 and 2.41 eV were obtained for these films. The In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films are photosensitive with an electrical conductivity value in the range of 10{sup −3}–10{sup −7} (Ω cm){sup −1}, depending on the film preparation conditions. We have demonstrated that the In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films obtained in this work are suitable candidates to be used as window layer in thin film solar cells. These films were integrated in SnO{sub 2}:F/In{sub 2}S{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}S{sub 3}/PbS/C–Ag solar cell structures, which showed an open circuit voltage of 630 mV and a short circuit current density of 0.6 mA/cm{sup 2}. - Highlights: • In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films were deposited using the Chemical Bath Deposition technique. • A direct energy band gap between 2.41 to 2.27 eV was evaluated for the In{sub 2}S{sub 3} films. • We made chemically deposited solar cells using the In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films.

Automatic identification of single- and/or few-layer thin-film material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2014-01-01

One or more digital representations of single- (101) and/or few-layer (102) thin- film material are automatically identified robustly and reliably in a digital image (100), the digital image (100) having a predetermined number of colour components, by - determining (304) a background colour...... component of the digital image (100) for each colour component, and - determining or estimating (306) a colour component of thin-film material to be identified in the digital image (100) for each colour component by obtaining a pre-determined contrast value (C R; C G; C B) for each colour component...

Characterization of Nanocrystalline SiGe Thin Film Solar Cell with Double Graded-Dead Absorption Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao-Chun Wang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The nanocrystalline silicon-germanium (nc-SiGe thin films were deposited by high-frequency (27.12 MHz plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (HF-PECVD. The films were used in a silicon-based thin film solar cell with graded-dead absorption layer. The characterization of the nc-SiGe films are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. The band gap of SiGe alloy can be adjusted between 0.8 and 1.7 eV by varying the gas ratio. For thin film solar cell application, using double graded-dead i-SiGe layers mainly leads to an increase in short-circuit current and therefore cell conversion efficiency. An initial conversion efficiency of 5.06% and the stabilized efficiency of 4.63% for an nc-SiGe solar cell were achieved.

Modeling the influence of the seeding layer on the transition behavior of a ferroelectric thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oubelkacem, A.; Essaoudi, I.; Ainane, A.; Saber, M.; Dujardin, F.

2011-01-01

The transition properties of a ferroelectric thin film with seeding layers were studied using the effective field theory with a probability distribution technique that accounts for the self-spin correlation functions. The effect of interaction parameters for the seeding layer on the phase diagram was also examined. We calculated the critical temperature and the polarization of the ferroelectric thin film for different seeding layer structures. We found that the seeding layer can greatly increase the Curie temperature and the polarization.

Layered Cu-based electrode for high-dielectric constant oxide thin film-based devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2003-01-01

Ti-Al/Cu/Ta multilayered electrodes were fabricated on SiO 2 /Si substrates by ion beam sputtering deposition, to overcome the problems of Cu diffusion and oxidation encountered during the high dielectric constant (κ) materials integration. The Cu and Ta layers remained intact through the annealing in oxygen environment up to 600 deg. C. The thin oxide layer, formed on the Ti-Al surface, effectively prevented the oxygen penetration toward underneath layers. Complex oxide (Ba x Sr 1-x )TiO 3 (BST) thin films were grown on the layered Ti-Al/Cu/Ta electrodes using rf magnetron sputtering. The deposited BST films exhibited relatively high permittivity (150), low dielectric loss (0.007) at zero bias, and low leakage current -8 A/cm 2 at 100 kV/cm

Characterization and obtainment of thin films based on N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan and heparin through the technical layer-by-layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins, Alessandro F.; Follmann, Heveline D.M.; Rubira, Adley F.; Muniz, Edvani C.

2011-01-01

Thin films of Heparin (HP) and N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC) with a high degree of quaternization (DQ) were obtained at pH 7.4 through the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. Polystyrene (PS) was oxidized with aqueous solution of sodium persulfate and subsequently employed as substrate. The characterization of TMC and the respective determination of DQ were performed through 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The thin films de TMC/HP were characterized by FTIR-ATR and AFM. Both techniques confirmed the adsorption of TMC and HP in surface of the PS. The increasing of the bilayers provides a decrease of the projections and/or roughness, further of minimizing the depressions at the surface of the films. Studies of thin films the base of TMC/HP prepared from the LbL technique has not been reported in the literature. It is expected that the thin films of TMC/HP present anti-adhesive and antimicrobial properties. (author)

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.)

Interaction between depolarization effects, interface layer, and fatigue behavior in PZT thin film capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Böttger, U.; Waser, R.

2017-07-01

The existence of non-ferroelectric regions in ferroelectric thin films evokes depolarization effects leading to a tilt of the P(E) hysteresis loop. The analysis of measured hysteresis of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films is used to determine a depolarization factor which contains quantitative information about interfacial layers as well as ferroelectrically passive zones in the bulk. The derived interfacial capacitance is smaller than that estimated from conventional extrapolation techniques. In addition, the concept of depolarization is used for the investigation of fatigue behavior of PZT thin films indicating that the mechanism of seed inhibition, which is responsible for the effect, occurs in the entire film.

Advanced properties of Al-doped ZnO films with a seed layer approach for industrial thin film photovoltaic application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dewald, Wilma; Sittinger, Volker; Szyszka, Bernd; Säuberlich, Frank; Stannowski, Bernd; Köhl, Dominik; Ries, Patrick; Wuttig, Matthias

2013-01-01

Currently sputtered Al-doped ZnO films are transferred to industry for the application in thin film silicon solar modules. These films are known to easily form light trapping structures upon etching which are necessary for absorbers with low absorbance such as μc-Si. Up to now the best structures for high efficiency thin film silicon solar cells were obtained by low rate radio frequency (r.f.) sputtering of ceramic targets. However, for industrial application a high rate process is essential. Therefore a seed layer approach was developed to increase the deposition rate while keeping the desired etch morphology and electrical properties. Aluminum doped ZnO films were deposited dynamically by direct current (d.c.) magnetron sputtering from a ceramic ZnO:Al 2 O 3 target (1 wt.%) onto an additional seed layer prepared by r.f. sputtering. ZnO:Al films were investigated with respect to their optical and electrical properties as well as the morphology created after etching for a-Si/μc-Si solar cells. Additionally atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Hall measurements were performed, comparing purely r.f. or d.c. sputtered films with d.c. sputtered films on seed layers. With the seed layer approach it was possible to deposit ZnO:Al films with a visual transmittance of 83.5%, resistivity of 295 μΩ cm, electron mobility of 48.9 cm 2 /Vs and electron density of 4.3 · 10 20 cm −3 from a ceramic target at 330 °C. Etch morphologies with 1 μm lateral structure size were achieved. - Highlights: ► Seed layer approach for dynamic sputter deposition of enhanced quality ZnO:Al. ► A thin radio frequency sputtered ZnO:Al layer assists film nucleation on glass. ► Electron mobility was increased up to 49 cm 2 /Vs due to quasi-epitaxial film growth. ► Etch morphology exhibits 1 μm wide craters for light trapping in solar cells. ► The concept was transferred to a seed layer sputtered with direct current

Advanced properties of Al-doped ZnO films with a seed layer approach for industrial thin film photovoltaic application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dewald, Wilma, E-mail: wilma.dewald@ist.fraunhofer.de [Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, Bienroder Weg 54E, 38108 Braunschweig (Germany); Sittinger, Volker; Szyszka, Bernd [Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, Bienroder Weg 54E, 38108 Braunschweig (Germany); Säuberlich, Frank; Stannowski, Bernd [Sontor GmbH, OT Thalheim, Sonnenallee 7-11, 06766 Bitterfeld-Wolfen (Germany); Köhl, Dominik; Ries, Patrick; Wuttig, Matthias [I. Physikalisches Institut (IA), RWTH Aachen, Sommerfeldstraße 14, 52074 Aachen (Germany)

2013-05-01

Currently sputtered Al-doped ZnO films are transferred to industry for the application in thin film silicon solar modules. These films are known to easily form light trapping structures upon etching which are necessary for absorbers with low absorbance such as μc-Si. Up to now the best structures for high efficiency thin film silicon solar cells were obtained by low rate radio frequency (r.f.) sputtering of ceramic targets. However, for industrial application a high rate process is essential. Therefore a seed layer approach was developed to increase the deposition rate while keeping the desired etch morphology and electrical properties. Aluminum doped ZnO films were deposited dynamically by direct current (d.c.) magnetron sputtering from a ceramic ZnO:Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} target (1 wt.%) onto an additional seed layer prepared by r.f. sputtering. ZnO:Al films were investigated with respect to their optical and electrical properties as well as the morphology created after etching for a-Si/μc-Si solar cells. Additionally atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Hall measurements were performed, comparing purely r.f. or d.c. sputtered films with d.c. sputtered films on seed layers. With the seed layer approach it was possible to deposit ZnO:Al films with a visual transmittance of 83.5%, resistivity of 295 μΩ cm, electron mobility of 48.9 cm{sup 2}/Vs and electron density of 4.3 · 10{sup 20} cm{sup −3} from a ceramic target at 330 °C. Etch morphologies with 1 μm lateral structure size were achieved. - Highlights: ► Seed layer approach for dynamic sputter deposition of enhanced quality ZnO:Al. ► A thin radio frequency sputtered ZnO:Al layer assists film nucleation on glass. ► Electron mobility was increased up to 49 cm{sup 2}/Vs due to quasi-epitaxial film growth. ► Etch morphology exhibits 1 μm wide craters for light trapping in solar cells. ► The concept was transferred to a seed layer sputtered with direct current.

Electroresistance effect in gold thin film induced by ionic-liquid-gated electric double layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakayama, Hiroyasu; Ohtani, Takashi; Fujikawa, Yasunori; Ando, Kazuya; Saitoh, Eiji; Ye, Jianting; Iwasa, Yoshihiro

2012-01-01

Electroresistance effect was detected in a metallic thin film using ionic-liquid-gated electric-double-layer transistors (EDLTs). We observed reversible modulation of the electric resistance of a Au thin film. In this system, we found that an electric double layer works as a nanogap capacitor with 27 (-25) MV cm -1 of electric field by applying only 1.7 V of positive (negative) gate voltage. The experimental results indicate that the ionic-liquid-gated EDLT technique can be used for controlling the surface electronic states on metallic systems. (author)

Antibacterial and barrier properties of oriented polymer films with ZnO thin films applied with atomic layer deposition at low temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vähä-Nissi, Mika; Pitkänen, Marja; Salo, Erkki; Kenttä, Eija; Tanskanen, Anne; Sajavaara, Timo; Putkonen, Matti; Sievänen, Jenni; Sneck, Asko; Rättö, Marjaana; Karppinen, Maarit; Harlin, Ali

2014-01-01

Concerns on food safety, and need for high quality and extended shelf-life of packaged foods have promoted the development of antibacterial barrier packaging materials. Few articles have been available dealing with the barrier or antimicrobial properties of zinc oxide thin films deposited at low temperature with atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto commercial polymer films typically used for packaging purposes. The purpose of this paper was to study the properties of ZnO thin films compared to those of aluminum oxide. It was also possible to deposit ZnO thin films onto oriented polylactic acid and polypropylene films at relatively low temperatures using ozone instead of water as an oxidizing precursor for diethylzinc. Replacing water with ozone changed both the structure and the chemical composition of films deposited on silicon wafers. ZnO films deposited with ozone contained large grains covered and separated probably by a more amorphous and uniform layer. These thin films were also assumed to contain zinc salts of carboxylic acids. The barrier properties of a 25 nm ZnO thin film deposited with ozone at 100 °C were quite close to those obtained earlier with ALD Al 2 O 3 of similar apparent thickness on similar polymer films. ZnO thin films deposited at low temperature indicated migration of antibacterial agent, while direct contact between ZnO and Al 2 O 3 thin films and bacteria promoted antibacterial activity. - Highlights: • Thin films were grown from diethylzinc also with ozone instead of water at 70 and 100 °C. • ZnO films deposited with diethylzinc and ozone had different structures and chemistries. • Best barrier properties obtained with zinc oxide films close to those obtained with Al 2 O 3 • Ozone as oxygen source provided better barrier properties at 100 °C than water. • Both aluminum and zinc oxide thin films showed antimicrobial activity against E. coli

Antibacterial and barrier properties of oriented polymer films with ZnO thin films applied with atomic layer deposition at low temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vähä-Nissi, Mika, E-mail: mika.vaha-nissi@vtt.fi [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044, VTT (Finland); Pitkänen, Marja; Salo, Erkki; Kenttä, Eija [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044, VTT (Finland); Tanskanen, Anne, E-mail: Anne.Tanskanen@aalto.fi [Aalto University, School of Chemical Technology, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland); Sajavaara, Timo, E-mail: timo.sajavaara@jyu.fi [University of Jyväskylä, Department of Physics, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä (Finland); Putkonen, Matti; Sievänen, Jenni; Sneck, Asko; Rättö, Marjaana [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044, VTT (Finland); Karppinen, Maarit, E-mail: Maarit.Karppinen@aalto.fi [Aalto University, School of Chemical Technology, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland); Harlin, Ali [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044, VTT (Finland)

2014-07-01

Concerns on food safety, and need for high quality and extended shelf-life of packaged foods have promoted the development of antibacterial barrier packaging materials. Few articles have been available dealing with the barrier or antimicrobial properties of zinc oxide thin films deposited at low temperature with atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto commercial polymer films typically used for packaging purposes. The purpose of this paper was to study the properties of ZnO thin films compared to those of aluminum oxide. It was also possible to deposit ZnO thin films onto oriented polylactic acid and polypropylene films at relatively low temperatures using ozone instead of water as an oxidizing precursor for diethylzinc. Replacing water with ozone changed both the structure and the chemical composition of films deposited on silicon wafers. ZnO films deposited with ozone contained large grains covered and separated probably by a more amorphous and uniform layer. These thin films were also assumed to contain zinc salts of carboxylic acids. The barrier properties of a 25 nm ZnO thin film deposited with ozone at 100 °C were quite close to those obtained earlier with ALD Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} of similar apparent thickness on similar polymer films. ZnO thin films deposited at low temperature indicated migration of antibacterial agent, while direct contact between ZnO and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films and bacteria promoted antibacterial activity. - Highlights: • Thin films were grown from diethylzinc also with ozone instead of water at 70 and 100 °C. • ZnO films deposited with diethylzinc and ozone had different structures and chemistries. • Best barrier properties obtained with zinc oxide films close to those obtained with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} • Ozone as oxygen source provided better barrier properties at 100 °C than water. • Both aluminum and zinc oxide thin films showed antimicrobial activity against E. coli.

Atomic layer deposition of Al-doped ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tynell, Tommi; Yamauchi, Hisao; Karppinen, Maarit; Okazaki, Ryuji; Terasaki, Ichiro [Department of Chemistry, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland); Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan)

2013-01-15

Atomic layer deposition has been used to fabricate thin films of aluminum-doped ZnO by depositing interspersed layers of ZnO and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} on borosilicate glass substrates. The growth characteristics of the films have been investigated through x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflection, and x-ray fluorescence measurements, and the efficacy of the Al doping has been evaluated through optical reflectivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements. The Al doping is found to affect the carrier density of ZnO up to a nominal Al dopant content of 5 at. %. At nominal Al doping levels of 10 at. % and higher, the structure of the films is found to be strongly affected by the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase and no further carrier doping of ZnO is observed.

Correlation between active layer thickness and ambient gas stability in IGZO thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Xu; Mao, Bao-Hua; Wang, Sui-Dong; Lin, Meng-Fang; Shimizu, Maki; Mitoma, Nobuhiko; Kizu, Takio; Ou-Yang, Wei; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Nabatame, Toshihide; Liu, Zhi

2017-01-01

Decreasing the active layer thickness has been recently reported as an alternative way to achieve fully depleted oxide thin-film transistors for the realization of low-voltage operations. However, the correlation between the active layer thickness and device resistivity to environmental changes is still unclear, which is important for the optimized design of oxide thin-film transistors. In this work, the ambient gas stability of IGZO thin-film transistors is found to be strongly correlated to the IGZO thickness. The TFT with the thinnest IGZO layer shows the highest intrinsic electron mobility in a vacuum, which is greatly reduced after exposure to O 2 /air. The device with a thick IGZO layer shows similar electron mobility in O 2 /air, whereas the mobility variation measured in the vacuum is absent. The thickness dependent ambient gas stability is attributed to a high-mobility region in the IGZO surface vicinity with less sputtering-induced damage, which will become electron depleted in O 2 /air due to the electron transfer to adsorbed gas molecules. The O 2 adsorption and deduced IGZO surface band bending is demonstrated by the ambient-pressure x-ray photoemission spectroscopy results. (paper)

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2015-12-21

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

Ultrafast atomic layer-by-layer oxygen vacancy-exchange diffusion in double-perovskite LnBaCo2O5.5+δ thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Shanyong; Ma, Chunrui; Chen, Garry; Xu, Xing; Enriquez, Erik; Chen, Chonglin; Zhang, Yamei; Bettis, Jerry L; Whangbo, Myung-Hwan; Dong, Chuang; Zhang, Qingyu

2014-04-22

Surface exchange and oxygen vacancy diffusion dynamics were studied in double-perovskites LnBaCo2O5.5+δ (LnBCO) single-crystalline thin films (Ln = Er, Pr; -0.5 atoms in the LnBCO thin films is taking the layer by layer oxygen-vacancy-exchange mechanism. The first principles density functional theory calculations indicate that hydrogen atoms are present in LnBCO as bound to oxygen forming O-H bonds. This unprecedented oscillation phenomenon provides the first direct experimental evidence of the layer by layer oxygen vacancy exchange diffusion mechanism.

Some studies on successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) grown indium sulphide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pathan, H.M.; Lokhande, C.D.; Kulkarni, S.S.; Amalnerkar, D.P.; Seth, T.; Han, Sung-Hwan

2005-01-01

Indium sulphide (In 2 S 3 ) thin films were grown on amorphous glass substrate by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. X-ray diffraction, optical absorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Rutherford back scattering (RBS) were applied to study the structural, optical, surface morphological and compositional properties of the indium sulphide thin films. Utilization of triethanolamine and hydrazine hydrate complexed indium sulphate and sodium sulphide as precursors resulted in nanocrystalline In 2 S 3 thin film. The optical band gap was found to be 2.7 eV. The film appeared to be smooth and homogeneous from SEM study

Self-assembly of dodecaphenyl POSS thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Handke, Bartosz; Klita, Łukasz; Niemiec, Wiktor

2017-12-01

The self-assembly abilities of Dodecaphenyl Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane thin films on Si(1 0 0) surfaces were studied. Due to their thermal properties - relatively low sublimation temperature and preservation of molecular structure - cage type silsesquioxanes are ideal material for the preparation of a thin films by Physical Vapor Deposition. The Ultra-High Vacuum environment and the deposition precision of the PVD method enable the study of early stages of thin film growth and its molecular organization. X-ray Reflectivity and Atomic Force Microscopy measurements allow to pursuit size-effects in the structure of thin films with thickness ranges from less than a single molecular layer up to several tens of layers. Thermal treatment of the thin films triggered phase change: from a poorly ordered polycrystalline film into a well-ordered multilayer structure. Self-assembly of the layers is the effect of the π-stacking of phenyl rings, which force molecules to arrange in a superlattice, forming stacks of alternating organic-inorganic layers.

Transparent conducting oxide layers for thin film silicon solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rath, J.K.; Liu, Y.; de Jong, M.M.; de Wild, J.; Schuttauf, J.A.; Brinza, M.; Schropp, R.E.I.

2009-01-01

Texture etching of ZnO:1%Al layers using diluted HCl solution provides excellent TCOs with crater type surface features for the front contact of superstrate type of thin film silicon solar cells. The texture etched ZnO:Al definitely gives superior performance than Asahi SnO2:F TCO in case of

Photodiode Based on CdO Thin Films as Electron Transport Layer

Science.gov (United States)

Soylu, M.; Kader, H. S.

2016-11-01

Cadmium oxide (CdO) thin films were synthesized by the sol-gel method. The films were analyzed by means of XRD, AFM, and UV/Vis spectrophotometry. X-ray diffraction patterns confirm that the films are formed from CdO with cubic crystal structure and consist of nano-particles. The energy gap of the prepared film was found to be 2.29 eV. The current-voltage ( I- V) characteristics of the CdO/ p-Si heterojunction were examined in the dark and under different illumination intensities. The heterojunction showed high rectifying behavior and a strong photoresponse. Main electrical parameters of the photodiode such as series and shunt resistances ( R s and R sh), saturation current I 0, and photocurrent I ph, were extracted considering a single diode equivalent circuit of a photovoltaic cell. Results indicate that the application of CdO thin films as an electron transport layer on p-Si acts as a photodetector in the field of the UV/visible.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2018-03-01

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

Crystalline Molybdenum Oxide Thin-Films for Application as Interfacial Layers in Optoelectronic Devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandes Cauduro, André Luis; dos Reis, Roberto; Chen, Gong

2017-01-01

The ability to control the interfacial properties in metal-oxide thin films through surface defect engineering is vital to fine-tune their optoelectronic properties and thus their integration in novel optoelectronic devices. This is exemplified in photovoltaic devices based on organic, inorganic...... or hybrid technologies, where precise control of the charge transport properties through the interfacial layer is highly important for improving device performance. In this work, we study the effects of in situ annealing in nearly stoichiometric MoOx (x ∼ 3.0) thin-films deposited by reactive sputtering. We...... with structural characterizations, this work addresses a novel method for tuning, and correlating, the optoelectronic properties and microstructure of device-relevant MoOx layers....

Analysis of influence of buffer layers on microwave propagation through high-temperature superconducting thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceremuga, J.; Barton, M.; Miranda, F.

1994-01-01

Methods of analysis of microwave propagation through superconducting thin films with buffer layers on dielectric substrates have been discussed. Expressions describing the transmission coefficient S 21 through the structure and the complex conductivity sigma of a superconductor in an analytical form have been derived. The derived equations are valid for microwave propagation in waveguides as well as in free space with relevant definition of impedances. Using the obtained solutions, the influences of buffer layers' parameters (thickness, relative permittivity and loss tangent) on the transmission coefficient has been investigated using MATLAB. Simulations have been performed for 10 GHz transmission through YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 films on sapphire with SrTiO 3 and CeO 2 buffer layers and on silicon with CaF 2 and YSZ buffer layers. To illustrate the simulations, measurements of the transmission through YBCO film on sapphire with SrTiO 3 buffer layer have been performed. It has been shown that even lossy buffer layers have very little impact (smaller than 1% in magnitude and 0.3% in phase) on the transmission coefficient through superconducting thin films, providing their thickness is below 10 mu m. (author)

A simple model for quantifying the degree of layer-by-layer growth in low energy ion deposition of thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huhtamaeki, T.; Jahma, M.O.; Koponen, I.T.

2007-01-01

Layer-by-layer growth of thin films can be promoted by using low energy ion deposition (LEID) techniques. The basic process affecting the growth are often quite diverse, but often the ion impact induced inter layer mass transfer processes due to adatom insertion to lower step edges or pile-ups to step edges above dominate. In this paper we propose a simple phenomenological model which describes the growth of thin films in LEID under these conditions. The model makes possible to distinguish the dominant growth, the detection of the transition from the 3D growth to 2D growth, and it can be used to quantify the degree of layer-by-layer growth. The model contains only two parameters, which can be phenomenologically related to the properties of the bombarding ion beam

Enhanced stability of thin film transistors with double-stacked amorphous IWO/IWO:N channel layer

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Dong; Pi, Shubin; Yang, Jianwen; Tiwari, Nidhi; Ren, Jinhua; Zhang, Qun; Liu, Po-Tsun; Shieh, Han-Ping

2018-06-01

In this work, bottom-gate top-contact thin film transistors with double-stacked amorphous IWO/IWO:N channel layer were fabricated. Herein, amorphous IWO and N-doped IWO were deposited as front and back channel layers, respectively, by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The electrical characteristics of the bi-layer-channel thin film transistors (TFTs) were examined and compared with those of single-layer-channel (i.e., amorphous IWO or IWO:N) TFTs. It was demonstrated to exhibit a high mobility of 27.2 cm2 V‑1 s‑1 and an on/off current ratio of 107. Compared to the single peers, bi-layer a-IWO/IWO:N TFTs showed smaller hysteresis and higher stability under negative bias stress and negative bias temperature stress. The enhanced performance could be attributed to its unique double-stacked channel configuration, which successfully combined the merits of the TFTs with IWO and IWO:N channels. The underlying IWO thin film provided percolation paths for electron transport, meanwhile, the top IWO:N layer reduced the bulk trap densities. In addition, the IWO channel/gate insulator interface had reduced defects, and IWO:N back channel surface was insensitive to the ambient atmosphere. Overall, the proposed bi-layer a-IWO/IWO:N TFTs show potential for practical applications due to its possibly long-term serviceability.

Characteristics of gravure printed InGaZnO thin films as an active channel layer in thin film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Yuri; Kim, Gun Hee; Jeong, Woong Hee; Kim, Hyun Jae; Chin, Byung Doo; Yu, Jae-Woong

2010-01-01

Characteristics of oxide semiconductor thin film transistor prepared by gravure printing technique were studied. This device had inverted staggered structure of glass substrate/MoW/SiNx/ printed active layer. The active layer was printed with precursor of indium gallium zinc oxide solution and then annealed at 550 o C for 2 h. Influences of printing parameters (i.e. speed and force) were studied. As the gravure printing force was increased, the thickness of printed film was decreased and the refractive index of printed active layer was increased. The best printed result in our study was obtained with printing speed of 0.4 m/s, printing force of 400 N and the thickness of printed active layer was 45 nm. According to AFM image, surface of printed active layer was quite smooth and the root-mean square roughness was approximately 0.5 nm. Gravure printed active layer had a field-effect mobility of 0.81 cm 2 /Vs and an on-off current ratio was 1.36 x 10 6 .

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.

Effects of surface modification on the critical behaviour in multiple-surface-layer ferroelectric thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Z X

2013-01-01

Using the usual mean-field theory approximation, the critical behaviour (i.e. the Curie temperature T c and the critical surface transverse field Ω sc ) in a multiple-surface-layer ferroelectric thin film is studied on the basis of the spin- 1/2 transverse Ising model. The dependence of the Curie temperature T c on the surface transverse field Ω s and the surface layer number N s are discussed in detail. Meanwhile the dependence of the critical surface transverse field Ω sc on the surface layer number N s is also examined. The numerical results indicate that the critical behaviour of ferroelectric thin films is obviously affected by modifications of the surface transverse field Ω s and surface layer number N s .

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)

Characterization and obtainment of thin films based on N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan and heparin through the technical layer-by-layer; Caracterizacao e obtencao de filmes finos de N,N,N-trimetil quitosana e heparina atraves da tecnica layer-by-layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

Thin films of Heparin (HP) and N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC) with a high degree of quaternization (DQ) were obtained at pH 7.4 through the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. Polystyrene (PS) was oxidized with aqueous solution of sodium persulfate and subsequently employed as substrate. The characterization of TMC and the respective determination of DQ were performed through {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy. The thin films de TMC/HP were characterized by FTIR-ATR and AFM. Both techniques confirmed the adsorption of TMC and HP in surface of the PS. The increasing of the bilayers provides a decrease of the projections and/or roughness, further of minimizing the depressions at the surface of the films. Studies of thin films the base of TMC/HP prepared from the LbL technique has not been reported in the literature. It is expected that the thin films of TMC/HP present anti-adhesive and antimicrobial properties. (author)

Effect of multi-layered bottom electrodes on the orientation of strontium-doped lead zirconate titanate thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhaskaran, M. [Microelectronics and Materials Technology Centre, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 (Australia)], E-mail: madhu.bhaskaran@gmail.com; Sriram, S. [Microelectronics and Materials Technology Centre, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 (Australia); Mitchell, D.R.G.; Short, K.T. [Institute of Materials Engineering, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), PMB 1, Menai, New South Wales 2234 (Australia); Holland, A.S. [Microelectronics and Materials Technology Centre, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 (Australia)

2008-09-30

This article discusses the results from X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of piezoelectric strontium-doped lead zirconate titanate (PSZT) thin films deposited on multi-layer coatings on silicon. The films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on a metal coated substrate. The aim was to exploit the pronounced piezoelectric effect that is theoretically expected normal to the substrate. This work highlighted the influence that the bottom electrode architecture exerts on the final crystalline orientation of the deposited thin films. A number of bottom electrode architectures were used, with the uppermost metal layer on which PSZT was deposited being gold or platinum. The XRD analysis revealed that the unit cell of the PSZT thin films deposited on gold and on platinum were deformed, relative to expected unit cell dimensions. Experimental results have been used to estimate the unit cell parameters. The XRD results were then indexed based on these unit cell parameters. The choice and the thickness of the intermediate adhesion layers influenced the relative intensity, and in some cases, the presence of perovskite peaks. In some cases, undesirable reactions between the bottom electrode layers were observed, and layer architectures to overcome these reactions are also discussed.

Solution-processed In2S3 buffer layer for chalcopyrite thin film solar cells

OpenAIRE

Wang Lan; Lin Xianzhong; Ennaoui Ahmed; Wolf Christian; Lux-Steiner Martha Ch.; Klenk Reiner

2016-01-01

We report a route to deposit In2S3 thin films from air-stable, low-cost molecular precursor inks for Cd-free buffer layers in chalcopyrite-based thin film solar cells. Different precursor compositions and processing conditions were studied to define a reproducible and robust process. By adjusting the ink properties, this method can be applied in different printing and coating techniques. Here we report on two techniques, namely spin-coating ...

Thin-film encapsulation of organic electronic devices based on vacuum evaporated lithium fluoride as protective buffer layer

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yingquan; Ding, Sihan; Wen, Zhanwei; Xu, Sunan; Lv, Wenli; Xu, Ziqiang; Yang, Yuhuan; Wang, Ying; Wei, Yi; Tang, Ying

2017-03-01

Encapsulation is indispensable for organic thin-film electronic devices to ensure reliable operation and long-term stability. For thin-film encapsulating organic electronic devices, insulating polymers and inorganic metal oxides thin films are widely used. However, spin-coating of insulating polymers directly on organic electronic devices may destroy or introduce unwanted impurities in the underlying organic active layers. And also, sputtering of inorganic metal oxides may damage the underlying organic semiconductors. Here, we demonstrated that by utilizing vacuum evaporated lithium fluoride (LiF) as protective buffer layer, spin-coated insulating polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and sputtered inorganic material Er2O3, can be successfully applied for thin film encapsulation of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc)-based organic diodes. By encapsulating with LiF/PVA/LiF trilayer and LiF/Er2O3 bilayer films, the device lifetime improvements of 10 and 15 times can be achieved. These methods should be applicable for thin-film encapsulation of all kinds of organic electronic devices. Moisture-induced hole trapping, and Al top electrode oxidation are suggest to be the origins of current decay for the LiF/PVA/LiF trilayer and LiF/Er2O3 bilayer films encapsulated devices, respectively.

Field emission mechanism from a single-layer ultra-thin semiconductor film cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duan Zhiqiang; Wang Ruzhi; Yuan Ruiyang; Yang Wei; Wang Bo; Yan Hui

2007-01-01

Field emission (FE) from a single-layer ultra-thin semiconductor film cathode (SUSC) on a metal substrate has been investigated theoretically. The self-consistent quantum FE model is developed by synthetically considering the energy band bending and electron scattering. As a typical example, we calculate the FE properties of ultra-thin AlN film with an adjustable film thickness from 1 to 10 nm. The calculated results show that the FE characteristic is evidently modulated by varying the film thickness, and there is an optimum thickness of about 3 nm. Furthermore, a four-step FE mechanism is suggested such that the distinct FE current of a SUSC is rooted in the thickness sensitivity of its quantum structure, and the optimum FE properties of the SUSC should be attributed to the change in the effective potential combined with the attenuation of electron scattering

Synthesis and characterization of Zn(O,OH)S and AgInS2 layers to be used in thin film solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Vallejo, W.; Arredondo, C. A.; Gordillo, G.

2010-11-01

In this paper AgInS2 and Zn(O,OH)S thin films were synthesized and characterized. AgInS2 layers were grown by co-evaporation from metal precursors in a two-step process, and, Zn(O,OH)S thin films were deposited from chemical bath containing thiourea, zinc acetate, sodium citrate and ammonia. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that AgInS2 thin films grown with chalcopyrite structure, and the as-grown Zn(O,OH)S thin films were polycrystalline. It was also found that the AgInS2 films presented p-type conductivity, a high absorption coefficient (greater than 104 cm-1) and energy band-gap Eg of about 1.95 eV, Zn(O,OH),S thin films presented Eg of about 3.89 eV. Morphological analysis showed that under this synthesis conditions Zn(O,OH),S thin films coated uniformly the absorber layer. Additionally, the Zn(O,OH)S kinetic growth on AgInS2 layer was studied also. Finally, the results suggest that these layers possibly could be used in one-junction solar cells and/or as top cell in a tandem solar cell.

Thin-Film Material Science and Processing | Materials Science | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Thin-Film Material Science and Processing Thin-Film Material Science and Processing Photo of a , a prime example of this research is thin-film photovoltaics (PV). Thin films are important because cadmium telluride thin film, showing from top to bottom: glass, transparent conducting oxide (thin layer

Enhanced electrical properties of oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors with high conductivity thin layer insertion for the channel region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Cam Phu Thi; Raja, Jayapal; Kim, Sunbo; Jang, Kyungsoo; Le, Anh Huy Tuan; Lee, Youn-Jung; Yi, Junsin, E-mail: junsin@skku.edu

2017-02-28

Highlights: • The characteristics of thin film transistors using double active layers are examined. • Electrical characteristics have been improved for the double active layers devices. • The total trap density can be decreased by insert-ion of ultrathin ITO film. - Abstract: This study examined the performance and the stability of indium tin zinc oxide (ITZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) by inserting an ultra-thin indium tin oxide (ITO) layer at the active/insulator interface. The electrical properties of the double channel device (ITO thickness of 5 nm) were improved in comparison with the single channel ITZO or ITO devices. The TFT characteristics of the device with an ITO thickness of less than 5 nm were degraded due to the formation of an island-like morphology and the carriers scattering at the active/insulator interface. The 5 nm-thick ITO inserted ITZO TFTs (optimal condition) exhibited a superior field effect mobility (∼95 cm{sup 2}/V·s) compared with the ITZO-only TFTs (∼34 cm{sup 2}/V·s). The best characteristics of the TFT devices with double channel layer are due to the lowest surface roughness (0.14 nm) and contact angle (50.1°) that result in the highest hydrophicility, and the most effective adhesion at the surface. Furthermore, the threshold voltage shifts for the ITO/ITZO double layer device decreased to 0.80 and −2.39 V compared with 6.10 and −6.79 V (for the ITZO only device) under positive and negative bias stress, respectively. The falling rates of E{sub A} were 0.38 eV/V and 0.54 eV/V for the ITZO and ITO/ITZO bi-layer devices, respectively. The faster falling rate of the double channel devices suggests that the trap density, including interface trap and semiconductor bulk trap, can be decreased by the ion insertion of a very thin ITO film into the ITZO/SiO{sub 2} reference device. These results demonstrate that the double active layer TFT can potentially be applied to the flat panel display.

Multi-layer thin-film electrolytes for metal supported solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Haydn, Markus; Ortner, Kai; Franco, Thomas; Uhlenbruck, Sven; Menzler, Norbert H.; Stöver, Detlev; Bräuer, Günter; Venskutonis, Andreas; Sigl, Lorenz S.; Buchkremer, Hans-Peter; Vaßen, Robert

2014-06-01

A key to the development of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells (MSCs) is the manufacturing of gas-tight thin-film electrolytes, which separate the cathode from the anode. This paper focuses the electrolyte manufacturing on the basis of 8YSZ (8 mol.-% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2). The electrolyte layers are applied by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) gas flow sputtering (GFS) process. The gas-tightness of the electrolyte is significantly improved when sequential oxidic and metallic thin-film multi-layers are deposited, which interrupt the columnar grain structure of single-layer electrolytes. Such electrolytes with two or eight oxide/metal layers and a total thickness of about 4 μm obtain leakage rates of less than 3 × 10-4 hPa dm3 s-1 cm-2 (Δp: 100 hPa) at room temperature and therefore fulfill the gas tightness requirements. They are also highly tolerant with respect to surface flaws and particulate impurities which can be present on the graded anode underground. MSC cell tests with double-layer and multilayer electrolytes feature high power densities more than 1.4 W cm-2 at 850 °C and underline the high potential of MSC cells.

Bismuth iron oxide thin films using atomic layer deposition of alternating bismuth oxide and iron oxide layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Puttaswamy, Manjunath; Vehkamäki, Marko [University of Helsinki, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, FI-00014 Helsinki (Finland); Kukli, Kaupo, E-mail: kaupo.kukli@helsinki.fi [University of Helsinki, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, FI-00014 Helsinki (Finland); University of Tartu, Institute of Physics, W. Ostwald 1, EE-50411 Tartu (Estonia); Dimri, Mukesh Chandra [National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Akadeemia tee 23, EE-12618 Tallinn (Estonia); Kemell, Marianna; Hatanpää, Timo; Heikkilä, Mikko J. [University of Helsinki, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, FI-00014 Helsinki (Finland); Mizohata, Kenichiro [University of Helsinki, Department of Physics, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014 Helsinki (Finland); Stern, Raivo [National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Akadeemia tee 23, EE-12618 Tallinn (Estonia); Ritala, Mikko; Leskelä, Markku [University of Helsinki, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, FI-00014 Helsinki (Finland)

2016-07-29

Bismuth iron oxide films with varying contributions from Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} or Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} were prepared using atomic layer deposition. Bismuth (III) 2,3-dimethyl-2-butoxide, was used as the bismuth source, iron(III) tert-butoxide as the iron source and water vapor as the oxygen source. The films were deposited as stacks of alternate Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} layers. Films grown at 140 °C to the thickness of 200–220 nm were amorphous, but crystallized upon post-deposition annealing at 500 °C in nitrogen. Annealing of films with intermittent bismuth and iron oxide layers grown to different thicknesses influenced their surface morphology, crystal structure, composition, electrical and magnetic properties. Implications of multiferroic performance were recognized in the films with the remanent charge polarization varying from 1 to 5 μC/cm{sup 2} and magnetic coercivity varying from a few up to 8000 A/m. - Highlights: • Bismuth iron oxide thin films were grown by atomic layer deposition at 140 °C. • The major phase formed in the films upon annealing at 500 °C was BiFeO{sub 3}. • BiFeO{sub 3} films and films containing excess Bi favored electrical charge polarization. • Slight excess of iron oxide enhanced saturative magnetization behavior.

Inverted organic solar cells with solvothermal synthesized vanadium-doped TiO2 thin films as efficient electron transport layer

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Mehdi Ahmadi; Sajjad Rashidi Dafeh; Samaneh Ghazanfarpour; Mohammad Khanzadeh

2017-01-01

We investigated the effects of using different thicknesses of pure and vanadium-doped thin films of TiO2 as the electron transport layer in the inverted configuration of organic photovoltaic cells based on poly (3-hexylthiophene) P3HT:[6-6] phenyl-(6) butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM).1％ vanadium-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized via the solvothermal method.Crystalline structure,morphology,and optical properties of pure and vanadium-doped TiO2 thin films were studied by different techniques such as x-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,transmittance electron microscopy,and UV-visible transmission spectrum.The doctor blade method which is compatible with roll-2-roll printing was used for deposition of pure and vanadium-doped TiO2 thin films with thicknesses of 30 nm and 60 nm.The final results revealed that the best thickness of TiO2 thin films for our fabricated cells was 30 nm.The cell with vanadium-doped TiO2 thin film showed slightly higher power conversion efficiency and great Jsc of 10.7 mA/cm2 compared with its pure counterpart.In the cells using 60 nm pure and vanadium-doped TiO2 layers,the cell using the doped layer showed much higher efficiency.It is remarkable that the extemal quantum efficiency of vanadium-doped TiO2 thin film was better in all wavelengths.

Crystallinity and superconductivity of as-grown MgB2 thin films with AlN buffer layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsujimoto, K.; Shimakage, H.; Wang, Z.; Kaya, N.

2005-01-01

The effects of aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layers on the superconducting properties of MgB 2 thin film were investigated. The AlN buffer layers and as-grown MgB 2 thin films were deposited in situ using the multiple-target sputtering system. The best depositing condition for the AlN/MgB 2 bi-layer occurred when the AlN was deposited on c-cut sapphire substrates at 290 deg. C. The crystallinity of the AlN/MgB 2 bi-layer was studied using the XRD φ-scan and it showed that AlN and MgB 2 had the same in-plane alignment rotated at an angle of 30 deg. as compared to c-cut sapphire. The critical temperature of the MgB 2 film was 29.8 K and the resistivity was 50.0 μΩ cm at 40 K

Successful implementation of the stepwise layer-by-layer growth of MOF thin films on confined surfaces: Mesoporous silica foam as a first case study

KAUST Repository

Shekhah, Osama; Fu, Lei; Sougrat, Rachid; Belmabkhout, Youssef; Cairns, Amy; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

2012-01-01

Here we report the successful growth of highly crystalline homogeneous MOF thin films of HKUST-1 and ZIF-8 on mesoporous silica foam, by employing a layer-by-layer (LBL) method. The ability to control and direct the growth of MOF thin films on confined surfaces, using the stepwise LBL method, paves the way for new prospective applications of such hybrid systems. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Synthesis of layered birnessite-type manganese oxide thin films on plastic substrates by chemical bath deposition for flexible transparent supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu Yu; Zhu Hongwei; Wang Jun [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Chen Zhenxing, E-mail: chenzx65@mail.sysu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China)

2011-10-20

Highlights: > Layered birnessite-type MnO{sub 2} thin films are fabricated on ITO/PET substrates through a facile chemical bath deposition at room temperature. > The transmittance of the MnO{sub 2} thin films at 550 nm is up to 77.4%. > MnO{sub 2} thin films exhibit a special capacitance of 229.2 F g{sup -1} and 9.2 mF cm{sup -2}. > MnO{sub 2} thin films show a capacitance retention ratio of 83% after 1000 CV cycles. > MnO{sub 2} thin film electrodes show great mechanical flexibility and electrochemical stability even after 200 tensile and compressive bending cycles. - Abstract: Layered birnessite-type manganese oxide thin films are successfully fabricated on indium tin oxide coated polyethylene terephthalate substrates for flexible transparent supercapacitors by a facile, effective and inexpensive chemical bath deposition technology from an alkaline KMnO{sub 4} aqueous solution at room temperature. The effects of deposition conditions, including KMnO{sub 4} concentration, initial molar ratio of NH{sub 3}.H{sub 2}O and KMnO{sub 4}, bath temperature, and reaction time, on the electrochemical properties of MnO{sub 2} thin films are investigated. Layered birnessite-type MnO{sub 2} thin films deposited under optimum conditions display three-dimensional porous morphology, high hydrophilicity, and a transmittance of 77.4% at 550 nm. A special capacitance of 229.2 F g{sup -1} and a capacitance retention ratio of 83% are obtained from the films after 1000 cycles at 10 mV s{sup -1} in 1 M Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4}. Compressive and tensile bending tests show that as-prepared MnO{sub 2} thin film electrodes possess excellent mechanical flexibility and electrochemical stability.

Uniform GaN thin films grown on (100) silicon by remote plasma atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shih, Huan-Yu; Chen, Miin-Jang; Lin, Ming-Chih; Chen, Liang-Yih

2015-01-01

The growth of uniform gallium nitride (GaN) thin films was reported on (100) Si substrate by remote plasma atomic layer deposition (RP-ALD) using triethylgallium (TEG) and NH 3 as the precursors. The self-limiting growth of GaN was manifested by the saturation of the deposition rate with the doses of TEG and NH 3 . The increase in the growth temperature leads to the rise of nitrogen content and improved crystallinity of GaN thin films, from amorphous at a low deposition temperature of 200 °C to polycrystalline hexagonal structures at a high growth temperature of 500 °C. No melting-back etching was observed at the GaN/Si interface. The excellent uniformity and almost atomic flat surface of the GaN thin films also infer the surface control mode of the GaN thin films grown by the RP-ALD technique. The GaN thin films grown by RP-ALD will be further applied in the light-emitting diodes and high electron mobility transistors on (100) Si substrate. (paper)

Low-temperature atomic layer deposition of MgO thin films on Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vangelista, S; Mantovan, R; Lamperti, A; Tallarida, G; Kutrzeba-Kotowska, B; Spiga, S; Fanciulli, M

2013-01-01

Magnesium oxide (MgO) films have been grown by atomic layer deposition in the wide deposition temperature window of 80–350 °C by using bis(cyclopentadienyl)magnesium and H 2 O precursors. MgO thin films are deposited on both HF-last Si(1 0 0) and SiO 2 /Si substrates at a constant growth rate of ∼0.12 nm cycle −1 . The structural, morphological and chemical properties of the synthesized MgO thin films are investigated by x-ray reflectivity, grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and atomic force microscopy measurements. MgO layers are characterized by sharp interface with the substrate and limited surface roughness, besides good chemical uniformity and polycrystalline structure for thickness above 7 nm. C–V measurements performed on Al/MgO/Si MOS capacitors, with MgO in the 4.6–11 nm thickness range, allow determining a dielectric constant (κ) ∼ 11. Co layers are grown by chemical vapour deposition in direct contact with MgO without vacuum-break (base pressure 10 −5 –10 −6  Pa). The as-grown Co/MgO stacks show sharp interfaces and no elements interdiffusion among layers. C–V and I–V measurements have been conducted on Co/MgO/Si MOS capacitors. The dielectric properties of MgO are not influenced by the further process of Co deposition. (paper)

Room temperature deposition of ZnSe thin films by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kale, R.B.; Lokhande, C.D.

2004-01-01

The zinc selenide (ZnSe) thin films are deposited onto glass substrate using relatively simple and inexpensive successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The films are deposited using zinc acetate sodium selenosulphate precursors. The concentration, pH, immersion and rinsing times and number of immersion cycles have been optimized to obtain good quality ZnSe thin films. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) study and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies reveals nanocrystalline nature alongwith some amorphous phase present in ZnSe thin films. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis shows that the films are Se deficient. From optical absorption data, the optical band gap 'E g ' for as-deposited thin film was found to be 2.8 eV and electrical resistivity in the order of 10 7 Ω cm

Research Update: Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition of ZnO thin films: Reactors, doping, and devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoye, Robert L. Z., E-mail: rlzh2@cam.ac.uk, E-mail: jld35@cam.ac.uk; MacManus-Driscoll, Judith L., E-mail: rlzh2@cam.ac.uk, E-mail: jld35@cam.ac.uk [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom); Muñoz-Rojas, David [LMGP, University Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, F-3800 Grenoble (France); Nelson, Shelby F. [Kodak Research Laboratories, Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York 14650 (United States); Illiberi, Andrea; Poodt, Paul [Holst Centre/TNO Thin Film Technology, Eindhoven, 5656 AE (Netherlands); Roozeboom, Fred [Holst Centre/TNO Thin Film Technology, Eindhoven, 5656 AE (Netherlands); Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB (Netherlands)

2015-04-01

Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition (AP-SALD) has recently emerged as an appealing technique for rapidly producing high quality oxides. Here, we focus on the use of AP-SALD to deposit functional ZnO thin films, particularly on the reactors used, the film properties, and the dopants that have been studied. We highlight how these films are advantageous for the performance of solar cells, organometal halide perovskite light emitting diodes, and thin-film transistors. Future AP-SALD technology will enable the commercial processing of thin films over large areas on a sheet-to-sheet and roll-to-roll basis, with new reactor designs emerging for flexible plastic and paper electronics.

Temperature dependence of LRE-HRE-TM thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zuoyi; Cheng, Xiaomin; Lin, Gengqi; Li, Zhen; Huang, Zhixin; Jin, Fang; Wang, Xianran; Yang, Xiaofei

2003-04-01

Temperature dependence of the properties of RE-TM thin films is very important for MO recording. In this paper, we studied the temperature dependence of the magnetic and magneto-optical properties of the amorphous LRE-HRE-TM single layer thin films and LRE-HRE-TM/HRE-TM couple-bilayered thin films. For LRE-HRE-TM single layer thin films, the temperature dependence of the magnetization was investigated by using the mean field theory. The experimental and theoretical results matched very well. With the LRE substitution in HRE-TM thin film, the compensation temperature Tcomp decreased and the curie temperature Tc remained unchanged. Kerr rotation angle became larger and the saturation magnetization Ms at room temperature increased. For LRE-HRE-TM/HRE-TM couple-bilayered thin films, comparisons of the temperature dependences of the coercivities and Kerr rotation angles were made between isolated sublayers and couple-bilayered thin film.

Thin film photovoltaic devices with a minimally conductive buffer layer

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Teresa M.; Burst, James

2016-11-15

A thin film photovoltaic device (100) with a tunable, minimally conductive buffer (128) layer is provided. The photovoltaic device (100) may include a back contact (150), a transparent front contact stack (120), and an absorber (140) positioned between the front contact stack (120) and the back contact (150). The front contact stack (120) may include a low resistivity transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer (124) and a buffer layer (128) that is proximate to the absorber layer (140). The photovoltaic device (100) may also include a window layer (130) between the buffer layer (128) and the absorber (140). In some cases, the buffer layer (128) is minimally conductive, with its resistivity being tunable, and the buffer layer (128) may be formed as an alloy from a host oxide and a high-permittivity oxide. The high-permittivity oxide may further be chosen to have a bandgap greater than the host oxide.

DC-sputtered MoO{sub x} thin-films as hole transport layer in organic photovoltaic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cauduro, Andre L.F.; Ahmadpour, Mehrad; Rubahn, Horst-Guenter; Madsen, Morten, E-mail: cauduro@mci.sdu.dk [NanoSYD, University of Southern Denmark (Denmark); Reis, Roberto dos; Chen, Gong; Schmid, Andreas [National Center for Electron Microscopy, The Molecular Foundry, LBNL, Berkeley, CA (United States); Methivier, Christophe [Sorbonne Universites, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS UMR, Laboratoire de Reactivite de Surface (LRS) (France); Witkowski, Nadine [Sorbonne Universites, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR CNRS, Institut des Nanosciences de Paris (INSP) (France); Fichtner, Paulo F.P. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre (Brazil)

2016-07-01

Full text: Molybdenum-oxide (MoO{sub x}) thin-films have attracted a lot of attention in the past years due to their unique ability to act as interfacial layers in novel electronics and energy applications. In the work presented here, large tuning possibilities in the electronic and optoelectronic properties of MoO{sub x} thin-films deposited by reactive sputtering using different oxygen partial pressures and annealing conditions are demonstrated along with the implementation of the films in organic photovoltaic. MoO{sub x} thin-films deposited under low oxygen partial pressure present a high conductivity of around 3.22 S.cm{sup -1}, however, as the oxygen partial pressure increases, the conductivity of the resulting films drops by up to around 10 orders of magnitude as the [O]/[Mo] ratio changes from 2.57 to beyond 3.00. Optical absorption measurements also show drastic changes mostly within the 0.60 eV - 2.50 eV spectral region for the same increase in oxygen concentration in [1]. UPS and XPS studies are conducted for accessing information about the work function and surface composition of the thin-films. The XPS spectra registered on the Mo 3d core level reveal how the oxidation state of Mo is affected by the partial pressure of oxygen during film growth. The work function of the films increase with annealing temperature and oxygen content, and span a tuning range of about 2 eV. To extract the spatially resolved work function values from the sputtered films, we use in addition Low Energy Electron Microscopy (LEEM). Finally, the application of the MoO{sub x} thin-films in organic optoelectronic devices is investigated by employing them as hole transport layers in small molecule photovoltaic, here based on DBP and C70. The work thus demonstrates a viable method for tuning the electronic and optoelectronic properties of MoO{sub x} thin-films, which can be applied in combination with a wide range of materials in e.g. organic photovoltaic. [1] A.L. Fernandes Cauduro

Proteins at fluid interfaces: adsorption layers and thin liquid films.

Science.gov (United States)

Yampolskaya, Galina; Platikanov, Dimo

2006-12-21

A review in which many original published results of the authors as well as many other papers are discussed. The structure and some properties of the globular proteins are shortly presented, special accent being put on the alpha-chymotrypsin (alpha-ChT), lysozyme (LZ), human serum albumin (HSA), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) which have been used in the experiments with thin liquid films. The behaviour of protein adsorption layers (PAL) is extensively discussed. The dynamics of PAL formation, including the kinetics of adsorption as well as the time evolution of the surface tension of protein aqueous solutions, are considered. A considerable place is devoted to the surface tension and adsorption isotherms of the globular protein solutions, the simulation of PAL by interacting hard spheres, the experimental surface tension isotherms of the above mentioned proteins, and the interfacial tension isotherms for the protein aqueous solution/oil interface. The rheological properties of PAL at fluid interfaces are shortly reviewed. After a brief information about the experimental methods for investigation of protein thin liquid (foam or emulsion) films, the properties of the protein black foam films are extensively discussed: the conditions for their formation, the influence of the electrolytes and pH on the film type and stability, the thermodynamic properties of the black foam films, the contact angles film/bulk and their dynamic hysteresis. The next center of attention concerns some properties of the protein emulsion films: the conditions for formation of emulsion black films, the formation and development of a dimpling in microscopic, circular films. The protein-phospholipid mixed foam films are also briefly considered.

Dual-layer ultrathin film optics: I. Theory and analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qian; Lim, Kim Peng

2015-01-01

This paper revisits dual-layer ultrathin film optics, which can be used for functional graded refractive index thin film stack. We present the detailed derivation including s-polarized and p-polarized light under arbitrary incidence angle showing the equivalence between the dual-layer ultrathin films and a negative birefringent thin film and also the approximations made during the derivation. Analysis of the approximations shows the influence of thickness of dual-layer thin films, the incidence angle and desired refractive index of the birefringent film. Numerical comparison between the titanium dioxide/aluminum oxide based dual-layer ultrathin film stack and the equivalent birefringent film verifies the theoretical analysis. The detailed theoretical study and numerical comparison provide a physical insight and design guidelines for dual-layer ultrathin film based optical devices. (paper)

Temperature dependent magnetic coupling between ferromagnetic FeTaC layers in multilayer thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Akhilesh Kumar; Hsu, Jen-Hwa; Perumal, Alagarsamy

2016-01-01

We report systematic investigations on temperature dependent magnetic coupling between ferromagnetic FeTaC layers and resulting magnetic properties of multilayer structured [FeTaC (~67 nm)/Ta(x nm)] 2 /FeTaC(~67 nm)] thin films, which are fabricated directly on thermally oxidized Si substrate. As-deposited amorphous films are post annealed at different annealing temperatures (T A =200, 300 and 400 °C). Structural analyzes reveal that the films annealed at T A ≤200 °C exhibit amorphous nature, while the films annealed above 200 °C show nucleation of nanocrystals at T A =300 °C and well-defined α-Fe nanocrystals with size of about 9 nm in amorphous matrix for 400 °C annealed films. Room temperature and temperature dependent magnetic hysteresis (M–H) loops reveal that magnetization reversal behaviors and magnetic properties are strongly depending on spacer layer thickness (x), T A and temperature. A large reduction in coercivity (H C ) was observed for the films annealed at 200 °C and correlated to relaxation of stress quenched in during the film deposition. On the other hand, the films annealed at 300 °C exhibit unusual variation of H C (T), i.e., a broad minimum in H C (T) vs T curve. This is caused by change in magnetic coupling between ferromagnetic layers having different microstructure. In addition, the broad minimum in the H C (T) curve shifts from 150 K for x=1 film to 80 K for x=4 film. High-temperature thermomagnetization data show a strong (significant) variation of Curie temperature (T C ) with T A (x). The multilayer films annealed at 200 °C exhibit low value of T C with a minimum of 350 K for x=4 film. But, the films annealed at 400 °C show largest T C with a maximum of 869 K for x=1 film. The observed results are discussed on the basis of variations in magnetic couplings between FeTaC layers, which are majorly driven by temperature, spacer layer thickness, annealing temperature and nature of interfaces. - Highlights: • Preparation and

Effect of precursor concentration and film thickness deposited by layer on nanostructured TiO2 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Affendi, I. H. H.; Sarah, M. S. P.; Alrokayan, Salman A. H.; Khan, Haseeb A.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Sol-gel spin coating method is used in the production of nanostructured TiO2 thin film. The surface topology and morphology was observed using the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The electrical properties were investigated by using two probe current-voltage (I-V) measurements to study the electrical resistivity behavior, hence the conductivity of the thin film. The solution concentration will be varied from 14.0 to 0.01wt% with 0.02wt% interval where the last concentration of 0.02 to 0.01wt% have 0.01wt% interval to find which concentrations have the highest conductivity then the optimized concentration's sample were chosen for the thickness parameter based on layer by layer deposition from 1 to 6 layer. Based on the result, the lowest concentration of TiO2, the surface becomes more uniform and the conductivity will increase. As the result, sample of 0.01wt% concentration have conductivity value of 1.77E-10 S/m and will be advanced in thickness parameter. Whereas in thickness parameter, the 3layer deposition were chosen as its conductivity is the highest at 3.9098E9 S/m.

Layer-by-layer assembled polyaniline nanofiber/multiwall carbon nanotube thin film electrodes for high-power and high-energy storage applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyder, Md Nasim; Lee, Seung Woo; Cebeci, Fevzi Ç; Schmidt, Daniel J; Shao-Horn, Yang; Hammond, Paula T

2011-11-22

Thin film electrodes of polyaniline (PANi) nanofibers and functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are created by layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly for microbatteries or -electrochemical capacitors. Highly stable cationic PANi nanofibers, synthesized from the rapid aqueous phase polymerization of aniline, are assembled with carboxylic acid functionalized MWNT into LbL films. The pH-dependent surface charge of PANi nanofibers and MWNTs allows the system to behave like weak polyelectrolytes with controllable LbL film thickness and morphology by varying the number of bilayers. The LbL-PANi/MWNT films consist of a nanoscale interpenetrating network structure with well developed nanopores that yield excellent electrochemical performance for energy storage applications. These LbL-PANi/MWNT films in lithium cell can store high volumetric capacitance (~238 ± 32 F/cm(3)) and high volumetric capacity (~210 mAh/cm(3)). In addition, rate-dependent galvanostatic tests show LbL-PANi/MWNT films can deliver both high power and high energy density (~220 Wh/L(electrode) at ~100 kW/L(electrode)) and could be promising positive electrode materials for thin film microbatteries or electrochemical capacitors. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Thin-Film Power Transformers

Science.gov (United States)

Katti, Romney R.

1995-01-01

Transformer core made of thin layers of insulating material interspersed with thin layers of ferromagnetic material. Flux-linking conductors made of thinner nonferromagnetic-conductor/insulator multilayers wrapped around core. Transformers have geometric features finer than those of transformers made in customary way by machining and mechanical pressing. In addition, some thin-film materials exhibit magnetic-flux-carrying capabilities superior to those of customary bulk transformer materials. Suitable for low-cost, high-yield mass production.

Epitaxial integration of CoFe2O4 thin films on Si (001) surfaces using TiN buffer layers

Science.gov (United States)

Prieto, Pilar; Marco, José F.; Prieto, José E.; Ruiz-Gomez, Sandra; Perez, Lucas; del Real, Rafael P.; Vázquez, Manuel; de la Figuera, Juan

2018-04-01

Epitaxial cobalt ferrite thin films with strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy have been grown on Si (001) substrates using a TiN buffer layer. The epitaxial films have been grown by ion beam sputtering using either metallic, CoFe2, or ceramic, CoFe2O4, targets. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rutherford spectrometry (RBS) in random and channeling configuration have been used to determine the epitaxial relationship CoFe2O4 [100]/TiN [100]/Si [100]. Mössbauer spectroscopy, in combination with XRD and RBS, has been used to determine the composition and structure of the cobalt ferrite thin films. The TiN buffer layer induces a compressive strain in the cobalt ferrite thin films giving rise to an in-plane magnetic anisotropy. The degree of in-plane anisotropy depends on the lattice mismatch between CoFe2O4 and TiN, which is larger for CoFe2O4 thin films grown on the reactive sputtering process with ceramic targets.

Atomic layer deposition of absorbing thin films on nanostructured electrodes for short-wavelength infrared photosensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Jixian; Sutherland, Brandon R.; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Fan, Fengjia; Sargent, Edward H.; Kinge, Sachin

2015-01-01

Atomic layer deposition (ALD), prized for its high-quality thin-film formation in the absence of high temperature or high vacuum, has become an industry standard for the large-area deposition of a wide array of oxide materials. Recently, it has shown promise in the formation of nanocrystalline sulfide films. Here, we demonstrate the viability of ALD lead sulfide for photodetection. Leveraging the conformal capabilities of ALD, we enhance the absorption without compromising the extraction efficiency in the absorbing layer by utilizing a ZnO nanowire electrode. The nanowires are first coated with a thin shunt-preventing TiO 2 layer, followed by an infrared-active ALD PbS layer for photosensing. The ALD PbS photodetector exhibits a peak responsivity of 10 −2  A W −1 and a shot-derived specific detectivity of 3 × 10 9  Jones at 1530 nm wavelength

Magnetic surfaces, thin films, and multilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parkin, S.S.P.; Renard, J.P.; Shinjo, T.; Zinn, W.

1992-01-01

This paper details recent developments in the magnetism of surfaces, thin films and multilayers. More than 20 invited contributions and more than 60 contributed papers attest to the great interest and vitality of this subject. In recent years the study of magnetic surfaces, thin films and multilayers has undergone a renaissance, partly motivated by the development of new growth and characterization techniques, but perhaps more so by the discovery of many exciting new properties, some quite unanticipated. These include, most recently, the discovery of enormous values of magnetoresistance in magnetic multilayers far exceeding those found in magnetic single layer films and the discovery of oscillatory interlayer coupling in transition metal multilayers. These experimental studies have motivated much theoretical work. However these developments are to a large extent powered by materials engineering and our ability to control and understand the growth of thin layers just a few atoms thick. The preparation of single crystal thin film layers and multilayers remains important for many studies, in particular, for properties dependent. These studies obviously require engineering not just a layer thicknesses but of lateral dimensions as well. The properties of such structures are already proving to be a great interest

Research Update: Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition of ZnO thin films: Reactors, doping, and devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert L. Z. Hoye

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition (AP-SALD has recently emerged as an appealing technique for rapidly producing high quality oxides. Here, we focus on the use of AP-SALD to deposit functional ZnO thin films, particularly on the reactors used, the film properties, and the dopants that have been studied. We highlight how these films are advantageous for the performance of solar cells, organometal halide perovskite light emitting diodes, and thin-film transistors. Future AP-SALD technology will enable the commercial processing of thin films over large areas on a sheet-to-sheet and roll-to-roll basis, with new reactor designs emerging for flexible plastic and paper electronics.

Chemical resistance of thin film materials based on metal oxides grown by atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sammelselg, Väino; Netšipailo, Ivan; Aidla, Aleks; Tarre, Aivar; Aarik, Lauri; Asari, Jelena; Ritslaid, Peeter; Aarik, Jaan

2013-01-01

Etching rate of technologically important metal oxide thin films in hot sulphuric acid was investigated. The films of Al-, Ti-, Cr-, and Ta-oxides studied were grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) method on silicon substrates from different precursors in large ranges of growth temperatures (80–900 °C) in order to reveal process parameters that allow deposition of coatings with higher chemical resistance. The results obtained demonstrate that application of processes that yield films with lower concentration of residual impurities as well as crystallization of films in thermal ALD processes leads to significant decrease of etching rate. Crystalline films of materials studied showed etching rates down to values of < 5 pm/s. - Highlights: • Etching of atomic layer deposited thin metal oxide films in hot H 2 SO 4 was studied. • Smallest etching rates of < 5 pm/s for TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and Cr 2 O 3 were reached. • Highest etching rate of 2.8 nm/s for Al 2 O 3 was occurred. • Remarkable differences in etching of non- and crystalline films were observed

Enhancing the performance of organic thin-film transistors using an organic-doped inorganic buffer layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Su, Shui-Hsiang, E-mail: shsu@isu.edu.tw; Wu, Chung-Ming; Kung, Shu-Yi; Yokoyama, Meiso

2013-06-01

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) with various buffer layers between the active layer and source/drain electrodes were investigated. The structure was polyethylene terephthalate/indium-tin oxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/pentacene/buffer layer/Au (source/drain). V{sub 2}O{sub 5}, 4,4′,4″-tris{N,(3-methylpheny)-N-phenylamino}-triphenylamine (m-MTDATA) and m-MTDATA-doped V{sub 2}O{sub 5} films were utilized as buffer layers. The electrical performances of OTFTs in terms of drain current, threshold voltage, mobility and on/off current ratio have been determined. As a result, the saturation current of − 40 μA is achieved in OTFTs with a 10% m-MTDATA-doped V{sub 2}O{sub 5} buffer layer at a V{sub GS} of − 60 V. The on/off current ratio reaches 2 × 10{sup 5}, which is approximately double of the device without a buffer layer. The energy band diagrams of the electrode/buffer layer/pentacene were measured using ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy. The improvement in electrical characteristics of the OTFTs is attributable to the weakening of the interface dipole and the lowering of the barrier to enhance holes transportation from the source electrode to the active layer. - Highlights: • A buffer layer enhances the performance of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). • The buffer layer consists of organic-doped inorganic material. • Interface dipole is weakened at the active layer/electrodes interface of OTFTs.

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.

Bi-epitaxial YBa2Cu3Ox Thin Films on Tilted-axes NdGaO3 Substrates with CeO2 Seeding Layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mozhaev, P B; Mozhaeva, J E; Jacobsen, C S; Hansen, J Bindslev; Bdikin, I K; Luzanov, V A; Kotelyanskii, I M; Zybtsev, S G

2006-01-01

Bi-epitaxial YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (YBCO) thin films with out-of-plane tilt angle in the range 18 - 27 0 were manufactured using pulsed laser deposition on NdGaO 3 tilted-axes substrates with CeO 2 seeding layers. The YBCO thin film orientation over the seeding layer depended on deposition conditions. Removal of the seeding layer from part of the substrate surface by ionbeam etching resulted in formation of a bi-epitaxial thin film with different c-axis orientation of two parts of the film. The bi-epitaxial film orientation and structure were studied using X-ray diffraction techniques, and surface morphology was observed with atomic force microscope (AFM). Photolithography and ion-beam etching techniques were used for patterning bi-epitaxial thin films. Electrical characterization of the obtained structures was performed

Development of Functional Thin Polymer Films Using a Layer-by-Layer Deposition Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Kentaro

2017-01-01

Functional thin films containing insulin were prepared using layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition of insulin and negatively- or positively-charged polymers on the surface of solid substrates. LbL films composed of insulin and negatively-charged polymers such as poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(vinylsulfate) (PVS), and dextran sulfate (DS) were prepared through electrostatic affinity between the materials. The insulin/PAA, insulin/PVS, and insulin/DS films were stable in acidic solutions, whereas they decomposed under physiological conditions as a result of a change in the net electric charge of insulin from positive to negative. Interestingly, the insulin-containing LbL films were stable even in the presence of a digestive-enzyme (pepcin) at pH 1.4 (stomach pH). In contrast, LbL films consisting of insulin and positively-charged polymers such as poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) decomposed in acidic solutions due to the positive charges of insulin generated in acidic media. The insulin-containing LbL films can be prepared not only on the surface of flat substrates, such as quartz slides, but also on the surface of microparticles, such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) microbeads. Thus, insulin-containing LbL film-coated PLA microbeads can be handled as a powder. In addition, insulin-containing microcapsules were prepared by coating LbL films on the surface of insulin-doped calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) microparticles, followed by dissolution of the CaCO 3 core. The release of insulin from the microcapsules was accelerated at pH 7.4, whereas it was suppressed in acidic solutions. These results suggest the potential use of insulin-containing microcapsules in the development of oral formulations of insulin.

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

KAUST Repository

Al-Jawhari, Hala A.

2014-11-11

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

Photon up-converting (Yb,Er){sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films by atomic layer deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuomisto, Minnea [Department of Chemistry, University of Turku (Finland); Doctoral Programme in Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS), Turku (Finland); Giedraityte, Zivile; Karppinen, Maarit [Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University (Finland); Lastusaari, Mika [Department of Chemistry, University of Turku (Finland); Turku University Centre for Materials and Surfaces (MatSurf), Turku (Finland)

2017-06-15

We report up-converting (Yb,Er){sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films grown with the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. The films are crystalline and show a homogeneous morphology with a roughness less than 1 nm for 40 nm thick films. High-intensity near-infrared (NIR) to green and red two-photon up-conversion emission is obtained with 974 nm excitation through an absorption by Yb{sup 3+}, followed by a Yb{sup 3+}-Er{sup 3+} energy transfer and emission from Er{sup 3+}. The ALD technique promises to be excellent for producing up-converting films for many applications such as near-infrared radiation absorbing layers for solar cells and sensors in point-of-care biomedical diagnostics. Schematic picture of the ALD-grown (Yb,Er){sub 2}O{sub 3} thin film including the up-conversion emission spectra. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Performance improvement of organic thin film transistors by using active layer with sandwich structure

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Yao; Zhou, Jianlin; Kuang, Peng; Lin, Hui; Gan, Ping; Hu, Shengdong; Lin, Zhi

2017-08-01

We report organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) with pentacene/fluorinated copper phthalo-cyanine (F16CuPc)/pentacene (PFP) sandwich configuration as active layers. The sandwich devices not only show hole mobility enhancement but also present a well control about threshold voltage and off-state current. By investigating various characteristics, including current-voltage hysteresis, organic film morphology, capacitance-voltage curve and resistance variation of active layers carefully, it has been found the performance improvement is mainly attributed to the low carrier traps and the higher conductivity of the sandwich active layer due to the additional induced carriers in F16CuPc/pentacene. Therefore, using proper multiple active layer is an effective way to gain high performance OTFTs.

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

Atomic layer deposition of absorbing thin films on nanostructured electrodes for short-wavelength infrared photosensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Jixian; Sutherland, Brandon R.; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Fan, Fengjia; Sargent, Edward H., E-mail: ted.sargent@utoronto.ca [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 10 King' s College Road, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G4 (Canada); Kinge, Sachin [Advanced Technology, Materials and Research, Research and Development, Hoge Wei 33- Toyota Technical Centre, B-1930 Zaventem (Belgium)

2015-10-12

Atomic layer deposition (ALD), prized for its high-quality thin-film formation in the absence of high temperature or high vacuum, has become an industry standard for the large-area deposition of a wide array of oxide materials. Recently, it has shown promise in the formation of nanocrystalline sulfide films. Here, we demonstrate the viability of ALD lead sulfide for photodetection. Leveraging the conformal capabilities of ALD, we enhance the absorption without compromising the extraction efficiency in the absorbing layer by utilizing a ZnO nanowire electrode. The nanowires are first coated with a thin shunt-preventing TiO{sub 2} layer, followed by an infrared-active ALD PbS layer for photosensing. The ALD PbS photodetector exhibits a peak responsivity of 10{sup −2} A W{sup −1} and a shot-derived specific detectivity of 3 × 10{sup 9} Jones at 1530 nm wavelength.

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

Temperature dependent magnetic coupling between ferromagnetic FeTaC layers in multilayer thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Akhilesh Kumar [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039 (India); Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Hsu, Jen-Hwa [Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Perumal, Alagarsamy, E-mail: perumal@iitg.ernet.in [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039 (India)

2016-11-15

We report systematic investigations on temperature dependent magnetic coupling between ferromagnetic FeTaC layers and resulting magnetic properties of multilayer structured [FeTaC (~67 nm)/Ta(x nm)]{sub 2}/FeTaC(~67 nm)] thin films, which are fabricated directly on thermally oxidized Si substrate. As-deposited amorphous films are post annealed at different annealing temperatures (T{sub A}=200, 300 and 400 °C). Structural analyzes reveal that the films annealed at T{sub A}≤200 °C exhibit amorphous nature, while the films annealed above 200 °C show nucleation of nanocrystals at T{sub A}=300 °C and well-defined α-Fe nanocrystals with size of about 9 nm in amorphous matrix for 400 °C annealed films. Room temperature and temperature dependent magnetic hysteresis (M–H) loops reveal that magnetization reversal behaviors and magnetic properties are strongly depending on spacer layer thickness (x), T{sub A} and temperature. A large reduction in coercivity (H{sub C}) was observed for the films annealed at 200 °C and correlated to relaxation of stress quenched in during the film deposition. On the other hand, the films annealed at 300 °C exhibit unusual variation of H{sub C}(T), i.e., a broad minimum in H{sub C}(T) vs T curve. This is caused by change in magnetic coupling between ferromagnetic layers having different microstructure. In addition, the broad minimum in the H{sub C}(T) curve shifts from 150 K for x=1 film to 80 K for x=4 film. High-temperature thermomagnetization data show a strong (significant) variation of Curie temperature (T{sub C}) with T{sub A} (x). The multilayer films annealed at 200 °C exhibit low value of T{sub C} with a minimum of 350 K for x=4 film. But, the films annealed at 400 °C show largest T{sub C} with a maximum of 869 K for x=1 film. The observed results are discussed on the basis of variations in magnetic couplings between FeTaC layers, which are majorly driven by temperature, spacer layer thickness, annealing temperature and

Thin films for precision optics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo, J.F.; Maurici, N.; Castro, J.C. de

1983-01-01

The technology of producing dielectric and/or metallic thin films for high precision optical components is discussed. Computer programs were developed in order to calculate and register, graphically, reflectance and transmittance spectra of multi-layer films. The technology of vacuum evaporation of several materials was implemented in our thin-films laboratory; various films for optics were then developed. The possibility of first calculate film characteristics and then produce the film is of great advantage since it reduces the time required to produce a new type of film and also reduces the cost of the project. (C.L.B.) [pt

Microstructure and thermochromic properties of VOX-WOX-VOX ceramic thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khamseh, S.; Ghahari, M.; Araghi, H.; Faghihi Sani, M.A.

2016-01-01

W-doped VO 2 films have been synthesized via oxygen annealing of V-W-V (vanadium-tungsten-vanadium) multilayered films. The effects of middle layer's thickness of V-W-V multilayered film on structure and properties of VO X -WO X -VO X ceramic thin films were investigated. The as-deposited V-W-V multilayered film showed amorphous-like structure when mixed structure of VO 2 (M) and VO 2 (B) was formed in VO X -WO X -VO X ceramic thin films. Tungsten content of VO X -WO X -VO X ceramic thin films increased with increasing middle layer's thickness. With increasing middle layer's thickness, room temperature square resistance (R sq ) of VO X -WO X -VO X ceramic thin films increased from 65 to 86 kΩ/sq. The VO X -WO X -VO X ceramic thin film with the thinnest middle layer showed significant SMT (semiconductor-metal transition) when SMT became negligible on increasing middle layer's thickness. (orig.)

Mocvd Growth of Group-III Nitrides on Silicon Carbide: From Thin Films to Atomically Thin Layers

Science.gov (United States)

Al Balushi, Zakaria Y.

Group-III nitride semiconductors (AlN, GaN, InN and their alloys) are considered one of the most important class of materials for electronic and optoelectronic devices. This is not limited to the blue light-emitting diode (LED) used for efficient solid-state lighting, but other applications as well, such as solar cells, radar and a variety of high frequency power electronics, which are all prime examples of the technological importance of nitride based wide bandgap semiconductors in our daily lives. The goal of this dissertation work was to explore and establish new growth schemes to improve the structural and optical properties of thick to atomically thin films of group-III nitrides grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on SiC substrates for future novel devices. The first research focus of this dissertation was on the growth of indium gallium nitride (InGaN). This wide bandgap semiconductor has attracted much research attention as an active layer in LEDs and recently as an absorber material for solar cells. InGaN has superior material properties for solar cells due to its wavelength absorption tunability that nearly covers the entire solar spectrum. This can be achieved by controlling the indium content in thick grown material. Thick InGaN films are also of interest as strain reducing based layers for deep-green and red light emitters. The growth of thick films of InGaN is, however, hindered by several combined problems. This includes poor incorporation of indium in alloys, high density of structural and morphological defects, as well as challenges associated with the segregation of indium in thick films. Overcoming some of these material challenges is essential in order integrate thick InGaN films into future optoelectronics. Therefore, this dissertation research investigated the growth mechanism of InGaN layers grown in the N-polar direction by MOCVD as a route to improve the structural and optical properties of thick InGaN films. The growth

Suppression of photo-bias induced instability for amorphous indium tungsten oxide thin film transistors with bi-layer structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Po-Tsun, E-mail: ptliu@mail.nctu.edu.tw; Chang, Chih-Hsiang; Chang, Chih-Jui [Department of Photonics and Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan (China)

2016-06-27

This study investigates the instability induced by bias temperature illumination stress (NBTIS) for an amorphous indium-tungsten-oxide thin film transistor (a-IWO TFT) with SiO{sub 2} backchannel passivation layer (BPL). It is found that this electrical degradation phenomenon can be attributed to the generation of defect states during the BPL process, which deteriorates the photo-bias stability of a-IWO TFTs. A method proposed by adding an oxygen-rich a-IWO thin film upon the a-IWO active channel layer could effectively suppress the plasma damage to channel layer during BPL deposition process. The bi-layer a-IWO TFT structure with an oxygen-rich back channel exhibits superior electrical reliability of device under NBTIS.

Improvement in interfacial characteristics of low-voltage carbon nanotube thin-film transistors with solution-processed boron nitride thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, Jun-Young; Ha, Tae-Jun, E-mail: taejunha0604@gmail.com

2017-08-15

Highlights: • We demonstrate the potential of solution-processed boron nitride (BN) thin films for nanoelectronics. • Improved interfacial characteristics reduced the leakage current by three orders of magnitude. • The BN encapsulation improves all the device key metrics of low-voltage SWCNT-TFTs. • Such improvements were achieved by reduced interaction of interfacial localized states. - Abstract: In this article, we demonstrate the potential of solution-processed boron nitride (BN) thin films for high performance single-walled carbon nanotube thin-film transistors (SWCNT-TFTs) with low-voltage operation. The use of BN thin films between solution-processed high-k dielectric layers improved the interfacial characteristics of metal-insulator-metal devices, thereby reducing the current density by three orders of magnitude. We also investigated the origin of improved device performance in SWCNT-TFTs by employing solution-processed BN thin films as an encapsulation layer. The BN encapsulation layer improves the electrical characteristics of SWCNT-TFTs, which includes the device key metrics of linear field-effect mobility, sub-threshold swing, and threshold voltage as well as the long-term stability against the aging effect in air. Such improvements can be achieved by reduced interaction of interfacial localized states with charge carriers. We believe that this work can open up a promising route to demonstrate the potential of solution-processed BN thin films on nanoelectronics.

Determination of the Mass Absorption Coefficient in Two-Layer Ti/V and V/Ti Thin Film Systems by the X-Ray Fluorescence Method

Science.gov (United States)

Mashin, N. I.; Chernyaeva, E. A.; Tumanova, A. N.; Gafarova, L. M.

2016-03-01

A new XRF procedure for the determination of the mass absorption coefficient in thin film Ti/V and V/Ti two-layer systems has been proposed. The procedure uses easy-to-make thin-film layers of sputtered titanium and vanadium on a polymer film substrate. Correction coefficients have been calculated that take into account attenuation of primary radiation of the X-ray tube, as well as attenuation of the spectral line of the bottom layer element in the top layer.

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.

Transparent conductive ZnO layers on polymer substrates: Thin film deposition and application in organic solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dosmailov, M. [Institute of Applied Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Leonat, L.N. [Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells (LIOS)/Institute of Physical Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Patek, J. [Institute of Applied Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Roth, D.; Bauer, P. [Institute of Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Scharber, M.C.; Sariciftci, N.S. [Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells (LIOS)/Institute of Physical Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Pedarnig, J.D., E-mail: johannes.pedarnig@jku.at [Institute of Applied Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria)

2015-09-30

Aluminum doped ZnO (AZO) and pure ZnO thin films are grown on polymer substrates by pulsed-laser deposition and the optical, electrical, and structural film properties are investigated. Laser fluence, substrate temperature, and oxygen pressure are varied to obtain transparent, conductive, and stoichiometric AZO layers on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that are free of cracks. At low fluence (1 J/cm{sup 2}) and low pressure (10{sup −3} mbar), AZO/PET samples of high optical transmission in the visible range, low electrical sheet resistance, and high figure of merit (FOM) are produced. AZO films on fluorinated ethylene propylene have low FOM. The AZO films on PET substrates are used as electron transport layer in inverted organic solar cell devices employing P3HT:PCBM as photovoltaic polymer-fullerene bulk heterojunction. - Highlights: • Aluminum doped and pure ZnO thin films are grown on polyethylene terephthalate. • Growth parameters laser fluence, temperature, and gas pressure are optimized. • AZO films on PET have high optical transmission and electrical conductance (FOM). • Organic solar cells on PET using AZO as electron transport layer are made. • Power conversion efficiency of these OSC devices is measured.

Growth and characterization of ternary Ni, Mg–Al and Ni–Al layered double hydroxides thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birjega, R. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., Magurele, 76900 Bucharest (Romania); Vlad, A., E-mail: angela.vlad@gmail.com [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., Magurele, 76900 Bucharest (Romania); Matei, A.; Ion, V.; Luculescu, C.; Dinescu, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., Magurele, 76900 Bucharest (Romania); Zavoianu, R. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Chemical Technology and Catalysis, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Bd., Bucharest (Romania)

2016-09-01

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a class of layered materials consisting of positively charged brucite-like layers and exchangeable interlayer anions. Layered double hydroxides containing a transition metal which undergoes a reversible redox reaction in the useful potential range have been proposed as electrode coating materials due to their properties of charge transport and redox catalysts in basic solutions. Ni–Al,(Ni,Mg)–Al and, as reference, non-electronically conductive Mg–Al double hydroxides thin films were obtained via pulsed laser deposition technique. The thin films were deposited on different substrates (Si, glass) by using a Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) working at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. X-ray diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy, Secondary Ions Mass Spectrometry, Impedance Analyzer and ellipsometry were the techniques used for the as deposited thin films investigation. The optical properties of Ni based LDH thin films and the effect of the Ni amount on the structural, morphological and optical response are evidenced. The optical band gap values, covering a domain between 3.84 eV and 4.38 eV, respond to the Ni overall concentration: the higher Ni amount the lower the band gap value. - Highlights: • Ternary Ni, Mg–Al and Ni–Al layered double hydroxides thin films were deposited. • The effect of the nickel is evidenced. • The possibility to tailor the materials accompanied by an optical response is shown.

Dependence of magnetic properties on different buffer layers of Mn3.5Ga thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Y.; Sato, K.; Shima, T.; Doi, M.

2018-05-01

D022-Mn3.5Ga thin films were prepared on MgO (100) single crystalline substrates with different buffer layer (Cr, Fe, Cr/Pt and Cr/Au) using an ultra-high-vacuum electron beam vapor deposition system. From XRD patterns, a fundamental (004) peak has clearly observed for all samples. The relatively low saturation magnetization (Ms) of 178 emu/cm3, high magnetic anisotropy (Ku) of 9.1 Merg/cm3 and low surface roughness (Ra) of 0.30 nm were obtained by D022-Mn3.5Ga film (20 nm) on Cr/Pt buffer layer at Ts = 300 °C, Ta = 400 °C (3h). These findings suggest that MnGa film on Cr/Pt buffer layer is a promising PMA layer for future spin electronics devices.

Sol–gel derived scattering layers as substrates for thin-film photovoltaic cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hegmann, Jan [Lehrstuhl für Chemische Technologie der Materialsynthese, Universität Würzburg, Röntgenring 11, 97070 Würzburg (Germany); Mandl, Magdalena [Fraunhofer-Institut für Silicatforschung, Neunerplatz 2, 97082 Würzburg (Germany); Löbmann, Peer, E-mail: peer.loebmann@isc.fraunhofer.de [Fraunhofer-Institut für Silicatforschung, Neunerplatz 2, 97082 Würzburg (Germany)

2014-08-01

Agglomerated silica particles were coated on glass by dip-coating; the resulting films exhibited optical scattering. With constant optical transmittances > 80% their haze could be modified by the withdrawal rate applied for the respective deposition procedure. Film thickness, surface topography and coverage of the substrate were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy. For the use in radiation management in thin-film silicon solar cells in a first step the scattering layers were coated with aluminum-doped zinc oxide by sputtering; the optical performance of the resulting bilayer was characterized by haze measurements and angle resolved scattering spectroscopy. Quantum efficiencies of complete solar cells could be determined after the deposition of a hydrogenated amorphous Si/hydrogenated microcrystalline Si tandem absorber and application of metallic back contacts. It turned out that the external quantum efficiency of the resulting cells is not directly related to the light scattering performance of the scattering layer used. - Highlights: • Characterization of sol–gel scattering layers • Combination of different coating-technologies to prepare stacks with optical functionality • Comprehensive material preparation and characterization for complex multilayer.

Thin film device applications

CERN Document Server

Kaur, Inderjeet

1983-01-01

Two-dimensional materials created ab initio by the process of condensation of atoms, molecules, or ions, called thin films, have unique properties significantly different from the corresponding bulk materials as a result of their physical dimensions, geometry, nonequilibrium microstructure, and metallurgy. Further, these characteristic features of thin films can be drasti­ cally modified and tailored to obtain the desired and required physical characteristics. These features form the basis of development of a host of extraordinary active and passive thin film device applications in the last two decades. On the one extreme, these applications are in the submicron dimensions in such areas as very large scale integration (VLSI), Josephson junction quantum interference devices, magnetic bubbles, and integrated optics. On the other extreme, large-area thin films are being used as selective coatings for solar thermal conversion, solar cells for photovoltaic conver­ sion, and protection and passivating layers. Ind...

Influence of the spacer layer on microstructure and magnetic properties of [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiriac, H. [National Institute of R and D for Technical Physics, 47 Mangeron Blvd., 700050 Iasi (Romania); Grigoras, M. [National Institute of R and D for Technical Physics, 47 Mangeron Blvd., 700050 Iasi (Romania); Urse, M. [National Institute of R and D for Technical Physics, 47 Mangeron Blvd., 700050 Iasi (Romania)]. E-mail: urse@phys-iasi.ro

2007-09-15

Some results concerning the influence of the composition and thickness of NbCu spacer layer on the microstructure and magnetic properties of multilayer [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn films, in view of their utilization for manufacturing the thin film permanent magnets are presented. A comparison between the microstructure and magnetic properties of NdFeB single layer and [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn multilayer is also presented. The multilayer [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn thin films with the thickness of the NdFeB layer of 180nm and the thickness of the NbCu spacer layer of 3nm, exhibit good hard magnetic characteristics such as coercive force H{sub c} of about 1510kA/m and the remanence ratio M{sub r}/M{sub s} of about 0.8.

Influence of the spacer layer on microstructure and magnetic properties of [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiriac, H.; Grigoras, M.; Urse, M.

2007-01-01

Some results concerning the influence of the composition and thickness of NbCu spacer layer on the microstructure and magnetic properties of multilayer [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn films, in view of their utilization for manufacturing the thin film permanent magnets are presented. A comparison between the microstructure and magnetic properties of NdFeB single layer and [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn multilayer is also presented. The multilayer [NdFeB/(NbCu)]xn thin films with the thickness of the NdFeB layer of 180nm and the thickness of the NbCu spacer layer of 3nm, exhibit good hard magnetic characteristics such as coercive force H c of about 1510kA/m and the remanence ratio M r /M s of about 0.8

Silicon surface passivation using thin HfO2 films by atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gope, Jhuma; Vandana; Batra, Neha; Panigrahi, Jagannath; Singh, Rajbir; Maurya, K.K.; Srivastava, Ritu; Singh, P.K.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • HfO 2 films using thermal ALD are studied for silicon surface passivation. • As-deposited thin film (∼8 nm) shows better passivation with surface recombination velocity (SRV) <100 cm/s. • Annealing improves passivation quality with SRV ∼20 cm/s for ∼8 nm film. - Abstract: Hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) is a potential material for equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) scaling in microelectronics; however, its surface passivation properties particularly on silicon are not well explored. This paper reports investigation on passivation properties of thermally deposited thin HfO 2 films by atomic layer deposition system (ALD) on silicon surface. As-deposited pristine film (∼8 nm) shows better passivation with <100 cm/s surface recombination velocity (SRV) vis-à-vis thicker films. Further improvement in passivation quality is achieved with annealing at 400 °C for 10 min where the SRV reduces to ∼20 cm/s. Conductance measurements show that the interface defect density (D it ) increases with film thickness whereas its value decreases after annealing. XRR data corroborate with the observations made by FTIR and SRV data.

Effect of p-layer properties on nanocrystalline absorber layer and thin film silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chowdhury, Amartya; Adhikary, Koel; Mukhopadhyay, Sumita; Ray, Swati

2008-01-01

The influence of the p-layer on the crystallinity of the absorber layer and nanocrystalline silicon thin film solar cells has been studied. Boron doped Si : H p-layers of different crystallinities have been prepared under different power pressure conditions using the plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition method. The crystalline volume fraction of p-layers increases with the increase in deposition power. Optical absorption of the p-layer reduces as the crystalline volume fraction increases. Structural studies at the p/i interface have been done by Raman scattering studies. The crystalline volume fraction of the i-layer increases as that of the p-layer increases, the effect being more prominent near the p/i interface. Grain sizes of the absorber layer decrease from 9.2 to 7.2 nm and the density of crystallites increases as the crystalline volume fraction of the p-layer increases and its grain size decreases. With increasing crystalline volume fraction of the p-layer solar cell efficiency increases

Growth and thermal oxidation of Ru and ZrO2 thin films as oxidation protective layers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coloma Ribera, R.

2017-01-01

This thesis focuses on the study of physical and chemical processes occurring during growth and thermal oxidation of Ru and ZrO2 thin films. Acting as oxidation resistant capping materials to prevent oxidation of layers underneath, these films have several applications, i.e., in microelectronics

ZnS nanostructured thin-films deposited by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Deshmukh, S. G.; Jariwala, Akshay; Agarwal, Anubha; Patel, Chetna; Panchal, A. K.; Kheraj, Vipul

2016-04-01

ZnS thin films were grown on glass substrate using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique at room temperature. Aqueous solutions of ZnCl2 and Na2S were used as precursors. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy and optical absorption measurements were applied to study the structural, surface morphology and optical properties of as-deposited ZnS thin films. The X-ray diffraction profiles revealed that ZnS thin films consist of crystalline grains with cubic phase. Spherical nano grains of random size and well covered on the glass substrate were observed from FESEM. The average grain size were found to be 77 nm, 100 nm and 124 nm for 20 cycles, 40 cycles and 60 cycles samples respectively. For 60 cycle sample, Raman spectra show two prominent peaks at 554 cm-1 and 1094 cm-1. The optical band gap values were found to be 3.76 eV, 3.72 eV and 3.67 eV for 20 cycle, 40 cycle and 60 cycle samples respectively.

High conductivity and transparent aluminum-based multi-layer source/drain electrodes for thin film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Rihui; Zhang, Hongke; Fang, Zhiqiang; Ning, Honglong; Zheng, Zeke; Li, Xiaoqing; Zhang, Xiaochen; Cai, Wei; Lu, Xubing; Peng, Junbiao

2018-02-01

In this study, high conductivity and transparent multi-layer (AZO/Al/AZO-/Al/AZO) source/drain (S/D) electrodes for thin film transistors were fabricated via conventional physical vapor deposition approaches, without toxic elements or further thermal annealing process. The 68 nm-thick multi-layer films with excellent optical properties (transparency: 82.64%), good electrical properties (resistivity: 6.64  ×  10-5 Ω m, work function: 3.95 eV), and superior surface roughness (R q   =  0.757 nm with scanning area of 5  ×  5 µm2) were fabricated as the S/D electrodes. Significantly, comprehensive performances of AZO films are enhanced by the insertion of ultra-thin Al layers. The optimal transparent TFT with this multi-layer S/D electrodes exhibited a decent electrical performance with a saturation mobility (µ sat) of 3.2 cm2 V-1 s-1, an I on/I off ratio of 1.59  ×  106, a subthreshold swing of 1.05 V/decade. The contact resistance of AZO/Al/AZO/Al/AZO multi-layer electrodes is as low as 0.29 MΩ. Moreover, the average visible light transmittance of the unpatterned multi-layers constituting a whole transparent TFT could reach 72.5%. The high conductivity and transparent multi-layer S/D electrodes for transparent TFTs possessed great potential for the applications of the green and transparent displays industry.

Effect of Mg doping in ZnO buffer layer on ZnO thin film devices for electronic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Giri, Pushpa; Chakrabarti, P.

2016-05-01

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) thin films have been grown on p-silicon (Si) substrate using magnesium doped ZnO (Mg: ZnO) buffer layer by radio-frequency (RF) sputtering method. In this paper, we have optimized the concentration of Mg (0-5 atomic percent (at. %)) ZnO buffer layer to examine its effect on ZnO thin film based devices for electronic and optoelectronic applications. The crystalline nature, morphology and topography of the surface of the thin film have been characterized. The optical as well as electrical properties of the active ZnO film can be tailored by varying the concentration of Mg in the buffer layer. The crystallite size in the active ZnO thin film was found to increase with the Mg concentration in the buffer layer in the range of 0-3 at. % and subsequently decrease with increasing Mg atom concentration in the ZnO. The same was verified by the surface morphology and topography studies carried out with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic electron microscopy (AFM) respectively. The reflectance in the visible region was measured to be less than 80% and found to decrease with increase in Mg concentration from 0 to 3 at. % in the buffer region. The optical bandgap was initially found to increase from 3.02 eV to 3.74 eV by increasing the Mg content from 0 to 3 at. % but subsequently decreases and drops down to 3.43 eV for a concentration of 5 at. %. The study of an Au:Pd/ZnO Schottky diode reveals that for optimum doping of the buffer layer the device exhibits superior rectifying behavior. The barrier height, ideality factor, rectification ratio, reverse saturation current and series resistance of the Schottky diode were extracted from the measured current voltage (I-V) characteristics.

In-situ laser processing and microstructural characteristics of YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films on Si with TiN buffer layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiwari, P.; Zheleva, T.; Narayan, J.

1993-01-01

The authors have prepared high-quality superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 -δ (YBCO) thin films on Si(100) with TiN as a buffer layer using in-situ multitarget deposition system. Both TiN and YBCO thin films were deposited sequentially by KrF excimer laser ( | = 248 nm ) at substrate temperature of 650 C . Thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), four-point-probe ac resistivity, scanning electron microscopy (S E M), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Rutherford backscattering (RBS). The TiN buffer layer was epitaxial and the epitaxial relationship was found to be cube on cube with TiN parallel Si. YBCO thin films on Si with TiN buffer layer showed the transition temperature of 90-92K with T co (zero resistance temperature) of 84K. The authors have found that the quality of the buffer layer is very important in determining the superconducting transition temperature of the thin film. The effects of processing parameters and the correlation of microstructural features with superconducting properties are discussed in detail

Multifunctional Organic-Semiconductor Interfacial Layers for Solution-Processed Oxide-Semiconductor Thin-Film Transistor.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Guhyun; Kim, Keetae; Choi, Byung Doo; Roh, Jeongkyun; Lee, Changhee; Noh, Yong-Young; Seo, SungYong; Kim, Myung-Gil; Kim, Choongik

2017-06-01

The stabilization and control of the electrical properties in solution-processed amorphous-oxide semiconductors (AOSs) is crucial for the realization of cost-effective, high-performance, large-area electronics. In particular, impurity diffusion, electrical instability, and the lack of a general substitutional doping strategy for the active layer hinder the industrial implementation of copper electrodes and the fine tuning of the electrical parameters of AOS-based thin-film transistors (TFTs). In this study, the authors employ a multifunctional organic-semiconductor (OSC) interlayer as a solution-processed thin-film passivation layer and a charge-transfer dopant. As an electrically active impurity blocking layer, the OSC interlayer enhances the electrical stability of AOS TFTs by suppressing the adsorption of environmental gas species and copper-ion diffusion. Moreover, charge transfer between the organic interlayer and the AOS allows the fine tuning of the electrical properties and the passivation of the electrical defects in the AOS TFTs. The development of a multifunctional solution-processed organic interlayer enables the production of low-cost, high-performance oxide semiconductor-based circuits. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Voltammetric Thin-Layer Ionophore-Based Films: Part 2. Semi-Empirical Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Dajing; Cuartero, Maria; Crespo, Gaston A; Bakker, Eric

2017-01-03

This work reports on a semiempirical treatment that allows one to rationalize and predict experimental conditions for thin-layer ionophore-based films with cation-exchange capacity read out with cyclic voltammetry. The transition between diffusional mass transport and thin-layer regime is described with a parameter (α), which depends on membrane composition, diffusion coefficient, scan rate, and electrode rotating speed. Once the thin-layer regime is fulfilled (α = 1), the membrane behaves in some analogy to a potentiometric sensor with a second discrimination variable (the applied potential) that allows one to operate such electrodes in a multianalyte detection mode owing to the variable applied ion-transfer potentials. The limit of detection of this regime is defined with a second parameter (β = 2) and is chosen in analogy to the definition of the detection limit for potentiometric sensors provided by the IUPAC. The analytical equations were validated through the simulation of the respective cyclic voltammograms under the same experimental conditions. While simulations of high complexity and better accuracy satisfactorily reproduced the experimental voltammograms during the forward and backward potential sweeps (companion paper 1), the semiempirical treatment here, while less accurate, is of low complexity and allows one to quite easily predict relevant experimental conditions for this emergent methodology.

Giant magnetoimpedance effect in sputtered single layered NiFe film and meander NiFe/Cu/NiFe film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, L.; Zhou, Y.; Lei, C.; Zhou, Z.M.; Ding, W.

2010-01-01

Giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effect on NiFe thin film is very promising due to its application in developing the magnetic field sensors with highly sensitivity and low cost. In this paper, the single layered NiFe thin film and NiFe/Cu/NiFe thin film with a meander structure are prepared by the MEMS technology. The influences of sputtering parameters, film structure and conductor layer width on GMI effect in NiFe single layer and meander NiFe/Cu/NiFe film are investigated. Maximum of the GMI ratio in single layer and sandwich film is 5% and 64%, respectively. The results obtained are useful for developing the high-performance magnetic sensors based on NiFe thin film.

Influences of Indium Tin Oxide Layer on the Properties of RF Magnetron-Sputtered (BaSr)TiO3 Thin Films on Indium Tin Oxide-Coated Glass Substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae Song; Oh, Myung Hwan; Kim, Chong Hee

1993-06-01

Nearly stoichiometric ((Ba+Sr)/Ti=1.08-1.09) and optically transparent (BaSr)TiO3 thin films were deposited on an indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrate by means of rf magnetron sputtering for their application to the insulating layer of an electroluminescent flat panel display. The influence of the ITO layer on the properties of (BaSr)TiO3 thin films deposited on the ITO-coated substrate was investigated. The ITO layer did not affect the crystallographic orientation of (BaSr)TiO3 thin film, but enhanced the grain growth. Another effect of the ITO layer on (BaSr)TiO3 thin films was the interdiffusion phenomenon, which was studied by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). As the substrate temperature increased, interdiffusion intensified at the interface not only between the grown film and ITO layer but also between the ITO layer and base glass substrate. The refractive index (nf) of (BaSr)TiO3 thin film deposited on a bare glass substrate was 2.138-2.286, as a function of substrate temperature.

Adsorption properties of Mg-Al layered double hydroxides thin films grown by laser based techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matei, A., E-mail: andreeapurice@nipne.ro [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest, Magurele (Romania); Birjega, R.; Vlad, A.; Filipescu, M.; Nedelcea, A.; Luculescu, C. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest, Magurele (Romania); Zavoianu, R.; Pavel, O.D. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Chemical Technology and Catalysis, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Bd., Bucharest (Romania); Dinescu, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Str., 77125 Bucharest, Magurele (Romania)

2012-09-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Laser techniques MAPLE and PLD can successfully be used to produce LDHs thin films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Hydration treatments of the PLD and MAPLE deposited films lead to the LDH reconstruction effect. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The Ni retention from aqueous solution occurs in the films via a dissolution-reconstruction mechanism. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The films are suitable for applications in remediation of contaminated drinking water or waste waters. - Abstract: Powdered layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been widely studied due to their applications as catalysts, anionic exchangers or host materials for inorganic and/or organic molecules. Assembling nano-sized LDHs onto flat solid substrates forming thin films is an expanding area of research due to the prospects of novel applications as sensors, corrosion-resistant coatings, components in optical and magnetic devices. Continuous and adherent thin films were grown by laser techniques (pulsed laser deposition - PLD and matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation - MAPLE) starting from targets of Mg-Al LDHs. The capacity of the grown thin films to retain a metal (Ni) from contaminated water has been also explored. The thin films were immersed in an Ni(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} aqueous solutions with Ni concentrations of 10{sup -3}% (w/w) (1 g/L) and 10{sup -4}% (w/w) (0.1 g/L), respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) were the techniques used to characterize the prepared materials.

Solution-processed In2S3 buffer layer for chalcopyrite thin film solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lan; Lin, Xianzhong; Ennaoui, Ahmed; Wolf, Christian; Lux-Steiner, Martha Ch.; Klenk, Reiner

2016-02-01

We report a route to deposit In2S3 thin films from air-stable, low-cost molecular precursor inks for Cd-free buffer layers in chalcopyrite-based thin film solar cells. Different precursor compositions and processing conditions were studied to define a reproducible and robust process. By adjusting the ink properties, this method can be applied in different printing and coating techniques. Here we report on two techniques, namely spin-coating and inkjet printing. Active area efficiencies of 12.8% and 12.2% have been achieved for In2S3-buffered solar cells respectively, matching the performance of CdS-buffered cells prepared with the same batch of absorbers.

Incorporation of layered double nanomaterials in thin film nanocomposite nanofiltration membrane for magnesium sulphate removal

Science.gov (United States)

Hanis Tajuddin, Muhammad; Yusof, Norhaniza; Salleh, Wan Norharyati Wan; Fauzi Ismail, Ahmad; Hanis Hayati Hairom, Nur; Misdan, Nurasyikin

2018-03-01

Thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane with copper-aluminium layered double hydroxides (LDH) incorporated into polyamide (PA) selective layer has been prepared for magnesium sulphate salt removal. 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 wt% of LDH were dispersed in the trimesoyl chloride (TMC) in n-hexane as organic solution and embedded into PA layer during interfacial polymerization with piperazine. The fabricated membranes were further characterized to evaluate its morphological structure and membrane surface hydrophilicity. The TFN membranes performance were evaluated with divalent salt magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) removal and compared with thin film composite (TFC). The morphological structures of TFN membranes were altered and the surface hydrophilicity were enhanced with addition of LDH. Incorporation of LDH has improved the permeate water flux by 82.5% compared to that of TFC membrane with satisfactory rejection of MgSO4. This study has experimentally validated the potential of LDH to improve the divalent salt separation performance for TFN membranes.

Incorporation of layered double nanomaterials in thin film nanocomposite nanofiltration membrane for magnesium sulphate removal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tajuddin Muhammad Hanis

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Thin film nanocomposite (TFN membrane with copper-aluminium layered double hydroxides (LDH incorporated into polyamide (PA selective layer has been prepared for magnesium sulphate salt removal. 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 wt% of LDH were dispersed in the trimesoyl chloride (TMC in n-hexane as organic solution and embedded into PA layer during interfacial polymerization with piperazine. The fabricated membranes were further characterized to evaluate its morphological structure and membrane surface hydrophilicity. The TFN membranes performance were evaluated with divalent salt magnesium sulphate (MgSO4 removal and compared with thin film composite (TFC. The morphological structures of TFN membranes were altered and the surface hydrophilicity were enhanced with addition of LDH. Incorporation of LDH has improved the permeate water flux by 82.5% compared to that of TFC membrane with satisfactory rejection of MgSO4. This study has experimentally validated the potential of LDH to improve the divalent salt separation performance for TFN membranes.

Molecular simulation of freestanding amorphous nickel thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, T.Q. [Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire Modélisation et Simulation Multi Echelle, UMR 8208 CNRS, 5 Boulevard Descartes, 77454 Marne-la-Vallée, Cedex 2 (France); Hoang, V.V., E-mail: vvhoang2002@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Institute of Technology, National University of Ho Chi Minh City, 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam); Lauriat, G. [Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire Modélisation et Simulation Multi Echelle, UMR 8208 CNRS, 5 Boulevard Descartes, 77454 Marne-la-Vallée, Cedex 2 (France)

2013-10-31

Size effects on glass formation in freestanding Ni thin films have been studied via molecular dynamics simulation with the n-body Gupta interatomic potential. Atomic mechanism of glass formation in the films is determined via analysis of the spatio-temporal arrangements of solid-like atoms occurred upon cooling from the melt. Solid-like atoms are detected via the Lindemann ratio. We find that solid-like atoms initiate and grow mainly in the interior of the film and grow outward. Their number increases with decreasing temperature and at a glass transition temperature they dominate in the system to form a relatively rigid glassy state of a thin film shape. We find the existence of a mobile surface layer in both liquid and glassy states which can play an important role in various surface properties of amorphous Ni thin films. We find that glass formation is size independent for models containing 4000 to 108,000 atoms. Moreover, structure of amorphous Ni thin films has been studied in details via coordination number, Honeycutt–Andersen analysis, and density profile which reveal that amorphous thin films exhibit two different parts: interior and surface layer. The former exhibits almost the same structure like that found for the bulk while the latter behaves a more porous structure containing a large amount of undercoordinated sites which are the origin of various surface behaviors of the amorphous Ni or Ni-based thin films found in practice. - Highlights: • Glass formation is analyzed via spatio-temporal arrangements of solid-like atoms. • Amorphous Ni thin film exhibits two different parts: surface and interior. • Mobile surface layer enhances various surface properties of the amorphous Ni thin films. • Undercoordinated sites play an important role in various surface activities.

Magnetization curves for thin films of layered type-II superconductors, Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser theory, and the devil's staircase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkov, S.E.

1991-01-01

Magnetization curves for a thin-layered superconducting film in parallel magnetic field have been shown to become devil's staircases provided the superconducting layers are perpendicular to the film plane. The transition from an incomplete to a complete devil's staircase with decreasing temperature is predicted. A chain of vortices is described by the generalized Frenkel-Kontorova model

Epitaxial Fe16N2 thin film on nonmagnetic seed layer

Science.gov (United States)

Hang, Xudong; Zhang, Xiaowei; Ma, Bin; Lauter, Valeria; Wang, Jian-Ping

2018-05-01

Metastable α″ -Fe16N2 has attracted much interest as a candidate for rare-earth-free hard magnetic materials. We demonstrate that Fe16N2 thin films were grown epitaxially on Cr seed layers with MgO (001) substrates by facing-target sputtering. Good crystallinity with the epitaxial relation MgO (001 )[110 ] ∥ Cr (001 )[100 ] ∥ Fe16N2 (001 )[100 ] was obtained. The chemical order parameter, which quantifies the degree of N ordering in the Fe16N2 (the N-disordered phase is α' -Fe8N martensite), reaches 0.75 for Cr-seeded samples. Cr has a perfect lattice constant match with Fe16N2, and no noticeable strain can be assigned to Fe16N2. The intrinsic saturation magnetization of this non-strained Fe16N2 thin film at room temperature is determined to be 2.31 T by polarized neutron reflectometry and confirmed with vibrating sample magnetometry. Our work provides a platform to directly study the magnetic properties of high purity Fe16N2 films with a high order parameter.

Stability of low-carrier-density topological-insulator Bi2Se3 thin films and effect of capping layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salehi, Maryam; Brahlek, Matthew; Koirala, Nikesh; Moon, Jisoo; Oh, Seongshik; Wu, Liang; Armitage, N. P.

2015-01-01

Although over the past number of years there have been many advances in the materials aspects of topological insulators (TIs), one of the ongoing challenges with these materials is the protection of them against aging. In particular, the recent development of low-carrier-density bulk-insulating Bi 2 Se 3 thin films and their sensitivity to air demands reliable capping layers to stabilize their electronic properties. Here, we study the stability of the low-carrier-density Bi 2 Se 3 thin films in air with and without various capping layers using DC and THz probes. Without any capping layers, the carrier density increases by ∼150% over a week and by ∼280% over 9 months. In situ-deposited Se and ex situ-deposited poly(methyl methacrylate) suppress the aging effect to ∼27% and ∼88%, respectively, over 9 months. The combination of effective capping layers and low-carrier-density TI films will open up new opportunities in topological insulators

Thin Film Microbatteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudney, Nancy J.

2008-01-01

Thin film batteries are built layer by layer by vapor deposition. The resulting battery is formed of parallel plates, much as an ordinary battery construction, just much thinner. The figure (Fig. 1) shows an example of a thin film battery layout where films are deposited symmetrically onto both sides of a supporting substrate. The full stack of films is only 10 to 15 (micro)m thick, but including the support at least doubles the overall battery thickness. When the support is thin, the entire battery can be flexible. At least six companies have commercialized or are very close to commercializing such all-solid-state thin film batteries and market research predicts a growing market and a variety of applications including sensors, RFID tags, and smarter cards. In principle with a large deposition system, a thin film battery might cover a square meter, but in practice, most development is targeting individual cells with active areas less than 25 cm 2 . For very small battery areas, 2 , microfabrication processes have been developed. Typically the assembled batteries have capacities from 0.1 to 5 mAh. The operation of a thin film battery is depicted in the schematic diagram (Fig. 2). Very simply, when the battery is allowed to discharge, a Li + ion migrates from the anode to the cathode film by diffusing through the solid electrolyte. When the anode and cathode reactions are reversible, as for an intercalation compound or alloy, the battery can be recharged by reversing the current. The difference in the electrochemical potential of the lithium determines the cell voltage. Most of the thin films used in current commercial variations of this thin film battery are deposited in vacuum chambers by RF and DC magnetron sputtering and by thermal evaporation onto unheated substrates. In addition, many publications report exploring a variety of other physical and chemical vapor deposition processes, such as pulsed laser deposition, electron cyclotron resonance sputtering, and

Highly transparent and conductive double-layer oxide thin films as anodes for organic light-emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yu; Wang Lian; Yan He; Jin Shu; Marks, Tobin J.; Li Shuyou

2006-01-01

Double-layer transparent conducting oxide thin film structures containing In-doped CdO (CIO) and Sn-doped In 2 O 3 (ITO) layers were grown on glass by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and ion-assisted deposition (IAD), respectively, and used as anodes for polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). These films have a very low overall In content of 16 at. %. For 180-nm-thick CIO/ITO films, the sheet resistance is 5.6 Ω/□, and the average optical transmittance is 87.1% in the 400-700 nm region. The overall figure of merit (Φ=T 10 /R sheet ) of the double-layer CIO/ITO films is significantly greater than that of single-layer CIO, IAD-ITO, and commercial ITO films. CIO/ITO-based PLEDs exhibit comparable or superior device performance versus ITO-based control devices. CIO/ITO materials have a much lower sheet resistance than ITO, rendering them promising low In content electrode materials for large-area optoelectronic devices

Solution processed metal oxide thin film hole transport layers for high performance organic solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Steirer, K. Xerxes; Berry, Joseph J.; Chesin, Jordan P.; Lloyd, Matthew T.; Widjonarko, Nicodemus Edwin; Miedaner, Alexander; Curtis, Calvin J.; Ginley, David S.; Olson, Dana C.

2017-01-10

A method for the application of solution processed metal oxide hole transport layers in organic photovoltaic devices and related organic electronics devices is disclosed. The metal oxide may be derived from a metal-organic precursor enabling solution processing of an amorphous, p-type metal oxide. An organic photovoltaic device having solution processed, metal oxide, thin-film hole transport layer.

Feasibility of X-ray analysis of multi-layer thin films at a single beam voltage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Statham, P J

2010-01-01

Multi-layer analysis using electron beam excitation and X-ray spectrometry is a powerful tool for characterising layers down to 1 nm thickness and with typically 1 μm lateral resolution but does not always work. Most published applications have used WDS with many measurements at different beam voltages and considerable experience has been needed to choose lines and voltages particularly for complex multi-layer problems. A new objective mathematical approach is described which demonstrates whether X-ray analysis can obtain reliable results for an arbitrary multi-layer problem. A new algorithm embodied in 'ThinFilmID' software produces a single plot that shows feasibility of achieving results with a single EDS spectrum and suggests the optimal beam voltage. Synthesis of EDS spectra allows the precision in results to be estimated and acquisition conditions modified before wasting valuable instrument time. Thus, practicality of multi-layer thin film analysis at a single beam voltage can now be established without the extensive experimentation that was previously required by a microanalysis expert. Examples are shown where the algorithm discovers viable single-voltage conditions for applications that experts previously thought could only be addressed using measurements at more than one beam voltage.

Characterization of nanocrystalline cadmium telluride thin films ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

tion method, successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), are described. For deposition of CdTe thin films ... By conducting several trials optimization of the adsorption, reaction and rinsing time duration for CdTe thin film .... The electrical resistivity of CdTe films was studied in air. Figure 3 shows the variation of log ...

Investigation of Ultraviolet Light Curable Polysilsesquioxane Gate Dielectric Layers for Pentacene Thin Film Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Shibao, Hideto; Nakahara, Yoshio; Uno, Kazuyuki; Tanaka, Ichiro

2016-04-01

Polysilsesquioxane (PSQ) comprising 3-methacryloxypropyl groups was investigated as an ultraviolet (UV)-light curable gate dielectric-material for pentacene thin film transistors (TFTs). The surface of UV-light cured PSQ films was smoother than that of thermally cured ones, and the pentacene layers deposited on the UV-Iight cured PSQ films consisted of larger grains. However, carrier mobility of the TFTs using the UV-light cured PSQ films was lower than that of the TFTs using the thermally cured ones. It was shown that the cross-linker molecules, which were only added to the UV-light cured PSQ films, worked as a major mobility-limiting factor for the TFTs.

Atomic-Layer-Deposition of Indium Oxide Nano-films for Thin-Film Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Qian; Zheng, He-Mei; Shao, Yan; Zhu, Bao; Liu, Wen-Jun; Ding, Shi-Jin; Zhang, David Wei

2018-01-09

Atomic-layer-deposition (ALD) of In 2 O 3 nano-films has been investigated using cyclopentadienyl indium (InCp) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) as precursors. The In 2 O 3 films can be deposited preferentially at relatively low temperatures of 160-200 °C, exhibiting a stable growth rate of 1.4-1.5 Å/cycle. The surface roughness of the deposited film increases gradually with deposition temperature, which is attributed to the enhanced crystallization of the film at a higher deposition temperature. As the deposition temperature increases from 150 to 200 °C, the optical band gap (E g ) of the deposited film rises from 3.42 to 3.75 eV. In addition, with the increase of deposition temperature, the atomic ratio of In to O in the as-deposited film gradually shifts towards that in the stoichiometric In 2 O 3 , and the carbon content also reduces by degrees. For 200 °C deposition temperature, the deposited film exhibits an In:O ratio of 1:1.36 and no carbon incorporation. Further, high-performance In 2 O 3 thin-film transistors with an Al 2 O 3 gate dielectric were achieved by post-annealing in air at 300 °C for appropriate time, demonstrating a field-effect mobility of 7.8 cm 2 /V⋅s, a subthreshold swing of 0.32 V/dec, and an on/off current ratio of 10 7 . This was ascribed to passivation of oxygen vacancies in the device channel.

Relating performance of thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes to support layer formation and structure

KAUST Repository

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

2011-01-01

the technology to the point that it is commercially viable. Here, a systematic investigation of the influence of thin-film composite membrane support layer structure on forward osmosis performance is conducted. The membranes consist of a selective polyamide

Thin-Film layers with Interfaces that reduce RF Losses on High-Resistivity Silicon Substrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Evseev, S. B.; Milosavljevic, S.; Nanver, L. K.

2017-01-01

Radio-Frequency (RF) losses on High-Resistivity Silicon (HRS) substrates were studied for several different surface passivation layers comprising thin-films of SiC, SiN and SiO2 In many combinations, losses from conductive surface channels were reduced and increasing the number of interfaces between

Effect of solution concentration on MEH-PPV thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Affendi, I. H. H.; Sarah, M. S. P.; Alrokayan, Salman A. H.; Khan, Haseeb A.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

MEH-PPV thin films were prepared with a mixture of THF (tetrahydrofuran) solution deposited by spin coating method. The surface topology of MEH-PPV thin film were characterize by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical properties of absorption spectra were characterized by using Ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-Vis-NIR). The MEH-PPV concentration variation affects the surface and optical properties of the thin film where 0.5 mg/ml MEH-PPV concentration have a good surface topology provided the same film also gives the highest absorption coefficient were then deposited to a TiO2 thin film forming composite layer. The composite layer then shows low current flow of short circuit current of Isc = -5.313E-7 A.

High-performance a-IGZO thin-film transistor with conductive indium-tin-oxide buried layer

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Min-Ju; Cho, Won-Ju

2017-10-01

In this study, we fabricated top-contact top-gate (TCTG) structure of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a thin buried conductive indium-tin oxide (ITO) layer. The electrical performance of a-IGZO TFTs was improved by inserting an ITO buried layer under the IGZO channel. Also, the effect of the buried layer's length on the electrical characteristics of a-IGZO TFTs was investigated. The electrical performance of the transistors improved with increasing the buried layer's length: a large on/off current ratio of 1.1×107, a high field-effect mobility of 35.6 cm2/Vs, a small subthreshold slope of 116.1 mV/dec, and a low interface trap density of 4.2×1011 cm-2eV-1 were obtained. The buried layer a-IGZO TFTs exhibited enhanced transistor performance and excellent stability against the gate bias stress.

Thin pentacene layer under pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srnanek, R.; Jakabovic, J.; Kovac, J.; Donoval, D.; Dobrocka, E.

2011-01-01

Organic semiconductors have got a lot of interest during the last years, due to their usability for organic thin film transistor. Pentacene, C 22 H 14 , is one of leading candidates for this purpose. While we obtain the published data about pressure-induced phase transition only on single crystal of pentacene we present pressure-induced phase transition in pentacene thin layers for the first time. Changes in the pentacene structure, caused by the pressure, were detected by micro-Raman spectroscopy. Applying the defined pressure to the pentacene layer it can be transformed from thin phase to bulk phase. Micro-Raman spectroscopy was found as useful method for detection of changes and phases identification in the pentacene layer induced by mechanical pressure. Such a pressure-induced transformation of pentacene thin layers was observed and identified for the first time. (authors)

Optimization studies of HgSe thin film deposition by electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE)

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Venkatasamy, V

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Studies of the optimization of HgSe thin film deposition using electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE) are reported. Cyclic voltammetry was used to obtain approximate deposition potentials for each element. These potentials were then coupled...

ZnS nanostructured thin-films deposited by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deshmukh, S. G., E-mail: deshmukhpradyumn@gmail.com; Jariwala, Akshay; Agarwal, Anubha; Patel, Chetna; Kheraj, Vipul, E-mail: vipulkheraj@gmail.com [Department of Applied Physics, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Ichchhanath, Surat (India); Panchal, A. K. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Ichchhanath, Surat (India)

2016-04-13

ZnS thin films were grown on glass substrate using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique at room temperature. Aqueous solutions of ZnCl{sub 2} and Na{sub 2}S were used as precursors. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy and optical absorption measurements were applied to study the structural, surface morphology and optical properties of as-deposited ZnS thin films. The X-ray diffraction profiles revealed that ZnS thin films consist of crystalline grains with cubic phase. Spherical nano grains of random size and well covered on the glass substrate were observed from FESEM. The average grain size were found to be 77 nm, 100 nm and 124 nm for 20 cycles, 40 cycles and 60 cycles samples respectively. For 60 cycle sample, Raman spectra show two prominent peaks at 554 cm{sup −1} and 1094 cm{sup −1}. The optical band gap values were found to be 3.76 eV, 3.72 eV and 3.67 eV for 20 cycle, 40 cycle and 60 cycle samples respectively.

Two-dimensional models for the optical response of thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yilei; Heinz, Tony F.

2018-04-01

In this work, we present a systematic study of 2D optical models for the response of thin layers of material under excitation by normally incident light. The treatment, within the framework of classical optics, analyzes a thin film supported by a semi-infinite substrate, with both the thin layer and the substrate assumed to exhibit local, isotropic linear response. Starting from the conventional three-dimensional (3D) slab model of the system, we derive a two-dimensional (2D) sheet model for the thin film in which the optical response is described by a sheet optical conductivity. We develop criteria for the applicability of this 2D sheet model for a layer with an optical thickness far smaller than the wavelength of the light. We examine in detail atomically thin semi-metallic and semiconductor van-der-Waals layers and ultrathin metal films as representative examples. Excellent agreement of the 2D sheet model with the 3D slab model is demonstrated over a broad spectral range from the radio frequency limit to the near ultraviolet. A linearized version of system response for the 2D model is also presented for the case where the influence of the optically thin layer is sufficiently weak. Analytical expressions for the applicability and accuracy of the different optical models are derived, and the appropriateness of the linearized treatment for the materials is considered. We discuss the advantages, as well as limitations, of these models for the purpose of deducing the optical response function of the thin layer from experiment. We generalize the theory to take into account in-plane anisotropy, layered thin film structures, and more general substrates. Implications of the 2D model for the transmission of light by the thin film and for the implementation of half- and totally absorbing layers are discussed.

Solution-processed In2S3 buffer layer for chalcopyrite thin film solar cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Lan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We report a route to deposit In2S3 thin films from air-stable, low-cost molecular precursor inks for Cd-free buffer layers in chalcopyrite-based thin film solar cells. Different precursor compositions and processing conditions were studied to define a reproducible and robust process. By adjusting the ink properties, this method can be applied in different printing and coating techniques. Here we report on two techniques, namely spin-coating and inkjet printing. Active area efficiencies of 12.8% and 12.2% have been achieved for In2S3-buffered solar cells respectively, matching the performance of CdS-buffered cells prepared with the same batch of absorbers.

Effects of Doping Concentration on the Structural and Optical Properties of Spin-Coated In-doped ZnO Thin Films Grown on Thermally Oxidized ZnO Film/ZnO Buffer Layer/Mica Substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Byunggu; Leem, Jae-Young [Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of)

2017-01-15

ZnO buffer layers were deposited on mica substrates using a sol-gel spin coating method. Then, a thin film of metallic Zn was deposited onto the ZnO buffer layer/mica substrate using a thermal evaporator, and the deposited Zn thin films were then thermally oxidized in a furnace at 500 ℃ for 2 h in air. Finally, In-doped ZnO (IZO) thin films with different In concentrations were grown on the oxidized ZnO film/ZnO buffer layer/mica substrates using the sol-gel spin-coating method. All the IZO films showed ZnO peaks with similar intensities. The full width at half maximum values of the ZnO (002) peak for the IZO thin films decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at%, because the crystallinity of the films was enhanced. However, a further increase in the In concentration caused the crystal quality to degrade. This might be attributed to the fact that the higher In doping resulted in an increase in the number of ionized impurities. The Urbach energy (EU) values of the IZO thin film decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at % because of the enhanced crystal quality of the films. The EU values for the IZO thin films increased with the In concentration from 1 at%to 3 at%, reflecting the broadening of localized band tail state near the conduction band edge of the films.

Effects of Doping Concentration on the Structural and Optical Properties of Spin-Coated In-doped ZnO Thin Films Grown on Thermally Oxidized ZnO Film/ZnO Buffer Layer/Mica Substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Byunggu; Leem, Jae-Young

2017-01-01

ZnO buffer layers were deposited on mica substrates using a sol-gel spin coating method. Then, a thin film of metallic Zn was deposited onto the ZnO buffer layer/mica substrate using a thermal evaporator, and the deposited Zn thin films were then thermally oxidized in a furnace at 500 ℃ for 2 h in air. Finally, In-doped ZnO (IZO) thin films with different In concentrations were grown on the oxidized ZnO film/ZnO buffer layer/mica substrates using the sol-gel spin-coating method. All the IZO films showed ZnO peaks with similar intensities. The full width at half maximum values of the ZnO (002) peak for the IZO thin films decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at%, because the crystallinity of the films was enhanced. However, a further increase in the In concentration caused the crystal quality to degrade. This might be attributed to the fact that the higher In doping resulted in an increase in the number of ionized impurities. The Urbach energy (EU) values of the IZO thin film decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at % because of the enhanced crystal quality of the films. The EU values for the IZO thin films increased with the In concentration from 1 at%to 3 at%, reflecting the broadening of localized band tail state near the conduction band edge of the films.

Adjustable threshold-voltage in all-inkjet-printed organic thin film transistor using double-layer dielectric structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Wen-Jong; Lee, Chang-Hung; Hsu, Chun-Hao; Yang, Shih-Hsien; Lin, Chih-Ting

2013-01-01

An all-inkjet-printed organic thin film transistor (OTFT) with a double-layer dielectric structure is proposed and implemented in this study. By using the double-layer structure with different dielectric materials (i.e., polyvinylphenol with poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)), the threshold-voltage of OTFT can be adjusted. The threshold-voltage shift can be controlled by changing the composition of dielectric layers. That is, an enhancement-mode OTFT can be converted to a depletion-mode OTFT by selectively printing additional dielectric layers to form a high-k/low-k double-layer structure. The printed OTFT has a carrier mobility of 5.0 × 10 −3 cm 2 /V-s. The threshold-voltages of the OTFTs ranged between − 13 V and 10 V. This study demonstrates an additional design parameter for organic electronics manufactured using inkjet printing technology. - Highlights: • A double-layer dielectric organic thin film transistor, OTFT, is implemented. • The threshold voltage of OTFT can be configured by the double dielectric structure. • The composition of the dielectric determines the threshold voltage shift. • The characteristics of OTFTs can be adjusted by double dielectric structures

Stress reduction in tungsten films using nanostructured compliant layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karabacak, Tansel; Picu, Catalin R.; Senkevich, Jay J.; Wang, G.-C.; Lu, T.-M.

2004-01-01

The residual stress in thin films is a major limiting factor for obtaining high quality films. We present a strategy for stress reduction in sputter deposited films by using a nanostructured compliant layer obtained by the oblique angle deposition technique, sandwiched between the film and the substrate. The technique is all in situ, does not require any lithography steps, and the nanostructured layer is made from the same material as the deposited thin film. By using this approach we were able to reduce stress values by approximately one order of magnitude in sputter deposited tungsten films. These lower stress thin films also exhibit stronger adhesion to the substrate, which retards delamination buckling. This technique allows the growth of much thicker films and has enhanced structural stability. A model is developed to explain the stress relief mechanism and the stronger adhesion associated with the presence of the nanostructured compliant layer

Growth of Cu thin films by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindroos, S.; Ruuskanen, T.; Ritala, M.; Leskelae, M.

2004-01-01

Copper thin films were grown on reduced indium tin oxide, molybdenum and polymer substrates using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. Copper films were grown sequentially in a controlled way using simple copper salt and basic solution of formaldehyde as precursors. The copper films were polycrystalline with no preferred orientation as characterised by X-ray diffraction. On all substrates, the growth was clearly island growth in the beginning but after the whole surface was covered, the growth was more homogeneous

Granular and layered ferroelectric–ferromagnetic thin-film nanocomposites as promising materials with high magnetotransmission effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akbashev, A.R. [Department of Materials Science, Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow (Russian Federation); Telegin, A.V., E-mail: telegin@imp.uran.ru [M.N. Miheev Institute of Metal Physics of Ural Branch of RAS, 620990 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Kaul, A.R. [Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow (Russian Federation); Sukhorukov, Yu.P. [M.N. Miheev Institute of Metal Physics of Ural Branch of RAS, 620990 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation)

2015-06-15

Epitaxial thin films of granular and layered nanocomposites consisting of ferromagnetic perovskite Pr{sub 1–x}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3} and ferroelectric hexagonal LuMnO{sub 3} were grown on ZrO{sub 2}(Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) substrates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). A self-organized growth of the granular composite took place in situ as a result of phase separation of the Pr–Sr–Lu–Mn–O system into the perovskite and hexagonal phases. Optical transmission measurements revealed a large negative magnetotransmission effect in the layered nanocomposite over a wide spectral and temperature range. The granular nanocomposite unexpectedly showed an even larger, but positive, magnetotransmission effect at room temperature. - Highlights: • Thin-film ferromagnetic–ferroelectric nanocomposites have been prepared by MOCVD. • Giant change of optical transparency of nanocomposites in magnetic field was detected. • Positive magnetotransmission in the granular nanocomposite was discovered in the IR. • Negative magnetotransmission in the layered nanocomposite was revealed in the IR. • Ferroelectric–ferromangetic nanocomposite is a promising material for optoelectronics.

Granular and layered ferroelectric–ferromagnetic thin-film nanocomposites as promising materials with high magnetotransmission effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akbashev, A.R.; Telegin, A.V.; Kaul, A.R.; Sukhorukov, Yu.P.

2015-01-01

Epitaxial thin films of granular and layered nanocomposites consisting of ferromagnetic perovskite Pr 1–x Sr x MnO 3 and ferroelectric hexagonal LuMnO 3 were grown on ZrO 2 (Y 2 O 3 ) substrates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). A self-organized growth of the granular composite took place in situ as a result of phase separation of the Pr–Sr–Lu–Mn–O system into the perovskite and hexagonal phases. Optical transmission measurements revealed a large negative magnetotransmission effect in the layered nanocomposite over a wide spectral and temperature range. The granular nanocomposite unexpectedly showed an even larger, but positive, magnetotransmission effect at room temperature. - Highlights: • Thin-film ferromagnetic–ferroelectric nanocomposites have been prepared by MOCVD. • Giant change of optical transparency of nanocomposites in magnetic field was detected. • Positive magnetotransmission in the granular nanocomposite was discovered in the IR. • Negative magnetotransmission in the layered nanocomposite was revealed in the IR. • Ferroelectric–ferromangetic nanocomposite is a promising material for optoelectronics

Microcrystalline silicon carbide alloys prepared with HWCVD as highly transparent and conductive window layers for thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finger, F.; Astakhov, O.; Bronger, T.; Carius, R.; Chen, T.; Dasgupta, A.; Gordijn, A.; Houben, L.; Huang, Y.; Klein, S.; Luysberg, M.; Wang, H.; Xiao, L.

2009-01-01

Crystalline silicon carbide alloys have a very high potential as transparent conductive window layers in thin-film solar cells provided they can be prepared in thin-film form and at compatible deposition temperatures. The low-temperature deposition of such material in microcrystalline form (μc-Si:C:H) was realized by use of monomethylsilane precursor gas diluted in hydrogen with the Hot-Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition process. A wide range of deposition parameters has been investigated and the structural, electronic and optical properties of the μc-SiC:H thin films have been studied. The material, which is strongly n-type from unintentional doping, has been used as window layer in n-side illuminated microcrystalline silicon solar cells. High short-circuit current densities are obtained due to the high transparency of the material resulting in a maximum solar cell conversion efficiency of 9.2%.

Facing-target sputtering deposition of ZnO films with Pt ultra-thin layers for gas-phase photocatalytic application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhonghai; Hossain, Md. Faruk.; Arakawa, Takuya; Takahashi, Takakazu

2010-01-01

In this paper, various zinc oxide (ZnO) films are deposited by a versatile and effective dc-reactive facing-target sputtering method. The ratios of Ar to O 2 in the mixture gas are varied from 8:2 to 6:4 at a fixed sputtering pressure of 1.0 Pa. X-ray diffraction, spectrophotometer and scanning electron microscope are used to study the crystal structure, optical property and surface morphology of the as-deposited films. The Pt ultra-thin layer, ∼2 nm thick, is deposited on the surface of ZnO film by dc diode sputtering with a mesh mask controlling the coated area. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO films and Pt-ZnO films is evaluated by decomposition of methanol under UV-vis light irradiation. The variation of photocatalytic activity depends on the ratios of Ar to O 2 , which is mainly attributed to the different grain size and carrier mobility. Though the pure ZnO film normally shows a low gas-phase photocatalytic activity, its activity is significantly enhanced by depositing Pt ultra-thin layer.

Functional Layer-by-Layer Thin Films of Inducible Nitric Oxide (NO) Synthase Oxygenase and Polyethylenimine: Modulation of Enzyme Loading and NO-Release Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunasekera, Bhagya; Abou Diwan, Charbel; Altawallbeh, Ghaith; Kalil, Haitham; Maher, Shaimaa; Xu, Song; Bayachou, Mekki

2018-03-07

Nitric oxide (NO) release counteracts platelet aggregation and prevents the thrombosis cascade in the inner walls of blood vessels. NO-release coatings also prevent thrombus formation on the surface of blood-contacting medical devices. Our previous work has shown that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) films release NO fluxes upon enzymatic conversion of the substrate l-arginine. In this work, we report on the modulation of enzyme loading in layer-by-layer (LbL) thin films of inducible nitric oxide synthase oxygenase (iNOSoxy) on polyethylenimine (PEI). The layer of iNOSoxy is electrostatically adsorbed onto the PEI layer. The pH of the iNOSoxy solution affects the amount of enzyme adsorbed. The overall negative surface charge of iNOSoxy in solution depends on the pH and hence determines the density of adsorbed protein on the positively charged PEI layer. We used buffered iNOSoxy solutions adjusted to pHs 8.6 and 7.0, while saline PEI solution was used at pH 7.0. Atomic force microscopy imaging of the outermost layer shows higher protein adsorption with iNOSoxy at pH 8.6 than with a solution of iNOSoxy at pH 7.0. Graphite electrodes with PEI/iNOSoxy films show higher catalytic currents for nitric oxide reduction mediated by iNOSoxy. The higher enzyme loading translates into higher NO flux when the enzyme-modified surface is exposed to a solution containing the substrate and a source of electrons. Spectrophotometric assays showed higher NO fluxes with iNOSoxy/PEI films built at pH 8.6 than with films built at pH 7.0. Fourier transform infrared analysis of iNOSoxy adsorbed on PEI at pH 8.6 and 7.0 shows structural differences of iNOSoxy in films, which explains the observed changes in enzymatic activity. Our findings show that pH provides a strategy to optimize the NOS loading and enzyme activity in NOS-based LbL thin films, which enables improved NO release with minimum layers of PEI/NOS.

Magnetic characterisation of longitudinal thin film media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dova, P.

1998-09-01

Magnetic characterisation techniques, as applied to longitudinal thin film media, have been investigated. These included the study of the differentials of the remanence curves, the delta-M plot and the examination of the critical volumes. Several thin film structures, which are currently used or are being considered for future media applications, have been examined using these techniques. Most of the films were Co-alloys with the exception of a set of Barium ferrite films. Both monolayer and multilayer structures were studied. It was found that the study of activation volumes provides a better insight into the reversal mechanisms of magnetic media, especially in the case of complex structures such as multilayer films and films with bicrystal microstructure. Furthermore, an evaluation study of different methods of determining critical volumes showed that the method using time dependence measurements and the micromagnetic approach is the most appropriate. The magnetic characteristics of the thin film media under investigation were correlated with their microstructure and, where possible, with their noise performance. Magnetic force microscopy was also used for acquiring quasi-domain images in the ac-demagnetised state. It was found that in all Co-alloy films the dominant intergranular coupling is magnetising in nature, the level of which is governed by the Cr content in the magnetic layer. In the case of laminated media it was found that when non-magnetic spacers are used, the nature of the interlayer coupling depends on the spacer thickness. In double layer structures with no spacer, the top layer replicates the crystallographic texture of the bottom layer, and the overall film properties are a combination of the two layers. In bicrystal films the coupling is determined by the Cr segregation in the grain boundaries. Furthermore, the presence of stacking faults in bicrystal films deteriorates their thermal stability, but can be prevented by improving the epitaxial

Significant questions in thin liquid film heat transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bankoff, S.G.

1994-01-01

Thin liquid films appear in many contexts, such as the cooling of gas turbine blade tips, rocket engines, microelectronics arrays, and hot fuel element surfaces in hypothetical nuclear reactor accidents. Apart from these direct cooling applications of thin liquid layers, thin films form a crucial element in determining the allowable heat flux limits in boiling. This is because the last stages of dryout almost invariably involve the rupture of a residual liquid film, either as a microlayer underneath the bubbles, or a thin annular layer in a high-quality burnout scenario. The destabilization of these thin films under the combined actions of shear stress, evaporation, and thermocapillary effects is quite complex. The later stages of actual rupture to form dry regions, which then expand, resulting in possible overheating, are even more complex and less well understood. However, significant progress has been made in understanding the behavior of these thin films, which are subject to competing instabilities prior to actual rupture. This will be reviewed briefly. Recent work on the advance, or recession, of contact lines will also be described briefly, and significant questions that still remain to be answered will be discussed. 68 refs., 7 figs

Improved conductivity of infinite-layer LaNiO2 thin films by metal organic decomposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, Ai; Manabe, Takaaki; Naito, Michio

2013-01-01

Highlights: •LaNiO 2 films were synthesized by metal organic decomposition and topotactic reduction. •Room-temperature resistivity as low as 0.6 mΩ cm was achieved for infinite-layer LaNiO 2 . •Lattice matched substrates are important in obtaining high conductivity. -- Abstract: Infinite-layer LaNiO 2 thin films were synthesized by metal organic decomposition and subsequent topotactic reduction in hydrogen, and their transport properties were investigated. LaNiO 2 is isostructural to SrCuO 2 , the parent compound of high-T c Sr 0.9 La 0.1 CuO 2 with T c = 44 K, and has 3d 9 configuration, which is very rare in oxides but common to high-T c copper oxides. The bulk synthesis of LaNiO 2 is not easy, but we demonstrate in this article that the thin-film synthesis of LaNiO 2 is rather easy, thanks to a large-surface-to-volume ratio, which makes oxygen diffusion prompt. Our refined synthesis conditions produced highly conducting films of LaNiO 2 . The resistivity of the best film is as low as 640 μΩ cm at 295 K and decreases with temperature down to 230 K but it shows a gradual upturn at lower temperatures

Thin film characterization by resonantly excited internal standing waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Di Fonzio, S [SINCROTRONE TRIESTE, Trieste (Italy)

1996-09-01

This contribution describes how a standing wave excited in a thin film can be used for the characterization of the properties of the film. By means of grazing incidence X-ray reflectometry one can deduce the total film thickness. On the other hand in making use of a strong resonance effect in the electric field intensity distribution inside a thin film on a bulk substrate one can learn more about the internal structure of the film. The profile of the internal standing wave is proven by diffraction experiments. The most appropriate non-destructive technique for the subsequent thin film characterization is angularly dependent X-ray fluorescence analysis. The existence of the resonance makes it a powerful tool for the detection of impurities and of ultra-thin maker layers, for which the position can be determined with very high precision (about 1% of the total film thickness). This latter aspect will be discussed here on samples which had a thin Ti marker layer at different positions in a carbon film. Due to the resonance enhancement it was still possible to perform these experiments with a standard laboratory x-ray tube and with standard laboratory tool for marker or impurity detection in thin films.

ZnO nanostructures as electron extraction layers for hybrid perovskite thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolaidou, Katerina; Sarang, Som; Tung, Vincent; Lu, Jennifer; Ghosh, Sayantani

Optimum interaction between light harvesting media and electron transport layers is critical for the efficient operation of photovoltaic devices. In this work, ZnO layers of different morphologies are implemented as electron extraction and transport layers for hybrid perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 thin films. These include nanowires, nanoparticles, and single crystalline film. Charge transfer at the ZnO/perovskite interface is investigated and compared through ultra-fast characterization techniques, including temperature and power dependent spectroscopy, and time-resolved photoluminescence. The nanowires cause an enhancement in perovskite emission, which may be attributed to increased scattering and grain boundary formation. However, the ZnO layers with decreasing surface roughness exhibit better electron extraction, as inferred from photoluminescence quenching, reduction in the number of bound excitons, and reduced exciton lifetime in CH3NH3PbI3 samples. This systematic study is expected to provide an understanding of the fundamental processes occurring at the ZnO-CH3NH3PbI3 interface and ultimately, provide guidelines for the ideal configuration of ZnO-based hybrid Perovskite devices. This research was supported by National Aeronautics and Space administration (NASA) Grant No: NNX15AQ01A.

Influence of titanium-substrate roughness on Ca–P–O thin films grown by atomic layer deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ananda Sagari, A.R., E-mail: arsagari@gmail.com [Department of Physics, P.O. Box 35 (YFL), FIN-40014 University of Jyväskylä (Finland); Malm, Jari [Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto University, Espoo (Finland); Laitinen, Mikko [Department of Physics, P.O. Box 35 (YFL), FIN-40014 University of Jyväskylä (Finland); Rahkila, Paavo [Department of Biology of Physical Activity, P.O. Box 35, FIN-40014 University of Jyväskylä (Finland); Hongqiang, Ma [Department of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 35 (L), FIN-40014 University of Jyväskylä (Finland); Putkonen, Matti [Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto University, Espoo (Finland); Beneq Oy, P.O. Box 262, FI-01511 Vantaa (Finland); Karppinen, Maarit [Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto University, Espoo (Finland); Whitlow, Harry J.; Sajavaara, Timo [Department of Physics, P.O. Box 35 (YFL), FIN-40014 University of Jyväskylä (Finland)

2013-03-01

Amorphous Ca–P–O films were deposited on titanium substrates using atomic layer deposition, while maintaining a uniform Ca/P pulsing ratio of 6/1 with varying number of atomic layer deposition cycles starting from 10 up to 208. Prior to film deposition the titanium substrates were mechanically abraded using SiC abrasive paper of 600, 1200, 2000 grit size and polished with 3 μm diamond paste to obtain surface roughness R{sub rms} values of 0.31 μm, 0.26 μm, 0.16 μm, and 0.10 μm, respectively. The composition and film thickness of as-deposited amorphous films were studied using Time-Of-Flight Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis. The results showed that uniform films could be deposited on rough metal surfaces with a clear dependence of substrate roughness on the Ca/P atomic ratio of thin films. The in vitro cell-culture studies using MC3T3 mouse osteoblast showed a greater coverage of cells on the surface polished with diamond paste in comparison to rougher surfaces after 24 h culture. No statistically significant difference was observed between Ca–P–O coated and un-coated Ti surfaces for the measured roughness value. The deposited 50 nm thick films did not dissolve during the cell culture experiment. - Highlights: ► Atomic layer deposition of Ca–P–O films on abraded Ti substrate ► Surface analysis using Time-Of-Flight Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis ► Dependence of substrate roughness on the Ca/P atomic ratio of thin films ► An increase in Ca/P atomic ratio with decreasing roughness ► Mouse osteoblast showed greater coverage of cells in polished surface.

Preventing Thin Film Dewetting via Graphene Capping.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Peigen; Bai, Peter; Omrani, Arash A; Xiao, Yihan; Meaker, Kacey L; Tsai, Hsin-Zon; Yan, Aiming; Jung, Han Sae; Khajeh, Ramin; Rodgers, Griffin F; Kim, Youngkyou; Aikawa, Andrew S; Kolaczkowski, Mattew A; Liu, Yi; Zettl, Alex; Xu, Ke; Crommie, Michael F; Xu, Ting

2017-09-01

A monolayer 2D capping layer with high Young's modulus is shown to be able to effectively suppress the dewetting of underlying thin films of small organic semiconductor molecule, polymer, and polycrystalline metal, respectively. To verify the universality of this capping layer approach, the dewetting experiments are performed for single-layer graphene transferred onto polystyrene (PS), semiconducting thienoazacoronene (EH-TAC), gold, and also MoS 2 on PS. Thermodynamic modeling indicates that the exceptionally high Young's modulus and surface conformity of 2D capping layers such as graphene and MoS 2 substantially suppress surface fluctuations and thus dewetting. As long as the uncovered area is smaller than the fluctuation wavelength of the thin film in a dewetting process via spinodal decomposition, the dewetting should be suppressed. The 2D monolayer-capping approach opens up exciting new possibilities to enhance the thermal stability and expands the processing parameters for thin film materials without significantly altering their physical properties. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Enhanced Visible Transmittance of Thermochromic VO2 Thin Films by SiO2 Passivation Layer and Their Optical Characterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jung-Hoon Yu

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the preparation of high-quality vanadium dioxide (VO2 thermochromic thin films with enhanced visible transmittance (Tvis via radio frequency (RF sputtering and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD. VO2 thin films with high Tvis and excellent optical switching efficiency (Eos were successfully prepared by employing SiO2 as a passivation layer. After SiO2 deposition, the roughness of the films was decreased 2-fold and a denser structure was formed. These morphological changes corresponded to the results of optical characterization including the haze, reflectance and absorption spectra. In spite of SiO2 coating, the phase transition temperature (Tc of the prepared films was not affected. Compared with pristine VO2, the total layer thickness after SiO2 coating was 160 nm, which is an increase of 80 nm. Despite the thickness change, the VO2 thin films showed a higher Tvis value (λ 650 nm, 58% compared with the pristine samples (λ 650 nm, 43%. This enhancement of Tvis while maintaining high Eos is meaningful for VO2-based smart window applications.

Catalytic EC′ reaction at a thin film modified electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerbino, Leandro; Baruzzi, Ana M.; Iglesias, Rodrigo A.

2013-01-01

Numerical simulations of cyclic voltammograms corresponding to a catalytic EC′ reaction taking place at a thin film modified electrode are performed by way of finite difference method. Besides considering the chemical kinetic occurring inside the thin film, the model takes into account the different diffusion coefficients for each species at each of the involved phases, i.e. the thin film layer and bulk solution. The theoretical formulation is given in terms of dimensionless model parameters but a brief discussion of each of these parameters and their relationship to experimental variables is presented. Special emphasis is given to the use of working curve characteristics to quantify diffusion coefficient, homogeneous kinetic constant and thickness of the thin layer in a real system. Validation of the model is made by comparison of experimental results corresponding to the electron charge transfer of Ru(NH 3 ) 6 3+ /Ru(NH 3 ) 6 2+ hemi-couple at a thin film of a cross-linked chitosan film containing an immobilized redox dye

Determination of magnetic properties of multilayer metallic thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birlikseven, C.

2000-01-01

In recent year, Giant Magnetoresistance Effect has been attracting an increasingly high interest. High sensitivity magnetic field detectors and high sensitivity read heads of magnetic media can be named as important applications of these films. In this work, magnetic and electrical properties of single layer and thin films were investigated. Multilayer thin films were supplied by Prof. Dr. A. Riza Koeymen from Texas University. Multilayer magnetic thin films are used especially for magnetic reading and magnetic writing. storing of large amount of information into small areas become possible with this technology. Single layer films were prepared using the electron beam evaporation technique. For the exact determination of film thicknesses, a careful calibration of the thicknesses was made. Magnetic properties of the multilayer films were studied using the magnetization, magnetoresistance measurements and ferromagnetic resonance technique. Besides, by fitting the experimental results to the theoretical models, effective magnetization and angles between the ferromagnetic layers were calculated. The correspondence between magnetization and magnetoresistance was evaluated. To see the effect of anisotropic magnetoresistance in the magnetoresistance measurements, a new experimental set-up was build and measurements were taken in this set-up. A series of soft permalloy thin films were made, and temperature dependent resistivity, magnetoresistance, anisotropic magnetoresistance and magnetization measurements were taken

Chemical vapour deposition of thin-film dielectrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilev, Vladislav Yu; Repinsky, Sergei M

2005-01-01

Data on the chemical vapour deposition of thin-film dielectrics based on silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride and silicon dioxide and on phosphorus- and boron-containing silicate glasses are generalised. The equipment and layer deposition procedures are described. Attention is focussed on the analysis and discussion of the deposition kinetics and on the kinetic models for film growth. The film growth processes are characterised and data on the key physicochemical properties of thin-film covalent dielectric materials are given.

Electrosynthesis and characterization of ZnO nanoparticles as inorganic component in organic thin-film transistor active layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Picca, Rosaria Anna; Sportelli, Maria Chiara; Hötger, Diana; Manoli, Kyriaki; Kranz, Christine; Mizaikoff, Boris; Torsi, Luisa; Cioffi, Nicola

2015-01-01

Highlights: • PSS-capped ZnO NPs were synthesized via a green electrochemical-thermal method • The influence of electrochemical conditions and temperature was studied • Spectroscopic data show that PSS functionalities are retained in the annealed NPs • Nanostructured ZnO improved the performance of P3HT-based thin film transistors - Abstract: ZnO nanoparticles have been prepared via a green electrochemical synthesis method in the presence of a polymeric anionic stabilizer (poly-sodium-4-styrenesulfonate, PSS), and then applied as inorganic component in poly-3-hexyl-thiophene thin-film transistor active layers. Different parameters (i.e. current density, electrolytic media, PSS concentration, and temperature) influencing nanoparticle synthesis have been studied. The resulting nanomaterials have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and spectroscopic techniques (UV-Vis, infrared, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopies), assessing the most suitable conditions for the synthesis and thermal annealing of nanostructured ZnO. The proposed ZnO nanoparticles have been successfully coupled with a poly-3-hexyl-thiophene thin-film resulting in thin-film transistors with improved performance.

High-rate deposition of epitaxial layers for efficient low-temperature thin film epitaxial silicon solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oberbeck, L.; Schmidt, J.; Wagner, T.A.; Bergmann, R.B. [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Physical Electronics

2001-07-01

Low-temperature deposition of Si for thin-film solar cells has previously been hampered by low deposition rates and low material quality, usually reflected by a low open-circuit voltage of these solar cells. In contrast, ion-assisted deposition produces Si films with a minority-carrier diffusion length of 40 {mu}m, obtained at a record deposition rate of 0.8 {mu}m/min and a deposition temperature of 650{sup o}C with a prebake at 810{sup o}C. A thin-film Si solar cell with a 20-{mu}m-thick epitaxial layer achieves an open-circuit voltage of 622 mV and a conversion efficiency of 12.7% without any light trapping structures and without high-temperature solar cell process steps. (author)

Effects of buffer layer temperature on the magnetic properties of NdFeB thin film magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y.B.; Cho, S.H.; Kim, H.T.; Ryu, K.S.; Lee, S.H.; Lee, K.H.; Kapustin, G.A.

2004-01-01

Effects of the buffer layer temperature (T b ) on the magnetic properties and microstructure of [Mo/NdFeB/Mo]-type thin films have been investigated. The Mo-buffer layer with low T b is composed of fine grains while that with high T b has coarse grains. The subsequent NdFeB layer also grows with fine or coarse grains following the buffer layer structure. The NdFeB layer grown on a low T b buffer shows high coercivity and strong perpendicular anisotropy. The best magnetic properties of i H c =1.01 MA/m (12.7 kOe), B r =1.31 T (13.1 kG) and BH max =329 kJ/m 3 (41.4 MGOe) were obtained from the film with T b =400 deg. C

Atomic layer deposition of Al-incorporated Zn(O,S) thin films with tunable electrical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Helen Hejin; Jayaraman, Ashwin; Heasley, Rachel; Yang, Chuanxi; Hartle, Lauren; Gordon, Roy G.; Mankad, Ravin; Haight, Richard; Gunawan, Oki; Mitzi, David B.

2014-01-01

Zinc oxysulfide, Zn(O,S), films grown by atomic layer deposition were incorporated with aluminum to adjust the carrier concentration. The electron carrier concentration increased up to one order of magnitude from 10 19 to 10 20 cm −3 with aluminum incorporation and sulfur content in the range of 0 ≤ S/(Zn+Al) ≤ 0.16. However, the carrier concentration decreased by five orders of magnitude from 10 19 to 10 14 cm −3 for S/(Zn+Al) = 0.34 and decreased even further when S/(Zn+Al) > 0.34. Such tunable electrical properties are potentially useful for graded buffer layers in thin-film photovoltaic applications

Improved conductivity of infinite-layer LaNiO2 thin films by metal organic decomposition

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Ai; Manabe, Takaaki; Naito, Michio

2013-12-01

Infinite-layer LaNiO2 thin films were synthesized by metal organic decomposition and subsequent topotactic reduction in hydrogen, and their transport properties were investigated. LaNiO2 is isostructural to SrCuO2, the parent compound of high-Tc Sr0.9La0.1CuO2 with Tc = 44 K, and has 3d9 configuration, which is very rare in oxides but common to high-Tc copper oxides. The bulk synthesis of LaNiO2 is not easy, but we demonstrate in this article that the thin-film synthesis of LaNiO2 is rather easy, thanks to a large-surface-to-volume ratio, which makes oxygen diffusion prompt. Our refined synthesis conditions produced highly conducting films of LaNiO2. The resistivity of the best film is as low as 640 μΩ cm at 295 K and decreases with temperature down to 230 K but it shows a gradual upturn at lower temperatures.

Method for Aluminum Oxide Thin Films Prepared through Low Temperature Atomic Layer Deposition for Encapsulating Organic Electroluminescent Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui-Ying Li

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Preparation of dense alumina (Al2O3 thin film through atomic layer deposition (ALD provides a pathway to achieve the encapsulation of organic light emitting devices (OLED. Unlike traditional ALD which is usually executed at higher reaction n temperatures that may affect the performance of OLED, this application discusses the development on preparation of ALD thin film at a low temperature. One concern of ALD is the suppressing effect of ambient temperature on uniformity of thin film. To mitigate this issue, the pumping time in each reaction cycle was increased during the preparation process, which removed reaction byproducts and inhibited the formation of vacancies. As a result, the obtained thin film had both high uniformity and density properties, which provided an excellent encapsulation performance. The results from microstructure morphology analysis, water vapor transmission rate, and lifetime test showed that the difference in uniformity between thin films prepared at low temperatures, with increased pumping time, and high temperatures was small and there was no obvious influence of increased pumping time on light emitting performance. Meanwhile, the permeability for water vapor of the thin film prepared at a low temperature was found to reach as low as 1.5 × 10−4 g/(m2·day under ambient conditions of 25 °C and 60% relative humidity, indicating a potential extension in the lifetime for the OLED.

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.

Low temperature growth of gallium oxide thin films via plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

O'Donoghue, R.; Rechmann, J.; Aghaee, M.; Rogalla, D.; Becker, H.-W.; Creatore, M.; Wieck, A.D.; Devi, A.P.K.

2017-01-01

Herein we describe an efficient low temperature (60–160 °C) plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process for gallium oxide (Ga2O3) thin films using hexakis(dimethylamido)digallium [Ga(NMe2)3]2 with oxygen (O2) plasma on Si(100). The use of O2 plasma was found to have a significant

Conductance Thin Film Model of Flexible Organic Thin Film Device using COMSOL Multiphysics

Science.gov (United States)

Carradero-Santiago, Carolyn; Vedrine-Pauléus, Josee

We developed a virtual model to analyze the electrical conductivity of multilayered thin films placed above a graphene conducting and flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The organic layers of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) as a hole conducting layer, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT), as a p-type, phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and as n-type, with aluminum as a top conductor. COMSOL Multiphysics was the software we used to develop the virtual model to analyze potential variations and conductivity through the thin-film layers. COMSOL Multiphysics software allows simulation and modeling of physical phenomena represented by differential equations such as heat transfer, fluid flow, electromagnetism, and structural mechanics. In this work, using the AC/DC, electric currents module we defined the geometry of the model and properties for each of the six layers: PET/graphene/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT/PCBM/aluminum. We analyzed the model with varying thicknesses of graphene and active layers (P3HT/PCBM). This simulation allowed us to analyze the electrical conductivity, and visualize the model with varying voltage potential, or bias across the plates, useful for applications in solar cell devices.

The measuring technique developed to evaluate the thermal diffusivity of the multi-layered thin film specimens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Tse-Chang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the present study, the thermal diffusivities of the Al, Si and ITO films deposited on the SUS304 steel substrate are evaluated via the present technique. Before applying this technique, the temperature for the thin film of the multi-layered specimen is developed theoretically for the one- dimensional steady heat conduction in response to amplitude and frequency of the periodically oscillating temperature imposed by a peltier placed beneath the specimen's substrate. By the thermal-electrical data processing system excluding the lock-in amplifier, the temperature frequency a3 has been proved first to be independent of the electrical voltage applied to the peltier and the contact position of the thermocouples. The experimental data of phase difference for three kinds of specimen are regressed well by a straight line with a slope. Then, the thermal diffusivity of the thin film is thus determined if the slope value and the film- thickness are available. In the present arrangements for the thermocouples, two thermal diffusivity values are quite close each other and valid for every kind of specimen. This technique can provide an efficient, low-cost method for the thermal diffusivity measurements of thin films.

Study on the Preparation and Properties of Colored Iron Oxide Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Xianhui; Li Changhong; Liu Qiuping; He Junjing; Wang Hai; Liang Song; Duan Yandong; Liu Su

2013-01-01

Colored iron oxide thin films were prepared using Sol-gel technique. The raw materials were tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), etoh ehanol (EtOH), iron nitrate, and de-ionized water. Various properties were measured and analysed, including the colour of thin films, surface topography, UV-Visible spectra, corrosion resistance and hydrophobicity. To understand how these properties influenced the structural and optical properties of Fe 2 O 3 thin films, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), UV Spectrophotometer and other facilities were employed. Many parameters influence the performance of thin films, such as film layers, added H 2 O content, and the amount of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). When the volume ratio of TEOS, EtOH and H 2 O was 15: 13: 1, the quality of Fe(NO 3 ) 3 ·9H 2 O was 6g, and pH value was 3, reddish and uniform Fe 2 O 3 thin films with excellent properties were produced. Obtained thin films possessed corrosion resistance in hydrochloric acid with pH=l and the absorption edge wavelength was ∼350.2nm. Different H 2 O contents could result in different morphologies of Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles. When 1.5 ml PDMS was added into the Sol, thin films possessed hydrophobiliry without dropping. Coating with different layers, thin films appeared different morphologies. Meanwhile, with the increment of film layers, the absorbance increased gradually.

Characteristics of the surface layer of barium strontium titanate thin films deposited by laser ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craciun, V.; Singh, R. K.

2000-01-01

Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 TiO 3 (BST) thin films grown on Si by an in situ ultraviolet-assisted pulsed laser deposition (UVPLD) technique exhibited significantly higher dielectric constant and refractive index values and lower leakage current densities than films grown by conventional PLD under similar conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigations have shown that the surface layer of the grown films contained, besides the usual BST perovskite phase, an additional phase with Ba atoms in a different chemical state. PLD grown films always exhibited larger amounts of this phase, which was homogeneously mixed with the BST phase up to several nm depth, while UVPLD grown films exhibited a much thinner (∼1 nm) and continuous layer. The relative fraction of this phase was not correlated with the amount of C atoms present on the surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy did not find any BaCO 3 contamination layer, which was believed to be related to this new phase. X-ray diffraction measurement showed that although PLD grown films contained less oxygen atoms, the lattice parameter was closer to the bulk value than that of UVPLD grown films. After 4 keV Ar ion sputtering for 6 min, XPS analysis revealed a small suboxide Ba peak for the PLD grown films. This finding indicates that the average Ba-O bonds are weaker in these films, likely due to the presence of oxygen vacancies. It is suggested here that this new Ba phase corresponds to a relaxed BST surface layer. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Characteristics of the surface layer of barium strontium titanate thin films deposited by laser ablation

Science.gov (United States)

Craciun, V.; Singh, R. K.

2000-04-01

Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BST) thin films grown on Si by an in situ ultraviolet-assisted pulsed laser deposition (UVPLD) technique exhibited significantly higher dielectric constant and refractive index values and lower leakage current densities than films grown by conventional PLD under similar conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigations have shown that the surface layer of the grown films contained, besides the usual BST perovskite phase, an additional phase with Ba atoms in a different chemical state. PLD grown films always exhibited larger amounts of this phase, which was homogeneously mixed with the BST phase up to several nm depth, while UVPLD grown films exhibited a much thinner (˜1 nm) and continuous layer. The relative fraction of this phase was not correlated with the amount of C atoms present on the surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy did not find any BaCO3 contamination layer, which was believed to be related to this new phase. X-ray diffraction measurement showed that although PLD grown films contained less oxygen atoms, the lattice parameter was closer to the bulk value than that of UVPLD grown films. After 4 keV Ar ion sputtering for 6 min, XPS analysis revealed a small suboxide Ba peak for the PLD grown films. This finding indicates that the average Ba-O bonds are weaker in these films, likely due to the presence of oxygen vacancies. It is suggested here that this new Ba phase corresponds to a relaxed BST surface layer.

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.

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.

Selective UV–O3 treatment for indium zinc oxide thin film transistors with solution-based multiple active layer

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yu-Jung; Jeong, Jun-Kyo; Park, Jung-Hyun; Jeong, Byung-Jun; Lee, Hi-Deok; Lee, Ga-Won

2018-06-01

In this study, a method to control the electrical performance of solution-based indium zinc oxide (IZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) is proposed by ultraviolet–ozone (UV–O3) treatment on the selective layer during multiple IZO active layer depositions. The IZO film is composed of triple layers formed by spin coating and UV–O3 treatment only on the first layer or last layer. The IZO films are compared by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the results show that the atomic ratio of oxygen vacancy (VO) increases in the UV–O3 treatment on the first layer, while it decreases on last layer. The device characteristics of the bottom gated structure are also improved in the UV–O3 treatment on the first layer. This indicates that the selective UV–O3 treatment in a multi-stacking active layer is an effective method to optimize TFT properties by controlling the amount of VO in the IZO interface and surface independently.

Physics of thin films advances in research and development

CERN Document Server

Hass, Georg; Vossen, John L

2013-01-01

Physics of Thin Films: Advances in Research and Development, Volume 12 reviews advances that have been made in research and development concerning the physics of thin films. This volume covers a wide range of preparative approaches, physics phenomena, and applications related to thin films. This book is comprised of four chapters and begins with a discussion on metal coatings and protective layers for front surface mirrors used at various angles of incidence from the ultraviolet to the far infrared. Thin-film materials and deposition conditions suitable for minimizing reflectance changes with

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...

Laser damage properties of TiO2/Al2O3 thin films grown by atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Yaowei; Liu Hao; Sheng Ouyang; Liu Zhichao; Chen Songlin; Yang Liming

2011-01-01

Research on thin film deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) for laser damage resistance is rare. In this paper, it has been used to deposit TiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 films at 110 deg. C and 280 deg. C on fused silica and BK7 substrates. Microstructure of the thin films was investigated by x-ray diffraction. The laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of samples was measured by a damage test system. Damage morphology was studied under a Nomarski differential interference contrast microscope and further checked under an atomic force microscope. Multilayers deposited at different temperatures were compared. The results show that the films deposited by ALD had better uniformity and transmission; in this paper, the uniformity is better than 99% over 100 mm Φ samples, and the transmission is more than 99.8% at 1064 nm. Deposition temperature affects the deposition rate and the thin film microstructure and further influences the LIDT of the thin films. As to the TiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 films, the LIDTs were 6.73±0.47 J/cm 2 and 6.5±0.46 J/cm 2 at 110 deg. C on fused silica and BK7 substrates, respectively. The LIDTs at 110 deg. C are notably better than 280 deg. C.

Effect of active layer deposition temperature on the performance of sputtered amorphous In—Ga—Zn—O thin film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Jie; Shi Junfei; Dong Chengyuan; Chen Yuting; Zhou Daxiang; Hu Zhe; Zhan Runze; Zou Zhongfei

2014-01-01

The effect of active layer deposition temperature on the electrical performance of amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) is investigated. With increasing annealing temperature, TFT performance is firstly improved and then degraded generally. Here TFTs with best performance defined as ''optimized-annealed'' are selected to study the effect of active layer deposition temperature. The field effect mobility reaches maximum at deposition temperature of 150 °C while the room-temperature fabricated device shows the best subthreshold swing and off-current. From Hall measurement results, the carrier concentration is much higher for intentional heated a-IGZO films, which may account for the high off-current in the corresponding TFT devices. XPS characterization results also reveal that deposition temperature affects the atomic ratio and O1s spectra apparently. Importantly, the variation of field effect mobility of a-IGZO TFTs with deposition temperature does not coincide with the tendencies in Hall mobility of a-IGZO thin films. Based on the further analysis of the experimental results on a-IGZO thin films and the corresponding TFT devices, the trap states at front channel interface rather than IGZO bulk layer properties may be mainly responsible for the variations of field effect mobility and subthreshold swing with IGZO deposition temperature. (semiconductor devices)

High Performance Nano-Constituent Buffer Layer Thin Films to Enable Low Cost Integrated On-the-Move Communications Systems

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Cole, M. W; Nothwang, W. D; Hubbard, C; Ngo, E; Hirsch, S

2004-01-01

.... Utilizing a coplanar device design we successfully designed, fabricated, characterized, and optimized a high performance Ta2O5 thin film passive buffer layer on Si substrates, which will allow...

Significant Improvement of Organic Thin-Film Transistor Mobility Utilizing an Organic Heterojunction Buffer Layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Feng; Qian Xian-Rui; Huang Li-Zhen; Wang Hai-Bo; Yan Dong-Hang

2011-01-01

High-mobility vanadyl phthalocyanine (VOPc)/5,5‴-bis(4-fluorophenyl)-2,2':5',2″:5″,2‴-quaterthiophene (F2-P4T) thin-film transistors are demonstrated by employing a copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (F 16 CuPc)/copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) heterojunction unit, which are fabricated at different substrate temperatures, as a buffer layer. The highest mobility of 4.08cm 2 /Vs is achieved using a F 16 CuPc/CuPc organic heterojunction buffer layer fabricated at high substrate temperature. Compared with the random small grain-like morphology of the room-temperature buffer layer, the high-temperature organic heterojunction presents a large-sized fiber-like film morphology, resulting in an enhanced conductivity. Thus the contact resistance of the transistor is significantly reduced and an obvious improvement in device mobility is obtained. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

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)

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.

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.

Organic thin film transistors using a liquid crystalline palladium phthalocyanine as active layer

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez Tejada, Juan A.; Lopez-Varo, Pilar; Chaure, Nandu B.; Chambrier, Isabelle; Cammidge, Andrew N.; Cook, Michael J.; Jafari-Fini, Ali; Ray, Asim K.

2018-03-01

70 nm thick solution-processed films of a palladium phthalocyanine (PdPc6) derivative bearing eight hexyl (-C6H13) chains at non-peripheral positions have been employed as active layers in the fabrication of bottom-gate bottom-contact organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) deposited on highly doped p-type Si (110) substrates with SiO2 gate dielectric. The dependence of the transistor electrical performance upon the mesophase behavior of the PdPc6 films has been investigated by measuring the output and transfer characteristics of the OTFT having its active layer ex situ vacuum annealed at temperatures between 500 °C and 200 °C. A clear correlation between the annealing temperature and the threshold voltage and carrier mobility of the transistors, and the transition temperatures extracted from the differential scanning calorimetric curves for bulk materials has been established. This direct relation has been obtained by means of a compact electrical model in which the contact effects are taken into account. The precise determination of the contact-voltage drain-current curves allows for obtaining such a relation.

Structural properties 3,16-bis triisopropylsilylethynyl (pentacene) (TIPS-pentacene) thin films onto organic dielectric layer using slide coating method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rusnan, Fara Naila; Mohamad, Khairul Anuar; Seria, Dzul Fahmi Mohd Husin; Saad, Ismail; Ghosh, Bablu K.; Alias, Afishah [Nano Engineering & Materials (NEMs) Research Group, Faculty of Engineering Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400 Sabah (Malaysia)

2015-08-28

3,16-bis triisopropylsilylethynyl (Pentacene) (TIPS-Pentacene) compactable interface property is important in order to have a good arrangement of molecular structure. Comparison for TIPS-Pentacene deposited between two different surface layers conducted. 0.1wt% TIPS-Pentacene diluted in chloroform were deposited onto poly(methylmeaclyrate) (PMMA) layered transparent substrates using slide coating method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) used to determine crystallinity of thin films. Series of (00l) diffraction peaks obtained with sharp first peaks (001) for TIPS-Pentacene deposited onto PMMA layer at 5.35° and separation of 16.3 Å. Morphology and surface roughness were carried out using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and surface profilemeter LS500, respectively.TIPS-Pentacene deposited onto PMMA layer formed needled-like-shape grains with 10.26 nm surface roughness. These properties were related as thin film formed and its surface roughness plays important role towards good mobility devices.

Improved conductivity of infinite-layer LaNiO{sub 2} thin films by metal organic decomposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ikeda, Ai [Department of Applied Physics, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Naka-cho 2-24-16, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588 (Japan); Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (Japan); Manabe, Takaaki [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565 (Japan); Naito, Michio, E-mail: minaito@cc.tuat.ac.jp [Department of Applied Physics, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Naka-cho 2-24-16, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588 (Japan)

2013-12-15

Highlights: •LaNiO{sub 2} films were synthesized by metal organic decomposition and topotactic reduction. •Room-temperature resistivity as low as 0.6 mΩ cm was achieved for infinite-layer LaNiO{sub 2}. •Lattice matched substrates are important in obtaining high conductivity. -- Abstract: Infinite-layer LaNiO{sub 2} thin films were synthesized by metal organic decomposition and subsequent topotactic reduction in hydrogen, and their transport properties were investigated. LaNiO{sub 2} is isostructural to SrCuO{sub 2}, the parent compound of high-T{sub c} Sr{sub 0.9}La{sub 0.1}CuO{sub 2} with T{sub c} = 44 K, and has 3d{sup 9} configuration, which is very rare in oxides but common to high-T{sub c} copper oxides. The bulk synthesis of LaNiO{sub 2} is not easy, but we demonstrate in this article that the thin-film synthesis of LaNiO{sub 2} is rather easy, thanks to a large-surface-to-volume ratio, which makes oxygen diffusion prompt. Our refined synthesis conditions produced highly conducting films of LaNiO{sub 2}. The resistivity of the best film is as low as 640 μΩ cm at 295 K and decreases with temperature down to 230 K but it shows a gradual upturn at lower temperatures.

Atomic layer deposition of Al-incorporated Zn(O,S) thin films with tunable electrical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Helen Hejin; Jayaraman, Ashwin; Heasley, Rachel; Yang, Chuanxi; Hartle, Lauren; Gordon, Roy G., E-mail: gordon@chemistry.harvard.edu [Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States); Mankad, Ravin; Haight, Richard; Gunawan, Oki [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States); Mitzi, David B. [IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States); Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708 (United States)

2014-11-17

Zinc oxysulfide, Zn(O,S), films grown by atomic layer deposition were incorporated with aluminum to adjust the carrier concentration. The electron carrier concentration increased up to one order of magnitude from 10{sup 19} to 10{sup 20} cm{sup −3} with aluminum incorporation and sulfur content in the range of 0 ≤ S/(Zn+Al) ≤ 0.16. However, the carrier concentration decreased by five orders of magnitude from 10{sup 19} to 10{sup 14} cm{sup −3} for S/(Zn+Al) = 0.34 and decreased even further when S/(Zn+Al) > 0.34. Such tunable electrical properties are potentially useful for graded buffer layers in thin-film photovoltaic applications.

XPS-nanocharacterization of organic layers electrochemically grafted on the surface of SnO_2 thin films to produce a new hybrid material coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drevet, R.; Dragoé, D.; Barthés-Labrousse, M.G.; Chaussé, A.; Andrieux, M.

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: An innovative hybrid material layer is synthesized by combining two processes. SnO_2 thin films are deposited by MOCVD on Si substrates and an organic layer made of carboxyphenyl moieties is electrochemically grafted by the reduction of a diazonium salt. XPS characterizations are carried out to assess the efficiency of the electrochemical grafting. Display Omitted - Highlights: • An innovative hybrid material layer is synthesized by combining two processes. • SnO_2 thin films are deposited by MOCVD on Si substrates. • An organic layer is electrochemically grafted by the reduction of a diazonium salt. • The efficiency of the grafting is accurately assessed by XPS. • Three electrochemical grafting models are proposed. - Abstract: This work presents the synthesis and the characterization of hybrid material thin films obtained by the combination of two processes. The electrochemical grafting of organic layers made of carboxyphenyl moieties is carried out from the reduction of a diazonium salt on tin dioxide (SnO_2) thin films previously deposited on Si substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Since the MOCVD experimental parameters impact the crystal growth of the SnO_2 layer (i.e. its morphology and its texturation), various electrochemical grafting models can occur, producing different hybrid materials. In order to evidence the efficiency of the electrochemical grafting of the carboxyphenyl moieties, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) is used to characterize the first nanometers in depth of the synthesized hybrid material layer. Then three electrochemical grafting models are proposed.

Oxidation of ruthenium thin films using atomic oxygen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCoy, A.P.; Bogan, J.; Brady, A.; Hughes, G.

2015-12-31

In this study, the use of atomic oxygen to oxidise ruthenium thin films is assessed. Atomic layer deposited (ALD) ruthenium thin films (~ 3 nm) were exposed to varying amounts of atomic oxygen and the results were compared to the impact of exposures to molecular oxygen. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies reveal substantial oxidation of metallic ruthenium films to RuO{sub 2} at exposures as low as ~ 10{sup 2} L at 575 K when atomic oxygen was used. Higher exposures of molecular oxygen resulted in no metal oxidation highlighting the benefits of using atomic oxygen to form RuO{sub 2}. Additionally, the partial oxidation of these ruthenium films occurred at temperatures as low as 293 K (room temperature) in an atomic oxygen environment. - Highlights: • X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of the oxidation of Ru thin films • Oxidation of Ru thin films using atomic oxygen • Comparison between atomic oxygen and molecular oxygen treatments on Ru thin films • Fully oxidised RuO{sub 2} thin films formed with low exposures to atomic oxygen.

Structural, optical and electrical properties of quasi-monocrystalline silicon thin films obtained by rapid thermal annealing of porous silicon layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hajji, M.; Khardani, M.; Khedher, N.; Rahmouni, H.; Bessais, B.; Ezzaouia, H.; Bouchriha, H.

2006-01-01

Quasi-mono-crystalline silicon (QMS) layers have a top surface like crystalline silicon with small voids in the body. Such layers are reported to have a higher absorption coefficient than crystalline silicon at the interesting range of the solar spectrum for photovoltaic application. In this work we present a study of the structural, optical and electrical properties of quasimonocrystalline silicon thin films. Quasimonocrystalline silicon thin films were obtained from porous silicon, which has been annealed at a temperature ranging from 950 to 1050 deg. C under H 2 atmosphere for different annealing durations. The porous layers were prepared by conventional electrochemical anodization using a double tank cell and a HF / Ethanol electrolyte. Porous silicon is formed on highly doped p + -type silicon substrates that enable us to prevent back contacts for the anodization. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) was used to study the morphological quality of the prepared layers. Optical properties were extracted from transmission and reflectivity spectra. Dark I-V characteristics were used to determine the electrical conductivity of quasimonocrystalline silicon thin films. Results show an important improvement of the absorption coefficient of the material and electrical conductivity reaches a value of twenty orders higher than that of starting mesoporous silicon

High-permeance crosslinked PTMSP thin-film composite membranes as supports for CO2 selective layer formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stepan D. Bazhenov

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In the development of the composite gas separation membranes for post-combustion CO2 capture, little attention is focused on the optimization of the membrane supports, which satisfy the conditions of this technology. The primary requirements to the membrane supports are concerned with their high CO2 permeance. In this work, the membrane supports with desired characteristics were developed as high-permeance gas separation thin film composite (TFC membranes with the thin defect-free layer from the crosslinked highly permeable polymer, poly[1-(trimethylsilyl-1-propyne] (PTMSP. This layer is insoluble in chloroform and can be used as a gutter layer for the further deposition of the СО2-selective materials from the organic solvents. Crosslinking of PTMSP was performed using polyethyleneimine (PEI and poly (ethyleneglycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE as crosslinking agents. Optimal concentrations of PEI in PTMSP and PEGDGE in methanol were selected in order to diminish the undesirable effect on the final membrane gas transport characteristics. The conditions of the kiss-coating technique for the deposition of the thin defect-free PTMSP-based layer, namely, composition of the casting solution and the speed of movement of the porous commercial microfiltration-grade support, were optimized. The procedure of post-treatment with alcohols and alcohol solutions was shown to be crucial for the improvement of gas permeance of the membranes with the crosslinked PTMSP layer having thickness ranging within 1–2.5 μm. The claimed membranes showed the following characteristics: CO2 permeance is equal to 50–54 m3(STP/(m2 h bar (18,500–20,000 GPU, ideal CO2/N2 selectivity is 3.6–3.7, and their selective layers are insoluble in chloroform. Thus, the developed high-permeance TFC membranes are considered as a promising supports for further modification by enhanced CO2 selective layer formation. Keywords: Thin-film composite membrane

Bi-epitaxial YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} Thin Films on Tilted-axes NdGaO{sub 3} Substrates with CeO{sub 2} Seeding Layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mozhaev, P B [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, 117218, Moscow (Russian Federation); Mozhaeva, J E [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, 117218, Moscow (Russian Federation); Jacobsen, C S [Technical University of Denmark, Physics Department, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark (Denmark); Hansen, J Bindslev [Technical University of Denmark, Physics Department, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark (Denmark); Bdikin, I K [CICECO, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193 (Portugal); Luzanov, V A [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Moscow, 125009 (Russian Federation); Kotelyanskii, I M [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Moscow, 125009 (Russian Federation); Zybtsev, S G [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Moscow, 125009 (Russian Federation)

2006-06-01

Bi-epitaxial YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} (YBCO) thin films with out-of-plane tilt angle in the range 18 - 27{sup 0} were manufactured using pulsed laser deposition on NdGaO{sub 3} tilted-axes substrates with CeO{sub 2} seeding layers. The YBCO thin film orientation over the seeding layer depended on deposition conditions. Removal of the seeding layer from part of the substrate surface by ionbeam etching resulted in formation of a bi-epitaxial thin film with different c-axis orientation of two parts of the film. The bi-epitaxial film orientation and structure were studied using X-ray diffraction techniques, and surface morphology was observed with atomic force microscope (AFM). Photolithography and ion-beam etching techniques were used for patterning bi-epitaxial thin films. Electrical characterization of the obtained structures was performed.

Surface Passivation of Silicon Using HfO2 Thin Films Deposited by Remote Plasma Atomic Layer Deposition System.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Ying; Hsu, Chia-Hsun; Lien, Shui-Yang; Chen, Song-Yan; Huang, Wei; Yang, Chih-Hsiang; Kung, Chung-Yuan; Zhu, Wen-Zhang; Xiong, Fei-Bing; Meng, Xian-Guo

2017-12-01

Hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) thin films have attracted much attention owing to their usefulness in equivalent oxide thickness scaling in microelectronics, which arises from their high dielectric constant and thermodynamic stability with silicon. However, the surface passivation properties of such films, particularly on crystalline silicon (c-Si), have rarely been reported upon. In this study, the HfO 2 thin films were deposited on c-Si substrates with and without oxygen plasma pretreatments, using a remote plasma atomic layer deposition system. Post-annealing was performed using a rapid thermal processing system at different temperatures in N 2 ambient for 10 min. The effects of oxygen plasma pretreatment and post-annealing on the properties of the HfO 2 thin films were investigated. They indicate that the in situ remote plasma pretreatment of Si substrate can result in the formation of better SiO 2 , resulting in a better chemical passivation. The deposited HfO 2 thin films with oxygen plasma pretreatment and post-annealing at 500 °C for 10 min were effective in improving the lifetime of c-Si (original lifetime of 1 μs) to up to 67 μs.

Neutron reflectivity of electrodeposited thin magnetic films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, Joshaniel F.K.; Vyas, Kunal N.; Steinke, Nina-J.; Love, David M.; Kinane, Christian J.; Barnes, Crispin H.W.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Electrodeposited magnetic bi-layers were measured by polarised neutron reflectivity. • When growing a CoNiCu alloy from a single bath a Cu rich region is initially formed. • This Cu rich region is formed in the first layer but not subsequent ones. • Ni deposition is inhibited in thin film growth and Co deposits anomalously. • Alloy magnetism and neutron scattering length give a self-consistent model. - Abstract: We present a polarised neutron reflectivity (PNR) study of magnetic/non-magnetic (CoNiCu/Cu) thin films grown by single bath electrodeposition. We find that the composition is neither homogeneous with time, nor consistent with bulk values. Instead an initial, non-magnetic copper rich layer is formed, around 2 nm thick. This layer is formed by the deposition of the dilute, but rapidly diffusing, Cu 2+ ions near the electrode surface at the start of growth, before the region is depleted and the deposition becomes mass transport limited. After the region has been depleted, by growth etc., this layer does not form and thus may be prevented by growing a copper buffer layer immediately preceding the magnetic layer growth. As has been previously found, cobalt deposits anomalously compared to nickel, and even inhibits Ni deposition in thin films. The layer magnetisation and average neutron scattering length are fitted independently but both depend upon the alloy composition. Thus these parameters can be used to check for model self-consistency, increasing confidence in the derived composition

Self-assembled three-dimensional and compressible interdigitated thin-film supercapacitors and batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Nyström, Gustav; Marais, Andrew; Karabulut, Erdem; Wågberg, Lars; Cui, Yi; Hamedi, Mahiar M.

2015-01-01

Traditional thin-film energy-storage devices consist of stacked layers of active films on two-dimensional substrates and do not exploit the third dimension. Fully three-dimensional thin-film devices would allow energy storage in bulk materials with arbitrary form factors and with mechanical properties unique to bulk materials such as compressibility. Here we show three-dimensional energy-storage devices based on layer-by-layer self-assembly of interdigitated thin films on the surface of an open-cell aerogel substrate. We demonstrate a reversibly compressible three-dimensional supercapacitor with carbon nanotube electrodes and a three-dimensional hybrid battery with a copper hexacyanoferrate ion intercalating cathode and a carbon nanotube anode. The three-dimensional supercapacitor shows stable operation over 400 cycles with a capacitance of 25 F g−1 and is fully functional even at compressions up to 75%. Our results demonstrate that layer-by-layer self-assembly inside aerogels is a rapid, precise and scalable route for building high-surface-area 3D thin-film devices. PMID:26021485

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

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

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

KAUST Repository

Al-Jawhari, Hala A.; Caraveo-Frescas, Jesus Alfonso; Hedhili, Mohamed N.

2014-01-01

The effect of copper oxide layer thickness on the performance of Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors was investigated. By using sputtered Cu2O films produced at an oxygen partial pressure, Opp, of 10% as the upper layer and 3% Opp SnO films

X-ray scattering of calcite thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition: Studies in air and in calcite saturated water solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Peng [Lujan Neutron Scattering Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Hudak, Michael R.; Lerner, Allan [Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Grubbs, Robert K. [Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (United States); Wang, Shanmin [Lujan Neutron Scattering Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Zhang, Zhan; Karapetrova, Evguenia [Advance Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700S Cass Ave, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Hickmott, Donald [Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Majewski, Jaroslaw, E-mail: jarek@lanl.gov [Lujan Neutron Scattering Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)

2014-08-28

Carbonates are one of the most abundant groups of minerals in earth systems and are important in many geological settings and industrial processes. Calcite (CaCO{sub 3}) thin films produced by atomic layer deposition offer a method to evaluate the surficial properties of carbonates as well as interactions at the carbonate–fluid interface. Using synchrotron X-ray reflectivity and X-ray diffraction, these films are observed to be porous, polycrystalline, and have crystallites oriented with the major (104) calcite cleavage plane parallel to the surface of the z-cut single crystal quartz substrate. An Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} buffer layer, present between quartz and the calcite film, does not affect the as-deposited film, but does influence how the films reorganize in contact with fluid. Without a buffer layer, calcite reorients its crystallites to have populations of (006) and (030) parallel to the substrate, while those with an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} buffer layer become more amorphous. Amorphous films may represent an analog to amorphous calcium carbonate and provide insights into that material's thermophysical behavior. Due to a higher percentage of pore spaces available for fluid infiltration, films deposited at higher temperature make the calcite thin films more susceptible to amorphization. These films are chemically similar, but structurally dissimilar to bulk natural calcite. Nevertheless, they can be a complementary system to traditional single crystal X-ray surface scattering studies on carbonates, particularly for important but less common minerals, to evaluate mineral–fluid interfacial interactions. - Highlights: • Atomic layer deposition (ALD) used to produce calcite films. • Calcite film orientation and crystallinity depend on ALD parameters. • ALD calcite films can be both crystalline and amorphous. • Interaction of water with films can re-orient or amorphize the films. • ALD calcite films may be useful to study carbonate–fluid interfacial

X-ray scattering of calcite thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition: Studies in air and in calcite saturated water solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Peng; Hudak, Michael R.; Lerner, Allan; Grubbs, Robert K.; Wang, Shanmin; Zhang, Zhan; Karapetrova, Evguenia; Hickmott, Donald; Majewski, Jaroslaw

2014-01-01

Carbonates are one of the most abundant groups of minerals in earth systems and are important in many geological settings and industrial processes. Calcite (CaCO 3 ) thin films produced by atomic layer deposition offer a method to evaluate the surficial properties of carbonates as well as interactions at the carbonate–fluid interface. Using synchrotron X-ray reflectivity and X-ray diffraction, these films are observed to be porous, polycrystalline, and have crystallites oriented with the major (104) calcite cleavage plane parallel to the surface of the z-cut single crystal quartz substrate. An Al 2 O 3 buffer layer, present between quartz and the calcite film, does not affect the as-deposited film, but does influence how the films reorganize in contact with fluid. Without a buffer layer, calcite reorients its crystallites to have populations of (006) and (030) parallel to the substrate, while those with an Al 2 O 3 buffer layer become more amorphous. Amorphous films may represent an analog to amorphous calcium carbonate and provide insights into that material's thermophysical behavior. Due to a higher percentage of pore spaces available for fluid infiltration, films deposited at higher temperature make the calcite thin films more susceptible to amorphization. These films are chemically similar, but structurally dissimilar to bulk natural calcite. Nevertheless, they can be a complementary system to traditional single crystal X-ray surface scattering studies on carbonates, particularly for important but less common minerals, to evaluate mineral–fluid interfacial interactions. - Highlights: • Atomic layer deposition (ALD) used to produce calcite films. • Calcite film orientation and crystallinity depend on ALD parameters. • ALD calcite films can be both crystalline and amorphous. • Interaction of water with films can re-orient or amorphize the films. • ALD calcite films may be useful to study carbonate–fluid interfacial interactions

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

Ion beams as a means of deposition and in-situ characterization of thin films and thin film layered structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krauss, A.R.; Rangaswamy, M.; Gruen, D.M.; Lin, Y.P.; Schmidt, H.; Liu, Y.L.; Barr, T.; Chang, R.P.H.

1992-01-01

Ion beam-surface interactions produce many effects in thin film deposition which are similar to those encountered in plasma deposition processes. However, because of the lower pressures and higher directionality associated with the ion beam process, it is easier to avoid some sources of film contamination and to provide better control of ion energies and fluxes. Additional effects occur in the ion beam process because of the relatively small degree of thermalization resulting from gas phase collisions with both the ion beam and atoms sputtered from the target. These effects may be either beneficial or detrimental to the film properties, depending on the material and deposition conditions. Ion beam deposition is particularly suited to the deposition of multi-component films and layered structures, and can in principle be extended to a complete device fabrication process. However, complex phenomena occur in the deposition of many materials of high technical interest which make it desirable to monitor the film growth at the monolayer level. It is possible to make use of ion-surface interactions to provide a full suite of surface analytical capabilities in one instrument, and this data may be obtained at ambient pressures which are far too high for conventional surface analysis techniques. Such an instrument is under development and its current performance characteristics and anticipated capabilities are described

Study on the Hydrogenated ZnO-Based Thin Film Transistors. Part 1

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-30

growth of a- IGZO channel layers, but most of the devices exhibited enhancement-mode operation. The second approach studied the effect of hydrogenation of a... IGZO channel layers during post-annealing. Even though the device quality improved, depletion-mode operation was not achieved. Depletion-mode... IGZO film on the performance of thin film transistors 5 Chapter 2. Hydrogenation of a- IGZO channel layer in the thin film transistors 12

Thin film complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device using a single-step deposition of the channel layer

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.; Caraveo-Frescas, J. A.; Wang, Zhenwei; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Wang, Q. X.; Alshareef, Husam N.

2014-01-01

We report, for the first time, the use of a single step deposition of semiconductor channel layer to simultaneously achieve both n-and p-type transport in transparent oxide thin film transistors (TFTs). This effect is achieved by controlling

Ultra-Thin Atomic Layer Deposited TiN Films: Non-Linear I–V Behaviour and the Importance of Surface Passivation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Hao, B.; Aarnink, Antonius A.I.; Kovalgin, Alexeij Y.; Wolters, Robertus A.M.

2011-01-01

We report the electrical resistivity of atomic layer deposited TiN thin films in the thickness range 2.5-20 nm. The measurements were carried out using the circular transfer length method structures. For the films with thickness in the range of 10-20 nm, the measurements exhibited linear

Modification of erbium photoluminescence decay rate due to ITO layers on thin films of SiO{sub 2}:Er doped with Si-nanoclusters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wojdak, M., E-mail: m.wojdak@ucl.ac.uk [Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE (United Kingdom); Jayatilleka, H. [Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE (United Kingdom); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 10 King' s College Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G4 (Canada); Shah, M. [Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE (United Kingdom); Kenyon, A.J., E-mail: t.kenyon@ucl.ac.uk [Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE (United Kingdom); Gourbilleau, F.; Rizk, R. [Centre de Recherche sur les Ions, les Matériaux et la Photonique (CIMAP), ENSICAEN, CNRS, CEA/IRAMIS, Université de Caen, 14050 CAEN cedex (France)

2013-04-15

During the fabrication of MOS light emitting devices, the thin film of active material is usually characterized by photoluminescence measurements before electrical contacts are deposited. However, the presence of a conductive contact layer can alter the luminescent properties of the active material. The local optical density of states changes due to the proximity of luminescent species to the interface with the conductive medium (the top electrode), and this modifies the radiative rate of luminescent centers within the active layer. In this paper we report enhancement of the observed erbium photoluminescence rate after deposition of indium tin oxide contacts on thin films of SiO{sub 2}:Er containing silicon nanoclusters, and relate this to Purcell enhancement of the erbium radiative rate. -- Highlights: ► We studied photoluminescence of Er in SiO{sub 2} thin films doped with Si nanoclusters. ► Presence of ITO layer on the top enhances photoluminescence decay rate of Er. ► The effect depends on the thickness of active film. ► Radiative rate change in proximity of ITO layer was calculated theoretically. ► The calculation results are compared with the experiment and discussed.

Optical properties and defect levels in a surface layer found on CuInSe{sub 2} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abulfotuh, F.; Wangensteen, T.; Ahrenkiel, R.; Kazmerski, L.L. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

1996-05-01

In this paper the authors have used photoluminescence (PL) and wavelength scanning ellipsometry (WSE) to clarify the relationship among the electro-optical properties of copper indium diselenide (CIS) thin films, the type and origin of dominant defect states, and device performance. The PL study has revealed several shallow acceptor and donor levels dominating the semiconductor. PL emission from points at different depths from the surface of the CIS sample has been obtained by changing the angle of incidence of the excitation laser beam. The resulting data were used to determine the dominant defect states as a function of composition gradient at the surface of the chalcopyrite compound. The significance of this type of measurement is that it allowed the detection of a very thin layer with a larger bandgap (1.15-1.26 eV) than the CIS present on the surface of the CIS thin films. The presence of this layer has been correlated by several groups to improvement of the CIS cell performance. An important need that results from detecting this layer on the surface of the CIS semiconductor is the determination of its thickness and optical constants (n, k) as a function of wavelength. The thickness of this surface layer is about 500 {Angstrom}.

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

Infrared characterization of strontium titanate thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida, B.G.; Pietka, A.; Mendes, J.A.

2004-01-01

Strontium titanate thin films have been prepared at different oxygen pressures with various post-deposition annealing treatments. The films were deposited by pulsed laser ablation at room temperature on Si(0 0 1) substrates with a silica buffer layer. Infrared reflectance measurements were performed in order to determine relevant film parameters such as layer thicknesses and chemical composition. The infrared reflectance spectra were fitted by using adequate dielectric function forms for each layer. The fitting procedure provided the extraction of the dielectric functions of the strontium titanate film, the silica layer and the substrate. The as-deposited films are found to be amorphous, and their infrared spectra present peaks corresponding to modes with high damping constants. As the annealing time and temperature increases the strontium titanate layer becomes more ordered so that it can be described by its SrTiO 3 bulk mode parameters. Also, the silica layer grows along with the ordering of the strontium titanate film, due to oxidation during annealing

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-06-28

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

Releasing of Sputtered Au Film by Dissolving Sacrificial Layer and Its Self-Standing on Perforated Substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Miyamoto, Yu; Fujii, Yuma; Yamano, Masafumi; Harigai, Toru; Suda, Yoshiyuki; Takikawa, Hirofumi; Nishiuchi, Mamiko; Sakaki, Hironao; Kondo, Kiminori

2015-09-01

Free-standing thin films such as diamond-like carbon (DLC) and gold (Au) have been attracted increasing interests as film targets used in the laser-driven ion acceleration experiment. One of the methods to make the free-standing thin film is to use a soluble sacrifice layer. In this study, the fabrication technique of self-standing Au thin film is presented. Gelatin, oblate, silk fibroin, and NaCl were examined as a. Au thin films were deposited by DC plasma sputtering on sacrifice layers. The gelatin and oblate were used as the sacrificial layer and the supporting substrate. Silk fibroin was coated on glass substrates by a spin coater. The NaCl sacrificial layers were deposited on flat Si substrates by the vacuum vapor deposition system. Sputtered Au thin films were released by immersing the substrates in purified water. Self-standing Au thin films were fabricated by scooping up the released Au thin film on a perforated substrate. The highest quality of the self-standing Au thin film was achieved by using NaCl sacrificial layer. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research and Toukai Foundation for Technology.

Stabilized thin film heterostructure for electrochemical applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2015-01-01

The invention provides a method for the formation of a thin film multi-layered heterostructure upon a substrate, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a substrate; b. depositing a buffer layer upon said substrate, said buffer layer being a layer of stable ionic conductor (B); c. depos...

Nanomechanical Behavior of High Gas Barrier Multilayer Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Humood, Mohammad; Chowdhury, Shahla; Song, Yixuan; Tzeng, Ping; Grunlan, Jaime C; Polycarpou, Andreas A

2016-05-04

Nanoindentation and nanoscratch experiments were performed on thin multilayer films manufactured using the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique. These films are known to exhibit high gas barrier, but little is known about their durability, which is an important feature for various packaging applications (e.g., food and electronics). Films were prepared from bilayer and quadlayer sequences, with varying thickness and composition. In an effort to evaluate multilayer thin film surface and mechanical properties, and their resistance to failure and wear, a comprehensive range of experiments were conducted: low and high load indentation, low and high load scratch. Some of the thin films were found to have exceptional mechanical behavior and exhibit excellent scratch resistance. Specifically, nanobrick wall structures, comprising montmorillonite (MMT) clay and polyethylenimine (PEI) bilayers, are the most durable coatings. PEI/MMT films exhibit high hardness, large elastic modulus, high elastic recovery, low friction, low scratch depth, and a smooth surface. When combined with the low oxygen permeability and high optical transmission of these thin films, these excellent mechanical properties make them good candidates for hard coating surface-sensitive substrates, where polymers are required to sustain long-term surface aesthetics and quality.

Solid-state dewetting of single- and bilayer Au-W thin films: Unraveling the role of individual layer thickness, stacking sequence and oxidation on morphology evolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Herz

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Self-assembly of ultrathin Au, W, and Au-W bilayer thin films is investigated using a rapid thermal annealing technique in an inert ambient. The solid-state dewetting of Au films is briefly revisited in order to emphasize the role of initial film thickness. W films deposited onto SiO2 evolve into needle-like nanocrystals rather than forming particle-like agglomerates upon annealing at elevated temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that such nanocrystals actually consist of tungsten (VI oxide (WO3 which is related to an anisotropic oxide crystal growth out of the thin film. The evolution of W films is highly sensitive to the presence of any residual oxygen. Combination of both the dewetting of Au and the oxide crystal growth of WO3 is realized by using various bilayer film configurations of the immiscible Au and W. At low temperature, Au dewetting is initiated while oxide crystal growth is still suppressed. Depending on the stacking sequence of the Au-W bilayer thin film, W acts either as a substrate or as a passivation layer for the dewetting of Au. Being the ground layer, W changes the wettability of Au which clearly modifies its initial state for the dewetting. Being the top layer, W prevents Au from dewetting regardless of Au film thickness. Moreover, regular pattern formation of Au-WO3 nanoparticles is observed at high temperature demonstrating how bilayer thin film dewetting can create unique nanostructure arrangements.

Solid-state dewetting of single- and bilayer Au-W thin films: Unraveling the role of individual layer thickness, stacking sequence and oxidation on morphology evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herz, A., E-mail: andreas.herz@tu-ilmenau.de, E-mail: dong.wang@tu-ilmenau.de; Franz, A.; Theska, F.; Hentschel, M.; Kups, Th.; Wang, D., E-mail: andreas.herz@tu-ilmenau.de, E-mail: dong.wang@tu-ilmenau.de; Schaaf, P. [Department of Materials for Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Micro- and Nanotechnologies MacroNano, TU Ilmenau, D-98693 Ilmenau (Germany)

2016-03-15

Self-assembly of ultrathin Au, W, and Au-W bilayer thin films is investigated using a rapid thermal annealing technique in an inert ambient. The solid-state dewetting of Au films is briefly revisited in order to emphasize the role of initial film thickness. W films deposited onto SiO{sub 2} evolve into needle-like nanocrystals rather than forming particle-like agglomerates upon annealing at elevated temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that such nanocrystals actually consist of tungsten (VI) oxide (WO{sub 3}) which is related to an anisotropic oxide crystal growth out of the thin film. The evolution of W films is highly sensitive to the presence of any residual oxygen. Combination of both the dewetting of Au and the oxide crystal growth of WO{sub 3} is realized by using various bilayer film configurations of the immiscible Au and W. At low temperature, Au dewetting is initiated while oxide crystal growth is still suppressed. Depending on the stacking sequence of the Au-W bilayer thin film, W acts either as a substrate or as a passivation layer for the dewetting of Au. Being the ground layer, W changes the wettability of Au which clearly modifies its initial state for the dewetting. Being the top layer, W prevents Au from dewetting regardless of Au film thickness. Moreover, regular pattern formation of Au-WO{sub 3} nanoparticles is observed at high temperature demonstrating how bilayer thin film dewetting can create unique nanostructure arrangements.

Anomalous precipitation hardening in Al-(1 wt%)Cu thin films

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergers, L. J. C.; De Hosson, J. Th. M.; Geers, M. G. D.; Hoefnagels, J. P. M.

2018-01-01

This paper concentrates on the precipitation hardening of Al-(1 wt%)Cu thin films. It is shown that in contrast to bulk, the well-known approach of precipitation hardening in confined systems like thin layers and thin films does not operate in the conventional way. This work analyses and discusses

Effect of Ti seed and spacer layers on structure and magnetic properties of FeNi thin films and FeNi-based multilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Svalov, A.V., E-mail: andrey.svalov@ehu.es [Departamento de Electricidad y Electrónica, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), 48080 Bilbao (Spain); Department of Magnetism and Magnetic Nanomaterials, Ural Federal University, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Larrañaga, A. [SGIker, Servicios Generales de Investigación, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), 48080 Bilbao (Spain); Kurlyandskaya, G.V. [Departamento de Electricidad y Electrónica, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), 48080 Bilbao (Spain); Department of Magnetism and Magnetic Nanomaterials, Ural Federal University, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation)

2014-10-15

Highlights: • Fe{sub 19}Ni{sub 81} films and FeNi-based multilayers were prepared by magnetron sputtering. • The samples were deposited onto glass substrates at room temperature. • Ti/FeNi films exhibit good (1 1 1) texture and crystallinity. • The thick Cu seed increases the coercive force of the magnetic layer. • The thin Ti spacer restores the magnetic softness of the Cu/Ti/FeNi multilayers. - Abstract: The microstructure and magnetic properties of sputtered permalloy films and FeNi-based multilayers prepared by magnetron sputtering have been studied. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that Ti/FeNi films exhibit good (1 1 1) texture and crystallinity. Ti/FeNi bilayers with high crystallographic quality have relatively low resistivity. The Ti seed layer does not influence the magnetic properties of FeNi film in Ti/FeNi bilayers, but the thick Cu seed layer leads to an increase of the coercive force of the magnetic layer. For the FeNi films deposited on thick Cu seed layer, the (0 1 0) and (0 0 2) diffraction peaks of hcp nickel were clearly observed. The thin Ti spacer between Cu and FeNi layers prevents the formation of the nickel phase and restores the magnetic softness of the FeNi layer in the Cu/Ti/FeNi sample. Obtained results can be important for the development of multilayer sensitive elements for giant magnetoimpedance or magnetoresistance detectors.

Effect of dual-dielectric hydrogen-diffusion barrier layers on the performance of low-temperature processed transparent InGaZnO thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Tari, Alireza; Wong, William S.

2018-02-01

Dual-dielectric SiOx/SiNx thin-film layers were used as back-channel and gate-dielectric barrier layers for bottom-gate InGaZnO (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The concentration profiles of hydrogen, indium, gallium, and zinc oxide were analyzed using secondary-ion mass spectroscopy characterization. By implementing an effective H-diffusion barrier, the hydrogen concentration and the creation of H-induced oxygen deficiency (H-Vo complex) defects during the processing of passivated flexible IGZO TFTs were minimized. A bilayer back-channel passivation layer, consisting of electron-beam deposited SiOx on plasma-enhanced chemical vapor-deposition (PECVD) SiNx films, effectively protected the TFT active region from plasma damage and minimized changes in the chemical composition of the semiconductor layer. A dual-dielectric PECVD SiOx/PECVD SiNx gate-dielectric, using SiOx as a barrier layer, also effectively prevented out-diffusion of hydrogen atoms from the PECVD SiNx-gate dielectric to the IGZO channel layer during the device fabrication.

Epitaxial growth and characterization of CoO/Fe(001) thin film layered structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brambilla, A.; Sessi, P.; Cantoni, M.; Duo, L.; Finazzi, M.; Ciccacci, F.

2008-01-01

By means of X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction, we show that it is possible to grow good quality thin epitaxial CoO films on Fe(001) substrates, through deposition in oxygen atmosphere. In particular, the composition and the structure of CoO(001)/Fe(001) bilayer systems and Fe(001)/CoO(001)/Fe(001) trilayer systems have been investigated by monitoring the evolution of the chemical interactions at the interfaces as a function of CoO thickness and growth temperature. We observe the presence of Fe oxides at the CoO/Fe interface and of a thin layer of metallic cobalt at the upper Fe/CoO interface of trilayer systems

Electronic structure investigation of atomic layer deposition ruthenium(oxide) thin films using photoemission spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Michael; Schlaf, Rudy

2015-08-01

Analyzing and manipulating the electronic band line-up of interfaces in novel micro- and nanoelectronic devices is important to achieve further advancement in this field. Such band alignment modifications can be achieved by introducing thin conformal interfacial dipole layers. Atomic layer deposition (ALD), enabling angstrom-precise control over thin film thickness, is an ideal technique for this challenge. Ruthenium (Ru0) and its oxide (RuO2) have gained interest in the past decade as interfacial dipole layers because of their favorable properties like metal-equivalent work functions, conductivity, etc. In this study, initial results of the electronic structure investigation of ALD Ru0 and RuO2 films via photoemission spectroscopy are presented. These experiments give insight into the band alignment, growth behavior, surface structure termination, and dipole formation. The experiments were performed in an integrated vacuum system attached to a home-built, stop-flow type ALD reactor without exposing the samples to the ambient in between deposition and analysis. Bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)ruthenium(II) was used as precursor and oxygen as reactant. The analysis chamber was outfitted with X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (LIXPS, XPS). The determined growth modes are consistent with a strong growth inhibition situation with a maximum average growth rate of 0.21 Å/cycle for RuO2 and 0.04 Å/cycle for Ru.0 An interface dipole of up to -0.93 eV was observed, supporting the assumption of a strongly physisorbed interface. A separate experiment where the surface of a RuO film was sputtered suggests that the surface is terminated by an intermediate, stable, non-stoichiometric RuO2/OH compound whose surface is saturated with hydroxyl groups.

XPS-nanocharacterization of organic layers electrochemically grafted on the surface of SnO{sub 2} thin films to produce a new hybrid material coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drevet, R., E-mail: richarddrevet@yahoo.fr [Univ. Paris Sud, SP2M-ICMMO, CNRS UMR 8182, Bât. 410, 91405 Orsay Cedex (France); Université d’Evry Val d’Essonne, LAMBE, CNRS-CEA UMR 8587, Boulevard François Mitterrand, 91025 Evry Cedex (France); Dragoé, D.; Barthés-Labrousse, M.G. [Univ. Paris Sud, SP2M-ICMMO, CNRS UMR 8182, Bât. 410, 91405 Orsay Cedex (France); Chaussé, A. [Université d’Evry Val d’Essonne, LAMBE, CNRS-CEA UMR 8587, Boulevard François Mitterrand, 91025 Evry Cedex (France); Andrieux, M. [Univ. Paris Sud, SP2M-ICMMO, CNRS UMR 8182, Bât. 410, 91405 Orsay Cedex (France)

2016-10-30

Graphical abstract: An innovative hybrid material layer is synthesized by combining two processes. SnO{sub 2} thin films are deposited by MOCVD on Si substrates and an organic layer made of carboxyphenyl moieties is electrochemically grafted by the reduction of a diazonium salt. XPS characterizations are carried out to assess the efficiency of the electrochemical grafting. Display Omitted - Highlights: • An innovative hybrid material layer is synthesized by combining two processes. • SnO{sub 2} thin films are deposited by MOCVD on Si substrates. • An organic layer is electrochemically grafted by the reduction of a diazonium salt. • The efficiency of the grafting is accurately assessed by XPS. • Three electrochemical grafting models are proposed. - Abstract: This work presents the synthesis and the characterization of hybrid material thin films obtained by the combination of two processes. The electrochemical grafting of organic layers made of carboxyphenyl moieties is carried out from the reduction of a diazonium salt on tin dioxide (SnO{sub 2}) thin films previously deposited on Si substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Since the MOCVD experimental parameters impact the crystal growth of the SnO{sub 2} layer (i.e. its morphology and its texturation), various electrochemical grafting models can occur, producing different hybrid materials. In order to evidence the efficiency of the electrochemical grafting of the carboxyphenyl moieties, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) is used to characterize the first nanometers in depth of the synthesized hybrid material layer. Then three electrochemical grafting models are proposed.

Growth of Fe2O3 thin films by atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lie, M.; Fjellvag, H.; Kjekshus, A.

2005-01-01

Thin films of α-Fe 2 O 3 (α-Al 2 O 3 -type crystal structure) and γ-Fe 2 O 3 (defect-spinel-type crystal structure) have been grown by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique with Fe(thd) 3 (iron derivative of Hthd = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dione) and ozone as precursors. It has been shown that an ALD window exists between 160 and 210 deg. C. The films have been characterized by various techniques and are shown to comprise (001)-oriented columns of α-Fe 2 O 3 with no in-plane orientation when grown on soda-lime-glass and Si(100) substrates. Good quality films have been made with thicknesses ranging from 10 to 130 nm. Films grown on α-Al 2 O 3 (001) and MgO(100) substrates have the α-Fe 2 O 3 and γ-Fe 2 O 3 crystal structure, respectively, and consist of highly oriented columns with in-plane orientations matching those of the substrates

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.

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.

Physical characterization of Cu{sub 2}ZnGeSe{sub 4} thin films from annealing of Cu-Zn-Ge precursor layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buffière, M., E-mail: buffiere@imec.be [Imec—Partner in Solliance, Leuven (Belgium); Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), KU Leuven, Heverlee (Belgium); ElAnzeery, H. [Imec—Partner in Solliance, Leuven (Belgium); KACST-Intel Consortium Center of Excellence in Nano-manufacturing Applications (CENA), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia); Microelectronics System Design department, Nile University, Cairo (Egypt); Oueslati, S.; Ben Messaoud, K. [Imec—Partner in Solliance, Leuven (Belgium); KACST-Intel Consortium Center of Excellence in Nano-manufacturing Applications (CENA), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia); Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, El Manar (Tunisia); Brammertz, G.; Meuris, M. [Imec Division IMOMEC — Partner in Solliance, Diepenbeek (Belgium); Institute for Material Research (IMO) Hasselt University, Diepenbeek (Belgium); Poortmans, J. [Imec—Partner in Solliance, Leuven (Belgium); Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), KU Leuven, Heverlee (Belgium)

2015-05-01

Cu{sub 2}ZnGeSe{sub 4} (CZGeSe) can be considered as a potential alternative for wide band gap thin film devices. In this work, CZGeSe thin films were deposited on Mo-coated soda lime glass substrates by sequential deposition of sputtered Cu, Zn and e-beam evaporated Ge layers from elemental targets followed by annealing at high temperature using H{sub 2}Se gas. We report on the effect of the precursor stack order and composition and the impact of the annealing temperature on the physical properties of CZGeSe thin films. The optimal layer morphology was obtained when using a Mo/Cu/Zn/Ge precursor stack annealed at 460 °C. We have observed that the formation of secondary phases such as ZnSe can be prevented by tuning the initial composition of the stack, the stack order and the annealing conditions. This synthesis process allows synthesizing CZGeSe absorber with an optical band gap of 1.5 eV. - Highlights: • Cu{sub 2}ZnGeSe{sub 4} (CZGeSe) thin films were deposited using a two-step process. • CZGeSe dense layers were obtained using a Mo/Cu/Zn/Ge precursor annealed at 460 °C. • Formation of ZnSe can be avoided by tuning the composition and order of the initial stack. • P-type CZGeSe absorber with an optical band gap of 1.5 eV was obtained.

Theoretical investigation of electronic, magnetic and optical properties of Fe doped GaN thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salmani, E.; Mounkachi, O.; Ez-Zahraouy, H.; Benyoussef, A.; Hamedoun, M.; Hlil, E.K.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Magnetic and optical properties Fe-doped GaN thin films are studied using DFT. •The band gaps of GaN thin films are larger than the one of the bulk. •The layer thickness and acceptor defect can switch the magnetic ordering. -- Abstract: Using first principles calculations based on spin-polarized density functional theory, the magnetic and optical properties of GaN and Fe-doped GaN thin films with and without acceptor defect is studied. The band structure calculations show that the band gaps of GaN thin films with 2, 4 and 6 layers are larger than the one of the bulk with wurtzite structure and decreases with increasing the film thickness. In Fe doped GaN thin films, we show that layer of thickness and acceptor defect can switch the magnetic ordering from disorder local moment (DLM) to ferromagnetic (FM) order. Without acceptor defect Fe doped GaN exhibits spin glass phase in 4 layers form and ferromagnetic state for 2 layers form of the thin films, while it exhibits ferromagnetic phase with acceptor defect such as vacancies defect for 2 and 4 layers. In the FM ordering, the thin films is half-metallic and is therefore ideal for spin application. The different energy between ferromagnetic state and disorder local moment state was evaluated. Moreover, the optical absorption spectra obtained by ab initio calculations confirm the ferromagnetic stability based on the charge state of magnetic impurities

The effect of a thin silver layer on the critical current of epitaxial YBCO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polturak, E.; Koren, G.; Cohen, D.; Cohen, D.; Snapiro, I.

1992-01-01

We compare measurements of the critical current density of an epitaxial YBCO film with that of an identical film overlaid by a thin silver layer. We find that the presence of the silver lowers Tc of the film by about 1.5 K, which is two orders of magnitude larger than predicted by the theory of the proximity effect for our experimental conditions. In addition, J c of the Ag/YBCO film near Tc is also significantly lower than that of the bare YBCO film. We propose two alternate interpretations of this effect, one in terms of destabilization of the flux distribution in the film and the other making use of the effect of the silver on the Bean-Livingston surface barrier for the initial penetration of flux. The latter seems the more plausible explanation of our results. (orig.)

Infrared analysis of thin films: amorphous, hydrogenated carbon on silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacob, Wolfgang; Keudell, Achim von; Schwarz-Selinger, Thomas

2000-01-01

The infrared analysis of thin films on a thick substrate is discussed using the example of plasma-deposited, amorphous, hydrogenated carbon layers (a-C:H) on silicon substrates. The framework for the optical analysis of thin films is presented. The main characteristic of thin film optics is the occurrence of interference effects due to the coherent superposition of light multiply reflected at the various internal and external interfaces of the optical system. These interference effects lead to a sinusoidal variation of the transmitted and reflected intensity. As a consequence, the Lambert-Beer law is not applicable for the determination of the absorption coefficient of thin films. Furthermore, observable changes of the transmission and reflection spectra occur in the vicinity of strong absorption bands due to the Kramers-Kronig relation. For a sound data evaluation these effects have to be included in the analysis. To be able to extract the full information contained in a measured optical thin film spectrum, an experimentally measured spectrum has to be simulated using the full formalism including the Kramers-Kronig relation. Infrared absorption spectra and the resulting k spectra in the range of the CH vibrational bands around 3000 cm -1 are presented for a variety of a-C:H layers. The shape and the total intensity of the peak are quite sensitive to the film structure. Soft, polymerlike hydrocarbon layers are characterized by a well structured, intense IR absorption band, while hard, amorphous, hydrogenated carbon layers exhibit a structureless, broad IR absorption band with relative low intensity. The k spectra of the CH vibrational bands can be considered as fingerprint for the type of a-C:H film. (author)

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.

Electrical investigations of layer-by-layer films of carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palumbo, M; Lee, K U; Ahn, B T; Suri, A; Coleman, K S; Zeze, D; Wood, D; Pearson, C; Petty, M C

2006-01-01

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with anionic or cationic coatings have been prepared by exploiting the ability of certain surfactants to form a monolayer shell around the nanotube. The presence of electrically charged functional groups on the surface of the SWNT allows thin film deposition to proceed via the electrostatic layer-by-layer method. This self-assembly process was monitored using the quartz microbalance technique and Raman spectroscopy, while the morphology of the resulting thin layers was studied with atomic force microscopy. A variety of different architectures has been built up. In one arrangement, a single species of a modified SWNT (anionic or cationic) was alternated with a passive polymer to form a composite structure. A 'superlattice' architecture comprising alternating anionic and cationic modified nanotubes was also fabricated. The in-plane and out-of-plane dc conductivities of the films were measured at room temperature and contrasted with reference architectures (i.e. those containing no nanotubes). The results showed clearly that the incorporation of SWNTs into the multilayer assemblies provided electrically conductive thin films. It is suggested that the current versus voltage behaviour, particularly in the out-of-plane direction, is controlled by quantum mechanical tunnelling of carriers between the nanotubes

Ultraviolet optical properties of aluminum fluoride thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hennessy, John, E-mail: john.j.hennessy@jpl.nasa.gov; Jewell, April D.; Balasubramanian, Kunjithapatham; Nikzad, Shouleh [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109 (United States)

2016-01-15

Aluminum fluoride (AlF{sub 3}) is a low refractive index material with promising optical applications for ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths. An atomic layer deposition process using trimethylaluminum and anhydrous hydrogen fluoride has been developed for the deposition of AlF{sub 3} at substrate temperatures between 100 and 200 °C. This low temperature process has resulted in thin films with UV-optical properties that have been characterized by ellipsometric and reflection/transmission measurements at wavelengths down to 200 nm. The optical loss for 93 nm thick films deposited at 100 °C was measured to be less than 0.2% from visible wavelengths down to 200 nm, and additional microstructural characterization demonstrates that the films are amorphous with moderate tensile stress of 42–105 MPa as deposited on silicon substrates. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows no signature of residual aluminum oxide components making these films good candidates for a variety of applications at even shorter UV wavelengths.

Thin film electronic devices with conductive and transparent gas and moisture permeation barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Lin Jay

2013-12-17

A thin film stack (100, 200) is provided for use in electronic devices such as photovoltaic devices. The stack (100, 200) may be integrated with a substrate (110) such as a light transmitting/transmissive layer. A electrical conductor layer (120, 220) is formed on a surface of the substrate (110) or device layer such as a transparent conducting (TC) material layer (120,220) with pin holes or defects (224) caused by manufacturing. The stack (100) includes a thin film (130, 230) of metal that acts as a barrier for environmental contaminants (226, 228). The metal thin film (130,230) is deposited on the conductor layer (120, 220) and formed from a self-healing metal such as a metal that forms self-terminating oxides. A permeation plug or block (236) is formed in or adjacent to the thin film (130, 230) of metal at or proximate to the pin holes (224) to block further permeation of contaminants through the pin holes (224).

Building a Better Capacitor with Thin-Film Atomic Layer Deposition Processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pike, Christopher [North Seattle College, WA (United States)

2015-08-28

The goal of this research is to determine procedures for creating ultra-high capacity supercapacitors by using nanofabrication techniques and high k-value dielectrics. One way to potentially solve the problem of climate change is to switch the source of energy to a source that doesn’t release many tons of greenhouse gases, gases which cause global warming, into the Earth’s atmosphere. These trap in more heat from the Sun’s solar energy and cause global temperatures to rise. Atomic layer deposition will be used to create a uniform thin-film of dielectric to greatly enhance the abilities of our capacitors and will build them on the nanoscale.

Optical properties of CdS thin films by (SILAR) method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ates, A.; Gurbulak, B.; Yildirim, M.

2004-01-01

Full text: CdS thin film was grown by Successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique on quartz substrate. The film homogeneous of film is good and the film colour obtained as orange. Optical properties of CdS thin film has been investigated as a function of temperature in the temperature range 10-320 K with 10 K steps. The band gap energy decreased with increasing temperature

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.

Impact of active layer thickness of nitrogen-doped In–Sn–Zn–O films on materials and thin film transistor performances

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhi-Yue; Yang, Hao-Zhi; Chen, Sheng-Chi; Lu, Ying-Bo; Xin, Yan-Qing; Yang, Tian-Lin; Sun, Hui

2018-05-01

Nitrogen-doped indium tin zinc oxide (ITZO:N) thin film transistors (TFTs) were deposited on SiO2 (200 nm)/p-Si〈1 0 0〉 substrates by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The structural, chemical compositions, surface morphology, optical and electrical properties as a function of the active layer thickness were investigated. As the active layer thickness increases, Zn content decreases and In content increases gradually. Meanwhile, Sn content is almost unchanged. When the thickness of the active layer is more than 45 nm, the ITZO:N films become crystallized and present a crystal orientation along InN(0 0 2) plan. No matter what the thickness is, ITZO:N films always display a high transmittance above 80% in the visible region. Their optical band gaps fluctuate between 3.4 eV and 3.62 eV. Due to the dominance of low interface trap density and high carrier concentration, ITZO:N TFT shows enhanced electrical properties as the active layer thickness is 35 nm. Its field-effect mobility, on/off radio and sub-threshold swing are 17.53 cm2 V‑1 · s‑1, 106 and 0.36 V/dec, respectively. These results indicate that the suitable thickness of the active layer can enhance the quality of ITZO:N films and decrease the defects density of ITZO:N TFT. Thus, the properties of ITZO:N TFT can be optimized by adjusting the thickness of the active layer.

Thin Film Photovoltaic/Thermal Solar Panels

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

David JOHNSTON

2008-01-01

A solar panel is described.in which thin films of semiconductor are deposited onto a metal substrate.The semiconductor-metal combination forms a thin film photovoltaic cell,and also acts as a reflector,absorber tandem, which acts as a solar selective surface,thus enhancing the solar thermal performance of the collector plate.The use of thin films reduces the distance heat is required to flow from the absorbing surface to the metal plate and heat exchange conduits.Computer modelling demonstrated that,by suitable choice of materials,photovohaic efficiency call be maintained,with thermal performance slishtly reduced,compared to that for thermal-only panels.By grading the absorber layer-to reduce the band gap in the lower region-the thermal performance can be improved,approaching that for a thermal-only solar panel.

Ultra-thin Metal and Dielectric Layers for Nanophotonic Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shkondin, Evgeniy; Leandro, Lorenzo; Malureanu, Radu

2015-01-01

In our talk we first give an overview of the various thin films used in the field of nanophotonics. Then we describe our own activity in fabrication and characterization of ultra-thin films of high quality. We particularly focus on uniform gold layers having thicknesses down to 6 nm fabricated by......-beam deposition on dielectric substrates and Al-oxides/Ti-oxides multilayers prepared by atomic layer deposition in high aspect ratio trenches. In the latter case we show more than 1:20 aspect ratio structures can be achieved....

Nanostructured ZnO thin films prepared by sol–gel spin-coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heredia, E., E-mail: heredia.edu@gmail.com [UNIDEF (CONICET-MINDEF), J.B. de La Salle 4397, 1603 Villa Martelli, Pcia. de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Bojorge, C.; Casanova, J.; Cánepa, H. [UNIDEF (CONICET-MINDEF), J.B. de La Salle 4397, 1603 Villa Martelli, Pcia. de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Craievich, A. [Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, 66318 São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Kellermann, G. [Universidade Federal do Paraná, 19044 Paraná (Brazil)

2014-10-30

Highlights: • ZnO films synthesized by sol–gel were deposited by spin-coating on flat substrates. • Structural features of ZnO films with several thicknesses were characterized by means of different techniques. • The thicknesses of different ZnO thin films were determined by means of FESEM and AFM. • The nanoporous structures of ZnO thin films were characterized by GISAXS using IsGISAXS software. • The average densities of ZnO thin films were derived from (i) the critical angle in 1D XR patterns, (ii) the angle of Yoneda peak in 2D GISAXS images, (iii) minimization of chi2 using IsGISAXS best fitting procedure. - Abstract: ZnO thin films deposited on silica flat plates were prepared by spin-coating and studied by applying several techniques for structural characterization. The films were prepared by depositing different numbers of layers, each deposition being followed by a thermal treatment at 200 °C to dry and consolidate the successive layers. After depositing all layers, a final thermal treatment at 450 °C during 3 h was also applied in order to eliminate organic components and to promote the crystallization of the thin films. The total thickness of the multilayered films – ranging from 40 nm up to 150 nm – was determined by AFM and FESEM. The analysis by GIXD showed that the thin films are composed of ZnO crystallites with an average diameter of 25 nm circa. XR results demonstrated that the thin films also exhibit a large volume fraction of nanoporosity, typically 30–40 vol.% in thin films having thicknesses larger than ∼70 nm. GISAXS measurements showed that the experimental scattering intensity is well described by a structural model composed of nanopores with shape of oblate spheroids, height/diameter aspect ratio within the 0.8–0.9 range and average diameter along the sample surface plane in the 5–7 nm range.

Immobilization and controlled release of drug using plasma polymerized thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myung, Sung-Woon [Department of Dental Materials, School of Dentistry, MRC Center, Chosun University, 309 Pilmun-daero, Dong-gu, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Sang-Chul [Department of Environmental Engineering, Sunchon National University, Sunchon 540-742 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Byung-Hoon, E-mail: kim5055@chosun.ac.kr [Department of Dental Materials, School of Dentistry, MRC Center, Chosun University, 309 Pilmun-daero, Dong-gu, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-01

In this study, plasma polymerization of acrylic acid was employed to immobilize drug and control its release. Doxorubicin (DOX) was immobilized covalently on the glass surface deposited with plasma polymerized acrylic acid (PPAAc) thin film containing the carboxylic group. At first, the PPAAc thin film was coated on a glass surface at a pressure of 1.33 Pa and radio frequency (RF) discharge power of 20 W for 10 min. DOX was immobilized on the PPAAc deposition in a two environment of phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solutions. The DOX immobilized surface was characterized by scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The DOX molecules were more immobilized in PBS than DMSO solution. The different immobilization and release profiles of DOX result from the solubility of hydrophobic DOX in aqueous and organic solutions. Second, in order to control the release of the drug, PPAAc thin film was covered over DOX dispersed layer. Different thicknesses and cross-linked PPAAc thin films by adjusting deposition time and RF discharge power were covered on the DOX layer dispersed. PPAAc thin film coated DOX layer reduced the release rate of DOX. The thickness control of plasma deposition allows controlling the release rate of drug. - Highlights: • Doxorubicin was immobilized on the surface of plasma polymerized acrylic acid thin film. • Release profile of doxorubicin was affected by aqueous and organic solutions. • Plasma polymerized acrylic acid thin film can be used to achieve controlled release.

Immobilization and controlled release of drug using plasma polymerized thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myung, Sung-Woon; Jung, Sang-Chul; Kim, Byung-Hoon

2015-01-01

In this study, plasma polymerization of acrylic acid was employed to immobilize drug and control its release. Doxorubicin (DOX) was immobilized covalently on the glass surface deposited with plasma polymerized acrylic acid (PPAAc) thin film containing the carboxylic group. At first, the PPAAc thin film was coated on a glass surface at a pressure of 1.33 Pa and radio frequency (RF) discharge power of 20 W for 10 min. DOX was immobilized on the PPAAc deposition in a two environment of phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solutions. The DOX immobilized surface was characterized by scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The DOX molecules were more immobilized in PBS than DMSO solution. The different immobilization and release profiles of DOX result from the solubility of hydrophobic DOX in aqueous and organic solutions. Second, in order to control the release of the drug, PPAAc thin film was covered over DOX dispersed layer. Different thicknesses and cross-linked PPAAc thin films by adjusting deposition time and RF discharge power were covered on the DOX layer dispersed. PPAAc thin film coated DOX layer reduced the release rate of DOX. The thickness control of plasma deposition allows controlling the release rate of drug. - Highlights: • Doxorubicin was immobilized on the surface of plasma polymerized acrylic acid thin film. • Release profile of doxorubicin was affected by aqueous and organic solutions. • Plasma polymerized acrylic acid thin film can be used to achieve controlled release

Preparation and electrochemical properties of gold nanoparticles containing carbon nanotubes-polyelectrolyte multilayer thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Aimin; Zhang Xing; Zhang Haili; Han, Deyan; Knight, Allan R.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Gold nanoparticles containing carbon nanotubes-polyelectrolyte multilayer thin films were prepared via layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. → The electron transfer behaviour of the hybrid thin films were investigated using an electrochemical probe. → The resulting thin films exhibited an electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of nitric oxide. - Abstract: Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)/polyelectrolyte (PE) hybrid thin films were fabricated by alternatively depositing negatively charged MWCNT and positively charged (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) via layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique. The stepwise growth of the multilayer films of MWCNT and PDDA was characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images indicated that the MWCNT were uniformly embedded in the film to form a network and the coverage density of MWCNT increased with layer number. Au nanoparticles (NPs) could be further adsorbed onto the film to form PE/MWCNT/Au NPs composite films. The electron transfer behaviour of multilayer films with different compositions were studied by cyclic voltammetry using [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3-/4- as an electrochemical probe. The results indicated that the incorporation of MWCNT and Au NPs not only greatly improved the electronic conductivity of pure polyelectrolyte films, but also provided excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of nitric oxide (NO).

Buffer-layer enhanced crystal growth of BaB6 (1 0 0) thin films on MgO (1 0 0) substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Yushi; Yamauchi, Ryosuke; Arai, Hideki; Tan, Geng; Tsuchimine, Nobuo; Kobayashi, Susumu; Saeki, Kazuhiko; Takezawa, Nobutaka; Mitsuhashi, Masahiko; Kaneko, Satoru; Yoshimoto, Mamoru

2012-01-01

Crystalline BaB 6 (1 0 0) thin films can be fabricated on MgO (1 0 0) substrates by inserting a 2-3 nm-thick epitaxial SrB 6 (1 0 0) buffer layer by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in ultra-high vacuum (i.e., laser molecular beam epitaxy). Reflection high-energy electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction measurements indicated the heteroepitaxial structure of BaB 6 (1 0 0)/SrB 6 (1 0 0)/MgO (1 0 0) with the single domain of the epitaxial relationship. Conversely, BaB 6 thin films without the buffer layer were not epitaxial instead they developed as polycrystalline films with a random in-plane configuration and some impurity phases. As a result, the buffer layer is considered to greatly affect the initial growth of epitaxial BaB 6 thin films; therefore, in this study, buffering effects have been discussed. From the conventional four-probe measurement, it was observed that BaB 6 epitaxial thin films exhibit n-type semiconducting behavior with a resistivity of 2.90 × 10 -1 Ω cm at room temperature.

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.

Review of WO3 thin film preparation for photoelectrochemical water splitting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehsan Eftekhari; Mohammad Kassim

2009-01-01

Full text: Tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ), which is one of the most essential materials in our daily life has appeared as an excellent photo electrode material for environmental purification. The nano-size of WO 3 thin film water-splitting technology has great potential for environmentally friendly solar-hydrogen production for the future hydrogen economy. There are several methods for producing tungsten oxide film. In this review, we outlined several WO 3 thin film preparation methods such as doctor Bladding, sputtering, layer-by-layer brush painting, spray pyrolysis deposition, sol-gel and other methods. Here we compare the maximum photocurrent obtained, different condition for preparation of WO 3 thin film and characterization outcome. (author)

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

The Recovery of a Magnetically Dead Layer on the Surface of an Anatase (Ti,CoO2 Thin Film via an Ultrathin TiO2 Capping Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thantip S. Krasienapibal

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The effect of an ultrathin TiO2 capping layer on an anatase Ti0.95Co0.05O2−δ (001 epitaxial thin film on magnetism at 300 K was investigated. Films with a capping layer showed increased magnetization mainly caused by enhanced out-of-plane magnetization. In addition, the ultrathin capping layer was useful in prolonging the magnetization lifetime by more than two years. The thickness dependence of the magnetic domain structure at room temperature indicated the preservation of magnetic domain structure even for a 13 nm thick film covered with a capping layer. Taking into account nearly unchanged electric conductivity irrespective of the capping layer’s thickness, the main role of the capping layer is to prevent surface oxidation, which reduces electron carriers on the surface.

Growth, Properties and Applications of Mo Ox Thin-Films Deposited by Reactive Sputtering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandes Cauduro, André Luis

properties of metal-oxide thin films through surface defect engineering is vital to fine-tune their optoelectronic properties, and thus also their integration in novel optoelectronic devices. In this work, MoOx thin-films with various different phases and compositions were prepared by direct-current reactive...... molecules DBP and C70 are also covered in this work. The devices show interesting characteristics for very thin layers of the as-deposited MoOx films, displaying similar device efficiencies as those of in situ prepared MoOx thin-films formed from thermal evaporation. For the annealed MoOx films......Transition metal-oxide (TMOs) thin-films are commonly used in optoelectronic devices such as in photovoltaics and light emitting diodes, using both organic, inorganic and hybrid technologies. In such devices, TMOs typically act as an interfacial layer, where its functionality is to facilitate hole...

Enhanced electrochromic coloration in Ag nanoparticle decorated WO3 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kharade, Rohini R.; Mali, Sawanta S.; Patil, Satish P.; Patil, Kashinath R.; Gang, Myong G.; Patil, Pramod S.; Kim, Jin H.; Bhosale, Popatrao N.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Electrochromic WO 3 /Ag nanocomposites prepared by hybrid physico-chemical route. • XRD and XPS results confirm formation of Ag 8 W 4 O 16 phase. • WO 3 /Ag thin films showed good optical transmittance change and coloration efficiency. • SPR enhanced coloration and bleaching mechanism is well explained for electrochromism. • Color stimuli are quantified using CIE chromaticity principles. -- Abstract: WO 3 /Ag composite thin films were prepared by microwave assisted sol–gel synthesis (MW-SGS) of WO 3 followed by vacuum evaporation of Ag nanoparticles and their enhanced electrochromic coloration was investigated. The composition and morphology of WO 3 thin films with different thickness of Ag layer obtained by vacuum evaporation were investigated. Distinct plasmon absorption bands of Ag nanoparticle thin films were obtained. The optical band gap energy of WO 3 /Ag films decreased with increasing the Ag layer thickness. The surface of these films has been examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to gain information about the chemical states of species present at surfaces. Experimental results indicated that the conductivity of the films increased after surface modification by Ag layer. To investigate the origin of enhanced electrochromic absorption in optical properties, working electrode consisting of WO 3 /Ag thin film was used and observed the optical properties during electrochemical reaction. It was found that composite electrode shows enhancement in electrochromic properties in terms of optical modulation (ΔOD) and coloration efficiency (η)

Method for applying a thin film barrier stack to a device with microstructures, and device provided with such a thin film barrier stack

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2005-01-01

A method for applying a thin film barrier stack to a device with microstructures, such as, for instance, an OLED, wherein the thin film barrier stack forms a barrier to at least moisture and oxygen, wherein the stack is built up from a combination of org. and inorg. layers, characterized in that a

Electronic structure investigation of atomic layer deposition ruthenium(oxide) thin films using photoemission spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaefer, Michael, E-mail: mvschaefer@mail.usf.edu, E-mail: schlaf@mail.usf.edu [Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620 (United States); Schlaf, Rudy, E-mail: mvschaefer@mail.usf.edu, E-mail: schlaf@mail.usf.edu [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620 (United States)

2015-08-14

Analyzing and manipulating the electronic band line-up of interfaces in novel micro- and nanoelectronic devices is important to achieve further advancement in this field. Such band alignment modifications can be achieved by introducing thin conformal interfacial dipole layers. Atomic layer deposition (ALD), enabling angstrom-precise control over thin film thickness, is an ideal technique for this challenge. Ruthenium (Ru{sup 0}) and its oxide (RuO{sub 2}) have gained interest in the past decade as interfacial dipole layers because of their favorable properties like metal-equivalent work functions, conductivity, etc. In this study, initial results of the electronic structure investigation of ALD Ru{sup 0} and RuO{sub 2} films via photoemission spectroscopy are presented. These experiments give insight into the band alignment, growth behavior, surface structure termination, and dipole formation. The experiments were performed in an integrated vacuum system attached to a home-built, stop-flow type ALD reactor without exposing the samples to the ambient in between deposition and analysis. Bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)ruthenium(II) was used as precursor and oxygen as reactant. The analysis chamber was outfitted with X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (LIXPS, XPS). The determined growth modes are consistent with a strong growth inhibition situation with a maximum average growth rate of 0.21 Å/cycle for RuO{sub 2} and 0.04 Å/cycle for Ru.{sup 0} An interface dipole of up to −0.93 eV was observed, supporting the assumption of a strongly physisorbed interface. A separate experiment where the surface of a RuO film was sputtered suggests that the surface is terminated by an intermediate, stable, non-stoichiometric RuO{sub 2}/OH compound whose surface is saturated with hydroxyl groups.

Electronic structure investigation of atomic layer deposition ruthenium(oxide) thin films using photoemission spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaefer, Michael; Schlaf, Rudy

2015-01-01

Analyzing and manipulating the electronic band line-up of interfaces in novel micro- and nanoelectronic devices is important to achieve further advancement in this field. Such band alignment modifications can be achieved by introducing thin conformal interfacial dipole layers. Atomic layer deposition (ALD), enabling angstrom-precise control over thin film thickness, is an ideal technique for this challenge. Ruthenium (Ru 0 ) and its oxide (RuO 2 ) have gained interest in the past decade as interfacial dipole layers because of their favorable properties like metal-equivalent work functions, conductivity, etc. In this study, initial results of the electronic structure investigation of ALD Ru 0 and RuO 2 films via photoemission spectroscopy are presented. These experiments give insight into the band alignment, growth behavior, surface structure termination, and dipole formation. The experiments were performed in an integrated vacuum system attached to a home-built, stop-flow type ALD reactor without exposing the samples to the ambient in between deposition and analysis. Bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)ruthenium(II) was used as precursor and oxygen as reactant. The analysis chamber was outfitted with X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (LIXPS, XPS). The determined growth modes are consistent with a strong growth inhibition situation with a maximum average growth rate of 0.21 Å/cycle for RuO 2 and 0.04 Å/cycle for Ru. 0 An interface dipole of up to −0.93 eV was observed, supporting the assumption of a strongly physisorbed interface. A separate experiment where the surface of a RuO film was sputtered suggests that the surface is terminated by an intermediate, stable, non-stoichiometric RuO 2 /OH compound whose surface is saturated with hydroxyl groups

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 ...

Thin-film limit formalism applied to surface defect absorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Holovský, Jakub; Ballif, Christophe

2014-12-15

The thin-film limit is derived by a nonconventional approach and equations for transmittance, reflectance and absorptance are presented in highly versatile and accurate form. In the thin-film limit the optical properties do not depend on the absorption coefficient, thickness and refractive index individually, but only on their product. We show that this formalism is applicable to the problem of ultrathin defective layer e.g. on a top of a layer of amorphous silicon. We develop a new method of direct evaluation of the surface defective layer and the bulk defects. Applying this method to amorphous silicon on glass, we show that the surface defective layer differs from bulk amorphous silicon in terms of light soaking.

Thin film pc-Si by aluminium induced crystallization on metallic substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cayron C.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Thin film polycrystalline silicon (pc-Si on flexible metallic substrates is promising for low cost production of photovoltaic solar cells. One of the attractive methods to produce pc-Si solar cells consists in thickening a large-grained seed layer by epitaxy. In this work, the deposited seed layer is made by aluminium induced crystallization (AIC of an amorphous silicon (a-Si thin film on metallic substrates (Ni/Fe alloy initially coated with a tantalum nitride (TaN conductive diffusion barrier layer. Effect of the thermal budget on the AIC grown pc-Si seed layer was investigated in order to optimize the process (i.e. the quality of the pc-Si thin film. Structural and optical characterizations were carried out using optical microscopy, μ-Raman and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD. At optimal thermal annealing conditions, the continuous AIC grown pc-Si thin film showed an average grain size around 15 μm. The grains were preferably (001 oriented which is favorable for its epitaxial thickening. This work proves the feasibility of the AIC method to grow large grains pc-Si seed layer on TaN coated metal substrates. These results are, in terms of grains size, the finest obtained by AIC on metallic substrates.

Breakthrough to Non-Vacuum Deposition of Single-Crystal, Ultra-Thin, Homogeneous Nanoparticle Layers: A Better Alternative to Chemical Bath Deposition and Atomic Layer Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Kuang Liao

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Most thin-film techniques require a multiple vacuum process, and cannot produce high-coverage continuous thin films with the thickness of a few nanometers on rough surfaces. We present a new ”paradigm shift” non-vacuum process to deposit high-quality, ultra-thin, single-crystal layers of coalesced sulfide nanoparticles (NPs with controllable thickness down to a few nanometers, based on thermal decomposition. This provides high-coverage, homogeneous thickness, and large-area deposition over a rough surface, with little material loss or liquid chemical waste, and deposition rates of 10 nm/min. This technique can potentially replace conventional thin-film deposition methods, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD and chemical bath deposition (CBD as used by the Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS thin-film solar cell industry for decades. We demonstrate 32% improvement of CIGS thin-film solar cell efficiency in comparison to reference devices prepared by conventional CBD deposition method by depositing the ZnS NPs buffer layer using the new process. The new ZnS NPs layer allows reduction of an intrinsic ZnO layer, which can lead to severe shunt leakage in case of a CBD buffer layer. This leads to a 65% relative efficiency increase.

Wet chemical preparation of YVO{sub 4}:Eu thin films as red-emitting phosphor layers for fully transparent flat dielectric discharge lamp

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klausch, A. [Institute for Inorganic Chemistry, Dresden University of Technology, Mommsenstr. 6, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Althues, H. [Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology Winterbergstr. 28, 01309 Dresden (Germany); Freudenberg, T. [Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, Helmholtzstrasse 20, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Kaskel, S., E-mail: Stefan.Kaskel@chemie.tu-dresden.de [Institute for Inorganic Chemistry, Dresden University of Technology, Mommsenstr. 6, 01069 Dresden (Germany)

2012-04-30

Highly transparent YVO{sub 4}:Eu thin films were deposited via dip coating of liquid nanoparticle dispersions on glass substrates. Annealing of the nanoparticle layers resulted in restructuring of the material into oriented crystalline films. The crystallinity was confirmed using powder X-ray diffraction. Film thickness was adjusted to 467 nm by multiple deposition. The resulting coatings show > 99% absorbance for wavelength below 300 nm and > 90% transmission in the visible spectral range. Under UV-light excitation a bright red photoluminescence with a quantum efficiency of 20% is observed. A planar, transparent dielectric barrier discharge lamp was constructed using YVO{sub 4}:Eu coated glasses and transparent electrodes made from antimony-doped tin dioxide thin films. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Preparation of highly transparent Eu{sup 3+} doped YVO{sub 4} phosphor thin films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Improved crystallinity and optical properties through heat treatment. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Red emitting films on glass substrates were combined with antimony tin oxide thin films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fully transparent, planar gas discharge lamp as prototype for a light emitting window.

Electrochemical preparation of poly(methylene blue)/graphene nanocomposite thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erçarıkcı, Elif; Dağcı, Kader; Topçu, Ezgi; Alanyalıoğlu, Murat

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Poly(MB)/graphene thin films are prepared by a simple electrochemical approach. • Graphene layers in the film show a broad band in visible region of absorbance spectra. • Morphology of composite films indicates both disordered and ordered regions. • XRD reveals that nanocomposite films include rGO layers after electropolymerization process. • Chemically prepared graphene is better than electrochemically prepared graphene for electrooxidation of nitrite. - Abstract: Poly(methylene blue)/graphene nanocomposite thin films were prepared by electropolymerization of methylene blue in the presence of graphene which have been synthesized by two different methods of a chemical oxidation process and an electrochemical approach. Synthesized nanocomposite thin films were characterized by using cyclic voltammetry, UV–vis. absorption spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and scanning tunneling microscopy techniques. Electrocatalytical properties of prepared poly(methylene blue)/graphene nanocomposite films were compared toward electrochemical oxidation of nitrite. Under optimized conditions, electrocatalytical effect of nanocomposite films of chemically prepared graphene through electrochemical oxidation of nitrite was better than that of electrochemically prepared graphene

Enhanced electrical properties in bilayered ferroelectric thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Long, WeiJie; Chen, YaQing; Guo, DongJie

2013-03-01

Sr2Bi4Ti5O18 (SBTi) single layered and Sr2Bi4Ti5O18/Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 (SBTi/PZT) bilayered thin films have been prepared on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD). The related structural characterizations and electrical properties have been comparatively investigated. X-ray diffraction reveals that both films have crystallized into perovskite phases and scanning electron microscopy shows the sharp interfaces. Both films show well-saturated ferroelectric hysteresis loops, however, compared with the single layered SBTi films, the SBTi/PZT bilayered films have significantly increased remnant polarization ( P r) and decreased coercive field ( E c), with the applied field of 260 kV/cm. The measured P r and E c of SBTi and SBTi/PZT films were 7.9 μC/cm2, 88.1 kV/cm and 13.0 μC/cm2, 51.2 kV/cm, respectively. In addition, both films showed good fatigue-free characteristics, the switchable polarization decreased by 9% and 11% of the initial values after 2.2×109 switching cycles for the SBTi single layered films and the SBTi/PZT bilayered films, respectively. Our results may provide some guidelines for further optimization of multilayered ferroelectric thin films.

Investigations of Si Thin Films as Anode of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Qingliu [Department of Chemical; Shi, Bing; Bareño, Javier; Liu, Yuzi; Maroni, Victor A.; Zhai, Dengyun; Dees, Dennis W.; Lu, Wenquan

2018-01-22

Amorphous silicon thin films having various thicknesses were investigated as a negative electrode material for lithium-ion batteries. Electrochemical characterization of the 20 nm thick thin silicon film revealed a very low first cycle Coulombic efficiency, which can be attributed to the silicon oxide layer formed on both the surface of the as-deposited Si thin film and the interface between the Si and the substrate. Among the investigated films, the 100 nm Si thin film demonstrated the best performance in terms of first cycle efficiency and cycle life. Observations from scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the generation of cracks was inevitable in the cycled Si thin films, even as the thickness of the film was as little as 20 nm, which was not predicted by previous modeling work. However, the cycling performance of the 20 and 100 nm silicon thin films was not detrimentally affected by these cracks. The poor capacity retention of the 1 mu m silicon thin film was attributed to the delamination.

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.

Deposition of magnetoelectric hexaferrite thin films on substrates of silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zare, Saba; Izadkhah, Hessam; Vittoria, Carmine

2016-12-15

Magnetoelectric M-type hexaferrite thin films (SrCo{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}Fe{sub 8}O{sub 19}) were deposited using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) technique on Silicon substrate. A conductive oxide layer of Indium-Tin Oxide (ITO) was deposited as a buffer layer with the dual purposes of 1) to reduce lattice mismatch between the film and silicon and 2) to lower applied voltages to observe magnetoelectric effects at room temperature on Silicon based devices. The film exhibited magnetoelectric effects as confirmed by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques in voltages as low as 0.5 V. Without the oxide conductive layer the required voltages to observe magnetoelectric effects was typically about 1000 times larger. The magnetoelectric thin films were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, and ferromagnetic resonance techniques. We measured saturation magnetization of 650 G, and coercive field of about 150 Oe for these thin films. The change in remanence magnetization was measured in the presence of DC voltages and the changes in remanence were in the order of 15% with the application of only 0.5 V (DC voltage). We deduced a magnetoelectric coupling, α, of 1.36×10{sup −9} s m{sup −1} in SrCo{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}Fe{sub 8}O{sub 19} thin films.

Room temperature deposition of magnetite thin films on organic substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arisi, E.; Bergenti, I.; Cavallini, M.; Murgia, M.; Riminucci, A.; Ruani, G.; Dediu, V.

2007-01-01

We report on the growth of magnetite films directly on thin layers of organic semiconductors by means of an electron beam ablation method. The deposition was performed at room temperature in a reactive plasma atmosphere. Thin films show ferromagnetic (FM) hysteresis loops and coercive fields of hundreds of Oersted. Micro Raman analysis indicates no presence of spurious phases. The morphology of the magnetite film is strongly influenced by the morphology of the underlayer of the organic semiconductor. These results open the way for the application of magnetite thin films in the field of organic spintronics

Progress in Polycrystalline Thin-Film Cu(In,GaSe2 Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Udai P. Singh

2010-01-01

Full Text Available For some time, the chalcopyrite semiconductor CuInSe2 and its alloy with Ga and/or S [Cu(InGaSe2 or Cu(InGa(Se,S2], commonly referred as CIGS, have been leading thin-film material candidates for incorporation in high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. CuInSe2-based solar cells have shown long-term stability and the highest conversion efficiencies among all thin-film solar cells, reaching 20%. A variety of methods have been reported to prepare CIGS thin film. Efficiency of solar cells depends upon the various deposition methods as they control optoelectronic properties of the layers and interfaces. CIGS thin film grown on glass or flexible (metal foil, polyimide substrates require p-type absorber layers of optimum optoelectronic properties and n-type wideband gap partner layers to form the p-n junction. Transparent conducting oxide and specific metal layers are used for front and back contacts. Progress made in the field of CIGS solar cell in recent years has been reviewed.

Carbon thin films deposited by the magnetron sputtering technique using cobalt, copper and nickel as buffer-layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa e Silva, Danilo Lopes

2015-01-01

In this work, carbon thin films were produced by the magnetron sputtering technique using single crystal substrates of alumina c-plane (0001) and Si (111) and Si (100) substrates, employing Co, Ni and Cu as intermediate films (buffer-layers). The depositions were conducted in three stages, first with cobalt buffer-layers where only after the production of a large number of samples, the depositions using cooper buffer-layers were carried out on Si substrates. Then, depositions were performed with nickel buffer layers using single-crystal alumina substrates. The crystallinity of the carbon films was evaluated by using the technique of Raman spectroscopy and, then, by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphological characterization of the films was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM and FEG-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The XRD peaks related to the carbon films were observed only in the results of the samples with cobalt and nickel buffer-layers. The Raman spectroscopy showed that the carbon films with the best degree of crystallinity were the ones produced with Si (111) substrates, for the Cu buffers, and sapphire substrates for the Ni and Co buffers, where the latter resulted in a sample with the best crystallinity of all the ones produced in this work. It was observed that the cobalt has low recovering over the alumina substrates when compared to the nickel. Sorption tests of Ce ions by the carbon films were conducted in two samples and it was observed that the sorption did not occur probably because of the low crystallinity of the carbon films in both samples. (author)

Microstructure and opto-electric properties of Cu/ITO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xian; Li Junlei; Shi Shiwei; Song Xueping; Cui Jingbiao; Sun Zhaoqi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We prepared Cu/ITO films with different Cu layer thickness. ► We analyzed the relation between opto-electric properties and roughness of the films. ► The Cu-16.1 nm/ITO film shows excellent optical and electric properties. ► Cu/ITO films have great application prospects in new-type transflective displays. - Abstract: Cu/ITO thin films were deposited on glass and silicon substrates by DC and RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature. X-ray diffraction results showed that the films were amorphous. Both of SEM images and 3D Profilometer images indicated that the surface morphology of the ITO films had been affected by the Cu layer. The optical and electric properties of the Cu/ITO films changed significantly with the variation of Cu layer thickness. Cu-5.4 nm/ITO film exhibited the highest optical transmittance of 62.9% at 550 nm and the lowest sheet resistance of 96 Ω/□, whereas Cu-16.1 nm/ITO film showed the highest average reflectance of 24.0% and the lowest resistance of 27.4 Ω/□. Based on our analysis, it was evaluated that Cu layer had an important effect on the electrical and optical properties of ITO thin films.

Band gap determination of thin praseodymium oxide layers on aluminium oxynitride films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergholz, Matthias; Schmeisser, Dieter [Brandenburgische Technische Universitaet, Cottbus (Germany). Angewandte Physik - Sensorik

2008-07-01

High-k dielectrics are important as never before in semiconductor industry. We investigate Pr{sub 2}O{sub 3} as one representative of this group on silicon and silicon-aluminium oxynitride substrates. In earlier work we observed the positive influence of this AlO{sub x}N{sub y} intermediate layer on the electrical properties of the Pr{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer. Now we present in-situ EELS, XPS and UPS measurements of gradually grown thin Pr{sub 2}O{sub 3} on AlO{sub x}N{sub y}. From these measurements we determine the band structure and find a very fast change of the band gap for the first few A, coupled with n-type behaviour for the Pr{sub 2}O{sub 3} film. These results are compared with RIXS measurements of a 5 nm Pr{sub 2}O{sub 3} on a 1 nm thick AlO{sub x}N{sub y} layer.

Finite size effects in phase transformation kinetics in thin films and surface layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trofimov, Vladimir I.; Trofimov, Ilya V.; Kim, Jong-Il

2004-01-01

In studies of phase transformation kinetics in thin films, e.g. crystallization of amorphous films, until recent time is widely used familiar Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (KJMA) statistical model of crystallization despite it is applicable only to an infinite medium. In this paper a model of transformation kinetics in thin films based on a concept of the survival probability for randomly chosen point during transformation process is presented. Two model versions: volume induced transformation (VIT) when the second-phase grains nucleate over a whole film volume and surface induced transformation (SIT) when they form on an interface with two nucleation mode: instantaneous nucleation at transformation onset and continuous one during all the process are studied. At VIT-process due to the finite film thickness effects the transformation profile has a maximum in a film middle, whereas that of the grains population reaches a minimum inhere, the grains density is always higher than in a volume material, and the thinner film the slower it transforms. The transformation kinetics in a thin film obeys a generalized KJMA equation with parameters depending on a film thickness and in limiting cases of extremely thin and thick film it reduces to classical KJMA equation for 2D- and 3D-system, respectively

Orientation-dependent physical properties of layered perovskite La{sub 1.3}Sr{sub 1.7}Mn{sub 2}O{sub 7} epitaxial thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niu, Li-Wei; Guo, Bing; Chen, Chang-Le, E-mail: chenchl@nwpu.edu.cn; Luo, Bing-Cheng; Dong, Xiang-Lei; Jin, Ke-Xin

2017-04-01

In this paper, the resistivity and magnetization of orientation-engineered layered perovskite La{sub 1.3}Sr{sub 1.7}Mn{sub 2}O{sub 7} epitaxial thin films have been investigated. Epitaxial thin films were deposited on single-crystalline LaAlO{sub 3} (LAO) (001), (110) and (111) substrates by pulse laser deposition (PLD) technique. It is found that only the (100)-oriented thin film performs insulator behavior, whereas the (110) and (111)-oriented thin films exhibit obvious metal-insulator transition at 70 K and between 85 and 120 K, respectively. Moreover, the same spin freezing temperature and different spin-glass-like transition temperatures have been observed in various oriented films. The observed experimental results were discussed according to the electron-transport mechanism and spin dynamics.

Radiolytic preparation of thin Au film directly on resin substrate using high-energy electron beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohkubo, Yuji, E-mail: okubo@upst.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Seino, Satoshi; Nakagawa, Takashi; Kugai, Junichiro [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Ueno, Koji [Japan Electron Beam Irradiation Service Ltd., 5-3 Ozushima, Izumiohtsu, Osaka 595-0074 (Japan); Yamamoto, Takao A. [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)

2016-04-01

A novel method for preparing thin Au films directly on resin substrates using an electron beam was developed. The thin Au films were prepared on a resin substrate by the reduction of Au ions in an aqueous solution via irradiation with a high-energy electron beam (4.8 MeV). This reduction method required 7 s of the irradiation time of the electron beam. Furthermore, no reductant or catalyst was needed. As the concentration of Au ions in the precursor solution was increased, the amount of Au deposited on the resin substrate increased, too, and the structure of the prepared Au film changed. As a result, the film color changed as well. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscope images of the thus-prepared Au film indicated that the Au films were consisted of two layers: a particle layer and a bottom bulk layer. There was strong adhesion between the Au films and the underlying resin substrates. This was confirmed by the tape-peeling test and through ultrasonic cleaning. After both processes, Au remained on the resin substrates, while most of the particle-like moieties were removed. This indicated that the thin Au films prepared via irradiation with a high-energy electron beam adhered strongly to the resin substrates. - Highlights: • A thin gold (Au) film was formed by EBIRM for the first time. • The irradiation time of the electron beam was less than 10 s. • Thin Au films were obtained without reductant or catalyst. • Au films were consisted of two layers: a particle layer and a bottom bulk layer. • There was strong adhesion between the bottom bulk layer and the underlying resin substrates.

Piezoresistivity of mechanically drawn single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) thin films-: mechanism and optimizing principle

Science.gov (United States)

Obitayo, Waris

influence of the network density on the piezoresistivity of mechanically drawn SWCNT thin films. Mechanically drawn SWCNT thin films with different layer (or thickness) e.g. 1-layer, 3-layer, 10-layer and 20-layer SWCNT thin films were prepared to understand the variation of SWCNT network density as well as the alignment of SWCNTs on the strain sensitivity. The less entangled SWCNT bundles observed in the sparse network density (1- layer and 3-layer SWCNT thin films) allows for easy alignment and the best gauge factors. As compared to the randomly oriented SWCNT thin films, the one with draw ratio of 3.2 exhibited ~8x increase on the GF for the 1-layer SWCNT thin films while the 20-layer SWCNT thin films exhibited ~3x increase in the GF. My third accomplishment examines the effect of SWCNT bundles with different diameters on the piezoresistive behavior of mechanically drawn SWCNT thin films. SWCNT thin film network of sparse morphology (1-layer) with different bundle sizes were prepared by varying the sonication duration e.g. S0.5hr, S4hr, S10hr and S20hr and using spraying coating. The GF increased by a factor of ~10 when the randomly oriented SWCNT thin film was stretched to a draw ratio of 3.2 for the S0.5hr SWCNT thin films and by a factor of ~2 for the S20hr SWCNT thin films. Three main mechanisms were attributed to this behavior e.g. effect of concentration of exfoliated nanotubes, bundle reduction due to mechanical stretching, and influence of bundle length on the alignment of SWCNTs. Furthermore, information about the average length and length distribution is very essential when investigating the influence of individual nanotube length on the strain sensitivity. With that in mind, we would use our previously developed preparative ultracentrifuge method (PUM), and our newly developed gel electrophoresis and simultaneous Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy (GEP-SRSPL) to characterize the average length and length distribution of individual SWCNTs respectively.

Controlled Topological Transitions in Thin-Film Phase Separation

KAUST Repository

Hennessy, Matthew G.; Burlakov, Victor M.; Goriely, Alain; Wagner, Barbara; Mü nch, Andreas

2015-01-01

© 2015 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. In this paper the evolution of a binary mixture in a thin-film geometry with a wall at the top and bottom is considered. By bringing the mixture into its miscibility gap so that no spinodal decomposition occurs in the bulk, a slight energetic bias of the walls toward each one of the constituents ensures the nucleation of thin boundary layers that grow until the constituents have moved into one of the two layers. These layers are separated by an interfacial region where the composition changes rapidly. Conditions that ensure the separation into two layers with a thin interfacial region are investigated based on a phase-field model. Using matched asymptotic expansions a corresponding sharp-interface problem for the location of the interface is established. It is then argued that this newly created two-layer system is not at its energetic minimum but destabilizes into a controlled self-replicating pattern of trapezoidal vertical stripes by minimizing the interfacial energy between the phases while conserving their area. A quantitative analysis of this mechanism is carried out via a thin-film model for the free interfaces, which is derived asymptotically from the sharp-interface model.

Autophobicity and layering behavior of thin liquid-crystalline polymer films.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wielen, van der M.W.J.; Cohen Stuart, M.A.; Fleer, G.J.

1998-01-01

The stability against breaking-up of thin spin-coated films of liquid-crystalline polymers depends on the film thickness and annealing temperature. This study concerns side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers, based on alternating copolymers of maleic anhydride and mesogenic alkenes. The mesogenic

Growth of nanocrystalline silicon thin film with layer-by-layer technique for fast photo-detecting applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, C.-Y.; Fang, Y.-K.; Chen, S.-F.; Lin, P.-C.; Lin, C.-S.; Chou, T.-H; Hwang, J.S.; Lin, K.I.

2006-01-01

High mobility nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) films with layer-by-layer technique for fast photo-detecting applications were studied. The structure and morphology of films were studied by means of XRD, micro-Raman scattering, SEM and AFM. The Hall mobility and absorption properties have been investigated and found they were seriously affected by the number of layers in growing, i.e., with increasing of layer number, Hall mobility increased but absorption coefficient decreased. The optimum layer number of nc-Si films for fast near-IR photo-detecting is 7 with film thickness of 1400 nm, while that for fast visible photo-detecting is 17 with film thickness of 3400 nm

TI--CR--AL--O thin film resistors

Science.gov (United States)