Beam Deposition Method Research Articles

Comparative Study on Structural Differences in Monosaccharide Layers Using PLD and PED Techniques

To demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining low-molecular-weight organic films (below 200 Da) using non-solvent PVD processes, glucose layers were produced via pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and pulsed electron beam deposition (PED) methods. Glucose was chosen due to its fundamental role in various biological processes, and because this low-molecular-weight compound is a solid at room temperature, which is required for both techniques. The physical and chemical structures of the deposited glucose layers were characterized by optical, scanning electron, and atomic force microscopy, as well as by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron, and infrared spectroscopy. Both PLD and PED methods resulted in glucose layers with good chemical structure preservation (with minor oxidation observed in PED) while yielding films with distinct physical properties. This opens up the possibility of tailoring organic layers with specific characteristics depending on the application, by choosing the deposition method.

Rubber-like PTFE Thin Coatings Deposited by Pulsed Electron Beam Deposition (PED) Method.

PTFE coatings were manufactured using the pulsed electron beam deposition (PED) technique and deposited on Si substrates. The deposition was carried out at constant parameters: temperature 24 °C, discharge voltages 12 kV, and 5000 electron pulses with a pulse frequency of 5 Hz. Nitrogen was used as the background gas. The gas pressure varied from 3 to 11 mTorr. The coating adhesion was evaluated using micro scratch testing and the residual scratch morphology was characterized by atomic force microscopy. Detailed studies of the chemical and physical structure were conducted using infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. These analyses were then correlated with the mechanical response of the coatings observed during the scratch tests. Drawing upon a review of the literature concerning energetic beam interactions with PTFE material, hypotheses were posed to explain why only specific conditions of the PED process yielded PTFE coatings with rubber-like properties.

The robust superlubricity behaviors of a-C:H films on different roughness interfaces at surface contact scale

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) film has demonstrated superlubricity in previous studies, but its effectiveness may be limited when applied to engineering components with surface contact and non-ideal smoothness. In this work, four kinds of plane contact friction pairs with different surface roughness (roughness of Sa from 21 nm to 544 nm) were designed and coated with a-C:H film with 43% hydrogen content by ionized beam deposition method. The results demonstrate that the film exhibits exceptional lubrication performance across various roughness interfaces, with the minimum friction coefficient reaching 0.005. The graphitization process and the actual contact state are discussed and calculated. These findings offer valuable insights into the potential application of highly-hydrogenated a-C:H film for moving parts in industrial equipment.

Effect of substrate temperature on structure, morphology and optical properties of Sb2Se3 thin films fabricated by chemical-molecular beam deposition method from Sb and Se precursors for solar cells

Sb2Se3 thin films were obtained by chemical-molecular beam deposition on soda-lime glass from high purity Sb and Se precursors at 400 °C, 450 °C and 500 °C substrate temperature. Due to the precise control of the Sb/Se ratio, Sb2Se3 thin films with stoichiometric composition were obtained, which was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. The effect of substrate temperature on morphology, structure and optical properties of Sb2Se3 thin-films were studied by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and from the analysis of absorption and transmission spectra of the films. Average diameters and lengths of Sb2Se3 rods deposited at different substrate temperature were the range of 0.5–2 µm and 1–4 µm respectively which was grown at different slope and compactness to the substrate. The optical bandgap of the films was determined from the transmission and reflection spectra and 1.16, 1.21 and 1.26 eV band gap energies were observed for 500, 450 and 400 ℃ substrate temperature Sb2Se3 thin films respectively.

Development of Pd/In2O3 hybrid nanoclusters to optimize ethanol vapor sensing.

In this study, we successfully synthesize palladium-decorated indium trioxide (Pd/In2O3) hybrid nanoclusters (NCs) using an advanced dual-target cluster beam deposition (CBD) method, a significant stride in developing high-performance ethanol sensors. The prepared Pd/In2O3 hybrid NCs exhibit exceptional sensitivity, stability, and selectivity to low concentrations of ethanol vapor, with a maximum response value of 101.2 at an optimal operating temperature of 260 °C for 6 at% Pd loading. The dynamic response of the Pd/In2O3-based sensor shows an increase in response with increasing ethanol vapor concentrations within the range of 50 to 1000 ppm. The limit of detection is as low as 24 ppb. The sensor exhibits a high sensitivity of 28.24 ppm-1/2, with response and recovery times of 2.7 and 4.4 seconds, respectively, for 100 ppm ethanol vapor. Additionally, the sensor demonstrates excellent repeatability and stability, with only a minor decrease in response observed over 30 days and notable selectivity for ethanol compared to other common volatile organic compounds. The study highlights the potential of Pd/In2O3 NCs as promising materials for ethanol gas sensors, leveraging the unique capabilities of CBD for controlled synthesis and the catalytic properties of Pd for enhanced gas-sensing performance.

Exploring the structural, optical, and optoelectrical characteristics of p-type CFTSe thin films prepared by electron beam deposition method

Exploring the structural, optical, and optoelectrical characteristics of p-type CFTSe thin films prepared by electron beam deposition method

Characteristics of thin Sb2Se3 films obtained by the chemical molecular beam deposition method for thin-film solar cells

Sb2Se3 films were obtained by chemical molecular beam deposition on soda-lime glass substrates. As a source material, 99.999% purity semiconductor Sb2Se3 pieces were used. Their evaporation and the substrate temperature were maintained at 830 °C÷1000 °C and 500 °C, respectively. Using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and Raman scattering, the influence of the temperature of the source of the binary compound Sb2Se3 on the chemical composition, morphology, and structure of the synthesized films of Sb2Se3 films was studied. It is observed that the films have a crystalline (orthorhombic) structure with compactly located crystallites having the form of rods with an average size: l = 5÷10 µm (length) and d = 1÷2 µm (diameter). An analysis of the dependency functions (αhν)2 = f(hν) showed that the Sb2Se3 films obtained at temperatures Тsource=900 °C and Тsource=840 °C have direct transitions with an optical band gap Еg=1.04 eV and Еg=1.12 eV, respectively. The electrical conductivity of the films, changed within 1.03·10−5÷4.13·10−5 (Om·cm)−1 depending on the ratio of Sb/Se atomic concentration.

Structural and optical properties of SbxSey thin films obtained by chemical molecular beam deposition method from Sb and Se precursors

SbxSey thin-films were obtained by chemical-molecular beam deposition (CMBD) on soda-lime glass from Sb and Se precursors. By the precise control of the Sb/Se ratio, Sb2Se3 thin films with stoichiometric composition were successfully obtained. The elemental and phase composition, as well as the crystal structure of SbxSey thin-films, were studied by energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The optical bandgap of the films was determined from the absorption spectra acquired by a spectrophotometer. The physical properties of SbxSey thin films with different compositions were investigated.

Electrospray ion beam deposition of small peptides on solid surfaces: A molecular level description of the glutathione/copper interface

Herein, we investigate the adsorption behavior of Glu-Cys-Gly peptide on copper surfaces under ultra-high vacuum condition by exploring the electrospray - ion beam deposition (ES-IBD) method. ES-IBD combines an atmospheric pressure ionization source and a vacuum deposition technique, which allows bio-organic molecules to adsorb at their intact state. We use a multi-technique UHV chambers in which ES-IBD and surface characterizations are performed in adjacent compartments, namely PM-IRRAS and XPS. Results show that peptides preserve their molecular structure in the adsorbed state, and their binding mechanisms are highly impacted by the copper crystal face. DFT calculations are performed to identify the most stable configurations of the peptide in the adsorbed state, and core level shifts calculations are compared to experimental XPS data. The molecule adsorbs intact in a deprotonated state for both surfaces. On Cu(111) face, the deprotonated thiol group adsorbs in a single chemical environment, resulting in only one S 2p binding energy, while it shows two binding energies on the Cu(110) face. In addition, N 1s binding energies are not all equal, one −NH2 having a lower binding energy, compared to that observed on Cu(1 1 1), due to the formation of a H-bond with the Cu surface.

The influence of copper on the heat resistance of thin foils of high-entropy alloys of the Cr–Fe–Co–Ni–Cu system obtained by the electron beam deposition method

The Paton Welding Journal, 2022, №11. International Scientific-Technical and Production Journal «The Paton Welding Journal» «The Paton Welding Journal» has been published monthly since 2000 in English, ISSN 0957-798X. «The Paton Welding Journal» is a cover-to-cover English translation of the «Avtomaticheskaya Svarka» (Automatic Welding) journal. The «Avtomaticheskaya Svarka» journal has been published monthly since 1948 in Russian, ISSN 005-111X.

Understanding the interfacial behaviors during superlubricity process of a-C:H film coated on the rough bearing steel surface

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) film can achieve superlubricity in inert gas atmosphere in the previous reports, but the roughness (at atomic scale or several nanometers range) of most employed substrate surfaces for coating is much smaller than the grade of engineering application. Aiming at disclosing the influence mechanism of asperities of rough surface with a-C:H film on superlubriciy, in this work, the a-C:H film was deposited on the rough bearing steel surface (arithmetic mean height Sa ~ 128 nm) by ion beam deposition method. The tribological tests show that the friction coefficient can maintain a superlow level in the range of 0.004 ~ 0.008 for at least 80,000 sliding cycles. Multiwavelength Raman spectra indicate that more rubbing cycles lead to the consumption of the hydrogen atoms and the increasing of the sp2 clustering of a-C:H film coated on counterpart balls. The hydrogen content after the maximum cycles rubbing is reduced by 3.95–7.85% in contrast to the fewer friction cycles. The estimated contact pressure of the rough surface rises more than 4 times as compared with the apparent contact pressure of 1.17 GPa for the smooth surface. The results highlight that although the hydrogen atoms in summits of surface are consumed during friction, the materials keeping the original hydrogen content of a-C:H film in the valley gradually participate in rubbing and undertake the role of superlubricity. These findings can provide a guidance towards a possibility of the application of highly-hydrogenated a-C:H film coated on the moving parts of industry equipment.

Effect of nitrogen gas supply to graphite target on properties of ta-CNx films deposited by FCVA method

It has been reported that ta-CNx coatings deposited by the IBA-FAD method show excellent low friction and wear properties, however the hardness decreases with the N/C ratio in the coating. Although, using an ion gun to mix nitrogen in the coating gives several pros to the coating, however, it rises initial cost of equipment. To overcome this situation, nitrogen ion generation by just supplying nitrogen gas close to an arc discharge area which is used in the FAD carbon ion generation was suggested by authors. The supplied nitrogen gas is ionized by the high voltage arc which is supplied to a graphite target. The effects on the N/C ratio was measured by AES, hardness was measured by nano-indentation tester, and tribological properties of the deposited ta-CNx coatings were examined. The results showed that ta-CNx coatings deposited by nitrogen gas supply method showed higher hardness than ordinally nitrogen ion beam deposition method.

Optical and Recombination Parameters of CdS1−xTex Thin Films Obtained by the CMBD Method

This paper presents the results of the photoacoustic, SEM, and surface photovoltage experiments performed on the series of CdS1−xTex thin films. These CdS1−xTex (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) thin films were obtained on the glass substrate by the chemical molecular beam deposition (CMBD) method. The polycrystalline character of these films was revealed by SEM pictures. From the experimental optical characteristics, the optical absorption coefficient spectra of the samples and values of their energy gaps vs. their composition were determined. From the surface photovoltage characteristics, the diffusion lengths of the carriers were also determined.

Conductivity of SbxSey films grown by CMBD from Sb and Se precursors for use in solar cells

Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) has been developed as attractive, non-toxic and earth-abundant solar absorber candidate among the thin-film photovoltaic devices. The growth of SbxSey thin films, by atmospheric pressure chemical molecular beam deposition (CMBD) method, from separate Sb and Se precursors has been reported. The conductivity of the films was investigated as a function of the vapor phase mixture of Sb and Se. By the precise control of the Sb/Se ratio we succeeded in obtaining stoichiometric Sb2Se3 films. It is also found out that we can control the conductivity by deliberately introducing the deviation from the stoichiometry. The conductivity was varied in the wide range of 10−5 ÷ 102 (Ohm × cm)−1 and samples had p- and n-type conductivity depending on Sb/Se ratio. The obtained results were explained by the formation of intrinsic point defects.

Chemical Composition and Corrosion Behavior of a-C:H/DLC Film-Coated Titanium Substrate in Simulated PEMFC Environment

The amorphous hydrogenated (a-C:H) film-coated titanium, using different CH4/H2 and deposition times, was prepared by the ion beam deposition (IBD) method, which has the advantage of high adhesion because of the graded interface mixes at the atomic level. The chemical characterizations and corrosion behaviors of a-C:H film were investigated and evaluated by SEM, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, EPMA, TEM and XPS. An a-C:H film-coated titanium was corroded at 0.8 V, 90 °C in a 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solution for 168 h. The metal ion concentration in the H2SO4 corrosion solution and the potentiodynamic polarization behavior were evaluated. Results indicate that a higher CH4/H2 of 1:0 and a deposition time of 12 h can result in a minimum ID/IG ratio of 0.827, Ra of 5.76 nm, metal ion concentration of 0.34 ppm in the corrosion solution and a corrosion current of 0.23 µA/cm2. The current density in this work meets the DOE’s 2020 target of 1 µA/cm2. Electrical conductivity is inversely proportional to the corrosion resistance. The significant improvement in the corrosion resistance of the a-C:H film was mainly attributed to the increased sp3 element and nanocrystalline TiC phase in the penetration layer. As a result, the a-C:H film-coated titanium at CH4/H2 = 1:0 with improved anti-corrosion behavior creates a great potential for PEMFC bipolar plates.

Optical Properties of CdS1 – xTex Thin Films Obtained by Chemical Molecular Beam Deposition Method

Optical Properties of CdS1 – xTex Thin Films Obtained by Chemical Molecular Beam Deposition Method

Surface Morphology and Phase Composition of (Zn,Sn)Se Thin Films, Obtained by Chemical-Molecular Beam Deposition

(Zn,Sn)Se films of different chemical composition ratio Zn/Sn were obtained by chemical molecular beam deposition (CMBD) method on borasilicate glass with variation the ratio of the partial pressure of ZnSe and SnSe in vapour phase during growth. Chemical and phase composition, as well as surface morphology of samples were investigated. The samples were found to be a thin films with a thickness of 2–3 μm with and evenly distribution of chemical elements. Grain structure, phase composition and surface roughness parameters dependencies on the elemental composition are determined.

Oxygen doping effect on wettability of diamond-like carbon films

DLC films were deposited on Ge substrates using direct ion beam deposition method, followed by investigating the influence of O2 doping on their morphological, electrical, and structural properties. The films were doped with oxygen under flow rates of 5, 10, 20, and 40 sccm (standard cubic centimeters per minute). The structure of the films was studied by Raman spectroscopy. Result showed that by increasing oxygen incorporation, sp2 content decreases, sp3 content increases, and the C-C bonding loses its order. The hydrophilicity of the layers was analyzed by the contact angle measuring experiment. The results showed that by increasing the O2 flow ratio from 5 to 40 sccm, the percentage of O2 increases from 1.1 to 3.9%. The water contact angle measurement showed that an increase in oxygen flow ratio results in a decrease in contact angle from 82.9° ± 2.1° to 50° ± 3°.

Nano-vault architecture mitigates stress in silicon-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Nanomaterials undergoing cyclic swelling-deswelling benefit from inner void spaces that help accommodate significant volumetric changes. Such flexibility, however, typically comes at a price of reduced mechanical stability, which leads to component deterioration and, eventually, failure. Here, we identify an optimised building block for silicon-based lithium-ion battery (LIB) anodes, fabricate it with a ligand- and effluent-free cluster beam deposition method, and investigate its robustness by atomistic computer simulations. A columnar amorphous-silicon film was grown on a tantalum-nanoparticle scaffold due to its shadowing effect. PeakForce quantitative nanomechanical mapping revealed a critical change in mechanical behaviour when columns touched forming a vaulted structure. The resulting maximisation of measured elastic modulus (~120 GPa) is ascribed to arch action, a well-known civil engineering concept. The vaulted nanostructure displays a sealed surface resistant to deformation that results in reduced electrode-electrolyte interface and increased Coulombic efficiency. More importantly, its vertical repetition in a double-layered aqueduct-like structure improves both the capacity retention and Coulombic efficiency of the LIB.

Improved performance of InGaN/GaN LED by optimizing the properties of the bulk and interface of ITO on p-GaN

Indium Tin Oxide films were deposited directly on p-type Gallium Nitride film using the electron beam deposition method at different substrate temperatures from 25 °C to 550 °C. The structural, optical and Hall measurements represent a direct correlation of ITO properties with the substrate temperature during deposition. The substrate temperature of 450 °C produces the best ITO/p-GaN properties for the InGaN/GaN Light Emitting Diode performance, which outperforms the 550 °C device, although the latter exhibits better optical characteristics. At 100 mA, the 450 °C LED exhibits the highest power efficiency of 9.32 mW with an operation voltage of 6.96 V. X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy measurement shows that substitution of Sn4+ occurs inside the In2O3 structure, which reaches its limit at the 450 °C substrate temperature. This result manifests the crucial role of the surface chemistry effect on the current injection into the LED. Additionally, the band offset of ITO/p-GaN interface data shows that the interface of the 450 °C sample exhibits the highest conduction band offset of 1.93 eV. For the metal/ITO junction, the 450 °C sample experiences the lowest Conduction Band Maximum of 0.69 eV, which ultimately helps to enhance the carrier injection from the anode part in the device.