Direct Current Magnetron Sputtering Method Research Articles

Effect of sputtering pressure on the properties of large area IWO thin films deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering

Tungsten doped indium oxide (In2O3: W, IWO) thin films have been attracting increasing attention due to their excellent optoelectronic properties. Here, a series of IWO thin films were prepared using direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering method, by varying the sputtering pressure. Analysis revealed that the IWO films prepared under sputtering pressure of 0.4 Pa exhibited excellent optoelectronic performance, with low square resistance, resistivity, high carrier concentration and mobility. The resulting semi-transparent perovskite solar cells (ST-PSCs), with IWO fabricated under 0.4 Pa, yield a PCE of 15.71 % for the large area modules of 100 cm2 (active area 64.8 cm2).

Temperature-dependence of magnetron sputtered NiFe films: Structure, morphology, optical, electrical and OER catalytic properties

The NiFe films were fabricated on p-type Si, SiO2, SrTiO3 (STO) and Ni foam (NF) substrates to evaluate the structure, morphology, optical, electrical, and catalytic properties of the films fabricated by the direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering (MS) method at different temperatures. The microstructure, morphology, composition, optical, electrical and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic properties show a strong temperature dependence. The film has a larger absorption 0.575, higher band gap 2.15 eV at larger temperature, better conductivity with the sheet resistance 2.15 Ω/sq at higher temperature, and reaching lower overpotential 290 mV at the current density of 10 mA/cm2, which indicate that the prepared NiFe films are expected to be a candidate for optical, electrical devices and catalysts.

Studying the structural, optical, and electrical characteristics of Zn2SnO4 films using a direct current magnetron sputtering method

In this study, the characteristics of ZTO films are examined by varying the substrate temperature at an Ar ambient pressure of 3 × 10−3 Torr. The elemental content of Zn, Sn, and O in the generated Zn2SnO4 films was confirmed using X-ray dispersive and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The result reveals that the Zn/Sn ratio for the film formed at 300 °C reaches 2. The (222) and (311) lattice planes validated the cubic inverse spinel structure of ZTO films in the X-ray diffraction investigation. Atomic force microscopy was used to measure surface roughness, and the RMS rose in a range of 1.34–4.79 nm as the substrate temperature increased. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that the average crystal grain size grew in the region of 60–95 nm as the substrate temperature increased. The UV–vis absorption edge shift validates the Burstein-Moss shift rule, with a bandgap of ZTO-300 achieving the greatest value of 3.75 eV, corresponding to the largest carrier concentration. Electrical characteristics were investigated using Hall measurements. Film conductivity was primarily determined by the electron concentration or the presence of oxygen vacancies. The lowest resistivity measured was 5.4 × 10−3 Ω cm, which corresponded to an electron concentration of 8.57 × 1019 cm−3. The current-voltage characteristics of the ZTO/p-Si junction proved its rectifiable quality. Because of the low resistivity of the ZTO-300 sample, the ZTO-300/p-Si heterojunction has the largest photocurrent (4.72 10−3 A), making it suitable for use in optoelectronic devices.

Ag Nanocluster Production through DC Magnetron Sputtering and Inert Gas Condensation: A Study of Structural, Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy, and Optical Properties.

Silver nanoclusters are valuable for a variety of applications. A combination of direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering and inert gas condensation methods, employed within an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) system, was used to generate Ag nanoclusters with an average size of 4 nm. Various analytical techniques, including Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM), UV-visible absorption, and Photoluminescence, were employed to characterize the produced Ag nanoclusters. AFM topographic imaging revealed spherical nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 3 to 6 nm, corroborating data from a quadrupole mass filter (QMF). The XRD analysis verified the simple cubic structure of the Ag nanoclusters. The surface potential was assessed using KPFM, from which the work function was calculated with a reference highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). The UV-visible absorption spectra displayed peaks within the 350-750 nm wavelength range, with a strong absorption feature at 475 nm. Additionally, lower excitation wavelengths resulted in a sharp peak emission at 370 nm, which became weaker and broader when higher excitation wavelengths were used.

One‐Step DcMS and HiPIMS Sputtered CIGS Films from a Quaternary Target

Using a quaternary compound target, Cu(In,Ga)Se2 films are prepared using one‐step, selenization‐free direct current magneton sputtering (DcMS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) methods. This study investigates how the sputtering power affects the composition, microstructure, morphology, and electrical characteristics of the films. Film crystallinity is found to be affected by the sputtering power utilized. The films deposited at 0.25 kW are amorphous, whereas those formed at 0.5–1 kW display a chalcopyrite structure with a (112)–preferred orientation. With increased sputtering power, the films’ crystal quality improves, displaying a homogeneous and compact morphology free of peeling and cracking. Elemental measurement of the CIGS films reveals that, depending on the deposition method, the film composition deviates from that of the target. The electrical properties of the deposited films vary with increasing sputtering power.

Morphology and multifractal characteristics of Ag–Cu films with N doping prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering method

Morphology and multifractal characteristics of Ag–Cu films with N doping prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering method

Oxygen Vacancy-Induced Ferromagnetism and Resistive-Magnetization Switching Characteristics in In2O3 Films

Ordered porous indium oxide thin films (In2O3) with higher ferromagnetism were prepared by the direct current magnetron sputtering method using porous anodic aluminum oxide thin films as the template. The experiment results show that the saturation magnetization reaches a maximum of about 42.03 emu/cm3 at a sputtering pressure of 3.2 Pa. The room-temperature ferromagnetism of In2O3 films mainly originates from the oxygen vacancies in the films. In addition, the spin can generally only be regulated by a magnetic field, which makes it challenging to realize miniaturization and integration of spin devices, while the regulation by an electric field can solve this contradiction. Based on this, the In2O3 composite thin-film resistive-magnetization switching device (Ag/In2O3/PAA/Al) was successfully prepared, showing bipolar resistive-magnetization switching characteristics and stable electrical and magnetic control characteristics. This research provides a way to develop a new multifunctional memory combining magnetic and resistive-magnetization storage and lays the foundation for the application of In2O3 in spintronic devices.

High temperature steam oxidation behavior of textured Cr coatings with different grain structures

In order to improve the oxidation resistance of Zr-4 alloy in high temperature steam environment, Cr coatings with the 〈001〉 fiber texture were prepared on Zr-4 substrates by the high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HIPPMS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) methods, and their structure and high temperature steam oxidation behavior at 1200 and 1300 °C were systematically investigated. The results showed that the fine grains of Cr coatings combined together to form large grains while the texture of the coatings was not changed during oxidation. Furthermore, cracks or defects formed during the combination of grain boundaries in the grain growth of DCMS Cr coating, providing paths for short-circuit diffusion of the oxidizing medium, which accelerated the oxidation of the Cr coating.

Preparation and Structural Investigation of Ultra-Uniform Mo Films on a Si/SiO2 Wafer by the Direct-Current Magnetron Sputtering Method

As a kind of important strategic resource, molybdenum (Mo) and its alloys are widely applied in solar cells and 5G radio frequency filters. In order to improve the yield of industrial production, it is important to reduce the nonuniformity of thin-film thickness. We prepared Mo films on CMOS compatible Si/SiO2 wafers through a magnetron sputtering method and systematically investigated the effect of tuning of several process parameters on film thickness nonuniformity and other structural properties, including crystallite size (D), microstrain (ε), and dislocation density (δ). At optimized sputtering power (80 W), chamber pressure (0.4 Pa), argon flow rate (90 sccm), substrate temperature (350 °C), and target–substrate distance (9 cm), the deposited 200 nm-thick Mo films show a unified <110> preferred orientation, and the film thickness nonuniformity reaches an excellent value of 0.46%, with a surface roughness of 0.83 nm and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of X-ray diffraction (XRD) (110) rocking curve as low as 0.47°. Our results provide efficient reference for the preparation of uniform metal films, which have potential for improving the quality and yield in filter device manufacturing.

A-phase tantalum film deposition using bipolar high-power impulse magnetron sputtering technique

In this study, a method for forming a highly adhesive and ductile α-phase tantalum film on 304 stainless steel using the bipolar high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (bipolar HiPIMS) technique was investigated. The growth of brittle β-phase tantalum, which is commonly formed when using conventional direct current magnetron sputtering methods (DCMS) at room temperature, was prevented by the high-energy ions directed toward the growing films. The results showed the formation of an extremely thin (<70 nm) α-phase tantalum film without any additional processes, such as substrate biasing or heating. In addition, a high adhesion strength exceeding 45 MPa, broadened intermixed layer, and nanocrystalline microstructure were achieved by the effect of positive voltage. These results indicate that the bipolar HiPIMS technique is a facile deposition method for modifying the substrate surface and forming high-quality crystalline films. Our tantalum films are optimized to protect substrates against corrosion in severely harsh mechanical, chemical, and thermal environments. To confirm the superiority of the bipolar HiPIMS technique over HiPIMS and DCMS, the properties of the films formed using the three methods were analyzed via X-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and pull-off adhesion testing.

Structural, optical and electrical characterizations of Mg/Ti/Ni multilayer thin films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering for hydrogen storage

Magnesium (Mg) based alloys are the most promising hydrogen storage and fuel cell alloys due to their high hydrogen content. In the present work, multilayer thin films (Mg/Ti/Ni) were prepared using direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering method. Multilayered Mg/Ti/Ni thin films were investigated by analyzing the data of different characterizations such as surface, structural, optical and electrical. Uniformity of the deposited thin films was analyzed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS) confirmed the presence of elemental composition. X-ray Diffractometer (XRD) was used to analyze structural characteristics of annealed thin films before and after hydrogenation. The variation in optical absorption and band gap has been observed, with the hydrogenation of thin film and having a larger band gap (3.27 eV) as compared to annealed thin films (2.81 eV). The semiconducting behavior of films is revealed by current voltage (I–V) characteristics of the films, and conductivity reduces after annealing and hydrogenation i.e. from 6.36 to 1.41 kΩ−1cm−1. Furthermore, Hall mobility of annealed without hydrogenated and annealed with hydrogenated thin film was improved (in the order of 103) as compared with as-deposited film. Improvement certainly helps the movement of hydrogen particularly after hydrogenation, the accumulation of hydrogen, particularly at the thin film's interface, obstructs the flow of electrons, resulting in a decrease in thin film conductivity. As a result, multilayer Mg/Ti/NI thin films are the good choice in the consideration for solid state hydrogen storage purpose.

Influence of Ar gas pressure on the structural and optical properties and surface topography of Al-doped ZnO thin films sputtered by DC-Magnetron sputtering method

In this work, Aluminum doped Zinc oxide thin films were sputtered on glass substrate by the direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering method. The influence of Ar gas pressure on the structural and optical properties was measured. The optical parameters were calculated by UV–Visible spectroscopy, the nature of transition reveals direct allowed transition for the prepared films. Also, some physical quantities such as the strength of electron–phonon interaction, dissipation factor (tanδ) in the visible region and the lattice dielectric constant were presented for these thin films. The AFM analysis extracts surface parameters of the AZO thin films that help us to quantitively investigate the surface analysis. The band gap energy and transition index without any presumption about transition natural were calculated from Derivation Ineffective Thickness Method (DITM) and it was found that the reaction of Ar gas pressure plays an essential part in controlling the physical quantities of AZO thin films.

Structural properties of sputter-deposited nanocrystalline Ni thin films

Abstract For this study, Ni thin films were deposited on a glass substrate by using 200, 300, and 400 W direct-current magnetron sputtering method for observing the effect of sputtering power on the structural properties of thin films. Grain size, crystallinity, orientation, and texture of the deposited thin films were observed and evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. According to XRD analysis, all thin films presented crystalline atomic structure. Furthermore, the effect of texture on the structural properties were observed using strain analysis and grain sizes that were calculated by Scherrer’s method and Williamson-Hall analysis. The analysis revealed that the grain size of sputter-deposited thin films increased linearly with respect to the increasing sputtering power. Additionally, the elastic modulus and indentation hardness of the samples were measured by nanoindentation method, and the results were evaluated in terms of grain size and texture. The highest grain size, 7.30 nm, was observed on a 400 W sputter-deposited sample, which also had the highest elastic modulus and indentation hardness values as 98 and 3.6 GPa, respectively.

Surface, Structural, and Mechanical Properties Enhancement of Cr2O3 and SiO2 Co-Deposited Coatings with W or Be.

Direct current (DC) and radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering methods were selected for conducting the deposition of structural materials, namely ceramic and metallic co-depositions. A total of six configurations were deposited: single thin layers of oxides (Cr2O3, SiO2) and co-deposition configurations (50:50 wt.%) as structural materials (W, Be)—(Cr2O3, SiO2), all deposited on 304L stainless steel (SS). A comprehensive evaluation such as surface topology, thermal desorption outgassing, and structural/chemical state was performed. Moreover, mechanical characterization evaluating properties such as adherence, nano indentation hardness, indentation modulus, and deformation relative to yielding, was performed. Experimental results show that, contrary to SiO2 matrix, the composite layers of Cr2O3 with Be and W exhibit surface smoothing with mitigation of artifacts, thus presenting a uniform and compact state with the best microstructure. These results are relevant in order to develop future dense coatings to be used in the fusion domain.

Nanocrystalline (AlTiVCr)N Multi-Component Nitride Thin Films with Superior Mechanical Performance.

Multi-component nitride thin films usually show high hardness and good wear resistance due to the nanoscale structure and solid-solution strengthening effect. However, the state of N atoms in the thin film and its effects on the compressive strength is still unclear. In this work, (AlTiVCr)N multi-component nitride thin films with a face-centered cubic (FCC) structure prepared by the direct current magnetron sputtering method exhibit a superior strength of ~4.5 GPa and final fracture at a strain of ~5.0%. The excellent mechanical properties are attributed to the synergistic effects of the nanocrystalline structure, covalent bonding between N and metal atoms, and interstitial strengthening. Our results could provide an intensive understanding of the relationship between microstructure and mechanical performances for multi-component nitride thin films, which may promote their applications in micro- and nano-devices.

Evaluation of the Crystal Structure and Mechanical Properties of Cu Doped TiN Films

In this study, TiN films doped with different copper contents (TiCuN) were prepared by using direct current magnetron sputtering method. The effects of Cu doping on composition, structure, and mechanical properties of TiN films were studied by energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), a Vickers microhardnessmeter, and density functional theory (DFT). The results of experimental and DFT study showed that Cu mainly replaced Ti atoms in TiN to form replacement solid solution doping. When Cu replaced Ti in TiN, a weak Cu-N (bond population varied from 0.06 to 0.11) covalent bond formed; meanwhile, the bonding strength of Ti-N (bond population varied from 0.29 to 0.4) bond adjacent to Cu increased. When Cu content was low, a small number of weak Cu-N bonds were formed, with strengthened Ti-N bond near Cu atom, resulting in an increased hardness of Cu doped TiN films. According to the theory of weak bonds, when the Cu content was increased further, the number of weak Cu-N bonds increased and TiCuN hardness decreased. With an increase in Cu content, it was found the toughness of TiCuN also increased. The results of this study will provide a theoretical and experimental guidance for improving the toughness and deformation resistance of TiN, which has a potential application in the surface modification of medical devices.

Comparison of the structural and optic al properties of amorphous silicon thin films prepared by direct current, bipolar pulse, and high-power impulse magnetron sputtering methods

This paper presents a comparative study of amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin films deposited by three different techniques: direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS), bipolar pulse magnetron sputtering (bipolar pulse MS) and high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). The structurafl properties of the a-Si films with a thickness of ∼112 nm were characterized by X-ray reflectivity and Raman spectroscopy. The surface morphology, optical and mechanical properties of a-Si films with a thickness of ∼400 nm were investigated using a field emission secondary electron microscope, an atomic force microscope, spectroscopic ellipsometry and nanoindentation. It was found that for the same time-averaged discharge power, the deposition rate of the HiPIMS method was lower compared to DCMS and bipolar pulse MS. The a-Si film prepared by HiPIMS method had the lowest root mean square roughness of 0.65 nm and the highest density of 2.21 g/cm3. These results are consistent with the highest refractive index (400–700 nm) of 3.66 and a hardness of 9.09±0.19 GPa in the film, indicating that the HiPIMS method produces denser films than the DCMS and bipolar pulse MS methods. The amorphous silicon thin films fabricated by HiPIMS have the potential to improve the structural and mechanical properties for high performance thin film semiconductor applications.

Effect of the sputtering time on the characteristics of p-SnOx:Na films prepared by the reactive direct current magnetron sputtering method

The fabrication of n- and p-type transparent oxide semiconductor films is critical in the production of transparent electrical and optoelectronic components on the p‒n junction, particularly the p-type, because the maximum of the valence band formed by the 2p orbitals of oxygen and their local (narrow) dispersions have formed deep levels, making difficult in doping of acceptor impurities in p-type oxide semiconductors. Among the p-type transparent oxide semiconductor films that have been studied so far, the p-type SnOx film which had outstanding electrical conductivity and optical transparency, is a good candidate for constructing a p‒n junction with another n-type semiconductor in homogeneous or heterogeneous form. In this paper, a Na-doped SnOx film was produced from Sn + 3 at% Na alloy target using the reactive sputtering process at a temperature of 200 0C. XRD, XPS, AFM, Hall, and UV-Visible techniques were used to evaluate the effect of sputtering duration on the structural and electro-optical properties of SnOx:Na films. The results of the survey showed that when the sputtering time increased from 7 minutes to 14 minutes, 21 minutes, and 35 minutes, the film thickness increased, resulting in an increase in the crystal size, a decrease in the grain boundary, and an increase in carrier mobility, all of which lead to a reduction in the film's resistivity. However, as the film thickness increased, the transmittance dropped and the optical bandgap shrinked.

Retraction Note to: Structural and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic studies on reactive magnetron sputtered titanium oxynitride (TiON) thin films

Titanium oxynitride films were deposited onto commercially pure titanium substrates by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering method using Ti targets and an Ar–N2–O2 mixture discharge gas. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy survey spectra on the etched surfaces of TiON films exhibited the characteristic Ti 2p, N 1s, and O 1s peaks at the corresponding binding energies 454.5, 397.0, and 530.7 eV, respectively. The surface topography of these coatings was studied using atomic force microscopy. The characteristic Raman peaks at 200 and 641 cm−1 for the TiN bonds and at 148, 398 ,and 518 cm−1 for the TiO2 bonds were observed from the Laser Raman spectrometer. The potentiodynamic polarization studies in simulated bodily fluid were performed and the results are reported in this article.

Fabrication of Highly Porous and Pure Zinc Oxide Films Using Modified DC Magnetron Sputtering and Post-Oxidation.

Porous films of metals and metal oxides exhibit larger surface areas and higher reactivities than those of dense films. Therefore, they have gained growing attention as potential materials for use in various applications. This study reports the use of a modified direct current magnetron sputtering method to form porous Zn-ZnO composite films, wherein a subsequent wet post-oxidation process is employed to fabricate pure porous ZnO films. The porous Zn-ZnO composite films were initially formed in clusters, and evaluation of their resulting properties allowed the optimal conditions to be determined. An oxygen ratio of 0.3% in the argon gas flow resulted in the best porosity, while a process pressure of 14 mTorr was optimal. Following deposition, porous ZnO films were obtained through rapid thermal annealing in the presence of water vapor, and the properties and porosities of the obtained films were analyzed. An oxidation temperature of 500 °C was optimal, with an oxidation time of 5 min giving a pure ZnO film with 26% porosity. Due to the fact that the films produced using this method are highly reliable, they could be employed in applications that require large specific surface areas, such as sensors, supercapacitors, and batteries.