Electron Beam Deposition Method Research Articles

Performance and Degradation of Electrolyte Supported SOECs with Advanced Thin-Flm Gadolinium Doped Ceria Barrier Layers in Long-Term Stack Test

Electrolyte supported Solid Oxide Cells (ESCs) with advanced thin-film Gd-doped ceria diffusion barrier layers between electrolyte and electrodes were assembled and electrochemically investigated in steam electrolysis mode in a so-called “rainbow” stack with 30 repeat units (RUs). The barrier layers were deposited onto the electrolyte supports via electron-beam physical evaporation deposition (EB-PVD) method at 600 °C. In this paper, the investigation mainly focuses on the electrochemical characteristics of RUs containing the EB-PVD thin-film GDC layers. At the initial stage of the SOEC operation, the stack reached a high performance with an electrical efficiency of 99.65% at 75% steam conversion and a total power input of 1.98 kW. A long-term stack test was performed in SOEC mode for over 5000 h and demonstrated a low voltage degradation of approx. +11.3 mV·kh–1 per RU (+0.9% kh–1). The RUs with EB-PVD GDC thin-films revealed similar initial performance and degradation rate to the state-of-the-art cells with screen printed GDC layers.

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.

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by TiO2/Nd2O3 composite thin films

To improve the photocatalytic property of TiO2 thin films, the composite thin films of TiO2/Nd2O3 structure were fabricated by electron-beam physical vapor deposition method, and the photocatalytic property of the fabricated films was experimentally studied in the present work. The XRD and Raman analyses show that the TiO2/Nd2O3 films are mainly hexagonal crystalline phase of Nd2O3. The XPS analysis for the chemical state changes of Ti, O and Nd of the basic elements in the films is confirming the electron flow in the internal electric field which generated in the TiO2/Nd2O3 films. The surface morphology shows the lattice distortion which affects the changes in the energy band structure. Moreover, the formation of n-n homojunctions improved the separation efficiency of electrons and holes, and enhanced the catalytic activity. The photocatalytic performance for the methylene blue target dye shows that the sample with TiO2 thickness of 20–25 nm has better performance, high degradation efficiency and high reaction rate.

Performance and Degradation of Electrolyte Supported SOECs with Advanced GDC Thin-film Layers in Long-term Stack Test

Solid oxide electrolyser (SOE) based on electrolyte-supported cell (ESC) architecture is proven to be highly efficient and reliable technology for green hydrogen production via high temperature electrolysis. Operating under industrial conditions, the performance, lifetime and robustness of the cells and stacks belong to the most important factors for an up-scaled penetration of the SOE technology into energy and chemistry sectors. A typical ESC consists of scandia- or yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolyte, Ni-cermet fuel electrode, lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSCF) oxygen electrode and either one or two Gd-doped ceria (GDC) layers with a thickness of 5-7 µm between electrolyte and electrodes. At the oxygen electrode side, the GDC layer prevents interdiffusion (mainly of Sr), whereas at the fuel electrode side, the GDC layer may improve the electrode adherence to electrolyte and reduce the interfacial resistance. State-of-the-art fabrication route of the GDC layers is screen-printing followed by partially sintering at high temperature between 1200 °C to 1300 °C. This fabrication process usually results in porous structure in the GDC layers and residual stresses which reduce the mechanical strength of the cells.Aiming to improve the mechanical strength of ESCs and the properties (e.g. porosity and electrical conductivity) of GDC layers, the conventional screen-printed GDC layers either only at the oxygen electrode or at both electrodes were replaced by 0.5 µm thick thin-film GDC layers fabricated by electron-beam physical evaporation deposition (EB-PVD) method at 600 °C. These EB-PVD-fabricated thin-film GDC layers were electrochemically characterized in a so-called “rainbow” stack with 30 repeat units (RUs), including 4 RUs with EB-PVD GDC layers at the oxygen electrode and screen-printed GDC at fuel electrode, 3 RUs with EB-PVD GDC layers at both electrodes and 23 RUs with state-of-the-art screen-printed GDC layers at both electrodes. The stack was operated for over 5000 h in SOEC mode under a current density of -410 mA cm−2 and 75 % steam conversion, with a feed gas composition of 80 % steam + 10 % H2 + 10 % N2 on the fuel electrode and air on oxygen electrode.In this paper, the investigation focuses on the electrochemical characteristics of RUs containing the EB-PVD thin-film GDC layers during the SOEC stack testing. The performance and degradation behavior of the stack and representative RUs were investigated and compared by means of current-voltage curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The initial performance and the degradation of the voltage and resistances of the stack and the RUs with EB-PVD GDC thin-film layers were determined and discussed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the modifications in the scenario of long-term SOEC stack testing.The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) is acknowledged for the financial supports within the project H2GiGa-HTEL (grant no. 03HY124E).

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

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.

Instrumental method with impedimetric detection for the evaluation of the antimicrobial potential of materials used for medical masks

Objective . To optimize the parameters for testing the antimicrobial activity of modified non-woven materials used for the manufacture of medical masks against microorganism isolates with strong phenotypic aggression signs, and to quantify their antimicrobial potential using a method with impedimetric detection. Materials and methods . The antimicrobial potential was assessed by simulating a direct contact of the material after treatment with octenidine dihydrochloride solutions under in vitro conditions by the method with impedimetric detection based on the proposed IDT marker – duration of the lag-phase of the growth of a test stain population using the software of a microbiological analisator. The antimicrobial potential was calculated according to the proposed formula and evaluated in accordance with a reasonable quantitative scale. Results . The parameters for testing the antimicrobial activity of nonwoven materials with antimicrobial octenidine dihydrochloride treatment using an instrumental method with impedimetric detection have been optimized in laboratory conditions. It was found that Escherichia coli 43-02012021 isolate , Enterobacter cloaceae 14-21072021 isolate were more sensitive to the impact of the sample obtained by the method of electron beam deposition of octenidine hydrochloride from the active gas phase compared with the sample obtained by wet impregnation from octenidine hydrochloride solution in vacuum. Conclusion . The evaluation method with the impedimetric detection principle expands the arsenal of instrumental methods of quantitative determination of the antimicrobial potential of nonwoven materials. The standard deviations of σ measurements were 4.4-8.1 %, which is acceptable for obtaining reliable results under the conditions of intralaboratory testing.

Flexible sensor based on multi-walled carbon nanotube-SnO2 nanocomposite material for hydrogen detection

This study aimed to develop a high-performance hydrogen flexible sensor based on multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT):SnO2 material. The MWCNT:SnO2 thin film was deposited onto a flexible polyimide substrate by the electron-beam deposition method to perform the low temperature detection of hydrogen. The thickness and surface morphology of the sensing layers have been determined by the thickness measuring profilometer and the scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. The flexible MWCNT:SnO2 sensor exhibited excellent sensitive characteristics to hydrogen in a range of 25–3000 ppm. H2 sensing parameters like sensor response, recovery, and response times were investigated at different operating temperatures. The minimum response and recovery times of the sensor corresponding to 1000 ppm H2 concentrations were found to be 37 and 554 s, respectively. The investigated sensing parameters demonstrate that this work can provide the possibility of a versatile route to fabricate flexible hydrogen sensor with high sensitivity and selectivity, which demonstrates its great potential in hydrogen leakage monitoring.

Charge Compensation Mechanism of Li2MnO3 Cathode in All-Solid-State Thin Film Battery Investigated By Using Operando HAXPES

Lithium battery has been used as a power source for not only small devices but also large equipment like an electric vehicle because of its potentially high energy density and high rate performance. All-solid-state battery is a promising battery form to achieve high energy density. Since solid-electrolyte has a wider potential window than a liquid one, high voltage cathode material can be implemented. Among novel cathode materials, we focus on a Li-rich manganese oxide Li2MnO3, which has a layered rock-salt structure with a honeycomb-ordered LiMn2 layer. Although having a high theoretical capacity of ~459 mAh g-1, the cathode delivers a smaller reversible capacity than the theoretical value. Recently, we have found that an all-solid-state battery with a Li2MnO3 thin film can deliver a reversibly capacity of 270 mAh g-1, and the rate and cyclic performance are extremely high [1]. However, the redox species of the Li2MnO3 during the electrochemical charge/discharge reactions are still unknown for this battery system. In this study, the charge compensation mechanism of the Li2MnO3 cathode in an all-solid-state thin film battery was investigated by using an operando hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) method. Although X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is a powerful method to investigate the electronic structure of the cathode, there is an issue that the probing depth is about a few nm when using Al or Mg Ka source. On the other hand, HAXPES has a high probing depth of several 10 nm, which makes it possible to detect a signal from the buried region of the battery. Solid-electrolyte supported thin film batteries were developed for HAXPES measurement as illustrated in Fig (a). Using solid-electrolyte as substrate, cathode, and anode layers can be separated on the front and the back of the substrate, respectively, which enables us to detect the HAXPES signal of the cathode layer. The battery composed of a polycrystalline Li2MnO3 cathode, an amorphous Li3PO4 buffer layer, a lithium anode, an Al current collector, and a LICGC glass-ceramics solid-electrolyte substrate (manufactured by Ohara Inc.) was prepared by using pulsed laser deposition, magnetron sputtering, and thermal or electron-beam vapor deposition methods. Charge-discharge experiments were performed galvanostatically at a 0.2 C rate between 2.0 and 5.0 V (vs. Li/Li+) at room temperature. After the cell voltage reached at 5.0 V, the voltage was kept for 30 minutes.An operando HAXPES measurement was conducted at BL28XU in SPring-8. The incident photon energy of 7940 eV was used. The operando O1s, Mn3s, and Li1s spectra were measured during the 1st and the 5th charge-discharge processes. The charge-discharge curves showed a plateau at 4.6 V in the 1st charge and slope-like curves from the 1st discharge. Since these characteristics are also identified in the case of the battery using the Li2MnO3 epitaxial thin film [1], the prepared battery is suitable to conduct a HAXPES measurement for the purpose. The figures (b, c) show O1s operando spectra during the 1st charge-discharge process. During the 1st charge, a new peak at 531.1 eV is generated from 3.7 V in addition to a lattice oxygen O2- at 529.8 eV. According to previous reports, the new peak can be assigned as higher oxidized lattice oxygen such as O- [2]. After 3.7 V, the area of the new peak increases while that of O2- decreases as the voltage increases. During the 1st discharge, the new peak gradually decreases and then disappears at 3.3 V. Therefore, the reversible oxygen redox could contribute the charge compensation for the battery reactions. The average valence state of Mn was analyzed from Mn3s operando spectra. Manganese is reduced from 4+ to 3.5+ during the 1st charge process then Mn is further reduced to 3.1+ from 3.3 V during 1st discharging process. Upon the 5th charge-discharge process, the Mn redox occurred reversibly below 3.5 V. These results indicate that the oxygen as well as Mn redox reactions occur reversibly in Li2MnO3 cathode. Furthermore, the oxygen redox occurs on the higher voltage region between ~3.3 and 5.0 V and the Mn redox occurs on the lower region between 2.0 and ~3.3 V. Therefore, it is evident that the large reversible capacity of Li2MnO3 thin film results from the oxygen redox activity. Realizing the stable oxygen redox reaction on batteries with a larger scale will be a key for practical application.[1] K. Hikima et al., Chem. Lett. 48, 192 (2019).[2] M. Sathiya et al., Nature Materials 12, 827 (2013). Figure 1

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.

Characterization of gradient CuAl–B4C composites additively manufactured using a combination of wire-feed and powder-bed electron beam deposition methods

A combination of wire-feed and powder-bed electron beam additive deposition was applied for fabricating a gradient heterogeneous and wear-resistant CuAl–B4C multilayer composite with two different contents of the boron carbide particles. To improve the CuAl alloy wetting ability on the carbide powder bed, the latter was admixed with aluminum powder. A gradient distribution of the boron carbide in the aluminum bronze matrix was achieved for composites with 50 and 25 vol% B4C, which were characterized by microhardness, coefficient of friction, and wear resistance. The 50 vol% B4C sample demonstrated higher hardness but lower wear resistance against and coefficient of friction as compared to those of 25 vol% B4C one, when reciprocally rubbed against a 52,100 steel ball.

Circular dichroism of spatially complementary chiral nanostructures

Circular dichroism (CD) is widely used in biology, medicine, and physics. Three-dimensional (3D) chiral structures have been extensively studied because of their ability to produce significant CD effects. Previously reported 3D chiral structures are limited due to the complexity of fabrication processes and CD mechanisms. Here, spatially complementary chiral nanostructure (SCCN) arrays, which comprise bottom silver films with zigzag-shaped nanoslit and top complementary silver zigzag-shaped nanowires, are theoretically and experimentally shown to provide the CD effect. SCCN arrays are prepared experimentally by combining electron beam lithography (EBL) with normal electron beam deposition (NEBD) method and by utilizing EBL and NEBD only once. Numerical results demonstrate that localized surface plasmon excited on top complementary silver zigzag-shaped nanowires and surface plasmon polariton excited on bottom silver films with zigzag-shaped nanoslit result in the CD effect of SCCN arrays. In addition, the CD effect can be tuned by changing the width of the top complementary silver zigzag-shaped nanowires. Such type of chiral nanostructures has easy tunability, simple fabrication, and a better understanding of chiral optical response, which provides a new design for spatially chiral optoelectronic devices.

Enhanced optical properties and photodetection behavior of ZnS thin film deposited by electron beam evaporation upon doping with europium oxide

In the present study, pure zinc sulfide, zinc sulfide annealed at 500 °C, and zinc sulfide-europium oxide nanocomposite were deposited on a silicon substrate by the electron beam deposition method and their structural and optical properties and detection behavior were investigated. Zinc sulfide nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical deposition and annealed at 500 °C. Their structural and phase properties were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), indicating formation of wurtzite phase on the zinc sulfide structure. Europium oxide was added to the composite as a reinforcing phase at 5 wt% by the chemical deposition method. The XRD pattern demonstrated that there was a good intensity of the europium oxide peaks along the zinc sulfide peaks in the nanocomposite. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the zinc sulfide layers deposited by the electron beam deposition method had a good uniformity and that the europium oxide particles were presented in the layers with good dispersion. The energy dispersive spectroscopy showed that the stoichiometry of the zinc sulfide deposited on the silicon substrate did not change with the electron beam deposition method and confirmed the presence of europium oxide in the layers. Photoluminescence spectroscopy results showed that with the addition of europium oxide to the zinc sulfide, the intensity of the peaks increased compared to pure zinc sulfide and annealed zinc sulfide at 500 °C, which showed an increase in the rate of electron-hole generation. This increase in electron-hole generation was also demonstrated in the optoelectrical properties of the fabricated photodetectors. The sensitivity of the detector under UV illumination for pure zinc sulfide and annealed sample at 500 °C was 10.30 and 15.29, respectively. But for the sample containing europium oxide, the sensitivity increased to 42.76.

Photoelectrochemical Reduction of CO2 to Syngas by Reduced Ag Catalysts on Si Photocathodes

The photoelectrochemical reduction of CO2 to syngas that is used for many practical applications has been emerging as a promising technique to relieve the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. Si has been considered to be one of the most promising materials for photoelectrodes, but the integration of electrocatalysts is essential for the photoelectrochemical reduction of CO2 using Si. We report an enhancement of catalytic activity for CO2 reduction reaction by Ag catalysts of tuned morphology, active sites, and electronic structure through reducing anodic treatment. Our proposed photocathode structure, a SiO2 patterned p-Si photocathode with these reduced Ag catalysts, that was fabricated using electron-beam deposition and electrodeposition methods, provides a low onset-potential of −0.16 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), a large saturated photocurrent density of −9 mA/cm2 at −1.23 V vs. RHE, and faradaic efficiency for CO of 47% at −0.6 V vs. RHE. This photocathode can produce syngas in the ratio from 1:1 to 1:3, which is an appropriate proportion for practical application. This work presents a new approach for designing photocathodes with a balanced catalytic activity and light absorption to improve the photoelectrochemical application for not only CO2 reduction reaction, but also water splitting or N2 reduction reaction.

Indium Tin Oxide Coated D-Shape Fiber as a Saturable Absorber for Generating a Dark Pulse Mode-Locked Laser**Supported by the Ministry of Education of Malaysia (Grant No. LR001A-2016A) and University of Malaya (Grant No. RP039C-18AFR).

A dark pulse mode-locked laser is experimentally demonstrated using the indium tin oxide (ITO) coated D-shape fiber as a saturable absorber (SA). Using the polishing wheel technique, a D-shape single mode fiber was fabricated. A 60-nm-thick layer of ITO was deposited over the D-shape fiber using the electron beam deposition method. The SA has a saturation intensity of 40.32 MW/cm2 and a modulation depth of 3.5%. A stable dark pulse mode-locked laser was observed at a central wavelength of 1559.4 nm with repetition rate 0.98 MHz, pulse width 370 ns and signal-to-noise ratio 61 dB.

Self-Referencing Plasmonic Array Sensors

A self-referencing plasmonic platform is proposed and analyzed. By introducing a thin gold layer below a periodic two-dimensional nano-grating, the structure supports multiple modes including localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and Fabry-Perot resonances. These modes get coupled to each other creating multiple Fano resonances. A coupled mode between the LSPR and SPR responses is spatially separated from the sensor surface and is not sensitive to refractive index changes in the surrounding materials or surface attachments. This mode can be used for self-referencing the measurements. In contrast, the LSPR dominant mode shifts in wavelength when the refractive index of the surrounding medium is changed. The proposed structure is easy to fabricate using conventional lithography and electron beam deposition methods. A bulk sensitivity of 429 nm/RIU is achieved. The sensor also has the ability to detect nanometer thick surface attachments on the top of the grating.

Features of the product formation by the electron beam deposition method

ABSTRACT Electron beam deposition is a process that involves the use of an electron beam as a source of energy and wire as a raw material for the fabrication of metal products with complex shape in a vacuum and is part of the promising additive technologies group. In this paper a methodology for determining the electron-beam deposition regimes of a wire by the example of corrosion-resistant austenitic steel ANSI 316L is proposed. The proposed calculation methodology connects the main parameters of the process: the electron beam current, the addition wire feed rate, the movement speed of the electron gun and the dimensions of the deposited rollers. The investigation results of the microstructure and properties of the deposited metal are presented. Examples of the obtained cylindrical and conical products are adduced.

Formation of Superhydrophobic Coatings on the Track-Etched Membrane Surface by the Method of Electron-Beam Deposition of Polymers in Vacuum

Formation of Superhydrophobic Coatings on the Track-Etched Membrane Surface by the Method of Electron-Beam Deposition of Polymers in Vacuum

Experimental investigation of bioceramic (Hydroxyapatite and Yttrium stabilized zirconia) composite on Ti6Al7Nb alloy for medical implants

ABSTRACTIn this experimental work, a mixture of Hydroxyapatite (HAp)+yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is deposited on a layer of Ti6Al7Nb alloy by electron-beam deposition method, which finds its application in bone and dental implants. Multi-criteria decision making method is adopted (TOPSIS) highlights the close to an ideal solution at the temperature of 160°C (Chamber), 950°C (Furnace), 30 mA (Energy), 90 min (Duration) for achieving the coated layer with optimal thickness. XRD revealed the heat treatment of the samples varying at 450°C and below, tend to shift the sample toward amorphous region due to the inherent nature of electron-beam deposition. To compensate for this, a post-heat treatment has been carried out. From SEM analysis, it is ascertained that coated specimen indicates minimal micro voids and pores, as seen in the cross-sectional area of the HAp/YSZ coated Ti6Al7Nb. The percentage increase from the stoichiometric YSZ and HAp (1.68) to 18.96% (1.99) and 19.20% (1.54) indicates the rise in elemental composition with rise in temperature, attributed to the dissolving nature of P, along with the boundaries of Zr and Ca. In the presence of HAp-YSZ, nano-coated specimen on the substrate would lead to a higher penetration depth along with increase in the strength of the bond formed (adhesive) in the specimen. In the presence of HAp/YSZ powder the corrosion rate falls by 49.34%, attributed to the presence of Zr in YSZ sample creating an addendum for osseointegration.

Optimization of Cr Seed Layer Effect for Surface Roughness of As-Deposited Silver Film using Electron Beam Deposition Method

The surface roughness is an important parameter in determining the physical properties and quality of thin films deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD) method. The presence of an intermediate layer between metallic nanoparticles and substrate significantly promotes the adhesion and reduces the surface roughness. In this article, we have investigated the effect of Chromium (Cr) seed layer to optimize the surface roughness on the growth of as-deposited silver (Ag) film using borosilicate glass and silicon wafer substrates. For this purpose, Ag thin films were deposited with a Cr seed layer of different thickness on borosilicate glass and silicon wafer substrates using an electron beam (E-Beam) deposition method. The Cr thin film of different thickness ranging from 1 nm to 6 nm was thermally evaporated and pure Ag with the same thickness was evaporated at the same rate on previously coated substrates. The deposition of the nanostructured thin film was confirmed by UV-Vis and XRD characterizations. The difference in transmittance for uncoated and coated substrates ensured the deposition. The presence of pure Ag crystalline phase was confirmed by XRD pattern. Surface roughness was measured using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and the conductance was measured using 4-probe conductivity method. The density of nanoparticles and smoothness were visualized from two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) surface height histograms of representative AFM images. The quantitative roughness was measured in terms of root mean square (RMS) roughness and mean roughness. The high dense and smoother thin films were found for ~2-4 nm Cr layer thickness in case of the glass substrate. The slight increase in roughness was observed for ~1-6 nm Cr layer thickness in case of the silicon substrate. The dependence of the conductivity of thin films on surface roughness is investigated to verify the effect of surface roughness on different applications of Ag thin film. The conductance results have been analyzed as; for a glass substrate, conductivity was maximum for thin films containing ~2 nm Cr seed layer thickness, while for silicon substrate the maximum conductivity was found for the thin film containing ~1 nm Cr seed layer.