Film Deposition Research Articles

The Effect of O2 Flow Rate on Nanostructured TiO2 Thin Films Prepared by Reactive DC Magnetron Sputtering with OAD Technique

In this project, we explored how different oxygen flow rates influenced the creation of TiO2 nanostructures in thin films using magnetron sputtering preparation with oblique angle deposition (OAD) technique. The experiment involved oxygen flow rates of 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 sccm along with a constant argon flow at 20 sccm. Morphological analysis by FE-SEM was performed to determine film thickness and deposition rate. In a subsequent stage, thin films thickness was confirmed to be 100 nm. After coating, specimens were annealed at 300°C for 2 h using various O2 flow rates. FE-SEM revealed morphological changes, GIXRD to explore crystal structures, and UV-Vis spectrophotometry to measure light transmittance. The results showed an optimal oxygen flow rate at 60 sccm, with annealed specimens exhibiting anatase structure and promising light transmittance of 73-83%.

Does the substrate and a buffer layer have a greater influence on poly(3-Hexylthiophene) films deposited by the chronocoulometry technique?

Abstract In this study, we investigate the interface morphology and optical properties of electrochemical poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films deposited by electrochemical synthesis using the chronocoulometry technique on tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and how the substrate used influences in the deposition of the films and their optical and morphological properties, as well as the buffer layer and the interface effect, with and without spin-coating films of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). P3HT polymeric films were synthesized and deposited via the oxidation of the 3-hexylthiophene (3-HT) monomer and characterized via Raman spectroscopy. The morphology and thickness of the P3HT layer present in the samples ITO/P3HT, FTO/P3HT, ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT, and FTO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT were carried out using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The optical and electronic gap energy of P3HT were calculated from UV‒Vis spectra and cyclic voltammetry curves, respectively. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed broad and asymmetrical line shapes fitted by multi-Gaussian functions identifying different emission species. Emission ellipsometry spectroscopy was performed to study the energy transference between adjacent polymer chains. Our results show a higher linear polarized light emitted by ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT film, ∼37%, thus demonstrating a significant decrease in the energy transfer. Based on these results, the efficiency of organic solar cells can be improved via the interaction of the polymer/polymer interface.

Exploring Sb2S3 as a hole transport layer for GeSe based solar cell: A numerical simulation

Abstract Germanium selenide (GeSe) and antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) both are technological intriguing semiconductor material for green and economical photovoltaic devices. In this study, GeSe and Sb2S3 have been utilized as the absorber layer and hole transport layer, respectively, to constructed a heterojunction thin film solar cell consisting of FTO/TiO2/GeSe/Sb2S3/Metal. The GeSe and Sb2S3 are binary compounds and can adopt the same film deposition method, for instance, thermal evaporation, which is expected to improve process compatibility and to reduce production costs. The TiO2 (electron transport layer) and Sb2S3 can form small spike-like conduction band offset and valence band offset with the GeSe, respectively, which possesses potential to suppress carrier recombination at the heterointerfaces. Subsequently, the effects of main functional layer material parameters, heterointerface characteristics and back contact metal work function on the performance parameters of the proposed solar cell were simulated and analyzed using wxAMPS software. After numerical simulation and optimization, the proposed solar cell can reach an open circuit voltage of 0.872 V, a short circuit current of 40.72 mA·cm-2, a filling factor of 84.16%, and a conversion efficiency of 28.35%. According to the simulation results, it is anticipated that the Sb2S3 can serve as a hole transport layer for GeSe based solar cell and enable device to achieve high efficiency. Simulation analysis also provides some meaningful references for the design and preparation of heterojunction thin film solar cells.

Completely Fused Non‐Fullerene Acceptor Enables Efficient Postprocessing‐Free Organic Photovoltaics Cells

AbstractThe photovoltaic performance of organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells can be significantly improved by regulating the aggregation structure and film formation kinetics of the constituent materials. However, many regulation strategies, including the use of additives and annealing, require complex fabrication processes and additional investments, which poses challenges for the industrialization of OPV cells. In this work, a completely fused non‐fullerene acceptor, GS‐20 is designed and synthesized, with strong aggregation properties. The incorporation of GS‐20 as a third component into the PBQx‐TF:eC9‐2Cl‐based cell accelerates aggregation of eC9‐2Cl and improves molecular stacking by promoting film deposition. The as‐cast ternary OPV cells fabricated without any post‐treatments exhibited a high VOC of 0.890 V and a maximum PCE of 19.0%. Moreover, a postprocessing‐free OPV module is fabricated using the blade coating method and obtains a satisfactory PCE of 13.5%, indicating excellent feasibility for large‐scale preparation. This work realizes an efficient postprocessing‐free OPV cell through molecular design and ternary strategy, facilitating the industrialization of OPV technology.

Two-core photonic quasicrystal fiber - surface plasmon resonance (PQF-SPR) methane sensor comprising the ZnO/Au composite film: design and FEM simulation

A photonic quasicrystal fiber - surface plasmon resonance (PQF-SPR) methane sensor made up of the eight-fold photonic quasicrystal fiber has been designed and analyzed. The PQF is used to construct the double-core D-type structure with air holes forming a hole groove on the D-type surface. The grooves are plated with ZnO and Au films successively, following the deposition of a methane-sensitive film containing Cryptophane-E. The effects of the air hole diameter, materials, and relative thickness of the composite film on the sensing properties are studied by finite element simulation. The results show that the wavelength sensitivity of the sensor with the ZnO-Au and TiO2-Au composite film with the same thickness is significantly higher than that with a single gold film coating in the methane concentration range of 0%–3.5%, confirming that the composite film enhances the SPR effect and improves the sensing properties. The ZnO-Au composite film has the best properties such as maximum and average wavelength sensitivities of 64 nm/% and 40.24 nm/%, respectively. The performance of this sensor is notably superior to that of comparable methane sensors previously documented.

Water Vapor-Impermeable AlON/HfOx Bilayer Films Deposited by Hybrid High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering/Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Processes

Water vapor-impermeable AlON/HfOx bilayer films were constructed through a hybrid high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and radio-frequency magnetron sputtering process (RFMS), applied as an encapsulation of flexible electronics such as organic photovoltaics. The deposition of monolithic and amorphous AlON films through HiPIMS was investigated by varying the duty cycles from 5% to 20%. At an accelerated test condition, 60 °C, and 90% relative humidity, a 100 nm thick monolithic AlON film prepared using a duty cycle of 20% exhibited a low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 0.0903 g m−2 day−1 after testing for 336 h. Furthermore, after introducing a nanocrystalline HfOx film through RFMS, a 214 nm thick AlON/HfOx bilayer film reached the lowest WVTR of 0.0126 g m−2 day−1.

Effects of anode geometry on DC magnetron sputtering of copper oxide films deposition

Abstract Effects of anode shape are examined in a custom-made DC magnetron sputtering system. Polycrystalline copper-oxide (CuO) films are deposited using wedge, ring and disc shaped anodes. Current–voltage (I-V) characteristics of the discharge were fitted with models of plasma discharge. Above 700 V a notable rise in average plasma impedance, from approximately 2kΩ to 7kΩ was observed. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images reveal uniform and porous film growth. The deposition increased significantly with increasing the anode surface area due to decrease in gas density in cathode sheath. For all the anode shapes tested, the deposition rates were higher in magnetron sputtering compared to DC sputtering mode. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the films deposited with the disk anode revealed polycrystalline films with predominant CuO phase. With increasing sputtering power, average crystallite size vary from 11 nm to 21 nm, dislocation density vary from approximately 8.4×〖10〗^(-3) nm-2 to 2.3×〖10〗^(-3) nm-2 and micro strain from approximately 3.3×〖10〗^(-3) to 1.7×〖10〗^(-3). This indicate that higher sputtering at higher powers produce higher quality films. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the rms roughness of the samples is about 4 nm.

Impact of Tetrakis(dimethylamido)tin(IV) Degradation on Atomic Layer Deposition of Tin Oxide Films and Perovskite Solar Cells.

Tin oxide (SnOx) films synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD) are widely explored in a range of optoelectronic devices including electrochemical sensors, transistors, and photovoltaics. However, the integrity of the key ALD-SnOx precursor, namely tetrakis(dimethylamido)tin (IV) (TDMASn), and its influence on the properties of ultimate films remain unexplored. Here a significant degradation of TDMASn into bis(dimethylamido)tin(II) via the Sn-imine complex is reported, and its impact on the corresponding films and devices is examined. It is found, surprisingly, that this degradation does not affect the growth kinetics and morphology of ALD-SnOx films. But it notably deteriorates their electronic properties, resulting in films with twice the electrical resistance due to different oxidation mechanisms of the degradation products. Perovskite solar cells employing such films exhibit a significant loss in power conversion efficiency, primarily due to charge transport and transfer losses. These findings urge strategies to stabilize TDMASn, a critical precursor for ALD-SnOx films, or to identify alternative materials to achieve efficient and reliable devices.

Study on Low-Temperature Deposition of Diamond-like Carbon Film on the Surface of Bionic Joint Thread and Its Properties

The double-connection structure of bionic joints of mining drill pipes has solved the problem of drill drop caused by fatigue cracks. However, with low-melting-point elastic–ductile alloy filling in the bionic joint, the thread on the joint cannot be hardened by high-temperature surface hardening treatments such as quenching and nitriding, making it prone to thread gluing or excessive wear. In this paper, the feasibility of diamond-like film deposition on the surface of a bionic drill pipe thread was studied. A tungsten transition film was used to improve the thickness of the film and the interfacial bond strength between the film and the substrate. The test results show that the total thickness of the DLC film is about 3~5 μm, the roughness is less than 2 μm, the hardness of the film reaches 24.4 GPa, the friction coefficient is 0.04, and the critical load is 56 N. SEM and EDS analyses show that the tungsten film and the bionic joint thread form a metallurgical structure. The morphology of the diamond-like carbon film is uniform and dense, and there is no obvious stratification between the substrate material. The joint with a diamond-like coating treatment has a longer service life than joints receiving conventional high-temperature nitriding treatment.

Plasma Deposition of Parylene-like Films with Chemical Functional Groups for Immunoassays.

Parylene-like films obtained via the plasma decomposition of parylene precursors with functional groups (amino and formyl) are proposed as an alternative to those obtained via the thermal method. To analyze the chemical functional groups after plasma deposition, a surface analysis of the parylene films using the two different deposition methods was performed via Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The FT-IR analysis revealed that the featured peaks of the chemical functional groups were maintained in the parylene-like films obtained via the plasma deposition method. The XPS analysis revealed that the featured chemical functional groups of parylene-AM and parylene-H were maintained after plasma deposition. The surface energy of the parylene films was estimated by using contact angle measurements. The plasma-deposited parylene films were then employed for protein immobilization via the functional groups using horseradish peroxidase (44 kDa) and green fluorescent protein (25 kDa) as model proteins. The parylene-AM and parylene-H films obtained via plasma deposition exhibited higher immobilization efficiencies than did the same parylene films obtained via thermal deposition. Finally, a competitive immunoassay was obtained by immobilizing the Fv-antibodies on plasma-deposited parylene-AM and parylene-H films via covalent bonding. Using heat-deactivated SARS-CoV-2 as a real sample, the limit of detection at the feasible level for the medical diagnosis of COVID-19 was achieved using a competitive immunoassay based on immobilized Fv-antibodies on plasma-deposited parylene films.

Atomic layer deposition of tin monosulfide thin film using Sn(acac)2 and H2S

In this study, we deposited tin monosulfide (SnS) thin film using Tin(II) 2,4-pentanedionate [Sn(acac)2] precursor and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) reactant. And we performed post annealing to improve the crystallinity of SnS thin films. The process window was 130 °C–150 °C, and the growth rate was 0.34 Å/cycle. To investigate crystallinity and the phase of SnS thin films, grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GI-XRD) and Raman spectroscopy were performed. SnS thin films showed a single orthorhombic phase after annealing. In addition, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was utilized to confirm the two-dimensional (2D) layered structure of SnS thin films. Post-annealed SnS thin film clearly showed a 2D layered structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed to confirm the bonding state of the thin film. The results indicated that the SnS thin film only shows binding energies corresponding to the oxidation states of Sn2+ in the Sn 3d spectra and S2- in the S 2p spectra. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) were performed to confirm the optical properties and to calculate the band structure of the thin film. All of SnS thin film showed a p-type characteristic. The post-annealed SnS thin films exhibited better electric properties, confirmed by Hall measurement.

Microscopic examination of rf-cavity-quality niobium films through local nonlinear microwave response

The performance of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities is sometimes limited by local defects. To investigate the rf properties of these local defects, especially those that nucleate rf magnetic vortices, a near-field magnetic microwave microscope is employed. Local third-harmonic response (P3f) and its temperature dependence and rf power dependence are measured for one Nb/Cu film grown by direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) and six Nb/Cu films grown by high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) with systematic variation of deposition conditions. Five out of the six HiPIMS Nb/Cu films show a strong third-harmonic response that is likely coming from rf vortex nucleation due to a low-Tc surface defect with a transition temperature between 6.3 and 6.8 K, suggesting that this defect is a generic feature of air-exposed HiPIMS Nb/Cu films. A phenomenological model of surface-defect grain boundaries hosting a low-Tc impurity phase is introduced and studied with time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) simulations of probe-sample interaction to better understand the measured third-harmonic response. The simulation results show that the third-harmonic response of rf vortex nucleation caused by surface defects exhibits the same general features as the data, including peaks in third-harmonic response with temperature, and their shift and broadening with higher microwave amplitude. We find that the parameters of the phenomenological model (the density of surface defects that nucleate rf vortices and the depth an rf vortex travels through these surface defects) vary systematically with film deposition conditions. From the point of view of these two properties, the Nb/Cu film that is most effective at reducing the nucleation of rf vortices associated with surface defects can be identified. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

A Fe3+-Doped TiO2 Superhydrophilic Coating with Transparent and Long-Lasting Antifogging Properties Constructed Based on Nanostructured Antireflective and Capillary Anchoring Effects.

Superhydrophilic surfaces have attracted great interest in antifogging applications. However, balancing long-lasting superhydrophilicity and high transparency on antifogging surfaces remains a serious problem to be solved. The objective of this work is to prepare superhydrophilic coatings with transparent and long-lasting antifogging properties. In the design, a three-step method was used to obtain the target coatings: (1) magnetron sputtering deposition of a TiN film to provide high intensity, (2) anodic oxidation of the TiN film to obtain TiO2 nanoparticles intended for nanostructured antireflective and capillary structures, and (3) the sol-gel method for the preparation of Fe3+-doped TiO2 coatings using spin-coating in order to achieve superhydrophilicity. The nanostructures, due to their subwavelength dimensions, not only provide high transparency but also recoverable superhydrophilicity owing to the presence of a capillary anchoring effect that prevents the coating from dissolving and peeling off after soaking. The doping of Fe3+ broadened the photoresponse range and maintained the long-lasting superhydrophilicity. Tests showed that the 2 mol % Fe3+-doped TiO2 coating with nanostructures exhibited the highest transparency, longest-lasting superhydrophilicity, and antifogging properties. Furthermore, the coating provided excellent self-cleaning properties, as well as mechanical and chemical stability.

Integrated electro-optic modulator on a lead zirconate titanate-silicon nitride heterogeneous platform.

Integrated electro-optic (EO) modulators are the core components of the optoelectronic information technology, and lithium niobate is currently the most widely used crystalline thin film material; however, finite EO coefficients limit the modulation efficiency of the modulators. In this Letter, we present an integrated EO modulator using a microring resonator on the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and silicon nitride (SiN) heterogeneous platform. The microwave attenuation is reduced by using low loss tangent and dielectric constant SiN as the electrode substrate, achieving an EO bandwidth of 33 GHz. Thanks to the high quality of the PZT film deposition and the substantial EO overlap of our structure, ultrahigh modulation efficiency with the half-wave voltage-length product of 0.7 V·cm is achieved. In addition, as a remarkable result, an 80-Gbps on-off keying signal is generated using the modulator.

Semiconductor WO3 thin films deposited by pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering

A pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering system with a tungsten target and a gas mixture of argon and oxygen was investigated as a source for the deposition of semiconductor WO3 thin films on soda lime glass substrates and on the glass with transparent conductive SnO2:F (FTO) electrode. The reactive sputtering process was performed in HiPIMS mode with low pulse repetition frequency fp ≈ 50–100 Hz and short pulse duration in HiPIMS discharge Ton = 100 μs. The second mode investigated was the mid-frequency (MF) magnetron discharge with pulse frequency fp = 40 kHz and pulse length Ton = 15 μs. The plasma parameters were investigated for both HiPIMS and MF modes using the planar RF probe operating at the frequency fprobe = 350 kHz and the grid QCM with biased collector electrode. Ion density ni and tail electron temperature (Te) were determined in both pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering discharge modes with time resolution. The maximum value ni ≈ 5 · 1017 m−3 was found in the reactive HiPIMS mode, and the maximum value ni ≈ 7 · 1016 m−3 was found in the reactive MF (40 kHz) mode. The degree of ionization of sputtered particles in reactive HiPIMS was determined for different values of (QO2) and was found to be in the range of ri ≈ 0.1–0.3. The deposition rate determined by QCM in reactive HiPIMS was practically independent on (QO2), but in the case of reactive MF, the measured deposition rate decreased significantly with increasing (QO2). The WO3 films deposited in both modes have a predominantly monoclinic crystal structure. The light and dark conductivity and the light/dark conductivity ratio (Ld) were measured under dark conditions and UV light illumination. At higher (QO2), the maximum value of Ld ≈ 300 was found for MF deposited WO3 and the maximum value of Ld ≈ 30 was found for HiPIMS deposited WO3. The photoelectrochemical measurement of WO3 deposited on FTO electrodes confirmed the n-type conductivity, and these films functioned as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical cells. MF deposited WO3 films systematically exhibited slightly higher photocurrents than HiPIMS deposited WO3. It was shown that these optimum photocurrents for HiPIMS and MF were found at QO2 ≈ 80 sccm and could not be improved by further increasing of (QO2).

Formation of molecular hydrogen in diamond-like carbon films during deposition: Molecular dynamics simulations

The existence states of the H atoms in hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (a-C:H) films were simulated using a modified REBO II potential function-based large-scale atomic/molecular parallel simulator (LAMMPS) and neutral C and H atom beam impingement. The fraction of the H atoms in the incident source (H-flux fraction) in the source must be considered when investigating the effects of the incident energy combination on the H content and mass density of the films. In simulations a-C:H film deposition using a 15 % H-flux fraction, films with densities of 2.6–2.8 g/cm3 could be obtained, and their H content varied with the incident energy. However, the H contents of films simulated using a 70 % H-flux fraction could be kept in the range of 40–50 at.%. The H atoms in the films preferentially reacted with the C atoms to form CH bonds. Regardless of the incident energy combination used, the total sp3C fraction in the film increased with the H-flux fraction of the source. An incident energy of >36 eV for the H atoms was necessary to form H2 during the film deposition. Instead of being formed in the surface growth zone, H2 molecules were synthesized in the stabilized zone, where a high density of sp3C—Hn was favorable.

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of SiOx thin films on Portuguese limestone: An experimental study

Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) of SiOx thin films has been applied to the stone surface under laboratory conditions in order to assess its feasibility as an alternative method for stone protection. SiOx thin layers were deposited on oolitic limestone lithologies known to have been used for the construction and restoration of the Batalha Monastery in Portugal surface by PECVD from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as the reaction precursor, in capacitively coupled parallel-plate reactor. The thickness, morphologies and chemical properties of the deposited film were characterized by attenuated total reflectance -Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM+EDS). Laboratory simulated decay and natural aging tests were implemented to evaluate the protective effect of the deposited micron-size SiOx thin films. Results suggested that, due to the good barrier effect, SiOx films were able to isolate the stones from aggressive acidic solution, thus reducing possible dissolution-related damage. Natural aging tests proved that SiOx thin films were also able to inhibit to a high extent bio-colonization while, at the same time reducing soiling of the stone appearance. Durability and wetting property of this SiOx thin film were preliminarily assessed. This research tested, for the first time, the feasibility of applying micron-size SiOx film quickly and directly via cold plasma deposition and its versatile protection performance on carbonate stone.

Numerical simulation of the temperature excursions of porous substrates during atomic layer deposition

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes are usually highly exothermic. For ALD on substrates with high specific surface area, the reaction heat per ALD cycle may lead to a substantial temperature rise of the substrates. The novelty of this study lies in quantifying the temperature excursions of porous substrates during ALD via numerical simulation and further addresses the issue of tuning this type of thermal effect. A comprehensive model has been developed and validated to investigate the ALD thermal effect with accounting for the roles of the precursor transport phenomena within the ALD reactor system, and the coupling among the precursor diffusion, heat transfer, film deposition, reaction heat generation within the porous substrates. The results show that the thermal effect of the sub-saturated ALD can change with different substrate thickness, precursor partial pressure profile, heat transfer coefficient, and kinetic parameters. In contrast, for saturated ALD with adiabatic condition, the maximum temperature rise of the substrate is a deterministic value, independent of the substrate thickness and precursor partial pressure profile. The thermal effect with the porous substrates can influence the ultimate deposit amount and its distribution for sub-saturated ALD and change the time required for attaining saturation for saturated ALD. The temperature rises of certain common substrates during typical half-ALD cycles have been simulated to demonstrate the capability of the present model in predicting the thermal effect of ALD.

Effect of grain size and orientation on magnetron sputtering yield of tantalum

The electron beam melting (EBM) technique was employed to prepare ultra-highly pure (99.999 wt%) Tantalum (Ta) cast ingot for application in chips. Subsequently, the Ta cast ingot were forged, rolled, and annealed with different durations to gain three different grain sizes (centimeter scale, 99.8 μm, and 36.7 μm). Sputtering experiments conducted under identical conditions revealed that the rolled target (36.7 μm) film deposition rate was increased by 60.6 % compared to the cast ingot target with a centimeter-scale grain size (columnar crystal). Ta targets with a fine grain size and homogeneous distribution demonstrate superior film deposition performance. The sputtering rate is directly related to the atomic packing density of grains. The (111)-oriented grains of BCC targets (Ta target) exhibit sputtering resistance, and the order of sputtering rate of Ta atoms was S(101) > S(001) > S(111).

Preparation of Multi-element Doped Carbon Nanospheres with Core-shell Structure Derived from Polystyrene as Lubricating Additives for Improving Tribological Behavior

In this study, the multi-element doped carbon nanospheres with core-shell structure (N,P,S-PCNs) have been successfully synthesized through the carbonization of hyper-cross-linked polystyrene nanospheres (HPSs) encapsulated with poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4’-sulfonyldiphenol) (PZS). The phosphonitrilic chloride trimer can in-situ assemble on HPSs surface, forming a poly(phosphonitrilic chloride trimer) film via sulfonyldiphenol as cross-linking agent to obtain HPSs@PZS. Subsequently, the HPSs@PZS undergoes high-temperature calcination under N2 atmosphere, and PZS with a well-preserved encapsulation capability efficiently incorporated N, P and S into carbon nanospheres to gain multi-element (N,P,S) co-doped carbon nanospheres (N,P,S-PCNs) with core-shell structure. The prepared N,P,S-PCNs exhibit exceptional dispersibility and stability as lubricant additives, effectively mitigating friction (reduced to 0.106) and wear (decreased by 84.0 %). The lubrication performance of N,P,S-PCNs is exceptional due to the nanospheres' remarkable ability to enter the gaps between friction pairs and form a deposition film on the surfaces. Moreover, the nanospheres can undergo a chemical reaction with the matrix surface, resulting in the formation of a chemical protective film. The composite protective film (deposition film and chemical protective film) significantly enhances the lubricants' ability to reduce friction and resist wear.