Ion Beam Sputtering Process Research Articles

Design and fabrication of integrated negative feedback resistor for InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode

The serial resistor of alloy material can be integrated on negative feedback avalanche diodes to reduce afterpulsing effect. In this work, the influence of parasitic capacitance on the avalanche quenching resistor was theoretically analyzed. By using simulation model of device & circuit mixed-mode, the quenching capability of integrated resistors was evaluated with the parasitic parameters. For the material growth of feedback quenching resistor, thin film based on CrSi alloy was prepared by ion beam sputtering process, realizing the sheet resistance of 3 kΩ/square. The resistor material were sufficiently investigated by characterizing the morphology and element component. CrSi pattern of spiral shape was fabricated on sapphire substrate, realizing a resistor of the order of 500 kΩ in area of diameter 40 μm, which was equivalent to the active area of avalanche diodes. The electrical measurement indicated the excellent temperature stability of this integrated resistor, showing the promising application prospect for preparing high-performance negative feedback avalanche diodes.

Enhanced oxygen evolution reaction of 2-dimensional metal-organic frameworks with tunable nitrogen functionalities by ion beam sputtering

Modification of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is recently under the spotlight due to their versatile properties and potential applications in electrochemical catalysis. Here, we successfully demonstrate nitrogen doping into the MOF electrocatalyst without noble metals using a facile, tunable ion beam sputtering (IBS) process for the first time and evaluate the role of the incorporated heteroatom. Two-dimensional Ni-naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid MOF (NiNDC) with large surface area was subjected to nitrogen IBS (NIBS) and exhibited significantly improved performance for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with a low overpotential of 222 mV at 10 mA cm−2; a Tafel slope of 88 mV dec-1; and over 120 h of stability at 100 mA cm−2. The relationship between the nitrogen functionalities and catalytic activity was elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and electrochemical measurements, i.e., (i) pyridinic N as an electron-withdrawing group that directly enhances the reaction kinetics, (ii) pyrrolic N to stabilize the catalyst and (iii) graphitic N to enhance the electrical conductivity. We found that the electrocatalytic performance was affected by the ratio of the three nitrogen species, which was controllable by the accelerating potential (AP) of NIBS. This study provides insights into the influence of the chemical state of MOF surfaces on catalytic reactions and presents a novel method for effective nitrogen doping.

The buffer – Free semitransparent perovskite solar cells with ion-beam sputtered back electrode

Semitransparent perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have the potential for utilization in tandem photovoltaics (PV) and see-through PV for building integration. The passage of light through the thin-film device structure requires transparent contact at the front and back sides of the device. Typically, transparent contacts are made of wide bang-gap conductive oxides (In2O3:SnO2(ITO), etc.) deposited by magnetron sputtering (MS). The use of conventional MS usually requires the addition of a buffer layer to avoid the damage of the charge transporting layers. In this work, the semitransparent perovskite solar cell with p-i-n architecture is fabricated with ITO back electrode deposited directly on C60 electron transporting layer. A comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the performance and properties of ITO films deposited using ion-beam sputtering (IBS) and the more common MS method. The IBS process was found to eliminate plasma-substrate interaction, resulting in improved deposition on organic layers. Conversely, the MS method resulted in poor output performance and S-shaped IV characteristics of the semitransparent-PSCs. By utilizing IBS fabrication for the back electrode, the relevant efficiency of 12.65% was achieved for the best device. The changes in chemical, optical, and transport properties of the ITO samples fabricated with different methods were investigated. This study represents the first successful utilization of ion-beam sputtering for the fabrication of semitransparent PSCs.

Oxide-Free SiC-SiC Direct Wafer Bonding and Its Characterization

There are different requirements for the production process and the final product of SiC-SiC wafer bonding. The manufacturing of devices that are sensitive to high temperature processing – due to broadened doping profiles and induced thermal stresses – requires room temperature bonding with high bond strength, while for electrical devices, it is mandatory that the bonding interface with a thin amorphous layer is oxide-free.[1] Reduced complexity of processes is also an important point for the final production. Hence, the goal of this work was to perform and characterize direct bonding of SiC-SiC without any added/deposited bonding layer. This type of bonded SiC wafers can be used for power electronics such as for the fabrication of traction inverter for automotive applications, DC/DC converter, on board charger or charging station.[2]For the wafer bonding processes standard 100 mm 4H SiC wafers were bonded with their Si-terminated faces in order to fabricate oxide-free bonds. The wafer bonding process was performed using the EVG ComBond® system: first the native oxides from both wafer surfaces were removed using an ion beam sputtering process, followed by the transfer of both wafers to the bonding process station operated in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) to significantly retard the oxidation process. Finally, the bonding process was performed at room temperature (RT).The goal of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of the bonding process and to gain insight on the surface chemistry after activation. The investigations covered three areas: incoming inspection of the original wafer, characterization of activated single wafer and analysis of bonded wafer pairs. The focus was on compositional, chemical, mechanical and morphological analysis of the surfaces and of the bonded interfaces. In the case of single wafers, the focus of the incoming inspection was on whether the wafers fulfill the requirements of wafer bonding, and on the characterization of activated wafers to measure the surface modifications. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), white light interferometry (WLI) and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) were used to determine the surface roughness, the wafer topography and the surface layer structure, respectively. All three parameters are essential for successful RT SiC-SiC wafer bonding. The change of the surface chemistry was investigated by angle resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AR-XPS). The quality of the bonded wafers and the bonding energy were verified using scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) measurements (Fig. 1) as well as the Maszara blade test. Furthermore, cross-section transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) showed a bonding interface with a thin amorphous layer and no noticeable additional oxygen containing layer (Fig. 2). In order to gain quantitative elemental distributions of oxygen and argon, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) was applied.The work reported is a demonstration of the capability of the different characterization methods regarding SiC-SiC wafer bonding. Future work will focus on the investigation of the bonded interface characteristics in the function of the bonding process parameters and the annealing conditions.[1] F. Mu, M. Fujino, T. Suga, Y. Takahashi, H. Nakazawa and K. Iguchi, "Wafer bonding of SiC-SiC and SiC-Si by modified surface activated bonding method" 2015 International Conference on Electronics Packaging and iMAPS All Asia Conference (ICEP-IAAC), Kyoto, Japan, 2015, pp. 542-545, doi: 10.1109/ICEP-IAAC.2015.7111073.[2] Tsunenobu Kimoto, "Material science and device physics in SiC technology for high-voltage power devices" Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 54 040103 (2015), doi: 10.7567/JJAP.54.040103. Figure 1

Deposition of titanium carbide catalytic films on vanadium foils by ion beam sputtering for hydrogen separation and purification

Titanium carbide (TiC) catalytic films were deposited on vanadium (V) foils by ion beam sputtering (IBS) technique for hydrogen purification. The effect of sputtering temperature in the IBS process on the phase structure and catalytic property of the TiC catalytic films and the hydrogen permeation performance of TiC/V composite membranes was investigated. The carbon vacancy density of TiC films increases with the sputtering temperature, resulting in increasing catalytic property of TiC films and hydrogen permeation performance of TiC/V composite membranes. At sputtering temperature of 400 °C, the TiC/V composite membranes exhibit highest hydrogen permeability (∼9.5 × 10−8 mol H2 m−1 s−1 Pa−0.5) at 650 °C and excellent stability during the thermal cycles at 450–650 °C.

Study of ruthenium film grown in oxygen environment for x-ray optics application

Ru shows high damage threshold as compared to other standard materials Au, Rh and Pt for high heat load applications in high brilliance synchrotron radiation source and x-ray free electron laser. It is also a promising candidate to be used as a protective capping layer in multilayers for increasing their life time. In the present study, Ru thin films of 500Å thickness were deposited in oxygen environment at different substrate temperatures varying from 70°C to 500°C. In reactive ion beam sputtering process, the flow of Ar and reactive O2 gas was maintained in 4:1 ratio keeping total flow 3 SCCM constant. The deposited films were characterized using grazing incidence x-ray reflectivity (GIXRR), grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) techniques. A significant change in GIXRR profile was observed in the sample grown at 100°C and 500°C whereas the GIXRD measurements indicated no significant formation of ruthenium oxide at different temperatures. However, a strong peak of Ru2Si3 (222) at 500°C was observed indicating a strong interfacial reaction at ruthenium/ substrate interface.The experimental data suggested a weak signature of RuO2 phase in the films deposited at RT, 70°C and 100°C and therefore the effect of ruthenium oxide with 10% composition in pure ruthenium was calculated on optical performance in extreme ultra violet region of photon energy (85-115 eV).

Texture in ITO films deposited at oblique incidence by ion beam sputtering

Texture of crystalline In2O3:Sn (ITO) thin films prepared by combining ion beam sputtering (IBS) at room temperature and oblique angle deposition (OAD) has been studied depending on the vapor incidence on Si substrates (α, ranging from 50°to 85°) and the ions used to sputter the target (argon or xenon accelerated at 1.2keV). Films obtained using Xe ions show an unusual evolution depending on the deposition angle α, with the development of a dual biaxial (111) off-axis texture for α≤70°, and a switching in the preferred out-of-plane orientation from [111] to [001] for α>70°that leads to a biaxial (001) texture at highest deposition angles. These behaviors are well described by mechanisms involving a maximization of the direct capture of the adatoms on {111} planes, which can however be hindered when mobilities are exalted such as in the case of Ar deposition. The tuning of adatoms mobilities through the IBS process mixed with the control of the deposition angle offered by the OAD geometry appears as an efficient route to achieve an upgraded texture engineering in nanostructured ITO thin films.

HfO2/SiO2 nanolaminate-based composites prepared by ion beam sputtering for low-loss optics

HfO2 prepared by ion beam sputtering (IBS) is widely used as a high-refractive index material for making low-loss laser films. The challenge of a high-performance HfO2 film is to simultaneously obtain an amorphous morphology with low scattering and a stoichiometric structure with low absorption. Furthermore, nanometer-sized voids are commonly present in IBS films due to excessive oxygen and argon adsorption during deposition, which is the primary barrier to achieve a smooth surface and low optical loss of HfO2. Thin amorphous SiO2 layers were added periodically into HfO2 coatings using the IBS process to synthesize amorphous HfO2 / SiO2 nanolaminate-based composites. The resulting composites exhibited excellent comprehensive performance with a dense amorphous microstructure and a void-free smooth surface. High-temperature annealing was performed to ensure superior stoichiometry and lower absorption. However, the crystalline states and microstructure of some composites evolved during the gradual annealing. We present a detailed study of the crystallization, surface topography, and absorption evolution in HfO2 / SiO2 nanolaminates as a function of HfO2 sublayer thickness and thermal annealing temperature. Moreover, the interplay between crystallization, surface topography, and absorption is elucidated. The HfO2 / SiO2 nanolaminate with 19 thin layers maintained a dense amorphous structure with low absorption after annealing. Finally, a 1064-nm HfO2 / SiO2 nanolaminate-SiO2 high-performance reflector was prepared and achieved lower absorption with a smooth surface after annealing, which demonstrated the great potential of the HfO2 / SiO2 nanolaminates for considerably improving optical loss.

Molecular Dynamic Investigation of the Anisotropic Response of Aluminum Surface by Ions Beam Sputtering

Aluminum optics are widely used in modern optical systems because of their high specific stiffness and high reflectance. With the applied optical frequency band moving to visible, traditional processing technology cannot meet the processing precision. Ion beam sputtering (IBS) provides a highly deterministic technology for high-precision aluminum optics fabrication. However, the surface quality is deteriorated after IBS. The interaction between the bombard atoms and the surface morphology evolution mechanism are not clear, and systematic research is needed. Thus, in this paper, the IBS process for single crystal aluminum with different crystallographic orientations are studied by the molecular dynamics method. The ion beam sputter process is firstly demonstrated. Then, the variation of sputter yield of the three crystal faces is analyzed. The sputter yield difference of different crystal surfaces causes the appearance of the relief structure. Then, the gravel structure generates on the single crystal surfaces and dominates the morphology evolution. The state of the atom diffusion of the specific crystal surfaces will determine the form of the gravel structure. Furthermore, the form and distribution of subsurface damage and stress distribution of three different crystal surfaces are analyzed. Although there are great differences in defect distribution, no stress concentration was found in three workpieces, which verifies that the ion beam sputter is a stress-free machining method. The process of IBS and the mechanism of morphology evolution of aluminum are revealed. The regularity and mechanism will provide a guidance for the application of IBS in aluminum optics manufacture fields.

蓝宝石表面纳米结构随杂质靶距离的演化

Electron cyclotron resonance ion source has been employed to etch the surface of sapphire (C-cut), introducing metallic stainless steel impurities to investigate the evolution law and optical properties of the self-organized nanostructure on the sapphire surface at different target distances. The atomic force microscope was used to observe the morphological changes of the sample surface, the Taylor Surf CCI 2000 white light interference surface measuring instrument was used to measure the surface roughness; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was selected to characterize the chemical composition. The experimental results indicate that, with the ion beam energy of 1000 eV, the beam current density of 487 μA/cm2, the oblique incident angle of 65°, and the erosion duration of 60 min, the distance between the sapphire sample and the impurity target increases from 1 cm to 4 cm, island-like structures appear on the sample surface and gradually evolve into continuous ripple structures. At the same time, as the target distance increases, the orderliness of the self-organized nanostructures enhances, the longitudinal height gradually decreases, while the spatial frequency is unchanged. There are very few metal impurities on the etched sample surface. The appearance of microstructures has antireflection effect on sapphire. During the ion beam sputtering process, island-like structures promotes the growth of ripple nanostructures but destroys orderliness.

Nanostructures on Sapphire Surfaces Induced by Metal Impurity Assisted Ion Beam

The metal impurity assisted ion beam technology has shown its uniqueness and effectiveness in the formation and precise control of nanostructures on the surface of materials. Hence, the investigation in this area is vital. The morphology evolution of self-organized nanostructures induced by Fe co-deposition assisted Ar+ ion beam sputtering at a different distance from the impurity target was investigated on sapphire, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We also investigated the role of metal impurities on sapphire ripple formation. Experiments were carried out at an oblique angle of incidence 65° with constant ion beam current density 487 μA/cm2 and the erosion duration of 60 min at room temperature (20 °C). The introduction of Fe impurity increased the longitudinal height and roughness of the surface nanostructures. Moreover, the amounts of Fe deposited on the surface decreased with increasing distance, and the morphology of the smooth sapphire surface demonstrated a strong distance dependence. Differences in surface morphology were attributed to changes in metal impurity concentration. With an increase of impurity target distance, island-like structures gradually evolved into continuous ripples. At the same time, the orderliness of nanostructures was enhanced, the longitudinal height gradually decreased, while the spatial frequency was unchanged. In addition, there were very few metal impurities on the etched sample. During the ion beam sputtering process, island-like structures promoted the growth of ripples but destroyed their orderliness.

200 mm Ge Wafer Production for Oxide-Free Si-Ge Direct Wafer Bonding

Large diameter, dislocation-free Ge single crystalline wafers are relatively new in the semiconductors industry. In the past a few groups reported on the use of 200 mm Ge wafers for manufacturing of germanium-on-insulator (GeOI) substrates [1-3], with an oxide bonding interface, while oxide-free, electrically conductive Si-Ge wafer bonding was not addressed so far. Finally, by using Si wafers this type of bond can be used e.g. for high-efficient multi-junction solar cells and high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) [4,5].First the manufacturing of high quality 200 mm diameter Ge wafers was addressed. For the wafer bonding processes standard silicon wafers were bonded to germanium wafers in order to fabricate oxide-free bonds. The wafer bonding process was performed using the EVG ComBond® system: first the native oxides from both wafer surfaces were removed using ion beam sputtering process, followed by the transfer of both wafers in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) to the bonding process station. In order to prevent thermally induced stress due to the different thermal expansion coefficients the bonding process is performed at room temperature (RT).The goal of this work was to demonstrate the feasibility of the bonding process, so main focus was on mechanical and morphological analysis of the surfaces and of the bonded interfaces. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) were used to determine the surface roughness and oxide thickness, respectively. Both parameters are crucial for successful RT Si-Ge wafer bonding. The high quality results and the bonding energy were revealed using scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) measurements as well as the Maszara blade test. Furthermore, cross-section transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) showed a bonding interface with an about 2.2 nm thin amorphous layer and no additional oxygen concentration (see Figure 1). In order to enhance the visibility of the oxygen and argon distributions measured with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) the detected element intensities are expressed qualitatively. Figure 1. X-TEM (left) and qualitative EDXS line scan (right) of the Si-Ge bonding interface. Here 100% represents the maximum detected intensity of each element. The work reported here is a first step in developing wafer bonding processes e.g. for solar cells fabrication using large diameter Si and Ge wafers. Future work will focus on bonding process optimization and electrical characterization of the bonded interfaces.[1] C. Deguet et al ., “Fabrication and characterisation of 200 mm germanium-on-insulator (GeOl) substrates made from bulk germanium,” in El. Let., vol. 42, no. 7, pp. 51-52 (2006).[2] T. Akatsu et al., “200mm germanium-on-insulator (GeOI) by Smart CutTM technology and recent GeOI pMOSFETs achievements,” in 2005 IEEE Int. SOI Conf. Proc. (2005): 137-138.[3] C.J. Tracy et al., “Germanium-on-insulator substrates by wafer bonding,” in Journal of El. Mat. 33, 886–892 (2004).[4] O. Höhn et al., ”Development of Germanium-Based Wafer-Bonded Four-Junction Solar Cells,” in IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, vol. 9, no. 6, pp. 1625-1630 (2019).[5] W. Rachmady et al., “300mm Heterogeneous 3D Integration of Record Performance Layer Transfer Germanium PMOS with Silicon NMOS for Low Power High Performance Logic Applications,” in 2019 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), San Francisco, CA, USA, pp. 29.7.1-29.7.4 (2019). Figure 1

Dwelling time calculation for film uniformity correction by ion beam sputtering process on larger optical materials

It is difficult to obtain film with uniform thickness and constant performance for optical components with larger diameter. It is a critical technology to improve the film uniformity during the deposition process. The ion beam sputtering system was used to prepare the film on the surface of large-aperture optical elements. The performance of film including thickness and roughness were measured by step profiler and optical profilometer instrument. The film thickness correction model was proposed in this paper. The optimized dwell time ratio was obtained by the film thickness data obtained from former experiments, and the dwell time distribution was calculated, after several iteration with the model, uniform film can be achieved on optical elements over 300mm in diameter. Taking the Si film on the surface of fused silica as an example. The research results show that, different film thickness between 100nm and 400nm can be obtained, when the film thickness is more than 200 nm, the film uniformity from more than 13% to less than 0.5%. The surface roughness variation of optical material before and after film deposition were studied, which provide stable process for obtaining high performance film on larger optical components.

Transport and magnetic phenomena in ZnO-С thin-film heterostructures

Abstract ZnO- and C-based heterostructures were fabricated by the layer-by-layer deposition technique using the ion-beam sputtering process. Structure, electrical and magnetic properties of fabricated heterostructures are discussed. The two-phase (ZnO and C) films are evolved into a multilayer structure, consisting of amorphous carbon and crystalline ZnO layers when the bilayer thickness increases. When carbon is added to ZnO, its electrical resistivity reduces. The conduction mechanism changes from the variable-range hopping in a narrow energy band to the nearest neighbors hopping in ZnO–C films with a thickness of h

Quantitative calculation of substrate bending caused by multilayer coating stresses

A framework to quantitatively calculate substrate bending after coating has been proposed. By introducing fitting parameters to modified Stoney's formula, the amount of bending has been calculated to accuracies of less than λ/10 at 633 nm for ion-beam sputtering and ion-beam assisted deposition processes.

The impact of nano-bubbles on the laser performance of hafnia films deposited by oxygen assisted ion beam sputtering method

Hafnia is a high refractive index material used in the manufacturing of dielectric coatings for next generation lasers. The formation of defects during deposition is the major barrier to realizing high laser-damage resistant coatings for future high energy density laser applications. Understanding the precursors responsible for laser-induced damage in hafnia is therefore critical. In this work, we investigate the mechanism of laser-induced damage in 90-nm thick hafnia films produced by an oxygen assisted dual ion beam sputtering (IBS) process. Under pulsed, nanosecond ultraviolet laser exposure (355 nm, 8 ns), the laser-induced damage onset is found to be strongly dependent on the amount of argon and excessive oxygen entrapped in the nanobubbles within the hafnia films. The presence of nanobubbles is revealed and confirmed by small angle X-ray scattering and scanning/transmission electron microscopy coupled with high-angle annular dark-field. The damage onset is stable initially but decreases as the energy of oxygen goes beyond 100 eV. The damage initiation is ascribed to a laser-induced plasma generation within the nanobubbles through multiphoton ionization. The results reveal that nanobubbles formed in the IBS produced coatings are a potent precursor. Although nanobubbles are commonly present in IBS films, their negative impact on laser damage resistance of hafnia films has not been previously recognized. Our findings provide a fundamental basis for the development of potential mitigation strategies required for the realization of laser damage resistant hafnia films.

Evolution mechanism of surface roughness during ion beam sputtering of fused silica.

Ultrasmooth surfaces with sub-nanometer roughness and low damage are a great challenge for optical fabrication. Ion beam sputtering (IBS) has obvious advantages on the improvement of surface quality and the removal of surface defects. However, surface defects with different properties and structures display different evolution laws during the IBS process, which affects the roughness change and needs classification studies. In this paper, classification experiments are carried out to study the surface topography evolution of plastic scratches, brittle scratches, and micro-particles during the IBS process. The plastic scratches and micro-particles can be removed, while the brittle scratches can be passivated, so that surface defects can be reduced and surface quality improved. The corresponding evolution mechanisms are discussed in depth, and we show that micro-topography characteristics and material properties are important factors affecting the evolution of surface topography. Through the summary of evolution laws of different surface states, the Gaussian distribution law of surface roughness is established. The evolution regularity and mechanism of surface roughness during the IBS process are expounded upon from the perspective of microscopic morphology, which lays a foundation for ultra-smooth surface manufacturing with low damage.

Formation of Anisotropic Nanostructures on Rutile TiO2(110) Surfaces and Their Photo-Absorption Properties

Enhancement of absorption properties in nanostructures of rutile TiO2, fabricated through an ion beam sputtering process, are reported here. The nanostructures are anisotropic in nature, being elongated along the [001] direction. With increasing fluence, the anisotropy of the nanostructures increases. Their width along [1 $$\bar{1}$$ 0], however, is constrained and does not grow proportionally. The results indicate that the asymmetric diffusion of mobile species, created by preferential sputtering, on the rutile TiO2(110) surface plays a crucial role in defining the nanostructure morphology as well as the photo-absorption properties. An enhanced photo-absorption response from TiO2 nanostructures was also observed here. The results were obtained in the absence of any dopant material.

Very thick mixture oxide ion beam sputtering films for investigation of nonlinear material properties

Currently, optical coating technology is facing a multitude of new challenges. Some of the new requirements are addressed to the spectral behavior of complex coatings, but in addition, the power handling capabilities gain in importance. Often, both demands are combined in the same component, for example in chirped mirrors for ultra-short pulse applications. The consequent demands on the accuracy of the layer thicknesses and the stability of the refractive indices require a deposition by sputtering processes. For high end components, Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) is often the method of choice. Utilizing the Co-sputtering technique, IBS additionally allows a higher flexibility in the possible coating materials by mixing two pure oxides into one ternary composite material. These composite materials are also advantageous for researching third order nonlinear effects, which can limit the functionality of optics at high powers. The layer thicknesses required for this fundamental research often exceed 100 µm, which therefore makes low stress and absorption in the layer materials mandatory. A reduction of these decisive properties can be achieved by a thermal treatment of the sample. Usually, this is performed by a post-deposition annealing. Alternatively, the coating temperature can be increased. This is rarely done for IBS processes, but it can be assumed, that the effect is comparable to that of ex-situ annealing. In this work, different ternary mixtures of Al2 O3 /SiO2 , HfO2 /Al2 O3 as well as Nb2 O5 /Al2 O3 were investigated for their layer stress and absorption, applying both, in-situ temperature treatment as well as post manufacturing annealing. It is observed that suitable thermal treatment as well as material composition can significantly reduce layer stress and absorption in the deposited layer. This enabled the manufacturing of layers with thicknesses of over 180 µm as well as the measurement of nonlinear properties of the deposited materials.

Impact of Composition x on the Refractive Index of NixO

Epitaxial NixO thin films were grown on c‐plane (0001) sapphire substrates by ion beam sputtering (IBS) of a Ni metal target in a mixed argon and oxygen atmosphere. The composition of the film was varied systematically by varying the O2:Ar ratio in the IBS process. Structural characterization was carried out by X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. All the NixO samples grew (111)‐oriented out‐of‐plane and with a defined two‐fold in‐plane orientation relationship relative to the crystalline substrate. The surface morphologies of the samples were very similar. The chemical bonding information of the films was examined by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy showing that the composition x could be varied in a wide range of x ≈ 0.9 to 1.5. Optical characterization yielded a strong dependence of the spectral dispersion of the refractive index and the band gap of NixO on composition for this otherwise structurally very similar series of samples. The dependence of the refractive index of NixO on composition x contributes significantly to the wide range of values reported for NixO in literature.