Magnetron Co-sputtering Technique Research Articles

Boosting room temperature response of Pd-based hydrogen sensor by constructing in situ nanoparticles

Palladium-based H 2 sensors have attracted increased attention due to the high selectivity for H 2 , yet evident limitations like hydrogen embrittlement and slow response rates, have impeded the further development. Aiming to address these issues, adding other metals to form Pd-based alloys and optimize coincided surface structure, are widely considered as effective approaches. Here in this work, Pd/Ti alloy films with proper elemental ratios were prepared by using a magnetron co-sputtering technique, and the coincided sensing features have been further regulated by in situ nanostructuring. For the Pd/Ti film with an atomic ratio of 74.1/25.9, the H 2 response values characterizations revealed that the limit of detection (LoD) could be 50 ppm at room temperature, combined with a response time of 61.3 s at 2 vt.% H 2 concentration. Based on the first-principles calculations, the effects from hydrogen diffusion process of Pd and Pd/Ti alloys have been evaluated to be ignorable, however, the specific nanostructures constructed on the surface then become the main reason for the boosted response performance. More importantly, the approach of forming proper in situ nanoparticles has been identified as a significant guidance, for extensive and rapid response of H 2 detection of Pd-based sensors used upon low power consumption. • Pd/Ti alloy films with nanoparticles are prepared by magnetron sputtering. • Samples have response to 50 ppm - 4 vt.% H 2 concentration at room temperature. • Nanoparticles can absorb H 2 molecules and facilitate their decomposition into H atoms. • The results of the first-principles calculations confirmed the optimization effect of nanoparticles.

Exploring the amorphous phase formation and properties of W-Ta-(Cr, Fe, Ni) high-entropy alloy gradient films via a high-throughput technique

A high-throughput technique can realize fast and efficient material screening, and greatly improve the discovery efficiency of advanced materials. In the present work, the gradient composition films of the W-Ta-CrFeNi high-entropy alloy were prepared by the three-target magnetron co-sputtering technique. The gradient alloy films exhibited a body-center-cubic (BCC) structure near the W or Ta element target, and an amorphous structure near the CrFeNi target region. Considering the effect of the undercooling degree, the amorphous formation region (using Ω ~ δ ) was larger than that of the bulk alloys. These alloy films displayed ultra-high nano-indentation hardness, with the maximum hardness reaching ~ 20.6 GPa. The elastic modulus in the high-entropy composition region was lower than that in the low-entropy composition region. There is a nonlinear relationship between the nano-indentation hardness and mix-entropy of the alloys. This study provides a reference and alternative material library for the development of high-performance advanced materials. • The rapid screening with properties and phase structure of the W-Ta-(Cr, Fe, Ni) films via the high-throughput technique. • The W 15.39 Ta 38.81 Cr 14.58 Fe1 5.45 Ni 15.77 high-entropy alloy film possesses ultra-high hardness of ~ 20.6 GPa. • The amorphous phase formation ruler of high-entropy alloy films was investigated. • There is a nonlinear relationship with the mix-entropy and properties in these high-entropy alloy films. • The high mix-entropy is a reason for low elastic modulus in these high-entropy alloy films.

Energy band alignment for Cd-free antimony triselenide substrate structured solar cells by Co-sputtering ZnSnO buffer layer

Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) have developed as an environmental-friendly photoactive materials for low-cost photovoltaics due to its non-toxic elements and excellent optoelectronic properties. However, chemical bath deposited (CBD) CdS thin film was generally employed as electron transport layer (ETL) in substrate or superstrate structured Sb2Se3 solar cells, which was still a huge concern restraining its long-term advancement. In this work, we have replaced the toxic CdS film by employing ZnSnO films fabricated through magnetron co-sputtering technique to develop Cd-free ZnSnO/Sb2Se3 solar cells. It was observed that Sn/(Zn + Sn) in ZnSnO film affecting the energy band alignment with Sb2Se3 take part in improving the device efficiency. Substrate structured Cd-free Sb2Se3 based devices with a champion device performance of 3.44%, were firstly made with the optimized Zn0.57Sn0.43O buffer layer closely related to the rational band alignment, the reduced recombination losses at interface (ZnSnO/Sb2Se3), and efficient charge transfer. This substituted sputtering ZnSnO for CBD-CdS film demonstrated remarkable potential to efficient and Cd-free Sb2Se3 solar cell with full-vacuum process.

Photocatalytic activity of TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposites synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering technique

TiO2 / SiO2 nanocomposites were synthesized by DC reactive magnetron cosputtering technique using different O2 : Ar gas mixing ratios. The structural and spectroscopic characteristics of the synthesized samples were introduced using x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The XRD results revealed that all nanocomposite samples were polycrystalline. The functional groups of these samples were identified by FTIR. The UV-visible spectra of these samples showed an absorption edge at 450 nm. The results of photodegradation of organic and water pollutants under UV irradiation suggest that the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 / SiO2 nanocomposite is highly improved as compared with that of TiO2 nanophotocatalyst.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Co-Sputtering (Mo, Hf)N Coatings

This work focused on the microstructure and mechanical properties of (Mo, Hf)N coatings deposited by radio frequency reactive magnetron co-sputtering technique with input power modulation. The coating characteristics, including indentation hardness, modulus, and tribological behavior, were discussed in terms of deposition parameter, composition, phase, and microstructure. The (Mo, Hf)N thin films were fabricated at a fixed Ar/N2 inlet gas ratio of 12/8 sccm/sccm and modulated input powers. The input power of Mo was fixed at 150 W, while that of the Hf target was managed from 25 to 200 W. The deposition rate and the Hf content of the (Mo, Hf)N coatings increased with input power. The (Mo, Hf)N ternary nitride coatings showed a polycrystalline microstructure with B1-MoN(111), β-Mo2N (112), γ-Mo2N(111), (200), and MoN2(200) phases in X-ray diffraction patterns as input power modulation were 150/25 to 150/100 W/W. The multiple phase microstructure feature and detail crystal development were demonstrated through transmission electron microscopy. According to nanoindentation and wear test results, ternary (Mo, Hf)N coatings represented more improved mechanical characteristics than the MoN and HfN binary nitride films. The 150/100 W/W deposited (Mo, Hf)N coating exhibited a highest hardness of 22.5 GPa when Hf content was at 5.6 at.%. The superior anti-wear behavior of this film with least wear damage was observed as well. The multiphase and solid-solution strengthening of the (Mo, Hf)N coatings, i.e., a microstructure feature of mixed B1-MoN, β-Mo2N, γ-Mo2N, and MoN2 phases and Hf doping in MoN, were the responsible for the superior mechanical and tribological behavior for the (Mo, Hf)N coatings.

The Effect of Working Gases Mixing Ratios on the Synthesis and Characteristics of TiO2/SiO2 Nanocomposite via Closed-Field unbalanced DC Magnetron Co-Sputtering Technique

The objective of this research is to study the influence of deposition parameters such as gases mixing ratio O2/Ar on the structural and optical properties of the TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposite films synthesized using closed field unbalanced dc magnetron co-sputtering technique. The nanocomposite thin films were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) to determine the phase structure, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to investigate Si-O-Si, Ti-O and Si–O–Ti. functional groups. The UV-VIS. absorption spectra of the synthesized films reveal that the indirect energy band gap was found to be 2.75 eV. The mixing ratio of Oxygen and Argon (O2/Ar) gases has a pronounced controlling effect on the structural and optical properties of such nanocomposite.

Phase transition and bandgap engineering in B1-xAlxN alloys: DFT calculations and experiments

BAlN is a promising ultrawide bandgap semiconductor, but systematic studies of its bandgap are scarce. Here, bandgap engineering of BAlN containing the phase transition factor (from hexagonal to wurtzite structures) has been investigated by DFT calculations and verified experimentally. The calculated bandgap bowing parameter of hexagonal BAlN (h-BAlN) is 2.29 eV, while the bandgap bowing parameters of wurtzite BAlN (w-BAlN) are −4.09 eV and 2.48 eV in the B-rich and Al-rich regions, respectively. Meanwhile, calculations indicate that BAlN preferentially forms w-BAlN at Al composition above 18.7%. So, the bandgap variation of BAlN is divided into three regions based on Al composition: h-BAlN (0–18.7%), B-rich w-BAlN (18.7%–50%), Al-rich w-BAlN (50%–1), and each has its own trend. Experimentally, h-BAlN and w-BAlN films were prepared by magnetron co-sputtering technique and the phase transition was observed in X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. h-BAlN shows a typical triangular morphology and the Raman and XRD peaks are located at 1371 cm−1 and 44.3°, tending to (101) h-BN. w-BAlN has a “needle-felt” surface with Raman and XRD peaks at 656 cm−1 and 35.9°, tending to (002) w-AlN. The experimental bandgap variation of BAlN shows a “W” shape, which can be well explained by the calculation results.

The fabrication and characterization of half-Heusler YPdBi thin films

The electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of half-Heusler compounds make them novel interesting materials being studied by many groups worldwide. The synthesis of YPdBi, a member of half-Heusler compounds, thin films have been achieved at different deposition temperatures such as 360 °C and 470 °C by employing magnetron co-sputtering technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) examinations have revealed that the film deposited at 360 °C has a slightly larger lattice parameter, 6.82 Å, than the film fabricated at 470 °C, having 6.73 Å. The induced strain of the films has been 2.1% and 0.7% for the films deposited at 360 °C and 470 °C, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) investigations have revealed the obtained films have the stoichiometry close to the 1:1:1 ratio. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies have shown that surface topography varies dramatically as the deposition temperature advances. Furthermore, high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has shown that layer-plus-island growth known as the Stranski–Krastanov (SK) growth mode, taking place due to minimization of strain energy, leads to the island formation from a specific film thickness on. It has been shown that while the resistance of the sample grown at 470 °C changes abruptly at 2.45 K, which indicates the onset of superconductivity, the sample deposited at 360 °C does not show this effect. The absence of the onset of superconductivity in this latter case might be associated with the lattice strain and intensive scattering in this sample.

Low resistivity and near-zero temperature drift ZrB2-Ag composite films prepared by DC magnetron co-sputtering

Nanocrystalline ZrB2-Ag composite films, which utilize Ag nanoparticles as embedded ions, were directly fabricated via the direct current magnetron co-sputtering technique. Keithley Hall Measuring Instrument allowed insight into the physical features in the temperature of 77 K to 373 K. Ag-containing composite film led to resistivity for composite films descended exponentially rather than linearly, however also resulting in the temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) values varied from negative to positive. Both comparable lower resistivity (114.9 μΩ·cm) and even near-zero TCR77-373 K at 3 ppm·K−1 indicated that low resistivity and near-zero temperature drift ZrB2-Ag composite film can be obtained by tailoring the Ag content. Moreover, this provides a promising approach to develop sophisticated thin-film resistors (TFR) materials below and above ambient temperature with a broader temperature range.

Corrosion resistance and thermal stability of sputtered Fe44Al34Ti7N15 and Al61Ti11N28 thin films for prospective application in oil and gas industry

Fe-and Al-based thin-film metallic glass coatings (Fe44Al34Ti7N15 and Al61Ti11N28) were fabricated using magnetron co-sputtering technique, and their corrosion performances compared against wrought 316L stainless steel. The results of GI-XRD and XPS analyses demonstrated amorphous structure and oxide layer formation on the surface of the fabricated thin films, respectively. The potentiodynamic (PD) polarization test in chloride-thiosulfate (NH4Cl ​+ ​Na2S2O3) solution revealed lower corrosion current (Icorr) (0.42 ​± ​0.02 ​μA/cm2 and 0.086 ​± ​0.001 ​μA/cm2 Vs. 0.76 ​± ​0.05 ​μA/cm2), lower passivation current (Ipass) (1.45 ​± ​0.03 ​μA/cm2 and 1.83 ​± ​0.07 ​μA/cm2 Vs. 1.98 ​± ​0.04 ​μA/cm2), and approximately six-fold higher breakdown potential (Ebd) for Fe- and Al-based coatings than those of wrought 316L stainless steel. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) of both films showed 4- and 2-fold higher charge transfer resistance (Rct), 7- and 2.5-times higher film resistance (Rf), lower film capacitance values (Qf) (10 ​± ​2.4 ​μS-sacm-2, and 5.41 ​± ​0.8 ​μS-sacm-2 Vs. 18 ​± ​2.21 ​μS-sacm-2), and lower double-layer capacitance values (Qdl) (31.33 ​± ​4.74 ​μS-sacm-2, and 15.3 ​± ​0.48 ​μS-sacm-2 Vs. 43 ​± ​4.23 ​μS-sacm-2), indicating higher corrosion resistance of the thin films. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) scan exhibited that the passive films formed on the Fe- and Al-based coatings were more stable and less prone to pitting corrosion than the wrought 316L stainless steel. The surface morphology of both films via SEM endorsed the CV scan results, showing better resistance to pitting corrosion. Furthermore, the thermal analysis via TGA and DSC revealed the excellent thermal stability of the thin films over a wide temperature range typically observed in oil-gas industries.

Nanostructural manipulations for achieving record-high room temperature figure of merit in the ZnSb thin films

Recently, fabrication of high-efficiency miniature thermoelectric devices with thin films has attracted great attention. ZnSb-based thin films have been widely studied owing to their advantages of earth-abundant, eco-friendly, and excellent electron transport properties. However, its thermoelectric performance at room temperature is still low which extremely restricts its application. In this work, we report a high-power factor of 6.2 μWcm−1K−2 and a record-high thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT of 0.35 at room temperature from the non-stoichiometric ZnSb-based thin film, fabricated by a facile magnetron cosputtering technique. Extensive characterizations reveal that all the prepared films have a primary ZnSb phase with good crystallinity, leading to high electrical conductivity. Meanwhile, the carrier concentration is optimized with Zn addition, which contributes to a high Seebeck coefficient, resulting in a decent power factor. Simultaneously, the Zn-rich films also show nanopores, Zn-rich nanophases, and Zn4Sb3 nano inclusions. These induced nanostructures enhance the scattering of medium- and long-wavelength phonons, contributing to the reduction of lattice thermal conductivity. This work demonstrates that rational nanostructure manipulations can achieve high performance in ZnSb thin films, which possess potential applications for the fabrication of miniature thermoelectric devices.

Radio-frequency magnetron co-sputtered Ge-Sb-Te phase change thin films

Radio-frequency magnetron co-sputtering technique with GeTe and Sb2Te3 targets has been used for the deposition of Ge-Sb-Te amorphous thin films. Fabricated layers cover broad region of chemical composition (~17.4-35.0 at. % of Ge, ~14.2-29.0 at. % of Sb) with slight variation in Te content (50.8-53.6 at. % of Te). Upon annealing-induced crystallization, large variations in electrical contrast up to eight orders of magnitude were found. Phase change from amorphous to crystalline state leads also to drastic changes of optical functions demonstrated by optical contrast values up to |Δn|+|Δk| = 2.96 for GeTe layers at Blu-ray wavelength. Reflectivity contrast at Blu-ray wavelength reaches up to ~43% with increasing content of GeTe in Ge-Sb-Te thin films, confirming importance of GeTe content in Ge-Sb-Te thin films.

Effect of Ar/N2 flow ratio on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-Cr-N coatings deposited by DC magnetron sputtering on AISI D2 tool steels

Ti-Cr-N coatings were deposited on Si (100) and AISI D2 tool steel substrates by reactive DC magnetron co-sputtering technique from titanium and chromium target in mixed Ar/N2 atmosphere. The Ar/N2 ratio effects on the chemical composition, structure, morphology, intrinsic stress and mechanical properties of the Ti-Cr-N coatings were investigated. The growing process of Ti-Cr-N coatings can be divided into three stages: Stage I, in poisoning mode (low flow ratio 1 < Ar/N2 ≤ 1.4), Stage II, in transition mode (intermediate flow ratio 1.4 ≤ Ar/N2 ≤ 3) and Stage III in metallic mode (Ar/N2 > 3). For all samples, XRD analysis shown the formation of mixed nitrides phases. In stage I, Ti2N, TiN0.3, and hexagonal-Cr2N phases were observed. In Stage II, TiN0.3, Cr2N, and cubic-TiN phases were formed, while only TiN and Cr2N are observed in stage III. The coatings deposited with Ar/N₂ ratio of 3 shows the largest hardness of 24 GPa which is attribute to the dense structure and smoother surface morphology. The properties of the films are discussed in terms of evolution growth stages resulting by the variation of Ar/N2 flow ratios.

Control of Structural and Magnetic Properties of Polycrystalline Co2FeGe Films via Deposition and Annealing Temperatures.

Thin polycrystalline Co2FeGe films with composition close to stoichiometry have been fabricated using magnetron co-sputtering technique. Effects of substrate temperature (TS) and post-deposition annealing (Ta) on structure, static and dynamic magnetic properties were systematically studied. It is shown that elevated TS (Ta) promote formation of ordered L21 crystal structure. Variation of TS (Ta) allow modification of magnetic properties in a broad range. Saturation magnetization ~920 emu/cm3 and low magnetization damping parameter α ~ 0.004 were achieved for TS = 573 K. This in combination with soft ferromagnetic properties (coercivity below 6 Oe) makes the films attractive candidates for spin-transfer torque and magnonic devices.

Effect of Au-ion irradiation on the surface morphology, microstructure and mechanical properties of amorphous AlCrFeMoTi HEA coating

The amorphous AlCrFeMoTi high-entropy alloy (HEA) coating with near-equal molar ratio was successfully deposited on F/M substrate by magnetron co-sputtering technique and then was irradiated by 6 MeV Au ions with different irradiation damage doses from 10 dpa to 90 dpa. XRD, SEM, AFM, TEM and nanoindentation tests were carried out to investigate the surface morphology, microstructure and hardening effect of the coating. The results showed that the coating surface became more featureless after irradiation, where the surface roughness decreased with increasing damage doses. The crystallization phenomena occurred in amorphous AlCrFeMoTi coatings at high irradiation damage doses (45 dpa and 90 dpa), where the crystallization zone were much closer to the coating surface than the calculated peak damage region. However, the irradiation-induced crystallization did not obviously change the uniformity of elements distribution. Meanwhile, the irradiation hardening effect can be observed, and the nanohardness of the coating increased with increasing damage doses. The AlCrFeMoTi HEA coating exhibits excellent ion-irradiation resistance and has potential applications in lead cooled fast reactor. Meanwhile, this work can help us to further investigate the performance of the AlCrFeMoTi HEA coating in the coupled environment of irradiation and corrosion, and evaluate its serviceability.

Synthesis and corrosion resistance of Cu-Al-N nanostructured thin films deposited through magnetron sputtering

Cu-Al-N thin films were deposited by means of the unbalanced magnetron cosputtering technique, varying the pulsed DC source power that is associated with the aluminum target. The structural characterization, done through x ray difraction (XRD) and transmition electronic microscopy (TEM), showed that the films were nanocrystalline, with a crystallite size of an order of magnitude of 10 nm. According to the chemical composition results, they consisted of a Cu-Al phase, copper nitride and aluminum nitride, that depended on the deposition power. The electrochemical characterization was performed by means of Tafel extrapolation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The Tafel results showed a decrease in the corrosion current with an increase in the power, and the electrochemical impedance results showed an inductive behavior at low frequencies.

Microstructural analysis and electrical behaviours of co-sputtered W–Ag thin films with a tilted columnar architecture

W–Ag thin films are produced by magnetron co-sputtering technique using glancing angle co-deposition configuration. Different samples are prepared with similar conditions (same pressure, thickness and tungsten target current) but with a variable Ag target current changing from 0 to 80 mA. The effect of the Ag target current on the film structure and electrical properties is investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and van der Pauw technique. Thin films with inclined columns are obtained and the columns section becomes more anisotropic for the films prepared with the lowest Ag target currents. The elemental composition of the films also changes as a function of the Ag target current, varying from tungsten-rich (at low current) to homogeneous (at high current). W–Ag thin films exhibit different crystallographic structures. If the fcc Ag phase is always present, the metastable A15 β-W is pointed out only at low Ag target current while at high current, only the bcc α-W phase is present. The microstructural analysis shows that the core of the columns is formed by W while Ag covers the columns as grains. Room temperature electrical resistivity decreases with Ag target current, whereas its anisotropy decreases. This behaviour correlates with the change in the columnar cross-section morphology.

Structural, optical and electrical properties of indium doped Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 thin films synthesized by the DC and RF reactive magnetron cosputtering

Element doping into the Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) absorber is an effective method to optimize the performance of thin film solar cells. In this study, the Cu2InxZn1-xSn(S,Se)4 (CIZTSSe) precursor film was deposited by magnetron cosputtering technique using indium (In) and quaternary Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) as targets. Meanwhile, the In content was controlled using the direct current (DC) power on In target (PIn). A single kesterite CIZTSSe alloy was formed by successfully doping a small number of In3+ into the main lattice of CZTSSe. The partial Zn2+ cations were substituted by In3+ ions, resulting in improving properties of CZTSSe films. Morphological analysis showed that large grain CIZTSSe films could be obtained by doping In. The well-distributed, smooth, and dense film was obtained when the PIn was 30 W. The band gap of CIZTSSe could be continuously adjusted from 1.27 to 1.05 eV as PIn increased from 0 to 40 W. In addition, the CIZTSSe alloy thin film at PIn = 30 W exhibited the best p-type conductivity with Hall mobility of 6.87 cm2V−1s−1, which is a potential material as the absorption layer of high-performance solar cells.

Influence of the power density and working pressure in the magnetron co-sputtering deposition of ZnO–SnO2 thin films and their effect in photocatalytic hydrogen production

This work presents the photocatalytic hydrogen production of ZnO–SnO2 thin films deposited by the magnetron co-sputtering technique varying the deposit conditions as power density and working pressure. As the power density of Sn increase, it was observed an increase in the presence of the SnO2 orthorhombic phase. Because of this increase, the number of defects generated in the films increases as it was corroborated by PL and XRD results. On the other hand, when the films were deposited at different working pressures, more significant optical and physicochemical changes were observed. The XRD results could be verified revealed that the working pressure could control the preferential orientation of the ZnO phase in the films. The working pressure also influenced the presence of two different SnO2 phases (orthorhombic and tetragonal). The surface roughness is also affected by the various working pressures since it increased when the deposits were made at low working pressures. The decrease in the roughness affects the transmittance percentage of the films, decreasing these to affecting the pass of the visible light. The photocatalytic efficiency was influenced by different structural defects that can act as electron traps or recombination centers.

Ta Doping Effect on Structural and Optical Properties of InTe Thin Films.

The objective of this work was to study the influence of Ta doping on the structural, transmittance properties, linear absorption parameter, and nonlinear absorption properties of InTe thin films. The as-deposited samples with different Ta doping concentrations were prepared by a magnetron co-sputtering technique and then annealed in nitrogen atmosphere. Structural investigations by X-ray diffraction revealed the tetragonal structure of InTe samples and that the crystallinity decreases with increasing Ta doping concentration. Further structural analysis by Raman spectra also showed good agreement with X-ray diffraction results. The Ta doping concentration and sample thickness determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy increased as Ta dopant increased. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic was carried out to analyze the chemical states of the elements. UV–VIS–NIR transmittance spectra were applied to study the transmittance properties and calculate the linear absorption coefficient. Due to Burstein–Moss effect, the absorption edge moved to shorter wavelengths. Meanwhile, the values of band gap were found to increase from 1.71 ± 0.02 eV to 1.85 ± 0.01 eV with the increase of Ta doping concentration. By performing an open aperture Z-scan technique, we found that all Ta-doped InTe samples exhibited two-photon absorption behaviors. The nonlinear optical absorption parameters, such as modulation depth, two-photon absorption coefficient, and two-photon absorption cross-section, decrease with increasing Ta concentration, whereas the damage threshold increases from 176 ± 0.5 GW/cm2 to 242 ± 0.5 GW/cm2. These novel properties show the potential for applications in traditional optoelectronic devices and optical limiters.