SiO2 Thin Films Research Articles

Enhancement of the efficiency of solar collector by SiO2, TiO2, and ZnO thin films layers

Most scientific researchers are motivated to develop alternative energy applications and raise their efficiency as a result of rising global warming and pollution from traditional energy sources. In this study, Nanocoating thin films of ` have been prepared on different substrates (stainless steel 316 L, commercially pure Ti, Si-Wafer(100) and glass). Magnetron sputtering deposition technique at 2.8 × 10–7 Torr vacuum has been used to synthesize the nanocoated thin films. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and UV–visible radiation tests have been used to characterize the thin films deposited. The investigation results showed that the thin films deposited do not have microcracks or defects with a uniform and homogenous structure at 400 nm magnification. It has a nanoparticle grain size of 60–90 nm with a crystal structure for TiO2, SiO2, and ZnO films. ZnO films have coarser grain and more aggregation than the other films. The highest efficiency of the collector was recorded for a collector integrated with ZnO thin-film. The efficiency of the ZnO-coated collector was about 66 % at midday compared to the conventional system (no thin film), which was 39 %.

A systematic study to investigate the effects of x-ray exposure on electrical properties of silicon dioxide thin films using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is generally used for chemical analysis of surfaces and interfaces. This method involves the analysis of changes in binding energies and peak shapes of elements under consideration. It is also possible to use XPS to study the effect of x-ray radiation on the electrical properties of thin films. We measured the Si 2p peak using x-ray powers of 300 and 150W on ∼135nm silicon dioxide (SiO2) thin films grown on both n- and p-type substrates while applying DC or AC external biases. Using the shifts in the binding energy of the Si 2p peak, we calculated the resistances and the capacitances of the SiO2 thin film. The way that the binding energies of the Si 2p peak and the capacitance of the thin film change as a function of the type of Si substrate and the power of the x-ray are explained using band bending.

All-optical observation of giant spin transparency at the topological insulator BiSbTe1.5Se1.5/Co20Fe60B20 interface

The rise of three-dimensional topological insulators as an attractive playground for the observation and control of various spin-orbit effects has ushered in the field of topological spintronics. To fully exploit their potential as efficient spin-orbit torque generators, it is crucial to investigate the efficiency of spin injection and transport at various topological insulator/ferromagnet interfaces, as characterized by their spin-mixing conductances and interfacial spin transparencies. Here, we use all-optical time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometry to demonstrate efficient room-temperature spin pumping in Sub/BiSbTe1.5Se1.5(BSTS)/Co20Fe60B20(CoFeB)/SiO2 thin films. From the modulation of Gilbert damping with BSTS and CoFeB thicknesses, the spin-mixing conductances of the BSTS/CoFeB interface and the spin diffusion length in BSTS are determined. For BSTS thicknesses far exceeding the spin diffusion length, in the so-called “perfect spin sink” regime, we obtain an interfacial spin transparency as high as 0.9, promoting such systems as scintillating candidates for spin-orbitronic devices.

GLAD Fabricated Self-Powered Photodetector Based on WO3 with SiO2 as Interfacial Layer

Photodetectors based on one-dimensional structures have recently attracted great interest due to their high surface-to-volume ratio and light-trapping efficiency. In this study, a self-powered photodetector based on vertically aligned WO3 nanorod with SiO2 as an interfacial layer has been fabricated using glancing angle deposition. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis confirms the successful growth of WO3 nanorod and SiO2 thin film with a thickness of ~125 nm and ~70 nm, respectively. The device’s optical properties were also analysed using UV-visible spectroscopy, which revealed a wide bandgap and an intense absorption peak in the ultraviolet region. The electrical analysis showed a nonlinear rectifying current-voltage behaviour with high photosensitivity. Additionally, the photodetector exhibits a fast response of 0.31 s rise time and 0.32 s fall time at 0 V. Moreover, the devices possess a high detectivity and a responsivity of 0.68 mA/W. Thus, the obtained finding reveals a potential candidate for self-powered photodetector application.

Investigation of the Optical Nonlinearity for Au Plasmonic Nanoparticles Based on Ion Implantation.

The Au ion implantation process has emerged as an effective and simple method to be utilized for the fabrication of opto-electronic materials and devices due to numerous fascinating features of Au nanoparticles such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR), large third-order nonlinearity and a fast response time. In this paper, we describe the fabrication of a novel Au nanoparticle saturable absorber (Au NP-SA) by embedding the Au NPs into a SiO2 thin film using the ion implantation process, which shows excellent saturable absorption features due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of Au NPs. A stable and high-quality pulsed laser with a repetition rate of 33.3 kHz and a single pulse energy of 11.7 nJ was successfully constructed with the Au NP-SA. Both the stable operation characteristic of the obtained Q-switched pulsed laser and the high repeatability of the fabrication process of the Au NP-SA were demonstrated. In addition, the simple feasibility and maturity of the ion implantation process allow for the plasmonic nanoparticles to be easily integrated into other types of opto-electronic materials and devices to further improve their performance, and shows immense potential for the production of wafer-level products.

Relationship between oxidation, stresses, morphology, local resistivity, and optical properties of TiO2, Gd2O3, Er2O3, SiO2 thin films on SiC

The relationship between internal mechanical stresses, surface morphology, nanoscale electrical properties, and optical characteristics in TiO2, Gd2O3, Er2O3, and SiO2 thin films on SiC substrates was investigated. The oxide films were synthesized using the rapid thermal annealing and analyzed through scanning spreading resistance microscopy, photoluminescence, and absorption spectroscopy. Tensile stresses were found in the films, they are attributed to thermal and lattice mismatch, oxidation, and grain boundaries. These stresses influence on surface morphology, resistivity variations, and photoluminescence intensity. Surface roughness and grain structure were found to correlate with variations in resistivity, which were attributed to conductive pathways along grain boundaries and possible metallic phases. Photoluminescence intensity was also observed to correlate with estimated lattice mismatch strain. Gd2O3/SiC exhibited the fewest defects, while Er2O3 and TiO2 showed more, with Er2O3 being the most mismatched and roughest. The results indicate that internal strains in oxide thin films on SiC substrates can influence on surface morphology, leading to formation of defects and spatial inhomogeneity. These fluctuations in local conductivity and luminescence center density have significant implications for dielectric and optical applications. The study provides insights for future processing refinements to mitigate internal strains and enhance the performance of oxide thin films in semiconductor and optical technologies.

Sputtering and structural modifications induced in silicon dioxide (SiO2) thin films under (10–40 MeV) Auq+heavy ion irradiation

Surface sputtering and structural modifications induced in silicon dioxide thin films (SiO2/Si) deposited on silicon substrates and irradiated by swift (10–40 MeV) heavy Auq+(q = +4, +6, +7, and +9) ions were investigated by grazing‐incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXRD) spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering (RBS) spectrometry and time‐of‐flight elastic recoil detection (ToF‐ERDA) technique. The GIXRD analysis of the as‐deposited and irradiated samples revealed increasing structural modifications of the SiO2thin films under Auq+ion impacts with increasing ion‐beam energy. The changes consisted of decreased grain sizes with increased strain accompanied by a phase transformation from crystalline to amorphous films. RBS analysis showed a decrease in the mean stoichiometric (O/Si) ratio from (2.2 ± 0.1) to (1.7 ± 0.1), due to preferential sputtering of oxygen, as the incident ion energy increased. The obtained RBS‐results were then completed by those of ToF‐ERDA analysis technique using a 40 MeV Au9+heavy ion beam. The preferential sputtering yield ratios (YSi/YO) were determined experimentally both versus electronic stopping power and ion fluence. The obtained results were then compared to numerical values derived from the inelastic thermal spike (i‐TS) model, Sigmund's analytical formula and SRIM simulation code. A good agreement was observed between the measured preferential sputtering data and the i‐TS calculated values, when considering both nuclear elastic and electronic inelastic collision mechanisms. Besides, a close correlation is observed between the electronic stopping power dependent measured sputtering yields and the XRD peak intensity degradation per unit fluence. These observations suggest that the same mechanism of MeV heavy ion‐irradiation induced extended atomic disordering, occurs both in the case of structural modifications and surface sputtering. Finally, the obtained experimental results are discussed on the basis of the i‐TS model.

Probing nonperturbative third and fifth harmonic generation on silicon without and with thermal oxide layer

We examine Si with and without additional SiO2 thin film coating as a candidate for producing powerful 3rd and 5th harmonics of Ti:sapphire laser pulses for future spectroscopic application. Polarization rotation experiments have been performed at different incident angles to determine the origin of the generated harmonics and a strong polarization-dependency of the harmonic signals was observed. A simplified tensor formalism is introduced to reproduce the measurements with high accuracy. Comparing the measurements with the Oh symmetry of the bulk crystal, the C2v structural symmetry for the uncoated Si sample and a C4v symmetry for the SiO2 coated sample, we conclude that the polarization anisotropies are determined by the surface/interface symmetries.

A laterally excited bulk acoustic resonator with scattering vias in electrodes

Laterally excited bulk acoustic resonators (XBARs) using interdigital electrodes are currently limited in potential 5G applications due to the accompanied spurious modes and small capacitance. This Letter presents an XBAR with scattering vias in electrodes, named SV-BAR. The non-parallel boundaries thoroughly disrupt the coherent formation of standing waves in the lateral direction, thereby suppressing the higher-order spurious modes. The duty factor of SV-BAR is optimized as 0.5 using COMSOL Multiphysics finite element analysis for the 50 Ω impedance matching. The SV-BAR is fabricated using a 390 nm Z-cut LiNbO3 on an insulator substrate and exhibits an impressive ratio of Zp/Zs near 64.5 dB, a Kt2 of 21.80% at 4.762 GHz, as well as a large value f · Bode_Qmax · Kt2 (3.43 × 1011). The measured temperature coefficient of frequency is −69.8 ppm/°C, which can be compensated using SiO2 thin films. The SV-BAR provides an effective solution for high-performance radio frequency filters for 5G communication.

Nano indentation studies on ceramic thinfilms coatings deposited using sputtering process for energy applications

Nanoindentation technique is generally used for measuring thinfilm mechanical properties such as hardness, modulus and stiffness. Nanoindentation of ceramic thinfilms of SiO2, Si3N4 and Al2O3 was deposited by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering on the stainless steel (SS304) substrates using a nanoindenter. Under varied sputtering conditions, the “as-deposited” film was amorphous. The as-deposited thin film had a thickness of 200 nm. The amorphous film was loaded/unloaded only once while operating in load control mode. Hardness and Young's modulus, two mechanical properties of the ceramic thinfilms, were also measured. When SiO2, Si3N4, and Al2O3 thinfilms are deposited onto stainless steel substrates using an RF magnetron sputtering, the roughness of the ceramic thinfilms is in the range of 8 to 12 nm. The nanoindentation results were compared, the hardness of the coatings is in the range of 6 to 9 GPa, and these ceramic coatings can be used as an adhesive layer for multilayer thin film coating.

Time-domain observation of ballistic orbital-angular-momentum currents with giant relaxation length in tungsten

The emerging field of orbitronics exploits the electron orbital momentum L. Compared to spin-polarized electrons, L may allow the transfer of magnetic information with considerably higher density over longer distances in more materials. However, direct experimental observation of L currents, their extended propagation lengths and their conversion into charge currents has remained challenging. Here, we optically trigger ultrafast angular-momentum transport in Ni|W|SiO2 thin-film stacks. The resulting terahertz charge-current bursts exhibit a marked delay and width that grow linearly with the W thickness. We consistently ascribe these observations to a ballistic L current from Ni through W with a giant decay length (~80 nm) and low velocity (~0.1 nm fs−1). At the W/SiO2 interface, the L flow is efficiently converted into a charge current by the inverse orbital Rashba–Edelstein effect, consistent with ab initio calculations. Our findings establish orbitronic materials with long-distance ballistic L transport as possible candidates for future ultrafast devices and an approach to discriminate Hall-like and Rashba–Edelstein-like conversion processes.

Activation Energy and Bipolar Switching Properties for the Co-Sputtering of ITOX:SiO2 Thin Films on Resistive Random Access Memory Devices.

Activation energy, bipolar resistance switching behavior, and the electrical conduction transport properties of ITOX:SiO2 thin film resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices were observed and discussed. The ITOX:SiO2 thin films were prepared using a co-sputtering deposition method on the TiN/Si substrate. For the RRAM device structure fabrication, an Al/ITOX:SiO2/TiN/Si structure was prepared by using aluminum for the top electrode and a TiN material for the bottom electrode. In addition, grain growth, defect reduction, and RRAM device performance of the ITOX:SiO2 thin film for the various oxygen gas flow conditions were observed and described. Based on the I-V curve measurements of the RRAM devices, the turn on-off ratio and the bipolar resistance switching properties of the Al/ITOX:SiO2/TiN/Si RRAM devices in the set and reset states were also obtained. At low operating voltages and high resistance values, the conductance mechanism exhibits hopping conduction mechanisms for set states. Moreover, at high operating voltages, the conductance mechanism behaves as an ohmic conduction current mechanism. Finally, the Al/ITOX:SiO2/TiN/Si RRAM devices demonstrated memory window properties, bipolar resistance switching behavior, and nonvolatile characteristics for next-generation nonvolatile memory applications.

Femtosecond laser strengthening of electron-beam deposited SiO2 thin film on fused silica substrates

Femtosecond laser (@1030nm, 280fs) was applied to irradiate SiO2 thin films in the hope of improving damage resistance of films to nanosecond ultraviolet (UV) laser light (@355nm, 4ns). The optical and mechanical properties of laser strengthened SiO2 thin films were characterized and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) results show that femtosecond laser irradiation can significantly improve LIDT of the films to nanosecond UV laser light from 5.45J/cm2 to 28.96J/cm2 by a factor of 5. Fluorescence and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra indicate that the LIDT improvement is attributed to the decrease in hydroxyl group's(OH) density in SiO2 thin films resulting from femtosecond laser irradiation.

Influence of Precession Electron Diffraction Parameters and Energy Filtering on Reduced Density Function Analysis of Thin Amorphous Silica Films—Implications for Structural Studies

We investigated the influence of precession angle, energy filtering and sample thickness on the structural parameters of amorphous SiO2 thin films from the electron reduced density functions obtained by applying precession electron diffraction. The results demonstrate that the peak positions in the electron reduced density functions are generally insensitive to the studied experimental conditions, while both precession angle and energy filtering influence peak heights considerably. It is also shown that introducing precession with small angles of up to 2 degrees and energy filtering results in higher coordination numbers that are closer to the expected theoretical values of 4 and 2 for Si and O, respectively, for data obtained from a thicker sample.

Transparent quantum dot light-emitting diodes with a current focusing structure

We report transparent quantum dot light-emitting diodes with a current focusing structure. By depositing a SiO2 thin film to form the current focusing structure, the DC density and luminance significantly increased to over 8700 mA/cm2 and 360 000 cd/m2, respectively. The emission spectra and current densities as functions of SiO2 thickness and aperture width have been investigated and discussed. This current focusing design is proved effective and can be further applied to other planar light-emitting diode devices.

Pt and Pd Nanoparticle Crystallization in the Sol-Gel-Derived Thin SiO2 Films

The crystallization and distribution the features of Pt, Pd and Pt/Pd nanoparticles in spin-on glass SiO2 films were studied within a wide range of the dopant concentrations in silica sol (from 10 to 80 mol.% Pt, Pd or Pt/Pd per 100 mol.% Si). The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) characterization revealed that the formation of 4–8 nm sized crystalline Pt, Pd and Pt/Pd nanoparticles in SiO2 films began at the dopant concentrations of at least 10 mol.% Pt and/or Pd per 100 mol.% Si. The nanoparticles obtained from sols with the lower Pt, Pd or Pt/Pd concentrations were characterized by an amorphous structure. The dopants distribution over the film thickness (~21–47 nm) was studied using X-ray reflectometry. The effect of the dopant concentration, spin-coating modes and heat treatment temperature on the film thickness was characterized. When only one of the dopants (Pt or Pd) was introduced into the silica sol, the resulting nanoparticles were preferentially localized close to the film surface. When dopants were used together, the Pt/Pd nanoparticles were distributed more evenly.

In Vitro Study of Zirconia Surface Modification for Dental Implants by Atomic Layer Deposition.

Zirconia is a promising material for dental implants; however, an appropriate surface modification procedure has not yet been identified. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a nanotechnology that deposits thin films of metal oxides or metals on materials. The aim of this study was to deposit thin films of titanium dioxide (TiO2), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon dioxide (SiO2), and zinc oxide (ZnO) on zirconia disks (ZR-Ti, ZR-Al, ZR-Si, and ZR-Zn, respectively) using ALD and evaluate the cell proliferation abilities of mouse fibroblasts (L929) and mouse osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1) on each sample. Zirconia disks (ZR; diameter 10 mm) were fabricated using a computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing system. Following the ALD of TiO2, Al2O3, SiO2, or ZnO thin film, the thin-film thickness, elemental distribution, contact angle, adhesion strength, and elemental elution were determined. The L929 and MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation and morphologies on each sample were observed on days 1, 3, and 5 (L929) and days 1, 4, and 7 (MC3T3-E1). The ZR-Ti, ZR-Al, ZR-Si, and ZR-Zn thin-film thicknesses were 41.97, 42.36, 62.50, and 61.11 nm, respectively, and their average adhesion strengths were 163.5, 140.9, 157.3, and 161.6 mN, respectively. The contact angle on ZR-Si was significantly lower than that on all the other specimens. The eluted Zr, Ti, and Al amounts were below the detection limits, whereas the total Si and Zn elution amounts over two weeks were 0.019 and 0.695 ppm, respectively. For both L929 and MC3T3-E1, the cell numbers increased over time on ZR, ZR-Ti, ZR-Al, and ZR-Si. Particularly, cell proliferation in ZR-Ti exceeded that in the other samples. These results suggest that ALD application to zirconia, particularly for TiO2 deposition, could be a new surface modification procedure for zirconia dental implants.

Plasmas and acoustic waves to pattern the nanostructure and chemistry of thin films

In this work, piezoelectric AWs and plasmas have been brought together during the growth of a thin film as a novel methodology of plasma-assisted thin film structuration. The ensuing effects have been investigated on a model system where SiO2 and SiOx (x<2) thin films have been deposited by magnetron sputtering at oblique angles (MS-OAD) on an electro-acoustically excited LiNbO3 piezoelectric substrate under resonant conditions. The microstructure of the resulting films was 2D patterned and depicted submillimeter size intermingled zones with different optical characteristics, compositions (SiO2 and SiOx) and porosity, from highly porous to dense and compact regions. The 2D nanostructural pattern mimics the AW distribution and has been accounted for by means of a specific simulation model. It is concluded that the morphological and chemical film pattern replicates the distribution of polarization potential on the surface of the AW activated substrate immersed in the plasma. Moreover, we show that the main mechanism responsible for the appearance of domains with different morphology and chemical composition is the focused impingement of Ar+plasma ions on certain regions of the substrate. The general character of this patterning process, the underlying physics and its possibilities to tailor the composition and microstructure of dielectric thin film materials are discussed.

The non-innocent role of cobalt in manipulating the magnetic and electric properties of mesoporous silica thin films

SiO2 does not have magnetic elements; therefore, it behaves as a diamagnetic material with a possible paramagnetism due to oxygen vacancy defects. Incorporation of magnetic elements and pores into SiO2 films can add an additional functionality to its dielectric and insulating properties. Herein we report the incorporation of Co element into the mesoporous framework of SiO2 (Co–SiO2) thin films through chemical sol-gel based-spin coating processes. The thus obtained Co–SiO2 thin film exhibits transition in the magnetic properties, increase in the specific surface area and a decrease in the leakage current while maintaining better electric conductivity. For comparison, the bare mesoporous SiO2 (m-SiO2) films were prepared at identical conditions. Interestingly, a S-type shape on the isothermal magnetization measurements versus magnetic field (M vs. H) curves appeared at 5 K in case of the Co–SiO2 films, and a paramagnetic behavior was observed at 50 K and above. The temperature-dependent magnetization (M vs. T) measurements of the Co–SiO2 films also showed an increase of magnetization below 50 K. It is anticipated that Co substitutes Si although presence of the CoO and/or Co3O4 phases cannot be completely ruled out. These results support the idea that a ferromagnetic-like transition takes place in the Co-doped SiO2 films below 50 K due to Co doping. At the same time, a reduction in the leakage current density was determined in Co–SiO2, while maintaining better charge transfer in 1.0 M KOH for ion conducting devices.

Determination of stress in thin films using micro-machined buckled membranes

In this work, optical profilometry and finite-element simulations are applied on buckled micromachined membranes for the stress analysis of ion-beam-sputtered Ta2O5 and SiO2 thin films. Layers with different thicknesses are grown on silicon substrates, and then several membranes with different geometries are manufactured with standard microsystem technologies; due to a high level of films’ compressive stress, buckled membranes are obtained. Thermally grown silica membranes are also produced for comparison. The residual stress values are determined by comparing the measured and simulated deflections of the membranes. The average stress state of Ta2O5 thin films is found to be −209 MPa. The SiO2 thin films are in a higher compressive stress state whose average value is −576 MPa. For comparison, the average stress in thermal SiO2 thin layers grown at 1130°C is found equal to −321 MPa, in good agreement with the literature.