Sputtering Method Research Articles

Investigation of silicon carbon oxynitride thin film deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

In this research, silicon carbon oxynitride (SiCON) thin films were deposited on silicon substrate by a radio frequency magnetron sputtering method. The effect of methane reactive gas flow rate on the structural, morphological, optical, and mechanical properties of the thin films was evaluated by using of grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), Raman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) , field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ellipsometry and nano-indentation methods. The results of the GIXRD proved the formation of an amorphous structure in the thin films. Also, the Raman spectroscopy results determined the absence of graphite nanocrystals in the thin film structure. FE-SEM revealed the formation of a thin film with a smooth, dense and crack-free surface. AFM results showed that SiCON thin film is formed with very low surface roughness in the RMS range of 0.73 nm to 4.39 nm. The results of the ellipsometry analysis indicated that the refractive index of the thin film was changed during increase of the CH4 reactive gas flow rate in the of 1.4 to 1.61 at 4 µm. According to the nano-indentation results, sample N10-C20-R1 has the highest hardness and Young's modulus equals 22.7 GPa and 231.6 GPa, respectively.

Studying the structural, optical, and electrical characteristics of Zn2SnO4 films using a direct current magnetron sputtering method

In this study, the characteristics of ZTO films are examined by varying the substrate temperature at an Ar ambient pressure of 3 × 10−3 Torr. The elemental content of Zn, Sn, and O in the generated Zn2SnO4 films was confirmed using X-ray dispersive and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The result reveals that the Zn/Sn ratio for the film formed at 300 °C reaches 2. The (222) and (311) lattice planes validated the cubic inverse spinel structure of ZTO films in the X-ray diffraction investigation. Atomic force microscopy was used to measure surface roughness, and the RMS rose in a range of 1.34–4.79 nm as the substrate temperature increased. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that the average crystal grain size grew in the region of 60–95 nm as the substrate temperature increased. The UV–vis absorption edge shift validates the Burstein-Moss shift rule, with a bandgap of ZTO-300 achieving the greatest value of 3.75 eV, corresponding to the largest carrier concentration. Electrical characteristics were investigated using Hall measurements. Film conductivity was primarily determined by the electron concentration or the presence of oxygen vacancies. The lowest resistivity measured was 5.4 × 10−3 Ω cm, which corresponded to an electron concentration of 8.57 × 1019 cm−3. The current-voltage characteristics of the ZTO/p-Si junction proved its rectifiable quality. Because of the low resistivity of the ZTO-300 sample, the ZTO-300/p-Si heterojunction has the largest photocurrent (4.72 10−3 A), making it suitable for use in optoelectronic devices.

Gas pressure dependence of optical and mechanical properties in a SiCO thin film for optical waveguide by reactive sputtering method

AbstractIn this study, the gas pressure dependence of optical and mechanical characteristics in reactive sputtered SiCO thin films for optical guided‐wave pressure sensors was experimentally investigated. Thin films were fabricated by varying the gas pressure from 0.3 to 1.0 Pa at an oxygen flow ratio of 6%, and the gas pressure dependences was clarified. As the gas pressure increased, the optical bandgap of the SiCO thin film increased, resulting in a transparent SiCO films. On the other hand, the refractive index, young's modulus, and hardness decreased with increasing gas pressure. Combining this dependence with the oxygen inflow ratio dependence of the previous study, the first‐order approximation formula for the gas pressure and oxygen flow rate ratio for various film characteristics was obtained. Based on this equation, trajectories of equal bandgaps and equal young's moduli on the oxygen flow ratio—gas pressure plane were created on the oxygen influx ratio‐gas pressure coordinates, making it easy to fabricate waveguides with desired characteristics.

High performance surface plasmon enhanced ZnO-Pt @ AlN core shell UV photodetector synthesized by magnetron sputtering

ZnO, a potential optoelectronic material, is attracting significant attention in ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors. However, low photoelectric conversion efficiency is a shortcoming because of its surface defect. In this paper, a plasmonic enhanced high speed UV photodetector was fabricated by ZnO-Pt@AlN core shell nanowires arrays using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and magnetron sputtering methods. As shown in experiment results, the core shell nanowire arrays exhibit 3.7 times enhancement of UV emission and inhibition of visible emission by surface defect. In addition, compared to the pure ZnO nanorod array detector, the introduction of Pt nanoparticles and AlN shell layer resulted in a device with faster rising and falling edges (from 5.67 s to 3.09 s; from 41.18 to 0.32 s) as well as higher bright-to-dark current ratio (from 6.6 to 310.5). As shown in simulation results, the optical field would be localized in the shell of ZnO nanorods, and the ZnO-Pt@AlN core–shell structure can effectively improve the absorption of 365 nm UV light. In one word, this paper employs two general methods to improve the optoelectronic performance of ZnO, and obtains plasmonic enhanced high speed UV photodetector fabricated by ZnO-Pt@AlN core shell nanowires array as well as the mechanism of enhancement is explained.

Realizing Ultrauniform Films at Wafer Scale through the Magnetron Sputtering Method

Realizing Ultrauniform Films at Wafer Scale through the Magnetron Sputtering Method

Method of Producing Eggshell-Derived Nanoparticles for Various Applications: A Review

The utilization of eggshells as an adsorbent material for diverse applications has garnered considerable attention among researchers. The incorporation of eggshell nanoparticles holds promise in enhancing reaction efficiency by virtue of their increased surface area. Consequently, this review focuses on the fabrication of materials at the nanoparticle scale in general, with a specific emphasis on eggshells. Two primary approaches for nanoparticle synthesis, namely top-down and bottom-up methods, exist. Within this review, particular attention is given to the top-down method, which encompasses mechanical milling, sputtering, and laser ablation method. Notably, despite the superior nanoparticle sizes produced through the laser ablation method, most researchers currently opt for ball milling, ultrasound, and microwave irradiation to synthesize eggshell nanoparticles. A comparative analysis of each method’s efficacy in preparing eggshell nanoparticles is also presented. In conclusion, eggshell waste exhibits potential as an environmentally valuable material, amenable to various synthesis methods.

In Situ Synthesis of High Thermoelectric Performance Bi2Te3 Flexible Thin Films through Thermal Diffusion Engineering

Bi2Te3-based materials are promising candidates for near-room-temperature applications due to their high thermoelectric performance and low cost. Here, an innovative thermal diffusion strategy combined with magnetron sputtering and thermal evaporation methods was employed to fabricate Bi2Te3 flexible thin films (f-TFs) on a flexible polyimide substrate. An in situ synthesis of Bi2Te3 f-TFs with good crystallinity was obtained using a straightforward thermal diffusion method through diffusion of Te into a Bi precursor under low vacuum conditions (1 × 105 Pa). This method offers easy preparation, low cost, and a large-area film preparation for industrialization. The electrical conductivity increases with increasing thermal diffusion temperatures. A high room temperature carrier mobility of ~28.7 cm−2 V−1 S−1 and an electrical conductivity of ~995.6 S cm−1 can be achieved. Then, a moderate room temperature Seebeck coefficient >100 μV K−1 was obtained due to the chemical stoichiometry being close to the standard by optimizing the thermal diffusion temperature. Consequently, a maximum room temperature PF of ~11.6 μW cm−1 K−1 was observed in Bi2Te3 f-TFs prepared using a thermal diffusion temperature of 653 K. The thermal diffusion strategy applied in the thin film preparation represents an effective approach for the preparation of high thermoelectric performance Bi2Te3 f-TFs, offering a promising route for future thermoelectric applications.

IoT-enabled surface-active Pd-anchored metal oxide chemiresistor for H2S gas detection

The Internet of Things (IoT) has a crucial role in advancing various fields such as Industry 4.0, Big Data, and Machine-to-Machine technologies. All systems continuously gather information on various parameters such as temperature, speed, pressure, health data, environmental conditions, and consumption. Considering this, we've developed a novel fabrication method for H2S gas sensor prototypes. These sensors are based on noble metal-functionalized on metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) chemiresistors. The fabrication process involved growing CuCrO2 sensing thin film on SiO2/Si substrates using the RF sputtering method. Subsequently, Pd nanoparticles, known for their excellent gas-sensing catalyst properties, were functionalized onto the CuCrO2 films using DC sputtering with varying sputtering times of 3, 6, 9, and 12 s. Nanorice morphology boosts gas absorption, capturing more target molecules. A 9 s Pd sputtering time greatly improved H2S sensing over other gases. CuCrO2 film with Pd showed the highest 72.3% response to 50 ppm H2S, detecting down to 0.5 ppm. These results were achieved at the optimal working temperature of 150 °C. After optimizing parameters, we transferred the technology to develop a sensor module for the prototype with IoT integration. The prototype sensor connects to NODEMCU-ESP8266 Wi-Fi, which links to a smartphone through a mobile hotspot.

Reliable Accessibility of Intermediate Polarization States in Textured Ferroelectric Al0.66Sc0.34N Thin Film

AbstractFerroelectric materials are promising candidates for neuromorphic computing synaptic devices due to the nonvolatile multiplicity of spontaneous polarization. To ensure a sufficient memory window, ferroelectric materials with a large coercivity are urgently required for practical applications in highly scaled multi‐bit memory devices. Herein, a remarkable reliability of intermediate ferroelectric polarization states is demonstrated in a textured Al0.66Sc0.34N thin film with a coercive field of 2.4 MV cm−1. Al0.66Sc0.34N thin films are prepared at 300 °C on Pt (111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates using a radio frequency reactive sputtering method. Al0.66Sc0.34N thin films exhibit viable ferroelectricity with a large remanent polarization value of >100 µC cm−2. Through the conventional current–voltage characteristics, polarization switching kinetics, and temperature dependence of coercivity, the reproducibility of multiple polarization states with apparent accuracy is attributed to a small critical volume (3.7 × 10−28 m3) and a large activation energy (3.3 × 1027 eV m−3) for nucleation of the ferroelectric domain. This study demonstrates the potential of ferroelectric Al1‐xScxN for synaptic weight elements in neural network hardware.

Preparation of large-area uniform PdSe2 film and its application in ultrafast fiber laser

In this work, ultrafast Yb-doped fiber laser was realized using multi-layer palladium diselenide (PdSe2) film as the saturable absorber, which was prepared by simple selenization of palladium film deposited by magnetron sputtering method. The prepared polycrystalline PdSe2 film has a thickness of about 12 nm. At a pump power of 180 mW, the obtained mode-locked fiber laser based on the PdSe2 film has a central wavelength of 1063.75 nm, a pulse width of 615 ps, a repetition rate of 17.66 MHz, and an output power of 4.43 mW, respectively. These results indicate that PdSe2 has great potential in applications of ultrafast lasers.

The Effect of Adding Aluminium on the Performance of ZnO NRs/PANi in Their Application as Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) is a new renewable energy technology that converts H2O into hydrogen and oxygen gas with the help of sunlight. A photoelectrochemical cell device consists of three main components, one of which is the photoanode. One of the materials that can be used as a photoanode is ZnO which has good electrical properties and is non-toxic. Nanorods-structured ZnO has the advantage of being able to increase light absorption due to its high surface area. However, the resulting performance is still quite low. So it is necessary to make modifications to the photoanode, one of which is by adding aluminium material to ZnO NRs, which has the potential to increase the conductivity of PEC in the production of H2 and O2 in H2O. To overcome the loss of samples during testing, the thin film will be coated with conductive polymers such as polyaniline (PANi), which has high conductivity, can increase photoactive ability, and has good corrosion resistance. In this study, the performance of ZnO NRs/PANi against AZO NRs/PANi will be studied by adding aluminium. The ZnO nanorods were synthesized by Hydrothermal method, Aluminium was deposited on ZnO NRs by DC Magnetron Sputtering method, and PANi was synthesized by polymerization method. From the XRD characterization results, it can be concluded that the addition of aluminium to ZnO NRs/PANi causes an increase in crystallinity and peak shift. SEM characterization shows that the addition of Al to ZnO NRs/PANi causes the porosity value to increase. In addition, UV-Vis characterization showed that the addition of Al material to the ZnO NRs/PANi thin film resulted in a wider range of absorbance of the light spectrum. Then, Cyclic Voltammetry test shows that the addition of aluminium increases the efficiency of the photoelectrochemical.

Crystallographic dependence of the electrical transport mechanism in La-Mn-O thermosensitive thin films

Bimetallic oxide materials with amorphous state usually exhibit singular peculiarities due to their periodic disorder structure, implying great potential applications as high-performance electronic devices. In this report, La-Mn-O thin films with different crystallographic features (amorphous and polycrystalline) were deposited on Si (100) substrates using magnetron sputtering method. The as-deposited thin films were successfully convert from the amorphous state to the polycrystalline state by tuning the post-annealing temperatures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that La-Mn-O was amorphous at annealing temperatures of 500 °C, while the films were polycrystalline at higher annealing temperatures (600 °C and 700 °C). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-magnification transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) distinguished the microscopic features of LaMnO3 thin films in polycrystalline and amorphous states. The effects of annealing temperatures and structural disorder on the temperature-dependent electrical transport properties of La-Mn-O thin films are investigated. The resistance-temperature relationship curves of both polycrystalline and amorphous films show negative temperature coefficient behavior, and the amorphous films follow more than one conduction mechanism. Results show that the electrical transport of the crystalline La-Mn-O films is mainly controlled by thermal activation mechanism, while the electron transport behavior of the amorphous film is simultaneously influenced by thermal activation and Mott VRH variable range hopping conduction.

Deep-Ultraviolet Transparent Electrode Design for High-Performance and Self-Powered Perovskite Photodetector.

In this study, a highly crystalline and transparent indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin film was prepared on a quartz substrate via RF sputtering to fabricate an efficient bottom-to-top illuminated electrode for an ultraviolet C (UVC) photodetector. Accordingly, the 26.6 nm thick ITO thin film, which was deposited using the sputtering method followed by post-annealing treatment, exhibited good transparency to deep-UV spectra (67% at a wavelength of 254 nm), along with high electrical conductivity (11.3 S/cm). Under 254 nm UVC illumination, the lead-halide-perovskite-based photodetector developed on the prepared ITO electrode in a vertical structure exhibited an excellent on/off ratio of 1.05 × 104, a superb responsivity of 250.98 mA/W, and a high specific detectivity of 4.71 × 1012 Jones without external energy consumption. This study indicates that post-annealed ITO ultrathin films can be used as electrodes that satisfy both the electrical conductivity and deep-UV transparency requirements for high-performance bottom-illuminated optoelectronic devices, particularly for use in UVC photodetectors.

Self-assembled growth of quasi-vertically oriented Sb2S3 thin films for substrate structured solar cells

Antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) is an appealing one-dimensional light-harvesting material for thin-film solar cells due to the high absorption coefficient, suitable bandgap and abundance of constituent elements. The orientation of the Sb2S3 thin film is considered as one of the most important factors affecting the performance of the device. According to the minimum energy principle, Sb2S3 is prone to grow parallel to the substrate along the [hk0] orientation which is harmful to the device performance. On the other hand, [hk1]-oriented films are much more beneficial but additional processes such as annealing are often required. In this work, stoichiometric Sb2S3 thin films consist of compact, highly [hk1]-oriented grains have been prepared via a self-assembled growth by magnetron sputtering and post-sulfurization. After carefully optimized the preparation process, a champion device (2.89% power conversion efficiency) was obtained with an open-circuit voltage of 696 mV and a short-circuit current density of 12.48 mA/cm2 under AM 1.5G solar radiation. Interestingly, the high open-circuit voltage of our device is already comparable to the state-of-the-art Sb2S3 solar cells. This work demonstrates a great potential of the sputtering and post-sulfurization method in fabrication of high-efficiency substrate Sb2S3 thin-film solar cells.

Growth of Nb films on Cu for superconducting radio frequency cavities by direct current and high power impulse magnetron sputtering: A molecular dynamics and experimental study

The use of superconducting radio frequency (rf) cavities in particle accelerators necessitates that copper (Cu) surfaces are coated by thin niobium (Nb) films, predominantly synthesized by magnetron sputtering. A key feature of the rf cavities is that they exhibit a complex three-dimensional geometry, such that during Nb film growth vapor is not deposited on a flat substrate. The latter, combined with the line-of-sight nature of the deposition flux in conventional magnetron sputtering methods (including direct current magnetron sputtering; DCMS) yields films with porous columnar morphologies on surfaces of the cavities that do not face the magnetron source. High-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) is a variant of sputtering that generates highly-ionized fluxes. Using electrical fields, such fluxes can be deflected to trajectories that are closer to the substrate normal and, thereby, dense and uniform layers can be deposited on all surfaces of the rf cavities. In the present work, we use classical molecular dynamics simulations to model Nb film growth on Cu substrates at conditions consistent with those prevailing during DCMS and HiPIMS. Our computational results are in qualitative agreement with experimental data (also generated in the present study), with respect to film morphology. Based on this agreement and by studying the evolution of the simulated systems, we suggest that the morphology of HiPIMS-grown films (as compared to their DCMS counterparts) is the result of the combined effects of deflection of ionized sputtered particles to trajectories parallel to the substrate normal, bombardment-induced interruption of crystal growth, and ballistic atomic rearrangement along with dynamic thermal annealing caused by energetic film-forming species. Moreover, the predictions of our model with respect to dynamic processes at the film-substrate interface and their effect on local epitaxial growth are discussed.

Improved resistive switching performance of amorphous InGaZnO-based memristor with the TiO2 insertion layer

A stable I–V repeatability memristor based on amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) with a TiO2 insertion layer was investigated. Two memristive structures composed of Pt/a-IGZO/Pt and Pt/TiO2/a-IGZO/Pt were manufactured on SiO2/Si substrate by the magnetron sputtering method. The crystallization of IGZO thin films was analyzed by the XRD process under different annealing temperatures, and the results show that the thin films remain in a stable amorphous state. The resistive switching performance of the two structures was tested by the semiconductor parameter analyzer 4200-SCS at room temperature. After 30 cyclic scans, the Pt/a-IGZO/Pt structure shows signs of degeneration in its I–V cyclic characteristics. However, in the Pt/TiO2/a-IGZO/Pt structure, the cyclic characteristics of I–V are highly stable (cycles >105 sweeps) with a limiting operating current of 0.01 A. Its rectification ratio is approximately 20 at low operating voltages (±1.0 V), and conductance increases (or decreases) progressively with continuous positive (or negative) voltage scans. Further analysis of the experimental energy band diagram was measured by UV–vis spectra and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS). The results demonstrate that the operational mechanism is the modulation of the barrier at the TiO2/a-IGZO interface, which is conducive to the stable I–V cyclic characteristic of Pt/TiO2/a-IGZO/Pt memristor.

Microstructure of tungsten coatings effect on deuterium plasma-driven permeation through RAFM steel

Tungsten (W) coatings with different morphologies were deposited on CLF-1 steel by changing the sputtering time and discharge power using the magnetron sputtering method. Deuterium (D) plasma-driven permeation (PDP) experiments through W-coated CLF-1 were then carried out in the temperature range of 583–833 K. The obtained results showed that dense W coatings reduced steady-state permeation flux and prolonged the time of permeation flux reaching steady-state. Due to the existence of high-density intrinsic defects, D effective diffusivities of the coating are lower than that of bulk W. The increase of coating thickness reduced permeation flux. In addition, by changing the bias voltage and studying the influence of incident ion energy on D-PDP, it is found that the introduction of W coating affected the overall D transport by re-balancing the bulk diffusion and surface recombination processes. The thickness and microstructure of W coatings played a key role in determining the D steady-state permeation flux at varying temperatures.

Rational design of coaxial CdS@ZnO nanowire array for efficient photodegradation of organic pollutants

Herein, a novel coaxial CdS@ZnO nanowire array catalyst was synthesized by magnetron sputtering and hydrothermal method. The optimum photocatalytic composite was obtained by controlling the ratio of CdS and ZnO. Take methylene blue (MB) as the model, the CdS@ZnO nanowire array (CdS@ZnO-10) exhibited strong photocatalytic solid activity, and the highest adsorption and photodegradation rate of MB reached 90.38 % in 50 min and 99.13 % in 120 min under simulated sunlight illumination. The mechanism of the heterojunction interface affecting photocatalytic performance was studied. Therefore, the synthesis approach could offer new design and controllable construction of coaxial structure for organic dye pollutant degradation.

EMI Shielding for System in Package Using Spray Coating and Silver Particle-Free Ink

There is a constant drive to pack electronics into smaller spaces. Recently, IoT devices such as smart watches, wearables and other connectivity devices have been major drivers of further miniaturization and spurred System in Package ‘SIP’ innovations. SIP enables several integrated circuits (ICs) along with larger capacitors/inductors to be housed in one package. Many of these ICs operate at radio frequencies and the proximity increases electromagnetic interference (EMI). The traditional solution of soldering a ‘metal can’ is not feasible. On the other hand, 5G enabled devices and high frequency communication electronics require shielding well beyond RF, typically 5 ? 25 GHz and beyond. Compartmental and conformal shielding of the package is necessary and sputtered metal has typically been utilized to provide the shield. The traditional sputtering method is a Physical Vapor Deposition process (PVD) that involves vaporizing a metal and depositing it onto the surfaces of the components. PVD is currently the most commonly used method to apply the EMI shield and it requires a complex, multi-step process. Alternatively, the technology is seeing a shift to sprayable or jettable conductive-based ink conformal shielding. This approach brings about substantial total cost of ownership and UPH/throughput advantages as the ink-based processes (spray/jet) does not require vacuum, and relatively low temperatures (at or below 180C in most cases). From a technology perspective, ink-based approaches have the advantage in shielding complex 3D, non line-of-sight packages and electronic module housings, directed (mask-less) shielding with no major drop in shielding performance or REL (reliability) behavior.

Effects of Top Ceramic Layers with an Ultrathin Dense Layer on the Thermal–Physical Properties of Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermal barrier coatings have been used to protect superalloys under extremely harsh conditions. The durability of TBCs with a NiCoCrAlY bond layer prepared via the air plasma spray process and an ultrathin dense layer prepared via magnetron sputtering was investigated under different corrosion conditions. This paper discusses the corrosion resistance improvement mechanism of TBCs with a dense layer produced by magnetron sputtering under corrosion conditions with environmental contaminants such as calcium–magnesium–aluminum–silicon oxide systems (CMAS) at 1300 °C and NaCl-Na2SO4-V2O5 (NV) at 900 °C. The corrosion results show that CMAS will react with the stabilizers of zirconium oxide, which will change the rate of the phase transition, as determined via X-ray diffraction tests. A thermal ablation test verified that TBCs with a dense layer have a better corrosion resistance and better thermal insulation properties. All results show that preparing TBCs with a dense layer via the magnetron sputtering method will be an efficient method to improve TBCs’ properties at high temperatures in the future.