Surface Film Thickness Research Articles

A Novel Organic Conversion Coating based on N-Benzoyl-N-Phenylhydroxylamine Chemistry for the Corrosion Protection of AA2024-T3

This work demonstrates a novel organic conversion coating treatment on an AA2024-T3 substrate. The process is based on simple immersion in aqueous solutions containing an organic molecule, N-Benzoyl-N-phenylhydroxylamine (BPHA), after a hydrothermal oxide has been formed on the alloy surface. Potentiodynamic polarization results indicate that BPHA conversion coating outperforms coatings formed in the same concentration of other corrosion inhibitors, including NaVO3, Na2SiO3, CeCl3, and benzotriazole. BPHA coating also displays strong and persistent corrosion inhibition under ASTM B117 salt spray exposure conditions and static immersion testing. The cross-section of BPHA-coated substrate is prepared by focus ion beam-scanning (FIB), and analyzed by high angle annular dark field (HAADF) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), which show a thick surface film with a three-layer structure. Raman spectroscopy and XPS are used to examine the surface chemistry of BPHA-coated samples, both of which suggest the formation of a BPHA surface film, possibly stabilized by the keto-to-iminol conversion that made the BPHA molecule strongly nucleophilic. The formation of BPHA-metal oxide complex seems to be closely related to the excellent corrosion resistance of BPHA coating.

Spatial height directed microfluidic synthesis of transparent inorganic upconversion nano film

A microfluidic-based synthesis of an inorganic upconversion nano film has been developed with a large area of dense-distributed NaYF4 crystal grains in a silica glass micro-reactor and the film exhibits high transparence, strong upconversion luminescence and robust adhesion with the substrate. The spatial heights of micro-reactors are tuned between 31 and 227mm, which can regulate flow regimes. The synergistic effect of spatial height and fluid regime is put forward, which influences diffusion paths and assembly ways of different precursor molecules and consequently directs final distributions and morphologies of crystal grains, as well as optical properties due to diversity of surface and thickness of films. The spatial height of 110mm is advantageous for high transmittance of upconversion film due to the flat surface and appropriate film thickness of 67nm. The height of 150mm is in favor of uniform distribution of upconversion fluorescence and achieving the strongest fluorescence due to minimized optical loss. Such a transparent upconversion film with a large area of uniform distribution is promising to promote the application of upconversion materials and spatial height directed microfluidic regime have a certain significance on many microfluidic synthesis.

Effective dielectric constant model of electromagnetic backscattering from stratified air–sea surface film–sea water medium**Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFC1401007), the Global Change Research Program of China (Grant No. 2015CB953901), the Canadian Program on Energy Research and Development (OERD), the Office of Naval Research (Code 322, “Arctic and Global Prediction” (Principal Investigator:

Studies of surface film medium on the sea surface are carried out in this paper for developing the technology to automatically detect and classify sea surface films, and an effective dielectric constant model of electromagnetic backscattering from a stratified air–ocean interface. Numerical results of the new model show the characteristics of effective dielectric constants for the air–sea surface film–sea water medium as follows. The effective dielectric constants decrease with increasing relative dielectric constants of the sea surface films. The effective dielectric constants decrease in horizontal polarization (abbr. HH polarization) and increase in VV vertical polarization (abbr. VV polarization) with increasing radar incident angle. Effective dielectric constants vary with relative sea surface film thickness as a cosinusoidal function of sea surface film thickness. Effective dielectric constant of VV polarization is larger than that of HH polarization. Two potential applications are found with our model, i.e., the retrieval of dielectric constants from the sea surface film, and the film thickness retrieval with our model. Our model has a highly significant influence on improving the technology related to the remote sensing of sea surface films.

Fabrication and Characterization of Indium Tin Oxide Films.

BackgroundTransparent conducting oxide (TCO) films are of particular interest in the field of optoelectronics, due to the requirement for transparent electrodes in applications such as organic light-emitting diodes, solar cells and so on. The aim of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the effects of preparation temperature on indium tin oxide (ITO) films, to improve their performance for optoelectronic applications.MethodsITO films were deposited on glass substrate at different temperatures, using direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering. The influence of substrate temperature on the microstructure and electrical and optical properties was studied. The surface topography and microstructure of the films were analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The electrical resistivity and optical transmittance of the films were measured using the Hall effect measurement and spectrometer, respectively.ResultsThe results showed that both the surface roughness and film thickness increased as the substrate temperature increased. Transmittance increased from 78% to 80% in the visible wavelength region, while resistivity decreased from 6.05 × 10−4 to 3.27 × 10−4 Ω-cm as the substrate temperature increased from 25°C to 275°C.ConclusionsHigh-quality ITO films with low resistivity and high transmittance can be achieved by increasing the deposition temperature.

Investigation of Al/CuO multilayered thermite ignition

The ignition of the Al/CuO multilayered material is studied experimentally to explore the effects of the heating surface area, layering, and film thickness on the ignition characteristics and reaction performances. After the description of the micro-initiator devices and ignition conditions, we show that the heating surface area must be properly calibrated to optimize the nanothermite ignition performances. We demonstrated experimentally that a heating surface area of 0.25 mm2 is sufficient to ignite a multilayered thermite film of 1.6 mm wide by a few cm long, with a success rate of 100%. A new analytical and phenomenological ignition model based on atomic diffusion across layers and thermal exchange is also proposed. This model considers that CuO first decomposes into Cu2O, and then the oxygen diffuses across the Cu2O and Al2O3 layers before reaching the Al layer, where it reacts to form Al2O3. The theoretical results in terms of ignition response times confirm the experimental observation. The increase of the heating surface area leads to an increase of the ignition response time and ignition power threshold (go/no go condition). We also provide evidence that, for any heating surface area, the ignition time rapidly decreases when the electrical power density increases until an asymptotic value. This time point is referred to as the minimum response ignition time, which is a characteristic of the multilayered thermite itself. At the stoichiometric ratio (Al thickness is half of the CuO thickness), the minimum ignition response time can be easily tuned from 59 μs to 418 ms by tuning the heating surface area. The minimum ignition response time increases when the bilayer thickness increases. This work not only provides a set of micro-initiator design rules to obtain the best ignition conditions and reaction performances but also details a reliable and robust MicroElectroMechanical Systems process to fabricate igniters and brings new understanding of phenomena governing the ignition process of Al/CuO multilayers.

Plasmon-mediated Enhancement of Rhodamine 6G Spontaneous Emission on Laser-spalled Nanotextures

Biosensing characteristics of the laser-spalled nanotextures produced under single-pulse irradiation of a 500-nm thick Ag film surface were assessed by measuring spontaneous emission enhancement of overlaying Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) molecules utilizing polarization-resolved confocal microspectroscopy technique. Our preliminary study shows for the first time that a single spalled micro-sized crater covered with sub-100nm sharp tips at a certain excitation conditions provides up to 40-fold plasmon-mediated enhancement of the spontaneous emission from the 10-nm thick Rh6G over-layer indicating high potential of these easy-to-do structures for routine biosensing tasks.

Metal particulate-containing conformal coatings for improved IT hardware reliability in harsh environments

A method to overcome IT hardware corrosion-related failures in geographies with highly concentrated atmospheric pollution is presented. Metal particulate was incorporated into a standard silicone conformal coating to form composite materials in which the metal particulate acts as a sacrificial material to react with elemental sulfur. Metal particulates (copper and silver) were chosen based on their strong propensity to corrode in sulfur-rich environments. Through absorption of sulfur into silicone composites, the metal particulate is able to react to form either copper sulfide or silver sulfide before reaching the underlying metallic architectures, thus preventing failures. This approach resulted in up to a ~123% life improvement of the coated component over that of a standard silicone conformal coating. In addition, this approach has shown that the sacrificial material can slow the rate of metal sulfide formation at the metallic interface of thick-film surface mount resistors. The metal particulate-containing conformal coatings developed here overcome many limitations brought about by the use of non-silicone conformal coatings, potentially leading to its incorporation into IT hardware to prevent metallic corrosion of components in harsh environments.

Structural, morphological, optical and gas sensing properties of pure and Ce doped SnO2 thin films prepared by jet nebulizer spray pyrolysis (JNSP) technique

Pure and cerium (Ce) doped tin oxide (SnO2) thin films are prepared on glass substrates by jet nebulizer spray pyrolysis technique at 450 °C. The synthesized films are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive analysis X-ray, ultra violet visible spectrometer (UV–Vis) and stylus profilometer. Crystalline structure, crystallite size, lattice parameters, texture coefficient and stacking fault of the SnO2 thin films have been determined using X-ray diffractometer. The XRD results indicate that the films are grown with (110) plane preferred orientation. The surface morphology, elemental analysis and film thickness of the SnO2 films are analyzed and discussed. Optical band gap energy are calculated with transmittance data obtained from UV–Visible spectra. Optical characterization reveals that the band gap energy is found decreased from 3.49 to 2.68 eV. Pure and Ce doped SnO2 thin film gas sensors are fabricated and their gas sensing properties are tested for various gases maintained at different temperature between 150 and 250 °C. The 10 wt% Ce doped SnO2 sensor shows good selectivity towards ethanol (at operating temperature 250 °C). The influence of Ce concentration and operating temperature on the sensor performance is discussed. The better sensing ability for ethanol is observed compared with methanol, acetone, ammonia, and 2-methoxy ethanol gases.

Potential of Silver Nanoparticles Functionalized Polyaniline as an Electrochemical Transducer

Modification of commercial platinum (Pt) and glassy carbon (GC) electrodes with polyaniline (PANI) and silver nanoparticles doped polyaniline (PANI/Ag NPs) through electropolymerization of aniline in the absence and presence of Ag NPs in 1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) was interrogated. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques were used for structural, compositional and morphological elucidation. FTIR spectra for PANI and PANI/Ag NPs had the characteristic PANI functional groups as well as desired bands for the conducting emeraldine (EM) form. The predominance of the PANI pattern in the spectra is indicative of the intact PANI structure in the presence of Ag NPs while the slight band shifts are signify interfacial interactions between PANI and Ag NPs. TEM micrograms depicts different size one dimensional nanofibric tubes of the supramolecular structures of PANI. Ag NPs functionalized PANI had larger smoother tubes, suggesting organized morphology arrangement. An increased energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS)-TEM count from 256 to 277 confirms incorporation of Ag NPs in PANI. GC/PANI/Ag NPs exhibited outstanding electroactivity (higher conductivity and rate of electron transfer).This might be a result of the large surface coverage, film thickness and diffusion coefficient as a result of the large GC surface area. Possibly, the improvement might be due to the GC electrode properties. The electroactivity of the electrodes increased in the order: Pt < GC < Pt/PANI < Pt/PANI/Ag NPs < GC/PANI < GC/PANI/Ag NPs. The effect of Ag NPs in the polymer was demonstrated by ultimate band gap reduction of PANI and enhanced magnitudes of current response per electrode.

The effect of charging rate on the graphite electrode of commercial lithium-ion cells: A post-mortem study

Increased charging rates negatively affect the lifetime of lithium-ion cells by increasing cell resistance and reducing capacity. This work is a post-mortem study of 18650-type cells subjected to charge rates of 0.7-, 2-, 4-, and 6-C. For cells charged at 0.7-C to 4-C, this performance degradation is primarily related to surface film thickness with no observable change in surface film chemical composition. However, at charge rates of 6-C, the chemical composition of the surface film changes significantly, suggesting that this change is the reason for the sharper increase in cell resistance compared to the lower charge rates. In addition, we found that surface film formation was not uniform across the electrode. Surface film was thicker and chemically different along the central band of the electrode “jelly roll”. This result is most likely attributable to an increase in temperature that results from non-uniform electrode wetting during manufacture. This non-uniform change further resulted in active material delamination from the current collector owing to chemical changes to the binder for the cell charged at 6-C.

Steel Surface Conversion By Flavonoid Model Molecules

In the framework of new ecological challenges, many plant extracts appear as promising green corrosion inhibitors. Their efficiency is generally attributed to the antioxidant properties of secondary metabolites, as flavonoid molecules, which are produced by plants in order to fight against environment attacks. However, due to the large number of molecules contained in plant extracts, the corrosion inhibition mechanisms remain largely unknown. This paper focuses on the inhibiting effect on steel corrosion of different model flavonoid molecules with various structures. In acidic medium, polarization measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements, performed in HCl 0.1 M in a water/ethanol medium, show slight inhibition efficiency (both anodic and cathodic) of pure flavonoid molecules, through an adsorption mechanism, directly linked to their structure. Actually, the best performances are obtained with molecules characterized by two adjacent OH groups on the B-ring (catechol group), which explains the chelation of Fe2+. Regarding the anticorrosion efficiency of a diluted natural extract (from orange peel as example in this work), it is enhanced compared to isolated flavonoid molecules (naringin, neohesperidin) thanks to the formation of a thick surface film with organic macromolecules, limiting the diffusion of oxidant species, as revealed by both SEM observations and EIS data. In more alkaline medium, at pH 4, the corrosion behavior is governed by the formation of a tri-dimensional conversion film made of iron and flavonoid, as revealed by SEM observations. For a deeper understanding, the corresponding organo-metallic compounds were synthesized from precipitation at pH 4 of iron salt in presence of flavonoid molecules (rutin) and investigated by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy measurements (XAS). Results show that the formation of conversion products requires the octahedral coordination of Fe3+ by the O atoms of the catechol group attached to the B-ring. From an electrochemical point of view, a cathodic inhibition attributed to the oxygen scavenger role of the antioxidant molecules was observed. Nevertheless, the anodic protection depends on the covering properties of the conversion film (when it is formed), related to the molecule structure. Figure 1

Surface characterization of diamond film tool grinding on the monocrystal sapphire under different liquid environments

Surface characterization of diamond film tool on the monocrystal sapphire under H2O, 3% ethylene glycol and 3% ethylenediamine was investigated. The typical components and chemical changes of the surface of diamond thick film were studied by means of Raman and XPS. Results showed that tribological properties of diamond film tool were associated with the liquid environment located the grinding. Diamond film tool under 3% ethylenediamine solution exhibited the minimum value of friction coefficient, while that under H2O exhibited maximum value of friction coefficient. As the ethylenediamine and ethylene glycol were added during the grinding process, the reaction between diamond film and the sapphire pieces occurred, and the chemical composition change of the surface was also studied. Under the same process parameters, a better surface quality of sapphire under the grinding fluid of ethylenediamine can be obtained.

Using XPS to Determine the Relative Thickness of Lithium-Ion Surface Films at the Negative Electrode

During typical lithium-ion cell usage over application lifetimes (e.g. automotive) they form a film, which is nanometres thick, on the surface of the negative electrode which helps to passivate against further reaction. Its chemical composition and thickness affect capacity and power capabilities of a cell through 1. Consumption of lithium inventory during the surface film forming reactions and 2. More surface film which increases surface resistance. Over time and with further cycling, this film thickens. Understanding and controlling surface film thickness and composition as well as its relationship to cell operating conditions could provide a pathway to extend cell and device service life. As a first step toward achieving this goal we focused on characterising surface film thickness as a function of cell age and operating conditions. Currently, there is no reliable method for determining surface film thickness at the electrode surface. We tested the capacity and power of commercial 18650-sized cells cycled at different C-rates or stored at different temperatures and states of charge. We then present a method of XPS analysis to determine the relative surface film thicknesses within each of these three conditions. XPS analysis was completed at two different institutions on two different systems to determine reproducibility. The novel XPS method reliably showed that the surface film thickness increased with temperature, state of charge and higher C-rates. We found that the chemical composition of the surface film changed as a consequence of temperature, State of charge and charge rate. We also found that the thickness of the surface film followed traditional 1-dimensional models of surface film growth, that is, a sharp initial growth followed by a reduced rate after ‘X’ months / C-rate. These findings indicate that, using our method, it is possible to determine the relative thickness of the negative electrode surface film. It also showed that surface film thickness increased with cell charge- rate, temperature and SoC. This is invaluable in determining the relationship between cell conditions and its effect on internal chemical composition of the cell. The work at Argonne National Laboratory was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Vehicle Technologies, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. The submitted issue has been created by the University of Chicago as Operator of Argonne National Laboratory (“Argonne”) under Contract No. W-31-109-Eng-38 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government retains for itself, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up, non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license in said article to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government.

Passivity breakdown of 316L stainless steel during potentiodynamic polarization in NaCl solution

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF SIMS) analysis was performed on 316L stainless steel polarized potentiodynamically up to different potentials in NaCl solution. The surface film thickness increased with the ending potential of the potentiodynamic polarization, when estimated by the oxygen ion depth profiles. The chloride ion intensities at the film/metal interface were correlated with the ending potentials during the potentiodynamic polarization and cumulative anodic charge densities that govern the pit initiation. The results and analysis support the passivity breakdown mechanisms considering the role of chloride ions at the metal/film interface, rather than at the film/solution interface.

Corrosion Investigations of Ruthenium in Potassium Periodate Solutions Relevant for Chemical Mechanical Polishing

Ruthenium is the most promising material for the barrier layer used for the sub 14 nm technology node in integrated circuits manufacturing. Potassium periodate (KIO4)-based slurry is used in the chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process of the barrier layer. However, the electrochemical and corrosion properties of ruthenium have not been investigated in such slurry. In this paper, the electrochemical and corrosion behaviors of ruthenium in KIO4 solutions were investigated under static conditions but at different pH values by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, combined with surface chemical analysis using auger electron spectroscopy. Moreover, to study wear enhanced corrosion during CMP, tribocorrosion experiments were carried out to monitor the current density changes during and after mechanical scratching. The results show that at pH 6, ruthenium forms a relatively thick and heterogeneous surface film composed of RuO2·2H2O/RuO3, showing a high corrosion resistance and it exhibits a quick repassivation after mechanical scratching. At pH 4, ruthenium shows a passivation behavior with formation of a uniform and conductive oxide like RuO2·2H2O. It should be noted that there is a possible formation of RuO4 toxic gas under this condition, which should be avoided in the actual production. However, at pH 11, ruthenium exhibits no considerable passivity and the corrosion proceeds uniformly.

Interface Function and Cefazolin-Adsorption-Release Characteristics of Hydroxyapatite Granules Modified by Supersonic Treatment Techniques

Commercial hydroxyapatite (HAp) porous granules were designed by the supersonic treatment at 120W and 38 kHz for 15 min in parenteral fluids (amino-acids (PF-A), electrolytes and carbohydrates (PF-EC), the mixtures (PF-M)) to form PF-A/HAp, PF-EC/HAp and PF-M/HAp. The modified HAp kept spherical shape and exhibited adhesive aggregates originated from parenteral fluid components on the surface layer. The BET specific surface areas decreased from 39 m2・g-1 to 19-24 m2・g-1. The granules dried at 293K were stirred at 309.5 K in 0.5-2.5 mg・cm-3 CEZ saline solutions. Adsorption isotherms of CEZ for all the granules almost obeyed the Langmuir type-equation. The amounts of CEZ adsorbed on the modified HAp were larger than those on HAp. Regarding CEZ-release characteristics in a biomimetic environment, the CEZ-adsorbed granules were freeze-dried or dried at 293K and they were stirred at 309.5K and pH 7.40 in simulated body fluid (SBF). The CEZ-release efficiencies for granules freeze-dried into SBF were significantly higher than those for granules dried at 293K. The values of granules freeze-dried were 37-43% for PF-A/HAp, 75-83% for PF-EC/HAp, and 56-64% for PF-M/HAp, which were related to the interface function, such as hydrophilicity of surface and multilayer film thickness of water molecule.

LPG sensing investigation of (Sn-Ti)O2 system based nanocomposite at Room Temperature

Present work reports the synthesis of pure TiO2 and (Sn-Ti)O2 nanocomposite, its characterization and performance asLiquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Sensor. Thick films of both the materials were prepared by using screen printing technique. After that these were investigated through SEM. SEM image of pure TiO2 shows that grains are random in shape having pores. The grains observed on the (Sn-Ti)O2 thick-film surface are spherical in shape and more porous than pure TiO2. Further at room temperature, the films were exposed to LPG in a controlled gas chamber and variations in resistance with the concentrations of LPG were observed. The maximum value of average sensitivity for pure TiO2 and (Sn-Ti)O2 thick-film were found 3.0 and 11 respectively for 2 vol.% of LPG. Sensor responses as a function of exposure and response times were also estimated and maximum sensor response for pure TiO2 and (Sn-Ti)O2 thick-film were found 207 and 1040 respectively.

Study on TSV isolation liners for a Via Last approach with the use in 3D-WLP for MEMS

This paper discusses approaches for the isolation of deep high aspect ratio through silicon vias (TSV) with respect to a Via Last approach for micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Selected TSV samples have depths in the range of 170ź270 µm and a diameter of 50 µm. The investigations comprise the deposition of different layer stacks by means of subatmospheric and plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) of tetraethyl orthosilicate; Si(OC2H5)4 (TEOS). Moreover, an etch-back approach and the selective deposition on SiN were also included in the investigations. With respect to the Via Last approach, the contact opening at the TSV bottom by means of a specific spacer-etching method have been addressed within this paper. Step coverage values of up to 74 % were achieved for the best of those approaches. As an alternative to the SiO2-isolation liners a polymer coating based on the CVD of Parylene F was investigated, which yields even higher step coverage in the range of 80 % at the lower TSV sidewall for a surface film thickness of about 1000 nm. Leakage current measurements were performed and values below 0.1 nA/cm2 at 10 kV/cm were determined for the ParyleneF films which represents a promising result for the aspired application to Via Last MEMS-TSV.

Effect of film thickness on resistance to permanent deformation in asphalt mixtures

The resistance of asphalt mixtures against permanent deformation is one of important requirements that have to be verified in the design process of asphalt mixtures. In the case of asphalt concrete the European Standard EN 13108-1:2006 Bituminous Mixtures. Material Specifications. Part 1: Asphalt Concrete allows empirical (compositional recipes and requirements) or fundamental approach for testing of permanent deformation resistance. A fundamental approach specifies asphalt concrete in terms of performance-based requirements linked to limited prescription of composition and constituent materials. In this design approach a triaxial cyclic compression test is used to verify resistance to permanent deformation. The presented study investigates characteristics of resistance to rutting of asphalt concrete mixtures (eight mixtures of AC 11 from different producers) determined by triaxial cyclic compression test. The basic conclusions and statements of main factors influenced resistance to rutting (type of binder, binder content, and aggregate gradation) have been worked out from prevenient experience and experimental measuring. But measured test results presented in the following paper point out differences in resistance however the bitumen contents are relatively the same. During detailed investigation the tested asphalt mixtures had small differences in aggregate gradation. Changes in gradation make change of aggregate specific surface and the mixture needs different bitumen content to coat aggregate particles, to bound them to each other and to make stiff material resistant to rutting. The results from measuring of resistance to permanent deformation show the relation between aggregate specific surface and bitumen film thickness and permanent deformation.

Preparation of nitrogen doped silicon oxides thin films by plasma polymerization of 3-aminopropyltriethoxylsilane using atmospheric pressure plasma jet

Surface modification techniques have been applied in various applications including self-cleaning surface, antibacterial filter, and biomaterials. In this study we employed the atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) deposition, a dry process for surface modification, to deposit 3-aminopropyltriethoxylsilane (APTES) on stainless steel (SS) on the purposes of simultaneously incorporating SiOx and nitrogen containing functionalities for the modulation of biofunctionality. The APPJ deposition allowed to form a thin layer of APTES with linear growth rate by controlling the deposition time. In addition, the surface chemical and physical properties, such as surface chemical composition, wettability, film thickness, and interactions with mammalian cells were evaluated by using different analytical methods. The results showed that the surface wettability was improved significantly due to the APTES deposition along with the increase of the incorporated nitrogen content. Moreover, the viability of L-929 fibroblasts was clearly promoted on the APTES deposited SS, which is most probably due to the thicker deposited films and higher density of nitrogen-containing functional groups. The outcomes of this research showed great potential to apply on metallic substrates in real time for biomedical related applications.