STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES INVESTIGATION ON MICROCRYSTALLINE SILICON FILMS DEPOSITED WITH VHF-PECVD TECHNIQUE

Raman scattering spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were used to determine the structural properties of two typical series of microc rystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) films deposited at different VHF plasma power and different working gas pressure by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical v apor deposition (VHF-PECVD) technique. Raman spectra measurements show that both crystalline volume fraction Xc and average grain size d of μc-Si : H films ar e strongly affected by the two deposition conditions and are more sensitive to w orking gas pressure than VHF plasma power. SEM characterizations have further co nfirmed that VHF plasma power and working gas pressure could clearly enhance the surface roughness of μc-Si : H films ascribing to polymerization reactions, w hich is also more sensitive to working gas pressure than VHF plasma power.

On the formation of shear bands in a metallic glass under tailored complex stress fields

The formation of shear bands in metallic glasses(MGs)was examined by tailoring localized complex stress fields(LCSFs).The findings have shown that the LCSFs in MGs can increase the localization of strained atoms and accelerate the release of accumulated deformation energy for initiating a shear band in confined and thin-layered regions.The findings not only add more knowledge to the formation mechanisms of shear bands in MGs,but also provide possible rationale for the discrepancies in the mechanical properties of different-sized MGs.As compared with the bulk samples,the higher strength and larger elastic limits in nanoscaled MGs could be attributed to the elimination of stress-concentrators,which can serve as LCSFs.