Effects of SiO_2 and TiO_2 on resistance stabilities of flexible indium-tin-oxide films prepared by ion assisted deposition

Inorganic buffer layers such as SiO2 or TiO2 and transparent conductive indium-tin-oxide （ITO） films were prepared on polyethylene terephthalate （PET） substrates by ion assisted deposition （IAD） at room temperature, and the effects of SiO2 and TiOzon the bending resistance performance of flexible ITO films were investigated. The results show that ITO films with SiO2 or TiO2 buffer layer have better resistance stabilities compared to ones without the buffer layer when the ITO films are inwards bent at a bending radius more than 1.2 cm and when the ITO films are outwards bent at a bending radius from 0.8 cm to 1.2 cm. 1TO films with SiO2 buffer layer have better resistance sta- bilities compared to ones with TiO2 buffer layer after the ITO fdms are bent several hundreds of cycles at the same bending radius, for the adhesion of SiO2 is stronger than that of TiO2. The compressive stress resulted from inward bending leads to the formation of more defects in the ITO films compared with the tensile stress arising from outward bending. SiO2 and TiO2 buffer layers can effectively improve the crystallinity of ITO films in （400）, （440） directions.

CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF Cu-Nb AND Ni-Nb AMORPHOUS FILMS PREPARED BY ION BEAM ASSISTED DEPOSITION

The Cu25 Nb75 and Ni45Nb55 amorphous films with about 500nm thickness were prepared by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). Potentiodynamic polarization measurement was adopted to investigate the corrosion resistance of samples and the tests were carried out respectively in 1mol/L H2SO4 and NaOH aquatic solution. The corrosion performance of the amorphous films was compared with that of multilayered and pure Nb films. Experimental results indicated that the corrosion resistance of amorphous films was better than that of the corresponding multilayers and pure Nb films for both Ni-Nb system with negative heat of formation and Cu-Nb system with positive heat of formation.

AMORPHIZATION IN Nb-M (M=Fe, Co, Ni) BINARY METAL SYSTEMS INDUCED BY ION BEAM ASSISTED DEPOSITION (IBAD)

Ion beam assisted deposition technique (IBAD) was utilized to systematically study amorphization in binary metal systems of Nb-magnetic element, i.e., Nb-M (M=Fe, Co or Ni). The glass forming range termed as Nb fraction of Nb-Fe system was about 34at.% to 56at.%, that of Nb-Co system was about 32at.% to 72at.% and that of Nb-Ni about 20at. % to 80at. %. Similar percolation patterns were found in amorphous alloy films. The fractal dimensions of the percolation patterns approach to 2, which indicates 2-D layer growth for amorphous phases. It is regarded that the assisted Ar+ ion beam during the deposition process plays important role for the 2-D layer growth. Some metastable crystalline phases were obtained in these three systems by IBAD, e.g., bcc supersaturated solid solutions in Nb-Fe and Nb-Co systems, fcc and hcp phases in Nb-Co and Nb-Ni systems. The formation and competing between the amorphous and the metastable crystalline phases were determined by both the phases' thermodynamic states in binary metal systems and kinetics during IBAD process.

Tribological Properties of DLC Film Prepared by C^+ Ion Beam-assisted Deposition (IBAD)

C ^＋ ion beam-assisted deposition was utilized to prepare deposit diamond-like carbon （ DLC ） film. With the help of a series of experiments such as Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, AFM and nanoindentation , the DLC film has been recognized as hydrogenated DLC film and its tribologicul properties have been evaluated. The bull-on-disc testing results show that the hardness and the tribologicul properties of the DLC film produced by C^ ＋ ion beam- assisted deposition are improved significantly. DLC film produced by C ^＋ ion beam- assisted deposition is positive to have a prosperous tribologicul application in the near future.

A New hcp Phase Formed in the Ni-Nb System during Ion-beam-assisted Deposition

The Ni80Nb20 films were prepared by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) with various Ar+ ion energies. A phase evolution of fcc→amorphous→Ni+Nb→Ni+hcp was observed with the increasing of ion beam energy from 2 keV to 8 keV. When bombarded by Ar+ ions of 8 keV during deposition, a new crystalline phase with hcp structure was obtained, of which the lattice parameters are a=0.286 nm and c=0.483 nm, different from those of the similar A3B-type hcp phase previously reported. The experimental results were discussed in terms of thermodynamics and restricted kinetic conditions in the far-from-equilibrium process of IBAD. The formation of hep phase may also be related to the valence electron effect.

Cr/CrN Compound Films Prepared by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition for Improving the Performance of Bearing Steel

With the development of industry, much attention has been paid to lengthening the life span of bearings. As reported in this paper, we investigated the Cr/CrN compound films formed on the specimens of W9Cr4V2Mo bearing steel by ion beam assisted deposition for improving the performance of bearing steels. The Vicker＇s microhardness, pin-on-disc, electrochemical measurement, XRD and SEM tests were used to characterize and analyze the treated samples. All results indicated that the mechanical properties of the treated samples were good, with the microhardness greater than that of the uncoated specimen, and the wear resistance, the passivity and pitting corrosion resistance increased considerably, the films possessed alternate Cr and CrN compound phases and produced different effects on the improvement of the performance of W9Cr4V2Mo bearing steels with different composing phases.

PREPARATION OF B-N FILMS BY ION BEAM ASSISTED DEPOSITION

BN films,synthesized by ion beam assisted deposition,were analysed by RBS,AES, IR spectra and TEM.Formatiom of c-BN phase was shown not only by IR spectra at absorption peak of 1100 cm^(-1),but also by electron diffraction pattern.The results of AES demonstrate an effect of N^+ implantation near the film surface.The deposited films consist of three layers,i.e.,ion implantation layer,film layer and mixed intermediatelayer, according to the difference of concentration.The micro-Knoop hardness of the film is 25—35 GPa.

Tuning the Spatially Controlled Growth,Structural Self-Organizing and Cluster-Assembling of the Carbyne-Enriched Nano-Matrix during Ion-Assisted Pulse-Plasma Deposition

Carbyne-enriched nanomaterials are of current interest in nanotechnology-related applications.The properties of these nanomaterials greatly depend on their production process.In particular,structural self-organization and auto-synchronization of nanostructures are typical phenomena observed during the growth and heteroatom-doping of carbyne-enriched nanostructured metamaterials by the ion-assisted pulse-plasma deposition method.Accordingly,fine tuning of these processes may be seen as the key step to the predictive designing of carbyneenriched nano-matrices with improved properties.In particular,we propose an innovative concept,connected with application of the vibrational-acoustic effects and based on universal Cymatics mechanisms.These effects are used to induce vibration-assisted self-organized wave patterns together with the simultaneous manipulation of their properties through an electric field.Interaction between the inhomogeneous electric field distribution generated on the vibrating layer and the plasma ions serves as the additional energizing factor controlling the local pattern formation and self-organization of the nano-structures.

Structural Characterization of Thin Epitaxial GaN Films on Polymer Polyimides Substrates by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition

The Epitaxial GaN thin films have been fabricated by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition (IBAD) process using nitrogen ions with hyperthermal energies on the polyimides polymer substrates. By applying with the Reflection of High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Quantum Design Physical Properties Measurement System, the behaviour of hexagonal GaN thin films is investigated. The result showed that the high quality of the deposited GaN layers kept appearing for many parameters depending on the temperature greatly. The behaviour of high quality of epitaxial GaN coating on the polyimide polymer substrates is a promising material for optoelectronic devices and semiconductor devices application.

The Effects of Annealing and Discharging on the Characteristics of MgO Thin Films Prepared by Ion Beam-Assisted Deposition as a Protective Layer of AC-PDP

This study investigated the effects of annealing and discharging on the characteristics of MgO thin films prepared by ion beam-assisted deposition as a protective layer of AC-PDP. By an annealing process at a temperature of 450 ℃ for more than three hours, the crystallinity of the deposited MgO films was improved, but the surface of the （200）-oriented MgO thin films in the vicinity of the discharge electrodes, especially on the inner sides of the electrodes, was subjected to crack formation to the compressive stress of The failure mechanism of the MgO films plus the additional （200）-oriented MgO films was due compressive stress induced by the differences in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the electrode and the dielectric layer. In the discharging process, all MgO films were eroded unevenly, and the serious erosion occurred near the edges of the discharge electrodes. ATM（atomic force microscopy） images show that the eroded surface of the （200）-oriented MgO thin film is smoother than that of the （111）-oriented fihn. Also, the （200）-oriented MgO thin film shows an improved ability to resist ion erosion compared to the （111）-oriented film.

Morphology Simulation for Ion-Assisted Deposition Process

The molecular dynamics simulation is applied to investigate the influence of the incident ion energy and incident angular distribution upon ion-assisted deposition process. The Cu-Cu and Ar-Cu interactions are modeled using the many body tight-binding potential and the Moliere potential, respectively, and the interface width is used to characterize the surface roughness properties at both transient and final state conditions. The results show that the surface roughness of the deposition film is lower when more Ar-to-Cu ratio is used at the same incident energy and angle. For the relative low or high incident energy, the film morphologies are not sensitive to the incident angle. However, if the incident energy of the argon ions is too high, the film morphology will be worse than that without using the ion-assisted deposition.

Microanalyses of the hydroxyl-poly-calcium sodium phosphate coatings produced by ion beam assisted deposition

Thin calcium phosphate catings on titanium alloy substrates were prepared by Ar^+ ion beam assisted deposition(IBAD) from hydroxyl-poly-calcium sodium phosphate(HPPA) target.The coatings were analyzed by XRD,FTIR,XPS,These analyses revealed that the as-deposited films were amorphous or no apparent crystallinity.No distinct absorption band of the hydroxyl group was observed in FTIR spectra of the coatings but new absorption bands were presented for CO3^-2,The calcium to phosphorous ratio of these catings in different IBAD conditions varied from 0.46 to 3.36.

A Study on Biocompatibility of TiN Thin Film Deposited on 317L Stainless Steel by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition

Titanium nitride ceramic thin films on 317L stainless steel(SS317L) substrate were deposited by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition (IBAD). The composition of the TiN films were investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy(AES), while the preferential orientation of the deposited film and phase composition were determined by X-ray diffraction(XRD). Adhesion was measured through Micro Scratch Tester(MST), and the corrosion resistance was evaluated by the electrochemical corrosion experiments in Hamk’s simulated human plasma. Specially, the biocompatibility of SS317L and TiN thin films were studied with fibroblast and marrow cell cultures in vitro. The results show that TiN thin films deposited on SS317L by means of IBAD can make remarkable changes on the structure and properties of the surface. At 37℃ Hank’s simulated plasma, free corrosion potential (E corr ) and breakthrough potential of pitting corrosion (E b) were both improved by coating TiN films . The culture results show that ion beam assisted TiN coatings exhibit a higher degree of cytocompatibility than that of SS317L and the cells grow better on those proper rough surfaces.

Fabrication of long-length ion beam-assisted deposited MgO templates for YBCO-coated conductors

The biaxially textured ion beam-assisted deposited(IBAD)-MgO templates were successfully prepared on polycrystalline Hastelloy metal substrate with reel-to-reel system for YB2Cu3O7-d(YBCO)-coated conductors.By the solution deposition planarization technique,amorphous Y2O3films were coated on untreated Hastelloy substrate as the bed layer to obtain smooth,dense,and crack-free surface for subsequent IBAD-MgO deposition.The 50 m long IBAD-MgO and homo-epitaxial(epi)-MgO buffer layers deposited on Y2O3films exhibit excellent crystallographic consistency along the scope with full width half maximum(FWHM)values of(110)DU and(200)Dx in the range of 5.5°–6.0°and3.0°–3.5°,respectively.To match the lattice constant of YBCO material,LaMnO3cap layer was fabricated on IBAD-MgO templates by radio frequency(rf)magnetron sputtering with the FWHM values of in-plane and out-ofplane of 6.8°and 3.7°,respectively,indicating excellent biaxial texture.

Effect of bombarding energy on ion beam assisted deposited DLC film on UHMWPE

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene substrates were prepared at CHn+ ion bombarding energies of 200-1000eV at room temperature using ion beam assisted deposition technique. The wear tests exhibited a high wear resistance for all DLC films. X-ray photoelectron spectfoscopy and Raman spectroscopy analysis indicated that DLC film was amorphous with a characteristic high fracdion of sp3 bonds in the structure of mixed sp:2+ sp3 bonding at an optimal bombardingenergy of 600eV.

MoS_x FILMS DEPOSITED ON DIFFERENT MATRIXES BY ION BEAM TECHNIQUE

MoSx (x = 1.79 ￣ 2.34) films of 200 nm thickness are deposited onto brass and C20 steel substrates by the ion beam assisted technique, respectively. Structures and compositions of these films, and changes in valence states of the Mo element are examined by XRD and XPS before and after wear. The lubrication properties and wear resistances for two kinds of samples are evaluated using a pin-on-disk installation in atmosphere at the room temperature. Tribo-wear behaviours and the microstructures between two kinds of samples exhibit obvious differences.

Influence of APS bias voltage on properties of HfO_2 and SiO_2 single layer deposited by plasma ion-assisted deposition

HfO2 and SiO2 single layer is deposited on glass substrate with plasma ion assistance provided by Leybold advanced plasma source （APS）. The deposition is performed with a bias voltage in the range of 70-130 V for HfO2, and 70-170 V for SiO2. Optical, structural, mechanical properties, as well as absorption and laser induced damage threshold at 1064 nm of HfO2 and SiO2 single layer deposited with the plasma ion assistance are systematically investigated. With the increase of APS bias voltage, coatings with higher refractive index, reduced surface roughness, and higher laser-induced damage threshold （LIDT） are obtained, and no significant change of the absorption at 1064 nm is observed. For HfO2, a bias voltage can be identified to achieve coatings without any stress. However, too-high bias voltage can cause the increase of surface roughness and stress, and decrease the LIDT. The bias voltage can be properly identified to achieve coatings with desired properties.

IAD技术在钼酸铅晶体表面镀膜中的应用

讨论了离子束辅助沉积技术在真空沉积过程中的应用原理。通过与常规的热蒸发工艺镀制的膜层相比较 ,证实了离子束辅助沉积技术有助于提高钼酸铅晶体表面红外增透膜的膜层品质及中心波长位置的精确度。

Effect of Substrate Bias on Microstructures of Zirconia Thin Films Deposited by Cathodic Vacuum Arc

Zirconium oxide （Zr02） thin films are deposited at room temperature by cathodic arc at substrate biases of 0 V, -60 V and -120 V, respectively. The crystal structure, composition, morphology, and deposition rate of the as-deposited thin films are systematically investigated by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） as well as scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the crystal structure, morphology and deposition rate of the films all are dependant on substrate bias. With the increase of bias voltage from 0 V to -120 V, the zirconium oxide thin film grown on silicon wafer first exhibits monoclinic lattice and tetragonal lattice, further evolves monoclinic phase with the preferred orientation along the （-111） and （-222） directions at -60 V and finally along nearly one observed preferred （002） direction under -120 V. In addition, the variations of morphology with bias voltage are correlated to changes of the film structure. The results of XPS demonstrate that Zr elements are almost oxidized completely in the films achieved under -120 V bias.

A Review of Ion Beam Assisted Deposition of Thermal Barrier Coatings

Ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) technology has been employed more and more in the fabrication of films and/or coatings,especially in the composite system.In the present work,after the introduction about IBAD,the latest development of IBAD in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is briefly summarized and the future trend is also concluded.