Exploring negative ion behaviors and their influence on properties of DC magnetron sputtered ITO films under varied power and pressure conditions

We deposited indium-tin-oxide(ITO)films on silicon and quartz substrates by magnetron sputtering technology in pure argon.Using electrostatic quadrupole plasma diagnostic technology,we investigate the effects of discharge power and discharge pressure on the ion flux and energy distribution function of incidence on the substrate surface,with special attention to the production of high-energy negative oxygen ions,and elucidate the mechanism behind its production.At the same time,the structure and properties of ITO films are systematically characterized to understand the potential effects of high energy oxygen ions on the growth of ITO films.Combining with the kinetic property analysis of sputtering damage mechanism of transparent conductive oxide(TCO)thin films,this study provides valuable physical understanding of optimization of TCO thin film deposition process.

Effect of Zn and Ti mole ratio on microstructure and photocatalytic properties of magnetron sputtered TiO_2-ZnO heterogeneous composite film

Series of TiO 2-ZnO heterojunction composite films with different n（Zn）/n（Ti） ratios were prepared by UDP450 magnetron sputter ion plating equipment, and the mole ratio of Zn to Ti was controlled by adjusting the current values of sputtering target. The effects of n（Zn）/n（Ti） on the microstructures of TiO2-ZnO films were investigated by SEM, AFM, Raman and XPS, and their photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange solutions was evaluated. The results show that an increase in n（Zn）/n（Ti） typically results in a decrease in the grain size of composite films firstly and then an increase of grain size, while an increase in n（Zn）/n（Ti） leads to an increase in film roughness firstly and then a decrease in film roughness. Both grain size and roughness of TiO2-ZnO films reach the maximum and minimum at n（Zn）/n（Ti） of 1/9.3, respectively. The n（Zn）/n（Ti） shows little effect on the valences of Zn and Ti elements, which mainly exist in the form of TiO2 and ZnO phases. The n（Zn）/n（Ti） has influence on the amount of anatase/rutile TiO2 heterojunction in the film. With increase of the n（Zn）/n（Ti）, the absorption intensity of the composite film increases and the absorption region extends to 450 nm, which is redshifted as much as 150 nm in comparison with the pure TiO2 films. However, the photocatalytic abilities of heterogeneous composite films do not depend on the n（Zn）/n（Ti） but rather on the microstructures of the TiO2-ZnO composite films. Degradation rate of the film reaches the maximum and the photocatalytic decomposition of pollutants works best when n（Zn）/n（Ti）=1：9.3.

Properties of Reactive Magnetron Sputtered ITO Films without in-situ Substrate Heating and Post-deposition Annealing

Indium tin oxide (ITO) films were prepared on polyester, Si and glass substrate with relatively high deposition rate of above 0.9 nm/s by DC reactive magnetron sputtering technique at the sputtering pressure of 0.06 Pa system, respectively. The dependence of resistivity on deposition parameters, such as deposition rate, target-to-substrate distance (TSD), oxygen flow rate and sputtering time (thickness), has been investigated, together with the structural and the optical properties. It was revealed that all ITO films exhibited lattice expansion. The resistivity of ITO thin films shows significant substrate effect: much lower resistivity and broader process window have been reproducibly achieved for the deposition of ITO films onto polyester rather than those prepared on both Si and glass substrates. The films with resistivity of as low as 4.23 x 10^-4 Ω.cm and average transmittance of ～78% at wavelength of 400～700 nm have been achieved for the films on polyester at room temperature.

Thickness dependence of grain size and surface roughness for dc magnetron sputtered Au films

The grain size and surface morphology of sputtered Au films are studied by x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscope. For as-deposited samples the grain growth mechanism is consistent with the two-dimensional （2D） theory, which gives relatively low diffusion coefficient during deposition. Annealing process demonstrates the secondary grain growth mechanism in which the thickness dependence of grain boundary energy plays a key role. The surface roughness increases with the increase of grain size.

Fabrication of GaN films through reactive reconstruction of magnetron sputtered ZnO/Ga_2O_3

A simple and easily operated technique was developed to fabricate GaN films. GaN films possessing hexagonal wurtzite structure were fabricated on Si(111) substrates with ZnO buffer layers through nitriding Ga2O3 films in the tube quartz furnace. ZnO buffer layers and Ga3O3 films were deposited on Si substrates in turn by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering system before the nitriding process. The structure and composition of GaN films were studied by X-ray diffraction, selected area electron diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer. The morphologies of GaN films were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The results show that ZnO buffer layer improves the crystalline quality and the surface morphology of the films relative to the films grown directly on silicon substrates. The measurement result of room-temperature photoluminescence spectrum indicates that the photoluminescence peaks locate at 365 nm and 422 nm.

Radio-frequency magnetron sputtered thin-film La_(0.5)Sr_(0.5)Co_(0.95)Nb_(0.05)O_(3-δ) perovskite electrodes for intermediate temperature symmetric solid oxide fuel cell(IT-SSOFC)

The present work explores the application of La_(0.5)Sr_(0.5)Co_(0.95)Nb_(0.05)O_(3-δ)(LSCNO)perovskite as electrode material for the symmetric solid oxide fuel cell.Symmetric solid oxide fuel cells of thin-film LSCNO electrodes were prepared to study the oxygen reduction reaction at intermediate temperature.The Rietveld refinement of syn-thesized material shows a hexagonal structure with the R-3c space group of the prepared perovskite material.Lattice parameter and fractional coordinates were utilized to calculate the oxygen ion diffusion coefficient for molecular dynamic simulation.At 973 K,the oxygen ion diffusion of LSCNO was 1.407×10^(-8)cm^(2)s^(-1) higher by order of one magnitude than that of the La_(0.5)Sr_(0.5)Co_(0.95)Nb_(0.05)O_(3-δ)(7.751×10^(-9)cm^(2)^(-1)).The results suggest that the Nb doping provide the structural stability which improves oxygen anion diffusion.The enhanced structural stability was analysed by the thermal expansion coefficient calculated experimentally and from molecular dynamics simulations.Furthermore,the density functional theory calculation revealed the role of Nb dopant for oxygen vacancy formation energy at Sr-0 and La-O planes is lower than the undoped structure.To understand the rate-limiting process for sluggish oxygen diffusion kinetics,80 nm and 40 nm thin films were fabricated using radio frequency magnetron sputtering on gadolinium doped ceria electrolyte substrate.The impedance was observed to increase with an increasing thickness,suggesting the bulk diffusion as a rate-limiting step for oxygen ion diffu-sion.The electrochemical performance was analysed for the thin-flm symmetric solid oxide fuel cell,which achieved a peak power density of 390 mW cm^(-2) at 1.02 V in the presence of H_(2) fuel on the anode side and air on the cathode side.

Effect of Sm-doping on the morphology and magnetic properties of radio frequency magnetron sputtered Ni-Mn-Ga films

Ni55.5Mn21Ga23.5 and Ni54Mn22Ga23Sml films were prepared by radio frequency （RF） magnetron sputtering. The effect of Sm do- pant on the morphologic and magnetic properties of Ni55.5Mn21Ga23.5 films was investigated. Sm doping can refine the particle size of the films from 100 to 60 nm, and further grain growth is not occurs even after annealing at 1073 K for 3.6 ks. Compared to Ni55.5Mn21Ga23.5 films, Sm-doped Ni54Mn22Ga23Sml films are easier to be magnetized and have a lower martensitic transformation temperature. In addition, the Curie temperature can also be adjusted, decreasing from 350 to 325 K after Sm doping. Martensitic transformation is not observed in the Sm-free films, which is close to the Curie temperature in the Sm-doped films, giving rise to the overlap of the structural and magnetic transi- tion temperatures.

Microstructure and Optical Characterization of Magnetron Sputtered NbN Thin Films

Some fundamental studies on the preparation, structure and optical properties of NbN films were carried out. NbN thin films were deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering at different N2 partial pressures and different substrate temperatures ranging from -50℃ to 600℃. X-ray diffraction analysis （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） were employed to characterize their phase components, microstructures, grain sizes and surface morphology. Optical properties inclusive of refractive indexes, extinction coefficients and transmittance of the NbN films under different sputtering conditions were measured. With the increase in the N2 partial pressure, 6-NbN phase structure gets forming and the grain size and lattice constant of the cubic NbN increasing. The deposited NbN film has relatively high values of refractive index and extinction coefficient in the wavelength ranging from 240 nm to 830 nm. Substrate temperature exerts notable influences on the microstructure and optical transmittance of the NbN films. The grain sizes of the 6-NbN film remarkably increase with the rise of the substrate temperature, while the transmittance of the films with the same thickness decreases. Ultra-fine granular film with particle size of several nanometers forms when the substrate is cooled to -50℃, and a remarkable augmentation of transmittance could be noticed under so low a temperature.

Investigation on Defects in High-rate Magnetron Sputtered CoCr Coatings

Coatings obtained with magnetron sputtering exhibit a columnay structure. There are nodular defects distributed in the coatings, which are fomed by radial growth of columnay grains in groups. The fomation of them does not necessarily depend on surface asperities of substrate. The columnar grain boundaries are enriched in oxygen, which causes microporosity in the intercolumnar regions.

Effect of substrate temperature and oxygen plasma treatment on the properties of magnetron-sputtered CdS for solar cell applications

Cadmium sulfide(CdS)is an n-type semiconductor with excellent electrical conductivity that is widely used as an electron transport material(ETM)in solar cells.At present,numerous methods for preparing CdS thin films have emerged,among which magnetron sputtering(MS)is one of the most commonly used vacuum techniques.For this type of technique,the substrate temperature is one of the key deposition parameters that affects the interfacial properties between the target film and substrate,determining the specific growth habits of the films.Herein,the effect of substrate temperature on the microstructure and electrical properties of magnetron-sputtered CdS(MS-CdS)films was studied and applied for the first time in hydrothermally deposited antimony selenosulfide(Sb_(2)(S,Se)_(3))solar cells.Adjusting the substrate temperature not only results in the design of the flat and dense film with enhanced crystallinity but also leads to the formation of an energy level arrangement with a Sb_(2)(S,Se)_(3)layer that is more favorable for electron transfer.In addition,we developed an oxygen plasma treatment for CdS,reducing the parasitic absorption of the device and resulting in an increase in the short-circuit current density of the solar cell.This study demonstrates the feasibility of MS-CdS in the fabrication of hydrothermal Sb_(2)(S,Se)_(3)solar cells and provides interface optimization strategies to improve device performance.

Flexible mica films coated by magnetron sputtered insulating layers for high-temperature capacitive energy storage

High-temperature energy storage performance of dielectric capacitors is cru-cial for the next generation of power electronic devices.However,conduction losses rise sharply at elevated temperature,limiting the application of energy storage capacitors.Here,the mica films magnetron sputtered by different insulating layers are specifically investigated,which exhibit the excellent high-temperature energy storage performance.The experimental results revealed that the PbZrO3/Al2O3/PbZrO3(PZO/AO/PZO)interface insulating layers can effec-tively reduce the high-temperature leakage current and conduction loss of the composite films.Consequently,the ultrahigh energy storage density(Wrec)and charge‒discharge efficiency(η)can be achieved simultaneously in the flexi-ble mica-based composite films.Especially,PZO/AO/PZO/mica/PZO/AO/PZO(PAPMPAP)films possess excellent Wrec of 27.5 J/cm3 andηof 87.8%at 200◦C,which are significantly better than currently reported high-temperature capaci-tive energy storage dielectric materials.Together with outstanding power density and electrical cycling stability,the flexible films in this work have great appli-cation potential in high-temperature energy storage capacitors.Moreover,the magnetron sputtering technology can deposit large-area nanoscale insulating layers on the surface of capacitor films,which can provide technical support for the industrial production of capacitors.

Mechanical,Microstructural and Tribological Properties of Reactive Magnetron Sputtered Cr-Mo-N Films

The Cr-Mo-N films were deposited on high speed steel（HSS） substrates by a DC reactive magnetron sputtering equipment coupled with two horizontal magnetron sources.The effects of substrate negative bias voltage（Vb）,substrate temperature（Ts） and gas flow ratio（R= N2/（N2+ Ar）） on the microstructure,morphology,as well as the mechanical and tribological properties of the Cr-Mo-N films were investigated by virtue of X-ray diffraction（XRD） analysis,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）,field emission scanning electron microscopy（FESEM）,atomic force microscopy（AFM）,nano-indentation test,ball-on-disk tribometer,and Rockwell indenter et al.With increasing Vbto-100 V,the preferred orientation of the films changed from（111） to（200） and their mechanical and tribological properties were improved gradually,too.It was also found that Tsgave a significant effect on mechanical property enhancement.When the Tsreached 300 ℃,the film obtained the highest hardness and effective elastic modulus of approximately 30.1 and 420.5 GPa,respectively and its critical load increased to about 54 N.With increasing R,the phase transformation from body-centered-cubic（bcc） Cr and hexagonal CrMoNxmultiphase to single face-centered-cubic（fcc） solid solution phase was observed.The correlations between values of hardness（H）,effective elastic modulus（E*）,HIE*,H3/E*2,elastic recovery（1/14） and tribological properties of the films were also investigated.The results showed that the elastic recovery played an important role in the tribological behavior.

Influence of Nitrogen Flow Ratio on the Microstructure, Composition, and Mechanical Properties of DC Magnetron Sputtered Zr-B-O-N Films

Nanocrystalline ZrB2 film and nanocomposite Zr-B-O-N films were prepared by non-reactive as well as re- active magnetron sputtering techniques, respectively. By means of X-ray diffraction analysis, electron probe microanalysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, the influence of nitrogen flow ratio on the film microstructure and characteristics were investigated systematically, including the depo- sition rate, chemical compositions, phase constituents, grain size, chemical bonding, as well as cross-sectional morphologies. Meanwhile, the hardness and adhesion of above films were also evaluated by micro-indentation method and a scratch tester. With increasing the nitrogen flow ratio, the deposition rate of above films de- creased approximately linearly, whereas the contents of N and O in the films increased gradually and tended to saturation. Moreover, the film microstructure was also altered gradually from a fine columnar microstructure to a featureless glass-structure. As the nitrogen flow ratio was 11.7%, the Zr-B-O-N film possessed an typical nanocomposite structure and presented good mechanical properties. During the process of reactive sputtering of metal borides, the introduction of nitrogen can show a pronounced suppression of columnar grain growth and strong nanocomposite structure forming ability.

Optical and Microstructural Characterisations of Pulsed rf Magnetron Sputtered Alumina Thin Film

Alumina thin films were deposited on fused quartz and SS304 substrate by pulsed rf magnetron sputtering with both direct and reactive methods. The films were characterised by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy to reveal the microstructure, surface morphology and topography of thin films. Transmittance and reflectance of alumina thin film were evaluated after deposition on the quartz substrate. Transmittance of the quartz remains almost un-altered when alumina was deposited by the reactive sputtering. A marginal decrease of ~4% in the transmittance of quartz was, however, observed after deposition of alumina by direct sputtering. Infrared emittance of the substrate also remains almost constant after deposition of thin alumina film. Further, as-deposited alumina on SS304 obtained by both direct and reactive sputtering process was amorphous in nature. However, after annealing crystalline peaks were observed.

Electrocatalytic degradation of pesticide micropollutants in water by high energy pulse magnetron sputtered Pt/Ti anode

The increasing occurrence of pesticide micropollutants highlights the need for innovative water treatment technologies,particularly for small-community and household applications.Electro-oxidation is being widely studied in this area,unfortunately,safe,stable and efficient electrocatalytic anodes without released heavy metal ions are still highly required.In this study,we fabricated a Pt/Ti anode by high energy pulse magnetron sputtering(HiPIMS-PtTi)which was used to decompose dichlorvos(DDVP)and azoxystrobin(AZX)in water.The results show that the reaction rate constant(kENR)on HIPIMS was 35.7 min-1(DDVP)and 41.3 min-1(AZX),respectively,superior to electroplating Pt/Ti anode(EP-PtTi).The identification of radicals(^(·)OH,^(1)O_(2),^(·)O_(2)-)and micro-area analyses evidenced that Pt atoms were embedded into the TiO_(2) lattice on the surface of Ti plate by high-energy ions,which resulted in more adsorbed hydroxyls,and higher production of·OH under polarization conditions.Besides,the electro-oxidation intermediates of DDVP and AZX were identified and the degradation pathways were speculated:(1)indirect oxidation dominated by·OH attack,and(2)direct electron transfer reaction of pesticides on the anode surface.The cooperated reactions achieve the complete degradation and highly efficient mineralization of DDVP and AZX.

Surface Metallization of Glass Fiber(GF)/Polyetheretherketone(PEEK) Composite with Cu Coatings Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering and Electroplating

Surface metallization of glass fiber(GF)/polyetheretherketone(PEEK)[GF/PEEK] is conducted by coating copper using electroplating and magnetron sputtering and the properties are determined by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD).The coating bonding strength is assessed by pull-out tests and scribing in accordance with GB/T 9286-1998.The results show that the Cu coating with a thickness of 30 μm deposited on GF/PEEK by magnetron sputtering has lower roughness, finer grain size, higher crystallinity, as well as better macroscopic compressive stress,bonding strength, and electrical conductivity than the Cu coating deposited by electroplating.

Oxidation Mechanism of Ni-0.5Y Microcrystal Coating Sputtered by Magnetron at 1 000 ℃

The isothermal and cyclic oxidation behaviors of bulk pure nickel and its Ni-0.5Ymicrocrystal coating sputtered by magnetron at 1 000 ℃in air were studied.The scanning electronic microscopy(SEM)and transmission electronic microscopy(TEM)were used to examine the structures of the coating and the NiO oxide films.The laser Raman spectrum was also used to measure the stress level in NiO films formed on bulk nickel and the coating.It is found that the Ni-0.5Y microcrystal coating has lower oxidation rate,and the grain size of NiO formed on Ni-0.5Ycoating is also relatively smaller than that formed on bulk nickel.Meanwhile,the compressive stress level of oxide film formed on Ni-0.5Ycoating was lower than that formed on bulk nickel,and the high temperature plasticity of oxide film was much improved in coating case.The improvements of anti-oxidation properties of the sputtered Ni-0.5Ycoating are due to the microcrystal structure and yttrium.

High Permeability in Broadband of Co-sputtered [Fe-Fe_(20)Ni_(80)/Cr]_(n) Multilayer Films

To achieve high microwave permeability in wide-band for the micron-thick magnetic films,[Fe-Fe_(20)Ni_(80)/Cr]_(n) multilayer structure was proposed by co-sputtering Fe and FeNi to form the magnetic layers and Cr to form the interlayers.The multilayer structure contributes to the high permeability by reducing the coercivity and diminishing out-of-plane magnetization.The maximum imaginary permeability of[Fe-Fe_(20)Ni_(80)/Cr]_(n) multilayer film reaches a large value of 800 at 0.52 GHz even though its overall thickness exceeds 1μm.Besides,the magnetic resonance frequency of the multilayer film can be modulated from 0.52 to 1.35 GHz by adjusting the sputtering power of Fe from 0 to 86 W,and its bandwidth for μ’’>200(Δf) is as large as 2.0 GHz.The desirable broad Δf of magnetic permeability,which can be well fitted by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equations,is due to dual magnetic resonances originated from double magnetic phases of Fe and FeNi that are of different saturation magnetization.The micron-thick multilayer films with high permeability in extended waveband are promising candidate for electromagnetic noise suppression application.

ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY OBSERVATION OF MAGNETRON SPUTTERED ALUMINUM－SILICON ALLOY FILMS

wo different surface morphology characteristics of magnetron sputtered aluminumsilicon(Al-Si)alloy films deposited at 0 and 200℃ were observed by atomic force microscopy(AFM).One is irregularly shaped grains put togther on a plane.The other is irregularly shaped grains Piled up in space. Nanometer-sized particles with heights from 1.6 to 2.9 nm were first observed. On the basis of these observations the growth mechanism of magnetron sputtered films is discussed.

Effects of power on ion behaviors in radio-frequency magnetron sputtering of indium tin oxide(ITO)

This study delves into ion behavior at the substrate position within RF magnetron discharges utilizing an indium tin oxide(ITO)target.The positive ion energies exhibit an upward trajectory with increasing RF power,attributed to heightened plasma potential and initial emergent energy.Simultaneously,the positive ion flux escalates owing to amplified sputtering rates and electron density.Conversely,negative ions exhibit broad ion energy distribution functions(IEDFs)characterized by multiple peaks.These patterns are clarified by a combination of radiofrequency oscillation of cathode voltage and plasma potential,alongside ion transport time.This elucidation finds validation in a one-dimensional model encompassing the initial ion energy.At higher RF power,negative ions surpassing 100 e V escalate in both flux and energy,posing a potential risk of sputtering damages to ITO layers.