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.

Structural and magnetic properties of micropolycrystalline cobalt thin films fabricated by direct current magnetron sputtering

Pure cobalt(Co)thin films were fabricated by direct current magnetron sputtering,and the effects of sputtering power and pres-sure on the microstructure and electromagnetic properties of the films were investigated.As the sputtering power increases from 15 to 60 W,the Co thin films transition from an amorphous to a polycrystalline state,accompanied by an increase in the intercrystal pore width.Simultaneously,the resistivity decreases from 276 to 99μΩ·cm,coercivity increases from 162 to 293 Oe,and in-plane magnetic aniso-tropy disappears.As the sputtering pressure decreases from 1.6 to 0.2 Pa,grain size significantly increases,resistivity significantly de-creases,and the coercivity significantly increases(from 67 to 280 Oe),which can be attributed to the increase in defect width.Corres-pondingly,a quantitative model for the coercivity of Co thin films was formulated.The polycrystalline films sputtered under pressures of 0.2 and 0.4 Pa exhibit significant in-plane magnetic anisotropy,which is primarily attributable to increased microstress.

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.

Study of bias voltage effect on the performance of ta-C coating prepared by high power impulse magnetron sputtering

The mechanical and frictional properties of ta-C coatings deposited on the substrate surface affect applications in the field of cutting tools and wear-resistant components.In this paper,the effect of bias parameters on the performance of ta-C coatings was investigated based on high power impulse magnetron sputtering(HiPIMS)technology.The results show that bias voltage has a significant effect on the deposition rate,structure,and wear resistance of the coating.In the range of bias voltage−50 V to−200 V,the ta-C coating performance was the best under bias voltage−150 V.The thickness reached 530.4 nm,the hardness value reached 35.996 GPa,and the bonding force in-creased to 14.2 N.The maximum sp3 bond content was 59.53% at this condition.

Facile integration of an Al-rich Al_(1-x)In_(x)N photodetector on free-standing GaN by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering

Al_(1-x)In_(x)N, a Ⅲ-nitride semiconductor material, is currently of great research interest due to its remarkable physical properties and chemical stability. When the Al and In compositions are tuned, its band-gap energy varies from 0.7 eV to 6.2 eV, which shows great potential for application in photodetectors. Here, we report the fabrication and performance evaluation of integrated Al_(1-x)In_(x)N on a free-standing GaN substrate through direct radio-frequency magnetron sputtering.The optical properties of Al_(1-x)In_(x)N will be enhanced by the polarization effect of a heterostructure composed of Al_(1-x)In_(x)N and other Ⅲ-nitride materials. An Al_(1-x)In_(x)N/Ga N visible-light photodetector was prepared by semiconductor fabrication technologies such as lithography and metal deposition. The highest photoresponsivity achieved was 1.52 A·W^(-1)under 365 nm wavelength illumination and the photodetector was determined to have the composition Al0.75In0.25N/GaN.A rise time of 0.55 s was observed after transient analysis of the device. The prepared Al_(1-x)In_(x)N visible-light photodetector had a low dark current, high photoresponsivity and fast response speed. By promoting a low-cost, simple fabrication method,this study expands the application of ternary alloy Al_(1-x)In_(x)N visible-light photodetectors in optical communication.

Influence and determinative factors of ion-to-atom arrival ratio in unbalanced magnetron sputtering systems

Low pressure sputtering with a controlled ratio of ion flux to deposited atom flux at the condensing surface is one of the main directions of development of magnetron sputtering methods. Unbalanced magnetron sputtering, by producing dense secondary plasma around the substrate, provides a high ion current density. The closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering system （CFUBMS） has been established as a versatile technique for high-rate deposition high-quality metal, alloy, and ceramic thin films. The＇key factor in the CFUBMS system is the ability to transport high ion currents to the substrate, which can enhance the formation of full dense coatings at relatively low value homologous temperature. The investigation shows that the energy of ions incidenced at the substrate and the ratio of the flux of these ions to the flux of condensing atoms are the fundamental parameters in determining the structure and properties of films produced by ion-assisted deposition processes. Increasing ion bombardment during deposition combined with increasing mobility of the condensing atoms favors the formation of a dense microstructure and a smooth surface.

Synthesis of One-Dimensional ZnO Na norods by Oxidating Zinc Films Deposited with Magnetron Sputtering

One-dimensional ZnO nanorods are synthesized by ox idating thin metal zinc films deposited on Si(111) substrates with radio frequen cy magnetron sputtering.The crystal structure,surface morphology,and optical pro perties of nanorods are investigated.X-ray diffraction(XRD) pattern,scanning el ectron microscopy(SEM),and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) analyses show t hat the synthesized single-crystal ZnO nanorods develop like hairpins along dif ferent radials,with a hexagonal wurtzite structure.The diameters of nanorods ran ge between 30 and 60nm and lengths up to micrometers.Photoluminescence(PL) analy sis shows that,under 280nm light excitation,a strong and sharp near band-edge U V light emission band at 372nm and a relatively weak green deep-level light emi ssion band at 516nm are observed from the ZnO nanorods,which indicates excellent crystallization and optical quality of the fabricated ZnO nanorods.

Structural and optoelectronic properties of AZO thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature

Al-doped ZnO thin films were prepared on glass substrate using an ultra-high density target by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The microstructure, surface morphology, optical and electrical properties of AZO thin films were investigated by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, UV-visible spectrophotometer, four-point probe method, and Hall-effect measurement system. The results showed that all the films obtained were polycrystalline with a hexagonal structure and average optical transmittance of AZO thin films was over 85 % at different sputtering powers. The sputtering power had a great effect on optoelectronic properties of the AZO thin films, especially on the resistivity. The lowest resistivity of 4.5×10^-4 Ω·cm combined with the transmittance of 87.1% was obtained at sputtering power of 200 W. The optical band gap varied between 3.48 and 3.68 eV.

Properties of W/DLC/W-S-C composite films fabricated by magnetron sputtering

A kind of W/DLC/W-S-C composite film was fabricated by magnetron sputtering method.Effects of WSx content on the structure and the adhesion of the composite films were investigated.In addition,tribological behavior of the composite films was studied in the conditions of the ambient air and N2 gas atmosphere by ball-on-disk tester.The results indicate that the composite films show dense and amorphous microstructure.The WCx and WSx compounds are found in amorphous diamond like carbon matrix in the top layers of W-S-C.A proper WSx content is beneficial for improving the adhesion of the composite films.In air atmosphere,the composite films with high C content have better wear resistance and the friction coefficients range from 0.15 to 0.25.In N2 condition,high WSx content is benefit for the wear resistance and the friction coefficients of the composite films range from 0.03 to 0.1.

Effect of bias voltage on compositional, mechanical and corrosion property of ZrNbAlN multilayer films by unbalanced magnetron sputtering

Nano-scaled ZrNbAlN films with different negative bias voltages（Vb） were deposited on bronze substrate and Si（100） wafers by a reactive unbalanced magnetron sputtering technique. Composition and structure properties were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. It is found that mole concentrations of Zr and Nb are affected by Vb, which leads to the increase of binding energy of N 1s and Al 2p and decrease of binding energy of Zr 3d5/2 and Nb 3d5/2. Surface morphologies evolution controlled by Vb could be observed. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that these films show a（111） preferred orientation. Moreover, mechanical property and corrosion behavior of ZrNbAlN films were characterized by nanoindentation test and corrosion test, respectively. A maximum value of 21.85 GPa at-70 V occurs in the ZrNbAlN- bronze system, which outperforms uncoated bronze. Corrosion experiments in 0.5 mol/L NaCl and 0.5 mol/L HCl solution show that corrosion potential and corrosion current are dependent on Vb, and better anti-corrosion property could be obtained at-90 V.

Recent Developments in Magnetron Sputtering

The principle of magnetron sputtering is introduced andthe balanced and unbalanced magnetrons are compared andthe necessity of unbalanced magnetrons is explained as well. Several recent developments in plasma magnetron sputtering, i.e., unbalanced magnetron sputtering, pulsed magnetron sputtering and ion assisted sputtering, are discussed. The recent developments of unbalanced magnetron systems and their incorporation with ion sources result in an understanding in growingimportance of the magnetron sputtering technology, which makes the technology an applicable deposition process for a variety of important films, such as wear-resistant films and decorative films.

Influences of working pressure on properties for TiO_2 films deposited by DC pulse magnetron sputtering

TiO2 films were deposited at room temperature by DC pulse magnetron sputtering system.The crystalline structures,morphological features and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 films were systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction（XRD）,atomic force microscopy（AFM） and ultraviolet spectrophotometer,respectively.The results indicated that working pressure was the key deposition parameter in？uencing the TiO2 film phase composition at room temperature,which directly affected its photocatalytic activity.With increasing working pressure,the target self-bias decreases monotonously.Therefore,low temperature TiO2 phase（anatase） could be deposited with high working pressure.The anatase TiO2 films deposited with 1.4 Pa working pressure displayed the highest photocatalytic activity by the decomposition of Methyl Orange solution,which the degradation rate reached the maximum（35%） after irradiation by ultraviolet light for 1 h.

Corrosion and wear resistance of AZ31 Mg alloy treated by duplex process of magnetron sputtering and plasma electrolytic oxidation

In order to improve the wear and corrosion resistance of AZ31 magnesium alloy,a magnetron-sputtered Al layer with a thickness of 11μm was firstly applied on the alloy,and then treated by plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)in an aluminate and silicate electrolytes,respectively.The performance of PEO coatings was investigated by dry sliding wear and electrochemical corrosion tests.The aluminate coating exhibits excellent wear resistance under both 10 and 20 N loads.The silicate coating only shows low wear rate under 10 N,but it was destroyed under 20 N.Corrosion tests show that the Al layer after magnetron sputtering treatment alone cannot afford good protection to the Mg substrate.However,the duplex layer of PEO/Al can significantly improve the corrosion resistance of AZ31 alloy.Electrochemical tests show that the aluminate and silicate coatings have corrosion current densities of-1.6×10^(-6) and-1.1×10^(-6) A/cm^(2),respectively,which are two orders lower than that of the un-coated AZ31 alloy.However,immersion tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS)show that the aluminate coating exhibits better long-term corrosion protection than silicate coating.

Effects of substrate temperature and deposition time on the morphology and corrosion resistance of FeCoCrNiMo0.3 high-entropy alloy coating fabricated by magnetron sputtering

The effects of substrate temperature and deposition time on the morphology and corrosion resistance of FeCoCrNiMo0.3 coating fabricated by magnetron sputtering were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical tests.The FeCoCrNiMo0.3 coating was mainly composed of the face-centered cubic phase.High substrate temperature promoted the densification of the coating,and the pitting resistance and protective ability of the coating in 3.5wt%NaCl solution was thus improved.When the deposition time was prolonged at 500℃,the thickness of the coating remarkably increased.Meanwhile,the pitting resistance improved as the deposition time increased from 1 to 3 h;however,further improvement could not be obtained for the coating sputtered for 5 h.Overall,the pitting resistance of the FeCoCrNiMo0.3 coating sputtered at 500℃for 3 h exceeds those of most of the reported high-entropy alloy coatings.

Lithium intercalation/de-intercalation behavior of a composite Sn/C thin film fabricated by magnetron sputtering

A tin film of 320 nm in thickness on Cu foil and its composite film with graphite of-50 nm in thickness on it were fabricated by magnetron sputtering. The surface morphology, composition, surface distributions of alloy elements, and lithium intercalation/de-intercalation behaviors of the fabricated films were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, electron probe microanalyzer （EPMA）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry （ICP）, cyclic voltammetry （CV）, and galvanostatic charge/discharge （GC） measurements. It is found that the lithium intercalation/de-intercalation behavior of the Sn film can be significantly improved by its composite with graphite. With cycling, the discharge capacity of the Sn film without composite changes from 570 mAh/g of the 2nd cycle to 270 mAh/g of the 20th cycle, and its efficiency for the discharge and charge is between 90% and 95%. Nevertheless, the discharge capacity of the composite Sn/C film changes from 575 mAh/g of the 2nd cycle to 515 mAh/g of the 20th cycle, and its efficiency for the discharge and charge is between 95% and 100%. The performance improvement of tin by its composite with graphite is ascribed to the retardation of the bulk tin cracking from volume change during lithium intercalation and de-intercalation, which leads to the pulverization of tin.

Influence of oxygen gas content on the structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature

Zinc oxide （ZnO） thin films were deposited on sapphire （0001） substrates at room temperature by radiofrequency （RF） magnetron sputtering at oxygen gas contents of 0%, 25%, 50% and 75%, respectively. The influence of oxygen gas content on the structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films was studied by a surface profile measuring system, X-ray diffraction analysis, atomic force microscopy, and UV spectro- photometry. It is found that the size of ZnO crystalline grains increases first and then decreases with the increase of oxygen gas content, and the maximum grain size locates at the 25% oxygen gas content. The crystalline quality and average optical transmittance （〉90%） in the visi- ble-light region of the ZnO film prepared at an oxygen gas content of 25% are better than those of ZnO films at the other contents. The obtained results can be attributed to the resputtefing by energetic oxygen anions in the growing process.

Properties of TiO_2 Thin Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering

With rapid progressive application of TiO2 thin films, magnetron sputtering becomes a very interesting method to prepare such multi-functional thin films. This paper focuses on influences of various deposition processes and deposition rate on the structures and properties of TiO2 thin films. Anatase, rutile or amorphous TiO2 films with various crystalline structures and different photocatalytic, optical and electrical properties can be produced by varying sputtering gases, substrate temperature, annealing process, deposition rate and the characteristics of magnetron sputtering. This may in turn affect the functions of TiO2 films in many applications. Furthermore, TiO2-based composites films can overcome many limitations and improve the properties of TiO2 films.

Effect of frequency and pulse-on time of high power impulse magnetron sputtering on deposition rate and morphology of titanium nitride using response surface methodology

Titanium nitride thin films were deposited on silicon by high power impulse magnetron sputtering(HiPIMS)method at different frequencies(162-637 Hz)and pulse-on time(60-322μs).Response surface methodology(RSM)was employed to study the simultaneous effect of frequency and pulse-on time on the current waveforms and the crystallographic orientation,microstructure,and in particular,the deposition rate of titanium nitride at constant time and average power equal to 250 W.The crystallographic structure and morphology of deposited films were analyzed using XRD and FESEM,respectively.It is found that the deposition rate of HiPIMS samples is tremendously dependent on pulse-on time and frequency of pulses where the deposition rate changes from 4.5 to 14.5 nm/min.The regression equations and analyses of variance(ANOVA)reveal that the maximum deposition rate(equal to(17±0.8)nm/min)occurs when the frequency is 537 Hz and pulse-on time is 212μs.The experimental measurement of the deposition rate under this condition gives rise to the deposition rate of 16.7 nm/min that is in good agreement with the predicted value.

Influence of oxygen partial pressure on properties of N-doped ZnO films deposited by magnetron sputtering

N-doped ZnO films were radio frequency(RF)sputtered on glass substrates and studied as a function of oxygen partial pressure(OPP)ranging from 3.0×10-4 to 9.5×10-3 Pa.X-ray diffraction patters confirmed the polycrystalline nature of the deposited films.The crystalline structure is influenced by the variation of OPP.Atomic force microscopy analysis confirmed the agglomeration of the neighboring spherical grains with a sharp increase of root mean square(RMS)roughness when the OPP is increased above 1.4×10-3 Pa.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed that the incorporation of N content into the film is decreased with the increase of OPP,noticeably N 1s XPS peaks are hardly identified at 9.5×10-3 Pa.The average visible transmittance(380-700 nm) is increased with the increase of OPP(from～17%to 70%),and the optical absorption edge shifts towards the shorter wavelength.The films deposited with low OPP(≤3.0×10-4 Pa)show n-type conductivity and those deposited with high OPP(≥9.0×10-4 Pa)are highly resistive(>105Ω·cm)

Magnetron sputtering deposition of [FePt/Ag]_n multilayers for perpendicular recording

[FePt/Ag]n multilayers were deposited on glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering and ex situ annealed at 550℃ for 30 min. The effects of inserted Ag layer thickness and the number of bilayer repetitions （n） on the structure and magnetic properties of the multilayers were investigated. It was found that the difference between in-plane and out-of-plane coercivities varied with an increase of inserted Ag layer thickness in the [FePt 2 nm/Ag x nm]10 multilayers. The ratio of out-of-plane coercivity to in-plane coercivity reached the maximum value with the Ag layer thickness of 5 nm, indicating that the Ag layer thickness plays an important role in obtaining perpendicular orientation. For the [FePt 2 nm/Ag 5 um]n multilayers, perpendicular orientation is also influenced by n. The maximum value of the ratio of out-of-plane coercivity to in-plane coercivity appeared when n was given as 8. It was found that the [FePt 2 nm/Ag 5 nm]8 had a high perpendicular coercivity of 520 kA/m and a low in-plane one of 88 kA/m, which shows a strong perpendicular anisotropy.