Deposition of diamond like carbon films by using a single ion gun with varying beam source

Diamond like carbon films have been successfully deposited on the steel substrate, by using a single ion gun with varying beam source. The films may appear blue, yellow and transparent in color, which was found related to contaminants from the sample holder and could be avoided. The thickness of the films ranges from tens up to 200 nanometers, and the hardness is in the range 20 to 30 GPa. Raman analytical results reveal the films are in amorphous structure. The effects of different beam source on the films structure are further discussed.

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.

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.

Density behaviors of Ge nanodots self-assembled by ion beam sputtering deposition

Self-assembled Ge nanodots with areal number density up to 2.33× 1010 cm-2 and aspect ratio larger than 0.12 are prepared by ion beam sputtering deposition. The dot density, a function of deposition rate and Ge coverage, is observed to be limited mainly by the transformation from two-dimensional precursors to three-dimensional islands, and to be associated with the adatom behaviors of attachment and detachment from the islands. An unusual increasing temperature dependence of nanodot density is also revealed when a high ion energy is employed in sputtering deposition, and is shown to be related to the breaking down of the superstrained wetting layer. This result is attributed to the interaction between energetic atoms and the growth surface, which mediates the island nucleation.

Li–N dual-doped ZnO thin films prepared by an ion beam enhanced deposition method

Li-N dual-doped ZnO films [ZnO：（Li,N）] with Li doping concentrations of 3 at.%-5 at.% were grown on a glass substrate using an ion beam enhanced deposition （IBED） method. An optimal p-type ZnO：（Li,N） film with the resistivity of 11.4 Ω·cm was obtained by doping 4 at.% of Li and 5 sccm flow ratio of N2. The ZnO：（Li,N） films-exhibited a wurtzite structure and good transmittance in the visible region. The p-type conductive mechanism of ZnO：（Li,N） films are attributed to the Li substitute Zn site （Lizn） acceptor. N doping in ZnO can forms the Lii-No complex, which depresses the compensation of Li occupy interstitial site （Lii） donors for Lizn acceptor and helps to achieve p-type ZnO：（Li,N） films. Room temperature photoluminescence measurements indicate that the UV peak （381 nm） is due to the shallow acceptors Lizn in the p-type ZnO：（Li,N） films. The band gap of the ZnO：（Li,N） films has a red-shift after p-type doping.

PREPARATION OF TiN FILMS BY N_2 ASSISTED Xe^+ ION BEAM ENHANCED DEPOSITION AND THEIR MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

A new method for preparation of hard TiN films has been developed by using electron beam evaporation-deposition of Ti and bombardment with 40 keV Xe^+ ion beam in a N_2 gas environment.The synthesized TiN films were superior to PVD and CVD ones in respects of improved adhesion to substrate and low preparing temperature.They exhibited good wear resistance and high hardness up to 2200 kg/mm^2.Some industrial applications have been reported.

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.

Study on Blood Compatibility of Carbon-Nitride Film Synthesized by Ion Beam Enhanced Deposition

In this paper, blood compatibility of carbonnitride film synthesized by ion beam enhanced deposition is studied. Clotting time measurement, platelet adhesion test and surface energy determination were performed to evaluate the interaction between blood and material. The results show that carbonnitride film has better blood compatibility than titanium, and may be promising in biomaterial filed.

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.

SYNTHESIS OF TiN FILM WITH ION BEAM ENHANCED DEPOSITION AND ITS PROPERTIES

The TiN films were synthesized with an alternate process of depositing titanium from a E-gun evaporation source and 40 keV N^+ bombarding onto the target.It is shown from the composi- tion analysis and structure investigations using RBS,AES,TEM,XPS and X-ray diffraction spectrum that the formed fihns are mainly composed of TiN phase with grain size of 30—40 nm and without preferred orientation,the nitrogen content in the film is much less than that in case without N^+ bombarding,and an intermixed region about 40 nm thick exists between the film and the substrate.The films exhibt high microhardness and low friction. ZHOU Jiankun,Ion Beam Laboratory,Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy,Academia Sinica, Shanghai 200050,China

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.

PHASE ANALYSES FOR DUAL ION BEAM DEPOSITED ZrO_2 FILMS ON NaCl SUBSTRATE

ZrO2 films on NaCl(100) substrate produced by oxygen ion bombardment and argon ion sputtering of Zr are analysed using TEM, XRD and XPS. The result of TEM shows that only cubic phase exists for the ZrO2 film produced by oxygen ion bombardment with 30μA/cm2 and 200eV, while the XRD result shows that there seems to exhibit a small quanitity of monoclinic phase apart from cubic one under the production condition of oxygen ion of 25μA/cm2, 100eV.

Intense Yellow Photoluminescence from Silicon Oxynitride Films Prepared by Dual Ion Beam Sputtering

In this work, results on the study of the structure and photoluminescence (PL) properties of SiOxNy thin films are presented. The films were deposited at room temperature using a dual-ion-beam co-sputtering system. The XRD and TEM results show that the deposited films have an amorphous structure. In the XPS result, we find N 1s spectra consist of one symmetric single peak at 397.8 eV, indicating that the nitrogen atoms are mainly bonded to silicon. It is in agreement to the result of FTIR. In SiOxNy films, an intense single PL peak at 590 nm is observed. Furthermore, with the increase of the N content in the SiOxNy films, the intensity of the PL peak at 590 nm increases a lot. The PL peak of 590 nm is suggested to originate from N-related defects.

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.

Nano-sized Thin Films Fabricated by Ion Beam Sputtering and Its Properties

Nanoscale thick amorphous Ni-Cr alloy thin films were fabricated by low-energy ion beam sputtering technology; then the as-deposited samples experienced rapid thermal process to realize the transformation from amorphous to crystalline state. The film thickness was measured with a-stylus surface profiler, the structure and the compositions of the films were confirmed by low angle X-ray diffraction and scanning auger electron microprobe respectively, and the surface topography was characterized by scanning electron microscope and scanning probe microscope. Electrical property of the films was measured by fourpoint probe. The experimental results illustrate that the combined processes of ion beam sputtering and rajid thermal process are effective for fabrication nanoscale Ni-Cr alloy thin film with good properties.

Hemocompatibility of DLC coatings synthesized by ion beam assisted deposition

Ion beam-assisted diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings have beenused for growing the human platelet, fibrinogen, and albumin in the control environment in order to assess their hemocompatibility. The hard carbon films were prepared on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) at room temperature using ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). Raman spectroscopic analysis proved that the carbon films on PMMA are diamond-like with a higher fraction of sp\+3 bonds in the structure of mixed sp\+2+sp\+3 bonding. The blood protein adsorption tests showed that DLC coatings can adsorb more albumin and are slightly more fibrinogen than the PMMA chosen as a control sample. The platelets adhered on DLC coatings were reduced significantly in number. These results indicate good hemocompatibility of DLC coatings.

Influence of surface coating on Ti811 alloy resistance to fretting fatigue at elevated temperature

An extensive study of the composition distribution, bonding strength, hardness, and wear resistance of a 0Cr18Ni9 film deposited on a Ti811 titanium alloy surface by ion beam enhanced deposition （IBED） is presented. Shot peening was introduced to post-treat the modified surface to synergistically improve the fretting fatigue resistance of the Ti811 alloy at 350°C. The results indicate that the 0Cr18Ni9 film with high density, small grain size, low void radio, and high bonding strength can be prepared using IBED. As a result, the hardness, wear resistance, and fretting fatigue resistance of the Ti811 alloy are increased to a remarkable extent. Compared with shot peening treatment or IBED 0Cr18Ni9 film alone, the Ti811 titanium alloy with an IBED 0Cr18Ni9 film combined with shot peening shows a higher fretting fatigue resistance at 350°C. This is due to the synergistic effect of the high wear resistance of the film surface and the residual compressive stress induced by shot peening.

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.