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.

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.

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.

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.

Structural Evolution of SiC Films During Plasma-Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition

Evolution of chemical bonding configurations for the films deposited from hexam- ethyldisiloxane （HMDSO） diluted with H2 during plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition is investigated. In the experiment a small amount of CH4 was added to adjust the plasma environment and modify the structure of the deposited films. The measurements of Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction （XRD） revealed the production of 6H-SiC embedded in the amorphous matrix without the input of CH4. As CH4 was introduced into the deposition reaction, the transition of 6H-SiC to cubic SiC in the films took place, and also the film surfaces changed from a structure of ellipsoids to cauliflower-like shapes. With a further increase of CH4 in the flow ratio, the obtained films varied from Si-C bonding dominant to a sp^2/sp^3 carbon-rich composition.

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.

Improvement of Surface Morphology of Yttrium-Stabilized Zirconia Films Deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition on Rolling Assisted Biaxially Textured Substrate Tapes

The surface morphology of buffer layer yttrium-stabilized zirconia （YSZ） of YBa2CuaO7-σ （YBCO） high temperature superconducting films relies on a series of controllable experimental parameters. In this work, we focus on the influence of pulsed laser frequency and target crystalline type on surface morphology of YSZ films deposited by pulsed laser deposition （PLD） on rolling assisted biaxially textured substrate tapes. Usually two kinds of particles are observed in the YSZ layer： randomly distributed ones on the whole film and self-assembled ones along grain boundaries. SEM images are used to prove that particles can be partly removed when choosing dense targets of single crystalline. Lower frequency of pulsed laser also contributes to a smoother film surface. TEM images are used to view the crystalline structure of thin film. Thus we can obtain a basic understanding of how to prepare a particle-free YSZ buffer layer for YBCO in optimized conditions using PLD. The YBCO layer with nice structure and critical current density of around 5 MA/cm2 can be reached on smooth YSZ samples.

A perspective of microplasma oxidation (MPO) and vapor deposition coatings in surface engineering of aluminum alloys

Over the past years, great achievements have been made in the development of coating technologies for surface improvement of aluminum alloys. Despite these achievements, the role in the market strongly depends on the ability of surface coating technology under technical and economic considerations to meet the increased demands for heavy tribological applications of aluminum alloys. Microplasma oxidation (MPO) technology has recently been studied as a novel and effective means to provide thick and hard ceramic coating with improved properties such as excellent load-bearing and wear resistance properties on aluminum alloys. The present work covers the evaluation of the performances of current single and duplex coatings combining MPO, physical vapor deposition (PVD), and plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) coatings on aluminum alloys. It suggests that the MPO coating is a promising candidate for design engineers to apply aluminum alloys to heavy load-bearing applications. The prospective future for the research on MPO coatings is introduced as well.

Optimized growth and dielectric properties of barium titanate thin films on polycrystalline Ni foils

Barium titanate（BTO） thin films were deposited on polycrystalline Ni foils by using the polymer assisted deposition（PAD） technique.The growth conditions including ambient and annealing temperatures were carefully optimized based on thermal dynamic analysis to control the oxidation processing and interdiffusion.Crystal structures,surface morphologies,and dielectric performance were examined and compared for BTO thin films annealed under different temperatures.Correlations between the fabrication conditions,microstructures,and dielectric properties were discussed.BTO thin films fabricated under the optimized conditions show good crystalline structure and promising dielectric properties with εr～ 400 and tan δ 〈 0.025 at 100 kHz.The data demonstrate that BTO films grown on polycrystalline Ni substrates by PAD are promising in device applications.

Substrate Effect on the Structural and Electrical Properties of LaNiO_(3) Thin Films

Epitaxial LaNiO_(3)(LNO)thin films prepared from the sols modified with polyethyleneimine(PEI)were grown on single-crystal LaAlO_(3),(LaAlO_(3))_(0.3)(SrAlTaO_(6))_(0.7),and SrTiO_(3) substrates,respectively,using a simple polymer assisted deposition(PAD).The epitaxial structure,surface morphologies and transport of the LNO films were studied by X-ray diffraction(θ/2θ symmetric scan,ω-scan,and in-planeφ-scan),the field emission scanning electron microscopy,and a standard dc four-probe method.It is found that,compared with that of LNO bulk,the c-axis parameter of the LNO film increases under compressive strain and decreases under tensile strain.All the LNO films exhibit metal properties in the temperature-dependent resistivity.The resistivity of the LNO films shows an increasing trend with the lattice mismatch strain changing from compressive to tensile.It is suggested that the oxygen vacancy compensated by more Ni^(2+)changed from Ni^(3+)in the film increases with the strain changing from compressive to tensile,which results in the increase of the resistivity.

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.

Comments on process of duplex coatings on aluminum alloys

Despite the great achievements made in improvement of wear resistance properties of aluminum alloys, their applications in heavy surface load-bearing are limited. Single coating is insufficient to produce the desired combination of surface properties. These problems can be solved through the duplex coatings. The aim of the present study is to overview the research advances on processes of duplex coatings on (aluminum) alloys combined with micro plasma oxidation process and with other modern processes such as physical vapour deposition and plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition and also to evaluate the performance of micro plasma oxidation coatings in improving the load-bearing, friction and wear resistance properties of aluminum alloys in comparison with other coatings. Wherein, a more detailed presentation of the processes and their performances and disadvantages are given as well.

Preparation and characterization of carbon nano-sheet powders

Carbon nanosheet films were deposited on A1 substrates by using plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition （PACVD） technique. And after being peeled off from A1 substrates, carbon nanosheet powders （CNSPs） were obtained. In Raman spectrum of carbon film, there was a strong and broadened peak at about 1,580 cm^-1, indicating a carbon diamond-like film. Atomic force microscope image showed that the carbon diamond-like film had a grain size less than 100 nm, and its surface roughness Ra was 17.95 nm in an area of 5×5 μm^2. The CNSPs were irregular sheets with curly edges and a length of several micrometers to several hundreds of micrometers. The BET surface area of CNSPs was 6.66 m^2/g with no micro-pore present, which was confirmed by N2 adsorption-desorption characterization. In the adsorption testing, when the relative pressure p/po was higher than 0.3, the adsorption behavior did not follow the Langmuir equation. The addition of CNSPs to carbon black （catalyst support） could improve hydrodesulfurization performance of carbon supported Ni-W catalysts for diesel oil.

Fabrication and anti-corrosion performance of superhydrophobic silane film on sintered NdFeB

An eco-friendly superhydrophobic protective film(DTMS/TEOS silane film)was fabricated on sintered NdFeB substrate through the utilization of electrochemically assisted deposition technology.The structure,properties,and film-forming mechanism of dodecyltrime-thoxysilane(DTMS)/tetraethoxysilane(TEOS)silane films were comprehensively analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS).Based on the test results,it can be determined that this film has a superhydrophobic property with a hydrophobicity angle of 152°.This special property can be attributed to the long alkyl chains in the DTMS molecule,the rough morphology,and the low surface energy of the DTMS/TEOS silane film.The surface of sintered NdFeB is coated with a layered three-dimensional network silane film that forms through the condensation of silanol substances.This film provides excellent corrosion resistance to the sintered NdFeB substrate,reducing its corrosion current density to 2.02×10~(-6)A/cm~2.Moreover,the impact of film on the magnetic characteristics of sintered NdFeB was assessed and found to be minimal.