Search

Recently, an energetic film growth technique was developed. In this process, an RF (radio frequency) plasma was ignited in an ambient atmospheric environment. An aqueous solution was excited into mist, which was then fed into the plasma reactor. After vaporization, films were formed on substrates outside the plasma. As a by-product, small amount of powders were collected in the plasma reactor. Films studied were indium-tin oxide (ITO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and lanthanum strontium manganite oxides (LaSrMnO). Films and powders were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX, EDS), and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) transmission measurements. Morphology of a film surface was dependent on deposition conditions, such as chemical composition of the precursor materials, precursor feeding rate, and/or substrate temperature.

Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) thin films had been fabricated by a laser deposition technique. Our previous results indicated that the hexagonal structured films could be formed at a substrate temperature of 400 C or higher. Reducing the temperature to 200 C or lower, cubic dominant films had been fabricated. To further understand the effects of other deposition parameters, CdS films were deposited at 30 C in this study. Crystal structures of the films were analyzed by Xray diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). It was found that the processing windows for the cubic films were very limited. As revealed by optical transmission measurements, the optical absorption edge of the cubic film was different from that of the hexagonal film.

Thin-films of indium-tin oxide (ITO) on soda-lime-silicate (SLS) glass were fabricated using an atmospheric RF plasma mist deposition process. Some of the films were deposited at substrate temperatures between 400 C and 500 C, and were subsequently annealed at 400 C and 530 C for 1 hour. Conductivity was improved due to post-annealing. Film thickness, particle size, film morphology and crystallite size were characterized. The structural changes on the glass and the ITO film were investigated by DRIFT spectroscopy.