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In this work, we report an effective approach based on an artificial intelligence technique to investigate the secondary ions mass spectroscopy (SIMS) profiles of boron, phosphorus and arsenic ions. Those dopant ions were implanted into n- and p-type (100) Silicon substrate using the ion implantation technique with energy of 100 and 180 keV. Annealing treatment was conducted at various temperatures ranging from 900 to 1030 °C for 30 min. The doping profile parameters such as the activation energy, diffusion coefficient, junction depth, implant dose, projected range and standard deviation were determined using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The efficiency of this strategy was experimentally verified by the fitting between both real measured SIMS profile and predicted ones. In addition, a set of simulated doping profiles was generated for different annealing time to prove the ability of this approach to accurately estimate the above parameters even when changing the experimental conditions.

Nanostructured thin films are one of the most valuable types of industrial semiconductors for a variety of optoelectronics and optical device applications, having recently been used as a transparent conductive oxide in solar cells. In this work, nanostructured thin films of pure ZnO, Ag doped ZnO, Mg doped ZnO and Ag–Mg co-doped ZnO were successfully synthesized on silicon and glass substrates, using rapid thermal evaporation. The impact of the doping elements on the surface morphology, structural, electrical, and optical properties of the deposited films were investigated. It was found that all films have polycrystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure using X-ray diffraction. Images obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed compact and smooth surfaces, with uniform coverage of all substrate regions. SEM images confirm the nanostructured nature of the surfaces with particle size varying as a function of doping. Raman spectroscopy showed A1(LO), E2(high) and LVM modes for all samples. The developed films’ optical transmission ranged from 74 % to 87 %, with an optical bandgap ranging from 3.09 for Mg:ZnO films to 3.8 eV for Ag:ZnO samples. Depending on the doping nature modification, these alterations were associated to structural and morphological changes in the films. All films were electrically conductive, while Ag:ZnO films exhibited the lowest resistivity value reaching 0.56 Ω cm.

Titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN) thin films were deposited on glass and stainless steel substrate using a reactive DC magnetron sputtering system, with a mixture of pure nitrogen and argon gases, for different deposition times of 3, 5, and 7 min. The structural properties like phase’s formation and transition, elemental composition, and vibration modes were investigated by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. The morphological properties were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanical and tribological properties in terms of hardness and friction coefficient were determined using the nanoindentation technique and tribometer. It has been found that the films without nitrogen content have a crystalline structure, while the TiAlN films obtained after 3 and 5 min of deposition time exhibit amorphous structures. Films deposited after 7 min of deposition time have TiAlN and oxide phases. The Raman spectroscopy reveals the appearance of TO/LO and 2O modes for all layers and the acoustic modes of second order (2A) for only the TiAl films. SEM images show that the layer thicknesses do not change significantly; however, the film morphology changes with deposition time and becomes denser. The composition of all layers shows an increase of N content and a decrease of Al content, which affect the film mechanical properties. Results from mechanical characterization confirm that the hardness and Young modulus increase with increasing nitrogen content and decreasing Al content, while the friction coefficient significantly decreases.

Ag–TiO2–Fe composite thin films with different Ag contents are deposited onto a glass substrate by a thermal evaporation method. TiO2, TiO2–Fe, and Ag–TiO2–Fe thin films are characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis–NIR spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) to study the relation between their structural, morphological, optical, and luminescent properties with their antibacterial activities. XRD and Raman measurements show the formation of the anatase phase with increasing silver content in Ag–TiO2–Fe composite thin films. SEM images show the presence of silver in the metallic form. Optical measurements display a redshift in the optical absorption edge of TiO2–Fe and Ag–TiO2–Fe composite films with a decrease in the energy bandgap compared to pure TiO2. The antibacterial activity of the films against Escherichia coliis investigated both in the dark and under UV light. It is found that Ag plays a major role on the antibacterial efficiency in the dark. Ag–TiO2–Fe composite thin films exhibit a synergistic antibacterial effect under UV light, resulting an excellent antibacterial coating. TiO2, TiO2–Fe, and Ag–TiO2–Fe composite thin films are successfully prepared via a thermal evaporation technique. The inactivation of Escherichia coliin the dark and under UV light of the films with different silver content is tested. The structural, morphological, and optical properties are investigated. The composite coatings with high silver content display excellent antibacterial activity.