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ABSTRACTDC magnetron co-sputtering technique is utilised to develop reflective Ag- and Al-based metal films co-sputtered with Ni deposited on quartz glass substrates. The sputtered films are characterised by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques to investigate microstructure, topology and phase analysis, respectively. Further, average thermo-optical properties such as solar reflectance, absorptance and IR emittance and electrical property such as sheet resistance of the deposited films are evaluated. The reflectance property as a function of wavelength is also investigated. Sputtered Ag and Al films show high (>93%) reflectance, however, co-sputtered Al + Ni and Ag + Ni offer comparatively lesser value, e.g. 45% and 73%, respectively. The significant lower reflectance of Al + Ni is possibly due to the presence of higher amount of Ni in the film and the formation of intermetallic compounds.

DC magnetron co-sputtering technique is utilised to develop reflective Ag- and Al-based metal films co-sputtered with Ni deposited on quartz glass substrates. The sputtered films are characterised by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques to investigate microstructure, topology and phase analysis, respectively. Further, average thermo-optical properties such as solar reflectance, absorptance and IR emittance and electrical property such as sheet resistance of the deposited films are evaluated. The reflectance property as a function of wavelength is also investigated. Sputtered Ag and Al films show high (>93%) reflectance, however, co-sputtered Al?+?Ni and Ag?+?Ni offer comparatively lesser value, e.g. 45% and 73%, respectively. The significant lower reflectance of Al?+?Ni is possibly due to the presence of higher amount of Ni in the film and the formation of intermetallic compounds.

Corrosion studies of sputtered alumina thin films grown on stainless steel (SS) 304 were carried out by linear polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Noticeable changes were not observed in morphology and surface roughness of films after carrying out the corrosion test. Corrosion current density (icorr) of alumina coated SS decreased up to 10−10A cm−2while icorrvalue in the range of 10−5–10−6A cm−2was observed for bare SS. The direct sputtered film showed superior corrosion resistance behaviour than the reactive sputtered film. This might be attributed to the difference in thickness of the films sputtered by direct and reactive methods. The electronic structure of deposited alumina films was studied both before and after corrosion test by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy technique which also confirmed no structural changes of alumina film after exposing it to corrosive environment.

Alumina thin films of different thicknesses, e.g. 90, 120 and 150 nm, were grown on SS304 thin foil by electron beam evaporation technique. The films were post-heat treated at 500, 700 and 800°C in air and subsequently characterised by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effects of thicknesses and post-heat treatment on microstructure have been studied. The deposited alumina film was almost stoichiometric. The alumina film of the lowest thickness, i.e. 90 nm post-heat treated at 700°C, showed preferential growth of nanorods and irregular polygonal nanostructures with random orientation.

Alumina thin films were deposited on fused quartz and SS304 substrate by pulsed rf magnetron sputtering with both direct and reactive methods. The films were characterised by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy to reveal the microstructure, surface morphology and topography of thin films. Transmittance and reflectance of alumina thin film were evaluated after deposition on the quartz substrate. Transmittance of the quartz remains almost un-altered when alumina was deposited by the reactive sputtering. A marginal decrease of ∼4% in the transmittance of quartz was, however, observed after deposition of alumina by direct sputtering. Infrared emittance of the substrate also remains almost constant after deposition of thin alumina film. Further, as-deposited alumina on SS304 obtained by both direct and reactive sputtering process was amorphous in nature. However, after annealing crystalline peaks were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A complete explanation of the neurotoxicity that follows kainic acid (KA) injection into the rat striatum is lacking. An assessment of the chronological course after intrastriatal KA injection of the activities of enzymes preferentially concentrated in glia or involved in the detoxification of oxygen metabolites is accomplished. An enhancement of the specific activities of glutathione peroxidase (GP) and catalase is found without an alteration in the specific activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). There is no increase in the in vivo striatal levels of malondialdehyde, a putative indicator of lipid peroxidation, the expected result of cell membrane damage from oxygen metabolites. Understanding the mechanism and importance of the preferential induction of the activities of the detoxification enzymes will require further study.