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Scandium nitride (ScN) has attracted significant interest in recent years for diverse electronic and thermoelectric applications. Most ScN growth utilizes MgO and Al2O3 as substrates that lead to extended defects such as dislocations and grain boundaries. (0001) GaN exhibits less than 0.1% lattice mismatch with (111) ScN, and therefore, should result in single-crystalline ScN film growth. However, not much attention is devoted to understanding the microstructure of ScN on GaN substrates. In this work, we present (111) oriented lattice matched ScN film growth on (0001) GaN substrates. X-ray pole figure exhibited six spots for the (002) ScN superimposed on that of (101) GaN separated by 60° corresponding to twin domains of threefold symmetry for (111) ScN, which are furthermore directly imaged by lattice resolved microscopy images. The presence of twins is attributed to vertical dislocations originating at the GaN/Al2O3 interface and extending throughout the GaN film to its interface with ScN.

We propose a low-cost approach for the synthesis of multifunctional CuSnS3 (CTS) ternary compound thin film via spray pyrolysis technique. By varying Sn and S doping concentrations, a high energy absorber layers of CuSnS3 thin films were deposited on a glass substrate at a substrate temperature of 405 °C. The prepared samples were analysed with respect to their optical, structural and electrical and nonlinear optical properties. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that the films exhibit a tetragonal crystal structure with a preferential growth orientation along (1 1 2). The surface morphology of the films was explored by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in tapping mode configuration. Variation in the carrier charge density and electrical properties were observed for different Sn and S combination. The analysis of the Raman spectra indicates the presence of multiple phases apart from CuSnS3. The obtained Raman spectra were assigned to phonon mode as per zone centre phonon representation of optical and acoustic modes and identified to dominant “A” symmetry modes. The maximal laser stimulated induced second harmonic generation (SHG) signal was observed for the CTS 3 film and the corresponding second order nonlinear optical susceptibility which was equal to about 0.89 pm/V at 1064 nm and the minimal SHG signal was found for the CTS 2 film (about 0.22 pm/V). This strategic improvement in SHG and third harmonic generation (THG) signal efficiency endorses the role of Sn and S in modulating second and third harmonic generations in CuSnS3 compound.

Approximately 1.5–2.5 μm thick nanocomposite coatings of TiAlCrYN were deposited using a four-cathode reactive unbalanced pulsed direct current magnetron sputtering system from the sputtering of Ti, Al, Cr, and Y targets in Ar + N 2 plasma. The TiAlCrYN nanocomposite coatings were deposited on various substrates such as high speed steel (HSS) drill bits, mild steel and silicon. TiAlCrYN coatings with almost similar mechanical properties but with different Ti, Al, Cr and Y contents were prepared to study their thermal stability and machining performance. The structural and mechanical properties of the coatings were characterized using X-ray diffraction and nanoindentation technique, respectively. The elemental composition, bonding structure, surface morphology and cross-sectional data were studied using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Nanoscratch tests were performed to determine the adhesive strength of the coatings. The corrosion behavior of TiAlCrYN nanocomposite coatings on mild steel substrate was studied using potentiodynamic polarization in a 3.5% NaCl solution. Micro-Raman spectroscopy was used to characterize the structural changes as a result of heating of the nanocomposite coatings in air (600–1000 °C). TiAlCrYN coatings prepared at 17 at.% Ti, 13 at.% Al, 21 at.% Cr and 1 at.% Y exhibited thermal stability as high as 900 °C in air (denoted as Sample 3). For the performance evaluation, the TiAlCrYN coated HSS drill bits were tested under accelerated machining conditions. With a drill speed of 800 rpm and a feed rate of 0.08 mm/rev the TiAlCrYN coated HSS drill bits (Sample 3) averaged 657 holes, while drilling a 12 mm thick 304 stainless steel plate under dry conditions, before failure. Whereas, the uncoated drill bits failed after drilling 50 holes under the same machining conditions. Results indicated that for the HSS drill bits coated with TiAlCrYN, the tool life increased by a factor of more than 12.