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Complex multilayer film structures were fabricated through a custom-built angular DC magnetron co-sputtering system. In this system, separate Cu, Al, and brass (Cu + Zn) targets were mounted on three magnetron guns, working in conjunction with a rotating substrate. This study aimed to compare the properties of films with intricate structures, which were sputtered onto glass slides and polypropylene substrates. The sputtering process was optimized using a Box–Behnken design, considering three variable operating conditions: substrate rotation speed, sputtering time, and sputtering voltage. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) results for film thickness and roughness, sputtered with three different materials onto glass slides and polypropylene (PP) substrates, indicated that all three independent variables significantly influenced the optimum response, with P-values less than 0.05 (

Aluminum nitride (AlN) is a semiconductor material possessing a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure with a large band gap of 6.2 eV. AlN thin films have several potential applications and areas for study, particularly in optoelectronics. This research study focused on the preparation of Ni-doped AlN thin films by using DC and RF magnetron sputtering for optoelectronic applications. Additionally, a comparative analysis was also carried out on the as-deposited and annealed thin films. Several spectroscopy and microscopy techniques were considered for the characterization of structural (X-ray diffraction), morphological (SEM), chemical bonding (FTIR), and emission (PL spectroscopy) properties. The XRD results show that the thin films have an oriented c-axis hexagonal structure. SEM analysis validated the granular-like morphology of the deposited sample, and FTIR results confirm the presence of chemical bonding in deposited thin films. The photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra exhibit different peaks in the visible region when excited at different wavelengths. A sharp and intense photoluminescence peak was observed at 426 nm in the violet-blue region, which can be attributed to inter-band transitions due to the incorporation of Ni in AlN. Most of the peaks in the PL spectra occurred due to direct-band recombination and indirect impurity-band recombination. After annealing, the intensity of all observed peaks increases drastically due to the development of new phases, resulting in a decrease in defects and a corresponding increase in the crystallinity of the thin film. The observed structural, morphological, and photoluminescence results suggest that Ni: AlN is a promising candidate to be used in optoelectronics applications, specifically in photovoltaic devices and lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • HIPIMS – ECWR with Fe and Sn targets leads to Fe 2 O 3 :Sn films with good PEC photoresponse. • Processing parameters (power to Fe and Sn target) correlate with the Sn content in the film. • When ECWR is added, the processing pressure and time can be reduced leading to better crystallinity and PEC behaviour. • doping by Sn(Pt) diffusion from the FTO(Pt) substrate significantly improved photoresponse. Semiconducting Fe 2 O 3 thin films were deposited on SnO 2 :F (FTO) and Pt substrates by reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering combined with electron cyclotron wave resonance plasma (HiPIMS + ECWR). Fe 2 O 3 films were fabricated either by sputtering from a single Fe target or by co-sputtering from an additional Sn target. Plasma parameters during co-sputtering were measured by an RF probe system enabling the comparison between HiPIMS + ECWR and only HiPIMS conditions used for the film deposition. As deposited Fe 2 O 3 films were post-annealed in air at 450 °C and 650 °C, respectively. It was shown that as deposited Fe 2 O 3 films were amorphous but became crystalline after post-annealing at 450 °C. Further increase of annealing temperature to 650 °C did not improve significantly the crystalline structure of the Fe 2 O 3 film. All post-annealed Fe 2 O 3 films exhibited photocurrents in the anodic region; generally, hematite films annealed at 650 °C exhibited higher photocurrents than those annealed at 450 °C. Films doped by Sn co-sputtering had higher photocurrents than films only doped by Sn diffusion during post-annealing from the FTO substrate. Hematite films on Pt substrate doped by Sn co-sputtering and post-annealed at 650 °C exhibited the highest photocurrents. It was verified by XPS analysis with ion sputtering depth profiling that Pt atoms also diffuse from the Pt substrate into the Fe 2 O 3 film during the post-annealing at 650 °C and can, similar to Sn in the case of an FTO substrate, act as a dopant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model to tailor the required chemical composition of thin films fabricated via multisource deposition, exploiting basic physicochemical constants of source materials, is developed. The model is experimentally verified for the two-source depositions of chalcogenide thin films from Ga–Sb–Te system (tie-lines GaSb–GaTe and GaSb–Te). The thin films are deposited by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering using GaSb, GaTe, and Te targets. Prepared thin films are characterized by means of energy dispersive X-ray analysis coupled with a scanning electron microscope to determine the chemical composition and by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry to establish film thickness. Good agreement between results of calculations and experimentally determined compositions of the co-deposited thin films is achieved for both the above-mentioned tie-lines. Moreover, in spite of all the applied simplifications, the proposed model is robust to be generally used for studies where the influence of thin film composition on their properties is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct-methane solid oxide fuel cells (DMSOFCs) have recently attracted substantial attention due to their simplified system, reduced cost, and the direct availability of methane fuel obtained from natural gas. Among oxygen-ion conductive materials, doped-ceria such as gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) or samarium-doped ceria can be incorporated into Ni-based anodes to reinforce their coking resistance, enlarge their electrochemical reaction area, and improve the kinetics of the internal reforming/electrochemical oxidation of methane. To reduce the range of operating temperatures of DMSOFCs while maintaining their performance, the thin film deposition technique of magnetron sputtering was adopted in this work. An Ni-GDC thin-film anode and a Pt thin-film cathode were deposited on scandia-stabilized zirconia (ScSZ) electrolyte supports. This fuel cell was tested with directly supplied methane fuel (3% H 2 O) at 500 °C. The results demonstrated the effects of the GDC volume fraction in the anode—which was controlled by co-sputtering power—on open circuit voltage and electrochemical performance. The co-sputtered Ni-GDC anode was able to survive through 36-h operation, although there was some performance degradation. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy results revealed no formation of filamentous carbon on the Ni catalysts, despite the fact that both X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy analyses detected carbon coking. The relatively high performance and resistance to carbon coking of co-sputtered thin-film anode were attributed to its intrinsic small grain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By combining Gd dopant induction and magnetron sputtering technique, vertically-aligned Gd-doped WO 3 nano-stalagmite arrays (GW-NSs) have been first constructed on the ITO-coated glass substrate, which exhibits a significantly improved electrochromic and capacitive performance. Moreover, an electrochromic energy storage smart window (EESW) device is further fabricated by assembling the GW-NSs electrode and an opposite NiO electrode toward practical bifunctional application. [Display omitted] • Gd-doped WO 3 nano-stalagmites (GW-NSs) array with vertical alignment have been successfully synthesized on ITO-coated glass substrates via co-sputtering method, which can possess optimized aspect ratio and array density by precise parameter optimal design (Gd/W, sputtering times, etc). • The optimized GW-NSs film exhibits a significantly improved electrochromic and capacitive performance, which could be attributed to its large surface area of nano-array structures induced by Gd doping, significantly increasing the number of the active sites and meanwhile facilitate the Li+ ions diffusion. • Dual-functional smart window device assembled with the GW-NSs and NiO counter electrode is demonstrated with ability to visually monitor the level of stored energy from the rapid and reversible color variation, indicating the potential applications of GW-NSs in both electrochromic and energy-storage fields. Gd-doped WO 3 nano-stalagmites (GW-NSs) film has been successfully prepared on indium-doped tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates by co-sputtering deposition. Gd dopants can facilitate the vertically-aligned growth of WO 3 nano-stalagmites on the WO 3 -nanoparticle seed layer. The microstructure analysis shows that the GW-NSs film with optimized aspect ratio and array density is fabricated with Gd/W = 0.6 % in atomic ratio. Such GW-NSs electrode (active area: 1 × 1.5 cm2) exhibits large transmittance modulation (ΔT = 52.7 % at 633 nm), high coloration efficiency (87.3 cm2 C−1 at 633 nm), fast switching speed (5.9/13.1 s for coloration/bleaching), large diffusion coefficient (9.52 × 10−10 cm2 s−1) and long-term cycling stability (>2000) under an applied voltage of ± 1.0 V, which can be attributed to a shorten Li+ diffusion distance and a large-area contact with the electrolyte. Importantly, the GW-NSs film also shows superior capacitive performance (calculated areal capacitance of 8.44 mF cm−2 at 0.4 mA cm−2) and long-term cyclic stability (capacitance retention rate is 87.4 % after 2000 cycles). Furthermore, we fabricated the bifunctional smart window device combined with NiO counterpart electrode, which has the ability to visually monitor the level of stored energy from rapid and reversible coloration, indicating the potential applications of GW-NSs in both electrochromic and energy-storage fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bimetallic nanostructure of noble metals is an alternative material that can provide the tenability of plasmonic performance. In this study, the plasmonic silver–titanium nanoisland (Ag–Ti NI) films deposited on a silicon wafer and glass slide substrates were prepared by magnetron co-sputtering of high-purity Ag target (99.99%) operated at 100 W-DC source, and Ti target (99.99%) operated at 50–250 W-DC pulsed source. The surface morphologies of the prepared films revealed a noncontinuous island Ag–Ti according to the formation of thin film growth based on the Volmer–Weber model. An increase in the sputtering power of the Ti target caused an evident increase in the Ag–Ti NIs diameter. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) was evaluated by UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometry. The LSPR peak shift disappears with an increase of the sputtering power of the Ti target.In addition, the results confirmed that the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity of the bimetallic Ag–Ti NIs significantly improved in performance and stability, which is promising for the application in analytical chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nb-doped ZnO thin films were fabricated on glass substrates by using co-sputtering with direct-current and radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The structures, optical and electrical performances of Nb-doped ZnO thin films were investigated. The results showed that all thin films have (0 0 2) c-axis preferential orientation. The minimum resistivity of 2.12×10−3Ωcm and the maximum carrier concentration of 2.39×1019cm−3 were obtained at the direct-current sputtering power of 10W, respectively. Nb-doped ZnO thin films have also shown high average transmittance of 89.6%, and lower surface roughness of 2.74nm. Meanwhile, a distinct absorption edge in the ultraviolet range of 300–400nm was observed in absorbance, the optical band gap of Nb-doped ZnO thin films illustrates an increased tendency with increasing Nb concentration.

• First report on Cu, In and Ag doped SnS thin films using co-sputtering with ISST of 400 °C. • The substitutional doping of Cu2+, In3+ and Ag2+ ions in SnS lattice sites is studied. • Band gap, Eg = 1.36 eV and absorption coefficient, α = 3.5 × 104 cm-1 achieved for Cu 4.8 % doping. • Resistivity, ρ = 90 Ωcm and carrier concentration P = 2.3 × 1017 cm-3 achieved for Cu 4.8% doping. This work reports the tuning of optical and electrical properties of SnS through the incorporation of Cu, In and Ag atom without altering its chemical and crystal structural properties, using DC-RF magnetron co-sputtering technique with an in-situ substrate temperature of 400 °C. Doping is increased up to ~10% by varying the DC sputtering voltage as evident from EDAX analysis. Morphological studies show the variation in surface morphology, particle size and surface roughness due to the incorporation of dopant cation into SnS lattice sites. Film with optimized doping of ~5% resulted the substitutional doping of dopant cations (Cu2+, In3+ and Ag2+) into SnS lattice sites which resulted an improved absorption coefficient and hall carrier concentration with a decrease in band gap and electrical resistivity. Hall measurement studies of Cu 4.8% doped SnS film shows the p-type conductivity with lowest electrical resistivity of 90 Ω cm and improved carrier concentration of 1017 cm−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nb-doped ZnO thin films were fabricated on glass substrates by using co-sputtering with direct-current and radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The structures, optical and electrical performances of Nb-doped ZnO thin films were investigated. The results showed that all thin films have (0 0 2) c -axis preferential orientation. The minimum resistivity of 2. 1 2 × 1 0 − 3 Ω cm and the maximum carrier concentration of 2. 3 9 × 1 0 1 9 cm − 3 were obtained at the direct-current sputtering power of 10 W, respectively. Nb-doped ZnO thin films have also shown high average transmittance of 89.6%, and lower surface roughness of 2.74 nm. Meanwhile, a distinct absorption edge in the ultraviolet range of 300–400 nm was observed in absorbance, the optical band gap of Nb-doped ZnO thin films illustrates an increased tendency with increasing Nb concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical properties make Vectran™ fibres an attractive material to be used in high end applications. Its aerospace applications, as in inflatable light weight habitat module, require functional coating to provide antibacterial protection to ensure safe environment for the astronauts. In this study, woven Vectran™ fabric was coated with an antibacterial silver nanoclusters/silica composite coating by means of radio frequency co-sputtering technique. The successful deposition of the silver nanoclusters embedded in the silica matrix of the composite coating was confirmed by morphological, compositional and structural analysis. The coating sustained 10 washing cycles with partial dissolution of the coating during washing. Silver leaching test verified the gradual and progressive release of ionic silver in aqueous media in the range 0.03 ppm–0.43 ppm within 72 h of immersion in water. Antibacterial properties of the coated Vectran™ fabric were confirmed in inhibition halo test against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli on as deposited as well as aged samples. An inhibition halo of up to 2 mm was observed for as deposited samples while after UV exposure, the samples formed inhibition halo of 4 mm. The percutaneous absorption test demonstrated a very low release of silver into epidermis and dermis. The effect of the coating on mechanical properties of the as deposited Vectran fabric was assessed through mechanical characterizations including tensile, tear and abrasion test. • Uniform coverage and distribution of silver nanoclusters on the fibre surface • Gradual release of silver ions from the composite coating • Satisfactory washing resistance of the composite coating • Mechanical properties of the fabric preserved [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, Mg x Zn 1-x O (MZO) films with x from 0 to 0.25 were prepared by radio frequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering, and the structure, surface morphology, optical and electronic properties of MZO films were investigated. With the increase of Mg content, the crystallinity of MZO films became worse with the appearance of grain agglomeration, and the optical energy band gap (E g) linearly changed from 3.228 eV to 3.824 eV. The MZO films with different Mg content were used as the window layer for CdTe solar cells with or without CdS layer. The efficiency of MZO/CdTe devices is much lower than MZO/CdS/CdTe devices. Incorporating a buffer layer CdS into CdTe solar cells can significantly improve the devices efficiency, and the devices still maintain a high spectral response in the short wavelength region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aluminum gallium oxide (AGO) films were deposited on c -plane sapphire by co-sputtering of Al and Ga 2 O 3 targets at a substrate temperature of 600 °C, and then annealed at 900 °C to enhance their crystal quality. The effect of DC power (0, 5, 10, 30, 50 and 70 W) for Al target on the structural, optical and compositional characteristics of AGO films were investigated. After annealing, the films prepared at the DC powers of 0–50 W for Al target all exhibited the single crystalline structure with the (−201) plane family. The annealed film grown at the DC power of 10 W possessed the highest crystal quality than the others. With increasing the DC power from 0 to 70 W, the Al composition of AGO film increased from 0 to 6.08 at.%, while its bandgap increased from 4.89 to 5.19 eV. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies indicate the intensity of Ga 2p 3/2 peak (1117.9 eV) for the AGO film decreases, whereas the intensity of Al 2p peak (74.6 eV) increases with increasing the DC power. The metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector with the annealed AGO film deposited at the DC power of 10 W possesses the largest photocurrent of 5.7 × 10−9 A and the on/off current ratio (I on /I off ) of 1.5 × 104 (@2 V and 230 nm). The better optoelectronic performance of this device was attributed that the AGO film (DC power: 10 W) had a higher crystal quality, the O/(Al+Ga) ratio close to the optimum value of 1.5. Our results present the AGO films can be successfully prepared via sputtering technique, which are highly potential for deep-ultraviolet applications. Highlights • The effect of sputtering power on the AGO films' properties was investigated. • The bandgap values of these sputtered AGO films can reach to 4.89–5.19 eV. • XPS reveals the Ga 2p3/2 peak becomes weak by increasing the DC power of Al target. • Meanwhile, the Al 2p peak becomes strong with increasing the DC power of Al target. • AGO film (DC power: 10 W) has higher crystal quality and optimum O/(Al+Ga) ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work discusses the growth characteristics, composition, and photoluminescence properties of Zn-doped Ga 2 O 3 (ZnGaO) films. The idea of doping of Zn divalent cation in β-Ga 2 O 3 is to modulate the n-type conductivity of β-Ga 2 O 3 to p-type. Therefore, a series of ZnGaO films with varying Zn contents have been deposited on sapphire substrates using co-sputtering of Ga 2 O 3 and Zn targets at the substrate temperature of 400 °C. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that divalent Zn dopant is stable up to 8.62% in ZnGaO films. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy defined the increasing amount of Zn content in ZnGaO films. The lowest defect formation energy per atom by first-principles calculations indicates that the favourable site of Zn atoms is substitutional Ga tetrahedral site (T-site) in ZnGaO. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra exhibited that the peak emission wavelength of β-Ga 2 O 3 can be shifted with the inclusion of divalent Zn dopant in Ga 2 O 3 films, which is in accordance with the energy diagram and charge density distribution, indicating the Zn substituted T-site Ga are leading to more defect states, and inducing green luminescence in PL spectra. The ZnGaO films exhibited positive Hall coefficient, which verifies the p-type nature of films. ZnGaO films demonstrate a unique ability to realize p-type characteristics among emerging wide bandgap semiconductors, extending its applications at the forefront of contemporary optoelectronics technologies. [Display omitted] • Co-sputtering technique was used to deposit Zn-doped Ga 2 O 3 films. • The green luminescence was observed in Zn-doped Ga 2 O 3 films. • First-principles investigations were performed to verify the emission mechanism. • Zn atoms like to substitute Ga T-sites due to the lowest defect formation energy. • The positive Hall coefficient verified the p-type nature of Zn-doped Ga 2 O 3 films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Cu-W films with the W content higher than 17.2 at% were prepared by magnetron sputtering focused co-deposition technology. The micro-structures and nanoidentation hardness of the films were investigated. Except for the fcc, amorphous and bcc phases, a novel multilayered structure has been observed at the range of about 17.2–90 at% W. Within the multilayered structure, the high-density interfaces can inhibit the motion of dislocations, which resulted in the hardness at least 2 GPa higher than that of the mixing rule. Depending on different microstructures, the hardness curve of the Cu-W films can be divided into three regions instead of the linear increase with the W content. From 17.2–40 at% W, the hardness increased slowly due to lots of amorphous phase. Within 40–65 at% W, the hardness increased linearly, which was caused by the gradually obvious multilayered structure and decreasing amorphous content. Above 65 at% W, single-phase body-centered cubic (bcc) films were observed. In this region, the upward trend of hardness slowed down due to the porous columnar structure and gradually disappeared multilayered structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher manganese silicide (HMS) MnSi γ films with varying γ (1.65 ≤  γ  ≤ 3.23) were deposited on oxidized Si wafers at 703 K by radio frequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering of Mn and Si targets. As-deposited films were annealed at 1273 K for 3min using a lamp annealing system, and the thermoelectric (TE) properties were measured in the temperature range from room temperature to 1073 K. All the MnSi γ films were p-type below about 550 K, but the polarity converted to n-type at higher temperatures. Moreover, the power factor ( PF ) of the polarity-inverted films was exceptionally high, reaching the maximum value of 12.3 mW/K 2 m in the annealed MnSi 2.04 film. In case of the as-deposited films, the PF in the p-type regime ( PF p ) grew larger as the Si/Mn molar ratio γ approached the stoichiometric value of 1.73, while the PF n became vanishingly small. In contrast, the PF n of the annealed films remained very high even in the Mn-rich film ( γ  < 1.73), such that 9.6 mW/K 2 m was obtained from the MnSi 1.65 film. Hall measurement at elevated temperatures (≤773 K) showed that electron mobility was greatly increased after the annealing, which has produced unusually high PF n . The HMS phase was composed of Mn 4 Si 7 and Mn 11 Si 19 , but regions of unidentified phase were also confirmed by transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) analysis, the proportion of which was larger in the Si-rich films. The modification of the band structure induced by defects and structural disorder of the Mn and/or Si sublattice are supposed to be the origin of this novel phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO:Al is widely used as transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer in several electronic and optical devices. To widen bandgap energy (E g ) of ZnO:Al, Mg was introduced to form Zn 1 − x Mg x O:Al. In this work, the Zn 1 − x Mg x O:Al films with different [Mg] / ([Mg] + [Zn]) ratios (Mg content (x)) on soda-lime glasses and polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 thin films were prepared by radio frequency magnetron co-sputtering of ZnO:Al and MgO targets. The power density applied to ZnO:Al target was constant at 144.3 W/cm 2 , whereas that applied to MgO target is varied from 0 to 183.7 W/cm 2 to change the [Mg] / ([Mg] + [Zn]) ratio from 0 to 0.205. It is demonstrated that E g of the Zn 1 − x Mg x O:Al is increased with the [Mg] / ([Mg] + [Zn]) from 0 to 0.205, while the basic crystal structure is ZnO. The Zn 1 − x Mg x O:Al films with small [Mg] / ([Mg] + [Zn]) ratios of approximately 0.064–0.139 possess the better film quality and higher Hall mobility than those of ZnO:Al since their crystalline diameters are enhanced with the decreased deep-defect levels. With the small [Mg] / ([Mg] + [Zn]) up to 0.139, the carrier concentration is decreased, which is beneficial to lower the free carrier absorption, while the resistivity is kept low. Consequently, the Zn 1 − x Mg x O:Al films with the small [Mg] / ([Mg] + [Zn]) ratio (about 0.064–0.139) are promisingly utilized as TCO layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skutterudite CoSb 3 material exhibits excellent thermoelectric properties for thermoelectric application. In this work, CoSb 3 thin films were fabricated by direct current magnetron co-sputtering. The composition of thin films was controlled by regulating the deposition power of both Co and Sb. Then the as-deposited Sb-excess sample was chosen to process post-annealing. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, together with Raman analysis, demonstrate that the annealed samples have well-crystallized and nano-sized skutterudite CoSb 3 structure. Hall measurement shows that specimens are P-type semiconductor. Both of the increasing of Seebeck coefficient and electric conductivity can be obtained when the samples annealed at appropriate temperature, indicating that thermally can improve its thermoelectric properties due to well-crystallized and nano-sized structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the influence of changing Ar:N2 gas ratio on the growth and properties of InAlN films. InAlN films were deposited on -type Si(111) substrates by using magnetron co-sputtering method in 6:12, 10:10, 12:8 and 12:6 Ar:N2 mixtures at 300C. The surface, structural, electrical and optical properties of the deposited films were evaluated at different Ar:N2 ratios. The grain size and film thickness were increased by increasing the Ar flow with respect to N2. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed an improvement in the crystalline quality of the -axis-oriented InAlN film by adjusting the Ar:N2 ratio to 12:8, however no diffraction peak corresponding to InAlN was detected at 6:12 Ar:N2 mixture. The surface roughness of InAlN film exhibited an increasing trend whereas the electrical resistivity of the film was decreased by increasing the Ar:N2 ratio. The bandgap of InAlN film was calculated from the optical reflectance spectra and it was found to change by changing the Ar:N2 gas ratio. The analysis of results from this work shows that the InAlN film with improved physical properties can be obtained through reactive magnetron co-sputtering method by adjusting the Ar:N2mixture to 12:8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, CuInGa alloy precursor films are fabricated by co-sputtering of CuIn and CuGa targets simultaneously. After selenization in a tube-type rapid thermal annealing system under a Se atmosphere, the Cu(In, Ga)Se (CIGS) absorber layers are obtained. Standard soda lime glass (SLG)/Mo/CIGS/CdS/i-ZnO/ITO/Ag grid structural solar cells are fabricated based on the selenized CIGS absorbers. The influences of selenization temperatures on the composition, crystallinity, and device performances are systematically investigated by x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and the current density-voltage ( J- V) measurement. It is found that the elemental ratio of Cu/(In + Ga) strongly depends on the selenization temperatures. Because of the appropriate elemental ratio, a 9.92% conversion efficiency is reached for the CIGS absorber selenized at 560°C. After the additional optimization by pre-annealing treatment at 280°C before the selenization, a highest conversion efficiency of 11.19% with a open-circuit ( V ) of 456 mV, a short-circuit ( J ) of 40.357 mA/cm and a fill factor of 60.82% without antireflection coating has been achieved. Above 13% efficiency improvement was achievable. Our experimental findings presented in this work demonstrate that the post-selenization of co-sputtered CuIn and CuGa precursor is a promising way to fabricate high quality CIGS absorbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium niobium mixed oxide films have been deposited by reactive magnetron serial co-sputtering. After post annealing at 650 °C in air, a monoclinic TiNb 2 O 7 phase was achieved. Lithium intercalation properties were determined and cathodic switching behavior has been demonstrated for this material. Maximum switching of the integral visual transmittance of 16.8% has been determined for this sample with a thickness of 156 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, coatings in the material systems B-C-W and B-C-Ti have been synthesized by pulse magnetron sputtering, to exploit their potential as coatings for hard, wear resistant applications. These layers offer interesting properties, because of the possible amounts of carbides and borides that can form in the non-equilibrium deposition processes. Especially the amount of tungsten in the layers promises high wear resistance and corrosion protection at elevated temperatures. The B-C-W and B-C-Ti thin films have been deposited by pulsed magnetron co-sputtering in bipolar mode, using a boron carbide (B 4 C) target and a metal target (W or Ti) with a maximum total power input of 12.9 W/cm 2 . The amount of metal in the layers has been varied by adjusting the sputtering pulse length of the respective target material. The influence of bias voltage on the properties of B-C-W coatings has been investigated and it was found out that bias voltages of − 60 V … − 100 V lower the hardness of the coatings. The hardness and the Young's modulus of the layers have been determined by nanoindentation. Whereas the majority of coatings exhibits hardness around 20 GPa or lower, maximum hardness of 28 GPa and Young's modulus of 420 GPa are observed in a certain compositional range, in which coatings also distinguish by good thermal stability. Their composition has been analysed by using optical glow discharge emission spectroscopy (GD-OES) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hafnium-aluminum zinc oxide (HAZO) films as an active layer of oxide-transistors with different hafnium (Hf) contents were deposited via co-sputtering of separate targets. The effects of the sputtering power during co-sputtering on the structural, optical, electrical, and chemical properties of the HAZO films were examined. As the sputtering power increased, the structure of the HAZO films changed from polycrystalline to amorphous, and the Hf O bonds in the HAZO films increased, but the Zn O bonds decreased. Also, a bottom-gate-type thin-film transistor (TFT) using the HAZO film as its channel layer was fabricated and characterized. The TFTs using HAZO layer at room temperature as channel layer exhibited the device characteristics, such as a field effect mobility of 0.45 cm 2 /V·s, a threshold voltage of 17.18 V, a subthreshold swing of 0.85 V/decade, an on/off current ratio of 3.68 × 10 7 , and a visible transmittance of 82.7%. It was discovered that the changes of the electrical characteristics of the HAZO TFTs were closely related to the changes of the Zn O/Hf O bonding ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A magnetically assisted physical method was developed to synthesize crystalline bismuth telluride (Bi 2 Te 3 ) nanoparticles. This method takes advantage of co-sputtering from Bi 2 Te 3 and cobalt (Co) targets at elevated temperatures. Well-faceted polygonal or pyramidal nanoparticles were obtained from co-sputtering at a substrate temperature above 200 °C. The nanoparticles were analyzed to have a Bi to Te atomic ratio of 2 to 3, which represents the stoichiometric composition of Bi 2 Te 3 , without any detectable Co. The lateral size of Bi 2 Te 3 nanoparticles generally increased in the range of 50–160 nm and their facet structure was better developed as the growth temperature increased. Electron microscopy studies revealed that the Bi 2 Te 3 nanoparticles were distributed on the surface of a growing Bi 2 Te 3 thin film. Both the nanoparticles and the thin film were proven to be highly crystalline by cross-sectional TEM and selected-area electron diffraction patterns. A series of physical mechanisms were proposed to account for this unique growth technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc cadmium oxide (Zn 1−x Cd x O) films were deposited on quartz substrates by direct current (DC) and radio frequency (RF) reactive magnetron co-sputtering and the influence of post-annealing atmosphere on their microstructure, optical and electrical properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical absorbance, photoluminescence (PL) and Hall measurements. Results indicate that the band gap (E g ) of all Zn 1−x Cd x O films annealed in different atmospheres are smaller than that of the undoped ZnO, the observed shifts in E g being 0.43, 0.37 and 0.32 eV for the Zn 1−x Cd x O films annealed in argon, oxygen and vacuum, respectively. Hall measurement results indicate that all Zn 1−x Cd x O films annealed in different atmospheres show the n-type conduction, but the Zn 1−x Cd x O film annealed in vacuum has low resistivity and high concentration, which has room-temperature resistivity of 1.59 Ω cm and carrier concentration of 2.07×10 17 cm −3 . Compared with Zn 1−x Cd x O films annealed in oxygen and argon, Zn 1−x Cd x O film annealed in vacuum has the best crystal quality, luminescence and electrical properties. The influencing mechanism of the post-annealing atmosphere on the electrical and optical properties of the Zn 1−x Cd x O film is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO p-type thin films were deposited by dual acceptor co-doping using nitrogen and silver via DC reactive magnetron co-sputtering. As precursor material were used a Zn and an Ag metallic targets with a purity of 99.99%. X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed the presence of Ag and N in ZnO: Ag,N films. The electrical properties were explored by Hall Effect measurement and showed a low hole concentration for the as-deposited ZnO: Ag,N film. However, after annealing treatment, the films remained p-type and the electrical properties were improved significantly. The best electrical properties showed a low resistivity of 8.56×10 −3 Ωcm, Hall mobility of 23 cm 2 /Vs and a very high hole concentration of 3.17×10 19 cm −3 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Janus-like structure is obtained in W-Mo thin films with a clear separation between both metals. Thin films are deposited on glass and silicon substrates by magnetron co-sputtering using glancing angle deposition technique with two tilted targets (oblique angle α = 80°). Films (two thickness series of 300 nm and 1 μm) are prepared with the same pressure (0.33 Pa) and tungsten target current (I W = 140 mA) but with various molybdenum target currents (from 10 to 200 mA). The effect of Mo target current and thickness on the films microstructure and electrical response is investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and van der Pauw method. Porous and columnar W-Mo thin films with inclined columns are obtained due to the shadowing effect. Playing on the Mo target current allows controlling the architecture of the films until obtaining columns perpendicular to the substrate surface and equivalent W and Mo atomic concentrations. X-ray diffraction shows a significant thickness effect on the films microstructure with dominance of α or β phases of W for 1 μm or 300 nm, respectively. From transmission electron microscopy, W and Mo are pointed out in distinct sides of the columns and a finer structural analysis supports the clear separation between W and Mo. This two components design is repeated for all columns in the film proving that W-Mo thin films exhibit a Janus-like structure. [Display omitted] • W-Mo columnar thin films are prepared by GLAD co-sputtering. • Columnar architecture can be tuned by Mo flux. • Janus-like structure is obtained inside the columns with separation between W and Mo. • Films electrical resistivity is connected to Mo amount and films thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zn 1-x Cd x O thin films were prepared on quartz by the direct current (DC) and radio frequency (RF) reactive magnetron co-sputtering technique with Zn and Cd metal targets. The influence of RF power on Cd target (P Cd ) on the structure and optical properties of Zn 1-x Cd x O films was investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), optical absorbance and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The concentration and chemical states of Cd in films have been confirmed by energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The results indicated that as the P Cd varied from 0 to 120 W, all the Zn 1-x Cd x O thin films had a hexagonal wurtzite structure of pure ZnO and highly (002) preferred orientation, the Cd relative content in film is increased and the Zn relative content is decreased. Correspondingly, the optical band-gap of Zn 1-x Cd x O thin films with hexagonal wurtzite structure are tuned from 3.24 (P Cd = 0) to 2.82 eV (P Cd = 120 W). The location of the near-band-edge (NBE) emission peaks shift toward lower energy side from 388 to 440 nm, which is attributed to the decrease of band gap caused by Cd substitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricated PZT (Pb(Zr 1-x Ti x )O 3 , PZT) thin films at various O 2 gas ratios by utilizing the radio frequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering method. Ar-ion sputtered depth profile was performed to investigate both the surface and the bulk region of the PZT thin films. The thickness of the PZT thin films was monitored through the means of a surface profiler and a decrease from 272.7 to 89.7 nm was observed after introducing O 2 gas in the sputter gas. Based on the XRD study, the perovskite phase of PZT evolved after O 2 gas was introduced to the system. As the O 2 gas ratio increased, the portion of Pb increased while Zr and Ti decreased, in which this was confirmed by XPS. The conductivity of the PZT thin films obtained at 0 and 5% of O 2 gas ratio in the sputter gas dramatically decreased from 778.6 to 75.4 S/cm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast-response humidity sensor based on CoTiO 3 thin film was prepared by RF magnetron co-sputtering using TiO 2 and Co 2 O 3 targets followed by post-annealing process. The effects of annealing temperature and target sputtering power ratio on the preparation and humidity sensing properties of CoTiO 3 films were thoroughly investigated. The results show that an annealing treatment is beneficial for the crystallization and (100) preferred orientation of CoTiO 3 film. The sputtering power ratio of Co 2 O 3 to TiO 2 affects the phase composition and morphology of the films. The most sensitive CoTiO 3 film with fastest response/recovery is prepared by employing co-sputtering power of 100 W and 400 W for Co 2 O 3 and TiO 2 , respectively, as well as the post-annealing at 650 °C for two hours. The sensitivity value of the as-prepared CoTiO 3 film is 17.02 towards 95% RH, and the response/recovery time is as short as 1 s. This fast response is attributed to (100) preferred orientation and the fine-established-net morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Nb-doped TiO 2 films were deposited on glass substrates utilizing RF magnetron co-sputtering with a TiO 2 target and a Nb target. In order to study the effect of Nb concentration, four groups of films with different Nb concentration were prepared and annealed in N 2 at 500 °C. Crystal structure, surface morphology, electrical and optical property of the films were characterized. The lowest resistivity was measured to be 1.2 × 10 −3 Ω cm at the Nb concentration of 7.0 at.%. Meanwhile, Hall mobility and carrier density were 2.0 cm 2 /Vs and 2.6 × 10 21 cm −3 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon zinc oxide (SZO) thin films were deposited via co-sputtering, while thin-film transistors (TFTfs) with the SZO film as the active layer were fabricated with a bottom gate configuration. Two kinds of post-treatment, furnace annealing and hot pressing, were carried out on the deposited SZO films. The effects of the post-treatment on the crystalline structure, chemical bond, surface roughness, and optical transmittance of the deposited SZO TFTs were analyzed as functions of the post-treatment conditions that were used. It was observed from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results that the structure of the SZO film became amorphous and the amount of Si-O bonds in the SZO film drastically increased after low-temperature furnace annealing. The on-off current ratio was 1.35 × 10 8 for the TFT after furnace annealing (200 °C) and 1.93 × 10 8 for the TFT after hot-pressing (200 °C, 2 MPa), while that of the as-deposited SZO-TFT was 3.16 × 10 6 . The experiment results showed that the hot pressing method would be preferable because it could improve the electrical characteristics of the SZO-TFTs, yielding similar results from the case where furnace annealing for about 60 min was carried out, in spite of the short process time (about 30 s) of the hot pressing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu-doped ZnO thin films with a single phase (002) oriented were prepared on glass substrate by magnetron co-sputtering. The influences of Cu doping on the microstructure, surface morphology and photoluminescent characteristics of the films were systematically investigated. XRD and SEM results show that the moderate Cu doping could promote the preferential growth of (002) crystal plane and help Cu atoms orderly merge into lattice of ZnO, but the excessive Cu doping inhibits it. The blue emissions peaks were mainly originated from the transition from the conduction band bottom to Zinc vacancy and the transition from antisite Zinc to zinc vacancy. We can control the intensity of blue emissions peaks by changing the Cu doping content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ag–TaN sputtered on polyester (PES) accelerated >6 times the bacterial inactivation kinetics compared to TaN–PES under actinic light irradiation. Direct current pulsed magnetron sputtering (DCP) was used to sputter Ag–TaN–PES and TaN–PES. Complete bacterial reduction by Ag–TaN occurred within 20 min compared to Ag–TiN (100 min) and Ag–ZrN (90 min). The co-sputtering of Ag and Ta on PES was carried out in an Ar/N 2 10% atmosphere. By ion-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (ICP–MS) a reduced Ag-release was observed for Ag–TaN samples compared to Ag–PES samples within the disinfection period. The redox catalysis by the Ag-species during the bacterial disinfection was followed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A bacterial reduction mechanism is suggested consistent with the experimental findings. The nitride films were characterized by surface science methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serial co-sputtering is an extension of conventional magnetron sputtering: it utilizes cylindrical primary rotating sputter sources within a metallic or reactive sputtering process. With one or more auxiliary sputter sources the surface of the primary sputter target is simultaneously coated with additional elements. In the primary sputtering process, these elements get implanted and mixed into the primary target material leading to production of multi-component films. In this paper we use an installation of this technology called “Megatron™”, which involves an effective gas separation between primary and auxiliary chamber volumes. With this setup, we fabricated TiO 2 :W and TiO 2 :Nb layers by using a rotating Titania target as primary source and planar W and Nb targets as auxiliary sources, respectively. In both cases the so called sputter yield amplification effect (SYA) was demonstrated: Within the TiO 2 matrix the heavier element e. g. tungsten keeps the sputter cascade close to the target surface and thus significantly enhances the sputter rate. Additionally, by niobium doping in combination with a post-deposition annealing it is possible to get TiO 2 :Nb layers with tailored Nb composition as conductive transparent oxides (TCO). Due to the independent power control of the secondary target the tungsten and niobium concentration can easily be optimized. We present doping series for optimizing either the SYA effect for TiO 2 :W or the effect of a transparent conductive TCO for TiO 2 :Nb. With tungsten doping we achieved an enhancement of more than twice the DC sputter rate. With niobium doping and a post-deposition annealing step (350 °C) we reach resistivity values of about 1.2 × 10 −3 Ωcm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Cr–Ta–Si–N coatings were prepared using reactive magnetron co-sputtering on silicon wafers and cemented carbide substrates to evaluate their feasibility for protective purposes on glass molding dies. The nitrogen gas flow-rate ratio (N 2 /(N 2 + Ar)) was set at 0.4 to fabricate the Cr–Ta–Si–N coatings with an overstoichiometric ratio, N/(Cr + Ta + Si) > 1, for the rock salt structure. The as-deposited Cr–Ta–Si–N coatings, with Cr and Si contents in the ranges of 1–15 at.% and 9–15 at.%, respectively, exhibited a nanohardness of 14.6–21.6 GPa and a surface roughness of 0.4–1.0 nm. The coatings with a Si content between 11 and 15 at.% exhibited X-ray amorphous. Annealing treatments were conducted in a 1% O 2 –99% Ar atmosphere at 600 °C for 500 min, which is an oxidation-accelerating condition, and thermal cycling annealing was conducted at 270 °C and 600 °C in a 15 ppm O 2 –N 2 atmosphere, which is a realistic glass molding atmosphere for mass production. The outward diffusion of Si resulted in the formation of a Si-oxide scale 12–14 nm thick, thus maintaining a surface roughness of approximately 1 nm and confirming the thermal stability of the Cr–Ta–Si–N coatings. The chemical inertness of the Cr 6 Ta 25 Si 11 N 58 coating during the molding of B 2 O 3 –ZnO–La 2 O 3 -based and SiO 2 –B 2 O 3 –BaO-based glasses was evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous Si-Al films were fabricated by magnetron sputtering (co-sputtering) using three different copper substrates as current collectors, respectively. The morphology, compositions, structure, and crystallinity of the porous Si-Al films anodes were examined by using SEM, EDX, TEM, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical properties of the porous Si-Al films anodes were evaluated by galvanostatic cycling. The Si-Al film deposited on copper foam showed higher insertion/extraction capacity, capacity retention, and longer cycle life in comparison to the Si-Al films deposited on expanded copper mesh and even copper mesh grid, which could be attributed to its unique three-dimensional macroporous structure. The three-dimensional macroporous structure could offer larger materials/electrolyte contact area, a much better adhesion, lower electrical resistance (i.e., well conductive), and stress-alleviated environment to partly accommodate volume expansion that leads to exfoliation during cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Zinc cadmium sulfide (ZnxCd1−xS) thin films (0≤x≤1) were deposited by the radio frequency (RF) co-sputtering of cadmium sulfide (CdS) and zinc sulfide (ZnS). The RF powers of CdS and ZnS were varied to control the composition of the films, which was confirmed using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The structural properties of the films were investigated using X-ray diffraction, which showed that the films have a hexagonal (wurtzite) structure with a strong preferential orientation along the (002) plane. The values of lattice constants ‘a’ and ‘c’ decreased as ‘x’ increased. The surface morphology, topology and optical properties were investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The FESEM studies revealed an increase in grain size for zinc (Zn) contents up to x=0.62, followed by a decrease in the grain size until ‘x’ reached 0.81, above which the films were amorphous. The optical band gaps of the films were obtained from optical absorption measurements and shifted to a higher energy as the content of ‘x’ increased. The presence of a small amount of zinc in CdS strongly influenced the optical band gap and transmittance of ZnxCd1−xS thin films. The electrical sheet resistance of the films was also found to be relatively high. Among the range of ZnxCd1−xS compositions tested, the samples with a Zn content of 0.17 to 0.43 showed a better film quality, making them suitable as the window layer in ZnxCd1−xS/CdTe thin film solar cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study reveals the effect of low-temperature air annealing on various physical properties of Zn (1-x) Sn (x) O (x = 0.14) (TZO) thin films. The thin films were grown on glass substrates by co-sputtering techniques and the grown films were subjected to low temperature air -annealing. X-ray diffraction studies on the grown samples reveal a polycrystalline nature with a hexagonal wurtzite structure. A Change in orientation from (002) to (100) followed by an increase in crystallinity was observed in 100 °C annealed samples. A variation in the optical band gap from 3.17 to 3.44 eV after annealing was noticed. Changes in the defect density of Zn interstitials and Oxygen vacancies are clearly noticeable from PL analysis. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) elucidate an enhanced oxygen vacancies after doping. The van der Pauw resistivity measurement revealed a decrement in the resistivity after doping and annealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A Zn–Mg coating was prepared by magnetron co-sputtering method on carbon steel with Zn layer pre-deposited using an alkaline non-cyanide zinc bath. The morphologies, chemical compositions, mechanical properties and anticorrosion properties of specimens were investigated. The microhardness of the Zn–Mg coating increased from 244HV25 of the electroplated Zn coating to 323HV25. The electrochemical test in NaCl solution showed that the Zn–Mg coating had a passive region around the potential of 300mV. Salt water immersion test in 3.5wt.% NaCl solution also showed corrosion property improvement. The red rust generation time of Zn–Mg coating was doubled compared with the Zn coating. The possible mechanism of the improvement of corrosion resistance of Zn–Mg coating is proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The ternary MgxNi1−xO thin films were deposited on glass substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering with NiO and MgO targets. The Mg mole fraction was controlled by RF power of MgO target from 0 to 200W at 600°C. As a result, the absorption edge was proportionally shifted from 330nm (3.75eV) to 314nm (3.95eV), when RF power of MgO target increased. The Mg composition was easily mixed up to 4.9% in the MgxNi1−xO thin films when the RF power for MgO was 200W, which was confirmed by secondary ion mass spectrometry data showing similar changes in the Mg mole fraction. In addition, the transmittance of all films maintained at an average value of 80% in the visible region and no significant structural changes were observed, regardless of the Mg contents, because of the identical rock-salt structure and low lattice mismatch (0.8%) between NiO and MgO. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this work, thin films deposited by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering of [Ti-Al/Ti-Al-N] and [Ti-Cr/Ti-Cr-N] multilayers of nanometric periods were analyzed by AFM in contact mode to measure values of lateral and normal forces. From these measurements, the coefficient of friction (COF) of these materials in contact with the AFM tip was calculated. Measurements were made with three types of silicon tips, diamond-coated, Pt-Cr-coated, and bare silicon. Significant differences between the tip materials in contact with the samples, which affected the COF, were observed. The effect of the environmental layer of water covering the surface sample and the tip appears as the most important factor affecting the tribology behavior of the tip-sample contact. For diamond-coated and bare silicon tips there is an additional adherence force increasing the normal load. But for tips platinum-chromium-coated there is a repulsive force due to this water layer, which behaves as a lubricant layer before a threshold load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We proposed the fabrication of Li–Zn–Sn–O (LZTO) thin film transistors (TFTs) using a magnetron co-sputtering method. To analyze the effects of Li incorporation on the amorphous LZTO TFTs, Hall measurement and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were performed. It was found that the increased addition of Li to the ZTO system caused the suppression of carrier creation. At an optimized condition (~12at.% Li) for LZTO TFTs, we achieved a saturation mobility of ~10.4cm2/Vs, a subthreshold voltage of 0.25V/decade, a threshold voltage (Vth) of 3.9V, and an Ion/off ratio of 2×108. Furthermore, the optimized device exhibited much better photo-bias stability (ΔVth =−3.3V) than the reference ZTO device (ΔVth =−10.8V) under the negative bias illumination stress condition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: ZnMgO films were prepared at room temperature on freestanding diamond (FSD) substrates by co-sputtering. The Mg content was controlled by varying RF sputtering power of MgO and the effects of Mg contents on the properties of ZnMgO films were investigated. The results showed that the (0002) peak of ZnMgO shifted from 34.5° to 35.6° with the increasing sputtering power of MgO target. The UV-visible and PL spetra of ZnMgO films revealed that the bandgap of ZnMgO was approximately linear related to the sputtering power of MgO target. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This work focuses on the properties of Zr–Cu–(N) deposits obtained by magnetron co-sputtering of Zr and Cu targets in pure argon or in argon nitrogen gas mixtures. Microstructure and mechanical properties (hardness and Young''s modulus) were investigated versus deposition parameters. The composition of the Zr–Cu alloy films on the full binary range was accurately controlled by means of the discharge current intensity on both Zr and Cu targets. Deposits were observed to be amorphous single phased in a large range of copper content, the hardness and Young''s modulus of the amorphous phase increasing with the latter. A small amount of nitrogen in the gas mixture leads to higher hardness and Young''s modulus values. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Amorphous silicon oxycarbonitride (SiCxNyOz) films have been deposited on Si substrates by low temperature reactive magnetron co-sputtering of silicon and graphite targets in mixed Ar/N2 atmosphere. Our studies are focused on the influence of nitrogen incorporation on deposition rate, film composition, film structure, chemical bonds, and electrical resistivity of SiCxNyOz films investigated by profilometry, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and four-point probe method. RBS results show that all samples contain significant amounts of oxygen (up to 16at.%) which led to the formation of SiCxNyOz. Further, XPS results show that most of this oxygen is located in the film surface. With the addition of N2 gas in the plasma, the carbon, and nitrogen contents in the films increase. The increased carbon content is due to the contribution of chemically driven sputtering of the graphite target and the reduction of the sputtering rate of the silicon target owing to poisoning by nitrogen. Raman spectra suggest that the films contain amorphous phases and that the a-C clusters suffer a graphitization with increased N2 gas flow rate. The XRD analysis confirmed the amorphous structure of these films. According to the XPS analysis, the increase in nitrogen content leads to an increase in Sie:glyph name="sbnd" />N bonds, decreasing the Siglyph name="sbnd" />Si, and CFinally, the films electrical resistivity depends mainly on the nitrogen content, which makes it possible to obtain semiconductor or insulator SiCxNyOz films only by adjusting the N2 concentration in the gas phase during the deposition process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Titanium dioxide (TiO2) of the anatase phase has recently attracted much attention as a novel transparent conducting oxide (TCO) due to its rich availability, high refractive index with low absorption in the solar spectrum. While it has been found that Nb is a dopant to obtain low resistivity (~10−4 Ωcm), other metals such as Ta, W etc., are also considered as potential effective dopants. In this paper, we carried out a parallel study on Nb- and Ta-doped TiO2 anatase films both theoretically by first principles calculation and experimentally by sputtering deposition and optical/electrical characterizations. The Nb-TiO2 films deposited on glass by co-sputtering at room temperature were amorphous, and the films crystallized into an anatase structure after vacuum-annealing, with the measured resistivity values comparative to the reported. The Ta-TiO2 films were deposited similarly, and the structure and properties were compared with the Nb-doped ones. Results showed that better performance was found in Nb-TiO2 films than that in Ta-TiO2 films. Theoretical calculations indicate that the larger lattice distortion by substitution of Ta for Ti is the dominating factor to suppress crystal growth and weaken the ability of electron mobility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The chromium and titanium oxynitride films on glass substrate were deposited by using reactive RF magnetron sputtering in the present work. The structural and optical properties of the chromium and titanium oxynitride films as a function of power variations are investigated. The chromium oxynitride films are crystalline even at low power of Cr target (≥60W) but the titanium oxynitride films are amorphous at low target power of Ti target (≤90W) as observed from glancing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) patterns. The residual stress and strain of the chromium oxynitride films are calculated by sin2 ψ method, as the average crystallite size decreases with the increase in sputtering power of the Cr target, higher stress and strain values are observed. The chromium oxynitride films changes from hydrophilic to hydrophobic with the increase of contact angle value from 86.4° to 94.1°, but the deposited titanium oxynitride films are hydrophilic as observed from contact angle measurements. The changes in surface energy were calculated using contact angle measurements to substantiate the hydrophobic properties of the films. UV–vis and NIR spectrophotometer were used to obtain the transmission and absorption spectra, and the later was used for determining band gap values of the films, respectively. The refractive index of chromium and titanium oxynitride films increases with film packing density due to formation of crystalline chromium and titanium oxynitride films with the gradual rise in deposition rate as a result of increase in target powers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]