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Highlights: [•] 6.2% CZTS/CdS solar cell without AR coating. [•] QE modeling shows less than half the thickness of the CZTS layer contributes to photocurrent. [•] Detailed characterization of the CZTS cell properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The co-sputtering method was used to prepare Si-incorporated ZnO (SZO) films. The changes in the electrical resistivity, crystalline structure, optical transmittance, and chemical bonding of SZO films were examined according to the sputtering power applied to the Si target. The resistivity of the SZO film strongly depended on the sputtering power of the Si target and varied in a wide range of approximately 10−3–107 Ωcm. With an increase in the Si sputtering power, the crystalline structure of SZO films changed from polycrystalline to amorphous. The average transmittance of all the SZO films within the wavelength-range of 400–700nm was at least 80%. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement showed that the changes in the resistivity and optical band gap of the SZO film according to the Si sputtering power were closely related to the changes in the oxygen vacancies and SiOx bonds in the film. Finally, the bottom-gate-type SZO-TFTs were fabricated and their transistor actions were presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We fabricated TiNi thin films using advanced multi-target sputtering system. [•] We examine martensitic transformation of TiNi thin films by heat-treatment. [•] Composition effect on martensitic transformation of TiNi films was also examined. [•] Ideal heat-treatment condition of TiNi thin films for application was reported. [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]

Abstract: Advanced electronic devices based on III-N semiconductors, particularly these operated at the high power and high frequency or corrosive atmosphere, need elaboration of new technology for contacts metallization which are thermally and chemically stable. Performed studies aimed at the development of materials for applications in the improved metallization. Due to the unique combination of the metallic electro-thermal conductivity and ceramic resistance to oxidation and thermal stability, the MAX phases were chosen as the materials potentially applicable to this task. Particular interest lies in the MAX phases based on the Ti, Si and C or N atoms, especially on the Ti3SiC2 phase. The paper focuses on a comprehensive characterization of films grown by means of high-temperature magnetron Ti, Si and C co-sputtering. The complementary characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is presented. XRD studies pointed out the presence of several phases in the investigated samples, therefore XAS as an atomic sensitive probe was applied to examine the average atomic order around Ti atoms as a function of the technological parameters and to point towards proper procedures to achieve the appropriate stoichiometry around Ti atoms and finally the Ti3SiC2 phase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Co-sputtered tantalum (V) oxide and yttrium (III) oxide (Ta2O5:Y2O3) thin films were fabricated using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering for the first time, and their photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray diffraction properties were evaluated. Broad PL spectra from 380 to 800 nm were observed only from films annealed at 700 °C. The maximum PL intensities were found around a wavelength of 500 nm regardless of the Y concentrations of the films, and the films annealed at 700 °C were primarily amorphous phases. It seems that the broad PL spectra from the Ta2O5:Y2O3 films originated from oxygen vacancies of Ta2O5 and Y2O3 particles that may be produced in Ta2O5 by co-sputtering.

• Ba-doped InZnSnO (B–IZTO) channel layer deposited by RF magnetron co-sputtering. • Control of chemical composition, optical and electrical properties of the amorphous B–IZTO channel. • Transfer characteristics, negative bias stress and negative bias illumination stress stability of B–IZTO TFTs. • Optical characteristics of B–IZTO light emitting transistor with increasing BTO sputtering power. In this study, we investigate the characteristics of barium-addition indium-zinc-tin-oxide (B–IZTO) channels fabricated by the co-sputtering of barium-tin-oxide and indium-zinc-tin-oxide (IZTO) targets for the operation of thin film transistors (TFTs) and light emitting transistors (LETs). The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis verifies that increasing the BaSnO 3 sputtering power significantly decreases the concentration of oxygen vacancy from 35.0% to 16.3%. In addition, increasing the Ba concentration in the B–IZTO films increases the average transmittance of the B–IZTO channel in the visible light region (400–800 nm) from 86.7% to 88.3%, and the electrical resistivity from 84.3 to 5408 Ω∙cm, respectively. We find that the appropriate composition of Ba in the IZTO channels greatly improves the subthreshold swing (SS), the stability against the negative bias illumination stress (NBIS) of the B–IZTO channels-based TFTs. As the Ba content of the IZTO channel layer increases, SS decreases from 0.49 to 0.13 V/decade and the threshold voltage shift (ΔV TH) by NBIS reduces from − 13.1 to − 5.07 V, respectively. In the case of the B–IZTO-based LET with the highest Ba content, the device has the lowest light turn on voltage (V ON) of 1.84 V, and shows the maximum brightness of 1.53 × 104 cd/m2. In this study, we confirm that the addition of Ba in the IZTO effectively suppresses the oxygen vacancies in the IZTO channel, resulting in the enhanced stability of the B–IZTO-based TFTs, and improves the performance of the B–IZTO-based LETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effect of Ti content on PtTi alloy cathode for solid oxide fuel cell is reported. • Co-sputtered PtTi alloy cathode shows optimal performance at Ti 11 at%. • PtTi cathode with Ti 11 at% reduces the activation resistance by 40% compared to Pt. • PtTi cathode with Ti 11 at% improves the thermal stability by 80% compared to Pt. • Excessive Ti in PtTi cathode forms surface TiO 2 layer and drops the performance. [Display omitted] One of the effective strategies to enhance the activity and stability of the Pt-based catalysts in low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs) is modifying the electronic structure and reducing the surface energy of Pt by transition metal alloying. Herein, co-sputtered Pt/Ti alloy cathodes for LT-SOFC with varying Pt/Ti compositional ratios (Ti 0–26 at%) are fabricated and tested. The cell constructed with the optimal (6–11 at% Ti) Pt/Ti alloy cathode shows five times lower degradation rate in activation resistance compared to a pure Pt cathode at 450 °C, resulting in a 33% enhancement in the maximum power density after 2 h of operation. We show that the performance enhancement of the Pt/Ti alloy cathode at elevated temperature is due to the formation of a catalytically active and thermally stable Pt3Ti alloy phase, in which coarsening is effectively prevented as opposed to its pure Pt counterpart. Moreover, we demonstrate that Pt/Ti alloy cathodes with excessive Ti content (≥ 19 at%) suffer from the formation of a nonreactive TiO 2 surface upon oxygen exposure at elevated temperature, which causes higher activation resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two series of tungsten thin films are sputtered on silicon and glass substrates by oblique angle co-deposition technique with an original configuration. Two opposite distinct tungsten targets are simultaneously used, both tilted with an oblique angle of 80°. The growth is performed at low (0.33 Pa) and high (1.5 Pa) argon sputtering pressure and the current intensity applied to the targets varies between 50 and 250 mA. The effect of these deposition parameters on the films microstructure and electrical properties is investigated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and pole figures, and van der Pauw method. Due to self-shadowing effect, all tungsten sputtered thin films are porous and columnar. At low pressure, the columnar tilt angle β can be tuned with the target current intensity until obtaining vertical columns. X-ray diffraction and pole figure analyses point out a A15 crystal structure (β-W) and a uniaxial fiber texture with a <100> growth direction. In contrast, tungsten thin films deposited at high pressure present a cauliflower structure and are poorly crystallized. Both deposition parameters also affect the films electrical resistivity and anisotropy. These behaviors are discussed and linked to the microstructure and crystallography. [Display omitted] • Nanocolumnar tungsten thin films are co-sputter deposited from two opposite sources. • The column tilt angle is tunable at low sputtering pressure changing one current target. • A cauliflower morphology is systematically produced at high sputtering pressure. • Pressure and target current both influence electrical conductivity of nanocolumnar films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium nitride doped with carbon film (TiN/C) is designed as the electrode for supercapacitor since the titanium nitride has the pseudocapacitive nature. In this paper, the TiN/C films without any binder are prepared by using magnetron co-sputtering method. The surface of C doped TiN film changes into pyramid shape, which increases the porosity and surface roughness of the film, and enhances the formation of surface pseudocapacitive material TiO x N y , which promotes the super capacitive properties of TiN/C electrode. The TiN film electrode with ∼5.33 at.% doped C displays an outstanding capacitance performance with the maximum areal capacitance of 45.81 mF cm−2. It is 3 times that of the un-doped TiN (16.25 mF cm−2) at a scan rate of 10 mV s−1 in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 solution. It exhibits excellent electrochemical cycling stability and excellent reversibility with a decay rate of 3.72% after 5000 cycles. In addition, the TiN/C-2 electrode has the great capacitance performance and the large capacitance contribution with the value of 85%. The incorporation of C element to the transition metal nitride could be a feasible method to improve the capacitance performance of transition metal nitride electrode. • Titanium nitride doped with carbon film electrode (TiN/C) is prepared by DC magnetron co-sputtering. • The areal capacitance of the TiN/C-2 electrode is as high as 3 times that of the pure TiN electrode at 100 mV s-1. • The electrode has an excellent cycling stability: the TiN/C-2 electrode has a decay rate of 3.72% after 5000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Zn1− xSn xO thin films were deposited on K9 glass and Si substrates by co-sputtering Zn and Sn targets under atmospheres of Ar and O2. The samples were then characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Seebeck effect, four-probe instrument, and UV/VIS spectrophotometry. XRD and Raman show that all the samples are hexagonal and Sn doping increases the stress greatly. EDX demonstrates that the atomic ratio of Sn to Sn plus Zn is 0.04-0.07. All the samples are n-type. The resistivity of Zn1− xSn xO is much smaller than that of undoped ZnO deposited under the same conditions. The optical bandgap of Zn1− xSn xO is also reduced compared with that of ZnO deposited under the same conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, p-type Bi xSb 2−xTe 3 thermoelectric thin films with various chemical compositions were fabricated by a magnetron co-sputtering process. The influence of Bi content ( x) on the microstructures and thermoelectric properties of Bi xSb 2−xTe 3 films was investigated. It was found that the grain size of nanocrystalline Bi xSb 2−xTe 3 films decreased when increasing the Bi content from x = 0 to x = 0.57, which resulted in a concurrent decrease in the carrier mobility. Similarly, carrier concentration decreased with increasing Bi content, which caused an increase in the Seebeck coefficient. The largest room-temperature power factor reached 31.3 µWK −2cm −1 for the film with x = 0.45. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Using DC and RF co-sputtering to deposit bismuth telluride thin films. [•] Sputtering Bi and Te target respectively instead of the traditional Bi2Te3 target. [•] Influences of annealing temperatures on thermoelectric properties and micro-structure. [•] Dependence of thermoelectric properties on the applied temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilayer coatings of titanium/ titanium silicon oxynitride (Ti/TiSiNO) were fabricated on stainless steel 434-L substrates by sputtering technique using Ti and TiSiO targets. The multilayers were formed by alternately and simultaneously introducing and suspending a 4-sccm flow of nitrogen together with an interchange of targets, during different time periods of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 min; thus, we obtained intervals of different thickness by alternating the target (Ti) and using only argon, and later with both targets (Ti + TiSiO) and the two gases (Ar + N). The final thickness was within a range of 0.4-0.8 μm, depending on the number of multi layers obtained by means of glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy. The structure, topography, color, durability and nanofriction were analyzed in accordance with the growth parameters used. It was found that the values of hardness depend on the number of layers deposited. The greatest number of layers, 48 of them, was obtained with a time period of 1 min, thereby attaining the maximum value of hardness and the minimum value for both the friction coefficient and the RMS, with 31 GPa, 7.42 × 10 and 0.17 nm, respectively. The phases found correspond to TiN, SiN, rutile phase of TiO and Ti. The TiO phase was corroborated with Raman dispersion spectroscopy. The color of the coatings was affected by variation in the working pressure, which varied because of the internal process of reactive sputtering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Stoichiometric Bi2Te3 films were obtained by controlling the target power. [•] The microstructure of Bi2Te3 thin films was affected by annealing temperature. [•] Annealing temperature affected various properties of Bi2Te3 thin films. [•] High thermoelectric properties was obtained at the annealing temperature of 300°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper deals with deposition of titanium and zirconium oxynitride films prepared from co-sputtering titanium and zirconium targets by reactive RF magnetron sputtering. The effect of power variation on various properties of the deposited films is analysed. The film gets transformed from amorphous to well crystalline oxynitride films with gradual increase of target powers as observed from XRD graphs. The films exhibit hydrophilic and hydrophobic behaviours depending upon the presence of various phases. Surface energy decreases as the film properties change from hydrophilic to hydrophobic due to greater contact angle values. The optical properties were measured by UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer, transmission spectra and bandgap values show variation with respect to change in elemental composition as determined from EDS analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: ZnxCd1-xS thin films at low zinc content have been deposited on bare soda lime glass substrates using RF magnetron co-sputtering of CdS and ZnS for the first time to investigate annealing effect on the structural and optical properties of the thin films. The as-deposited films were annealed in O2/N2 ambient at annealing temperature ranging 200-500°C. The composition of the films was controlled by varying RF power of CdS and ZnS in such a ratio so that zinc content in the thin films was low. The composition, structural, optical and surface morphological properties of the films was investigated using EDX, XRD, UV-Vis spectrophotometer and FESEM. The annealed films were observed hexagonal wurtzite structure with strong preferential orientation along (002) diffraction peak. Crystallinity of the films increased with increasing annealing temperature below 400°C whereas beyond 400°C new peaks were observed along with decreasing trend of (002) diffraction peak. Optical absorption and transmission spectra were recorded within the range 300-900nm. With increasing annealing temperature, the band gap of the annealed films once decreased and then abruptly increased at around 400°C. The decreased bandgap may have been due to possible increase in the crystalline nature of the material. From SEM, it was observed that the thin films were formed by different clusters of grains which later changed to isolated grains as the annealing temperature increased. This work confirms that annealing temperature has overbearing influence on the ZnxCd1-xS thin film properties deposited by RF magnetron co-sputtering. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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: CuGaIn precursors prepared by co-evaporation and co-sputtering processes were compared. The morphologies, degree of incorporation of Ga into CIGS, and the MoSe2 layer thicknesses of Cu(InGa)Se2 thin films fabricated by the rapid thermal annealing of metal precursors deposited by the two different processes differed owing to the precursor feature differences. Furthermore, a comparison of the isothermal in situ high-temperature X-ray scans of both precursors at 300°C revealed that the selenization rate of the co-evaporated CuGaIn precursor is much higher than that of the co-sputtered precursor, which might be due to the lower film density of co-evaporated precursor. It is suggested that co-evaporated precursor should be a promising alternative for sputtered precursor to overcome the long process time and low throughput issue of 2-step sputter–selenization process, and simultaneously improve Ga incorporation and surface smoothness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Self-organized Sn-doped TiO2 nanotubes were fabricated by anodization of co-sputtered Ti–Sn thin films in a glycerol electrolyte containing NH4F. The Sn-doped TiO2nts were studied in terms of composition, morphology and structure by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and 119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy. The electrochemical behaviour of the Sn-doped TiO2nts was evaluated in Li test cells as a possible negative electrode for 3D Li-ion micro batteries. The Sn-doped TiO2nts delivered much higher capacity values compared to simple TiO2nts. The outstanding electrochemical behaviour is proposed to be related to the enhanced lithium diffusivity evidenced with Cottrell plots, and the rutile-type structure imparted with the Sn doping. [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: TaN–(Ag,Cu) nanocomposite films were deposited by reactive co-sputtering on Si(001). The films were then annealed using RTA (Rapid Thermal Annealing) at 200–400 °C to induce the nucleation and growth of metal particles in TaN matrix and on film surface. After the surface morphologies were analyzed, the samples were tested for their antibacterial behaviors against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. It is found that the antibacterial efficiency against either E. coli or S. aureus can be much improved for TaN–(Ag,Cu), comparing with TaN–Ag or TaN–Cu films. The annealing temperature for TaN–(Ag,Cu) can be as low as 250 °C. Being annealed at this temperature, the film still shows good antibacterial behaviors against either bacterium. The synergistic effect due to the co-existence of Ag and Cu is obvious, while the films still shows good tribological behaviors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Silicon doped Zinc Oxide thin films, so-called SZO, were deposited at room temperature on glass and plastic substrates by co-sputtering of ZnO and SiO2 targets. The influence of the SiO2 target power supply (from 30 to 75W) on the SZO thin film composition and crystallinity is discussed. Si/Zn atomic ratio, determined by X-ray microprobe, increases from 1.2 to 8.2at.%. For Si/Zn ratio equal and lower than 3.9%, SZO (S3.9ZO) thin films exhibit the Wurzite structure with the (0 0 2) preferred orientation. Larger Si content leads to a decrease in crystallinity. With Si addition, the resistivity decreases down to 3.5×10−3 Ω·cm for SZO thin film containing 3.9at.% of Si prior to an increase. The mean transmittance of S3.9ZO thin film on glass substrate approaches 80% (it is about 90% for the film itself) in the visible range (from 400 to 750nm). Co-sputtered SZO thin films are suitable candidates for large area transparent conductive oxides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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]

We describe a dedicated co-sputtering/ion-mill system developed to study metallic paramagnetic films for use in magnetic microcalorimetry. Small-diameter sputtering guns allow study of several precious-metal paramagnetic alloy systems within a reasonable budget. We demonstrated safe operation of a 1″ sputtering gun at greater than five times the rated maximum power, achieving deposition rates up to ∼ 900 Å/min/gun (Cu) in our co-sputtering geometry. Demonstrated co-sputtering deposition ratios up to 100:1 allow accurate tuning of magnetic dopant concentration and eliminate the difficulty of preparing homogeneous alloy targets of extreme dilution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The amorphous HfO2 doped Gd2O3 (GDH) film has been grown on p-type Si (001) substrates by radio frequency co-sputtering, and the thickness of GDH film was 4.4nm. The results of electrical tests showed that the ΔVFB of C-V curves reduced from 170mV to 40mV, dielectric constant increased from 19.6 to 21.3, and relaxation phenomena decreased after RTA. I-V curves showed that the leakage current density of GDH film was reduced from 9.6×10-4 A/cm2 to 1.3×10-5 A/cm2 after Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA). The reliability studies on GDH gate dielectric show that the Time Zero Dielectric Breakdown (TZDB) was mainly caused by the accumulation of positive charges. [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: Thermomechanical challenges place restrictions on the choice of fast ion conductors that may be implemented as free standing electrolyte membranes for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells. In order to expand the possible choices, mechanical and chemical stability constraints must be taken into consideration. Here, we present a method to utilize the mechanical stability of a ZrO2 based electrolyte for this application. Facile low temperature synthesis of solid solution (Y2O3)0.08(ZrO2)0.92–(Gd2O3)0.1(CeO2)0.9 free standing electrolytes by co-sputtering is demonstrated. Fuel cells integrating these nanoscale electrolytes show power output of over 1000mWcm−2 at 510°C and are thermomechanically robust. The results demonstrate a general route for low temperature synthesis of nanoscale functional oxide alloys for thin film solid oxide fuel cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) using pulsed C60 + primary ions is a promising technique for analyzing biological specimens with high surface sensitivities. With molecular secondary ions of high masses, multiple molecules can be identified simultaneously without prior separation or isotope labeling. Previous reports using the C60 + primary ion have been based on static-SIMS, which makes depth profiling complicated. Therefore, a dynamic-SIMS technique is reported here. Mixed peptides in the cryoprotectant trehalose were used as a model for evaluating the parameters that lead to the parallel detection and quantification of biomaterials. Trehalose was mixed separately with different concentrations of peptides. The peptide secondary ion intensities (normalized with respect to those of trehalose) were directly proportional to their concentration in the matrix (0.01–2.5mol%). Quantification curves for each peptide were generated by plotting the percentage of peptides in trehalose versus the normalized SIMS intensities. Using these curves, the parallel detection, identification, and quantification of multiple peptides was achieved. Low energy Ar+ was used to co-sputter and ionize the peptide-doped trehalose sample to suppress the carbon deposition associated with C60 + bombardment, which suppressed the ion intensities during the depth profiling. This co-sputtering technique yielded steadier molecular ion intensities than when using a single C60 + beam. In other words, co-sputtering is suitable for the depth profiling of thick specimens. In addition, the smoother surface generated by co-sputtering yielded greater depth resolution than C60 + sputtering. Furthermore, because C60 + is responsible for generating the molecular ions, the dosage of the auxiliary Ar+ does not significantly affect the quantification curves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We show that Pb nanowires may grow by co-sputtering of Al–Pb target. During sputter deposition, stress is generated inside the deposited film. Because Pb is immiscible in Al, stress relaxation occurs through Pb segregation along the aluminum grain boundary. Extrusion of Pb is inhibited if a few layers of Al oxide are formed on the surface of the film. However, if the surface oxide is broken by external perturbations, for example air-operated corrosion or electron beam, then segregated Pb extrudes in form of nanowires. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Self-organized Sn-doped TiO2 nanotubes (nts) were fabricated for the first time, by anodization of co-sputtered Ti and Sn thin films. This nanostructured material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Due to their remarkable properties, Sn-doped TiO2nts can find potential applications in Li-ion microbatteries, photovoltaics, and catalysis. Particularly, the electrochemical performance as an anode material for Li-ion microbatteries was evaluated in Li test cells. With current density of 70μAcm−2 (1C) and cut-off potential of 1V, Sn-doped TiO2nts showed improved performance compared to simple TiO2nts, and differential capacity plots revealed that the material undergoes full electrochemical reaction as a Rutile-type TiO2. [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: Indium tin oxide (ITO) is one of the widely used transparent conductive oxides (TCO) for application as transparent electrode in thin film silicon solar cells or thin film transistors owing to its low resistivity and high transparency. Nevertheless, indium is a scarce and expensive element and ITO films require high deposition temperature to achieve good electrical and optical properties. On the other hand, although not competing as ITO, doped Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is a promising and cheaper alternative. Therefore, our strategy has been to deposit ITO and ZnO multicomponent thin films at room temperature by radiofrequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering in order to achieve TCOs with reduced indium content. Thin films of the quaternary system Zn–In–Sn–O (ZITO) with improved electrical and optical properties have been achieved. The samples were deposited by applying different RF powers to ZnO target while keeping a constant RF power to ITO target. This led to ZITO films with zinc content ratio varying between 0 and 67%. The optical, electrical and morphological properties have been thoroughly studied. The film composition was analysed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The films with 17% zinc content ratio showed the lowest resistivity (6.6×10−4 Ωcm) and the highest transmittance (above 80% in the visible range). Though X-ray Diffraction studies showed amorphous nature for the films, using High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy we found that the microstructure of the films consisted of nanometric crystals embedded in a compact amorphous matrix. The effect of post deposition annealing on the films in both reducing and oxidizing atmospheres were studied. The changes were found to strongly depend on the zinc content ratio in the films. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Effective top-side thin film encapsulation for organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) was achieved by deposition of a multi-layer water diffusion barrier stack to protect the device against moisture permeation. The barrier stack was formed by alternative depositions of co-oxide and fluorocarbon (CFx) films. The co-oxide layer was fabricated by magnetron co-sputtering of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3). While the CFx layer was formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The water vapor transmission rate of the optimized diffusion barrier stack can be down to 10−6 g/m2/day. The OLEDs encapsulated with the multilayer stack have been shown to have operation lifetime of over 18,000h which is nearly the same as devices with conventional glass-cover encapsulation. [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 quality of co-sputtering derived Zn–In–Sn–O (ZITO) film was adjusted by different gas (oxygen and argon) induced plasma ions bombarding (PIB) treatment. The result showed that the film conductivity could be improved after plasma bombardment. The increment of oxygen vacancies and plasma bombard-induced thermal energy were main reasons. Notably, the efficiency of Ar plasma bombarded for improved conductivity not only was better but also had a smoother surface morphology. Due to Ar ions will not react with metal atoms to form oxide and possessed a higher momentum. In addition, the O-rich layer on the ultra-surface not only was removed but also enhanced film reliability by plasma bombarded that could enhance the performance of optoelectronic devices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we report investigation of room temperature (RT) ferromagnetism in In2O3 (InO) thin films doped with carbon prepared by the co-sputtering method. InO thin films both undoped and C doped with varied thicknesses in the range of 45 to 80nm were synthesized on Si substrates with varied C concentrations. The carbon concentration was varied from 1.6 to 9.3at%. The undoped InO films showed no trace of ferromagnetism. Carbon doped films (InO:C) exhibited ferromagnetism at RT, which was of the orders of 10−5 emu and varied strongly with C concentrations. It is observed that the magnetization reached a maximum value of 5.7emu/cm3 at 4at% C. Annealing of the InO:C films in an oxygen environment resulted in a decrease in the magnetization, indicating the crucial role of oxygen vacancies in the films. It is concluded that the oxygen vacancies were important and compete with C substitution for the RT ferromagnetism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]