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The accurate analysis of the elemental composition plays a crucial role for the research of functional materials. The emitting characteristic X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) photons can be used for precisely discriminating the specified element. The detection accuracy of conventional XRF methodology using semiconductor detector is limited by the energy resolution, thus poses a challenge on accurately scaling the actual energy of each XRF photon. We adopt a novel high-resolution X-ray spectrometer based on the superconducting Transition-edge Sensor (TES) for the XRF spectroscopy measurement of different elements. Properties including high energy resolution, high detection efficiency and precise linearity of the new spectrometer will bring significant benefits in analyzing elemental composition via XRF. In this paper, we study the L-edge emission line profiles of three adjacent rare earth elements with the evenly mixed sample of their oxide components: Terbium, Dysprosium and Holmium. Two orders of magnitude better energy resolution is obtained compared to a commercial silicon drift detector. With this TES-based spectrometer, the spectral lines overlapped or interfered by background can be clearly distinguished, thus making the chemical component analysis more accurate and quantitative. A database of coefficient values for line strength of the spectrum can then be constructed thereafter. Equipped with the novel XRF spectrometer and an established coefficient database, a direct analysis of the composition proportion of a certain element in an unknown sample can be achieved with high accuracy.

Nanostructured zinc and zinc oxide films were prepared by magnetron sputtering processes and succeeded air annealing treatments. Comparison of reductive degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) by zinc films and photocatalytic degradation rate of MO by zinc oxide films was carried out. Both reductive degradation and photocatalytic degradation process of MO by zinc and zinc oxide films can be described by first order kinetic model. It was found that although MO liquid was most quickly decolorized by metallic zinc films, the mineralization of MO was not thorough. Observation of extra ultraviolet absorption peaks indicated the formation of aromatic intermediates. On the other hand, although the photocatalytic degradation rate of MO liquid by ZnO films was only as about 1/4 large as the reductive degradation rate by zinc films, no signs of aromatic intermediates were found. Moreover, it was found that partially oxidized zinc oxide film showed higher photocatalytic efficiency than the totally oxidized ZnO films. Synergy effect between zinc and zinc oxide phase in the partially oxidized films was considered to be responsible for the higher photocatalytic efficiency.

TiO2 and TiO2/ZnO double layer films were sputtered on glass substrates. It was found that a thin ZnO underlayer is helpful for tailoring the microstructure and surface morphology of the TiO2 film. By applying a 70-nm-thick ZnO underlayer, a TiO2 thin film of 100 nm in thickness with well crystallized anatase phase and rough surface was successfully fabricated without heating the substrate. Relatively high photo-catalytic activity and good hydrophilic properties were observed in such TiO2/ZnO double layer films.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film with SiO 2 protective upper layer prepared by electron beam evaporation was annealed in air up to 300qC. Evolution of transmittance, resistance and surface morphology of this SiO 2 /ITO coating was studied. Transmittance in visible and n ear-infrared range both increased while absorption edge exhibited red shift after annealing. Resistance increased monotonously with rising annealing temperature, yet increments became smaller at temperatures above 270qC. Micron-defects were observed on the surface of SiO 2 /ITO coating after annealing. Enhancement of crystallinity of ITO layer at high temperatures was thought to be responsible for these morphology and resistance evolutions. Keywords: ITO, air-annealing, surface morphology, crystallinity 1. INTRODUCTION Indium tin oxide (ITO) films were widely applied in flat panel display 1 , solar cells 2 , lighting diodes 3 , electromagnetic shields 4 and antifogging windows because of their excellent conductivity (>10

Ion beam sputtering is one of the most important technologies for preparing hafnium dioxide thin films. In this paper, the correlation between properties of hafnium dioxide thin films and preparing parameters was systematically researched by using the orthogonal experiment design method. The properties of hafnium oxide films (refractive index, extinction coefficient, deposition rate, stress, and inhomogeneity of refractive index) were studied. The refractive index, extinction coefficient, physical thickness, and inhomogeneity of refractive index were obtained by the multiple wavelength curve-fitting method from the reflectance and transmittance of single layers. The stress of thin film was measured by elastic deformation of the thin film-substrate system. An orthogonal experimental strategy was designed using substrate temperature, ion beam voltage, ion beam current, and oxygen flow rate as the variables. The experimental results indicated that the temperature of the substrate is the key influencing parameter on the properties of hafnium oxide films, while other preparing parameters are also correlated with specific properties. The experimental results are significant for selecting proper parameters for preparing hafnium oxide films with different applications.

Sputtering losses of zinc oxide films prepared by radical assisted sputtering were studied. It was found that the sputtering loss can be very severe in oxygenous sputtering processes of zinc oxide films. In general, resputtering caused by negative oxygen ions dominates the sputtering loss, while diffuse deposition plays a minor role. Resputtering is strongly correlated with the sputtering threshold energy of the deposited films and the concentration of O− in the sputtering zone. The balance between the oxygen concentration in the sputtering zone and the oxidation degree of the growing films depends on the sputtering rate. Our research suggests that a lower oxygen concentration in the sputtering zone and a higher oxidation degree of the growing films are favorable for reducing the resputtering losses. The sputtering loss mechanisms discussed in this work are also helpful for understanding the deposition processes of other magnetron sputtering systems.