Optimization of the optical and electrical properties of electron beam evaporated aluminum-doped zinc oxide films for opto-electronic applications

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films have been deposited by electron beam evaporation technique on glass substrates. The structural, electrical and optical properties of AZO films have been investigated as a function of annealing temperature. It was observed that the optical properties such as transmittance, reflectance, optical band gap and refractive index of AZO films were strongly affected by annealing temperature. The transmittance values of 84% in the visible region and 97% in the NIR region were obtained for AZO film annealed at 475 °C. The room temperature electrical resistivity of 4.6×10⁻³ Ω cm has been obtained at the same temperature of annealing. It was found that the calculated refractive index has been affected by the packing density of the thin films, whereas, the high annealing temperature gave rise to improve the homogeneity of the films. The single-oscillator model was used to analyze the optical parameters such as the oscillator and dispersion energies.     

CdS薄膜的化学沉积法制备及其特性的研究

用化学沉积方法在沉积温度为90 ℃下制备了CdS薄膜。研究了直接退火处理和涂敷CdCl₂甲醇饱和溶液后退火处理对CdS薄膜的影响。利用X射线衍射、扫描电子显微镜对薄膜的晶体结构、表面形貌进行了研究,发现没有任何处理的CdS薄膜没有明显的晶型;直接退火处理促进了CdS立方相的结晶,晶粒没有增大且生长出许多细小的晶粒;涂敷CdCl₂甲醇饱和溶液后退火处理不仅极大地促进了CdS六角相的结晶,而且晶粒增粗增大,表面更加光滑。用吸收光谱研究了薄膜的光学特性,发现退火使薄膜的禁带宽度变窄,涂敷CdCl₂甲醇溶液后退火处理使吸收边变陡和带尾变小。表明涂敷CdCl₂甲醇溶液退火处理明显改善CdS薄膜的结晶质量和光学性质。     

用于彩色滤光片的低阻低应力ITO透明导电膜

探讨了用于彩色滤光片的低电阻和低压应力的ITO透明导电膜工艺。用磁控溅射方法在不同温度的衬底上制备了ITO薄膜。研究了膜形衬底温度与膜结晶化程度的关系,以及膜形衬底温度对膜电阻和压应力的影响。对不同衬底温度下形成的ITO薄膜进行了退火处理,并对退火后的ITO薄膜的电阻和压应力特性进行了分析。结果表明,采用室温沉积非晶态ITO膜,在真空退火下可获得低电阻、低压应力的多晶相ITO膜。     

Ferromagnetism in polycrystalline Cr-doped ZnO films: Experiment and theory

Room-temperature ferromagnetism is found in polycrystalline Cr_xZn_1−xO (0≤x≤0.091) films prepared by magnetron sputtering. The saturated magnetization is 0.58 μ_B/Cr with x=0.012, and decreases with increased Cr dopant. The Curie temperatures of the samples are above 400 K. First principles calculations based on density functional theory predict that the electrons of Cr-doped ZnO films at Fermi level are 100% spin polarized when two Zn sites are substituted by Cr atoms in the nearest neighbour configuration. The spin polarized carriers and the p–d hybridization between Cr and its four neighbouring O atoms are responsible for observed ferromagnetism.     

Photothermal effect contribution on film quality improvement in excimer-laser induced metal CVD

KrF excimer laser induced Cr film deposition from Cr(CO)₆ has been studied. Remarkable film quality dependence on laser intensity suggested the photothermal effect contribution of intensive uv laser pulses in the CVD process. A cw Ar-ion laser light and its second harmonic light were used, to separate photochemical and photothermal effects. As a result, photoinduced surface heating has been found to be very important for obtaining good quality metallic films in KrF laser induced Cr film CVD.     

Control of plasmonic wave propagating in nanocavity with tooth-shaped configuration

Characteristics of plasmonic wave propagating in nanocavity formed by two silver films are studied numerically. The groove etched inside wall of the top film makes it possible to control the propagation when light goes through the top film along a nanoslit into the cavity. It is found that the transmission wave through the channel of groove etched side can be filtered linearly with the groove of a certain depth; while the other side is still open for this wave and its intensity can be enhanced periodically with the variable groove position in both films, which are explained well based on the interference of plasmonic waves in the system.     

Structural and magnetic properties of Cr and Mn doped InN

We present a detailed magnetic characterization of Cr and Mn doped InN films be means of superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. The InN:Cr films exhibit ferromagnetic behavior up to 300 K in a doping region from 2% to 8% without detectable phase segregation. The easy axis of magnetization is found to be in the film plane. On the contrary, Mn-doped films show signatures of phase segregation and paramagnetic behavior.     

Local leakage current behaviours of BiFeO3 films

The leakage current behaviours of polycrystalline BiFeO₃ thin films are investigated by using both conductive atomic force microscopy and current-voltage characteristic measurements. The local charge transport pathways are found to be located mainly at the grain boundaries of the films. The leakage current density can be tuned by changing the post-annealing temperature, the annealing time, the bias voltage and the light illumination, which can be used to improve the performances of the ferroelectric devices based on the BiFeO₃ films. A possible leakage mechanism is proposed to interpret the charge transports in the polycrystalline BiFeO₃ films.     

聚(偏氟乙烯-三氟乙烯)纳米薄膜极化反转与疲劳特性

采用旋涂法制备了厚度为140 nm的聚(偏氟乙烯-三氟乙烯)[P(VDF-TrFE)]纳米薄膜, 研究了不同退火温度以及环境相对湿度对薄膜的极化反转和疲劳性能的影响. 运用X射线衍射仪、扫描电子显微镜和傅里叶变换红外光谱仪等测试技术对薄膜的微结构进行了表征. 实验结果表明, 通过不同温度的退火处理, P(VDF-TrFE)铁电薄膜的结晶度随着退火温度的升高而不断提高, 并且一定的温度范围内的退火处理可以提高薄膜的极化性能; 此外, P(VDF-TrFE) 铁电薄膜性能还表现出一定的环境湿度的敏感特性, 这与薄膜的物理性能和结构特点密切相关; P(VDF-TrFE)铁电薄膜在不同的环境湿度条件下 表现出较好的电学特性, 其漏电流均保持在10 ^-7A/cm² 的较低水平. 本工作揭示了再退火过程对薄膜的极化反转速度和疲劳恢复特性的影响, 并结合薄膜二次疲劳结果, 探讨了薄膜可逆的内部疲劳恢复特性机理.     

Electrical and magnetic properties of CoFeAlO thin films

Influences of oxygen-partial pressure and annealing on the electrical and magnetic properties of CoFeAlO thin films were systematically investigated by means of resistivity, permeability, magnetization and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements. It was found that, with increasing oxygen-partial pressure or under annealing, the electrical resistivity of the film increased and the magnetic softness decreased, which is attributed to the microstructural change of the film. Interestingly, an as-deposited Co_45.30Fe_20.65Al_19.34O_14.71 film was found to exhibit an inverted hysteresis loop with negative coercivity, and this peculiar phenomenon disappeared upon effects of oxygen-partial pressure and annealing. It was also found that the as-deposited films owned a narrow FMR line width that increased with increasing oxygen-partial pressure or under annealing.     

在不同衬底上制备的ZnO薄膜透射率的研究

采用反应磁控溅射在不同结构衬底上生长ZnO薄膜,通过X-ray衍射(XRD)及透射光谱来分析薄膜的成膜情况,并得出在Al₂O₃/AlN复合基上溅射沉积的ZnO薄膜比单独在AlN薄膜衬底的结晶质量好且透过率也较高。而经不同的快速热退火温度验证,发现在400 ℃时,ZnO薄膜的结晶化及在(002)方向上的择优取向达到最好,并在可见光范围内的平均透过率达到88%以上。当退火温度超过450 ℃时,温度过高改变了ZnO薄膜的内部结构,使其氧原子和锌原子发生了较大距离的位移,导致薄膜内部缺陷的增多,从而存在过多的晶界,增加了其薄膜的散射机制,使光的透过性变差,退火温度为500 ℃时,薄膜的平均透过率为80%。     

Optimum packing density and crystal structure of tin-doped indium oxide thin films for high-temperature annealing processes

The influence of high-temperature annealing on the electrical properties and microstructure of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films was investigated as a function of oxygen gas flow ratio to argon gas during the sputtering deposition. The ITO thin films were annealed at 500 °C in air after the deposition. It was found that the ITO thin films, which were deposited in relatively low oxygen gas flow ratio, exhibited high Hall mobility and low-resistivity after the annealing. Furthermore, the X-ray reflectivity and diffraction measurement revealed that the ITO thin film with low-resistivity after annealing exhibited high packing density, smooth surface and low crystallization degree. It can be considered that the carrier electron scattering was suppressed with increasing in the packing density of the ITO thin film; as a result, the Hall mobility and resistivity were improved.     

Molecular dynamics investigation of deposition and annealing behaviors of Cu atoms onto Cu(0 0 1) substrate

The deposition growth and annealing behaviors of Cu atoms onto Cu(0 0 1) are investigated in atomic scale by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The results indicate that the film grows approximately in a layer-island mode as the incident energy is from 1 to 5 eV, while surface intermixing can be significantly observed at 10 eV. The surface roughness of the film decreases with increasing the incident energy, and the film after annealing becomes smoother and more ordered. These phenomena may be attributed to the enhanced atomic mobility for higher incident energy and thermal annealing. It also indicates that atomic mixing is more significant with increasing both the incident energy and substrate temperature. In addition, the peak-to-peak distances of radial distribution function (RDF) clearly indicate that the films before and after annealing are still fcc structure except for that at the melting temperature of 1375.6 K. After annealing, the film at the melting temperature returns to fcc structure instead of amorphous. Moreover, the residual stress and Poisson ratio of the film are remarkably affected by the thermal annealing. Furthermore, the density of thin film is obviously affected by the substrate temperature and annealing process. Therefore, one can conclude that high incident energy, substrate temperature and thermal annealing could help to enhance the surface morphology and promote the microstructure of the film.     

弹流油膜彩色光干涉系统的特性研究

彩色光干涉技术是润滑油膜厚度测量的最有效的方法之一,但对其测量光学理论的研究并不十分透彻。以球-盘弹性流体动压润滑油膜测量装置为对象,建立了彩色光干涉的色度学计算模型,对该系统的干涉条纹和色彩进行了数值模拟与分析。分析结果与实验数据的一致性表明了所建立的模型和分析方法的正确。分析表明:铬膜厚度对图像的色彩和对比度有明显的影响,当其厚度为5～10nm时,能够获得对比度和色彩理想的图像;垫层厚度影响各颜色分量强度分布的初相变;LED光源可产生对比度较好的干涉条纹。     

Red colored transparent PMMA-SiO2 hybrid films

Red colored transparent organic-inorganic hybrids films of a cross-linked polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) and silica were prepared via the sol-gel route using tetraethoxy-silane (TEOS) as precursor and a commercial organic red dye. 3-(Trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (TMSPM) was used to make compatible the organic and inorganic components of the precursor solution mixture. Four type of colored hybrid films were deposited using precursor solutions with the reactants molar ratio 1:0.5:1 for TEOS: TMSPM:MMA, respectively, and four different weight contents of the organic red dye. The hybrid films were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and optical transmission and reflection spectroscopy. The hardness of the films was determined from a pencil hardness test referred to ASTM Standard D 3363-92. The results showed that the colored hybrid films have a thickness of about 2 μm and consist of a homogeneous cross-linked organic-inorganic matrix with embedded dye molecules very well dispersed. The hardness of the hybrid films was enhanced with respect to that of the pure organic component. The AFM measurements showed very flat and smooth film surfaces with rms average roughness about 0.3 nm. The optical properties of the hybrid films including their color properties were determined from optical transmission and reflection spectroscopy. We found that the intensity of the color in the hybrid films and the corresponding color coordinates depend on the amount of red dye in the hybrid films. Photodegradation studies were performed by monitoring the optical density of the films as a function of the exposure time to illumination for several values of illumination intensity.     

Color dispersion in two-dimensional phase array based on polymer-dispersed liquid crystal film

This work proposes a feasible method for fabricating a two-dimensional periodic structure with a sub-micrometer periodicity using a single laser beam, based on polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films. The resulting nano-PDLC morphology is highly symmetrical, and similar to that written using multi-beam interference. The increase in the electric-tunability of the optical behavior, including spatial diffraction and color dispersion, is examined. The color dispersion provides optical evidence of the periodic structure of the PDLC film.     

Formation of periodic structures by the space-selective precipitation of Ge nanoparticles in channel waveguides

Thermally stabilized channel waveguides with Bragg gratings were fabricated by the space-selective precipitation technique of crystalline Ge nanoparticles using KrF excimer laser irradiation. The periodic structures consisting of Ge nanoparticles were formed in Ge-B-SiO₂ thin glass films after exposure to an interference pattern of the laser followed by annealing at 600 °C. The channel waveguides with the periodic structures were fabricated by the cladding of the patterned Cr layers on the films. The diffraction peak for the TE-like mode of 11.8 dB depth was observed clearly at a wavelength of 1526.4 nm, indicating that the periodic structure also served as the optical band-pass filter in optical communication wavelength. The spectral shape, diffraction efficiency, and diffraction wavelength remained unchanged even after annealing at 400 °C. Furthermore, a low temperature dependence of the diffraction wavelength - as low as 8.1 pm/°C - was achieved. The diffraction efficiency was further enhanced after subsequent annealing at 600 °C. The space-selective precipitation technique is expected to be useful for the fabrication of highly reliable optical filters or durable sensing devices operating at high temperature.     

Effect of Chromium on Structure and Tribological Properties of Hydrogenated Cr/a-C:H Films Prepared via a Reactive Magnetron Sputtering System

Hydrogenated Cr-incorporated carbon films(Cr/a-C:H) are deposited successfully by using a dc reactive magnetron sputtering system.The structure and mechanical properties of the as-deposited Cr/a-C:H films are characterized systematically by field-emission scanning electron microscope,x-ray diffraction,Raman spectra,nanoindentation and scratch.It is shown that optimal Cr metal forms nanocrystalline carbide to improve the hardness,toughness and adhesion strength in the amorphous carbon matrix,which possesses relatively higher nano-hardness of 15.7GPa,elastic modulus of 126.8 GPa and best adhesion strength with critical load(L_c) of36 N for the Cr/a-C:H film deposited at CH_4 flow rate of 20 sccm.The friction and wear behaviors of as-deposited Cr/a-C:H films are evaluated under both the ambient air and deionized water conditions.The results reveal that it can achieve superior low friction and anti-wear performance for the Cr/a-C:H film deposited at CH_4 flow rate of 20 sccm under the ambient air condition,and the friction coefficient and wear rate tested in deionized water condition are relatively lower compared with those tested under the ambient air condition for each film.Superior combination of mechanical and tribological properties for the Cr/a-C:H film should be a good candidate for engineering applications.     

近红外光上转换发光显示器中干涉过滤膜的设计

介绍了近红外光上转换发光显示器的结构及其原理，为了进一步提高该显示器的亮度等性能并避免近红外光从屏上泄露，根据多层干涉过滤膜设计原理设计了该显示器所需的两个多层干涉过滤膜：一个为在可见光420~800 nm短波段高反射，近红外光800~1000 nm长波段高透射特性的LP膜；另一个为特性与之对应相反的SP膜.采用对称膜的设计并用MATLAB语言进行了仿真优化，得到了总层数为21，厚度分别为1586.8 nm和2157.8 nm的LP膜和SP膜，该膜系在整个波段和较大角度范围内都具有很好的透反特性考虑多层薄膜制备中存在材料折射率和膜层厚度偏差，该设计膜系具有较大的制造容差.     

Structure and properties of ZnO films grown on Si substrates with low temperature buffer layers

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were grown on Si (1 0 0) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using two-step epitaxial growth method. Low temperature buffer layer (LTBL) was initially deposited in order to obtain high quality ZnO thin film; the as-deposited films were then annealed in air at 700 °C. The effects of LTBL and annealing treatment on the structural and luminescent properties of ZnO thin film were investigated. It was found that tensile strain was remarkably relaxed by employing LTBL and the band-gap redshifted, correspondingly. The shift value was larger than that calculated from band-gap theories. After annealing treatment, it was found that the annealing temperature with 700 °C has little influence on strains of ZnO films with LTBLs other than directly deposited film in our experiments. Interestingly, the different behaviors in terms of the shift of ultraviolet (UV) emission after annealing between films with and without buffer were observed, and a tentative explanation was given in this paper.