The effects of annealing and rate of deposition on the electrical,optical and structural properties of amorphous GeSi alloy films

The electrical, optical and structural properties of rf-sputtered amorphous GeSi alloy films have been investigated as functions of the rate of deposition between 90 and 360 Å min^?1, and various annealing conditions. The stabilization evidenced in the electrical conductivity, optical absorption and density of these films deposited at higher rates and/or annealing temperatures may be explained in terms of the reduction of imperfections in the as-deposited films.     

Correlation between the method of preparation and the properties of the sol–gel HfO2 thin films

This work describes the preparation of HfO₂ thin films by the sol–gel method, starting with different precursors such as hafnium ethoxide, hafnium 2,4-pentadionate and hafnium chloride. From the solution prepared as mentioned above, thin films on silicon wafer substrates have been realized by ‘dip-coating’ with a pulling out speed of 5 cm min^?1. The films densification was achieved by thermal treatment for 10 min at 100 °C and 30 min at 450 °C or 600 °C, with a heating rate of 1 °C min^?1. The structural and optical properties of the films are determined employing spectroellipsometric (SE) measurements in the visible range (0.4–0.7 μm), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The main objective of this paper was to establish a correlation between the method of preparation (precursor, annealing temperature) and the properties of the obtained films. The samples prepared from pentadionate and ethoxide precursors are homogenous and uniform in thickness. The samples prepared starting from chloride precursor are thicker and proved to be less uniform in thickness. Higher non-uniformity develops in multi-deposition films or in crystallized films. A nano-porosity is present in the quasi-amorphous films as well in the crystallized one. For the samples deposited on silicon wafer, the thermal treatment induced the formation of a SiO₂ layer at the coating–substrate interface.     

Effect of tellurium deposition rate on the properties of Cu–In–Te based thin films and solar cells

To investigate the effects of tellurium (Te) deposition rate on the properties of Cu–In–Te based thin films (Cu/In=0.30–0.31), the films were grown on both bare and Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrates at 200 °C by co-evaporation using a molecular beam epitaxy system. The microstructural properties were examined by means of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The crystalline quality of the films was improved with increase in the deposition rate of Te, and exhibited a single CuIn₃Te₅ phase with a highly preferred (1 1 2) orientation. Te-deficient film (Te/(Cu+In)=1.07) grown with a low Te deposition rate showed a narrow bandgap of 0.99 eV at room temperature. The solar cell performance was affected by the deposition rate of Te. The best solar cell fabricated using CuIn₃Te₅ thin films grown with the highest deposition rate of Te (2.6 nm/s) yielded a total area (0.50 cm²) efficiency of 4.4% (V_oc=309 mV, J_sc=28.0 mA/cm², and FF=0.509) without light soaking.     

Dependence of the surface topology and raman scattering spectra of Ge x Si1−x /Si films on the composition variation over the layer thickness

The surface topology and Raman scattering spectra of Ge _x Si_{1 ? x} /Si(100) films are investigated in dependence of the composition variation over the film thickness. It is shown that the character of the Ge content variation in the Ge _x Si_{1 ? x} alloy at the constant cumulative Ge fraction in the film (x _int = 0.5) affects the surface morphology of the grown Ge _x Si_{1 ? x} /Si layer. The heterostructures were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy.     

Nonpolar m- and a-plane GaN thin films grown on γ-LiAlO2 substrates

Pure single-phase m- and a-plane GaN layers were fabricated on (1 0 0)- and (3 0 2)-planes of γ-LiAlO₂ (LAO) substrate via metelorganic vapor deposition, respectively. Raman spectra measurement indicates that the crystallinity gradually improves with increasing layer thickness, and smaller stress exists in an a-GaN film. (3 0 2)-Plane LAO appears suitable for fabricating high-quality a-GaN layers because the layer on it shows a smoother surface with the root mean square of 60 nm, higher transmittance (85%) and narrower full-width at half-maximum value (FWHM) of X-ray rocking curve (1123 arcsec) than m-GaN on (1 0 0)-plane LAO (1735 arcsec).     

Influence of γ irradiation on the optical and mechanical properties of langasite

The optical (transmission and circular dichroism) spectra and mechanical (Vickers microhardness and fracture toughness K _1c ) properties of langasite La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄ crystals have been studied after γ irradiation and exposure for a month. It is shown that, as a result of irradiation crystals become more transparent in the range 310–640 nm, nonstructural defects with the energies of excited states in the range 2.06–4.13 eV decay and new structural defects with the excited-state energies in the range 4.14–5.00 eV are formed. Irradiation does not lead to a change in microhardness, while the coefficient K _1c increases from 0.32 to 0.36 MPa m^1/2.     

Detailed study of surface and interface properties of μc-Si films

The properties of surfaces and interfaces of microcrystalline films deposited by radio-frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) were studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The effect of the low-power reactive ion etching (RIE) on the properties of the films was investigated. The surface properties could be effectively improved using RIE to eliminate of the top porous part of the films, without deterioration of bulk layer properties. Ellipsometric measurements from both film and substrate sides were used for the study of the interface properties of the various samples deposited on fused silica substrates. We show that the crystalline fraction that determined from modeling of ellipsometric spectra measured from the film side could be overestimated.     

Properties of amorphous silicon films— Dependence on deposition conditions

We report measurements on the electrical conductivity, optical absorption, electron spin resonance, Raman spectrum and electron diffraction of a set of a-Si films vaccum deposited at room temperature. As revealed by absorption at about 10 μm some of the films grown at deposition rates of about 0.4 Å/sec contain considerable amounts of oxygen. All the properties, except Raman spectra and electron diffraction, are found to vary strongly with the deposition rate and the background pressure during evaporation. Qualitatively, these variations show significant correlations. For instance, if the electrical conductivity is higher so is the spin density, the optical absorption and the low-frequency refractive index. Also, increasing oxygen content leads to lower conductivity. In addition, we have tried to establish a rough quantitative relation between the shift in the optical gap and the change in the spin density by connecting each of these changes to the variation in the low-frequency refractive index. The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity was also measured and it was found that below about 150 K the data are consistent with recent theoretical predictions, i.e., log σ exhibits a ($\text{1/T)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>4</mtext>}}$ dependence.     

Bismuth a new dopant for GaN films grown by molecular beam epitaxy—surfactant effects,formation of GaN1−xBix alloys and co-doping with arsenic

We have investigated the influence of an additional bismuth flux during growth on the properties of GaN films prepared by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). A wide range of bismuth fluxes have been used, the highest Bi flux was larger than the flux of Ga. We have demonstrated that using a Bi flux during the growth of GaN by MBE at a temperature ∼800°C improves the surface morphology of the films and decreases the deep emission. We have demonstrated for the first time the growth of GaN_1−xBi_x alloys by MBE, the Bi concentration was small and increased with decreasing growth temperature. We have studied the influence of an additional bismuth flux on the growth of As-doped GaN layers and observed an increase of blue emission from the layers at some optimum range of Bi fluxes. All the results allow us to conclude that Bi may be a potential new dopant for the growth of GaN by MBE.     

Effect of germanium on the microstructure and the magnetic properties of Fe–B–Si amorphous alloys

In this work, we present a systematic study on the crystallization kinetics and the magnetic properties of melt-spun Fe₈₀B₁₀Si_10 ? xGe_x (x = 0.0 ? 10.0) amorphous alloys. The activation energy for crystallization, determined by differential scanning calorimetry, displayed a strong dependence on the Ge content, reflecting a deleterious effect on the alloys' thermal stability and their glass forming ability with increasing Ge concentration. On the other hand, the alloys exhibited excellent soft magnetic properties, i.e., high saturation magnetization values (around 1.60 T), alongside Curie temperatures of up to 600 K. Complementary, for increasing Ge substitution, the ferromagnetic resonance spectra showed a microstructural evolution comprising at least two different magnetic phases corresponding to a majority amorphous matrix and to Fe(Si, Ge) nanocrystallites for x ≥ 7.5.     

AES and FTIR characterization of sol–gel alumina films

In this work we obtained sol–gel alumina coatings on AISI 304 stainless steel substrates. Alumina sols were prepared by using aluminum isopropoxide (AI) as precursor, acetic acid (HOAc) as catalyst, ethanol (C₂H₅OH) or isopropanol (C₃H₈O) as solvent, and water. The as-prepared solutions were deposited on stainless steel substrates by means of the dip-coating technique. The obtained composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). We observed that the concentration of AlO type bonds in the obtained alumina coatings depends on the solvent type used, temperature and peptization state of the sol, withdrawal speed, and number of dipping cycles. AES experiments showed that the interface formed between the alumina coating and substrate surface is in general formed by several layers of different chemical compositions.     

Application of time–frequency wavelet analysis in the reflectometry of thin films

Crystallography Reports - The application of time–frequency wavelet analysis for solving the reflectometry inverse problem is considered. It is shown that a simultaneous transform of specular...     

Modification of the Langmuir–Schaefer method for fabrication of ordered protein films

A modification of the Langmuir–Schaefer method for the fabrication of high-quality protein films on a solid substrate was proposed and applied to lysozyme. The procedure relies on the use of a pre-prepared protein solution, the parameters of which correspond to crystallization conditions. A lysozyme Langmuir monolayer was shown to be formed with the involvement of complexes, namely, dimers and octamers of protein molecules that are present in such protein solutions. These complexes apparently retain the structure after spreading a protein solution onto an aqueous subphase in a Langmuir trough. The thickness of the film after the transfer of the monolayer, which was formed by the proposed procedure, onto a solid substrate corresponds to the diameter of the octamer and this film is dense, continuous, and uniform, as was demonstrated by several methods: X-ray reflectivity, total external reflection X-ray standing wave, and atomic force microscopy. A layer of chloride ions that formed under the Langmuir monolayer was found at the air–protein film interface. This fact confirms an important role of the precipitating agent (chloride ions) in all steps of the formation of lysozyme films.     

Fabrication of Multilayer Films on the Basis of Lysozyme Protein and Precipitant (Iodide and Potassium) Ions on a Silicon Substrate by the Modified Langmuir–Schaefer Method

Multilayer structures, consisting of successive lysozyme layers and layers of iodide and potassium ions, have been formed on a silicon substrate by the modified Langmuir–Schaefer method; the use of this technique implies preliminary preparation of a crystallization protein solution containing an oligomeric phase. The multilayer structure has been characterized by methods of X-ray reflectivity and total external reflection X-ray standing waves (TER XSW). The data obtained indicate the formation of a dense lysozyme film (3 nm thick) and layers of potassium and iodide ions, adjacent to this film.     

Preparation and second-order optical nonlinearity of inorganic–organic hybrid films

The sol–gel technique has been used to prepare a thin film for second-order nonlinear optics (NLO). An azo-dye molecule 2,5-dimethyl-4-(4′-nitrophenylazo)phenol (DMNPAP) was covalently bonded to the silicon oxide network through hydrolysis and co-condensation between the alkoxysilane dye and tetraethyl silicate (TEOS) in relatively high loading densities (43 wt%). The resulting film showed a thermal stability up to 302 °C in thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) thermograms and a flat surface morphology in atomic force microscope (AFM) image. The orientation behavior of the poled film was studied by UV–visible spectroscopy. The NLO activity (d₃₃), which was estimated to be 6.5 pm/v at 1064 nm by in situ second harmonic generation (SHG) measurement, the thermal stability of the second-order nonlinearity was also reported.     

Deposition of device grade poly-Si films on glass substrate directly at 450 °C and fabrication of bottom-gate poly-Si TFTs

We have observed the progressive stages of nucleation and growth of the poly-Si films with the source gasses of Si₂H₆ and F₂ on glass substrates directly at 450 °C and found that nuclei density and size are controllable effectively via governing process pressures. We introduced a nuclei governed layer of approximately less than 2 nm and it brought about 33% increases in grain diameter. Finally, we fabricated n- and p-channel bottom-gate TFTs whose field effect mobility was higher than 50 cm²/V s. However, the devices with the nuclei governed layers faced degradation due to the propagation of fluorine into gate oxide. Therefore, it needs further studies.     

Effects of post-annealing temperature on structural,optical, and electrical properties of MgxZn1−xO films by RF magnetron sputtering

Mg_xZn_1?xO thin films were deposited on quartz substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The effect of post-annealing temperature on structural, optical, and electrical properties was investigated with the annealing temperatures increasing from 450 to 750 °C. The crystallinity of Mg_xZn_1?xO film annealed at 650 °C was significantly improved while the film annealed at 750 °C showed little improvement. The electrical properties degraded with the increase of annealing temperature. The annealing temperature seemed to impact the E_g value of Mg_xZn_1?xO thin films because of the variation of carrier concentration.     

Effects of the Li-evaporation on the Czochralski growth of γ-LiAlO2

Two-inch-diameter γ-LiAlO₂ single crystals were grown from the melt by Czochralski method. The crystals were examined by optical methods, high-resolution X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to determine the Li/Al ratio in the residual melts. The Li-evaporation from both melt and grown crystal is the main problem in the γ-LiAlO₂ growth and has to be controlled by acting on the vertical temperature gradient. Shallow gradients increase the Li-evaporation from the crystal surface resulting in boules with a milky rim. On the other hand, steep gradients may induce cracks in the boule and enhance the Li₂O escape from melt with consequent variation of the composition. ICP-OES investigations reveal that melt compositions can vary in the range from 46.5 to 50 mol% Li₂O to obtain transparent LiAlO₂ crystals. Beyond this value, the formation of inclusions inside the crystals is probable. We have established an optimized growth assembly, which allows remaining the melt composition stoichiometric. The as-grown crystals exhibit defects like subgrains, twins and a core of voids and fine-grained inclusions. The latter could be characterized by TEM as submicron LiAl₅O₈ crystallites.     

Effect of the Ile222Thr Missense Mutation in SsoIF2γ on the Affinity of γ and β Subunits of aIF2

Crystallography Reports - Translation initiation factors 2 from eukaryotes (eIF2) and archaea (аIF2) mediate the delivery of charged initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAiMet) to the small ribosomal...