Effect of Prefiring Condition on the In-Plane Orientation of Epitaxial Oxide Films in Coating-Pyrolysis Process

Epitaxial -Fe₂O₃ films were obtained by using iron 2-ethylhexanoate as a starting material. A coating solution was spun on -Al₂O₃ single-crystal substrates, and prefiring and final heat-treatment at various temperatures in air or low oxygen partial pressure were carried out. The degree of in-plane orientation was estimated in terms of full width at half maximum of X-ray diffraction (XRD) -scans. The results of TG-DTA, IR, and XRD suggested that the optimum prefiring condition for obtaining highly epitaxial films is in the range 200–300°C which corresponds to removal of most of the organic component from the precursor, prior to crystallite formation of metal oxide. When the films were prefired at higher temperatures, different atmospheres in prefiring and final heat-treatment lowered the in-plane orientation of the films.     

Thin films of vanadium oxide grown on vanadium metal: oxidation conditions to produce V2O5 films for Li‐intercalation applications and characterisation by XPS,AFM, RBS/NRA

Thin films of vanadium oxide were grown on vanadium metal surfaces (i) in air at ambient conditions, (ii) in 5 mM H₂SO₄ (aq), pH 3, (iii) by thermal oxidation at low oxygen pressure (10^?5 mbar) at temperatures between 350 and 550 °C and (iv) at near‐atmospheric oxygen pressure (750 mbar) at 500 °C. The oxide films were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X‐Ray diffraction (XRD) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). The lithium intercalation properties were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results show that the oxide films formed in air at room temperature (RT), in acidic aqueous solution, and at low oxygen pressure at elevated temperatures are composed of V₂O₃. In air and in aqueous solution at RT, the oxide films are ultra‐thin and hydroxylated. At 500 °C, nearly atmospheric oxygen pressure is required to form crystalline V₂O₅ films. The oxide films grown at pO₂ = 750 mbar for 5 min are about 260‐nm thick, and consist of a 115‐nm outer layer of crystalline V₂O₅. The inner oxide is mainly composed of VO₂. For all high temperature oxidations, the oxygen diffusion from the oxide film into the metal matrix was considerable. The oxygen saturation of the metal at 450 °C was found, by XPS, to be 27 at.% at the oxide/metal interface. The well‐crystallized V₂O₅ film, formed by oxidation for 5 min at 500 °C and 750 mbar O₂, was shown to have good lithium intercalation properties and is a promising candidate as electrode material in lithium batteries. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrochemical and Structural Characterisation of Dip-Coated Fe/Ti Oxide Films Prepared by the Sol-Gel Route

Thin solid films of mixed Fe/Ti oxide composition (Fe/Ti molar ratios: 0.5∶1, 1∶1, 1.5∶1) have been made from Fe(NO₃)₃ alcoholic solution to which Ti(OiPr)₄ was added. Films have been deposited by the dip-coating technique and heat-treated at 300°C and 500°C. Powders of Fe/Ti oxide heat-treated at 300°C are amorphous, while powders annealed at 500°C for 40 hours transformed to mixed rutile, pseudobrookite and hematite phases. The structure of the XRD amorphous films was identified with the help of near-normal reflection absorption (6°) (IRRA) and near-grazing incidence angle (NGIA) spectroscopy. NGIA FT-IR spectra of films are characterised with a single phonon mode appearing in the spectral range 600–950 cm⁻¹ which shifts with increasing Ti concentration from 675 cm⁻¹ (Fe₂O₃) to 904 cm⁻¹ (TiO₂) thus exhibiting one-mode behavior. Electrochemical investigations made with the help of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronocoulometry (CPC) performed in 0.01M LiOH and in 1M LiClO₄/propylene carbonate electrolytes revealed that films are able to uptake reversibly Li⁺ ions with a charge capacity (Q) per film thickness (d) in the range 0.1–0.26 mC/cm²nm and 0.06 mC/cm²nm, respectively. The temperature at which the films were prepared alters the rate of Li⁺ insertion which is faster for less compact films obtained at 300°C. In situ UV-VIS spectroelectrochemical measurements revealed that Fe/Ti oxide films bleached in the UV spectral region (300 nm<λ<450 nm) and colored in the VIS spectral region (450 nm<λ<800 nm), thus exhibiting mixed anodic and cathodic electrochromism.     

Structure and optical properties of CVD molybdenum oxide films for electrochromic application

Vibrational and optical properties of MoO₃ thin films have been studied by Raman and infrared spectroscopy. The films were deposited onto Si substrates at a temperature of 150 °C by chemical vapor deposition of Mo(CO)₆ at atmospheric pressure and different amounts of oxygen in the reactor. The Raman and IR spectral analyses show that the as-deposited films are in general amorphous. Post-deposition annealing at 300 and 400 °C leads to crystallization and the MoO₃ film structure is a mixture of orthorhombic and monoclinic MoO₃ modifications. Transformation of the monoclinic crystallographic modification to a thoroughly orthorhombic layered structure is observed for films heated at temperatures above 400 °C. Electronic Publication     

Nanostructured ZrO2 and Zr‐C‐N Coatings from Chemical Vapor Deposition of Metal‐Organic Precursors

Nanocrystalline zirconium carbonitride (Zr‐C‐N) and zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) films were deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of zirconium‐tetrakis‐diethylamide (Zr(NEt₂)₄) and ‐tert‐butyloxide (Zr(OBu^t)₄), respectively. The films were deposited on iron substrates and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The Zr‐C‐N films show blue, golden brown or bronze colours, with colour stability depending upon the precursor composition (pure metal amide or mixed with Et₂NH). The deposition temperature showed no pronounced effect on the granular morphology of the Zr‐C‐N films. The XRD data of the films correspond to the formation of carbonitride phase whereas the XPS analyses revealed a strong surface oxidation and incorporation of oxygen in the film. The films deposited using a mixture of Zr(NEt₂)₄ and Et₂NH showed higher N content, better adhesion and scratch resistance when compared to films obtained from the CVD of pure Zr(NEt₂)₄. Subject to the precursor composition and deposition temperature (550‐750 °C), the microhardness values of Zr‐C‐N films were found to be in the range 2.11‐5.65 GPa. For ZrO₂ films, morphology and phase composition strongly depend on the deposition temperature. The CVD deposits obtained at 350 °C show tetragonal ZrO₂ to be the only crystalline phase. Upon increasing the deposition temperature to 450 °C, a mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic modifications was formed with morphology made up of interwoven elongated grains. At higher temperatures (550 and 650 °C), pure monoclinic phase was obtained with facetted grains and developed texture.     

Epitaxial growth of high purity cubic InN films on MgO substrates using HfN buffer layers by pulsed laser deposition

Cubic InN films have been grown on MgO substrates with HfN buffer layers by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). It has been found that the use of HfN (100) buffer layers allows us to grow cubic InN (100) films with an in-plane epitaxial relationship of [001]_InN//[001]_HfN//[001]_MgO. X-ray diffraction and electron back-scattered diffraction measurements have revealed that the phase purity of the cubic InN films was as high as 99%, which can be attributed to the use of HfN buffer layers and the enhanced surface migration of the film precursors by the use of PLD.     

Preparation of lead and tin oxide thin films by spin coating and their application on the electrodegradation of organic pollutants

In this work, lead and tin oxide films (Pb _x O _y /SnO₂) were prepared, using the spin coating technique. The influence of the temperature and duration of the thermal treatment on the final film composition were analysed. The metallic oxide films that were prepared, Pb _x O _y /SnO₂, were characterized by means of XRD, SEM/EDS and cyclic voltammetry. When different experimental preparation conditions were used different lead oxide phases were obtained. The electrochemical studies show that the films are stable and can be used as electrodes. Finally the films were tested as electrodes for the electrochemical degradation of a CHCl₃ aqueous solution.     

Model of electrochromic and related phenomena in tungsten oxide thin films

We have developed a model of electrochromic and related phenomena in tungsten oxide thin films based on the assumption that the constitution of such films is heterogeneous and built up of nanosized particles, pores and adsorbed substances (mainly water). It is discussed why a high-efficiency reversible blue colour is observed in amorphous tungsten oxide films (α-WO₃ films) as well as why such porous thin films with polycrystalline or amorphous constitution and with a variety of particle properties can be easily obtained by a physical vapour deposition process in a low-pressure atmosphere in the presence of water. A substrate temperature in the range 450–550 K corresponds to some plateau on the water desorption curves which divided physically adsorbed water from chemically adsorbed water. Two types of structural units based on tetrahedrally and octahedrally coordinated tungsten ions have the main role in the formation of the film constitution. The tetrahedral structural units have a glass-forming function, but the octahedral ones have a modification function. From the electrochemistry point of view, the internal multiphase interfaces in such films are distributed multiphase electrodes. The adsorbed water together with defects of the oxide particles provide reagents for reversible coloration reactions in the film. The colour centres can be induced thermally (oxygen nonstoichiometry) or electrically (injected ions) or by radiation (photoinjected hydrogen). The electrochromism and related phenomenon of α-WO₃ films can be directly related to ion insertion/extraction processes controlled by external forces. Electronic Publication     

Molecular adsorption and the chemistry of plasma-deposited thin organic films: Deposition of oligomers of ethylene glycol

Weakly ionized, radio-frequency, glow-discharge plasmas formed from methyl ether or the vapors of a series of dimethyl oligo(ethylene glycol) precursors (general formula: H-(CH₂OCH₂)_n-H;n=1 to 4) were used to deposit organic thin films on polytetrafluoroethylene. X-ray photoelecton spectroscopy (XPS) and static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) of the thin films were used to infer the importance of adsorption of molecular species from the plasma onto the surface of the growing, organic film during deposition. Films were prepared by plasma deposition of each precursor at similar deposition conditions (i.e., equal plasma power (W), precursor flow rate (F), and deposition duration), and at conditions such that the specific energy (energy/mass) of the discharge (assumed to be constrained byW/FM, whereM=molecular weight of the precursor) was constant. At constantW/FM conditions, two levels of plasma power (and, hence, twoFM levels) and three substrate temperatures were examined. By controlling the energy of the discharge (W/FM) and the substrate temperature, these experiments enabled the study of effects of the size and the vapor pressure of the precursor on the film chemistry. The atomic % of oxygen in the film surface, estimated by XPS, and the intensity of theC-O peak in the XPS C_ls spectra of the films, were used as indicators of the degree of incorporation of precursor moieties into the plasma-deposited films. Analysis of films by SIMS suggested that these two measures obtained from XPS were good indicators of the degree of retention in the deposited films of functional groups from the precursors. The XPS and SIMS data suggest that adsorption of intact precursor molecules or fragments of precursor molecules during deposition can have a significant effect on film chemistry. Plasma deposition of low vapor pressure precursors provides a convenient way of producing thin films with predictable chemistry and a high level of retention of functional groups from the precursor.     

Atomic layer deposition of crystalline molybdenum oxide thin films and phase control by post-deposition annealing

Molybdenum forms a range of oxides with different stoichiometries and crystal structures, which lead to different properties and performance in diverse applications. Herein, crystalline molybdenum oxide thin films with controlled phase composition are deposited by atomic layer deposition. The MoO₂(thd)₂ and O₃ as precursors enable well-controlled growth of uniform and conformal films at 200–275 °C. The as-deposited films are rough and, in most cases, consist of a mixture of α- and β-MoO₃ as well as an unidentified suboxide MoO_x (2.75 ≤ x ≤ 2.89) phase. The phase composition can be tuned by changing deposition conditions. The film stoichiometry is close to MoO₃ and the films are relatively pure, the main impurity being hydrogen (2–7 at-%), with ≤1 at-% of carbon and nitrogen. Post-deposition annealing is studied in situ by high-temperature X-ray diffraction in air, O₂, N₂, and forming gas (10% H₂/90% N₂) atmospheres. Phase-pure films of MoO₂ and α-MoO₃ are obtained by annealing at 450 °C in forming gas and O₂, respectively. The ability to tailor the phase composition of MoO_x films deposited by scalable atomic layer deposition method represents an important step towards various applications of molybdenum oxides.     

Characterization of nano-composite oxide ceramics and monitoring of oxide thin film growth by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Multi-component oxide ceramics and epitaxial oxide thin films are analyzed by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Furthermore, pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) of thin films is investigated by long-term monitoring of the optical plasma emission. Both nano-composite high-temperature superconductors (HTS) consisting of YBa₂Cu₃O_7 − δ bulk and Y₂Ba₄MCuO_x (M-2411, M = Ag, Nb) nano-particles, and semiconducting ZnO doped with Aluminum and Lithium are ablated by nano-second laser pulses. The plasma emission is recorded using grating spectrometers with intensified gated detectors. The LIBS signals of nano-particles correlate with the nominal content of the M-2411 phase (0–15 mol%) and reveal a strong signal of Ytterbium impurity (3–35 ppm). In situ monitoring of the PLD process shows element signals that are stable for more than 10,000 laser pulses for both HTS and ZnO ceramics. The relative concentration of elements in thin films and ceramics as determined by LIBS is almost the same.     

Electrical,optical, and structural characterization of p‐type N‐doped SnO thin films prepared by thermal oxidation of sputtered SnNx thin films

We present a study of electrical and optical properties of nitrogen‐doped tin oxide thin films deposited on glass by the DC Magnetron Sputtering method. The deposition conditions to obtain p‐type thin films were a relative partial pressure between 7% and 11% (N₂ and/or O₂), a total working pressure of 1.8 mTorr and a plasma power of 30 W. The deposited thin films were oxidized after annealing at 250°C for 30 minutes. X‐ray diffraction results showed that the as‐deposited thin films exhibit a Sn tetragonal structure, and after annealing, they showed SnO tetragonal structure. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed the presence of nitrogen in the samples before and after annealing. The measured physical parameters of the thin films were optical band gap between 1.92 and 2.68 eV, resistivity between 0.52 and 5.46 Ωcm, a concentration of p‐type carriers between 10¹⁸ and 10¹⁹ cm^?3, and a Hall mobility between 0.1 and 1.94 cm²V^?1s^?1. These thin films were used to fabricate p‐type thin film transistors.     

Combinatorial study of WInZnO films deposited by rf magnetron co-sputtering

The compositional dependence of co-sputtered tungsten indium zinc oxide (WInZnO) film properties was first investigated by means of a combinatorial technique. Indium zinc oxide (IZO) and WO₃ targets were used with different target power. W composition ratio [W/(In+Zn+W)] was varied between 3 and 30 at% and film thickness was reduced as the sample position moved toward WO₃ target. Furthermore, the optical bandgap energy increased gradually, which might be affected by the reduction in film thickness. All the WInZnO films showed an amorphous phase regardless of the W/(In+Zn+W) ratio. As the W/(In+Zn+W) ratio in WInZnO films increased, the carrier concentration was restricted, causing the increase in electrical resistivity. W cations worked as oxygen binders in determining the electronic properties, resulting in suppressing the formation of oxygen vacancies. Consequentially, W metal cations were effectively incorporated into the WInZnO films as a suppressor against the oxygen vacancies and the carrier generation by employing the combinatorial technique.     

还原石墨/氧化锌复合薄膜的制备及其光电转换性能

本工作研究不同过程还原的氧化石墨rGO/ZnO(reduced graphiteoxide/ZnO)复合膜的可见光激发光电转换性能。氧化石墨(GO)经KOH还原处理或NaBH4还原处理后,和氧化锌溶胶混合,通过旋涂法和热处理在F掺杂SnO2薄膜导电玻璃(FTO)衬底上形成复合薄膜。采用XRD、FTIR、FE-SEM、XPS、UV-Vis等方法对复合薄膜的晶相结构、微观形貌等进行表征,并测试了复合薄膜在可见光照射下的光电转换性能。GO的预处理过程对复合薄膜的结构影响显著,采用NaBH4对GO处理更有利于形成均匀薄膜。光电流测试结果表明不同复合薄膜均能实现可见光照射下产生光电流,其原理为rGO的光激发电子跃迁到ZnO,而空穴在rGO中迁移,在rGO与ZnO界面实现光生载流子分离。其中NaBH4处理后的rGO/ZnO复合薄膜光电流密度最大,达6×10-7A·cm-2。     

Flexible and Epitaxial Metal Oxide Thin Film Growth by Photoreaction Processing for Electrical and Optical Applications

This review summarizes the use of photoreactions that replace conventional heating processes for growing oxide thin films from chemical solutions. In particular, this review outlines key variables in photoreactions that affect epitaxial and polycrystalline thin film growth, including precursor materials, laser wavelength, laser fluence, and carbon. In addition, the features of the photoreaction process that can be controlled at a low temperature by oxygen non-stoichiometry are examined. Likewise, functions that are neither achieved by developing a gradient structure nor controlled by a thermal equilibrium reaction are detailed. Two new concepts are presented, known as photoreaction of nanoparticles (PRNP) and photoreaction of a hybrid solutions (PRHS), in which crystal nuclei are pre-dispersed in a metal–organic compound film. This method has successfully produced flexible phosphor films used as resistor or thermistor electronic components. Finally, thin film growth using different light sources such as flash lamps and femtosecond lasers (fs) is explored.     

Electrochemical formation of anodic oxide films on Nb surfaces: ellipsometric and Raman spectroscopical studies

Electrochemical formation of anodic oxide films on niobium (Nb) surfaces in 1 M H₂SO₄ solutions was studied using ellipsometry and Raman spectroscopy. By in situ ellipsometric measurements, the coefficient of film thickness growth and the complex index of refraction of anodic oxide films in the voltage range between 0 and 100 V were determined. The Raman spectra reveal that the thin passive films are amorphous. In the beginning of crystallization, the anodic oxide films consist of mixtures of NbO₂ and Nb₂O₅, while NbO₂ is completely transformed to Nb₂O₅ for thicker and well-crystallized films.     

Multifractal analysis of drop‐casted copper (II) tetrasulfophthalocyanine film surfaces on the indium tin oxide substrates

This paper applies multifractal spectrum theory to characterize the structural complexity of 3D surface roughness of copper (II) tetrasulfophthalocyanine (CuTsPc) films on the indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate, obtained with atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. CuTsPc films were prepared by drop cast method on ITO substrate. CuTsPc films surface roughness was studied by AFM in tapping‐mode?, in air, on square areas of 2500 µm². A novel approach, on the basis of computational algorithms for analysis of 3D roughness surface applied for AFM data, was presented. Results revealed that the 3D surface roughness of CuTsPc films prepared by drop cast method on ITO substrate can be described using the multifractal geometry. The generalized dimensions D_q and the multifractal spectrum f(α) provided quantitative values that characterize the local scale properties of CuTsPc films surface geometry at nanometer scale. Data provide valuable information to describe the spatial arrangement of 3D surface roughness of CuTsPc films on ITO substrate, which was not taken into account by classical surface statistical parameters. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electroanalytical Responses of Arsenic Oxide,Methanol, and Oxygen at the Ruthenium Oxide–Hexachloroiridate with Platinum Hybrid Film

Electrochemically active ruthenium oxide (RuO_x?nH₂O), ruthenium oxide/hexachloroiridate (RuO_x?nH₂O/IrCl₆^2?), and ruthenium oxide/hexachloroiridate/platinum (RuO_x?nH₂O/IrCl₆^2?/Pt) hybrid films have been prepared from the mixture of Ru³⁺, IrCl₆^2?, and PtCl₆^2? ions in an acidic aqueous solution. The repetitive cyclic voltammetry (CV) has been used for the film preparation process. The electrochemical properties and the growth mechanism of the above mentioned different kinds of hybrid films have been investigated using CV and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance. The morphological and quantitative analyses have been carried out using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray. Among these above mentioned films, RuO_x?nH₂O/IrCl₆^2?/Pt hybrid film exhibits promising electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of arsenic oxide, methanol and reduction of oxygen. Further, detailed study of electrocatalysis using rotating ring disk electrodes and amperometric methods have been carried out for arsenic oxide oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions at the hybrid films. From the results, the sensitivity of RuO_x?nH₂O/IrCl₆^2?/Pt hybrid film has been calculated for arsenic oxide as 0.7 mA mM^?1; and for oxygen as 1.8 mA mM^?1.     

Sol-Gel Derived Bismuth Titanate Thin Films with c-Axis Orientation

Bismuth titanate (Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂), a member of the layered perovskite family, has a unique set of ferroelectric properties, which include a high remanent polarization, low coercive field, and high Curie temperature, that make it a possible candidate for data storage applications. For this investigation, bismuth titanate, or BiT, films were fabricated via sol-gel method to examine the effect of processing on phase development and orientation. Solutions were deposited onto platinized silicon, and then heat treated for one hour at temperatures ranging from 550°C to 700°C in 100% O₂. It was found that c-axis orientated BiT films could be formed at temperatures as low as 550°C by using bismuth oxide template layers, while films without bismuth oxide templating possessed a random orientation over the same temperature range.