Investigation on FR(LT)–FR(HT) phase transition and pyroelectric properties of pulsed laser deposited Pb(Zr0.93Ti0.07)O3 thin films

The preparation process, crystallinity and electrical properties of pulse laser deposited Pb(Zr_xTi_1−x)O₃ (PZT) thin films were investigated in this paper. PZT (x = 0.93) thin film samples deposited at different substrate temperatures were prepared. Si (1 1 0) was the substrate; Ag and YBCO were the top electrode and the bottom electrode respectively. The bottom electrode YBCO was deposited on the Si substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), and then PZT was epitaxially deposited on YBCO also by PLD. After annealing, the top electrode Ag was prepared on PZT by thermal evaporation, and then the Ag/PZT/YBCO/Si structured thin films were obtained. The XRD and the analysis of their electrical characters showed that, when the substrate temperature was elevated from 600 °C to 800 °C, the crystallinity and electrical properties of PZT thin films became better and better, and the F_R(LT)–F_R(HT) phase transition of PZT (x = 0.93) thin films occurred at 62 °C. The PZT film deposited at 800 °C had the best pyroelectric properties, and when the F_R(LT)–F_R(HT) phase transition of this film occurred, the peak value of pyroelectric coefficient (p) was obtained, with a value of 1.96 × 10⁻⁶ C/(cm² K). The PZT film deposited at 800 °C had the highest remnant polarization (P_r) and the lowest coercive field (E_c), with the values of 34.3 μC/cm² and 41.7 kV/cm respectively.     

Enhanced photoluminescence of rare-earth doped films prepared by off-axis pulsed laser deposition

Alternate pulsed laser deposition from the host (Al₂O₃) and dopant (Er, Yb) targets has been used to prepare artificially nanostructured films in which the rare earth ion-ion separation is controlled in the nanometer scale in order to control energy transfer between ions. One series of films was prepared in the standard on-axis configuration, i.e. a static substrate being centred with respect to the plasma expansion axis. A second series of films was prepared by rotating the substrate with respect to a shifted axis parallel to the plasma expansion one (off-axis configuration). The latter configuration leads to films with enhanced thickness and Er related photoluminescence intensity uniformity. More interestingly, the Er related photoluminescence lifetime in as-grown films increases up to 2.5 ms, which is much higher than the maximum value of 1 ms obtained for the on-axis configuration films. This enhancement is discussed in terms of a decrease of defect density when using the off-axis configuration.     

Carbon nitride films by RF plasma assisted PLD: Spectroscopic and electronic analysis

Carbon nitride (CNx) thin films have been grown on Si 〈1 0 0〉 by 193 nm ArF ns pulsed laser ablation of a pure graphite target in a low pressure atmosphere of a RF generated N₂ plasma and compared with samples grown by PLD in pure nitrogen atmosphere. Composition, structure and bonding of the deposited materials have been evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman scattering. Significant chemical and micro-structural changes have been registered, associated to different nitrogen incorporation in the two types of films analyzed. The intensity of the reactive activated species is, indeed, increased by the presence of the bias confined RF plasma, as compared to the bare nitrogen atmosphere, thus resulting in a different nitrogen uptake in the growing films. The process has been also investigated by some preliminary optical emission studies of the carbon plume expanding in the nitrogen atmosphere. Optical emission spectroscopy reveals the presence of many excited species like C⁺ ions, C atoms, C₂, N₂; and CN radicals, and N₂⁺ molecular ions, whose relative intensity appears to be increased in the presence of the RF plasma. The films were also characterised for electrical properties by the “four-probe-test method” determining sheet resistivity and correlating surface conductivity with chemical composition.     

Growth of preferentially-oriented AlN films on amorphous substrate by pulsed laser deposition

Preferentially-oriented aluminum nitride (AlN) films are grown directly on natively-oxidized Si (100) substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in nitrogen (N₂) environment. The AlN preferential orientation changes from (002) to (100) with increasing N₂ pressure. Such different behaviors are discussed in terms of deposition-rate-dependent preferential orientation, kinetic energy of depositing species and confinement of laser plume. Finally, sample deposited at 0.9 Pa is proved to have the highest (002) peak intensity, the lowest FWHM value, the highest deposition rate and a relatively low RMS roughness (1.138 nm), showing the optimal growth condition for c-axis-oriented AlN growth at this N₂ pressure.     

High-speed deposition of RE123 film with large current capacity by hot-wall type PLD system

We have studied a hot-wall heating system to produce GdBa₂Cu₃O_y (GdBCO) films with large critical currents (I_c) at a high production rate by a pulsed-laser-deposition (PLD) method. GdBCO films fabricated at a production rate of 30 m/h under the optimized conditions, especially a distance of 95 mm between the target and the substrate (T–S), exhibited high critical current densities (J_c) of about 3 MA/cm² and I_c over 300 A at a thickness of 1–2 μm. Furthermore, long GdBCO tapes prepared by repeated depositions at each tape-passing speed of 80 m/h showed uniform I_c distribution along the longitudinal direction, because the hot-wall system enabled to stabilize temperature within a few degrees at 800 °C. A 170 m long tape with I_c over 600 A was successfully fabricated at a production rate of 16 m/h using a laser power of 360 W.     

Highly oriented crystalline Er:YAG and Er:YAP layers prepared by PLD and annealing

High quality, thick, highly oriented crystalline thin films of Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Y₃Al₅O₁₂) and Yttrium Aluminum Perovskite (YAlO₃) doped with Erbium were prepared by pulsed laser deposition. Samples were created in vacuum or oxygen environment. Depositions were arranged at room temperature, or at high substrate temperatures ranging from 800 to 1100 °C. Amorphous layers were annealed by laser, or in oven (argon flow, temperatures in range from 1200 to 1400 °C). Fused silica and sapphire (0 0 0 1) were used as substrates. Properties of films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and by photoluminescence measurement. Size of crystalline grains was in the range 116-773 nm. Thickness of layers was up to 17 μm.     

采用新型La_(0.07)Sr_(0.93)SnO_3电极制备外延透明BiFe_(0.95)Mn_(0.05)O_3铁电薄膜电容器

本文使用脉冲激光沉积的方法在SrTiO3(STO)单晶衬底上采用一种新型的透明导电氧化物材料La0.07Sr0.93SnO3(LSSO)薄膜作为电极材料制备了BiFe0.95Mn0.05O3(BFMO)铁电薄膜电容器.XRD表征结果证实BF-MO/LSSO/STO外延异质结具有很好的单晶质量.光透过率的测试结果表明在500~2500nm的波长范围内,整个异质结的透光率与单纯STO衬底基片相似.在波长500nm附近BFMO出现吸收边,通过对吸收边进行(hνα)2-hν曲线拟合得到BFMO的直接光学带隙约为2.8eV.利用Pt作为上电极,我们测得了饱和的电滞回线,剩余极化Pr~60μC/cm2.     

退火处理对ZnO薄膜发光特性的影响

用脉冲激光沉积法(PLD)在MgO(100)、α-Al2O3(0001)和MgAl2O4(111)衬底上沉积了ZnO薄膜,测量了它们的发射光谱,观察到430nm的蓝光发射,并研究了退火、衬底和激发波长对ZnO薄膜这一蓝光发射的影响.指出ZnO薄膜中430nm的蓝光发射是由锌填隙原子缺陷能级到价带顶能级间的跃迁以及电子从氧空位浅施主能级到价带顶能级间的跃迁两种机理共同作用的结果.在MgO衬底上沉积的ZnO薄膜在350nm光激发下蓝光发射峰最强.     

在钛酸锶衬底上外延生长ZnO薄膜及其性能研究

用脉冲激光淀积法(PLD)在(111)面SrTiO3衬底上外延生长ZnO单晶薄膜.样品分别在衬底温度为350℃、500℃、600℃下外延生长.X射线衍射(XRD)的结果表明,所得的ZnO单晶薄膜结晶性能好,只出现(002)和(004)两个衍射峰,(002)峰的半高宽度(FWHM)为0.23°.在荧光光谱中我们只观察到来源于带边激子跃迁的强UV发射,并且随着生长温度的升高,紫外峰的强度逐渐增强.样品的SEM图像表明所得ZnO薄膜表面平整,晶粒均匀.衬底温度为600℃时,所得到的ZnO薄膜结构完整,晶粒尺寸最大,均匀;而且紫外发射最强.