Surface energy evaluation of unhydrogenated DLC thin film deposited by thermionic vacuum arc (TVA) method

The aim of this paper is concerned with the surface energy evaluation by contact angle measurements of DLC films deposited by thermionic vacuum arc (TVA) on different substrates: glass plate, zinc foil, stainless steel and alumina foil. TVA is an original method based on a combination of the evaporation by electron bombardment and anodic arc. The evaluation of the surface free energy has been carried out by surface energy evaluation system (SEE System). The influence of the experimental conditions is also investigated.     

Investigation of the SiC thin films synthetized by Thermionic Vacuum Arc method (TVA)

Thermionic Vacuum Arc method (TVA) was used for the first time to prepare SiC thin films. This method is very suitable for deposition of high purity thin films with compact structure and extremely smooth in vacuum conditions. The nanocomposites were investigated using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analyses provided with HR-TEM and SAED facilities. The structure of the films can be indexed as following three forms: cubic structure of SiC (F4-3m) a = 0.4348 nm, cubic Si (Fd3m) a = 0.54307 nm and graphite (P63/mmc) a = 0.2456 nm; c = 0.6696 nm. The morphology, topography, wettability and wear properties were also performed by SEE system and by Raman Spectroscopy, increasing the interest for emerging applications.     

Plasma deposition of thin films utilizing the anodic vacuum arc

Anodic vacuum arcs operating with cold cathodes in the spot mode and hot evaporating anodes are investigated to explore their technical potential as a plasma deposition technique. This discharge provides a unique source of a highly ionized, metal vapor plasma by autogeneration of the working gas to evaporation of the anode. This gas-free and droplet-free metal vapor plasma expands into the ambient vacuum (10^-4 mbar) and produces thin metallic films at the surface of substrates. An analysis of Al and Cu plasmas at the position of a possible substrate for arc currents between 20 and 200 A leads to the following results: electron densities, 10¹⁵-10¹⁸/ m³; degree of ionization, 0.5-25%; directed ion energy, 5 eV; and electron temperatures, 0.2-1 eV. Metallic coatings generated with deposition rates between 0.1 and 100 nm/s show the following properties: purity, 99.9%; polycrystalline structure with grain sizes between a few and a few hundred nm, same mass density as the respective bulk material, electrical conductivity rather close to that of the bulk material, and excellent optical properties. The coatings show good adhesion, which can be enhanced by a plasma-supported pretreatment of the substrate surface and by an acceleration of the ions towards the substrate     

Deposition of superhydrophobic nanostructured Teflon-like coating using expanding plasma arc

A novel approach was used to grow nanostructured Teflon-like superhydrophobic coatings on stainless steel (SS). In this method Teflon tailings were pyrolyzed to generate fluorocarbon precursor molecules, and an expanding plasma arc (EPA) was used to polymerize these precursors to deposit Teflon-like coating. The coating shows super hydrophobic behavior with water contact angle (WCA) of 165°. The coating was observed to be uniform. It consists of nanostructured (∼80-200 nm) features, which were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The chemical bond state of the film was determined by XPS and FTIR, which indicate the dominance of -CF₂ groups in the deposited coating. The combination of nanofeature induced surface roughness and the low surface energy imparted by Teflon-like coating is responsible for the observed superhydrophobic nature.     

Structure and properties of zirconium oxide thin films prepared by filtered cathodic vacuum arc

Zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) thin films deposited at room temperature by the filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) technique are detailed in terms of the film structure, composition, morphology, and optical and mechanical properties, which are tailored by the oxygen (O₂) flow rate during deposition. The relationships between the film structure, composition, morphology, and properties are emphasized. With an increasing O₂ flow rate, the film evolves in structure from amorphous, through a pure monoclinic phase with varying preferential orientation, to amorphous again, accompanied by an increase in the O/Zr atomic ratio and a conversion of Zr ions from low oxidation states into Zr⁴⁺. Such a structural trend arises from the change in composition, and influences the film morphology and mechanical properties so that the amorphous films exhibit small clusters on the surface and smoother morphology as well as lower hardness compared with the polycrystalline films. The film composition rather than the density dominates the optical properties, where the transmittance and the optical band gap increase with increasing O/Zr values, while the refractive index and extinction coefficients behave conversely with the lowest refractive index (2.16 at 550 nm) approaching the bulk value (2.2) . PACS  68.55.Jk; 78.66.Nk; 68.37.Ps     

Deposition of ZnO thin films on (100) γ-LiAlO2 substrate

Optical properties for ZnO thin films grown on (100) γ-LiAlO2 (LAO) substrate by pulsed laser deposition method were investigated. The c-axis oriented ZnO films were grown on (100) γ-LiAlO2 substrates at the substrate temperature of 550 C. The transmittance of the films was over 85%. Peaks attributed to excitons were shown in absorption spectra, which indicated that thin films had high crystallinity. Photoluminescence spectra with the maximum peak at 540 nm were observed at room temperature, which seemed to be ascribed to oxygen vacancy in the ZnO films caused by diffusion of Li from the substrates into the films during the deposition.     

Low-temperature deposited ZnO thin films on the flexible substrate by cathodic vacuum arc technology

In this paper, un-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) films with various thicknesses (150, 250, 350, 450 and 550 nm) were successfully prepared onto PET substrates using cathodic vacuum arc technique at low-temperature (<40 °C). Their microstructure, optical and electrical properties were investigated and discussed. The films showed (0 0 2) peaks, an average transmittance over 80% in the visible region. Calculated values of the band gap are around 3.29-3.33 eV when the film thickness increased, indicating a slight blue shift of optical transmission spectra. The lowest resistivity about 5.26 × 10⁻³ Ω cm could be achieved for the un-doped ZnO film with thickness of 550 nm.     

Characteristics of filtered vacuum arc deposited ZnO-SnO2 thin films on room temperature substrates

ZnO, SnO₂ and zinc stannate thin films were deposited using filtered vacuum arc deposition (FVAD) system on commercial microscope glass and UV fused silica substrates (UVFS) at room temperature (RT). The structural and morphological analyses were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), respectively. XRD patterns of ZnO films deposited at RT had strongly c-axis orientation, whereas SnO₂ and zinc stannate films had amorphous structure as they did not have any defined patterns. Average crystalline size and surface grain size of ZnO films were ∼16 nm, as determined from diffraction line broadening and AFM images, respectively. Optical constants in the 250-1100 nm wavelength range were determined by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmission measurements. The transmission of the deposited films in the VIS was 80-90%, affected by interference. The refractive indices and the extinction coefficients of deposited ZnO, SnO₂ and zinc stannate films were in the range 1.87-2.15 and 0.02-0.04, depending on wavelengths and deposition parameters. The optical band gap (E_g) was determined by the dependence of the absorption coefficient on the photon energy at short wavelengths. Its values for ZnO, SnO₂ and zinc stannate were in the range 3.25-3.30 eV, 3.60-3.98 eV and 3.43-3.52 eV, respectively, depending on the deposition pressure.     

溶胶-凝胶法制备纳米多孔SiO2薄膜

以正硅酸乙酯(TEOS)为原料，采用旋转涂敷的方法，结合溶胶-凝胶技术在硅衬底上制备超低介电常数多孔SiO₂薄膜.采用两种不同的改性方法对薄膜表面进行改性，傅里 叶变换红外光谱分析发现改性后薄膜中含有大量的—CH₃键，从而减少了孔洞塌陷.用扫 描电子显微镜观察薄膜的表面形貌，发现薄膜内孔洞尺寸在70—80 nm之间.调节溶胶pH值，发现pH值越小凝胶时间越长.对改性样品热处理的结果表明，在300 ℃时介电常数最低达2.05. 关键词： 2')" href="#">多孔SiO₂ 低介电常数 溶胶-凝胶     

Deposition of nanocomposite TiN-Si3N4 thin films by hybrid cathodic arc and chemical vapor process

A hybrid technique is described for the synthesis of nanocomposite TiNSi₃N₄ thin films based on the reactive deposition of Ti produced from a cathodic arc source and Si from a liquid tetramethylsilane (TMS), precursor. The technique combines both the physical vapour of Ti and chemical vapour of silicon in a nitrogen background pressure in a single system. The influence of the TMS flow rate on the structure and mechanical properties has been investigated. The film structure was found to comprise of TiN crystallites and amorphous Si₃N₄. The X-ray diffraction data showed that with increasing TMS flow, there is a decrease in the TiN crystalline size from 33 nm to 4 nm. The hardness of the films was found to be strongly dependent on the Si content and reached a maximum value of 41 GPa at 5% Si content at a total pressure of nitrogen and TMS of 0.8 Pa. Hardness enhancement was found to arise from the nanostructural change induced due to the addition of an amorphous Si₃N₄ phase into the film. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis confirmed the structure of the ncTiN/aSi₃N₄ composites. Films with 4 at.% or more silicon were found to maintain the hardness after annealing at 500 °C in vacuum. PACS 68.55.Jk; 81.15.-z; 81.15.Ef     

Deposition of copper oxide (Cu2O,CuO) thin films at high temperatures by plasma-enhanced CVD

Copper-oxide films are deposited by plasma-enhanced CVD using copper acetylacetonate as a precursor. The influence of various experimental parameters on deposition rate, film composition and resistivity have been studied. The substrate temperature and the bias are the parameters which affect these properties the most. An increase of the substrate temperature changes the phases of the deposit from Cu₂O-CuO over Cu₂O to Cu. At temperatures 500° C the deposition rates are high but the films consist mainly of metallic Cu. A negative bias enhances the deposition rate only slightly but has a strong effect on the film composition and can completely balance the oxygen deficiency. At a bias of –120 V the films consist of pure CuO even at temperatures 500° C.     

Deposition of NbC thin films by pulsed laser ablation

Niobium carbide thin films were prepared by pulsed laser ablation of a stoichiometric NbC target. XeCl (308 nm, 30 ns) and Nd:YAG (266 nm, 5 ns) lasers operating at a repetition rate of 10 Hz were used. Films were deposited on Si (100) substrates at room temperature either in vacuum or in an argon atmosphere (2᎒^-1 mbar). Different laser fluences (2, 4 and 6 J/cm²) and different numbers of pulses (1᎒⁴, 2᎒⁴ and 4᎒⁴) were tested. For the first time, NbC films were prepared through a clean procedure without the addition of a hydrocarbon atmosphere. The phase constitution of the films, unit cell size, mean crystallite dimensions and preferred orientation are determined as a function of deposition conditions by X-ray diffraction. Complementary morphological and structural analysis of the films were performed by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy.     

Tribological characterization of chromium nitride coating deposited by filtered cathodic vacuum arc

CrN coatings were prepared by filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) technique. The influence of the deposition parameters (nitrogen partial pressure PN₂, substrate bias voltage V_s and preheating of the substrate) on the structural, mechanical and tribological properties of the FCVA CrN coatings was investigated. Further, the FCVA CrN coating was compared in dry reciprocating sliding with commercial multi-arc ion plating (MAIP) CrN coating as to friction and wear properties. Profilometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) were used to evaluate the wear scars and the wear mechanisms were discussed. The results showed that the structural, mechanical and tribological properties of the FCVA CrN coatings were significantly dependent on the deposition parameters. The FCVA CrN coating deposited with PN₂ of 0.1 Pa, V_s of −100 V and without preheating exhibited the optimal mechanical and tribological properties. The FCVA CrN coating exhibited much better anti-abrasive and anti-spalling properties than the MAIP CrN coating, which was resulted from significant reduction of macroparticles and pitting defects by the FCVA technique. The MAIP CrN coating suffered severe concentrated wear by a combination wear mechanisms of delamination, abrasive and oxidative wear when high normal load was applied, while for the FCVA CrN coating the wear mechanisms were ultra-mild abrasive and oxidative wear.     

Characterization of AgInS2 thin films prepared by vacuum evaporation

We characterized AgInS₂ thin films prepared by vacuum evaporation. In the case of thin films annealed at 400 °C, diffraction peaks were observed only for the chalcopyrite AgInS₂ phase. The chemical composition of the thin films annealed at 400 °C was 26.5 at% Ag, 23.8 at% In, and 49.7 at% S. PL spectra of the AgInS₂ thin films at 10.7 K showed peaks at 1.70, 1.80, and 1.83 eV. The PL peak at1.80 eV was attributed to sulfur deficiency.     

Deposition of thin rhodium films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Thin films of rhodium have been prepared starting from dicarbonyl-2.4-pentadionato-rhodium(I), Rh(CO)₂C₅H₇O₂, by plasma enhanced CVD. The dependence of the deposition rate and film properties on substrate temperature, partial pressure of the organometallic and on hydrogen has been studied. Metal contents of 100% and thin-film resistivities as low as 5 times the bulk resistivity of rhodium have been achieved.     

溶胶-凝胶法MgF2紫外增透膜的制备和性能研究

 采用溶胶-凝胶法,以醋酸镁和氟化氢为原料,以甲醇为溶剂制备了MgF₂溶胶,利用浸渍提拉法在洁净石英基片上镀膜,考察了反应温度对溶胶微结构、薄膜结构和性能的影响。样品采用激光动态光散射、透射电镜、X射线粉体衍射仪、紫外-可见光谱仪、原子力显微镜进行表征。结果表明：通过该方法制备的表面平整的低折射率MgF₂薄膜,在紫外区具有很好的增透性能,同时在紫外波长355 nm激光的辐照下（脉宽6 ns）,薄膜具有较高的抗激光损伤性能,激光损伤阈值达10.85 J·cm^-2。     

The memory of thin polymer films generated by spin coating

The European Physical Journal E - The interstitial tumor microenvironment is composed of heterogeneously organized collagen-rich porous networks as well as channel-like structures and interfaces...     

溶胶-凝胶法MgF2紫外增透膜的制备和性能研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法,以醋酸镁和氟化氢为原料,以甲醇为溶剂制备了MgF2溶胶,利用浸渍提拉法在洁净石英基片上镀膜,考察了反应温度对溶胶微结构、薄膜结构和性能的影响。样品采用激光动态光散射、透射电镜、X射线粉体衍射仪、紫外-可见光谱仪、原子力显微镜进行表征。结果表明：通过该方法制备的表面平整的低折射率MgF2薄膜,在紫外区具有很好的增透性能,同时在紫外波长355 nm激光的辐照下（脉宽6 ns）,薄膜具有较高的抗激光损伤性能,激光损伤阈值达10.85 J·cm-2。     

Thermal annealing of FePt thin films by millisecond plasma arc pulses

A series of 20 and 100 nm Fe₅₃Pt₄₇ thin films sputter-deposited onto Si substrates have been thermally annealed using a pulsed thermal plasma arc lamp. A series of one, three or five pulses were applied to the thin films with widths of either 50 or 100 ms. The microstructure and magnetic properties of these annealed Fe₅₃Pt₄₇ films are discussed according to the various annealing conditions and A1 to L1₀ phase transformation. Upon pulse annealing, the average in-plane grain size of 15 nm (nearly equivalent for both film thicknesses) was observed to increase to values near 20 nm. In general, increasing the pulse width or number of pulses increased the L1₀ order parameter, tetragonality of the c/a ratio and coercivity of the specimen. The exception to this trend was for five pulses at 100 ms for both film thicknesses, which indicated a reduction of the order parameter and coercivity. This reduction is believed to be a result of the interdiffusion of Fe and Pt into the Si substrate and the formation of iron oxide clusters in the grain boundaries characterized by atom probe tomography.