Improved liquid－solid－gas interface deposition of nanoparticle thin films

A liquid－solid－gas interface deposition method to prepare nanoparticle thin films is presented in this paper. The nanoparticles in the part of suspension located close to the solid－liquid－gas interface grow on the substrate under the influence of interface force when the partially immersed substrate moves relatively to the suspension. By using statistical theory of the Brownian motion, growth equations for mono-component and multi-component nanoparticle thin films are obtained and some parameters for deposition process are discussed.     

Effect of substrate temperature on the surface and interface oxidation of NiTi thin films

NiTi shape memory alloy thin films are deposited on pure Cu substrate at substrate ambient temperatures of 300 °C and 450 °C. The surface and interface oxidation of NiTi thin films are characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). After a subsequent annealing treatment the crystallization behavior of the films deposited on substrate at different temperatures is studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effects of substrate temperature on the surface and interface oxidation of NiTi thin films are investigated. In the film surface this is an oxide layer composed of TiO₂. The Ni atom has not been detected on surface. In the film/substrate interface there is an oxide layer with a mixture Ti₂O₃ and NiO in the films deposited at substrate temperatures 300 °C and 450 °C. In the films deposited at ambient temperature, the interface layer contains Ti suboxides (TiO) and metallic Ni.     

基底上覆分层薄膜超声Scholte波特性与薄膜定征

分层薄膜-基底结构广泛应用于微电子器件等诸多领域,但薄膜材料参数超声测量尤其是横波速度的定征是一个困难的问题。本文对液固界面Scholte界面波的频散特性和脉冲激励的声压响应进行了理论分析。结果表明,液固界面Scholte波频散与分层膜-基底结构的速度分布密切相关。薄膜材料各层的厚度和横波速度对界面波频散特性有显著影响。基于Scholte界面波的频散特性,提出了一种多层膜的多参数反演定征方法。首先针对理论信号进行薄膜参数反演,验证了该方法的可行性。后续对不同类型的多层膜材料样品进行了液固界面波激发与采集实验,实验信号的薄膜参数反演结果进一步验证了该方法的可行性和有效性。     

Switching curves of magnetically coupled ferro-ferromagnetic double layer films

The switching curves are studied of a double layer film consisting of two uniaxial ferromagnetic thin films. In this coupled film system the magnetization state is investigated assuming the model of uniform rotation. The coupling between the films is described by a magnetic interface cosine coupling. Numerical results are given for the case of ferromagnetic films with different magnetic parameters coupled together by a ferromagnetic interface cosine coupling.The author wishes to thank Dr. H. Gengnagel and Dr. E. Steinbeiss for their valuable discussions.     

Phonon transport in silicon-silicon and silicon-diamond thin films: Consideration of thermal boundary resistance at interface

Phonon transport across the silicon-silicon and silicon-diamond dielectric films is examined. To simulate the phonon transport in the films EPRT is accounted and numerical solutions are obtained with the consideration of 1 K difference across the films prior to the initiation of the phonon transport. The diffuse mismatch model is introduced to account for the thermal boundary resistance at the interface of the films. To validate the code developed, the steady and transient cases for phonon transport in silicon film are carried out. It is found that the equilibrium temperature of phonons attains higher value at the interface of silicon films in silicon-silicon films than that corresponding to silicon-diamond films. The predictions of phonon temperature distribution in the silicon film agree well with its counterpart reported in the previous studies.     

Experimental and numerical approach on interfacial properties of W/Al bilayer films for electronic devices manufacturing

The aim of this article is to provide a systematic method for performing experimental tests and theoretical evaluations on interfacial adhesion properties of the W/Al bilayer thin films interface. Samples W/Al bilayer thin films assembly is deposited on the quartz glass by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Based on the analysis of the experimental indentation data, the elastic modulus and hardness of the sample are investigated. The test results show that both of the values are easily influenced by the indentation depth. At the meantime, a finite element model is built to simulate the interface mechanical properties. The analysis shows that stress is mainly centralized close to the indenter and the maximum stress occurs in the lower layer Al film, not in the upper W film. The comparison between the experiment and the simulation shows the validity of the test and the modeling of each other to a certain extent. The investigation builds a basis for future work such as the fabrication of W/Al bilayer thin films for micro/nano manufacturing.     

金刚石膜厚度尺寸对热残余应力的影响

 采用有限元方法对钼基体上不同厚度（20~1 000 μm）金刚石膜的热残余应力进行了全面的模拟与分析,得出了它们在膜内分布的等值线图,研究了金刚石膜厚度尺寸对整个膜内的最大主拉应力和界面处每个应力分量最大值的影响。结果表明：在整个膜内,最大主拉应力的位置出现在膜的表面、界面或侧面,其值随膜厚度的增加而增大;在界面处,最大轴向应力随膜厚度的增加而增大,而最大径向压应力、最大周向压应力和最大剪应力则随膜厚度的增加而减小,其中最大剪应力减幅较小;膜厚度越大时,以上各量随厚度增（减）的速度越慢。其结论对于在金刚石膜的制备中合理地选择厚度、有效地进行应力控制有一定的参考价值。     

Atomic Design of Polarity of GaN Films Grown on SiC(0001)

Ab initio total energy calculations are used to determine the interface structure of GaN films grown on 6H-SiC(0001) with different substrate reconstructions. The results indicate that GaN films grown on bare SiC(0001) are of the Ga-polarity, while GaN films grown on SiC(0001) with Si adlayer are of the N-polarity if there is no N-Si interchange at the interface. With the interchange, the GaN films are of the Ga-polarity.     

Structure of SrTiO3 films on Si

The epitaxial deposition of oxides on silicon opens the possibility of incorporating their diverse properties into silicon-device technology. Deposition of SrTiO(3) on silicon was first reported over a decade ago, but growing the coherent, lattice-matched films that are critical for many applications has been difficult for thicknesses beyond 5 unit cells. Using a combination of density functional calculations and x-ray diffraction measurements, we determine the atomic structure of coherent SrTiO(3) films on silicon, finding that the Sr concentration at the interface varies with the film thickness. The structures with the lowest computed energies best match the x-ray diffraction. During growth, Sr diffuses from the interface to the surface of the film; the increasing difficulty of Sr diffusion with film thickness may cause the disorder seen in thicker films. The identification of this unique thickness-dependent interfacial structure opens the possibility of modifying the interface to improve the thickness and quality of metal oxide films on silicon.     

Surface and interface dipoles on catalytic metal films

The work function changes introduced by hydrogen on the surface and at the metal-support interface of a thin Pd-film were studied by simultaneous Kelvin probe and C(V)-measurements. It is demonstrated how these techniques can be used at atmospheric pressures to yield information about catalytic metals and on chemical kinetics on the metal surface. The main purpose of the communication is to point out the correlation between the surface and interface dipoles on catalytic metal films. Furthermore since the interface dipole is only created by hydrogen atoms it is shown how this can be used in a more complex situation to independently monitor the hydrogen content of the metal films.     

The thermal oxidation of silicon the special case of the growth of very thin films

The thermal oxidation of silicon is generally modelled by Deal and Grove's theory based on the assumption that the oxygen molecules dissolve in silicon in interstitial positions and migrate to the Si-SiO₂ interface where they react with the silicon substrate. Experimental results for oxidation in dry oxygen agree with this theory only for thick oxide films. The growth of very thin oxide films exhibits particular features which are discussed in this paper. For these films, the growth mechanism is different from that of thick films; this difference is possibly associated with the transport of oxygen atoms through the silica network. The effect of hydrogenated impurities is also discussed.     

Thermoelastic behavior of a thermoelectric thin-film attached to an infinite elastic substrate

Abstract

This paper examines the thermoelectric behaviour of a thermoelectric thin film bonded to an elastic substrate. A calculation model for thermoelectric thin films is developed based on the singular integral equation method. The interface shear stress is found to exhibit singular behaviour at the ends of the films. Numerical results for the thermal stress distribution in the film and the film/substrate interface are obtained. Effects of film thickness and the substrate to film stiffness ratio on the stress of the film and the stress intensity factor of the interface are identified. The effects of interface electricity conductivity and the elastic–plastic deformation of the film are discussed.     

Electronic structure and adhesion on metal-aluminum-oxide interfaces

This paper reports on the results of the systematic analysis of the atomic and electronic structure of the Me/α-Al₂O₃(0001) interfaces for two series of isoelectronic metals (Me = Cu, Ag, Au and Ni, Pd, Pt), depending on the termination of the oxide substrate and the configuration of oxide films. The calculations have been performed by the pseudopotential method in the plane-wave basis set. The adhesion energy of metal films has been calculated depending on the cleavage plane. It has been shown that the adhesion energy is maximum at the oxygen interface, which is caused by the ion component in chemical bonding at this interface. The aluminum and aluminum-enriched interfaces are characterized by the metallic type of bonding. The local densities of states and the charge distribution near the interface have been analyzed. It has been demonstrated that oxygen vacancies at the interface substantially weaken the adhesion due to the partial breaking of Me-O bonds.     

Investigation of interface roughness cross-correlation properties of optical thin films from total scattering losses

The interface roughness and interface roughness cross-correlation properties affect the scattering losses of high-quality optical thin films. In this paper, the theoretical models of light scattering induced by surface and interface roughness of optical thin films are concisely presented. Furthermore, influence of interface roughness cross-correlation properties to light scattering is analyzed by total scattering losses. Moreover, single-layer TiO₂ thin film thickness, substrate roughness of K9 glass and ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) technique effect on interface roughness cross-correlation properties are studied by experiments, respectively. A 17-layer dielectric quarter-wave high reflection multilayer is analyzed by total scattering losses. The results show that the interface roughness cross-correlation properties depend on TiO₂ thin film thickness, substrate roughness and deposition technique. The interface roughness cross-correlation properties decrease with the increase of film thickness or the decrease of substrates roughness. Furthermore, ion beam assisted deposition technique can increase the interface roughness cross-correlation properties of optical thin films. The measured total scattering losses of 17-layer dielectric quarter-wave high reflection multilayer deposited with IBAD indicate that completely correlated interface model can be observed, when substrate roughness is about 2.84 nm.     

Self-polarization and migratory polarization in thin lead zirconate-titanate films

This paper reports on a study of the electrical properties of 0.7–1-μm-thick textured PZT ferroelectric films prepared by rf magnetron sputtering of a PbZr_0.54Ti_0.46O₃ target which additionally contained 10 mol % lead oxide. Such films are shown to feature a combination of a self-polarized state and migratory polarization. The totality of the data obtained suggest that the films had n-type conduction. As shown by the laser beam modulation technique, the polarization was distributed nonuniformly in depth, with most of the poled state localized near the lower interface of the thin-film ferroelectric capacitor. The mechanism underlying the onset of this self-polarization is related to the charging of the lower interface of the structure by electrons, which occurs during the cooling following the high-temperature treatment of the PZT film, and to poling of the bulk of the film by the charged interface. This mechanism of the self-polarization of ferroelectric films is believed to have a universal character. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 44, No. 4, 2002, pp. 739–744. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2002 by Pronin, Kaptelov, Tarakanov, Shaplygina, Afanas’ev, Pankrashkin.     

Photoemission of a quantum cavity with a nonmagnetic spin separator

Quantum well states are a consequence of confinement in a quantum cavity. In this study we investigate with photoemission the influence of the interface electronic structure on the quantum well state energy dispersion in ultrathin Mg(0001) films on W(110). Coupling between the sp-derived quantum well states and the substrate across the interface becomes manifest in a deviation from free electronlike dispersion behavior. Most importantly, we observe a marked level splitting, which is interpreted as due to the Rashba effect at the interface. Such an interfacial electron beam splitting on materials with strong spin-orbit coupling is an essential ingredient for novel spintronic devices. The combination of a quantum cavity with a heavy, electron reflecting substrate reveals spin-splitting effects in ultrathin films without conventional magnetism being involved.     

沉积工艺对二氧化锆薄膜生长特性影响的研究

利用反应离子束溅射、反应磁控溅射和电子束蒸发在K9基底上沉积ZrO2薄膜，并用原子力显微镜对薄膜表面形貌进行测量。通过数值相关运算，对不同工艺条件下薄膜生长界面进行定量描述，得到了薄膜表面的粗糙度指数、横向相关长度、标准偏差粗糙度等参量。由于沉积条件的不同，薄膜生长具有不同的动力学过程。在反应离子束溅射和反应磁控溅射沉积薄膜过程中，薄膜生长动力学行为均可用Kuramoto-Sivashinsky方程来描述，电子束蒸发制备薄膜的过程可以用Mullins扩散模型来描述，并发现在沉积薄膜过程中基底温度和沉积过程的稳定性对薄膜表面特征影响很大。     

Self-assembled silver nanoparticle films at an air-liquid interface and their applications in SERS and electrochemistry

In this paper, we present a novel technique to prepare silver nanoparticle films by controlling the self-assembly of nanoparticles at an air-liquid interface. In an ethanol-water phase, silver nanoparticles were prepared by reduction of AgNO₃ aqueous solution with NaBH₄ in the presence of cinnamic acid. It was found that the silver nanoparticles in this process could be trapped at the air-liquid interface to form 2-dimensional nanoparticle films. The morphology of nanoparticle films could be controlled by systematic variation of the experimental parameters. It is worth noting that the nanoparticle films could serve as the active substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). 4-Aminothiophenol (4-ATP) molecule was used as a test probe to investigate the SERS sensitivity of different nanoparticle films. The results indicated that the nanoparticle films showed excellent Raman enhancement effect. Furthermore, the nanoparticle films prepared by our strategy were found to be efficient electrocatalysts for anodic oxidation of formaldehyde in alkaline medium.     

The growth and composition of anodic films on GaP

Anodic films have been grown on GaP in a variety of buffered anodizing solutions with pH ranging from 3 to 10. The films were grown at constant current densities from 1 to 100 mA/cm². Films with thicknesses in the range 500–1000 Å resulted from the higher current densities. The films were analyzed using the Rutherford backscattering of 1·7–2 MeV ⁴He ions in conjunction with ion channeling. This analysis revealed two distinct types of films; those with uniform composition as a function of depth and those with non-uniform profiles. The uniform films have Ga:P:O composition ratios typically ～1:2:5:8 whereas the non-uniform films have typical integrated Ga:P:O ratios of ～1:1·5:5. In the non-uniform films, which are the majority of those grown, Ga is piled up at the film-electrolyte interface; associated with this Ga excess is a corresponding P deficiency at the interface. This indicates that Ga migrates through the films during anodizing and forms a Ga-rich outer layer. In the uniform films it appears that much of the migrating Ga is continually being dissolved in the electrolyte during anodization.     

光学薄膜界面互相关特性的确定

本文实验测量了光学薄膜的散射波场分布,根据多层光学薄膜的矢量散射理论,确定了膜层界面的互相关特性.当空间频率较低时,对于膜层层数较少的膜系,膜堆内的各界面是完全相关的;若空间频率较高,则逐渐趋于部分相关模型.实验指出,膜层界面的互相关特性亦与所采用的蒸发技术有关.