Nanostructuring of the submonolayer carbon coatings deposited onto the surface of silicon single crystals in a low-pressure microwave discharge plasma

The surface nanostructuring of the submonolayer carbon coatings deposited onto (111) and (100) silicon wafers in a highly ionized ultrahigh-frequency low-pressure plasma is studied. The effect of the coating thickness and the main processing parameters on the mechanisms of morphological changes is studied with allowance for the reconstruction of a single-crystal silicon surface and the mechanical stresses that appear during the preparation of an atomically clean surface during plasma-chemical etching, heterogeneous condensation, and high-temperature annealing. Integral columnar nanosystems with a density of (4?C5) × 10⁹ cm^?2 and a height of 400 nm are formed on (100) silicon single crystals using nanostructured carbon aggregates as mask coatings and highly anisotropic plasma-chemical etching.     

Structural modification of TiAlN coatings by preliminary Ti Ion bombardment of a steel substrate

The TiAlN coatings deposited onto steel 12Cr18Ni9Ti substrates before and after preliminary treatment by Ti ion beams are studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and nanoindentation. The modification of the surface layer of a substrate is shown to change the structure and the preferred orientation of the coatings. The mechanical properties of the TiAlN coatings are found to depend substantially on the ion bombardment time.     

Control of the structure and stress state of thin films and coatings in the process of their preparation by ion-plasma methods

A system analysis of the influence of the substrate temperature during deposition on two main factors (nanodimensionality of structural aggregates and high stresses) responsible for the nonequilibrium state of the materials of ion-plasma-deposited films and coatings has been performed. It has been shown that an increase in the temperature during deposition leads to a preferred growth of nanocrystallites in the direction of incidence of film-forming particles, which, in turn, results in the formation of an anisometric crystal structure. The main causes of the generation of high elastic stresses in ion-plasma condensates are the ion/atom bombardment in the process of deposition (which stimulates the development of compressive stresses) and the difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of the condensate and substrate materials (which initiates the development of thermal stresses; the sign is determined by the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of the condensate and substrate materials). An increase in the temperature during deposition results in the relaxation of compressive stresses stimulated by the ion/atom bombardment and in an enhancement of the influence of thermal stresses on the state of the ion-plasma condensate. This makes it possible to control the stress state of ion-plasma films and coatings by purposefully varying the substrate temperature during deposition.     

Use of ion processing to improve the quality of fullerene-coated field emitters

The efficiency of tip field emitters covered by activated fullerene coatings is studied in a wide range of emission currents and residual gas pressures. Main mechanisms behind the influence of the gaseous medium and ion bombardment on the emitter efficiency are determined. The feasibility of improving the homogeneity of the fullerene coating by potassium ion bombardment is demonstrated. From data on the emitter performance in a technical vacuum, a previously unknown effect is discovered: the structure of activated fullerene coatings is reproduced under intense ion bombardment. It is found that intense bombardment by residual gas ions increases a limiting current extracted from fullerene-coated tip field emitters.     

Effect of local curvature of the coating-substrate interface on deformation and fracture of ceramic coatings under uniaxial tension

Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy have been applied to study the fracture of SiAlN coatings on Cu substrates under uniaxial tension. It is shown that coating spalling occurs in the zones of local curvature of the SiAlN-Cu interface which form due to dislocation glide in the substrate. Preliminary ion bombardment of the substrate suppresses dislocation-induced kinking at the coating-substrate interface and increases the adhesive strength of the coatings, thus preventing their edge delamination. At the same time, the wavy coatingsubstrate interface resulting from ion bombardment gives rise to normal stresses that lead to the buckling and spalling of the coatings in the zones of positive local curvature of the interface.     

Composition and corrosion resistance of coatings on the basis of nitrides of titanium and chromium

Ti-Cr-N coatings were deposited on a low-carbon steel St3 substrate by overlapping of Ti and Cr plasma flows in residual nitrogen atmosphere using ion bombardment. Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to analyze the element and phase composition of the deposited coatings. It was established that, under constant deposition conditions (the arc current, gas pressure, bias voltage), coatings possess the fcc structure of a (Ti,Cr)N solid solution with uniform distribution of elements along the depth. The growth of the substrate bias voltage leads to an increase of titanium concentration in the coating due to changes in the interaction processes (condensation and sputtering) of the deposited materials with the substrate. Corrosion tests of the coatings and steel St3 were performed in acid (1 M H₂SO₄) and salt (3% NaCl) media. It was found that the corrosion processes progress less intensely in salt solution than in acid medium.     

Effect of Helium ion irradiation on the structure,the phase stability,and the microhardness of TiN,TiAlN, and TiAlYN nanostructured coatings

The radiation resistance of nanostructured TiN, TiAlN, and TiAlYN coatings is studied after 500-keV He⁺ ion irradiation in the fluence range 5 × 10¹⁶–3 × 10¹⁷ ions/cm². The radiation-induced changes in the phase composition, the structure, the lattice parameters, the morphology, and the mechanical properties of coatings are investigated. Blistering is found to be absent, and the radiation fluence is shown to affect the strength properties of the thin coatings nonlinearly. A significant decrease in the grain sizes is detected upon ion irradiation, which causes an increase in the microhardness and the radiation resistance of the coatings. The TiN, TiAlN, and TiAlYN coatings are found to be radiation-resistant coatings, which do not undergo serious degradation during high-fluence ion irradiation.     

Influence of argon ion bombardment on the formation of intermetallic compounds in the nickel-aluminum system

The formation of Ni _x Al _y intermetallic compounds in two-layer (Ni/Al) structures (nickel films deposited on aluminum substrates in vacuum) under bombardment by Ar⁺ ions has been studied experimentally. The method based on Rutherford backscattering of He⁺ ions is used to demonstrate that argon ion bombardment causes the formation of intermetallic compounds in the near-surface layer. The thickness of the intermetallic layer formed in the near-surface region substantially exceeds the projective ion path. The composition and thickness of the intermetallic layer depend mainly on the implantation dose and the substrate temperature, rather than on the ion current density. In the intermetallic layer, the content of nickel increases with increasing temperature. It has been established that, in the absence of bombardment, intermetallic phases are not observed at temperatures lower than T = 400°C and that, in the presence of bombardment, the Ni₃Al intermetallic layer arises at a temperature of 320°C.     

Comparison of secondary ion intensity enhancement from polymers on silicon and silver substrates by using Au-TOF-SIMS

The usefulness of the usage of cluster primary ion source together with an Ag substrate and detection of Ag cationized molecular ions was studied from the standpoint to realize high sensitivity TOF-SIMS analysis of organic materials. Although secondary ions from polymer thin films on a Si substrate can be detected in a higher sensitivity with Au₃⁺ cluster primary ion compared with Ga⁺ ion bombardment, it was clearly observed that the secondary ion intensities from samples on an Ag substrate showed quite a different tendency from that on Si. When monoatomic primary ions, e.g., Au⁺ and Ga⁺, were used for the measurement of the sample on an Ag substrate, [M+Ag]⁺ ions (M corresponds to polyethylene glycol molecule) were detected in a high sensitivity. On the contrary, when Au₃⁺ was used, no intensity enhancement of [M+Ag]⁺ ions was observed. The acceleration energy dependence of the detected secondary ions implies the different ionization mechanisms on the different substrates.     

氢离子轰击对TiC膜结构及界面影响的研究

本文研究荷能氢离子轰击对TiC薄膜的结构及其界面的影响。氢离子源为5A的脉冲离子注入器,能量25keV,脉冲宽度20ms。样品经轰击后发现。与受相同辐照的45~#钢样品相比,TiC薄膜表面无明显的损伤;TiC薄膜内的氢含量较高;薄膜的织构消除;TiC薄膜与基体间的结合力有明显提高。     

Study on the orientation of silver films by ion-beam assisted deposition

Low energy ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) was employed to prepare Ag films on Mo/Si (100) substrate. It was found that Ag films deposited by sputtering method without ion beam bombardment were preferred (111) orientation. When the depositing film was simultaneously bombardment by Ar⁺ beam perpendicular to the film surface at ion/atom arrival ratio of 0.18, the prepared films exhibited weak (111) and (200) mixed orientations. When the direction of Ar⁺ beam was off-normal direction of the film surface, Ag films showed highly preferred (111) orientation. Monte Carlo method was used to calculate the sputtering yields of Ar⁺ ions at various incident and azimuth angles. The effects of channeling and surface free energy on the crystallographic orientation of Ag films were discussed.     

Evaporative ion plating: process mechanisms and optimization

The basic discharge mechanisms pertinent to ion plating process are reviewed and some recent findings are highlighted, relating in particular to thermionically enhanced ion plating with an evaporative vapor source. By enhancing the discharge, the cathode sheath can approach collisionless conditions, which allows most of the energy to be transported to the substrate by ions. The energy distribution is also improved, this being significant if a critical energy E* is thought to be required in order to achieve high-quality coatings. It is suggested that E* is about 40 to 70 eV, and that higher bombarding energies may not necessarily improve coating quality, this being alternatively achievable by increasing the ionization efficiency. The role of metal vapors is outlined with reference to evidence from enhanced discharges that clusters of metal atoms exist in the vapor phase and that most of the ion current is transported to the substrate by the metal species. Further practical aspects are discussed such as the spatial distribution of bombardment intensity, which is shown to decrease exponentially with distance from the thermionic emitter used for discharge enhancement. It is suggested that positioning the thermionic emitter in close proximity to the vapor source will provide a more consistent ratio between energetic bombardment effects and vapor arrival rates throughout the deposition volume     

Formation of Ohmic contacts to n-GaAs using ion beam mixing of Tellurium

Ohmic contacts were formed on n-GaAs using thin evaporated layers of Te followed by bombardment of 100 keV Ar⁺ ions. The specific contact resistance _c showed a strong dependence on the ion dose in the range 10¹⁴ to 10¹⁶ ions cm^–2, with higher doses leading to progressively lower specific contact resistance. The substrate temperature during ion bombardment was varied in the range from 25 to 200° C and was found to have only a minor effect on the resultant values of _c. Elevated temperature aging of the Ohmic contacts at 200° C resulted in a progressive increase in the specific contact resistance, independent of either the ion dose or the substrate temperature used for ion beam mixing. Rutherford backscattering studies (RBS) indicate that the Ohmic contact behaviour was due to the in-diffusion of Te and subsequent formation of a heavily doped n ⁺ layer at the Te-GaAs interface.     

Deposition of ultrahard Ti–Si–N coatings by pulsed high-current reactive magnetron sputtering

We report on the results of investigation of properties of ultrahard Ti–Si–N coatings deposited by pulsed high-current magnetron reactive sputtering (discharge pulse voltage is 300–900 V, discharge pulse current is up to 200 A, pulse duration is 10–100 μs, and pulse repetition rate is 20–2000 Hz). It is shown that for a short sputtering pulse (25 μs) and a high discharge current (160 A), the films exhibit high hardness (66 GPa), wear resistance, better adhesion, and a lower sliding friction coefficient. The reason is an enhancement of ion bombardment of the growing coating due to higher plasma density in the substrate region (10¹³ cm^–3) and a manifold increase in the degree of ionization of the plasma with increasing peak discharge current (mainly due to the material being sputtered).     

高能氮离子轰击对四面体非晶碳膜的表面改性和摩擦系数影响的研究

利用过滤阴极真空电弧技术制备了sp³键含量不小于80%的四面体非晶碳(ta-C)膜.利用冷阴极潘宁离子源产生不同能量的氮离子对制备的ta-C薄膜进行轰击,通过X射线光电子能谱和原子力显微镜对薄膜表面结构与形貌进行分析研究.研究表明,随着氮离子的轰击能量的增大,薄膜中的CN键结构略有增大,形成了轻N掺杂;同时,在薄膜表层发生了sp³键结构向sp²键结构的转化;薄膜的表面粗糙度在经过氮离子轰击后从0.2 nm减小至0.18 nm,然后随着轰击能 关键词： 四面体非晶碳 X射线光电子能谱 摩擦系数     

Randomisation of crystal structure within energetic collision cascades revealed by the sputtering of Au single crystals during ion bombardment

The ratio of random to preferential atomic ejection which occurs from the surface of a gold single crystal during ion bombardment has been found to be very sensitive to the ion mass. For instance, in the case of 50 keV Ne⁺ ion bombardment preferential ejection dominates, whereas in the case of 50 keV Au⁺ ion bombardment preferential ejection is only a small fraction of the total. These results are interpreted in terms of a dynamic randomisation of the crystal lattice which occurs during the creation of energetic atomic collision cascades. The disorder occurs so rapidly that a substantial fraction of atoms sputtered from the surface are ejected from an essentially random structure. It is thought that such gross disorder is only a transient phenomenon, and leaves no significant permanent effects, except perhaps for a few clustered defects.     

Adhesive strength, superhardness, and the phase and elemental compositions of nanostructured coatings based on Ti-Hf-Si-N

New superhard coatings based on Ti-Hf-Si-N with good physical and mechanical properties have been fabricated. A comparative analysis of the physical, mechanical, and tribomechanical characteristics of the coatings has been performed. The values of hardness, modulus of elasticity, elastic recovery, adhesive strength, friction coefficient, and wear rate of the coatings have been determined and calculated. The specific features of deformation and fracture of the coatings deposited on a steel substrate during the adhesion tests have been described. It has been shown that the parameters measured during scratching make it possible to distinguish the threshold values of the critical load, which lead to different (cohesive and adhesive) types of failure of the coatings during tribological tests. The stoichiometry for different series of samples with Ti-Hf-Si-N coatings has been determined using Rutherford backscattering, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and energy dispersive microanalysis.     

Nanostructuring Germanium Nanowires by In Situ TEM Ion Irradiation

Once nanomaterials have been synthesized, inducing further structural modifications is challenging. However, being able to do so in a controlled manner is crucial. In this context, germanium nanowires are irradiated in situ within a transmission electron microscope (TEM) by a 300 keV xenon ion beam at temperatures ranging from room temperature (RT) to 500 °C. The ion irradiation is performed in situ and the evolution of nanowires during irradiation is monitored. At 300 °C and below, where the temperature is low enough to allow amorphization, the ion beam causes the formation of nanostructures within the nanowires. Formation of nanopores and swelling of nanowires is observed for a very low fluence of 2.2 × 10¹⁴ and up to 4.2 × 10¹⁵ ions cm⁻². At higher fluences, the thickness of the nanowires decreases, the nanowires lose their wire-like cylindrical shape and the nanostructuring caused by the ion beam becomes more complex. The nanostructures are observed to be stable upon crystallization when the nanowires are annealed at 530 °C. Furthermore, in situ imaging allows the growth of nanopores during irradiation to be followed at RT and at 300 °C providing valuable insights into the mechanism responsible for the nanostructuring.     

Spectroscopic investigations of Cr, CrN and TiCr anti-multipactor coatings grown by cathodic-arc reactive evaporation

Cr, CrN, TiCr coatings have been investigated as potential anti-multipactor coatings. The coatings were synthesized by cathodic-arc reactive evaporation in Ar-N₂ atmosphere where the ion energy is controlled by substrate biasing. Chemical state analysis and surface composition were studied by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), whereas bulk composition and depth profile were studied by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). The surface morphology was studied by optical profilometry (OP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The compositions of the coatings were CrN and Ti₄₀Cr₆₀ and they were homogeneous in depth. Surface oxidation was higher in Ti₄₀Cr₆₀ than in CrN. Coatings deposited at high negative bias show lower deposition rate and had lower surface roughness than those obtained at low bias. Secondary electron emission yield (SEY) was higher for CrN than for Ti₄₀Cr₆₀, both before and after low-energy Ar⁺ ion bombardment. The SEY of Ti₄₀Cr₆₀ (1.17 maximum) was clearly smaller than the others. The maximum yield, σ_m, and the first crossover electron energy, E₁, are the most important parameters, and (E₁/σ_m)^1/2 is a good figure of merit. This quantity was approximately 3 eV^1/2 for Cr and CrN and 4 eV^1/2 for Ti₄₀Cr. After Ar⁺ ion bombardment, the average value improved significantly to 8.9 eV^1/2 for Cr and CrN and 10.2 eV^1/2 for Ti₄₀Cr₆₀. The radio-frequency multipactor performance of these materials was simulated using the experimentally determined SEY parameters.     

Operation of activated-fullerene-coated field emitters in technical vacuum

The operation of tungsten tip field emitters coated by activated fullerenes in technical vacuum is studied. Ways of emitter training to provide the self-reproducibility of the coatings and their long service life under intense ion bombardment in wide ranges of pressures, from 2 × 10^?8 to (5–7) × 10^?7 Torr, and emission currents, from (1.5–2.0) to (10–20) μA, are developed.