Gallium-doped zinc oxide films deposited using an unbalanced magnetron sputtering system

Gallium-doped zinc oxide films are deposited using an unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. The films are deposited by dc sputtering of a conducting ceramic target in an argon atmosphere. The substrate temperature is 150°C. The film surface morphology is studied by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. As the degree of magnetron unbalance increases, the electrophysical properties of the films deposited along the system axis are shown to improve, and the distribution of the film electrical resistivity over the substrate surface becomes more uniform.     

Specific features of the determination of the mechanical characteristics of thin films by the nanoindentation technique

The hardness and the elastic modulus of Cu thin films on Si, Ti, Cu, and Al substrates are investigated. It is demonstrated that the use of the Oliver-Pharr method in combination with the technique for evaluating the true hardness makes it possible to determine uniquely the hardness of Cu thin films at different ratios between the hardnesses of the film and the substrate. The elastic modulus of thin films can be correctly measured by the Oliver-Pharr method only in the case where the film and the substrate exhibit identical elastic properties. In order to determine the elastic moduli of films with the use of the parameter P/S ², the film and the substrate should have close values of both the hardness and the elastic modulus.     

Plasma Chemical Synthesis of Amorphous Hydrocarbon Films Alloyed by Silicon,Oxygen and Nitrogen

Russian Physics Journal - The paper presents the synthesis of amorphous hydrocarbon (a-C:H) films alloyed by silicon, oxygen and nitrogen. The films obtained in polyphenyl methylsiloxane vapor and...     

Method for pulsed magnetron deposition of diamondlike films on large-area substrates

The circuit of the pulse power supply of a magnetron sputtering system and the circuit of a high voltage generator used to realize the process of pulsed magnetron deposition of diamondlike films on large-area substrates are described. Measurements of the parameters of the plasma produced on pulsed magnetron sputtering of graphite in the argon medium have been performed. The plasma density (10¹⁷–10¹⁸ cm⁻³) has been shown to be one or two orders of magnitude higher than that in the case of dc magnetron sputtering and approach the plasma density achievable on vacuum arc cathode sputtering and pulsed laser sputtering. Samples of diamondlike films on crystalline silicon, titanium, and stainless steel have been prepared and examined. It has been demonstrated that high voltage bias pulses applied to the substrate promote production of high-quality diamondlike films showing high adherence to the substrate. Institute of High Current Electronics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 12, pp. 53–60, December, 1999.     

Formation of a Dense La(Sr)Fe(Ga)O3 Interlayer at the Electrolyte/Porous Cathode Interface by Magnetron Sputtering and Its Effect on the Cathode Characteristics

Russian Journal of Electrochemistry - Formation of dense La(Sr)Fe(Ga)O3–δ (LSFG) interlayers on the surface of La0.88Sr0.12Ga0.82Mg0.18O3–δ (LSGM) solid electrolyte by...     

The Influence of the Thickness of Silicon- and Oxygen-Doped Hydrogenized Carbon Films on Their Surface Properties

Technical Physics - Hydrogenized carbon films 0.5–7.0 μm thick doped with silicon (11.9 ± 0.4 at %) and oxygen (1.7 ± 0.1 at %) have been grown on VT-6 titanium and...     

Electrochromism in tungsten trioxide films obtained by reactive magnetron sputtering of a tungsten target

The results of structural investigations of electrochromic films of WO₃, obtained by reactive magnetron sputtering of a tungsten target, are presented. It is shown that at low temperatures an amorphous film of WO₃ is formed on the substrate. At a substrate temperature greater than 250°C the film that is formed is polycrystalline and has the structure of hydrotungstic bronze H_0.33WO₃. When annealed in air it transfers into the triclinic modification of WO₃. Spectral investigations showed that the electrochromic properties are most pronounced in amorphous films. Films of WO₃, having a polycrystalline structure after annealing in air, practically lose their ability for electrochromic coloration. Institute of High-Current Electronics, Sib. Otd., Russ. Akad. Nauk. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshykh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 3–7, May, 1996.     

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).     

Plasma-Chemical Deposition of Anti-Reflection and Protective Coating for Infrared Optics

Russian Physics Journal - The films of amorphous hydrogenated carbon doped with Si and O were deposited onto the sample of crystalline silicon by method of plasma-chemical deposition in the mix of...