Effect of the target power density on high-power impulse magnetron sputtering of copper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozák, Tomáš

2012-04-01

We present a model analysis of high-power impulse magnetron sputtering of copper. We use a non-stationary global model based on the particle and energy conservation equations in two zones (the high density plasma ring above the target racetrack and the bulk plasma region), which makes it possible to calculate time evolutions of the averaged process gas and target material neutral and ion densities, as well as the fluxes of these particles to the target and substrate during a pulse period. We study the effect of the increasing target power density under conditions corresponding to a real experimental system. The calculated target current waveforms show a long steady state and are in good agreement with the experimental results. For an increasing target power density, an analysis of the particle densities shows a gradual transition to a metal dominated discharge plasma with an increasing degree of ionization of the depositing flux. The average fraction of target material ions in the total ion flux onto the substrate is more than 90% for average target power densities higher than 500 W cm-2 in a pulse. The average ionized fraction of target material atoms in the flux onto the substrate reaches 80% for a maximum average target power density of 3 kW cm-2 in a pulse.

The use of segmented cathodes to determine the spoke current density distribution in high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Poolcharuansin, Phitsanu; The Technological Plasma Research Unit, Department of Physics, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150; Estrin, Francis Lockwood

2015-04-28

The localized target current density associated with quasi-periodic ionization zones (spokes) has been measured in a high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge using an array of azimuthally separated and electrical isolated probes incorporated into a circular aluminum target. For a particular range of operating conditions (pulse energies up to 2.2 J and argon pressures from 0.2 to 1.9 Pa), strong oscillations in the probe current density are seen with amplitudes up to 52% above a base value. These perturbations, identified as spokes, travel around the discharge above the target in the E×B direction. Using phase information from the angularly separated probes,more » the spoke drift speeds, angular frequencies, and mode number have been determined. Generally, at low HiPIMS pulse energies E{sub p} < 0.8 J, spokes appear to be chaotic in nature (with random arrival times), however as E{sub p} increases, coherent spokes are observed with velocities between 6.5 and 10 km s{sup −1} and mode numbers m = 3 or above. At E{sub p} > 1.8 J, the plasma becomes spoke-free. The boundaries between chaotic, coherent, and no-spoke regions are weakly dependent on pressure. During each HiPIMS pulse, the spoke velocities increase by about 50%. Such an observation is explained by considering spoke velocities to be determined by the critical ionization velocity, which changes as the plasma composition changes during the pulse. From the shape of individual current density oscillations, it appears that the leading edge of the spoke is associated with a slow increase in local current density to the target and the rear with a more rapid decrease. The measurements show that the discharge current density associated with individual spokes is broadly spread over a wide region of the target.« less

Discharge runaway in high power impulse magnetron sputtering of carbon: the effect of gas pressure, composition and target peak voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitelaru, Catalin; Aijaz, Asim; Constantina Parau, Anca; Kiss, Adrian Emil; Sobetkii, Arcadie; Kubart, Tomas

2018-04-01

Pressure and target voltage driven discharge runaway from low to high discharge current density regimes in high power impulse magnetron sputtering of carbon is investigated. The main purpose is to provide a meaningful insight of the discharge dynamics, with the ultimate goal to establish a correlation between discharge properties and process parameters to control the film growth. This is achieved by examining a wide range of pressures (2–20 mTorr) and target voltages (700–850 V) and measuring ion saturation current density at the substrate position. We show that the minimum plasma impedance is an important parameter identifying the discharge transition as well as establishing a stable operating condition. Using the formalism of generalized recycling model, we introduce a new parameter, ‘recycling ratio’, to quantify the process gas recycling for specific process conditions. The model takes into account the ion flux to the target, the amount of gas available, and the amount of gas required for sustaining the discharge. We show that this parameter describes the relation between the gas recycling and the discharge current density. As a test case, we discuss the pressure and voltage driven transitions by changing the gas composition when adding Ne into the discharge. We propose that standard Ar HiPIMS discharges operated with significant gas recycling do not require Ne to increase the carbon ionization.

Localized traveling ionization zones and their importance for the high power impulse magnetron sputtering process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maszl, Christian

2016-09-01

High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) is a technique to deposit thin films with superior quality. A high ionization degree up to 90% and the natural occurence of high energetic metal ions are the reason why HiPIMS exceeds direct current magnetron sputtering in terms of coating quality. On the other hand HiPIMS suffers from a reduced efficiency, especially if metal films are produced. Therefore, a lot of research is done by experimentalists and theoreticians to clarify the transport mechanisms from target to substrate and to identify the energy source of the energetic metal ions. Magnetron plasmas are prone to a wide range of wave phenomena and instabilities. Especially, during HiPIMS at elevated power/current densities, symmetry breaks and self-organization in the plasma torus are observed. In this scenario localized travelling ionization zones with certain quasi-mode numbers are present which are commonly referred to as spokes. Because of their high rotation speed compared to typical process times of minutes their importance for thin film deposition was underestimated at first. Recent investigations show that spokes have a strong impact on particle transport, are probably the source of the high energetic metal ions and are therefore the essence of HiPIMS plasmas. In this contribution we will describe the current understanding of spokes, discuss implications for thin film synthesis and highlight open questions. This project is supported by the DFG (German Science Foundation) within the framework of the Coordinated Research Center SFB-TR 87 and the Research Department ``Plasmas with Complex Interactions'' at Ruhr-University Bochum.

Evaluation of double-layer density modulated Si thin films as Li-ion battery anodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taha Demirkan, Muhammed; Yurukcu, Mesut; Dursun, Burcu; Demir-Cakan, Rezan; Karabacak, Tansel

2017-10-01

Double-layer density modulated silicon thin films which contain alternating low and high density Si film layers were fabricated by magnetron sputtering. Two different samples consisting of alternating layers of high-density/low-density and low-density/high-density Si thin film layers were investigated as anode electrodes in Li-ion batteries. Si thin film in which the terminating layer at the top is low density Si layer-quoted as low-density/high-density film (LD/HD)- exhibits better performance than Si thin film that has high density layer at the top, -quoted as high-density/low-density (HD/LD). A highly stabilized cycling performance with the specific charge capacities of 2000 mAh g-1 at the 150th cycle at C/2 current density, and 1200 mAh g-1 at the 240th cycle at 10 C current density were observed for the LD/HD Si anode in the presence of fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) electrolyte additive.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fernandez-Gutierrez, Sulmer, E-mail: sulmer.a.fernandez.gutierrez@intel.com; Browning, Jim; Lin, Ming-Chieh

Phase-control of a magnetron is studied via simulation using a combination of a continuous current source and a modulated current source. The addressable, modulated current source is turned ON and OFF at the magnetron operating frequency in order to control the electron injection and the spoke phase. Prior simulation work using a 2D model of a Rising Sun magnetron showed that the use of 100% modulated current controlled the magnetron phase and allowed for dynamic phase control. In this work, the minimum fraction of modulated current source needed to achieve a phase control is studied. The current fractions (modulated versusmore » continuous) were varied from 10% modulated current to 100% modulated current to study the effects on phase control. Dynamic phase-control, stability, and start up time of the device were studied for all these cases showing that with 10% modulated current and 90% continuous current, a phase shift of 180° can be achieved demonstrating dynamic phase control.« less

Photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence properties of green emitting SrGa2{S}4 : Eu2+ thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chartier, Céline; Benalloul, Paul; Barthou, Charles; Frigerio, Jean-Marc; Mueller, Gerd O.; Mueller-Mach, Regina; Trottier, Troy

2002-02-01

Photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence properties of SrGa2S4 : Eu2+ thin films prepared by reactive RF magnetron sputtering are investigated. Luminescence performances of the phosphor in the thin film form are compared to those of powder samples: the brightness efficiency of thin films is found to be about 30% of the efficiency of powder at low current density. A ratio higher than 40% is expected at higher current density. Thin film screens for FEDs will become a positive alternative to powder screens provided that film quality and light extraction could be improved by optimization of thickness and deposition parameters.

Combined experimental and theoretical description of direct current magnetron sputtering of Al by Ar and Ar/N2 plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trieschmann, Jan; Ries, Stefan; Bibinov, Nikita; Awakowicz, Peter; Mráz, Stanislav; Schneider, Jochen M.; Mussenbrock, Thomas

2018-05-01

Direct current magnetron sputtering of Al by Ar and Ar/N2 low pressure plasmas was characterized by experimental and theoretical means in a unified consideration. Experimentally, the plasmas were analyzed by optical emission spectroscopy, while the film deposition rate was determined by weight measurements and laser optical microscopy, and the film composition by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Theoretically, a global particle and power balance model was used to estimate the electron temperature T e and the electron density n e of the plasma at constant discharge power. In addition, the sputtering process and the transport of the sputtered atoms were described using Monte Carlo models—TRIDYN and dsmcFoam, respectively. Initially, the non-reactive situation is characterized based on deposition experiment results, which are in agreement with predictions from simulations. Subsequently, a similar study is presented for the reactive case. The influence of the N2 addition is found to be twofold, in terms of (i) the target and substrate surface conditions (e.g., sputtering, secondary electron emission, particle sticking) and (ii) the volumetric changes of the plasma density n e governing the ion flux to the surfaces (e.g., due to additional energy conversion channels). It is shown that a combined experimental/simulation approach reveals a physically coherent and, in particular, quantitative understanding of the properties (e.g., electron density and temperature, target surface nitrogen content, sputtered Al density, deposited mass) involved in the deposition process.

Anomalous cross-B field transport and spokes in HiPIMS plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hecimovic, Ante; Maszl, Christian; Schulz-von der Gathen, Volker; von Keudell, Achim

2016-09-01

The rotation of localised ionisation zones, i.e. spokes, in magnetron discharge is investigated as a function of discharge current, ranging from 10 mA (current density 0.5 mA cm-2) to 140 A (7 A cm-2) . The presence of spokes throughout the complete discharge current range indicates that the spokes are an intrinsic property of a magnetron sputtering plasma discharge. Up to discharge currents of several amperes, the spokes rotate in a retrograde ExB direction and beyond the spokes rotate in a ExB direction. In this contribution we present experimental evidence that anomalous diffusion is triggered by the appearance of spokes rotating in the ExB direction. The Hall parameter ωceτc , product of the electron cyclotron frequency and the classical collision time, reduces from Bohm diffusion values (16 and higher) down to the value of 3 as spokes appear, indicating anomalous cross-B field transport. The ion diffusion coefficients calculated from a sideways image of the spoke is six times higher than Bohm diffusion coefficients, which is consistent with the reduction of the Hall parameter.

On the road to self-sputtering in high power impulse magnetron sputtering: particle balance and discharge characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huo, Chunqing; Lundin, Daniel; Raadu, Michael A.; Anders, André; Tomas Gudmundsson, Jon; Brenning, Nils

2014-04-01

The onset and development of self-sputtering (SS) in a high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge have been studied using a plasma chemical model and a set of experimental data, taken with an aluminum target and argon gas. The model is tailored to duplicate the discharge in which the data are taken. The pulses are long enough to include both an initial transient and a following steady state. The model is used to unravel how the internal discharge physics evolves with pulse power and time, and how it is related to features in the discharge current-voltage-time characteristics such as current densities, maxima, kinks and slopes. The connection between the self-sputter process and the discharge characteristics is quantified and discussed in terms of three parameters: a critical target current density Jcrit based on the maximum refill rate of process (argon) gas above the target, an SS recycling factor ΠSS-recycle, and an approximation \\tilde{\\alpha} of the probabilities of ionization of species that come from the target (both sputtered metal and embedded argon atoms). For low power pulses, discharge voltages UD ⩽ 380 V with peak current densities below ≈ 0.2 A cm-2, the discharge is found to be dominated by process gas sputtering. In these pulses there is an initial current peak in time, associated with partial gas rarefaction, which is followed by a steady-state-like plateau in all parameters similar to direct current magnetron sputtering. In contrast, high power pulses, with UD ⩾ 500 V and peak current densities above JD ≈ 1.6 A cm-2, make a transition to a discharge mode where SS dominates. The transition is found not to be driven by process gas rarefaction which is only about 10% at this time. Maximum gas rarefaction is found later in time and always after the initial peak in the discharge current. With increasing voltage, and pulse power, the discharge can be described as following a route where the role of SS increases in four steps: process gas sputtering, gas-sustained SS, self-sustained SS and SS runaway. At the highest voltage, 1000 V, the discharge is very close to, but does not go into, the SS runaway mode. This absence of runaway is proposed to be connected to an unexpected finding: that twice ionized ions of the target species play almost no role in this discharge, not even at the highest powers. This reduces ionization by secondary-emitted energetic electrons almost to zero in the highest power range of the discharge.

Research and Development for an Alternative RF Source Using Magnetrons in CEBAF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, Andrew

2016-09-01

At Jefferson Lab, klystrons are currently used as a radiofrequency (RF) power source for the 1497 MHz Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) Continuous Wave (CW) system. A drop-in replacement for the klystrons in the form of a system of magnetrons is being developed. The klystron DC-RF efficiency at CEBAF is 35-51% while the estimated magnetron efficiency is 80-90%. Thus, the introduction of magnetrons to CEBAF will have enormous benefits in terms of electrical power saving. The primary focus of this project was to characterize a magnetron's frequency pushing and pulling curves at 2.45 GHz with stub tuner and anode current adjustments so that a Low Level RF controller for a new 1.497 GHz magnetron can be built. A Virtual Instrument was created in LabVIEW, and data was taken. The resulting data allowed for the creation of many constant lines of frequency and output power. Additionally, the results provided a characterization of magnetron oven temperature drift over the operation time and the relationship between anode current and frequency. Using these results, the control model of different variables and their feedback or feedforward that affect the frequency pushing and pulling of the magnetron is better developed. Department of Energy, Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships, and Jefferson Lab.

Resonant interaction of the electron beam with a synchronous wave in controlled magnetrons for high-current superconducting accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kazakevich, G.; Johnson, R.; Lebedev, V.

A simplified analytical model of the resonant interaction of the beam of Larmor electrons drifting in the crossed constant fields of a magnetron with a synchronous wave providing a phase grouping of the drifting charge was developed to optimize the parameters of an rf resonant injected signal driving the magnetrons for management of phase and power of rf sources with a rate required for superconducting high-current accelerators. The model, which considers the impact of the rf resonant signal injected into the magnetron on the operation of the injection-locked tube, substantiates the recently developed method of fast power control of magnetronsmore » in the range up to 10 dB at the highest generation efficiency, with low noise, precise stability of the carrier frequency, and the possibility of wideband phase control. Experiments with continuous wave 2.45 GHz, 1 kW microwave oven magnetrons have verified the correspondence of the behavior of these tubes to the analytical model. A proof of the principle of the novel method of power control in magnetrons, based on the developed model, was demonstrated in the experiments. The method is attractive for high-current superconducting rf accelerators. This study also discusses vector methods of power control with the rates required for superconducting accelerators, the impact of the rf resonant signal injected into the magnetron on the rate of phase control of the injection-locked tubes, and a conceptual scheme of the magnetron transmitter with highest efficiency for high-current accelerators.« less

Resonant interaction of the electron beam with a synchronous wave in controlled magnetrons for high-current superconducting accelerators

DOE PAGES

Kazakevich, G.; Johnson, R.; Lebedev, V.; ...

2018-06-14

A simplified analytical model of the resonant interaction of the beam of Larmor electrons drifting in the crossed constant fields of a magnetron with a synchronous wave providing a phase grouping of the drifting charge was developed to optimize the parameters of an rf resonant injected signal driving the magnetrons for management of phase and power of rf sources with a rate required for superconducting high-current accelerators. The model, which considers the impact of the rf resonant signal injected into the magnetron on the operation of the injection-locked tube, substantiates the recently developed method of fast power control of magnetronsmore » in the range up to 10 dB at the highest generation efficiency, with low noise, precise stability of the carrier frequency, and the possibility of wideband phase control. Experiments with continuous wave 2.45 GHz, 1 kW microwave oven magnetrons have verified the correspondence of the behavior of these tubes to the analytical model. A proof of the principle of the novel method of power control in magnetrons, based on the developed model, was demonstrated in the experiments. The method is attractive for high-current superconducting rf accelerators. This study also discusses vector methods of power control with the rates required for superconducting accelerators, the impact of the rf resonant signal injected into the magnetron on the rate of phase control of the injection-locked tubes, and a conceptual scheme of the magnetron transmitter with highest efficiency for high-current accelerators.« less

Facing-target mid-frequency magnetron reactive sputtered hafnium oxide film: Morphology and electrical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yu; Xu, Jun; Wang, You-Nian; Choi, Chi Kyu; Zhou, Da-Yu

2016-03-01

Amorphous hafnium dioxide (HfO2) film was prepared on Si (100) by facing-target mid-frequency reactive magnetron sputtering under different oxygen/argon gas ratio at room temperature with high purity Hf target. 3D surface profiler results showed that the deposition rates of HfO2 thin film under different O2/Ar gas ratio remain unchanged, indicating that the facing target midfrequency magnetron sputtering system provides effective approach to eliminate target poisoning phenomenon which is generally occurred in reactive sputtering procedure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) demonstrated that the gradual reduction of oxygen vacancy concentration and the densification of deposited film structure with the increase of oxygen/argon (O2/Ar) gas flow ratio. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis suggested that the surface of the as-deposited HfO2 thin film tends to be smoother, the root-meansquare roughness (RMS) reduced from 0.876 nm to 0.333 nm while O2/Ar gas flow ratio increased from 1/4 to 1/1. Current-Voltage measurements of MOS capacitor based on Au/HfO2/Si structure indicated that the leakage current density of HfO2 thin films decreased by increasing of oxygen partial pressure, which resulted in the variations of pore size and oxygen vacancy concentration in deposited thin films. Based on the above characterization results the leakage current mechanism for all samples was discussed systematically.

Particle visualization in high-power impulse magnetron sputtering. II. Absolute density dynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Britun, Nikolay, E-mail: nikolay.britun@umons.ac.be; Palmucci, Maria; Konstantinidis, Stephanos

2015-04-28

Time-resolved characterization of an Ar-Ti high-power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge has been performed. The present, second, paper of the study is related to the discharge characterization in terms of the absolute density of species using resonant absorption spectroscopy. The results on the time-resolved density evolution of the neutral and singly-ionized Ti ground state atoms as well as the metastable Ti and Ar atoms during the discharge on- and off-time are presented. Among the others, the questions related to the inversion of population of the Ti energy sublevels, as well as to re-normalization of the two-dimensional density maps in terms ofmore » the absolute density of species, are stressed.« less

Particle visualization in high-power impulse magnetron sputtering. I. 2D density mapping

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Britun, Nikolay, E-mail: nikolay.britun@umons.ac.be; Palmucci, Maria; Konstantinidis, Stephanos

2015-04-28

Time-resolved characterization of an Ar-Ti high-power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge has been performed. This paper deals with two-dimensional density mapping in the discharge volume obtained by laser-induced fluorescence imaging. The time-resolved density evolution of Ti neutrals, singly ionized Ti atoms (Ti{sup +}), and Ar metastable atoms (Ar{sup met}) in the area above the sputtered cathode is mapped for the first time in this type of discharges. The energetic characteristics of the discharge species are additionally studied by Doppler-shift laser-induced fluorescence imaging. The questions related to the propagation of both the neutral and ionized discharge particles, as well as to theirmore » spatial density distributions, are discussed.« less

Distribution of Fe atom density in a dc magnetron sputtering plasma source measured by laser-induced fluorescence imaging spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibagaki, K.; Nafarizal, N.; Sasaki, K.; Toyoda, H.; Iwata, S.; Kato, T.; Tsunashima, S.; Sugai, H.

2003-10-01

Magnetron sputtering discharge is widely used as an efficient method for thin film fabrication. In order to achieve the optimized fabrication, understanding of the kinetics in plasmas is essential. In the present work, we measured the density distribution of sputtered Fe atoms using laser-induced fluorescence imaging spectroscopy. A dc magnetron plasma source with a Fe target was used. An area of 20 × 2 mm in front of the target was irradiated by a tunable laser beam having a planar shape. The picture of laser-induced fluorescence on the laser beam was taken using an ICCD camera. In this way, we obtained the two-dimensional image of the Fe atom density. As a result, it has been found that the Fe atom density observed at a distance of several centimeters from the target is higher than that adjacent to the target, when the Ar gas pressure was relatively high. It is suggested from this result that some gas-phase production processes of Fe atoms are available in the plasma. This work has been performed under the 21st Century COE Program by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan.

Plasma diagnostics of low pressure high power impulse magnetron sputtering assisted by electron cyclotron wave resonance plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stranak, Vitezslav; University of South Bohemia, Institute of Physics and Biophysics, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice; Herrendorf, Ann-Pierra

2012-11-01

This paper reports on an investigation of the hybrid pulsed sputtering source based on the combination of electron cyclotron wave resonance (ECWR) inductively coupled plasma and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) of a Ti target. The plasma source, operated in an Ar atmosphere at a very low pressure of 0.03 Pa, provides plasma where the major fraction of sputtered particles is ionized. It was found that ECWR assistance increases the electron temperature during the HiPIMS pulse. The discharge current and electron density can achieve their stable maximum 10 {mu}s after the onset of the HiPIMS pulse. Further, a highmore » concentration of double charged Ti{sup ++} with energies of up to 160 eV was detected. All of these facts were verified experimentally by time-resolved emission spectroscopy, retarding field analyzer measurement, Langmuir probe, and energy-resolved mass spectrometry.« less

Real-Time Terahertz Imaging Using a Quantum Cascade Laser and Uncooled Microbolometer Focal Plane Array

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

reverse magnetron ” design (in which the polarity of the magnetron elements are reversed—such that the cathode constitutes the outer ring; the anode ...included as inset frames within Fig. 20. The dual nature of this figure (reporting both voltage and intensity vs. bias current) is useful in that it...tuned micro- magnetrons [60]-[61]. Conventional magnetrons (such as those used to generate microwaves) have physical dimensions which are excessively

Magnetron sputtering system for coatings deposition with activation of working gas mixture by low-energy high-current electron beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavrilov, N. V.; Kamenetskikh, A. S.; Men'shakov, A. I.; Bureyev, O. A.

2015-11-01

For the purposes of efficient decomposition and ionization of the gaseous mixtures in a system for coatings deposition using reactive magnetron sputtering, a low-energy (100-200 eV) high-current electron beam is generated by a grid-stabilized plasma electron source. The electron source utilizes both continuous (up to 20 A) and pulse-periodic mode of discharge with a self-heated hollow cathode (10-100 A; 0.2 ms; 10-1000 Hz). The conditions for initiation and stable burning of the high-current pulse discharge are studied along with the stable generation of a low-energy electron beam within the gas pressure range of 0.01 - 1 Pa. It is shown that the use of the electron beam with controllable parameters results in reduction of the threshold values both for the pressure of gaseous mixture and for the fluxes of molecular gases. Using such a beam also provides a wide range (0.1-10) of the flux density ratios of ions and sputtered atoms over the coating surface, enables an increase in the maximum pulse density of ion current from plasma up to 0.1 A, ensures an excellent adhesion, optimizes the coating structure, and imparts improved properties to the superhard nanocomposite coatings of (Ti,Al)N/a-Si3N4 and TiC/-a-C:H. Mass-spectrometric measurements of the beam-generated plasma composition proved to demonstrate a twofold increase in the average concentration of N+ ions in the Ar-N2 plasma generated by the high-current (100 A) pulsed electron beam, as compared to the dc electron beam.

Magnetron sputtered boron films and TI/B multilayer structures

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, Daniel M.; Jankowski, Alan F.

1993-01-01

A method is described for the production of thin boron and titanium/boron films by magnetron sputter deposition. The amorphous boron films contain no morphological growth features, unlike those found when thin films are prepared by various physical vapor deposition processes. Magnetron sputter deposition method requires the use of a high density crystalline boron sputter target which is prepared by hot isostatic pressing. Thin boron films prepared by this method are useful for ultra-thin band pass filters as well as the low Z element in low Z/high Z mirrors which enhance reflectivity from grazing to normal incidence.

Magnetron sputtered boron films and Ti/B multilayer structures

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, Daniel M.; Jankowski, Alan F.

1995-01-01

A method is described for the production of thin boron and titanium/boron films by magnetron sputter deposition. The amorphous boron films contain no morphological growth features, unlike those found when thin films are prepared by various physical vapor deposition processes. Magnetron sputter deposition method requires the use of a high density crystalline boron sputter target which is prepared by hot isostatic pressing. Thin boron films prepared by this method are useful for ultra-thin band pass filters as well as the low Z element in low Z/high Z mirrors which enhance reflectivity from grazing to normal incidence.

Magnetron sputtered boron films and TI/B multilayer structures

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, D.M.; Jankowski, A.F.

1993-04-20

A method is described for the production of thin boron and titanium/boron films by magnetron sputter deposition. The amorphous boron films contain no morphological growth features, unlike those found when thin films are prepared by various physical vapor deposition processes. Magnetron sputter deposition method requires the use of a high density crystalline boron sputter target which is prepared by hot isostatic pressing. Thin boron films prepared by this method are useful for ultra-thin band pass filters as well as the low Z element in low Z/high Z mirrors which enhance reflectivity from grazing to normal incidence.

Magnetron sputtered boron films and Ti/B multilayer structures

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, D.M.; Jankowski, A.F.

1995-02-14

A method is described for the production of thin boron and titanium/boron films by magnetron sputter deposition. The amorphous boron films contain no morphological growth features, unlike those found when thin films are prepared by various physical vapor deposition processes. Magnetron sputter deposition method requires the use of a high density crystalline boron sputter target which is prepared by hot isostatic pressing. Thin boron films prepared by this method are useful for ultra-thin band pass filters as well as the low Z element in low Z/high Z mirrors which enhance reflectivity from grazing to normal incidence. 6 figs.

Phase Grouping of Larmor Electrons by a Synchronous Wave in Controlled Magnetrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kazakevich, G.; Johnson, R.; Lebedev, V.

A simplified analytical model based on the charge drift approximation has been developed. It considers the resonant interaction of the synchronous wave with the flow of Larmor electrons in a magnetron. The model predicts stable coherent generation of the tube above and below the threshold of self-excitation. This occurs if the magnetron is driven by a sufficient resonant injected signal (up to -10 dB). The model substantiates precise stability, high efficiency and low noise at the range of the magnetron power control over 10 dB by variation of the magnetron current. The model and the verifying experiments with 2.45 GHz,more » 1 kW magnetrons are discussed.« less

An efficient magnetron transmitter for superconducting accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kazakevich, G.; Lebedev, V.; Yakovlev, V.

A concept of a highly-efficient high-power magnetron transmitter allowing wide-band phase and the mid-frequency power control at the frequency of the locking signal is proposed. The proposal is aimed for powering Superconducting RF (SRF) cavities of intensity-frontier accelerators. The transmitter is intended to operate with phase and amplitude control feedback loops allowing suppression of microphonics and beam loading in the SRF cavities. The concept utilizes injectionlocked magnetrons controlled in phase by the locking signal supplied by a feedback system. The injection-locking signal pre-excites the magnetron and allows its operation below the critical voltage. This realizes control of the magnetron powermore » in a wide range by control of the magnetron current. Pre-excitation of the magnetron by the locking signal provides an output power range up to 10 dB. Experimental studies were carried out with 2.45 GHz, 1 kW, CW magnetrons. They demonstrated stable operation of the magnetrons and power control at a low noise level. In conclusion, an analysis of the kinetics of the drifting charge in the drift approximation substantiates the concept and the experimental results.« less

An efficient magnetron transmitter for superconducting accelerators

DOE PAGES

Kazakevich, G.; Lebedev, V.; Yakovlev, V.; ...

2016-09-22

A concept of a highly-efficient high-power magnetron transmitter allowing wide-band phase and the mid-frequency power control at the frequency of the locking signal is proposed. The proposal is aimed for powering Superconducting RF (SRF) cavities of intensity-frontier accelerators. The transmitter is intended to operate with phase and amplitude control feedback loops allowing suppression of microphonics and beam loading in the SRF cavities. The concept utilizes injectionlocked magnetrons controlled in phase by the locking signal supplied by a feedback system. The injection-locking signal pre-excites the magnetron and allows its operation below the critical voltage. This realizes control of the magnetron powermore » in a wide range by control of the magnetron current. Pre-excitation of the magnetron by the locking signal provides an output power range up to 10 dB. Experimental studies were carried out with 2.45 GHz, 1 kW, CW magnetrons. They demonstrated stable operation of the magnetrons and power control at a low noise level. In conclusion, an analysis of the kinetics of the drifting charge in the drift approximation substantiates the concept and the experimental results.« less

The Magnetron Method for the Determination of e/m for Electrons: Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azooz, A. A.

2007-01-01

Additional information concerning the energy distribution function of electrons in a magnetron diode valve can be extracted. This distribution function is a manifestation of the effect of space charge at the anode. The electron energy distribution function in the magnetron is obtained from studying the variation of the anode current with the…

Self-organization and self-limitation in high power impulse magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anders, Andre

The plasma over the racetrack in high power impulse magnetron sputtering develops in traveling ionization zones. Power densities can locally reach 10{sup 9} W/m{sup 2}, which is much higher than usually reported. Ionization zones move because ions are 'evacuated' by the electric field, exposing neutrals to magnetically confined, drifting electrons. Drifting secondary electrons amplify ionization of the same ionization zone where the primary ions came from, while sputtered and outgassing atoms are supplied to the following zone(s). Strong density gradients parallel to the target disrupt electron confinement: a negative feedback mechanism that stabilizes ionization runaway.

A cookbook for building a high-current dimpled H – magnetron source for accelerators

DOE PAGES

Bollinger, Daniel S.; Karns, Patrick R.; Tan, Cheng -Yang

2015-10-30

A high-current (>50 mA) dimpled H – magnetron source has been built at Fermilab for supplying H – beam to the entire accelerator complex. Despite many decades of expertise with slit H – magnetron sources at Fermilab, we were faced with many challenges from the dimpled H – magnetron source, which needed to be overcome in order to make it operational. Dimpled H – sources for high-energy physics are not new: Brookhaven National Laboratory has operated a dimpled H- source for more than two decades. However, the transference of that experience to Fermilab took about two years because a cookbookmore » for building this type of source did not exist and seemingly innocuous or undocumented choices had a huge impact on the success or failure for this type of source. Moreover, it is the goal of this paper to document the reasons for these choices and to present a cookbook for building and operating dimpled H – magnetron sources.« less

Magnetron sputtered boron films

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, Daniel M.; Jankowski, Alan F.

1998-01-01

A method is described for the production of thin boron and titanium/boron films by magnetron sputter deposition. The amorphous boron films contain no morphological growth features, unlike those found when thin films are prepared by various physical vapor deposition processes. Magnetron sputter deposition method requires the use of a high density crystalline boron sputter target which is prepared by hot isostatic pressing. Thin boron films prepared by this method are useful for producing hardened surfaces, surfacing machine tools, etc. and for ultra-thin band pass filters as well as the low Z element in low Z/high Z optical components, such as mirrors which enhance reflectivity from grazing to normal incidence.

Magnetron sputtered boron films

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, D.M.; Jankowski, A.F.

1998-06-16

A method is described for the production of thin boron and titanium/boron films by magnetron sputter deposition. The amorphous boron films contain no morphological growth features, unlike those found when thin films are prepared by various physical vapor deposition processes. Magnetron sputter deposition method requires the use of a high density crystalline boron sputter target which is prepared by hot isostatic pressing. Thin boron films prepared by this method are useful for producing hardened surfaces, surfacing machine tools, etc. and for ultra-thin band pass filters as well as the low Z element in low Z/high Z optical components, such as mirrors which enhance reflectivity from grazing to normal incidence. 8 figs.

Structural and electrical properties of AlN layers grown on silicon by reactive RF magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bazlov, N., E-mail: n.bazlov@spbu.ru; Pilipenko, N., E-mail: nelly.pilipenko@gmail.com; Vyvenko, O.

2016-06-17

AlN films of different thicknesses were deposited on n-Si (100) substrates by reactive radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering. Dependences of structure and electrical properties on thickness of deposited films were researched. The structures of the films were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and with transmitting electron microscopy (TEM). Electrical properties of the films were investigated on Au-AlN-(n-Si) structures by means of current-voltage (I-V), capacitance-voltage (C-V) and deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) techniques. Electron microscopy investigations had shown that structure and chemical composition of the films were thickness stratified. Near silicon surface layer was amorphous aluminum oxide one contained trapsmore » of positive charges with concentration of about 4 × 10{sup 18} cm{sup −3}. Upper layers were nanocrystalline ones consisted of both wurzite AlN and cubic AlON nanocrystals. They contained traps both positive and negative charges which were situated within 30 nm distance from silicon surface. Surface densities of these traps were about 10{sup 12} cm{sup −2}. Electron traps with activation energies of (0.2 ÷ 0.4) eV and densities of about 10{sup 10} cm{sup −2} were revealed on interface between aluminum oxide layer and silicon substrate. Their densities varied weakly with the film thickness.« less

Study on the effect of hydrogen addition on the variation of plasma parameters of argon-oxygen magnetron glow discharge for synthesis of TiO{sub 2} films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saikia, Partha, E-mail: partha.008@gmail.com; Institute of Physics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago; Saikia, Bipul Kumar

2016-04-15

We report the effect of hydrogen addition on plasma parameters of argon-oxygen magnetron glow discharge plasma in the synthesis of H-doped TiO{sub 2} films. The parameters of the hydrogen-added Ar/O{sub 2} plasma influence the properties and the structural phases of the deposited TiO{sub 2} film. Therefore, the variation of plasma parameters such as electron temperature (T{sub e}), electron density (n{sub e}), ion density (n{sub i}), degree of ionization of Ar and degree of dissociation of H{sub 2} as a function of hydrogen content in the discharge is studied. Langmuir probe and Optical emission spectroscopy are used to characterize the plasma.more » On the basis of the different reactions in the gas phase of the magnetron discharge, the variation of plasma parameters and sputtering rate are explained. It is observed that the electron and heavy ion density decline with gradual addition of hydrogen in the discharge. Hydrogen addition significantly changes the degree of ionization of Ar which influences the structural phases of the TiO{sub 2} film.« less

Tribological and structural properties of titanium nitride and titanium aluminum nitride coatings deposited with modulated pulsed power magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Logan

The demand for economical high-performance materials has brought attention to the development of advanced coatings. Recent advances in high power magnetron sputtering (HPPMS) have shown to improve tribological properties of coatings. These coatings offer increased wear and oxidation resistance, which may facilitate the use of more economical materials in harsh applications. This study demonstrates the use of novel forms of HPPMS, namely modulated pulsed-power magnetron sputtering (MPPMS) and deep oscillation magnetron sputtering (DOMS), for depositing TiN and Ti1-xAlxN tribological coatings on commonly used alloys, such as Ti-6Al-4V and Inconel 718. Both technologies have been shown to offer unique plasma characteristics in the physical vapor deposition (PVD) process. High power pulses lead to a high degree of ionization compared to traditional direct-current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) and pulsed magnetron sputtering (PMS). Such a high degree of ionization was previously only achievable by cathodic arc deposition (CAD); however, CAD can lead to increased macroparticles that are unfavorable in high friction and corrosive environments. MPPMS, DOMS, and other HPPMS techniques offer unique plasma characteristics and have been shown to produce coatings with refined grain structure, improved density, hardness, adhesion, and wear resistance. Using DOMS and MPPMS, TiN and Ti1-xAlxN coatings were deposited using PMS to compare microstructures and tribological performance. For Ti1-xAlxN, two sputtering target compositions, Ti 0.5Al0.5 and Ti0.3Al0.7, were used to evaluate the effects of MPPMS on the coating's composition and tribological properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize microstructure and crystallographic texture. Several tribological properties were evaluated including: wear rate, coefficient of friction, adhesion, and nanohardness. Results show that substrate material can have a significant effect on adhesion and the mechanical response between the coating and substrate. Depending on deposition parameters and the selected material MPPMS and DOMS are promising alternatives to DCMS, PMS, and CAD.

Photoreduction of CO{sub 2} by TiO{sub 2} nanocomposites synthesized through reactive direct current magnetron sputter deposition.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, L.; Graham, M. E.; Li, G.

The photoreduction of CO{sub 2} into methane provides a carbon-neutral energy alternative to fossil fuels, but its feasibility requires improvements in the photo-efficiency of materials tailored to this reaction. We hypothesize that mixed phase TiO{sub 2} nano-materials with high interfacial densities are extremely active photocatalysts well suited to solar fuel production by reducing CO{sub 2} to methane and shifting to visible light response. Mixed phase TiO{sub 2} films were synthesized by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Bundles of anatase-rutile nano-columns havingmore » high densities of two kinds of interfaces (those among the bundles and those between the columns) are fabricated. Films sputtered at a low deposition angle showed the highest methane yield, compared to TiO{sub 2} fabricated under other sputtering conditions and commercial standard Degussa P25 under UV irradiation. The yield of methane could be significantly increased ({approx} 12% CO{sub 2} conversion) by increasing the CO{sub 2} to water ratio and temperature (< 100 C) as a combined effect. These films also displayed a light response strongly shifted into the visible range. This is explained by the creation of non-stoichiometric titania films having unique features that we can potentially tailor to the solar energy applications.« less

Structure of the metallic films deposited on small spheres trapped in the rf magnetron plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippov, A. V.; Pal, A. F.; Ryabinkin, A. N.; Serov, A. O.

2016-11-01

Metallic coatings were deposited onto glass spheres having diameters from several to one hundred micrometers by the magnetron sputtering. Two different experimental schemes were exploited. One of them had the traditional configuration where a magnetron sputter was placed at one hundred millimeters from particles. In this scheme, continuous mechanical agitation in a fluidized bed was used to achieve uniformity of coatings. In the second scheme the treated particles (substrates) levitated in a magnetron rf plasma over a sputtered rf electrode (target) at the distance d of few mm from it and at gas pressure p values of 30-100 mTorr. These parameters are essentially different from those in the traditional sputtering. Agitation due to the features of a particle confinement in dusty plasma was used here to obtain uniform coatings. Thickness and morphology of the obtained coatings were studied. As it is known, film growth rate and structure are determined by the substrate temperature, the densities of ion and neutral atom fluxes to the substrate surface, the radiation flux density, and the heat energy produced due to the surface condensation of atoms and recombination of electrons and ions. These parameters particularly depend on the product of p and d. In the case of magnetron rf dusty plasma, it is possible to achieve the pd value several times lower than the lowest value proper to the first traditional case. Completely different dependencies of the film growth rate and structure on the pd value in these sputtering processes were observed and qualitatively explained.

Magnetron sputtered boron films for increasing hardness of a metal surface

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, Daniel M [Livermore, CA; Jankowski, Alan F [Livermore, CA

2003-05-27

A method is described for the production of thin boron and titanium/boron films by magnetron sputter deposition. The amorphous boron films contain no morphological growth features, unlike those found when thin films are prepared by various physical vapor deposition processes. Magnetron sputter deposition method requires the use of a high density crystalline boron sputter target which is prepared by hot isostatic pressing. Thin boron films prepared by this method are useful for producing hardened surfaces, surfacing machine tools, etc. and for ultra-thin band pass filters as well as the low Z element in low Z/high Z optical components, such as mirrors which enhance reflectivity from grazing to normal incidence.

Threshold voltage tuning in AlGaN/GaN HFETs with p-type Cu2O gate synthesized by magnetron reactive sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Li, Liuan; Xie, Tian; Wang, Xinzhi; Liu, Xinke; Ao, Jin-Ping

2018-04-01

In present study, copper oxide films were prepared at different sputtering powers (10-100 W) using magnetron reactive sputtering. The crystalline structure, surface morphologies, composition, and optical band gap of the as-grown films are dependent on sputtering power. As the sputtering power decreasing from 100 to 10 W, the composition of films changed from CuO to quasi Cu2O domination. Moreover, when the sputtering power is 10 W, a relative high hole carrier density and high-surface-quality quasi Cu2O thin film can be achieved. AlGaN/GaN HFETs were fabricated with the optimized p-type quasi Cu2O film as gate electrode, the threshold voltage of the device shows a 0.55 V positive shift, meanwhile, a lower gate leakage current, a higher ON/OFF drain current ratio of ∼108, a higher electron mobility (1465 cm2/Vs), and a lower subthreshold slope of 74 mV/dec are also achieved, compared with the typical Ni/Au-gated HFETs. Therefore, Cu2O have a great potential to develop high performance p-type gate AlGaN/GaN HFETs.

Discharge current modes of high power impulse magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Zhongzhen, E-mail: wuzz@pkusz.edu.cn; Xiao, Shu; Ma, Zhengyong

2015-09-15

Based on the production and disappearance of ions and electrons in the high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasma near the target, the expression of the discharge current is derived. Depending on the slope, six possible modes are deduced for the discharge current and the feasibility of each mode is discussed. The discharge parameters and target properties are simplified into the discharge voltage, sputtering yield, and ionization energy which mainly affect the discharge plasma. The relationship between these factors and the discharge current modes is also investigated.

The target material influence on the current pulse during high power pulsed magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moens, Filip; Konstantinidis, Stéphanos; Depla, Diederik

2017-10-01

The current-time characteristic during high power pulsed magnetron sputtering is measured under identical conditions for seventeen different target materials. Based on physical processes such as gas rarefaction, ion-induced electron emission, and electron impact ionization, two test parameters were derived that significantly correlate with specific features of the current-time characteristic: i) the peak current is correlated to the momentum transfer between the sputtered material and the argon gas, ii) while the observed current plateau after the peak is connected to the metal ionization rate.

Effect of working power and pressure on plasma properties during the deposition of TiN films in reactive magnetron sputtering plasma measured using Langmuir probe measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

How, Soo Ren; Nayan, Nafarizal; Khairul Ahmad, Mohd; Fhong Soon, Chin; Zainizan Sahdan, Mohd; Lias, Jais; Shuhaimi Abu Bakar, Ahmad; Arshad, Mohd Khairuddin Md; Hashim, Uda; Yazid Ahmad, Mohd

2018-04-01

The ion, electron density and electron temperature during formation of TiN films in reactive magnetron sputtering system have been investigated for various settings of radio frequency (RF) power and working pressure by using Langmuir probe measurements. The RF power and working pressure able to affect the densities and plasma properties during the deposition process. In this work, a working pressure (100 and 20 mTorr) and RF power (100, 150 and 200 W) have been used for data acquisition of probe measurement. Fundamental of studied on sputter deposition is very important for improvement of film quality and deposition rate. Higher working pressure and RF power able to produce a higher ion density and reduction of electron temperature.

Synthesis and properties of CS x F y thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in an Ar/SF6 discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Chung-Chuan; Goyenola, Cecilia; Broitman, Esteban; Näslund, Lars-Åke; Högberg, Hans; Hultman, Lars; Gueorguiev, Gueorgui K.; Rosen, Johanna

2017-05-01

A theoretical and experimental study on the growth and properties of a ternary carbon-based material, CS x F y , synthesized from SF6 and C as primary precursors is reported. The synthetic growth concept was applied to model the possible species resulting from the fragmentation of SF6 molecules and the recombination of S-F fragments with atomic C. The possible species were further evaluated for their contribution to the film growth. Corresponding solid CS x F y thin films were deposited by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering from a C target in a mixed Ar/SF6 discharge with different SF6 partial pressures ({{P}\\text{S{{\\text{F}}\\text{6}}}} ). Properties of the films were determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray reflectivity, and nanoindentation. A reduced mass density in the CS x F y films is predicted due to incorporation of precursor species with a more pronounced steric effect, which also agrees with the low density values observed for the films. Increased {{P}\\text{S{{\\text{F}}\\text{6}}}} leads to decreasing deposition rate and increasing density, as explained by enhanced fluorination and etching on the deposited surface by a larger concentration of F/F2 species during the growth, as supported by an increment of the F relative content in the films. Mechanical properties indicating superelasticity were obtained from the film with lowest F content, implying a fullerene-like structure in CS x F y compounds.

Electrical and ferroelectric properties of RF sputtered PZT/SBN on silicon for non-volatile memory applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Prashant; Jha, Rajesh Kumar; Singh, Rajat Kumar; Singh, B. R.

2018-02-01

We report the integration of multilayer ferroelectric film deposited by RF magnetron sputtering and explore the electrical characteristics for its application as the gate of ferroelectric field effect transistor for non-volatile memories. PZT (Pb[Zr0.35Ti0.65]O3) and SBN (SrBi2Nb2O9) ferroelectric materials were selected for the stack fabrication due to their large polarization and fatigue free properties respectively. Electrical characterization has been carried out to obtain memory window, leakage current density, PUND and endurance characteristics. Fabricated multilayer ferroelectric film capacitor structure shows large memory window of 17.73 V and leakage current density of the order 10-6 A cm-2 for the voltage sweep of -30 to +30 V. This multilayer gate stack of PZT/SBN shows promising endurance property with no degradation in the remnant polarization for the read/write iteration cycles upto 108.

Dusty waves and vortices in rf magnetron discharge plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippov, A. V.; Pal, A. F.; Ryabinkin, A. N.; Serov, A. O.; Shugaev, F. V.

2018-01-01

The appearance and subsequent growth of metallic particles in plasma of planar rf magnetron sputter were observed. The origin of the particles is sputtering of the rf electrode by ion flux from the plasma. In some regions of formed dust cloud the particles were involved in the horizontal or vertical circular movement. The horizontal rotation along the sputtered track in the cyclotron drift direction was observed close to the main magnetron plasma. The torus-shaped dust vortex ring engirdled the secondary plasma of the discharge at height of a few centimeters over the electrode. Close to this region particle density waves propagated through the cloud. The possible role of discharge plasma azimuthal inhomogeneity and gas dynamics effects in the forming the observed structures was considered.

An ionization region model of the reactive Ar/O2 high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudmundsson, J. T.; Lundin, D.; Brenning, N.; Raadu, M. A.; Huo, Chunqing; Minea, T. M.

2016-12-01

A new reactive ionization region model (R-IRM) is developed to describe the reactive Ar/O2 high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge with a titanium target. It is then applied to study the temporal behavior of the discharge plasma parameters such as electron density, the neutral and ion composition, the ionization fraction of the sputtered vapor, the oxygen dissociation fraction, and the composition of the discharge current. We study and compare the discharge properties when the discharge is operated in the two well established operating modes, the metal mode and the poisoned mode. Experimentally, it is found that in the metal mode the discharge current waveform displays a typical non-reactive evolution, while in the poisoned mode the discharge current waveform becomes distinctly triangular and the current increases significantly. Using the R-IRM we explore the current increase and find that when the discharge is operated in the metal mode Ar+ and Ti+ -ions contribute most significantly (roughly equal amounts) to the discharge current while in the poisoned mode the Ar+ -ions contribute most significantly to the discharge current and the contribution of O+ -ions, Ti+ -ions, and secondary electron emission is much smaller. Furthermore, we find that recycling of atoms coming from the target, that are subsequently ionized, is required for the current generation in both modes of operation. From the R-IRM results it is found that in the metal mode self-sputter recycling dominates and in the poisoned mode working gas recycling dominates. We also show that working gas recycling can lead to very high discharge currents but never to a runaway. It is concluded that the dominating type of recycling determines the discharge current waveform.

Tunable dielectric properties of Barium Magnesium Niobate (BMN) doped Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) thin films by magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alema, Fikadu; Reinholz, Aaron; Pokhodnya, Konstantin

2013-03-01

We report on the tunable dielectric properties of Mg and Nb co-doped Ba0.45Sr0.55TiO3 (BST) thin film prepared by the magnetron sputtering using BST target (pure and doped with BaMg0.33Nb0.67O3 (BMN)) on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Al2O3 4'' wafers at 700 °C under oxygen atmosphere. The electrical measurements are conducted on 2432 metal-ferroelectric-metal capacitors using Pt as the top and bottom electrode. The crystalline structure, microstructure, and surface morphology of the films are analyzed and correlated to the films dielectric properties. The BMN doped and undoped BST films have shown tunabilities of 48% and 52%; and leakage current densities of 2.2x10-6 A/cm2 and 3.7x10-5 A/cm2, respectively at 0.5 MV/cm bias field. The results indicate that the BMN doped film exhibits a lower leakage current with no significant decrease in tunability. Due to similar electronegativity and ionic radii, it was suggested that both Mg2+ (accepter-type) and Nb5+ (donor-type) dopants substitutTi4+ ion in BST. The improvement in the film dielectric losses and leakage current with insignificant loss of tunability is attributed to the adversary effects of Mg2+ and Nb5+ in BST.

Axial Structure of High-Vacuum Planar Magnetron Discharge Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miura, Tsutomu

1999-09-01

The spatial structure of high-vacuum planar magnetron discharge is theoretically investigated taking into account the electron confinement. The boundary xes of the electron confinement region depends on BA with Ea/BA as the parameter (BA: the magnetic flux density at the anode, Ea: the average electric field strength). The location at which the frequency of ionization events takes the maximum is expressed as CnNxiep (CnN: a factor related to the electron density distribution, xiep: the distance of the location from the cathode at which the ionization is most efficient). With increasing Ea and BA at a fixed Ea/BA, the density of the confined energetic electrons increases. With increasing Ea, the region where ionization is efficient shifts to the cathode side to give a high efficiency of the magnet. The boundary xes as determined by the probe method agreed with the theoretical prediction.

Magnetron magnetic priming for rapid startup and noise reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neculaes, Vasile Bogdan

The magnetron is a vacuum electronics crossed-field device: perpendicular electric and magnetic fields determine the electron dynamics. Compactness, efficiency and reliability make magnetrons suitable for a wide range of military and civilian applications: radar, industrial heating, plasma sources, and medical accelerators. The most ubiquitous use of magnetrons is as the microwave power source in microwave ovens, operating at 2.45 GHz and delivering about 800--1000 W. University of Michigan and several other research programs are actively pursuing the development of GW range relativistic magnetrons. This dissertation presents experimental and computational results concerning innovative techniques to improve magnetron noise, startup and mode stability. The DC-operated oven magnetron studies performed at University of Michigan opened new directions by utilizing azimuthally varying magnetic fields (magnetic priming). Magnetic priming for rapid startup in an N-cavity magnetron operating in the pi-mode is based on implementation of an axial magnetic field with N/2 azimuthal periods, to prebunch the electrons in the desired number of spokes (N/2). Experiments with magnetic priming on DC oven magnetrons using perturbing magnets added on the upper existing magnet of the magnetron showed rapid startup (pi-mode oscillation observed at low currents) and up to 35 dB noise reduction (close to the carrier and in sidebands). A complex 3-dimensional (3D) ICEPIC computational model recovered the oven magnetron magnetic priming experimental results: rapid electron prebunching due to presence of perturbing magnets, fast startup and tendency towards a lower noise state. Simulations in 6-cavity relativistic magnetrons show that ideal magnetic priming causes fast startup, rapid mode growth (with radial electron diffusion) and suppression of mode competition. A highly idealized model (planar, crossed-field, non-resonant, non-relativistic structure) using single particle dynamics showed that magnetic priming causes rapid electron prebunching, specific symmetries in the electron cloud and an orbital parametric instability (radial exponential growth).

Microstructure and dielectric properties of piezoelectric magnetron sputtered w-Sc{sub x}Al{sub 1-x}N thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zukauskaite, Agne; Wingqvist, Gunilla; Palisaitis, Justinas

2012-05-01

Piezoelectric wurtzite Sc{sub x}Al{sub 1-x}N (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) thin films were epitaxially grown by reactive magnetron co-sputtering from elemental Sc and Al targets. Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) wafers with TiN(111) seed and electrode layers were used as substrates. X-ray diffraction shows that an increase in the Sc content results in the degradation of the crystalline quality. Samples grown at 400 deg. C possess true dielectric behavior with quite low dielectric losses and the leakage current is negligible. For ScAlN samples grown at 800 deg. C, the crystal structure is poor and leakage current is high. Transmission electron microscopymore » with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy mapping shows a mass separation into ScN-rich and AlN-rich domains for x {>=} 0.2 when substrate temperature is increased from 400 to 800 deg. C. The piezoelectric response of epitaxial Sc{sub x}Al{sub 1-x}N films measured by piezoresponse force microscopy and double beam interferometry shows up to 180% increase by the addition of Sc up to x = 0.2 independent of substrate temperature, in good agreement with previous theoretical predictions based on density-functional theory.« less

Microstructure and dielectric properties of piezoelectric magnetron sputtered w-ScxAl1-xN thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zukauskaite, Agne; Wingqvist, Gunilla; Palisaitis, Justinas

2012-01-01

Piezoelectric wurtzite ScxAl1 xN (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) thin films were epitaxially grown by reactive magnetron co-sputtering from elemental Sc and Al targets. Al2O3(0001) wafers with TiN(111) seed and electrode layers were used as substrates. X-ray diffraction shows that an increase in the Sc content results in the degradation of the crystalline quality. Samples grown at 400 C possess true dielectric behavior with quite low dielectric losses and the leakage current is negligible. For ScAlN samples grown at 800 C, the crystal structure is poor and leakage current is high. Transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopymore » mapping shows a mass separation into ScN-rich and AlN-rich domains for x 0.2 when substrate temperature is increased from 400 to 800 C. The piezoelectric response of epitaxial ScxAl1 xN films measured by piezoresponse force microscopy and double beam interferometry shows up to 180% increase by the addition of Sc up to x = 0.2 independent of substrate temperature, in good agreement with previous theoretical predictions based on density-functional theory.« less

Development of High Power Vacuum Tubes for Accelerators and Plasma Heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Vishnu

2012-11-01

High pulsed power magnetrons and klystrons for medical and industrial accelerators, and high CW power klystrons and gyrotrons for plasma heating in tokamak, are being developed at CEERI. S-band 2.0MW pulsed tunable magnetrons of centre frequency 2856MHz and 2998 MHz were developed, and S-band 2.6MW pulsed tunable magnetron is being developed for medical LINAC, and 3MW pulsed tunable magnetron is being developed for industrial accelerator. S-band (2856MHz), 5MW pulsed klystron was developed for particle accelerator, and S-band 6MW pulsed klystron is under development for 10MeV industrial accelerator. 350MHz, 100kW (CW) klystron is being developed for proton accelerator, and C-band 250kW (CW) klystron is being developed for plasma heating. 42GHz, 200kW (CW/Long pulse) gyrotron is under development for plasma heating. Plasma filled tubes are also being developed for switching. 25kV/1kA and 40kV/3kA thyratrons were developed for high voltage high current switching in pulse modulators for magnetrons and klystrons. 25kV/3kA Pseudospark switch of current rise time of 1kA/|a-sec and pulse repetition rate of 500Hz is being developed. Plasma assisted high power microwave device is also being investigated.

Solid state RF power: The route to 1W per euro cent

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heid, Oliver

2013-04-19

In most particle accelerators RF power is a decisive design constraint due to high costs and relative inflexibility of current electron beam based RF sources, i.e. Klystrons, Magnetrons, Tetrodes etc. At VHF/UHF frequencies the transition to solid state devices promises to fundamentally change the situation. Recent progress brings 1 Watt per Euro cent installed cost within reach. We present a Silicon Carbide semiconductor solution utilising the Solid State Direct Drive technology at unprecedented efficiency, power levels and power densities. The proposed solution allows retrofitting of existing RF accelerators and opens the route to novel particle accelerator concepts.

Preparation and substrate reactions of superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurvitch, M.; Fiory, A. T.

1987-09-01

Multiple metal-target dc magnetron sputter deposition of a metallic YBa2Cu3 alloy in pure Ar followed by ex situ oxygen annealing was used to prepare superconducting films on various substrates. This work particularly examines film-substrate reactions which are degrading to superconductivity. Better superconductors were obtained using predeposited buffer layers, notably on cubic zirconia and MgO substrates covered with Ag and Nb. Best films have Tc = 80 K, metallic resistivities with a resistance ratio of about 2, and a critical current density of greater than about 10 kA/sq cm at 4.2 K.

A time-resolved Langmuir double-probe method for the investigation of pulsed magnetron discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welzel, Th.; Dunger, Th.; Kupfer, H.; Richter, F.

2004-12-01

Langmuir probes are important means for the characterization of plasma discharges. For measurements in plasmas used for the deposition of thin films, the Langmuir double probe is especially suited. With the increasing popularity of pulsed deposition discharges, there is also an increasing need for time-resolved characterization methods. For Langmuir probes, several single-probe approaches to time-resolved measurements are reported but very few for the double probe. We present a time-resolved Langmuir double-probe technique, which is applied to a pulsed magnetron discharge at several 100 kHz used for MgO deposition. The investigations show that a proper treatment of the current measurement is necessary to obtain reliable results. In doing so, a characteristic time dependence of the charge-carrier density during the "pulse on" time containing maximum values of almost 2•1011cm-3 was found. This characteristic time dependence varies with the pulse frequency and the duty cycle. A similar time dependence of the electron temperature is only observed when the probe is placed near the magnesium target.

Effects of post-deposition annealing ambient on band alignment of RF magnetron-sputtered Y2O3 film on gallium nitride

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The effects of different post-deposition annealing ambients (oxygen, argon, forming gas (95% N2 + 5% H2), and nitrogen) on radio frequency magnetron-sputtered yttrium oxide (Y2O3) films on n-type gallium nitride (GaN) substrate were studied in this work. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was utilized to extract the bandgap of Y2O3 and interfacial layer as well as establishing the energy band alignment of Y2O3/interfacial layer/GaN structure. Three different structures of energy band alignment were obtained, and the change of band alignment influenced leakage current density-electrical breakdown field characteristics of the samples subjected to different post-deposition annealing ambients. Of these investigated samples, ability of the sample annealed in O2 ambient to withstand the highest electric breakdown field (approximately 6.6 MV/cm) at 10−6 A/cm2 was related to the largest conduction band offset of interfacial layer/GaN (3.77 eV) and barrier height (3.72 eV). PMID:23360596

Evidence for breathing modes in direct current, pulsed, and high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Yuchen; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720; Zhou, Xue

2016-01-18

We present evidence for breathing modes in magnetron sputtering plasmas: periodic axial variations of plasma parameters with characteristic frequencies between 10 and 100 kHz. A set of azimuthally distributed probes shows synchronous oscillations of the floating potential. They appear most clearly when considering the intermediate current regime in which the direction of azimuthal spoke motion changes. Breathing oscillations were found to be superimposed on azimuthal spoke motion. Depending on pressure and current, one can also find a regime of chaotic fluctuations and one of stable discharges, the latter at high current. A pressure-current phase diagram for the different situations is proposed.

Axial distribution of plasma fluctuations, plasma parameters, deposition rate and grain size during copper deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopikishan, S.; Banerjee, I.; Pathak, Anand; Mahapatra, S. K.

2017-08-01

Floating potential fluctuations, plasma parameters and deposition rate have been investigated as a function of axial distance during deposition of copper in direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering system. Fluctuations were analyzed using phase space, power spectra and amplitude bifurcation plots. It has been observed that the fluctuations are modified from chaotic to ordered state with increase in the axial distance from cathode. Plasma parameters such as electron density (ne), electron temperature (Te) and deposition rate (Dr) were measured and correlated with plasma fluctuations. It was found that more the deposition rate, greater the grain size, higher the electron density, higher the electron temperature and more chaotic the oscillations near the cathode. This observation could be helpful to the thin film technology industry to optimize the required film.

Mn-coatings on the micro-pore formed Ti-29Nb-xHf alloys by RF-magnetron sputtering for dental applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Seon-Yeong; Choe, Han-Cheol

2018-02-01

In this study, Mn-coatings on the micro-pore formed Ti-29Nb-xHf alloys by RF-magnetrons sputtering for dental applications were studied using different experimental techniques. Mn coating films were formed on Ti-29Nb-xHf alloys by a radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique for 0, 1, 3, and 5 min at 45 W. The microstructure, composition, and phase structure of the coated alloys were examined by optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The microstructure of Ti-29Nb alloy showed α" phase in the needle-like structure and Ti-29Nb-15Hf alloy showed β phase in the equiaxed structure. As the sputtering time increased, the circular particles of Mn coatings on the Ti-29Nb alloy increased at inside and outside surfaces. As the sputtering time increased, [Mn + Ca/P] ratio of the plasma electrolytic oxidized films in Ti- 29Nb-xHf alloys increased. The corrosion potential (Ecorr) of Mn coatings on the Ti-29Nb alloy showed higher than that of Mn coatings on the Ti-29Nb-15Hf alloy. The passive current density (Ipass) of the Mn coating on the Ti-29Nb alloy and Mn coatings on the Ti-29Nb-15Hf alloy was less noble than the non-Mn coated Ti-29Nb and Ti-29Nb-15Hf alloys surface.

Elementary surface processes during reactive magnetron sputtering of chromium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Monje, Sascha; Corbella, Carles, E-mail: carles.corbella@rub.de; Keudell, Achim von

2015-10-07

The elementary surface processes occurring on chromium targets exposed to reactive plasmas have been mimicked in beam experiments by using quantified fluxes of Ar ions (400–800 eV) and oxygen atoms and molecules. For this, quartz crystal microbalances were previously coated with Cr thin films by means of high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering. The measured growth and etching rates were fitted by flux balance equations, which provided sputter yields of around 0.05 for the compound phase and a sticking coefficient of O{sub 2} of 0.38 on the bare Cr surface. Further fitted parameters were the oxygen implantation efficiency and the density of oxidationmore » sites at the surface. The increase in site density with a factor 4 at early phases of reactive sputtering is identified as a relevant mechanism of Cr oxidation. This ion-enhanced oxygen uptake can be attributed to Cr surface roughening and knock-on implantation of oxygen atoms deeper into the target. This work, besides providing fundamental data to control oxidation state of Cr targets, shows that the extended Berg's model constitutes a robust set of rate equations suitable to describe reactive magnetron sputtering of metals.« less

Studies of PMMA sintering foils with and without coating by magnetron sputtering Pd

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutroneo, M.; Mackova, A.; Torrisi, L.; Vad, K.; Csik, A.; Ando', L.; Svecova, B.

2017-09-01

Polymethylmethacrylate thin foils were prepared by using physical and chemical processes aimed at changing certain properties. The density and the optical properties were changed obtaining clear and opaque foils. DC magnetron sputtering method was used to cover the foils with thin metallic palladium layers. The high optical absorbent foils were obtained producing microstructured PMMA microbeads with and without thin metallic coatings. Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy, optical investigation and microscopy were employed to characterize the prepared foils useful in the field study of laser-matter interaction.

Propagation direction reversal of ionization zones in the transition between high and low current magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Lab for Materials Processing and Die & Mold Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; Department of Physics, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

2014-12-11

Past research has revealed the propagation of dense, asymmetric ionization zones in both high and low current magnetron discharges. Here we report about the direction reversal of ionization zone propagation as observed with fast cameras. At high currents, zones move in the E B direction with velocities of 103 to 104 m/s. However at lower currents, ionization zones are observed to move in the opposite, the -E B direction, with velocities ~;; 103 m/s. It is proposed that the direction reversal is associated with the local balance of ionization and supply of neutrals in the ionization zone.

Magnetic Effects in a Moderate-Temperature, High-Beta, Toroidal Plasma Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, W. F.; Singh, A. K.; Held, E. D.

2011-10-01

A small toroidal machine (STOR-1M; minor radius 4.5 cm), on loan from the University of Saskatchewan, has been modified to operate at hydrogen ionization levels ~0.1%, beta values between 0.1 and 1, electron number density ~5x1016/m3, temperature ~5 eV, and applied toroidal magnetic field ~20 gauss. Plasma is generated using magnetron-produced microwaves. Langmuir and Hall probes determine radial profiles of electron number density, temperature, and magnetic field. For most values of the externally-applied magnetic field, the internal field is the same with or without plasma, however, in a narrow window of B, diamagnetism and other effects are present. The effect is observed with no externally induced current; plasma currents are self generated through some sort of relaxation process. Beta and radius conditions correlate well with similar magnetic structures in the laboratory (eg., plasma focus, Z pinch) and in space (eg., Venus flux ropes, solar coronal loops).

Performance characterization of a solenoid-type gas valve for the H- magnetron source at FNAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sosa, A.; Bollinger, D. S.; Karns, P. R.

2017-08-01

The magnetron-style H- ion sources currently in operation at Fermilab use piezoelectric gas valves to function. This kind of gas valve is sensitive to small changes in ambient temperature, which affect the stability and performance of the ion source. This motivates the need to find an alternative way of feeding H2 gas into the source. A solenoid-type gas valve has been characterized in a dedicated off-line test stand to assess the feasibility of its use in the operational ion sources. H- ion beams have been extracted at 35 keV using this valve. In this study, the performance of the solenoid gas valve has been characterized measuring the beam current output of the magnetron source with respect to the voltage and pulse width of the signal applied to the gas valve.

The characteristics of a new negative metal ion beam source and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paik, Namwoong

2001-10-01

Numerous efforts at energetic thin film deposition processes using ion beams have been made to meet the demands of today's thin film industry. As one of these efforts, a new Magnetron Sputter Negative Ion Source (MSNIS) was developed. In this study, the development and the characterization of the MSNIS were investigated. Amorphous carbon films were used as a sample coating medium to evaluate the ion beam energy effect. A review of energetic Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) techniques is presented in Chapter 1. The energetic PVD methods can be classified into two major categories: the indirect ion beam method Ion Beam Assisted Deposition (IBAD), and the direct ion beam method-Direct Ion Beam Deposition (DIBD). In this chapter, currently available DIBD processes such as Cathodic Arc, Laser Ablation, Ionized Physical Vapor Deposition (I-PVD) and Magnetron Sputter Negative Ion Source (MSNIS) are individually reviewed. The design and construction of the MSNIS is presented in chapter 2. The MSNIS is a hybrid of the conventional magnetron sputter configuration and the cesium surface ionizer. The negative sputtered ions are produced directly from the sputter target by surface ionization. In chapter 3, the ion beam and plasma characteristics of an 8″ diameter MSNIS are investigated using a retarding field analyzer and a cylindrical Langmuir Probe. The measured electron temperature is approximately 2-5 eV, while the plasma density and plasma potential were of the order of 10 11-1012 cm3 and 5-20 V, respectively, depending on the pressure and power. In chapter 4, in order to evaluate the effect of the ion beam on the resultant films, amorphous carbon films were deposited under various conditions. The structure of carbon films was investigated using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The result suggests the fraction of spa bonding is more than 70% in some samples prepared by MSNIS while magnetron sputtered samples showed less than 30%. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Initiation of a Relativistic Magnetron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaup, D. J.

2003-10-01

We report on recent results in our studies of relativistic magnetrons. Experimentally, these devices have proven to be very difficult to operate, typically cutting off too quickly after they are initialized, and therefore not delivering the power levels expected [1]. Our analysis is based on our model of a crossed-field device, consisting only of its two dominant modes, a DC background and an RF oscillating mode [2]. This approach has produced generally quantitatively correct values for the operating regime and major features of nonrelativistic devices. We have performed a fully electromagnetic, relativistic analysis of a magnetron of the A6 cylindrical configuration. We will show that when the device should generate maximum power, it enters a regime where the DC background could become potentially unstable. In particular, when a nonrelativistic planar device enters the saturation regime, the DC electron density distribution could become unstable if the vertical DC velocity would ever become equal to the magnitude of the vertical RF velocity [3]. We find that during the initiation phase, for the highest power levels of our model of the A6, near the cathode, the DC vertical velocity does become just less than, and definitely on the order of the magnitude of the vertical RF velocity. Consequently, any localized surge in the currents near the cathode, could easily destroy the smooth upward flow of the electrons, drive the DC background unstable, and thereby shut down the operation of the device. [1] Long-pulse relativistic magnetron experiments, M.R. Lopez, R.M. Gilgenbach, Y.Y. Lau, D.W. Jordan, M.D. Johnston, M.C. Jones, V.B. Neculaes, T.A. Spencer, J.W. Luginsland, M.D. Haworth, R.W.Lemke, D. Price, and L. Ludeking, Proc. of SPIE Aerosense 4720, 10-17, (2002). [2] Theoretical modeling of crossed-field electron vacuum devices, D.J. Kaup, Phys. of Plasmas 8, 2473-80 (2001). [3] Initiation and Stationary Operating States in a Crossed-Field Vacuum Electron Device, D. J. Kaup, Proc. of SPIE Aerosense 4720, 67-74, (2002).

Recirculating planar magnetrons: simulations and experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Franzi, Matthew; Gilgenbach, Ronald; French, David

2011-07-01

The Recirculating Planar Magnetron (RPM) is a novel crossed-field device whose geometry is expected to reduce thermal load, enhance current yield as well as ease the geometric limitations in scaling to high RF frequencies as compared to the conventional cylindrical magnetrons. The RPM has two different adaptations: A. Axial B field and radial E field; B. Radial B field and axial E field. The preliminary configuration (A) to be used in experiments at the University of Michigan consists of two parallel planar sections which join on either end by cylindrical regions to form a concentric extruded ellipse. Similar to conventionalmore » magnetrons, a voltage across the AK gap in conjunction with an axial magnetic field provides the electrons with an ExB drift. The device is named RPM because the drifting electrons recirculate from one planar region to the other. The drifting electrons interact with the resonantly tuned slow wave structure on the anode causing spoke formation. These electron spokes drive a RF electric field in the cavities from which RF power may be extracted to Waveguides. The RPM may be designed in either a conventional configuration with the anode on the outside, for simplified extraction, or as an inverted magnetron with the anode at the inner conductor, for fast start-up. Currently, experiments at the Pulsed Power and Microwave Laboratory at the University of Michigan are in the setup and design phase. A conventional RPM with planar cavities is to be installed on the Michigan Electron Long Beam Accelerator (MELBA) and is anticipated to operate at -200kV, 0.2T with a beam current of 1-10 kA at 1GHz. The conventional RPM consists of 12 identical planar cavities, 6 on each planar side, with simulated quality factor of 20.« less

Sputtered deposited nanocrystalline ZnO films: A correlation between electrical, optical and microstructural properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Gao, W.; Li, Z.; Hodgson, M.; Metson, J.; Gong, H.; Pal, U.

2005-05-01

Zinc oxide thin films were prepared by dc (direct current) and rf (radio frequency) magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. ZnO films produced by dc sputtering have a high resistance, while the films produced using rf sputtering are significantly more conductive. While the conductive films have a compact nodular surface morphology, the resistive films have a relatively porous surface with columnar structures in cross section. Compared to the dc sputtered films, rf sputtered films have a microstructure with smaller d spacing, lower internal stress, higher band gap energy and higher density. Dependence of conductivity on the deposition technique and the resulting d spacing , stress, density, band gap, film thickness and Al doping are discussed. Correlations between the electrical conductivity, microstructural parameters and optical properties of the films have been made.

Cyclic voltammetry on sputter-deposited films of electrochromic Ni oxide: Power-law decay of the charge density exchange

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wen, Rui-Tao, E-mail: Ruitao.Wen@angstrom.uu.se; Granqvist, Claes G.; Niklasson, Gunnar A.

2014-10-20

Ni-oxide-based thin films were produced by reactive direct-current magnetron sputtering and were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. Intercalation of Li{sup +} ions was accomplished by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in an electrolyte of LiClO{sub 4} in propylene carbonate, and electrochromism was documented by spectrophotometry. The charge density exchange, and hence the optical modulation span, decayed gradually upon repeated cycling. This phenomenon was accurately described by an empirical power law, which was valid for at least 10{sup 4} cycles when the applied voltage was limited to 4.1 V vs Li/Li{sup +}. Our results allow lifetime assessments for one of themore » essential components in an electrochromic device such as a “smart window” for energy-efficient buildings.« less

Spectroscopic imaging of self-organization in high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andersson, Joakim; Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 Singapore; Ni, Pavel

Excitation and ionization conditions in traveling ionization zones of high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasmas were investigated using fast camera imaging through interference filters. The images, taken in end-on and side-on views using light of selected gas and target atom and ion spectral lines, suggest that ionization zones are regions of enhanced densities of electrons, and excited atoms and ions. Excited atoms and ions of the target material (Al) are strongly concentrated near the target surface. Images from the highest excitation energies exhibit the most localized regions, suggesting localized Ohmic heating consistent with double layer formation.

Spectroscopic imaging of self-organization in high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 Singapore, Singapore; Andersson, Joakim; Ni, Pavel

Excitation and ionization conditions in traveling ionization zones of high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasmas were investigated using fast camera imaging through interference filters. The images, taken in end-on and side on views using light of selected gas and target atom and ion spectral lines, suggest that ionization zones are regions of enhanced densities of electrons, and excited atoms and ions. Excited atoms and ions of the target material (Al) are strongly concentrated near the target surface. Images from the highest excitation energies exhibit the most localized regions, suggesting localized Ohmic heating consistent with double layer formation.

Low dark current and high speed ZnO metal–semiconductor–metal photodetector on SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Çalışkan, Deniz, E-mail: dcaliskan@fen.bilkent.edu.tr; Department of Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine, Hacettepe University, 06800 Beytepe, Ankara; Bütün, Bayram

2014-10-20

ZnO thin films are deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering on thermally grown SiO{sub 2} on Si substrates. Pt/Au contacts are fabricated by standard photolithography and lift-off in order to form a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector. The dark current of the photodetector is measured as 1 pA at 100 V bias, corresponding to 100 pA/cm{sup 2} current density. Spectral photoresponse measurement showed the usual spectral behavior and 0.35 A/W responsivity at a 100 V bias. The rise and fall times for the photocurrent are measured as 22 ps and 8 ns, respectively, which are the lowest values to date. Scanning electron microscope image shows high aspect ratio andmore » dense grains indicating high surface area. Low dark current density and high speed response are attributed to high number of recombination centers due to film morphology, deducing from photoluminescence measurements. These results show that as deposited ZnO thin film MSM photodetectors can be used for the applications needed for low light level detection and fast operation.« less

Low-energy ion irradiation in HiPIMS to enable anatase TiO2 selective growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cemin, Felipe; Tsukamoto, Makoto; Keraudy, Julien; Antunes, Vinícius Gabriel; Helmersson, Ulf; Alvarez, Fernando; Minea, Tiberiu; Lundin, Daniel

2018-06-01

High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) has already demonstrated great potential for synthesizing the high-energy crystalline phase of titanium dioxide (rutile TiO2) due to large quantities of highly energetic ions present in the discharge. In this work, it is shown that the metastable anatase phase can also be obtained by HiPIMS. The required deposition conditions have been identified by systematically studying the phase formation, microstructure and chemical composition as a function of mode of target operation as well as of substrate temperature, working pressure, and peak current density. It is found that films deposited in the metal and transition modes are predominantly amorphous and contain substoichiometric TiO x compounds, while in compound mode they are well-crystallized and present only O2‑ ions bound to Ti4+, i.e. pure TiO2. Anatase TiO2 films are obtained for working pressures between 1 and 2 Pa, a peak current density of ~1 A cm‑2 and deposition temperatures lower than 300 °C. Rutile is favored at lower pressures (<1 Pa) and higher peak current densities (>2 A cm‑2), while amorphous films are obtained at higher pressures (5 Pa). Microstructural characterization of selected films is also presented.

Stability of Brillouin flow in the presence of slow-wave structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simon, D. H.; Lau, Y. Y.; Greening, G.

2016-09-15

Including a slow-wave structure (SWS) on the anode in the conventional, planar, and inverted magnetron, we systematically study the linear stability of Brillouin flow, which is the prevalent flow in crossed-field devices. The analytic treatment is fully relativistic and fully electromagnetic, and it incorporates the equilibrium density profile, flow profile, and electric field and magnetic field profiles in the linear stability analysis. Using parameters similar to the University of Michigan's recirculating planar magnetron, the numerical data show that the resonant interaction of the vacuum circuit mode and the corresponding smooth-bore diocotron-like mode is the dominant cause for instability. This resonantmore » interaction is far more important than the intrinsic negative (positive) mass property of electrons in the inverted (conventional) magnetron geometry. It is absent in either the smooth-bore magnetron or under the electrostatic assumption, one or both of which was almost always adopted in prior analytical formulation. This resonant interaction severely restricts the wavenumber for instability to the narrow range in which the cold tube frequency of the SWS is within a few percent of the corresponding smooth bore diocotron-like mode in the Brillouin flow.« less

Performance Characterization of a Solenoid-type Gas Valve for the H- Magnetron Source at FNAL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sosa, A.; Bollinger, D. S.; Karns, P. R.

2016-09-06

The magnetron-style H- ion sources currently in operation at Fermilab use piezoelectric gas valves to function. This kind of gas valve is sensitive to small changes in ambient temperature, which affect the stability and performance of the ion source. This motivates the need to find an alternative way of feeding H2 gas into the source. A solenoid-type gas valve has been characterized in a dedicated off-line test stand to assess the feasibility of its use in the operational ion sources. H- ion beams have been extracted at 35 keV using this valve. In this study, the performance of the solenoidmore » gas valve has been characterized measuring the beam current output of the magnetron source with respect to the voltage and pulse width of the signal applied to the gas valve.« less

Magnetron cathodes in plasma electrode Pockels cells

DOEpatents

Rhodes, M.A.

1995-04-25

Magnetron cathodes, which produce high current discharges, form greatly improved plasma electrodes on each side of an electro-optic crystal. The plasma electrode has a low pressure gas region on both sides of the crystal. When the gas is ionized, e.g., by a glow discharge in the low pressure gas, the plasma formed is a good conductor. The gas electrode acts as a highly uniform conducting electrode. Since the plasma is transparent to a high energy laser beam passing through the crystal, the plasma is transparent. A crystal exposed from two sides to such a plasma can be charged up uniformly to any desired voltage. A typical configuration utilizes helium at 50 millitorr operating pressure and 2 kA discharge current. The magnetron cathode produces a more uniform plasma and allows a reduced operating pressure which leads to lower plasma resistivity and a more uniform charge on the crystal. 5 figs.

Magnetron cathodes in plasma electrode pockels cells

DOEpatents

Rhodes, Mark A.

1995-01-01

Magnetron cathodes, which produce high current discharges, form greatly improved plasma electrodes on each side of an electro-optic crystal. The plasma electrode has a low pressure gas region on both sides of the crystal. When the gas is ionized, e.g., by a glow discharge in the low pressure gas, the plasma formed is a good conductor. The gas electrode acts as a highly uniform conducting electrode. Since the plasma is transparent to a high energy laser beam passing through the crystal, the plasma is transparent. A crystal exposed from two sides to such a plasma can be charged up uniformly to any desired voltage. A typical configuration utilizes helium at 50 millitorr operating. pressure and 2 kA discharge current. The magnetron cathode produces a more uniform plasma and allows a reduced operating pressure which leads to lower plasma resistivity and a more uniform charge on the crystal.

Bias current dependence of resistivity in Co0.4Fe0.4B0.2 ultrathin film prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, Snehal; Mazumdar, Dipak; Das, I.

2018-04-01

Ultrathin film of Co0.4Fe0.4B0.2 was prepared on p-type Si (100) substrate by RF magnetron sputtering. X-Ray Reflectivity and Atomic Force Microscopy measurements were performed to estimate the thickness and surface roughness of the film. Electrical transport measurements were performed by four-probe method in a current-in-plane (CIP) geometry. Presence of non-linearity in the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics was observed at higher current range. The electrical resistivity was found to change by several orders of magnitude (105) by changing the bias current from nano-ampere (nA) to milli-ampere (mA) range. This bias current dependence of the resistivity has been explained by different transport mechanisms.

Hydrogenated TiO2 Thin Film for Accelerating Electron Transport in Highly Efficient Planar Perovskite Solar Cells.

PubMed

Yao, Xin; Liang, Junhui; Li, Yuelong; Luo, Jingshan; Shi, Biao; Wei, Changchun; Zhang, Dekun; Li, Baozhang; Ding, Yi; Zhao, Ying; Zhang, Xiaodan

2017-10-01

Intensive studies on low-temperature deposited electron transport materials have been performed to improve the efficiency of n-i-p type planar perovskite solar cells to extend their application on plastic and multijunction device architectures. Here, a TiO 2 film with enhanced conductivity and tailored band edge is prepared by magnetron sputtering at room temperature by hydrogen doping (HTO), which accelerates the electron extraction from perovskite photoabsorber and reduces charge transfer resistance, resulting in an improved short circuit current density and fill factor. The HTO film with upward shifted Fermi level guarantees a smaller loss on V OC and facilitates the growth of high-quality absorber with much larger grains and more uniform size, leading to devices with negligible hysteresis. In comparison with the pristine TiO 2 prepared without hydrogen doping, the HTO-based device exhibits a substantial performance enhancement leading to an efficiency of 19.30% and more stabilized photovoltaic performance maintaining 93% of its initial value after 300 min continuous illumination in the glove box. These properties permit the room-temperature magnetron sputtered HTO film as a promising electron transport material for flexible and tandem perovskite solar cell in the future.

Effect of nitrogen doping on the structural, optical and electrical properties of indium tin oxide films prepared by magnetron sputtering for gallium nitride light emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Lifei; Cheng, Guoan; Wang, Hougong; Wu, Yulong; Zheng, Ruiting; Ding, Peijun

2017-01-01

The indium tin oxide (ITO) films are prepared by the direct current magnetron sputtering technology with an ITO target in a mixture of argon and nitrogen gas at room temperature. The blue transmittance at 455 nm rises from 63% to 83% after nitrogen doping. The resistivity of the ITO film reduces from 4.6 × 10-3 (undoped film) to 5.7 × 10-4 Ω cm (N-doped film). The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data imply that the binding energy of the In3d5/2 peak is declined 0.05 eV after nitrogen doping. The high resolution transmission electron microscope images show that the nitrogen loss density of the GaN/ITO interface with N-doped ITO film is smaller than that of the GaN/ITO interface with undoped ITO film. The forward turn-on voltage of gallium nitride light emitting diode reduces by 0.5 V after nitrogen doping. The fabrication of the N-doped ITO film is conducive to modify the N component of the interface between GaN and ITO layer.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murzin, I.H.; Tompa, G.S.; Wei, J.

The authors report the results of using sputtering and negative carbon ion sources to prepare thin films of carbon nitride. In this work, they compare the structural, tribological, and optical properties of the carbon nitride films that were prepared by two different ion assisted techniques. In the first approach they used a magnetron gun to sputter deposit carbon in a nitrogen atmosphere. The second method utilized a beam of negatively charged carbon ions of 1 to 5 {micro}A/cm{sup 2} current density impinging the substrate simultaneously with a positive nitrogen ion beam produced by a Kaufman source. They were able tomore » synthesize microscopically smooth coatings with the carbon to nitrogen ratio of 1:0.47. These films possess wear rates lower than 5 {times} 10{sup {minus}7} mm{sup 3}/Nm and friction coefficients in the range of 0.16 to 0.6. Raman spectroscopy revealed that the magnetron sputtered films are more structurally disordered than those formed with the negative carbon ion gun. FTIR showed the presence of the C{triple_bond}N stretching mode in both types of films. Finally, spectroscopic ellipsometry produced films with dielectric constants as low as 2.3 in the photon energy range from 1.2 to 5 eV.« less

Precision vector control of a superconducting RF cavity driven by an injection locked magnetron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chase, Brian; Pasquinelli, Ralph; Cullerton, Ed

The technique presented in this paper enables the regulation of both radio frequency amplitude and phase in narrow band devices such as a Superconducting RF (SRF) cavity driven by constant power output devices i.e. magnetrons [1]. The ability to use low cost high efficiency magnetrons for accelerator RF power systems, with tight vector regulation, presents a substantial cost savings in both construction and operating costs - compared to current RF power system technology. An operating CW system at 2.45 GHz has been experimentally developed. Vector control of an injection locked magnetron has been extensively tested and characterized with a SRFmore » cavity as the load. Amplitude dynamic range of 30 dB, amplitude stability of 0.3% r.m.s, and phase stability of 0.26 degrees r.m.s. has been demonstrated.« less

Precision vector control of a superconducting RF cavity driven by an injection locked magnetron

DOE PAGES

Chase, Brian; Pasquinelli, Ralph; Cullerton, Ed; ...

2015-03-01

The technique presented in this paper enables the regulation of both radio frequency amplitude and phase in narrow band devices such as a Superconducting RF (SRF) cavity driven by constant power output devices i.e. magnetrons [1]. The ability to use low cost high efficiency magnetrons for accelerator RF power systems, with tight vector regulation, presents a substantial cost savings in both construction and operating costs - compared to current RF power system technology. An operating CW system at 2.45 GHz has been experimentally developed. Vector control of an injection locked magnetron has been extensively tested and characterized with a SRFmore » cavity as the load. Amplitude dynamic range of 30 dB, amplitude stability of 0.3% r.m.s, and phase stability of 0.26 degrees r.m.s. has been demonstrated.« less

Waveguide-Mode Terahertz Free Electron Lasers Driven by Magnetron-Based Microtrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Young Uk; Miginsky, Sergey; Gudkov, Boris; Lee, Kitae; Mun, Jungho; Shim, Gyu Il; Bae, Sangyoon; Kim, Hyun Woo; Jang, Kyu-Ha; Park, Sunjeong; Park, Seong Hee; Vinokurov, Nikolay

2016-04-01

We have developed small-sized terahertz free-electron lasers by using low-cost and compact microtrons combining with magnetrons as high-power RF sources. We could stabilize the bunch repetition rate by optimizing a modulator for the magnetron and by coupling the magnetron with an accelerating cavity in the microtron. By developing high-performance undulators and low-loss waveguide-mode resonators having small cross-sectional areas, we could strengthen the interaction between the electron beam and the THz wave inside the FEL resonators to achieve lasing even with low-current electron beams from the microtron. We used a parallel-plate waveguide in a planar electromagnet undulator for our first THz FEL. We try to reduce the size of the FEL resonator by combining a dielectric-coated circular waveguide and a variable-period helical undulator to realize a table-top THz FEL for applying it to the security inspection on airports.

Improved Magnetron Stability and Reduced Noise in Efficient Transmitters for Superconducting Accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kazakevich, G.; Johnson, R.; Lebedev, V.

State of the art high-current superconducting accelerators require efficient RF sources with a fast dynamic phase and power control. This allows for compensation of the phase and amplitude deviations of the accelerating voltage in the Superconducting RF (SRF) cavities caused by microphonics, etc. Efficient magnetron transmitters with fast phase and power control are attractive RF sources for this application. They are more cost effective than traditional RF sources such as klystrons, IOTs and solid-state amplifiers used with large scale accelerator projects. However, unlike traditional RF sources, controlled magnetrons operate as forced oscillators. Study of the impact of the controlling signalmore » on magnetron stability, noise and efficiency is therefore important. This paper discusses experiments with 2.45 GHz, 1 kW tubes and verifies our analytical model which is based on the charge drift approximation.« less

Sputter deposition of MgxAlyOz thin films in a dual-magnetron device: a multi-species Monte Carlo model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusupov, M.; Saraiva, M.; Depla, D.; Bogaerts, A.

2012-07-01

A multi-species Monte Carlo (MC) model, combined with an analytical surface model, has been developed in order to investigate the general plasma processes occurring during the sputter deposition of complex oxide films in a dual-magnetron sputter deposition system. The important plasma species, such as electrons, Ar+ ions, fast Ar atoms and sputtered metal atoms (i.e. Mg and Al atoms) are described with the so-called multi-species MC model, whereas the deposition of MgxAlyOz films is treated by an analytical surface model. Target-substrate distances for both magnetrons in the dual-magnetron setup are varied for the purpose of growing stoichiometric complex oxide thin films. The metal atoms are sputtered from pure metallic targets, whereas the oxygen flux is only directed toward the substrate and is high enough to obtain fully oxidized thin films but low enough to avoid target poisoning. The calculations correspond to typical experimental conditions applied to grow these complex oxide films. In this paper, some calculation results are shown, such as the densities of various plasma species, their fluxes toward the targets and substrate, the deposition rates, as well as the film stoichiometry. Moreover, some results of the combined model are compared with experimental observations. Note that this is the first complete model, which can be applied for large and complicated magnetron reactor geometries, such as dual-magnetron configurations. With this model, we are able to describe all important plasma species as well as the deposition process. It can also be used to predict film stoichiometries of complex oxide films on the substrate.

Diagnostics of RF magnetron sputtering plasma for synthesizing transparent conductive Indium-Zinc-Oxide film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohta, Takayuki; Inoue, Mari; Takota, Naoki; Ito, Masafumi; Higashijima, Yasuhiro; Kano, Hiroyuki; den, Shoji; Yamakawa, Koji; Hori, Masaru

2009-10-01

Transparent conductive Oxide film has been used as transparent conducting electrodes of optoelectronic devices such as flat panel display, solar cells, and so on. Indium-Zinc-Oxide (IZO) has been investigated as one of promising alternatives Indium Tin Oxide film, due to amorphous, no nodule and so on. In order to control a sputtering process with highly precise, RF magnetron sputtering plasma using IZO composite target was diagnosed by absorption and emission spectroscopy. We have developed a multi-micro hollow cathode lamp which can emit simultaneous multi-atomic lines for monitoring Zn and In densities simultaneously. Zn and In densities were measured to be 10^9 from 10^10 cm-3 at RF power from 40 to 100 W, pressure of 5Pa, and Ar flow rate of 300 sccm. The emission intensities of Zn, In, InO, and Ar were also observed.

Effect of hafnium doping on density of states in dual-target magnetron co-sputtering HfZnSnO thin film transistors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Chuan-Xin; Li, Jun, E-mail: SHUniverjunli@163.com; Fu, Yi-Zhou

2015-11-23

This study investigates the effect of hafnium doping on the density of states (DOSs) in HfZnSnO thin film transistors fabricated by dual-target magnetron co-sputtering system. The DOSs is extracted by temperature-dependent field-effect measurements, and they decrease from 1.1 × 10{sup 17} to 4.6 × 10{sup 16 }eV/cm{sup 3} with increasing the hafnium concentrations. The behavior of DOSs for the increasing hafnium concentration HfZnSnO thin film transistors can be confirmed by both the reduction of ΔV{sub T} under bias stress and the trapping charges calculated by capacitance voltage measurements. It suggests that the reduction in DOSs due to the hafnium doping is closely related with themore » bias stability and thermal stability.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Polat, Ozgur; Ertugrul, Memhet; Thompson, James R

To obtain an engineered surface for deposition of high-Tc superconductors, nanoscale modulations of the surface of the underlying LaMnO3 (LMO) cap layer is a potential source for generating microstructural defects in YBa2Cu3O7- (YBCO) films. These defects may improve the flux-pinning and consequently increase the critical current density, Jc. To provide such nanoscale modulation via a practical and scalable process, tantalum (Ta) and palladium (Pd) nano-islands were deposited using dc-magnetron sputtering on the surface of the cap layer of commercial metal tape templates for second-generation wires. The size and density of these nano-islands can be controlled by changing sputtering conditions suchmore » as the power and deposition time. Compared to the reference sample grown on an untreated LMO cap layer, the YBCO films grown on the LMO cap layers with Ta or Pd nano-islands exhibited improved in-field Jc performance. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used to assess the evolving size and density of the nano-islands.« less

Implementation of Design Changes Towards a More Reliable, Hands-off Magnetron Ion Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sosa, A.; Bollinger, D. S.; Karns, P. R.

As the main H- ion source for the accelerator complex, magnetron ion sources have been used at Fermilab since the 1970’s. At the offline test stand, new R&D is carried out to develop and upgrade the present magnetron-type sources of H- ions of up to 80 mA and 35 keV beam energy in the context of the Proton Improvement Plan. The aim of this plan is to provide high-power proton beams for the experiments at FNAL. In order to reduce the amount of tuning and monitoring of these ion sources, a new electronic system consisting of a current-regulated arc dischargemore » modulator allow the ion source to run at a constant arc current for improved beam output and operation. A solenoid-type gas valve feeds H2 gas into the source precisely and independently of ambient temperature. This summary will cover several studies and design changes that have been tested and will eventually be implemented on the operational magnetron sources at Fermilab. Innovative results for this type of ion source include cathode geometries, solenoid gas valves, current controlled arc pulser, cesium boiler redesign, gas mixtures of hydrogen and nitrogen, and duty factor reduction, with the aim to improve source lifetime, stability, and reducing the amount of tuning needed. In this summary, I will highlight the advances made in ion sources at Fermilab and will outline the directions of the continuing R&D effort.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Majzoobi, A.; Joshi, R. P., E-mail: ravi.joshi@ttu.edu; Neuber, A. A.

Particle-in-cell simulations are performed to analyze the efficiency, output power and leakage currents in a 12-Cavity, 12-Cathode rising-sun magnetron with diffraction output (MDO). The central goal is to conduct a parameter study of a rising-sun magnetron that comprehensively incorporates performance enhancing features such as transparent cathodes, axial extraction, the use of endcaps, and cathode extensions. Our optimum results demonstrate peak output power of about 2.1 GW, with efficiencies of ∼70% and low leakage currents at a magnetic field of 0.45 Tesla, a 400 kV bias with a single endcap, for a range of cathode extensions between 3 and 6 centimeters.

Are the argon metastables important in high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gudmundsson, J. T., E-mail: tumi@hi.is; Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3, IS-107 Reykjavik; Lundin, D.

2015-11-15

We use an ionization region model to explore the ionization processes in the high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge in argon with a titanium target. In conventional dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS), stepwise ionization can be an important route for ionization of the argon gas. However, in the HiPIMS discharge stepwise ionization is found to be negligible during the breakdown phase of the HiPIMS pulse and becomes significant (but never dominating) only later in the pulse. For the sputtered species, Penning ionization can be a significant ionization mechanism in the dcMS discharges, while in the HiPIMS discharge Penning ionization ismore » always negligible as compared to electron impact ionization. The main reasons for these differences are a higher plasma density in the HiPIMS discharge, and a higher electron temperature. Furthermore, we explore the ionization fraction and the ionized flux fraction of the sputtered vapor and compare with recent experimental work.« less

Low-temperature formation of c-axis-oriented aluminum nitride thin films by plasma-assisted reactive pulsed-DC magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takenaka, Kosuke; Satake, Yoshikatsu; Uchida, Giichiro; Setsuhara, Yuichi

2018-01-01

The low-temperature formation of c-axis-oriented aluminum nitride thin films was demonstrated by plasma-assisted reactive pulsed-DC magnetron sputtering. The effects of the duty cycle at the pulsed-DC voltage applied to the Al target on the properties of AlN films formed via inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-enhanced pulsed-DC magnetron sputtering deposition were investigated. With decreasing duty cycle at the target voltage, the peak intensity of AlN(0002) increased linearly. The surface roughness of AlN films decreased since there was an increase in film density owing to the impact of energetic ions on the films together with the enhancement of nitriding associated with the relative increase in N radical flux. The improvement of both the crystallinity and surface morphology of AlN films at low temperatures is considered to be caused by the difference between the relative flux values of ions and sputtered atoms.

Fabrication and electrical properties of (111) textured (Ba0.6Sr0.4)TiO3 film on platinized Si substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yi; Liu, Baoting; Wei, Feng; Yang, Zhimin; Du, Jun

2007-01-01

The authors report the fabrication of (Ba0.6Sr0.4)TiO3 (BST) film on Pt /Si(001) substrate without Ti adhesion layer by magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction technique is used to characterize the orientation and phase purity of BST/Pt heterostructure. It is found that both BST and Pt films are (111) textured. The (111) BST films are observed to have high tunability of 49.4%; the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the BST film are about 682 and 0.015, respectively. The leakage current density of BST film agrees well with the space-charge-limited current theory at room temperature and is only 3.90×10-8A/cm2 at 455kV/cm.

Effect of deposition parameters and heat-treatment on the microstructure, mechanical and electrochemical properties of hydroxyapatite/titanium coating deposited on Ti6Al4V by RF-magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Jianwei; Chen, Zhangbo; Han, Wenjun; He, Danfeng; Yang, Yiming; Wang, Qingliang

2017-09-01

Functionally graded HA/Ti coatings were deposited on silicon and Ti6Al4V substrate by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The effect of RF-power, negative bias and heat-treatment on the microstructure, mechanical and electrochemical properties of the coatings were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, AFM Nanoindentation and electrochemical workstation. The obtained results showed that the as-deposited HA/Ti coatings were characteristic of amorphous structure, which transformed into a crystal structure after heat-treatment, and reformed O-H peak. The content of crystallization was increasing with the increase of negative bias. A dense, homogenous, smooth and featured surface, and columnar cross-section structure was observed in SEM observation. AFM results showed that the surface roughness became higher after heat-treatment, and increased with increasing RF-power. The mechanical test indicated that the coating had a higher nanohardness (9.1 GPa) in the case of  -100 V and 250 W than that of Ti6Al4V substrate, and a critical load as high as 17  ±  3.5 N. The electrochemical test confirmed the HA/Ti coating served as a stable protecting barrier in improving the corrosion resistance, which the corrosion current density was 1.3% of Ti6Al4V, but it was significantly influenced by RF-power and negative bias. The contact angle test demonstrated that all the coatings exhibited favorable hydrophilic properties, and it decreased by 20-25% compared to that untreated samples. Thus all results indicated that magnetron sputtering is a promising way for fabricating a better biocompatible ceramic coating by adjusting deposition parameters and post-deposition heat treatments.

Properties of Diamond-Like Carbon Films Synthesized by Dual-Target Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Cui; Li, Guo-Qing; Gou, Wei; Mu, Zong-Xin; Zhang, Cheng-Wu

2004-11-01

Smooth, dense and uniform diamond-like carbon films (DLC films) for industrial applications have successfully been prepared by dual-target unbalanced magnetron sputtering and the DLC characteristics of the films are confirmed by Raman spectra. It is found that the sputtering current of target plays an important role in the DLC film deposition. Deposition rate of 3.5 μm/h is obtained by using the sputtering current of 30 A. The friction coefficient of the films is 0.2-0.225 measured by using a pin-on-disc microtribometer. The structure of the films tends to have a growth of sp3 bonds content at high sputtering current. The compressive residual stress in the films increases with the increasing sputtering current of the target.

Interface layer to tailor the texture and surface morphology of Al-doped ZnO polycrystalline films on glass substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nomoto, Junichi; Inaba, Katsuhiko; Kobayashi, Shintaro; Makino, Hisao; Yamamoto, Tetsuya

2017-06-01

A 10-nm-thick radio frequency magnetron-sputtered aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) showing a texture with a preferential (0001) orientation on amorphous glass substrates was used as an interface layer for tailoring the orientation of 490-nm-thick polycrystalline AZO films subsequently deposited by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering at a substrate temperature of 200 °C. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction pole figure analysis showed that the resulting 500-nm-thick AZO films showed a texture with a highly preferential c-axis orientation. This showed that DC-magnetron-sputtered AZO films grew along with the orientation matching that of the interface layer, whereas 500-nm-thick AZO films deposited on bare glass substrates by DC magnetron sputtering exhibited a mixed orientation of the c-plane and other planes. The surface morphology was also improved while retaining the lateral grain size by applying the interface layer as revealed by atomic force microscopy.

Development of an inductively coupled impulse sputtering source for coating deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loch, Daniel Alexander Llewellyn

In recent years, highly ionised pulsed plasma processes have had a great impact on improving the coating performance of various applications, such as for cutting tools and ITO coatings, allowing for a longer service life and improved defect densities. These improvements stem from the higher ionisation degree of the sputtered material in these processes and with this the possibility of controlling the flux of sputtered material, allowing the regulation of the hardness and density of coatings and the ability to sputter onto complex contoured substrates. The development of Inductively Coupled Impulse Sputtering (ICIS) is aimed at the potential of utilising the advantages of highly ionised plasma for the sputtering of ferromagnetic material. In traditional magnetron based sputter processes ferromagnetic materials would shunt the magnetic field of the magnetron, thus reducing the sputter yield and ionisation efficiency. By generating the plasma within a high power pulsed radio frequency (RF) driven coil in front of the cathode, it is possible to remove the need for a magnetron by applying a high voltage pulsed direct current to the cathode attracting argon ions from the plasma to initiate sputtering. This is the first time that ICIS technology has been deployed in a sputter coating system. To study the characteristics of ICIS, current and voltage waveforms have been measured to examine the effect of increasing RF-power. Plasma analysis has been conducted by optical emission spectroscopy to investigate the excitation mechanisms and the emission intensity. These are correlated to the set RF-power by modelling assumptions based on electron collisions. Mass spectroscopy is used to measure the plasma potential and ion energy distribution function. Pure copper, titanium and nickel coatings have been deposited on silicon with high aspect ratio via to measure the deposition rate and characterise the microstructure. For titanium and nickel the emission modelling results are in good agreement with the model expectations showing that electron collisions are the main excitation mechanism. The plasma potential was measured as 20 eV, this is an ideal level for good adatom mobility with reduced lattice defects. All surfaces in the via were coated, perpendicular column growth on the sidewalls indicates a predominantly ionised metal flux to the substrate and the deposition rates agree with the literature value of the sputter yield of the materials. The results of the studies show that ICIS is a viable process for the deposition of magnetic coatings with high ionisation in the plasma.

Electrical Conductivity and Barrier Properties of Lithium Niobate Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudkov, S. I.; Baklanova, K. D.; Kamenshchikov, M. V.; Solnyshkin, A. V.; Belov, A. N.

2018-04-01

The thin-film structures made of LiNbO3 and obtained via laser ablation and magnetron sputtering are studied with volt-farad and volt-ampere characteristics. A potential barrier on the Si-LiNbO3 interface was found for both types of the films with the capacitance-voltage characteristics. The current-voltage characteristics showed that there are several conduction mechanisms in the structures studied. The Poole-Frenkel effect and the currents limited by a space charge mainly contribute to the electrical conductivity in the LiNbO3 film produced with the laser ablation method. The currents limited by a space charge contribute to the main mechanism in the film heterostructure obtained with the magnetron sputtering method.

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Deposition of amino-rich thin films by RF magnetron sputtering of nylon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kylián, O.; Hanuš, J.; Choukourov, A.; Kousal, J.; Slavínská, D.; Biederman, H.

2009-07-01

RF magnetron sputtering of a nylon target in different gas mixtures was studied in order to evaluate the capability of this process to deposit amino-rich coatings needed in a wide range of biomedical applications. It has been demonstrated that both the deposition rate of the coatings and the surface density of primary amino groups are strongly linked with working gas mixture composition. From this point of view, a sufficiently high deposition rate as well as the highest amine efficiency reaching a NH2/C value of 18% was observed in the N2/H2 discharge, which leads to the surface exhibiting a high rate of protein adsorption.

Novel high power impulse magnetron sputtering enhanced by an auxiliary electrical field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Chunwei, E-mail: lcwnefu@126.com, E-mail: xiubotian@163.com; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001; Tian, Xiubo, E-mail: lcwnefu@126.com, E-mail: xiubotian@163.com

2016-08-15

The high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) technique is a novel highly ionized physical vapor deposition method with a high application potential. However, the electron utilization efficiency during sputtering is rather low and the metal particle ionization rate needs to be considerably improved to allow for a large-scale industrial application. Therefore, we enhanced the HIPIMS technique by simultaneously applying an electric field (EF-HIPIMS). The effect of the electric field on the discharge process was studied using a current sensor and an optical emission spectrometer. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the electric potential and electric field during the EF-HIPIMS process wasmore » simulated using the ANSYS software. The results indicate that a higher electron utilization efficiency and a higher particle ionization rate could be achieved. The auxiliary anode obviously changed the distribution of the electric potential and the electric field in the discharge region, which increased the plasma density and enhanced the degree of ionization of the vanadium and argon gas. Vanadium films were deposited to further compare both techniques, and the morphology of the prepared films was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The films showed a smaller crystal grain size and a denser growth structure when the electric field was applied during the discharge process.« less

Heterojunction diodes in 3C-SiC/Si system grown by reactive magnetron sputtering: Effects of growth temperature on diode rectification and breakdown

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahab, Q.; Karlsteen, M.; Nur, O.; Hultman, L.; Willander, M.; Sundgren, J.-E.

1996-09-01

3C-SiC/Si heterojunction diodes were prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering of pure Si in CH4-Ar discharge on Si(111) substrates kept at temperatures (Ts) ranging from 800 to 1000°C. A good diode rectification process started for films grown at Ts≤900°C. Heterojunction diodes grown at Ts = 850°C showed the best performance with a saturation current density of 2.4 × 10-4 A cm-2. Diode reverse breakdown was obtained at a voltage of -110 V. The doping concentration (Nd) of the 3C-SiC films was calculated from 1/C2 vs V plot to be 3 × 1015 cm-3. Band offset values obtained were -0.27 and 1.35 eV for the conduction and valence band, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the film grown at Ts = 850°C to be single-phase 3C-SiC. The full width at half maximum of the 3C-SiC(111) peak was only 0.25 degree. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy showed the film to be highly (111)-oriented with an epitaxial columnar structure of double positioning domain boundaries.

A soft gamma-ray concentrator using thin-film multilayer structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloser, Peter F.; Aliotta, Paul H.; Echt, Olof; Krzanowski, James E.; Legere, Jason S.; McConnell, Mark L.; Shirazi, Farzane; Tsavalas, John G.; Wong, Emily N.; Kippen, R. Marc

2015-09-01

We have begun to investigate the use of thin-film, multilayer structures to form optics capable of concentrating soft gamma rays with energies greater than 100 keV, beyond the reach of current grazing-incidence hard X-ray mirrors. Alternating layers of low- and high-density materials (e.g., polymers and metals) will channel soft gamma-ray photons via total external reflection. A suitable arrangement of bent structures will then concentrate the incident radiation to a point. Gamma-ray optics made in this way offer the potential for soft gamma-ray telescopes with focal lengths of less than 10 m, removing the need for formation flying spacecraft and opening the field up to balloon-borne instruments. Building on initial investigations at Los Alamos National Laboratory, we are investigating whether it is possible to grow such flexible multi-layer structures with the required thicknesses and smoothness using magnetron sputter and pulsed laser deposition techniques. We present the initial results of tests aimed at fabricating such structures by combining magnetron sputtering with either spin coating or pulsed laser deposition, and demonstrating gamma-ray channeling of 122 keV photons in the laboratory. If successful, this technology offers the potential for transformational increases in sensitivity while dramatically improving the system-level performance of future high-energy astronomy missions through reduced mass and complexity.

Checkerboard deposition of lithium manganese oxide spinel (LiMn2O4) by RF magnetron sputtering on a stainless steel in all-solid-state thin film battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsueh, T. H.; Yu, Y. Q.; Jan, D. J.; Su, C. H.; Chang, S. M.

2018-03-01

All-solid-state thin film lithium batteries (TFLBs) are the most competitive low-power sources to be applied in various kinds of micro-electro-mechanical systems and have been draw a lot of attention in academic research. In this paper, the checkerboard deposition of all-solid-state TFLB was composed of thin film lithium metal anode, lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) solid electrolyte, and checkerboard deposition of lithium manganese oxide spinel (LiMn2O4) cathode. The LiPON and LiMn2O4 were deposited by a radio frequency magnetron sputtering system, and the lithium metal was deposited by a thermal evaporation coater. The electrochemical characterization of this lithium battery showed the first discharge capacity of 107.8 μAh and the capacity retention was achieved 95.5% after 150 charge-discharge cycles between 4.3V and 3V at a current density of 11 μA/cm2 (0.5C). Obviously, the checkerboard of thin film increased the charge exchange rate; also this lithium battery exhibited high C-rate performance, with better capacity retention of 82% at 220 μA/cm2 (10C).

Determination of the number density of excited and ground Zn atoms during rf magnetron sputtering of ZnO target

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maaloul, L.; Gangwar, R. K.; Stafford, L., E-mail: luc.stafford@umontreal.ca

2015-07-15

A combination of optical absorption spectroscopy (OAS) and optical emission spectroscopy measurements was used to monitor the number density of Zn atoms in excited 4s4p ({sup 3}P{sub 2} and {sup 3}P{sub 0}) metastable states as well as in ground 4s{sup 2} ({sup 1}S{sub 0}) state in a 5 mTorr Ar radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering plasma used for the deposition of ZnO-based thin films. OAS measurements revealed an increase by about one order of magnitude of Zn {sup 3}P{sub 2} and {sup 3}P{sub 0} metastable atoms by varying the self-bias voltage on the ZnO target from −115 to −300 V. Over themore » whole range of experimental conditions investigated, the triplet-to-singlet metastable density ratio was 5 ± 1, which matches the statistical weight ratio of these states in Boltzmann equilibrium. Construction of a Boltzmann plot using all Zn I emission lines in the 200–500 nm revealed a constant excitation temperature of 0.33 ± 0.04 eV. In combination with measured populations of Zn {sup 3}P{sub 2} and {sup 3}P{sub 0} metastable atoms, this temperature was used to extrapolate the absolute number density of ground state Zn atoms. The results were found to be in excellent agreement with those obtained previously by actinometry on Zn atoms using Ar as the actinometer gas [L. Maaloul and L. Stafford, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 31, 061306 (2013)]. This set of data was then correlated to spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements of the deposition rate of Zn atoms on a Si substrate positioned at 12 cm away from the ZnO target. The deposition rate scaled linearly with the number density of Zn atoms. In sharp contrast with previous studies on RF magnetron sputtering of Cu targets, these findings indicate that metastable atoms play a negligible role on the plasma deposition dynamics of Zn-based coatings.« less

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Mn2CoAl thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, N. Y.; Zhang, Y. Q.; Fu, H. R.; Che, W. R.; You, C. Y.; Shan, R.

2016-01-01

Heusler compound Mn2CoAl (MCA) is attracting more attentions due to many novel properties, such as high resistance, semiconducting behavior and suggestion as a spin-gapless material with a low magnetic moment. In this work, Mn2CoAl epitaxial thin film was prepared on MgO(100) substrate by magnetron sputtering. The transport property of the film exhibits a semiconducting-like behavior. Moreover, our research reveals that perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) can be induced in very thin Mn2CoAl films resulting from Mn-O and Co-O bonding at Mn2CoAl/MgO interface, which coincides with a recent theoretical prediction. PMA and low saturation magnetic moment could lead to large spin-transfer torque with low current density in principle, and thus our work may bring some unanticipated Heusler compounds into spintronics topics such as the domain wall motion and the current-induced magnetization reversal.

Annealing dependence of residual stress and optical properties of TiO2 thin film deposited by different deposition methods.

PubMed

Chen, Hsi-Chao; Lee, Kuan-Shiang; Lee, Cheng-Chung

2008-05-01

Titanium oxide (TiO(2)) thin films were prepared by different deposition methods. The methods were E-gun evaporation with ion-assisted deposition (IAD), radio-frequency (RF) ion-beam sputtering, and direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering. Residual stress was released after annealing the films deposited by RF ion-beam or DC magnetron sputtering but not evaporation, and the extinction coefficient varied significantly. The surface roughness of the evaporated films exceeded that of both sputtered films. At the annealing temperature of 300 degrees C, anatase crystallization occurred in evaporated film but not in the RF ion-beam or DC magnetron-sputtered films. TiO(2) films deposited by sputtering were generally more stable during annealing than those deposited by evaporation.

High energy-storage performance of 0.9Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}-0.1PbTiO{sub 3} relaxor ferroelectric thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Xiaolin; Zhang, Le; Hao, Xihong, E-mail: xhhao@imust.cn

2015-05-15

Highlights: • High-quality PMN-PT 90/10 RFE thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. • The maximum discharged density of 31.3 J/cm{sup 3} was obtained in the 750-nm-thick film. • PMN-PT RFE films might be a promising material for energy-storage application. - Abstract: 0.9Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}-0.1PbTiO{sub 3} (PMN-PT 90/10) relaxor ferroelectric thin films with different thicknesses were deposited on the LaNiO{sub 3}/Si (100) by the radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. The effects of thickness and deposition temperature on the microstructure, dielectric properties and the energy-storage performance of the thin films were investigated in detail. X-ray diffraction spectra indicated thatmore » the thin films had crystallized into a pure perovskite phase with a (100)-preferred orientation after annealed at 700 °C. Moreover, all the PMN-PT 90/10 thin films showed the uniform and crack-free surface microstructure. As a result, a larger recoverable energy density of 31.3 J/cm{sup 3} was achieved in the 750-nm-thick film under 2640 kV/cm at room temperature. Thus, PMN-PT 90/10 relaxor thin films are the promising candidate for energy-storage capacitor application.« less

Overview of recent studies and design changes for the FNAL magnetron ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bollinger, D. S.; Sosa, A.

2017-08-01

This paper presents several studies and design changes that will eventually be implemented to the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) magnetron ion source. The topics include tungsten cathode insert, solenoid gas valves, current controlled arc pulser, cesium boiler redesign, gas mixtures of hydrogen and nitrogen, and duty factor reduction. The studies were performed on the FNAL test stand described in [1], with the aim to improve source lifetime, stability, and reducing the amount of tuning needed.

High performance thin film transistor with ZnO channel layer deposited by DC magnetron sputtering.

PubMed

Moon, Yeon-Keon; Moon, Dae-Yong; Lee, Sang-Ho; Jeong, Chang-Oh; Park, Jong-Wan

2008-09-01

Research in large area electronics, especially for low-temperature plastic substrates, focuses commonly on limitations of the semiconductor in thin film transistors (TFTs), in particular its low mobility. ZnO is an emerging example of a semiconductor material for TFTs that can have high mobility, while a-Si and organic semiconductors have low mobility (<1 cm2/Vs). ZnO-based TFTs have achieved high mobility, along with low-voltage operation low off-state current, and low gate leakage current. In general, ZnO thin films for the channel layer of TFTs are deposited with RF magnetron sputtering methods. On the other hand, we studied ZnO thin films deposited with DC magnetron sputtering for the channel layer of TFTs. After analyzing the basic physical and chemical properties of ZnO thin films, we fabricated a TFT-unit cell using ZnO thin films for the channel layer. The field effect mobility (micro(sat)) of 1.8 cm2/Vs and threshold voltage (Vth) of -0.7 V were obtained.

Simulation and Experimental Studies of a 2.45GHz Magnetron Source for an SRF Cavity with Field Amplitude and Phase Controls

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Haipeng; Plawski, Tomasz E.; Rimmer, Robert A.

2016-06-01

Phase lock to an SRF cavity by using injection signal through output waveguide of a magnetron has been demonstrated [1, 3]. Amplitude control using magnetic field trimming and anode voltage modulation has been studied using MATLAB/Simulink simulations [2]. Based on these, we are planning to use an FPGA based digital LLRF system, which allows applying various types of control algorithms in order to achieve the required accelerating field stability. Since the 1497 MHz magnetron is still in the design stage, the proof of principle measurements of a commercial 2450 MHz magnetron are carried out to characterize the anode I-V curve,more » output power (the tube electronic efficiency), frequency dependence on the anode current (frequency pushing) and the Rieke diagram (frequency pulling by the reactive load). Based on early Simulink simulation, experimental data and extension of the Adler equation governing injection phase stability by Chen’s model, the specification of the new LLRF control chassis for both 2450 and 1497MHz systems are presented in this paper.« less

Multi-cathode unbalanced magnetron sputtering systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sproul, William D.

1991-01-01

Ion bombardment of a growing film during deposition is necessary in many instances to ensure a fully dense coating, particularly for hard coatings. Until the recent advent of unbalanced magnetron (UBM) cathodes, reactive sputtering had not been able to achieve the same degree of ion bombardment as other physical vapor deposition processes. The amount of ion bombardment of the substrate depends on the plasma density at the substrate, and in a UBM system the amount of bombardment will depend on the degree of unbalance of the cathode. In multi-cathode systems, the magnetic fields between the cathodes must be linked to confine the fast electrons that collide with the gas atoms. Any break in this linkage results in electrons being lost and a low plasma density. Modeling of the magnetic fields in a UBM cathode using a finite element analysis program has provided great insight into the interaction between the magnetic fields in multi-cathode systems. Large multi-cathode systems will require very strong magnets or many cathodes in order to maintain the magnetic field strength needed to achieve a high plasma density. Electromagnets offer the possibility of independent control of the plasma density. Such a system would be a large-scale version of an ion beam enhanced deposition (IBED) system, but, for the UBM system where the plasma would completely surround the substrate, the acronym IBED might now stand for Ion Blanket Enhanced Deposition.

Plasma studies of a linear magnetron operating in the range from DC to HiPIMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anders, André; Yang, Yuchen

2018-01-01

Plasma properties of magnetrons have been extensively studied in the past with the focus on small, research-style magnetrons with planar disk targets. In this contribution, we report on plasma diagnostics of a linear magnetron because the linear geometry is widely used in industry and, more importantly here, it provides the unique opportunity to align a linear racetrack section with a streak camera's entrance slit. This allows us to follow the evolution of plasma instabilities, i.e., localized ionization zones or spokes, as they travel along the racetrack. This report greatly extends our more limited and focused study on the structure and velocity of spokes [Anders and Yang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 111, 064103 (2017)]. Following recent plasma potential measurements [Panjan and Anders, J. Appl. Phys. 121, 063302 (2017)], we interpret optical emission information with localized electron heating. We confirm that for low direct current operation, spokes move in the -E ×B direction, and in the opposite direction in the high current mode. Streak images indicate slower spoke velocities near corners compared to spoke velocities in the straight sections of the racetrack. Spoke splitting and merging are observed supporting the interpretation that spoke motion represents a phase velocity of the region of greatest ionization and is not a motion of plasma. Fast camera investigations are supplemented by measurements of the energy distribution functions of ions emitted from the straight and curved regions of the racetrack, showing notable and reproducible differences.

High Current Density, Long Life Cathodes for High Power RF Sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ives, Robert Lawrence; Collins, George; Falce, Lou

2014-01-22

This program was tasked with improving the quality and expanding applications for Controlled Porosity Reservoir (CPR) cathodes. Calabazas Creek Research, Inc. (CCR) initially developed CPR cathodes on a DOE-funded SBIR program to improve cathodes for magnetron injection guns. Subsequent funding was received from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The program developed design requirements for implementation of the technology into high current density cathodes for high frequency applications. During Phase I of this program, CCR was awarded the prestigious 2011 R&D100 award for this technology. Subsequently, the technology was presented at numerous technical conferences. A patent was issued for themore » technology in 2009. These cathodes are now marketed by Semicon Associates, Inc. in Lexington, KY. They are the world’s largest producer of cathodes for vacuum electron devices. During this program, CCR teamed with Semicon Associates, Inc. and Ron Witherspoon, Inc. to improve the fabrication processes and expand applications for the cathodes. Specific fabrications issues included the quality of the wire winding that provides the basic structure and the sintering to bond the wires into a robust, cohesive structure. The program also developed improved techniques for integrating the resulting material into cathodes for electron guns.« less

Modeling and experimental studies of a side band power re-injection locked magnetron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Wen-Jun; Zhang, Yi; Yuan, Ping; Zhu, Hua-Cheng; Huang, Ka-Ma; Yang, Yang

2016-12-01

A side band power re-injection locked (SBPRIL) magnetron is presented in this paper. A tuning stub is placed between the external injection locked (EIL) magnetron and the circulator. Side band power of the EIL magnetron is reflected back to the magnetron. The reflected side band power is reused and pulled back to the central frequency. A phase-locking model is developed from circuit theory to explain the process of reuse of side band power in SBPRIL magnetron. Theoretical analysis proves that the side band power is pulled back to the central frequency of the SBPRIL magnetron, then the amplitude of the RF voltage increases and the phase noise performance is improved. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of a 10-vane continuous wave (CW) magnetron model is presented. Computer simulation predicts that the frequency spectrum’s peak of the SBPRIL magnetron has an increase of 3.25 dB compared with the free running magnetron. The phase noise performance at the side band offset reduces 12.05 dB for the SBPRIL magnetron. Besides, the SBPRIL magnetron experiment is presented. Experimental results show that the spectrum peak rises by 14.29% for SBPRIL magnetron compared with the free running magnetron. The phase noise reduces more than 25 dB at 45-kHz offset compared with the free running magnetron. Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2013CB328902) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61501311).

Temperature-dependent interface characteristic of silicon wafer bonding based on an amorphous germanium layer deposited by DC-magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ke, Shaoying; Lin, Shaoming; Ye, Yujie; Mao, Danfeng; Huang, Wei; Xu, Jianfang; Li, Cheng; Chen, Songyan

2018-03-01

We report a near-bubble-free low-temperature silicon (Si) wafer bonding with a thin amorphous Ge (a-Ge) intermediate layer. The DC-magnetron-sputtered a-Ge film on Si is demonstrated to be extremely flat (RMS = 0.28 nm) and hydrophilic (contact angle = 3°). The effect of the post-annealing temperature on the surface morphology and crystallinity of a-Ge film at the bonded interface is systematically identified. The relationship among the bubble density, annealing temperature, and crystallinity of a-Ge film is also clearly clarified. The crystallization of a-Ge film firstly appears at the bubble region. More interesting feature is that the crystallization starts from the center of the bubbles and sprawls to the bubble edge gradually. The H2 by-product is finally absorbed by intermediate Ge layer with crystalline phase after post annealing. Moreover, the whole a-Ge film out of the bubble totally crystallizes when the annealing time increases. This Ge integration at the bubble region leads to the decrease of the bubble density, which in turn increases the bonding strength.

The nanostructure of porous cobalt coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering in helium atmosphere.

PubMed

Lacroix, B; Godinho, V; Fernández, A

2018-05-01

In this work, (scanning) transmission electron microscopy has been used to study the nanostructure of porous cobalt coatings obtained by magnetron sputtering using helium as process gas. This nanostructure consists of closed pores of different nanometric size (about 4-20 nm) that are distributed all over a nanocrystalline Co matrix and filled with the deposition gas. Spatially resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy analysis was applied to measure and map, with high lateral resolution, the relevant physical properties (density, pressure and He-K edge shift) of helium trapped inside these individual nanopores, in order to provide new insights about the growth mechanism involved in such systems. In particular, a coefficient of proportionality, C = 0.039 eV nm 3 , between the blue shift of the He K-edge and the He density has been found. In addition, very high He densities (10-100 at./nm 3 ) and pressures in the gigapascal range (0.05-5.0 GPa) have been measured. The linear dependence of these parameters as a function of the inverse radii obeying to the Laplace-Young law for most of the pores suggests that their formation during the coating's growth takes place in regime of elastic deformation of the Co matrix. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability of Brillouin flow in planar, conventional, and inverted magnetrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simon, D. H.; Lau, Y. Y.; Greening, G.

2015-08-15

The Brillouin flow is the prevalent flow in crossed-field devices. We systematically study its stability in the conventional, planar, and inverted magnetron geometry. To investigate the intrinsic negative mass effect in Brillouin flow, we consider electrostatic modes in a nonrelativistic, smooth bore magnetron. We found that the Brillouin flow in the inverted magnetron is more unstable than that in a planar magnetron, which in turn is more unstable than that in the conventional magnetron. Thus, oscillations in the inverted magnetron may startup faster than the conventional magnetron. This result is consistent with simulations, and with the negative mass property inmore » the inverted magnetron configuration. Inclusion of relativistic effects and electromagnetic effects does not qualitatively change these conclusions.« less

A concept for a soft gamma-ray concentrator using thin-film multilayer structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloser, Peter F.; Shirazi, Farzane; Echt, Olof; Krzanowski, James E.; Legere, Jason S.; McConnell, Mark L.; Tsavalas, John G.; Wong, Emily N.; Aliotta, Paul H.

2016-07-01

We are investigating the use of thin-film, multilayer structures to form optics capable of concentrating soft gamma rays with energies greater than 100 keV, beyond the reach of current grazing-incidence hard X-ray mirrors. Alternating layers of low- and high-density materials (e.g., polymers and metals) will channel soft gamma-ray photons via total external reflection. A suitable arrangement of bent structures will then concentrate the incident radiation to a point. Gamma-ray optics made in this way offer the potential for soft gamma-ray telescopes with focal lengths of less than 10 m, removing the need for formation flying spacecraft and opening the field up to balloon-borne instruments. Following initial investigations conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory, we have constructed and tested a prototype structure using spin coating combined with magnetron sputtering. We are now investigating whether it is possible to grow such flexible multi-layer structures with the required thicknesses and smoothness more quickly by using magnetron sputter and pulsed laser deposition techniques. We present the latest results of our fabrication and gamma-ray channeling tests, and describe our modeling of the sensitivity of potential concentrator-based telescope designs. If successful, this technology offers the potential for transformational increases in sensitivity while dramatically improving the system-level performance of future high-energy astronomy missions through reduced mass and complexity.

Observation of a periodic runaway in the reactive Ar/O{sub 2} high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shayestehaminzadeh, Seyedmohammad, E-mail: ses30@hi.is, E-mail: shayesteh@mch.rwth-aachen.de; Arnalds, Unnar B.; Magnusson, Rögnvaldur L.

2015-11-15

This paper reports the observation of a periodic runaway of plasma to a higher density for the reactive discharge of the target material (Ti) with moderate sputter yield. Variable emission of secondary electrons, for the alternating transition of the target from metal mode to oxide mode, is understood to be the main reason for the runaway occurring periodically. Increasing the pulsing frequency can bring the target back to a metal (or suboxide) mode, and eliminate the periodic transition of the target. Therefore, a pulsing frequency interval is defined for the reactive Ar/O{sub 2} discharge in order to sustain the plasmamore » in a runaway-free mode without exceeding the maximum power that the magnetron can tolerate.« less

Phase control and fast start-up of a magnetron using modulation of an addressable faceted cathode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Browning, J., E-mail: JimBrowning@BoiseState.edu; Fernandez-Gutierrez, S.; Lin, M. C.

The use of an addressable, faceted cathode has been proposed as a method of modulating current injection in a magnetron to improve performance and control phase. To implement the controllable electron emission, five-sided and ten-sided faceted planar cathodes employing gated field emitters are considered as these emitters could be fabricated on flat substrates. For demonstration, the conformal finite-difference time-domain particle-in-cell simulation, as implemented in VORPAL, has been used to model a ten-cavity, rising sun magnetron using the modulated current sources and benchmarked against a typical continuous current source. For the modulated, ten-sided faceted cathode case, the electrons are injected frommore » three emitter elements on each of the ten facets. Each emitter is turned ON and OFF in sequence at the oscillating frequency with five emitters ON at one time to drive the five electron spokes of the π-mode. The emitter duty cycle is then 1/6th the Radio-Frequency (RF) period. Simulations show a fast start-up time as low as 35 ns for the modulated case compared to 100 ns for the continuous current cases. Analysis of the RF phase using the electron spoke locations and the RF magnetic field components shows that the phase is controlled for the modulated case while it is random, as typical, for the continuous current case. Active phase control during oscillation was demonstrated by shifting the phase of the electron injection 180° after oscillations started. The 180° phase shift time was approximately 25 RF cycles.« less

Anomalous effects in the aluminum oxide sputtering yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schelfhout, R.; Strijckmans, K.; Depla, D.

2018-04-01

The sputtering yield of aluminum oxide during reactive magnetron sputtering has been quantified by a new and fast method. The method is based on the meticulous determination of the reactive gas consumption during reactive DC magnetron sputtering and has been deployed to determine the sputtering yield of aluminum oxide. The accuracy of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparing its results to the common weight loss method excluding secondary effects such as redeposition. Both methods exhibit a decrease in sputtering yield with increasing discharge current. This feature of the aluminum oxide sputtering yield is described for the first time. It resembles the discrepancy between published high sputtering yield values determined by low current ion beams and the low deposition rate in the poisoned mode during reactive magnetron sputtering. Moreover, the usefulness of the new method arises from its time-resolved capabilities. The evolution of the alumina sputtering yield can now be measured up to a resolution of seconds. This reveals the complex dynamical behavior of the sputtering yield. A plausible explanation of the observed anomalies seems to originate from the balance between retention and out-diffusion of implanted gas atoms, while other possible causes are commented.

Unprecedented Al supersaturation in single-phase rock salt structure VAlN films by Al+ subplantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greczynski, G.; Mráz, S.; Hans, M.; Primetzhofer, D.; Lu, J.; Hultman, L.; Schneider, J. M.

2017-05-01

Modern applications of refractory ceramic thin films, predominantly as wear-protective coatings on cutting tools and on components utilized in automotive engines, require a combination of excellent mechanical properties, thermal stability, and oxidation resistance. Conventional design approaches for transition metal nitride coatings with improved thermal and chemical stability are based on alloying with Al. It is well known that the solubility of Al in NaCl-structure transition metal nitrides is limited. Hence, the great challenge is to increase the Al concentration substantially while avoiding precipitation of the thermodynamically favored wurtzite-AlN phase, which is detrimental to mechanical properties. Here, we use VAlN as a model system to illustrate a new concept for the synthesis of metastable single-phase NaCl-structure thin films with the Al content far beyond solubility limits obtained with conventional plasma processes. This supersaturation is achieved by separating the film-forming species in time and energy domains through synchronization of the 70-μs-long pulsed substrate bias with intense periodic fluxes of energetic Al+ metal ions during reactive hybrid high power impulse magnetron sputtering of the Al target and direct current magnetron sputtering of the V target in the Ar/N2 gas mixture. Hereby, Al is subplanted into the cubic VN grains formed by the continuous flux of low-energy V neutrals. We show that Al subplantation enables an unprecedented 42% increase in metastable Al solubility limit in V1-xAlxN, from x = 0.52 obtained with the conventional method to 0.75. The elastic modulus is 325 ± 5 GPa, in excellent agreement with density functional theory calculations, and approximately 50% higher than for corresponding films grown by dc magnetron sputtering. The extension of the presented strategy to other Al-ion-assisted vapor deposition methods or materials systems is straightforward, which opens up the way for producing supersaturated single-phase functional ceramic alloy thin films combining excellent mechanical properties with high oxidation resistance.

Solid oxide fuel cells with (La,Sr)(Ga,Mg)O3-δ electrolyte film deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Sea-Fue; Lu, His-Chuan; Hsu, Yung-Fu; Hu, Yi-Xuan

2015-05-01

In this study, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) containing a high quality La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-δ (LSGM) film deposited on anode supported substrate using RF magnetron sputtering are successfully prepared. The anode substrate is composed of two functional NiO/Sm0.2Ce0.8O2-δ (SDC) composite layers with ratios of 60/40 wt% and 50/50 wt% and a current collector layer of pure NiO. The as-deposited LSGM film appears to be amorphous in nature. After post-annealing at 1000 °C, a uniform and dense polycrystalline film with a composition of La0.87Sr0.13Ga0.85Mg0.15O3-δ and a thickness of 3.8 μm is obtained, which was well adhered to the anode substrate. A composite LSGM/La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) layer, with a ratio of 30/70 wt%, is used as the cathode. The SOFC prepared reveals a good mechanical integrity with no sign of cracking, delamination, or discontinuity among the interfaces. The total cell resistance of a single cell with LSGM electrolyte film declines from 0.60 to 0.10 Ω cm2 as the temperature escalates from 600 to 800 °C and the open circuit voltage (OCV) ranges from 0.85 to 0.95 V. The maximum power density (MPD) of the single cell is reported as 0.65, 1.02, 1.30, 1.42, and 1.38 W cm-2 at 600, 650, 700, 750, and 800 °C, respectively. The good cell performance leads to the conclusion that RF magnetron sputtering is a feasible deposition method for preparing good quality LSGM films in SOFCs.

BiVO{sub 4} photoanodes for water splitting with high injection efficiency, deposited by reactive magnetron co-sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gong, Haibo; Institute for Solar Fuels, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin; Freudenberg, Norman

2016-04-15

Photoactive bismuth vanadate (BiVO{sub 4}) thin films were deposited by reactive co-magnetron sputtering from metallic Bi and V targets. The effects of the V-to-Bi ratio, molybdenum doping and post-annealing on the crystallographic and photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of the BiVO{sub 4} films were investigated. Phase-pure monoclinic BiVO{sub 4} films, which are more photoactive than the tetragonal BiVO{sub 4} phase, were obtained under slightly vanadium-rich conditions. After annealing of the Mo-doped BiVO{sub 4} films, the photocurrent increased 2.6 times compared to undoped films. After optimization of the BiVO{sub 4} film thickness, the photocurrent densities (without a catalyst or a blocking layer ormore » a hole scavenger) exceeded 1.2 mA/cm{sup 2} at a potential of 1.23 V{sub RHE} under solar AM1.5 irradiation. The surprisingly high injection efficiency of holes into the electrolyte is attributed to the highly porous film morphology. This co-magnetron sputtering preparation route for photoactive BiVO{sub 4} films opens new possibilities for the fabrication of large-scale devices for water splitting.« less

Ion mass spectrometry investigations of the discharge during reactive high power pulsed and direct current magnetron sputtering of carbon in Ar and Ar/N{sub 2}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmidt, S.; Greczynski, G.; Jensen, J.

2012-07-01

Ion mass spectrometry was used to investigate discharges formed during high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) of a graphite target in Ar and Ar/N{sub 2} ambient. Ion energy distribution functions (IEDFs) were recorded in time-averaged and time-resolved mode for Ar{sup +}, C{sup +}, N{sub 2}{sup +}, N{sup +}, and C{sub x}N{sub y}{sup +} ions. An increase of N{sub 2} in the sputter gas (keeping the deposition pressure, pulse width, pulse frequency, and pulse energy constant) results for the HiPIMS discharge in a significant increase in C{sup +}, N{sup +}, and CN{sup +} ion energies.more » Ar{sup +}, N{sub 2}{sup +}, and C{sub 2}N{sup +} ion energies, in turn, did not considerably vary with the changes in working gas composition. The HiPIMS process showed higher ion energies and fluxes, particularly for C{sup +} ions, compared to DCMS. The time evolution of the plasma species was analyzed for HiPIMS and revealed the sequential arrival of working gas ions, ions ejected from the target, and later during the pulse-on time molecular ions, in particular CN{sup +} and C{sub 2}N{sup +}. The formation of fullerene-like structured CN{sub x} thin films for both modes of magnetron sputtering is explained by ion mass-spectrometry results and demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy as well as diffraction.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goto, Tetsuya; Matsuoka, Takaaki; Ohmi, Tadahiro

Novel magnetron-sputtering equipment, called rotation magnet sputtering (ROT-MS), was developed to overcome various disadvantages of current magnetron-sputtering equipment. Disadvantages include (1) very low target utilization of less than 20%, (2) difficulty in obtaining uniform deposition on the substrate, and (3) charge-up damages and ion-bombardment-induced damages resulting from very high electron temperature (>3 eV) and that the substrate is set at the plasma excitation region. In ROT-MS, a number of moving high-density plasma loops are excited on the target surface by rotating helical magnets, resulting in very high target utilization with uniform target erosion and uniform deposition on the substrate. Thismore » excellent performance can be principally maintained even if equipment size increases for very large-substrate deposition. Because strong horizontal magnetic fields (>0.05 T) are produced within a very limited region just at the target surface, very low electron-temperature plasmas (<2.5 eV for Ar plasma and <1 eV for direct-current-excited Xe plasma) are excited at the very limited region adjacent to the target surface with a combination of grounded plate closely mounted on the strong magnetic field region. Consequently, the authors can establish charge-up damage-free and ion-bombardment-induced damage-free processes. ROT-MS has been applied for thin-film formation of LaB{sub 6}, which is well known as a stable, low-work-function bulk-crystal material for electron emissions. The work function of the LaB{sub 6} film decreased to 2.8 eV due to enhanced (100)-orientation crystallinity and reduced resistivity realized by adjusting the flux of low-energy bombarding ions impinging on the depositing surface, which work very efficiently, improving the performance of the electron emission devices.« less

TOPICAL REVIEW: Physics and phenomena in pulsed magnetrons: an overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, J. W.; Welzel, T.

2009-05-01

This paper reviews the contribution made to the observation and understanding of the basic physical processes occurring in an important type of magnetized low-pressure plasma discharge, the pulsed magnetron. In industry, these plasma sources are operated typically in reactive mode where a cathode is sputtered in the presence of both chemically reactive and noble gases typically with the power modulated in the mid-frequency (5-350 kHz) range. In this review, we concentrate mostly, however, on physics-based studies carried out on magnetron systems operated in argon. This simplifies the physical-chemical processes occurring and makes interpretation of the observations somewhat easier. Since their first recorded use in 1993 there have been more than 300 peer-reviewed paper publications concerned with pulsed magnetrons, dealing wholly or in part with fundamental observations and basic studies. The fundamentals of these plasmas and the relationship between the plasma parameters and thin film quality regularly have whole sessions at international conferences devoted to them; however, since many different types of magnetron geometries have been used worldwide with different operating parameters the important results are often difficult to tease out. For example, we find the detailed observations of the plasma parameter (particle density and temperature) evolution from experiment to experiment are at best difficult to compare and at worst contradictory. We review in turn five major areas of studies which are addressed in the literature and try to draw out the major results. These areas are: fast electron generation, bulk plasma heating, short and long-term plasma parameter rise and decay rates, plasma potential modulation and transient phenomena. The influence of these phenomena on the ion energy and ion energy flux at the substrate is discussed. This review, although not exhaustive, will serve as a useful guide for more in-depth investigations using the referenced literature and also hopefully as an inspiration for future studies.

Electrochemical characteristics of amorphous carbon nanorod synthesized by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Hsin-Yueh; Huang, Yung-Jui; Chang, Hsuan-Chen; Su, Wei-Jhih; Shih, Yi-Ting; Chen, John L.; Honda, Shin-ichi; Huang, Ying-Sheng; Lee, Kuei-Yi

2015-01-01

Amorphous carbon nanorods (CNRs) were deposited directly using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The synthesized CNR electrochemical properties were investigated using graphene as the current collector for an electric double layer capacitor. The CNRs were vertically aligned to the graphene to achieve higher specific surface area. The capacitor performance was characterized using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic charge-discharge testing in 1 M KOH electrolyte at 30°C, 40°C, 50°C, and 60°C. The CNR specific capacitance was observed to increase with increasing measurement temperature and could reach up to 830 F/g at 60°C. Even after extensive measurements, the CNR electrode maintained good adhesion to the graphene current collector thereby suggesting electrode material stability.

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Mn{sub 2}CoAl thin film

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, N. Y.; Zhang, Y. Q.; Che, W. R.

Heusler compound Mn{sub 2}CoAl (MCA) is attracting more attentions due to many novel properties, such as high resistance, semiconducting behavior and suggestion as a spin-gapless material with a low magnetic moment. In this work, Mn{sub 2}CoAl epitaxial thin film was prepared on MgO(100) substrate by magnetron sputtering. The transport property of the film exhibits a semiconducting-like behavior. Moreover, our research reveals that perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) can be induced in very thin Mn{sub 2}CoAl films resulting from Mn-O and Co-O bonding at Mn{sub 2}CoAl/MgO interface, which coincides with a recent theoretical prediction. PMA and low saturation magnetic moment could leadmore » to large spin-transfer torque with low current density in principle, and thus our work may bring some unanticipated Heusler compounds into spintronics topics such as the domain wall motion and the current-induced magnetization reversal.« less

Experimental Investigation of Electron Cloud Containment in a Nonuniform Magnetic Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eninger, J. E.

1974-01-01

Dense clouds of electrons were generated and studied in an axisymmetric, nonuniform magnetic field created by a short solenoid. The operation of the experiment was similar to that of a low-pressure (approximately 0.000001 Torr) magnetron discharge. Discharge current characteristics are presented as a function of pressure, magnetic field strength, voltage, and cathode end-plate location. The rotation of the electron cloud is determined from the frequency of diocotron waves. In the space charge saturated regime of operation, the cloud is found to rotate as a solid body with frequency close to V sub a/phi sub a where V sub a is the anode voltage and phi suba is the total magnetic flux. This result indicates that, in regions where electrons are present, the magnetic field lines are electrostatic equipotentials (E bar, B bar = 0). Equilibrium electron density distributions suggested by this conditions are integrated with respect to total ionizing power and are found consistent with measured discharge currents.

Development of high-vacuum planar magnetron sputtering using an advanced magnetic field geometry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ohno, Takahiro; Yagyu, Daisuke; Saito, Shigeru, E-mail: saito@ee.kagu.tus.ac.jp

2015-11-15

A permanent magnet in a new magnetic field geometry (namely, with the magnetization in the radial direction) was fabricated and used for high-vacuum planar magnetron sputtering using Penning discharge. Because of the development of this magnet, the discharge current and deposition rate were increased two to three times in comparison with the values attainable with a magnet in the conventional geometry. This improvement was because the available space for effective discharge of the energetic electrons for the ionization increased because the magnetic field distribution increased in both the axial and radial directions of discharge.

Reconstruction of the static magnetic field of a magnetron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krüger, Dennis; Köhn, Kevin; Gallian, Sara; Brinkmann, Ralf Peter

2018-06-01

The simulation of magnetron discharges requires a quantitatively correct mathematical model of the magnetic field structure. This study presents a method to construct such a model on the basis of a spatially restricted set of experimental data and a plausible a priori assumption on the magnetic field configuration. The example in focus is that of a planar circular magnetron. The experimental data are Hall probe measurements of the magnetic flux density in an accessible region above the magnetron plane [P. D. Machura et al., Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 23, 065043 (2014)]. The a priori assumption reflects the actual design of the device, and it takes the magnetic field emerging from a center magnet of strength m C and vertical position d C and a ring magnet of strength m R , vertical position d R , and radius R. An analytical representation of the assumed field configuration can be formulated in terms of generalized hypergeometric functions. Fitting the ansatz to the experimental data with a least square method results in a fully specified analytical field model that agrees well with the data inside the accessible region and, moreover, is physically plausible in the regions outside of it. The outcome proves superior to the result of an alternative approach which starts from a multimode solution of the vacuum field problem formulated in terms of polar Bessel functions and vertical exponentials. As a first application of the obtained field model, typical electron and ion Larmor radii and the gradient and curvature drift velocities of the electron guiding center are calculated.

Highly ionized physical vapor deposition plasma source working at very low pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stranak, V.; Herrendorf, A.-P.; Drache, S.; Cada, M.; Hubicka, Z.; Tichy, M.; Hippler, R.

2012-04-01

Highly ionized discharge for physical vapor deposition at very low pressure is presented in the paper. The discharge is generated by electron cyclotron wave resonance (ECWR) which assists with ignition of high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge. The magnetron gun (with Ti target) was built into the single-turn coil RF electrode of the ECWR facility. ECWR assistance provides pre-ionization effect which allows significant reduction of pressure during HiPIMS operation down to p = 0.05 Pa; this is nearly more than an order of magnitude lower than at typical pressure ranges of HiPIMS discharges. We can confirm that nearly all sputtered particles are ionized (only Ti+ and Ti++ peaks are observed in the mass scan spectra). This corresponds well with high plasma density ne ˜ 1018 m-3, measured during the HiPIMS pulse.

Magnetic properties of in-plane oriented barium hexaferrite thin films prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Xiaozhi; Yue, Zhenxing, E-mail: yuezhx@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn; Meng, Siqin

2014-12-28

In-plane c-axis oriented Ba-hexaferrite (BaM) thin films were prepared on a-plane (112{sup ¯}0) sapphire (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) substrates by DC magnetron sputtering followed by ex-situ annealing. The DC magnetron sputtering was demonstrated to have obvious advantages over the traditionally used RF magnetron sputtering in sputtering rate and operation simplicity. The sputtering power had a remarkable influence on the Ba/Fe ratio, the hematite secondary phase, and the grain morphology of the as-prepared BaM films. Under 80 W of sputtering power, in-plane c-axis highly oriented BaM films were obtained. These films had strong magnetic anisotropy with high hysteresis loop squareness (M{sub r}/M{sub s}more » of 0.96) along the in-plane easy axis and low M{sub r}/M{sub s} of 0.03 along the in-plane hard axis. X-ray diffraction patterns and pole figures revealed that the oriented BaM films grew via an epitaxy-like growth process with the crystallographic relationship BaM (101{sup ¯}0)//α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(112{sup ¯}0)//Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}(112{sup ¯}0)« less

Comparison of sticking probabilities of metal atoms in magnetron sputtering deposition of CuZnSnS films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasaki, K.; Kikuchi, S.

2014-10-01

In this work, we compared the sticking probabilities of Cu, Zn, and Sn atoms in magnetron sputtering deposition of CZTS films. The evaluations of the sticking probabilities were based on the temporal decays of the Cu, Zn, and Sn densities in the afterglow, which were measured by laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Linear relationships were found between the discharge pressure and the lifetimes of the atom densities. According to Chantry, the sticking probability is evaluated from the extrapolated lifetime at the zero pressure, which is given by 2l0 (2 - α) / (v α) with α, l0, and v being the sticking probability, the ratio between the volume and the surface area of the chamber, and the mean velocity, respectively. The ratio of the extrapolated lifetimes observed experimentally was τCu :τSn :τZn = 1 : 1 . 3 : 1 . This ratio coincides well with the ratio of the reciprocals of their mean velocities (1 /vCu : 1 /vSn : 1 /vZn = 1 . 00 : 1 . 37 : 1 . 01). Therefore, the present experimental result suggests that the sticking probabilities of Cu, Sn, and Zn are roughly the same.

Interface microstructure engineering by high power impulse magnetron sputtering for the enhancement of adhesion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehiasarian, A. P.; Wen, J. G.; Petrov, I.

2007-03-01

An excellent adhesion of hard coatings to steel substrates is paramount in practically all application areas. Conventional methods utilize Ar glow etching or cathodic arc discharge pretreatments that have the disadvantage of producing weak interfaces or adding droplets, respectively. One tool for interface engineering is high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS). HIPIMS is based on conventional sputtering with extremely high peak power densities reaching 3kWcm-2 at current densities of >2Acm-2. HIPIMS of Cr and Nb was used to prepare interfaces on 304 stainless steel and M2 high speed steel (HSS). During the pretreatment, the substrates were biased to Ubias=-600V and Ubias=-1000V in the environment of a HIPIMS of Cr and Nb plasma. The bombarding flux density reached peak values of 300mAcm-2 and consisted of highly ionized metal plasma containing a high proportion of Cr1+ and Nb1+. Pretreatments were also carried out with Ar glow discharge and filtered cathodic arc as comparison. The adhesion was evaluated for coatings consisting of a 0.3μm thick CrN base layer and a 4μm thick nanolayer stack of CrN /NbN with a period of 3.4nm, hardness of HK0.025=3100, and residual stress of -1.8GPa. For HIPIMS of Cr pretreatment, the adhesion values on M2 HSS reached scratch test critical load values of LC=70N, thus comparing well to LC=51N for interfaces pretreated by arc discharge plasmas and to LC=25N for Ar etching. Cross sectional transmission electron microscopy studies revealed a clean interface and large areas of epitaxial growth in the case of HIPIMS pretreatment. The HIPIMS pretreatment promoted strong registry between the orientation of the coating and polycrystalline substrate grains due to the incorporation of metal ions and the preservation of crystallinity of the substrate. Evidence and conditions for the formation of cube-on-cube epitaxy and axiotaxy on steel and γ-TiAl substrates are presented.

Reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudmundsson, J. T.; Magnus, F.; Tryggvason, T. K.; Sveinsson, O. B.; Olafsson, S.

2012-10-01

Here we discuss reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering sputtering (HiPIMS) [1] of Ti target in an Ar/N2 and Ar/O2 atmosphere. The discharge current waveform is highly dependent on both the pulse repetition frequency and discharge voltage. The discharge current increases with decreasing frequency or voltage. This we attribute to an increase in the secondary electron emission yield during the self-sputtering phase of the pulse, as nitride [2] or oxide [3] forms on the target. We also discuss the growth of TiN films on SiO2 at temperatures of 22-600 ^oC. The HiPIMS process produces denser films at lower growth temperature and the surface is much smoother and have a significantly lower resistivity than dc magnetron sputtered films on SiO2 at all growth temperatures due to reduced grain boundary scattering [4].[4pt] [1] J. T. Gudmundsson, N. Brenning, D. Lundin and U. Helmersson, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, 30 030801 (2012)[0pt] [2] F. Magnus, O. B. Sveinsson, S. Olafsson and J. T. Gudmundsson, J. Appl. Phys., 110 083306 (2011)[0pt] [3] F. Magnus, T. K. Tryggvason, S. Olafsson and J. T. Gudmundsson, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., submitted 2012[0pt] [4] F. Magnus, A. S. Ingason, S. Olafsson and J. T. Gudmundsson, IEEE Elec. Dev. Lett., accepted 2012

Structure and optical properties of Ge/Si quantum dots formed by driving the evolution of Ge thin films via thermal annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shu, Qijiang; Yang, Jie; Chi, Qingbin; Sun, Tao; Wang, Chong; Yang, Yu

2018-04-01

Ge/Si quantum dots (QDs) are fabricated by driving the transformation of a Ge thin film-deposited using the direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering technique by controlling the subsequent in situ annealing processes. The experimental results indicate that, with the increase in annealing temperature, the volume of Ge QDs increases monotonically, while the QD density initially increases then decreases. The maximal QD density can reach 1.1 × 1011 cm‑2 after a 10 min annealing at 650 °C. The Ge–Ge peak of Ge QDs obtained by Raman spectroscopy initially undergoes a blue shift and then a red shift with increasing annealing temperature. This behavior results from the competition between the dislocation and the strain relaxation in QDs. Concurrently, a series of photoelectric detectors are fabricated to evaluate the photoelectric performance of these annealed Ge QD samples. A high-photoelectricity response is demonstrated in the QD sample annealed at 650 °C. Our results pave a promising way for whole-silicon-material optical-electronic integration based on a simple and practicable fabrication method.

Strong Orientation-Dependent Spin-Orbit Torque in Thin Films of the Antiferromagnet Mn2Au

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, X. F.; Zhang, J.; Li, F.; Chen, X. Z.; Shi, G. Y.; Tan, Y. Z.; Gu, Y. D.; Saleem, M. S.; Wu, H. Q.; Pan, F.; Song, C.

2018-05-01

Antiferromagnets with zero net magnetic moment, strong anti-interference, and ultrafast switching speed are potentially competitive in high-density information storage. The body-centered tetragonal antiferromagnet Mn2Au with opposite-spin sublattices is a unique metallic material for Néel-order spin-orbit-torque (SOT) switching. We investigate the SOT switching in quasiepitaxial (103), (101) and (204) Mn2Au films prepared by a simple magnetron sputtering method. We demonstrate current-induced antiferromagnetic moment switching in all of the prepared Mn2Au films by using a short current pulse at room temperature, whereas differently oriented films exhibit distinguished switching characters. A direction-independent reversible switching is attained in Mn2Au (103) films due to negligible magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy, while for Mn2Au (101) and (204) films, the switching is invertible with the current applied along the in-plane easy axis and its vertical axis, but it becomes attenuated seriously during initial switching circles when the current is applied along the hard axis because of the existence of magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy. Besides the fundamental significance, the strong orientation-dependent SOT switching, which is not realized, irrespective of ferromagnet and antiferromagnet, provides versatility for spintronics.

Characteristic of Nano-Cu Film Prepared by Energy Filtrating Magnetron Sputtering Technique and Its Optical Property

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhaoyong; Hu, Xing; Yao, Ning

2015-03-01

At the optimized deposition parameters, Cu film was deposited by the direct current magnetron sputtering (DMS) technique and the energy filtrating magnetron sputtering (EFMS) technique. The nano-structure was charactered by x-ray diffraction. The surface morphology of the film was observed by atomic force microscopy. The optical properties of the film were measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The refractive index, extinction coefficient and the thickness of the film were obtained by the fitted spectroscopic ellipsometry data using the Drude-Lorentz oscillator optical model. Results suggested that a Cu film with different properties was fabricated by the EFMS technique. The film containing smaller particles is denser and the surface is smoother. The average transmission coefficient, the refractive index and the extinction coefficients are higher than those of the Cu film deposited by the DMS technique. The average transmission coefficient (400-800 nm) is more than three times higher. The refractive index and extinction coefficient (at 550 nm) are more than 36% and 14% higher, respectively.

Influence of nitrogen admixture to argon on the ion energy distribution in reactive high power pulsed magnetron sputtering of chromium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breilmann, W.; Maszl, C.; Hecimovic, A.; von Keudell, A.

2017-04-01

Reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) of metals is of paramount importance for the deposition of various oxides, nitrides and carbides. The addition of a reactive gas such as nitrogen to an argon HiPIMS plasma with a metal target allows the formation of the corresponding metal nitride on the substrate. The addition of a reactive gas introduces new dynamics into the plasma process, such as hysteresis, target poisoning and the rarefaction of two different plasma gases. We investigate the dynamics for the deposition of chromium nitride by a reactive HiPIMS plasma using energy- and time-resolved ion mass spectrometry, fast camera measurements and temporal and spatially resolved optical emission spectroscopy. It is shown that the addition of nitrogen to the argon plasma gas significantly changes the appearance of the localized ionization zones, the so-called spokes, in HiPIMS plasmas. In addition, a very strong modulation of the metal ion flux within each HiPIMS pulse is observed, with the metal ion flux being strongly suppressed and the nitrogen molecular ion flux being strongly enhanced in the high current phase of the pulse. This behavior is explained by a stronger return effect of the sputtered metal ions in the dense plasma above the racetrack. This is best observed in a pure nitrogen plasma, because the ionization zones are mostly confined, implying a very high local plasma density and consequently also an efficient scattering process.

Growth (AlCrNbSiTiV)N thin films on the interrupted turning and properties using DCMS and HIPIMS system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Kai-Sheng; Chen, Kuan-Ta; Hsu, Chun-Yao; Hong, Po-Da

2018-05-01

This paper determines the optimal settings in the deposition parameters for (AlCrNbSiTiV)N high-entropy alloy (HEAs) nitride films that are deposited on CBN cutting tools and glass substrates. We use direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS), with Ar plasma and N2 reactive gases. Experiments with the grey-Taguchi method are conducted to determine the effect of deposition parameters (deposition time, substrate DC bias, DC power and substrate temperature) on interrupted turning 50CrMo4 steel machining and the films' structural properties. Experimental result shows that the multiple performance characteristics for these (AlCrNbSiTiV)N HEAs film coatings can be improved using the grey-Taguchi method. As can be seen, the coated film is homogeneous, very compact and exhibits perfect adherence to the substrate. The distribution of elements is homogeneous through the depth of the (AlCrNbSiTiV)N film, as measured by an auger electron nanoscope. After interrupted turning with an (AlCrNbSiTiV)N film coated tool, we obtain much longer tool life than when using uncoated tools. The correlation of these results with microstructure analysis and tool life indicates that HIPIMS discharge induced a higher (AlCrNbSiTiV)N film density, a smoother surface structure and a higher hardness surface.

RP and RQA Analysis for Floating Potential Fluctuations in a DC Magnetron Sputtering Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabavath, Gopikishan; Banerjee, I.; Mahapatra, S. K.

2016-04-01

The nonlinear dynamics of a direct current magnetron sputtering plasma is visualized using recurrence plot (RP) technique. RP comprises the recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) which is an efficient method to observe critical regime transitions in dynamics. Further, RQA provides insight information about the system’s behavior. We observed the floating potential fluctuations of the plasma as a function of discharge voltage by using Langmuir probe. The system exhibits quasi-periodic-chaotic-quasi-periodic-chaotic transitions. These transitions are quantified from determinism, Lmax, and entropy of RQA. Statistical investigations like kurtosis and skewness also studied for these transitions which are in well agreement with RQA results.

High power impulse magnetron sputtering and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, YUAN; Lizhen, YANG; Zhongwei, LIU; Qiang, CHEN

2018-04-01

High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) has attracted a great deal of attention because the sputtered material is highly ionized during the coating process, which has been demonstrated to be advantageous for better quality coating. Therefore, the mechanism of the HiPIMS technique has recently been investigated. In this paper, the current knowledge of HiPIMS is described. We focus on the mechanical properties of the deposited thin film in the latest applications, including hard coatings, adhesion enhancement, tribological performance, and corrosion protection layers. A description of the electrical, optical, photocatalytic, and functional coating applications are presented. The prospects for HiPIMS are also discussed in this work.

Ion energies in high power impulse magnetron sputtering with and without localized ionization zones

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Yuchen; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720; Tanaka, Koichi

2015-03-23

High speed imaging of high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges has revealed that ionization is localized in moving ionization zones but localization disappears at high currents for high yield targets. This offers an opportunity to study the effect ionization zones have on ion energies. We measure that ions have generally higher energies when ionization zones are present, supporting the concept that these zones are associated with moving potential humps. We propose that the disappearance of ionization zones is caused by an increased supply of atoms from the target which cools electrons and reduces depletion of atoms to be ionized.

Effect of graphite target power density on tribological properties of graphite-like carbon films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Dan; Jiang, Bailing; Li, Hongtao; Du, Yuzhou; Yang, Chao

2018-05-01

In order to improve the tribological performance, a series of graphite-like carbon (GLC) films with different graphite target power densities were prepared by magnetron sputtering. The valence bond and microstructure of films were characterized by AFM, TEM, XPS and Raman spectra. The variation of mechanical and tribological properties with graphite target power density was analyzed. The results showed that with the increase of graphite target power density, the deposition rate and the ratio of sp2 bond increased obviously. The hardness firstly increased and then decreased with the increase of graphite target power density, whilst the friction coefficient and the specific wear rate increased slightly after a decrease with the increasing graphite target power density. The friction coefficient and the specific wear rate were the lowest when the graphite target power density was 23.3 W/cm2.

Growth and characterization of zirconium oxynitride films prepared by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkataraj, S.; Kappertz, O.; Jayavel, R.; Wuttig, M.

2002-09-01

Thin films of zirconium oxynitrides have been deposited onto Si(100) substrates at room temperature by reactive dc magnetron sputtering of a metallic Zr target in an argon-oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere. To prepare oxynitride films the sum of the O2 and N2 flow was kept at 3.5 sccm, while the relative nitrogen content of this mixture was changed stepwise from 0% to 100%. The film structure was determined by x-ray diffraction, while x-ray reflectometry was employed to determine the thickness, density, and surface roughness of the films. The optical properties have been studied by spectroscopic reflectance measurements. X-ray diffraction (XRD) determines that the as-deposited films are crystalline and do not change their monoclinic ZrO2 crystal structure even for nitrogen flows up to 80%. For pure argon-nitrogen sputtering, on the contrary, cubic zirconium nitride (ZrN) has been formed. Nevertheless, even though the crystal structure does not change with increasing nitrogen flow up to 80%, there is clear evidence from nitrogen incorporation from Rutherford backscattering experiments, optical spectroscopy, XRD, and x-ray reflectometry. The latter technique determines that the film density increases from 5.2 to 5.8 g/cm3 with increasing nitrogen flow from 0% to 80%. Simultaneously, the rate of sputtering increases from 0.17 to 0.6 m/s, while the film roughness decreases upon increasing N2 flow. Optical spectroscopy measurements of the film reflectance confirm that fully transparent films can be prepared up to a nitrogen flow of 80%. For these films, the band gap decreases from 4.52 to 3.59 eV with increasing N2 flow, while the refractive index at 650 nm simultaneously increases from 2.11 to 2.26. For 100% N2 flow, i.e., without any oxygen, films with a metallic reflectance are obtained.

Optimized dielectric properties of SrTiO3:Nb /SrTiO3 (001) films for high field effect charge densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Xiuyu; Frisbie, C. Daniel; Leighton, C.

2006-12-01

The authors report the growth, structural and electrical characterizations of SrTiO3 films deposited on conductive SrTiO3:Nb (001) substrates by high pressure reactive rf magnetron sputtering. Optimized deposition parameters yield smooth epitaxial layers of high crystalline perfection with a room temperature dielectric constant ˜200 (for a thickness of 1150Å). The breakdown fields in SrTiO3:Nb /SrTiO3/Ag capacitors are consistent with induced charge densities >1×1014cm-2 for both holes and electrons, making these films ideal for high charge density field effect devices.

Fabrication of boron sputter targets

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, Daniel M.; McKernan, Mark A.

1995-01-01

A process for fabricating high density boron sputtering targets with sufficient mechanical strength to function reliably at typical magnetron sputtering power densities and at normal process parameters. The process involves the fabrication of a high density boron monolithe by hot isostatically compacting high purity (99.9%) boron powder, machining the boron monolithe into the final dimensions, and brazing the finished boron piece to a matching boron carbide (B.sub.4 C) piece, by placing aluminum foil there between and applying pressure and heat in a vacuum. An alternative is the application of aluminum metallization to the back of the boron monolithe by vacuum deposition. Also, a titanium based vacuum braze alloy can be used in place of the aluminum foil.

Satellite Power System (SPS) magnetron tube assessment study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, W. C.

1981-01-01

The data base was extended with respect to the magnetron directional amplifier and its operating parameters that are pertinent to its application in the solar power satellite. On the basis of the resulting extended data base the design of a magnetron was outlined that would meet the requirements of the SPS application and a technology program was designed that would result in its development. The proposed magnetron design for the SPS is a close scale of the microwave oven magnetron, and resembles it closely physically and electrically.

Combinatorial study of Ni-Ti-Pt ternary metal gate electrodes on HfO{sub 2} for the advanced gate stack

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang, K.-S.; Green, M. L.; Suehle, J.

2006-10-02

The authors have fabricated combinatorial Ni-Ti-Pt ternary metal gate thin film libraries on HfO{sub 2} using magnetron co-sputtering to investigate flatband voltage shift ({delta}V{sub fb}), work function ({phi}{sub m}), and leakage current density (J{sub L}) variations. A more negative {delta}V{sub fb} is observed close to the Ti-rich corner than at the Ni- and Pt-rich corners, implying smaller {phi}{sub m} near the Ti-rich corners and higher {phi}{sub m} near the Ni- and Pt-rich corners. In addition, measured J{sub L} values can be explained consistently with the observed {phi}{sub m} variations. Combinatorial methodologies prove to be useful in surveying the large compositionalmore » space of ternary alloy metal gate electrode systems.« less

Growth and characterization of few unit-cell NbN superconducting films on 3C-SiC/Si substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, H. W.; Wang, C. L.; Huang, Y. R.; Chen, T. J.; Wang, M. J.

2017-11-01

Superconducting δ-NbN ultrathin film has become a key element in extremely sensitive detector applications in recent decades because of its excellent electronic properties. We have realized the epitaxial growth of ultrathin δ-NbN films on (100)-oriented 3C-SiC/Si substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering at 760 °C with a deposition rate of 0.054 nm s-1. High-resolution transmission electron microscope images confirm the excellent epitaxy of these films. Even with a thickness of 1.3 nm (˜3 unit cells), the δ-NbN film shows a superconducting transition above 8 K. Furthermore, our ultrathin δ-NbN films demonstrate a long Ginzburg-Landau superconducting coherent length ({ξ }{{G}{{L}}}(0)> 5 {{nm}}) with a critical current density of about 2.2 MA cm-2, and good stability in an ambient environment.

Methods of Phase and Power Control in Magnetron Transmitters for Superconducting Accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kazadevich, G.; Johnson, R.; Neubauer, M.

Various methods of phase and power control in magnetron RF sources of superconducting accelerators intended for ADS-class projects were recently developed and studied with conventional 2.45 GHz, 1 kW, CW magnetrons operating in pulsed and CW regimes. Magnetron transmitters excited by a resonant (injection-locking) phasemodulated signal can provide phase and power control with the rates required for precise stabilization of phase and amplitude of the accelerating field in Superconducting RF (SRF) cavities of the intensity-frontier accelerators. An innovative technique that can significantly increase the magnetron transmitter efficiency at the widerange power control required for superconducting accelerators was developed and verifiedmore » with the 2.45 GHz magnetrons operating in CW and pulsed regimes. High efficiency magnetron transmitters of this type can significantly reduce the capital and operation costs of the ADSclass accelerator projects.« less

RF Priming Experiments and Simulations of Magnetic Priming in Relativistic Magnetrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, W. M.; Gilgenbach, R. M.; Jones, M. C.; Neculaes, V. B.; Lau, Y. Y.; Jordan, N.; Pengvanich, P.; Edgar, R.; Hoff, B.; Spencer, T. A.; Price, D.

2004-11-01

We investigate 2 priming techniques in relativistic magnetrons for rapid startup and mode-locking: RF priming experiments with 0.1-1 MW from a 2nd magnetron; Magnetic-priming simulations by azimuthally-varying-axial magnetic field. Experiments utilize MELBA-C with a Titan 6-vane magnetron: V = -300kV, I = 1-10kA, e-beam T = 0.5 μs, microwave power = 100-500 MW, f= 1-1.3 GHz, base vacuum= 8.5 x 10-10 Torr. The AFRL RF priming magnetron is at 0.1-2 MW, 3 μsec, 1.27-1.32 GHz. About 0.2-0.3 MW is injected into 1 of 3 open coupling slots in the relativistic magnetron. Analysis of the relativistic magnetron's microwave output shows a clear effect of RF priming. Simulations of magnetic priming in the pi-mode are run in MAGIC code by imposing N/2 azimuthal-variations in the axial magnetic field of an N-vane magnetron. Faster startup and mode-locking are simulated by rapid-electron spoke formation and excitation of RF fields.

Effect of assistant rf field on phase composition of iron nitride film prepared by magnetron sputtering process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, W.L.; Zheng, F.; Fei, W.D.

2006-01-15

Fe-N thin films were fabricated using a direct current magnetron sputtering process assisted by a radio-frequency (rf) field. The effect of the rf field on the phase composition of the films was investigated. The results indicate that with the assistance of the rf field, various kinds of iron nitrides can be obtained in the films, including {alpha}{sup '}-Fe-N, {alpha}{sup ''}-Fe{sub 16}N{sub 2}, {xi}-Fe{sub 2}N, {epsilon}-Fe{sub 3}N, and {gamma}{sup ''}-FeN with ZnS structure. It was found that the rf field greatly benefits the formation of iron nitrides in the Fe-N films.

Particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions treatment of an Ar/O2 magnetron discharge used for the reactive sputter deposition of TiOx films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bultinck, E.; Bogaerts, A.

2009-10-01

The physical processes in an Ar/O2 magnetron discharge used for the reactive sputter deposition of TiOx thin films were simulated with a 2d3v particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions (PIC/MCC) model. The plasma species taken into account are electrons, Ar+ ions, fast Arf atoms, metastable Arm* atoms, Ti+ ions, Ti atoms, O+ ions, O2+ ions, O- ions and O atoms. This model accounts for plasma-target interactions, such as secondary electron emission and target sputtering, and the effects of target poisoning. Furthermore, the deposition process is described by an analytical surface model. The influence of the O2/Ar gas ratio on the plasma potential and on the species densities and fluxes is investigated. Among others, it is shown that a higher O2 pressure causes the region of positive plasma potential and the O- density to be more spread, and the latter to decrease. On the other hand, the deposition rates of Ti and O are not much affected by the O2/Ar proportion. Indeed, the predicted stoichiometry of the deposited TiOx film approaches x=2 for nearly all the investigated O2/Ar proportions.

Recent operation of the FNAL magnetron H- ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karns, P. R.; Bollinger, D. S.; Sosa, A.

2017-08-01

This paper will detail changes in the operational paradigm of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) magnetron H- ion source due to upgrades in the accelerator system. Prior to November of 2012 the H- ions for High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments were extracted at ˜18 keV vertically downward into a 90 degree bending magnet and accelerated through a Cockcroft-Walton accelerating column to 750 keV. Following the upgrade in the fall of 2012 the H- ions are now directly extracted from a magnetron at 35 keV and accelerated to 750 keV by a Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ). This change in extraction energy as well as the orientation of the ion source required not only a redesign of the ion source, but an updated understanding of its operation at these new values. Discussed in detail are the changes to the ion source timing, arc discharge current, hydrogen gas pressure, and cesium delivery system that were needed to maintain consistent operation at >99% uptime for HEP, with an increased ion source lifetime of over 9 months.

Boron ion beam generation utilizing lanthanum hexaboride cathodes: Comparison of vacuum arc and planar magnetron glow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nikolaev, A. G.; Vizir, A. V.; Yushkov, G. Yu., E-mail: gyushkov@mail.ru

Boron ion beams are widely used for semiconductor ion implantation and for surface modification for improving the operating parameters and increasing the lifetime of machine parts and tools. For the latter application, the purity requirements of boron ion beams are not as stringent as for semiconductor technology, and a composite cathode of lanthanum hexaboride may be suitable for the production of boron ions. We have explored the use of two different approaches to boron plasma production: vacuum arc and planar high power impulse magnetron in self-sputtering mode. For the arc discharge, the boron plasma is generated at cathode spots, whereasmore » for the magnetron discharge, the main process is sputtering of cathode material. We present here the results of comparative test experiments for both kinds of discharge, aimed at determining the optimal discharge parameters for maximum yield of boron ions. For both discharges, the extracted ion beam current reaches hundreds of milliamps and the fraction of boron ions in the total extracted ion beam is as high as 80%.« less

Rarefaction windows in a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palmucci, Maria; Britun, Nikolay; Konstantinidis, Stephanos

2013-09-21

The velocity distribution function of the sputtered particles in the direction parallel to the planar magnetron cathode is studied by spatially- and time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy in a short-duration (20 μs) high-power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge. The experimental evidence for the neutral and ionized sputtered particles to have a constant (saturated) velocity at the end of the plasma on-time is demonstrated. The velocity component parallel to the target surface reaches the values of about 5 km/s for Ti atoms and ions, which is higher that the values typically measured in the direct current sputtering discharges before. The results point outmore » on the presence of a strong gas rarefaction significantly reducing the sputtered particles energy dissipation during a certain time interval at the end of the plasma pulse, referred to as “rarefaction window” in this work. The obtained results agree with and essentially clarify the dynamics of HiPIMS discharge studied during the plasma off-time previously in the work: N. Britun, Appl. Phys. Lett. 99, 131504 (2011)« less

The Pulsed Cylindrical Magnetron for Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korenev, Sergey

2012-10-01

The magnetron sputtering deposition of films and coatings broadly uses in microelectronics, material science, environmental applications and etc. The rate of target evaporation and time for deposition of films and coatings depends on magnetic field. These parameters link with efficiency of gas molecules ionization by electrons. The cylindrical magnetrons use for deposition of films and coatings on inside of pipes for different protective films and coatings in oil, chemical, environmental applications. The classical forming of magnetic field by permanent magnets or coils for big and long cylindrical magnetrons is complicated. The new concept of pulsed cylindrical magnetron for high rate deposition of films and coating for big and long pipes is presented in this paper. The proposed cylindrical magnetron has azimuthally pulsed high magnetic field, which allows forming the high ionized plasma and receiving high rate of evaporation material of target (central electrode). The structure of proposed pulsed cylindrical magnetron sputtering system is given. The main requirements to deposition system are presented. The preliminary data for forming of plasma and deposition of Ta films and coatings on the metal pipers are discussed. The comparison of classical and proposed cylindrical magnetrons is given. The analysis of potential applications is considered.

Influence of substrate bias voltage on the properties of TiO2 deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering on 304L for biomaterials applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bait, L.; Azzouz, L.; Madaoui, N.; Saoula, N.

2017-02-01

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of the substrate bias, varied from 0 to -100 V, on the structure and properties of the TiO2 thin films for biomaterials applications. The TiO2 films were grown onto 304L stainless steel substrate using radio-frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering from a pure titanium target in Ar-O2 gas mixture. The variation of substrate bias voltage from 0 to -100 V produces variations of structure and mechanical properties of the films. The deposited films were characterized by X-rays diffraction, nanoindentation and potentiodynamic polarization. Also, the friction and wear properties of TiO2 films sliding against alumina ball in air were investigated. Experimental results showed that the thickness increases for non-biased substrate voltage to Vs = -100 V from 820 nm to 1936 nm respectively. The roughness is in the range of 50 nm and 14 nm. XRD results show that all structures of the films are crystalline and changed with varying the bias voltage. The anatase phase is predominant in the low negative bias range (0-50 V). The hardness significantly increased from 2.2 to 6.4 GPa when the bias voltage was increased from 0 to 75 V and then slightly decrease to 5.1 GPa as further increased to 100 V. At the same time, the results indicate that TiO2 films deposited at -100 V exhibited better wear resistance compared to the other samples, i.e. the minimum wear rates and the lower coefficient of friction of 0.16. In order to simulate natural biological conditions, physiological serum (pH = 6.3), thermostatically controlled at 37 °C, was used as the electrolyte for the study of the electrochemical properties. Comparison between the corrosion resistance of the uncoated and coated samples showed a reduction in corrosion current density for coated samples compared to the uncoated one. The best corrosion current density of the film deposited at -75 V was 5.9 nA/cm2, which is about 11 times less than that of the uncoated steel 68.3 nA/cm2). The optimum anti-corrosion performance and hardness was obtained for TiO2 deposited at a bias of-75 V.

A Two-stage Injection-locked Magnetron for Accelerators with Superconducting Cavities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kazakevich, Grigory; Flanagan, Gene; Johnson, Rolland

2012-05-01

A concept for a two-stage injection-locked CW magnetron intended to drive Superconducting Cavities (SC) for intensity-frontier accelerators has been proposed. The concept considers two magnetrons in which the output power differs by 15-20 dB and the lower power magnetron being frequency-locked from an external source locks the higher power magnetron. The injection-locked two-stage CW magnetron can be used as an RF power source for Fermilab's Project-X to feed separately each of the 1.3 GHz SC of the 8 GeV pulsed linac. We expect output/locking power ratio of about 30-40 dB assuming operation in a pulsed mode with pulse duration ofmore » ~ 8 ms and repetition rate of 10 Hz. The experimental setup of a two-stage magnetron utilising CW, S-band, 1 kW tubes operating at pulse duration of 1-10 ms, and the obtained results are presented and discussed in this paper.« less

Influence of the deposition conditions on radiofrequency magnetron sputtered MoS2 films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinmann, Pierre A.; Spalvins, Talivaldis

1990-01-01

By varying the radiofrequency (RF) power, the Ar pressure, and the potential on the substrates, MoS(x) films of various stoichiometry, density, adhesion, and morphology were produced. An increase of RF power increased the deposition rate and density of the MoS2 films as well as improved adhesion. However, the stoichiometry remained constant. An increase of Ar pressure increased the deposition rate but decreased the density, wheras both stoichiometry and adhesion were maximized at around 20 mtorr Ar pressure. Furthermore, a transition from compact film growth to columnar film growth was observed when the pressure was varied from 5 to 15 mtorr. Substoichiometric films were grown when a negative (bias) voltage was applied to the substrates.

Fabrication of boron sputter targets

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, D.M.; McKernan, M.A.

1995-02-28

A process is disclosed for fabricating high density boron sputtering targets with sufficient mechanical strength to function reliably at typical magnetron sputtering power densities and at normal process parameters. The process involves the fabrication of a high density boron monolithe by hot isostatically compacting high purity (99.9%) boron powder, machining the boron monolithe into the final dimensions, and brazing the finished boron piece to a matching boron carbide (B{sub 4}C) piece, by placing aluminum foil there between and applying pressure and heat in a vacuum. An alternative is the application of aluminum metallization to the back of the boron monolithe by vacuum deposition. Also, a titanium based vacuum braze alloy can be used in place of the aluminum foil. 7 figs.

Reactive sputtering of δ-ZrH{sub 2} thin films by high power impulse magnetron sputtering and direct current magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Högberg, Hans, E-mail: hans.hogberg@liu.se; Tengdelius, Lina; Eriksson, Fredrik

2014-07-01

Reactive sputtering by high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) of a Zr target in Ar/H{sub 2} plasmas was employed to deposit Zr-H films on Si(100) substrates, and with H content up to 61 at. % and O contents typically below 0.2 at. % as determined by elastic recoil detection analysis. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals a chemical shift of ∼0.7 eV to higher binding energies for the Zr-H films compared to pure Zr films, consistent with a charge transfer from Zr to H in a zirconium hydride. X-ray diffraction shows that the films are single-phase δ-ZrH{sub 2} (CaF{submore » 2} type structure) at H content >∼55 at. % and pole figure measurements give a 111 preferred orientation for these films. Scanning electron microscopy cross-section images show a glasslike microstructure for the HiPIMS films, while the DCMS films are columnar. Nanoindentation yield hardness values of 5.5–7 GPa for the δ-ZrH{sub 2} films that is slightly harder than the ∼5 GPa determined for Zr films and with coefficients of friction in the range of 0.12–0.18 to compare with the range of 0.4–0.6 obtained for Zr films. Wear resistance testing show that phase-pure δ-ZrH{sub 2} films deposited by HiPIMS exhibit up to 50 times lower wear rate compared to those containing a secondary Zr phase. Four-point probe measurements give resistivity values in the range of ∼100–120 μΩ cm for the δ-ZrH{sub 2} films, which is slightly higher compared to Zr films with values in the range 70–80 μΩ cm.« less

Improvements on the stability and operation of a magnetron H - ion source

DOE PAGES

Sosa, A.; Bollinger, D. S.; Karns, P. R.; ...

2017-05-31

The magnetron H - ion sources developed in the 1970s currently in operation at Fermilab provide beam to the rest of the accelerator complex. A series of modifications to these sources have been tested in a dedicated offline test stand with the aim of improving different operational issues. The solenoid type gas valve was tested as an alternative to the piezoelectric gas valve in order to avoid its temperature dependence. A new cesium oven was designed and tested in order to avoid glass pieces that were present with the previous oven, improve thermal insulation and fine tune its temperature. Amore » current-regulated arc modulator was developed to run the ion source at a constant arc current, providing very stable beam outputs during operations. In order to reduce beam noise, the addition of small amounts of N 2 gas was explored, as well as testing different cathode shapes with increasing plasma volume. This study summarizes the studies and modifications done in the source over the last three years with the aim of improving its stability, reliability and overall performance.« less

Improvements on the stability and operation of a magnetron H- ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sosa, A.; Bollinger, D. S.; Karns, P. R.; Tan, C. Y.

2017-05-01

The magnetron H- ion sources developed in the 1970s currently in operation at Fermilab provide beam to the rest of the accelerator complex. A series of modifications to these sources have been tested in a dedicated off-line test stand with the aim of improving different operational issues. The solenoid type gas valve was tested as an alternative to the piezoelectric gas valve in order to avoid its temperature dependence. A new cesium oven was designed and tested in order to avoid glass pieces that were present with the previous oven, improve thermal insulation and fine-tune its temperature. A current-regulated arc modulator was developed to run the ion source at a constant arc current, providing very stable beam outputs during operations. In order to reduce beam noise, the addition of small amounts of N2 gas was explored, as well as testing different cathode shapes with increasing plasma volume. This paper summarizes the studies and modifications done in the source over the past three years with the aim of improving its stability, reliability and overall performance.

Improvements on the stability and operation of a magnetron H - ion source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sosa, A.; Bollinger, D. S.; Karns, P. R.

The magnetron H - ion sources developed in the 1970s currently in operation at Fermilab provide beam to the rest of the accelerator complex. A series of modifications to these sources have been tested in a dedicated offline test stand with the aim of improving different operational issues. The solenoid type gas valve was tested as an alternative to the piezoelectric gas valve in order to avoid its temperature dependence. A new cesium oven was designed and tested in order to avoid glass pieces that were present with the previous oven, improve thermal insulation and fine tune its temperature. Amore » current-regulated arc modulator was developed to run the ion source at a constant arc current, providing very stable beam outputs during operations. In order to reduce beam noise, the addition of small amounts of N 2 gas was explored, as well as testing different cathode shapes with increasing plasma volume. This study summarizes the studies and modifications done in the source over the last three years with the aim of improving its stability, reliability and overall performance.« less

Microwave produced plasma in a Toroidal Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, A. K.; Edwards, W. F.; Held, E. D.

2010-11-01

A currentless toroidal plasma device exhibits a large range of interesting basic plasma physics phenomena. Such a device is not in equilibrium in a strict magneto hydrodynamic sense. There are many sources of free energy in the form of gradients in plasma density, temperature, the background magnetic field and the curvature of the magnetic field. These free energy sources excite waves and instabilities which have been the focus of studies in several devices in last two decades. A full understanding of these simple plasmas is far from complete. At Utah State University we have recently designed and installed a microwave plasma generation system on a small tokamak borrowed from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. Microwaves are generated at 2.45 GHz in a pulsed dc mode using a magnetron from a commercial kitchen microwave oven. The device is equipped with horizontal and vertical magnetic fields and a transformer to impose a toroidal electric field for current drive. Plasmas can be obtained over a wide range of pressure with and without magnetic fields. We present some preliminary measurements of plasma density and potential profiles. Measurements of plasma temperature at different operating conditions are also presented.

RF priming of a long pulse relativistic magnetron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, William Michael

Rapid startup, increased pulsewidth and mode locking of magnetrons have been demonstrated experimentally on a relativistic magnetron by radio frequency (RF) priming. Experiments utilize a -300 kV, 2-8 kA, 300-500 ns electron beam to drive a Titan 6-vane relativistic magnetron (˜100 MW output power). The RF priming source is a 100 kW pulsed magnetron operating at 1.27-1.32 GHz. Tuning stubs were utilized in the Titan structure to adjust the operating frequency of the relativistic magnetron pi-mode upward by 30%. The tuning was guided by simulation in the MAGIC 3D code and experimental cold tests including a mapping of the azimuthal electric field inside the relativistic magnetron structure. The most successful tuning geometry was that of a standard anode resonant structure, but RF priming experiments were performed on a rising-sun structure as well. The Time Frequency Analysis (TFA) program was used to directly observe the effects of RF priming on the relativistic magnetron. RF priming was successful in decreasing mode competition by suppressing the generation of the 2pi/3-mode power by 41%. RF priming experiments were also successful in increasing microwave pulsewidth by 12% and decreasing microwave output delay by 22%. These improvements were observed while operating in a priming regime not satisfying Adler's Relation. Overall, the improvements made to the performance of the relativistic magnetron were modest because of the low priming power available (50-250 kW).

Ion density evolution in a high-power sputtering discharge with bipolar pulsing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Britun, N.; Michiels, M.; Godfroid, T.; Snyders, R.

2018-06-01

Time evolution of sputtered metal ions in high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge with a positive voltage pulse applied after a negative one (regime called "bipolar pulse HiPIMS"—BPH) is studied using 2-D density mapping. It is demonstrated that the ion propagation dynamics is mainly affected by the amplitude and duration of the positive pulse. Such effects as ion repulsion from the cathode and the ionization zone shrinkage due to electron drift towards the cathode are clearly observed during the positive pulse. The BPH mode also alters the film crystallographic structure, as observed from X-ray diffraction analysis.

Protection from high-velocity impact particles for quartz glass by coatings on the basis of Al-Si-N

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozhko, I. A.; Rybalko, E. V.; Fedorischeva, M. V.; Solntsev, V. L.; Cherniavsky, A. G.; Kaleri, A. Yu.; Psakhie, S. G.; Sergeev, V. P.

2016-11-01

The paper presents the results of the research of the phase composition and the mechanical properties of the coatings on the basis of Al-Si-N system produced by pulsed magnetron sputtering on the KV glass substrates. By the X-ray diffraction method, it has been discovered that the coatings contain AlN phase (hcp) with different thickness. The deposition of Al-Si-N coating system allows both increasing the microhardness of the surface layer of the quartz glass up to 29 GPa, and maintaining high elastic properties (We > 0.70). The laboratory tests have been carried out involving the impact of high-speed flows of iron particles on the Al-Si-N protective coating with different thicknesses produced by pulsed magnetron sputtering. The increase of Al-Si-N coating thickness from 1µm to 10µm decreases 4-fold the surface density of the craters on the samples caused by a high-speed flow of iron particles.

Electronic transport mechanism in intrinsic and doped nanocrystalline silicon films deposited by RF-magnetron sputtering at low temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benlakehal, D.; Belfedal, A.; Bouizem, Y.; Sib, J. D.; Chahed, L.; Zellama, K.

2016-12-01

The dependence on the temperature range, T, of the electronic transport mechanism in intrinsic and doped hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon films, deposited by radiofrequency-magnetron sputtering at low substrate temperature, has been studied. Electrical conductivity measurements σ(T) have been conducted on these films, as a function of temperature, in the 93-450 K range. The analysis of these results clearly shows a thermally activated conduction process in the 273-450 K range which allows us to estimate the associated activation energy as well as the preexponential conductivity factor. While, in the lower temperature range (T < 273 K), a non-ohmic behavior is observed for the conductivity changes. The conductivity σ(T) presents a linear dependence on (T-1/4) , and a hopping mechanism is suggested to explain these results. By using the Percolation theory, further information can be gained about the density of states near the Fermi level as well as the range and the hopping energy.

Heterojunction light emitting diodes fabricated with different n-layer oxide structures on p-GaN layers by magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Bo Hyun; Han, Won Suk; Kim, Young Yi; Cho, Hyung Koun; Kim, Jae Hyun

2010-06-01

We grew heterojunction light emitting diode (LED) structures with various n-type semiconducting layers by magnetron sputtering on p-type GaN at high temperature. Because the undoped ZnO used as an active layer was grown under oxygen rich atmosphere, all LED devices showed the EL characteristics corresponding to orange-red wavelength due to high density of oxygen interstitial, which was coincident with the deep level photoluminescence emission of undoped ZnO. The use of the Ga doped layers as a top layer provided the sufficient electron carriers to active region and resulted in the intense EL emission. The LED sample with small quantity of Mg incorporated in MgZnO as an n-type top layer showed more intense emission than the LED with ZnO, in spite of the deteriorated electrical and structural properties of the MgZnO film. This might be due to the improvement of output extraction efficiency induced by rough surface.

Deposition of vanadium oxide films by direct-current magnetron reactive sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusano, E.; Theil, J. A.; Thornton, John A.

1988-06-01

It is demonstrated here that thin films of vanadium oxide can be deposited at modest substrate temperatures by dc reactive sputtering from a vanadium target in an O2-Ar working gas using a planar magnetron source. Resistivity ratios of about 5000 are found between a semiconductor phase with a resistivity of about 5 Ohm cm and a metallic phase with a resistivity of about 0.001 Ohm cm for films deposited onto borosilicate glass substrates at about 400 C. X-ray diffraction shows the films to be single-phase VO2 with a monoclinic structure. The VO2 films are obtained for a narrow range of O2 injection rates which correspond to conditions where cathode poisoning is just starting to occur.

Deposition of vanadium oxide films by direct-current magnetron reactive sputtering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kusano, E.; Theil, J. A.; Thornton, John A.

1988-01-01

It is demonstrated here that thin films of vanadium oxide can be deposited at modest substrate temperatures by dc reactive sputtering from a vanadium target in an O2-Ar working gas using a planar magnetron source. Resistivity ratios of about 5000 are found between a semiconductor phase with a resistivity of about 5 Ohm cm and a metallic phase with a resistivity of about 0.001 Ohm cm for films deposited onto borosilicate glass substrates at about 400 C. X-ray diffraction shows the films to be single-phase VO2 with a monoclinic structure. The VO2 films are obtained for a narrow range of O2 injection rates which correspond to conditions where cathode poisoning is just starting to occur.

Nanoscale morphology of Ni{sub 50}Ti{sub 45}Cu{sub 5} nanoglass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Śniadecki, Z., E-mail: sniadecki@ifmpan.poznan.pl; Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen; Wang, D.

2016-03-15

Nanoglasses are noncrystalline solids with a granular nano-/microstructure. In contrast to their nanocrystalline analogs, typically constituted of grains and grain boundaries, nanoglasses consist of glassy regions with a structure corresponding to melt-quenched glasses and amorphous interfaces characterized by a reduced density. Their unique properties can be controlled by modifying size and chemical composition of the granular and interfacial regions. Ni{sub 50}Ti{sub 45}Cu{sub 5} amorphous films were obtained by magnetron sputtering and analyzed to determine their nanoscale morphology and the formation mechanisms. The nanoglasses were noted to have a hierarchical nano-columnar structure with the smallest Ni-rich (Ni:Ti ratio of ca. 5:3)more » amorphous columns with diameters of about 8 nm and Ti-rich glassy interfacial regions with a substantially lower density. The results were obtained utilizing X-ray diffraction and different microscopic methods, e.g., atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A detailed analysis indicates the complexity of the formation mechanisms of topologically and chemically distinguishable structural units with curvature driven surface diffusion, surface mobility, self-shadowing and internal stresses as the most important parameters. Common and simple synthesis method and the possibility for easy modification of the morphology and, consequently, the physical properties offer an opportunity for intensive studies of this new class of materials, opening the way towards possible applications. - Highlights: • Ni{sub 50}Ti{sub 45}Cu{sub 5} thin film nanoglasses were synthesized by magnetron sputtering. • Ti amorphous interfacial phase with reduced density is observed. • Stabilization of interfaces by specific local thermodynamic conditions.« less

Fabrication and characterization of He-charged ODS-FeCrNi films deposited by a radio-frequency plasma magnetron sputtering technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Liang; Wang, Xianping; Wang, Le; Zhang, Ying; Liu, Wang; Jiang, Weibing; Zhang, Tao; Fang, Qianfeng; Liu, Changsong

2017-04-01

He-charged oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrNi films were prepared by a radio-frequency (RF) plasma magnetron sputtering method in a He and Ar mixed atmosphere at 150 °C. As a comparison, He-charged FeCrNi films were also fabricated at the same conditions through direct current (DC) plasma magnetron sputtering. The doping of He atoms and Y2O3 in the FeCrNi films was realized by the high backscattered rate of He ions and Y2O3/FeCrNi composite target sputtering method, respectively. Inductive coupled plasma (ICP) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the existence of Y2O3 in FeCrNi films, and Y2O3 content hardly changed with sputtering He/Ar ratio. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the FeCrNi films were composed of dense columnar nanocrystallines and the thickness of the films was obviously dependent on He/Ar ratio. Nanoindentation measurements revealed that the FeCrNi films fabricated through DC/RF plasma magnetron sputtering methods exhibited similar hardness values at each He/Ar ratio, while the dispersion of Y2O3 apparently increased the hardness of the films. Elastic recoil detection (ERD) showed that DC/RF magnetron sputtered FeCrNi films contained similar He amounts (˜17 at.%). Compared with the minimal change of He level with depth in DC-sputtered films, the He amount decreases gradually in depth in the RF-sputtered films. The Y2O3-doped FeCrNi films were shown to exhibit much smaller amounts of He owing to the lower backscattering possibility of Y2O3 and the inhibition effect of nano-sized Y2O3 particles on the He element.

Boron-rich plasma by high power impulse magnetron sputtering of lanthanum hexaboride

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oks, Efim M.; Anders, Andre

2012-10-15

Boron-rich plasmas have been obtained using a LaB{sub 6} target in a high power impulse sputtering (HiPIMS) system. The presence of {sup 10}B{sup +}, {sup 11}B{sup +}, Ar{sup 2+}, Ar{sup +}, La{sup 2+}, and La{sup +} and traces of La{sup 3+}, {sup 12}C{sup +}, {sup 14}N{sup +}, and {sup 16}O{sup +} have been detected using an integrated mass and energy spectrometer. Peak currents as low as 20 A were sufficient to obtain plasma dominated by {sup 11}B{sup +} from a 5 cm planar magnetron. The ion energy distribution function for boron exhibits an energetic tail extending over several 10 eV,more » while argon shows a pronounced peak at low energy (some eV). This is in agreement with models that consider sputtering (B, La) and gas supply (from background and 'recycling'). Strong voltage oscillations develop at high current, greatly affecting power dissipation and plasma properties.« less

Bloch equations applied to ion cyclotron resonance spectroscopy: Broadband interconversion between magnetron and cyclotron motion for ion axialization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Shenheng; Marshall, Alan G.

1993-03-01

Conversion of magnetron motion to cyclotron motion combined with collisional cooling of the cyclotron motion provides an efficient way to reduce the kinetic energy of trapped heavy ions and to reduce their magnetron radii in an ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) ion trap. The coupling of magnetron and cyclotron motion can be realized by azimuthal quadrupolar excitation. Theoretical understanding of the coupling process has until now been based on resonant single-frequency quadrupolar excitation at the combination frequency ωc=ω++ω-, in which ωc is the ion cyclotron orbital frequency in the absence of electrostatic field; and ω+ and ω- are the reduced cyclotron and magnetron frequencies in the presence of an electrostatic trapping potential. In this work, we prove that the magnetron/cyclotron coupling is closely related to a two energy level system whose behavior is described by the well-known Bloch equations. By means of a special transformation, the equations of motion for the coupling may be expressed in Bloch-type equations in spherical coordinates. We show that magnetron-to-cyclotron conversion by single-frequency quadrupolar excitation in ICR is analogous to a 180° pulse in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). We go on to show that simultaneous magnetron-to-cyclotron conversion of ions over a finite mass-to-charge ratio range may be produced by quadrupolar frequency-sweep excitation, by analogy to adiabatic rapid passage in magnetic resonance. Axialization by broadband magnetron-to-cyclotron conversion followed by cyclotron cooling is successfully demonstrated experimentally for a crude oil distillate sample.

Controlling particle properties in {{YBa}}_{2}{{Cu}}_{3}{{\\rm{O}}}_{7-\\delta } nanocomposites by combining PLD with an inert gas condensation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparing, M.; Reich, E.; Hänisch, J.; Gottschall, T.; Hühne, R.; Fähler, S.; Rellinghaus, B.; Schultz, L.; Holzapfel, B.

2017-10-01

The critical current density {J}{{c}} in {{YBa}}2{{Cu}}3{{{O}}}7-δ thin films, which limits their application in external magnetic fields, can be enhanced by the introduction of artificial pinning centers such as non-superconducting nanoparticles inducing additional defects and local strain in the superconducting matrix. To understand the correlation between superconductivity, defect structures and particles, a controlled integration of particles with adjustable properties is essential. A powerful technique for the growth of isolated nanoparticles in the range of 10 nm is dc-magnetron sputtering in an inert gas flow. The inert gas condensation (IGC) of particles allows for an independent control of both the particle diameter distribution and the areal density. We report on the integration of such gas-phase-condensed {{HfO}}2 nanoparticles into pulsed laser deposited (PLD) {{YBa}}2{{Cu}}3{{{O}}}7-δ thin film multilayers with a combined PLD-IGC system. The particles and the structure of the multilayers are analyzed by transmission electron microscopy on cross-sectional FIB lamellae. As a result of the IGC particle implementation, randomly as well as biaxially oriented {{BaHfO}}3 precipitates are formed in the {{YBa}}2{{Cu}}3{{{O}}}7-δ thin films. With as few as three interlayers of nanoparticles, the pinning force density is enhanced in the low-field region.

Method and apparatus for improved high power impulse magnetron sputtering

DOEpatents

Anders, Andre

2013-11-05

A high power impulse magnetron sputtering apparatus and method using a vacuum chamber with a magnetron target and a substrate positioned in the vacuum chamber. A field coil being positioned between the magnetron target and substrate, and a pulsed power supply and/or a coil bias power supply connected to the field coil. The pulsed power supply connected to the field coil, and the pulsed power supply outputting power pulse widths of greater that 100 .mu.s.

Structure and morphology of magnetron sputter deposited ultrathin ZnO films on confined polymeric template

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Ajaib; Schipmann, Susanne; Mathur, Aakash; Pal, Dipayan; Sengupta, Amartya; Klemradt, Uwe; Chattopadhyay, Sudeshna

2017-08-01

The structure and morphology of ultra-thin zinc oxide (ZnO) films with different film thicknesses on confined polymer template were studied through X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). Using magnetron sputter deposition technique ZnO thin films with different film thicknesses (<10 nm) were grown on confined polystyrene with ∼2Rg film thickness, where Rg ∼ 20 nm (Rg is the unperturbed radius of gyration of polystyrene, defined by Rg = 0.272 √M0, and M0 is the molecular weight of polystyrene). The detailed internal structure, along the surface/interfaces and the growth direction of the system were explored in this study, which provides insight into the growth procedure of ZnO on confined polymer and reveals that a thin layer of ZnO, with very low surface and interface roughness, can be grown by DC magnetron sputtering technique, with approximately full coverage (with bulk like electron density) even in nm order of thickness, in 2-7 nm range on confined polymer template, without disturbing the structure of the underneath template. The resulting ZnO-polystyrene hybrid systems show strong ZnO near band edge (NBE) and deep-level (DLE) emissions in their room temperature photoluminescence spectra, where the contribution of DLE gets relatively stronger with decreasing ZnO film thickness, indicating a significant enhancement of surface defects because of the greater surface to volume ratio in thinner films.

Solid oxide fuel cells with apatite-type lanthanum silicate-based electrolyte films deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yi-Xin; Wang, Sea-Fue; Hsu, Yung-Fu; Wang, Chi-Hua

2018-03-01

In this study, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) containing high-quality apatite-type magnesium doped lanthanum silicate-based electrolyte films (LSMO) deposited by RF magnetron sputtering are successfully fabricated. The LSMO film deposited at an Ar:O2 ratio of 6:4 on an anode supported NiO/Sm0.2Ce0·8O2-δ (SDC) substrate followed by post-annealing at 1000 °C reveals a uniform and dense c-axis oriented polycrystalline structure, which is well adhered to the anode substrate. A composite SDC/La0·6Sr0·4Co0·2Fe0·8O3-δ cathode layer is subsequently screen-printed on the LSMO deposited anode substrate and fired. The SOFC fabricated with the LSMO film exhibits good mechanical integrity. The single cell with the LSMO layer of ≈2.8 μm thickness reports a total cell resistance of 1.156 and 0.163 Ωcm2, open circuit voltage of 1.051 and 0.982 V, and maximum power densities of 0.212 and 1.490 Wcm-2 at measurement temperatures of 700 and 850 °C, respectively, which are comparable or superior to those of previously reported SOFCs with yttria stabilized zirconia electrolyte films. The results of the present study demonstrate the feasibility of deposition of high-quality LSMO films by RF magnetron sputtering on NiO-SDC anode substrates for the fabrication of SOFCs with good cell performance.

Tutorial: Reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (R-HiPIMS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anders, André

High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) is a coating technology that combines magnetron sputtering with pulsed power concepts. Furthermore, by applying power in pulses of high amplitude and a relatively low duty cycle, large fractions of sputtered atoms and near-target gases are ionized. In contrast to conventional magnetron sputtering, HiPIMS is characterized by self-sputtering or repeated gas recycling for high and low sputter yield materials, respectively, and both for most intermediate materials. The dense plasma in front of the target has the dual function of sustaining the discharge and providing plasma-assistance to film growth, affecting the microstructure of growing films.more » Many technologically interesting thin films are compound films, which are composed of one or more metals and a reactive gas, most often oxygen or nitrogen. When reactive gas is added, non-trivial consequences arise for the system because the target may become “poisoned,” i.e., a compound layer forms on the target surface affecting the sputtering yield and the yield of secondary electron emission and thereby all other parameters. It is emphasized that the target state depends not only on the reactive gas' partial pressure (balanced via gas flow and pumping) but also on the ion flux to the target, which can be controlled by pulse parameters. This is a critical technological opportunity for reactive HiPIMS (R-HiPIMS). The scope of this tutorial is focused on plasma processes and mechanisms of operation and only briefly touches upon film properties. It introduces R-HiPIMS in a systematic, step-by-step approach by covering sputtering, magnetron sputtering, reactive magnetron sputtering, pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering, HiPIMS, and finally R-HiPIMS. The tutorial is concluded by considering variations of R-HiPIMS known as modulated pulsed power magnetron sputtering and deep-oscillation magnetron sputtering and combinations of R-HiPIMS with superimposed dc magnetron sputtering.« less

Tutorial: Reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (R-HiPIMS)

DOE PAGES

Anders, André

2017-03-21

High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) is a coating technology that combines magnetron sputtering with pulsed power concepts. Furthermore, by applying power in pulses of high amplitude and a relatively low duty cycle, large fractions of sputtered atoms and near-target gases are ionized. In contrast to conventional magnetron sputtering, HiPIMS is characterized by self-sputtering or repeated gas recycling for high and low sputter yield materials, respectively, and both for most intermediate materials. The dense plasma in front of the target has the dual function of sustaining the discharge and providing plasma-assistance to film growth, affecting the microstructure of growing films.more » Many technologically interesting thin films are compound films, which are composed of one or more metals and a reactive gas, most often oxygen or nitrogen. When reactive gas is added, non-trivial consequences arise for the system because the target may become “poisoned,” i.e., a compound layer forms on the target surface affecting the sputtering yield and the yield of secondary electron emission and thereby all other parameters. It is emphasized that the target state depends not only on the reactive gas' partial pressure (balanced via gas flow and pumping) but also on the ion flux to the target, which can be controlled by pulse parameters. This is a critical technological opportunity for reactive HiPIMS (R-HiPIMS). The scope of this tutorial is focused on plasma processes and mechanisms of operation and only briefly touches upon film properties. It introduces R-HiPIMS in a systematic, step-by-step approach by covering sputtering, magnetron sputtering, reactive magnetron sputtering, pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering, HiPIMS, and finally R-HiPIMS. The tutorial is concluded by considering variations of R-HiPIMS known as modulated pulsed power magnetron sputtering and deep-oscillation magnetron sputtering and combinations of R-HiPIMS with superimposed dc magnetron sputtering.« less

Tutorial: Reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (R-HiPIMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anders, André

2017-05-01

High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) is a coating technology that combines magnetron sputtering with pulsed power concepts. By applying power in pulses of high amplitude and a relatively low duty cycle, large fractions of sputtered atoms and near-target gases are ionized. In contrast to conventional magnetron sputtering, HiPIMS is characterized by self-sputtering or repeated gas recycling for high and low sputter yield materials, respectively, and both for most intermediate materials. The dense plasma in front of the target has the dual function of sustaining the discharge and providing plasma-assistance to film growth, affecting the microstructure of growing films. Many technologically interesting thin films are compound films, which are composed of one or more metals and a reactive gas, most often oxygen or nitrogen. When reactive gas is added, non-trivial consequences arise for the system because the target may become "poisoned," i.e., a compound layer forms on the target surface affecting the sputtering yield and the yield of secondary electron emission and thereby all other parameters. It is emphasized that the target state depends not only on the reactive gas' partial pressure (balanced via gas flow and pumping) but also on the ion flux to the target, which can be controlled by pulse parameters. This is a critical technological opportunity for reactive HiPIMS (R-HiPIMS). The scope of this tutorial is focused on plasma processes and mechanisms of operation and only briefly touches upon film properties. It introduces R-HiPIMS in a systematic, step-by-step approach by covering sputtering, magnetron sputtering, reactive magnetron sputtering, pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering, HiPIMS, and finally R-HiPIMS. The tutorial is concluded by considering variations of R-HiPIMS known as modulated pulsed power magnetron sputtering and deep-oscillation magnetron sputtering and combinations of R-HiPIMS with superimposed dc magnetron sputtering.

A study of the oxygen dynamics in a reactive Ar/O2 high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge using an ionization region model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundin, D.; Gudmundsson, J. T.; Brenning, N.; Raadu, M. A.; Minea, T. M.

2017-05-01

The oxygen dynamics in a reactive Ar/O2 high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge has been studied using a new reactive ionization region model. The aim has been to identify the dominating physical and chemical reactions in the plasma and on the surfaces of the reactor affecting the oxygen plasma chemistry. We explore the temporal evolution of the density of the ground state oxygen molecule O 2 ( X 1 Σg - ) , the singlet metastable oxygen molecules O 2 ( a 1 Δ g ) and O 2 ( b 1 Σ g ) , the oxygen atom in the ground state O(3P), the metastable oxygen atom O(1D), the positive ions O2 + and O+, and the negative ion O-. We furthermore investigate the reaction rates for the gain and loss of these species. The density of atomic oxygen increases significantly as we move from the metal mode to the transition mode, and finally into the compound (poisoned) mode. The main gain rate responsible for the increase is sputtering of atomic oxygen from the oxidized target. Both in the poisoned mode and in the transition mode, sputtering makes up more than 80% of the total gain rate for atomic oxygen. We also investigate the possibility of depositing stoichiometric TiO2 in the transition mode.

Nb and Ta Co-Doped TiO2 Transparent Conductive Thin Films by Magnetron Sputtering: Fabrication, Structure, and Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yang; Peng, Qian; Qiao, Yadong; Yang, Guang

2018-06-01

Nb and Ta co-doped anatase titanium dioxide (NTTO) nanocrystalline thin films were deposited on quartz and Si (100) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The influence of RF power on the growth, structure, morphology, and properties of the samples are discussed in detail. X-ray diffraction measurements show that the films are polycrystalline with anatase tetragonal structure, which is further confirmed by Raman spectroscopy analysis. Meanwhile, Raman spectroscopy results indicate that the peak width of E g(1) mode, which is directly correlated to the carrier density, changes obviously with RF power. It is found that the substitution of Nb5+ and Ta5+ at Ti site is significantly improved with the increase of RF power from 150 W to 210 W. For the sample deposited at 210 W, the optical transmittance is above 82% in the visible range and the electrical resistivity is as low as 1.3 × 10-3 Ω cm with carrier density of 1.1 × 1021 cm-3 and Hall mobility of 4.5 cm2 V-1 s-1. The optical and electrical properties of NTTO thin films can be compared to those of Nb or Ta doped anatase TiO2. However, co-doping with Nb and Ta gives a possible platform to complement the limitations of each individual dopant.

Study of a non-equilibrium plasma pinch with application for microwave generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Agry, Ahmad Farouk

The Non-Equilibrium Plasma Pinch (NEPP), also known as the Dense Plasma Focus (DPF) is well known as a source of energetic ions, relativistic electrons and neutrons as well as electromagnetic radiation extending from the infrared to X-ray. In this dissertation, the operation of a 15 kJ, Mather type, NEPP machine is studied in detail. A large number of experiments are carried out to tune the machine parameters for best performance using helium and hydrogen as filling gases. The NEPP machine is modified to be able to extract the copious number of electrons generated at the pinch. A hollow anode with small hole at the flat end, and a mock magnetron without biasing magnetic field are built. The electrons generated at the pinch are very difficult to capture, therefore a novel device is built to capture and transport the electrons from the pinch to the magnetron. The novel cup-rod-needle device successfully serves the purpose to capture and transport electrons to monitor the pinch current. Further, the device has the potential to field emit charges from its needle end acting as a pulsed electron source for other devices such as the magnetron. Diagnostics tools are designed, modeled, built, calibrated, and implemented in the machine to measure the pinch dynamics. A novel, UNLV patented electromagnetic dot sensors are successfully calibrated, and implemented in the machine. A new calibration technique is developed and test stands designed and built to measure the dot's ability to track the impetus signal over its dynamic range starting and ending in the noise region. The patented EM-dot sensor shows superior performance over traditional electromagnetic sensors, such as Rogowski coils. On the other hand, the cup-rod structure, when grounded on the rod side, serves as a diagnostic tool to monitor the pinch current by sampling the actual current, a quantity that has been always very challenging to measure without perturbing the pinch. To the best of our knowledge, this method of measuring the pinch current is unique and has never been done before. Agreement with other models is shown. The operation of the NEPP machine with the hole in the center of the anode and the magnetron connected including the cup-rod structure is examined against the NEPP machine signature with solid anode. Both cases showed excellent agreement. This suggests that the existence of the hole and the diagnostic tool inside the anode have negligible effects on the pinch.

Characterization of Magnetron Sputtered Copper-Nickel Thin Film and Alloys

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

ARL-TR-7783 ● SEP 2016 US Army Research Laboratory Characterization of Magnetron Sputtered Copper-Nickel Thin Films and Alloys...TR-7783 ● SEP 2016 US Army Research Laboratory Characterization of Magnetron Sputtered Copper-Nickel Thin Films and Alloys by Eugene...

Experimental radiation cooled magnetrons for space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, W. C.; Pollock, M.

The heat disposal problem that occurs in the microwave generator of the Solar Power Satellite when it converts dc power from solar photovoltaic arrays into microwave power for transmission to earth is examined. A theoretical study is made of the radiation cooling of a magnetron directional amplifier, and some experimental data obtained from the QKH 2244 magnetron are presented. This instrument is an unpackaged microwave oven magnetron to which an anodized aluminum radiator has been attached and whose magnetic field is supplied by special samarium cobalt magnets.

Microstructure of ZnO Thin Films Deposited by High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

AFRL-RX-WP-JA-2015-0185 MICROSTRUCTURE OF ZNO THIN FILMS DEPOSITED BY HIGH POWER IMPULSE MAGNETRON SPUTTERING (POSTPRINT) A. N. Reed...COVERED (From – To) 29 January 2013 – 16 February 2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE MICROSTRUCTURE OF ZNO THIN FILMS DEPOSITED BY HIGH POWER IMPULSE MAGNETRON...ABSTRACT High power impulse magnetron sputtering was used to deposit thin (~100 nm) zinc oxide (ZnO) films from a ceramic ZnO target onto substrates

Cathode Priming vs. RF Priming for Relativistic Magnetrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, W. M.; Spencer, T. A.; Price, D.

2005-10-01

Magnetron start-oscillation time, pulsewidth and pi-mode locking are experimentally compared for RF priming versus cathode priming on the Michigan-Titan relativistic magnetron (-300 kV, 2-10 kA, 300-500 ns). Cathode priming [1, 2] is an innovative technique first demonstrated experimentally at UM. In this technique, the cathode is fabricated with N/2 emitting strips or N/2-separate cathodes (for an N-cavity magnetron), which generate the desired number of spokes for pi-mode. Cathode priming yields 13% faster startup with more reproducible pi-mode oscillation. Radio Frequency (RF) priming is investigated as the baseline priming technique for magnetrons. The external priming source is a 100kW, 3μs pulsewidth magnetron on loan from AFRL. RF priming reduced startup delay by 15% and increased pulsewidth by 9%. [1] M.C. Jones, V.B. Neculaes, R.M. Gilgenbach, W.M. White, M.R. Lopez, Y.Y. Lau, T.A. Spencer, and D. Price, Rev. Sci. Inst., 75, 2976 (2004) [2] M.C. Jones, Doctoral Dissertation, University of Michigan, 2005

The structure and properties of pulsed dc magnetron sputtered nanocrystalline TiN films for electrodes of alkali metal thermal-to-electric conversion systems.

PubMed

Chun, Sung-Yong

2013-03-01

Titanium nitride films used as an important electrode material for the design of alkali metal thermal-to-electric conversion (AMTEC) system have been prepared using dc (direct current) and asymmetric-bipolar pulsed dc magnetron sputtering. The pulse frequency and the duty cycle were varied from 5 to 50 kHz and 50 to 95%, respectively. The deposition rate, grain size and resistivity of pulsed dc sputtered films were decreased when the pulse frequency increased, while the nano hardness of titanium nitride films increased. We present in detail coatings (e.g., deposition rate, grain size, prefer-orientation, resistivity and hardness). Our studies show that titanium nitride coatings with superior properties can be prepared using asymmetric-bipolar pulsed dc sputtering.

Development of plasma cathode electron guns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oks, Efim M.; Schanin, Peter M.

1999-05-01

The status of experimental research and ongoing development of plasma cathode electron guns in recent years is reviewed, including some novel upgrades and applications to various technological fields. The attractiveness of this kind of e-gun is due to its capability of creating high current, broad or focused beams, both in pulsed and steady-state modes of operation. An important characteristic of the plasma cathode electron gun is the absence of a thermionic cathode, a feature which leads to long lifetime and reliable operation even in the presence of aggressive background gas media and at fore-vacuum gas pressure ranges such as achieved by mechanical pumps. Depending on the required beam parameters, different kinds of plasma discharge systems can be used in plasma cathode electron guns, such as vacuum arcs, constricted gaseous arcs, hollow cathode glows, and two kinds of discharges in crossed E×B fields: Penning and magnetron. At the present time, plasma cathode electron guns provide beams with transverse dimension from fractional millimeter up to about one meter, beam current from microamperes to kiloamperes, beam current density up to about 100 A/cm2, pulse duration from nanoseconds to dc, and electron energy from several keV to hundreds of keV. Applications include electron beam melting and welding, surface treatment, plasma chemistry, radiation technologies, laser pumping, microwave generation, and more.

Superconducting Thin Films for the Enhancement of Superconducting Radio Frequency Accelerator Cavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burton, Matthew C.

Bulk niobium (Nb) superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities are currently the preferred method for acceleration of charged particles at accelerating facilities around the world. However, bulk Nb cavities have poor thermal conductance, impose material and design restrictions on other components of a particle accelerator, have low reproducibility and are approaching the fundamental material-dependent accelerating field limit of approximately 50MV/m. Since the SRF phenomena occurs at surfaces within a shallow depth of ˜1 microm, a proposed solution to this problem has been to utilize thin film technology to deposit superconducting thin films on the interior of cavities to engineer the active SRF surface in order to achieve cavities with enhanced properties and performance. Two proposed thin film applications for SRF cavities are: 1) Nb thin films coated on bulk cavities made of suitable castable metals (such as copper or aluminum) and 2) multilayer films designed to increase the accelerating gradient and performance of SRF cavities. While Nb thin films on copper (Cu) cavities have been attempted in the past using DC magnetron sputtering (DCMS), such cavities have never performed at the bulk Nb level. However, new energetic condensation techniques for film deposition, such as High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS), offer the opportunity to create suitably thick Nb films with improved density, microstructure and adhesion compared to traditional DCMS. Clearly use of such novel technique requires fundamental studies to assess surface evolution and growth modes during deposition and resulting microstructure and surface morphology and the correlation with RF superconducting properties. Here we present detailed structure-property correlative research studies done on Nb/Cu thin films and NbN- and NbTiN-based multilayers made using HiPIMS and DCMS, respectively.

Triple probe interrogation of spokes in a HiPIMS discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lockwood Estrin, F.; Karkari, S. K.; Bradley, J. W.

2017-07-01

Using a triple probe situated above the racetrack and inside the magnetic trap of a magnetron, rotating spoke-like structures have been clearly identified in a single HiPIMS pulse as periodic modulations of the electron temperature T e, electron density n e, ion saturation current I isat, floating potential V f and plasma potential V p. The spokes rotate in the E  ×  B direction with a velocity of ~8.8 km s-1. Defining the spoke shape from the footprint of the ion current, they deliver to flush-mounted probes embedded in the target, each spoke can be characterised by a dense but cool leading edge (n e ~ 2.0  ×  1019 m-3, T e ~ 2.1 eV) and a relatively hotter but more rarefied trailing edge (n e ~ 1  ×  1019 m-3, T e ~ 3.9 eV). Measurements of V p show a potential hump towards the rear of the spoke, separated from regions of the highest density, with plasma potentials up to 8 V more positive than the inter-spoke regions. Azimuthal electric fields of ~1 kV m-1 associated with these structures are calculated. Transforming the triple probe time-traces to functions of the azimuthal angle θ and assuming a Gaussian radial profile for the plasma parameters, 2D spatial maps of n e, T e and V p have been constructed as well as the target ion current density J p from the embedded probes. The phase relationship between T e, V p and n e can be clearly seen using this representation with n e leading T e and V p with a phase shift between them of ~50°. Regions of maximum ion current to the target, delivered by individual spokes, coincide with the overlap of regions of high n e and T e measured above the target at a height of 15 mm. Ions created at elevated positions above the target in the observed dense region will take several micro-seconds to reach that surface, so contributing to the target ion current in the following spokes.

Silicon content design of CrSiN films for good anti-corrosion and anti-wear performances in NaOH solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Haixin; Ye, Yuwei; Wang, Chunting; Zhang, Guangan; Liu, Wei

2018-06-01

The CrSiN films with different silicon contents were fabricated by medium frequency magnetron sputtering. The 304L stainless steel and Si (1 0 0) wafer were used for substrate specimens. Film plasticity, corrosion and tribological behaviors in 0.1 M NaOH solution were systematically investigated. Results show that the plasticity of CrN film could be improved by the addition of silicon. During the corrosion test, with the increase of silicon content, the corrosion current density exhibited a descending trend and impedance presented a rising trend. The COF and wear rate of as-prepared CrSiN film initially decreased and then increased as the silicon content increased. The CrSiN film with 12.7 at.% Si exhibited the lowest COF of 0.04 and a wear rate of 6.746  ×  10‑8 mm3 Nm‑1 in 0.1 M NaOH solution.

Fluid theory and simulations of instabilities, turbulent transport and coherent structures in partially-magnetized plasmas of \\mathbf{E}\\times \\mathbf{B} discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smolyakov, A. I.; Chapurin, O.; Frias, W.; Koshkarov, O.; Romadanov, I.; Tang, T.; Umansky, M.; Raitses, Y.; Kaganovich, I. D.; Lakhin, V. P.

2017-01-01

Partially-magnetized plasmas with magnetized electrons and non-magnetized ions are common in Hall thrusters for electric propulsion and magnetron material processing devices. These plasmas are usually in strongly non-equilibrium state due to presence of crossed electric and magnetic fields, inhomogeneities of plasma density, temperature, magnetic field and beams of accelerated ions. Free energy from these sources make such plasmas prone to various instabilities resulting in turbulence, anomalous transport, and appearance of coherent structures as found in experiments. This paper provides an overview of instabilities that exist in such plasmas. A nonlinear fluid model has been developed for description of the Simon-Hoh, lower-hybrid and ion-sound instabilities. The model also incorporates electron gyroviscosity describing the effects of finite electron temperature. The nonlinear fluid model has been implemented in the BOUT++ framework. The results of nonlinear simulations are presented demonstrating turbulence, anomalous current and tendency toward the formation of coherent structures.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukhametkaliyev, T., E-mail: mtm91@mail.ru; Surmeneva, M., E-mail: feja-mari@yandex.ru; Surmenev, R., E-mail: rsurmenev@gmail.com

A thin film of hydroxyapatite (HA) was deposited on AZ31 and Mg-Ca alloys by using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The thickness of the HA coating was determined to be 750 nm. The phase composition, microstructure, and surface morphology of the HA coatings were investigated using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. In vitro degradation behaviour of the HA coated alloys was evaluated in simulated body fluid (SBF) and 3.5wt.% NaCl solution using electrochemical method. The coatings homogeneously covered the entire surface of the substrates. The coating structure corresponded to a nanostructured HA. The ultrathin coating significantly improved the degradationmore » resistance of the alloy. Nanocrystalline HA coating significantly improved the corrosion resistance of the Mg-Ca and AZ31 magnesium alloys. The polarization resistance (Rp) of the coated Mg-Ca alloy was more than two-order of magnitude higher and the corrosion current density I{sub corr} reduced by ∼ 98% as compared to the base alloy.« less

A Compact, Pi-Mode Extraction Scheme for the Axial B-Field Recirculating Planar Magnetron

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-23

Figure 4). Thus, in a planar magnetron, the minimum phase velocity, vph , to stay above cutoff in the rectangular waveguide is ℎ = ...as magnetrons, electrons must be accelerated such that they are in synchronism with the phase velocity, vph , of the electromagnetic wave for an

Scientific Research Program for Power, Energy, and Thermal Technologies. Task Order 0001: Power, Thermal and Control Technologies and Processes Experimental Research

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

and (b) physical property data collection Following film deposition (via PLD or radio frequency magnetron sputtering), to prevent unwanted...carried out using an in-house radio frequency induction hot press under vacuum at ~1 mTorr and temperatures of 650, 750 and 850 °C. Sintering time was 2...tape thickness 23 µm, lamination stack thickness 11 mm). Simulated magnetic flux density inside the core was ~0.1 T, and operating frequency was

RBS, XRR and optical reflectivity measurements of Ti-TiO{sub 2} thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Drogowska, K.; Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Petersenstrasse 23, 64287 Darmstadt; Tarnawski, Z., E-mail: tarnawsk@agh.edu.pl

2012-02-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The single-, bi- and tri-layered films of Ti-TiO{sub 2} deposited onto Si(1 1 1) substrates. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Three methods RBS, XRR, optical reflectometer were used. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The real thickness of each layer was smaller than 50 nm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ti and TiO{sub 2} film-densities were slightly lower than the corresponding bulk values. -- Abstract: Single-, bi- and tri-layered films of Ti-TiO{sub 2} system were deposited by d.c. pulsed magnetron sputtering from metallic Ti target in an inert Ar or reactive Ar + O{sub 2} atmosphere. The nominal thickness of each layer was 50 nm. The chemical composition and its depthmore » profile were determined by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). Crystallographic structure was analysed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) at glancing incidence. X-ray reflectometry (XRR) was used as a complementary method for the film thickness and density evaluation. Modelling of the optical reflectivity spectra of Ti-TiO{sub 2} thin films deposited onto Si(1 1 1) substrates provided an independent estimate of the layer thickness. The combined analysis of RBS, XRR and reflectivity spectra indicated the real thickness of each layer less than 50 nm with TiO{sub 2} film density slightly lower than the corresponding bulk value. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) cross-sectional images revealed the columnar growth of TiO{sub 2} layers. Thickness estimated directly from SEM studies was found to be in a good agreement with the results of RBS, XRR and reflectivity spectra.« less

A concise way to estimate the average density of interface states in an ITO-SiOx/n-Si heterojunction solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Han, B. C.; Gao, M.; Wan, Y. Z.; Yang, J.; Du, H. W.; Ma, Z. Q.

2017-09-01

On the basis of a photon-assisted high frequency capacitance-voltage (C-V) method (1 MHz C-V), an effective approach is developed to evaluate the average interface state density (Dit) of an ITO-SiOx/n-Si heterojunction structure. Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films with different thicknesses were directly deposited on (100) n-type crystalline silicon by magnetron sputtering to fabricate semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor (SIS) hetero-interface regions where an ultra-thin SiOx passivation layer was naturally created. The morphology of the SiOx layer was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling and transmission electron microscope analysis. The thinness of this SiOx layer was the main reason for the SIS interface state density being more difficult to detect than that of a typical metal-oxide-semiconductor structure. A light was used for photon injection while measuring the C-V of the device, thus enabling the photon-assisted C-V measurement of the Dit. By quantifying decreases of the light-induced-voltage as a variation of the capacitance caused by parasitic charge at interface states the passivation quality within the interface of ITO-SiOx/n-Si could be reasonably evaluated. The average interface state density of these SIS devices was measured as 1.2-1.7 × 1011 eV-1 cm-2 and declined as the passivation layer was made thicker. The lifetime of the minority carriers, dark leakage current, and the other photovoltaic parameters of the devices were also used to determine the passivation.

Synthesis and characterization of CdTe nanostructures grown by RF magnetron sputtering method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akbarnejad, Elaheh; Ghoranneviss, Mahmood; Hantehzadeh, Mohammad Reza

2017-08-01

In this paper, we synthesize Cadmium Telluride nanostructures by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering system on soda lime glass at various thicknesses. The effect of CdTe nanostructures thickness on crystalline, optical and morphological properties has been studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The XRD parameters of CdTe nanostructures such as microstrain, dislocation density, and crystal size have been examined. From XRD analysis, it could be assumed that increasing deposition time caused the formation of the wurtzite hexagonal structure of the sputtered films. Optical properties of the grown nanostructures as a function of film thickness have been observed. All the films indicate more than 60% transmission over a wide range of wavelengths. The optical band gap values of the films have obtained in the range of 1.62-1.45 eV. The results indicate that an RF sputtering method succeeded in depositing of CdTe nanostructures with high purity and controllable physical properties, which is appropriate for photovoltaic and nuclear detector applications.

Electrical and structural properties of TiO2-δ thin film with oxygen vacancies prepared by RF magnetron sputtering using oxygen radical

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamura, Kinya; Suzuki, Naoya; Tsuchiya, Takashi; Shimazu, Yuichi; Minohara, Makoto; Kobayashi, Masaki; Horiba, Koji; Kumigashira, Hiroshi; Higuchi, Tohru

2016-06-01

Anatase TiO2-δ thin film was prepared by RF magnetron sputtering using oxygen radical and Ti-metal target. Degrees of the TiO2-δ crystal orientation in the thin film depends of the oxygen gas pressure (P\\text{O2}) in the radical gun. The (004)- and (112)-oriented TiO2-δ thin films crystallized without postannealing have the mixed valence Ti4+/Ti3+ state. The electrical conductivities, which corresponds to n-type oxide semiconductor, is higher in the case of (004)-oriented TiO2-δ thin film containing with high concentration of oxygen vacancy. The donor band of TiO2-δ thin film is observed at ˜1.0 eV from the Fermi level (E F). The density-of-state at E F is higher in (004)-oriented TiO2-δ thin film. The above results indicate that the oxygen vacancies can control by changing the P\\text{O2} of the oxygen radical.

Influence of substrate bias voltage on structure and properties of the CrAlN films deposited by unbalanced magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Yanhong; Ji, Li; Liu, Xiaohong; Li, Hongxuan; Zhou, Huidi; Chen, Jianmin

2012-02-01

The CrAlN films were deposited on silicon and stainless steel substrates by unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. The influence of substrate bias on deposition rate, composition, structure, morphology and properties of the CrAlN films was investigated. The results showed that, with the increase of the substrate bias voltage, the deposition rate decreased accompanied by a change of the preferred orientation of the CrAlN film from (2 2 0) to (2 0 0). The grain size and the average surface roughness of the CrAlN films declined as the bias voltage increases above -100 V. The morphology of the films changed from obviously columnar to dense glass-like structure with the increase of the bias voltage from -50 to -250 V. Meanwhile, the films deposited at moderate bias voltage had better mechanical and tribological properties, while the films deposited at higher bias voltage showed better corrosion resistance. It was found that the corrosion resistance improvement was not only attributed to the low pinhole density of the film, but also to chemical composition of films.

Device for timing and power level setting for microwave applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ursu, M.-P.; Buidoş, T.

2016-08-01

Nowadays, the microwaves are widely used for various technological processes. The microwaves are emitted by magnetrons, which have strict requirements concerning power supplies for anode and filament cathodes, intensity of magnetic field, cooling and electromagnetic shielding. The magnetrons do not tolerate any alteration of their required voltages, currents and magnetic fields, which means that their output microwave power is fixed, so the only way to alter the power level is to use time-division, by turning the magnetron on and off by repetitive time patterns. In order to attain accurate and reproducible results, as well as correct and safe operation of the microwave device, all these requirements must be fulfilled. Safe, correct and reproducible operation of the microwave appliance can be achieved by means of a specially built electronic device, which ensures accurate and reproducible exposure times, interlocking of the commands and automatic switch off when abnormal operating conditions occur. This driving device, designed and realized during the completion of Mr.Ursu's doctoral thesis, consists of a quartz time-base, several programmable frequency and duration dividers, LED displays, sensors and interlocking gates. The active and passive electronic components are placed on custom-made PCB's, designed and made by means of computer-aided applications and machines. The driving commands of the electronic device are delivered to the magnetron power supplies by means of optic zero-passing relays. The inputs of the electronic driving device can sense the status of the microwave appliance. The user is able to enter the total exposure time, the division factor that sets the output power level and, as a novelty, the clock frequency of the time divider.

Investigation of high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) discharge using fast ICCD camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hecimovic, Ante

2012-10-01

High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) combines impulse glow discharges at power levels up to the MW range with conventional magnetron cathodes to achieve a highly ionised sputtered flux. The dynamics of the HIPIMS discharge was investigated using fast Intensified Charge Coupled Device (ICCD) camera. In the first experiment the HIPIMS plasma was recorded from the side with goal to analyse the plasma intensity using Abel inversion to obtain the emissivity maps of the plasma species. Resulting emissivity maps provide the information on the spatial distribution of Ar and sputtered material and evolution of the plasma chemistry above the cathode. In the second experiment the plasma emission was recorded with camera facing the target. The images show that the HIPIMS plasma develops drift wave type instabilities characterized by well defined regions of high and low plasma emissivity along the racetrack of the magnetron. The instabilities cause periodic shifts in the floating potential. The structures rotate in ExB direction at velocities of 10 kms-1 and frequencies up to 200 kHz. The high emissivity regions comprise Ar and metal ion emission with strong Ar and metal neutral emission depletion. A detailed analysis of the temporal evolution of the saturated instabilities using four consequently triggered fast ICCD cameras is presented. Furthermore working gas pressure and discharge current variation showed that the shape and the speed of the instability strongly depend on the working gas and target material combination. In order to better understand the mechanism of the instability, different optical interference band pass filters (of metal and gas atom, and ion lines) were used to observe the spatial distribution of each species within the instability.

A novel injection-locked amplitude-modulated magnetron at 1497 MHz

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neubauer, Michael; Wang, Haipeng

2015-12-15

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) uses low efficiency klystrons in the CEBAF machine. In the older portion they operate at 30% efficiency with a tube mean time between failure (MTBF) of five to six years. A highly efficient source (>55-60%) must provide a high degree of backwards compatibility, both in size and voltage requirements, to replace the klystron presently used at JLab, while providing energy savings. Muons, Inc. is developing a highly reliable, highly efficient RF source based upon a novel injection-locked amplitude modulated (AM) magnetron with a lower total cost of ownership, >80% efficiency, and MTBF of sixmore » to seven years. The design of the RF source is based upon a single injection-locked magnetron system at 8 kW capable of operating up to 13 kW, using the magnetron magnetic field to achieve the AM required for backwards compatibility to compensate for microphonics and beam loads. A novel injection-locked 1497 MHz 8 kW AM magnetron with a trim magnetic coil was designed and its operation numerically simulated during the Phase I project. The low-level RF system to control the trim field and magnetron anode voltage was designed and modeled for operation at the modulation frequencies of the microphonics. A plan for constructing a prototype magnetron and control system was developed.« less

Low temperature fabrication of VO x thin films for uncooled IR detectors by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Jun; Wang, Xingzhi; He, Shaowei; Huang, Ying; Yi, Xinjian

2008-03-01

Vanadium oxide films have been fabricated on Si3N4-film-coated silicon substrates by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering method. Conditions of deposition are optimized making use of parameters such as sputtering time, dc power, oxygen partial pressure and substrate temperature. X-ray diffraction indicates that the film is a mixture of VO2, V2O3, and V3O5. Four-probe measurement shows that the VOx thin film owns high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR ∼-2.05%/°C) and suitable square resistance 18.40 kΩ/□ (measured at 25 °C), indicating it is a well candidate material for uncooled IR detectors. In addition, IR absorption in the wavelength of 2-16 μm has been characterized. It is worth noting that the films are sputtered at a relatively low temperature of 210 °C in a controlled Ar/O2 atmosphere. Compared to traditional craft, this method needs no post-anneal at high temperature (400-500 °C).

Optical properties of aluminum-doped zinc oxide films deposited by direct-current pulse magnetron reactive sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xiao-Yong; Chen, Chao; Zhang, Sa

2014-03-01

A series of <103>-oriented aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films were deposited on glass substrates via direct-current pulse magnetron reactive sputtering at different O2-to-Ar gas flow ratios (GFRs). The optical properties of the films were characterized using the fitted optical constants in the general oscillator model (which contains two Psemi-Tri oscillators) through the use of measured ellipsometric parameters. The refractive index dispersion data below the interband absorption edge were analyzed using a single-oscillator model. The fitted optical energy gap obtained using the single-oscillator model clearly shows a blue shift, followed by a red shift, as the GFR increases from 0.9/18 to 2.1/18. This shift can be attributed to the change in the free electron concentration of the film, which is closely related to the film stress. In addition, the fitted β value indicates that the AZO film falls under the ionic class. The photoluminescence spectrum indicates a photoluminescence mechanism of the direct and wide energy gap semiconductor.

On Both Spatial And Velocity Distribution Of Sputtered Particles In Magnetron Discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitelaru, C.; Pohoata, V.; Tiron, V.; Costin, C.; Popa, G.

2012-12-01

The kinetics of the sputtered atoms from the metallic target as well as the time-space distribution of the argon metastable atoms have been investigated for DC and high power pulse magnetron discharge by means of Tunable Diode - Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TD-LAS) and Tunable Diode - Laser Induced Fluorescence (TD-LIF). The discharge was operated in argon (5-30 mTorr) with two different targets, tungsten and aluminum, for pulses of 1 to 20 μs, at frequencies of 0.2 to 1 kHz. Peak current intensity of ~100 A has been attained at cathode peak voltage of ~1 kV. The mean velocity distribution functions and particle fluxes of the sputtered metal atoms, in parallel and perpendicular direction to the target, have been obtained and compared for DC and pulse mode.

Structural and tribological properties of CrTiAlN coatings on Mg alloy by closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering ion plating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yongjing; Long, Siyuan; Yang, Shicai; Pan, Fusheng

2008-09-01

In this paper, a series of multi-layer hard coating system of CrTiAlN has been prepared by closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering ion plating (CFUBMSIP) technique in a gas mixture of Ar + N 2. The coatings were deposited onto AZ31 Mg alloy substrates. During deposition step, technological temperature and metallic atom concentration of coatings were controlled by adjusting the currents of different metal magnetron targets. The nitrogen level was varied by using the feedback control of plasma optical emission monitor (OEM). The structural, mechanical and tribological properties of coatings were characterized by means of X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, high-resolution transmission electron microscope, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), micro-hardness tester, and scratch and ball-on-disc tester. The experimental results show that the N atomic concentration increases and the oxide on the top of coatings decreases; furthermore the modulation period and the friction coefficient decrease with the N 2 level increasing. The outstanding mechanical property can be acquired at medium N 2 level, and the CrTiAlN coatings on AZ31 Mg alloy substrates outperform the uncoated M42 high speed steel (HSS) and the uncoated 316 stainless steel (SS).

Investigation of Influence of Gas Ratio on the Electron Temperature in TiN Magnetron Sputtering Deposition System

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-01

31st ICPIG, July 14-19, 2013, Granada , Spain Investigation of Influence of Gas Ratio on the Electron Temperature in TiN Magnetron Sputtering...ICPIG) Held in Granada , Spain on 14-19 July 2013 14. ABSTRACT In this work, a nanolayer of titanium nitride which produced by the magnetron

Theory of injection locking and rapid start-up of magnetrons, and effects of manufacturing errors in terahertz traveling wave tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pengvanich, Phongphaeth

In this thesis, several contemporary issues on coherent radiation sources are examined. They include the fast startup and the injection locking of microwave magnetrons, and the effects of random manufacturing errors on phase and small signal gain of terahertz traveling wave amplifiers. In response to the rapid startup and low noise magnetron experiments performed at the University of Michigan that employed periodic azimuthal perturbations in the axial magnetic field, a systematic study of single particle orbits is performed for a crossed electric and periodic magnetic field. A parametric instability in the orbits, which brings a fraction of the electrons from the cathode toward the anode, is discovered. This offers an explanation of the rapid startup observed in the experiments. A phase-locking model has been constructed from circuit theory to qualitatively explain various regimes observed in kilowatt magnetron injection-locking experiments, which were performed at the University of Michigan. These experiments utilize two continuous-wave magnetrons; one functions as an oscillator and the other as a driver. Time and frequency domain solutions are developed from the model, allowing investigations into growth, saturation, and frequency response of the output. The model qualitatively recovers many of the phase-locking frequency characteristics observed in the experiments. Effects of frequency chirp and frequency perturbation on the phase and lockability have also been quantified. Development of traveling wave amplifier operating at terahertz is a subject of current interest. The small circuit size has prompted a statistical analysis of the effects of random fabrication errors on phase and small signal gain of these amplifiers. The small signal theory is treated with a continuum model in which the electron beam is monoenergetic. Circuit perturbations that vary randomly along the beam axis are introduced through the dimensionless Pierce parameters describing the beam-wave velocity mismatch (b), the gain parameter (C), and the cold tube circuit loss ( d). Our study shows that perturbation in b dominates the other two in terms of power gain and phase shift. Extensive data show that standard deviation of the output phase is linearly proportional to standard deviation of the individual perturbations in b, C and d.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry investigation of the optical properties of graphene oxide dip-coated on magnetron sputtered gold thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Politano, Grazia Giuseppina; Vena, Carlo; Desiderio, Giovanni; Versace, Carlo

2018-02-01

Despite intensive investigations on graphene oxide-gold nanocomposites, the interaction of graphene oxide sheets with magnetron sputtered gold thin films has not been studied yet. The optical constants of graphene oxide thin films dip-coated on magnetron sputtered gold thin films were determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the [300-1000] wavelength range. Moreover, the morphologic properties of the samples were investigated by SEM analysis. Graphene oxide absorbs mainly in the ultraviolet region, but when it is dip-coated on magnetron sputtered gold thin films, its optical constants show dramatic changes, becoming absorbing in the visible region, with a peak of the extinction coefficient at 3.1 eV. Using magnetron sputtered gold thin films as a substrate for graphene oxide thin films could therefore be the key to enhance graphene oxide optical sheets' properties for several technological applications, preserving their oxygen content and avoiding the reduction process.

NOVEL TECHNIQUE OF POWER CONTROL IN MAGNETRON TRANSMITTERS FOR INTENSE ACCELERATORS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kazakevich, G.; Johnson, R.; Neubauer, M.

A novel concept of a high-power magnetron transmitter allowing dynamic phase and power control at the frequency of locking signal is proposed. The transmitter compensating parasitic phase and amplitude modulations inherent in Superconducting RF (SRF) cavities within closed feedback loops is intended for powering of the intensity-frontier superconducting accelerators. The con- cept uses magnetrons driven by a sufficient resonant (in- jection-locking) signal and fed by the voltage which can be below the threshold of self-excitation. This provides an extended range of power control in a single magnetron at highest efficiency minimizing the cost of RF power unit and the operationmore » cost. Proof-of-principle of the proposed concept demonstrated in pulsed and CW regimes with 2.45 GHz, 1kW magnetrons is discussed here. A conceptual scheme of the high-power transmitter allowing the dynamic wide-band phase and y power controls is presented and discussed.« less

Effects of magnetic flux density and substrate bias voltage on Ni films prepared on a flexible substrate material using unbalanced magnetron sputtering assisted by inductively coupled plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koda, Tatsunori; Toyota, Hiroshi, E-mail: h.toyota.za@it-hiroshima.ac.jp

The authors fabricated Ni films on a flexible substrate material using unbalanced magnetron sputtering assisted by inductively coupled plasma. The effects of magnetic flux density B{sub C} and substrate DC bias voltage V{sub S} on the Ni film structures were investigated. For V{sub S} = −40 V, the average surface grain size D{sub G} measured by atomic force microscopy for B{sub C} = 0, 3, and 5 mT was 88.2, 95.4, and 104.4 nm, respectively. In addition, D{sub G} increased with V{sub S}. From x-ray diffraction measurements, the (111) and (200) peaks were clearly visible for the fabricated Ni films. The ratio of the integrated intensities ofmore » I(111)/I(200) increased with V{sub S}. For V{sub S} = −40 V and B{sub C} = 3 mT, a film resistivity ρ of 8.96 × 10{sup −6} Ω cm was observed, which is close to the Ni bulk value of 6.84 × 10{sup −6} Ω cm. From these results, the authors determined that the structure of the fabricated Ni films on the flexible substrate material was affected by the values of B{sub C} and V{sub S}.« less

Magnetron sputtering source

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, Daniel M.; McKernan, Mark A.; Grabner, R. Fred; Ramsey, Philip B.

1994-01-01

A magnetron sputtering source for sputtering coating substrates includes a high thermal conductivity electrically insulating ceramic and magnetically attached sputter target which can eliminate vacuum sealing and direct fluid cooling of the cathode assembly. The magnetron sputtering source design results in greater compactness, improved operating characteristics, greater versatility, and low fabrication cost. The design easily retrofits most sputtering apparatuses and provides for safe, easy, and cost effective target replacement, installation, and removal.

Multi-level resistive switching behaviors and retention characteristics in ZnO/Nb:SrTiO3 heterojunction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Yong; Li, Jiachen; Zhang, Weifeng; Jia, Caihong

2017-10-01

Epitaxial ZnO thin films were grown on SrTiO3:Nb (NSTO) substrates by rf magnetron sputtering method. The multi-level resistance states were observed by applying different amplitudes and/or polarities of voltage pulses, which is supposed to be related to the drift of oxygen vacancies. Furthermore, the decay of retention is also corresponding to the migration of oxygen vacancies. The retention and cycle stability implies that the ZnO/Nb:SrTiO3 heterojunctions are promising for high density memory application.

Superconducting structure with layers of niobium nitride and aluminum nitride

DOEpatents

Murduck, James M.; Lepetre, Yves J.; Schuller, Ivan K.; Ketterson, John B.

1989-01-01

A superconducting structure is formed by depositing alternate layers of aluminum nitride and niobium nitride on a substrate. Deposition methods include dc magnetron reactive sputtering, rf magnetron reactive sputtering, thin-film diffusion, chemical vapor deposition, and ion-beam deposition. Structures have been built with layers of niobium nitride and aluminum nitride having thicknesses in a range of 20 to 350 Angstroms. Best results have been achieved with films of niobium nitride deposited to a thickness of approximately 70 Angstroms and aluminum nitride deposited to a thickness of approximately 20 Angstroms. Such films of niobium nitride separated by a single layer of aluminum nitride are useful in forming Josephson junctions. Structures of 30 or more alternating layers of niobium nitride and aluminum nitride are useful when deposited on fixed substrates or flexible strips to form bulk superconductors for carrying electric current. They are also adaptable as voltage-controlled microwave energy sources.

Plasma emission spectroscopy and its relation to the refractive index of silicon nitride thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanginés, R.; Abundiz-Cisneros, N.; Hernández Utrera, O.; Diliegros-Godines, C.; Machorro-Mejía, R.

2018-03-01

In this work, we present a thorough study on the relation between the plasma emission and the change of the silicon nitride thin films refractive index. Thin films were grown by reactive magnetron direct current sputtering technique and deposited onto silicon wafers at different fluxes of Ar and N2 and at different working pressures. This procedure, at certain deposition parameters, produced poor quality films, i.e. films with refractive index other than pure Si3N4 films. The emission of the plasma was interrogated in real time by means of optical emission spectroscopy (OES) observing at the vicinity of the trget location. In addition, optical properties of the films were measured by in situ ellipsometric-spectroscopy and then correlated with OES observations. Changes in the film refractive index could be deduced from changes in plasma emission applying a principal component analysis.

Structural-dependent thermal conductivity of aluminium nitride produced by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Belkerk, B. E.; Soussou, A.; Carette, M.

This Letter reports the thermal conductivity of aluminium nitride (AlN) thin-films deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering on single-crystal silicon substrates (100) with varying plasma and magnetic conditions achieving different crystalline qualities. The thermal conductivity of the films was measured at room temperature with the transient hot-strip technique for film thicknesses ranging from 100 nm to 4000 nm. The thermal conductivity was found to increase with the thickness depending on the synthesis conditions and film microstructure. The conductivity in the bulk region of the films, so-called intrinsic conductivity, and the boundary resistance were in the range [120-210] W m{sup -1}more » K{sup -1} and [2-30 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -9}] K m{sup 2} W{sup -1}, respectively, in good agreement with microstructures analysed by x-ray diffraction, high-resolution-scanning-electron-microscopy, and transmission-electron-microscopy.« less

Magnetron sputtered zinc oxide nanorods as thickness-insensitive cathode interlayer for perovskite planar-heterojunction solar cells.

PubMed

Liang, Lusheng; Huang, Zhifeng; Cai, Longhua; Chen, Weizhong; Wang, Baozeng; Chen, Kaiwu; Bai, Hua; Tian, Qingyong; Fan, Bin

2014-12-10

Suitable electrode interfacial layers are essential to the high performance of perovskite planar heterojunction solar cells. In this letter, we report magnetron sputtered zinc oxide (ZnO) film as the cathode interlayer for methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) perovskite solar cell. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrate that the sputtered ZnO films consist of c-axis aligned nanorods. The solar cells based on this ZnO cathode interlayer showed high short circuit current and power conversion efficiency. Besides, the performance of the device is insensitive to the thickness of ZnO cathode interlayer. Considering the high reliability and maturity of sputtering technique both in lab and industry, we believe that the sputtered ZnO films are promising cathode interlayers for perovskite solar cells, especially in large-scale production.

Characterization of polycrystalline nickel cobaltite nanostructures prepared by DC plasma magnetron co-sputtering for gas sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammadi, Oday A.; Naji, Noor E.

2018-03-01

In this work, a gas sensor is fabricated from polycrystalline nickel cobaltite nano films deposited on transparent substrates by closed-field unbalanced dual-magnetrons (CFUBDM) co-sputtering technique. Two targets of nickel and cobalt are mounted on the cathode of discharge system and co-sputtered by direct current (DC) argon discharge plasma in presence of oxygen as a reactive gas. The total gas pressure is 0.5 mbar and the mixing ratio of Ar:O2 gases is 5:1. The characterization measurements performed on the prepared films show that their transmittance increases with the incident wavelength, the polycrystalline structure includes 5 crystallographic planes, the average particle size is about 35 nm, the electrical conductivity is linearly increasing with increasing temperature, and the activation energy is about 0.41 eV. These films show high sensitivity to ethanol vapor.

Superconducting structure with layers of niobium nitride and aluminum nitride

DOEpatents

Murduck, J.M.; Lepetre, Y.J.; Schuller, I.K.; Ketterson, J.B.

1989-07-04

A superconducting structure is formed by depositing alternate layers of aluminum nitride and niobium nitride on a substrate. Deposition methods include dc magnetron reactive sputtering, rf magnetron reactive sputtering, thin-film diffusion, chemical vapor deposition, and ion-beam deposition. Structures have been built with layers of niobium nitride and aluminum nitride having thicknesses in a range of 20 to 350 Angstroms. Best results have been achieved with films of niobium nitride deposited to a thickness of approximately 70 Angstroms and aluminum nitride deposited to a thickness of approximately 20 Angstroms. Such films of niobium nitride separated by a single layer of aluminum nitride are useful in forming Josephson junctions. Structures of 30 or more alternating layers of niobium nitride and aluminum nitride are useful when deposited on fixed substrates or flexible strips to form bulk superconductors for carrying electric current. They are also adaptable as voltage-controlled microwave energy sources. 8 figs.

Magnetron sputtering source

DOEpatents

Makowiecki, D.M.; McKernan, M.A.; Grabner, R.F.; Ramsey, P.B.

1994-08-02

A magnetron sputtering source for sputtering coating substrates includes a high thermal conductivity electrically insulating ceramic and magnetically attached sputter target which can eliminate vacuum sealing and direct fluid cooling of the cathode assembly. The magnetron sputtering source design results in greater compactness, improved operating characteristics, greater versatility, and low fabrication cost. The design easily retrofits most sputtering apparatuses and provides for safe, easy, and cost effective target replacement, installation, and removal. 12 figs.

As(III) Removal from Drinking Water by Carbon Nanotube Membranes with Magnetron-Sputtered Copper: Performance and Mechanisms.

PubMed

Luan, Hongyan; Zhang, Quan; Cheng, Guo-An; Huang, Haiou

2018-06-20

Current approaches for functionalizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) often utilize harsh chemical conditions, and the resulting harmful wastes can cause various environmental and health concerns. In this study, magnetron sputtering technique is facilely employed to functionalize CNT membranes by depositing Cu onto premade CNT membranes without using any chemical treatment. A comparative evaluation of the substrate polymeric membrane (mixed cellulose ester (MCE)), MCE sputtered with copper (Cu/MCE), the pristine CNT membrane (CNT), and CNT membrane sputtered with Cu (Cu/CNT) shows that Cu/CNT possesses mechanically stable structures and similar membrane permeability as MCE. More importantly, Cu/CNT outperforms other membranes with high As(III) removal efficiency of above 90%, as compared to less than 10% by MCE and CNT, and 75% by Cu/MCE from water. The performance of Cu/CNT membranes for As(III) removal is also investigated as a function of ionic strength, sputtering time, co-existing ions, solution pH, and the reusability. Further characterizations of As speciation in the filtrate and on Cu/CNT reveal that arsenite removal by Cu/CNT possibly began with Cu-catalyzed oxidation of arsenite to arsenate, followed by adsorptive filtration of arsenate by the membrane. Overall, this study demonstrates that magnetron sputtering is a promising greener technology for the productions of metal-CNT composite membranes for environmental applications.

Magnetron Sputtered Molybdenum Oxide for Application in Polymers Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sendova-Vassileva, M.; Dikov, Hr; Vitanov, P.; Popkirov, G.; Gergova, R.; Grancharov, G.; Gancheva, V.

2016-10-01

Thin films of molybdenum oxide were deposited by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering in Ar from a MoO3 target at different deposition power on glass and silicon substrates. The thickness of the films was determined by profilometer measurements and by ellipsometry. The films were annealed in air at temperatures between 200 and 400°C in air. The optical transmission and reflection spectra were measured. The conductivity of the as deposited and annealed films was determined. The crystal structure was probed by Raman spectroscopy. The oxidation state of the surface was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectroscopy. The deposition technique described above was used to experiment with MoOx as a hole transport layer (HTL) in polymer solar cells with bulk hetrojunction active layer, deposited by spin coating. The performance of these layers was compared with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), which is the standard material used in this role. The measured current-voltage characteristics of solar cells with the structure glass/ITO/HTL/Poly(3-hexyl)thiophene (P3HT):[6,6]-phenyl-C61- butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)/Al demonstrate that the studied MoOx layer is a good HTL and leads to comparable characteristics to those with PEDOT:PSS. On the other hand the deposition by magnetron sputtering guarantees reliable and repeatable HTLs.

Method to control deposition rate instabilities—High power impulse magnetron sputtering deposition of TiO{sub 2}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kossoy, Anna, E-mail: annaeden@hi.is, E-mail: anna.kossoy@gmail.com; Magnusson, Rögnvaldur L.; Tryggvason, Tryggvi K.

2015-03-15

The authors describe how changes in shutter state (open/closed) affect sputter plasma conditions and stability of the deposition rate of Ti and TiO{sub 2} films. The films were grown by high power impulse magnetron sputtering in pure Ar and in Ar/O{sub 2} mixture from a metallic Ti target. The shutter state was found to have an effect on the pulse waveform for both pure Ar and reactive sputtering of Ti also affecting stability of TiO{sub 2} deposition rate. When the shutter opened, the shape of pulse current changed from rectangular to peak-plateau and pulse energy decreased. The authors attribute itmore » to the change in plasma impedance and gas rarefaction originating in geometry change in front of the magnetron. TiO{sub 2} deposition rate was initially found to be high, 1.45 Å/s, and then dropped by ∼40% during the first 5 min, while for Ti the change was less obvious. Instability of deposition rate poses significant challenge for growing multilayer heterostructures. In this work, the authors suggest a way to overcome this by monitoring the integrated average energy involved in the deposition process. It is possible to calibrate and control the film thickness by monitoring the integrated pulse energy and end growth when desired integrated pulse energy level has been reached.« less

Preliminary Experiment of Non-Inductive Plasma Current Startup in SUNIST Spherical Tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Yexi; Zhang, Liang; Xie, Lifeng; Tang, Yi; Yang, Xuanzong; Feng, Chunhua; Fu, Hongjun

2006-01-01

The non-inductive plasma current startup is an important motivation in SUNIST spherical tokamak. In the recent experiment, the magnetron microwave system of 100 kW and 2.45 GHz has been used to the ECR plasma current startup. Besides the toroidal field, a vertical field was applied to generate preliminary toroidal plasma current without the action of the central solenoid. As the evidence of plasma current startup with the effect of vertical field drift, the direction of plasma current is changed when the direction of vertical field changes during the ECR plasma current startup discharge. We also observed a maximum plasma current by scanning vertical field in both directions. Additionally, we used electrode discharge to assist the ECR plasma current startup.

Microwave impedance matching strategies of an applicator supplied by a bi-directional magnetron waveguide launcher.

PubMed

Roussy, Georges; Kongmark, Nils

2003-01-01

It is shown that a bi-directional waveguide launcher can be used advantageously for reducing the reflection coefficient mismatch of an input impedance of an applicator. In a simple bi-directional waveguide launcher, the magnetron is placed in the waveguide and generates a nominal field distribution with significant output impedance in both directions of the waveguide. If a standing wave is tolerated in the torus, which connects the launcher and the applicator, the power transfer from the magnetron to the applicator can be optimal, without using special matching devices. It is also possible to match the bi-directional launcher with two inductance stubs near the antenna of the magnetron and use them for supplying a two-input applicator without reflection.

Very low pressure high power impulse triggered magnetron sputtering

DOEpatents

Anders, Andre; Andersson, Joakim

2013-10-29

A method and apparatus are described for very low pressure high powered magnetron sputtering of a coating onto a substrate. By the method of this invention, both substrate and coating target material are placed into an evacuable chamber, and the chamber pumped to vacuum. Thereafter a series of high impulse voltage pulses are applied to the target. Nearly simultaneously with each pulse, in one embodiment, a small cathodic arc source of the same material as the target is pulsed, triggering a plasma plume proximate to the surface of the target to thereby initiate the magnetron sputtering process. In another embodiment the plasma plume is generated using a pulsed laser aimed to strike an ablation target material positioned near the magnetron target surface.

The Electrochemical Behavior of Mo-Ta Alloy in Phosphoric Acid Solution for TFT-LCD Application.

PubMed

Lee, Sang-Hyuk; Kim, Byoung O; Seo, Jong Hyun

2015-10-01

Molybdenum-tantalum alloy thin film is a suitable material for the higher corrosion resistance and low resistivity for gate and data metal lines. In this study, Mo-Ta alloy thin films were prepared by using a DC magnetron co-sputtering system on a glass substrate. An abrupt increase in the etching rates of low Mo-Ta alloys was observed. From the observed impedance analysis, the defect densities in the MoTa oxide films increased from 5.4 x 10(21) (cm(-3)) to 8.02 x 10(21) (cm(-3)) up to the 6 at% of tantalum level; and above the 6 at% of tantalum level, the defect densities decreased. This electrochemical behavior is explained by the mechanical instability of the MoTa oxide film.

Simultaneous electrical and optical study of spoke rotation, merging and splitting in HiPIMS plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, P.; Lockwood Estrin, F.; Hnilica, J.; Vašina, P.; Bradley, J. W.

2017-01-01

To gain more information on the temporal and spatial behaviour of self-organized spoke structures in HiPIMS plasmas, a correlation between the broadband optical image of an individual spoke (taken over 200 ns) and the current it delivers to the target has been made for a range of magnetron operating conditions. As a spoke passes over a set of embedded probes in the niobium cathode target, a distinct modulation in the local current density is observed, (typically up to twice the average value), matching very well the radially integrated optical emission intensities (obtained remotely with an ICCD camera). The dual diagnostic system allows the merging and splitting of a set of spokes to be studied as they rotate. It is observed that in the merger of two spokes, the trailing spoke maintains its velocity while the leading spoke either decreases its velocity or increases its azimuthal length. In the spoke splitting process, the total charge collected by an embedded probe is conserved. A simple phenomenological model is developed that relates the spoke mode number m to the spoke dimensions, spoke velocity and gas atom velocity. The results are discussed in the context of the observations of spoke dynamics made by Hecimovic et al (2015 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 24 045005)

Magnetic field effect on spoke behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hnilica, Jaroslav; Slapanska, Marta; Klein, Peter; Vasina, Petr

2016-09-01

The investigations of the non-reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge using high-speed camera imaging, optical emission spectroscopy and electrical probes showed that plasma is not homogeneously distributed over the target surface, but it is concentrated in regions of higher local plasma density called spokes rotating above the erosion racetrack. Magnetic field effect on spoke behaviour was studied by high-speed camera imaging in HiPIMS discharge using 3 inch titanium target. An employed camera enabled us to record two successive images in the same pulse with time delay of 3 μs between them, which allowed us to determine the number of spokes, spoke rotation velocity and spoke rotation frequency. The experimental conditions covered pressure range from 0.15 to 5 Pa, discharge current up to 350 A and magnetic fields of 37, 72 and 91 mT. Increase of the magnetic field influenced the number of spokes observed at the same pressure and at the same discharge current. Moreover, the investigation revealed different characteristic spoke shapes depending on the magnetic field strength - both diffusive and triangular shapes were observed for the same target material. The spoke rotation velocity was independent on the magnetic field strength. This research has been financially supported by the Czech Science Foundation in frame of the project 15-00863S.

Modular compact solid-state modulators for particle accelerators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavadtsev, A. A.; Zavadtsev, D. A.; Churanov, D. V.

2017-12-01

The building of the radio frequency (RF) particle accelerator needs high-voltage pulsed modulator as a power supply for klystron or magnetron to feed the RF accelerating system. The development of a number of solid-state modulators for use in linear accelerators has allowed to develop a series of modular IGBT based compact solid-state modulators with different parameters. This series covers a wide range of needs in accelerator technology to feed a wide range of loads from the low power magnetrons to powerful klystrons. Each modulator of the series is built on base of a number of unified solid-state modules connected to the pulse transformer, and covers a wide range of modulators: voltage up to 250 kV, a peak current up to 250 A, average power up to 100 kW and the pulse duration up to 20 μsec. The parameters of the block with an overall dimensions 880×540×250 mm are: voltage 12 kV, peak current 1600 A, pulse duration 20 μsec, average power 10 kW with air-cooling and 40 kW with liquidcooling. These parameters do not represent a physical limit, and modulators to parameters outside these ranges can be created on request.

Effect of oxygen incorporation on the structure and elasticity of Ti-Al-O-N coatings synthesized by cathodic arc and high power pulsed magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hans, M., E-mail: hans@mch.rwth-aachen.de; Baben, M. to; Music, D.

2014-09-07

Ti-Al-O-N coatings were synthesized by cathodic arc and high power pulsed magnetron sputtering. The chemical composition of the coatings was determined by means of elastic recoil detection analysis and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The effect of oxygen incorporation on the stress-free lattice parameters and Young's moduli of Ti-Al-O-N coatings was investigated by X-ray diffraction and nanoindentation, respectively. As nitrogen is substituted by oxygen, implications for the charge balance may be expected. A reduction in equilibrium volume with increasing O concentration is identified by X-ray diffraction and density functional theory calculations of Ti-Al-O-N supercells reveal the concomitant formation of metal vacancies.more » Hence, the oxygen incorporation-induced formation of metal vacancies enables charge balancing. Furthermore, nanoindentation experiments reveal a decrease in elastic modulus with increasing O concentration. Based on ab initio data, two causes can be identified for this: First, the metal vacancy-induced reduction in elasticity; and second, the formation of, compared to the corresponding metal nitride bonds, relatively weak Ti-O and Al-O bonds.« less

Investigation of ionized metal flux in enhanced high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stranak, Vitezslav, E-mail: stranak@prf.jcu.cz; Hubicka, Zdenek; Cada, Martin

2014-04-21

The metal ionized flux fraction and production of double charged metal ions Me{sup 2+} of different materials (Al, Cu, Fe, Ti) by High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) operated with and without a pre-ionization assistance is compared in the paper. The Electron Cyclotron Wave Resonance (ECWR) discharge was employed as the pre-ionization agent providing a seed of charge in the idle time of HiPIMS pulses. A modified grid-free biased quartz crystal microbalance was used to estimate the metal ionized flux fraction ξ. The energy-resolved mass spectrometry served as a complementary method to distinguish particular ion contributions to the total ionizedmore » flux onto the substrate. The ratio between densities of doubly Me{sup 2+} and singly Me{sup +} charged metal ions was determined. It is shown that ECWR assistance enhances Me{sup 2+} production with respect of absorbed rf-power. The ECWR discharge also increases the metal ionized flux fraction of about 30% especially in the region of lower pressures. Further, the suppression of the gas rarefaction effect due to enhanced secondary electron emission of Me{sup 2+} was observed.« less

Structure and properties of ZrB2, ZrSiB and ZrAlSiB cathode materials and coatings obtained by their magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iatsyuk, I. V.; Lemesheva, M. V.; Kiryukhantsev-Korneev, Ph V.; Levashov, E. A.

2018-04-01

The ceramic ZrB2, ZrSiB, and ZrAlSiB cathodes were manufactured by means of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS). The parameters of SHS process including dependence of the combustion temperature and rate on the initial temperature of the reaction mixtures, as well as values of effective activation energy were estimated. Cathodes were subjected to the magnetron sputtering in the argon atmosphere. The structure and properties of cathodes and coatings were studied by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy. Bulk ceramic samples and coatings were characterised in terms of their hardness, elastic modulus, elastic recovery, density, and residual porosity. Results obtained shows that cathodes posses homogeneous structure with low porosity level in range 2-6% and hardness between 10 and 17 GPa. Coatings demonstrate dense defect-free structure and contain nanocrystallites of h-ZrB2 phase. The grain size and hardness decrease from 8 down to 2 nm and from 37 down to 16 GPa with the addition of the silicon and aluminum dopes.

Magnetron sputtering in the creation of photonic nanostructures derived from Sasakia Charonda Formosana-butterfly wings for applied in dye-sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Haihong; Zhou, Ru; Cheng, Cong; Zhang, Gonghai; Hu, Yu; Huang, Bin; Zhang, Shouwei; Shang, Xin; Xia, Mei; Xu, Jinzhang

2016-09-01

Creating new functional materials derived from the structures seen on butterfly wings has achieved interest in a variety of research topics. However, there need a concision approach could result in a high-quality, precise, and convenient process for the fabrication of complex nanostructures replication with unique functionalities based on the butterfly wings. Here we developed a pithy approach based on a magnetron sputtering metal Ti process for biotemplating used to refine hierarchically porous titanium dioxide photonic crystal nanostructures (TiO2sbnd PCN), themselves derived from nanostructures present on the wings of Sasakia Charonda Formosana (S. Charonda) butterflies. For the first time, the TiO2sbnd PCN were deposited on the top of the P25 active layer and were used to fabricate DSSCs as the light-scattering layers of photoanodes with power conversion efficiencies of up to 8.7%. Remarkably, a much enhanced photocurrent density and a prominent photoelectrochemical conversion capability have been achieved, which are exceeding most of the previously reported photoanodes as well as a similar butterflies replication-based device structure. Our study suggests many exciting opportunities of developing artificially engineered butterfly wing-based solar-to-fuel conversion.

Characterization of DC Magnetron Sputtering Plasma Used for Deposition of Amorphous Carbon Nitride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camps, Enrique; Escobar-Alarcón, Luis; López, J.; Zambrano, G.; Prieto, P.

2006-12-01

Amorphous carbon nitride (a-CNx) thin films are attractive due to their potential applications, in different areas. This material can be hard and used as a protective coating, or can be soft and porous and used as the active element in gas sensors, it can also be used as a radiation detector due to its thermoluminescent response. The use of this material for one or another application, will depend on the material's structure, which can be changed by changing the deposition parameters. When using the d.c. magnetron sputtering technique it means mainly the change of discharge power, type of Ar/N2 gas mixture, and the working gas pressure. The variation of these deposition parameters has an important influence on the characteristics of the plasma formed in the discharge. In this work we studied the plasma characteristics, such as the type of excited species, plasma density, and electron temperature under different deposition conditions, using Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES), and a single Langmuir probe. These parameters were correlated with the properties of a-CNx films deposited under those characterized regimes, in order to establish the role that the plasma parameters play on the formation of the different structures of CNx films.

Non-Uniform Cathode Emission Studies of a MIG Gun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchewka, C. D.; Shapiro, M. A.; Sirigiri, J. R.; Temkin, R. J.

2004-11-01

We present the initial results of the modeling of the effect of emission non-uniformity in 96 kV, 40 A Magnetron Injection Gun (MIG) of a 1.5 MW 110 GHz gyrotron using a 3D gun simulation code. The azimuthal emission nonuniformity can lead to increased mode competition and an overall decreased efficiency of the device [1]. The electron beam is modeled from the cathode to a downstream position where the velocity spread saturates using the AMAZE 3D suite of codes. After bench marking the results of the 3D code with 2D codes such as TRAK2D and EGUN, the emitter was modified to simulate asymmetric emission from the cathode to gain an understanding into the effects of inhomogeneous beam current density on the velocity spread and pitch factor of the electron beam. [1] G. S. Nusinovich, A.N. Vlasov, M. Botton, T. M. Antonsen, Jr., S. Cauffman, K. Felch, ``Effect of the azimuthal inhomogeneity of electron emission on gyrotron operation,'' Phys. Plasmas, vol. 8, no. 7, pp. 3473-3479, 2001

Preparation and investigation of sputtered vanadium dioxide films with large phase-transition hysteresis loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Huafu; Wu, Zhiming; He, Qiong; Jiang, Yadong

2013-07-01

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) films with large phase-transition hysteresis loops were fabricated on glass substrates by reactive direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering in Ar/O2 atmosphere and subsequent in situ annealing process in pure oxygen. The crystal structure, chemical composition, morphology and metal-insulator transition (MIT) properties of the deposited films were investigated. The results reveal that the films show a polycrystalline nature with a (0 1 1) preferred orientation and consist of small spheroidal nanoparticles. All the deposited VO2 films show large hysteresis loops due to the small density of nucleating defects and the large interfacial energies, which are determined by the characteristics of the particles in the films, namely the small transversal grain size and the spheroidal shape. The film comprising the smallest spheroidal nanoparticles not only shows a large hysteresis width of 36.3 °C but also shows a low transition temperature of 32.2 °C upon cooling. This experiment facilitates the civilian applications of the VO2 films on glass substrates in optical storage-type devices.

A study for anticorrosion and tribological behaviors of thin/thick diamond-like carbon films in seawater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Yewei; Jia, Shujuan; Zhang, Dawei; Liu, Wei; Zhao, Haichao

2018-03-01

The thin and thick diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were prepared by unbalanced magnetron sputtering technique on 304L stainless steels and (100) silicon wafers. Microstructure, mechanical, corrosion and tribological properties were systematically investigated by SEM, Raman, nanoindenter, scratch tester, modulab electrochemical workstation and R-tec multifunctional tribological tester. Results showed that the adhesion force presented a descending trend with the growth in soaking time. The adhesion force of the thin DLC film with high residual compressive stress (‑3.72 GPa) was higher than that of the thick DLC film (‑2.96 GPa). During the corrosion test, the thick DLC film showed a higher impendence and a lower corrosion current density than the thin DLC film, which is attributed to the barrier action of large thickness. Compared to bare 304L substrate, the friction coefficients and wear rates of DLC films in seawater were obviously decreased. Meanwhile, the thin DLC film with ideal residual compressive stress, super adhesion force and good plastic deformation resistance revealed an excellent anti-wear ability in seawater.

Development of an automatic frequency control system for an X-band (=9300 MHz) RF electron linear accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cha, Sungsu; Kim, Yujong; Lee, Byung Cheol; Park, Hyung Dal; Lee, Seung Hyun; Buaphad, Pikad

2017-05-01

KAERI is developing a 6 MeV X-band radio frequency (RF) electron linear accelerator for medical purposes. The proposed X-band accelerator consists of an e-gun, an accelerating structure, two solenoid magnets, two steering magnets, a magnetron, a modulator, and an automatic frequency control (AFC) system. The accelerating structure of the component consists of oxygen-free high-conductivity copper (OFHC). Therefore, the ambient temperature changes the volume, and the resonance frequency of the accelerating structure also changes. If the RF frequency of a 9300 MHz magnetron and the resonance frequency of the accelerating structure do not match, it can degrade the performance. That is, it will decrease the output power, lower the beam current, decrease the X-ray dose rate, increase the reflection power, and result in unstable operation of the accelerator. Accelerator operation should be possible at any time during all four seasons. To prevent humans from being exposed to radiation when it is operated, the accelerator should also be operable through remote monitoring and remote control. Therefore, the AFC system is designed to meet these requirements; it is configured based on the concept of a phase-locked loop (PLL) model, which includes an RF section, an intermediate frequency (IF) [1-3] section, and a local oscillator (LO) section. Some resonance frequency controllers use a DC motor, chain, and potentiometer to store the position and tune the frequency [4,5]. Our AFC system uses a step motor to tune the RF frequency of the magnetron. The maximum tuning turn number of our magnetron frequency tuning shaft is ten. Since the RF frequency of our magnetron is 9300±25 MHz, it gives 5 MHz (∵±25 MHz/10 turns → 50 MHz/10 turns =5 MHz/turn) frequency tuning per turn. The rotation angle of our step motor is 0.72° per step and the total step number per one rotation is 360°/0.72°=500 steps. Therefore, the tuning range per step is 10 kHz/step (=5 MHz per turn/500 steps per turn). The developed system is a more compact new resonance frequency control system. In addition, a frequency measuring part is included and it can measure the real-time resonance frequency from the magnetron. We have succeeded in the stable provisioning of RF power by recording the results of a 0.01% frequency deviation in the AFC during an RF test. Accordingly, in this paper, the detailed design, fabrication, and a high power test of the AFC system for the X-band linac are presented.

Efficient planar n-i-p type heterojunction flexible perovskite solar cells with sputtered TiO2 electron transporting layers.

PubMed

Mali, Sawanta S; Hong, Chang Kook; Inamdar, A I; Im, Hyunsik; Shim, Sang Eun

2017-03-02

The development of hybrid organo-lead trihalide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) comprising an electron transporting layer (ETL), a perovskite light absorber and a hole transporting layer (HTL) has received significant attention for their potential in efficient PSCs. However, the preparation of a compact and uniform ETL and the formation of a uniform light absorber layer suffer from a high temperature processing treatment and the formation of unwanted perovskite islands, respectively. A low temperature/room temperature processed ETL is one of the best options for the fabrication of flexible PSCs. In the present work, we report the implementation of a room temperature processed compact TiO 2 ETL and the synthesis of extremely uniform flexible planar PSCs based on methylammonium lead mixed halides MAPb(I 1-x Br x ) 3 (x = 0.1) via RF-magnetron sputtering and a toluene dripping treatment, respectively. The compact TiO 2 ETLs with different thicknesses (30 to 100 nm) were directly deposited on a flexible PET coated ITO substrate by varying the RF-sputtering time and used for the fabrication of flexible PSCs. The photovoltaic properties revealed that flexible PSC performance is strongly dependent on the TiO 2 ETL thickness. The open circuit voltage (V OC ) and fill factor (FF) are directly proportional to the TiO 2 ETL thickness while the 50 nm thick TiO 2 ETL shows the highest current density (J SC ) of 20.77 mA cm -2 . Our controlled results reveal that the room temperature RF-magnetron sputtered 50 nm-thick TiO 2 ETL photoelectrode exhibits a power conversion efficiency (PCE) in excess of 15%. The use of room temperature synthesis of the compact TiO 2 ETL by RF magnetron sputtering results in an enhancement of the device performance for cells prepared on flexible substrates. The champion flexible planar PSC based on this architecture exhibited a promising power conversion efficiency as high as 15.88%, featuring a high FF of 0.69 and V OC of 1.108 V with a negligible hysteresis under AM 1.5 G illumination. Furthermore, the mechanical bending stability revealed that the fabricated devices show stable PCE up to 200 bending cycles. The interface properties revealed that the 50 nm thick TiO 2 ETL provides superior charge injection characteristics and low internal resistance. The present work provides a simplistic and reliable approach for the fabrication of highly efficient stable flexible perovskite solar cells.

Poster — Thur Eve — 15: Improvements in the stability of the tomotherapy imaging beam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Belec, J

2014-08-15

Use of helical TomoTherapy based MVCT imaging for adaptive planning requires the image values (HU) to remain stable over the course of treatment. In the past, the image value stability was suboptimal, which required frequent change to the image value to density calibration curve to avoid dose errors on the order of 2–4%. The stability of the image values at our center was recently improved by stabilizing the dose rate of the machine (dose control servo) and performing daily MVCT calibration corrections. In this work, we quantify the stability of the image values over treatment time by comparing patient treatmentmore » image density derived using MVCT and KVCT. The analysis includes 1) MVCT - KVCT density difference histogram, 2) MVCT vs KVCT density spectrum, 3) multiple average profile density comparison and 4) density difference in homogeneous locations. Over two months, the imaging beam stability was compromised several times due to a combination of target wobbling, spectral calibration, target change and magnetron issues. The stability of the image values were analyzed over the same period. Results show that the impact on the patient dose calculation is 0.7% +− 0.6%.« less

In-situ sputtering apparatus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Erickson, Mark R.; Poole, Henry J.; Custer, III, Arthur W.

A sputtering apparatus that includes at least a target presented as an inner surface of a confinement structure, the inner surface of the confinement structure is preferably an internal wall of a circular tube. A cathode is disposed adjacent the internal wall of the circular tube. The cathode preferably provides a hollow core, within which a magnetron is disposed. Preferably, an actuator is attached to the magnetron, wherein a position of the magnetron within the hollow core is altered upon activation of the actuator. Additionally, a carriage supporting the cathode and communicating with the target is preferably provided, and amore » cable bundle interacting with the cathode and linked to a cable bundle take up mechanism provided power and coolant to the cathode, magnetron, actuator and an anode of the sputtering apparatus.« less

Theoretical investigation of resonant frequencies of unstrapped magnetron with arbitrary side resonators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yue, Song, E-mail: yuessd@163.com; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049; Zhang, Zhao-chuan

In this paper, a sector steps approximation method is proposed to investigate the resonant frequencies of magnetrons with arbitrary side resonators. The arbitrary side resonator is substituted with a series of sector steps, in which the spatial harmonics of electromagnetic field are also considered. By using the method of admittance matching between adjacent steps, as well as field continuity conditions between side resonators and interaction regions, the dispersion equation of magnetron with arbitrary side resonators is derived. Resonant frequencies of magnetrons with five common kinds of side resonators are calculated with sector steps approximation method and computer simulation softwares, inmore » which the results have a good agreement. The relative error is less than 2%, which verifies the validity of sector steps approximation method.« less

Construction, Test and Delivery of Standardized Coaxial Magnetron.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-23

Cavity Pressurization and Pressure Switch . .. 13 4.0 PERFORNANCE OF BAND IV, VMS-1104 COAXIAL AAGNETRON. 14 4.1 Initial Test of Band IV, VNS-1I04, S/N...of the magnetron. 3.7 Ship Air Pressure Switch The insertion of the magnetron deeper into the cabinet to obtain proper alignment of the tube and...waveguide run required reloca- tion of the ship air pressure switch . The switch was moved approxi- mately two inches deeper into the cabinet and rebolted

High harmonic terahertz confocal gyrotron with nonuniform electron beam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fu, Wenjie; Guan, Xiaotong; Yan, Yang

2016-01-15

The harmonic confocal gyrotron with nonuniform electron beam is proposed in this paper in order to develop compact and high power terahertz radiation source. A 0.56 THz third harmonic confocal gyrotron with a dual arc section nonuniform electron beam has been designed and investigated. The studies show that confocal cavity has extremely low mode density, and has great advantage to operate at high harmonic. Nonuniform electron beam is an approach to improve output power and interaction efficiency of confocal gyrotron. A dual arc beam magnetron injection gun for designed confocal gyrotron has been developed and presented in this paper.

Ballistic Deposition of Nanoclusters.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulbrandt, Jeffrey; Li, Yang; Headrick, Randall

Nanoporous thin-films are an important class of materials, possessing a large surface area to volume ratio, with applications ranging from thermoelectric and photovoltaic materials to supercapacitors. In-Situ X-ray Reflectivity and Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (GISAXS) were used to monitor thin-films grown from Tungsten Silicide (WSi2) and Copper (Cu) nanoclusters. The nanoclusters ranged in size from 2 nm to 6 nm diameter and were made by high-pressure magnetron sputtering via plasma gas condensation (PGC). X-Ray Reflectivity (XRR) measurements of the films at various stages of growth reveal that the resulting films exhibit very low density, approaching 15% of bulk density. This is consistent with a simple off-lattice ballistic deposition model where particles stick at the point of first contact without further restructuring. DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences under contract DE-FG02-07ER46380.

Experimental study on an S-band near-field microwave magnetron power transmission system on hundred-watt level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Biao; Jiang, Wan; Yang, Yang; Yu, Chengyang; Huang, Kama; Liu, Changjun

2015-11-01

A multi-magnetron microwave source, a metamaterial transmitting antenna, and a large power rectenna array are presented to build a near-field 2.45 GHz microwave power transmission system. The square 1 m2 rectenna array consists of sixteen rectennas with 2048 Schottky diodes for large power microwave rectifying. It receives microwave power and converts them into DC power. The design, structure, and measured performance of a unit rectenna as well as the entail rectenna array are presented in detail. The multi-magnetron microwave power source switches between half and full output power levels, i.e. the half-wave and full-wave modes. The transmission antenna is formed by a double-layer metallic hole array, which is applied to combine the output power of each magnetron. The rectenna array DC output power reaches 67.3 W on a 1.2 Ω DC load at a distance of 5.5 m from the transmission antenna. DC output power is affected by the distance, DC load, and the mode of microwave power source. It shows that conventional low power Schottky diodes can be applied to a microwave power transmission system with simple magnetrons to realise large power microwave rectifying.

Formation of pyrite (FeS{sub 2}) thin films by thermal sulfurization of dc magnetron sputtered iron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Soukup, R. J.; Prabukanthan, P.; Ianno, N. J.

2011-01-15

Iron films deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering onto glass substrates were converted into FeS{sub 2} films by thermal sulfurization. Experiments were carried out to optimize the sulfurization process, and the formation of FeS{sub 2} thin films was investigated under different annealing temperatures and times. High quality FeS{sub 2} films were fabricated using this process, and single phase pyrite films were obtained after sulfurization in a sulfur and nitrogen atmosphere at 450 deg. C for 1 h. Film crystallinity and phase identification were determined by using x-ray diffraction. The cubic phase pyrite films prepared were p-type, and scanning electron microscopymore » studies exhibited a homogeneous surface of pyrite. The authors have found that the best Ohmic contact for their pyrite thin films, using inexpensive metals, was Ni. The following were chosen for the study: Al, Mo, Fe, and Ni, and the one that led to the lowest resistance, 333 {Omega}, was Ni.« less

Deposition of undoped and Al doped ZnO thin films using RF magnetron sputtering and study of their structural, optical and electrical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parvathy Venu, M.; Shrisha B., V.; Balakrishna, K. M.; Naik, K. Gopalakrishna

2017-05-01

Undoped ZnO and Al doped ZnO thin films were deposited on glass and p-Si(100) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering technique at room temperature using homemade targets. ZnO target containing 5 at% of Al2O3 as doping source was used for the growth of Al doped ZnO thin films. XRD revealed that the films have hexagonal wurtzite structure with high crystallinity. Morphology and chemical composition of the films have been indicated by FESEM and EDAX studies. A blue shift of the band gap energy and higher optical transmittance has been observed in the case of Al doped ZnO (ZnO:Al) thin films with respect to the ZnO thin films. The as deposited films on p-Si were used to fabricate n-ZnO/p-Si(100) and n-ZnO:Al/p-Si(100) heterojunction diodes and their room temperature current-voltage characteristics were studied.

Corrosion studies of DC reactive magnetron sputtered alumina coating on 304 SS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thangaraj, Baskar; Mahadevan, Krishnan

2017-12-01

Aluminum oxide films on SS 304 deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering technique were studied with respect to the composition of the sputter gas (Ar:O2), gas pressure, substrate temperature, current etc. to achieve good insulating films with high corrosion resistance. The films were characterized by XRD and SEM techniques. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements were made under static conditions in order to evaluate the corrosion performance of the alumina-coated SS 304 for various immersion durations in 0.5 M and 1 M NaCl solution. Alumina-coated SS 304 has low corrosion value of 0.4550 and 1.1090MPY for 24 h immersion time in both solutions. The impedance plots for the alumina coated SS 304 in 1 M NaCl solution at different durations are slightly different to when compared to its immersion in 0.5 M NaCl solutions and are composed of two depressed semi circles. For the alumina coated film, the impedance spectrum decreased, when immersion time increased.

Zinc Oxide-Based Schottky Diode Prepared Using Radio-Frequency Magnetron Cosputtering System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Bo-Ting; Lee, Ching-Ting; Hong, Jhen-Dong; Yao, Shiau-Lu; Liu, Day-Shan

2010-08-01

The rectifying property of a zinc oxide (ZnO)-based Schottky diode prepared using a radio-frequency (rf) magnetron cosputtering system was improved by enhancing the cosputtered ZnO crystal quality, thereby optimizing the ohmic contact resistance and compensating the Schottky contact surface states. An undoped ZnO layer with a high c-axis orientation and a low internal residual stress was achieved using a postannealing treatment. A homogeneous n-type ZnO-indium tin oxide (ITO) cosputtered film was deposited onto the undoped ZnO layer to optimize the ohmic contact behavior to the Al electrode. The Schottky contact surface of the undoped ZnO layer to the Ni/Au electrode was passivated using an oxygen plasma treatment. Owing to the compensation of the native oxygen vacancies (VO) on the undoped ZnO surface, the leakage current markedly decreased and subsequently led to a quality Schottky diode performance with an ideality factor of 1.23 and a Schottky barrier height of 0.82 eV.

Deposition of highly textured AlN thin films by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moreira, Milena A.; Törndahl, Tobias; Katardjiev, Ilia

2015-03-15

Aluminum nitride thin films were deposited by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and pulsed direct-current on Si (100) and textured Mo substrates, where the same deposition conditions were used for both techniques. The films were characterized by x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The results show a pronounced improvement in the AlN crystalline texture for all films deposited by HiPIMS on Si. Already at room temperature, the HiPIMS films exhibited a strong preferred (002) orientation and at 400 °C, no contributions from other orientations were detected. Despite the low film thickness of only 200 nm, an ω-scan full width atmore » half maximum value of 5.1° was achieved on Si. The results are attributed to the high ionization of sputtered material achieved in HiPIMS. On textured Mo, there was no significant difference between the deposition techniques.« less

Magnetron Electron Gun,

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-05-23

ULMAGNETRON ELECTRON GUN . (U) .Ay G0 A L GOLOENBERG, T B PANKRATOVA UNCLASSIFIED FTD..In(RS)T41896-?9 4 __ ihD - -111113 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST...CHART NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARD 1961 A -_"D-I-D ,RS)T-18q6-79 v FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY DIVISION MAGNETRON ELECTRON GUN by A. L. Gol’denberg, T. B...VISION. WP.AP6. OHIO. FTD -ID(RS)T-1396-79 Date z.-.:a’,-lq -,o • 110ewm /A Is a, -D r.l MAGNETRON ELECTRON GUN A. L. Gol’denberg, T. B. Pankratova and M

SERS spectra of pyridine adsorbed on nickel film prepared by magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Daoyong; Ouyang, Yu; Chen, Li; Cao, Weiran; Shi, Shaohua

2011-02-01

As a repeating well and cheaper enhancement substrate, the nickel film was fabricated with magnetron sputtering coating instrument. Surface enhanced Raman spectra (SERS) of pyridine adsorbed on this nickel film are compared with the experimental values of gaseous pyridine, the theoretical value of pyridine solution listed in other literatures and our method is better than electro-chemical etching electrode method for large scale preparation. The enhancement factor of the nickel film is calculated and the result indicates that magnetron sputtering coating technology is feasible for obtaining good SERS active surface.

Full-Process Computer Model of Magnetron Sputter, Part I: Test Existing State-of-Art Components

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walton, C C; Gilmer, G H; Wemhoff, A P

2007-09-26

This work is part of a larger project to develop a modeling capability for magnetron sputter deposition. The process is divided into four steps: plasma transport, target sputter, neutral gas and sputtered atom transport, and film growth, shown schematically in Fig. 1. Each of these is simulated separately in this Part 1 of the project, which is jointly funded between CMLS and Engineering. The Engineering portion is the plasma modeling, in step 1. The plasma modeling was performed using the Object-Oriented Particle-In-Cell code (OOPIC) from UC Berkeley [1]. Figure 2 shows the electron density in the simulated region, using magneticmore » field strength input from experiments by Bohlmark [2], where a scale of 1% is used. Figures 3 and 4 depict the magnetic field components that were generated using two-dimensional linear interpolation of Bohlmark's experimental data. The goal of the overall modeling tool is to understand, and later predict, relationships between parameters of film deposition we can change (such as gas pressure, gun voltage, and target-substrate distance) and key properties of the results (such as film stress, density, and stoichiometry.) The simulation must use existing codes, either open-source or low-cost, not develop new codes. In part 1 (FY07) we identified and tested the best available code for each process step, then determined if it can cover the size and time scales we need in reasonable computation times. We also had to determine if the process steps are sufficiently decoupled that they can be treated separately, and identify any research-level issues preventing practical use of these codes. Part 2 will consider whether the codes can be (or need to be) made to talk to each other and integrated into a whole.« less

Direct Simulation Monte Carlo Simulations of Low Pressure Semiconductor Plasma Processing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gochberg, L. A.; Ozawa, T.; Deng, H.

2008-12-31

The two widely used plasma deposition tools for semiconductor processing are Ionized Metal Physical Vapor Deposition (IMPVD) of metals using either planar or hollow cathode magnetrons (HCM), and inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) deposition of dielectrics in High Density Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (HDP-CVD) reactors. In these systems, the injected neutral gas flows are generally in the transonic to supersonic flow regime. The Hybrid Plasma Equipment Model (HPEM) has been developed and is strategically and beneficially applied to the design of these tools and their processes. For the most part, the model uses continuum-based techniques, and thus, as pressures decrease below 10more » mTorr, the continuum approaches in the model become questionable. Modifications have been previously made to the HPEM to significantly improve its accuracy in this pressure regime. In particular, the Ion Monte Carlo Simulation (IMCS) was added, wherein a Monte Carlo simulation is used to obtain ion and neutral velocity distributions in much the same way as in direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC). As a further refinement, this work presents the first steps towards the adaptation of full DSMC calculations to replace part of the flow module within the HPEM. Six species (Ar, Cu, Ar*, Cu*, Ar{sup +}, and Cu{sup +}) are modeled in DSMC. To couple SMILE as a module to the HPEM, source functions for species, momentum and energy from plasma sources will be provided by the HPEM. The DSMC module will then compute a quasi-converged flow field that will provide neutral and ion species densities, momenta and temperatures. In this work, the HPEM results for a hollow cathode magnetron (HCM) IMPVD process using the Boltzmann distribution are compared with DSMC results using portions of those HPEM computations as an initial condition.« less

Investigating the role of hydrogen in silicon deposition using an energy-resolved mass spectrometer and a Langmuir probe in an Ar/H2 radio frequency magnetron discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mensah, S. L.; Naseem, Hameed H.; Abu-Safe, Husam; Gordon, M. H.

2012-07-01

The plasma parameters and ion energy distributions (IED) of the dominant species in an Ar-H2 discharge are investigated with an energy resolved mass spectrometer and a Langmuir probe. The plasmas are generated in a conventional magnetron chamber powered at 150 W, 13.56 MHz at hydrogen flow rates ranging from 0 to 25 sccm with a fixed argon gas flow rate of 15 sccm. Various Hn+, SiHn+, SiHn fragments (with n = 1, 2, 3) together with Ar+ and ArH+ species are detected in the discharge. The most important species for the film deposition is SiHn (with n = 0, 1, 2). H fragments affect the hydrogen content in the material. The flux of Ar+ decreases and the flux of ArH+ increases when the hydrogen flow rate is increased; however, both fluxes saturate at hydrogen flow rates above 15 sccm. Electron density, ne, electron energy, Te, and ion density, ni, are estimated from the Langmuir probe data. Te is below 1.2 eV at hydrogen flow rates below 8 sccm, and about 2 eV at flow rates above 8 sccm. ne and ni decrease with increased hydrogen flow but the ratio of ni to ne increases. The formation of H+ ions with energies above 36 eV and electrons with energies greater than 2 eV contributes to the decrease in hydrogen content at hydrogen flow rates above 8 sccm. Analysis of the IEDs indicates an inter-dependence of the species and their contribution to the thin film growth and properties.

Coherent Structures and Chaos Control in High-Power Microwave Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-29

Theory of Multiresonator Cylindrical Magnetrons 2. High - Power Klystron Research 9 2.1. Determination of the Current Limit on the Confinement of Finite...Size Bunched Pencil Beams in High - Power Relativistic Klystrons 2.2. Exploration of the Possibility of Magnetic Cusp Formation in Highly Bunched...Annular Beams in High - Power Relativistic Klystrons 3. Development of Ellipse-Shaped Ribbon-Beam Theory for HPM Device Applications 12 3.1. Theory of

Origin of Initial Current Peak in High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering and Verification by Non-Sputtering Discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong-Zhen, Wu; Shu, Xiao; Sui-Han, Cui; Ricky, K. Y. Fu; Xiu-Bo, Tian; Paul, K. Chu; Feng, Pan

2016-07-01

Not Available Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 51301004 and U1330110, the Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Program under Grant No 2013N080, the Shenzhen Science and Technology Research Grant under Grant Nos JCYJ20140903102215536 and JCYJ20150828093127698, and the City University of Hong Kong Applied Research Grant under Grant No 9667104.

Biocompatibility and Surface Properties of TiO2 Thin Films Deposited by DC Magnetron Sputtering

PubMed Central

López-Huerta, Francisco; Cervantes, Blanca; González, Octavio; Hernández-Torres, Julián; García-González, Leandro; Vega, Rosario; Herrera-May, Agustín L.; Soto, Enrique

2014-01-01

We present the study of the biocompatibility and surface properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering. These films are deposited on a quartz substrate at room temperature and annealed with different temperatures (100, 300, 500, 800 and 1100 °C). The biocompatibility of the TiO2 thin films is analyzed using primary cultures of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of Wistar rats, whose neurons are incubated on the TiO2 thin films and on a control substrate during 18 to 24 h. These neurons are activated by electrical stimuli and its ionic currents and action potential activity recorded. Through X-ray diffraction (XRD), the surface of TiO2 thin films showed a good quality, homogeneity and roughness. The XRD results showed the anatase to rutile phase transition in TiO2 thin films at temperatures between 500 and 1100 °C. This phase had a grain size from 15 to 38 nm, which allowed a suitable structural and crystal phase stability of the TiO2 thin films for low and high temperature. The biocompatibility experiments of these films indicated that they were appropriated for culture of living neurons which displayed normal electrical behavior. PMID:28788667

The n-type conduction of indium-doped Cu{sub 2}O thin films fabricated by direct current magnetron co-sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cai, Xing-Min; Su, Xiao-Qiang; Ye, Fan, E-mail: yefan@szu.edu.cn

2015-08-24

Indium-doped Cu{sub 2}O thin films were fabricated on K9 glass substrates by direct current magnetron co-sputtering in an atmosphere of Ar and O{sub 2}. Metallic copper and indium disks were used as the targets. X-ray diffraction showed that the diffraction peaks could only be indexed to simple cubic Cu{sub 2}O, with no other phases detected. Indium atoms exist as In{sup 3+} in Cu{sub 2}O. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy showed that the transmittance of the samples was relatively high and that indium doping increased the optical band gaps. The Hall effect measurement showed that the samples were n-type semiconductors at room temperature. Themore » Seebeck effect test showed that the films were n-type semiconductors near or over room temperature (<400 K), changing to p-type at relatively high temperatures. The conduction by the samples in the temperature range of the n-type was due to thermal band conduction and the donor energy level was estimated to be 620.2–713.8 meV below the conduction band. The theoretical calculation showed that indium doping can raise the Fermi energy level of Cu{sub 2}O and, therefore, lead to n-type conduction.« less

Pulsed-DC selfsputtering of copper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiatrowski, A.; Posadowski, W. M.; Radzimski, Z. J.

2008-03-01

At standard magnetron sputtering conditions (argon pressure ~0.5 Pa) inert gas particles are often entrapped in the formed films. Inert gas contamination can be eliminated by using the self-sustained magnetron sputtering process because it is done in the absence of the inert gas atmosphere. The self-sustained sputtering (SSS) gives also a unique condition during the transport of sputtered particles to the substrate. It is especially useful for filling high aspect ratio submicron scale structures for microelectronics. So far it has been shown that the self-sputtering process can be sustained in the DC operation mode (DC-SSS) only. The main disadvantage of DC-SSS process is instability related to possible arc formation. Usage of pulsed sputtering, similarly to reactive pulsed magnetron sputtering, could eliminate this problem. In this paper results of pulsed-DC self-sustained magnetron sputtering (pulsed DC-SSS) of copper are presented for the first time. The planar magnetron equipped with a 50 mm in diameter and 6 mm thick copper target was powered by DC-power supply modulated by power switch. The maximum target power was about 11 kW (~550W/cm2). The magnetron operation was investigated as a function of pulsing frequency (20-100 kHz) and duty factor (50-90%). The discharge extinction pressure was determined for these conditions. The plasma emission spectra (400-410nm range) and deposition rates were observed for both DC and pulsed DC sustained self-sputtering processes. The presented results illustrate that stable pulsed DC-SSS process can be obtained at pulsing frequency in the range of 60-100 kHz and duty factor of 70-90%.

Effect of residual gas on structural, electrical and mechanical properties of niobium films deposited by magnetron sputtering deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lanruo; Zhong, Yuan; Li, Jinjin; Cao, Wenhui; Zhong, Qing; Wang, Xueshen; Li, Xu

2018-04-01

Magnetron sputtering is an important method in the superconducting thin films deposition. The residual gas inside the vacuum chamber will directly affect the quality of the superconducting films. In this paper, niobium films are deposited by magnetron sputtering under different chamber residual gas conditions. The influence of baking and sputtering process on residual gas are studied as well. Surface morphology, electrical and mechanical properties of the films are analysed. The residual gas analysis result before the sputtering process could be regarded as a reference condition to achieve high quality superconducting thin films.

Comparative analysis of electrophysical properties of ceramic tantalum pentoxide coatings, deposited by electron beam evaporation and magnetron sputtering methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donkov, N.; Mateev, E.; Safonov, V.; Zykova, A.; Yakovin, S.; Kolesnikov, D.; Sudzhanskaya, I.; Goncharov, I.; Georgieva, V.

2014-12-01

Ta2O5 ceramic coatings have been deposited on glass substrates by e-beam evaporation and magnetron sputtering methods. For the magnetron sputtering process Ta target was used. X-ray diffraction measurements show that these coatings are amorphous. XPS survey spectra of the ceramic Ta2O5 coatings were obtained. All spectra consist of well-defined XPS lines of Ta 4f, 4d, 4p and 4s; O 1s; C 1s. Ta 4f doublets are typical for Ta2O5 coatings with two main peaks. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images of the e-beam evaporated and magnetron sputtered Ta2O5 ceramic coatings have revealed a relatively flat surface with no cracks. The dielectric properties of the tantalum pentoxide coatings have been investigated in the frequency range of 100 Hz to 1 MHz. The electrical behaviour of e-beam evaporated and magnetron sputtered Ta2O5 ceramic coatings have also been compared. The deposition process conditions principally effect the structure parameters and electrical properties of Ta2O5 ceramic coatings. The coatings deposited by different methods demonstrate the range of dielectric parameters due to the structural and stoichiometric composition changes

Glow plasma trigger for electron cyclotron resonance ion sources.

PubMed

Vodopianov, A V; Golubev, S V; Izotov, I V; Nikolaev, A G; Oks, E M; Savkin, K P; Yushkov, G Yu

2010-02-01

Electron cyclotron resonance ion sources (ECRISs) are particularly useful for nuclear, atomic, and high energy physics, as unique high current generators of multicharged ion beams. Plasmas of gas discharges in an open magnetic trap heated by pulsed (100 micros and longer) high power (100 kW and higher) high-frequency (greater than 37.5 GHz) microwaves of gyrotrons is promising in the field of research in the development of electron cyclotron resonance sources for high charge state ion beams. Reaching high ion charge states requires a decrease in gas pressure in the magnetic trap, but this method leads to increases in time, in which the microwave discharge develops. The gas breakdown and microwave discharge duration becomes greater than or equal to the microwave pulse duration when the pressure is decreased. This makes reaching the critical plasma density initiate an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) discharge during pulse of microwave gyrotron radiation with gas pressure lower than a certain threshold. In order to reduce losses of microwave power, it is necessary to shorten the time of development of the ECR discharge. For fast triggering of ECR discharge under low pressure in an ECRIS, we initially propose to fill the magnetic trap with the plasmas of auxiliary pulsed discharges in crossed ExB fields. The glow plasma trigger of ECR based on a Penning or magnetron discharge has made it possible not only to fill the trap with plasma with density of 10(12) cm(-3), required for a rapid increase in plasma density and finally for ECR discharge ignition, but also to initially heat the plasma electrons to T(e) approximately = 20 eV.

Ion-beam assisted laser printing of porous nanorings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syubaev, S.; Kuchmizhak, A.; Nepomnyashchiy, A.

2017-09-01

Pulsed-laser fabrication of noble-metal nanorings with a tunable internal porous structure, which can be further uncapped by using an ion-beam etching procedure, was demonstrated for the first time. Density and average size of the pores were shown to be tuned in a wide range by varying an applied pulse energy and a chemical composition of the metal film controlled via the film magnetron deposition in the appropriate gaseous environment. According to our preliminary numerical simulations, the controlled porosity provides multifold near-field enhancement of the electromagnetic fields, making such structures promising for spectroscopic bioidentification based on a surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Porous CrN thin films by selectively etching CrCuN for symmetric supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Binbin; Mei, Gui; Liang, Hanfeng; Qi, Zhengbing; Zhang, Dongfang; Shen, Hao; Wang, Zhoucheng

2018-05-01

Transition metal nitrides are regarded as a new class of excellent electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors due to their superior chemical stability and excellent electrical conductivity. We synthesize successfully the porous CrN thin films for binder-free supercapacitor electrodes by reactive magnetron co-sputtering and selective chemical etching. The porous CrN thin film electrodes exhibit high-capacitance performance (31.3 mF cm-2 at 1.0 mA cm-2) and reasonable cycling stability (94% retention after 20000 cycles). Moreover, the specific capacitance is more than two-fold higher than that of the CrN thin film electrodes in previous work. In addition, a symmetric supercapacitor device with a maximum energy density of 14.4 mWh cm-3 and a maximum power density of 6.6 W cm-3 is achieved. These findings demonstrate that the porous CrN thin films will have potential applications in supercapacitors.

Hall effect of copper nitride thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, G. H.; Liu, J. Z.; Li, M.; Yuan, X. M.; Yan, P. X.; Liu, J. L.

2005-08-01

The Hall effect of copper nitride (Cu3N) thin films was investigated in our work. Cu3N films were deposited on glass substrates by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at different temperatures using pure copper as the sputtering target. The Hall coefficients of the films are demonstrated to be dependent on the deposition gas flow rate and the measuring temperature. Both the Hall coefficient and resistance of the Cu3N films increase with the nitrogen gas flow rate at room temperature, while the Hall mobility and the carrier density of the films decrease. As the temperature changed from 100 K to 300 K, the Hall coefficient and the resistivity of the films decreased, while the carrier density increased and Hall mobility shows no great change. The energy band gap of the Cu3N films deduced from the curve of the common logarithm of the Hall coefficient against 1/T is 1.17-1.31 eV.

Design of Hybrid Nanostructural Arrays to Manipulate SERS-Active Substrates by Nanosphere Lithography.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiaoyu; Wen, Jiahong; Zhang, Mengning; Wang, Dunhui; Wang, Yaxin; Chen, Lei; Zhang, Yongjun; Yang, Jinghai; Du, Youwei

2017-03-01

An easy-handling and low-cost method is utilized to controllably fabricate nanopattern arrays as the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrates with high density of SERS-active areas (hot spots). A hybrid silver array of nanocaps and nanotriangles are prepared by combining magnetron sputtering and plasma etching. By adjusting the etching time of polystyrene (PS) colloid spheres array in silver nanobowls, the morphology of the arrays can be easily manipulated to control the formation and distribution of hot spots. The experimental results show that the hybrid nanostructural arrays have large enhancement factor, which is estimated to be seven times larger than that in the array of nanocaps and three times larger than that in the array of nanorings and nanoparticles. According to the results of finite-difference time-domain simulation, the excellent SERS performance of this array is ascribed to the high density of hot spots and enhanced electromagnetic field.

Resistance switching in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pramod, K.; Sahu, Binaya Kumar; Gangineni, R. B., E-mail: rameshg.phy@pondiuni.edu.in

2015-06-24

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PDVF), one of the best electrically active polymer material & an interesting candidate to address the electrical control of its functional properties like ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity etc. In the current work, with the help of spin coater and DC magnetron sputtering techniques, semi-crystallized PVDF thin films prominent in alpha phase is prepared in capacitor like structure and their electrical characterization is emphasized. In current-voltage (I-V) and resistance-voltage (R-V) measurements, clear nonlinearity and resistance switching has been observed for films prepared using 7 wt% 2-butanone and 7 wt% Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) solvents.

Improvement of corrosion protection property of Mg-alloy by DLC and Si-DLC coatings with PBII technique and multi-target DC-RF magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masami, Ikeyama; Setsuo, Nakao; Tsutomu, Sonoda; Junho, Choi

2009-05-01

Magnesium alloys have been considered as one of the most promising light weight materials with potential applications for automobile and aircraft components. Their poor corrosion resistance, however, has to date prevented wider usage. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) and silicon-incorporated DLC (Si-DLC) coatings are known to provide a high degree of corrosion protection, and hold accordingly promise for enhancing the corrosion resistance of the magnesium alloys. In this work we have studied the effect of coating conditions of DLC coatings as well as Si incorporation into coating on corrosion resistance, deposited onto AZ91 magnesium alloy substrates by plasma based ion implantation (PBII). The influences of a Ti interlayer beneath the DLC, Si-DLC and Ti incorporated DLC (Ti-DLC) coatings fabricated by multi-target direct-current radio-frequency (DC-RF) magnetron sputtering were also examined on both the adhesion strength and corrosion resistance of the materials. We have also examined the effect of the Si content in the Si-DLC coatings made by magnetron sputtering on the alloys' corrosion resistance. The results of potentiodynamic polarization measurements demonstrate that Si-DLC coating deposited by PBII exhibits the highest corrosion resistance in an aqueous 0.05 M NaCl solution. Although Ti layer is helpful in increasing adhesion between DLC coating and AZ91 substrate, it also influences adversely corrosion protection. The ozone treatment of the magnesium alloy's surface before the formation of coatings has been found to improve both adhesion strength and corrosion resistance.

Effects of substrate heating and vacuum annealing on optical and electrical properties of alumina-doped ZnO films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Chien-Jen; Wang, Chun-Yuan; Jaing, Cheng-Chung

2011-10-01

Alumina-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films have wide range of applications in optical and optoelectronic devices. AZO films have advantage in high transparency, high stability to hydrogen plasma and low cost to alternative ITO film. AZO film was prepared by direct-current (DC) magnetron sputtering from ceramic ZnO:Al2O3 target. The AZO films were compared in two different conditions. The first is substrate heating process, in which AZO film was deposited by different substrate temperature, room temperature, 150 °C and 250 °C. The second is vacuum annealing process, in which AZO film with deposited at room temperature have been annealed at 250 °C and 450 °C in vacuum. The optical properties, electrical properties, grain size and surface structure properties of the films were studied by UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer, Hall effect measurement equipment, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The resistivity, carrier mobility, carrier concentration, and grain size of AZO films were 1.92×10-3 Ω-cm, 6.38 cm2/Vs, 5.08×1020 #/cm3, and 31.48 nm respectively, in vacuum annealing of 450 °C. The resistivity, carrier mobility, carrier concentration, and grain size of AZO films were 8.72×10-4 Ω-cm, 6.32 cm2/Vs, 1.13×1021 #/cm3, and 31.56 nm, respectively, when substrate temperature was at 250 °C. Substrate heating process is better than vacuum annealed process for AZO film deposited by DC Magnetron Sputtering.

The Development and Application of the Magnetron,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-31

of *medicine. The power of the magnetron used is from several tens of watts to several hundred watts. Microwave physiotherapy has been used in...clinical practice for the fast cure of arthritis , rheumatism and the subsidence of swelling. Therapeutic results have been excellent. In recent years

Plasma ``anti-assistance'' and ``self-assistance'' to high power impulse magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anders, André; Yushkov, Georgy Yu.

2009-04-01

A plasma assistance system was investigated with the goal to operate high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) at lower pressure than usual, thereby to enhance the utilization of the ballistic atoms and ions with high kinetic energy in the film growth process. Gas plasma flow from a constricted plasma source was aimed at the magnetron target. Contrary to initial expectations, such plasma assistance turned out to be contraproductive because it led to the extinction of the magnetron discharge. The effect can be explained by gas rarefaction. A better method of reducing the necessary gas pressure is operation at relatively high pulse repetition rates where the afterglow plasma of one pulse assists in the development of the next pulse. Here we show that this method, known from medium-frequency (MF) pulsed sputtering, is also very important at the much lower pulse repetition rates of HiPIMS. A minimum in the possible operational pressure is found in the frequency region between HiPIMS and MF pulsed sputtering.

Structural, mechanical and tribocorrosion behaviour in artificial seawater of CrN/AlN nano-multilayer coatings on F690 steel substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Fuliang; Li, Jinlong; Zeng, Zhixiang; Gao, Yimin

2018-01-01

The CrN monolayer and CrN/AlN nano-multilayer coating were successfully fabricated by reactive magnetron sputtering on F690 steel. The results show that CrN monolayer exhibits a face centered cubic crystalline structure with (111) preferred orientation and CrN/AlN nano-multilayer coating has a (200) preferred orientation. This design of the nano-multilayer can interrupt the continuous growth of columnar crystals making the coating denser. The CrN/AlN nano-multilayer coating has a better wear resistance and corrosion resistance compared with the CrN monolayer coating. The tribocorrosion tests reveal that the evolution of potential and current density of F690 steel and CrN monolayer or CrN/AlN nano-multilayer coating see an opposite trend under the simultaneous action of wear and corrosion, which is attributed to that F690 steel is a non-passive material and PVD coatings is a passive material. The nano-multilayer structure has a good ;Pore Sealing Effect;, and the corrosive solution is difficult to pass through the coating to corrode the substrate.

Sputter-Grown Sb-DOPED Silicon Nanocrystals Embedded in Silicon-Rich Carbide for si Heterojunction Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiaobo; Tang, Yu; Hao, Jiabo

Sb-doped silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs) films were fabricated by magnetron co-sputtering combined with rapid-thermal annealing. The effects of Sb content on the structural and electrical properties of the films were studied. The dot size increased with the increasing Sb content, and could be correlated to the effect of Sb-induced crystallization. The variation in the concentration of Sb shows a significant impact on the film properties, where as doped with 0.8at.% of Sb exhibited major property improvements when compared with other films. By employing Sb-doped Si-NCs films as emitter layers, Si-NCs/monocrystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells were fabricated and the effect of the Sb doping concentration on the photovoltaic properties was studied. It is found that the doping level in the Si-NCs layer is a key factor in determining the short-circuit current density and power conversion efficiency (PCE). With an optimized doping concentration of 0.8at.% of Sb, a maximal PCE of 7.10% was obtained. This study indicates that the Sb-doped Si-NCs can be good candidates for all-silicon tandem solar cells.

Post-Annealing Effects on Surface Morphological, Electrical and Optical Properties of Nanostructured Cr-Doped CdO Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hymavathi, B.; Rajesh Kumar, B.; Subba Rao, T.

2018-01-01

Nanostructured Cr-doped CdO thin films were deposited on glass substrates by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering and post-annealed in vacuum from 200°C to 500°C. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed that the films exhibit cubic nature with preferential orientation along the (111) plane. The crystallite size, lattice parameters, unit cell volume and strain in the films were determined from x-ray diffraction analysis. The surface morphology of the films has been characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The electrical properties of the Cr-doped CdO thin films were measured by using a four-probe method and Hall effect system. The lowest electrical resistivity of 2.20 × 10-4 Ω cm and a maximum optical transmittance of 88% have been obtained for the thin films annealed at 500°C. The optical band gap of the films decreased from 2.77 eV to 2.65 eV with the increase of annealing temperature. The optical constants, packing density and porosity of Cr-doped CdO thin films were also evaluated from the transmittance spectra.

Neutral gas rotation in magnetron discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pal, A. F.; Ryabinkin, A. N.; Serov, A. O.; Filippov, A. V.

2014-12-01

We have experimentally established the existence and determined the velocity of motion of the neutral component of plasma in a planar magnetron discharge, which takes place in the direction of drift of the charged plasma component in crossed electric and magnetic ( E × B) fields. For this purpose, we have studied the propagation of a small gaseous additive over the plasma ring of dc magnetron discharge in the diffusion regime. The obtained temporal dependences of the intensity of atomic emission spectra of the additive in various regions of the plasma ring are compared to the results of numerical solution of the diffusion equation for the experimental conditions studied.

Rapid start of oscillations in a magnetron with a "transparent" cathode.

PubMed

Fuks, Mikhail; Schamiloglu, Edl

2005-11-11

We report on the improvement of conditions for the rapid start of oscillations in magnetrons by increasing the amplitude of the operating wave that is responsible for the capture of electrons into spokes. This amplitude increase is achieved by using a hollow cathode with longitudinal strips removed, thereby making the cathode transparent to the wave electric field with azimuthal polarization. In addition, an optimal choice of the number and position of cathode strips provide favorable prebunching of the electron flow over the cathode for fast excitation of the operating mode. Particle-in-cell simulations of the A6 magnetron demonstrate these advantages of this novel cathode.

Plasma Properties of Microwave Produced Plasma in a Toroidal Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Ajay; Edwards, W. F.; Held, Eric

2011-10-01

We have modified a small tokamak, STOR-1M, on loan from University of Saskatchewan, to operate as a low-temperature (~5 eV) toroidal plasma machine with externally induced toroidal magnetic fields ranging from zero to ~50 G. The plasma is produced using microwave discharges at relatively high pressures. Microwaves are produced by a kitchen microwave-oven magnetron operating at 2.45 GHz in continuous operating mode, resulting in pulses ~0.5 s in duration. Initial measurements of plasma formation in this device with and without applied magnetic fields are presented. Plasma density and temperature profiles have been measured using Langmuir probes and the magnetic field profile inside the plasma has been obtained using Hall probes. When the discharge is created with no applied toroidal magnetic field, the plasma does not fill the entire torus due to high background pressure. However, when a toroidal magnetic field is applied, the plasma flows along the applied field, filling the torus. Increasing the applied magnetic field seems to aid plasma formation - the peak density increases and the density gradient becomes steeper. Above a threshold magnetic field, the plasma develops low-frequency density oscillations due to probable excitation of flute modes in the plasma.

Studies on Magnetron Sputtered ZnO-Ag Films: Adhesion Activity of S. aureus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geetha, S. R.; Dhivya, P.; Raj, P. Deepak; Sridharan, M.; Princy, S. Adline

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been deposited onto thoroughly cleaned stainless steel (AISI SS 304) substrates by reactive direct current (dc) magnetron sputtering and the films were doped with silver (Ag). The prepared thin films were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) to investigate the structural and morphological properties. The thickness values of the films were in the range of 194 to 256nm. XRD results revealed that the films were crystalline with preferred (002) orientation. Grain size values of pure ZnO films were found to be 19.82-23.72nm. On introducing Ag into ZnO film, the micro-structural properties varied. Adhesion test was carried out with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in order to know the adherence property of the deposited films. Colony formation units (CFU) were counted manually and bacterial adhesion inhibition (BAI) was calculated. We observed a decrease in the CFU on doping Ag in the ZnO films. BAI of the film deposited at - 100 V substrate bias was found to be increased on Ag doping from 69 to 88%.

An Al-doped ZnO electrode grown by highly efficient cylindrical rotating magnetron sputtering for low cost organic photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jun-Hyuk; Ahn, Kyung-Jun; Park, Kang-Il; Na, Seok-In; Kim, Han-Ki

2010-03-01

We report the characteristics of Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films prepared by a highly efficient cylindrical rotating magnetron sputtering (CRMS) system for use as a transparent conducting electrode in cost-efficient bulk hetero-junction organic solar cells (OSCs). Using a rotating cylindrical type cathode with an AZO target, whose usage was above 80%, we were able to obtain a low cost and indium free AZO electrode with a low sheet resistance of ~4.59 Ω/sq, a high transparency of 85% in the visible wavelength region and a work function of 4.9 eV at a substrate temperature of 230 °C. Moreover, the neutral poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) : poly(styrenesulfonate) based OSC fabricated on the CRMS-grown AZO electrode at 230 °C showed an open circuit voltage of 0.5 V, a short circuit current of 8.94 mA cm-2, a fill factor of 45% and power conversion efficiency of 2.01%, indicating that CRMS is a promising cost-efficient AZO deposition technique for low cost OSCs.

Simulation, fabrication and characterization of ZnO based thin film transistors grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering.

PubMed

Singh, Shaivalini; Chakrabarti, P

2012-03-01

We report the performance of the thin film transistors (TFTs) using ZnO as an active channel layer grown by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. The bottom gate type TFT, consists of a conventional thermally grown SiO2 as gate insulator onto p-type Si substrates. The X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that the ZnO films are preferentially orientated in the (002) plane, with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. A typical ZnO TFT fabricated by this method exhibits saturation field effect mobility of about 0.6134 cm2/V s, an on to off ratio of 102, an off current of 2.0 x 10(-7) A, and a threshold voltage of 3.1 V at room temperature. Simulation of this TFT is also carried out by using the commercial software modeling tool ATLAS from Silvaco-International. The simulated global characteristics of the device were compared and contrasted with those measured experimentally. The experimental results are in fairly good agreement with those obtained from simulation.

The behaviour of arcs in carbon mixed-mode high-power impulse magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tucker, M. D.; Putman, K. J.; Ganesan, R.; Lattemann, M.; Stueber, M.; Ulrich, S.; Bilek, M. M. M.; McKenzie, D. R.; Marks, N. A.

2017-04-01

Mixed-mode deposition of carbon is an extension of high-power impulse magnetron sputtering in which a short-lived arc is deliberately allowed to ignite on the target surface to increase the ionised fraction of carbon in the deposition flux. Here we investigate the ignition and evolution of these arcs and examine their behaviour for different conditions of argon pressure, power supply voltage, and current. We find that mixed-mode deposition is sensitive to the condition of the target surface, and changing the operating parameters causes changes in the target surface condition which themselves affect the discharge in a process of negative feedback. Initially the arcs are evenly distributed on the target racetrack, but after a long period of operation the mode of erosion changes and arcs become localised in a small region, resulting in a pronounced nodular structure. We also quantify macroparticle generation and observe a power-law size distribution typical of arc discharges. Fewer particles are generated for operation at lower Ar pressure when the arc spot velocity is higher.

Comparative measurements of plasma potential with ball-pen and Langmuir probe in low-temperature magnetized plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanáška, M.; Adámek, J.; Peterka, M.; Kudrna, P.; Tichý, M.

2015-03-01

The ball-pen probe (BPP) is used for direct plasma potential measurements in magnetized plasma. The probe can adjust the ratio of the electron and ion saturation currents Isat-/Isat+ to be close to one and therefore its I-V characteristic becomes nearly symmetric. If this is achieved, the floating potential of the BPP is close to the plasma potential. Because of its rather simple construction, it offers an attractive probe for measurements in magnetized plasma. Comparative measurements of plasma potential by BPPs of different dimensions as well as one Langmuir probe (LP) in an argon discharge plasma of a cylindrical magnetron were performed at various experimental conditions. An additional comparison by an emissive probe was also performed. All these types of probes provide similar values of plasma potential in a wide range of plasma parameters. Our results for three different BPP dimensions indicate that the BPP can be operated in a cylindrical magnetron DC argon discharge if the value of the ratio of the magnetic field and neutral gas pressure, B/p, is greater than approximately 10 mT/Pa.

Preparation of magnetron sputtered ZrO2 films on Si for gate dielectric application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondaiah, P.; Mohan Rao, G.; Uthanna, S.

2012-11-01

Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) thin films were deposited on to p - Si and quartz substrates by sputtering of zirconium target at an oxygen partial pressure of 4x10-2 Pa and sputter pressure of 0.4 Pa by using DC reactive magnetron sputtering technique. The effect of annealing temperature on structural, optical, electrical and dielectric properties of the ZrO2 films was systematically studied. The as-deposited films were mixed phases of monoclinic and orthorhombic ZrO2. As the annealing temperature increased to 1073 K, the films were transformed in to single phase orthorhombic ZrO2. Fourier transform infrared studies conform the presence of interfacial layer between Si and ZrO2. The optical band gap and refractive index of the as-deposited films were 5.82 eV and 1.81. As the annealing temperature increased to 1073 K the optical band gap and refractive index increased to 5.92 eV and 2.10 respectively. The structural changes were influenced the capacitance-voltage and current-voltage characteristics of Al/ZrO2/p-Si capacitors. The dielectric constant was increased from 11.6 to 24.5 and the leakage current was decreased from 1.65×10-7 to 3.30×10-9 A/ cm2 for the as-deposited and annealed at 1073 K respectively.

Evaluation of the optoelectronic properties and corrosion behavior of Al2O3-doped ZnO films prepared by dc pulsed magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubizarreta, C.; Berasategui, E. G.; Bayón, R.; Escobar Galindo, R.; Barros, R.; Gaspar, D.; Nunes, D.; Calmeiro, T.; Martins, R.; Fortunato, E.; Barriga, J.

2014-12-01

The main requirements for transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films acting as electrodes are a high transmission rate in the visible spectral region and low resistivity. However, in many cases, tolerance to temperature and humidity exposure is also an important requirement to be fulfilled by the TCOs to assure proper operation and durability. Besides improving current encapsulation methods, the corrosion resistance of the developed TCOs must also be enhanced to warrant the performance of optoelectronic devices. In this paper the performance of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films deposited by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering has been studied. Structure, optical transmittance/reflectance, electrical properties (resistivity, carrier concentration and mobility) and corrosion resistance of the developed coatings have been analyzed as a function of the doping of the target and the coating thickness. Films grown from a 2.0 wt% Al2O3 target with a thickness of approximately 1 µm showed a very low resistivity of 6.54  ×  10-4 Ωcm and a high optical transmittance in the visible range of 84%. Corrosion studies of the developed samples have shown very low corrosion currents (nanoamperes), very high corrosion resistances (in the order of 107 Ω) and very high electrochemical stability, indicating no tendency for electrochemical corrosion degradation.

Deposition and characterization of TiAlSiN nanocomposite coatings prepared by reactive pulsed direct current unbalanced magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barshilia, Harish C.; Ghosh, Moumita; Shashidhara; Ramakrishna, Raja; Rajam, K. S.

2010-08-01

This work reports the performance of high speed steel drill bits coated with TiAlSiN nanocomposite coating at different Si contents (5.5-8.1 at.%) prepared using a four-cathode reactive pulsed direct current unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. The surface morphology of the as-deposited coatings was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The crystallographic structure, chemical composition and bonding structure were evaluated using X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The corrosion behavior, mechanical properties and thermal stability of TiAlSiN nanocomposite coatings were also studied using potentiodynamic polarization, nanoindentation and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The TiAlSiN coating thickness was approximately 2.5-2.9 μm. These coatings exhibited a maximum hardness of 38 GPa at a silicon content of approximately 6.9 at.% and were stable in air up to 850 °C. For the performance evaluation, the TiAlSiN coated drills were tested under accelerated machining conditions by drilling a 12 mm thick 304 stainless steel plate. Under dry conditions the uncoated drill bits failed after drilling 50 holes, whereas, TiAlSiN coated drill bits (Si = 5.5 at.%) drilled 714 holes before failure. Results indicated that for TiAlSiN coated drill bits the tool life increased by a factor of more than 14.

Effect of thickness on surface morphology, optical and humidity sensing properties of RF magnetron sputtered CCTO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmadipour, Mohsen; Ain, Mohd Fadzil; Ahmad, Zainal Arifin

2016-11-01

In this study, calcium copper titanate (CCTO) thin films were deposited on ITO substrates successfully by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method in argon atmosphere. The CCTO thin films present a polycrystalline, uniform and porous structure. The surface morphology, optical and humidity sensing properties of the synthesized CCTO thin films have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV-vis spectrophotometer and current-voltage (I-V) analysis. XRD and AFM confirmed that the intensity of peaks and pore size of CCTO thin films were enhanced by increasing the thin films. Tauc plot method was adopted to estimate the optical band gaps. The surface structure and energy band gaps of the deposited films were affected by film thickness. Energy band gap of the layers were 3.76 eV, 3.68 eV and 3.5 eV for 200 nm, 400 nm, and 600 nm CCTO thin films layer, respectively. The humidity sensing properties were measured by using direct current (DC) analysis method. The response times were 12 s, 22 s, and 35 s while the recovery times were 500 s, 600 s, and 650 s for 200 nm, 400 nm, and 600 nm CCTO thin films, respectively at humidity range of 30-90% relative humidity (RH).

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-based thin film capacitors for embedded passive applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Taeyun

Investigations on the key processing parameters and properties relationship for lead zirconate titanate (PZT, 52/48) based thin film capacitors for embedded passive capacitor application were performed using electroless Ni coated Cu foils as substrates. Undoped and Ca-doped PZT (52/48) thin film capacitors were prepared on electroless Ni coated Cu foil by chemical solution deposition. For PZT (52/48) thin film capacitors on electroless Ni coated Cu foil, voltage independent (zero tunability) capacitance behavior was observed. Dielectric constant reduced to more than half of the identical capacitor processed on Pt/SiO2/Si. Dielectric properties of the capacitors were mostly dependent on the crystallization temperature. Capacitance densities of almost 350 nF/cm2 and 0.02˜0.03 of loss tangent were routinely measured for capacitors crystallized at 575˜600°C. Leakage current showed dependence on film thickness and crystallization temperature. From a two-capacitor model, the existence of a low permittivity interface layer (permittivity ˜30) was suggested. For Ca-doped PZT (52/48) thin film capacitors prepared on Pt, typical ferroelectric and dielectric properties were measured up to 5 mol% Ca doping. When Ca-doped PZT (52/48) thin film capacitors were prepared on electroless Ni coated Cu foil, phase stability was influenced by Ca doping and phosphorous content. Dielectric properties showed dependence on the crystallization temperature and phosphorous content. Capacitance density of ˜400 nF/cm2 was achieved, which is an improvement by more than 30% compared to undoped composition. Ca doping also reduced the temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC) less than 10%, all of them were consistent in satisfying the requirements of embedded passive capacitor. Leakage current density was not affected significantly by doping. To tailor the dielectric and reliability properties, ZrO2 was selected as buffer layer between PZT and electroless Ni. Only RF magnetron sputtering process could yield stable ZrO2 layers on electroless Ni coated Cu foil. Other processes resulted in secondary phase formation, which supports the reaction between PZT capacitor and electroless Ni might be dominated by phosphorous component. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Fabrication and characterization of flaky core-shell particles by magnetron sputtering silver onto diatomite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Deyuan; Cai, Jun

2016-02-01

Diatomite has delicate porous structures and various shapes, making them ideal templates for microscopic core-shell particles fabrication. In this study, a new process of magnetron sputtering assisted with photoresist positioning was proposed to fabricate lightweight silver coated porous diatomite with superior coating quality and performance. The diatomite has been treated with different sputtering time to investigate the silver film growing process on the surface. The morphologies, constituents, phase structures and surface roughness of the silver coated diatomite were analyzed with SEM, EDS, XRD and AFM respectively. The results showed that the optimized magnetron sputtering time was 8-16 min, under which the diatomite templates were successfully coated with uniform silver film, which exhibits face centered cubic (fcc) structure, and the initial porous structures were kept. Moreover, this silver coating has lower surface roughness (RMS 4.513 ± 0.2 nm) than that obtained by electroless plating (RMS 15.692 ± 0.5 nm). And the infrared emissivity of coatings made with magnetron sputtering and electroless plating silver coated diatomite can reach to the lowest value of 0.528 and 0.716 respectively.

Chemically induced porosity on BiVO4 films produced by double magnetron sputtering to enhance the photo-electrochemical response.

PubMed

Thalluri, Sitaramanjaneya Mouli; Rojas, Roberto Mirabal; Rivera, Osmary Depablos; Hernández, Simelys; Russo, Nunzio; Rodil, Sandra Elizabeth

2015-07-21

Double magnetron sputtering (DMS) is an efficient system that is well known because of its precise control of the thin film synthesizing process over any kind of substrate. Here, DMS has been adopted to synthesize BiVO4 films over a conducting substrate (FTO), using metallic vanadium and ceramic Bi2O3 targets simultaneously. The films were characterized using different techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and profilometry. The photo-electrochemical analysis was performed using linear scan voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) under the illumination of simulated solar light at 1 Sun. The photocurrent density of the sputtered BiVO4 thin films could be improved from 0.01 mA cm(-2) to 1.19 mA cm(-2) at 1.23 V vs. RHE by chemical treatment using potassium hydroxide (KOH). The effect of KOH was the removal of impurities from the grain boundaries, leading to a more porous structure and more pure crystalline monoclinic BiVO4 particles. Such variations in the microstructure as well as the improvement of the charge transfer properties of the BiVO4 film after the KOH treatment were confirmed and studied in depth by EIS analysis.

Antimicrobial effect of TiO2 doped with Ag and Cu on Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angelov, O.; Stoyanova, D.; Ivanova, I.

2016-10-01

Antimicrobial effect of TiO2 doped with Ag and Cu on Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida is studied. The thin films are deposited on glass substrates without heating during the deposition by r.f. magnetron co-sputtering of TiO2 target and pieces of Ag and Cu. The studied films, thickness about 65 nm, were as deposited and annealed (5200C, 4h, N2+5%H2, 4Pa). The as deposited thin films TiO2:Ag:Cu have band gap energy of 3.56 eV little higher than the band gap of crystalline anatase TiO2 which can be explained with the quantum effect of the granular structure of r.f. magnetron sputtered films. The annealed samples have band gap of 2.52 eV due to formation of donor levels from Ag and Cu atoms near the bottom of the conduction band. The toxic effect was determined through the classical Koch's method and the optical density measurements at λ=610 nm. The as deposited TiO2:Ag:Cu thin films demonstrate stronger inhibition effect - bactericidal for P. putida and bacteriostatic for E. coli (up to the 6th hour) in comparison with the annealed samples. The both methods of study show the same trends of the bacterial growth independently of their different sensitivity which confirms the observed effect.

Enhanced electrical and optical properties of room temperature deposited Aluminium doped Zinc Oxide (AZO) thin films by excimer laser annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El hamali, S. O.; Cranton, W. M.; Kalfagiannis, N.; Hou, X.; Ranson, R.; Koutsogeorgis, D. C.

2016-05-01

High quality transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) often require a high thermal budget fabrication process. In this study, Excimer Laser Annealing (ELA) at a wavelength of 248 nm has been explored as a processing mechanism to facilitate low thermal budget fabrication of high quality aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films. 180 nm thick AZO films were prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering at room temperature on fused silica substrates. The effects of the applied RF power and the sputtering pressure on the outcome of ELA at different laser energy densities and number of pulses have been investigated. AZO films deposited with no intentional heating at 180 W, and at 2 mTorr of 0.2% oxygen in argon were selected as the optimum as-deposited films in this work, with a resistivity of 1×10-3 Ω.cm, and an average visible transmission of 85%. ELA was found to result in noticeably reduced resistivity of 5×10-4 Ω.cm, and enhancing the average visible transmission to 90% when AZO is processed with 5 pulses at 125 mJ/cm2. Therefore, the combination of RF magnetron sputtering and ELA, both low thermal budget and scalable techniques, can provide a viable fabrication route of high quality AZO films for use as transparent electrodes.

Understanding of gas phase deposition of reactive magnetron sputtered TiO2 thin films and its correlation with bactericidal efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panda, A. B.; Mahapatra, S. K.; Barhai, P. K.; Das, A. K.; Banerjee, I.

2012-10-01

Nanostructured TiO2 thin films were deposited using RF reactive magnetron sputtering at different O2 flow rates (20, 30, 50 and 60 sccm) and constant RF power of 200 W. In situ investigation of the nucleation and growth of the films was made by Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES). The nano amorphous nature as revealed from X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the as deposited films and abundance of the Ti3+ surface oxidation states and surface hydroxyl group (OH-) in the films deposited at 50 sccm as determined from X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS) was explained on the basis of emission spectra studies. The increase in band gap and decrease in particle size with O2 flow rate was observed from transmission spectra of UV-vis spectroscopy. Photoinduced hydrophilicity has been studied using Optical Contact Angle (OCA) measurement. The post irradiated films showed improved hydrophilicity. The bactericidal efficiency of these films was investigated taking Escherichia coli as model bacteria. The films deposited at 50 sccm shows better bactericidal activity as revealed from the optical density (OD) measurement. The qualitative analysis of the bactericidal efficiency was depicted from Scanning Electron Microscope images. A correlation between bactericidal efficiency and the deposited film has been established and explained on the basis of nucleation growth, band gap and hydrophilicity of the films.

Corrosion-resistant amorphous metallic films of Mo49Cr33B18 alloy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramesham, R.; Distefano, S.; Fitzgerald, D.; Thakoor, A. P.; Khanna, S. K.

1987-01-01

Corrosion-resistant amorphous metallic alloy films of Mo49Cr33B18 with a crystallization temperature of 590 C were deposited onto glass and quartz substrates by magnetron sputter-quench technique. The amorphous nature of the films was confirmed by their diffuse X-ray diffraction patterns. The deposited films are densely packed (zone T) and exhibit low stress and good adhesion to the substrate. Corrosion current of as-deposited coating of MoCrB amorphous metallic alloy is approximately three orders of magnitude less than the corrosion current of 304 stainless steel in 1N H2SO4 solution.

Plasma sputtering robotic device for in-situ thick coatings of long, small diameter vacuum tubes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hershcovitch, A., E-mail: hershcovitch@bnl.gov; Blaskiewicz, M.; Brennan, J. M.

A novel robotic plasma magnetron mole with a 50 cm long cathode was designed, fabricated, and operated. The reason for this endeavor is to alleviate the problems of unacceptable resistive heating of stainless steel vacuum tubes in the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The magnetron mole was successfully operated to copper coat an assembly containing a full-size, stainless steel, cold bore, RHIC magnet tubing connected to two types of RHIC bellows, to which two additional pipes made of RHIC tubing were connected. To increase the cathode lifetime, a movable magnet package was developed, and the thickest possible cathode was made,more » with a rather challenging target to substrate (de facto anode) distance of less than 1.5 cm. Achieving reliable steady state magnetron discharges at such a short cathode to anode gap was rather challenging, when compared to commercial coating equipment, where the target to substrate distance is 10's cm; 6.3 cm is the lowest experimental target to substrate distance found in the literature. Additionally, the magnetron developed during this project provides unique omni-directional uniform coating. The magnetron is mounted on a carriage with spring loaded wheels that successfully crossed bellows and adjusted for variations in vacuum tube diameter, while keeping the magnetron centered. Electrical power and cooling water were fed through a cable bundle. The umbilical cabling system is driven by a motorized spool. Excellent coating adhesion was achieved. Measurements indicated that well-scrubbed copper coating reduced secondary electron yield to 1, i.e., the problem of electron clouds can be eliminated. Room temperature RF resistivity measurement indicated that a 10 μm copper coated stainless steel RHIC tube has a conductivity close to that of pure copper tubing. Excellent coating adhesion was achieved. The device details and experimental results are described.« less

Plasma Sputtering Robotic Device for In-Situ Thick Coatings of Long, Small Diameter Vacuum Tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hershcovitch, Ady

2014-10-01

A novel robotic plasma magnetron mole with a 50 cm long cathode was designed fabricated & operated. Reason for this endeavor is to alleviate the problems of unacceptable ohmic heating of stainless steel vacuum tubes and of electron clouds, due to high secondary electron yield (SEY), in the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The magnetron mole was successfully operated to copper coat an assembly containing a full-size, stainless steel, cold bore, RHIC magnet tubing connected to two types of RHIC bellows, to which two additional pipes made of RHIC tubing were connected. To increase cathode lifetime, movable magnet package was developed, and thickest possible cathode was made, with a rather challenging target to substrate (de facto anode) distance of less than 1.5 cm. Achieving reliable steady state magnetron discharges at such a short cathode to anode gap was rather challenging, when compared to commercial coating equipment, where the target to substrate distance is 10's cm; 6.3 cm is the lowest experimental target to substrate distance found in the literature. Additionally, the magnetron developed during this project provides unique omni-directional uniform coating. The magnetron is mounted on a carriage with spring loaded wheels that successfully crossed bellows and adjusted for variations in vacuum tube diameter, while keeping the magnetron centered. Electrical power and cooling water were fed through a cable bundle. The umbilical cabling system is driven by a motorized spool. Excellent coating adhesion was achieved. Measurements indicated that well-scrubbed copper coating reduced SEY to 1, i.e., the problem of electron clouds can be eliminated. Room temperature RF resistivity measurement indicated that 10 μm Cu coated stainless steel RHIC tube has conductivity close to that of pure copper tubing. Excellent coating adhesion was achieved. Device detail and experimental results will be presented. Work supported by Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC02-98CH1-886 with the US Department of Energy.

Plasma sputtering robotic device for in-situ thick coatings of long, small diameter vacuum tubesa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hershcovitch, A.; Blaskiewicz, M.; Brennan, J. M.; Custer, A.; Dingus, A.; Erickson, M.; Fischer, W.; Jamshidi, N.; Laping, R.; Liaw, C.-J.; Meng, W.; Poole, H. J.; Todd, R.

2015-05-01

A novel robotic plasma magnetron mole with a 50 cm long cathode was designed, fabricated, and operated. The reason for this endeavor is to alleviate the problems of unacceptable resistive heating of stainless steel vacuum tubes in the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The magnetron mole was successfully operated to copper coat an assembly containing a full-size, stainless steel, cold bore, RHIC magnet tubing connected to two types of RHIC bellows, to which two additional pipes made of RHIC tubing were connected. To increase the cathode lifetime, a movable magnet package was developed, and the thickest possible cathode was made, with a rather challenging target to substrate (de facto anode) distance of less than 1.5 cm. Achieving reliable steady state magnetron discharges at such a short cathode to anode gap was rather challenging, when compared to commercial coating equipment, where the target to substrate distance is 10's cm; 6.3 cm is the lowest experimental target to substrate distance found in the literature. Additionally, the magnetron developed during this project provides unique omni-directional uniform coating. The magnetron is mounted on a carriage with spring loaded wheels that successfully crossed bellows and adjusted for variations in vacuum tube diameter, while keeping the magnetron centered. Electrical power and cooling water were fed through a cable bundle. The umbilical cabling system is driven by a motorized spool. Excellent coating adhesion was achieved. Measurements indicated that well-scrubbed copper coating reduced secondary electron yield to 1, i.e., the problem of electron clouds can be eliminated. Room temperature RF resistivity measurement indicated that a 10 μm copper coated stainless steel RHIC tube has a conductivity close to that of pure copper tubing. Excellent coating adhesion was achieved. The device details and experimental results are described.

Application of valence-to-core X-ray emission spectroscopy for identification and estimation of amount of carbon covalently bonded to chromium in amorphous Cr-C coatings prepared by magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safonov, V. A.; Habazaki, H.; Glatzel, P.; Fishgoit, L. A.; Drozhzhin, O. A.; Lafuerza, S.; Safonova, O. V.

2018-01-01

Cr-C coatings containing different amount of carbon ranging from ∼5 to 50 at.% were prepared by the direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering on a polished substrate of polycrystalline silicon. The thickness of the samples was about 400 nm. We characterized the composition and the structure of the as-received coatings and those annealed at 500 °C by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and valence-to-core X-ray emission spectroscopy (vtc-XES) methods As follows from XRD measurements, the samples with the carbon content above 35 at.% do not demonstrate any sign of the long-range order and annealing at 500 °C does not change their crystallinity. The vtc-XES curves of the as-prepared and annealed samples can be fitted as a superposition of corresponding spectra of chromium metal and chromium carbide (Cr3C2) phases. After the annealing, the content of carbides in the samples (and, correspondingly, the content of covalently bonded carbon) somewhat increases. This suggests that the as-received coatings contain a certain amount of carbon that is not covalently bonded to chromium (most likely, elemental carbon) and their annealing at 500 °C transforms this carbon into the additional (of the order of 2-5 at.%) amount of chromium carbide compounds. It deserves mentioning that for Cr-C coatings prepared by the electrochemical deposition from Cr(III) electrolytes containing organic compounds we have not observed changes in the vtc-X-ray emission spectra after similar annealing. This suggests that electrochemical deposition method in contrast to magnetron sputtering technique even at low temperatures favors the formation of only covalently bonded carbon.

Decorative black TiCxOy film fabricated by DC magnetron sputtering without importing oxygen reactive gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ono, Katsushi; Wakabayashi, Masao; Tsukakoshi, Yukio; Abe, Yoshiyuki

2016-02-01

Decorative black TiCxOy films were fabricated by dc (direct current) magnetron sputtering without importing the oxygen reactive gas into the sputtering chamber. Using a ceramic target of titanium oxycarbide (TiC1.59O0.31), the oxygen content in the films could be easily controlled by adjustment of total sputtering gas pressure without remarkable change of the carbon content. The films deposited at 2.0 and 4.0 Pa, those are higher pressure when compared with that in conventional magnetron sputtering, showed an attractive black color. In particular, the film at 4.0 Pa had the composition of TiC1.03O1.10, exhibited the L* of 41.5, a* of 0.2 and b* of 0.6 in CIELAB color space. These values were smaller than those in the TiC0.29O1.38 films (L* of 45.8, a* of 1.2 and b* of 1.2) fabricated by conventional reactive sputtering method from the same target under the conditions of gas pressure of 0.3 Pa and optimized oxygen reactive gas concentration of 2.5 vol.% in sputtering gas. Analysis of XRD and XPS revealed that the black film deposited at 4.0 Pa was the amorphous film composed of TiC, TiO and C. The adhesion property and the heat resisting property were enough for decorative uses. This sputtering process has an industrial advantage that the decorative black coating with color uniformity in large area can be easily obtained by plain operation because of unnecessary of the oxygen reactive gas importing which is difficult to be controlled uniformly in the sputtering chamber.

Effects of nitrogen ion implantation time on tungsten films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering on AISI 410 martensitic stainless steel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malau, Viktor, E-mail: malau@ugm.ac.id; Ilman, Mochammad Noer, E-mail: noer-ilman@yahoo.com; Iswanto, Priyo Tri, E-mail: priyatri@yahoo.com

Nitrogen ion implantation time on tungsten thin film deposited on surface of AISI 410 steel has been performed. Tungsten thin film produced by dc magnetron sputtering method was deposited on AISI 410 martensitic stainless steel substrates, and then the nitrogen ions were implanted on tungsten thin film. The objective of this research is to investigate the effects of implantation deposition time on surface roughness, microhardness, specific wear and corrosion rate of nitrogen implanted on tungsten film. Magnetron sputtering process was performed by using plasma gas of argon (Ar) to bombardier tungsten target (W) in a vacuum chamber with a pressuremore » of 7.6 x 10{sup −2} torr, a voltage of 300 V, a sputter current of 80 mA for sputtered time of 10 minutes. Nitrogen implantation on tungsten film was done with an initial pressure of 3x10{sup −6} mbar, a fluence of 2 x 10{sup 17} ions/cm{sup 2}, an energy of 100 keV and implantation deposition times of 0, 20, 30 and 40 minutes. The surface roughness, microhardness, specific wear and corrosion rate of the films were evaluated by surfcorder test, Vickers microhardness test, wear test and potentiostat (galvanostat) test respectively. The results show that the nitrogen ions implanted deposition time on tungsten film can modify the surface roughness, microhardness, specific wear and corrosion rate. The minimum surface roughness, specific wear and corrosion rate can be obtained for implantation time of 20 minutes and the maximum microhardness of the film is 329 VHN (Vickers Hardness Number) for implantation time of 30 minutes. The specific wear and corrosion rate of the film depend directly on the surface roughness.« less

The structure, surface topography and mechanical properties of Si-C-N films fabricated by RF and DC magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Zhifeng; Wang, Yingjun; Du, Chang; Huang, Nan; Wang, Lin; Ning, Chengyun

2011-12-01

Silicon carbon nitride thin films were deposited on Co-Cr alloy under varying deposition conditions such as sputtering power and the partial pressure ratio of N2 to Ar by radio frequency and direct current magnetron sputtering techniques. The chemical bonding configurations, surface topography and hardness were characterized by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and nano-indentation technique. The sputtering power exhibited important influence on the film composition, chemical bonding configurations and surface topography, the electro-negativity had primary effects on chemical bonding configurations at low sputtering power. A progressive densification of the film microstructure occurring with the carbon fraction was increased. The films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering, the relative content of the Si-N bond in the films increased with the sputtering power increased, and Si-C and Si-Si were easily detachable, and C-O, N-N and N-O on the film volatile by ion bombardment which takes place very frequently during the film formation process. With the increase of sputtering power, the films became smoother and with finer particle growth. The hardness varied between 6 GPa and 11.23 GPa depending on the partial pressure ratio of N2 to Ar. The tribological characterization of Co-Cr alloy with Si-C-N coating sliding against UHMWPE counter-surface in fetal bovine serum, shows that the wear resistance of the Si-C-N coated Co-Cr alloy/UHMWPE sliding pair show much favourable improvement over that of uncoated Co-Cr alloy/UHMWPE sliding pair. This study is important for the development of advanced coatings with tailored mechanical and tribological properties.

Pd-catalysts for DFAFC prepared by magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bieloshapka, I.; Jiricek, P.; Vorokhta, M.; Tomsik, E.; Rednyk, A.; Perekrestov, R.; Jurek, K.; Ukraintsev, E.; Hruska, K.; Romanyuk, O.; Lesiak, B.

2017-10-01

Samples of a palladium catalyst for direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) applications were prepared on the Elat® carbon cloth by magnetron sputtering. The quantity of Pd was equal to 3.6, 120 and 720 μg/cm2. The samples were tested in a fuel cell for electro-oxidation of formic acid, and were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS measurements revealed a high contribution of PdCx phase formed at the Pd/Elat® surface interface, with carbon concentration in PdCx from x = 9.9-14.6 at.%, resulting from the C substrate and CO residual gases. Oxygen groups, e.g. hydroxyl (-OH), carbonyl (Cdbnd O) and carboxyl (COOH), resulted from the synthesis conditions due to the presence of residual gases, electro-oxidation during the reaction and oxidation in the atmosphere. Because of the formation of CO and CO2 on the catalysts during the reaction, or because of poisoning by impurities containing the -CH3 group, together with the risk of Pd losses due to dissolution in formic acid, there was a negative effect of catalyst degradation on the active area surface. The effect of different loadings of Pd layers led to increasing catalyst efficiency. Current-voltage curves showed that different amounts of catalyst did not increase the DFAFC power to a great extent. One reason for this was the catalyst structure formed on the carbon cloth. AFM and SEM measurements showed a layer-by-layer growth with no significant variations in morphology. The results for electric power recalculated for the Pd loading per 1 mg of catalyst layers in comparison to carbon substrates decorated by Pd nanoparticles showed that there is potential for applying anodes for formic acid fuel cells prepared by magnetron sputtering.

A boron and gallium co-doped ZnO intermediate layer for ZnO/Si heterojunction diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Yuanxi; Huang, Jian; Li, Bing; Tang, Ke; Ma, Yuncheng; Cao, Meng; Wang, Lin; Wang, Linjun

2018-01-01

ZnO (Zinc oxide)/Si (Silicon) heterojunctions were prepared by depositing n-type ZnO films on p-type single crystal Si substrates using magnetron sputtering. A boron and gallium co-doped ZnO (BGZO) high conductivity intermediate layer was deposited between aurum (Au) electrodes and ZnO films. The influence of the BGZO layer on the properties of Au/ZnO contacts and the performance of ZnO/Si heterojunctions was investigated. The results show an improvement in contact resistance by introducing the BGZO layer. Compared with the ZnO/Si heterojunction, the BGZO/ZnO/Si heterojunction exhibits a larger forward current, a smaller turn-on voltage and higher ratio of ultraviolet (UV) photo current/dark current.

Heterojunction photodiode on cleaved SiC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solovan, Mykhailo M.; Farah, John; Kovaliuk, Taras T.; Brus, Viktor V.; Mostovyi, Andrii I.; Maistruk, Eduard V.; Maryanchuk, Pavlo D.

2018-01-01

Graphite/n-SiC Shottky diodes were prepared by means of the recently proposed technique based on the transferring of drawn graphite films onto the n-SiC single crystal substrate. Current-voltage characteristics were measured and analyzed. High quality ohmic contancts were prepared by the DC magnetron sputtering of Ni thin films onto cleaved n-type SiC single crystal substrates. The height of the potential barrier and the series resistance of the graphite/n-SiC junctions were measured and analysed. The dominant current transport mechanisms through the diodes were determined. There was shown that the dominant current transport mechanisms through the graphite/n-SiC Shottky diodes were the multi-step tunnel-recombination at forward bias and the tunnelling mechanisms at reverse bias.

Low-temperature plasma simulations with the LSP PIC code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlsson, Johan; Khrabrov, Alex; Kaganovich, Igor; Keating, David; Selezneva, Svetlana; Sommerer, Timothy

2014-10-01

The LSP (Large-Scale Plasma) PIC-MCC code has been used to simulate several low-temperature plasma configurations, including a gas switch for high-power AC/DC conversion, a glow discharge and a Hall thruster. Simulation results will be presented with an emphasis on code comparison and validation against experiment. High-voltage, direct-current (HVDC) power transmission is becoming more common as it can reduce construction costs and power losses. Solid-state power-electronics devices are presently used, but it has been proposed that gas switches could become a compact, less costly, alternative. A gas-switch conversion device would be based on a glow discharge, with a magnetically insulated cold cathode. Its operation is similar to that of a sputtering magnetron, but with much higher pressure (0.1 to 0.3 Torr) in order to achieve high current density. We have performed 1D (axial) and 2D (axial/radial) simulations of such a gas switch using LSP. The 1D results were compared with results from the EDIPIC code. To test and compare the collision models used by the LSP and EDIPIC codes in more detail, a validation exercise was performed for the cathode fall of a glow discharge. We will also present some 2D (radial/azimuthal) LSP simulations of a Hall thruster. The information, data, or work presented herein was funded in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), U.S. Department of Energy, under Award Number DE-AR0000298.

Investigating the role of hydrogen in silicon deposition using an energy-resolved mass spectrometer and a Langmuir probe in an Ar/H{sub 2} radio frequency magnetron discharge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mensah, S. L.; Naseem, Hameed H.; Abu-Safe, Husam

2012-07-15

The plasma parameters and ion energy distributions (IED) of the dominant species in an Ar-H{sub 2} discharge are investigated with an energy resolved mass spectrometer and a Langmuir probe. The plasmas are generated in a conventional magnetron chamber powered at 150 W, 13.56 MHz at hydrogen flow rates ranging from 0 to 25 sccm with a fixed argon gas flow rate of 15 sccm. Various H{sub n}{sup +}, SiH{sub n}{sup +}, SiH{sub n} fragments (with n = 1, 2, 3) together with Ar{sup +} and ArH{sup +} species are detected in the discharge. The most important species for the filmmore » deposition is SiH{sub n} (with n = 0, 1, 2). H fragments affect the hydrogen content in the material. The flux of Ar{sup +} decreases and the flux of ArH{sup +} increases when the hydrogen flow rate is increased; however, both fluxes saturate at hydrogen flow rates above 15 sccm. Electron density, n{sub e}, electron energy, T{sub e}, and ion density, n{sub i}, are estimated from the Langmuir probe data. T{sub e} is below 1.2 eV at hydrogen flow rates below 8 sccm, and about 2 eV at flow rates above 8 sccm. n{sub e} and n{sub i} decrease with increased hydrogen flow but the ratio of n{sub i} to n{sub e} increases. The formation of H{sup +} ions with energies above 36 eV and electrons with energies greater than 2 eV contributes to the decrease in hydrogen content at hydrogen flow rates above 8 sccm. Analysis of the IEDs indicates an inter-dependence of the species and their contribution to the thin film growth and properties.« less

Effects of annealing temperature on the structural, mechanical and electrical properties of flexible bismuth telluride thin films prepared by high-pressure RF magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singkaselit, Kamolmad; Sakulkalavek, Aparporn; Sakdanuphab, Rachsak

2017-09-01

In this work Bi x Te y thin films were deposited on polyimide substrate by a high-pressure RF magnetron sputtering technique. The deposited condition was maintained using a high pressure of 1.3  ×  10-2 mbar. The as-deposited films show Bi2Te3 structure with Te excess phase (Te-rich Bi2Te3). After that, as-deposited films were annealed in the vacuum chamber under the N2 flow at temperatures from 250 to 400 °C for one hour. The microstructure, cross-section, [Bi]:[Te] content, and the mechanical, electrical and thermoelectric properties of as-deposited and different annealed films were investigated. It was found that the annealing temperature enhanced the crystallinity and film density for the temperature range 250-300 °C. However, the crystal structure of Bi2Te3 almost changed to the BiTe structure after annealing the films above 350 °C, due to the re-evaporation of Te. Nano-indentation results and cross-section images indicated that the hardness of the films related to the film density. The maximum hardness of 2.30 GPa was observed by annealing the films at 300 °C. As a result of an improvement in crystallinity and phase changes, the highest power factor of 11.45  ×  10-4 W m-1K-2 at 300 °C with the carrier concentration and mobility of 6.15  ×  1020 cm-3 and 34.03 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively, was achieved for the films annealed at 400 °C. Contribution at the 4th Southeast Asia Conference on Thermoelectrics 2016 (SACT 2016), 15-18 December 2016, Da Nang City, Vietnam.

Sb7Te3/Ge multilayer films for low power and high speed phase-change memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shiyu; Wu, Weihua; Zhai, Jiwei; Song, Sannian; Song, Zhitang

2017-06-01

Phase-change memory has attracted enormous attention for its excellent properties as compared to flash memories due to their high speed, high density, better date retention and low power consumption. Here we present Sb7Te3/Ge multilayer films by using a magnetron sputtering method. The 10 years’ data retention temperature is significantly increased compared with pure Sb7Te3. When the annealing temperature is above 250 °C, the Sb7Te3/Ge multilayer thin films have better interface properties, which renders faster crystallization speed and high thermal stability. The decrease in density of ST/Ge multilayer films is only around 5%, which is very suitable for phase change materials. Moreover, the low RESET power benefits from high resistivity and better thermal stability in the PCM cells. This work demonstrates that the multilayer configuration thin films with tailored properties are beneficial for improving the stability and speed in phase change memory applications.

Advanced, phase-locked, 100 kW, 1.3 GHz magnetron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Read, Michael; Ives, R. Lawrence; Bui, Thuc

Calabazas Creek Research, Inc., in collaboration with Fermilab and Communications & Power Industries, LLC, is developing a phase-locked, 100 kW peak, 10 kW average power magnetron-based RF system for driving accelerators. Here, phase locking will be achieved using an approach originating at Fermilab that includes control of both amplitude and phase on a fast time scale.

Advanced, phase-locked, 100 kW, 1.3 GHz magnetron

DOE PAGES

Read, Michael; Ives, R. Lawrence; Bui, Thuc; ...

2017-03-06

Calabazas Creek Research, Inc., in collaboration with Fermilab and Communications & Power Industries, LLC, is developing a phase-locked, 100 kW peak, 10 kW average power magnetron-based RF system for driving accelerators. Here, phase locking will be achieved using an approach originating at Fermilab that includes control of both amplitude and phase on a fast time scale.

Characterization of sp3 bond content of carbon films deposited by high power gas injection magnetron sputtering method by UV and VIS Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Zdunek, Krzysztof; Chodun, Rafał; Wicher, Bartosz; Nowakowska-Langier, Katarzyna; Okrasa, Sebastian

2018-04-05

This paper presents the results of investigations of carbon films deposited by a modified version of the magnetron sputtering method - HiPGIMS (High Power Gas Injection Magnetron Sputtering). In this experiment, the magnetron system with inversely polarized electrodes (sputtered cathode at ground potential and positively biased, spatially separated anode) was used. This arrangement allowed us to conduct the experiment using voltages ranging from 1 to 2kV and a power supply system equipped with 25/50μF capacitor battery. Carbon films were investigated by VIS/UV Raman spectroscopy. Sp 3 /sp 2 bonding ratio was evaluated basing the elementary components of registered spectra. Our investigation showed that sp 3 bond content increases with discharge power but up to specific value only. In extreme conditions of generating plasma impulses, we detected a reversed relation of the sp 3 /sp 2 ratio. In our opinion, a energy of plasma pulse favors nucleation of a sp 3 phase because of a relatively higher ionization state but in extreme cases the influence of energy is reversed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electronic structure of LiCoO2 thin films: A combined photoemission spectroscopy and density functional theory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ensling, David; Thissen, Andreas; Laubach, Stefan; Schmidt, Peter C.; Jaegermann, Wolfram

2010-11-01

The electronic properties of LiCoO2 have been studied by theoretical band-structure calculations (using density functional theory) and experimental methods (photoemission). Synchrotron-induced photoelectron spectroscopy, resonant photoemission spectroscopy (ResPES), and soft x-ray absorption (XAS) have been applied to investigate the electronic structure of both occupied and unoccupied states. High-quality PES spectra were obtained from stoichiometric and highly crystalline LiCoO2 thin films deposited “in situ” by rf magnetron sputtering. An experimental approach of separating oxygen- and cobalt-derived (final) states by ResPES in the valence-band region is presented. The procedure takes advantage of an antiresonant behavior of cobalt-derived states at the 3p-3d excitation threshold. Information about the unoccupied density of states has been obtained by OK XAS. The structure of the CoL absorption edge is compared to semiempirical charge-transfer multiplet calculations. The experimental results are furthermore compared with band-structure calculations considering three different exchange potentials [generalized gradient approximation (GGA), using a nonlocal Hubbard U (GGA+U) and using a hybrid functional (Becke, three-parameter, Lee-Yang-Parr [B3LYP])]. For these different approaches total density of states and partial valence-band density of states have been investigated. The best qualitative agreement with experimental results has been obtained by using a GGA+U functional with U=2.9eV .

The effect of Substrate temperature on physical and electrical properties of DC magnetron sputtered (Ta2O5)0.85(TiO2)0.15 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekhar, M. Chandra; Uthanna, S.; Martins, R.; Jagadeesh Chandra, S. V.; Elangovan, E.

2012-04-01

Thin films of (Ta2O5)0.85(TiO2)0.15 were deposited on quartz and p-Si substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering at different substrate temperatures (Ts) in the range 303 - 873 K. The films deposited at 303 0K were in the amorphous and it transformed to crystalline at substrate temperatures >= 573 0K. The crystallite size was increased from 50 nm to 72 nm with the increase of substrate temperature. The surface morphology was significantly influenced with the substrate temperature. After deposition of the (Ta2O5)0.85(TiO2)0.15 films on Si, aluminium (Al) electrode was deposited to fabricate metal/oxide/semiconductor (MOS) capacitors with a configuration of Al/(Ta2O5)0.85(TiO2)0.15/Si. A low leakage current of 7.7 × 10-5 A/cm2 was obtained from the films deposited at 303 K. The leakage current was decreased to 9.3 × 10-8 A/cm2 with the increase of substrate temperature owing to structural changes. The conduction mechanism of the Al/(Ta2O5)0.85(TiO2)0.15/Si capacitors was analyzed and compared with mechanisms of Poole-Frenkel and Schottky emissions. The optical band gap (Eg) was decreased from 4.45 eV to 4.38 eV with the increase in substrate temperature.

Method and apparatus for ion cyclotron spectrometry

DOEpatents

Dahl, David A [Idaho Falls, ID; Scott, Jill R [Idaho Falls, ID; McJunkin, Timothy R [Idaho Falls, ID

2010-08-17

An ion cyclotron spectrometer may include a vacuum chamber that extends at least along a z-axis and means for producing a magnetic field within the vacuum chamber so that a magnetic field vector is generally parallel to the z-axis. The ion cyclotron spectrometer may also include means for producing a trapping electric field within the vacuum chamber that includes at least a first section that induces a first magnetron effect that increases a cyclotron frequency of an ion and at least a second section that induces a second magnetron effect that decreases the cyclotron frequency of an ion. The cyclotron frequency changes induced by the first and second magnetron effects substantially cancel one another so that an ion traversing the at least first and second sections will experience no net change in cyclotron frequency.

Investigation of electrical and optical properties of low temperature titanium nitride grown by rf-magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sosnin, D.; Kudryashov, D.; Mozharov, A.

2017-11-01

Titanium nitride is a promising material due to its low resistivity, high hardness and chemical inertness. Titanium nitride (TiN) can be applied as an ohmic contact for n-GaN and rectifying contact for p-GaN and also as a part of perovskite solar cell. A technology of TiN low temperature reactive rf-magnetron sputtering has been developed. Electrical and optical properties of titanium nitride were studied as a function of the rf-power and gas mixture composition. Reflectance and transmittance spectra were measured. Cross-section and surface SEM image were obtained. 250 nm thin films of TiN with a resistivity of 23.6 μOm cm were obtained by rf-magnetron sputtering at low temperature.

Modélisation d'un transformateur à shunts magnétiques utilisé dans l'alimentation H.T. d'un générateur micro-ondes à magnétron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chraygane, Mohamed; Teissier, Maurice; Jammal, Ahmad; Masson, Jean-Pierre

1994-11-01

The high voltage power supply for magnetron, used for the modular microwave generators in industrial applications, is of a classical design : a single phase leakage flux transformer supplying a cell, composed of a capacitor and a diode, which multiplies the voltage and stabilizes the current. A π model of this transformer is developed, taking the saturation phenomena and the stabilization process of the magnetron current into account. Three inductances are characterized by the non linear relations between flux and magnetizing current. This model was tested by E.M.T.P. software (Electro-Magnetic Transients Program), near the nominal state. The theoretical results were compared to experimental measurements with a good agreement. L'alimentation haute tension des magnétrons, utilisés comme source d'énergie microondes dans l'industrie, est de conception classique : un transformateur monophasé à fuites magnétiques alimentant une cellule doubleuse de tension et stabilisatrice de courant. Un schéma équivalent en π du transformateur est présenté, prenant en compte la saturation des différentes parties du fer et la stabilisation du courant du magnétron. Trois inductances sont caractérisées par les relations non linéaires entre flux et courant magnétisant. Ce modèle a été testé à l'aide du logiciel de calcul E.M.T.P. (Electro-Magnetic Transients Program), au voisinage du régime nominal. Les résultats théoriques, comparés aux mesures expérimentales, se trouvent en bon accord avec elles.

Influence of inert gases on the reactive high power pulsed magnetron sputtering process of carbon-nitride thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmidt, Susann; Czigany, Zsolt; Greczynski, Grzegorz

2013-01-15

The influence of inert gases (Ne, Ar, Kr) on the sputter process of carbon and carbon-nitride (CN{sub x}) thin films was studied using reactive high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). Thin solid films were synthesized in an industrial deposition chamber from a graphite target. The peak target current during HiPIMS processing was found to decrease with increasing inert gas mass. Time averaged and time resolved ion mass spectroscopy showed that the addition of nitrogen, as reactive gas, resulted in less energetic ion species for processes employing Ne, whereas the opposite was noticed when Ar or Kr were employed as inertmore » gas. Processes in nonreactive ambient showed generally lower total ion fluxes for the three different inert gases. As soon as N{sub 2} was introduced into the process, the deposition rates for Ne and Ar-containing processes increased significantly. The reactive Kr-process, in contrast, showed slightly lower deposition rates than the nonreactive. The resulting thin films were characterized regarding their bonding and microstructure by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Reactively deposited CN{sub x} thin films in Ar and Kr ambient exhibited an ordering toward a fullerene-like structure, whereas carbon and CN{sub x} films deposited in Ne atmosphere were found to be amorphous. This is attributed to an elevated amount of highly energetic particles observed during ion mass spectrometry and indicated by high peak target currents in Ne-containing processes. These results are discussed with respect to the current understanding of the structural evolution of a-C and CN{sub x} thin films.« less

Thermoelectric effects of amorphous Ga-Sn-O thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuda, Tokiyoshi; Uenuma, Mutsunori; Kimura, Mutsumi

2017-07-01

The thermoelectric effects of an amorphous Ga-Sn-O (a-GTO) thin film have been evaluated as a physical parameter of a novel oxide semiconductor. Currently, a-GTO thin films are greatly desired not only because they do not contain rare metals and are therefore free from problems on the exhaustion of resources and the increase in cost but also because their initial characteristics and performance stabilities are excellent when they are used in thin-film transistors. In this study, an a-GTO thin film was deposited on a quartz substrate by RF magnetron sputtering and postannealing was performed in air at 350 °C for 1 h using an annealing furnace. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of the a-GTO thin film were -137 µV/K and 31.8 S/cm at room temperature, and -183 µV/K and 43.8 S/cm at 397 K, respectively, and as a result, the power factor was 1.47 µW/(cm·K2) at 397 K; these values were roughly as high as those of amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) thin films. Therefore, a-GTO thin films will be a candidate material for thermoelectric devices fabricated in a large area at a low cost by controlling the carrier mobility, carrier density, device structures, and so forth.

Role of annealing temperature on microstructural and electro-optical properties of ITO films produced by sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senol, Abdulkadir; Gulen, Mahir; Yildirim, Gurcan; Ozturk, Ozgur; Varilci, Ahmet; Terzioglu, Cabir; Belenli, Ibrahim

2013-03-01

In this study, we investigate the effect of annealing temperature on electrical, optical and microstructural properties of indium tin oxide (ITO) films deposited onto Soda lime glass substrates by conventional direct current (DC) magnetron reactive sputtering technique at 100 watt using an ITO ceramic target (In2O3:SnO2, 90:10 wt. %) in argon atmosphere at room temperature. The films obtained are exposed to the calcination process at different temperature up to 700 ° C. Resistivity, Hall Effect, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), ultra violet-visible spectrometer (UV-vis) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements are performed to characterize the samples. Moreover, phase purity, surface morphology, optical and photocatalytic properties of the films are compared with each other. Furthermore, mobility, carrier density and conductivity characteristics of the samples prepared are carried out as function of temperature in the range of 80-300 K at the magnetic field of 0.550 T. The results obtained show that all the properties depend strongly on the annealing temperature and in fact the film annealed at 400 ° C obtains the better optical properties due to the high refractive index while the film produced at 100 °C exhibits much better photoactivity than the other films as a result of the large optical energy band gap.

In situ Electrochemical-AFM Study of LiFePO4 Thin Film in Aqueous Electrolyte.

PubMed

Wu, Jiaxiong; Cai, Wei; Shang, Guangyi

2016-12-01

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have been widely used in various kinds of electronic devices in our daily life. The use of aqueous electrolyte in Li-ion battery would be an alternative way to develop low cost and environmentally friendly batteries. In this paper, the lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) thin film cathode for the aqueous rechargeable Li-ion battery is prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering deposition method. The XRD, SEM, and AFM results show that the film is composed of LiFePO4 grains with olivine structure and the average size of 100 nm. Charge-discharge measurements at current density of 10 μAh cm(-2) between 0 and 1 V show that the LiFePO4 thin film electrode is able to deliver an initial discharge capacity of 113 mAh g(-1). Specially, the morphological changes of the LiFePO4 film electrode during charge and discharge processes were investigated in aqueous environment by in situ EC-AFM, which is combined AFM with chronopotentiometry method. The changes in grain area are measured, and the results show that the size of the grains decreases and increases during the charge and discharge, respectively; the relevant mechanism is discussed.

Size-dependent and tunable crystallization of GeSbTe phase-change nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Bin; Ten Brink, Gert H.; Palasantzas, George; Kooi, Bart J.

2016-12-01

Chalcogenide-based nanostructured phase-change materials (PCMs) are considered promising building blocks for non-volatile memory due to their high write and read speeds, high data-storage density, and low power consumption. Top-down fabrication of PCM nanoparticles (NPs), however, often results in damage and deterioration of their useful properties. Gas-phase condensation based on magnetron sputtering offers an attractive and straightforward solution to continuously down-scale the PCMs into sub-lithographic sizes. Here we unprecedentedly present the size dependence of crystallization for Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) NPs, whose production is currently highly challenging for chemical synthesis or top-down fabrication. Both amorphous and crystalline NPs have been produced with excellent size and composition control with average diameters varying between 8 and 17 nm. The size-dependent crystallization of these NPs was carefully analyzed through in-situ heating in a transmission electron microscope, where the crystallization temperatures (Tc) decrease when the NPs become smaller. Moreover, methane incorporation has been observed as an effective method to enhance the amorphous phase stability of the NPs. This work therefore elucidates that GST NPs synthesized by gas-phase condensation with tailored properties are promising alternatives in designing phase-change memories constrained by optical lithography limitations.

A novel sputtered Pd mesh architecture as an advanced electrocatalyst for highly efficient hydrogen production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Lucas-Consuegra, Antonio; de la Osa, Ana R.; Calcerrada, Ana B.; Linares, José J.; Horwat, David

2016-07-01

This study reports the preparation, characterization and testing of a sputtered Pd mesh-like anode as an advanced electrocatalyst for H2 production from alkaline ethanol solutions in an Alkaline Membrane Electrolyzer (AEM). Pd anodic catalyst is prepared by magnetron sputtering technique onto a microfiber carbon paper support. Scanning Electron Microscopy images reveal that the used preparation technique enables to cover the surface of the carbon microfibers exposed to the Pd target, leading to a continuous network that also maintains part of the original carbon paper macroporosity. Such novel anodic architecture (organic binder free) presents an excellent electro-chemical performance, with a maximum current density of 700 mA cm-2 at 1.3 V, and, concomitantly, a large H2 production rate with low energy requirement compared to water electrolysis. Potassium hydroxide emerges as the best electrolyte, whereas temperature exerts the expected promotional effect up to 90 °C. On the other hand, a 1 mol L-1 ethanol solution is enough to guarantee an efficient fuel supply without any mass transfer limitation. The proposed system also demonstrates to remain stable over 150 h of operation along five consecutives cycles, producing highly pure H2 (99.999%) at the cathode and potassium acetate as the main anodic product.

Depth profiling of superconducting thin films using rare gas ion sputtering with laser postionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pallix, J. B.; Becker, C. H.; Missert, N.; Char, K.; Hammond, R. H.

1988-02-01

Surface analysis by laser ionization (SALI) has been used to examine a high-Tc superconducting thin film of nominal composition YBa2Cu3O7 deposited on SrTiO3 (100) by reactive magnetron sputtering. The main focus of this work was to probe the compositional uniformity and the impurity content throughout the 1800 Å thick film having critical current densities of 1 to 2×106 A/cm2. SALI depth profiles show this film to be more uniform than thicker films (˜1 μm, prepared by electron beam codeposition) which were studied previously, yet the data show that some additional (non-superconducting) phases derived from Y, Ba, Cu, and O are still present. These additional phases are studied by monitoring the atomic and diatomic-oxide photoion profiles and also the depth profiles of various clusters (e.g. Y2O2+, Y2O3+, Y3O4+, Ba2O+, Ba2O2+, BaCu+, BaCuO+, YBaO2+, YSrO2+, etc.). A variety of impurities are observed to occur throughout the film including rather large concentrations of Sr. Hydroxides, F, Cl, and COx are evident particularly in the sample's near surface region (the top ˜100 Å).

High performance novel gadolinium doped ceria/yttria stabilized zirconia/nickel layered and hybrid thin film anodes for application in solid oxide fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Garcia, F. J.; Beltrán, A. M.; Yubero, F.; González-Elipe, A. R.; Lambert, R. M.

2017-09-01

Magnetron sputtering under oblique angle deposition was used to produce Ni-containing ultra thin film anodes comprising alternating layers of gadolinium doped ceria (GDC) and yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) of either 200 nm or 1000 nm thickness. The evolution of film structure from initial deposition, through calcination and final reduction was examined by XRD, SEM, TEM and TOF-SIMS. After subsequent fuel cell usage, the porous columnar architecture of the two-component layered thin film anodes was maintained and their resistance to delamination from the underlying YSZ electrolyte was superior to that of corresponding single component Ni-YSZ and Ni-GDC thin films. Moreover, the fuel cell performance of the 200 nm layered anodes compared favorably with conventional commercially available thick anodes. The observed dependence of fuel cell performance on individual layer thicknesses prompted study of equivalent but more easily fabricated hybrid anodes consisting of simultaneously deposited Ni-GDC and Ni-YSZ, which procedure resulted in exceptionally intimate mixing and interaction of the components. The hybrids exhibited very unusual and favorable Isbnd V characteristics, along with exceptionally high power densities at high currents. Their discovery is the principal contribution of the present work.

Microstructure and Corrosion Behavior of CrN and CrSiCN Coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Feng; Yang, Qi; Huang, Xiao; Wei, Ronghua

2010-07-01

Three CrN-based coatings were deposited on 17-4PH stainless steel substrate using plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering (PEMS) technique. The microstructure and corrosion resistance were evaluated to examine the effect of Si and C in the coatings. The three coating compositions were CrN(Cr0.69N0.31), CrSiCN-1 (Cr0.55Si0.014C0.14N0.3), and CrSiCN-2 (Cr0.43Si0.037C0.24N0.3). The testing results indicated that with the increase of Si concentration, the coating microstructure transformed from B1 structure to B1 + Si3N4 structure. All the three coating systems were subjected to electrochemical tests in 3.5% NaCl solution at room temperature. Potentiodynamic polarization results revealed that the CrSiCN-2 coating had a higher anodic current density and a lower corrosion potential when compared to the CrN and CrSiCN-1 coatings. Extended exposure in 3.5% NaCl caused several localized corrosion to the CrSiCN-2 coating due to the porous coating structure. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic measurements demonstrated that the CrSiCN-1 has better corrosion resistance than CrN and CrSiCN-2.

Study on Structural and Dielectric Properties of Ultra-Low-Fire Integratable Dielectric Film for High-Frequency and Microwave Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Sheng; Zhang, Jihua; Wu, Kaituo; Wang, Lei; Chen, Hongwei

2018-03-01

In this study, ultra-low-fire ceramic composites of Zn2Te3O8-30 wt.%TiTe3O8 (ZTT) were prepared by a solid-state reaction method. Densified at 600°C, the best microwave dielectric properties at 8.5 GHz were measured with the ɛ r , tan δ, Q × f, and τ f as 25.6, 1.5 × 10-4, 56191 GHz and 1.66 ppm/°C, respectively. Thin films of ultra-low-fire ZTT were prepared by a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering method. ZTT films which deposited on Au/NiCr/SiO2/Si (100) substrates at 200°C showed good adhesion. From ultra-low-fire ceramic to ultra-low-fire ZTT thin films, the latter maintained all the good high-frequency dielectric properties of the former: high dielectric constant ( ɛ r ˜ 25) and low dissipation factor (tan δ < 5×10-3), low leakage current density (˜ 10-9 A/cm2) and ultra low processing temperature. These excellent properties of the ultra-low-fire ZTT thin film make it possible to be integrated in MMIC and be applied in the research of GaN and GaAs MOSFET devices.

Adhesion analysis for chromium nitride thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusu, F. M.; Merie, V. V.; Pintea, I. M.; Molea, A.

2016-08-01

The thin film industry is continuously growing due to the wide range of applications that require the fabrication of advanced components such as sensors, biological implants, micro-electromechanical devices, optical coatings and so on. The selection regarding the deposition materials, as well as the deposition technology influences the properties of the material and determines the suitability of devices for certain real-world applications. This paper is focused on the adhesion force for several chromium nitride thin films obtained by reactive magnetron sputtering. All chromium nitride thin films were deposited on a silicon substrate, the discharge current and the argon flow being kept constant. The main purpose of the paper is to determine the influence of deposition parameters on the adhesion force. Therefore some of the deposition parameters were varied in order to study their effect on the adhesion force. Experimentally, the values of the adhesion force were determined in multiple points for each sample using the spectroscopy in point mode of the atomic force microscope. The obtained values were used to estimate the surface energy of the CrN thin films based on two existing mathematical models for the adhesion force when considering the contact between two bodies.

Hybrid solar cells based on dc magnetron sputtered films of n-ITO on APMOVPE grown p-InP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coutts, T. J.; Li, X.; Wanlass, M. W.; Emery, K. A.; Gessert, T. A.

1988-01-01

Hybrid indium-tin-oxide (ITO)/InP solar cells are discussed. The cells are constructed by dc magnetron sputter deposition of ITO onto high-quality InP films grown by atmospheric pressure metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy (APMOVPE). A record efficiency of 18.9 percent, measured under standard Solar Energy Research Institute reporting conditions, has been obtained. The p-InP surface is shown to be type converted, principally by the ITO, but with the extent of conversion being modified by the nature of the sputtering gas. The deposition process, in itself, is not responsible for the type conversion. Dark currents have been suppressed by more than three orders of magnitude by the addition of hydrogen to the sputtering gas during deposition of a thin (5 nm) interface layer. Without this layer, and using only the more usual argon/oxygen mixture, the devices had poorer efficiencies and were unstable. A discussion of associated quantum efficiencies and capacitance/voltage measurements is also presented from which it is concluded that further improvements in efficiency will result from better control over the type-conversion process.

Discharge Characteristic of VHF-DC Superimposed Magnetron Sputtering System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toyoda, Hirotaka; Fukuoka, Yushi; Fukui, Takashi; Takada, Noriharu; Sasai, Kensuke

2014-10-01

Magnetron plasmas are one of the most important tools for sputter deposition of thin films. However, energetic particles from the sputtered target such as backscattered rare gas atoms or oxygen negative ions from oxide targets sometimes induce physical and chemical damages as well as surface roughening to the deposited film surface during the sputtering processes. To suppress kinetic energy of such particles, superposition of RF or VHF power to the DC power has been investigated. In this study, influence of the VHF power superposition on the DC target voltage, which is important factor to determine kinetic energy of high energy particles, is investigated. In the study, 40 MHz VHF power was superimposed to an ITO target and decrease in the target DC voltage was measured as well as deposited film deposition properties such as deposition rate or electrical conductivity. From systematic measurement of the target voltage, it was revealed that the target voltage can be determined by a very simple parameter, i.e., a ratio of VHF power to the total input power (DC and VHF powers) in spite of the DC discharge current. Part of this work was supported by ASTEP, JST.

Carbon film deposition on SnO{sub 2}/Si(111) using DC unbalanced magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aji, A. S.; Darma, Y.

In this paper, carbon deposition on SnO{sub 2} layer using DC unbalanced magnetron-sputtering technique at low temperature has been systematically studied. Sputtering process were carried out at pressure of 4.6×10{sup −2} Torr by keeping the substrate temperature at 300 °C. SnO{sub 2} were growth on silicon (111) substrate using thermal evaporation and continuing with dry oxidation of Sn at 225 °C. Thermal evaporation for high purity Sn was conducted by maintain the current source as high as 40 ampere. The quality of SnO{sub 2} on Si(111) and the characteristic of carbon thin film on SnO{sub 2} were analized by meanmore » XRD, FTIR and Raman spectra. XRD analysis shows that SnO{sub 2} film is growth uniformly on Si(111). FTIR and Raman spectra confirm the formation of thin film carbon on SnO{sub 2}. Additionally, thermal annealing for some sample series have been performed to study their structural stability. The change of atomic structure due to thermal annealing were analized by Raman and XRD spectra.« less

Comparative measurements of plasma potential with ball-pen and Langmuir probe in low-temperature magnetized plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zanáška, M.; Kudrna, P.; Tichý, M.

The ball-pen probe (BPP) is used for direct plasma potential measurements in magnetized plasma. The probe can adjust the ratio of the electron and ion saturation currents I{sub sat}{sup −}/I{sub sat}{sup +} to be close to one and therefore its I-V characteristic becomes nearly symmetric. If this is achieved, the floating potential of the BPP is close to the plasma potential. Because of its rather simple construction, it offers an attractive probe for measurements in magnetized plasma. Comparative measurements of plasma potential by BPPs of different dimensions as well as one Langmuir probe (LP) in an argon discharge plasma ofmore » a cylindrical magnetron were performed at various experimental conditions. An additional comparison by an emissive probe was also performed. All these types of probes provide similar values of plasma potential in a wide range of plasma parameters. Our results for three different BPP dimensions indicate that the BPP can be operated in a cylindrical magnetron DC argon discharge if the value of the ratio of the magnetic field and neutral gas pressure, B/p, is greater than approximately 10 mT/Pa.« less

Silicon nanowire array architecture for heterojunction electronics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Solovan, M. M., E-mail: m.solovan@chnu.edu.ua; Brus, V. V.; Mostovyi, A. I.

2017-04-15

Photosensitive nanostructured heterojunctions n-TiN/p-Si were fabricated by means of titanium nitride thin films deposition (n-type conductivity) by the DC reactive magnetron sputtering onto nano structured single crystal substrates of p-type Si (100). The temperature dependencies of the height of the potential barrier and series resistance of the n-TiN/p-Si heterojunctions were investigated. The dominant current transport mechanisms through the heterojunctions under investigation were determined at forward and reverse bias. The heterojunctions under investigation generate open-circuit voltage V{sub oc} = 0.8 V, short-circuit current I{sub sc} = 3.72 mA/cm{sup 2} and fill factor FF = 0.5 under illumination of 100 mW/cm{sup 2}.

Effect of different methods of preliminary surface treatment and magnetron sputtering on the adhesion of Si coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borisov, D. P.; Slabodchikov, V. A.; Kuznetsov, V. M.

2017-05-01

The paper presents research results on the adhesion of Si coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering on NiTi substrates after preliminary surface treatment (cleaning and activation) with low-energy ion beams and gas discharge plasma. The adhesion properties of the coatings obtained by two methods are analyzed and compared using data of scratch and spherical abrasion tests.

Photoluminescence of ZnS-SiO2:Ce Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizuno, Masao

2011-12-01

Photoluminescent emissions of zinc sulfide-silica-cerium thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering were observed. The films consisted of ZnS nanocrystals embedded in amorphous SiO2 matrices. ZnS-SiO2:Ce films exhibited photoluminescence even without postannealing. Their emission spectra showed broad patterns in the visible range; the emitted colors depended on film composition.

Innovative Inverted Magnetron Experiments and Theory

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

and characterized the Recirculating Planar Magnetron (RPM), a new type of High Power Microwave (HPM) device. Researchers have simulated the operation... power extraction is desired. In simulation, the RPM-CACE was up to 70% efficient, producing peak microwave powers of 420 MW. 15. SUBJECT TERMS High ...type of High Power Microwave (HPM) device. Using HFSS, MAGIC, and ICEPIC, researchers have simulated the operation of the device in both a

The properties of RE-TM magneto-optical films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Z. Y.; Miao, X. S.; Zhu, P.; Hu, Y. S.; Wan, D. F.; Dai, D. W.; Chen, S. B.; Lin, G. Q.

1992-09-01

In this paper, the magnetic, magneto-optical and galvonomagnetic properties, and their temperature dependence for LRE-TM SmCo, SmCoDy and HRE-TM TbFeCo magneto-optical films as high density recording media prepared by rf magnetron sputtering or evaporation are reported. By adding Dy to SmCo thin film, the SmCoDy thin film is more suitable for magneto-optical recording, its domain size being below 0.63 μm. The Kerr enhancement and corrosion protective effects of AIN and AlSiN for optimum design of the multi-layer structure of magneto-optical disk are described. The instruments of measuring the magneto-optical Kerr effect and magneto-optical recording domain characteristics of thin films are reviewed.

Strikingly enhanced cooling performance for a micro-cooler using unique Cu nanowire array with high electrical conductivity and fast heat transfer behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Ming; Wang, Xiuzhen; Hao, Yanming; Deng, Yuan

2017-06-01

It was found that phonons/electrons are less scattered along (1 1 1)-preferred Cu nanowires than in ordinary structure films and that the interface of Cu nanowires electrode and thermoelectric materials are more compatible. Here highly ordered, high-crystal-quality, high-density Cu nanowire array was successfully fabricated by a magnetron sputtering method. The Cu nanowire array was successfully incorporated using mask-assisted deposition technology as electrodes for thin-film thermoelectric coolers, which would greatly improve electrical/thermal transport and enhance performance of micro-coolers. The cooling performance of the micro-cooler with Cu nanowire array electrode is over 200% higher than that of the cooler with ordinary film electrode.

Composite Li metal anode with vertical graphene host for high performance Li-S batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y. J.; Liu, S. F.; Wang, X. L.; Zhong, Y.; Xia, X. H.; Wu, J. B.; Tu, J. P.

2018-01-01

Efficient and stable operation of a lithium metal anode has become the enabling factor for next-generation high energy density storage system. Here, vertical graphene (VG) arrays are used as the scaffold structure for high performance Li metal batteries. The melt infusion method is employed to encapsulate Li inside the VG scaffold structure, and the lithiophilic Si layer is coated onto the array surface by magnetron sputtering to assist this melt-infusion process. The porous scaffold structure can control the volume expansion and inhibit the formation of dendritic lithium significantly, leading to the excellent electrochemical performance of the Li composite anode. In addition, the Li-S full batteries with the composite anode display enhanced cycling reversibility.

Lateral overgrowth of diamond film on stripes patterned Ir/HPHT-diamond substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yan-Feng; Chang, Xiaohui; Liu, Zhangcheng; Liu, Zongchen; Fu, Jiao; Zhao, Dan; Shao, Guoqing; Wang, Juan; Zhang, Shaopeng; Liang, Yan; Zhu, Tianfei; Wang, Wei; Wang, Hong-Xing

2018-05-01

Epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of diamond films on patterned Ir/(0 0 1)HPHT-diamond substrates have been carried out by microwave plasma CVD system. Ir/(0 0 1)HPHT-diamond substrates are fabricated by photolithographic and magnetron sputtering technique. The morphology of the as grown ELO diamond film is characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy. The quality and stress of the ELO diamond film are investigated by surface etching pit density and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Two ultraviolet photodetectors are fabricated on ELO diamond area and non-ELO diamond area prepared on same substrate, and that one on ELO diamond area indicates better photoelectric properties. All results indicate quality of ELO diamond film is improved.

Enhanced stability against bias-stress of metal-oxide thin film transistors deposited at elevated temperatures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fakhri, M.; Goerrn, P.; Riedl, T.

2011-09-19

Transparent zinc-tin-oxide (ZTO) thin film transistors (TFTs) have been prepared by DC magnetron sputtering. Compared to reference devices with a channel deposited at room temperature and subsequently annealing at 400 deg. C, a substantially enhanced stability against bias stress is evidenced for devices with in-situ substrate heating during deposition (400 deg. C). A reduced density of sub-gap defect states in TFT channels prepared with in-situ substrate heating is found. Concomitantly, a reduced sensitivity to the adsorption of ambient gases is evidenced for the in-situ heated devices. This finding is of particular importance for an application as driver electronics for organicmore » light emitting diode displays.« less

Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulation of long-anode magnetron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verma, Rajendra Kumar, E-mail: rajendra.verma89@gmail.com; Maurya, Shivendra; Singh, Vindhyavasini Prasad

Long Anode Magnetron (LAM) is a design scheme adopted to attain greater thermal stability and higher power levels for the conventional magnetrons. So a LAM for 5MW Power level at 2.858 GHz was ‘Virtual Prototyped’ using Admittance Matching field theory (AMT) andthen a PIC Study (Beam-wave interaction) was conducted using CST Particle Studio (CST-PS) which is explained in this paper. The convincing results thus obtained were – hot resonant frequency of 2.834 GHz. Output power of 5 MW at beam voltage of 58kV and applied magnetic field of 2200 Gauss with an overall efficiency of 45%. The simulated parameters values on comparisonmore » with the E2V LAM tube (M5028) were in good agreement which validates the feasibility of the design approach.« less

High-efficiency solar cells fabricated from direct-current magnetron sputtered n-indium tin oxide onto p-InP grown by atmospheric pressure metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, X.; Wanlass, M. W.; Gessert, T. A.; Emery, K. A.; Coutts, T. J.

1989-01-01

An attempt is made to improve device efficiencies by depositing indium tin oxide onto epitaxially grown p-InP on p(+)-InP substrates. This leads to a reduction in the device series resistance, high-quality reproducible surfaces, and an improvement in the transport properties of the base layer. Moreover, many of the facets associated with badly characterized bulk liquid encapsulated Czochralski substrates used in previous investigations are removed in this way.

Physical properties of the heterojunction MoOx/n-CdTe as a function of the parameters of CdTe crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mostovyi, Andrii I.; Solovan, Mykhailo M.; Brus, Viktor V.; Pullerits, Toǧnu; Maryanchuk, Pavlo D.

2018-01-01

MoOx/n-CdTe photosensitive heterostructures were prepared by the deposition of molybdenum oxide thin films onto three different n-type CdTe substrates (ρ1=0.4 Ωṡcm, ρ2=10 Ωṡcm, ρ3=40 Ωṡcm) by DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The height of the potential barrier and series resistance of the MoOx/CdTe heterojunctions were investigated. The dominating current transport mechanisms through the heterojunctions were determined at forward and reverse biases.

Optical fiber magnetic field sensors with TbDyFe magnetostrictive thin films as sensing materials.

PubMed

Yang, Minghong; Dai, Jixiang; Zhou, Ciming; Jiang, Desheng

2009-11-09

Different from usually-used bulk magnetostrictive materials, magnetostrictive TbDyFe thin films were firstly proposed as sensing materials for fiber-optic magnetic field sensing characterization. By magnetron sputtering process, TbDyFe thin films were deposited on etched side circle of a fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) as sensing element. There exists more than 45pm change of FBG wavelength when magnet field increase up to 50 mT. The response to magnetic field is reversible, and could be applicable for magnetic and current sensing.

Formation of the YBa2Cu2NbOy Phase in Thin Films (POSTPRINT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

protective layer was deposited on the top of YBCNO film by dc sputtering . A 200 nm 200 nm area film was selected and cut with a Ga ion beam (30 kV...200 TEM at 200 kV. Samples for TEM were prepared using a focused ion beam (FIB (Eindhoven, The Netherlands)) microscope. For TEM examination, a thin Pt...by dc magnetron sputtering deposition of Ag with 93 mm thickness. Transport current measurements were made in liquid nitrogen with the 4-probe method

MgO buffer layers on rolled nickel or copper as superconductor substrates

DOEpatents

Paranthaman, Mariappan; Goyal, Amit; Kroeger, Donald M.; List, III, Frederic A.

2001-01-01

Buffer layer architectures are epitaxially deposited on biaxially-textured rolled-Ni and/or Cu substrates for high current conductors, and more particularly buffer layer architectures such as MgO/Ag/Pt/Ni, MgO/Ag/Pd/Ni, MgO/Ag/Ni, MgO/Ag/Pd/Cu, MgO/Ag/Pt/Cu, and MgO/Ag/Cu. Techniques used to deposit these buffer layers include electron beam evaporation, thermal evaporation, rf magnetron sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), combustion CVD, and spray pyrolysis.

Method for making MgO buffer layers on rolled nickel or copper as superconductor substrates

DOEpatents

Paranthaman, Mariappan; Goyal, Amit; Kroeger, Donald M.; List, III, Frederic A.

2002-01-01

Buffer layer architectures are epitaxially deposited on biaxially-textured rolled-Ni and/or Cu substrates for high current conductors, and more particularly buffer layer architectures such as MgO/Ag/Pt/Ni, MgO/Ag/Pd/Ni, MgO/Ag/Ni, MgO/Ag/Pd/Cu, MgO/Ag/Pt/Cu, and MgO/Ag/Cu. Techniques used to deposit these buffer layers include electron beam evaporation, thermal evaporation, rf magnetron sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), combustion CVD, and spray pyrolysis.

Biotribological behavior of Ag-ZrCxN1-x coatings against UHMWPE for joint prostheses devices.

PubMed

Calderon V, S; Sánchez-López, J C; Cavaleiro, A; Carvalho, S

2015-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the structural, mechanical and tribological properties of zirconium carbonitrides (ZrCxN1-x) coatings with embedded silver nanoparticles, produced with the intention of achieving a material with enhanced multi-functional properties, including mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, tribological performance and antibacterial behavior suitable for their use in joint prostheses. The coatings were deposited by direct current (DC) reactive magnetron sputtering onto 316 L stainless steel, changing the silver content from 0 to 20 at% by modifying the current density applied to the targets. Different nitrogen and acetylene gas fluxes were used as reactive gases. The coatings revealed different mixtures of crystalline ZrCxN1-x, silver nanoparticles and amorphous carbon phases. The hardness of the films was found to be mainly controlled by the ratio between the hard (ZrCxN1-x) and soft (Ag and amorphous carbon) phases in the films, fluctuating between 7.4 and 20.4 GPa. The coefficient of friction, measured against ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in Hank's balanced salt solution with 10 gL(-1) albumin, is governed by the surface roughness and hardness. The UHMWPE wear rates were in the same order of magnitude (between 1.4 and 2.0 × 10(-6)mm(3)N(-1)m(-1)), justified by the effect of the protective layer of albumin formed during the tests. The small differences were due to the hydrophobic/hydrophilic character of the surface, as well as to the silver content. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Hydrogen Exposure on Mechanical and Tribological Behavior of CrxN Coatings Deposited at Different Pressures on IN718

PubMed Central

Obrosov, Aleksei; Sutygina, Alina N.; Volinsky, Alex A.; Manakhov, Anton; Weiß, Sabine; Kashkarov, Egor B.

2017-01-01

In the current study, the properties of the CrxN coatings deposited on the Inconel 718 superalloy using direct current reactive magnetron sputtering are investigated. The influence of working pressure on the microstructure, mechanical, and tribological properties of the CrxN coatings before and after high-temperature hydrogen exposure is studied. The cross-sectional scanning electron micrographs indicate the columnar structure of the coatings, which changes from dense and compact columns to large columns with increasing working pressure. The Cr/N ratio increases from 1.4 to 1.9 with increasing working pressure from 300 to 900 mPa, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals a change from mixed hcp-Cr2N and fcc-CrN structure to approximately stoichiometric Cr2N phase. After gas-phase hydrogenation, the coating deposited at 300 mPa exhibits the lowest hydrogen absorption at 600 °C of all investigated coatings. The results indicate that the dense mixed cubic and hexagonal structure is preferential for hydrogen permeation resistance due to the presence of cubic phase with higher packing density in comparison to the hexagonal structure. After hydrogenation, no changes in phase composition were observed; however, a small amount of hydrogen is accumulated in the coatings. An increase of coating hardness and elastic modulus was observed after hydrogen exposure. Tribological tests reveal that hydrogenation leads to a decrease of the friction coefficient up to 20%–30%. The best value of 0.25 was reached for hydrogen exposed CrxN coating deposited at 300 mPa. PMID:28772923

Experimental study on TiN coated racetrack-type ceramic pipe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jie; Xu, Yan-Hui; Zhang, Bo; Wei, Wei; Fan, Le; Pei, Xiang-Tao; Hong, Yuan-Zhi; Wang, Yong

2015-11-01

TiN film was coated on the internal surface of a racetrack-type ceramic pipe by three different methods: radio-frequency sputtering, DC sputtering and DC magnetron sputtering. The deposition rates of TiN film under different coating methods were compared. The highest deposition rate was 156 nm/h, which was obtained by magnetron sputtering coating. Based on AFM, SEM and XPS test results, the properties of TiN film, such as film roughness and surface morphology, were analyzed. Furthermore, the deposition rates were studied with two different cathode types, Ti wires and Ti plate. According to the SEM test results, the deposition rate of TiN/Ti film was about 800 nm/h with Ti plate cathode by DC magnetron sputtering. Using Ti plate cathode rather than Ti wire cathode can greatly improve the film deposition rate. Supported by National Nature Science Foundation of China (11075157)

A review comparing cathodic arcs and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS)

DOE PAGES

Anders, André

2014-09-02

In this study, high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) has been in the center of attention over the last years as it is an emerging physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology that combines advantages of magnetron sputtering with various forms of energetic deposition of films such as ion plating and cathodic arc plasma deposition. It should not come at a surprise that many extension and variations of HiPIMS make use, intentionally or unintentionally, of previously discovered approaches to film processing such as substrate surface preparation by metal ion sputtering and phased biasing for film texture and stress control. Therefore, in thismore » review, an overview is given on some historical developments and features of cathodic arc and HiPIMS plasmas, showing commonalities and differences. To limit the scope, emphasis is put on plasma properties, as opposed to surveying the vast literature on specific film materials and their properties.« less

Particle-in-Cell Modeling of Magnetron Sputtering Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cary, John R.; Jenkins, T. G.; Crossette, N.; Stoltz, Peter H.; McGugan, J. M.

2017-10-01

In magnetron sputtering devices, ions arising from the interaction of magnetically trapped electrons with neutral background gas are accelerated via a negative voltage bias to strike a target cathode. Neutral atoms ejected from the target by such collisions then condense on neighboring material surfaces to form a thin coating of target material; a variety of industrial applications which require thin surface coatings are enabled by this plasma vapor deposition technique. In this poster we discuss efforts to simulate various magnetron sputtering devices using the Vorpal PIC code in 2D axisymmetric cylindrical geometry. Field solves are fully self-consistent, and discrete models for sputtering, secondary electron emission, and Monte Carlo collisions are included in the simulations. In addition, the simulated device can be coupled to an external feedback circuit. Erosion/deposition profiles and steady-state plasma parameters are obtained, and modifications due to self consistency are seen. Computational performance issues are also discussed. and Tech-X Corporation.

Pulsing frequency induced change in optical constants and dispersion energy parameters of WO3 films grown by pulsed direct current magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punitha, K.; Sivakumar, R.; Sanjeeviraja, C.

2014-03-01

In this work, we present the pulsing frequency induced change in the structural, optical, vibrational, and luminescence properties of tungsten oxide (WO3) thin films deposited on microscopic glass and fluorine doped tin oxide (SnO2:F) coated glass substrates by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering technique. The WO3 films deposited on SnO2:F substrate belongs to monoclinic phase. The pulsing frequency has a significant influence on the preferred orientation and crystallinity of WO3 film. The maximum optical transmittance of 85% was observed for the film and the slight shift in transmission threshold towards higher wavelength region with increasing pulsing frequency revealed the systematic reduction in optical energy band gap (3.78 to 3.13 eV) of the films. The refractive index (n) of films are found to decrease (1.832 to 1.333 at 550 nm) with increasing pulsing frequency and the average value of extinction coefficient (k) is in the order of 10-3. It was observed that the dispersion data obeyed the single oscillator of the Wemple-Didomenico model, from which the dispersion energy (Ed) parameters, dielectric constants, plasma frequency, oscillator strength, and oscillator energy (Eo) of WO3 films were calculated and reported for the first time due to variation in pulsing frequency during deposition by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering. The Eo is change between 6.30 and 3.88 eV, while the Ed varies from 25.81 to 7.88 eV, with pulsing frequency. The Raman peak observed at 1095 cm-1 attributes the presence of W-O symmetric stretching vibration. The slight shift in photoluminescence band is attributed to the difference in excitons transition. We have made an attempt to discuss and correlate these results with the light of possible mechanisms underlying the phenomena.

Phase stability tuning in the NbxZr1-xN thin-film system for large stacking fault density and enhanced mechanical strength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joelsson, T.; Hultman, L.; Hugosson, H. W.; Molina-Aldareguia, J. M.

2005-03-01

The phase stability of hexagonal WC-structure and cubic NaCl-structure 4d transition metal nitrides was calculated using first-principles density functional theory. It is predicted that there is a multiphase or polytypic region for the 4d transition metal nitrides with a valence electron concentration around 9.5 to 9.7 per formula unit. For verification, epitaxial NbxZr1-xN (0⩽x⩽1) was grown by reactive magnetron sputter deposition on MgO(001) substrates and analyzed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction. The defects observed in the films were threading dislocations due to nucleation and growth on the lattice-mismatched substrate and planar defects (stacking faults) parallel to the substrate surface. The highest defect density was found at the x =0.5 composition. The nanoindentation hardness of the films varied between 21GPa for the binary nitrides, and 26GPa for Nb0.5Zr0.5N. Unlike the cubic binary nitrides, no slip on the preferred ⟨11¯0⟩{110} slip system was observed. The increase in hardness is attributed to the increase in defect density at x =0.5, as the defects act as obstacles for dislocation glide during deformation. The findings present routes for the design of wear-resistant nitride coatings by phase stability tuning.

Electronic and optical properties of nanocrystalline WO3 thin films studied by optical spectroscopy and density functional calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johansson, Malin B.; Baldissera, Gustavo; Valyukh, Iryna; Persson, Clas; Arwin, Hans; Niklasson, Gunnar A.; Österlund, Lars

2013-05-01

The optical and electronic properties of nanocrystalline WO3 thin films prepared by reactive dc magnetron sputtering at different total pressures (Ptot) were studied by optical spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Monoclinic films prepared at low Ptot show absorption in the near infrared due to polarons, which is attributed to a strained film structure. Analysis of the optical data yields band-gap energies Eg ≈ 3.1 eV, which increase with increasing Ptot by 0.1 eV, and correlate with the structural modifications of the films. The electronic structures of triclinic δ-WO3, and monoclinic γ- and ε-WO3 were calculated using the Green function with screened Coulomb interaction (GW approach), and the local density approximation. The δ-WO3 and γ-WO3 phases are found to have very similar electronic properties, with weak dispersion of the valence and conduction bands, consistent with a direct band-gap. Analysis of the joint density of states shows that the optical absorption around the band edge is composed of contributions from forbidden transitions (>3 eV) and allowed transitions (>3.8 eV). The calculations show that Eg in ε-WO3 is higher than in the δ-WO3 and γ-WO3 phases, which provides an explanation for the Ptot dependence of the optical data.

Growth control of carbon nanotubes using by anodic aluminum oxide nano templates.

PubMed

Park, Yong Seob; Choi, Won Seek; Yi, Junsin; Lee, Jaehyeong

2014-05-01

Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) template prepared in acid electrolyte possess regular and highly anisotropic porous structure with pore diameter range from five to several hundred nanometers, and with a density of pores ranging from 10(9) to 10(11) cm(-2). AAO can be used as microfilters and templates for the growth of CNTs and metal or semiconductor nanowires. Varying anodizing conditions such as temperature, electrolyte, applied voltage, anodizing and widening time, one can control the diameter, the length, and the density of pores. In this work, we deposited Al thin film by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method to fabricate AAO nano template and synthesized multi-well carbon nanotubes on a glass substrate by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPECVD). AAO nano-porous templates with various pore sizes and depths were introduced to control the dimension and density of CNT arrays. The AAO nano template was synthesize on glass by two-step anodization technique. The average diameter and interpore distance of AAO nano template are about 65 nm and 82 nm. The pore density and AAO nano template thickness are about 2.1 x 10(10) pores/cm2 and 1 microm, respectively. Aligned CNTs on the AAO nano template were synthesized by MPECVD at 650 degrees C with the Ni catalyst layer. The length and diameter of CNTs were grown 2 microm and 50 nm, respectively.

Fabrication of Si3N4 thin films on phynox alloy substrates for electronic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shankernath, V.; Naidu, K. Lakshun; Krishna, M. Ghanashyam; Padmanabhan, K. A.

2018-04-01

Thin films of Si3N4 are deposited on Phynox alloy substrates using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The thickness of the films was varied between 80-150 nm by increasing the duration of deposition from 1 to 3 h at a fixed power density and working pressure. X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that the Si3N4 films had crystallized inspite of the substrates not being heated during deposition. This was confirmed using selected area electron diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy also. It is postulated that a low lattice misfit between Si3N4 and Phynox provides energetically favourable conditions for ambient temperature crystallization. The hardness of the films is of the order of 6 to 9 GPa.

“Metallic burn paper” used for in situ characterization of laser beam properties

DOE PAGES

Bass, Isaac L.; Negres, Raluca A.; Stanion, Ken; ...

2016-04-12

In situ ablation of thin metal films on fused silica substrates by picosecond class lasers was investigated in this paper as a method of characterizing the beam at the sample plane. The technique involved plotting the areas enclosed by constant fluence contours identified in optical microscope images of the ablation sites versus the logs of the pulse energies. Inconel films on commercially available neutral density filters as well as magnetron sputtered gold films were used. It was also shown that this technique could be used to calibrate real-time beam profile diagnostics against the beam at the sample plane. Finally, themore » contours were shown to correspond to the boundary where part or all of the film was ablated.« less

Technique for forming ITO films with a controlled refractive index

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Markov, L. K., E-mail: l.markov@mail.ioffe.ru; Smirnova, I. P.; Pavluchenko, A. S.

2016-07-15

A new method for fabricating transparent conducting coatings based on indium-tin oxide (ITO) with a controlled refractive index is proposed. This method implies the successive deposition of material by electron-beam evaporation and magnetron sputtering. Sputtered coatings with different densities (and, correspondingly, different refractive indices) can be obtained by varying the ratio of the mass fractions of material deposited by different methods. As an example, films with effective refractive indices of 1.2, 1.4, and 1.7 in the wavelength range of 440–460 nm are fabricated. Two-layer ITO coatings with controlled refractive indices of the layers are also formed by the proposed method.more » Thus, multilayer transparent conducting coatings with desired optical parameters can be produced.« less

[Effects of magnetron sputtered ZrN on the bonding strength of titanium porcelain].

PubMed

Zhou, Shu; Zhang, Wen-yan; Guang, Han-bing; Xia, Yang; Zhang, Fei-min

2009-04-01

To investigate the effect of magnetron sputtered ZrN on the bonding strength between a low-fusing porcelain (Ti/Vita titankeramik system) and commercially pure cast titanium. Sixteen specimens were randomly assigned to test group and control group (n=8). The control group received no surface treated. Magnetron sputtered ZrN film was deposited on the surface of specimens in the test group. Then the sixteen titanium-porcelain specimens were prepared in a rectangular shape and went through three-point bending test on a universal test machine. The bond strength of Ti/porcelain was recorded. The phase composition of the specimens was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The interface at titanium and porcelain and the titanium surface after debonding were observed with a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and analyzed using energy depressive spectrum (EDS). New phase of ZrN was found with XRD in the test group. Statistical analysis showed higher bond strength following ZrN surface treatment in the test group [(45.991+/-0.648) MPa] than that in the control group [(29.483+/-1.007) MPa] (P=0.000). Bonded ceramic could be observed in test group, the amount of bonded ceramic was more than that in the control group. No obvious bonded ceramic in control group was found. Magnetron sputtered ZrN can improve bond strength of Ti/Vita titankeramik system significantly.

Photocurrent generation in carbon nitride and carbon nitride/conjugated polymer composites.

PubMed

Byers, Joshua C; Billon, Florence; Debiemme-Chouvy, Catherine; Deslouis, Claude; Pailleret, Alain; Semenikhin, Oleg A

2012-09-26

The semiconductor and photovoltaic properties of carbon nitride (CNx) thin films prepared using a reactive magnetron cathodic sputtering technique were investigated both individually and as composites with an organic conjugated polymer, poly(2,2'-bithiophene) (PBT). The CNx films showed an increasing thickness as the deposition power and/or nitrogen content in the gas mixture increase. At low nitrogen content and low deposition power (25-50 W), the film structure was dominated by the abundance of the graphitic sp(2) regions, whereas at higher nitrogen contents and magnetron power CNx films started to demonstrate semiconductor properties, as evidenced by the occurrence of photoconductivity and the development of a space charge region. However, CNx films alone did not show any reproducible photovoltaic properties. The situation changed, however, when CNx was deposited onto conjugated PBT substrates. In this configuration, CNx was found to function as an acceptor material improving the photocurrent generation both in solution and in solid state photovoltaic devices, with the external quantum efficiencies reaching 1% at high nitrogen contents. The occurrence of the donor-acceptor charge transfer was further evidenced by suppression of the n-doping of the PBT polymer by CNx. Nanoscale atomic force microscopy (AFM) and current-sensing AFM data suggested that CNx may form a bulk heterojunction with PBT.

Investigations on structural and electrical parameters of p-Si/ MgxZn1-xO thin film heterojunction diodes grown by RF magnetron sputtering technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Satyendra Kumar; Hazra, Purnima

2018-05-01

This work reports fabrication and characterization of p-Si/ MgxZn1-xO thin film heterojunction diodes grown by RF magnetron sputtering technique. In this work, ZnO powder was mixed with MgO powder at per their weight percentage from 0 to 10% to prepare MgxZn1-xO target. The microstructural, surface morphological and optical properties of as-deposited p-Si/MgxZn1-xO heterostructure thin films have been studied using X-ray Diffraction, atomic force microscopy and variable angle ellipsometer. XRD spectra exhibit that undoped ZnO thin films has preferred crystal orientation in (002) plane. However, with increase in Mg-doping, ZnO (101) crystal plane is enhanced progressively due to phase segregation, even though preferred growth orientation of ZnO crystals is still towards (002) plane. The electrical characteristics of Si/ MgxZn1-xO heterojunction diodes with large area Al/Ti ohmic contacts are evaluated using semiconductor parameter analyzer. With rectification ratio of 27894, reverse saturation current of 20.5 nA and barrier height of 0.724 eV, Si/Mg0.5Zn0.95O thin film heterojunction diode is believed to have potential to be used in wider bandgap nanoelectronic device applications.

Investigation of the optical property and structure of WO3 thin films with different sputtering depositions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsi-Chao; Jan, Der-Jun; Chen, Chien-Han; Huang, Kuo-Ting; Lo, Yen-Ming; Chen, Sheng-Hui

2011-09-01

The purpose of this research was to compare the optical properties and structure of tungsten oxide (WO3) thin films that was deposited by different sputtering depositions. WO3 thin films deposited by two different depositions of direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering and pulsed DC sputtering. A 99.95% WO3 target was used as the starting material for these depositions. These WO3 thin films were deposited on the ITO glass, PET and silicon substrate by different ratios of oxygen and argon. A shadow moiré interferometer would be introduced to measure the residual stress for PET substrate. RF magnetron sputtering had the large residual stress than the other's depositions. A Raman spectrum could exhibit the phase of oxidation of WO3 thin film by different depositions. At the ratio of oxygen and argon was about 1:1, and the WO3 thin films had the best oxidation. However, it was important at the change of the transmittance (ΔT = Tbleached - Tcolored) between the coloring and bleaching for the smart window. Therefore, we also found the WO3 thin films had the large variation of transmittance between the coloring and bleaching at the gas ratios of oxygen and argon of 1:1.

Thickness and surface roughness study of co-sputtered nanostructured alumina/tungsten (Al2O3/W) thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naveen, A.; Krishnamurthy, L.; Shridhar, T. N.

2018-04-01

Tungsten (W) and Alumina (Al2O3) thin films have been developed using co-sputtering technique on SS304, Copper (Cu) and Glass slides using Direct Current magnetron sputtering (DC) and Radio Frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering methods respectively. Central Composite Design (CCD) method approach has been adopted to determine the number of experimental plans for deposition and DC power, RF power and Argon gas flow rate have been input parameters, each at 5 levels for development of thin films. In this research paper, study has been carried out determine the optimized condition of deposition parameters for thickness and surface roughness of the thin films. Thickness and average Surface roughness in terms of nanometer (nm) have been characterized by thickness profilometer and atomic force microscopy respectively. The maximum and minimum average thickness observed to be 445 nm and 130 respectively. The optimum deposition condition for W/Al2O3 thin film growth was determined to be at 1000 watts of DC power and 800 watts of RF power, 20 minutes of deposition time, and almost 300 Standard Cubic Centimeter(SCCM) of Argon gas flow. It was observed that average roughness difference found to be less than one nanometer on SS substrate and one nanometer on copper approximately.

Characterization of thin MoO3 films formed by RF and DC-magnetron reactive sputtering for gas sensor applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yordanov, R.; Boyadjiev, S.; Georgieva, V.; Vergov, L.

2014-05-01

The present work discusses a technology for deposition and characterization of thin molybdenum oxide (MoOx, MoO3) films studied for gas sensor applications. The samples were produced by reactive radio-frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering. The composition and microstructure of the films were studied by XPS, XRD and Raman spectroscopy, the morphology, using high resolution SEM. The research was focused on the sensing properties of the sputtered thin MoO3 films. Highly sensitive gas sensors were implemented by depositing films of various thicknesses on quartz resonators. Making use of the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method, these sensors were capable of detecting changes in the molecular range. Prototype QCM structures with thin MoO3 films were tested for sensitivity to NH3 and NO2. Even in as-deposited state and without heating the substrates, these films showed good sensitivity. Moreover, no additional thermal treatment is necessary, which makes the production of such QCM gas sensors simple and cost-effective, as it is fully compatible with the technology for producing the initial resonator. The films are sensitive at room temperature and can register concentrations as low as 50 ppm. The sorption is fully reversible, the films are stable and capable of long-term measurements.

Single-crystal-like GdNdO{sub x} thin films on silicon substrates by magnetron sputtering and high-temperature annealing for crystal seed layer application

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Ziwei; Xiao, Lei; Liang, Renrong, E-mail: wang-j@tsinghua.edu.cn, E-mail: liangrr@tsinghua.edu.cn

2016-06-15

Single-crystal-like rare earth oxide thin films on silicon (Si) substrates were fabricated by magnetron sputtering and high-temperature annealing processes. A 30-nm-thick high-quality GdNdO{sub x} (GNO) film was deposited using a high-temperature sputtering process at 500°C. A Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} mixture was used as the sputtering target, in which the proportions of Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} were controlled to make the GNO’s lattice parameter match that of the Si substrate. To further improve the quality of the GNO film, a post-deposition annealing process was performed at a temperature of 1000°C. The GNO films exhibitedmore » a strong preferred orientation on the Si substrate. In addition, an Al/GNO/Si capacitor was fabricated to evaluate the dielectric constant and leakage current of the GNO films. It was determined that the single-crystal-like GNO films on the Si substrates have potential for use as an insulator layer for semiconductor-on-insulator and semiconductor/insulator multilayer applications.« less

Growth and characterization of ultra thin vanadium oxide films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Fangfang

This dissertation focuses on the growth and characterization of ultra thin VO2 films on technologically relevant Si/SiO2 substrate. The samples were prepared by magnetron sputtering with varying deposition and post annealing conditions. VO2(M1) films prepared under optimal condition with thickness around 42nm shows a continuous micro-structure and a metal insulator transition with resistivity change of two orders of magnitude. The transition temperature is determined to be 345K with a hysteresis width of approximately 8°C. The activation energy of the low temperature semiconducting VO2 monoclinic phase is determined to be 0.16+/-0.03ev. These properties are found to be fairly stable over time under ambient atmosphere. Temperature dependent hall measurements suggest that the decrease of the resistivity with increasing temperature is mainly caused by the increase of the number density of charge carriers, the energy gap of VO2 film in the semiconducting phase is 0.4ev and phonon scattering is the dominant scattering mechanism in the temperature range from 195K to 340K. Analysis based on composite model suggested that the sample has some untransitional phases with a length that is 1/4 of the grain size. Stress measurements using X-ray diffraction indicate that the ultra thin VO2 film has a large tensile stress of 2.0+/-0.2GPa. This value agrees well with that calculated thermal stress assuming the stress is due to differential thermal expansion between VO2 film and substrate. The stress is expected to lead to a shift of the transition temperature in the film, as observed. Using magnetron sputtering, VO2(B) film was able to obtained on Si substrate. The temperature dependent current voltage measurement on VO2(B) film did not show any abrupt change in the electrical resistivity. W - VO2(B) thin film - W metal semiconductor-metal I-V properties were found to be determined by reverse biased Schottky barrier at the W/VO 2(b) interface. And the Schottky height between VO2(B) and W was determined to be about 0.15ev, which indicate the electron affinity of the VO2(B) is about 4.35ev.

Development of antimicrobial multifunctional coatings based on Ag-Ti(C,N) =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalho, Isabel Soares de

The development of new multifunctional coatings to apply on medical biomaterials continues to be required, since materials commonly used in hip prostheses are still presenting failures. Multifunctionality is the result of a synergy, on the nanoscale level, of good corrosion resistance, mechanical and tribological properties. Additionally, a biomaterial must always be biocompatible. Besides these properties, the major challenge would be to get a material with antimicrobial activity. Thus, the aim of this project was the development of advanced materials with the ability to present these properties. Ceramic coatings, based on carbonitrides of transition metals, such as Ti(C,N), which may favour these properties, were used in this study. As innovative approach, silver nanoclusters were added, in order to improve the prevention of microbial adhesion and biofilm formation on these biomaterials, one of the major causes of hip joint failure. Different Ag-Ti(C,N) thin films were prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering, obtained by varying the density of the current applied to each magnetron and the chemical composition of the mixed Ti + Ag target (silver pellets were placed in the preferential erosion area of one Ti target resulting in a relative Ag sputtering areas of 15 % for atomic ratio Ag/Ti ≤ 0.20 and 37 % for atomic ratio Ag/Ti ≤ 0.37). The physical, chemical, structural, morphological/topographical, mechanical and tribological properties of these coatings were evaluated, respectively, by ball crater tests, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/ atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS). Mechanical properties of the films were studied by nanoindentation and the tribological tests were performed in the presence of Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS), in order to simulate the tribochemical conditions of the use of an artificial implant. Cytotoxicity of the developed coatings was also determined and assessed by in vitro tests using fibroblast cells. Finally, the antibacterial activity was assessed using Staphylococcus epidermidis. Bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on coatings were assessed by the enumeration of the number of viable cells. Although there was no great evidence of antibacterial activity against S. epidermidis the results showed that the multifunctionality of coatings (good mechanical and tribological performance) was achieved for 6 at. % silver content, concomitantly with the absence of cytotoxicity. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Deposition and characterization of molybdenum thin films using dc-plasma magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khan, Majid, E-mail: majids@hotmail.com; Islam, Mohammad, E-mail: mohammad.islam@gmail.com

2013-12-15

Molebdenum (Mo) thin films were deposited on well-cleaned soda-lime glass substrates using DC-plasma magnetron sputtering. In the design of experiment deposition was optimized for maximum beneficial characteristics by monitoring effect of process variables such as deposition power (100–200 W). Their electrical, structural and morphological properties were analyzed to study the effect of these variables. The electrical resistivity of Mo thin films could be reduced by increasing deposition power. Within the range of analyzed deposition power, Mo thin films showed a mono crystalline nature and the crystallites were found to have an orientation along [110] direction. The surface morphology of thinmore » films showed that a highly dense micro structure has been obtained. The surface roughness of films increased with deposition power. The adhesion of Mo thin films could be improved by increasing the deposition power. Atomic force microscopy was used for the topographical study of the films and to determine the roughness of the films. X-ray diffractrometer and scanning electron microscopy analysis were used to investigate the crystallinity and surface morphology of the films. Hall effect measurement system was used to find resistivity, carrier mobility and carrier density of deposited films. The adhesion test was performed using scotch hatch tape adhesion test. Mo thin films prepared at deposition power of 200 W, substrate temperature of 23°C and Ar pressure of 0.0123 mbar exhibited a mono crystalline structure with an orientation along (110) direction, thickness of ∼550 nm and electrical resistivity value of 0.57 × 10{sup −4} Ω cm.« less

Metal-Coated Cenospheres Obtained via Magnetron Sputter Coating: A New Precursor for Syntactic Foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shishkin, A.; Hussainova, I.; Kozlov, V.; Lisnanskis, M.; Leroy, P.; Lehmhus, D.

2018-05-01

Syntactic foams (SFs) and metal matrix syntactic foams (MMSFs) represent an advanced type of metal matrix composites (MMCs) based on hollow microspheres as particulate reinforcement. In general, SF and MMSFs allow tailoring of properties through choice of matrix, reinforcement, and volume fraction of the latter. A further handle for property adjustment is surface modification of the reinforcing particles. The present study introduces cenospheres for use as filler material in SF and MMSFs and as lightweight filler with electromagnetic interference shielding properties in civil engineering, which have been surface coated by means of physical vapor deposition, namely vibration-assisted sputter coating using a magnetron sputtering system. Altogether four types of such cenosphere-based composite powders (CPs) with an original particle size range of 50-125 µm (average particle size d50 75 µm) were studied. Surface films deposited on these were composed of Cu, stainless steel, Ti, and Ti-TiN double layers. For Cu coatings, the deposited metal film thickness was shown to be dependent on the sputtering energy. Scanning electron microscope backscattering images revealed nonporous films uniform in thickness directly after sputtering. Film thickness varied between 0.15 µm and 2.5 µm, depending on coating material and sputtering parameters. From these materials, samples were produced without addition of metal powders, exhibiting metal contents as low as 8-10 wt.% based on the coating alone. Obtained samples had an apparent density of 1.1-1.9 g/cm3 and compressive strengths ranging from 22 MPa to 135 MPa.

Catalytic activity and stability of nanometic Rh overlayers prepared by pulsed arc-plasma deposition and r.f. magnetron-sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misumi, Satoshi; Matsumoto, Akinori; Yoshida, Hiroshi; Sato, Tetsuya; Machida, Masato

2018-01-01

50 μm-thick Fe-Cr-Al metal foils covered by 7 nm-thick Rh overlayers were prepared by pulsed arc-plasma (AP) and r.f. magnetron sputtering technique to compare their catalytic activities. As-prepared metal foil catalysts were wrapped into a honeycomb structure with a density of 900 cells per square inches and the stoichiometric NO-CO-C3H6-O2 reaction was performed at space velocity of 1.2 × 105 h-1. During temperature ramp at 10 °C min-1, honeycomb catalysts showed steep light-off of NO, CO, and C3H6 at above 200 °C and their conversions soon reached to almost 100%. Both catalysts exhibited high turnover frequencies close to or more than 50-fold greater compared with those for a reference Rh/ZrO2 powder-coated cordierite honeycomb prepared using a conventional slurry coating. When the temperature ramping was repeated, however, the catalytic activity was decreased to the different extent depending on the preparation procedure. Significant deactivation occurred only when prepared by sputtering, whereas the sample prepared by AP showed no signs of deactivation. The deactivation is associated with the formation of passivation layers consisting of Fe, Cr, and Al oxides, which covered the surface and decreased the surface concentration of Rh. The Rh overlayer formed by AP was found to be thermally stable because of the strong adhesion to the metal foil surface, compared to the sample prepared by sputtering.

Synthesis and characterization of Ti-Si-C-N films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shtansky, D.V.; Levashov, E.A.; Sheveiko, A.N.

1999-09-01

This study represents one of the first attempts to deposit multicomponent (more than three components) thin films by magnetron sputtering of multiphase composite targets (three phases or even more). Films of Ti-Si-C-N were synthesized through dc magnetron sputtering of xTiC + yTi{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} + zA composite targets (A was TiSi{sub 2}, SiC, or a mixture of these phases) in an argon atmosphere or in a gaseous mixture of argon and nitrogen. The as-deposited films were characterized using Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy using selected area electron diffraction and high-resolution techniques, and microhardness. It was shown thatmore » the substrate temperature and the nitrogen concentration in the reactive gas had a strong influence on the structure and the composition of the as-deposited films. Polycrystalline grains contained a high density of dislocations and exhibited a curved appearance of the lattice fringes that is probably due to the presence of the long-range stress fields. The measurements of the lattice parameters using the selected area electron diffraction pattern (SA EDP) method indicated, with a high probability, that the polycrystalline grains consist of clusters of atoms with varying compositions. The grain boundaries in the nanocrystalline Ti-Si-C-N films had both ordered and disordered regions, although some regions close to the interface exhibited neither a fully crystalline nor a homogeneously amorphous structure. The contribution of compressive stress as determined by an increase in the fcc lattice parameter is also discussed.« less

Improving X-Ray Optics via Differential Deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kilaru, Kiranmayee; Ramsey, Brian D.; Atkins, Carolyn

2017-01-01

Differential deposition, a post-fabrication figure correction technique, has the potential to significantly improve the imaging quality of grazing-incidence X-ray optics. DC magnetron sputtering is used to selectively coat the mirror in order to minimize the figure deviations. Custom vacuum chambers have been developed at NASA MSFC that will enable the implementation of the deposition on X-ray optics. A factor of two improvement has been achieved in the angular resolution of the full-shell X-ray optics with first stage correction of differential deposition. Current efforts are focused on achieving higher improvements through efficient implementation of differential deposition.

Effect of structure and deposition technology on tribological properties of DLC coatings alloyed with VIA group metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khrushchov, M.; Levin, I.; Marchenko, E.; Avdyukhina, V.; Petrzhik, M.

2016-07-01

The results of a comprehensive research on atomic structure, phase composition, micromechanical and tribological characteristics of alloyed DLC coatings have been presented. The coatings have been deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in acetylene-nitrogen gas mixtures of different compositions (a-C:H:Cr), by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition in atmospheres of silicone-organic precursor gases (a-C:H:Mo:Si), and by nonreactive magnetron sputtering of a composite target (a-C:H:W).

Deposition of the low resistive ITO-films by means of reactive magnetron sputtering of the In/Sn target on the cold substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhidik, Y. S.; Troyan, P. E.; Baturina, E. V.; Korzhenko, D. V.; Yurjev, Y. N.

2016-06-01

Detailed information on the deposition technology of the low-resistive ITO-films in oxygen-containing media by magnetron reactive sputtering from the In(90%)/Sn(10%) target on the cold substrate is given. Developed technology allows deposition ITO-films with sheet resistance 2-3 Ω/□, transparency higher than 90%. Developed technology is notable for high reproducibility of results and is compatible with production technology of semiconductor devices of optoelectronics.

A W-band sixth-harmonic magnetron-type slotted peniotron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Biao; Li, Jiayin; Wu, Xinhui; Li, Tianming; Li, Hao; Wang, Haiyang; Zhao, Xiaoyun

2013-04-01

This paper has numerically investigated operating characteristics of a w-band six-harmonic magnetron-type slotted peniotron with 7 vanes. With the new structure design, a high efficiency of 40% w-band 30 kW medium power microwave source has been achieved and the mode competition can be somewhat suppressed. The main advantage of such a peniotron, based on a permanent magnet, is that it can have much more compact size and lower cost, and its operation gap can be greatly reduced.

Radiation-induced deposition of transparent conductive tin oxide coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umnov, S.; Asainov, O.; Temenkov, V.

2016-04-01

The study of tin oxide films is stimulated by the search for an alternative replacement of indium-tin oxide (ITO) films used as transparent conductors, oxidation catalysts, material gas sensors, etc. This work was aimed at studying the influence of argon ions irradiation on optical and electrical characteristics of tin oxide films. Thin films of tin oxide (without dopants) were deposited on glass substrates at room temperature using reactive magnetron sputtering. After deposition, the films were irradiated with an argon ion beam. The current density of the beam was (were) 2.5 mA/cm2, and the particles energy was 300-400 eV. The change of the optical and electrical properties of the films depending on the irradiation time was studied. Films optical properties were investigated by photometry in the range of 300-1100 nm. Films structural properties were studied using X-ray diffraction. The diffractometric research showed that the films, deposited on a substrate, had a crystal structure, and after argon ions irradiation they became quasi-crystalline (amorphous). It has been found that the transmission increases proportionally with the irradiation time, however the sheet resistance increases disproportionally. Tin oxide films (thickness ~30 nm) with ~100% transmittance and sheet resistance of ~100 kOhm/sq. were obtained. The study has proved to be prospective in the use of ion beams to improve the properties of transparent conducting oxides.

Growth control, structure, chemical state, and photoresponse of CuO-CdS core-shell heterostructure nanowires.

PubMed

El Mel, A A; Buffière, M; Bouts, N; Gautron, E; Tessier, P Y; Henzler, K; Guttmann, P; Konstantinidis, S; Bittencourt, C; Snyders, R

2013-07-05

The growth of single-crystal CuO nanowires by thermal annealing of copper thin films in air is studied. We show that the density, length, and diameter of the nanowires can be controlled by tuning the morphology and structure of the copper thin films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering. After identifying the optimal conditions for the growth of CuO nanowires, chemical bath deposition is employed to coat the CuO nanowires with CdS in order to form p-n nanojunction arrays. As revealed by high-resolution TEM analysis, the thickness of the polycrystalline CdS shell increases when decreasing the diameter of the CuO core for a given time of CdS deposition. Near-edge x-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy combined with transmission x-ray microscopy allows the chemical analysis of isolated nanowires. The absence of modification in the spectra at the Cu L and O K edges after the deposition of CdS on the CuO nanowires indicates that neither Cd nor S diffuse into the CuO phase. We further demonstrate that the core-shell nanowires exhibit the I-V characteristic of a resistor instead of a diode. The electrical behavior of the device was found to be photosensitive, since increasing the incident light intensity induces an increase in the collected electrical current.

Stable p-i-n FAPbBr 3 devices with improved efficiency using sputtered ZnO as electron transport layer [Stable p-i-n FAPbBr 3 devices with improved efficiency using sputtered inorganic electron transport layer

DOE PAGES

Subbiah, Anand S.; Agarwal, Sumanshu; Mahuli, Neha; ...

2017-02-10

Here, radio-frequency magnetron sputtering is demonstrated as an effective tool to deposit highly crystalline thin zinc oxide (ZnO) layer directly on perovskite absorber as an electron transport layer (ETL). As an absorber, formamidinium lead tribromide (FAPbBr 3) is fabricated through a modified single-step solution process using hydrogen bromide (HBr) as an additive resulting in complete surface coverage and highly crystalline material. A planar p-i-n device architecture with spin-coated poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly-styrenesulfonic acid (PEDOT:PSS) as hole transport material (HTM) and sputtered ZnO as ETL results in a short circuit current density of 9.5 mA cm -2 and an open circuit potential of 1.19more » V. Numerical simulations are performed to validate the underlying loss mechanisms. The use of phenyl C 60 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) interface layer between FAPbBr 3 and sputter-coated ZnO offers shielding from potential plasma-related interface damage. The modified interface results in a better device efficiency of 8.3% with an open circuit potential of 1.35 V. Such devices offer better stability under continuous illumination under ambient conditions in comparison with the conventional organic ETL (PCBM)-based devices.« less

Magnetron sputtering fabrication and photoelectric properties of WSe2 film solar cell device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Xu; Zou, Jianpeng; Li, Hongchao; Song, Zhengqi; He, Siru

2018-06-01

Tungsten diselenide (WSe2) films with different growing orientations exhibit diverse photoelectric properties. The WSe2 film with C-axis⊥substrate texture has been prepared and applied to thin-film solar cells. W nanofilms with a thickness of 270 nm were deposited onto the Mo bottom electrode and then heat-treated in selenium vapor to synthesize WSe2 films with a thickness of 1 μm. ZnO films were deposited onto WSe2 films to form a P-N junction and ITO films were deposited subsequently as the conductive layer. X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy and UV-vis-NIR spectro-analysis instrument were employed to analyze the phase composition, optical absorptivity and micromorphology of WSe2 films and the WSe2 solar cell device. WSe2 films exhibit excellent photoelectric performance with an optical absorption coefficient greater than 105 cm-1 across the visible spectrum. The calculated direct and indirect band gap of the WSe2 films is 1.48 eV and 1.25 eV, respectively. With the application of standard glass/Mo/WSe2/ZnO/ITO/Ag device structure, the open-circuit voltage of the battery device is 82 mV. The short-circuit current density is 2.98 mA/cm2 and the filling factor is 0.32. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of the WSe2 film solar cell device is 0.79%.

Enhanced stability of thin film transistors with double-stacked amorphous IWO/IWO:N channel layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Dong; Pi, Shubin; Yang, Jianwen; Tiwari, Nidhi; Ren, Jinhua; Zhang, Qun; Liu, Po-Tsun; Shieh, Han-Ping

2018-06-01

In this work, bottom-gate top-contact thin film transistors with double-stacked amorphous IWO/IWO:N channel layer were fabricated. Herein, amorphous IWO and N-doped IWO were deposited as front and back channel layers, respectively, by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The electrical characteristics of the bi-layer-channel thin film transistors (TFTs) were examined and compared with those of single-layer-channel (i.e., amorphous IWO or IWO:N) TFTs. It was demonstrated to exhibit a high mobility of 27.2 cm2 V‑1 s‑1 and an on/off current ratio of 107. Compared to the single peers, bi-layer a-IWO/IWO:N TFTs showed smaller hysteresis and higher stability under negative bias stress and negative bias temperature stress. The enhanced performance could be attributed to its unique double-stacked channel configuration, which successfully combined the merits of the TFTs with IWO and IWO:N channels. The underlying IWO thin film provided percolation paths for electron transport, meanwhile, the top IWO:N layer reduced the bulk trap densities. In addition, the IWO channel/gate insulator interface had reduced defects, and IWO:N back channel surface was insensitive to the ambient atmosphere. Overall, the proposed bi-layer a-IWO/IWO:N TFTs show potential for practical applications due to its possibly long-term serviceability.

Stable p-i-n FAPbBr 3 devices with improved efficiency using sputtered ZnO as electron transport layer [Stable p-i-n FAPbBr 3 devices with improved efficiency using sputtered inorganic electron transport layer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Subbiah, Anand S.; Agarwal, Sumanshu; Mahuli, Neha

Here, radio-frequency magnetron sputtering is demonstrated as an effective tool to deposit highly crystalline thin zinc oxide (ZnO) layer directly on perovskite absorber as an electron transport layer (ETL). As an absorber, formamidinium lead tribromide (FAPbBr 3) is fabricated through a modified single-step solution process using hydrogen bromide (HBr) as an additive resulting in complete surface coverage and highly crystalline material. A planar p-i-n device architecture with spin-coated poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly-styrenesulfonic acid (PEDOT:PSS) as hole transport material (HTM) and sputtered ZnO as ETL results in a short circuit current density of 9.5 mA cm -2 and an open circuit potential of 1.19more » V. Numerical simulations are performed to validate the underlying loss mechanisms. The use of phenyl C 60 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) interface layer between FAPbBr 3 and sputter-coated ZnO offers shielding from potential plasma-related interface damage. The modified interface results in a better device efficiency of 8.3% with an open circuit potential of 1.35 V. Such devices offer better stability under continuous illumination under ambient conditions in comparison with the conventional organic ETL (PCBM)-based devices.« less

Surface microstructure evolution of highly transparent and conductive Al-doped ZnO thin films and its application in CIGS solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Ke; Liu, Jingjing; Jin, Ranran; Liu, Jingling; Liu, Xinsheng; Lu, Zhangbo; Liu, Ya; Liu, Xiaolan; Du, Zuliang

2017-07-01

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) has attained intensive attention as being a very good transparent conducting oxide for photovoltaic applications. In this work, AZO films have been deposited on glass substrate by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The influences of substrate temperatures on morphological, structural, optical and electrical properties of AZO films were systematically investigated. The results indicate that all AZO films have the hexagonal structure with c-axis preferred orientation. Morphological and electrical measurements have revealed that the substrate temperatures have strong influence on the microstructure, optical and electrical properties of AZO films. The AZO film is highly transparent from ultraviolet up to near infrared range with highest average transparency exceeding 83%. The minimum resistivity is as low as 6.1 × 10-4 Ω cm. The carrier concentration and mobility are as high as 3.357 × 1020 cm-3 and 30.48 cm2/Vs, respectively. Finally, the performances of the AZO film are evaluated by its practical application in Cu(In1-xGax)Se2 (CIGS) photovoltaic device as a transparent electrode. Benefited from its highly transparent and conductive feature, the most efficient device reveals an efficiency of 7.8% with a short-circuit current density of 28.99 mA/cm2, an open-circuit voltage of 430 mV, and a fill factor of 62.44 under standard conditions.

Simulation and optimization of a soft gamma-ray concentrator using thin film multilayer structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirazi, Farzane; Bloser, Peter F.; Krzanowski, James E.; Legere, Jason S.; McConnell, Mark L.

2017-08-01

We are reporting the investigation result of using multilayer thin film structures for channeling and concentrating soft gamma rays with energies greater than 100 keV, beyond the reach of current grazing-incidence hard X-ray mirrors. This will enable future telescopes for higher energies with same mission parameters already proven by NuSTAR. A suitable arrangement of bent multilayer structures of alternating low and high-density materials will channel soft gamma-ray photons via total external reflection and then concentrate the incident radiation to a point. We present the latest results of producing Ir/Si and W/Si multilayers with the required thicknesses and smoothness by using magnetron sputter technique. In addition to experimental works, we have been working on gamma-ray tracking model of the concentrator by IDL, making use of optical properties calculated by the IMD software. This modeling allows us to calculate efficiency and track photon for different energy bands and materials and compare them with experimental result. Also, we describe combine concentrator modeling result and detector simulation by MEGAlib to archive a complete package of gamma-ray telescope simulation. This technology offers the potential for soft gamma-ray telescopes with focal lengths of less than 10 m, removing the need for formation flying spacecraft and providing greatly increased sensitivity for modest cost and complexity and opening the field up to balloon-borne instruments.

Rechargeable Thin-film Lithium Batteries

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Bates, J. B.; Gruzalski, G. R.; Dudney, N. J.; Luck, C. F.; Yu, Xiaohua

1993-08-01

Rechargeable thin film batteries consisting of lithium metal anodes, an amorphous inorganic electrolyte, and cathodes of lithium intercalation compounds have recently been developed. The batteries, which are typically less than 6 {mu}m thick, can be fabricated to any specified size, large or small, onto a variety of substrates including ceramics, semiconductors, and plastics. The cells that have been investigated include Li TiS{sub 2}, Li V{sub 2}O{sub 5}, and Li Li{sub x}Mn{sub 2}O{sub 4}, with open circuit voltages at full charge of about 2.5, 3.6, and 4.2, respectively. The development of these batteries would not have been possible without the discovery of a new thin film lithium electrolyte, lithium phosphorus oxynitride, that is stable in contact with metallic lithium at these potentials. Deposited by rf magnetron sputtering of Li{sub 3}PO{sub 4} in N{sub 2}, this material has a typical composition of Li{sub 2.9}PO{sub 3.3}N{sub 0.46} and a conductivity at 25{degrees}C of 2 {mu}S/cm. The maximum practical current density obtained from the thin film cells is limited to about 100 {mu}A/cm{sup 2} due to a low diffusivity of Li{sup +} ions in the cathodes. In this work, the authors present a short review of their work on rechargeable thin film lithium batteries.

Plasma vapor deposited n-indium tin oxide/p-copper indium oxide heterojunctions for optoelectronic device applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaya, T. P.; Pradyumnan, P. P.

2017-12-01

Transparent crystalline n-indium tin oxide/p-copper indium oxide diode structures were fabricated on quartz substrates by plasma vapor deposition using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The p-n heterojunction diodes were highly transparent in the visible region and exhibited rectifying current-voltage (I-V) characteristics with a good ideality factor. The sputter power during fabrication of the p-layer was found to have a profound effect on I-V characteristics, and the diode with the p-type layer deposited at a maximum power of 200 W exhibited the highest value of the diode ideality factor (η value) of 2.162, which suggests its potential use in optoelectronic applications. The ratio of forward current to reverse current exceeded 80 within the range of applied voltages of -1.5 to +1.5 V in all cases. The diode structure possessed an optical transmission of 60-70% in the visible region.

Estimation of Electron Temperature on Glass Spherical Tokamak (GLAST)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, S.; Sadiq, M.; Shah, S. I. W.; GLAST Team

2015-03-01

Glass Spherical Tokamak (GLAST) is a small spherical tokamak indigenously developed in Pakistan with an insulating vacuum vessel. A commercially available 2.45 GHz magnetron is used as pre-ionization source for plasma current startup. Different diagnostic systems like Rogowski coils, magnetic probes, flux loops, Langmuir probe, fast imaging and emission spectroscopy are installed on the device. The plasma temperature inside of GLAST, at the time of maxima of plasma current, is estimated by taking into account the Spitzer resistivity calculations with some experimentally determined plasma parameters. The plasma resistance is calculated by using Ohm's law with plasma current and loop voltage as experimentally determined inputs. The plasma resistivity is then determined by using length and area of the plasma column. Finally, the average plasma electron temperature is predicted to be 12.65eV for taking neon (Ne) as a working gas.

High power microwave source development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benford, James N.; Miller, Gabriel; Potter, Seth; Ashby, Steve; Smith, Richard R.

1995-05-01

The requirements of this project have been to: (1) improve and expand the sources available in the facility for testing purposes and (2) perform specific tasks under direction of the Defense Nuclear Agency about the applications of high power microwaves (HPM). In this project the HPM application was power beaming. The requirements of this program were met in the following way: (1) We demonstrated that a compact linear induction accelerator can drive HPM sources at repetition rates in excess of 100 HZ at peak microwave powers of a GW. This was done for the relativistic magnetron. Since the conclusion of this contract such specifications have also been demonstrated for the relativistic klystron under Ballistic Missile Defense Organization funding. (2) We demonstrated an L band relativistic magnetron. This device has been used both on our single pulse machines, CAMEL and CAMEL X, and the repetitive system CLIA. (3) We demonstrated that phase locking of sources together in large numbers is a feasible technology and showed the generation of multigigawatt S-band radiation in an array of relativistic magnetrons.

Metal copper films deposited on cenosphere particles by magnetron sputtering method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Xiaozheng; Xu, Zheng; Shen, Zhigang

2007-05-01

Metal copper films with thicknesses from several nanometres to several micrometres were deposited on the surface of cenosphere particles by the magnetron sputtering method under different working conditions. An ultrasonic vibrating generator equipped with a conventional magnetron sputtering apparatus was used to prevent the cenosphere substrates from accumulating during film growth. The surface morphology, the chemical composition, the average grain size and the crystallization of cenosphere particles were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), inductively coupled plasma-atom emission spectrometer, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, respectively, before and after the plating process. The results indicate that the copper films were successfully deposited on cenosphere particles. It was found from the FE-SEM results that the films were well compacted and highly uniform in thickness. The XRD results show that the copper film coated on cenospheres has a face centred cubic structure and the crystallization of the film sample increases with increasing sputtering power.

Nanoscale Cu{sub 2}O films: Radio-frequency magnetron sputtering and structural and optical studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kudryashov, D. A., E-mail: kudryashovda@apbau.ru; Gudovskikh, A. S.; Babichev, A. V.

2017-01-15

Nanoscale copper (I) oxide layers are formed by magnetron-assisted sputtering onto glassy and silicon substrates in an oxygen-free environment at room temperature, and the structural and optical properties of the layers are studied. It is shown that copper oxide formed on a silicon substrate exhibits a lower degree of disorder than that formed on a glassy substrate, which is supported by the observation of a higher intensity and a smaller half-width of reflections in the diffraction pattern. The highest intensity of reflections in the diffraction pattern is observed for Cu{sub 2}O films grown on silicon at a magnetron power ofmore » 150 W. The absorption and transmittance spectra of these Cu{sub 2}O films are in agreement with the well-known spectra of bulk crystals. In the Raman spectra of the films, phonons inherent in the crystal lattice of cubic Cu{sub 2}O crystals are identified.« less

Silicon oxynitride films deposited by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering using nitrous oxide as a single-source precursor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hänninen, Tuomas, E-mail: tuoha@ifm.liu.se; Schmidt, Susann; Jensen, Jens

2015-09-15

Silicon oxynitride thin films were synthesized by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering of silicon in argon/nitrous oxide plasmas. Nitrous oxide was employed as a single-source precursor supplying oxygen and nitrogen for the film growth. The films were characterized by elastic recoil detection analysis, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflectivity, scanning electron microscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Results show that the films are silicon rich, amorphous, and exhibit a random chemical bonding structure. The optical properties with the refractive index and the extinction coefficient correlate with the film elemental composition, showing decreasing values with increasing film oxygen and nitrogen content.more » The total percentage of oxygen and nitrogen in the films is controlled by adjusting the gas flow ratio in the deposition processes. Furthermore, it is shown that the film oxygen-to-nitrogen ratio can be tailored by the high power impulse magnetron sputtering-specific parameters pulse frequency and energy per pulse.« less

Infrared metamaterial by RF magnetron sputtered ZnO/Al:ZnO multilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santiago, Kevin C.; Mundle, Rajeh; White, Curtis; Bahoura, Messaoud; Pradhan, Aswini K.

2018-03-01

Hyperbolic metamaterials create artificial anisotropy using metallic wires suspended in dielectric media or alternating layers of a metal and dielectric (Type I or Type II). In this study we fabricated ZnO/Al:ZnO (AZO) multilayers by the RF magnetron sputtering deposition technique. Our fabricated multilayers satisfy the requirements for a type II hyperbolic metamaterial. The optical response of individual AZO and ZnO films, as well as the multilayered film were investigated via UV-vis-IR transmittance and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The optical response of the multilayered system is calculated using the nonlocal-corrected Effective Medium Approximation (EMA). The spectroscopic ellipsometry data of the multilayered system was modeled using a uniaxial material model and EMA model. Both theoretical and experimental studies validate the fabricated multilayers undergo a hyperbolic transition at a wavelength of 2.2 μm. To our knowledge this is the first AZO/ZnO type II hyperbolic metamaterial system fabricated by magnetron sputtering deposition method.

Study of cobalt mononitride thin films prepared using DC and high power impulse magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gupta, Rachana, E-mail: dr.rachana.gupta@gmail.com; Pandey, Nidhi; Behera, Layanta

2016-05-23

In this work we studied cobalt mononitride (CoN) thin films deposited using dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). A Co target was sputtered using pure N{sub 2} gas alone as the sputtering medium. Obtained long-range structural ordering was studies using x-ray diffraction (XRD), short-range structure using Co L{sub 2,3} and N K absorption edges using soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and the surface morphology using atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that HiPIMS deposited films have better long-range ordering, better stoichiometric ratio for mononitride composition and smoother texture as compared to dcMS deposited films.more » In addition, the thermal stability of HiPIMS deposited CoN film seems to be better. On the basis of different type of plasma conditions generated in HiPIMS and dcMS process, obtained results are presented and discussed.« less

Prospects of In/CdTe X- and γ-ray detectors with MoO Ohmic contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maslyanchuk, Olena L.; Solovan, Mykhailo M.; Maistruk, Eduard V.; Brus, Viktor V.; Maryanchuk, Pavlo D.; Gnatyuk, Volodymyr A.; Aoki, Toru

2018-01-01

The present paper analyzes the charge transport mechanisms and spectrometric properties of In/CdTe/MoOx heterojunctions prepared by magnetron sputtering of indium and molybdenum oxide thin films onto semi-insulating p-type single-crystal CdTe semiconductor, produced by Acrorad Co. Ltd. Current-voltage characteristics of the detectors at different temperatures were investigated. The charge transport mechanisms in the heterostructures under investigation were determined: the generation-recombination in the space charge region (SCR) at relatively low voltages and the space charge limited currents at high voltages. The spectra of 137Cs and 241Am isotopes taken at different applied bias voltages are presented. It is shown that the In/CdTe/MoOx structures can be used as X/γ-ray detectors in the spectrometric mode.

Decrease of oxygen vacancy by Zn-doped for improving solar-blind photoelectric performance in β-Ga2O3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Daoyou; Qin, Xinyuan; Lv, Ming; Shi, Haoze; Su, Yuanli; Yao, Guosheng; Wang, Shunli; Li, Chaorong; Li, Peigang; Tang, Weihua

2017-11-01

Highly (201) oriented Zn-doped β-Ga2O3 thin films with different dopant concentrations were grown on (0001) sapphire substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. With the increase of Zn dopant concentration, the crystal lattice expands, the energy band gap shrinks, and the oxygen vacancy concentration decreases. Both the metal semiconductor metal (MSM) structure photodetectors based on the pure and Zn-doped β-Ga2O3 thin films exhibit solar blind UV photoelectric property. Compared to the pure β-Ga2O3 photodetector, the Zn-doped one exhibits a lower dark current, a higher photo/dark current ratio, a faster photoresponse speed, which can be attributed to the decreases of oxygen vacancy concentration.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Fabrication and characterization of anisotype heterojunctions n-TiN/p-CdTe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solovan, M. M.; Brus, V. V.; Maryanchuk, P. D.; Ilashchuk, M. I.; Rappich, J.; Nickel, N.; Abashin, S. L.

2014-01-01

Photosensitive heterojunctions n-TiN/p-CdTe were fabricated for the first time by means of titanium nitride thin film deposition (n-type conductivity) by the reactive magnetron sputtering onto freshly etched single crystal substrates CdTe (1 1 0) of p-type conductivity. The temperature dependences of the height of the potential barrier and series resistance of the n-TiN/p-CdTe heterojunction were investigated. The dominating current transport mechanisms through the heterojunctions under investigation were determined at forward and reverse bias. The heterojunctions under investigation generate open-circuit voltage Voc = 0.35 V, short-circuit current Isc = 1.88 mA см-2 and fill factor FF = 0.51 under illumination 80 mW сm-2.

Phased Array Technology with Phase and Amplitude Controlled Magnetron for Microwave Power Transmission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinohara, N.; Matsumoto, H.

2004-12-01

We need a microwave power transmitter with light weight and high DC-RF conversion efficiency for an economical SSPS (Space Solar Power System). We need a several g/W for a microwave power transmission (MPT) system with a phased array with 0.0001 degree of beam control accuracy (=tan-1 (100m/36,000km)) and over 80 % of DC-RF conversion efficiency when the weight of the 1GW-class SPS is below a several thousand ton - a several tens of thousand ton. We focus a microwave tube, especially magnetron by economical reason and by the amount of mass-production because it is commonly used for microwave oven in the world. At first, we have developed a phase controlled magnetron (PCM) with different technologies from what Dr. Brown developed. Next we have developed a phase and amplitude controlled magnetron (PACM). For the PACM, we add a feedback to magnetic field of the PCM with an external coil to control and stabilize amplitude of the microwave. We succeed to develop the PACM with below 10-6 of frequency stability and within 1 degree of an error in phase and within 1% of amplitude. We can control a phase and amplitude of the PACM and we have developed a phased array the PCMs. With the PCM technology, we have developed a small light weight MPT transmitter COMET (Compact Microwave Energy Transmitter) with consideration of heat radiation for space use and with consideration of mobility to space.

Electron transport through magnetic quantum point contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, Timothy Ellis

Spin-based electronics, or spintronics, has generated a great deal of interest as a possible next-generation integrated circuit technology. Recent experimental and theoretical work has shown that these devices could exhibit increased processing speed, decreased power consumption, and increased integration densities as compared with conventional semiconductor devices. The spintronic device that was designed, fabricated, and tested throughout the course of this work aimed to study the generation of spin-polarized currents in semiconductors using magnetic fringe fields. The device scheme relied on the Zeeman effect in combination with a quantum mechanical barrier to generate spin-polarized currents. The Zeeman effect was used to break the degeneracy of spin-up and spin-down electrons and the quantum mechanical potential to transmit one while rejecting the other. The design was dictated by the drive to maximize the strength of the magnetic fringe field and in turn maximize the energy separation of the two spin species. The device was fabricated using advanced techniques in semiconductor processing including electron beam lithography and DC magnetron sputtering. Measurements were performed in a 3He cryostat equipped with a superconducting magnet at temperatures below 300 mK. Preliminary characterization of the device revealed magnetoconductance oscillations produced by the effect of the transverse confining potential on the density of states and the mobility. Evidence of the effect of the magnetic fringe fields on the transport properties of electrons in the device were observed in multiple device measurements. An abrupt washout of the quantized conductance steps was observed over a minute range of the applied magnetic field. The washout was again observed as electrons were shifted closer to the magnetic gates. In addition, bias spectroscopy demonstrated that the washout occurred despite stronger electron confinement, as compared to a non-magnetic split-gate. Thus, the measurements indicated that conductance quantization breaks down in a non-uniform magnetic field, possibly due to changes to the stationary Landau states. It was also demonstrated that non-integer conductance plateaus at high source-drain bias are not caused by a macroscopic asymmetry in the potential drop.

Formation of the 110-K superconducting phase in Pb-doped Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kula, W.; Sobolewski, R.; Gorecka, J.

1991-09-15

Investigation of the 110-K Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub {ital x}} phase formation in superconducting thin films of Bi-based cuprates is reported. The films were dc magnetron sputtered from single Bi(Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O targets of various stoichiometries, and subsequently annealed in air at high temperatures. The influence of the initial Pb content, annealing conditions, as well as the substrate material on the growth of the 110-K phase was investigated. We found that the films, fully superconducting above 100 K could be reproducibly fabricated on various dielectric substrates from Pb-rich targets by optimizing annealing conditions for each initial Pb/Bi ratio. Heavy Pb dopingmore » considerably accelerated formation of the 110-K phase, reducing the film annealing time to less than 1 h. Films containing, according to the x-ray measurement, more than 90% of the 110-K phase were obtained on MgO substrates, after sputtering from the Bi{sub 2}Pb{sub 2.5}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2.15}Cu{sub 3.3}O{sub {ital x}} target and annealing in air for 1 h at 870 {degree}C. The films were {ital c}-axis oriented, with 4.5-K-wide superconducting transition, and zero resistivity at 106 K. Their critical current density was 2 {times} 10{sup 2} A/cm{sup 2} at 90 K, and above 10{sup 4} A/cm{sup 2} below 60 K. The growth of the 110-K phase on epitaxial substrates, such as CaNdAlO{sub 4} and SrTiO{sub 3}, was considerably deteriorated, and the presence of the 80- and 10-K phases was detected. Nevertheless, the best films deposited on these substrates were fully superconducting at 104 K and exhibited critical current densities above 2 {times} 10{sup 5} A/cm{sup 2} below 60 K{minus}one order of magnitude greater than the films deposited on MgO.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, H. X.; Zhang, T.; Wang, R. X.

A nano-floating gate memory structure based on Ni nanocrystals (NCs) embedded HfO{sub x} film is deposited by means of radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. Microstructure investigations reveal that self-organized Ni-NCs with diameters of 4-8 nm are well dispersed in amorphous HfO{sub x} matrix. Pt/Ni-NCs embedded HfO{sub x}/Si/Ag capacitor structures exhibit voltage-dependent capacitance-voltage hysteresis, and a maximum flat-band voltage shift of 1.5 V, corresponding to a charge storage density of 6.0 × 10{sup 12} electrons/cm{sup 2}, is achieved. These capacitor memory cells exhibit good endurance characteristic up to 4 × 10{sup 4} cycles and excellent retention performance of 10{sup 5} s, fulfilling themore » requirements of next generation non-volatile memory devices. Schottky tunneling is proven to be responsible for electrons tunneling in these capacitors.« less

Al decorated ZnO thin-film photoanode for SPR-enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongxia; Li, Xin; Dong, Wei; Xi, Junhua; Wu, Xin

2018-06-01

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has been considered to be a promising approach to ease the energy and environmental crisis. Herein, Al decorated ZnO thin films are successfully achieved through a facile dc magnetron-sputtering method followed with Al evaporation for further enhanced PEC performance. The Al/ZnO thin film with 60 s Al evaporating time exhibits the highest photocurrent density under AM1.5G and visible light irradiation, which are more than 5 and 3 times as the pure ZnO film, respectively. Such surface modification by Al not only enlarges the visible light absorption based on surface plasmonic resonance effect, but facilitates the charge separation and transportation at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Finally, a possible mechanism is proposed for the photocatalytic activity enhancement of Al/ZnO thin film photoanode.

Nonlinear excitation of long-wavelength modes in Hall plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakhin, V. P.; Ilgisonis, V. I.; Smolyakov, A. I.; Sorokina, E. A.

2016-10-01

Hall plasmas with magnetized electrons and unmagnetized ions exhibit a wide range of small scale fluctuations in the lower-hybrid frequency range as well as low-frequency large scale modes. Modulational instability of lower-hybrid frequency modes is investigated in this work for typical conditions in Hall plasma devices such as magnetrons and Hall thrusters. In these conditions, the dispersion of the waves in the lower-hybrid frequency range propagating perpendicular to the external magnetic field is due to the gradients of the magnetic field and the plasma density. It is shown that such lower-hybrid modes are unstable with respect to the secondary instability of the large scale quasimode perturbations. It is suggested that the large scale slow coherent modes observed in a number of Hall plasma devices may be explained as a result of such secondary instabilities.

Charge storage and tunneling mechanism of Ni nanocrystals embedded HfOx film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, H. X.; Zhang, T.; Wang, R. X.; Zhang, Y. Y.; Li, L. T.; Qiu, X. Y.

2016-05-01

A nano-floating gate memory structure based on Ni nanocrystals (NCs) embedded HfOx film is deposited by means of radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. Microstructure investigations reveal that self-organized Ni-NCs with diameters of 4-8 nm are well dispersed in amorphous HfOx matrix. Pt/Ni-NCs embedded HfOx/Si/Ag capacitor structures exhibit voltage-dependent capacitance-voltage hysteresis, and a maximum flat-band voltage shift of 1.5 V, corresponding to a charge storage density of 6.0 × 1012 electrons/cm2, is achieved. These capacitor memory cells exhibit good endurance characteristic up to 4 × 104 cycles and excellent retention performance of 105 s, fulfilling the requirements of next generation non-volatile memory devices. Schottky tunneling is proven to be responsible for electrons tunneling in these capacitors.

SCR-1: Design and Construction of a Small Modular Stellarator for Magnetic Confinement of Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barillas, L.; Vargas, V. I.; Alpizar, A.; Asenjo, J.; Carranza, J. M.; Cerdas, F.; Gutiérrez, R.; Monge, J. I.; Mora, J.; Morera, J.; Peraza, H.; Queral, V.; Rojas, C.; Rozen, D.; Saenz, F.; Sánchez, G.; Sandoval, M.; Trimiño, H.; Umaña, J.; Villegas, L. F.

2014-05-01

This paper describes briefly the design and construction of a small modular stellarator for magnetic confinement of plasma, called Stellarator of Costa Rica 1, or SCR-1; developed by the Plasma Physics Group of the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, PlasmaTEC. The SCR-1 is based on the small Spanish stellarator UST_1, created by the engineer Vicente Queral. The SCR-1 will employ stainless steel torus-shaped vacuum vessel with a major radius of 460.33 mm and a cross section radius of 110.25mm. A typical SCR-1 plasma will have an average radius 42.2 mm and a volume of 8 liters (0.01 m3), and an aspect ratio of 5.7. The magnetic resonant field will be 0.0878 T, and a period of 2 (m=2) with a rotational transform of 0.3. The magnetic field will be provided by 12 modular coils, with 8 turns each, with an electrical current of 8704 A per coil (1088 A per turn of each coil). This current will be fed by a bank of cell batteries. The plasma will be heated by ECRH with magnetrons of a total power of 5kW, in the first harmonic at 2.45GHz. The expected electron temperature and density are 15 eV and 1017 m-3 respectively with an estimated confinement time of 7.30 x 10-4 ms. The initial diagnostics on the SCR-1 will consist of a Langmuir probe, a heterodyne microwave interferometer, and a field mapping system. The first plasma of the SCR-1 is expected at the end of 2011.

Growth and characterization of a-axis oriented Cr-doped AlN films by DC magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panda, Padmalochan; Ramaseshan, R.; Krishna, Nanda Gopala; Dash, S.

2016-05-01

Wurtzite type Cr-doped AlN thin films were grown on Si (100) substrates using DC reactive magnetron sputtering with a function of N2 concentration (15 to 25%). Evolution of crystal structure of these films was studied by GIXRD where a-axis preferred orientation was observed. The electronic binding energy and concentration of Cr in these films were estimated by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). We have observed indentation hardness (HIT) of around 28.2 GPa for a nitrogen concentration of 25%.

Growth and characterization of a-axis oriented Cr-doped AlN films by DC magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Panda, Padmalochan; Ramaseshan, R., E-mail: seshan@igcar.gov.in; Dash, S.

2016-05-23

Wurtzite type Cr-doped AlN thin films were grown on Si (100) substrates using DC reactive magnetron sputtering with a function of N{sub 2} concentration (15 to 25%). Evolution of crystal structure of these films was studied by GIXRD where a-axis preferred orientation was observed. The electronic binding energy and concentration of Cr in these films were estimated by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). We have observed indentation hardness (H{sub IT}) of around 28.2 GPa for a nitrogen concentration of 25%.

Ultra-hard AlMgB14 coatings fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering from a stoichiometric target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grishin, A. M.; Khartsev, S. I.; Böhlmark, J.; Ahlgren, M.

2015-01-01

For the first time hard aluminum magnesium boride films were fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering from a single stoichiometric ceramic AlMgB14 target. Optimized processing conditions (substrate temperature, target sputtering power and target-to-substrate distance) enable fabrication of stoichiometric in-depth compositionally homogeneous films with the peak values of nanohardness 88 GPa and Young's modulus 517 GPa at the penetration depth of 26 nm and, respectively, 35 and 275 GPa at 200 nm depth in 2 μm thick film.

Controllable transition from positive space charge to negative space charge in an inverted cylindrical magnetron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rane, R., E-mail: ramu@ipr.res.in; Ranjan, M.; Mukherjee, S.

2016-01-15

The combined effect of magnetic field (B), gas pressure (P), and the corresponding discharge voltage on the discharge properties of argon in inverted cylindrical magnetron has been investigated. In the experiment, anode is biased with continuous 10 ms sinusoidal half wave. It is observed that at a comparatively higher magnetic field (i.e., >200 gauss) and lower operating pressure (i.e., <1 × 10{sup −3} mbar), the discharge extinguishes and demands a high voltage to reignite. Discharge current increases with increase in magnetic field and starts reducing at sufficiently higher magnetic field for a particular discharge voltage due to restricted electron diffusion towards the anode.more » It is observed that B/P ratio plays an important role in sustaining the discharge and is constant for a discharge voltage. The discharge is transformed to negative space charge regime from positive space charge regime at certain B/P ratio and this ratio varies linearly with the discharge voltage. The space charge reversal is indicated by the radial profile of the floating potential and plasma potential in between two electrodes for different magnetic fields. At a particular higher magnetic field (beyond 100 gauss), the floating potential increases gradually with the radial distance from cathode, whereas it remains almost constant at lower magnetic field.« less

Characterization of graded TiC layers deposited by HiPIMS method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohovicova, Jana; Bonova, Lucia; Halanda, Juraj; Ivan, Jozef; Mesko, Marcel; Advanced Technologies Research Institute Team; Institute of Electronic; Photonic Team

2016-09-01

An advanced yet recent development of sputter technique is high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS), in which short, energetic pulses are applied to the target, leading to a formation of an ultra-dense plasma in front of the cathode, that provide a high degree of ionization of sputtered material, and consequently enable to control the energy and the direction of the deposition flux. This gives a possibility to alter composition and microstructure in a controlled manner, enables the optimization of TiC for tribological applications. The aim of this work is to link physical phenomena in transient HiPIMS discharges to microstructural and compositional properties of graded TiC thin films. It was found that Ti bottom layer is contamination free. Compared to the direct current magnetron sputtering films, we observed an element specific reduction of impurities measured by ERDA by a factor 3 for N, 4 for H and by a factor of 20 for O. The high purity of Ti layer is partly explained by gas rarefaction and the cleaning effect of the bombarding ions. Graphitization degree of carbon top layer was elucidated by Raman spectroscopy. The compositional effects are correlated with differences in the film microstructure revealed by SEM, XRD and TEM analysis. This work was supported by VEGA, Project No. 1/0503/15 and APVV, Project No. 15-0168.

Fabrication and characterization of La2Zr2O7 films on different buffer architectures for YBa2Cu3O7-δ coated conductors by RF magnetron sputtering.

PubMed

Xu, Da; Liu, Linfei; Xiao, Guina; Li, Yijie

2013-02-27

La2Zr2O7 (LZO) films were grown on different buffer architectures by radio frequency magnetron sputtering for the large-scale application of YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO)-coated conductors. The three different buffer architectures were cerium oxide (CeO2), yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/CeO2, and CeO2/YSZ/CeO2. The microstructure and surface morphology of the LZO film were studied by X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The LZO films prepared on the CeO2, YSZ/CeO2, and CeO2/YSZ/CeO2 buffer architectures were preferentially c-axis-oriented and highly textured. The in-plane texture of LZO film on CeO2 single-buffer architecture was ∆ φ = 5.5° and the out-of-plane texture was ∆ ω = 3.4°. All the LZO films had very smooth surfaces, but LZO films grown on YSZ/CeO2 and CeO2/YSZ/CeO2 buffer architectures had cracks. The highly textured LZO film grown on CeO2-seed buffered NiW tape was suitable for the epitaxial growth of YBCO film with high currents.

Potentiodynamic Polarization Studies and Surface Chemical Composition of Bismuth Titanate (BixTiyOz) Films Produced through Radiofrequency Magnetron Sputtering

PubMed Central

Alfonso, José E.; Olaya, Jhon J.; Pinzón, Manuel J.; Marco, José F.

2013-01-01

The applications of Bismuth Titanate (BixTiyOz) materials have been focused on their electronic and optical properties, but with respect to the use of these compounds in applications like corrosion resistance, have been very few or nonexistent. For this reason, in the present investigation BixTiyOz thin films were deposited using RF magnetron sputtering onto silicon wafers, stainless steel 316L, and titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) substrates, in order to carry out a study of the corrosion behavior of this compound. The structural properties of the coatings were studied through X-ray diffraction (XRD), the morphology was determined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), the corrosion resistance behavior of the coated and uncoated substrates was evaluated via the Potentiodynamic Polarization technique, and surface chemical composition was evaluated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XRD results indicated that the films were amorphous. The SEM micrographs showed that the deposited films were homogeneous, but in some cases there were cracks. The potentiodynamic polarization technique showed that the corrosion current in the coated substrates decreased by an order of two magnitudes with respect to the uncoated substrates, but in both cases the corrosion mechanism was pitting due to the pores in the film. The XPS analysis shows that the deposited films contain both Bi3+ and Ti4+. PMID:28788338

Potentiodynamic Polarization Studies and Surface Chemical Composition of Bismuth Titanate (Bi x Ti y O z ) Films Produced through Radiofrequency Magnetron Sputtering.

PubMed

Alfonso, José E; Olaya, Jhon J; Pinzón, Manuel J; Marco, José F

2013-10-08

The applications of Bismuth Titanate (Bi x Ti y O z ) materials have been focused on their electronic and optical properties, but with respect to the use of these compounds in applications like corrosion resistance, have been very few or nonexistent. For this reason, in the present investigation Bi x Ti y O z thin films were deposited using RF magnetron sputtering onto silicon wafers, stainless steel 316L, and titanium alloy (Ti₆Al₄V) substrates, in order to carry out a study of the corrosion behavior of this compound. The structural properties of the coatings were studied through X-ray diffraction (XRD), the morphology was determined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), the corrosion resistance behavior of the coated and uncoated substrates was evaluated via the Potentiodynamic Polarization technique, and surface chemical composition was evaluated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XRD results indicated that the films were amorphous. The SEM micrographs showed that the deposited films were homogeneous, but in some cases there were cracks. The potentiodynamic polarization technique showed that the corrosion current in the coated substrates decreased by an order of two magnitudes with respect to the uncoated substrates, but in both cases the corrosion mechanism was pitting due to the pores in the film. The XPS analysis shows that the deposited films contain both Bi 3+ and Ti 4+ .

Noise analysis in numerical modeling of crossed fields microwave tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

BłaŻejewicz, Mariusz; Woźniak, Martyna; Szkop, Emil; RóŻycki, Andrzej; Rychlewski, Michał; Baczewski, Dariusz; Laskowski, Dariusz

2018-04-01

One of the most important parameters that characterize microwave tubes with crossed fields, both amplifiers (CFA), and generating tubes like magnetrons is the noise level. This type of tubes are characterized by relatively high noise levels, which is the main factor limiting their current use in radar transmitters. The main source of noise in microwave tubes of this type is the dispersion of the energy of electrons that are in phase with the spatial wave of the electromagnetic field propagating in the delay line (in case of an amplitron) or in the resonant structure (in case of a magnetron).The results of the research presented in the article concern the technique of determination of Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) based on the analysis of results obtained during the numerical simulations of the effect of electric charge on a high frequency electromagnetic field. Signal to noise ratio was determined by analysing in-phase and quadrature data recorded in the high frequency simulation. In order to assess the accuracy of the method under investigation, the results from the noise analysis obtained from numerical calculations were compared with the results obtained from real tube measurements performed by a spectrum analyser. On the basis of the research, it appears that performing analysis of noise generated in the interaction area may be useful for preliminary evaluation of the tube at the design stage.

Characterization and optimization of the magnetron directional amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatfield, Michael Craig

Many applications of microwave wireless power transmission (WPT) are dependent upon a high-powered electronically-steerable phased array composed of many radiating modules. The phase output from the high-gain amplifier in each module must be accurately controlled if the beam is to be properly steered. A highly reliable, rugged, and inexpensive design is essential for making WPT applications practical. A conventional microwave oven magnetron may be combined with a ferrite circulator and other external circuitry to create such a system. By converting it into a two-port amplifier, the magnetron is capable of delivering at least 30 dB of power gain while remaining phase-locked to the input signal over a wide frequency range. The use of the magnetron in this manner is referred to as a MDA (Magnetron Directional Amplifier). The MDA may be integrated with an inexpensive slotted waveguide array (SWA) antenna to form the Electronically-Steerable Phased Array Module (ESPAM). The ESPAM provides a building block approach to creating phased arrays for WPT. The size and shape of the phased array may be tailored to satisfy a diverse range of applications. This study provided an in depth examination into the capabilities of the MDA/ESPAM. The basic behavior of the MDA was already understood, as well as its potential applicability to WPT. The primary objective of this effort was to quantify how well the MDA could perform in this capacity. Subordinate tasks included characterizing the MDA behavior in terms of its system inputs, optimizing its performance, performing sensitivity analyses, and identifying operating limitations. A secondary portion of this study examined the suitability of the ESPAM in satisfying system requirements for the solar power satellite (SPS). Supporting tasks included an analysis of SPS requirements, modeling of the SWA antenna, and the demonstration of a simplified phased array constructed of ESPAM elements. The MDA/ESPAM is well suited for use as an amplifier or an element in a WPT phased array, providing over 75% efficiency and a fractional bandwidth exceeding 1.7% at 2.45 GHz. The results of this effort provide the WPT design engineer with tools to predict the MDA's optimum performance and limitations.

Infrared characteristics of VO2 thin films for smart window and laser protection applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Zhangli; Chen, Sihai; Lv, Chaohong; Huang, Ying; Lai, Jianjun

2012-11-01

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) films with a low semiconductor-to-metal transition temperature of 45 °C were fabricated through direct current magnetron sputtering followed by a post-annealing. Atomic force microscopy measurements show that the VO2 grain size is about one hundred of nanometers. Infrared (IR) characteristic is well investigated by applying a He-Ne laser power intensity measurement, and the result reveals that the VO2 film exhibits excellent IR switching property. Furthermore, solar smart window and laser protection experiments demonstrate that the obtained VO2 thin film is a promising material for the application in related fields.

Laser Trimming of CuAlMo Thin-Film Resistors: Effect of Laser Processing Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkett, Martin; Penlington, Roger

2012-08-01

This paper reports the effect of varying laser trimming process parameters on the electrical performance of a novel CuAlMo thin-film resistor material. The films were prepared on Al2O3 substrates by direct-current (DC) magnetron sputtering, before being laser trimmed to target resistance value. The effect of varying key laser parameters of power, Q-rate, and bite size on the resistor stability and tolerance accuracy were systematically investigated. By reducing laser power and bite size and balancing this with Q-rate setting, significant improvements in resistor stability and resistor tolerance accuracies of less than ±0.5% were achieved.

Thermoelectric Mixed Thick-/Thin Film Microgenerators Based on Constantan/Silver.

PubMed

Gierczak, Mirosław; Prażmowska-Czajka, Joanna; Dziedzic, Andrzej

2018-01-12

This paper describes the design, manufacturing and characterization of newly developed mixed thick-/thin film thermoelectric microgenerators based on magnetron sputtered constantan (copper-nickel alloy) and screen-printed silver layers. The thermoelectric microgenerator consists of sixteen thermocouples made on a 34.2 × 27.5 × 0.25 mm³ alumina substrate. One of thermocouple arms was made of magnetron-sputtered constantan (Cu-Ni alloy), the second was a Ag-based screen-printed film. The length of each thermocouple arm was equal to 27 mm, and their width 0.3 mm. The distance between the arms was equal to 0.3 mm. In the first step, a pattern mask with thermocouples was designed and fabricated. Then, a constantan layer was magnetron sputtered over the whole substrate, and a photolithography process was used to prepare the first thermocouple arms. The second arms were screen-printed onto the substrate using a low-temperature silver paste (Heraeus C8829A or ElectroScience Laboratories ESL 599-E). To avoid oxidation of constantan, they were fired in a belt furnace in a nitrogen atmosphere at 550/450 °C peak firing temperature. Thermoelectric and electrical measurements were performed using the self-made measuring system. Two pyrometers included into the system were used for temperature measurement of hot and cold junctions. The estimated Seebeck coefficient, α was from the range 35 - 41 µV/K, whereas the total internal resistances R were between 250 and 3200 ohms, depending on magnetron sputtering time and kind of silver ink (the resistance of a single thermocouple was between 15.5 and 200 ohms).

Thermoelectric Mixed Thick-/Thin Film Microgenerators Based on Constantan/Silver

PubMed Central

Gierczak, Mirosław; Prażmowska-Czajka, Joanna; Dziedzic, Andrzej

2018-01-01

This paper describes the design, manufacturing and characterization of newly developed mixed thick-/thin film thermoelectric microgenerators based on magnetron sputtered constantan (copper-nickel alloy) and screen-printed silver layers. The thermoelectric microgenerator consists of sixteen thermocouples made on a 34.2 × 27.5 × 0.25 mm3 alumina substrate. One of thermocouple arms was made of magnetron-sputtered constantan (Cu-Ni alloy), the second was a Ag-based screen-printed film. The length of each thermocouple arm was equal to 27 mm, and their width 0.3 mm. The distance between the arms was equal to 0.3 mm. In the first step, a pattern mask with thermocouples was designed and fabricated. Then, a constantan layer was magnetron sputtered over the whole substrate, and a photolithography process was used to prepare the first thermocouple arms. The second arms were screen-printed onto the substrate using a low-temperature silver paste (Heraeus C8829A or ElectroScience Laboratories ESL 599-E). To avoid oxidation of constantan, they were fired in a belt furnace in a nitrogen atmosphere at 550/450 °C peak firing temperature. Thermoelectric and electrical measurements were performed using the self-made measuring system. Two pyrometers included into the system were used for temperature measurement of hot and cold junctions. The estimated Seebeck coefficient, α was from the range 35 − 41 µV/K, whereas the total internal resistances R were between 250 and 3200 ohms, depending on magnetron sputtering time and kind of silver ink (the resistance of a single thermocouple was between 15.5 and 200 ohms). PMID:29329203

Semiconducting boron carbide thin films: Structure, processing, and diode applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Ruqiang

The high energy density and long lifetime of betavoltaic devices make them very useful to provide the power for applications ranging from implantable cardiac pacemakers to deep space satellites and remote sensors. However, when made with conventional semiconductors, betavoltaic devices tend to suffer rapid degradation as a result of radiation damage. It has been suggested that the degradation problem could potentially be alleviated by replacing conventional semiconductors with a radiation hard semiconducting material like icosahedral boron carbide. The goal of my dissertation was to better understand the fundamental properties and structure of boron carbide thin films and to explore the processes to fabricate boron carbide based devices for voltaic applications. A pulsed laser deposition system and a radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering deposition system were designed and built to achieve the goals. After comparing the experimental results obtained using these two techniques, it was concluded that RF magnetron sputtering deposition technique is a good method to make B4C boron carbide thin films to fabricate repeatable and reproducible voltaic devices. The B4C thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering require in situ dry pre-cleaning to make ohmic contacts for B4C thin films to fabricate the devices. By adding another RF sputtering to pre-clean the substrate and thin films, a process to fabricate B4C / n-Si heterojunctions has been established. In addition, a low energy electron accelerator (LEEA) was built to mimic beta particles emitted from Pm147 and used to characterize the betavoltaic performance of betavoltaic devices as a function of beta energy and beta flux as well as do accelerated lifetime testing for betavoltaic devices. The energy range of LEEA is 20 - 250 keV with the current from several nA to 50 muA. High efficiency Si solar cells were used to demonstrate the powerful capabilities of LEEA, i.e., the characterization of betavoltaic performance and the accelerated lifetime test of betavoltaic devices. Structural analysis by X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy showed that the prepared B4C thin films are amorphous. The presence of icosahedrons, which account for the radiation hardness of icosahedral boron rich solids, in the amorphous B4C thin films was supported by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The pair distribution functions derived from selected area diffraction pattern of amorphous B 4C thin films showed that the short range order structure of amorphous B4C thin films is similar to beta-rhombohedral boron but with a shorter distance. The investigation of electrical properties of B4 C thin films showed that the resistivity of B4C thin films ranges from 695 O-cm to 9650 O-cm depending on the deposition temperature; the direct and indirect bandgaps for B4C thin films are 2.776 - 2.898 eV and 1.148 - 1.327 eV, respectively; the effective lifetime of excess charge carrier is close to 0.1 ms for B4C thin film deposited at room temperature and approximates to 1 ms for those deposited at 175 °C to 500 °C. Based on structural characterization and electrical properties of B4C thin films, a structural model of B4C thin films was proposed and supported by nanoindenter experiments, i.e., the hardness of thin films deposited at temperature in the range of 275 °C to 350 °C is lower than that of the films deposited at RT and 650 °C. Heterojunctions of B4C / n-Si (100) possessing photovoltaic response have been fabricated. The suitable deposition temperature for B 4C thin film to fabricate photovoltaic device is from 175 °C to 350 °C. When the Si substrate surface was not pre-cleaned before depositing B4C thin film, the B4C / n-Si (100) heterojunction has better photovoltaic responses, presumably because there were no sputter-produced defects on the surface of Si (100) substrate. Until now, the best achievable photovoltaic performance is B4C / n-Si (100) heterojunction with 200 nm thick B4C thin film when the Si (100) substrate surface was not pre-cleaned by RF sputtering. When this heterojunction was characterized using solar simulator with air mass 1.5 spectra, the short circuit current density is 1.484 mA/cm2, the open circuit voltage is about 0.389 V, and the power conversion efficiency is about 0.214 %. In addition, B5C thin films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition were used to make some of the devices studied in this dissertation. It was found that the Si-doped BC / n-Si (111) heterojunctions also demonstrates their photovoltaic and betavoltaic responses. Even after irradiated by a 120 keV electron beam to a fluence of 4.38x1017 electrons/cm 2, the heterojunctions still posses betavoltaic behavior and their responses to the incident irradiance density are similar to that before irradiation.

Improvement of adhesion and barrier properties of biomedical stainless steel by deposition of YSZ coatings using RF magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sánchez-Hernández, Z.E.; CICATA—Altamira, IPN. Grupo CIAMS, Km 14.5, Carretera Tampico-Puerto Industrial Altamira, C. P. 89600, Altamira, Tamps, México; Domínguez-Crespo, M.A., E-mail: mdominguezc@ipn.mx

The AISI 316L stainless steel (SS) has been widely used in both artificial knee and hip joints in biomedical applications. In the present study, yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ, ZrO{sub 2} + 8% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) films were deposited on AISI 316L SS by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering using different power densities (50–250 W) and deposition times (30–120 min) from a YSZ target. The crystallographic orientation and surface morphology were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of the surface modification on the corrosion performance of AISI 316L SS were evaluated in phosphatemore » buffered saline (PBS) solution using an electrochemical test on both the virgin and coated samples. The YSZ coatings have a (111) preferred orientation during crystal growth along the c-axis for short deposition times (30–60 min), whereas a polycrystalline structure forms during deposition times from 90 to 120 min. The corrosion protective character of the YSZ coatings depends on the crystal size and film thickness. A significant increase in adhesion and corrosion resistance by at least a factor of 46 and a higher breakdown potential were obtained for the deposited coatings at 200 W (120 min). - Highlights: • Well-formed and protective YSZ coatings were achieved on AISI 316L SS substrates. • Films grown at high power and long deposition time have polycrystalline structures. • The crystal size varies from ∼ 5 to 30 nm as both power and deposition time increased. • The differences of corrosion resistance are attributed to internal film structure.« less

Effect of post annealing on structural, optical and dielectric properties of MgTiO3 thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santhosh Kumar, T.; Bhuyan, R. K.; Pamu, D.

2013-01-01

MgTiO3 (MTO) thin films have been deposited on to quartz and platinized silicon (Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The metal-MTO-metal (Ag-MTO-Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si) thin film capacitors have been fabricated at different oxygen mixing percentage (OMP). The effects of OMP and post annealing on the structural, microstructural, optical and dielectric properties of MTO films were studied. The MTO target has been synthesized by mechanochemical synthesis method. The phase purity of the sputtering target was confirmed from X-ray diffraction pattern and refined to R3bar space group with lattice parameters a = b = 5.0557(12) Å, c = 13.9003(9) Å. The chemical composition of the deposited films was confirmed from EDS spectra and all the films exhibited the composition of the sputtering target. The XRD patterns of the as-deposited films are amorphous and annealing at 700 °C for 1 h induced nanocrystallinity with the improved optical and dielectric properties. The annealed films exhibit refractive index in the range of 2.12-2.19 at 600 nm with an optical bandgap value in between 4.11 and 4.19 eV. The increase in the refractive index and bandgap upon annealing can be attributed to the improvement in packing density, crystallinity, and decrease in porosity ratio. Both the dielectric constant and tan δ decrease with the increase in frequency and were in the range of 13.7-31.11 and 0.006-0.124, respectively. The improvement in dielectric properties with the increase in OMP has been correlated to the reduction in oxygen vacancies, increase in crystallinity and grain size of the films.

Morphology and structure evolution of Cu(In,Ga)S{sub 2} films deposited by reactive magnetron co-sputtering with electron cyclotron resonance plasma assistance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nie, Man, E-mail: man.nie@helmholtz-berlin.de; Ellmer, Klaus

2014-02-28

Cu(In,Ga)S{sub 2} (CIGS) films were deposited on Mo coated soda lime glass substrates using an electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced one-step reactive magnetron co-sputtering process (ECR-RMS). The crystalline quality and the morphology of the Cu(In,Ga)S{sub 2} films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray fluorescence. We also compared these CIGS films with films previously prepared without ECR assistance and find that the crystallinity of the CIGS films is correlated with the roughness evolution during deposition. Atomic force microscopy was used to measure the surface topography and to derive one-dimensional power spectral densities (1DPSD). Allmore » 1DPSD spectra of CIGS films exhibit no characteristic peak which is typical for the scaling of a self-affine surface. The growth exponent β, characterizing the roughness R{sub q} evolution during the film growth as R{sub q} ∼ d{sup β}, changes with film thickness. The root-mean-square roughness at low temperatures increases only slightly with a growth exponent β = 0.013 in the initial growth stage, while R{sub q} increases with a much higher exponent β = 0.584 when the film thickness is larger than about 270 nm. Additionally, we found that the H{sub 2}S content of the sputtering atmosphere and the Cu- to-(In + Ga) ratio has a strong influence of the morphology of the CIGS films in this one-step ECR-RMS process.« less

Ion Energy Distribution Studies of Ions and Radicals in an Ar/H2 Radio Frequency Magnetron Discharge During a-Si:H Deposition Using Energy-Resolved Mass Spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mensah, Samuel; Abu-Safe, Husam; Naseem, Hameed; Gordon, Matt

2012-02-01

Ion energy distributions of sputtered Si particles have been measured by an energy-resolved mass spectrometer, and we correlate the results with measured thin film properties. The plasmas have been generated in a conventional magnetron chamber powered at 150W, 13.56MHz at hydrogen flow rates ranging from 0-25sccm. Various Hn^+, SiHn^+, SiHn fragments (with n = 1, 2, 3) together with Ar^+ and ArH^+ species were detected in the discharge. The most important species for the film deposition is SiHn with n = 0,1,2, and H fragments affect the hydrogen content in the material. The flux of Ar^+ decreases and that of ArH^+ increases when the hydrogen flow rate was increased. However both fluxes saturate at hydrogen flow rates above 15sccm. Plasma parameters, such as plasma potential Vp, electron density ne and electron energy Te, are measured with the Langmuir probe. The ion energy distribution (IED) of all prominent species in the plasma is measured with an energy resolved mass analyzer. The plasma parameters decreased with increasing hydrogen flow rate; Vp, ne and Te decreased from 36.5V, 7.2x10^15 m-3, 5.6eV to 32.8, 2.2x10^15m-3 and 3.8eV respectively. The ion energy of the heavy species, Ar, Ar^+, ArH, ArH^+, SiHn and SiHn^+ radicals have ion energies comparable to the plasma potential. Analysis of the IEDs shows an inter-dependence of the species and their contribution to the thin film growth and properties.

Microstructure evolution of Al-doped zinc oxide and Sn-doped indium oxide deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering: A comparison

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nie, Man; Bikowski, Andre; Ellmer, Klaus, E-mail: ellmer@helmholtz-berlin.de

The microstructure and morphology evolution of Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) and Sn-doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films on borosilicate glass substrates deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering at room temperature (RT) and 300 °C were investigated by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy (AFM). One-dimensional power spectral density (1DPSD) functions derived from the AFM profiles, which can be used to distinguish different growth mechanisms, were used to compare the microstructure scaling behavior of the thin films. The rms roughness R{sub q} evolves with film thickness as a power law, R{sub q} ∼ d{sub f}{sup β}, and different growth exponents β were found for AZOmore » and ITO films. For AZO films, β of 1.47 and 0.56 are obtained for RT and 300 °C depositions, respectively, which are caused by the high compressive stress in the film at RT and relaxation of the stress at 300 °C. While for ITO films, β{sub 1} = 0.14 and β{sub 2} = 0.64 for RT, and β{sub 1} = 0.89 and β{sub 2} = 0.3 for 300 °C deposition are obtained, respectively, which is related to the strong competition between the surface diffusion and shadowing effect and/or grain growth. Electrical properties of both materials as a function of film thickness were also compared. By the modified Fuchs-Sondheimer model fitting of the electrical transport in both materials, different nucleation states are pointed out for both types of films.« less

In-situ co-doping of sputter-deposited TiO2:WN films for the development of photoanodes intended for visible-light electro-photocatalytic degradation of emerging pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delegan, N.; Pandiyan, R.; Komtchou, S.; Dirany, A.; Drogui, P.; El Khakani, M. A.

2018-05-01

We report on the magnetron sputtering deposition of in-situ codoped TiO2:WN films intended for electro-photocatalytic (EPC) applications under solar irradiation. By varying the RF-magnetron sputtering deposition parameters, we were able to tune the in-situ incorporation of both N and W dopants in the TiO2 films over a wide concentration range (i.e., 0-9 at. % for N and 0-3 at. % for W). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed that both dopants are mostly of a substitutional nature. The analysis of the UV-Vis transmission spectra of the films confirmed that the optical bandgap of both TiO2:N and TiO2:WN films can be significantly narrowed (from 3.2 eV for undoped-TiO2 down to ˜2.3 eV for the doped ones) by tuning their dopant concentrations. We were thus able to pinpoint an optimal window for both dopants (N and W) where the TiO2:WN films exhibit the narrowest bandgap. Moreover, the optimal codoping conditions greatly reduce the recombination defect state density compared to the monodoped TiO2:N films. These electronically passivated TiO2:WN films are shown to be highly effective for the EPC degradation of atrazine (pesticide pollutant) under sunlight irradiation (93% atrazine degraded after only 30 min of EPC treatment). Indeed, the optimally codoped TiO2:WN photoanodes were found to be more efficient than both the undoped-TiO2 and equally photosensitized TiO2:N photoanodes (by ˜70% and ˜25%, respectively) under AM1.5 irradiation.

Effect of Sputtering Current on the Comprehensive Properties of (Ti,Al)N Coating and High-Speed Steel Substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Yongyao; Tian, Liangliang; Hu, Rong; Liu, Hongdong; Feng, Tong; Wang, Jinbiao

2018-05-01

To improve the practical property of (Ti,Al)N coating on a high-speed steel (HSS) substrate, a series of sputtering currents were used to obtain several (Ti,Al)N coatings using a magnetron sputtering equipment. The phase structure, morphology, and components of (Ti,Al)N coatings were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The performance of (Ti,Al)N coatings, adhesion, hardness, and wear resistance was tested using a scratch tester, micro/nanohardness tester, and tribometer, respectively. Based on the structure-property relationships of (Ti,Al)N coatings, the results show that both the Al content and deposition temperature of (Ti,Al)N coatings increased with sputtering current. A high Al content helped to improve the performance of (Ti,Al)N coatings. However, the HSS substrate was softened during the high sputtering current treatment. Therefore, the optimum sputtering current was determined as 2.5 A that effectively increased the hardness and wear resistance of (Ti,Al)N coating.

Structural, electrical, and photoelectric properties of p-NiO/n-CdTe heterojunctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkhomenko, Hryhorii; Solovan, Mykhaylo; Brus, Viktor; Maystruk, Eduard; Maryanchuk, Pavlo

2018-01-01

p-NiO/n-CdTe-photosensitive heterojunctions were prepared by the deposition of nickel oxide thin films onto n-type single-crystal CdTe substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The analysis of capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics, measured at different frequencies of the small amplitude AC signal and corrected by the effect of the series resistance, provided evidence of the presence of electrically charged interface states, which significantly affect the measured capacitance. The dominant current transport mechanisms in the heterojunctions were determined at forward and reverse biases. Using "light" I-V characteristics, we determined the open-circuit voltage Voc=0.42 V, the short-circuit current Isc=57.5 μA/cm2, and the fill factor FF=0.24 under white light illumination with the intensity of 80 mW.

Thin-film cadmium telluride photovoltaic cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Compaan, A. D.; Bohn, R. G.

1994-09-01

This report describes work to develop and optimize radio-frequency (RF) sputtering for the deposition of thin films of cadmium telluride (CdTe) and related semiconductors for thin-film solar cells. Pulsed laser physical vapor deposition was also used for exploratory work on these materials, especially where alloying or doping are involved, and for the deposition of cadmium chloride layers. The sputtering work utilized a 2-in diameter planar magnetron sputter gun. The film growth rate by RF sputtering was studied as a function of substrate temperature, gas pressure, and RF power. Complete solar cells were fabricated on tin-oxide-coated soda-lime glass substrates. Currently, work is being done to improve the open-circuit voltage by varying the CdTe-based absorber layer, and to improve the short-circuit current by modifying the CdS window layer.

Reactive magnetron sputtering of N-doped carbon thin films on quartz glass for transmission photocathode applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balalykin, N. I.; Huran, J.; Nozdrin, M. A.; Feshchenko, A. A.; Kobzev, A. P.; Sasinková, V.; Boháček, P.; Arbet, J.

2018-03-01

N-doped carbon thin films were deposited on a silicon substrate and quartz glass by RF reactive magnetron sputtering using a carbon target and an Ar+N2 gas mixture. During the magnetron sputtering, the substrate holder temperatures was kept at 800 °C. The carbon film thickness on the silicon substrate was about 70 nm, while on the quartz glass it was in the range 15 nm – 60 nm. The elemental concentration in the films was determined by RBS and ERD. Raman spectroscopy was used to evaluate the intensity ratios I D/I G of the D and G peaks of the carbon films. The transmission photocathodes prepared were placed in the hollow-cathode assembly of a Pierce-structure DC gun to produce photoelectrons. The quantum efficiency (QE) was calculated from the laser energy and cathode charge measured. The properties of the transmission photocathodes based on semitransparent N-doped carbon thin films on quartz glass and their potential for application in DC gun technology are discussed.

Solid Lubrication Fundamentals and Applications. Chapter 6

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa

2000-01-01

This chapter focuses attention on the friction and wear properties of selected solid lubricating films to aid users in choosing the best lubricant, deposition conditions, and operational variables. For simplicity, discussion of the tribological properties of concern is separated into two parts. The first part of the chapter discusses the different solid lubricating films selected for study including commercially developed solid film lubricants: (1) bonded molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), (2) magnetron-sputtered MoS2, (3) ion-plated silver, (4) ion-plated lead, (5) magnetron-sputtered diamondlike carbon (MS DLC), and (6) plasma-assisted, chemical-vapor-deposited diamondlike carbon (PACVD DEC) films. Marked differences in the friction and wear properties of the different films resulted from the different environmental conditions (ultrahigh vacuum, humid air, and dry nitrogen) and the solid film lubricant materials. The second part of the chapter discusses the physical and chemical characteristics, friction behavior, and endurance life of the magnetron-sputtered MoS2 films. The role of interface species and the effects of applied load, film thickness, oxygen pressure, environment, and temperature on the friction and wear properties are considered.

A new method of nanocrystalline nickel powder formation by magnetron sputtering on the water-soluble substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tučkutė, S.; Urbonavičius, M.; Lelis, M.; Maiorov, M.; Díaz Ordaz, J. R.; Milčius, D.

2018-01-01

Due to the accurate and relatively easy control magnetron sputtering is an attractive technique for the synthesis of metallic particles. This work describes a new method of nickel powder production by depositing nickel on the surface of sodium chloride particles which were used as the template and are soluble in water. Ni powder with flake-like structure was obtained after washing Ni coated salt particles in ultrasonic cleaner. Salt particles and nickel powder were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometer, XRD and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. SEM images showed that thickness of the received Ni particles varied in the nanoscale and depended on the magnetron deposition time but did not depend on the size of salt particles. On the other hand initial size of the salt particles was successfully employed a measure to control lateral dimensions of Ni powder. XRD and XPS analysis results revealed that Ni particles had metallic core and oxidized shell which was a cause of the slightly deteriorated magnetic properties.

Optical sideband spectroscopy of a single ion in a Penning trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mavadia, S.; Stutter, G.; Goodwin, J. F.; Crick, D. R.; Thompson, R. C.; Segal, D. M.

2014-03-01

We perform resolved optical sideband spectroscopy on a single 40Ca+ ion in a Penning trap. We probe the electric quadrupole allowed S1/2↔D5/2 transition at 729 nm and observe equally spaced sidebands for the three motional modes. The axial mode, parallel to the trap axis, is a one-dimensional harmonic oscillator, whereas the radial cyclotron and magnetron modes are circular motions perpendicular to the magnetic field. The total energy associated with the magnetron motion is negative, but here we probe only the (positive) kinetic energy. From the equivalent Doppler widths of the sideband spectra corresponding to the three motions we find effective temperatures of 1.1±0.2 mK, 7±3 mK, and 42±8 μK for the axial, modified cyclotron, and magnetron modes, respectively. These should be compared to the cooling limits, estimated using optimal laser parameters, of 0.38 mK, 0.8 mK, and ˜10 μK. In future work we aim to perform resolved-sideband cooling of the ion on the 729-nm transition.

Influence of microstructure and surface topography on the electrical conductivity of Cu and Ag thin films obtained by magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polonyankin, D. A.; Blesman, A. I.; Postnikov, D. V.

2017-05-01

Conductive thin films formation by copper and silver magnetron sputtering is one of high technological areas for industrial production of solar energy converters, energy-saving coatings, flat panel displays and touch control panels because of their high electrical and optical properties. Surface roughness and porosity, average grain size, internal stresses, orientation and crystal lattice type, the crystallinity degree are the main physical properties of metal films affecting their electrical resistivity and conductivity. Depending on the film thickness, the dominant conduction mechanism can affect bulk conductivity due to the flow of electron gas, and grain boundary conductivity. The present investigation assesses the effect of microstructure and surface topography on the electrical conductivity of magnetron sputtered Cu and Ag thin films using X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron and laser interference microscopy. The highest specific conductivity (78.3 MS m-1 and 84.2 MS m-1, respectively, for copper and silver films at the thickness of 350 nm) were obtained with the minimum values of roughness and grain size as well as a high degree of lattice structuredness.

Inactivation of bacteria under visible light and in the dark by Cu films. Advantages of Cu-HIPIMS-sputtered films.

PubMed

Ehiasarian, A; Pulgarin, Cesar; Kiwi, John

2012-11-01

The Cu polyester thin-sputtered layers on textile fabrics show an acceptable bacterial inactivation kinetics using sputtering methods. Direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) for 40 s of Cu on cotton inactivated Escherichia coli within 30 min under visible light and within 120 min in the dark. For a longer DCMS time of 180 s, the Cu content was 0.294% w/w, but the bacterial inactivation kinetics under light was observed within 30 min, as was the case for the 40-s sputtered sample. This observation suggests that Cu ionic species play a key role in the E. coli inactivation and these species were further identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The 40-s sputtered samples present the highest amount of Cu sites held in exposed positions interacting on the cotton with E. coli. Cu DC magnetron sputtering leads to thin metallic semi-transparent gray-brown Cu coating composed by Cu nanoparticulate in the nanometer range as found by electron microscopy (EM). Cu cotton fabrics were also functionalized by bipolar asymmetric DCMSP. Sputtering by DCMS and DCMSP for longer times lead to darker and more compact Cu films as detected by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and EM. Cu is deposited on the polyester in the form of Cu(2)O and CuO as quantified by XPS. The redox interfacial reactions during bacterial inactivation involve changes in the Cu oxidation states and in the oxidation intermediates and were followed by XPS. High-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS)-sputtered films show a low rugosity indicating that the texture of the Cu nanoparticulate films were smooth. The values of R (q) and R (a) were similar before and after the E. coli inactivation providing evidence for the stability of the HIPIMS-deposited Cu films. The Cu loading percentage required in the Cu films sputtered by HIPIMS to inactivate E. coli was about three times lower compared to DCMS films. This indicates a substantial Cu metal savings within the preparation of antibacterial films.

Pulsing frequency induced change in optical constants and dispersion energy parameters of WO{sub 3} films grown by pulsed direct current magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Punitha, K.; Sivakumar, R., E-mail: krsivakumar1979@yahoo.com; Sanjeeviraja, C.

2014-03-21

In this work, we present the pulsing frequency induced change in the structural, optical, vibrational, and luminescence properties of tungsten oxide (WO{sub 3}) thin films deposited on microscopic glass and fluorine doped tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}:F) coated glass substrates by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering technique. The WO{sub 3} films deposited on SnO{sub 2}:F substrate belongs to monoclinic phase. The pulsing frequency has a significant influence on the preferred orientation and crystallinity of WO{sub 3} film. The maximum optical transmittance of 85% was observed for the film and the slight shift in transmission threshold towards higher wavelength region with increasing pulsingmore » frequency revealed the systematic reduction in optical energy band gap (3.78 to 3.13 eV) of the films. The refractive index (n) of films are found to decrease (1.832 to 1.333 at 550 nm) with increasing pulsing frequency and the average value of extinction coefficient (k) is in the order of 10{sup −3}. It was observed that the dispersion data obeyed the single oscillator of the Wemple-Didomenico model, from which the dispersion energy (E{sub d}) parameters, dielectric constants, plasma frequency, oscillator strength, and oscillator energy (E{sub o}) of WO{sub 3} films were calculated and reported for the first time due to variation in pulsing frequency during deposition by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering. The E{sub o} is change between 6.30 and 3.88 eV, while the E{sub d} varies from 25.81 to 7.88 eV, with pulsing frequency. The Raman peak observed at 1095 cm{sup −1} attributes the presence of W-O symmetric stretching vibration. The slight shift in photoluminescence band is attributed to the difference in excitons transition. We have made an attempt to discuss and correlate these results with the light of possible mechanisms underlying the phenomena.« less

Improving the ohmic properties of contacts to P-GaN by adding p-type dopants into the metallization layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liday, Jozef; Vogrinčič, Peter; Vincze, Andrej; Breza, Juraj; Hotový, Ivan

2012-12-01

The work investigates an increase of the density of free charge carriers in the sub-surface region of p-GaN by adding p-type dopants into the Ni-O layer of an Au/Ni-O metallization structure. We have examined electrical properties and concentration depth profiles of contact structures Au/Ni-Mg-O/p-GaN and Au/Ni-Zn-O/p-GaN, thus with magnesium and zinc as p-type dopants. The metallization layers were deposited on p-GaN by DC reactive magnetron sputtering in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen (0.2 at%). The contacts were annealed in N2 . We have found that the structures containing magnesium or zinc exhibit lower values of contact resistivity in comparison with otherwise identical contacts without Mg or Zn dopants. In our opinion, the lower values of contact resistivity of the structures containing of Mg or Zn are caused by an increased density of holes in the sub-surface region of p-GaN due to diffusion of Mg or Zn from the deposited doped contact layers.

Electrical enhancement of direct methanol fuel cells by metal-plasma ion implantation Pt-Ru/C multilayer catalysts.

PubMed

Weng, Ko-Wei; Chen, Yung-Lin; Chen, Ya-Chi; Lin, Tai-Nan

2009-02-01

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) have been widely studied owing to their simple cell configuration, high volume energy density, short start-up time, high operational reliability and other favorable characteristics. However, major limitations include high production cost, poisoning of the catalyst and methanol crossover. This study adopts a simple technique for preparing Pt-Ru/C multilayer catalysts, including magnetron sputtering (MS) and metal-plasma ion implantation (MPII). The Pt catalysts were sputtered onto the gas diffusion layer (GDL), followed by the implantation of Ru catalysts using MPII (at an accelerating voltage of 20 kV and an implantation dose of 1 x 10(16) ions/cm2). Pt-Ru is repeatedly processed to prepare Pt-Ru/C multilayer catalysts. The catalyst film structure and microstructure were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), respectively. The cell performance was tested using a potential stat/galvano-stat. The results reveal that the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of four multilayer structures enhances the cell performance of DMFC. The measured power density is 2.2 mW/cm2 at a methanol concentration of 2 M, with an OCV of 0.493 V.

Thin transparent W-doped indium-zinc oxide (WIZO) layer on glass.

PubMed

Lee, Young-Jun; Lim, Byung-Wook; Kim, Joo-Hyung; Kim, Tae-Won; Oh, Byeong-Yun; Heo, Gi-Seok; Kim, Kwang-Young

2012-07-01

Annealing effect on structural and electrical properties of W-doped IZO (WIZO) films for thin film transistors (TFT) was studied under different process conditions. Thin WIZO films were deposited on glass substrates by RF magnetron co-sputtering technique using indium zinc oxide (10 wt.% ZnO-doped In2O3) and WO3 targets in room temperature. The post annealing temperature was executed from 200 degrees C to 500 degrees C under various O2/Ar ratios. We could not find any big difference from the surface observation of as grown films while it was found that the carrier density and sheet resistance of WIZO films were controlled by O2/Ar ratio and post annealing temperature. Furthermore, the crystallinity of WIZO film was changed as annealing temperature increased, resulting in amorphous structure at the annealing temperature of 200 degrees C, while clear In2O3 peak was observed for the annealed over 300 degrees C. The transmittance of as-grown films over 89% in visible range was obtained. As an active channel layer for TFT, it was found that the variation of resistivity, carrier density and mobility concentration of WIZO film decreased by annealing process.

The effect of energy and momentum transfer during magnetron sputter deposition of yttrium oxide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Jinjiao; Liang, Wenping; Miao, Qiang; Depla, Diederik

2018-05-01

The influence of the ratio between the energy and the deposition flux, or the energy per arriving atom, on the growth of Y2O3 sputter deposited thin films has been studied. The energy per arriving atom has been varied by the adjustment of the discharge power, and/or the target-to-substrate distance. The relationship between the energy per arriving atom and the phase evolution, grain size, microstructure, packing density and residual stress was investigated in detail. At low energy per arriving atom, the films consist of the monoclinic B phase with a preferential (1 1 1) orientation. A minority cubic C phase appears at higher energy per arriving atom. A study of the thin film cross sections showed for all films straight columns throughout the thickness, typically for a zone II microstructure. The intrinsic stress is compressive, and increases with increasing energy per atom. The same trend is observed for the film density. Simulations show that the momentum transfer per arriving atom also scales with the energy per arriving atom. Hence, the interpretation of the observed trends as a function of the energy per arriving atom must be treated with care.

Towards higher stability of resonant absorption measurements in pulsed plasmas.

PubMed

Britun, Nikolay; Michiels, Matthieu; Snyders, Rony

2015-12-01

Possible ways to increase the reliability of time-resolved particle density measurements in pulsed gaseous discharges using resonant absorption spectroscopy are proposed. A special synchronization, called "dynamic source triggering," between a gated detector and two pulsed discharges, one representing the discharge of interest and another being used as a reference source, is developed. An internal digital delay generator in the intensified charge coupled device camera, used at the same time as a detector, is utilized for this purpose. According to the proposed scheme, the light pulses from the reference source follow the gates of detector, passing through the discharge of interest only when necessary. This allows for the utilization of short-pulse plasmas as reference sources, which is critical for time-resolved absorption analysis of strongly emitting pulsed discharges. In addition to dynamic source triggering, the reliability of absorption measurements can be further increased using simultaneous detection of spectra relevant for absorption method, which is also demonstrated in this work. The proposed methods are illustrated by the time-resolved measurements of the metal atom density in a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge, using either a hollow cathode lamp or another HiPIMS discharge as a pulsed reference source.

Fabrication of eco-friendly PNP transistor using RF magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, B. Santhosh; Harinee, N.; Purvaja, K.; Shanker, N. Praveen; Manikandan, M.; Aparnadevi, N.; Mukilraj, T.; Venkateswaran, C.

2018-05-01

An effort has been made to fabricate a thin film transistor using eco-friendly oxide semiconductor materials. Oxide semiconductor materials are cost - effective, thermally and chemically stable with high electron/hole mobility. Copper (II) oxide is a p-type semiconductor and zinc oxide is an n-type semiconductor. A pnp thin film transistor was fabricated using RF magnetron sputtering. The films deposited have been subjected to structural characterization using AFM. I-V characterization of the fabricated device, Ag/CuO/ZnO/CuO/Ag, confirms transistor behaviour. The mechanism of electron/hole transport of the device is discussed below.

Oleophobic optical coating deposited by magnetron PVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernt, D.; Ponomarenko, V.; Pisarev, A.

2016-09-01

Thin oxinitride films of Zn-Sn-O-N and Si-Al-O-N were deposited on glass by reactive magnetron sputtering at various nitrogen-to-oxygen ratios. Nitrogen added to oxygen led to decrease of the surface roughness and increase of oleophobic properties studied by the oil-drop test. The best oleophobity was obtained for Zn-Sn-O-N oxinitride at Zn:Sn=1:1 and N:O=1:2. Improved oleophobic properties were also demonstrated if the oxinitride film was deposited on top of the multilayer coating as the final step in the industrial cycle of production of energy efficient glass.

Space-charge effects in Penning ion traps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porobić, T.; Beck, M.; Breitenfeldt, M.; Couratin, C.; Finlay, P.; Knecht, A.; Fabian, X.; Friedag, P.; Fléchard, X.; Liénard, E.; Ban, G.; Zákoucký, D.; Soti, G.; Van Gorp, S.; Weinheimer, Ch.; Wursten, E.; Severijns, N.

2015-06-01

The influence of space-charge on ion cyclotron resonances and magnetron eigenfrequency in a gas-filled Penning ion trap has been investigated. Off-line measurements with K39+ using the cooling trap of the WITCH retardation spectrometer-based setup at ISOLDE/CERN were performed. Experimental ion cyclotron resonances were compared with ab initio Coulomb simulations and found to be in agreement. As an important systematic effect of the WITCH experiment, the magnetron eigenfrequency of the ion cloud was studied under increasing space-charge conditions. Finally, the helium buffer gas pressure in the Penning trap was determined by comparing experimental cooling rates with simulations.

In situ stress evolution during magnetron sputtering of transition metal nitride thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abadias, G.; Guerin, Ph.

2008-09-15

Stress evolution during reactive magnetron sputtering of TiN, ZrN, and TiZrN layers was studied using real-time wafer curvature measurements. The presence of stress gradients is revealed, as the result of two kinetically competing stress generation mechanisms: atomic peening effect, inducing compressive stress, and void formation, leading to a tensile stress regime predominant at higher film thickness. No stress relaxation is detected during growth interrupt in both regimes. A change from compressive to tensile stress is evidenced with increasing film thickness, Ti content, sputtering pressure, and decreasing bias voltage.

ZnO:Al Thin Film Gas Sensor for Detection of Ethanol Vapor

PubMed Central

Chou, Shih Min; Teoh, Lay Gaik; Lai, Wei Hao; Su, Yen Hsun; Hon, Min Hsiung

2006-01-01

The ZnO:Al thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering on Si substrate using Pt as interdigitated electrodes. The structure was characterized by XRD and SEM analyses, and the ethanol vapor gas sensing as well as electrical properties have been investigated and discussed. The gas sensing results show that the sensitivity for detecting 400 ppm ethanol vapor was ∼20 at an operating temperature of 250°C. The high sensitivity, fast recovery, and reliability suggest that ZnO:Al thin film prepared by RF magnetron sputtering can be used for ethanol vapor gas sensing.

Magnetron-Sputtered Amorphous Metallic Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thakoor, A. P.; Mehra, M.; Khanna, S. K.

1985-01-01

Amorphous coatings of refractory metal/metalloid-based alloys deposited by magnetron sputtering provide extraordinary hardness and wear resistance. Sputtering target fabricated by thoroughly mixing powders of tungsten, rhenium, and boron in stated proportions and pressing at 1,200 degrees C and 3,000 lb/in. to second power (21 MPa). Substrate lightly etched by sputtering before deposition, then maintained at bias of - 500 V during initial stages of film growth while target material sputtered onto it. Argon gas at pressure used as carrier gas for sputter deposition. Coatings dense, pinhole-free, extremely smooth, and significantly resistant to chemical corrosion in acidic and neutral aqueous environments.

Optical and electrical properties of p-type transparent conducting CuAlO2 thin film synthesized by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, B.; Thapa, R.; Jana, S.; Chattopadhyay, K. K.

2010-10-01

Thin films of p-type transparent conducting CuAlO2 have been synthesized through reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering on silicon and glass substrates at substrate temperature 300°C. Reactive sputtering of a target fabricated from Cu and Al powder (1:1.5) was performed in Ar+O2 atmosphere. The deposition parameters were optimized to obtain phase pure, good quality CuAlO2 thin films. The films were characterized by studying their structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties.

Evaporation-assisted high-power impulse magnetron sputtering: The deposition of tungsten oxide as a case study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hemberg, Axel; Dauchot, Jean-Pierre; Snyders, Rony

2012-07-15

The deposition rate during the synthesis of tungsten trioxide thin films by reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) of a tungsten target increases, above the dc threshold, as a result of the appropriate combination of the target voltage, the pulse duration, and the amount of oxygen in the reactive atmosphere. This behavior is likely to be caused by the evaporation of the low melting point tungsten trioxide layer covering the metallic target in such working conditions. The HiPIMS process is therefore assisted by thermal evaporation of the target material.

Formation of the N-MWCNT/TiOx nanocomposite structure using magnetron method for gas sensing application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolotov, V. V.; Kan, V. E.; Knyazev, E. V.; Davletkildeev, N. A.; Nesov, S. N.; Ponomareva, I. V.; Sokolov, D. V.; Korusenko, P. M.

2017-08-01

The nanocomposite structures N-MWCNT/TiOx based on nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-MWCNT) have been synthesized using magnetron sputtering. The morphology, structure, composition and also the electro-physical properties of the nanocomposite structures have been investigated. The changes of the Fermi level position and the electrical conductivity of N-MWCNT and N-MWCNT/TiOx structures at the adsorption of the oxidizing and reducing gas molecules have been studied. The obtained nanocomposite structures demonstrate the wide perspectives as the sensing media for gas micro- and nanosensors.

Electronic and atomic structures of Ti{sub 1-x}Al{sub x}N thin films related to their damage behavior

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tuilier, M.-H.; Pac, M.-J.; Girleanu, M.

2008-04-15

Ti and Al K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy is used to investigate the electronic structure of Ti{sub 1-x}Al{sub x}N thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. The experimental near edge spectra of TiN and AlN are interpreted in the light of unoccupied density of state band structure calculations. The comparison of the structural parameters derived from x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray diffraction reveals segregation between Al-rich and Ti-rich domains within the Ti{sub 1-x}Al{sub x}N films. Whereas x-ray diffraction probes only the crystallized domains, the structural information derived from extended x-ray absorption fine structure analysis turns on both crystalline and grainmore » boundaries. The results are discussed by considering the damage behavior of the films depending on the composition.« less

Electron Gun and Collector Design for 94 GHz Gyro-amplifiers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, K.; Danly, B.; Levush, B.; Blank, M.; True, D.; Felch, K.; Borchard, P.

1997-05-01

The electrical design of the magnetron injection gun and collector for high average power TE_01 gyro-amplifiers has recently been completed using the EGUN(W.B. Herrmannsfeldt, AIP Conf. Proc. 177, pp. 45-58, 1988.) and DEMEOS(R. True, AIP Conf. Proc. 297, pp. 493-499, 1993.) codes. The gun employs an optimized double-anode geometry and a radical cathode cone angle of 500 to achieve superior beam optics that are relatively insensitive to electrode misalignments and field errors. Perpendicular velocity spread of 1.6% at an perpendicular to axial velocity ratio of 1.52 is obtained for a 6 A, 65 kV beam. The 1.28" diameter collector, which also serves as the output waveguide, has an average power density of < 350 W/cm^2 for a 59 kW average power beam. Details will be presented at the conference.

Analysis of possible designs of processing units with radial plasma flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolesnik, V. V.; Zaitsev, S. V.; Vashilin, V. S.; Limarenko, M. V.; Prochorenkov, D. S.

2018-03-01

Analysis of plasma-ion methods of obtaining thin-film coatings shows that their development goes along the path of the increasing use of sputter deposition processes, which allow one to obtain multicomponent coatings with varying percentage of particular components. One of the methods that allow one to form multicomponent coatings with virtually any composition of elementary components is the method of coating deposition using quasi-magnetron sputtering systems [1]. This requires the creation of an axial magnetic field of a defined configuration with the flux density within the range of 0.01-0.1 T [2]. In order to compare and analyze various configurations of processing unit magnetic systems, it is necessary to obtain the following dependencies: the dependency of magnetic core section on the input power to inductors, the distribution of magnetic induction within the equatorial plane in the corresponding sections, the distribution of the magnetic induction value in the area of cathode target location.

Nitride Metal-Semiconductor Superlattices for Solid State Thermionic Energy Conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wortman, Robert; Schroeder, Jeremy; Burmistrova, Polina; Zebarjadi, Mona; Bian, Zhixi; Shakouri, Ali; Sands, Timothy

2009-03-01

A new class of thermoelectric materials based off of superlattices have been proposed that show a potential for enhanced thermoelectric performance^1,2. The increase of thermoelectric figure-of-merit ZT of these materials is due to both the energy filtering effect of the Schottky barriers as well as the reduced thermal conductivity that results from increased interface density. Our work has centered on the metal-semiconductor materials system of HfN-ScN. These are both high temperature materials (Tm> 2500C). They have the same rocksalt crystal structure and similar lattice constants, allowing epitaxial growth. We have grown superlattices of these materials via DC magnetron sputtering. Results from x-ray diffraction, and electrical and thermal tests will be presented. Their potential as thermoelectric energy conversion materials will be discussed. 1 G. D. Mahan et al, Phys. Rev. Lett., 80, 4016 (1998) 2 D. Vashaee et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 106103 (2004)

Characterization of the Electron Energy Distribution Function in a Penning Discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skoutnev, Valentin; Dourbal, Paul; Raitses, Yevgeny

2017-10-01

Slow and fast sweeping Langmuir probe diagnostics were implemented to measure the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) in a cross-field Penning discharge undergoing rotating spoke phenomenon. The EEDF was measured using the Druyvesteyn method. Rotating spoke occurs in a variety of ExB devices and is characterized primarily by azimuthal light, density, and potential fluctuations on the order of a few kHz, but is theoretically still not well understood. Characterization of a time-resolved EEDF of the spoke would be important for understanding physical mechanisms responsible for the spoke and its effects on Penning discharges, Hall thrusters, sputtering magnetrons, and other ExB devices. In this work, preliminary results of measurements of the EEDF using slow and fast Langmuir probes that sweep below and above the fundamental spoke frequency will be discussed. This work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).

Nanocolumnar coatings with selective behavior towards osteoblast and Staphylococcus aureus proliferation.

PubMed

Izquierdo-Barba, Isabel; García-Martín, José Miguel; Álvarez, Rafael; Palmero, Alberto; Esteban, Jaime; Pérez-Jorge, Concepción; Arcos, Daniel; Vallet-Regí, María

2015-03-01

Bacterial colonization and biofilm formation on orthopedic implants is one of the worst scenarios in orthopedic surgery, in terms of both patient prognosis and healthcare costs. Tailoring the surfaces of implants at the nanoscale to actively promote bone bonding while avoiding bacterial colonization represents an interesting challenge to achieving better clinical outcomes. Herein, a Ti6Al4V alloy of medical grade has been coated with Ti nanostructures employing the glancing angle deposition technique by magnetron sputtering. The resulting surfaces have a high density of nanocolumnar structures, which exhibit strongly impaired bacterial adhesion that inhibits biofilm formation, while osteoblasts exhibit good cell response with similar behavior to the initial substrates. These results are discussed on the basis of a "lotus leaf effect" induced by the surface nanostructures and the different sizes and biological characteristics of osteoblasts and Staphylococcus aureus. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure of V2AlC studied by theory and experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Jochen M.; Mertens, Raphael; Music, Denis

2006-01-01

We have studied V2AlC (space group P63/mmc, prototype Cr2AlC) by ab initio calculations. The density of states (DOS) of V2AlC for antiferromagnetic, ferromagnetic, and paramagnetic configurations have been discussed. According to the analysis of DOS and cohesive energy, no significant stability differences between spin-polarized and non-spin-polarized configurations were found. Based on the partial DOS analysis, V2AlC can be classified as a strongly coupled nanolaminate according to our previous work [Z. Sun, D. Music, R. Ahuja, S. Li, and J. M. Schneider, Phys. Rev. B 70, 092102 (2004)]. Furthermore, this phase has been synthesized in the form of thin films by magnetron sputtering. The equilibrium volume, determined by x-ray diffraction, is in good agreement with the theoretical data, implying that ab initio calculations provide an accurate description of V2AlC.

Magneto-optical spectroscopy of Co{sub 2}FeSi Heusler compound

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veis, M., E-mail: veis@karlov.mff.cuni.cz; Beran, L.; Antos, R.

2014-05-07

Magneto-optical and electronic properties of the Co{sub 2}FeSi Heusler compound were studied by polar Kerr magneto-optical spectroscopy and ab-initio calculations. The thin-film samples were grown by dc/rf magnetron co-sputtering on MgO(100) substrates. A Cr seed layer was deposited prior to the Co{sub 2}FeSi layer to achieve its epitaxial growth. The magneto-optical spectroscopy was carried out using generalized magneto-optical ellipsometry with rotating analyzer in the photon energy range from 1.4 to 5.5 eV with an applied magnetic field of up to 1.2 T. The polar Kerr spectra showed a smooth spectral behavior up to 5.5 eV indicating nearly free charge carriers. Experimental data weremore » compared with ab-initio calculations based on density functional theory employing the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method.« less

Sandblasting induced stress release and enhanced adhesion strength of diamond films deposited on austenite stainless steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiao; Ye, Jiansong; Zhang, Hangcheng; Feng, Tao; Chen, Jianqing; Hu, Xiaojun

2017-08-01

We firstly used sandblasting to treat austenite stainless steel and then deposited a Cr/CrN interlayer by close field unbalanced magnetron sputtering on it. After that, diamond films were prepared on the interlayer. It is found that the sandblasting process induces phase transition from austenite to martensite in the surface region of the stainless steel, which decreases thermal stress in diamond films due to lower thermal expansion coefficient of martensite phase compared with that of austenite phase. The sandblasting also makes stainless steel's surface rough and the Cr/CrN interlayer film inherits the rough surface. This decreases the carburization extent of the interlayer, increases nucleation density and modifies the stress distribution. Due to lower residual stress and small extent of the interlayer's carburization, the diamond film on sandblast treated austenite stainless steel shows enhanced adhesion strength.

Improvement of organic solar cells by flexible substrate and ITO surface treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yuang-Tung; Ho, Jyh-Jier; Wang, Chien-Kun; Lee, William; Lu, Chih-Chiang; Yau, Bao-Shun; Nain, Jhen-Liang; Chang, Shun-Hsyung; Chang, Chiu-Cheng; Wang, Kang L.

2010-10-01

In this paper, surface treatments on polyethylene terephthalate with polymeric hard coating (PET-HC) substrates are described. The effect of the contact angle on the treatment is first investigated. It has been observed that detergent is quite effective in removing organic contamination on the flexible PET-HC substrates. Next, using a DC-reactive magnetron sputter, indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films of 90 nm are grown on a substrate treated by detergent. Then, various ITO surface treatments are made for improving the performance of the finally developed organic solar cells with structure Al/P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT:PSS/ITO/PET. It is found that the parameters of the ITO including resistivity, carrier concentration, transmittance, surface morphology, and work function depended on the surface treatments and significantly influence the solar cell performance. With the optimal conditions for detergent treatment on flexible PET substrates, the ITO film with a resistivity of 5.6 × 10 -4 Ω cm and average optical transmittance of 84.1% in the visible region are obtained. The optimal ITO surface treated by detergent for 5 min and then by UV ozone for 20 min exhibits the best WF value of 5.22 eV. This improves about 8.30% in the WF compared with that of the untreated ITO film. In the case of optimal treatment with the organic photovoltaic device, meanwhile, 36.6% enhancement in short circuit current density ( Jsc) and 92.7% enhancement in conversion efficiency ( η) over the untreated solar cell are obtained.

Multi-Frequency Recirculating Planar Magnetrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greening, Geoffrey Bruce

The cavity magnetron is generally accepted as the standard for compactness and high microwave power with applications in industry, science, and defense, with the latter including counter-electronics. In this application, magnetrons are limited because they are narrowband devices. To expand the range of frequencies that can be produced using a single magnetron, a novel multi-frequency variant of the Recirculating Planar Magnetron (RPM) was designed, fabricated, and experimentally demonstrated. This multi-frequency RPM (MFRPM) was the first high-power magnetron capable of generating multiple microwave frequencies simultaneously and demonstrated the first known instance of harmonic frequency-locking in a magnetron. The MFRPM design consisted of two planar cavity arrays coupled by cylindrical electron recirculation bends. The two arrays formed a 1 GHz L-Band Oscillator (LBO) and a 2 GHz S-Band Oscillator (SBO). Experiments were conducted using a 0.1-0.3 T axial magnetic field produced using a pulsed pair of Helmholtz coils and a -300 kV, 200-400 ns, 1-5 kA pulse applied to a Mode-Control Cathode (MCC) using the MELBA-C Marx generator. Six experimental configurations were tested using three anodes (the isolated LBO, the isolated SBO, and the MFRPM), two microwave loads (a standard, matched load, and a waveguide taper load used to characterize the LBO frequency harmonics), and two axial magnetic fields (uniform and nonuniform). Using these configurations, an in-depth characterization of MFRPM operation determined 1) the identity of the observed electromagnetic modes, and the degree of mode competition, 2) the frequencies, powers, and other electrical characteristics associated with those modes and the LBO frequency harmonics, 3) the magnetic fields corresponding to optimal operation, 4) the operational impact of a nonuniform axial magnetic field, and 5) the origin and performance characteristics of a novel harmonic frequency-locked state observed in the MFRPM. The uniform magnetic field consistently yielded better performance relative to the nonuniform magnetic field. In the harmonic frequency-locked state at 0.17 T with the uniform magnetic field, the MFRPM LBO produced 32 +/- 3 MW at 0.984 +/- 0.001 GHz, and the SBO produced 13 +/- 2 MW at 1.970 +/- 0.002 GHz. Relative to the other operating states, the locked state was remarkably consistent. In B = 0.16-0.17 T, the phase drift during a typical locked shot was 8 +/- 4°, and the lock duration was 14 +/- 3 ns. The average phase difference between the oscillators was 93+/-17°. The locking appeared to be Adler-like, where the LBO was the driving oscillator and the SBO was the driven oscillator. Changes in the relative phase difference between the oscillators correlated with changes in the magnetic field, suggesting the coupling occurred through the second harmonic content of the LBO-modulated electron beam as it propagated from the LBO to the SBO. A comparison of the experimental results for this locked state with a new theory for harmonic locking was inconclusive. Using the uniform magnetic field at 0.17 T, the LBO second harmonic power was 178 +/- 60 kW at 1.962 +/- 0.013 GHz. The LBO fourth harmonic power was 5 +/- 1 kW at 3.916 +/- 0.018 GHz. In general, LBO harmonic powers increased when the fundamental circuit modes were operating at reduced power with considerable mode competition. Harmonic powers were also as much as 150% higher using the nonuniform magnetic field relative to the uniform magnetic field.

Reduced atomic shadowing in HiPIMS: Role of the thermalized metal ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, João Carlos; Ferreira, Fábio; Anders, André; Cavaleiro, Albano

2018-03-01

In magnetron sputtering, the ability to tailor film properties depends primarily on the control of the flux of particles impinging on the growing film. Among deposition mechanisms, the shadowing effect leads to the formation of a rough surface and a porous, columnar microstructure. Re-sputtered species may be re-deposited in the valleys of the films surface and thereby contribute to a reduction of roughness and to fill the underdense regions. Both effects are non-local and they directly compete to shape the final properties of the deposited films. Additional control of the bombarding flux can be obtained by ionizing the sputtered flux, because ions can be controlled with respect to their energy and impinging direction, such as in High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS). In this work, the relation between ionization of the sputtered species and thin film properties is investigated in order to identify the mechanisms which effectively influence the shadowing effect in Deep Oscillation Magnetron Sputtering (DOMS), a variant of HiPIMS. The properties of two Cr films deposited using the same averaged target power by d.c. magnetron sputtering and DOMS have been compared. Additionally, the angle distribution of the Cr species impinging on the substrate was simulated using Monte Carlo-based programs while the energy distribution of the energetic particles bombarding the substrate was evaluated by energy-resolved mass analysis. It was found that the acceleration of the thermalized chromium ions at the substrate sheath in DOMS significantly reduces the high angle component of their impinging angle distribution and, thus, efficiently reduces atomic shadowing. Therefore, a high degree of ionization in HiPIMS results in almost shadowing effect-free film deposition and allows us to deposit dense and compact films without the need of high energy particle bombardment during growth.

Current-voltage characteristics of n-AlMgZnO/p-GaN junction diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsueh, Kuang-Po; Cheng, Po-Wei; Cheng, Yi-Chang; Sheu, Jinn-Kong; Yeh, Yu-Hsiang; Chiu, Hsien-Chin; Wang, Hsiang-Chun

2013-03-01

This study investigates the temperature dependence of the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of Al-doped MgxZn1-xO/p-GaN junction diodes. Specifically, this study reports the deposition of n-type Al-doped MgxZn1-xO (AMZO) films on p-GaN using a radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering system followed by annealing at 700, 800, 900, and 1000 °C in a nitrogen ambient for 60 seconds, respectively. The AMZO/GaN films were thereafter analyzed using Hall measurement and the x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. The XRD results show that the diffraction angles of the annealed AMZO films remain the same as that of GaN without shifting. The n-AMZO/p-GaN diode with 900 °C annealing had the lowest leakage current in forward and reverse bias. However, the leakage current of the diodes did not change significantly with an increase in annealing temperatures. These findings show that the n-AMZO/p-GaN junction diode is feasible for GaN-based heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) and UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Characterization of ZnO:SnO{sub 2} (50:50) thin film deposited by RF magnetron sputtering technique

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cynthia, S. R.; Sanjeeviraja, C.; Ponmudi, S.

2016-05-06

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) thin films have attracted significant interest recently for use in optoelectronic application such as solar cells, flat panel displays, photonic devices, laser diodes and gas sensors because of their desirable electrical and optical properties and wide band gap. In the present study, thin films of ZnO:SnO{sub 2} (50:50) were deposited on pre-cleaned microscopic glass substrate by RF magnetron sputtering technique. The substrate temperature and RF power induced changes in structural, surface morphological, compositional and optical properties of the films have been studied.

Numerical Simulation of Single-anode and Double-anode Magnetron Injection Guns for 127.5 GHz 1 MW Gyrotron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Udaybir; Kumar, Nitin; Kumar, Anil; Purohit, Laxmi Prasad; Sinha, Ashok Kumar

2011-07-01

This paper presents the design of two types of magnetron injection guns (MIG's) for 1 MW, 127.5 GHz gyrotron. TE24,8 mode has been chosen as the operating mode. In-house developed code MIGSYN has been used to estimate the initial gun parameters. The electron trajectory tracing program EGUN and in-house developed code MIGANS have been used to optimize the single-anode and the double-anode design for 80 kV, 40 A MIG. The parametric analysis of MIG has also been presented. The advantages and the disadvantages of each kind of configuration have been critically examined.

High quality boron carbon nitride/ZnO-nanorods p-n heterojunctions based on magnetron sputtered boron carbon nitride films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qian, J. C.; Department of Engineering Physics, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H3A 3A7; Jha, S. K., E-mail: skylec@gmail.com, E-mail: apwjzh@cityu.edu.hk

2014-11-10

Boron carbon nitride (BCN) films were synthesized on Si (100) and fused silica substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering from a B{sub 4}C target in an Ar/N{sub 2} gas mixture. The BCN films were amorphous, and they exhibited an optical band gap of ∼1.0 eV and p-type conductivity. The BCN films were over-coated with ZnO nanorod arrays using hydrothermal synthesis to form BCN/ZnO-nanorods p-n heterojunctions, exhibiting a rectification ratio of 1500 at bias voltages of ±5 V.

Tribological characterization of TiN coatings prepared by magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makwana, Nishant S.; Chauhan, Kamlesh V.; Sonera, Akshay L.; Chauhan, Dharmesh B.; Dave, Divyeshkumar P.; Rawal, Sushant K.

2018-05-01

Titanium nitride (TiN) coating deposited on aluminium and brass pin substrates using RF reactive magnetron sputtering. The structural properties and surface morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). There was formation of (101) Ti2N, (110) TiN2 and (102) TiN0.30 peaks at 3.5Pa, 2Pa and 1.25Pa sputtering pressure respectively. The tribological properties of coating were inspected using pin on disc tribometer equipment. It was observed that TiN coated aluminium and brass pins demonstrated improved wear resistance than uncoated aluminium and brass pins.

Drifting potential humps in ionization zones: The “propeller blades” of high power impulse magnetron sputtering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anders, André; Ni, Pavel; Panjan, Matjaž

2013-09-30

Ion energy distribution functions measured for high power impulse magnetron sputtering show features, such as a broad peak at several 10 eV with an extended tail, as well as asymmetry with respect to E×B, where E and B are the local electric and magnetic field vectors, respectively. Here it is proposed that those features are due to the formation of a potential hump of several 10 V in each of the traveling ionization zones. Potential hump formation is associated with a negative-positive-negative space charge that naturally forms in ionization zones driven by energetic drifting electrons.

Flexible OLED fabrication with ITO thin film on polymer substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sung Il; Lee, Kyo Woong; Bhusan Sahu, Bibhuti; Geon Han, Jeon

2015-09-01

This paper reports the synthesis of flexible indium tin oxide (ITO) films in a dual pulse magnetron sputtering (DPMS) system at low temperature (<100 °C) deposition condition. This study also presents experimental demonstration of the ITO films for their possible use in the fabrication of organic light emitting diode (OLED) device, and the device performance on the super polycarbonate substrates. The presented data reveals the feasibility of ITO films, with a very low sheet resistance of ∼30 Ω/□ and high transmittance of ∼88% at 550 nm, simply by the magnetron pulse mode operations with increasing pulse frequency from 0 to 50 kHz.