Particle formation in SiOx film deposition by low frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, Tomoyo; Sakamoto, Naoshi; Shimozuma, Mitsuo; Yoshino, Masaki; Tagashira, Hiroaki

1998-01-01

Dust particle formation dynamics in the process of SiOx film deposition from a SiH4 and N2O gas mixture by a low frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy and laser light scattering. The deposited films are confirmed to be SiOx from the measurements of Auger electron spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It is observed by scanning electron microscopy that particles are deposited on Si substrate at the plasma power frequency f=5 kHz and above both with and without substrate heating (400 °C), while no particle is deposited below f=1 kHz. Moreover, the laser light scattering indicates that particles are generated at the plasma power frequency of f=3 kHz and above in the gas phase, and that they are not generated in the gas phase at below f=3 kHz. Properties (the refractive index, resistivity, and Vickers hardness) of the films with particles are inferior to those of the films without particles. This article has revealed experimentally the effect of plasma power frequency on SiOx particle formation and makes a contribution to the explication of the particle formation mechanism. We suggest that high-quality film deposition with the low frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method is attained at f=1 kHz or less without substrate heating.

Aerosol chemical vapor deposition of metal oxide films

DOEpatents

Ott, Kevin C.; Kodas, Toivo T.

1994-01-01

A process of preparing a film of a multicomponent metal oxide including: forming an aerosol from a solution comprised of a suitable solvent and at least two precursor compounds capable of volatilizing at temperatures lower than the decomposition temperature of said precursor compounds; passing said aerosol in combination with a suitable oxygen-containing carrier gas into a heated zone, said heated zone having a temperature sufficient to evaporate the solvent and volatilize said precursor compounds; and passing said volatilized precursor compounds against the surface of a substrate, said substrate having a sufficient temperature to decompose said volatilized precursor compounds whereby metal atoms contained within said volatilized precursor compounds are deposited as a metal oxide film upon the substrate is disclosed. In addition, a coated article comprising a multicomponent metal oxide film conforming to the surface of a substrate selected from the group consisting of silicon, magnesium oxide, yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide, sapphire, or lanthanum gallate, said multicomponent metal oxide film characterized as having a substantially uniform thickness upon said FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of film coating deposition techniques, and more particularly to the deposition of multicomponent metal oxide films by aerosol chemical vapor deposition. This invention is the result of a contract with the Department of Energy (Contract No. W-7405-ENG-36).

Chemical vapor deposition of silicon, silicon dioxide, titanium and ferroelectric thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Feng

Various silicon-based thin films (such as epitaxial, polycrystalline and amorphous silicon thin films, silicon dioxide thin films and silicon nitride thin films), titanium thin film and various ferroelectric thin films (such as BaTiO3 and PbTiO3 thin films) play critical roles in the manufacture of microelectronics circuits. For the past few years, there have been tremendous interests to search for cheap, safe and easy-to-use methods to develop those thin films with high quality and good step coverage. Silane is a critical chemical reagent widely used to deposit silicon-based thin films. Despite its wide use, silane is a dangerous material. It is pyrophoric, extremely flammable and may explode from heat, shock and/or friction. Because of the nature of silane, serious safety issues have been raised concerning the use, transportation, and storage of compressed gas cylinders of silane. Therefore it is desired to develop safer ways to deposit silicon-based films. In chapter III, I present the results of our research in the following fields: (1) Silane generator, (2) Substitutes of silane for deposition of silicon and silicon dioxide thin films, (3) Substitutes of silane for silicon dioxide thin film deposition. In chapter IV, hydropyridine is introduced as a new ligand for use in constructing precursors for chemical vapor deposition. Detachement of hydropyridine occurs by a low-temperature reaction leaving hydrogen in place of the hydropyridine ligands. Hydropyridine ligands can be attached to a variety of elements, including main group metals, such as aluminum and antimony, transition metals, such as titanium and tantalum, semiconductors such as silicon, and non-metals such as phosphorus and arsenic. In this study, hydropyridine-containing titanium compounds were synthesized and used as chemical vapor deposition precursors for deposition of titanium containing thin films. Some other titanium compounds were also studied for comparison. In chapter V, Chemical Vapor

Vapor-deposited porous films for energy conversion

DOEpatents

Jankowski, Alan F.; Hayes, Jeffrey P.; Morse, Jeffrey D.

2005-07-05

Metallic films are grown with a "spongelike" morphology in the as-deposited condition using planar magnetron sputtering. The morphology of the deposit is characterized by metallic continuity in three dimensions with continuous and open porosity on the submicron scale. The stabilization of the spongelike morphology is found over a limited range of the sputter deposition parameters, that is, of working gas pressure and substrate temperature. This spongelike morphology is an extension of the features as generally represented in the classic zone models of growth for physical vapor deposits. Nickel coatings were deposited with working gas pressures up 4 Pa and for substrate temperatures up to 1000 K. The morphology of the deposits is examined in plan and in cross section views with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The parametric range of gas pressure and substrate temperature (relative to absolute melt point) under which the spongelike metal deposits are produced appear universal for other metals including gold, silver, and aluminum.

Influence of vapor deposition on structural and charge transport properties of ethylbenzene films

DOE PAGES

Antony, Lucas W.; Jackson, Nicholas E.; Lyubimov, Ivan; ...

2017-04-14

Organic glass films formed by physical vapor deposition exhibit enhanced stability relative to those formed by conventional liquid cooling and aging techniques. Recently, experimental and computational evidence has emerged indicating that the average molecular orientation can be tuned by controlling the substrate temperature at which these “stable glasses” are grown. In this work, we present a comprehensive all-atom simulation study of ethylbenzene, a canonical stable-glass former, using a computational film formation procedure that closely mimics the vapor deposition process. Atomistic studies of experimentally formed vapor-deposited glasses have not been performed before, and this study therefore begins by verifying that themore » model and method utilized here reproduces key structural features observed experimentally. Having established agreement between several simulated and experimental macroscopic observables, simulations are used to examine the substrate temperature dependence of molecular orientation. The results indicate that ethylbenzene glasses are anisotropic, depending upon substrate temperature, and that this dependence can be understood from the orientation present at the surface of the equilibrium liquid. By treating ethylbenzene as a simple model for molecular semiconducting materials, a quantum-chemical analysis is then used to show that the vapor-deposited glasses exhibit decreased energetic disorder and increased magnitude of the mean-squared transfer integral relative to isotropic, liquid-cooled films, an effect that is attributed to the anisotropic ordering of the molecular film. Finally, these results suggest a novel structure–function simulation strategy capable of tuning the electronic properties of organic semiconducting glasses prior to experimental deposition, which could have considerable potential for organic electronic materials design.« less

Influence of vapor deposition on structural and charge transport properties of ethylbenzene films

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

Antony, Lucas W.; Jackson, Nicholas E.; Lyubimov, Ivan

Organic glass films formed by physical vapor deposition exhibit enhanced stability relative to those formed by conventional liquid cooling and aging techniques. Recently, experimental and computational evidence has emerged indicating that the average molecular orientation can be tuned by controlling the substrate temperature at which these “stable glasses” are grown. In this work, we present a comprehensive all-atom simulation study of ethylbenzene, a canonical stable-glass former, using a computational film formation procedure that closely mimics the vapor deposition process. Atomistic studies of experimentally formed vapor-deposited glasses have not been performed before, and this study therefore begins by verifying that themore » model and method utilized here reproduces key structural features observed experimentally. Having established agreement between several simulated and experimental macroscopic observables, simulations are used to examine the substrate temperature dependence of molecular orientation. The results indicate that ethylbenzene glasses are anisotropic, depending upon substrate temperature, and that this dependence can be understood from the orientation present at the surface of the equilibrium liquid. By treating ethylbenzene as a simple model for molecular semiconducting materials, a quantum-chemical analysis is then used to show that the vapor-deposited glasses exhibit decreased energetic disorder and increased magnitude of the mean-squared transfer integral relative to isotropic, liquid-cooled films, an effect that is attributed to the anisotropic ordering of the molecular film. Finally, these results suggest a novel structure–function simulation strategy capable of tuning the electronic properties of organic semiconducting glasses prior to experimental deposition, which could have considerable potential for organic electronic materials design.« less

Influence of Vapor Deposition on Structural and Charge Transport Properties of Ethylbenzene Films

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Organic glass films formed by physical vapor deposition exhibit enhanced stability relative to those formed by conventional liquid cooling and aging techniques. Recently, experimental and computational evidence has emerged indicating that the average molecular orientation can be tuned by controlling the substrate temperature at which these “stable glasses” are grown. In this work, we present a comprehensive all-atom simulation study of ethylbenzene, a canonical stable-glass former, using a computational film formation procedure that closely mimics the vapor deposition process. Atomistic studies of experimentally formed vapor-deposited glasses have not been performed before, and this study therefore begins by verifying that the model and method utilized here reproduces key structural features observed experimentally. Having established agreement between several simulated and experimental macroscopic observables, simulations are used to examine the substrate temperature dependence of molecular orientation. The results indicate that ethylbenzene glasses are anisotropic, depending upon substrate temperature, and that this dependence can be understood from the orientation present at the surface of the equilibrium liquid. By treating ethylbenzene as a simple model for molecular semiconducting materials, a quantum-chemical analysis is then used to show that the vapor-deposited glasses exhibit decreased energetic disorder and increased magnitude of the mean-squared transfer integral relative to isotropic, liquid-cooled films, an effect that is attributed to the anisotropic ordering of the molecular film. These results suggest a novel structure–function simulation strategy capable of tuning the electronic properties of organic semiconducting glasses prior to experimental deposition, which could have considerable potential for organic electronic materials design. PMID:28573203

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of titanium nitride thin films using cyclopentadienyl cycloheptatrienyl titanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charatan, R. M.; Gross, M. E.; Eaglesham, D. J.

1994-10-01

The use of a low oxidation state Ti compound, cyclopentadienyl cycloheptatrienyl titanium, (C5H5) Ti(C7H7) (CPCHT), as a potential source for TiN and Ti in plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition processes has been investigated. This precursor provides us with a new chemical vapor deposition route to TiN films that offer an interesting contrast to films deposited from Ti(IV) precursors. Film depositions were carried out by introducing CPCHT, with H2 carrier gas, into the downstream region of a NH3, N2, H2, or mixed H2/N2 plasma. Low resistivity (100-250 micro-ohm cm) nitrogen-rich TiN films with little carbon or oxygen incorporation and good conformality were deposited with activated N2 or NH3 at deposition temperatures of 300-600 C, inclusive. Mixed H2/N2 plasmas resulted in more stoichiometric TiN films with similar properties. The most striking feature of these films is the absence of columnar grain growth, in contrast to TiN films deposited using TiCl4 or Ti(NR(2))(4). Although the film texture was influenced by the plasma gas, the average grain size of the films deposited using activated N2 and NH3 was similar. The TiN films that we deposited were effective diffusion barriers between aluminum and silicon up to 575 C. Depositions using activated H2 resulted in films with significantly less carbon than CPCHT, but still having a minimum of 2.7:1 C:Ti. The lower oxidation state of the precursor did not facilitate the deposition of a Ti-rich film. No depositions were observed with any of the reactant gases in the absence of plasmas activation.

High growth rate homoepitaxial diamond film deposition at high temperatures by microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vohra, Yogesh K. (Inventor); McCauley, Thomas S. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

The deposition of high quality diamond films at high linear growth rates and substrate temperatures for microwave-plasma chemical vapor deposition is disclosed. The linear growth rate achieved for this process is generally greater than 50 .mu.m/hr for high quality films, as compared to rates of less than 5 .mu.m/hr generally reported for MPCVD processes.

Chemical vapor deposition growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruth, R. P.; Manasevit, H. M.; Kenty, J. L.; Moudy, L. A.; Simpson, W. I.; Yang, J. J.

1976-01-01

A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor system with a vertical deposition chamber was used for the growth of Si films on glass, glass-ceramic, and polycrystalline ceramic substrates. Silicon vapor was produced by pyrolysis of SiH4 in a H2 or He carrier gas. Preliminary deposition experiments with two of the available glasses were not encouraging. Moderately encouraging results, however, were obtained with fired polycrystalline alumina substrates, which were used for Si deposition at temperatures above 1,000 C. The surfaces of both the substrates and the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, reflection electron diffraction, scanning electron microscopy optical microscopy, and surface profilometric techniques. Several experiments were conducted to establish baseline performance data for the reactor system, including temperature distributions on the sample pedestal, effects of carrier gas flow rate on temperature and film thickness, and Si film growth rate as a function of temperature.

Chemical vapor deposition of Mo thin films from Mo(CO){sub 6}

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

Sharma, P.; Bond, J.; Westmore, T.

1995-12-01

Low levels of carbon and/or oxygen contamination in metallic thin films significantly alter the physical and chemical properties of these films often rendering them useless for any commercial applications. These impurities are often observed in films grown by a technique called metallorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). MOCVD films are grown by heating a substrate in the presence of a metallorganic precursor. We wish to identify the source(s) of contamination in films produced from the Group VIB metal hexacarbonyls, M(CO){sub 6}. Towards attaining this goal we have initiated studies on the elemental composition of thin films deposited by MOCVD using Mo(CO){submore » 6} as the precursor. The results obtained so far indicate that the level of contamination of the films partially depends on the deposition temperature. Our results will be compared to published work on films deposited by laser assisted CVD from Mo(CO){sub 6}.« less

Model for the Vaporization of Mixed Organometallic Compounds in the Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition of High Temperature Superconducting Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meng, Guangyao; Zhou, Gang; Schneider, Roger L.; Sarma, Bimal K.; Levy, Moises

1993-01-01

A model of the vaporization and mass transport of mixed organometallics from a single source for thin film metalorganic chemical vapor deposition is presented. A stoichiometric gas phase can be obtained from a mixture of the organometallics in the desired mole ratios, in spite of differences in the volatilities of the individual compounds. Proper film composition and growth rates are obtained by controlling the velocity of a carriage containing the organometallics through the heating zone of a vaporizer.

Spray Chemical Vapor Deposition of Single-Source Precursors for Chalcopyrite I-III-VI2 Thin-Film Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hepp, Aloysius F.; Banger, Kulbinder K.; Jin, Michael H.-C.; Harris, Jerry D.; McNatt, Jeremiah S.; Dickman, John E.

2008-01-01

Thin-film solar cells on flexible, lightweight, space-qualified substrates provide an attractive approach to fabricating solar arrays with high mass-specific power. A polycrystalline chalcopyrite absorber layer is among the new generation of photovoltaic device technologies for thin film solar cells. At NASA Glenn Research Center we have focused on the development of new single-source precursors (SSPs) for deposition of semiconducting chalcopyrite materials onto lightweight, flexible substrates. We describe the syntheses and thermal modulation of SSPs via molecular engineering. Copper indium disulfide and related thin-film materials were deposited via aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition using SSPs. Processing and post-processing parameters were varied in order to modify morphology, stoichiometry, crystallography, electrical properties, and optical properties to optimize device quality. Growth at atmospheric pressure in a horizontal hotwall reactor at 395 C yielded the best device films. Placing the susceptor closer to the evaporation zone and flowing a more precursor-rich carrier gas through the reactor yielded shinier-, smoother-, and denser-looking films. Growth of (112)-oriented films yielded more Cu-rich films with fewer secondary phases than growth of (204)/(220)-oriented films. Post-deposition sulfur-vapor annealing enhanced stoichiometry and crystallinity of the films. Photoluminescence studies revealed four major emission bands and a broad band associated with deep defects. The highest device efficiency for an aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposited cell was one percent.

Differential AC chip calorimeter for in situ investigation of vapor deposited thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahrenberg, Mathias; Schick, Christoph; Huth, Heiko; Schoifet, Evgeni; Ediger, Mark; Whitaker, Katie

2012-02-01

Physical vapor deposition (PVD) can be used to produce thin films with particular material properties like extraordinarily stable glasses of organic molecules. We describe an AC chip calorimeter for in-situ heat capacity measurements of as-deposited nanometer thin films of organic glass formers. The calorimetric system is based on a differential AC chip calorimeter which is placed in the vacuum chamber for physical vapor deposition. The sample is directly deposited onto one calorimetric chip sensor while the other sensor is protected against deposition. The device and the temperature calibration procedure are described. The latter makes use of the phase transitions of cyclopentane and the frequency dependence of the dynamic glass transition of toluene and ethylbenzene. Sample thickness determination is based on a finite element modeling (FEM) of the sensor sample arrangement. A layer of toluene was added to the sample sensor and its thickness was varied in an iterative way until the model fits the experimental data.

Exploration of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition as a method for thin-film fabrication with biological applications.

PubMed

Vasudev, Milana C; Anderson, Kyle D; Bunning, Timothy J; Tsukruk, Vladimir V; Naik, Rajesh R

2013-05-22

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been used historically for the fabrication of thin films composed of inorganic materials. But the advent of specialized techniques such as plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) has extended this deposition technique to various monomers. More specifically, the deposition of polymers of responsive materials, biocompatible polymers, and biomaterials has made PECVD attractive for the integration of biotic and abiotic systems. This review focuses on the mechanisms of thin-film growth using low-pressure PECVD and current applications of classic PECVD thin films of organic and inorganic materials in biological environments. The last part of the review explores the novel application of low-pressure PECVD in the deposition of biological materials.

Near-Failure Detonation Behavior of Vapor-Deposited Hexanitrostilbene (HNS) Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knepper, Robert; Wixom, Ryan; Tappan, Alexander

2015-06-01

Physical vapor deposition is an attractive method to produce sub-millimeter explosive samples for studying detonation behavior at near-failure conditions. In this work, we examine hexanitrostilbene (HNS) films deposited onto polycarbonate substrates using vacuum thermal sublimation. Deposition conditions are varied in order to alter porosity in the films, and the resulting microstructures are quantified by analyzing ion-polished cross-sections using scanning electron microscopy. The effects of these changes in microstructure on detonation velocity and the critical thickness needed to sustain detonation are determined. The polycarbonate substrates can act as recording plates for detonation experiments, and films near the critical thickness display distinct patterns in the dent tracks that indicate instabilities in the detonation front when approaching failure conditions. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Critical detonation thickness in vapor-deposited hexanitroazobenzene (HNAB) films with different preparation conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tappan, Alexander; Knepper, Robert; Marquez, Michael; Ball, J.; Miller, Jill

2013-06-01

At Sandia National Laboratories, we have coined the term ``microenergetics'' to describe sub-millimeter energetic material studies aimed at gaining knowledge of combustion and detonation behavior at the mesoscale. Films of the high explosive hexanitroazobenzene (HNAB) have been deposited through physical vapor deposition. HNAB deposits in an amorphous state that crystallizes over time and modest heating accelerates this crystallization. HNAB films were prepared under different crystallization temperatures, and characterized with surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy. The critical detonation thickness for HNAB at different crystallization conditions was determined in a configuration where charge width was large compared to film thickness, and thus side losses did not play a role in detonation propagation. The results of these experiments will be discussed in the context of small sample geometry, deposited film morphology, crystal structure, and density.

Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition of Oxide Films for Advanced Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-06-01

coatings , photovoltaics, touch sensitive controls, electromagnetic shielding (as found on microwave ovens and stealth fighters), static dissipaters, and so...depositing high quality films. The methods are physical vapor deposition ( PVD ), spin/mist deposition, (CVD), and alternating layer (AL) CVD. PVD ...PZT & SBT, YBa2Cu3O, CeO, InO, TCOs, Varistors Ta2O5 , ZrO, MnO, HfO, CeO, MnO, MgO SAW/microwave Silicon/: Si, SiGe, SiGeC, �. Opto-electronics

Automatic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, B. W.

1981-01-01

Report reviews chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for processing integrated circuits and describes fully automatic machine for CVD. CVD proceeds at relatively low temperature, allows wide choice of film compositions (including graded or abruptly changing compositions), and deposits uniform films of controllable thickness at fairly high growth rate. Report gives overview of hardware, reactants, and temperature ranges used with CVD machine.

Vapor transport deposition of antimony selenide thin film solar cells with 7.6% efficiency.

PubMed

Wen, Xixing; Chen, Chao; Lu, Shuaicheng; Li, Kanghua; Kondrotas, Rokas; Zhao, Yang; Chen, Wenhao; Gao, Liang; Wang, Chong; Zhang, Jun; Niu, Guangda; Tang, Jiang

2018-06-05

Antimony selenide is an emerging promising thin film photovoltaic material thanks to its binary composition, suitable bandgap, high absorption coefficient, inert grain boundaries and earth-abundant constituents. However, current devices produced from rapid thermal evaporation strategy suffer from low-quality film and unsatisfactory performance. Herein, we develop a vapor transport deposition technique to fabricate antimony selenide films, a technique that enables continuous and low-cost manufacturing of cadmium telluride solar cells. We improve the crystallinity of antimony selenide films and then successfully produce superstrate cadmium sulfide/antimony selenide solar cells with a certified power conversion efficiency of 7.6%, a net 2% improvement over previous 5.6% record of the same device configuration. We analyze the deep defects in antimony selenide solar cells, and find that the density of the dominant deep defects is reduced by one order of magnitude using vapor transport deposition process.

Differential alternating current chip calorimeter for in situ investigation of vapor-deposited thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahrenberg, M.; Shoifet, E.; Whitaker, K. R.; Huth, H.; Ediger, M. D.; Schick, C.

2012-03-01

Physical vapor deposition can be used to produce thin films with interesting material properties including extraordinarily stable organic glasses. We describe an ac chip calorimeter for in situ heat capacity measurements of as-deposited nanometer thin films of organic glass formers. The calorimetric system is based on a differential ac chip calorimeter which is placed in the vacuum chamber for physical vapor deposition. The sample is directly deposited onto one calorimetric chip sensor while the other sensor is protected against deposition. The device and the temperature calibration procedure are described. The latter makes use of the phase transitions of cyclopentane and the frequency dependence of the dynamic glass transition of toluene and ethylbenzene. Sample thickness determination is based on a finite element modeling of the sensor sample arrangement. In the modeling, a layer of toluene was added to the sample sensor and its thickness was varied in an iterative way until the model fit the experimental data.

Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of aluminum oxide thin films via pyrolysis of dimethylaluminum isopropoxide

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

Schmidt, Benjamin W.; Sweet, William J. III; Rogers, Bridget R.

2010-03-15

Metal-organic chemical vapor deposited aluminum oxide films were produced via pyrolysis of dimethylaluminum isopropoxide in a high vacuum reaction chamber in the 417-659 deg. C temperature range. Deposited films contained aluminum, oxygen, and carbon, and the carbon-to-aluminum ratio increased with increased deposition temperature. Aluminum-carbon bonding was observed in films deposited at 659 deg. C by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, but not in films deposited at 417 deg. C. The apparent activation energy in the surface reaction controlled regime was 91 kJ/mol. The O/Al and C/Al ratios in the deposited films were greater and less than, respectively, the ratios predicted by themore » stoichiometry of the precursor. Flux analysis of the deposition process suggested that the observed film stoichiometries could be explained by the participation of oxygen-containing background gases present in the reactor at its base pressure.« less

Properties of zinc tin oxide thin film by aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riza, Muhammad Arif; Rahman, Abu Bakar Abd; Sepeai, Suhaila; Ludin, Norasikin Ahmad; Teridi, Mohd Asri Mat; Ibrahim, Mohd Adib

2018-05-01

This study focuses on the properties of ZTO which have been deposited by a low-cost method namely aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD). The precursors used in this method were zinc acetate dihidrate and tin chloride dihydrate for ZTO thin film deposition. Both precursors were mixed and stirred until fully dissolved before deposition. The ZTO was deposited on borosilicate glass substrate for the investigation of optical properties. The films deposited have passed the scotch tape adherence test. XRD revealed that the crystal ZTO is slightly in the form of perovskite structure but several deteriorations were also seen in the spectrum. The UV-Vis analysis showed high transmittance of ˜85% and the band gap was calculated to be 3.85 eV. The average thickness of the film is around 284 nm. The results showed that the ZTO thin films have been successfully deposited by the utilization of AACVD method.

Low Temperature Chemical Vapor Deposition Of Thin Film Magnets

DOEpatents

Miller, Joel S.; Pokhodnya, Kostyantyn I.

2003-12-09

A thin-film magnet formed from a gas-phase reaction of tetracyanoetheylene (TCNE) OR (TCNQ), 7,7,8,8-tetracyano-P-quinodimethane, and a vanadium-containing compound such as vanadium hexcarbonyl (V(CO).sub.6) and bis(benzene)vanalium (V(C.sub.6 H.sub.6).sub.2) and a process of forming a magnetic thin film upon at least one substrate by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at a process temperature not exceeding approximately 90.degree. C. and in the absence of a solvent. The magnetic thin film is particularly suitable for being disposed upon rigid or flexible substrates at temperatures in the range of 40.degree. C. and 70.degree. C. The present invention exhibits air-stable characteristics and qualities and is particularly suitable for providing being disposed upon a wide variety of substrates.

Effects of argon addition on a-CNx film deposition by hot carbon filament chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Yoshihisa; Aono, Masami; Yamazaki, Ayumi; Kitazawa, Nobuaki; Nakamura, Yoshikazu

2002-07-01

Using a carbon filament which supplies carbon and heat, amorphous carbon nitride (a-CNx) films were prepared on Si (100) substrates by hot filament chemical vapor deposition. Deposition was performed in a low-pressure atmosphere of pure nitrogen and a gas mixture of nitrogen and argon. Effects of argon additions to the nitrogen atmosphere on the film microstructure and interface composition between the film and substrate were studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). FESEM observations reveal that the film prepared in a pure nitrogen atmosphere has uniform nucleation and a densely packed columnar pieces structure. The film prepared in the nitrogen and argon gas mixture exhibits preferential nucleation and a tapered structure with macroscopic voids. Depth analyses using XPS reveal that the film prepared in pure nitrogen possesses a broad interface, which includes silicon carbide as well as a-CNx, whereas a sharp interface is discerned in the film prepared in the mixed nitrogen and argon gas. We observed that silicon carbide formation is suppressed by an argon addition to the nitrogen atmosphere during deposition. copyright 2002 American Vacuum Society.

Continuous roll-to-roll growth of graphene films by chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hesjedal, Thorsten

2011-03-01

Few-layer graphene is obtained in atmospheric chemical vapor deposition on polycrystalline copper in a roll-to-roll process. Raman and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to confirm the few-layer nature of the graphene film, to map the inhomogeneities, and to study and optimize the growth process. This continuous growth process can be easily scaled up and enables the low-cost fabrication of graphene films for industrial applications.

CuInS2 Films Deposited by Aerosol-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition Using Ternary Single-Source Precursors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jin, Michael; Banger, Kal; Harris, Jerry; Hepp, Aloysius

2003-01-01

Polycrystalline CuInS2 films were deposited by aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition using both solid and liquid ternary single-source precursors (SSPs) which were prepared in-house. Films with either (112) or (204/220) preferred orientation, had a chalcopyrite structure, and (112)-oriented films contained more copper than (204/220)-oriented films. The preferred orientation of the film is likely related to the decomposition and reaction kinetics associated with the molecular structure of the precursors at the substrate. Interestingly, the (204/220)-oriented films were always In-rich and were accompanied by a secondary phase. From the results of post-growth annealing, etching experiments, and Raman spectroscopic data, the secondary phase was identified as an In-rich compound. On the contrary, (112)-oriented films were always obtained with a minimal amount of the secondary phase, and had a maximum grain size of about 0.5 micron. Electrical and optical properties of all the films grown were characterized. They all showed p-type conduction with an electrical resistivity between 0.1 and 30 Omega-cm, and an optical band gap of approximately 1.46 eV +/- 0.02, as deposited. The material properties of deposited films revealed this methodology of using SSPs for fabricating chalcopyrite-based solar cells to be highly promising.

The thermal conductivity of chemical-vapor-deposited diamond films on silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graebner, J. E.; Mucha, J. A.; Seibles, L.; Kammlott, G. W.

1992-04-01

The thermal conductivity of chemical-vapor-deposited diamond films on silicon is measured for the case of heat flow parallel to the plane of the film. A new technique uses thin-film heaters and thermometers on a portion of the film which is made to be free standing by etching away the substrate. Effects of thermal radiation are carefully avoided by choosing the length scale properly. Data for several films yield thermal conductivities in the range 2-6 W/cm C. This is comparable to copper (4 W/cm C) and is in a range that would be useful as a thin-film dielectric material, provided that the interface thermal resistance can be minimized. The conductivity varies inversely with the growth rate and the Raman linewidth.

Organometallic chemical vapor deposition of silicon nitride films enhanced by atomic nitrogen generated from surface-wave plasma

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

Okada, H.; Kato, M.; Ishimaru, T.

2014-02-20

Organometallic chemical vapor deposition of silicon nitride films enhanced by atomic nitrogen generated from surface-wave plasma is investigated. Feasibility of precursors of triethylsilane (TES) and bis(dimethylamino)dimethylsilane (BDMADMS) is discussed based on a calculation of bond energies by computer simulation. Refractive indices of 1.81 and 1.71 are obtained for deposited films with TES and BDMADMS, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the deposited film revealed that TES-based film coincides with the stoichiometric thermal silicon nitride.

Ti-doped hydrogenated diamond like carbon coating deposited by hybrid physical vapor deposition and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Na Rae; Sle Jun, Yee; Moon, Kyoung Il; Sunyong Lee, Caroline

2017-03-01

Diamond-like carbon films containing titanium and hydrogen (Ti-doped DLC:H) were synthesized using a hybrid technique based on physical vapor deposition (PVD) and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The film was deposited under a mixture of argon (Ar) and acetylene gas (C2H2). The amount of Ti in the Ti-doped DLC:H film was controlled by varying the DC power of the Ti sputtering target ranging from 0 to 240 W. The composition, microstructure, mechanical and chemical properties of Ti-doped DLC:H films with varying Ti concentrations, were investigated using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nano indentation, a ball-on-disk tribometer, a four-point probe system and dynamic anodic testing. As a result, the optimum composition of Ti in Ti-doped DLC:H film using our hybrid method was found to be a Ti content of 18 at. %, having superior electrical conductivity and high corrosion resistance, suitable for bipolar plates. Its hardness value was measured to be 25.6 GPa with a low friction factor.

Stress hysteresis during thermal cycling of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon oxide films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thurn, Jeremy; Cook, Robert F.

2002-02-01

The mechanical response of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited SiO2 to thermal cycling is examined by substrate curvature measurement and depth-sensing indentation. Film properties of deposition stress and stress hysteresis that accompanied thermal cycling are elucidated, as well as modulus, hardness, and coefficient of thermal expansion. Thermal cycling is shown to result in major plastic deformation of the film and a switch from a compressive to a tensile state of stress; both athermal and thermal components of the net stress alter in different ways during cycling. A mechanism of hydrogen incorporation and release from as-deposited silanol groups is proposed that accounts for the change in film properties and state of stress.

Morphology and structure of Ti-doped diamond films prepared by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xuejie; Lu, Pengfei; Wang, Hongchao; Ren, Yuan; Tan, Xin; Sun, Shiyang; Jia, Huiling

2018-06-01

Ti-doped diamond films were deposited through a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) system for the first time. The effects of the addition of Ti on the morphology, microstructure and quality of diamond films were systematically investigated. Secondary ion mass spectrometry results show that Ti can be added to diamond films through the MPCVD system using tetra n-butyl titanate as precursor. The spectra from X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the images from scanning electron microscopy of the deposited films indicate that the diamond phase clearly exists and dominates in Ti-doped diamond films. The amount of Ti added obviously influences film morphology and the preferred orientation of the crystals. Ti doping is beneficial to the second nucleation and the growth of the (1 1 0) faceted grains.

Development of plasma assisted thermal vapor deposition technique for high-quality thin film.

PubMed

Lee, Kang-Il; Choi, Yong Sup; Park, Hyun Jae

2016-12-01

The novel technique of Plasma-Assisted Vapor Deposition (PAVD) is developed as a new deposition method for thin metal films. The PAVD technique yields a high-quality thin film without any heating of the substrate because evaporated particles acquire energy from plasma that is confined to the inside of the evaporation source. Experiments of silver thin film deposition have been carried out in conditions of pressure lower than 10 -3 Pa. Pure silver plasma generation is verified by the measurement of the Ag-I peak using optical emission spectroscopy. A four point probe and a UV-VIS spectrophotometer are used to measure the electrical and optical properties of the silver film that is deposited by PAVD. For an ultra-thin silver film with a thickness of 6.5 nm, we obtain the result of high-performance silver film properties, including a sheet resistance <20 Ω sq -1 and a visible-range transmittance >75%. The PAVD-film properties show a low sheet resistance of 30% and the same transmittance with conventional thermal evaporation film. In the PAVD source, highly energetic particles and UV from plasma do not reach the substrate because the plasma is completely shielded by the optimized nozzle of the crucible. This new PAVD technique could be a realistic solution to improve the qualities of transparent electrodes for organic light emission device fabrication without causing damage to the organic layers.

Development of plasma assisted thermal vapor deposition technique for high-quality thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kang-Il; Choi, Yong Sup; Park, Hyun Jae

2016-12-01

The novel technique of Plasma-Assisted Vapor Deposition (PAVD) is developed as a new deposition method for thin metal films. The PAVD technique yields a high-quality thin film without any heating of the substrate because evaporated particles acquire energy from plasma that is confined to the inside of the evaporation source. Experiments of silver thin film deposition have been carried out in conditions of pressure lower than 10-3 Pa. Pure silver plasma generation is verified by the measurement of the Ag-I peak using optical emission spectroscopy. A four point probe and a UV-VIS spectrophotometer are used to measure the electrical and optical properties of the silver film that is deposited by PAVD. For an ultra-thin silver film with a thickness of 6.5 nm, we obtain the result of high-performance silver film properties, including a sheet resistance <20 Ω sq-1 and a visible-range transmittance >75%. The PAVD-film properties show a low sheet resistance of 30% and the same transmittance with conventional thermal evaporation film. In the PAVD source, highly energetic particles and UV from plasma do not reach the substrate because the plasma is completely shielded by the optimized nozzle of the crucible. This new PAVD technique could be a realistic solution to improve the qualities of transparent electrodes for organic light emission device fabrication without causing damage to the organic layers.

Femtosecond to nanosecond excited state dynamics of vapor deposited copper phthalocyanine thin films.

PubMed

Caplins, Benjamin W; Mullenbach, Tyler K; Holmes, Russell J; Blank, David A

2016-04-28

Vapor deposited thin films of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) were investigated using transient absorption spectroscopy. Exciton-exciton annihilation dominated the kinetics at high exciton densities. When annihilation was minimized, the observed lifetime was measured to be 8.6 ± 0.6 ns, which is over an order of magnitude longer than previous reports. In comparison with metal free phthalocyanine (H2Pc), the data show evidence that the presence of copper induces an ultrafast relaxation process taking place on the ca. 500 fs timescale. By comparison to recent time-resolved photoemission studies, this is assigned as ultrafast intersystem crossing. As the intersystem crossing occurs ca. 10(4) times faster than lifetime decay, it is likely that triplets are the dominant excitons in vapor deposited CuPc films. The exciton lifetime of CuPc thin films is ca. 35 times longer than H2Pc thin films, while the diffusion lengths reported in the literature are typically quite similar for the two materials. These findings suggest that despite appearing to be similar materials at first glance, CuPc and H2Pc may transport energy in dramatically different ways. This has important implications on the design and mechanistic understanding of devices where phthalocyanines are used as an excitonic material.

Epitaxial Growth of GaN Films by Pulse-Mode Hot-Mesh Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komae, Yasuaki; Yasui, Kanji; Suemitsu, Maki; Endoh, Tetsuo; Ito, Takashi; Nakazawa, Hideki; Narita, Yuzuru; Takata, Masasuke; Akahane, Tadashi

2009-07-01

Intermittent gas supplies for hot-mesh chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for the epitaxial growth of gallium nitride (GaN) films were investigated to improve film crystallinity and optical properties. The GaN films were deposited on SiC/Si(111) substrates using an alternating-source gas supply or an intermittent supply of source gases such as ammonia (NH3) and trimethylgallium (TMG) in hot-mesh CVD after deposition of an aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layer. The AlN layer was deposited using NH3 and trimethylaluminum (TMA) on a SiC layer grown by carbonization of a Si substrate using propane (C3H8). GaN films were grown on the AlN layer by a reaction between NHx radicals generated on a ruthenium (Ru)-coated tungsten (W) mesh and TMG molecules. After testing various gas supply modes, GaN films with good crystallinity and surface morphology were obtained using an intermittent supply of TMG and a continuous supply of NH3 gas. An optimal interval for the TMG gas supply was also obtained for the apparatus employed.

Preparation of γ-Al2O3 films by laser chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Ming; Ito, Akihiko; Goto, Takashi

2015-06-01

γ- and α-Al2O3 films were prepared by chemical vapor deposition using CO2, Nd:YAG, and InGaAs lasers to investigate the effects of varying the laser wavelength and deposition conditions on the phase composition and microstructure. The CO2 laser was found to mostly produce α-Al2O3 films, whereas the Nd:YAG and InGaAs lasers produced γ-Al2O3 films when used at a high total pressure. γ-Al2O3 films had a cauliflower-like structure, while the α-Al2O3 films had a dense and columnar structure. Of the three lasers, it was the Nd:YAG laser that interacted most with intermediate gas species. This promoted γ-Al2O3 nucleation in the gas phase at high total pressure, which explains the cauliflower-like structure of nanoparticles observed.

Chemical vapor deposition of high T(sub c) superconducting films in a microgravity environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levy, Moises; Sarma, Bimal K.

1994-01-01

Since the discovery of the YBaCuO bulk materials in 1987, Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) has been proposed for preparing HTSC high T(sub c) films. This technique is now capable of producing high-T(sub c) superconducting thin films comparable in quality to those prepared by any other methods. The MOCVD technique has demonstrated its superior advantage in making large area high quality HTSC thin films and will play a major role in the advance of device applications of HTSC thin films. The organometallic precursors used in the MOCVD preparation of HTSC oxide thin films are most frequently metal beta-diketonates. High T(sub c) superconductors are multi-component oxides which require more than one component source, with each source, containing one kind of precursor. Because the volatility and stability of the precursors are strongly dependent on temperature, system pressure, and carrier gas flow rate, it has been difficult to control the gas phase composition, and hence film stoichiometry. In order circumvent these problems we have built and tested a single source MOCVD reactor in which a specially designed vaporizer was employed. This vaporizer can be used to volatilize a stoichiometric mixture of diketonates of yttrium, barium and copper to produce a mixed vapor in a 1:2:3 ratio respectively of the organometellics. This is accomplished even though the three compounds have significantly different volatilities. We have developed a model which provides insight into the process of vaporizing mixed precursors to produce high quality thin films of Y1Ba2Cu3O7. It shows that under steady state conditions the mixed organometallic vapor must have a stoichiometric ratio of the individual organometallics identical to that in the solid mixture.

The thickness effect of pre-deposited catalyst film on carbon nanotube growth by chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Y. Y.; Eres, Gyula; Lowndes, Douglas H.

2001-03-01

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of multi wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was realized on a substrate with a layer of iron film used as a catalyst. The catalyst film was pre-deposited in an electron-gun evaporator equipped with a movable shutter which partially blocks the beam during the evaporation process to produce a catalyst film with a continuously changing thickness from 0 to 60 nm. This technique creates a growth environment in which the film thickness is the only variable and eliminates sample-to-sample variations, enabling a systematic study of the thickness effect of the catalyst film on CNT growth. After the deposition of the catalyst film, the sample was immediately transferred into a CVD chamber where CNT growth was performed. Using Acetylene (C_2H_2) as a carbon-source gas, at the substrate temperature of around 700^oC, MWCNTs preferentially grow as a dense mat on the thin regions of the catalyst film. Moreover, beyond a certain critical film thickness no tubes were observed. The critical film thickness for CNT growth was found to increase with substrate temperature from 640^oC to 800^oC. There appears to be no strong correlation between the film thickness and the diameter of the tubes. At the substrate temperature of over 900^oC, the deposited carbon formed graphite sheets surrounding the catalyst particles and no CNTs were observed. A plot of the critical thickness of the catalyst film where CNTs start to grow as a function of the substrate temperature has obtained, which can be served as a reference for selecting the growth parameter in MWCNT growth. The significance of these experimental trends is discussed within the framework of the diffusion model for MWCNT growth.

Electron beam physical vapor deposition of thin ruby films for remote temperature sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wei; Coppens, Zachary J.; Greg Walker, D.; Valentine, Jason G.

2013-04-01

Thermographic phosphors (TGPs) possessing temperature-dependent photoluminescence properties have a wide range of uses in thermometry due to their remote access and large temperature sensitivity range. However, in most cases, phosphors are synthesized in powder form, which prevents their use in high resolution micro and nanoscale thermal microscopy. In the present study, we investigate the use of electron beam physical vapor deposition to fabricate thin films of chromium-doped aluminum oxide (Cr-Al2O3, ruby) thermographic phosphors. Although as-deposited films were amorphous and exhibited weak photoluminescence, the films regained the stoichiometry and α-Al2O3 crystal structure of the combustion synthesized source powder after thermal annealing. As a consequence, the annealed films exhibit both strong photoluminescence and a temperature-dependent lifetime that decreases from 2.9 ms at 298 K to 2.1 ms at 370 K. Ruby films were also deposited on multiple substrates. To ensure a continuous film with smooth surface morphology and strong photoluminescence, we use a sapphire substrate, which is thermal expansion coefficient and lattice matched to the film. These thin ruby films can potentially be used as remote temperature sensors for probing the local temperatures of micro and nanoscale structures.

Characteristics of Ge-Sb-Te films prepared by cyclic pulsed plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Suk, Kyung-Suk; Jung, Ha-Na; Woo, Hee-Gweon; Park, Don-Hee; Kim, Do-Heyoung

2010-05-01

Ge-Sb-Te (GST) thin films were deposited on TiN, SiO2, and Si substrates by cyclic-pulsed plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using Ge{N(CH3)(C2H5)}, Sb(C3H7)3, Te(C3H7)3 as precursors in a vertical flow reactor. Plasma activated H2 was used as the reducing agent. The growth behavior was strongly dependent on the type of substrate. GST grew as a continuous film on TiN regardless of the substrate temperature. However, GST formed only small crystalline aggregates on Si and SiO2 substrates, not a continuous film, at substrate temperatures > or = 200 degrees C. The effects of the deposition temperature on the surface morphology, roughness, resistivity, crystallinity, and composition of the GST films were examined.

Method and apparatus for fabricating a thin-film solar cell utilizing a hot wire chemical vapor deposition technique

DOEpatents

Wang, Qi; Iwaniczko, Eugene

2006-10-17

A thin-film solar cell is provided. The thin-film solar cell comprises an a-SiGe:H (1.6 eV) n-i-p solar cell having a deposition rate of at least ten (10) .ANG./second for the a-SiGe:H intrinsic layer by hot wire chemical vapor deposition. A method for fabricating a thin film solar cell is also provided. The method comprises depositing a n-i-p layer at a deposition rate of at least ten (10) .ANG./second for the a-SiGe:H intrinsic layer.

Ultras-stable Physical Vapor Deposited Amorphous Teflon Films with Extreme Fictive Temperature Reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenna, Gregory; Yoon, Heedong; Koh, Yung; Simon, Sindee

In the present work, we have produced highly stable amorphous fluoropolymer (Teflon AF® 1600) films to study the calorimetric and relaxation behavior in the deep in the glassy regime. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) was used to produce 110 to 700 nm PVD films with substrate temperature ranging from 0.70 Tg to 0.90 Tg. Fictive temperature (Tf) was measured using Flash DSC with 600 K/s heating and cooling rates. Consistent with prior observations for small molecular weight glasses, large enthalpy overshoots were observed in the stable amorphous Teflon films. The Tf reduction for the stable Teflon films deposited in the vicinity of 0.85 Tg was approximately 70 K compared to the Tgof the rejuvenated system. The relaxation behavior of stable Teflon films was measured using the TTU bubble inflation technique and following Struik's protocol in the temperature range from Tf to Tg. The results show that the relaxation time decreases with increasing aging time implying that devitrification is occurring in this regime.

Photoinitiated chemical vapor deposition of cytocompatible poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) films.

PubMed

McMahon, Brian J; Pfluger, Courtney A; Sun, Bing; Ziemer, Katherine S; Burkey, Daniel D; Carrier, Rebecca L

2014-07-01

Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) is a widely utilized biomaterial due to lack of toxicity and suitable mechanical properties; conformal thin pHEMA films produced via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) would thus have broad biomedical applications. Thin films of pHEMA were deposited using photoinitiated CVD (piCVD). Incorporation of ethylene glycol diacrylate (EGDA) into the pHEMA polymer film as a crosslinker, confirmed via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, resulted in varied swelling and degradation behavior. 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate-only films showed significant thickness loss (up to 40%), possibly due to extraction of low-molecular-weight species or erosion, after 24 h in aqueous solution, whereas films crosslinked with EGDA (9.25-12.4%) were stable for up to 21 days. These results differ significantly from those obtained with plasma-polymerized pHEMA, which degraded steadily over a 21-day period, even with crosslinking. This suggests that the piCVD films differ structurally from those fabricated via plasma polymerization (plasma-enhanced CVD). piCVD pHEMA coatings proved to be good cell culture materials, with Caco-2 cell attachment and viability comparable to results obtained on tissue-culture polystyrene. Thus, thin film CVD pHEMA offers the advantage of enabling conformal coating of a cell culture substrate with tunable properties depending on method of preparation and incorporation of crosslinking agents. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Formation of β-FeSi 2 thin films by partially ionized vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harada, Noriyuki; Takai, Hiroshi

2003-05-01

The partially ionized vapor deposition (PIVD) is proposed as a new method to realize low temperature formation of β-FeSi 2 thin films. In this method, Fe is evaporated by E-gun and a few percents of Fe atoms are ionized. We have investigated influences of the ion content and the accelerating voltage of Fe ions on the structural properties of β-FeSi 2 films deposited on Si substrates. It was confirmed that β-FeSi 2 can be formed on Si(1 0 0) substrate by PIVD even at substrate temperature as low as 350, while FeSi by the conventional vacuum deposition. It was concluded that the influence of Fe ions on preferential orientation of β-FeSi 2 depends strongly on the content and the acceleration energy of ions.

Method of forming ultra thin film devices by vacuum arc vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schramm, Harry F. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

A method for providing an ultra thin electrical circuit integral with a portion of a surface of an object, including using a focal Vacuum Arc Vapor Deposition device having a chamber, a nozzle and a nozzle seal, depressing the nozzle seal against the portion of the object surface to create an airtight compartment in the chamber and depositing one or more ultra thin film layer(s) only on the portion of the surface of the object, the layers being of distinct patterns such that they form the circuit.

Low temperature deposition of polycrystalline silicon thin films on a flexible polymer substrate by hot wire chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sang-hoon; Jung, Jae-soo; Lee, Sung-soo; Lee, Sung-bo; Hwang, Nong-moon

2016-11-01

For the applications such as flexible displays and solar cells, the direct deposition of crystalline silicon films on a flexible polymer substrate has been a great issue. Here, we investigated the direct deposition of polycrystalline silicon films on a polyimide film at the substrate temperature of 200 °C. The low temperature deposition of crystalline silicon on a flexible substrate has been successfully made based on two ideas. One is that the Si-Cl-H system has a retrograde solubility of silicon in the gas phase near the substrate temperature. The other is the new concept of non-classical crystallization, where films grow by the building block of nanoparticles formed in the gas phase during hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD). The total amount of precipitation of silicon nanoparticles decreased with increasing HCl concentration. By adding HCl, the amount and the size of silicon nanoparticles were reduced remarkably, which is related with the low temperature deposition of silicon films of highly crystalline fraction with a very thin amorphous incubation layer. The dark conductivity of the intrinsic film prepared at the flow rate ratio of RHCl=[HCl]/[SiH4]=3.61 was 1.84×10-6 Scm-1 at room temperature. The Hall mobility of the n-type silicon film prepared at RHCl=3.61 was 5.72 cm2 V-1s-1. These electrical properties of silicon films are high enough and could be used in flexible electric devices.

Spray Chemical Vapor Deposition of CulnS2 Thin Films for Application in Solar Cell Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hollingsworth, Jennifer A.; Buhro, William E.; Hepp, Aloysius F.; Jenkins. Philip P.; Stan, Mark A.

1998-01-01

Chalcopyrite CuInS2 is a direct band gap semiconductor (1.5 eV) that has potential applications in photovoltaic thin film and photoelectrochemical devices. We have successfully employed spray chemical vapor deposition using the previously known, single-source, metalorganic precursor, (Ph3P)2CuIn(SEt)4, to deposit CuInS2 thin films. Stoichiometric, polycrystalline films were deposited onto fused silica over a range of temperatures (300-400 C). Morphology was observed to vary with temperature: spheroidal features were obtained at lower temperatures and angular features at 400 C. At even higher temperatures (500 C), a Cu-deficient phase, CuIn5S8, was obtained as a single phase. The CuInS2 films were determined to have a direct band gap of ca. 1.4 eV.

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method of forming vanadium oxide films and vanadium oxide thin-films prepared thereby

DOEpatents

Zhang, Ji-Guang; Tracy, C. Edwin; Benson, David K.; Turner, John A.; Liu, Ping

2000-01-01

A method is disclosed of forming a vanadium oxide film on a substrate utilizing plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The method includes positioning a substrate within a plasma reaction chamber and then forming a precursor gas comprised of a vanadium-containing chloride gas in an inert carrier gas. This precursor gas is then mixed with selected amounts of hydrogen and oxygen and directed into the reaction chamber. The amounts of precursor gas, oxygen and hydrogen are selected to optimize the final properties of the vanadium oxide film An rf plasma is generated within the reaction chamber to chemically react the precursor gas with the hydrogen and the oxygen to cause deposition of a vanadium oxide film on the substrate while the chamber deposition pressure is maintained at about one torr or less. Finally, the byproduct gases are removed from the plasma reaction chamber.

Water Vapor Permeation of Metal Oxide/Polymer Coated Plastic Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Numata, Yukihiro; Oya, Toshiyuki; Kuwahara, Mitsuru; Ito, Katsuya

Barrier performance to water vapor permeation of ceramic coated layers deposited on flexible polymer films is of great interest to food packaging, medical device packaging and flat panel display industries. In this study, a new type film in which a ceramic layer is deposited on a polymer coated film was proposed for lower water vapor permeation. It is important how to control interfacial properties between each layer and film for good barrier performance. Several kinds of polymer coated materials were prepared for changing surface free energy of the films before and after depositing the ceramic layer. The ceramic layer, which is composed of mixed material of SiO2 and Al2O3, was adopted under the same conditions. The following results were obtained; 1) Water vapor permeation is not related to the surface energy of polymer coated films, 2) After depositing the ceramic layer, however, a strong correlation is observed between the water vapor permeation and surface free energy. 3) The phenomenon is considered that the polarity of the polymer layers plays a key role in changing the structure of ceramic coated layers.

Thermal Vapor Deposition and Characterization of Polymer-Ceramic Nanoparticle Thin Films and Capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwagoshi, Joel A.

Research on alternative energies has become an area of increased interest due to economic and environmental concerns. Green energy sources, such as ocean, wind, and solar power, are subject to predictable and unpredictable generation intermittencies which cause instability in the electrical grid. This problem could be solved through the use of short term energy storage devices. Capacitors made from composite polymer:nanoparticle thin films have been shown to be an economically viable option. Through thermal vapor deposition, we fabricated dielectric thin films composed of the polymer polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF) and the ceramic nanoparticle titanium dioxide (TiO2). Fully understanding the deposition process required an investigation of electrode and dielectric film deposition. Film composition can be controlled by the mass ratio of PVDF:TiO2 prior to deposition. An analysis of the relationship between the ratio of PVDF:TiO2 before and after deposition will improve our understanding of this novel deposition method. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy were used to analyze film atomic concentrations. The results indicate a broad distribution of deposited TiO2 concentrations with the highest deposited amount at an initial mass concentration of 17% TiO2. The nanoparticle dispersion throughout the film is analyzed through atomic force microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Images from these two techniques confirm uniform TiO2 dispersion with cluster size less than 300 nm. These results, combined with spectroscopic analysis, verify control over the deposition process. Capacitors were fabricated using gold parallel plates with PVDF:TiO 2 dielectrics. These capacitors were analyzed using the atomic force microscope and a capacohmeter. Atomic force microscope images confirm that our gold films are acceptably smooth. Preliminary capacohmeter measurements indicate capacitance values of 6 nF and break down voltages of 2.4 V

Low-pressure chemical vapor deposition of low in situ phosphorus doped silicon thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarret, M.; Liba, A.; Bonnaud, O.

1991-09-01

In situ low phosphorus doped silicon films are deposited onto glass substrates by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition method. The deposition parameters, temperature, total pressure, and pure silane gas flow are, respectively, fixed at 550 °C, 0.08 Torr, and 50 sccm. The varying deposition parameter is phosphine/silane mole ratio; when this ratio varies from 2×10-6 to 4×10-4, the phosphorus concentration and the resistivity after annealing, respectively, vary from 2×1018 to 3×1020 atoms cm-3 and from 1.5 Ω cm to 2.5×10-3 Ω cm.

Influence of the normalized ion flux on the constitution of alumina films deposited by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition

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

Kurapov, Denis; Reiss, Jennifer; Trinh, David H.

2007-07-15

Alumina thin films were deposited onto tempered hot working steel substrates from an AlCl{sub 3}-O{sub 2}-Ar-H{sub 2} gas mixture by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition. The normalized ion flux was varied during deposition through changes in precursor content while keeping the cathode voltage and the total pressure constant. As the precursor content in the total gas mixture was increased from 0.8% to 5.8%, the deposition rate increased 12-fold, while the normalized ion flux decreased by approximately 90%. The constitution, morphology, impurity incorporation, and the elastic properties of the alumina thin films were found to depend on the normalized ion flux. Thesemore » changes in structure, composition, and properties induced by normalized ion flux may be understood by considering mechanisms related to surface and bulk diffusion.« less

Structural Characterization of Vapor-deposited Organic Glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gujral, Ankit

Physical vapor deposition, a common route of thin film fabrication for organic electronic devices, has recently been shown to produce organic glassy films with enhanced kinetic stability and anisotropic structure. Anisotropic structures are of interest in the organic electronics community as it has been shown that certain structures lead to enhanced device performance, such as higher carrier mobility and better light outcoupling. A mechanism proposed to explain the origin of the stability and anisotropy of vapor-deposited glasses relies on two parameters: 1) enhanced molecular mobility at the free surface (vacuum interface) of a glass, and 2) anisotropic molecular packing at the free surface of the supercooled liquid of the glass-forming system. By vapor-depositing onto a substrate maintained at Tsubstrate < Tg (where Tg is the glass transition temperature), the enhanced molecular mobility at the free surface allows every molecule that lands on the surface to at least partially equilibrate to the preferred anisotropic molecular packing motifs before being buried by further deposition. The extent of equilibration depends on the mobility at the surface, controlled by Tsubstrate, and the residence time on the free surface, controlled by the rate of deposition. This body of work deals with the optimization of deposition conditions and system chemistry to prepare and characterize films with functional anisotropic structures. Here, we show that structural anisotropy can be attained for a variety of molecular systems including a rod-shaped non-mesogen, TPD, a rod-shaped smectic mesogen, itraconazole, two discotic mesogens, phenanthroperylene-ester and triphenylene-ester, and a disc-shaped non-mesogen, m-MTDATA. Experimental evidence is also provided of the anisotropic molecular packing at the free surface (vacuum interface) for the disc-shaped systems that are consistent with the expectations of the proposed mechanism and the final bulk state of the vapor-deposited

Preparation of dilute magnetic semiconductor films by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nouhi, Akbar (Inventor); Stirn, Richard J. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

A method for preparation of a dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS) film is provided, wherein a Group II metal source, a Group VI metal source and a transition metal magnetic ion source are pyrolyzed in the reactor of a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system by contact with a heated substrate. As an example, the preparation of films of Cd.sub.1-x Mn.sub.x Te, wherein 0.ltoreq..times..ltoreq.0.7, on suitable substrates (e.g., GaAs) is described. As a source of manganese, tricarbonyl (methylcyclopentadienyl) maganese (TCPMn) is employed. To prevent TCPMn condensation during the introduction thereof int the reactor, the gas lines, valves and reactor tubes are heated. A thin-film solar cell of n-i-p structure, wherein the i-type layer comprises a DMS, is also described; the i-type layer is suitably prepared by MOCVD.

BiVO4 thin film photoanodes grown by chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Alarcón-Lladó, Esther; Chen, Le; Hettick, Mark; Mashouf, Neeka; Lin, Yongjing; Javey, Ali; Ager, Joel W

2014-01-28

BiVO4 thin film photoanodes were grown by vapor transport chemical deposition on FTO/glass substrates. By controlling the flow rate, the temperatures of the Bi and V sources (Bi metal and V2O5 powder, respectively), and the temperature of the deposition zone in a two-zone furnace, single-phase monoclinic BiVO4 thin films can be obtained. The CVD-grown films produce global AM1.5 photocurrent densities up to 1 mA cm(-2) in aqueous conditions in the presence of a sacrificial reagent. Front illuminated photocatalytic performance can be improved by inserting either a SnO2 hole blocking layer and/or a thin, extrinsically Mo doped BiVO4 layer between the FTO and the CVD-grown layer. The incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE), measured under front illumination, for BiVO4 grown directly on FTO/glass is about 10% for wavelengths below 450 nm at a bias of +0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl. For BiVO4 grown on a 40 nm SnO2/20 nm Mo-doped BiVO4 back contact, the IPCE is increased to over 40% at wavelengths below 420 nm.

Layer-dependent supercapacitance of graphene films grown by chemical vapor deposition on nickel foam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wei; Fan, Zhongli; Zeng, Gaofeng; Lai, Zhiping

2013-03-01

High-quality, large-area graphene films with few layers are synthesized on commercial nickel foams under optimal chemical vapor deposition conditions. The number of graphene layers is adjusted by varying the rate of the cooling process. It is found that the capacitive properties of graphene films are related to the number of graphene layers. Owing to the close attachment of graphene films on the nickel substrate and the low charge-transfer resistance, the specific capacitance of thinner graphene films is almost twice that of the thicker ones and remains stable up to 1000 cycles. These results illustrate the potential for developing high-performance graphene-based electrical energy storage devices.

Tribological characteristics of gold films deposited on metals by ion plating and vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, K.; Spalvins, T.; Buckley, D. H.

1984-01-01

The graded interface between an ion-plated film and a substrate is discussed as well as the friction and wear properties of ion-plated gold. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profiling and microhardness depth profiling were used to investigate the interface. The friction and wear properties of ion-plated and vapor-deposited gold films were studied both in an ultra high vacuum system to maximize adhesion and in oil to minimize adhesion. The results indicate that the solubility of gold on the substrate material controls the depth of the graded interface. Thermal diffusion and chemical diffusion mechanisms are thought to be involved in the formation of the gold-nickel interface. In iron-gold graded interfaces the gold was primarily dispersed in the iron and thus formed a physically bonded interface. The hardness of the gold film was influenced by its depth and was also related to the composition gradient between the gold and the substrate. The graded nickel-gold interface exhibited the highest hardness because of an alloy hardening effect. The effects of film thickness on adhesion and friction were established.

Tribological characteristics of gold films deposited on metals by ion plating and vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, K.; Spalvins, T.; Buckley, D. H.

1986-01-01

The graded interface between an ion-plated film and a substrate is discussed as well as the friction and wear properties of ion-plated gold. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profiling and microhardness depth profiling were used to investigate the interface. The friction and wear properties of ion-plated and vapor-deposited gold films were studied both in an ultra high vacuum system to maximize adhesion and in oil to minimize adhesion. The results indicate that the solubility of gold on the substrate material controls the depth of the graded interface. Thermal diffusion and chemical diffusion mechanisms are thought to be involved in the formation of the gold-nickel interface. In iron-gold graded interfaces the gold was primarily dispersed in the iron and thus formed a physically bonded interface. The hardness of the gold film was influenced by its depth and was also related to the composition gradient between the gold and the substrate. The graded nickel-gold interface exhibited the highest hardness because of an alloy hardening effect. The effects of film thickness on adhesion and friction were established.

Characterizations of GaN film growth by ECR plasma chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Silie; Chen, Junfang; Zhang, Hongbin; Guo, Chaofen; Li, Wei; Zhao, Wenfen

2009-06-01

The electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technology (ECR-MOPECVD) is adopted to grow GaN films on (0 0 0 1) α-Al2O3 substrate. The gas sources are pure N2 and trimethylgallium (TMG). Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and thermodynamic analysis of GaN growth are applied to understand the GaN growth process. The OES of ECR plasma shows that TMG is significantly dissociated in ECR plasma. Reactants N and Ga in the plasma, obtained easily under the self-heating condition, are essential for the GaN growth. They contribute to the realization of GaN film growth at a relatively low temperature. The thermodynamic study shows that the driving force for the GaN growth is high when N2:TMG>1. Furthermore, higher N2:TMG flow ratio makes the GaN growth easier. Finally, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and atomic force microscope are applied to investigate crystal quality, morphology, and roughness of the GaN films. The results demonstrate that the ECR-MOPECVD technology is favorable for depositing GaN films at low temperatures.

Understanding the Reaction Chemistry of 2,2':5',2''-Terthiophene Films with Vapor-Deposited Ag, Al, and Ca

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

Sang, Lingzi; Matz, Dallas L.; Pemberton, Jeanne E.

The reaction chemistry of vapor-deposited 2,2':5',2''-terthiophene (α-3T) solid-state thin films with postdeposited Ag, Al, and Ca is investigated in ultrahigh vacuum using Raman spectroscopy. Vapor-deposited Ag forms nanoparticles on these films and induces considerable surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) along with a change in molecular symmetry of adjacent α-3T and formation of Ag–S bonds; no other reaction chemistry is observed. Vapor-deposited Al and Ca undergo chemical reaction with α-3T initiated by metal-to-α-3T electron transfer. For Al, the resulting product is predominantly amorphous carbon through initial radical formation and subsequent decomposition reactions. For Ca, the spectral evidence suggests two pathways: onemore » leading to α-3T polymerization and the other resulting in thiophene ring opening, both initiated by radical formation through Ca-to-α-3T electron transfer. These interfacial reactions reflect the complex chemistry that can occur between low work function metals and thiophene-based oligomers. This reactivity is strongly correlated with metal work function.« less

Understanding the Reaction Chemistry of 2,2':5',2"-Terthiophene Films with Vapor-Deposited Ag, Al, and Ca

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

Sang, Lingzi; Matz, Dallas L.; Pemberton, Jeanne E.

The reaction chemistry of vapor-deposited 2,2':5',2''-terthiophene (α-3T) solid-state thin films with postdeposited Ag, Al, and Ca is investigated in ultrahigh vacuum using Raman spectroscopy. Vapor-deposited Ag forms nanoparticles on these films and induces considerable surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) along with a change in molecular symmetry of adjacent α-3T and formation of Ag–S bonds; no other reaction chemistry is observed. Vapor-deposited Al and Ca undergo chemical reaction with α-3T initiated by metal-to-α-3T electron transfer. For Al, the resulting product is predominantly amorphous carbon through initial radical formation and subsequent decomposition reactions. For Ca, the spectral evidence suggests two pathways: onemore » leading to α-3T polymerization and the other resulting in thiophene ring opening, both initiated by radical formation through Ca-to-α-3T electron transfer. These interfacial reactions reflect the complex chemistry that can occur between low work function metals and thiophene-based oligomers. This reactivity is strongly correlated with metal work function.« less

Stress hysteresis and mechanical properties of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited dielectric films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thurn, Jeremy; Cook, Robert F.; Kamarajugadda, Mallika; Bozeman, Steven P.; Stearns, Laura C.

2004-02-01

A comprehensive survey is described of the responses of three plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited dielectric film systems to thermal cycling and indentation contact. All three films—silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxy-nitride—exhibited significant nonequilibrium permanent changes in film stress on thermal cycling or annealing. The linear relationship between stress and temperature changed after the films were annealed at 300 °C, representing a structural alteration in the film reflecting a change in coefficient of thermal expansion or biaxial modulus. A double-substrate method was used to deduce both thermoelastic properties before and after the anneal of selected films and the results were compared with the modulus deconvoluted from small-scale depth-sensing indentation experiments (nanoindentation). Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and hydrogen forward scattering were used to deduce the composition of the films and it was found that all the films contained significant amounts of hydrogen.

Effects of the polarizability and packing density of transparent oxide films on water vapor permeation.

PubMed

Koo, Won Hoe; Jeong, Soon Moon; Choi, Sang Hun; Kim, Woo Jin; Baik, Hong Koo; Lee, Sung Man; Lee, Se Jong

2005-06-09

The tin oxide and silicon oxide films have been deposited on polycarbonate substrates as gas barrier films, using a thermal evaporation and ion beam assisted deposition process. The oxide films deposited by ion beam assisted deposition show a much lower water vapor transmission rate than those by thermal evaporation. The tin oxide films show a similar water vapor transmission rate to the silicon oxide films in thermal evaporation but a lower water vapor transmission rate in IBAD. These results are related to the fact that the permeation of water vapor with a large dipole moment is affected by the chemistry of oxides and the packing density of the oxide films. The permeation mechanism of water vapor through the oxide films is discussed in terms of the chemical interaction with water vapor and the microstructure of the oxide films. The chemical interaction of water vapor with oxide films has been investigated by the refractive index from ellipsometry and the OH group peak from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the microstructure of the composite oxide films was characterized using atomic force microscopy and a transmission electron microscope. The activation energy for water vapor permeation through the oxide films has also been measured in relation to the permeation mechanism of water vapor. The diffusivity of water vapor for the tin oxide films has been calculated from the time lag plot, and its implications are discussed.

Optical and compositional characterization of SiOxNy and SiOx thin films deposited by electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roschuk, T.; Wojcik, J.; Tan, X.; Davies, J. A.; Mascher, P.

2004-05-01

Thin silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy) and silicon-rich silicon-oxide (SiOx,x<=2) films of varying composition have been deposited by electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Films were deposited using various source gas flow rates while maintaining a constant chamber pressure. Thicknesses and refractive indices for these films were determined using ellipsometry. Bonding of the constituent atoms was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR spectroscopy also allowed for the detection of bonded species such as hydrogen. Compositional characteristics were determined using various forms of ion beam analysis such as Rutherford backscattering and elastic recoil detection. These analysis techniques were used to determine the values of x and y, the molar fractions of oxygen and nitrogen, respectively, and the total amount of hydrogen present in the films. Using the results obtained from these methods the film characteristics were determined as a function of the deposition conditions. .

Hybrid Physical-Chemical Vapor Deposition of Bi2Se3 Thin films on Sapphire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brom, Joseph; Ke, Yue; Du, Renzhong; Gagnon, Jarod; Li, Qi; Redwing, Joan

2012-02-01

High quality thin films of topological insulators continue to garner much interest. We report on the growth of highly-oriented thin films of Bi2Se3 on c-plane sapphire using hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD). The HPCVD process utilizes the thermal decomposition of trimethyl bismuth (TMBi) and evaporation of elemental selenium in a hydrogen ambient to deposit Bi2Se3. Growth parameters including TMBi flow rate and decomposition temperature and selenium evaporation temperature were optimized, effectively changing the Bi:Se ratio, to produce high quality films. Glancing angle x- ray diffraction measurements revealed that the films were c-axis oriented on sapphire. Trigonal crystal planes were observed in atomic force microscopy images with an RMS surface roughness of 1.24 nm over an area of 2μmx2μm. Variable temperature Hall effect measurements were also carried out on films that were nominally 50-70 nm thick. Over the temperature range from 300K down to 4.2K, the carrier concentration remained constant at approximately 6x10^18 cm-3 while the mobility increased from 480 cm^2/Vs to 900 cm^2/Vs. These results demonstrate that the HPCVD technique can be used to deposit Bi2Se3 films with structural and electrical properties comparable to films produced by molecular beam epitaxy.

High Stability Performance of Quinary Indium Gallium Zinc Aluminum Oxide Films and Thin-Film Transistors Deposited Using Vapor Cooling Condensation Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yung-Hao; Lee, Ching-Ting

2017-08-01

High-quality indium gallium zinc aluminum oxide (IGZAO) thin films with various Al contents have been deposited using the vapor cooling condensation method. The electron mobility of the IGZAO films was improved by 89.4% on adding Al cation to IGZO film. The change in the electron concentration and mobility of the IGZAO films was 7.3% and 7.0%, respectively, when the temperature was changed from 300 K to 225 K. These experimental results confirm the high performance and stability of the IGZAO films. The performance stability mechanisms of IGZAO thin-film transistors (TFTs) were investigated in comparison with IGZO TFTs.

Enthalpy and high temperature relaxation kinetics of stable vapor-deposited glasses of toluene

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

Bhattacharya, Deepanjan; Sadtchenko, Vlad, E-mail: vlad@gwu.edu

Stable non-crystalline toluene films of micrometer and nanometer thicknesses were grown by vapor deposition at distinct rates and probed by fast scanning calorimetry. Fast scanning calorimetry is shown to be extremely sensitive to the structure of the vapor-deposited phase and was used to characterize simultaneously its kinetic stability and its thermodynamic properties. According to our analysis, transformation of vapor-deposited samples of toluene during heating with rates in excess 10{sup 5} K s{sup −1} follows the zero-order kinetics. The transformation rate correlates strongly with the initial enthalpy of the sample, which increases with the deposition rate according to sub-linear law. Analysismore » of the transformation kinetics of vapor-deposited toluene films of various thicknesses reveal a sudden increase in the transformation rate for films thinner than 250 nm. The change in kinetics seems to correlate with the surface roughness scale of the substrate. The implications of these findings for the formation mechanism and structure of vapor-deposited stable glasses are discussed.« less

Atmospheric-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition of Iron Pyrite Thin Films

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

Berry, Nicholas; Cheng, Ming; Perkins, Craig L.

2012-10-23

Iron pyrite (cubic FeS{sub 2}) is a promising candidate absorber material for earth-abundant thin-film solar cells. In this report, single-phase, large-grain, and uniform polycrystalline pyrite thin films are fabricated on glass and molybdenum-coated glass substrates by atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition (AP-CVD) using the reaction of iron(III) acetylacetonate and tert-butyl disulfide in argon at 300 C, followed by sulfur annealing at 500--550 C to convert marcasite impurities to pyrite. The pyrite-marcasite phase composition depends strongly on the concentration of sodium in the growth substrate and the sulfur partial pressure during annealing. Phase and elemental composition of the films are characterized bymore » X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The in-plane electrical properties are surprisingly insensitive to phase and elemental impurities, with all films showing p-type, thermally activated transport with a small activation energy ({approx}30 meV), a room- temperature resistivity of {approx}1 {Omega} cm, and low mobility. These ubiquitous electrical properties may result from robust surface effects. These CVD pyrite thin films are well suited to fundamental electrical studies and the fabrication of pyrite photovoltaic device stacks.« less

Vacuum vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poorman, Richard M. (Inventor); Weeks, Jack L. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

A method and apparatus is described for vapor deposition of a thin metallic film utilizing an ionized gas arc directed onto a source material spaced from a substrate to be coated in a substantial vacuum while providing a pressure differential between the source and the substrate so that, as a portion of the source is vaporized, the vapors are carried to the substrate. The apparatus includes a modified tungsten arc welding torch having a hollow electrode through which a gas, preferably inert, flows and an arc is struck between the electrode and the source. The torch, source, and substrate are confined within a chamber within which a vacuum is drawn. When the arc is struck, a portion of the source is vaporized and the vapors flow rapidly toward the substrate. A reflecting shield is positioned about the torch above the electrode and the source to ensure that the arc is struck between the electrode and the source at startup. The electrode and the source may be confined within a vapor guide housing having a duct opening toward the substrate for directing the vapors onto the substrate.

Simple Chemical Vapor Deposition Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedersen, Henrik

2014-01-01

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a process commonly used for the synthesis of thin films for several important technological applications, for example, microelectronics, hard coatings, and smart windows. Unfortunately, the complexity and prohibitive cost of CVD equipment makes it seldom available for undergraduate chemistry students. Here, a…

Hybrid gas-to-particle conversion and chemical vapor deposition for production of high-surface area films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Quynh Tan

A hybrid process, based upon gas-to-particle conversion and chemical vapor deposition, is presented as an alternative technique for producing porous films with the main advantages of solvent-free, low-substrate temperature operation. Starting from solid precursors, nanoparticles were produced in the vapor phase. Downstream of this reaction zone, these nanoparticles were collected via thermophoresis onto a cooled substrate forming a porous film. Initially, alumina (Al2O3) films were produced. Later, multi-component processing was explored by incorporating platinum (Pt) nanoparticles into the Al2O3 matrix leading to the production of Pt/Al 2O3 films by two routes: simultaneous precursor injection processing or by a layer-by-layer approach. In single component processing, the formation of nanoparticle aggregates was evident within the amorphous Al2O3 films. Aggregates, composed of these particles, are likely held together by relatively weak van der Waals forces leading to the observed poor physical cohesion. In multi-component processing, reasonable control of composition and distribution of species is possible with Pt nanoparticles appearing to be co-agglomerated with alumina. Deposited crystalline Pt nanoparticles may encourage the crystallization of the amorphous Al2O3. Finally, from chemisorption results, the produced sample appears to have potentially greater catalytic activity than a commercially available standard. A model is in development to study nanoparticle interactions with a gas and deposition occurring in stagnation flow onto the cooled horizontal substrate within the tubular reactor. Using velocity and temperature fields generated from numerical solutions to the Navier-Stokes and energy equations, particle trajectories were calculated from the summation of drag, gravitational, thermophoretic, and Brownian forces. In rectangular coordinates, cooling stage width to reactor diameter ratio, deposition stage temperature, and initial velocity were the

Preparation of dilute magnetic semiconductor films by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nouhi, Akbar (Inventor); Stirn, Richard J. (Inventor)

1988-01-01

A method for preparation of a dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS) film is provided, in which a Group II metal source, a Group VI metal source and a transition metal magnetic ion source are pyrolyzed in the reactor of a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system by contact with a heated substrate. As an example, the preparation of films of Cd(sub 1-x)Mn(sub x)Te, in which 0 is less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.7, on suitable substrates (e.g., GaAs) is described. As a source of manganese, tricarbonyl (methylcyclopentadienyl) manganese (TCPMn) is employed. To prevent TCPMn condensation during its introduction into the reactor, the gas lines, valves and reactor tubes are heated. A thin-film solar cell of n-i-p structure, in which the i-type layer comprises a DMS, is also described; the i-type layer is suitably prepared by MOCVD.

Hybrid Physical Vapor Deposition Instrument for Advanced Functional Multilayers and Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-27

Hybrid Physical Vapor Deposition Instrument for Advanced Functional Multilayers and Materials PI Maria received support to construct a physical...vapor deposition (PVD) system that combines electron beam (e- beam) evaporation, magnetron sputtering, pulsed laser ablation, and ion-assisted deposition ...The instrumentation enables clean, uniform, and rapid deposition of a wide variety of metallic, semiconducting, and ceramic thin films with

Synthesis of thin films in boron-carbon-nitrogen ternary system by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukreja, Ratandeep Singh

The Boron Carbon Nitorgen (B-C-N) ternary system includes materials with exceptional properties such as wide band gap, excellent thermal conductivity, high bulk modulus, extreme hardness and transparency in the optical and UV range that find application in most fields ranging from micro-electronics, bio-sensors, and cutting tools to materials for space age technology. Interesting materials that belong to the B-C-N ternary system include Carbon nano-tubes, Boron Carbide, Boron Carbon Nitride (B-CN), hexagonal Boron Nitride ( h-BN), cubic Boron Nitride (c-BN), Diamond and beta Carbon Nitride (beta-C3N4). Synthesis of these materials requires precisely controlled and energetically favorable conditions. Chemical vapor deposition is widely used technique for deposition of thin films of ceramics, metals and metal-organic compounds. Microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPECVD) is especially interesting because of its ability to deposit materials that are meta-stable under the deposition conditions, for e.g. diamond. In the present study, attempt has been made to synthesize beta-carbon nitride (beta-C3N4) and cubic-Boron Nitride (c-BN) thin films by MPECVD. Also included is the investigation of dependence of residual stress and thermal conductivity of the diamond thin films, deposited by MPECVD, on substrate pre-treatment and deposition temperature. Si incorporated CNx thin films are synthesized and characterized while attempting to deposit beta-C3N4 thin films on Si substrates using Methane (CH4), Nitrogen (N2), and Hydrogen (H2). It is shown that the composition and morphology of Si incorporated CNx thin film can be tailored by controlling the sequence of introduction of the precursor gases in the plasma chamber. Greater than 100mum size hexagonal crystals of N-Si-C are deposited when Nitrogen precursor is introduced first while agglomerates of nano-meter range graphitic needles of C-Si-N are deposited when Carbon precursor is introduced first in the

Study of Silicidation Process of Tungsten Catalyzer during Silicon Film Deposition in Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honda, Kazuhiro; Ohdaira, Keisuke; Matsumura, Hideki

2008-05-01

In catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD), often called hot-wire CVD, source gases are decomposed by catalytic cracking reactions with heated catalyzing metal wires. In the case of silicon (Si) film deposition, such metal wires are often converted to silicide, which shortens the lifetime of catalyzing wires. As a catalyzer, tungsten (W) is widely used. Thus, the process of silicidation of a W catalyzer at temperatures over 1650 °C, which is the temperature used in Cat-CVD for Si film deposition, was studied extensively in various experiments. It is found that two phases of tungsten-silicide, WSi2 and W5Si3, are formed at this temperature, and that the radiation emissivity of WSi2 is 1.2 to 1.7 times higher than that of W5Si3 and pure W. The increase of surface emissivity due to the formation of WSi2 decreases the catalyzer surface temperature which induces further growth of the tungsten-silicide layer. It is also found that the suppression of WSi2 formation by elevating catalyzer temperatures over 1750 °C is a key to extending the lifetime of the W catalyzer in Cat-CVD.

Low temperature deposition of nanocrystalline silicon carbide films by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and their structural and optical characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajagopalan, T.; Wang, X.; Lahlouh, B.; Ramkumar, C.; Dutta, Partha; Gangopadhyay, S.

2003-10-01

Nanocrystalline silicon carbide (SiC) thin films were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique at different deposition temperatures (Td) ranging from 80 to 575 °C and different gas flow ratios (GFRs). While diethylsilane was used as the source for the preparation of SiC films, hydrogen, argon and helium were used as dilution gases in different concentrations. The effects of Td, GFR and dilution gases on the structural and optical properties of these films were investigated using high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), micro-Raman, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ultraviolet-visible optical absorption techniques. Detailed analysis of the FTIR spectra indicates the onset of formation of SiC nanocrystals embedded in the amorphous matrix of the films deposited at a temperature of 300 °C. The degree of crystallization increases with increasing Td and the crystalline fraction (fc) is 65%±2.2% at 575 °C. The fc is the highest for the films deposited with hydrogen dilution in comparison with the films deposited with argon and helium at the same Td. The Raman spectra also confirm the occurrence of crystallization in these films. The HRTEM measurements confirm the existence of nanocrystallites in the amorphous matrix with a wide variation in the crystallite size from 2 to 10 nm. These results are in reasonable agreement with the FTIR and the micro-Raman analysis. The variation of refractive index (n) with Td is found to be quite consistent with the structural evolution of these films. The films deposited with high dilution of H2 have large band gap (Eg) and these values vary from 2.6 to 4.47 eV as Td is increased from 80 to 575 °C. The size dependent shift in the Eg value has also been investigated using effective mass approximation. Thus, the observed large band gap is attributed to the presence of nanocrystallites in the films.

Investigation of chemical vapor deposition of garnet films for bubble domain memories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Besser, P. J.; Hamilton, T. N.

1973-01-01

The important process parameters and control required to grow reproducible device quality ferrimagnetic films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) were studied. The investigation of the critical parameters in the CVD growth process led to the conclusion that the required reproducibility of film properties cannot be achieved with individually controlled separate metal halide sources. Therefore, the CVD growth effort was directed toward replacement of the halide sources with metallic sources with the ultimate goal being the reproducible growth of complex garnet compositions utilizing a single metal alloy source. The characterization of the YGdGaIG films showed that certain characteristics of this material, primarily the low domain wall energy and the large temperature sensitivity, severely limited its potential as a useful material for bubble domain devices. Consequently, at the time of the change from halide to metallic sources, the target film compositions were shifted to more useful materials such as YGdTmGaIG, YEuGaIG and YSmGaIG.

Surface Morphology of Vapor-Deposited Chitosan: Evidence of Solid-State Dewetting during the Formation of Biopolymer Films.

PubMed

Retamal, Maria Jose; Corrales, Tomas P; Cisternas, Marcelo A; Moraga, Nicolas H; Diaz, Diego I; Catalan, Rodrigo E; Seifert, Birger; Huber, Patrick; Volkmann, Ulrich G

2016-03-14

Chitosan is a useful and versatile biopolymer with several industrial and biological applications. Whereas its physical and physicochemical bulk properties have been explored quite intensively in the past, there is a lack of studies regarding the morphology and growth mechanisms of thin films of this biopolymer. Of particular interest for applications in bionanotechnology are ultrathin films with thicknesses under 500 Å. Here, we present a study of thin chitosan films prepared in a dry process using physical vapor deposition and in situ ellipsometric monitoring. The prepared films were analyzed with atomic force microscopy in order to correlate surface morphology with evaporation parameters. We find that the surface morphology of our final thin films depends on both the optical thickness, i.e., measured with ellipsometry, and the deposition rate. Our work shows that ultrathin biopolymer films can undergo dewetting during film formation, even in the absence of solvents and thermal annealing.

A study on the radiation resistance of CdWO4 thin-film scintillators deposited by using an electron-beam physical vapor deposition method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Seyong; Yoon, Young Soo

2016-09-01

In this paper, we report the first successful fabrication of CdWO4 thin film scintillators deposited on quartz glass substrates by using an electron-beam physical vapor deposition method. The films were dense, uniform, and crack-free. CdWO4 thin-film samples of varying thicknesses were investigated by using structural and optical characterization techniques. An optimized thickness for the CdWO4 thin-film scintillators was discovered. The scintillation and the optical properties were found to depend strongly on the annealing process. The annealing process resulted in thin films with a distinct crystal structure and with improved transparency and scintillation properties. For potential applications in gamma-ray energy storage systems, photoluminescence measurements were performed using gamma rays at a dose rate of 10 kGy h-1.

P-channel transparent thin-film transistor using physical-vapor-deposited NiO layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chiung-Wei; Chung, Wei-Chieh; Zhang, Zhao-De; Hsu, Ming-Chih

2018-01-01

The effect of oxygen (O) content on the electrical properties of physical-vapor-deposited nickel oxide (PVD-NiO) was studied. When the NiO target was sputtered, introducing O2 can lead to the formation of Ni3+ ions in the deposited film. These Ni3+ ions can act as acceptors. However, there were too many Ni3+ ions that were obtained following the introduction of O atoms. It resulted in intensive p-type conduction and made the O2-introduced PVD-NiO behave as a conductor. Thus, it was possible to reduce the O content of PVD-NiO to obtain a p-type semiconductor. In this study, a transparent PVD-NiO film with a carrier concentration of 1.62 × 1017 cm-3 and a resistivity of 3.74 Ω cm was sputter-deposited within pure argon plasma. The thin-film transistor (TFT) employing this proposed PVD-NiO can result in good current switching, and even operated at very low drain-source voltage. The ON/OFF current ratio, field-effect carrier mobility, and threshold voltage of the proposed NiO TFT were 3.61 × 104, 1.09 cm2 V-1 s-1 and -3.31 V, respectively.

A review-application of physical vapor deposition (PVD) and related methods in the textile industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahidi, Sheila; Moazzenchi, Bahareh; Ghoranneviss, Mahmood

2015-09-01

Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is a coating process in which thin films are deposited by the condensation of a vaporized form of the desired film material onto the substrate. The PVD process is carried out in a vacuum. PVD processes include different types, such as: cathode arc deposition, electron beam physical vapor deposition, evaporative deposition, sputtering, ion plating and enhanced sputtering. In the PVD method, the solid coating material is evaporated by heat or by bombardment with ions (sputtering). At the same time, a reactive gas is also introduced; it forms a compound with the metal vapor and is deposited on the substrate as a thin film with highly adherent coating. Such coatings are used in a wide range of applications such as aerospace, automotive, surgical, medical, dyes and molds for all manner of material processing, cutting tools, firearms, optics, thin films and textiles. The objective of this work is to give a comprehensive description and review of the science and technology related to physical vapor deposition with particular emphasis on their potential use in the textile industry. Physical vapor deposition has opened up new possibilities in the modification of textile materials and is an exciting prospect for usage in textile design and technical textiles. The basic principle of PVD is explained and the major applications, particularly sputter coatings in the modification and functionalization of textiles, are introduced in this research.

Study of nanostructure and ethanol vapor sensing performance of WO3 thin films deposited by e-beam evaporation method under different deposition angles: application in breath analysis devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amani, E.; Khojier, K.; Zoriasatain, S.

2018-01-01

This paper studies the effect of deposition angle on the crystallographic structure, surface morphology, porosity and subsequently ethanol vapor sensing performance of e-beam-evaporated WO3 thin films. The WO3 thin films were deposited by e-beam evaporation technique on SiO2/Si substrates under different deposition angles (0°, 30°, and 60°) and then post-annealed at 500 °C with a flow of oxygen for 4 h. Crystallographic structure and surface morphology of the samples were checked using X-ray diffraction method and atomic force microscopy, respectively. Physical adsorption isotherm was also used to measure the porosity and effective surface area of the samples. The electrical response of the samples was studied to different concentrations of ethanol vapor (10-50 ppm) at the temperature range of 140-260 °C and relative humidity of 80%. The results reveal that the WO3 thin film deposited under 30° angle shows more sensitivity to ethanol vapor than the other samples prepared in this work due to the more crystallinity, porosity, and effective surface area. The investigations also show that the sample deposited at 30° can be a good candidate as a breath analysis device at the operating temperature of 240 °C because of its high response, low detection limit, and reliability at high relative humidity.

Construction of protein-resistant pOEGMA films by helicon plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Lee, Bong Soo; Yoon, Ok Ja; Cho, Woo Kyung; Lee, Nae-Eung; Yoon, Kuk Ro; Choi, Insung S

2009-01-01

This paper describes the formation of protein-resistant, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (pOEGMA) thin films by helicon plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (helicon-PECVD). pOEGMA was successfully grafted onto a silicon substrate, as a model substrate, without any additional surface initiators, by plasma polymerization of OEGMA. The resulting pOEGMA films were characterized by ellipsometry, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle goniometry. To investigate the protein-resistant property of the pOEGMA films, four different proteins, bovine serum albumin, fibrinogen, lysozyme and ribonuclease A, were tested as model proteins for ellipsometric measurements. The ellipsometric thickness change for all the model proteins was less than 3 A, indicating that the formed pOEGMA films are protein-resistant. (c) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009

Microwave plasma assisted supersonic gas jet deposition of thin film materials

DOEpatents

Schmitt, III, Jerome J.; Halpern, Bret L.

1993-01-01

An apparatus for fabricating thin film materials utilizing high speed gas dynamics relies on supersonic free jets of carrier gas to transport depositing vapor species generated in a microwave discharge to the surface of a prepared substrate where the vapor deposits to form a thin film. The present invention generates high rates of deposition and thin films of unforeseen high quality at low temperatures.

Microwave plasma assisted supersonic gas jet deposition of thin film materials

DOEpatents

Schmitt, J.J. III; Halpern, B.L.

1993-10-26

An apparatus for fabricating thin film materials utilizing high speed gas dynamics relies on supersonic free jets of carrier gas to transport depositing vapor species generated in a microwave discharge to the surface of a prepared substrate where the vapor deposits to form a thin film. The present invention generates high rates of deposition and thin films of unforeseen high quality at low temperatures. 5 figures.

Variable temperature semiconductor film deposition

DOEpatents

Li, X.; Sheldon, P.

1998-01-27

A method of depositing a semiconductor material on a substrate is disclosed. The method sequentially comprises (a) providing the semiconductor material in a depositable state such as a vapor for deposition on the substrate; (b) depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while heating the substrate to a first temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a first film layer having a first grain size; (c) continually depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while cooling the substrate to a second temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a second film layer deposited on the first film layer and having a second grain size smaller than the first grain size; and (d) raising the substrate temperature, while either continuing or not continuing to deposit semiconductor material to form a third film layer, to thereby anneal the film layers into a single layer having favorable efficiency characteristics in photovoltaic applications. A preferred semiconductor material is cadmium telluride deposited on a glass/tin oxide substrate already having thereon a film layer of cadmium sulfide.

Variable temperature semiconductor film deposition

DOEpatents

Li, Xiaonan; Sheldon, Peter

1998-01-01

A method of depositing a semiconductor material on a substrate. The method sequentially comprises (a) providing the semiconductor material in a depositable state such as a vapor for deposition on the substrate; (b) depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while heating the substrate to a first temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a first film layer having a first grain size; (c) continually depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while cooling the substrate to a second temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a second film layer deposited on the first film layer and having a second grain size smaller than the first grain size; and (d) raising the substrate temperature, while either continuing or not continuing to deposit semiconductor material to form a third film layer, to thereby anneal the film layers into a single layer having favorable efficiency characteristics in photovoltaic applications. A preferred semiconductor material is cadmium telluride deposited on a glass/tin oxide substrate already having thereon a film layer of cadmium sulfide.

Silicon nitride films fabricated by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method for coatings of the laser interferometer gravitational wave detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Huang-Wei; Kuo, Ling-Chi; Huang, Shu-Yu; Wu, Meng-Yun; Juang, Yu-Hang; Lee, Chia-Wei; Chen, Hsin-Chieh; Wen, Ting Ting; Chao, Shiuh

2018-01-01

Silicon is a potential substrate material for the large-areal-size mirrors of the next-generation laser interferometer gravitational wave detector operated in cryogenics. Silicon nitride thin films uniformly deposited by a chemical vapor deposition method on large-size silicon wafers is a common practice in the silicon integrated circuit industry. We used plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition to deposit silicon nitride films on silicon and studied the physical properties of the films that are pertinent to application of mirror coatings for laser interferometer gravitational wave detectors. We measured and analyzed the structure, optical properties, stress, Young's modulus, and mechanical loss of the films, at both room and cryogenic temperatures. Optical extinction coefficients of the films were in the 10-5 range at 1550-nm wavelength. Room-temperature mechanical loss of the films varied in the range from low 10-4 to low 10-5 within the frequency range of interest. The existence of a cryogenic mechanical loss peak depended on the composition of the films. We measured the bond concentrations of N - H , Si - H , Si - N , and Si - Si bonds in the films and analyzed the correlations between bond concentrations and cryogenic mechanical losses. We proposed three possible two-level systems associated with the N - H , Si - H , and Si - N bonds in the film. We inferred that the dominant source of the cryogenic mechanical loss for the silicon nitride films is the two-level system of exchanging position between a H+ and electron lone pair associated with the N - H bond. Under our deposition conditions, superior properties in terms of high refractive index with a large adjustable range, low optical absorption, and low mechanical loss were achieved for films with lower nitrogen content and lower N - H bond concentration. Possible pairing of the silicon nitride films with other materials in the quarter-wave stack is discussed.

Modifying hydrogen-bonded structures by physical vapor deposition: 4-methyl-3-heptanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young-Gonzales, A. R.; Guiseppi-Elie, A.; Ediger, M. D.; Richert, R.

2017-11-01

We prepared films of 4-methyl-3-heptanol by vapor depositing onto substrates held at temperatures between Tdep = 0.6Tg and Tg, where Tg is the glass transition temperature. Using deposition rates between 0.9 and 6.0 nm/s, we prepared films about 5 μm thick and measured the dielectric properties via an interdigitated electrode cell onto which films were deposited. Samples prepared at Tdep = Tg display the dielectric behavior of the ordinary supercooled liquid. Films deposited at lower deposition temperatures show a high dielectric loss upon heating toward Tg, which decreases by a factor of about 12 by annealing at Tg = 162 K. This change is consistent with either a drop of the Kirkwood correlation factor, gk, by a factor of about 10, or an increase in the dielectric relaxation times, both being indicative of changes toward ring-like hydrogen-bonded structure characteristic of the ordinary liquid. We rationalize the high dielectric relaxation amplitude in the vapor deposited glass by suggesting that depositions at low temperature provide insufficient time for molecules to form ring-like supramolecular structures for which dipole moments cancel. Surprisingly, above Tg of the ordinary liquid, these vapor deposited films fail to completely recover the dielectric properties of the liquid obtained by supercooling. Instead, the dielectric relaxation remains slower and its amplitude much higher than that of the equilibrium liquid state, indicative of a structure that differs from the equilibrium liquid up to at least Tg + 40 K.

Influence of Water on Chemical Vapor Deposition of Ni and Co thin films from ethanol solutions of acetylacetonate precursors

PubMed Central

Weiss, Theodor; Zielasek, Volkmar; Bäumer, Marcus

2015-01-01

In chemical vapor deposition experiments with pulsed spray evaporation (PSE-CVD) of liquid solutions of Ni and Co acetylacetonate in ethanol as precursors, the influence of water in the feedstock on the composition and growth kinetics of deposited Ni and Co metal films was systematically studied. Varying the water concentration in the precursor solutions, beneficial as well as detrimental effects of water on the metal film growth, strongly depending on the concentration of water and the β-diketonate in the precursor, were identified. For 2.5 mM Ni(acac)2 precursor solutions, addition of 0.5 vol% water improves growth of a metallic Ni film and reduces carbon contamination, while addition of 1.0 vol% water and more leads to significant oxidation of deposited Ni. By tuning the concentration of both, Ni(acac)2 and water in the precursor solution, the fraction of Ni metal and Ni oxide in the film or the film morphology can be adjusted. In the case of Co(acac)2, even smallest amounts of water promote complete oxidation of the deposited film. All deposited films were analyzed with respect to chemical composition quasi in situ by XPS, their morphology was evaluated after deposition by SEM. PMID:26658547

Field electron emission from diamond and related films synthesized by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Xianfeng

The focus of this thesis is the study of the field electron emission (FEE) of diamond and related films synthesized by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The diamond and related films with different morphologies and compositions were prepared in a microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor and a hot filament CVD reactor. Various analytical techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman spectroscopy were employed to characterize the surface morphology and chemical composition. The influence of surface morphology on the field electron emission property of diamond films was studied. The emission current of well-oriented microcrystalline diamond films is relatively small compared to that of randomly oriented microcrystalline diamond films. Meanwhile, the nanocrystalline diamond film has demonstrated a larger emission current than microcrystalline diamond films. The nanocone structure significantly improves the electron emission current of diamond films due to its strong field enhancement effect. The sp2 phase concentration also has significant influence on the field electron emission property of diamond films. For the diamond films synthesized by gas mixture of hydrogen and methane, their field electron emission properties were enhanced with the increase of methane concentration. The field electron emission enhancement was attributed to the increase of sp2 phase concentration, which increases the electrical conductivity of diamond films. For the diamond films synthesized through graphite etching, the growth rate and nucleation density of diamond films increase significantly with decreasing hydrogen flow rate. The field electron emission properties of the diamond films were also enhanced with the decrease of hydrogen flow rate. The field electron emission enhancement can be also attributed to the increase of the sp 2 phase concentration. In addition, the deviation of the experimental

Introducing Overlapping Grain Boundaries in Chemical Vapor Deposited Hexagonal Boron Nitride Monolayer Films

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

We demonstrate the growth of overlapping grain boundaries in continuous, polycrystalline hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) monolayer films via scalable catalytic chemical vapor deposition. Unlike the commonly reported atomically stitched grain boundaries, these overlapping grain boundaries do not consist of defect lines within the monolayer films but are composed of self-sealing bilayer regions of limited width. We characterize this overlapping h-BN grain boundary structure in detail by complementary (scanning) transmission electron microscopy techniques and propose a catalytic growth mechanism linked to the subsurface/bulk of the process catalyst and its boron and nitrogen solubilities. Our data suggest that the overlapping grain boundaries are comparatively resilient against deleterious pinhole formation associated with grain boundary defect lines and thus may reduce detrimental breakdown effects when polycrystalline h-BN monolayer films are used as ultrathin dielectrics, barrier layers, or separation membranes. PMID:28410557

Thermal conductivity of ultra-thin chemical vapor deposited hexagonal boron nitride films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, M. T.; Bresnehan, M. S.; Robinson, J. A.; Haque, M. A.

2014-01-01

Thermal conductivity of freestanding 10 nm and 20 nm thick chemical vapor deposited hexagonal boron nitride films was measured using both steady state and transient techniques. The measured value for both thicknesses, about 100 ± 10 W m-1 K-1, is lower than the bulk basal plane value (390 W m-1 K-1) due to the imperfections in the specimen microstructure. Impressively, this value is still 100 times higher than conventional dielectrics. Considering scalability and ease of integration, hexagonal boron nitride grown over large area is an excellent candidate for thermal management in two dimensional materials-based nanoelectronics.

Atmospheric Pressure Spray Chemical Vapor Deposited CuInS2 Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, J. D.; Raffaelle, R. P.; Banger, K. K.; Smith, M. A.; Scheiman, D. A.; Hepp, A. F.

2002-01-01

Solar cells have been prepared using atmospheric pressure spray chemical vapor deposited CuInS2 absorbers. The CuInS2 films were deposited at 390 C using the single source precursor (PPh3)2CuIn(SEt)4 in an argon atmosphere. The absorber ranges in thickness from 0.75 - 1.0 micrometers, and exhibits a crystallographic gradient, with the leading edge having a (220) preferred orientation and the trailing edge having a (112) orientation. Schottky diodes prepared by thermal evaporation of aluminum contacts on to the CuInS2 yielded diodes for films that were annealed at 600 C. Solar cells were prepared using annealed films and had the (top down) composition of Al/ZnO/CdS/CuInS2/Mo/Glass. The Jsc, Voc, FF and (eta) were 6.46 mA per square centimeter, 307 mV, 24% and 0.35%, respectively for the best small area cells under simulated AM0 illumination.

Atmospheric-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of a-SiCN:H films: role of precursors on the film growth and properties.

PubMed

Guruvenket, Srinivasan; Andrie, Steven; Simon, Mark; Johnson, Kyle W; Sailer, Robert A

2012-10-24

Atmospheric pressure plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (AP-PECVD) using Surfx Atomflow(TM) 250D APPJ was utilized to synthesize amorphous silicon carbonitride coatings using tetramethyldisilizane (TMDZ) and hexamethyldisilizane (HMDZ) as the single source precursors. The effect of precursor chemistry and substrate temperature (T(s)) on the properties of a-SiCN:H films were evaluated, while nitrogen was used as the reactive gas. Surface morphology of the films was evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM); chemical properties were determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); thickness and optical properties were determined using spectroscopic ellipsometry and mechanical properties were determined using nanoindentation. In general, films deposited at substrate temperature (T(s)) < 200 °C contained organic moieties, while the films deposited at T(s) > 200 °C depicted strong Si-N and Si-CN absorption. Refractive indices (n) of the thin films showed values between 1.5 and 2.0, depending on the deposition parameters. Mechanical properties of the films determined using nanoindentation revealed that these films have hardness between 0.5 GPa and 15 GPa, depending on the T(s) value. AFM evaluation of the films showed high roughness (R(a)) values of 2-3 nm for the films grown at low T(s) (<250 °C) while the films grown at T(s) ≥ 300 °C exhibited atomically smooth surface with R(a) of ~0.5 nm. Based on the gas-phase (plasma) chemistry, precursor chemistry and the other experimental observations, a possible growth model that prevails in the AP-PECVD of a-SiCN:H thin films is proposed.

Vapor Phase Deposition Using Plasma Spray-PVD™

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Niessen, K.; Gindrat, M.; Refke, A.

2010-01-01

Plasma spray—physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) is a low pressure plasma spray technology to deposit coatings out of the vapor phase. PS-PVD is a part of the family of new hybrid processes recently developed by Sulzer Metco AG (Switzerland) on the basis of the well-established low pressure plasma spraying (LPPS) technology. Included in this new process family are plasma spray—chemical vapor deposition (PS-CVD) and plasma spray—thin film (PS-TF) processes. In comparison to conventional vacuum plasma spraying and LPPS, these new processes use a high energy plasma gun operated at a work pressure below 2 mbar. This leads to unconventional plasma jet characteristics which can be used to obtain specific and unique coatings. An important new feature of PS-PVD is the possibility to deposit a coating not only by melting the feed stock material which builds up a layer from liquid splats, but also by vaporizing the injected material. Therefore, the PS-PVD process fills the gap between the conventional PVD technologies and standard thermal spray processes. The possibility to vaporize feedstock material and to produce layers out of the vapor phase results in new and unique coating microstructures. The properties of such coatings are superior to those of thermal spray and EB-PVD coatings. This paper reports on the progress made at Sulzer Metco to develop functional coatings build up from vapor phase of oxide ceramics and metals.

Growth of magnesium diboride thin films on boron buffered Si and silicon-on-insulator substrates by hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Withanage, Wenura K.; Penmatsa, Sashank V.; Acharya, Narendra; Melbourne, Thomas; Cunnane, D.; Karasik, B. S.; Xi, X. X.

2018-07-01

We report on the growth of high quality MgB2 thin films on silicon and silicon-on-insulator substrates by hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition. A boron buffer layer was deposited on all sides of the Si substrate to prevent the reaction of Mg vapor and Si. Ar ion milling at a low angle of 1° was used to reduce the roughness of the boron buffer layer before the MgB2 growth. An Ar ion milling at low angle of 1° was also applied to the MgB2 surface to reduce its roughness. The resultant MgB2 films showed excellent superconducting properties and a smooth surface. The process produces thin MgB2 films suitable for waveguide-based superconducting hot electron bolometers and other MgB2-based electronic devices.

Nano-Crystalline Diamond Films with Pineapple-Like Morphology Grown by the DC Arcjet vapor Deposition Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bin; Zhang, Qin-Jian; Shi, Yan-Chao; Li, Jia-Jun; Li, Hong; Lu, Fan-Xiu; Chen, Guang-Chao

2014-08-01

A nano-crystlline diamond film is grown by the dc arcjet chemical vapor deposition method. The film is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra, respectively. The nanocrystalline grains are averagely with 80 nm in the size measured by XRD, and further proven by Raman and HRTEM. The observed novel morphology of the growth surface, pineapple-like morphology, is constructed by cubo-octahedral growth zones with a smooth faceted top surface and coarse side surfaces. The as-grown film possesses (100) dominant surface containing a little amorphous sp2 component, which is far different from the nano-crystalline film with the usual cauliflower-like morphology.

Room temperature chemical vapor deposition of c-axis ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, Teresa M.; Leaf, Jacquelyn; Fry, Cassandra; Wolden, Colin A.

2005-02-01

Highly (0 0 2) oriented ZnO films have been deposited at temperatures between 25 and 230 °C by high-vacuum plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (HVP-CVD) on glass and silicon substrates. The HVP-CVD process was found to be weakly activated with an apparent activation energy of ∼0.1 eV, allowing room temperature synthesis. Films deposited on both substrates displayed a preferential c-axis texture over the entire temperature range. Films grown on glass demonstrated high optical transparency throughout the visible and near infrared.

Ruthenium films by digital chemical vapor deposition: Selectivity, nanostructure, and work function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dey, Sandwip K.; Goswami, Jaydeb; Gu, Diefeng; de Waard, Henk; Marcus, Steve; Werkhoven, Chris

2004-03-01

Ruthenium electrodes were selectively deposited on photoresist-patterned HfO2 surface [deposited on a SiOx/Si wafer by atomic layer deposition (ALD)] by a manufacturable, digital chemical vapor deposition (DCVD) technique. DCVD of Ru was carried out at 280-320 °C using an alternate delivery of Bis (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)(1,5-cyclooctadiene)Ru (dissolved in tetrahydrofuran) and oxygen. The as-deposited Ru films were polycrystalline, dense, and conducting (resistivity ˜20.6 μΩ cm). However, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and high-resolution electron microscopy results indicate the presence of an amorphous RuOx at the Ru grain boundaries and at the DCVD-Ru/ALD-HfO2 interface. The estimated work function of DCVD-Ru on ALD-HfO2 was ˜5.1 eV. Moreover, the equivalent oxide thickness, hysteresis in capacitance-voltage, and leakage current density at -2 V of the HfO2/SiOx dielectric, after forming gas (95% N2+5% H2) annealing at 450 °C for 30 min, were 1.4 nm, 20 mV, and 7.4×10-7 A cm-2, respectively.

Microbridge testing of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposited silicon oxide films on silicon wafers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Tong-Yi; Zhang, Xin

2005-05-01

Plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposited (PECVD) silane-based oxides (SiOx) have been widely used in both microelectronics and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to form electrical and/or mechanical components. In this paper, a nanoindentation-based microbridge testing method is developed to measure both the residual stresses and Young's modulus of PECVD SiOx films on silicon wafers. Theoretically, we considered both the substrate deformation and residual stress in the thin film and derived a closed formula of deflection versus load. The formula fitted the experimental curves almost perfectly, from which the residual stresses and Young's modulus of the film were determined. Experimentally, freestanding microbridges made of PECVD SiOx films were fabricated using the silicon undercut bulk micromachining technique. Some microbridges were subjected to rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at a temperature of 400 °C, 600 °C, or 800 °C to simulate the thermal process in the device fabrication. The results showed that the as-deposited PECVD SiOx films had a residual stress of -155±17MPa and a Young's modulus of 74.8±3.3GPa. After the RTA, Young's modulus remained relatively unchanged at around 75 GPa, however, significant residual stress hysteresis was found in all the films. A microstructure-based mechanism was then applied to explain the experimental results of the residual stress changes in the PECVD SiOx films after the thermal annealing.

Chemical vapor deposition of W-Si-N and W-B-N

DOEpatents

Fleming, James G.; Roherty-Osmun, Elizabeth Lynn; Smith, Paul M.; Custer, Jonathan S.; Jones, Ronald V.; Nicolet, Marc-A.; Madar, Roland; Bernard, Claude

1999-01-01

A method of depositing a ternary, refractory based thin film on a substrate by chemical vapor deposition employing precursor sources of tungsten comprising WF.sub.6, either silicon or boron, and nitrogen. The result is a W--Si--N or W--B--N thin film useful for diffusion barrier and micromachining applications.

Effects of Deposition Parameters on Thin Film Properties of Silicon-Based Electronic Materials Deposited by Remote Plasma-Enhanced Chemical-Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theil, Jeremy Alfred

The motivation of this thesis is to discuss the major issues of remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (remote PECVD) that affect the properties Si-based thin films. In order to define the issues required for process optimization, the behavior of remote PECVD process must be understood. The remote PECVD process is defined as having four segments: (1) plasma generation, (2) excited species extraction, (3) excited species/downstream gas mixing, and (4) surface reaction. The double Langmuir probe technique is employed to examine plasma parameters under 13.56 MHz and 2.54 GHz excitation. Optical emission spectroscopy is used to determine changes in the excited states of radiating species in the plasma afterglow. Mass spectrometry is used to determine the excitation and consumption of process gases within the reactor during film growth. Various analytical techniques such as infrared absorption spectroscopy, (ir), high resolution transmission electron microscopy, (HRTEM), and reflected high energy electron diffraction, (RHEED), are used to ascertain film properties. The results of the Langmuir probe show that plasma coupling is frequency dependent and that the capacitive coupling mode is characterized by orders of magnitude higher electron densities in the reactor than inductive coupling. These differences can be manifested in the degree to which a hydrogenated amorphous silicon, a-Si:H, component co-deposition reaction affects film stoichiometry. Mass spectrometry shows that there is an additional excitation source in the downstream glow. In addition the growth of microcrystalline silicon, muc-Si, is correlated with the decrease in the production of disilane and heavier Si-containing species. Chloronium, H_2 Cl^{+}, a super acid ion is identified for the first time in a CVD reactor. It forms from plasma fragmentation of SiH_2 Cl_2, and H_2 . Addition of impurity gases was shown not to affect the electron temperature of the plasma. By products of deposition

Atmospheric-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of a-SiCN:H films: Role of precursors on the film growth and properties

DOE PAGES

Guruvenket, Srinivasan; Andrie, Steven; Simon, Mark; ...

2012-09-14

Atmospheric pressure plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (AP-PECVD) using Surfx Atomflow TM 250D APPJ was utilized to synthesize amorphous silicon carbonitride coatings using tetramethyldisilizane (TMDZ) and hexamethyldisilizane (HMDZ) as the single source precursors. The effect of precursor chemistry and the substrate temperature (T s) on the properties of a-SiCN:H films were evaluated, while nitrogen was used as the reactive gas. Surface morphology of the films was evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM); chemical properties were determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); thickness and optical properties were determined using spectroscopic ellipsometry and mechanical properties were determined using nano-indentation. In generalmore » films deposited at substrate temperature (T s) <200 °C contained organic moieties, while the films deposited at T s >200 oC depicted strong Si-N and Si-CN absorption. Refractive indices (n) of the thin films showed values between 1.5 -2.0 depending on the deposition parameters. Mechanical properties of the films determined using nano-indentation revealed that these films have hardness between 0.5 GPa to 15 GPa depending on the Ts. AFM evaluation of the films showed high roughness (R a) values of 2-3 nm for the films grown at low T s (< 250 °C), while the films grown at T s ≥ 300 °C exhibited atomically smooth surface with R a of ~ 0.5 nm. Furthermore, based on the gas phase (plasma) chemistry, precursor chemistry and the other experimental observations, a possible growth model that prevails in the AP-PECVD of a-SiCN:H thin films is proposed.« less

Chemical vapor deposition of W-Si-N and W-B-N

DOEpatents

Fleming, J.G.; Roherty-Osmun, E.L.; Smith, P.M.; Custer, J.S.; Jones, R.V.; Nicolet, M.; Madar, R.; Bernard, C.

1999-06-29

A method of depositing a ternary, refractory based thin film on a substrate by chemical vapor deposition employing precursor sources of tungsten comprising WF[sub 6], either silicon or boron, and nitrogen. The result is a W-Si-N or W-B-N thin film useful for diffusion barrier and micromachining applications. 10 figs.

Influence of Molecular Shape on Molecular Orientation and Stability of Vapor-Deposited Organic Semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walters, Diane M.; Johnson, Noah D.; Ediger, M. D.

Physical vapor deposition is commonly used to prepare active layers in organic electronics. Recently, it has been shown that molecular orientation and packing can be tuned by changing the substrate temperature during deposition, while still producing macroscopically homogeneous films. These amorphous materials can be highly anisotropic when prepared with low substrate temperatures, and they can exhibit exceptional kinetic stability; films retain their favorable packing when heated to high temperatures. Here, we study the influence of molecular shape on molecular orientation and stability. We investigate disc-shaped molecules, such as TCTA and m-MTDATA, nearly spherical molecules, such as Alq3, and linear molecules covering a broad range of aspect ratios, such as p-TTP and BSB-Cz. Disc-shaped molecules have preferential horizontal orientation when deposited at low substrate temperatures, and their orientation can be tuned by changing the substrate temperature. Alq3 forms stable, amorphous films that are optically isotropic when vapor deposited over a broad range of substrate temperatures. This work may guide the choice of material and deposition conditions for vapor-deposited films used in organic electronics and allow for more efficient devices to be fabricated.

Structural and growth aspects of electron beam physical vapor deposited NiO-CeO{sub 2} nanocomposite films

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

Kuanr, Sushil Kumar; K, Suresh Babu, E-mail: sureshbabu.nst@pondiuni.edu.in

2016-03-15

Deposition of composite materials as thin film by electron beam physical vapor deposition technique (EB-PVD) still remains as a challenge. Here, the authors report the deposition of NiO-CeO{sub 2} (30/70 wt. %) composites on quartz substrate by EB-PVD. Two NiO-CeO{sub 2} nanocomposite targets—one as green compact and the other after sintering at 1250 °C—were used for the deposition. Though the targets varied with respect to physical properties such as crystallite size (11–45 nm) and relative density (44% and 96%), the resultant thin films exhibited a mean crystallite size in the range of 20–25 nm underlining the role of physical nature of deposition. In spitemore » of the crystalline nature of the targets and similar elemental concentration, a transformation from amorphous to crystalline structure was observed in thin films on using sintered target. Postannealing of the as deposited film at 800 °C resulted in a polycrystalline structure consisting of CeO{sub 2} and NiO. Deposition using pure CeO{sub 2} or NiO as target resulted in the preferential orientation toward (111) and (200) planes, respectively, showing the influence of adatoms on the evaporation and growth process of NiO-CeO{sub 2} composite. The results demonstrate the influence of electron beam gun power on the adatom energy for the growth process of composite oxide thin films.« less

On the influence of DC electric fields on the aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition growth of photoactive titanium dioxide thin films.

PubMed

Romero, Luz; Binions, Russell

2013-11-05

Titanium dioxide thin films were deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide glass substrate from the electric field assisted aerosol chemical vapor deposition (EACVD) reaction of titanium isopropoxide (TTIP, Ti(OC3H7)4) in toluene on glass substrates at a temperature of 450 °C. DC electric fields were generated by applying a potential difference between the electrodes of the transparent coated oxide coated glass substrates during the deposition. The deposited films were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The photoactivity and hydrophilicity of the deposited films were also analyzed using a dye-ink test and water-contact angle measurements. The characterization work revealed that the incorporation of DC electric fields produced significant reproducible changes in the film microstructure, preferred crystallographic orientation, roughness, and film thickness. Photocatalytic activity was calculated from the half-time (t1/2) or time taken to degrade 50% of the initial resazurin dye concentration. A large improvement in photocatalytic activity was observed for films deposited using an electric field with a strong orientation in the (004) direction (t1/2 17 min) as compared to a film deposited with no electric field (t1/2 40 min).

Effect of catalyst film thickness on carbon nanotube growth by selective area chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Y. Y.; Eres, Gyula; Merkulov, V. I.; Lowndes, D. H.

2001-03-01

The correlation between prepatterned catalyst film thickness and carbon nanotube (CNT) growth by selective area chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was studied using Fe and Ni as catalyst. To eliminate sample-to-sample variations and create a growth environment in which the film thickness is the sole variable, samples with continuously changing catalyst film thickness from 0 to 60 nm were fabricated by electron-gun evaporation. Using thermal CVD CNTs preferentially grow as a dense mat on the thin regions of the catalyst film. Moreover, beyond a certain critical film thickness no tubes were observed. The critical film thickness for CNT growth was found to increase with substrate temperature. There appears to be no strong correlation between the film thickness and the diameter of the tubes. In contrast, using plasma enhanced CVD with Ni as catalyst, vertically oriented CNTs grow in the entire range of catalyst film thickness. The diameter of these CNTs shows a strong correlation with the catalyst film thickness. The significance of these experimental trends is discussed within the framework of the diffusion model for CNT growth.

Physical vapor deposited thin films of lignins extracted from sugar cane bagasse: morphology, electrical properties, and sensing applications.

PubMed

Volpati, Diogo; Machado, Aislan D; Olivati, Clarissa A; Alves, Neri; Curvelo, Antonio A S; Pasquini, Daniel; Constantino, Carlos J L

2011-09-12

The concern related to the environmental degradation and to the exhaustion of natural resources has induced the research on biodegradable materials obtained from renewable sources, which involves fundamental properties and general application. In this context, we have fabricated thin films of lignins, which were extracted from sugar cane bagasse via modified organosolv process using ethanol as organic solvent. The films were made using the vacuum thermal evaporation technique (PVD, physical vapor deposition) grown up to 120 nm. The main objective was to explore basic properties such as electrical and surface morphology and the sensing performance of these lignins as transducers. The PVD film growth was monitored via ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy and quartz crystal microbalance, revealing a linear relationship between absorbance and film thickness. The 120 nm lignin PVD film morphology presented small aggregates spread all over the film surface on the nanometer scale (atomic force microscopy, AFM) and homogeneous on the micrometer scale (optical microscopy). The PVD films were deposited onto Au interdigitated electrode (IDE) for both electrical characterization and sensing experiments. In the case of electrical characterization, current versus voltage (I vs V) dc measurements were carried out for the Au IDE coated with 120 nm lignin PVD film, leading to a conductivity of 3.6 × 10(-10) S/m. Using impedance spectroscopy, also for the Au IDE coated with the 120 nm lignin PVD film, dielectric constant of 8.0, tan δ of 3.9 × 10(-3), and conductivity of 1.75 × 10(-9) S/m were calculated at 1 kHz. As a proof-of-principle, the application of these lignins as transducers in sensing devices was monitored by both impedance spectroscopy (capacitance vs frequency) and I versus time dc measurements toward aniline vapor (saturated atmosphere). The electrical responses showed that the sensing units are sensible to aniline vapor with the process being

Ecofriendly and Nonvacuum Electrostatic Spray-Assisted Vapor Deposition of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 Thin Film Solar Cells.

PubMed

Hossain, Md Anower; Wang, Mingqing; Choy, Kwang-Leong

2015-10-14

Chalcopyrite Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGSSe) thin films have been deposited by a novel, nonvacuum, and cost-effective electrostatic spray-assisted vapor deposition (ESAVD) method. The generation of a fine aerosol of precursor solution, and their controlled deposition onto a molybdenum substrate, results in adherent, dense, and uniform Cu(In,Ga)S2 (CIGS) films. This is an essential tool to keep the interfacial area of thin film solar cells to a minimum value for efficient charge separation as it helps to achieve the desired surface smoothness uniformity for subsequent cadmium sulfide and window layer deposition. This nonvacuum aerosol based approach for making the CIGSSe film uses environmentally benign precursor solution, and it is cheaper for producing solar cells than that of the vacuum-based thin film solar technology. An optimized CIGSSe thin film solar cell with a device configuration of molybdenum-coated soda-lime glass substrate/CIGSSe/CdS/i-ZnO/AZO shows the photovoltaic (j-V) characteristics of Voc=0.518 V, jsc=28.79 mA cm(-2), fill factor=64.02%, and a promising power conversion efficiency of η=9.55% under simulated AM 1.5 100 mW cm(-2) illuminations, without the use of an antireflection layer. This demonstrates the potential of ESAVD deposition as a promising alternative approach for making thin film CIGSSe solar cells at a lower cost.

Morphogenesis of nanostructures in glancing angle deposition of metal thin film coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Timothy James

Atomic vapors condensed onto solid surfaces form a remarkable category of condensed matter materials, the so-called thin films, with a myriad of compositions, morphological structures, and properties. The dynamic process of atomic condensation exhibits self-assembled pattern formation, producing morphologies with atomic-scale three- dimensional structures of seemingly limitless variety. This study attempts to shed new light on the dynamical growth processes of thin film deposition by analyzing in detail a previously unreported specific distinct emergent structure, a crystalline triangular-shaped spike that grows within copper and silver thin films. I explored the deposition parameters that lead to the growth of these unique structures, referred to as "nanospikes", fabricating approximately 55 thin films and used scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis. The variation of parameters include: vapor incidence angle, film thickness, substrate temperature, deposition rate, deposition material, substrate, and source-to-substrate distance. Microscopy analysis reveals that the silver and copper films deposited at glancing vapor incidence angles, 80 degrees and greater, have a high degree of branching interconnectivity between adjacent inclined nanorods. Diffraction analysis reveals that the vapor incidence angle influences the sub-populations of crystallites in the films, producing two different [110] crystal texture orientations. I hypothesize that the growth of nanospikes from nanorods is initiated by the stochastic arrival of vapor atoms and photons emitted from the deposition source at small diameter nanorods, and then driven by localized heating from vapor condensation and photon absorption. Restricted heat flow due to nanoscale thermal conduction maintains an elevated local temperature at the nanorod, enhancing adatom diffusion and enabling fast epitaxial crystal growth, leading to the formation and growth of nanospikes. Electron microscopy and x

Precursor dependent nucleation and growth of ruthenium films during chemical vapor deposition

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

Liao, Wen; Ekerdt, John G., E-mail: ekerdt@utexas.edu

2016-07-15

Nucleation and film growth characteristics are reported during chemical vapor deposition of Ru on SiO{sub 2} using triruthenium dodecacarbonyl [Ru{sub 3}(CO){sub 12}] and ruthenium bis(di-t-butylacetamidinate) dicarbonyl [Ru({sup t}Bu-Me-amd){sub 2}(CO){sub 2}]. Films grown from Ru{sub 3}(CO){sub 12} follow the three dimensional (3D) Volmer–Weber growth mode. In contrast, films grown from Ru({sup t}Bu-Me-amd){sub 2}(CO){sub 2} follow the pseudo-layer-by-layer growth mode with two dimensional wetting layer islands forming before 3D particle growth is observed on the islands. A relationship between free isolated hydroxyl [(Si-OH){sub i}] group density and Ru nucleation density is found for Ru{sub 3}(CO){sub 12} and is associated with (Si-OH){sub i}more » acting as the reaction sites for activation of Ru{sub 3}(CO){sub 12} and in turn generating an adjustable adatom concentration. Carbon monoxide and ammonia addition to the gas phase during film growth from Ru({sup t}Bu-Me-amd){sub 2}(CO){sub 2} lead to smoother films by inducing surface reconstructions during the 3D phase of pseudo-layer-by-layer growth; these gases also lead to films with lower resistivity and lower crystalline character.« less

Infrared analysis of vapor phase deposited tricresylphosphate (TCP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morales, Wilfredo; Hanyaloglu, Bengi; Graham, Earl E.

1994-01-01

Infrared transmission was employed to study the formation of a lubricating film deposited on two different substrates at 700 C. The deposit was formed from tricresylphosphate vapors and collected onto a NaCl substrate and on an iron coated NaCl substrate. Analysis of the infrared data suggests that a metal phosphate is formed initially, followed by the formation of organophosphorus polymeric compounds.

Amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors using organic-inorganic hybrid films deposited by low-temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition for all dielectric layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Chao-Jui; Chang, Ching-Hsiang; Chang, Kuei-Ming; Wu, Chung-Chih

2017-01-01

We investigated the deposition of high-performance organic-inorganic hybrid dielectric films by low-temperature (close to room temperature) inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) with hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO)/O2 precursor gas. The hybrid films exhibited low leakage currents and high breakdown fields, suitable for thin-film transistor (TFT) applications. They were successfully integrated into the gate insulator, the etch-stop layer, and the passivation layer for bottom-gate staggered amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) TFTs having the etch-stop configuration. With the double-active-layer configuration having a buffer a-IGZO back-channel layer grown in oxygen-rich atmosphere for better immunity against plasma damage, the etch-stop-type bottom-gate staggered a-IGZO TFTs with good TFT characteristics were successfully demonstrated. The TFTs showed good field-effect mobility (μFE), threshold voltage (V th), subthreshold swing (SS), and on/off ratio (I on/off) of 7.5 cm2 V-1 s-1, 2.38 V, 0.38 V/decade, and 2.2 × 108, respectively, manifesting their usefulness for a-IGZO TFTs.

Modeling physical vapor deposition of energetic materials

DOE PAGES

Shirvan, Koroush; Forrest, Eric C.

2018-03-28

Morphology and microstructure of organic explosive films formed using physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes strongly depends on local surface temperature during deposition. Currently, there is no accurate means of quantifying the local surface temperature during PVD processes in the deposition chambers. This study focuses on using a multiphysics computational fluid dynamics tool, STARCCM+, to simulate pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) deposition. The PETN vapor and solid phase were simulated using the volume of fluid method and its deposition in the vacuum chamber on spinning silicon wafers was modeled. The model also included the spinning copper cooling block where the wafers are placedmore » along with the chiller operating with forced convection refrigerant. Implicit time-dependent simulations in two- and three-dimensional were performed to derive insights in the governing physics for PETN thin film formation. PETN is deposited at the rate of 14 nm/s at 142.9 °C on a wafer with an initial temperature of 22 °C. The deposition of PETN on the wafers was calculated at an assumed heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of 400 W/m 2 K. This HTC proved to be the most sensitive parameter in determining the local surface temperature during deposition. Previous experimental work found noticeable microstructural changes with 0.5 mm fused silica wafers in place of silicon during the PETN deposition. This work showed that fused silica slows initial wafer cool down and results in ~10 °C difference for the surface temperature at 500 μm PETN film thickness. It was also found that the deposition surface temperature is insensitive to the cooling power of the copper block due to the copper block's very large heat capacity and thermal conductivity relative to the heat input from the PVD process. Future work should incorporate the addition of local stress during PETN deposition. Lastly, based on simulation results, it is also recommended to investigate the impact of wafer

Modeling physical vapor deposition of energetic materials

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

Shirvan, Koroush; Forrest, Eric C.

Morphology and microstructure of organic explosive films formed using physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes strongly depends on local surface temperature during deposition. Currently, there is no accurate means of quantifying the local surface temperature during PVD processes in the deposition chambers. This study focuses on using a multiphysics computational fluid dynamics tool, STARCCM+, to simulate pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) deposition. The PETN vapor and solid phase were simulated using the volume of fluid method and its deposition in the vacuum chamber on spinning silicon wafers was modeled. The model also included the spinning copper cooling block where the wafers are placedmore » along with the chiller operating with forced convection refrigerant. Implicit time-dependent simulations in two- and three-dimensional were performed to derive insights in the governing physics for PETN thin film formation. PETN is deposited at the rate of 14 nm/s at 142.9 °C on a wafer with an initial temperature of 22 °C. The deposition of PETN on the wafers was calculated at an assumed heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of 400 W/m 2 K. This HTC proved to be the most sensitive parameter in determining the local surface temperature during deposition. Previous experimental work found noticeable microstructural changes with 0.5 mm fused silica wafers in place of silicon during the PETN deposition. This work showed that fused silica slows initial wafer cool down and results in ~10 °C difference for the surface temperature at 500 μm PETN film thickness. It was also found that the deposition surface temperature is insensitive to the cooling power of the copper block due to the copper block's very large heat capacity and thermal conductivity relative to the heat input from the PVD process. Future work should incorporate the addition of local stress during PETN deposition. Lastly, based on simulation results, it is also recommended to investigate the impact of wafer

Evaporation system and method for gas jet deposition of thin film materials

DOEpatents

Schmitt, J.J.; Halpern, B.L.

1994-10-18

A method and apparatus are disclosed for depositing thin films of materials such as metals, oxides and nitrides at low temperature relies on a supersonic free jet of inert carrier gas to transport vapor species generated from an evaporation source to the surface of a substrate. Film deposition vapors are generated from solid film precursor materials, including those in the form of wires or powders. The vapor from these sources is carried downstream in a low pressure supersonic jet of inert gas to the surface of a substrate where the vapors deposit to form a thin film. A reactant gas can be introduced into the gas jet to form a reaction product with the evaporated material. The substrate can be moved from the gas jet past a gas jet containing a reactant gas in which a discharge has been generated, the speed of movement being sufficient to form a thin film which is chemically composed of the evaporated material and reactant gases. 8 figs.

Evaporation system and method for gas jet deposition of thin film materials

DOEpatents

Schmitt, Jerome J.; Halpern, Bret L.

1994-01-01

A method and apparatus for depositing thin films of materials such as metals, oxides and nitrides at low temperature relies on a supersonic free jet of inert carrier gas to transport vapor species generated from an evaporation source to the surface of a substrate. Film deposition vapors are generated from solid film precursor materials, including those in the form of wires or powders. The vapor from these sources is carried downstream in a low pressure supersonic jet of inert gas to the surface of a substrate where the vapors deposit to form a thin film. A reactant gas can be introduced into the gas jet to form a reaction product with the evaporated material. The substrate can be moved from the gas jet past a gas jet containing a reactant gas in which a discharge has been generated, the speed of movement being sufficient to form a thin film which is chemically composed of the evaporated material and reactant gases.

Laser-deposited thin films of biocompatible ceramic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jelinek, Miroslav; Olsan, V.; Jastrabik, Lubomir; Dostalova, Tatjana; Himmlova, Lucia; Kadlec, Jaromir; Pospichal, M.; Simeckova, M.; Fotakis, Costas

1995-03-01

Thin films of biocompatible materials such as hydroxylapatite (HA) - Ca10 (PO4)6(OH)2 were deposited by laser ablation technique. The films of HA were created on Ti substrates by KrF laser. The layers were deposited in vacuum, in pure H2O vapors (pressure 2 X 10-3 mbar - 2 X 10-1 mbar), and in Ar/H2O vapor mixture. Influence of laser energy density ET (3 Jcm-2, 13 Jcm-2) and substrate temperature Tg (500 degree(s)C - 760 degree(s)C) on the film parameters was studied. Two different technological processes were used for HA target preparation. Films and targets were characterized by Rutherford backscattering analysis (RBS), particle induced x-ray emission (PIXE), x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by Knoop microhardness and scratch test. The best crystalline HA films were reached in the mixture of Ar/H2O. Higher Tg had to be used for such deposition. Higher Tg was also preferable from the point of film microhardness. Adhesion of films to the substrates in the range of tens of Newtons was measured. The preliminary results of in vitro experiments of films biotolerance and resorbability are also presented.

A kinetic model for the characteristic surface morphologies of thin films by directional vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Kun-Dar; Huang, Po-Yu

2017-12-01

In order to simulate a process of directional vapor deposition, in this study, a numerical approach was applied to model the growth and evolution of surface morphologies for the crystallographic structures of thin films. The critical factors affecting the surface morphologies in a deposition process, such as the crystallographic symmetry, anisotropic interfacial energy, shadowing effect, and deposition rate, were all enclosed in the theoretical model. By altering the parameters of crystallographic symmetry in the structures, the faceted nano-columns with rectangular and hexagonal shapes were established in the simulation results. Furthermore, for revealing the influences of the anisotropic strength and the deposition rate theoretically on the crystallographic structure formations, various parameters adjusted in the numerical calculations were also investigated. Not only the morphologies but also the surface roughnesses for different processing conditions were distinctly demonstrated with the quantitative analysis of the simulations.

Synthesis and magnetotransport studies of CrO2 films grown on TiO2 nanotube arrays by chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaoling; Zhang, Caiping; Wang, Lu; Lin, Tao; Wen, Gehui

2018-04-01

The CrO2 films have been prepared on the TiO2 nanotube array template via atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition method. And the growth procedure was studied. In the beginning of the deposition process, the CrO2 grows on the cross section of the TiO2 nanotubes wall, forms a nanonet-like layer. And the grain size of CrO2 is very small. With the increase of the deposition time, the grain size of CrO2 also increases, and the nanonet-like layer changes into porous film. With the further increase of the deposition time, all the nanotubes are covered by CrO2 grains and the surface structure becomes polycrystalline film. The average grain size on the surface of the CrO2 films deposited for 1 h, 2 h and 5 h is about 190 nm, 300 nm and 470 nm. The X-ray diffraction pattern reveals that the rutile CrO2 film has been synthesized on the TiO2 nanotube array template. The CrO2 films show large magnetoresistance (MR) at low temperature, which should originate from spin-dependent tunneling through grain boundaries between CrO2 grains. And the tunneling mechanism of the CrO2 films can be well described by the fluctuation-induced tunneling (FIT) model. The CrO2 film deposited for 2 h shows insulator behavior from 5 k to 300 K, but the CrO2 film deposited for 5 h shows insulator-metal transition around 140 K. The reason is briefly discussed.

Controllable poly-crystalline bilayered and multilayered graphene film growth by reciprocal chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qinke; Jung, Seong Jun; Jang, Sung Kyu; Lee, Joohyun; Jeon, Insu; Suh, Hwansoo; Kim, Yong Ho; Lee, Young Hee; Lee, Sungjoo; Song, Young Jae

2015-06-01

We report the selective growth of large-area bilayered graphene film and multilayered graphene film on copper. This growth was achieved by introducing a reciprocal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process that took advantage of an intermediate h-BN layer as a sacrificial template for graphene growth. A thin h-BN film, initially grown on the copper substrate using CVD methods, was locally etched away during the subsequent graphene growth under residual H2 and CH4 gas flows. Etching of the h-BN layer formed a channel that permitted the growth of additional graphene adlayers below the existing graphene layer. Bilayered graphene typically covers an entire Cu foil with domain sizes of 10-50 μm, whereas multilayered graphene can be epitaxially grown to form islands a few hundreds of microns in size. This new mechanism, in which graphene growth proceeded simultaneously with h-BN etching, suggests a potential approach to control graphene layers for engineering the band structures of large-area graphene for electronic device applications.We report the selective growth of large-area bilayered graphene film and multilayered graphene film on copper. This growth was achieved by introducing a reciprocal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process that took advantage of an intermediate h-BN layer as a sacrificial template for graphene growth. A thin h-BN film, initially grown on the copper substrate using CVD methods, was locally etched away during the subsequent graphene growth under residual H2 and CH4 gas flows. Etching of the h-BN layer formed a channel that permitted the growth of additional graphene adlayers below the existing graphene layer. Bilayered graphene typically covers an entire Cu foil with domain sizes of 10-50 μm, whereas multilayered graphene can be epitaxially grown to form islands a few hundreds of microns in size. This new mechanism, in which graphene growth proceeded simultaneously with h-BN etching, suggests a potential approach to control graphene layers for

Synthesis of Diamond-Like Carbon Films on Planar and Non-Planar Geometries by the Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noborisaka, Mayui; Hirako, Tomoaki; Shirakura, Akira; Watanabe, Toshiyuki; Morikawa, Masashi; Seki, Masaki; Suzuki, Tetsuya

2012-09-01

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were synthesized by the dielectric barrier discharge-based plasma deposition at atmospheric pressure and their hardness and gas barrier properties were measured. A decrease in size of grains and heating substrate temperature improved nano-hardness up to 3.3 GPa. The gas barrier properties of DLC-coated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) sheets were obtained by 3-5 times of non-coated PET with approximately 0.5 µm in film thickness. The high-gas-barrier DLC films deposited on PET sheets are expected to wrap elevated bridge of the super express and prevent them from neutralization of concrete. We also deposited DLC films inside PET bottles by the microwave surface-wave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method at near-atmospheric pressure. Under atmospheric pressure, the films were coated uniformly inside the PET bottles, but did not show high gas barrier properties. In this paper, we summarize recent progress of DLC films synthesized at atmospheric pressure with the aimed of food packaging and concrete pillar.

Growth of ultrananocrystalline diamond film by DC Arcjet plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, G. C.; Li, B.; Yan, Z. Q.; Liu, J.; Lu, F. X.; Ye, H.

2012-06-01

Self-standing diamond films were grown by DC Arcjet plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The feed gasses were Ar/H2/CH4, in which the flow ratio of CH4 to H2 (F/F) was varied from 5% to 20%. Two distinct morphologies were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), i.e. the "pineapple-like" morphology and the "cauliflower-like" morphology. It was found that the morphologies of the as-grown films are strongly dependent on the flow ratio of CH4 to H2 in the feed gasses. High resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) survey results revealed that there were nanocrystalline grains within the "pineapple-like" films whilst there were ultrananocrystalline grains within "cauliflower-like" films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results suggested that (110) crystalline plane was the dominant surface in the "cauliflower-like" films whilst (100) crystalline plane was the dominant surface in the "pineapple-like" films. Raman spectroscopy revealed that nanostructured carbon features could be observed in both types of films. Plasma diagnosis was carried out in order to understand the morphology dependent growth mechanism. It could be concluded that the film morphology was strongly influenced by the density of gas phases. The gradient of C2 radical was found to be different along the growth direction under the different growth conditions.

Radio-frequency oxygen-plasma-enhanced pulsed laser deposition of IGZO films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chou, Chia-Man; Lai, Chih-Chang; Chang, Chih-Wei; Wen, Kai-Shin; Hsiao, Vincent K. S.

2017-07-01

We demonstrate the crystalline structures, optical transmittance, surface and cross-sectional morphologies, chemical compositions, and electrical properties of indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO)-based thin films deposited on glass and silicon substrates through pulsed laser deposition (PLD) incorporated with radio-frequency (r.f.)-generated oxygen plasma. The plasma-enhanced pulsed laser deposition (PEPLD)-based IGZO thin films exhibited a c-axis-aligned crystalline (CAAC) structure, which was attributed to the increase in Zn-O under high oxygen vapor pressure (150 mTorr). High oxygen vapor pressure (150 mTorr) and low r.f. power (10 W) are the optimal deposition conditions for fabricating IGZO thin films with improved electrical properties.

Study of Doped ZnO Films Synthesized by Combining Vapor Gases and Pulsed Laser Deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Shen; Su, Ching-Hua; Lehoczky, Sandor L.; George, M. A.

2000-01-01

The properties and structure of the ZnO material are similar to those of the GaN. Since an excitonic binding energy of ZnO is about 60 meV, it has strong potential for excitonic lasing at the room temperature. This makes synthesizing ZnO films for applications attractive. However, there are several hurdles in fabricating electro-optical devices from ZnO. One of those is in growing doped p-type ZnO films. Although techniques have been developed for the doping of both p-type and n-type ZnO, this remains an area that can be improved. In this presentation, we will report the experimental results of using both thermal vapor and pulsed laser deposition to grow doped ZnO films. The films are deposited on (0001) sapphire, (001) Si and quartz substrates by ablating a ZnO target. The group III and V elements are introduced into the growth chamber using inner gases. Films are characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning probe microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and electrical measurements. The full width at half maximum of theta rocking curves for epitaxial films is less than 0.5 deg. In textured films, it rises to several degrees. Film surface morphology reveals an island growth pattern, but the size and density of these islands vary with the composition of the reactive gases. The electrical resistivity also changes with the doped elements. The relationship between the doping elements, gas composition, and film properties will be discussed.

Large-Area WS2 Film with Big Single Domains Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Pengyu; Luo, Tao; Xing, Jie; Xu, Hong; Hao, Huiying; Liu, Hao; Dong, Jingjing

2017-10-01

High-quality WS2 film with the single domain size up to 400 μm was grown on Si/SiO2 wafer by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition. The effects of some important fabrication parameters on the controlled growth of WS2 film have been investigated in detail, including the choice of precursors, tube pressure, growing temperature, holding time, the amount of sulfur powder, and gas flow rate. By optimizing the growth conditions at one atmospheric pressure, we obtained tungsten disulfide single domains with an average size over 100 μm. Raman spectra, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy provided direct evidence that the WS2 film had an atomic layer thickness and a single-domain hexagonal structure with a high crystal quality. And the photoluminescence spectra indicated that the tungsten disulfide films showed an evident layer-number-dependent fluorescence efficiency, depending on their energy band structure. Our study provides an important experimental basis for large-area, controllable preparation of atom-thick tungsten disulfide thin film and can also expedite the development of scalable high-performance optoelectronic devices based on WS2 film.

Degradation by water vapor of hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxynitride films grown at low temperature.

PubMed

Lee, Hyung-Ik; Park, Jong-Bong; Xianyu, Wenxu; Kim, Kihong; Chung, Jae Gwan; Kyoung, Yong Koo; Byun, Sunjung; Yang, Woo Young; Park, Yong Young; Kim, Seong Min; Cho, Eunae; Shin, Jai Kwang

2017-10-26

We report on the degradation process by water vapor of hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxynitride (SiON:H) films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at low temperature. The stability of the films was investigated as a function of the oxygen content and deposition temperature. Degradation by defects such as pinholes was not observed with transmission electron microscopy. However, we observed that SiON:H film degrades by reacting with water vapor through only interstitial paths and nano-defects. To monitor the degradation process, the atomic composition, mass density, and fully oxidized thickness were measured by using high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and X-ray reflectometry. The film rapidly degraded above an oxygen composition of ~27 at%, below a deposition temperature of ~150 °C, and below an mass density of ~2.15 g/cm 3 . This trend can be explained by the extents of porosity and percolation channel based on the ring model of the network structure. In the case of a high oxygen composition or low temperature, the SiON:H film becomes more porous because the film consists of network channels of rings with a low energy barrier.

Investigation of thermal and hot-wire chemical vapor deposition copper thin films on TiN substrates using CupraSelect as precursor.

PubMed

Papadimitropoulos, G; Davazoglou, D

2011-09-01

Copper films were deposited on oxidized Si substrates covered with TiN using a novel chemical vapor deposition reactor in which reactions were assisted by a heated tungsten filament (hot-wire CVD, HWCVD). Liquid at room temperature hexafluoroacetylacetonate Cu(I) trimethylvinylsilane (CupraSelect) was directly injected into the reactor with the aid of a direct-liquid injection (DLI) system using N2 as carrier gas. The deposition rates of HWCVD Cu films obtained on TiN covered substrates were found to increase with filament temperature (65 and 170 degrees C were tested). The resistivities of HWCVD Cu films were found to be higher than for thermally grown films due to the possible presence of impurities into the Cu films from the incomplete dissociation of the precursor and W impurities caused by the presence of the filament. For HWCVD films grown at a filament temperature of 170 degrees C, smaller grains are formed than at 65 degrees C as shown from the taken SEM micrographs. XRD diffractograms taken on Cu films deposited on TiN could not reveal the presence of W compounds originating from the filament because the relative peak was masked by the TiN [112] peak.

Thermal conductivity of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon films prepared by hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition

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

Jugdersuren, B.; Kearney, B. T.; Queen, D. R.

We report 3..omega.. thermal conductivity measurements of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon thin films from 85 to 300 K prepared by hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition, where the crystallinity of the films is controlled by the hydrogen dilution during growth. The thermal conductivity of the amorphous silicon film is in agreement with several previous reports of amorphous silicon prepared by a variety of deposition techniques. The thermal conductivity of the as-grown nanocrystalline silicon film is 70% higher and increases 35% more after an anneal at 600 degrees C. They all have similarly weak temperature dependence. Structural analysis shows that the as-grown nanocrystalline siliconmore » is approximately 60% crystalline, nanograins and grain boundaries included. The nanograins, averaging 9.1 nm in diameter in the as-grown film, are embedded in an amorphous matrix. The grain size increases to 9.7 nm upon annealing, accompanied by the disappearance of the amorphous phase. We extend the models of grain boundary scattering of phonons with two different non-Debye dispersion relations to explain our result of nanocrystalline silicon, confirming the strong grain size dependence of heat transport for nanocrystalline materials. However, the similarity in thermal conductivity between amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon suggests the heat transport mechanisms in both structures may not be as dissimilar as we currently understand.« less

Idiosyncrasies of Physical Vapor Deposition Processes from Various Knudsen Cells for Quinacridone Thin Film Growth on Silicon Dioxide

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Thin films of quinacridone deposited by physical vapor deposition on silicon dioxide were investigated by thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS), mass spectrometry (MS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), specular and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (XRD, GIXD), and Raman spectroscopy. Using a stainless steel Knudsen cell did not allow the preparation of a pure quinacridone film. TDS and MS unambiguously showed that in addition to quinacridone, desorbing at about 500 K (γ-peak), significant amounts of indigo desorbed at about 420 K (β-peak). The existence of these two species on the surface was verified by XRD, GIXD, and Raman spectroscopy. The latter spectroscopies revealed that additional species are contained in the films, not detected by TDS. In the film mainly composed of indigo a species was identified which we tentatively attribute to carbazole. The film consisting of mainly quinacridone contained in addition p-sexiphenyl. The reason for the various decomposition species effusing from the metal Knudsen cell is the comparably high sublimation temperature of the hydrogen bonded quinacridone. With special experimental methods and by using glass Knudsen-type cells we were able to prepare films which exclusively consist of molecules either corresponding to the β-peak or the γ-peak. These findings are of relevance for choosing the proper deposition techniques in the preparation of quinacridone films in the context of organic electronic devices. PMID:26401189

Preparation and characterization of epitaxial MgO thin film by atmospheric-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, J. M.; Wang, H.; Shang, S. X.; Wang, Z.; Wang, M.

1996-12-01

Magnesium oxide (MgO) thin films have been prepared on Si(100), {SiO2(100) }/{Si} and {Pt(111) }/{Si} substrates by atmospheric-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (AP-MOCVD) for the first time. The relationship between the temperature of substrates ( Ts) and crystallographic orientations was also investigated. Magnesium acetylacetonate [Mg(CH 2COCH 2COCH 3) 2] was used as the metalorganic source. The relatively low temperature of substrates is about 480°C and the MgO thin films obtained were uniform, dense and well-ordered single crystal. X-ray diffraction experiments provided evidence that the MgO thin films on Si(100) ( Ts ≈ 400-680°C), {SiO2}/{Si} and {Pt}/{Si} were fully textured with (100) orientation. The deliquescent character of MgO thin films was also studied.

Advanced deposition model for thermal activated chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Dang

Thermal Activated Chemical Vapor Deposition (TACVD) is defined as the formation of a stable solid product on a heated substrate surface from chemical reactions and/or dissociation of gaseous reactants in an activated environment. It has become an essential process for producing solid film, bulk material, coating, fibers, powders and monolithic components. Global market of CVD products has reached multi billions dollars for each year. In the recent years CVD process has been extensively used to manufacture semiconductors and other electronic components such as polysilicon, AlN and GaN. Extensive research effort has been directed to improve deposition quality and throughput. To obtain fast and high quality deposition, operational conditions such as temperature, pressure, fluid velocity and species concentration and geometry conditions such as source-substrate distance need to be well controlled in a CVD system. This thesis will focus on design of CVD processes through understanding the transport and reaction phenomena in the growth reactor. Since the in situ monitor is almost impossible for CVD reactor, many industrial resources have been expended to determine the optimum design by semi-empirical methods and trial-and-error procedures. This approach has allowed the achievement of improvements in the deposition sequence, but begins to show its limitations, as this method cannot always fulfill the more and more stringent specifications of the industry. To resolve this problem, numerical simulation is widely used in studying the growth techniques. The difficulty of numerical simulation of TACVD crystal growth process lies in the simulation of gas phase and surface reactions, especially the latter one, due to the fact that very limited kinetic information is available in the open literature. In this thesis, an advanced deposition model was developed to study the multi-component fluid flow, homogeneous gas phase reactions inside the reactor chamber, heterogeneous surface

Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (iCVD) of Highly Cross-Linked Polymer Films for Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery Separators.

PubMed

Yoo, Youngmin; Kim, Byung Gon; Pak, Kwanyong; Han, Sung Jae; Song, Heon-Sik; Choi, Jang Wook; Im, Sung Gap

2015-08-26

We report an initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) process to coat polyethylene (PE) separators in Li-ion batteries with a highly cross-linked, mechanically strong polymer, namely, polyhexavinyldisiloxane (pHVDS). The highly cross-linked but ultrathin pHVDS films can only be obtained by a vapor-phase process, because the pHVDS is insoluble in most solvents and thus infeasible with conventional solution-based methods. Moreover, even after the pHVDS coating, the initial porous structure of the separator is well preserved owing to the conformal vapor-phase deposition. The coating thickness is delicately controlled by deposition time to the level that the pore size decreases to below 7% compared to the original dimension. The pHVDS-coated PE shows substantially improved thermal stability and electrolyte wettability. After incubation at 140 °C for 30 min, the pHVDS-coated PE causes only a 12% areal shrinkage (versus 90% of the pristine separator). The superior wettability results in increased electrolyte uptake and ionic conductivity, leading to significantly improved rate performance. The current approach is applicable to a wide range of porous polymeric separators that suffer from thermal shrinkage and poor electrolyte wetting.

Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition of Ruthenium-Doped Diamond like Carbon Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunkara, M. K.; Ueno, M.; Lian, G.; Dickey, E. C.

2001-01-01

We investigated metalorganic precursor deposition using a Microwave Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) plasma for depositing metal-doped diamondlike carbon films. Specifically, the deposition of ruthenium doped diamondlike carbon films was investigated using the decomposition of a novel ruthenium precursor, Bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)-ruthenium (Ru(C5H4C2H5)2). The ruthenium precursor was introduced close to the substrate stage. The substrate was independently biased using an applied RF power. Films were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Four Point Probe. The conductivity of the films deposited using ruthenium precursor showed strong dependency on the deposition parameters such as pressure. Ruthenium doped sample showed the presence of diamond crystallites with an average size of approx. 3 nm while un-doped diamondlike carbon sample showed the presence of diamond crystallites with an average size of 11 nm. TEM results showed that ruthenium was atomically dispersed within the amorphous carbon network in the films.

Scalable high-mobility MoS2 thin films fabricated by an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition process at ambient temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Chung-Che; Al-Saab, Feras; Wang, Yudong; Ou, Jun-Yu; Walker, John C.; Wang, Shuncai; Gholipour, Behrad; Simpson, Robert E.; Hewak, Daniel W.

2014-10-01

Nano-scale MoS2 thin films are successfully deposited on a variety of substrates by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) at ambient temperature, followed by a two-step annealing process. These annealed MoS2 thin films are characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), micro-Raman, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-VIS-NIR spectrometry, photoluminescence (PL) and Hall Effect measurement. Key optical and electronic properties of APCVD grown MoS2 thin films are determined. This APCVD process is scalable and can be easily incorporated with conventional lithography as the deposition is taking place at room temperature. We also find that the substrate material plays a significant role in the crystalline structure formation during the annealing process and single crystalline MoS2 thin films can be achieved by using both c-plane ZnO and c-plane sapphire substrates. These APCVD grown nano-scale MoS2 thin films show great promise for nanoelectronic and optoelectronic applications.

Process-structure-property relationships of micron thick gadolinium oxide films deposited by reactive electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grave, Daniel A.

Gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) is an attractive material for solid state neutron detection due to gadolinium's high thermal neutron capture cross section. Development of neutron detectors based on Gd2 O3 requires sufficiently thick films to ensure neutron absorption. In this dissertation work, the process-structure-property relationships of micron thick Gd2O3 films deposited by reactive electron-beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) were studied. Through a systematic design of experiments, fundamental studies were conducted to determine the effects of processing conditions such as deposition temperature, oxygen flow rate, deposition rate, and substrate material on Gd2O3 film crystallographic phase, texture, morphology, grain size, density, and surface roughness. Films deposited at high rates (> 5 A/s) were examined via x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Quantitative phase volume calculations were performed via a Rietveld refinement technique. All films deposited at high rates were found to be fully monoclinic or mixed cubic/monoclinic phase. Generally, increased deposition temperature and increased oxygen flow resulted in increased cubic phase volume. As film thickness increased, monoclinic phase volume increased. Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) depth profiling analysis showed that cubic phase was only present under large incidence angle (large penetration depth) measurements, and after a certain point, only monoclinic phase was grown. This was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis with selected area diffraction (SAD). Based on this information, a large compressive stress was hypothesized to cause the formation of the monoclinic phase and this hypothesis was confirmed by demonstrating the existence of a stress induced phase transition. An experiment was designed to introduce compressive stress into the Gd2O 3 films via ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). This allowed for systematic increase in compressive stress while

Combinatorial Characterization of TiO2 Chemical Vapor Deposition Utilizing Titanium Isopropoxide.

PubMed

Reinke, Michael; Ponomarev, Evgeniy; Kuzminykh, Yury; Hoffmann, Patrik

2015-07-13

The combinatorial characterization of the growth kinetics in chemical vapor deposition processes is challenging because precise information about the local precursor flow is usually difficult to access. In consequence, combinatorial chemical vapor deposition techniques are utilized more to study functional properties of thin films as a function of chemical composition, growth rate or crystallinity than to study the growth process itself. We present an experimental procedure which allows the combinatorial study of precursor surface kinetics during the film growth using high vacuum chemical vapor deposition. As consequence of the high vacuum environment, the precursor transport takes place in the molecular flow regime, which allows predicting and modifying precursor impinging rates on the substrate with comparatively little experimental effort. In this contribution, we study the surface kinetics of titanium dioxide formation using titanium tetraisopropoxide as precursor molecule over a large parameter range. We discuss precursor flux and temperature dependent morphology, crystallinity, growth rates, and precursor deposition efficiency. We conclude that the surface reaction of the adsorbed precursor molecules comprises a higher order reaction component with respect to precursor surface coverage.

The Characteristics of an Antibacterial TiAgN Thin Film Coated by Physical Vapor Deposition Technique.

PubMed

Kang, Byeong-Mo; Jeong, Woon-Jo; Park, Gye-Choon; Yoon, Dong-Joo; Ahn, Ho-Geun; Lim, Yeong-Seog

2015-08-01

In this work, we found the characteristics of an antibacterial TiAgN thin film coated on the pure titanium specimen via the physical vapor deposition process (PVD). TiAgN thin films were coated using TiAg alloy targets by arc ion plating method. Changing the process parameters, the surface analysis of TiAgN thin film was observed by FE-SEM and the force of adhesion was measured with Scratch Tester. The proliferation of human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells was examined by XTT test assay and the antibacterial properties were investigated by culturing Streptococus Mutans (KCTC 3065) using paper disk techniques. At the result of experiment, cytotoxic effects were not found and the antibacterial effects against Streptococus Mutans were appeared over 5 wt% TiAgN specimens.

Effect of Hydrogen in Zinc Oxide Thin-Film Transistor Grown by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jo, Jungyol; Seo, Ogweon; Jeong, Euihyuk; Seo, Hyunseok; Lee, Byeongon; Choi, Yearn-Ik

2007-04-01

We studied the transport characteristics of ZnO grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at temperatures between 200 and 500 °C. The crystal quality, measured by X-ray diffraction, improved as the growth temperature increased. However, the mobility measured in the thin-film transistor (TFT) decreased in films grown at higher temperatures. In our experiments, a ZnO TFT grown at 250 °C showed good electrical characteristics, with a 13 cm2 V-1 s-1 mobility and a 103 on/off ratio. We conclude that hydrogen incorporated during MOCVD growth plays an important role in determining the transistor characteristics. This was supported by results of secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), where a higher hydrogen concentration was observed in films grown at lower temperatures.

Semiconducting Properties of Nanostructured Amorphous Carbon Thin Films Incorporated with Iodine by Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamaruzaman, Dayana; Ahmad, Nurfadzilah; Annuar, Ishak; Rusop, Mohamad

2013-11-01

Nanostructured iodine-post doped amorphous carbon (a-C:I) thin films were prepared from camphor oil using a thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) technique at different doping temperatures. The structural properties of the films were studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Raman, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies. FESEM and EDS studies showed successful iodine doping. FTIR and Raman studies showed that the a-C:I thin films consisted of a mixture of sp2- and sp3-bonded carbon atoms. The optical and electrical properties of a-C:I thin films were determined by UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy and current-voltage (I-V) measurement respectively. The optical band gap of a-C thin films decreased upon iodine doping. The highest electrical conductivity was found at 400 °C doping. Heterojunctions are confirmed by rectifying the I-V characteristics of an a-C:I/n-Si junction.

Role of Co-Vapors in Vapor Deposition Polymerization

PubMed Central

Lee, Ji Eun; Lee, Younghee; Ahn, Ki-Jin; Huh, Jinyoung; Shim, Hyeon Woo; Sampath, Gayathri; Im, Won Bin; Huh, Yang–Il; Yoon, Hyeonseok

2015-01-01

Polypyrrole (PPy)/cellulose (PPCL) composite papers were fabricated by vapor phase polymerization. Importantly, the vapor-phase deposition of PPy onto cellulose was assisted by employing different co-vapors namely methanol, ethanol, benzene, water, toluene and hexane, in addition to pyrrole. The resulting PPCL papers possessed high mechanical flexibility, large surface-to-volume ratio, and good redox properties. Their main properties were highly influenced by the nature of the co-vaporized solvent. The morphology and oxidation level of deposited PPy were tuned by employing co-vapors during the polymerization, which in turn led to change in the electrochemical properties of the PPCL papers. When methanol and ethanol were used as co-vapors, the conductivities of PPCL papers were found to have improved five times, which was likely due to the enhanced orientation of PPy chain by the polar co-vapors with high dipole moment. The specific capacitance of PPCL papers obtained using benzene, toluene, water and hexane co-vapors was higher than those of the others, which is attributed to the enlarged effective surface area of the electrode material. The results indicate that the judicious choice and combination of co-vapors in vapor-deposition polymerization (VDP) offers the possibility of tuning the morphological, electrical, and electrochemical properties of deposited conducting polymers. PMID:25673422

Deposition of hard elastic hydrogenated fullerenelike carbon films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhou; Zhang, Junyan

2011-05-01

Hydrogenated fullerenelike carbon (H-FLC) films, with high hardness of 41.7 ± 1.4 GPa and elastic recovery of ˜75.1%, have been uniformly deposited at low temperature by pulse direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (pulse DC PECVD). The superior mechanical properties of the H-FLC films are attributed to the unique curvature and interconnection of graphitic basal planes. We propose the fullerenelike structures are formed in the far nonequilibrium pulse plasma environment and stabilized in the sequential fast quenching process. It is expected that the facile deposition of H-FLC films will promote the large-scale low-temperature preparation of engineering protective films for industrial applications.

Initiated chemical vapor deposition of thermoresponsive poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) thin films for cell sheet engineering.

PubMed

Lee, Bora; Jiao, Alex; Yu, Seungjung; You, Jae Bem; Kim, Deok-Ho; Im, Sung Gap

2013-08-01

Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) is a thermoresponsive polymer known to be nontoxic, water soluble and biocompatible. Here, PNVCL homopolymer was successfully synthesized for the first time by use of a one-step vapor-phase process, termed initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results showed that radical polymerization took place from N-vinylcaprolactam monomers without damaging the functional caprolactam ring. A sharp lower critical solution temperature transition was observed at 31°C from the iCVD poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) film. The thermoresponsive PNVCL surface exhibited a hydrophilic/hydrophobic alteration with external temperature change, which enabled the thermally modulated attachment and detachment of cells. The conformal coverage of PNVCL film on various substrates with complex topography, including fabrics and nanopatterns, was successfully demonstrated, which can further be utilized to fabricate cell sheets with aligned cell morphology. The advantage of this system is that cells cultured on such thermoresponsive surfaces could be recovered as an intact cell sheet by simply lowering the temperature, eliminating the need for conventional enzymatic treatments. Copyright © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth of metal oxide thin films by laser-induced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tokita, Koji; Okada, Fumio

1996-12-01

The growth of metal oxide thin films by laser-induced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition was investigated by changing wavelength, power, repetition rate, and irradiation angle of the excimer laser. When O2 was used as an oxidizing gas with 193 or 248 nm irradiation, amorphous TiO2 and crystalline PbO films were obtained in the laser-irradiated area of Si substrates from the parent metalorganic compounds, Ti(O-iC3H7)4 and (C2H5)3PbOCH2C(CH3)3, respectively. In contrast, no ZrO2 film could be formed from Zr(O-tC4H9)4. One-photon formation of TiO2 films was confirmed from laser power dependence measurements. The maximum growth rate of 0.05 Å per laser pulse was compared with that estimated by a simple surface reaction model, according to which the slow growth rate is due to the small absorption cross section of Ti(O-iC3H7)4 and mild fluence of laser irradiation. In experiments of ozone gas excitation by KrF laser, a SiO2 film was obtained by gas-phase reactions of the oxygen radical, O(1D), with Si(O-C2H5)4. The direct patterning of TiO2 and PbO films as well as the possibility of producing patterned PbTiO3 film was demonstrated. The growth of the patterned SiO2 film was prevented by gas-phase diffusion of intermediates.

Anisotropic electrical conduction and reduction in dangling-bond density for polycrystalline Si films prepared by catalytic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niikura, Chisato; Masuda, Atsushi; Matsumura, Hideki

1999-07-01

Polycrystalline Si (poly-Si) films with high crystalline fraction and low dangling-bond density were prepared by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD), often called hot-wire CVD. Directional anisotropy in electrical conduction, probably due to structural anisotropy, was observed for Cat-CVD poly-Si films. A novel method to separately characterize both crystalline and amorphous phases in poly-Si films using anisotropic electrical conduction was proposed. On the basis of results obtained by the proposed method and electron spin resonance measurements, reduction in dangling-bond density for Cat-CVD poly-Si films was achieved using the condition to make the quality of the included amorphous phase high. The properties of Cat-CVD poly-Si films are found to be promising in solar-cell applications.

Single liquid source plasma-enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of high-quality YBa2Cu3O(7-x) thin films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Jiming; Gardiner, Robin A.; Kirlin, Peter S.; Boerstler, Robert W.; Steinbeck, John

1992-01-01

High quality YBa2Cu3O(7-x) films were grown in-situ on LaAlO3 (100) by a novel single liquid source plasma-enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition process. The metalorganic complexes M(thd) (sub n), (thd = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate; M = Y, Ba, Cu) were dissolved in an organic solution and injected into a vaporizer immediately upstream of the reactor inlet. The single liquid source technique dramatically simplifies current CVD processing and can significantly improve the process reproducibility. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that single phase, highly c-axis oriented YBa2Cu3O(7-x) was formed in-situ at substrate temperature 680 C. The as-deposited films exhibited a mirror-like surface, had transition temperature T(sub cO) approximately equal to 89 K, Delta T(sub c) less than 1 K, and Jc (77 K) = 10(exp 6) A/sq cm.

Friction and Wear of Ion-Beam-Deposited Diamondlike Carbon on Chemical-Vapor-Deposited, Fine-Grain Diamond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa; Wu, Richard L. C.; Lanter, William C.

1996-01-01

Friction and wear behavior of ion-beam-deposited diamondlike carbon (DLC) films coated on chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD), fine-grain diamond coatings were examined in ultrahigh vacuum, dry nitrogen, and humid air environments. The DLC films were produced by the direct impact of an ion beam (composed of a 3:17 mixture of Ar and CH4) at ion energies of 1500 and 700 eV and an RF power of 99 W. Sliding friction experiments were conducted with hemispherical CVD diamond pins sliding on four different carbon-base coating systems: DLC films on CVD diamond; DLC films on silicon; as-deposited, fine-grain CVD diamond; and carbon-ion-implanted, fine-grain CVD diamond on silicon. Results indicate that in ultrahigh vacuum the ion-beam-deposited DLC films on fine-grain CVD diamond (similar to the ion-implanted CVD diamond) greatly decrease both the friction and wear of fine-grain CVD diamond films and provide solid lubrication. In dry nitrogen and in humid air, ion-beam-deposited DLC films on fine-grain CVD diamond films also had a low steady-state coefficient of friction and a low wear rate. These tribological performance benefits, coupled with a wider range of coating thicknesses, led to longer endurance life and improved wear resistance for the DLC deposited on fine-grain CVD diamond in comparison to the ion-implanted diamond films. Thus, DLC deposited on fine-grain CVD diamond films can be an effective wear-resistant, lubricating coating regardless of environment.

Continuous, highly flexible, and transparent graphene films by chemical vapor deposition for organic photovoltaics.

PubMed

Gomez De Arco, Lewis; Zhang, Yi; Schlenker, Cody W; Ryu, Koungmin; Thompson, Mark E; Zhou, Chongwu

2010-05-25

We report the implementation of continuous, highly flexible, and transparent graphene films obtained by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) as transparent conductive electrodes (TCE) in organic photovoltaic cells. Graphene films were synthesized by CVD, transferred to transparent substrates, and evaluated in organic solar cell heterojunctions (TCE/poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:poly styrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/copper phthalocyanine/fullerene/bathocuproine/aluminum). Key to our success is the continuous nature of the CVD graphene films, which led to minimal surface roughness ( approximately 0.9 nm) and offered sheet resistance down to 230 Omega/sq (at 72% transparency), much lower than stacked graphene flakes at similar transparency. In addition, solar cells with CVD graphene and indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes were fabricated side-by-side on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates and were confirmed to offer comparable performance, with power conversion efficiencies (eta) of 1.18 and 1.27%, respectively. Furthermore, CVD graphene solar cells demonstrated outstanding capability to operate under bending conditions up to 138 degrees , whereas the ITO-based devices displayed cracks and irreversible failure under bending of 60 degrees . Our work indicates the great potential of CVD graphene films for flexible photovoltaic applications.

Diagnostic Techniques Used to Study Chemical-Vapor-Deposited Diamond Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa

2000-01-01

The advantages and utility of chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) diamond as an industrial ceramic can only be realized if the price and quality are right. Until recently, this technology was of interest only to the academic and basic research community. However, interest has grown because of advances made by leading CVD diamond suppliers: 1) Reduction of the cost of CVD polycrystalline diamond deposition below $5/carat ($8/sq cm); 2) Installation of production capacity; 3) Epitaxial growth of CVD single-crystal diamond. Thus, CVD diamond applications and business are an industrial reality. At present, CVD diamond is produced in the form of coatings or wafers. CVD diamond film technology offers a broader technological potential than do natural and high-pressure synthetic diamonds because size, geometry, and eventually cost will not be as limiting. Now that they are cost effective, diamond coatings - with their extreme properties - can be used in a variety of applications. Diamond coatings can improve many of the surface properties of engineering substrate materials, including erosion, corrosion, and wear resistance. Examples of actual and potential applications, from microelectromechanical systems to the wear parts of diamond coatings and related superhard coatings are described. For example, diamond coatings can be used as a chemical and mechanical barrier for the space shuttles check valves, particularly on the guide pins and seat assemblies.

Effects of deposition temperature and ammonia flow on metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of hexagonal boron nitride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, Anthony; Allerman, Andrew; Crawford, Mary; Beechem, Thomas; Ohta, Taisuke; Spataru, Catalin; Figiel, Jeffrey; Smith, Michael

2018-03-01

The use of metal-organic chemical vapor deposition at high temperature is investigated as a means to produce epitaxial hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) at the wafer scale. Several categories of hBN films were found to exist based upon precursor flows and deposition temperature. Low, intermediate, and high NH3 flow regimes were found to lead to fundamentally different deposition behaviors. The low NH3 flow regimes yielded discolored films of boron sub-nitride. The intermediate NH3 flow regime yielded stoichiometric films that could be deposited as thick films. The high NH3 flow regime yielded self-limited deposition with thicknesses limited to a few mono-layers. A Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism is proposed to explain the onset of self-limited behavior for the high NH3 flow regime. Photoluminescence characterization determined that the intermediate and high NH3 flow regimes could be further divided into low and high temperature behaviors with a boundary at 1500 °C. Films deposited with both high NH3 flow and high temperature exhibited room temperature free exciton emission at 210 nm and 215.9 nm.

Growth of high-quality thin-film Ge single crystals by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Outlaw, R. A.; Hopson, P., Jr.

1986-01-01

Thin-film Ge single crystals (approx. 10 microns) have been epitaxially grown on polished NaCl(100) substrates at 450C by using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Films on approximately 1 sq cm and larger were separated from the NaCl by either melting the salt or by differential shear stress upon cooling to room temperature. The ordered growth of the Ge was found to be most sensitive to the initial plasma power and to the continuum flow dynamics within the carbon susceptor. The films were visually specular and exhibited a high degree of crysalline order when examined by X-ray diffraction. The films were found to be p-type with a carrier concentration of approximately 3 x 10 to the 16th power/cu cm, a resistivity of 0.11 ohm-cm, and a Hall hole mobility of 1820 sq cm/v/s at room temperature. Vacuum firing minimized the primary contaminant, Na, and corresponding lowered the carrier concentration to 4 x 10 to the 14th power/cu cm.

Chemical vapor deposition and characterization of polysilanes polymer based thin films and their applications in compound semiconductors and silicon devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oulachgar, El Hassane

As the semiconductors industry is moving toward nanodevices, there is growing need to develop new materials and thin films deposition processes which could enable strict control of the atomic composition and structure of thin film materials in order to achieve precise control on their electrical and optical properties. The accurate control of thin film characteristics will become increasingly important as the miniaturization of semiconductor devices continue. There is no doubt that chemical synthesis of new materials and their self assembly will play a major role in the design and fabrication of next generation semiconductor devices. The objective of this work is to investigate the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process of thin film using a polymeric precursor as a source material. This process offers many advantages including low deposition cost, hazard free working environment, and most importantly the ability to customize the polymer source material through polymer synthesis and polymer functionalization. The combination between polymer synthesis and CVD process will enable the design of new generation of complex thin film materials with a wide range of improved chemical, mechanical, electrical and optical properties which cannot be easily achieved through conventional CVD processes based on gases and small molecule precursors. In this thesis we mainly focused on polysilanes polymers and more specifically poly(dimethylsilanes). The interest in these polymers is motivated by their distinctive electronic and photonic properties which are attributed to the delocalization of the sigma-electron along the Si-Si backbone chain. These characteristics make polysilane polymers very promising in a broad range of applications as a dielectric, a semiconductor and a conductor. The polymer-based CVD process could be eventually extended to other polymer source materials such as polygermanes, as well as and a variety of other inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic polymers

Deposition of a-C/B films from o-carborane and trimethyl boron precursors

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

Geddes, J.B.; Getty, W.D.

1996-12-31

Vacuum wall deposition of a-B/C films has had tremendous positive impact on the performance of tokamak fusion reactors. In this work, precursor vapor and helium carrier gas have been used to create a plasma using a novel plasma source. Either trimethyl boron (TMB) or sublimed vapor from o-carborane solid can be used as deposition precursors. The plasma operates in a pressure range of 5 to 15 mTorr and typical flow rates are 5 sccm He plus 0.5-1 sccm o-carborane or TMB vapor. The film deposition rate ranges from less than 100 {angstrom}/minute to over 1,000 {angstrom}/minute. Microwave power levels rangemore » from 300--400 W at 2.45 GHz. The temperature and bias of the substrate can be varied, and the temperature of the substrate is recorded during deposition. The films have been analyzed using XPS. The atomic composition of the films has been measured. The o-carborane films have a much higher boron concentration than those deposited from TMB. The chemical bond characteristics of the different species have also been examined for each type of film. The thickness of the films is measured by profilometry, and this is combined with measurements of the film area and weight to calculate the film density. X-ray diffraction analysis has been performed; no evidence of any crystalline structure was found. Films with a thickness of a few thousand {angstrom} are routinely obtained. Deposition rates were 350 {angstrom}/minute on average.« less

Near-failure detonation behavior of vapor-deposited hexanitrostilbene (HNS) films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knepper, Robert; Wixom, Ryan R.; Marquez, Michael P.; Tappan, Alexander S.

2017-01-01

Hexanitrostilbene (HNS) films were deposited onto polycarbonate substrates using vacuum thermal sublimation. The deposition conditions were varied in order to alter porosity in the films, and the resulting microstructures were quantified by analyzing ion-polished cross-sections using scanning electron microscopy. The effects of these changes in microstructure on detonation velocity and the critical thickness needed to sustain detonation were determined. The polycarbonate substrates also acted as recording plates for detonation experiments, and films near the critical thickness displayed distinct patterns in the dent tracks that indicate instabilities in the detonation front when approaching failure conditions.

Method of physical vapor deposition of metal oxides on semiconductors

DOEpatents

Norton, David P.

2001-01-01

A process for growing a metal oxide thin film upon a semiconductor surface with a physical vapor deposition technique in a high-vacuum environment and a structure formed with the process involves the steps of heating the semiconductor surface and introducing hydrogen gas into the high-vacuum environment to develop conditions at the semiconductor surface which are favorable for growing the desired metal oxide upon the semiconductor surface yet is unfavorable for the formation of any native oxides upon the semiconductor. More specifically, the temperature of the semiconductor surface and the ratio of hydrogen partial pressure to water pressure within the vacuum environment are high enough to render the formation of native oxides on the semiconductor surface thermodynamically unstable yet are not so high that the formation of the desired metal oxide on the semiconductor surface is thermodynamically unstable. Having established these conditions, constituent atoms of the metal oxide to be deposited upon the semiconductor surface are directed toward the surface of the semiconductor by a physical vapor deposition technique so that the atoms come to rest upon the semiconductor surface as a thin film of metal oxide with no native oxide at the semiconductor surface/thin film interface. An example of a structure formed by this method includes an epitaxial thin film of (001)-oriented CeO.sub.2 overlying a substrate of (001) Ge.

Density change and viscous flow during structural relaxation of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited silicon oxide films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Xin

2004-10-01

The structural relaxation of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited (PECVD) silane-based silicon oxide films during thermal cycling and annealing has been studied using wafer curvature measurements. These measurements, which determine stress in the amorphous silicon oxide films, are sensitive to both plastic deformation and density changes. A quantitative case study of such changes has been done based upon the experimental results. A microstructure-based mechanism elucidates seams as a source of density change and voids as a source of plastic deformation, accompanied by a viscous flow. This theory was then used to explain a series of experimental results that are related to thermal cycling as well as annealing of PECVD silicon oxide films including stress hysteresis generation and reduction and coefficient of thermal-expansion changes. In particular, the thickness effect was examined; PECVD silicon oxide films with a thickness varying from 1to40μm were studied, as certain demanding applications in microelectromechanical systems require such thick films serving as heat/electrical insulation layers.

Simple, green, and clean removal of a poly(methyl methacrylate) film on chemical vapor deposited graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, J.-H.; Jung, W.; Cho, D.; Seo, J.-T.; Moon, Y.; Woo, S. H.; Lee, C.; Park, C.-Y.; Ahn, J. R.

2013-10-01

The clean removal of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) film on graphene has been an essential part of the process of transferring chemical vapor deposited graphene to a specific substrate, influencing the quality of the transferred graphene. Here we demonstrate that the clean removal of PMMA can be achieved by a single heat-treatment process without the chemical treatment that was adopted in other methods of PMMA removal. The cleanness of the transferred graphene was confirmed by four-point probe measurements, synchrotron radiation x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, optical images, and Raman spectroscopy.

Filtration-wet transferred transparent conducting films of mm long carbon nanotubes grown using water-assisted chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Patole, Shashikant P; Shin, Dong Wook; Fugetsu, Bunshi; Yoo, Ji-Beom

2013-11-01

Transparent conducting films (TCF) made up from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a tremendous potential in replacing the indium tin oxide films. Compare to single wall CNTs multiwall CNTs are more metallic and are more suitable candidate for the TCF. In this letter we report the use of selectively grown mm-scale, few-wall, vertically aligned CNTs for the fabrication of TCF. Water-assisted chemical vapor deposition was used to grow the mm-scale CNTs within short growth time. A special post-growth water-vapor treatment allowed us to remove the catalyst-free CNT forest very easily from the substrate and use it for the further process. A filtration-wet transfer process was used to form the TCF. The TCF shows sheet resistance of 228 omega/sq. at 72% transparency (at 550 nm). The ratio of optical conductivity to dc conductivity was observed in between 0.21 to 0.25 for below 80% transmission.

Evidence of thermal transport anisotropy in stable glasses of vapor deposited organic molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ràfols-Ribé, Joan; Dettori, Riccardo; Ferrando-Villalba, Pablo; Gonzalez-Silveira, Marta; Abad, Llibertat; Lopeandía, Aitor F.; Colombo, Luciano; Rodríguez-Viejo, Javier

2018-03-01

Vapor deposited organic glasses are currently in use in many optoelectronic devices. Their operation temperature is limited by the glass transition temperature of the organic layers and thermal management strategies become increasingly important to improve the lifetime of the device. Here we report the unusual finding that molecular orientation heavily influences heat flow propagation in glassy films of small molecule organic semiconductors. The thermal conductivity of vapor deposited thin-film semiconductor glasses is anisotropic and controlled by the deposition temperature. We compare our data with extensive molecular dynamics simulations to disentangle the role of density and molecular orientation on heat propagation. Simulations do support the view that thermal transport along the backbone of the organic molecule is strongly preferred with respect to the perpendicular direction. This is due to the anisotropy of the molecular interaction strength that limits the transport of atomic vibrations. This approach could be used in future developments to implement small molecule glassy films in thermoelectric or other organic electronic devices.

Method and system using power modulation for maskless vapor deposition of spatially graded thin film and multilayer coatings with atomic-level precision and accuracy

DOEpatents

Montcalm, Claude [Livermore, CA; Folta, James Allen [Livermore, CA; Tan, Swie-In [San Jose, CA; Reiss, Ira [New City, NY

2002-07-30

A method and system for producing a film (preferably a thin film with highly uniform or highly accurate custom graded thickness) on a flat or graded substrate (such as concave or convex optics), by sweeping the substrate across a vapor deposition source operated with time-varying flux distribution. In preferred embodiments, the source is operated with time-varying power applied thereto during each sweep of the substrate to achieve the time-varying flux distribution as a function of time. A user selects a source flux modulation recipe for achieving a predetermined desired thickness profile of the deposited film. The method relies on precise modulation of the deposition flux to which a substrate is exposed to provide a desired coating thickness distribution.

(111)-oriented Pb(Zr ,Ti)O3 films deposited on SrRuO3/Pt electrodes: Reproducible preparation by metal organic chemical vapor deposition, top electrode influence, and reliability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menou, Nicolas; Funakubo, Hiroshi

2007-12-01

(111)-textured Pb(Zr0.4Ti0.6)O3 films (thickness of ˜120nm) were deposited on (111)-oriented SrRuO3 bottom electrodes by pulse metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). PZT single phase was evidenced over a large range of Pb precursor input rate into the MOCVD chamber. In this process window, the good control of the (111) texture of PZT films was confirmed. It is shown that the control of both the composition and orientation of PZT films leads to reproducible electric properties (Pr, Vc, resistance to fatigue) across the process window. Furthermore, the impact of the top electrode chemical nature, elaboration process, and annealing process upon the electric properties was studied systematically.

On the possibility to grow zinc oxide-based transparent conducting oxide films by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition

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

Abrutis, Adulfas, E-mail: adulfas.abrutis@chf.vu.lt; Silimavicus, Laimis; Kubilius, Virgaudas

Hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HW-CVD) was applied to grow zinc oxide (ZnO)-based transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films. Indium (In)-doped ZnO films were deposited using a cold wall pulsed liquid injection CVD system with three nichrome wires installed at a distance of 2 cm from the substrate holder. The wires were heated by an AC current in the range of 0–10 A. Zn and In 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionates dissolved in 1,2-dimethoxyethane were used as precursors. The hot wires had a marked effect on the growth rates of ZnO, In-doped ZnO, and In{sub 2}O{sub 3} films; at a current of 6–10 A, growth rates weremore » increased by a factor of ≈10–20 compared with those of traditional CVD at the same substrate temperature (400 °C). In-doped ZnO films with thickness of ≈150 nm deposited on sapphire-R grown at a wire current of 9 A exhibited a resistivity of ≈2 × 10{sup −3} Ωcm and transparency of >90% in the visible spectral range. These initial results reveal the potential of HW-CVD for the growth of TCOs.« less

Vapor-Phase Deposition and Modification of Metal-Organic Frameworks: State-of-the-Art and Future Directions.

PubMed

Stassen, Ivo; De Vos, Dirk; Ameloot, Rob

2016-10-04

Materials processing, and thin-film deposition in particular, is decisive in the implementation of functional materials in industry and real-world applications. Vapor processing of materials plays a central role in manufacturing, especially in electronics. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of nanoporous crystalline materials on the brink of breakthrough in many application areas. Vapor deposition of MOF thin films will facilitate their implementation in micro- and nanofabrication research and industries. In addition, vapor-solid modification can be used for postsynthetic tailoring of MOF properties. In this context, we review the recent progress in vapor processing of MOFs, summarize the underpinning chemistry and principles, and highlight promising directions for future research. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Zinc doping of large-area MoS2 films via chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Enzhi; Liu, Haoming; Park, Kyungwha; Li, Zhen; Losovyj, Yaroslav; Starr, Matthew; Werbianskyj, Madilynn; Fertig, Herbert; Zhang, Shixiong

Atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has attracted significant attention because of its great potential for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Undoped MoS2 is n-type presumably due to the formation of native defects, and realizing p-type conduction has often turned out to be challenging. In this work, we report on the synthesis and characterizations of large-area Zn-doped MoS2 thin films in which the zinc dopant is demonstrated to be p-type. The films were grown by chemical vapor deposition and are monolayers or bilayers with a lateral dimension on the order of millimeters. The p-type nature of Zn dopants was evidenced by the suppression of n-type conduction and a downward shift of the Fermi level with doping. Density-functional-theory calculations were carried out to demonstrate the stability of the Zn dopants and to determine the impurity states. A p-type gate transfer characteristic was observed after the Zn-MoS2 film was thermally annealed in a sulfur atmosphere. This work is supported by the NSF through Grant Nos. DMR-1506460, DMR-1506263, and DMR-1206354, the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) Gordon under DMR060009N, and by the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation.

Characteristics of epitaxial garnets grown by CVD using single metal alloy sources. [Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Besser, P. J.; Hamilton, T. N.; Mee, J. E.; Stermer, R. L.

1974-01-01

Single metal alloys have been explored as the cation source in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of iron garnets. Growth of good quality single crystal garnet films containing as many as five different cations has been achieved over a wide range of deposition conditions. The relationship of film composition to alloy compositions and deposition conditions has been determined for several materials. By proper choice of the alloy composition and the deposition conditions, uncrazed deposits were grown on (111) gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) substrates. Data on physical, magnetic and optical properties of representative films is presented and discussed.

Effects of thermal annealing on the structural, mechanical, and tribological properties of hard fluorinated carbon films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maia da Costa, M. E. H.; Baumvol, I. J. R.; Radke, C.; Jacobsohn, L. G.; Zamora, R. R. M.; Freire, F. L.

2004-11-01

Hard amorphous fluorinated carbon films (a-C:F) deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition were annealed in vacuum for 30 min in the temperature range of 200-600 °C. The structural and compositional modifications were followed by several analytical techniques: Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. Nanoidentation measurements and lateral force microscopy experiments were carried out in order to provide the film hardness and the friction coefficient, respectively. The internal stress and contact angle were also measured. RBS, ERDA, and XPS results indicate that both fluorine and hydrogen losses occur for annealing temperatures higher than 300 °C. Raman spectroscopy shows a progressive graphitization upon annealing, while the surface became slightly more hydrophobic as revealed by the increase of the contact angle. Following the surface wettability reduction, a decrease of the friction coefficient was observed. These results highlight the influence of the capillary condensation on the nanoscale friction. The film hardness and the internal stress are constant up to 300 °C and decrease for higher annealing temperatures, showing a direct correlation with the atomic density of the films. Since the thickness variation is negligible, the mass loss upon thermal treatment results in amorphous structures with a lower degree of cross-linking, explaining the deterioration of the mechanical properties of the a-C:F films.

Growth of oriented polycrystalline α-HgI 2 films by ultrasonic-wave-assisted physical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Weiguang; Nie, Lei; Li, Dongmei; Wang, Yali; Zhou, Jie; Ma, Lei; Wang, Zhenhua; Shi, Weimin

2011-06-01

Polycrystalline α-HgI 2 thick films have been grown on ITO-coated glass substrates using ultrasonic-wave-assisted vapor phase deposition (UWAVPD) with the different source temperatures and ultrasonic frequencies. The influence of the assisted ultrasonic wave and source temperature on the structural and electrical properties of the polycrystalline α-HgI 2 films is investigated. It is found that the assisted ultrasonic wave plays an important role in the improvement of the structural and electrical properties. An uniformly oriented polycrystalline α-HgI 2 film with clear facets and narrow size distribution can be obtained at the source temperature of 80 °C under the assistance of 59 KHz ultrasonic frequency with the ultrasonic power of 200 W, which has the lowest value of ρ=2.2×10 12 Ω cm for E-field parallel to c-axis, approaching to that of high quality α-HgI 2 single crystals (4.0×10 12 Ω cm).

Development of a Computational Chemical Vapor Deposition Model: Applications to Indium Nitride and Dicyanovinylaniline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardelino, Carlos

1999-01-01

A computational chemical vapor deposition (CVD) model is presented, that couples chemical reaction mechanisms with fluid dynamic simulations for vapor deposition experiments. The chemical properties of the systems under investigation are evaluated using quantum, molecular and statistical mechanics models. The fluid dynamic computations are performed using the CFD-ACE program, which can simulate multispecies transport, heat and mass transfer, gas phase chemistry, chemistry of adsorbed species, pulsed reactant flow and variable gravity conditions. Two experimental setups are being studied, in order to fabricate films of: (a) indium nitride (InN) from the gas or surface phase reaction of trimethylindium and ammonia; and (b) 4-(1,1)dicyanovinyl-dimethylaminoaniline (DCVA) by vapor deposition. Modeling of these setups requires knowledge of three groups of properties: thermodynamic properties (heat capacity), transport properties (diffusion, viscosity, and thermal conductivity), and kinetic properties (rate constants for all possible elementary chemical reactions). These properties are evaluated using computational methods whenever experimental data is not available for the species or for the elementary reactions. The chemical vapor deposition model is applied to InN and DCVA. Several possible InN mechanisms are proposed and analyzed. The CVD model simulations of InN show that the deposition rate of InN is more efficient when pulsing chemistry is used under conditions of high pressure and microgravity. An analysis of the chemical properties of DCVA show that DCVA dimers may form under certain conditions of physical vapor transport. CVD simulations of the DCVA system suggest that deposition of the DCVA dimer may play a small role in the film and crystal growth processes.

Immobilization of carbon nanotubes on functionalized graphene film grown by chemical vapor deposition and characterization of the hybrid material.

PubMed

Adhikari, Prashanta Dhoj; Jeon, Seunghan; Cha, Myoung-Jun; Jung, Dae Sung; Kim, Yooseok; Park, Chong-Yun

2014-02-01

We report the surface functionalization of graphene films grown by chemical vapor deposition and fabrication of a hybrid material combining multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene (CNT-G). Amine-terminated self-assembled monolayers were prepared on graphene by the UV-modification of oxidized groups introduced onto the film surface. Amine-termination led to effective interaction with functionalized CNTs to assemble a CNT-G hybrid through covalent bonding. Characterization clearly showed no defects of the graphene film after the immobilization reaction with CNT. In addition, the hybrid graphene material revealed a distinctive CNT-G structure and p-n type electrical properties. The introduction of functional groups on the graphene film surface and fabrication of CNT-G hybrids with the present technique could provide an efficient, novel route to device fabrication.

Optical, mechanical and surface properties of amorphous carbonaceous thin films obtained by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turri, Rafael G.; Santos, Ricardo M.; Rangel, Elidiane C.; da Cruz, Nilson C.; Bortoleto, José R. R.; Dias da Silva, José H.; Antonio, César Augusto; Durrant, Steven F.

2013-09-01

Diverse amorphous hydrogenated carbon-based films (a-C:H, a-C:H:F, a-C:H:N, a-C:H:Cl and a-C:H:Si:O) were obtained by radiofrequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIIID). The same precursors were used in the production of each pair of each type of film, such as a-C:H, using both PECVD and PIIID. Optical properties, namely the refractive index, n, absorption coefficient, α, and optical gap, ETauc, of these films were obtained via transmission spectra in the ultraviolet-visible near-infrared range (wavelengths from 300 to 3300 nm). Film hardness, elastic modulus and stiffness were obtained as a function of depth using nano-indentation. Surface energy values were calculated from liquid drop contact angle data. Film roughness and morphology were assessed using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The PIIID films were usually thinner and possessed higher refractive indices than the PECVD films. Determined refractive indices are consistent with literature values for similar types of films. Values of ETauc were increased in the PIIID films compared to the PECVD films. An exception was the a-C:H:Si:O films, for which that obtained by PIIID was thicker and exhibited a decreased ETauc. The mechanical properties - hardness, elastic modulus and stiffness - of films produced by PECVD and PIIID generally present small differences. An interesting effect is the increase in the hardness of a-C:H:Cl films from 1.0 to 3.0 GPa when ion implantation is employed. Surface energy correlates well with surface roughness. The implanted films are usually smoother than those obtained by PECVD.

Mechanism of high growth rate for diamond-like carbon films synthesized by helicon wave plasma chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peiyu, JI; Jun, YU; Tianyuan, HUANG; Chenggang, JIN; Yan, YANG; Lanjian, ZHUGE; Xuemei, WU

2018-02-01

A high growth rate fabrication of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films at room temperature was achieved by helicon wave plasma chemical vapor deposition (HWP-CVD) using Ar/CH4 gas mixtures. The microstructure and morphology of the films were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The diagnosis of plasma excited by a helicon wave was measured by optical emission spectroscopy and a Langmuir probe. The mechanism of high growth rate fabrication for DLC films by HWP-CVD has been discussed. The growth rate of the DLC films reaches a maximum value of 54 μm h-1 at the CH4 flow rate of 85 sccm, which is attributed to the higher plasma density during the helicon wave plasma discharge. The CH and H α radicals play an important role in the growth of DLC films. The results show that the H α radicals are beneficial to the formation and stabilization of C=C bond from sp2 to sp3.

Thin film solar cells grown by organic vapor phase deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Fan

Organic solar cells have the potential to provide low-cost photovoltaic devices as a clean and renewable energy resource. In this thesis, we focus on understanding the energy conversion process in organic solar cells, and improving the power conversion efficiencies via controlled growth of organic nanostructures. First, we explain the unique optical and electrical properties of organic materials used for photovoltaics, and the excitonic energy conversion process in donor-acceptor heterojunction solar cells that place several limiting factors of their power conversion efficiency. Then, strategies for improving exciton diffusion and carrier collection are analyzed using dynamical Monte Carlo models for several nanostructure morphologies. Organic vapor phase deposition is used for controlling materials crystallization and film morphology. We improve the exciton diffusion efficiency while maintaining good carrier conduction in a bulk heterojunction solar cell. Further efficiency improvement is obtained in a novel nanocrystalline network structure with a thick absorbing layer, leading to the demonstration of an organic solar cell with 4.6% efficiency. In addition, solar cells using simultaneously active heterojunctions with broad spectral response are presented. We also analyze the efficiency limits of single and multiple junction organic solar cells, and discuss the challenges facing their practical implementations.

Microstructure and electroluminescent performance of chemical vapor deposited zinc sulfide doped with manganese films for integration in thin film electroluminescent devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topol, Anna Wanda

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) doped with manganese (Mn), ZnS:Mn, is widely recognized as the brightest and most effective electroluminescent (EL) phosphor used in current thin film electroluminescent (TFEL) devices. ZnS acts as a host lattice for the luminescent activator, Mn, leading to a highly efficient yellow-orange EL emission, and resulting in a wide array of applications in monochrome, multi-color and full color displays. Although this wide band dap (3.7 eV) material can be prepared by several deposition techniques, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is the most promising for TFEL applications in terms of viable deposition rates, high thickness and composition uniformity, and excellent yield over large area panels. This study describes the development and optimization of a CVD ZnS:Mn process using diethylzinc [(C2H5)2Zn, DEZ], di-pi-cyclopentadienylmanganese [(C5H5)2Mn, CPMn], and hydrogen sulfide [H2S] as the chemical sources for, respectively, Zn, Mn, and S. The effects of key deposition parameters on resulting Film microstructure and performance are discussed, primarily in the context of identifying an optimized process window for best electroluminescence behavior. In particular, substrate temperature was observed to play a key role in the formation of high quality crystalline ZnS:Mn films leading to improved brightness and EL efficiency. Further investigations of the influence of temperature treatment on the structural characteristics and EL performance of the CVD ZnS:Mn film were carried out. In this study, the influence of post-deposition annealing both in-situ and ex-situ annealing processes, on chemical, structural, and electroluminescent characteristics of the phosphor layer are described. The material properties of the employed dielectric are among the key factors determining the performance, stability and reliability of the TFEL display and therefore, the choice of dielectric material for use in ACTFEL displays is crucial. In addition, the luminous

Ru nucleation and thin film smoothness improvement with ammonia during chemical vapor deposition

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

Liao, Wen; Ekerdt, John G., E-mail: ekerdt@utexas.edu

This study reports the use of ammonia to inhibit the growth of previously nucleated ruthenium islands and force the nucleation of additional islands such that thinner films form as the islands coalesce with continued growth. Ruthenium films are grown at 448 K in a chemical vapor deposition process on SiO{sub 2}/Si(001) using triruthenium dodecacarbonyl, Ru{sub 3}(CO){sub 12}, with and without a constant partial pressure of ammonia. Film growth was performed at a Ru{sub 3}(CO){sub 12}/Ar pressure of 47.2 mTorr. The ammonia partial pressure varied from 0 to 27.8 mTorr. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to analyze the samples in situ. Exmore » situ characterization included scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and x-ray diffraction and x-ray reflectivity. Nucleation studies limited to the first 10 min of growth revealed the maximum nanoparticle (island) density of 8.1 × 10{sup 11 }cm{sup −2} occurred at an intermediate ammonia pressure (5.25 mTorr) compared to a density of 3.1 × 10{sup 11 }cm{sup −2} for no ammonia addition. Extending film growth to 120 min and varying the ammonia partial pressure during the first 10 min followed by 5.25 mTorr ammonia pressure for the final 110 min reveals the importance of nucleation on film smoothness. A model describing the inhibition effects of ammonia during nucleation and growth is presented.« less

A Self Consistent RF Discharge, Plasma Chemistry and Surface Model for Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-30

consists of three submodels for the electron kinetics, plasma chemistry , and surface deposition kinetics for a-Si:H deposited from radio frequency...properties. Plasma enhanced, Chemical vapor deposition, amorphous silicon, Modeling, Electron kinetics, Plasma chemistry , Deposition kinetics, Rf discharge, Silane, Film properties, Silicon.

High-quality nonpolar a-plane GaN epitaxial films grown on r-plane sapphire substrates by the combination of pulsed laser deposition and metal–organic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Weijia; Zhang, Zichen; Wang, Wenliang; Zheng, Yulin; Wang, Haiyan; Li, Guoqiang

2018-05-01

High-quality a-plane GaN epitaxial films have been grown on r-plane sapphire substrates by the combination of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). PLD is employed to epitaxial growth of a-plane GaN templates on r-plane sapphire substrates, and then MOCVD is used. The nonpolar a-plane GaN epitaxial films with relatively small thickness (2.9 µm) show high quality, with the full-width at half-maximum values of GaN(11\\bar{2}0) along [1\\bar{1}00] direction and GaN(10\\bar{1}1) of 0.11 and 0.30°, and a root-mean-square surface roughness of 1.7 nm. This result is equivalent to the quality of the films grown by MOCVD with a thickness of 10 µm. This work provides a new and effective approach for achieving high-quality nonpolar a-plane GaN epitaxial films on r-plane sapphire substrates.

Growth of monolayer MoS2 films in a quasi-closed crucible encapsulated substrates by chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yong; Pu, Hongbin; Lin, Tao; Li, Lianbi; Zhang, Shan; Sun, Gaopeng

2017-07-01

Monolayer molybdenum disulfide (m-MoS2) has attracted significant interest due to its unique electronic and optical properties. Herein, we report the successful fabrication of high quality and continuous m-MoS2 films in a quasi-closed crucible encapsulated substrates via a three-zone chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system. Quasi-closed crucible lowers the concentration of precursors around substrates and makes the sulfurization rate gentle, which is beneficial for invariable m-MoS2 growth. Characterization results indicate that as-grown m-MoS2 films are of high crystallinity and high quality comparable to the exfoliated MoS2. This approach is also adapted to the growth of other transition metal dichalcogenides.

Electrical and optical performance of transparent conducting oxide films deposited by electrostatic spray assisted vapour deposition.

PubMed

Hou, Xianghui; Choy, Kwang-Leong; Liu, Jun-Peng

2011-09-01

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films have the remarkable combination of high electrical conductivity and optical transparency. There is always a strong motivation to produce TCO films with good performance at low cost. Electrostatic Spray Assisted Vapor Deposition (ESAVD), as a variant of chemical vapour deposition (CVD), is a non-vacuum and low-cost deposition method. Several types of TCO films have been deposited using ESAVD process, including indium tin oxide (ITO), antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO), and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO). This paper reports the electrical and optical properties of TCO films produced by ESAVD methods, as well as the effects of post treatment by plasma hydrogenation on these TCO films. The possible mechanisms involved during plasma hydrogenation of TCO films are also discussed. Reduction and etching effect during plasma hydrogenation are the most important factors which determine the optical and electrical performance of TCO films.

Electron emission from chemical vapor deposited diamond and amorphous carbon films observed with a simple field emission device

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

Feng, Z.; Brown, I.G.; Ager, J.W. III

Electron emission from chemical vapor deposited (CVD) diamond and amorphous carbon (a-C) films was observed with a simple field emission device (FED). Both diamond and a-C films were prepared with microwave plasma-enhanced CVD techniques. Electron emission in the field strength range +10 to {minus}10 MVm{sup {minus}1} was studied, and the field emission source was confirmed by a diode characteristic of the {ital I}-{ital V} curve, a straight line in the Fowler--Nordheim (F-N) plot, and direct observation of light emission from a fluorescent screen. The turn-on field strength was {similar_to}5 MVm{sup {minus}1}, which was similar for both kinds of carbon films.more » The highest current density for diamond films, observed at a field strength of 10 MVm{sup {minus}1}, was {similar_to}15 {mu}A cm{sup {minus}2}. Diamond films yielded a higher emission current than a-C films. The reasons for the observed field emission are discussed.« less

Vapor-deposited organic glasses exhibit enhanced stability against photodegradation.

PubMed

Qiu, Yue; Dalal, Shakeel S; Ediger, M D

2018-04-18

Photochemically stable solids are in demand for applications in organic electronics. Previous work has established the importance of the molecular packing environment by demonstrating that different crystal polymorphs of the same compound react at different rates when illuminated. Here we show, for the first time, that different amorphous packing arrangements of the same compound photodegrade at different rates. For these experiments, we utilize the ability of physical vapor deposition to prepare glasses with an unprecedented range of densities and kinetic stabilities. Indomethacin, a pharmaceutical molecule that can undergo photodecarboxylation when irradiated by UV light, is studied as a model system. Photodegradation is assessed through light-induced changes in the mass of glassy thin films due to the loss of CO2, as measured by a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Glasses prepared by physical vapor deposition degraded more slowly under UV illumination than did the liquid-cooled glass, with the difference as large as a factor of 2. Resistance to photodegradation correlated with glass density, with the vapor-deposited glasses being up to 1.3% more dense than the liquid-cooled glass. High density glasses apparently limit the local structural changes required for photodegradation.

Characterization of thin film deposits on tungsten filaments in catalytic chemical vapor deposition using 1,1-dimethylsilacyclobutane

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

Shi, Yujun, E-mail: shiy@ucalgary.ca; Tong, Ling; Mulmi, Suresh

Metal filament plays a key role in the technique of catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) as it serves as a catalyst in dissociating the source gas to form reactive species. These reactive species initiate the gas-phase reaction chemistry and final thin film and nanostructure formation. At the same time, they also react with the metal itself, leading to the formation of metal alloys and other deposits. The deposits on the tungsten filaments when exposed to 1,1-dimethylsilacyclobutane (DMSCB), a single-source precursor for silicon carbide thin films, in the process of Cat-CVD were studied in this work. It has been demonstrated thatmore » a rich variety of deposits, including tungsten carbides (W{sub 2}C and WC), tungsten silicide (W{sub 5}Si{sub 3}), silicon carbide, amorphous carbon, and graphite, form on the W filament surfaces. The structural and morphological changes in the tungsten filaments depend strongly on the DMSCB pressure and filament temperature. At 1000 and 2000 °C, the formation of WC and W{sub 2}C dominates. In addition, a thin amorphous carbon layer has been found at 1500 °C with the 0.12 and 0.24 Torr of DMSCB and a lower temperature of 1200 °C with the 0.48 Torr of DMSCB. An increase in the DMSCB sample pressure gives rise to higher Si and C contents. As a result, the formation of SiC and W{sub 5}Si{sub 3} has been observed with the two high-pressure DMSCB samples (i.e., 0.24 and 0.48 Torr). The rich decomposition chemistry of DMSCB on the W surfaces is responsible for the extensive changes in the structure of the W filament, providing support for the close relationship between the gas-phase decomposition chemistry and the nature of alloy formation on the metal surface. The understanding of the structural changes obtained from this work will help guide the development of efficient methods to solve the filament aging problem in Cat-CVD and also to achieve a controllable deposition process.« less

High-Throughput Characterization of Vapor-Deposited Organic Glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalal, Shakeel S.

Glasses are non-equilibrium materials which on short timescales behave like solids, and on long timescales betray their liquid-like structure. The most common way of preparing a glass is to cool the liquid faster than it can structurally rearrange. Until recently, most preparation schemes for a glass were considered to result in materials with undifferentiable structure and properties. This thesis utilizes a particular preparation method, physical vapor deposition, in order to prepare glasses of organic molecules with properties otherwise considered to be unobtainable. The glasses are characterized using spectroscopic ellipsometry, both as a dilatometric technique and as a reporter of molecular packing. The results reported here develop ellipsometry as a dilatometric technique on a pair of model glass formers, alpha,alpha,beta-trisnaphthylbenzene and indomethacin. It is found that the molecular orientation, as measured by birefringence, can be tuned by changing the substrate temperature during the deposition. In order to efficiently characterize the properties of vapor-deposited indomethacin as a function of substrate temperature, a high-throughput method is developed to capture the entire interesting range of substrate temperatures in just a few experiments. This high-throughput method is then leveraged to describe molecular mobility in vapor-deposited indomethacin. It is also used to demonstrate that the behavior of organic semiconducting molecules agrees with indomethacin quantitatively, and this agreement has implications for emerging technologies such as light-emitting diodes, photovoltaics and thin-film transistors made from organic molecules.

Scaling behavior of columnar structure during physical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meese, W. J.; Lu, T.-M.

2018-02-01

The statistical effects of different conditions in physical vapor deposition, such as sputter deposition, have on thin film morphology has long been the subject of interest. One notable effect is that of column development due to differential chamber pressure in the well-known empirical model called the Thornton's Structure Zone Model. The model is qualitative in nature and theoretical understanding with quantitative predictions of the morphology is still lacking due, in part, to the absence of a quantitative description of the incident flux distribution on the growth front. In this work, we propose an incident Gaussian flux model developed from a series of binary hard-sphere collisions and simulate its effects using Monte Carlo methods and a solid-on-solid growth scheme. We also propose an approximate cosine-power distribution for faster Monte Carlo sampling. With this model, it is observed that higher chamber pressures widen the average deposition angle, and similarly increase the growth of column diameters (or lateral correlation length) and the column-to-column separation (film surface wavelength). We treat both the column diameter and the surface wavelength as power laws. It is seen that both the column diameter exponent and the wavelength exponent are very sensitive to changes in pressure for low pressures (0.13 Pa to 0.80 Pa); meanwhile, both exponents saturate for higher pressures (0.80 Pa to 6.7 Pa) around a value of 0.6. These predictions will serve as guides to future experiments for quantitative description of the film morphology under a wide range of vapor pressure.

Silicon nitride films deposited with an electron beam created plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, D. C.; Emery, K. A.; Rocca, J. J.; Thompson, L. R.; Zamani, H.; Collins, G. J.

1984-01-01

The electron beam assisted chemical vapor deposition (EBCVD) of silicon nitride films using NH3, N2, and SiH4 as the reactant gases is reported. The films have been deposited on aluminum, SiO2, and polysilicon film substrates as well as on crystalline silicon substrates. The range of experimental conditions under which silicon nitrides have been deposited includes substrate temperatures from 50 to 400 C, electron beam currents of 2-40 mA, electron beam energies of 1-5 keV, total ambient pressures of 0.1-0.4 Torr, and NH3/SiH4 mass flow ratios of 1-80. The physical, electrical, and chemical properties of the EBCVD films are discussed.

Microstructure of thermally grown and deposited alumina films probed with positrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somieski, Bertram; Hulett, Lester D.; Xu, Jun; Pint, Bruce A.; Tortorelli, Peter F.; Nielsen, Bent; Asoka-Kumar, Palakkal; Suzuki, Ryoichi; Ohdaira, Toshiyuki

1999-03-01

Aluminum oxide films used for corrosion protection of iron and nickel aluminides were generated by substrate oxidation as well as plasma and physical vapor depositions. The films grown by oxidation were crystalline. The others were amorphous. Defect structures of the films were studied by positron spectroscopy techniques. Lifetimes of the positrons, and Doppler broadening of the γ photons generated by their annihilation, were measured as functions of the energies with which they were injected. In this manner, densities and sizes of the defects were determined as functions of depths from the outer surfaces of the films. Alumina films generated by oxidation had high densities of open volume defects, mainly consisting of a few aggregated vacancies. In the outer regions of the films the structures of the defects did not depend on substrate compositions. Positron lifetime measurements, and the S and W parameters extracted from Doppler broadening spectra, showed uniform distributions of defects in the crystalline Al2O3 films grown on nickel aluminide substrates, but these data indicated intermediate layers of higher defect contents at the film/substrate interfaces of oxides grown on iron aluminide substrates. Amorphous films generated by plasma and physical vapor deposition had much larger open volume defects, which caused the average lifetimes of the injected positrons to be significantly longer. The plasma deposited film exhibited a high density of large cavities.

Study of Polymer Crystallization by Physical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Hyuncheol

When a polymer is confined under the submicron length scale, confinement size and interfaces can significantly impact the crystallization kinetics and resulting morphology. The ability to tune the morphology of confined polymer systems is of critical importance for the development of high-performance polymer microelectronics. The wisdom from the research on confined crystallization suggests that it would be beneficial to have a processing route in which the crystallization of polymers is driven by interface and temperature effects at a nanometer-scale confinement. In practice, for atomic and small-molecular systems, physical vapor deposition (PVD) has been recognized as the most successful processing route for the precise control of the film structure at surface utilizing confinement effects. While standard PVD technologies are not generally applicable to the deposition of the chemically fragile macromolecules, the development of matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) now enables the non-destructive PVD of high-molecular weight polymers. In this thesis work, we investigated the use of MAPLE for the precise control of the crystallization of polymer films at a molecular level. We also sought to decipher the rules governing the crystallization of confined polymers, by using MAPLE as a tool to form confined polymer systems onto substrates with a controlled temperature. We first explored the early stages of film growth and crystallization of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) at the substrate surface formed by MAPLE. The unique mechanism of film formation in MAPLE, the deposition of submicron-sized polymer droplets, allowed for the manifestation of confinement and substrate effects in the crystallization of MAPLE-deposited PEO. Furthermore, we also focused on the property of the amorphous PEO film formed by MAPLE, showing the dependence of polymer crystallization kinetics on the thermal history of the amorphous phase. Lastly, we probed how MAPLE processing affected

Vapor Wall Deposition in Chambers: Theoretical Considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McVay, R.; Cappa, C. D.; Seinfeld, J.

2014-12-01

In order to constrain the effects of vapor wall deposition on measured secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields in laboratory chambers, Zhang et al. (2014) varied the seed aerosol surface area in toluene oxidation and observed a clear increase in the SOA yield with increasing seed surface area. Using a coupled vapor-particle dynamics model, we examine the extent to which this increase is the result of vapor wall deposition versus kinetic limitations arising from imperfect accommodation of organic species into the particle phase. We show that a seed surface area dependence of the SOA yield is present only when condensation of vapors onto particles is kinetically limited. The existence of kinetic limitation can be predicted by comparing the characteristic timescales of gas-phase reaction, vapor wall deposition, and gas-particle equilibration. The gas-particle equilibration timescale depends on the gas-particle accommodation coefficient αp. Regardless of the extent of kinetic limitation, vapor wall deposition depresses the SOA yield from that in its absence since vapor molecules that might otherwise condense on particles deposit on the walls. To accurately extrapolate chamber-derived yields to atmospheric conditions, both vapor wall deposition and kinetic limitations must be taken into account.

Aerosol chemical vapor deposition of metal oxide films

DOEpatents

Ott, K.C.; Kodas, T.T.

1994-01-11

A process of preparing a film of a multicomponent metal oxide including: forming an aerosol from a solution comprised of a suitable solvent and at least two precursor compounds capable of volatilizing at temperatures lower than the decomposition temperature of said precursor compounds; passing said aerosol in combination with a suitable oxygen-containing carrier gas into a heated zone, said heated zone having a temperature sufficient to evaporate the solvent and volatilize said precursor compounds; and passing said volatilized precursor compounds against the surface of a substrate, said substrate having a sufficient temperature to decompose said volatilized precursor compounds whereby metal atoms contained within said volatilized precursor compounds are deposited as a metal oxide film upon the substrate is disclosed. In addition, a coated article comprising a multicomponent metal oxide film conforming to the surface of a substrate selected from the group consisting of silicon, magnesium oxide, yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide, sapphire, or lanthanum gallate, said multicomponent metal oxide film characterized as having a substantially uniform thickness upon said substrate.

Stabilization of the cubic phase of HfO2 by Y addition in films grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauwel, E.; Dubourdieu, C.; Holländer, B.; Rochat, N.; Ducroquet, F.; Rossell, M. D.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Pelissier, B.

2006-07-01

Addition of yttrium in HfO2 thin films prepared on silicon by metal organic chemical vapor deposition is investigated in a wide compositional range (2.0-99.5at.%). The cubic structure of HfO2 is stabilized for 6.5at.%. The permittivity is maximum for yttrium content of 6.5-10at.%; in this range, the effective permittivity, which results from the contribution of both the cubic phase and silicate phase, is of 22. These films exhibit low leakage current density (5×10-7A /cm2 at -1V for a 6.4nm film). The cubic phase is stable upon postdeposition high temperature annealing at 900°C under NH3.

Aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition of ultra-thin CuOx films as hole transport material for planar perovskite solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhixin; Chen, Shuqun; Li, Pingping; Li, Hongyi; Wu, Junshu; Hu, Peng; Wang, Jinshu

This paper reports on the fabrication of CuOx films to be used as hole transporting layer (HTL) in CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Ultra-thin CuOx coatings were grown onto FTO substrates for the first time via aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) of copper acetylacetonate in methanol. After incorporating into the PSCs prepared at ambient air, a highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.26% with HTL and of 3.34% without HTL were achieved. Our work represents an important step in the development of low-cost CVD technique for fabricating ultra-thin metal oxide functional layers in thin film photovoltaics.

Structural and electrical characteristics of gallium tin oxide thin films prepared by electron cyclotron resonance-metal organic chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Park, Ji Hun; Byun, Dongjin; Lee, Joong Kee

2011-08-01

Gallium tin oxide composite (GTO) thin films were prepared by electron cyclotron resonance-metal organic chemical vapor deposition (ECR-MOCVD). The organometallics of tetramethlytin and trimethylgallium were used for precursors of gallium and tin, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterization indicated that the gallium tin oxide composite thin films show the nanopolycrystalline of tetragonal rutile structure. Hall measurement indicated that the Ga/[O+Sn] mole ratio play an important role to determine the electrical properties of gallium tin composite oxide thin films. n-type conducting film obtained Ga/[O+Sn] mole ratio of 0.05 exhibited the lowest electrical resistivity of 1.21 x 10(-3) ohms cm. In our experimental range, the optimized carrier concentration of 3.71 x 10(18) cm(-3) was prepared at the Ga/[O+Sn] mole ratio of 0.35.

Homoepitaxial growth of β-Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films by low pressure chemical vapor deposition

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

Rafique, Subrina; Han, Lu; Zhao, Hongping, E-mail: hongping.zhao@case.edu

2016-05-02

This paper presents the homoepitaxial growth of phase pure (010) β-Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films on (010) β-Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrate by low pressure chemical vapor deposition. The effects of growth temperature on the surface morphology and crystal quality of the thin films were systematically investigated. The thin films were synthesized using high purity metallic gallium (Ga) and oxygen (O{sub 2}) as precursors for gallium and oxygen, respectively. The surface morphology and structural properties of the thin films were characterized by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Material characterization indicates the growth temperature played anmore » important role in controlling both surface morphology and crystal quality of the β-Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films. The smallest root-mean-square surface roughness of ∼7 nm was for thin films grown at a temperature of 950 °C, whereas the highest growth rate (∼1.3 μm/h) with a fixed oxygen flow rate was obtained for the epitaxial layers grown at 850 °C.« less

Recent progress of obliquely deposited thin films for industrial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Motofumi; Itoh, Tadayoshi; Taga, Yasunori

1999-06-01

More than 10 years ago, birefringent films of metal oxides were formed by oblique vapor deposition and investigated with a view of their application to optical retardation plates. The retardation function of the films was explained in terms of the birefringence caused by the characteristic anisotropic nanostructure inside the films. These films are now classified in the genre of the so-called sculptured thin films. However, the birefringent films thus prepared are not yet industrialized even now due to the crucial lack of the durability and the yield of products. In this review paper, we describe the present status of application process of the retardation films to the information systems such as compact disc and digital versatile disc devices with a special emphasis on the uniformity of retardation properties in a large area and the stability of the optical properties of the obliquely deposited thin films. Finally, further challenges for wide application of the obliquely deposited thin films are also discussed.

Dependence of electrical and optical properties of amorphous SiC:H thin films grown by rf plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition on annealing temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, M. G.; Choi, W. S.; Hong, B.; Kim, Y. T.; Yoon, D. H.

2002-05-01

In this article, we investigated the dependence of optical and electrical properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) films on annealing temperature (Ta) and radio frequency (rf) power. The substrate temperature (Ts) was 250 °C, the rf power was varied from 30 to 400 W, and the range of Ta was from 400 to 600 °C. The a-SiC:H films were deposited by using the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system on Corning 7059 glasses and p-type Si (100) wafers with a SiH4+CH4 gas mixture. The experimental results have shown that the optical bandgap energy (Eg) of the a-SiC:H thin films changed little on the annealing temperature while Eg increased with the rf power. The Raman spectrum of the thin films annealed at high temperatures showed that graphitization of carbon clusters and microcrystalline silicon occurs. The current-voltage characteristics have shown good electrical properties in relation to the annealed films.

Low-temperature electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition silicon dioxide as gate insulator for polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors

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

Maiolo, L.; Pecora, A.; Fortunato, G.

2006-03-15

Silicon dioxide films have been deposited at temperatures below 270 deg. C in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma reactor from O{sub 2}, SiH{sub 4}, and He gas mixture. Pinhole density analysis as a function of substrate temperature for different microwave powers was carried out. Films deposited at higher microwave power and at room temperature show defect densities (<7 pinhole/mm{sup 2}), ensuring low-temperature process integration on large area. From Fourier transform infrared analysis and thermal desorption spectrometry we also evaluated very low hydrogen content if compared to conventional rf-plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited (PECVD) SiO{sub 2} deposited at 350 deg. C. Electrical propertiesmore » have been measured in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors, depositing SiO{sub 2} at RT as gate dielectric; breakdown electric fields >10 MV/cm and charge trapping at fields >6 MV/cm have been evaluated. From the study of interface quality in MOS capacitors, we found that even for low annealing temperature (200 deg. C), it is possible to considerably reduce the interface state density down to 5x10{sup 11} cm{sup -2} eV{sup -1}. To fully validate the ECR-PECVD silicon dioxide we fabricated polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors using RT-deposited SiO{sub 2} as gate insulator. Different postdeposition thermal treatments have been studied and good device characteristics were obtained even for annealing temperature as low as 200 deg. C.« less

Grain wall boundaries in centimeter-scale continuous monolayer WS2 film grown by chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Jia, Zhiyan; Hu, Wentao; Xiang, Jianyong; Wen, Fusheng; Nie, Anmin; Mu, Congpu; Zhao, Zhisheng; Xu, Bo; Tian, Yongjun; Liu, Zhongyuan

2018-06-22

Centimeter-scale continuous monolayer WS 2 film with large tensile strain has been successfully grown on oxidized silicon substrate by chemical vapor deposition, in which monolayer grains can be more than 200 μm in size. Monolayer WS 2 grains are observed to merge together via not only traditional grain boundaries but also non-traditional ones, which are named as grain walls (GWs) due to their nanometer-scale widths. The GWs are revealed to consist of two or three layers. Though not a monolayer, the GWs exhibit significantly enhanced fluorescence and photoluminescence. This enhancement may be attributed to abundant structural defects such as stacking faults and partial dislocations in the GWs, which are clearly observable in atomically resolved high resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy images. Moreover, GW-based phototransistor is found to deliver higher photocurrent than that based on monolayer film. These features of GWs provide a clue to microstructure engineering of monolayer WS 2 for specific applications in (opto)electronics.

Grain wall boundaries in centimeter-scale continuous monolayer WS2 film grown by chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Zhiyan; Hu, Wentao; Xiang, Jianyong; Wen, Fusheng; Nie, Anmin; Mu, Congpu; Zhao, Zhisheng; Xu, Bo; Tian, Yongjun; Liu, Zhongyuan

2018-06-01

Centimeter-scale continuous monolayer WS2 film with large tensile strain has been successfully grown on oxidized silicon substrate by chemical vapor deposition, in which monolayer grains can be more than 200 μm in size. Monolayer WS2 grains are observed to merge together via not only traditional grain boundaries but also non-traditional ones, which are named as grain walls (GWs) due to their nanometer-scale widths. The GWs are revealed to consist of two or three layers. Though not a monolayer, the GWs exhibit significantly enhanced fluorescence and photoluminescence. This enhancement may be attributed to abundant structural defects such as stacking faults and partial dislocations in the GWs, which are clearly observable in atomically resolved high resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy images. Moreover, GW-based phototransistor is found to deliver higher photocurrent than that based on monolayer film. These features of GWs provide a clue to microstructure engineering of monolayer WS2 for specific applications in (opto)electronics.

Comparison of precursor infiltration into polymer thin films via atomic layer deposition and sequential vapor infiltration using in-situ quartz crystal microgravimetry

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

Padbury, Richard P.; Jur, Jesse S., E-mail: jsjur@ncsu.edu

Previous research exploring inorganic materials nucleation behavior on polymers via atomic layer deposition indicates the formation of hybrid organic–inorganic materials that form within the subsurface of the polymer. This has inspired adaptations to the process, such as sequential vapor infiltration, which enhances the diffusion of organometallic precursors into the subsurface of the polymer to promote the formation of a hybrid organic–inorganic coating. This work highlights the fundamental difference in mass uptake behavior between atomic layer deposition and sequential vapor infiltration using in-situ methods. In particular, in-situ quartz crystal microgravimetry is used to compare the mass uptake behavior of trimethyl aluminummore » in poly(butylene terephthalate) and polyamide-6 polymer thin films. The importance of trimethyl aluminum diffusion into the polymer subsurface and the subsequent chemical reactions with polymer functional groups are discussed.« less

Perspective: Highly stable vapor-deposited glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ediger, M. D.

2017-12-01

This article describes recent progress in understanding highly stable glasses prepared by physical vapor deposition and provides perspective on further research directions for the field. For a given molecule, vapor-deposited glasses can have higher density and lower enthalpy than any glass that can be prepared by the more traditional route of cooling a liquid, and such glasses also exhibit greatly enhanced kinetic stability. Because vapor-deposited glasses can approach the bottom of the amorphous part of the potential energy landscape, they provide insights into the properties expected for the "ideal glass." Connections between vapor-deposited glasses, liquid-cooled glasses, and deeply supercooled liquids are explored. The generality of stable glass formation for organic molecules is discussed along with the prospects for stable glasses of other types of materials.

Perspective: Highly stable vapor-deposited glasses

DOE PAGES

Ediger, M. D.

2017-12-07

This paper describes recent progress in understanding highly stable glasses prepared by physical vapor deposition and provides perspective on further research directions for the field. For a given molecule, vapor-deposited glasses can have higher density and lower enthalpy than any glass that can be prepared by the more traditional route of cooling a liquid, and such glasses also exhibit greatly enhanced kinetic stability. Because vapor-deposited glasses can approach the bottom of the amorphous part of the potential energy landscape, they provide insights into the properties expected for the “ideal glass”. Connections between vapor-deposited glasses, liquid-cooled glasses, and deeply supercooled liquidsmore » are explored. The generality of stable glass formation for organic molecules is discussed along with the prospects for stable glasses of other types of materials.« less

Perspective: Highly stable vapor-deposited glasses

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

Ediger, M. D.

This paper describes recent progress in understanding highly stable glasses prepared by physical vapor deposition and provides perspective on further research directions for the field. For a given molecule, vapor-deposited glasses can have higher density and lower enthalpy than any glass that can be prepared by the more traditional route of cooling a liquid, and such glasses also exhibit greatly enhanced kinetic stability. Because vapor-deposited glasses can approach the bottom of the amorphous part of the potential energy landscape, they provide insights into the properties expected for the “ideal glass”. Connections between vapor-deposited glasses, liquid-cooled glasses, and deeply supercooled liquidsmore » are explored. The generality of stable glass formation for organic molecules is discussed along with the prospects for stable glasses of other types of materials.« less

Buoyancy-Driven Heat Transfer During Application of a Thermal Gradient for the Study of Vapor Deposition at Low Pressure Using and Ideal Gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frazier, D. O.; Hung, R. J.; Paley, M. S.; Penn, B. G.; Long, Y. T.

1996-01-01

A mathematical model has been developed to determine heat transfer during vapor deposition of source materials under a variety of orientations relative to gravitational accelerations. The model demonstrates that convection can occur at total pressures as low as 10-2 mm Hg. Through numerical computation, using physical material parameters of air, a series of time steps demonstrates the development of flow and temperature profiles during the course of vapor deposition. These computations show that in unit gravity vapor deposition occurs by transport through a fairly complicated circulating flow pattern when applying heat to the bottom of the vessel with parallel orientation with respect to the gravity vector. The model material parameters for air predict the effect of kinematic viscosity to be of the same order as thermal diffusivity, which is the case for Prandtl number approx. 1 fluids. Qualitative agreement between experiment and the model indicates that 6-(2-methyl-4-nitroanilino)-2,4-hexadiyn-l-ol (DAMNA) at these pressures indeed approximates an ideal gas at the experiment temperatures, and may validate the use of air physical constants. It is apparent that complicated nonuniform temperature distribution in the vapor could dramatically affect the homogeneity, orientation, and quality of deposited films. The experimental test i's a qualitative comparison of film thickness using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy on films generated in appropriately oriented vapor deposition cells. In the case where heating of the reaction vessel occurs from the top, deposition of vapor does not normally occur by convection due to a stable stratified medium. When vapor deposition occurs in vessels heated at the bottom, but oriented relative to the gravity vector between these two extremes, horizontal thermal gradients induce a complex flow pattern. In the plane parallel to the tilt axis, the flow pattern is symmetrical and opposite in direction from that where the vessel is

Low-Temperature Process for Atomic Layer Chemical Vapor Deposition of an Al2O3 Passivation Layer for Organic Photovoltaic Cells.

PubMed

Kim, Hoonbae; Lee, Jihye; Sohn, Sunyoung; Jung, Donggeun

2016-05-01

Flexible organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells have drawn extensive attention due to their light weight, cost efficiency, portability, and so on. However, OPV cells degrade quickly due to organic damage by water vapor or oxygen penetration when the devices are driven in the atmosphere without a passivation layer. In order to prevent damage due to water vapor or oxygen permeation into the devices, passivation layers have been introduced through methods such as sputtering, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, and atomic layer chemical vapor deposition (ALCVD). In this work, the structural and chemical properties of Al2O3 films, deposited via ALCVD at relatively low temperatures of 109 degrees C, 200 degrees C, and 300 degrees C, are analyzed. In our experiment, trimethylaluminum (TMA) and H2O were used as precursors for Al2O3 film deposition via ALCVD. All of the Al2O3 films showed very smooth, featureless surfaces without notable defects. However, we found that the plastic flexible substrate of an OPV device passivated with 300 degrees C deposition temperature was partially bended and melted, indicating that passivation layers for OPV cells on plastic flexible substrates need to be formed at temperatures lower than 300 degrees C. The OPV cells on plastic flexible substrates were passivated by the Al2O3 film deposited at the temperature of 109 degrees C. Thereafter, the photovoltaic properties of passivated OPV cells were investigated as a function of exposure time under the atmosphere.

Microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition of porous carbon film as supercapacitive electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ai-Min; Feng, Chen-Chen; Huang, Hao; Paredes Camacho, Ramon Alberto; Gao, Song; Lei, Ming-Kai; Cao, Guo-Zhong

2017-07-01

Highly porous carbon film (PCF) coated on nickel foam was prepared successfully by microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) with C2H2 as carbon source and Ar as discharge gas. The PCF is uniform and dense with 3D-crosslinked nanoscale network structure possessing high degree of graphitization. When used as the electrode material in an electrochemical supercapacitor, the PCF samples verify their advantageous electrical conductivity, ion contact and electrochemical stability. The test results show that the sample prepared under 1000 W microwave power has good electrochemical performance. It displays the specific capacitance of 62.75 F/g at the current density of 2.0 A/g and retains 95% of its capacitance after 10,000 cycles at the current density of 2.0 A/g. Besides, its near-rectangular shape of the cyclic voltammograms (CV) curves exhibits typical character of an electric double-layer capacitor, which owns an enhanced ionic diffusion that can fit the requirements for energy storage applications.

Influence of Molecular Shape on the Thermal Stability and Molecular Orientation of Vapor-Deposited Organic Semiconductors

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

Walters, Diane M; Antony, Lucas; de Pablo, Juan

High thermal stability and anisotropic molecular orientation enhance the performance of vapor-deposited organic semiconductors, but controlling these properties is a challenge in amorphous materials. To understand the influence of molecular shape on these properties, vapor-deposited glasses of three disk-shaped molecules were prepared. For all three systems, enhanced thermal stability is observed for glasses prepared over a wide range of substrate temperatures and anisotropic molecular orientation is observed at lower substrate temperatures. For two of the disk-shaped molecules, atomistic simulations of thin films were also performed and anisotropic molecular orientation was observed at the equilibrium liquid surface. We find that themore » structure and thermal stability of these vapor-deposited glasses results from high surface mobility and partial equilibration toward the structure of the equilibrium liquid surface during the deposition process. For the three molecules studied, molecular shape is a dominant factor in determining the anisotropy of vapor-deposited glasses.« less

The Metastable Persistence of Vapor-Deposited Amorphous Ice at Anomalously High Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blake, David F.; Jenniskens, Peter; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

Studies of the gas release, vaporization behavior and infrared (IR) spectral properties of amorphous and crystalline water ice have direct application to cometary and planetary outgassing phenomena and contribute to an understanding of the physical properties of astrophysical ices. Several investigators report anomalous phenomena related to the warming of vapor-deposited astrophysical ice analogs. However gas release, ice volatilization and IR spectral features are secondary or tertiary manifestations of ice structure or morphology. These observations are useful in mimicking the bulk physical and chemical phenomena taking place in cometary and other extraterrestrial ices but do not directly reveal the structural changes which are their root cause. The phenomenological interpretation of spectral and gas release data is probably the cause of somewhat contradictory explanations invoked to account for differences in water ice behavior in similar temperature regimes. It is the microstructure, micromorphology and microchemical heterogeneity of astrophysical ices which must be characterized if the mechanisms underlying the observed phenomena are to be understood. We have been using a modified Transmission Electron Microscope to characterize the structure of vapor-deposited astrophysical ice analogs as a function of their deposition, temperature history and composition. For the present experiments, pure water vapor is deposited at high vacuum onto a 15 K amorphous carbon film inside an Hitachi H-500H TEM. The resulting ice film (approx. 0.05 micrometers thick) is warmed at the rate of 1 K per minute and diffraction patterns are collected at 1 K intervals. These patterns are converted into radial intensity distributions which are calibrated using patterns of crystalline gold deposited on a small part of the carbon substrate. The small intensity contributed by the amorphous substrate is removed by background subtraction. The proportions of amorphous and crystalline material

Using deposition rate to increase the thermal and kinetic stability of vapor-deposited hole transport layer glasses via a simple sublimation apparatus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kearns, Kenneth L.; Krzyskowski, Paige; Devereaux, Zachary

2017-05-01

Deposition rate is known to affect the relative stability of vapor-deposited glasses; slower rates give more stable materials due to enhanced mobility at the free surface of the film. Here we show that the deposition rate can affect both the thermodynamic and kinetic stabilities of N ,N' -bis(3-methylphenyl)-N ,N' -diphenylbenzidine (TPD) and N ,N' -di-[(1-naphthyl)-N ,N' -diphenyl]-1,1'-biphenyl)-4,4'-diamine (NPD) glasses used as hole transport layers for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). A simple, low-vacuum glass sublimation apparatus and a high vacuum deposition chamber were used to deposit the glass. 50 μm thick films were deposited in the sublimation apparatus and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry while 75 nm thick films were prepared in the high vacuum chamber and studied by hot-stage spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The thermodynamic stability from both preparation chambers was consistent and showed that the fictive temperature (Tfictive) was more than 30 K lower than the conventional glass transition temperature (Tg) at the slowest deposition rates. The kinetic stability, measured as the onset temperature (Tonset) where the glass begins to transform into the supercooled liquid, was 16-17 K greater than Tg at the slowest rates. Tonset was systematically lower for the thin films characterized by SE and was attributed to the thickness dependent transformation of the glass into the supercooled liquid. These results show the first calorimetric characterization of the stability of glasses for OLED applications made by vapor deposition and the first direct comparison of deposition apparatuses as a function of the deposition rate. The ease of fabrication will create an opportunity for others to study the effect of deposition conditions on glass stability.

A review of melt and vapor growth techniques for polydiacetylene thin films for nonlinear optical applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Penn, B. G.; Shields, A.; Frazier, D. O.

1988-01-01

Methods for the growth of polydiacetylene thin films by melt and vapor growth and their subsequent polymerization are summarized. Films with random orientations were obtained when glass or quartz were used as substrates in the vapor growth process. Oriented polydiacetylene films were fabricated by the vapor deposition of diacetylene monomer onto oriented polydiacetylene on a glass substrate and its subsequent polymerization by UV light. A method for the growth of oriented thin films by a melt-shear growth process as well as a method of film growth by seeded recrstallization from the melt between glass plates, that may be applied to the growth of polydiacetylene films, are described. Moreover, a method is presented for the fabrication of single crystal thin films of polyacetylenes by irradiation of the surface of diacetylene single crystals to a depth between 100 and 2000 angstroms.

Low-temperature-grown continuous graphene films from benzene by chemical vapor deposition at ambient pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Jisu; Son, Myungwoo; Chung, Sunki; Kim, Kihyeun; Cho, Chunhum; Lee, Byoung Hun; Ham, Moon-Ho

2015-12-01

There is significant interest in synthesizing large-area graphene films at low temperatures by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for nanoelectronic and flexible device applications. However, to date, low-temperature CVD methods have suffered from lower surface coverage because micro-sized graphene flakes are produced. Here, we demonstrate a modified CVD technique for the production of large-area, continuous monolayer graphene films from benzene on Cu at 100-300 °C at ambient pressure. In this method, we extended the graphene growth step in the absence of residual oxidizing species by introducing pumping and purging cycles prior to growth. This led to continuous monolayer graphene films with full surface coverage and excellent quality, which were comparable to those achieved with high-temperature CVD; for example, the surface coverage, transmittance, and carrier mobilities of the graphene grown at 300 °C were 100%, 97.6%, and 1,900-2,500 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. In addition, the growth temperature was substantially reduced to as low as 100 °C, which is the lowest temperature reported to date for pristine graphene produced by CVD. Our modified CVD method is expected to allow the direct growth of graphene in device manufacturing processes for practical applications while keeping underlying devices intact.

Preparation Of Sources For Plasma Vapor Deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waters, William J.; Sliney, Hal; Kowalski, D.

1993-01-01

Multicomponent metal targets serving as sources of vapor for plasma vapor deposition made in modified pressureless-sintering process. By use of targets made in modified process, one coats components with materials previously plasma-sprayed or sintered but not plasma-vapor-deposited.

Structural and electrical characterization of microcrystalline silicon films prepared by a layer-by-layer technique with a plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, J. P.; Kim, C. O.; Nahm, T. U.; Kim, C. M.

2000-02-01

Microcrystalline silicon films have been prepared on indium-coated glass utilizing a layer-by-layer technique with a plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition system. The microcrystalline films were fabricated by varying the number of cycles from 10 to 60 under a fixed H2 time (t2) of 120 s, where the corresponding deposition time (t1) of amorphous silicon thin film was 60 s. Structural properties, such as the crystalline volume fraction (Xc) and grain sizes were analyzed by using Raman spectroscopy and a scanning electron microscopy. The carrier transport was characterized by the temperature dependence of dark conductivity, giving rise to the calculation of activation energy (Ea). Optical energy gaps (Eg) were also investigated using an ultraviolet spectrophotometer. In addition, the process under different hydrogen plasma time (t2) at a fixed number of 20 cycles was extensively carried out to study the dominant role of hydrogen atoms in layer-by-layer deposition. Finally, the correlation between structural and electrical properties has been discussed on the basis of experimental results.

Lattice Matched Iii-V IV Semiconductor Heterostructures: Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition and Remote Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Sungwoo

1992-01-01

This thesis describes the growth and characterization of wide gap III-V compound semiconductors such as aluminum gallium arsenide (Al_{rm x} Ga_{rm 1-x}As), gallium nitride (GaN), and gallium phosphide (GaP), deposited by the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (Remote PECVD). In the first part of the thesis, the optimization of GaAs and Al_{rm x}Ga _{rm 1-x}As hetero -epitaxial layers on Ge substrates is described in the context of the application in the construction of cascade solar cells. The emphasis on this study is on the trade-offs in the choice of the temperature related to increasing interdiffusion/autodoping and increasing perfection of the epilayer with increasing temperature. The structural, chemical, optical, and electrical properties of the heterostructures are characterized by x-ray rocking curve measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron beam induced current (EBIC), cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM), Raman spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL). Based on the results of this work the optimum growth temperature is 720^circC. The second part of the thesis describes the growth of GaN and GaP layers on silicon and sapphire substrates and the homoepitaxy of GaP by remote PECVD. I have designed and built an ultra high vacuum (UHV) deposition system which includes: the gas supply system, the pumping system, the deposition chamber, the load-lock chamber, and the waste disposal system. The work on the deposition of GaN on Si and sapphire focuses onto the understanding of the growth kinetics. In addition, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) for surface analysis, x-ray diffraction methods and microscopic analyses using SEM and TEM for structural characterization, infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) absorption measurements for optical characterization, and electrical characterization results

Comparative Study of Solution Phase and Vapor Phase Deposition of Aminosilanes on Silicon Dioxide Surfaces

PubMed Central

Yadav, Amrita R.; Sriram, Rashmi; Carter, Jared A.; Miller, Benjamin L.

2014-01-01

The uniformity of aminosilane layers typically used for the modification of hydroxyl bearing surfaces such as silicon dioxide is critical for a wide variety of applications, including biosensors. However, in spite of many studies that have been undertaken on surface silanization, there remains a paucity of easy-to-implement deposition methods reproducibly yielding smooth aminosilane monolayers. In this study, solution- and vapor-phase deposition methods for three aminoalkoxysilanes differing in the number of reactive groups (3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES), 3-aminopropyl methyl diethoxysilane (APMDES) and 3-aminopropyl dimethyl ethoxysilane (APDMES)) were assessed with the aim of identifying methods that yield highly uniform and reproducible silane layers that are resistant to minor procedural variations. Silane film quality was characterized based on measured thickness, hydrophilicity and surface roughness. Additionally, hydrolytic stability of the films was assessed via these thickness and contact angle values following desorption in water. We found that two simple solution-phase methods, an aqueous deposition of APTES and a toluene based deposition of APDMES, yielded high quality silane layers that exhibit comparable characteristics to those deposited via vapor-phase methods. PMID:24411379

Hot-Carrier Immunity of Polycrystalline Silicon Thin Film Transistors Using Silicon Oxynitride Gate Dielectric Formed with Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunii, Masafumi

2009-11-01

An analysis is presented of the hot-carrier degradation in a polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin film transistor (TFT) with a silicon oxynitride gate dielectric formed with plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. An introduction of silicon oxynitride into a gate dielectric significantly improves hot-carrier immunity even under the severe stressing mode of drain avalanche hot carriers. To compensate the initial negative shift of threshold voltage for TFTs with a silicon oxynitride gate dielectric, high-pressure water vapor annealing (HWA) is applied. A comparison of TFTs with and without HWA reveals that the improvement in hot-carrier immunity is mainly attributed to the introduction of Si≡N bonds into a gate dielectric.

Strain and in-plane orientation effects on the ferroelectricity of (111)-oriented tetragonal Pb(Zr0.35Ti0.65)O3 thin films prepared by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuwabara, Hiroki; Menou, Nicolas; Funakubo, Hiroshi

2007-05-01

The growth and characterization of epitaxial (111)-oriented Pb(Zr0.35Ti0.65)O3 films deposited by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on (100)-oriented silicon substrates [(111)SrRuO3‖(111)Pt ‖(100)yttria-stabilizedzirconia‖(100)Si] are reported. The orientation, microstructure, and electric properties of these films are compared to those of fiber-textured highly (111)-oriented lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films deposited on (111)SrRuO3/(111)Pt/TiOx/SiO2/(100)Si substrates and epitaxial (111)-oriented PZT films deposited on (111)SrRuO3‖(111)SrTiO3 substrates. The ferroelectric properties of these films are not drastically influenced by the in-plane orientation of the film and by the strain state imposed by the underlying substrate. These results support the use of fiber-textured highly (111)-oriented films in highly stable ferroelectric capacitors.

Effects of gas residence time of CH4/H2 on sp2 fraction of amorphous carbon films and dissociated methyl density during radical-injection plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugiura, Hirotsugu; Jia, Lingyun; Kondo, Hiroki; Ishikawa, Kenji; Tsutsumi, Takayoshi; Hayashi, Toshio; Takeda, Keigo; Sekine, Makoto; Hori, Masaru

2018-06-01

Quadruple mass spectrometric measurements of CH3 density during radical-injection plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition to consider the sp2 fraction of amorphous carbon (a-C) films were performed. The sp2 fraction of the a-C films reached a minimum of 46%, where the CH3 density was maximum for a residence time of 6 ms. The sp2 fraction of the a-C films was tailored with the gaseous phase CH3 density during the deposition. This knowledge is useful for understanding the formation mechanism of bonding structures in the a-C films, which enables the precise control of their electronic properties.

What controls deposition rate in electron-beam chemical vapor deposition?

PubMed

White, William B; Rykaczewski, Konrad; Fedorov, Andrei G

2006-08-25

The key physical processes governing electron-beam-assisted chemical vapor deposition are analyzed via a combination of theoretical modeling and supporting experiments. The scaling laws that define growth of the nanoscale deposits are developed and verified using carefully designed experiments of carbon deposition from methane onto a silicon substrate. The results suggest that the chamber-scale continuous transport of the precursor gas is the rate controlling process in electron-beam chemical vapor deposition.

Vapor Deposition Rig

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-27

The Plasma Spray-Physical Vapor Deposition (PS-PVD) Rig at NASA Glenn Research Center. The rig helps develop coatings for next-generation aircraft turbine components and create more efficient engines.

Atomic layer epitaxy of GaN over sapphire using switched metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, M. A.; Skogman, R. A.; van Hove, J. M.; Olson, D. T.; Kuznia, J. N.

1992-03-01

In this letter the first switched atomic layer epitaxy (SALE) of single crystal GaN over basal plane sapphire substrates is reported. A low pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (LPMOCVD) system was used for the epilayer depositions. In contrast to conventional LPMOCVD requiring temperatures higher than 700 C, the SALE process resulted in single crystal insulating GaN layers at growth temperatures ranging from 900 to 450 C. The band-edge transmission and the photoluminescence of the films from the SALE process were comparable to the best LPMOCVD films. As best as is known this is the first report of insulating GaN films which show excellent band-edge photoluminescence.

Fabrication of nanostructure by physical vapor deposition with glancing angle deposition technique and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horprathum, M.; Eiamchai, P.; Kaewkhao, J.; Chananonnawathorn, C.; Patthanasettakul, V.; Limwichean, S.; Nuntawong, N.; Chindaudom, P.

2014-09-01

A nanostructural thin film is one of the highly exploiting research areas particularly in applications in sensor, photocatalytic, and solar-cell technologies. In the past two decades, the integration of glancing-angle deposition (GLAD) technique to physical vapor deposition (PVD) process has gained significant attention for well-controlled multidimensional nanomorphologies because of fast, simple, cost-effective, and mass-production capability. The performance and functional properties of the coated thin films generally depend upon their nanostructural compositions, i.e., large aspect ratio, controllable porosity, and shape. Such structural platforms make the fabricated thin films very practical for several realistic applications. We therefore present morphological and nanostructural properties of various deposited materials, which included metals, i.e., silver (Ag), and oxide compounds, i.e., tungsten oxide (WO3), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and indium tin oxide (ITO). Different PVD techniques based on DC magnetron sputtering and electron-beam evaporation, both with the integrated GLAD component, were discussed. We further explore engineered nanostructures which enable controls of optical, electrical, and mechanical properties. These improvements led to several practical applications in surface-enhanced Raman, smart windows, gas sensors, self-cleaning materials and transparent conductive oxides (TCO).

Planar structured perovskite solar cells by hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition with optimized perovskite film thickness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Xiangyang; Peng, Yanke; Jing, Gaoshan; Cui, Tianhong

2018-05-01

The thickness of perovskite absorber layer is a critical parameter to determine a planar structured perovskite solar cell’s performance. By modifying the spin coating speed and PbI2/N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution concentration, the thickness of perovskite absorber layer was optimized to obtain high-performance solar cells. Using a PbI2/DMF solution of 1.3 mol/L, maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a perovskite solar cell is 15.5% with a perovskite film of 413 nm at 5000 rpm, and PCE of 14.3% was also obtained for a solar cell with a perovskite film of 182 nm thick. It is derived that higher concentration of PbI2/DMF will result in better perovskite solar cells. Additionally, these perovskite solar cells are highly uniform. In 14 sets of solar cells, standard deviations of 11 sets of solar cells were less than 0.50% and the smallest standard deviation was 0.25%, which demonstrates the reliability and effectiveness of hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD) method.

Vapor deposition of hardened niobium

DOEpatents

Blocher, Jr., John M.; Veigel, Neil D.; Landrigan, Richard B.

1983-04-19

A method of coating ceramic nuclear fuel particles containing a major amount of an actinide ceramic in which the particles are placed in a fluidized bed maintained at ca. 800.degree. to ca. 900.degree. C., and niobium pentachloride vapor and carbon tetrachloride vapor are led into the bed, whereby niobium metal is deposited on the particles and carbon is deposited interstitially within the niobium. Coating apparatus used in the method is also disclosed.

Effect of trichloroethylene enhancement on deposition rate of low-temperature silicon oxide films by silicone oil and ozone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horita, Susumu; Jain, Puneet

2017-08-01

A low-temperature silcon oxide film was deposited at 160 to 220 °C using an atmospheric pressure CVD system with silicone oil vapor and ozone gases. It was found that the deposition rate is markedly increased by adding trichloroethylene (TCE) vapor, which is generated by bubbling TCE solution with N2 gas flow. The increase is more than 3 times that observed without TCE, and any contamination due to TCE is hardly observed in the deposited Si oxide films from Fourier transform infrared spectra.

Imparting passivity to vapor deposited magnesium alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfe, Ryan C.

electron microscope. The corrosion rate of the nonequilibrium sputtered alloys, as determined by polarization resistance, is significantly reduced compared to the most corrosion resistant commercial magnesium alloys. The open circuit potentials of the sputter deposited alloys are significantly more noble compared to commercial, equilibrium phase magnesium alloys. Galvanic corrosion susceptibility has also been considerably reduced. Nonequilibrium magnesium-yttrium-titanium alloys have been shown to achieve passivity autonomously by alteration of the composition chemistry of the surface oxide/hydroxide layer. Self-healing properties are also evident, as corrosion propagation can be arrested after initial pitting of the material. A clear relationship exists between the corrosion resistance of sputter vapor deposited magnesium alloys and the amount of ion bombardment incurred by the alloy during deposition. Argon pressure, the distance between the source and the substrate, and alloy morphology play important roles in determining the ability of the alloy to develop a passive film. Thermal effects, both during and after alloy deposition, alter the stress state of the alloys, precipitation of second phases, and the mechanical stability of the passive film. An optimal thermal treatment has been developed in order to maximize the corrosion resistance of the magnesium-yttrium-titanium alloys. The significance of the results includes the acquisition of electrochemical data for these novel materials, as well as expanding the utilization of magnesium alloys by the improvement in their corrosion resistance. The magnesium alloys developed in this work are more corrosion resistant than any commercial magnesium alloy. Structural components comprised of these alloys would therefore exhibit unprecedented corrosion performance. Coatings of these alloys on magnesium components would provide a corrosion resistant yet galvanically-compatible coating. The broad impact of these contributions is

Microcrystalline silicon thin films deposited by matrix-distributed electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition using an SiF4 /H2 chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Junkang; Bulkin, Pavel; Florea, Ileana; Maurice, Jean-Luc; Johnson, Erik

2016-07-01

For the growth of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) thin films by low temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4) has recently attracted interest as a precursor due to the resilient optoelectronic performance of the resulting material and devices. In this work, μc-Si:H films are deposited at high rates (7 Å s-1) from a SiF4 and hydrogen (H2) gas mixture by matrix-distributed electron cyclotron resonance PECVD (MDECR-PECVD). Increased substrate temperature and moderate ion bombardment energy (IBE) are demonstrated to be of vital importance to achieve high quality μc-Si:H films under such low process pressure and high plasma density conditions, presumably due to thermally-induced and ion-induced enhancement of surface species migration. Two well-defined IBE thresholds at 12 eV and 43 eV, corresponding respectively to SiF+ ion-induced surface and bulk atomic displacement, are found to be determinant to the final film properties, namely the surface roughness, feature size and crystalline content. Moreover, a study of the growth dynamics shows that the primary challenge to producing highly crystallized μc-Si:H films by MDECR-PECVD appears to be the nucleation step. By employing a two-step method to first prepare a highly crystallized seed layer, μc-Si:H films lacking any amorphous incubation layer have been obtained. A crystalline volume fraction of 68% is achieved with a substrate temperature as low as 120 °C, which is of great interest to broaden the process window for solar cell applications.

Hybrid deposition of thin film solid oxide fuel cells and electrolyzers

DOEpatents

Jankowski, A.F.; Makowiecki, D.M.; Rambach, G.D.; Randich, E.

1998-05-19

The use of vapor deposition techniques enables synthesis of the basic components of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC); namely, the electrolyte layer, the two electrodes, and the electrolyte-electrode interfaces. Such vapor deposition techniques provide solutions to each of the three critical steps of material synthesis to produce a thin film solid oxide fuel cell (TFSOFC). The electrolyte is formed by reactive deposition of essentially any ion conducting oxide, such as defect free, yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) by planar magnetron sputtering. The electrodes are formed from ceramic powders sputter coated with an appropriate metal and sintered to a porous compact. The electrolyte-electrode interface is formed by chemical vapor deposition of zirconia compounds onto the porous electrodes to provide a dense, smooth surface on which to continue the growth of the defect-free electrolyte, whereby a single fuel cell or multiple cells may be fabricated. 8 figs.

Hybrid deposition of thin film solid oxide fuel cells and electrolyzers

DOEpatents

Jankowski, Alan F.; Makowiecki, Daniel M.; Rambach, Glenn D.; Randich, Erik

1999-01-01

The use of vapor deposition techniques enables synthesis of the basic components of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC); namely, the electrolyte layer, the two electrodes, and the electrolyte-electrode interfaces. Such vapor deposition techniques provide solutions to each of the three critical steps of material synthesis to produce a thin film solid oxide fuel cell (TFSOFC). The electrolyte is formed by reactive deposition of essentially any ion conducting oxide, such as defect free, yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) by planar magnetron sputtering. The electrodes are formed from ceramic powders sputter coated with an appropriate metal and sintered to a porous compact. The electrolyte-electrode interface is formed by chemical vapor deposition of zirconia compounds onto the porous electrodes to provide a dense, smooth surface on which to continue the growth of the defect-free electrolyte, whereby a single fuel cell or multiple cells may be fabricated.

Hybrid deposition of thin film solid oxide fuel cells and electrolyzers

DOEpatents

Jankowski, Alan F.; Makowiecki, Daniel M.; Rambach, Glenn D.; Randich, Erik

1998-01-01

The use of vapor deposition techniques enables synthesis of the basic components of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC); namely, the electrolyte layer, the two electrodes, and the electrolyte-electrode interfaces. Such vapor deposition techniques provide solutions to each of the three critical steps of material synthesis to produce a thin film solid oxide fuel cell (TFSOFC). The electrolyte is formed by reactive deposition of essentially any ion conducting oxide, such as defect free, yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) by planar magnetron sputtering. The electrodes are formed from ceramic powders sputter coated with an appropriate metal and sintered to a porous compact. The electrolyte-electrode interface is formed by chemical vapor deposition of zirconia compounds onto the porous electrodes to provide a dense, smooth surface on which to continue the growth of the defect-free electrolyte, whereby a single fuel cell or multiple cells may be fabricated.

Novel growth techniques for the deposition of high-quality perovskite thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, Annie; Ren, Zhiwei; Li, Gang; Djurišić, Aleksandra B.; Surya, Charles

2018-02-01

We present investigations on the growth of high quality CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPI) thin films using both vapor and solution techniques. Recent work on perovskite film growth indicates critical dependencies of the film quality on the nucleation and crystallization steps requiring: i.) uniform distribution of nucleation sites; and ii.) optimal crystallization rate that facilitates the growth of a compact, continuous film with low density of pinholes. Our work shows that the hybrid chemical vapor deposition technique (HCVD) technique is well suited for the deposition of evenly distributed nucleation sites and the optimization of the crystallization rate of the film through detailed monitoring of the thermal profile of the growth process. Signficant reduction in the defect states is recorded by annealing the perovskite films in O2. The results are consistent with theoretical studies by Yin et al. 1 on O and Cl passivation of the shallow states at the grain boundary of MAPI. Their work provides the theoretical basis for our experimental observations on the passivation of shallow states by oxygen annealing. High quality films were achieved through detailed management of the carrier gas composition and the thermal profile of the nucleation and crystallization steps.

Microenergetic Shock Initiation Studies on Deposited Films of PETN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tappan, Alexander S.; Wixom, Ryan R.; Trott, Wayne M.; Long, Gregory T.; Knepper, Robert; Brundage, Aaron L.; Jones, David A.

2009-06-01

Films of the high explosive PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) up to 500-μm thick have been deposited through physical vapor deposition, with the intent of creating well-defined samples for shock-initiation studies. PETN films were characterized with surface profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and focused ion beam nanotomography. These high-density films were subjected to strong shocks in both the in-plane and out-of-plane orientations. Initiation behavior was monitored with high-speed framing and streak camera photography. Direct initiation with a donor explosive (either RDX with binder, or CL-20 with binder) was possible in both orientations, but with the addition of a thin aluminum buffer plate (in-plane configuration only), initiation proved to be difficult due to the attenuated shock and the high density of the PETN films. Mesoscale models of microenergetic samples were created using the shock physics code CTH and compared with experimental results. The results of these experiments will be discussed in the context of small sample geometry, deposited film morphology, and density.

Comparative study of solution-phase and vapor-phase deposition of aminosilanes on silicon dioxide surfaces.

PubMed

Yadav, Amrita R; Sriram, Rashmi; Carter, Jared A; Miller, Benjamin L

2014-02-01

The uniformity of aminosilane layers typically used for the modification of hydroxyl bearing surfaces such as silicon dioxide is critical for a wide variety of applications, including biosensors. However, in spite of many studies that have been undertaken on surface silanization, there remains a paucity of easy-to-implement deposition methods reproducibly yielding smooth aminosilane monolayers. In this study, solution- and vapor-phase deposition methods for three aminoalkoxysilanes differing in the number of reactive groups (3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES), 3-aminopropyl methyl diethoxysilane (APMDES) and 3-aminopropyl dimethyl ethoxysilane (APDMES)) were assessed with the aim of identifying methods that yield highly uniform and reproducible silane layers that are resistant to minor procedural variations. Silane film quality was characterized based on measured thickness, hydrophilicity and surface roughness. Additionally, hydrolytic stability of the films was assessed via these thickness and contact angle values following desorption in water. We found that two simple solution-phase methods, an aqueous deposition of APTES and a toluene based deposition of APDMES, yielded high quality silane layers that exhibit comparable characteristics to those deposited via vapor-phase methods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Doping of vanadium to nanocrystalline diamond films by hot filament chemical vapor deposition

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Doping an impure element with a larger atomic volume into crystalline structure of buck crystals is normally blocked because the rigid crystalline structure could not tolerate a larger distortion. However, this difficulty may be weakened for nanocrystalline structures. Diamonds, as well as many semiconductors, have a difficulty in effective doping. Theoretical calculations carried out by DFT indicate that vanadium (V) is a dopant element for the n-type diamond semiconductor, and their several donor state levels are distributed between the conduction band and middle bandgap position in the V-doped band structure of diamond. Experimental investigation of doping vanadium into nanocrystalline diamond films (NDFs) was first attempted by hot filament chemical vapor deposition technique. Acetone/H2 gas mixtures and vanadium oxytripropoxide (VO(OCH2CH2CH3)3) solutions of acetone with V and C elemental ratios of 1:5,000, 1:2,000, and 1:1,000 were used as carbon and vanadium sources, respectively. The resistivity of the V-doped NDFs decreased two orders with the increasing V/C ratios. PMID:22873631

A kinetic model for stress generation in thin films grown from energetic vapor fluxes

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

Chason, E.; Karlson, M.; Colin, J. J.

We have developed a kinetic model for residual stress generation in thin films grown from energetic vapor fluxes, encountered, e.g., during sputter deposition. The new analytical model considers sub-surface point defects created by atomic peening, along with processes treated in already existing stress models for non-energetic deposition, i.e., thermally activated diffusion processes at the surface and the grain boundary. According to the new model, ballistically induced sub-surface defects can get incorporated as excess atoms at the grain boundary, remain trapped in the bulk, or annihilate at the free surface, resulting in a complex dependence of the steady-state stress on themore » grain size, the growth rate, as well as the energetics of the incoming particle flux. We compare calculations from the model with in situ stress measurements performed on a series of Mo films sputter-deposited at different conditions and having different grain sizes. The model is able to reproduce the observed increase of compressive stress with increasing growth rate, behavior that is the opposite of what is typically seen under non-energetic growth conditions. On a grander scale, this study is a step towards obtaining a comprehensive understanding of stress generation and evolution in vapor deposited polycrystalline thin films.« less

Atomic layer epitaxy of GaN over sapphire using switched metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asif Khan, M.; Skogman, R. A.; Van Hove, J. M.; Olson, D. T.; Kuznia, J. N.

1992-03-01

In this letter we report the first switched atomic layer epitaxy (SALE) of single crystal GaN over basal plane sapphire substrates. A low pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (LPMOCVD) system was used for the epilayer depositions. In contrast to conventional LPMOCVD requiring temperatures higher than 700 °C, the SALE process resulted in single crystal insulating GaN layers at growth temperatures ranging from 900 to 450 °C. The band-edge transmission and the photoluminescence of the films from the SALE process were comparable to the best LPMOCVD films. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of insulating GaN films which show excellent band-edge photoluminescence.

Chemical Vapor Deposition for Ultra-lightweight Thin-film Solar Arrays for Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hepp, Aloysius F.; Raffaelle, Ryne P.; Banger, Kulbinder K.; Jin, Michael H.; Lau, Janice E.; Harris, Jerry D.; Cowen, Jonathan E.; Duraj, Stan A.

2002-01-01

The development of thin-film solar cells on flexible, lightweight, space-qualified substrates provides an attractive cost solution to fabricating solar arrays with high specific power, (W/kg). The use of a polycrystalline chalcopyrite absorber layer for thin film solar cells is considered as the next generation photovoltaic devices. A key technical issues outlined in the 2001 U.S. Photovoltaic Roadmap, is the need to develop low cost, high throughput manufacturing for high-efficiency thin film solar cells. At NASA GRC we have focused on the development of new single-source-precursors (SSPs) and their utility to deposit the chalcopyrite semi-conducting layer (CIS) onto flexible substrates for solar cell fabrication. The syntheses and thermal modulation of SSPs via molecular engineering is described. Thin-film fabrication studies demonstrate the SSPs can be used in a spray CVD process, for depositing CIS at reduced temperatures, which display good electrical properties, suitable for PV devices.

Thin film solar cells with Si nanocrystallites embedded in amorphous intrinsic layers by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Park, Seungil; Parida, Bhaskar; Kim, Keunjoo

2013-05-01

We investigated the thin film growths of hydrogenated silicon by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition with different flow rates of SiH4 and H2 mixture ambient and fabricated thin film solar cells by implementing the intrinsic layers to SiC/Si heterojunction p-i-n structures. The film samples showed the different infrared absorption spectra of 2,000 and 2,100 cm(-1), which are corresponding to the chemical bonds of SiH and SiH2, respectively. The a-Si:H sample with the relatively high silane concentration provides the absorption peak of SiH bond, but the microc-Si:H sample with the relatively low silane concentration provides the absorption peak of SiH2 bond as well as SiH bond. Furthermore, the microc-Si:H sample showed the Raman spectral shift of 520 cm(-1) for crystalline phase Si bonds as well as the 480 cm(-1) for the amorphous phase Si bonds. These bonding structures are very consistent with the further analysis of the long-wavelength photoconduction tail and the formation of nanocrystalline Si structures. The microc-Si:H thin film solar cell has the photovoltaic behavior of open circuit voltage similar to crystalline silicon thin film solar cell, indicating that microc-Si:H thin film with the mixed phase of amorphous and nanocrystalline structures show the carrier transportation through the channel of nanocrystallites.

Stresses in chemical vapor deposited epitaxial 3C-SiC membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, C. M.; Fekade, A.; Spencer, M.; Wuttig, Manfred

1995-02-01

The internal stresses in chemical-vapor-deposited 3C-SiC films were studied by a vibrating membrane technique. The differential thermal expansivity of 3C-SiC films was investigated by the change of the internal stress as a function of temperature. It was found that the internal stress of the films is dominated by thermal stresses and its magnitude depends both on doping and the film thickness. While p doping substantially increases the stress, increasing the film thickness reduces the stress of the SiC layer. The thermal expansivity of the SiC layer shows a lower value which is significantly less than of bulk 3C-SiC and tends to approach the expansivity of the Si substrate. It is proposed that the stress dependence of the SiC films on doping and film thickness is the result of the film morphology which is heavily faulted for very thin films and more perfect as the film thickness increases.

Crystallization of amorphous silicon thin films deposited by PECVD on nickel-metalized porous silicon.

PubMed

Ben Slama, Sonia; Hajji, Messaoud; Ezzaouia, Hatem

2012-08-17

Porous silicon layers were elaborated by electrochemical etching of heavily doped p-type silicon substrates. Metallization of porous silicon was carried out by immersion of substrates in diluted aqueous solution of nickel. Amorphous silicon thin films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on metalized porous layers. Deposited amorphous thin films were crystallized under vacuum at 750°C. Obtained results from structural, optical, and electrical characterizations show that thermal annealing of amorphous silicon deposited on Ni-metalized porous silicon leads to an enhancement in the crystalline quality and physical properties of the silicon thin films. The improvement in the quality of the film is due to the crystallization of the amorphous film during annealing. This simple and easy method can be used to produce silicon thin films with high quality suitable for thin film solar cell applications.

Crystallization of amorphous silicon thin films deposited by PECVD on nickel-metalized porous silicon

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Porous silicon layers were elaborated by electrochemical etching of heavily doped p-type silicon substrates. Metallization of porous silicon was carried out by immersion of substrates in diluted aqueous solution of nickel. Amorphous silicon thin films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on metalized porous layers. Deposited amorphous thin films were crystallized under vacuum at 750°C. Obtained results from structural, optical, and electrical characterizations show that thermal annealing of amorphous silicon deposited on Ni-metalized porous silicon leads to an enhancement in the crystalline quality and physical properties of the silicon thin films. The improvement in the quality of the film is due to the crystallization of the amorphous film during annealing. This simple and easy method can be used to produce silicon thin films with high quality suitable for thin film solar cell applications. PMID:22901341

Heteroepitaxial diamond growth on 4H-SiC using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Moore, Eric; Jarrell, Joshua; Cao, Lei

2017-09-01

Deposition of heteroepitaxial diamond via microwave chemical vapor deposition has been performed on a 4H-SiC substrate using bias enhanced nucleation followed by a growth step. In future work, the diamond film will serve as a protective layer for an alpha particle sensor designed to function in an electrorefiner during pyroprocessing of spent fuel. The diamond deposition on the 4H-SiC substrate was carried out using a methane-hydrogen gas mixture with varying gas flow rates. The nucleation step was conducted for 30 minutes and provided sufficient nucleation sites to grow a diamond film on various locations on the substrate. The resulting diamond film was characterized using Raman spectroscopy exhibiting the strong Raman peak at 1332 cm -1 . Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the surface morphology and the average grain size of the diamond film was observed to be on the order of ∼2-3 μm.

Comprehensive investigation of HgCdTe metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raupp, Gregory B.

1993-01-01

The principal objective of this experimental and theoretical research program was to explore the possibility of depositing high quality epitaxial CdTe and HgCdTe at very low pressures through metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). We explored two important aspects of this potential process: (1) the interaction of molecular flow transport and deposition in an MOCVD reactor with a commercial configuration, and (2) the kinetics of metal alkyl source gas adsorption, decomposition and desorption from the growing film surface using ultra high vacuum surface science reaction techniques. To explore the transport-reaction issue, we have developed a reaction engineering analysis of a multiple wafer-in-tube ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHV/CVD) reactor which allows an estimate of wafer or substrate throughput for a reactor of fixed geometry and a given deposition chemistry with specified film thickness uniformity constraints. The model employs a description of ballistic transport and reaction based on the pseudo-steady approximation to the Boltzmann equation in the limit of pure molecular flow. The model representation takes the form of an integral equation for the flux of each reactant or intermediate species to the wafer surfaces. Expressions for the reactive sticking coefficients (RSC) for each species must be incorporated in the term which represents reemission from a wafer surface. The interactions of MOCVD precursors with Si and CdTe were investigated using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) in ultra high vacuum combined with Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). These studies revealed that diethyltellurium (DETe) and dimethylcadmium (DMCd) adsorb weakly on clean Si(100) and desorb upon heating without decomposing. These precursors adsorb both weakly and strongly on CdTe(111)A, with DMCd exhibiting the stronger interaction with the surface than DETe.

Modeling and experimental study on the growth of silicon germanium film by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Lai

Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon germanium µc-SiGe:H deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is of great interest to photovoltaic (PV) applications due to its low process temperature and good uniformity over large area. The nature of high optical absorption and low optical bandgap makes it promising as the bottom cell absorbing layer for tandem junction solar cells. However, the addition of germane (GeH4) gas changes deposited film properties and makes it rather complicated for the established silane (SiH4) based discharge process with hydrogen (H2) dilution. Despite existing experimental studies for SiH 4/GeH4/H2 3-gas mixture discharge and comprehensive numerical simulations for SiH4/H2 or SiH4/Ar plasma, to the author's best knowledge, a numerical model for both SiH 4 and GeH4 in a high pressure regime is yet to be developed. The plasma discharge, the film growth and their effects on film properties and the solar device performance need deep understanding. In this dissertation, the growth of the µc-SiGe:H film by radio frequency (RF) PECVD is studied through modeling simulation as well as experiments. The first numerical model for the glow discharge of SiH4/GeH 4/H2 3-gas mixture in a high pressure regime is developed based on one dimensional fluid model. Transports of electrons, molecules, radicals and ions in the RF excitation are described by diffusion equations that are coupled with the Poisson's equation. The deposition is integrated as the boundary conditions for discharge equations through the sticking coefficient model. Neutral ionizations, radical dissociations and chemical reactions in the gas phase and surface kinetics such as the diffusive motion, chemical reactions and the hydrogen etching are included with interaction rate constants. Solved with an explicit central-difference discretization scheme, the model simulates mathematical features that reflect the plasma physics such as the plasma sheath and gas species

Deposition and characterization of silicon thin-films by aluminum-induced crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebil, Ozgenc

Polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) as a thin-film solar cell material could have major advantages compared to non-silicon thin-film technologies. In theory, thin-film poly-Si may retain the performance and stability of c-Si while taking advantage of established manufacturing techniques. However, poly-Si films deposited onto foreign substrates at low temperatures typically have an average grain size of 10--50 nm. Such a grain structure presents a potential problem for device performance since it introduces an excessive number of grain boundaries which, if left unpassivated, lead to poor solar cell properties. Therefore, for optimum device performance, the grain size of the poly-Si film should be at least comparable to the thickness of the films. For this project, the objectives were the deposition of poly-Si thin-films with 2--5 mum grain size on glass substrates using in-situ and conventional aluminum-induced crystallization (AIC) and the development of a model for AIC process. In-situ AIC experiments were performed using Hot-Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition (HWCVD) both above and below the eutectic temperature (577°C) of Si-Al binary system. Conventional AIC experiments were performed using a-Si layers deposited on aluminum coated glass substrates by Electron-beam deposition, Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) and HWCVD. Continuous poly-Si films with an average grain size of 10 mum on glass substrates were achieved by both in-situ and conventional aluminum-induced crystallization of Si below eutectic temperature. The grain size was determined by three factors; the grain structure of Al layer, the nature of the interfacial oxide, and crystallization temperature. The interface oxide was found to be crucial for AIC process but not necessary for crystallization itself. The characterization of interfacial oxide layer formed on Al films revealed a bilayer structure containing Al2O3 and Al(OH)3 . The effective activation energy for AIC process was determined

Chemical Vapor Deposition Of Silicon Carbide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, J. Anthony; Larkin, David J.; Matus, Lawrence G.; Petit, Jeremy B.

1993-01-01

Large single-crystal SiC boules from which wafers of large area cut now being produced commerically. Availability of wafers opens door for development of SiC semiconductor devices. Recently developed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process produces thin single-crystal SiC films on SiC wafers. Essential step in sequence of steps used to fabricate semiconductor devices. Further development required for specific devices. Some potential high-temperature applications include sensors and control electronics for advanced turbine engines and automobile engines, power electronics for electromechanical actuators for advanced aircraft and for space power systems, and equipment used in drilling of deep wells. High-frequency applications include communication systems, high-speed computers, and microwave power transistors. High-radiation applications include sensors and controls for nuclear reactors.

Friction and Wear Properties of Selected Solid Lubricating Films. Part 3; Magnetron-Sputtered and Plasma-Assisted, Chemical-Vapor-Deposited Diamondlike Carbon Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa; Iwaki, Masanori; Gotoh, Kenichi; Obara, Shingo; Imagawa, Kichiro

2000-01-01

To evaluate commercially developed dry solid film lubricants for aerospace bearing applications, an investigation was conducted to examine the friction and wear behavior of magnetron-sputtered diamondlike carbon (MS DLC) and plasma-assisted, chemical-vapor-deposited diamondlike carbon (PACVD DLC) films in sliding contact with 6-mm-diameter American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 440C stainless steel balls. Unidirectional sliding friction experiments were conducted with a load of 5.9 N (600 g), a mean Hertzian contact pressure of 0.79 GPa (maximum Hertzian contact pressure of L-2 GPa), and a sliding velocity of 0.2 m/s. The experiments were conducted at room temperature in three environments: ultrahigh vacuum (vacuum pressure, 7x10(exp -7) Pa), humid air (relative humidity, approx.20 percent), and dry nitrogen (relative humidity, <1 percent). The resultant films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and surface profilometry. Marked differences in the friction and wear of the DLC films investigated herein resulted from the environmental conditions. The main criteria for judging the performance of the DLC films were coefficient of friction and wear rate, which had to be less than 0.3 and on the order of 10(exp -6) cu mm/N-m or less, respectively. MS DLC films and PACVD DLC films met the criteria in humid air and dry nitrogen but failed in ultrahigh vacuum, where the coefficients of friction were greater than the criterion, 0.3. In sliding contact with 440C stainless steel balls in all three environments the PACVD DLC films exhibited better tribological performance (i.e., lower friction and wear) than the MS DLC films. All sliding involved adhesive transfer of wear materials: transfer of DLC wear debris to the counterpart 440C stainless steel and transfer of 440C stainless steel wear debris to the counterpart DLC film.

Critical current density of high-quality Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox thin films prepared by metalorganic chemical-vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamasaki, H.; Endo, K.; Nakagawa, Y.; Umeda, M.; Kosaka, S.; Misawa, S.; Yoshida, S.; Kajimura, K.

1992-10-01

Critical current densities Jc were measured in as-deposited, c-axis-oriented Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox thin films with Tc values as high as 97 K, which were prepared by metalorganic chemical-vapor deposition. These films showed high Jc (≳109 A/m2) at 77.3 K in high magnetic fields (≥1 T, H∥a-b plane). The best values are 3.3×109 A/m2 at 1 T and 9.1×108 A/m2 at 8 T, which are the highest Jc for Bi-oxide thin films among those reported so far. There were no signs of weak links in the Jc(H) behavior, and the surface morphology examined by scanning electron microscopy showed no apparent grain boundaries. The values of Jc decreased sharply when the applied field deviated from the a-b plane, and went to zero at the angles where the field component in the c direction is nearly equal to the irreversibility field Hc2* parallel to the c axis. The angular dependence of Jc of these films is most reasonably explained by the theory of intrinsic pinning.

Dynamic and temperature dependent response of physical vapor deposited Se in freely standing nanometric thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Heedong; McKenna, Gregory B.

2016-05-01

Here, we report results from an investigation of nano-scale size or confinement effects on the glass transition and viscoelastic properties of physical vapor deposited selenium films. The viscoelastic response of freely standing Se films was determined using a biaxial membrane inflation or bubble inflation method [P. A. O'Connell and G. B. McKenna, Science 307, 1760-1763 (2005)] on films having thicknesses from 60 to 267 nm and over temperatures ranging from Tg, macroscopic - 15 °C to Tg, macroscopic + 21 °C. Time-temperature superposition and time-thickness superposition were found to hold for the films in the segmental dispersion. The responses are compared with macroscopic creep and recoverable creep compliance data for selenium [K. M. Bernatz et al., J. Non-Cryst. Solids 307, 790-801 (2002)]. The time-temperature shift factors for the thin films show weaker temperature dependence than seen in the macroscopic behavior, being near to Arrhenius-like in their temperature dependence. Furthermore, the Se films exhibit a "rubbery-like" stiffening that increases as film thickness decreases similar to prior observations [P. A. O'Connell et al., Macromolecules 45(5), 2453-2459 (2012)] for organic polymers. In spite of the differences from the macroscopic behavior in the temperature dependence of the viscoelastic response, virtually no change in Tg as determined from the thickness dependence of the retardation time defining Tg was observed in the bubble inflation creep experiments to thicknesses as small as 60 nm. We also find that the observed rubbery stiffening is consistent with the postulate of K. L. Ngai et al. [J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 51(3), 214-224 (2013)] that it should correlate with the change of the macroscopic segmental relaxation.

Chemical vapor deposition of low reflective cobalt (II) oxide films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin-Chalhoub, Eliane; Duguet, Thomas; Samélor, Diane; Debieu, Olivier; Ungureanu, Elisabeta; Vahlas, Constantin

2016-01-01

Low reflective CoO coatings are processed by chemical vapor deposition from Co2(CO)8 at temperatures between 120 °C and 190 °C without additional oxygen source. The optical reflectivity in the visible and near infrared regions stems from 2 to 35% depending on deposition temperature. The combination of specific microstructural features of the coatings, namely a fractal ⿿cauliflower⿿ morphology and a grain size distribution more or less covering the near UV and IR wavelength ranges enhance light scattering and gives rise to a low reflectivity. In addition, the columnar morphology results in a density gradient in the vertical direction that we interpret as a refractive index gradient lowering reflectivity further down. The coating formed at 180 °C shows the lowest average reflectivity (2.9%), and presents an interesting deep black diffuse aspect.

Devitrification and delayed crazing of SiO2 on single-crystal silicon and chemically vapor-deposited silicon nitride

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Doo Jin; Scott, William D.

1987-01-01

The linear growth rate of cristobalite was measured in thin SiO2 films on silicon and chemically vapor-deposited silicon nitride. The presence of trace impurities from alumina furnace tubes greatly increased the crystal growth rate. Under clean conditions, the growth rate was still 1 order-of-magnitude greater than that for internally nucleated crystals in bulk silica. Crystallized films cracked and lifted from the surface after exposure to atmospheric water vapor. The crystallization and subsequent crazing and lifting of protective SiO2 films on silicon nitride should be considered in long-term applications.

Etching-free patterning method for electrical characterization of atomically thin MoSe2 films grown by chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utama, M. Iqbal Bakti; Lu, Xin; Zhan, Da; Ha, Son Tung; Yuan, Yanwen; Shen, Zexiang; Xiong, Qihua

2014-10-01

Patterning two-dimensional materials into specific spatial arrangements and geometries is essential for both fundamental studies of materials and practical applications in electronics. However, the currently available patterning methods generally require etching steps that rely on complicated and expensive procedures. We report here a facile patterning method for atomically thin MoSe2 films using stripping with an SU-8 negative resist layer exposed to electron beam lithography. Additional steps of chemical and physical etching were not necessary in this SU-8 patterning method. The SU-8 patterning was used to define a ribbon channel from a field effect transistor of MoSe2 film, which was grown by chemical vapor deposition. The narrowing of the conduction channel area with SU-8 patterning was crucial in suppressing the leakage current within the device, thereby allowing a more accurate interpretation of the electrical characterization results from the sample. An electrical transport study, enabled by the SU-8 patterning, showed a variable range hopping behavior at high temperatures.Patterning two-dimensional materials into specific spatial arrangements and geometries is essential for both fundamental studies of materials and practical applications in electronics. However, the currently available patterning methods generally require etching steps that rely on complicated and expensive procedures. We report here a facile patterning method for atomically thin MoSe2 films using stripping with an SU-8 negative resist layer exposed to electron beam lithography. Additional steps of chemical and physical etching were not necessary in this SU-8 patterning method. The SU-8 patterning was used to define a ribbon channel from a field effect transistor of MoSe2 film, which was grown by chemical vapor deposition. The narrowing of the conduction channel area with SU-8 patterning was crucial in suppressing the leakage current within the device, thereby allowing a more accurate

Molecular Orientation in Two Component Vapor-Deposited Glasses: Effect of Substrate Temperature and Molecular Shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Charles; Jiang, Jing; Walters, Diane; Ediger, Mark

Vapor-deposited glasses are widely investigated for use in organic electronics including the emitting layers of OLED devices. These materials, while macroscopically homogenous, have anisotropic packing and molecular orientation. By controlling this orientation, outcoupling efficiency can be increased by aligning the transition dipole moment of the light-emitting molecules parallel to the substrate. Light-emitting molecules are typically dispersed in a host matrix, as such, it is imperative to understand molecular orientation in two-component systems. In this study we examine two-component vapor-deposited films and the orientations of the constituent molecules using spectroscopic ellipsometry, UV-vis and IR spectroscopy. The role of temperature, composition and molecular shape as it effects molecular orientation is examined for mixtures of DSA-Ph in Alq3 and in TPD. Deposition temperature relative to the glass transition temperature of the two-component mixture is the primary controlling factor for molecular orientation. In mixtures of DSA-Ph in Alq3, the linear DSA-Ph has a horizontal orientation at low temperatures and slight vertical orientation maximized at 0.96Tg,mixture, analogous to one-component films.

Large-Area Growth of Turbostratic Graphene on Ni(111) via Physical Vapor Deposition

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

Garlow, Joseph A.; Barrett, Lawrence K.; Wu, Lijun

Single-layer graphene has demonstrated remarkable electronic properties that are strongly influenced by interfacial bonding and break down for the lowest energy configuration of stacked graphene layers (AB Bernal). Multilayer graphene with relative rotations between carbon layers, known as turbostratic graphene, can effectively decouple the electronic states of adjacent layers, preserving properties similar to that of SLG. While the growth of AB Bernal graphene through chemical vapor deposition has been widely reported, we investigate the growth of turbostratic graphene on heteroepitaxial Ni(111) thin films utilizing physical vapor deposition. By varying the carbon deposition temperature between 800–1100°C, we report an increase inmore » the graphene quality concomitant with a transition in the size of uniform thickness graphene, ranging from nanocrystallites to thousands of square microns. Combination Raman modes of as-grown graphene within the frequency range of 1650 cm ₋1 to 2300 cm ₋1, along with features of the Raman 2D mode, were employed as signatures of turbostratic graphene. Bilayer and multilayer graphene were directly identified from areas that exhibited Raman characteristics of turbostratic graphene using high-resolution TEM imaging. Lastly, Raman maps of the pertinent modes reveal large regions of turbostratic graphene on Ni(111) thin films at a deposition temperature of 1100°C.« less

Large-Area Growth of Turbostratic Graphene on Ni(111) via Physical Vapor Deposition

DOE PAGES

Garlow, Joseph A.; Barrett, Lawrence K.; Wu, Lijun; ...

2016-01-29

Single-layer graphene has demonstrated remarkable electronic properties that are strongly influenced by interfacial bonding and break down for the lowest energy configuration of stacked graphene layers (AB Bernal). Multilayer graphene with relative rotations between carbon layers, known as turbostratic graphene, can effectively decouple the electronic states of adjacent layers, preserving properties similar to that of SLG. While the growth of AB Bernal graphene through chemical vapor deposition has been widely reported, we investigate the growth of turbostratic graphene on heteroepitaxial Ni(111) thin films utilizing physical vapor deposition. By varying the carbon deposition temperature between 800–1100°C, we report an increase inmore » the graphene quality concomitant with a transition in the size of uniform thickness graphene, ranging from nanocrystallites to thousands of square microns. Combination Raman modes of as-grown graphene within the frequency range of 1650 cm ₋1 to 2300 cm ₋1, along with features of the Raman 2D mode, were employed as signatures of turbostratic graphene. Bilayer and multilayer graphene were directly identified from areas that exhibited Raman characteristics of turbostratic graphene using high-resolution TEM imaging. Lastly, Raman maps of the pertinent modes reveal large regions of turbostratic graphene on Ni(111) thin films at a deposition temperature of 1100°C.« less

Large-Area Growth of Turbostratic Graphene on Ni(111) via Physical Vapor Deposition

PubMed Central

Garlow, Joseph A.; Barrett, Lawrence K.; Wu, Lijun; Kisslinger, Kim; Zhu, Yimei; Pulecio, Javier F.

2016-01-01

Single-layer graphene has demonstrated remarkable electronic properties that are strongly influenced by interfacial bonding and break down for the lowest energy configuration of stacked graphene layers (AB Bernal). Multilayer graphene with relative rotations between carbon layers, known as turbostratic graphene, can effectively decouple the electronic states of adjacent layers, preserving properties similar to that of SLG. While the growth of AB Bernal graphene through chemical vapor deposition has been widely reported, we investigate the growth of turbostratic graphene on heteroepitaxial Ni(111) thin films utilizing physical vapor deposition. By varying the carbon deposition temperature between 800 –1100 °C, we report an increase in the graphene quality concomitant with a transition in the size of uniform thickness graphene, ranging from nanocrystallites to thousands of square microns. Combination Raman modes of as-grown graphene within the frequency range of 1650 cm−1 to 2300 cm−1, along with features of the Raman 2D mode, were employed as signatures of turbostratic graphene. Bilayer and multilayer graphene were directly identified from areas that exhibited Raman characteristics of turbostratic graphene using high-resolution TEM imaging. Raman maps of the pertinent modes reveal large regions of turbostratic graphene on Ni(111) thin films at a deposition temperature of 1100 °C. PMID:26821604

Gas diffusion ultrabarriers on polymer substrates using Al2O3 atomic layer deposition and SiN plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carcia, P. F.; McLean, R. S.; Groner, M. D.; Dameron, A. A.; George, S. M.

2009-07-01

Thin films grown by Al2O3 atomic layer deposition (ALD) and SiN plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) have been tested as gas diffusion barriers either individually or as bilayers on polymer substrates. Single films of Al2O3 ALD with thicknesses of ≥10 nm had a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of ≤5×10-5 g/m2 day at 38 °C/85% relative humidity (RH), as measured by the Ca test. This WVTR value was limited by H2O permeability through the epoxy seal, as determined by the Ca test for the glass lid control. In comparison, SiN PECVD films with a thickness of 100 nm had a WVTR of ˜7×10-3 g/m2 day at 38 °C/85% RH. Significant improvements resulted when the SiN PECVD film was coated with an Al2O3 ALD film. An Al2O3 ALD film with a thickness of only 5 nm on a SiN PECVD film with a thickness of 100 nm reduced the WVTR from ˜7×10-3 to ≤5×10-5 g/m2 day at 38 °C/85% RH. The reduction in the permeability for Al2O3 ALD on the SiN PECVD films was attributed to either Al2O3 ALD sealing defects in the SiN PECVD film or improved nucleation of Al2O3 ALD on SiN.

From amorphous to nanocrystalline: the effect of nanograins in amorphous matrix on the thermal conductivity of hot-wire chemical-vapor deposited silicon films

DOE PAGES

Kearney, B. T.; Jugdersuren, B.; Queen, D. R.; ...

2017-12-28

Here, we have measured the thermal conductivity of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon films with varying crystalline content from 85K to room temperature. The films were prepared by the hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition, where the crystalline volume fraction is determined by the hydrogen (H2) dilution ratio to the processing silane gas (SiH4), R=H2/SiH4. We varied R from 1 to 10, where the films transform from amorphous for R < 3 to mostly nanocrystalline for larger R. Structural analyses show that the nanograins, averaging from 2 to 9nm in sizes with increasing R, are dispersed in the amorphous matrix. The crystalline volume fractionmore » increases from 0 to 65% as R increases from 1 to 10. The thermal conductivities of the two amorphous silicon films are similar and consistent with the most previous reports with thicknesses no larger than a few um deposited by a variety of techniques. The thermal conductivities of the three nanocrystalline silicon films are also similar, but are about 50-70% higher than those of their amorphous counterparts. The heat conduction in nanocrystalline silicon films can be understood as the combined contribution in both amorphous and nanocrystalline phases, where increased conduction through improved nanocrystalline percolation path outweighs increased interface scattering between silicon nanocrystals and the amorphous matrix.« less

From amorphous to nanocrystalline: the effect of nanograins in amorphous matrix on the thermal conductivity of hot-wire chemical-vapor deposited silicon films

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

Kearney, B. T.; Jugdersuren, B.; Queen, D. R.

Here, we have measured the thermal conductivity of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon films with varying crystalline content from 85K to room temperature. The films were prepared by the hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition, where the crystalline volume fraction is determined by the hydrogen (H2) dilution ratio to the processing silane gas (SiH4), R=H2/SiH4. We varied R from 1 to 10, where the films transform from amorphous for R < 3 to mostly nanocrystalline for larger R. Structural analyses show that the nanograins, averaging from 2 to 9nm in sizes with increasing R, are dispersed in the amorphous matrix. The crystalline volume fractionmore » increases from 0 to 65% as R increases from 1 to 10. The thermal conductivities of the two amorphous silicon films are similar and consistent with the most previous reports with thicknesses no larger than a few um deposited by a variety of techniques. The thermal conductivities of the three nanocrystalline silicon films are also similar, but are about 50-70% higher than those of their amorphous counterparts. The heat conduction in nanocrystalline silicon films can be understood as the combined contribution in both amorphous and nanocrystalline phases, where increased conduction through improved nanocrystalline percolation path outweighs increased interface scattering between silicon nanocrystals and the amorphous matrix.« less

Atomic layer deposition and characterization of hafnium oxide grown on silicon from tetrakis(diethylamino)hafnium and water vapor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshpande, Anand; Inman, Ronald; Jursich, Gregory; Takoudis, Christos

2004-09-01

In this work thin films of hafnium oxide are deposited on Si(100) substrates by means of atomic layer deposition (ALD) using tetrakis(diethylamino)hafnium and water vapor at substrate temperatures of 250-350ºC. Our system capabilities include fast transient delivery of reactive fluids, real-time vapor phase detection (in situ tunable diode laser hygrometer), precursor thermochemical capabilities, and ppt level elemental analysis by inductive coupling plasma mass spectrometry. The composition, purity, and other properties of the films and resulting interfaces are determined using x-ray and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies, Z-contrast imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microscope with A˚ scale resolution, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The observed ALD rate is ~1.4 A˚ per cycle. The nonuniformity across the film is less than 4%. Negligible carbon contamination is found in the resulting stoichiometric films under all conditions studied. The pulse sequence was optimized to prevent disastrous particulate problems while still minimizing purge times. The film deposition is investigated as a function of substrate temperature and reagent pulsing characteristics. A mild inverse temperature dependence of the ALD rate is observed. The initial stage of the HfO2 growth is investigated in detail.

Noncatalytic thermocouple coatings produced with chemical vapor deposition for flame temperature measurements.

PubMed

Bahlawane, N; Struckmeier, U; Kasper, T S; Osswald, P

2007-01-01

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) have been employed to develop alumina thin films in order to protect thermocouples from catalytic overheating in flames and to minimize the intrusion presented to the combustion process. Alumina films obtained with a CVD process using AlCl(3) as the precursor are dense, not contaminated, and crystallize in the corundum structure, while MOCVD using Al(acetyl acetone)(3) allows the growth of corundum alumina with improved growth rates. These films, however, present a porous columnar structure and show some carbon contamination. Therefore, coated thermocouples using AlCl(3)-CVD were judged more suitable for flame temperature measurements and were tested in different fuels over a typical range of stoichiometries. Coated thermocouples exhibit satisfactory measurement reproducibility, no temporal drifts, and do not suffer from catalytic effects. Furthermore, their increased radiative heat loss (observed by infrared spectroscopy) allows temperature measurements over a wider range when compared to uncoated thermocouples. A flame with a well-known temperature profile established with laser-based techniques was used to determine the radiative heat loss correction to account for the difference between the apparent temperature measured by the coated thermocouple and the true flame temperature. The validity of the correction term was confirmed with temperature profile measurements for several flames previously studied in different laboratories with laser-based techniques.

Characterization of a-SiC:H films produced in a standard plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system for x-ray mask application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jean, A.; Chaker, M.; Diawara, Y.; Leung, P. K.; Gat, E.; Mercier, P. P.; Pépin, H.; Gujrathi, S.; Ross, G. G.; Kieffer, J. C.

1992-10-01

Hydrogenated amorphous a-SixC1-x:H films with various compositions (0.2≤x≤0.8) were prepared by a radio frequency (rf 100 kHz) glow discharge decomposition of a silane and methane mixture diluted in argon. The deposition system used was a commercially available plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor allowing a high throughput (22 wafers of 4 in. diameter each run). The properties of the films such as thickness, density, and stress were investigated. The composition, including hydrogen content and Si/C ratio, and the structure of the films were systematically examined by means of several diagnostics including electron recoil detection, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and infrared (IR) absorption analysis. Thickness and density of the films were dependent on the film composition, while the stress of the films was highly compressive (3×109-1×1010 dynes/cm2). Density was about 2.4 g/cm3 for nearly stoichiometric SiC films. The hydrogen content of the films was practically constant at 27 at. % over the whole investigated composition range. The IR analyses suggested that the structure of the silicon carbide films is inorganic-like over the whole range of compositions. From stoichiometric to carbon-rich films, the structure mainly consists of a tetrahedral network where silicon atoms are randomly replaced by carbon atoms and one hydrogen atom is bonded to silicon (SiH group). However, the presence of SiH2 groups and microvoids was observed in the structure of Si-rich silicon carbide films. Finally, the development of SiC membranes for x-ray lithography was presented including the control of film stress by means of rapid thermal annealing. Silicon carbide membranes of relatively high surface area (32×32 mm2) and showing high optical transparency (80%) were successfully fabricated.

In-situ deposition of YBCO high-Tc superconducting thin films by MOCVD and PE-MOCVD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, J.; Noh, D. W.; Chern, C.; Li, Y. Q.; Norris, P. E.; Kear, B.; Gallois, B.

1991-01-01

Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) offers the advantages of a high degree of compositional control, adaptability for large scale production, and the potential for low temperature fabrication. The capability of operating at high oxygen partial pressure is particularly suitable for in situ formation of high temperature superconducting (HTSC) films. Yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) thin films having a sharp zero-resistance transition with T(sub c) greater than 90 K and J(sub c) of approximately 10(exp 4) A on YSZ have been prepared, in situ, at a substrate temperature of about 800 C. Moreover, the ability to form oxide films at low temperature is very desirable for device applications of HTSC materials. Such a process would permit the deposition of high quality HTSC films with a smooth surface on a variety of substrates. Highly c-axis oriented, dense, scratch resistant, superconducting YBCO thin films with mirror-like surfaces have been prepared, in situ, at a reduced substrate temperature as low as 570 C by a remote microwave-plasma enhanced metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (PE-MOCVD) process. Nitrous oxide was used as a reactant gas to generate active oxidizing species. This process, for the first time, allows the formation of YBCO thin films with the orthorhombic superconducting phase in the as-deposited state. The as-deposited films grown by PE-MOCVD show attainment of zero resistance at 72 K with a transition width of about 5 K. MOCVD was carried out in a commercial production scale reactor with the capability of uniform deposition over 100 sq cm per growth run. Preliminary results indicate that PE-MOCVD is a very attractive thin film deposition process for superconducting device technology.

Ion assisted deposition of SiO2 film from silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, Tuan. H.; Dang, Cu. X.

2005-09-01

Silicon dioxide, SiO2, is one of the preferred low index materials for optical thin film technology. It is often deposited by electron beam evaporation source with less porosity and scattering, relatively durable and can have a good laser damage threshold. Beside these advantages the deposition of critical optical thin film stacks with silicon dioxide from an E-gun was severely limited by the stability of the evaporation pattern or angular distribution of the material. The even surface of SiO2 granules in crucible will tend to develop into groove and become deeper with the evaporation process. As the results, angular distribution of the evaporation vapor changes in non-predicted manner. This report presents our experiments to apply Ion Assisted Deposition process to evaporate silicon in a molten liquid form. By choosing appropriate process parameters we can get SiO2 film with good and stable property.

Ultrahigh Responsivity and Detectivity Graphene-Perovskite Hybrid Phototransistors by Sequential Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Po-Han; Liu, Shang-Yi; Lan, Yu-Bing; Tsai, Yi-Chen; You, Xue-Qian; Li, Chia-Shuo; Huang, Kuo-You; Chou, Ang-Sheng; Cheng, Tsung-Chin; Wang, Juen-Kai; Wu, Chih-I.

2017-04-01

In this work, graphene-methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite hybrid phototransistors fabricated by sequential vapor deposition are demonstrated. Ultrahigh responsivity of 1.73 × 107 A W-1 and detectivity of 2 × 1015 Jones are achieved, with extremely high effective quantum efficiencies of about 108% in the visible range (450-700 nm). This excellent performance is attributed to the ultra-flat perovskite films grown by vapor deposition on the graphene sheets. The hybrid structure of graphene covered with uniform perovskite has high exciton separation ability under light exposure, and thus efficiently generates photocurrents. This paper presents photoluminescence (PL) images along with statistical analysis used to study the photo-induced exciton behavior. Both uniform and dramatic PL intensity quenching has been observed over entire measured regions, consistently demonstrating excellent exciton separation in the devices.

Preparation of hydrogenated amorphous carbon films using a microsecond-pulsed DC capacitive-coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition system operated at high frequency up to 400 kHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamun, Md Abdullah Al; Furuta, Hiroshi; Hatta, Akimitsu

2018-06-01

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films are deposited on silicon (Si) substrates using a high-repetition microsecond-pulsed DC plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system from acetylene (C2H2) at a gas pressure of 15 Pa inside a custom-made vacuum chamber. The plasma discharge characteristics, hydrocarbon species, and the microstructure of the resulting films are examined at various pulse repetition rates from 50 to 400 kHz and a fixed duty cycle of 50%. The optical emission spectra confirmed the increase in electron excitation energy from 1.09 to 1.82 eV and the decrease in the intensity ratio of CH/C2 from 1.04 to 0.75 with increasing pulse frequency, indicating the enhanced electron impact dissociation of C2H2 gas. With increasing pulse frequency, the deposition rate gradually increased, reaching a maximum rate of 60 nm/min at 200 kHz, after which a progressive decrease was noted, whereas the deposition area was almost uniform for all the prepared films. Clear trends of increasing sp3 content (amorphization) and decreasing hydrogen (H) content in the films were observed as the pulse repetition rate increased, while most of the hydrogen atoms bonded to carbon atoms by sp3 hybridization rather than by sp2 hybridization.

Metal organic chemical vapor deposition of 111-v compounds on silicon

DOEpatents

Vernon, Stanley M.

1986-01-01

Expitaxial composite comprising thin films of a Group III-V compound semiconductor such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) or gallium aluminum arsenide (GaAlAs) on single crystal silicon substrates are disclosed. Also disclosed is a process for manufacturing, by chemical deposition from the vapor phase, epitaxial composites as above described, and to semiconductor devices based on such epitaxial composites. The composites have particular utility for use in making light sensitive solid state solar cells.

2017 Report for New LANL Physical Vapor Deposition Capability

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

Roman, Audrey Rae; Zhao, Xinxin; Bond, Evelyn M.

There is an urgent need at LANL to achieve uniform, thin film actinide targets that are essential for nuclear physics experiments. The target preparation work is currently performed externally by Professor Walter Loveland at Oregon State University, who has made various evaporated actinide targets such as Th and U for use on several nuclear physics measurements at LANSCE. We are developing a vapor deposition capability, with the goal of evaporating Th and U in the Actinide Research Facility (ARF) at TA-48. In the future we plan to expand this work to evaporating transuranic elements, such as Pu. The ARF ismore » the optimal location for evaporating actinides because this lab is specifically dedicated to actinide research. There are numerous instruments in the ARF that can be used to provide detailed characterization of the evaporated thin films such as: Table top Scanning Electron Microscope, In-situ X-Ray Diffraction, and 3D Raman spectroscopy. These techniques have the ability to determine the uniformity, surface characterization, and composition of the deposits.« less

Deposition of single and layered amorphous fluorocarbon films by C8F18 PECVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamauchi, Tatsuya; Mizuno, Kouichiro; Sugawara, Hirotake

2008-10-01

Amorphous fluorocarbon films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using C8F18 in closed system at C8F18 pressures 0.1--0.3 Torr, deposition times 1--30 min and plasma powers 20--200 W@. The layered films were composed by repeated PECVD processes. We compared `two-layered' and `intermittently deposited' films, which were made by the PECVD, respectively, with and without renewal of the gas after the deposition of the first layer. The interlayer boundary was observed in the layered films, and that of the intermittently deposited films showed a tendency to be clearer when the deposition time until the interruption of the PECVD was shorter. The film thickness increased linearly in the beginning of the PECVD and it turned down after 10--15 min, that was similar between the single and intermittently deposited films. It was considered that large precursors made at a low decomposition degree of C8F18 contributed to the film deposition in the early phase and that the downturn was due to the development of the C8F18 decomposition. This explanation on the deposition mechanism agrees qualitatively with our experimental data of pressure change and optical emission spectra during the deposition. This work is supported by Grant-in-Aid from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Electrically insulating films deposited on V-4%Cr-4%Ti by reactive CVD

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

Park, J.H.

1998-04-01

In the design of liquid-metal blankets for magnetic fusion reactors, corrosion resistance of structural materials and the magnetohydrodynamic forces and their influence on thermal hydraulics and corrosion are major concerns. Electrically insulating CaO films deposited on V-4%Cr-4%Ti exhibit high-ohmic insulator behavior even though a small amount of vanadium from the alloy become incorporated into the film. However, when vanadium concentration in the film is > 15 wt.%, the film becomes conductive. When the vanadium concentration is high in localized areas, a calcium vanadate phase that exhibits semiconductor behavior can form. The objective of this study is to evaluate electrically insulatingmore » films that were deposited on V-4%Cr-4%Ti by a reactive chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. To this end, CaO and Ca-V-O coatings were produced on vanadium alloys by CVD and by a metallic-vapor process to investigate the electrical resistance of the coatings. The authors found that the Ca-V-O films exhibited insulator behavior when the ratio of calcium concentration to vanadium concentration R in the film > 0.9, and semiconductor or conductor behavior when R < 0.8. However, in some cases, semiconductor behavior was observed when CaO-coated samples with R > 0.98 were exposed in liquid lithium. Based on these studies, they conclude that semiconductor behavior occurs if a conductive calcium vanadate phase is present in localized regions in the CaO coating.« less

Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of cerium oxide, gallium-indium-oxide, and magnesium oxide thin films: Precursor design, film growth, and film characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edleman, Nikki Lynn

A new class of volatile, low-melting, fluorine-free lanthanide metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) precursors has been developed. The neutral, monomeric cerium, neodymium, gadolinium, and erbium complexes are coordinatively saturated by a versatile, multidentate, ether-functionalized beta-ketoiminate ligand, and complex melting point and volatility characteristics can be tuned by altering the alkyl substituents on the ligand periphery. Direct comparison with lanthanide beta-diketonate complexes reveals that the present precursor class is a superior choice for lanthanide oxide MOCVD. Epitaxial CeO 2 buffer layer films have been grown on (001) YSZ substrates by MOCVD at significantly lower temperatures than previously reported using one of the newly developed cerium precursors. High-quality YBCO films grown on these CeO2 buffer layers by POMBE exhibit very good electrical transport properties. The cerium complex has therefore been explicitly demonstrated to be a stable and volatile precursor and is attractive for low-temperature growth of coated conductor multilayer structures by MOCVD. Gallium-indium-oxide thin films (GaxIn2-xO 3), x = 0.0˜1.1, have been grown by MOCVD using the volatile metal-organic precursors In(dpm)3 and Ga(dpm)3. The films have a homogeneously Ga-substituted, cubic In2O3 microstructure randomly oriented on quartz or heteroepitaxial on (100) YSZ single-crystal substrates. The highest conductivity of the as-grown films is found at x = 0.12. The optical transmission window and absolute transparency of the films rivals or exceeds that of the most transparent conductive oxides known. Reductive annealing results in improved charge transport characteristics with little loss of optical transparency. No significant difference in electrical properties is observed between randomly oriented and heteroepitaxial films, thus arguing that carrier scattering effects at high-angle grain boundaries play a minor role in the film conductivity mechanism

Photoluminescence intensity enhancement of GaAs by vapor-deposited GaS - A rational approach to surface passivation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, Phillip P.; Hepp, Aloysius F.; Power, Michael B.; Macinnes, Andrew N.; Barron, Andrew R.

1993-01-01

A two order-of-magnitude enhancement of photoluminescence intensity relative to untreated GaAs has been observed for GaAs surfaces coated with chemical vapor-deposited GaS. The increase in photoluminescence intensity can be viewed as an effective reduction in surface recombination velocity and/or band bending. The gallium cluster (/t-Bu/GaS)4 was used as a single-source precursor for the deposition of GaS thin films. The cubane core of the structurally-characterized precursor is retained in the deposited film producing a cubic phase. Furthermore, a near-epitaxial growth is observed for the GaS passivating layer. Films were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopies.

Advanced Computational Modeling of Vapor Deposition in a High-Pressure Reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardelino, Beatriz H.; Moore, Craig E.; McCall, Sonya D.; Cardelino, Carlos A.; Dietz, Nikolaus; Bachmann, Klaus

2004-01-01

In search of novel approaches to produce new materials for electro-optic technologies, advances have been achieved in the development of computer models for vapor deposition reactors in space. Numerical simulations are invaluable tools for costly and difficult processes, such as those experiments designed for high pressures and microgravity conditions. Indium nitride is a candidate compound for high-speed laser and photo diodes for optical communication system, as well as for semiconductor lasers operating into the blue and ultraviolet regions. But InN and other nitride compounds exhibit large thermal decomposition at its optimum growth temperature. In addition, epitaxy at lower temperatures and subatmospheric pressures incorporates indium droplets into the InN films. However, surface stabilization data indicate that InN could be grown at 900 K in high nitrogen pressures, and microgravity could provide laminar flow conditions. Numerical models for chemical vapor deposition have been developed, coupling complex chemical kinetics with fluid dynamic properties.

Advanced Computational Modeling of Vapor Deposition in a High-pressure Reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardelino, Beatriz H.; Moore, Craig E.; McCall, Sonya D.; Cardelino, Carlos A.; Dietz, Nikolaus; Bachmann, Klaus

2004-01-01

In search of novel approaches to produce new materials for electro-optic technologies, advances have been achieved in the development of computer models for vapor deposition reactors in space. Numerical simulations are invaluable tools for costly and difficult processes, such as those experiments designed for high pressures and microgravity conditions. Indium nitride is a candidate compound for high-speed laser and photo diodes for optical communication system, as well as for semiconductor lasers operating into the blue and ultraviolet regions. But InN and other nitride compounds exhibit large thermal decomposition at its optimum growth temperature. In addition, epitaxy at lower temperatures and subatmospheric pressures incorporates indium droplets into the InN films. However, surface stabilization data indicate that InN could be grown at 900 K in high nitrogen pressures, and microgravity could provide laminar flow conditions. Numerical models for chemical vapor deposition have been developed, coupling complex chemical kinetics with fluid dynamic properties.

Etching-free patterning method for electrical characterization of atomically thin MoSe2 films grown by chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Utama, M Iqbal Bakti; Lu, Xin; Zhan, Da; Ha, Son Tung; Yuan, Yanwen; Shen, Zexiang; Xiong, Qihua

2014-11-07

Patterning two-dimensional materials into specific spatial arrangements and geometries is essential for both fundamental studies of materials and practical applications in electronics. However, the currently available patterning methods generally require etching steps that rely on complicated and expensive procedures. We report here a facile patterning method for atomically thin MoSe2 films using stripping with an SU-8 negative resist layer exposed to electron beam lithography. Additional steps of chemical and physical etching were not necessary in this SU-8 patterning method. The SU-8 patterning was used to define a ribbon channel from a field effect transistor of MoSe2 film, which was grown by chemical vapor deposition. The narrowing of the conduction channel area with SU-8 patterning was crucial in suppressing the leakage current within the device, thereby allowing a more accurate interpretation of the electrical characterization results from the sample. An electrical transport study, enabled by the SU-8 patterning, showed a variable range hopping behavior at high temperatures.

Friction and wear of plasma-deposited diamond films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa; Wu, Richard L. C.; Garscadden, Alan; Barnes, Paul N.; Jackson, Howard E.

1993-01-01

Reciprocating sliding friction experiments in humid air and in dry nitrogen and unidirectional sliding friction experiments in ultrahigh vacuum were conducted with a natural diamond pin in contact with microwave-plasma-deposited diamond films. Diamond films with a surface roughness (R rms) ranging from 15 to 160 nm were produced by microwave-plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition. In humid air and in dry nitrogen, abrasion occurred when the diamond pin made grooves in the surfaces of diamond films, and thus the initial coefficients of friction increased with increasing initial surface roughness. The equilibrium coefficients of friction were independent of the initial surface roughness of the diamond films. In vacuum the friction for diamond films contacting a diamond pin arose primarily from adhesion between the sliding surfaces. In these cases, the initial and equilibrium coefficients of friction were independent of the initial surface roughness of the diamond films. The equilibrium coefficients of friction were 0.02 to 0.04 in humid air and in dry nitrogen, but 1.5 to 1.8 in vacuum. The wear factor of the diamond films depended on the initial surface roughness, regardless of environment; it increased with increasing initial surface roughness. The wear factors were considerably higher in vacuum than in humid air and in dry nitrogen.

Preparation of pentacene thin film deposited using organic material auto-feeding system for the fabrication of organic thin film transistor.

PubMed

Kim, Young Baek; Choi, Bum Ho; Lim, Yong Hwan; Yoo, Ha Na; Lee, Jong Ho; Kim, Jin Hyeok

2011-02-01

In this study, pentacene organic thin film was prepared using newly developed organic material auto-feeding system integrated with linear cell and characterized. The newly developed organic material auto-feeding system consists of 4 major parts: reservoir, micro auto-feeder, vaporizer, and linear cell. The deposition of organic thin film could be precisely controlled by adjusting feeding rate, main tube size, position and size of nozzle. 10 nm thick pentacene thin film prepared on glass substrate exhibited high uniformity of 3.46% which is higher than that of conventional evaporation method using point cell. The continuous deposition without replenishment of organic material can be performed over 144 hours with regulated deposition control. The grain size of pentacene film which affect to mobility of OTFT, was controlled as a function of the temperature.

Semiconductor gas sensor based on tin oxide nanorods prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with postplasma treatment

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

Huang Hui; Tan, O.K.; Lee, Y.C.

2005-10-17

SnO{sub 2} thin films were deposited by radio-frequency inductively coupled plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Postplasma treatments were used to modify the microstructure of the as-deposited SnO{sub 2} thin films. Uniform nanorods with dimension of null-set 7x100 nm were observed in the plasma-treated films. After plasma treatments, the optimal operating temperature of the plasma-treated SnO{sub 2} thin films decreased by 80 deg. C, while the gas sensitivity increased eightfold. The enhanced gas sensing properties of the plasma-treated SnO{sub 2} thin film were believed to result from the large surface-to-volume ratio of the nanorods' tiny grain size in the scale comparable tomore » the space-charge length and its unique microstructure of SnO{sub 2} nanorods rooted in SnO{sub 2} thin films.« less

Ultrathin NiGe films prepared via catalytic solid-vapor reaction of Ni with GeH(4).

PubMed

Peter, Antony P; Opsomer, Karl; Adelmann, Christoph; Schaekers, Marc; Meersschaut, Johan; Richard, Olivier; Vaesen, Inge; Moussa, Alain; Franquet, Alexis; Zsolt, Tokei; Van Elshocht, Sven

2013-10-09

A low-temperature (225-300 °C) solid-vapor reaction process is reported for the synthesis of ultrathin NiGe films (∼6-23 nm) on 300 mm Si wafers covered with thermal oxide. The films were prepared via catalytic chemical vapor reaction of germane (GeH4) gas with physical vapor deposited (PVD) Ni films of different thickness (2-10 nm). The process optimization by investigating GeH4 partial pressure, reaction temperature, and time shows that low resistive, stoichiometric, and phase pure NiGe films can be formed within a broad window. NiGe films crystallized in an orthorhombic structure and were found to exhibit a smooth morphology with homogeneous composition as evidenced by glancing angle X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Rutherford back-scattering (RBS) analysis. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis shows that the NiGe layers exhibit a good adhesion without voids and a sharp interface on the thermal oxide. The NiGe films were found to be morphologically and structurally stable up to 500 °C and exhibit a resistivity value of 29 μΩ cm for 10 nm NiGe films.

Low-temperature (120 °C) growth of nanocrystalline silicon films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition from SiCl 4/H 2 gases: Microstructure characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Gao, J. H.; Xiao, J. Q.; Wen, L. S.; Gong, J.; Sun, C.

2012-01-01

Hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) films were prepared using diluted tetrachlorosilane (SiCl4) with various hydrogen flow rates (Hf) by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at a constant substrate temperature (Ts) as low as 120 °C. Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared spectra (IR) and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) were employed to investigate the microstructure and hydrogen bonding of the nc-Si:H films. Our results showed that the microstructure and hydrogen content of the films could be effectively tailored by the hydrogen flow rates, and a distinct transition from amorphous to nanocrystalline phase was observed with an increase of Hf. At an optimal preparation condition, a deposition rate was as high as 3.7 nm/min and the crystallinity reached up to 64.1%. In addition, the effect of hydrogen on the low-temperature growth of nc-Si:H film was proposed in relation to the surface reaction of radicals and the hydrogen diffusion in the surface growing region.

High-rate deposition of LiNb 1- xTa xO 3 films by thermal plasma spray CVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majima, T.; Yamamoto, H.; Kulinich, S. A.; Terashima, K.

2000-12-01

LiNb 1- xTa xO 3 films were prepared by a thermal plasma spray CVD method using liquid source materials. Preferentially (0 0 1)-oriented LiNb 1- xTa xO 3 films with satisfactory in-plane and out-of-plane alignment were fabricated on sapphire (0 0 1) substrates. The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the (0 0 6) rocking curve could achieve 0.12°, which was comparable with those of LiNbO 3 and LiTaO 3 films prepared by other conventional vapor-phase deposition methods. The deposition rate was up to 0.07 μm/min, which was 5-40 times faster than those for most other conventional vapor-phase deposition methods. From inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy analysis, x values of these films were estimated to be 0.36-0.49.

Chemical vapor deposited silica coatings for solar mirror protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulino, Daniel A.; Dever, Therese M.; Banholzer, William F.

1988-01-01

A variety of techniques is available to apply protective coatings to oxidation susceptible spacecraft components, and each has associated advantages and disadvantages. Film applications by means of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has the advantage of being able to be applied conformally to objects of irregular shape. For this reason, a study was made of the oxygen plasma durability of thin film (less than 5000 A) silicon dioxide coatings applied by CVD. In these experiments, such coatings were applied to silver mirrors, which are strongly subject to oxidation, and which are proposed for use on the space station solar dynamic power system. Results indicate that such coatings can provide adequate protection without affecting the reflectance of the mirror. Scanning electron micrographs indicated that oxidation of the silver layer did occur at stress crack locations, but this did not affect the measured solar reflectances. Oxidation of the silver did not proceed beyond the immediate location of the crack. Such stress cracks did not occur in thinner silica films, and hence such films would be desirable for this application.

A nitrogen-doped graphene film prepared by chemical vapor deposition of a methanol mist containing methylated melamine resin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizuno, T.; Takizawa, M.; Tsuchiya, B.; Jinno, M.; Bandow, S.

2013-11-01

The effect of nitrogen doping on the sheet resistivity of a graphene film is systematically studied by changing the doping concentration. The nitrogen-doped graphene film is grown on a Cu foil by chemical vapor deposition using an ultrasonically generated methanol mist containing methylated melamine resin (simply called ‘melamine’). Using this method, it is found that the magnitude of the sheet resistivity is controllable by changing the melamine concentration. Increasing the melamine concentration up to ˜0.03 % causes a decrease of the sheet resistivity. We explain this by the substitutional doping of nitrogen atoms. A further increase in melamine concentration causes an increase of the sheet resistivity. This increase may be caused by the formation of pyridinic or pyrrolic N instead of substitutional N. Electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses for the carbon K-edge indicate a decrease of π ∗ character with increasing melamine concentration up to 0.08 % and then it recovers for higher concentration. This is due to a separation of the graphitic region and the defective region at high melamine concentration.

Mass-Spectrometric Studies of Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition Processes of Organic Silicon Compounds Containing Nitrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morimoto, Takashi; Ansari, S. G.; Yoneyama, Koji; Nakajima, Teppei; Masuda, Atsushi; Matsumura, Hideki; Nakamura, Megumi; Umemoto, Hironobu

2006-02-01

The mechanism of catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) processes for hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and trisdimethylaminosilane (TDMAS), which are used as source gases to prepare SiNx or SiCxNy films, was studied using three different mass spectrometric techniques: ionization by Li+ ion attachment, vacuum-ultraviolet radiation and electron impact. The results for HMDS show that Si-N bonds dissociate selectively, although Si-C bonds are weaker, and (CH3)3SiNH should be one of the main precursors of deposited films. This decomposition mechanism did not change when NH3 was introduced, but the decomposition efficiency was slightly increased. Similar results were obtained for TDMAS.

Ultrahigh Responsivity and Detectivity Graphene–Perovskite Hybrid Phototransistors by Sequential Vapor Deposition

PubMed Central

Chang, Po-Han; Liu, Shang-Yi; Lan, Yu-Bing; Tsai, Yi-Chen; You, Xue-Qian; Li, Chia-Shuo; Huang, Kuo-You; Chou, Ang-Sheng; Cheng, Tsung-Chin; Wang, Juen-Kai; Wu, Chih-I

2017-01-01

In this work, graphene-methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite hybrid phototransistors fabricated by sequential vapor deposition are demonstrated. Ultrahigh responsivity of 1.73 × 107 A W−1 and detectivity of 2 × 1015 Jones are achieved, with extremely high effective quantum efficiencies of about 108% in the visible range (450–700 nm). This excellent performance is attributed to the ultra-flat perovskite films grown by vapor deposition on the graphene sheets. The hybrid structure of graphene covered with uniform perovskite has high exciton separation ability under light exposure, and thus efficiently generates photocurrents. This paper presents photoluminescence (PL) images along with statistical analysis used to study the photo-induced exciton behavior. Both uniform and dramatic PL intensity quenching has been observed over entire measured regions, consistently demonstrating excellent exciton separation in the devices. PMID:28422117

TiOx thin films grown on Pd(100) and Pd(111) by chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farstad, M. H.; Ragazzon, D.; Grönbeck, H.; Strømsheim, M. D.; Stavrakas, C.; Gustafson, J.; Sandell, A.; Borg, A.

2016-07-01

The growth of ultrathin TiOx (0≤x≤2) films on Pd(100) and Pd(111) surfaces by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), using Titanium(IV)isopropoxide (TTIP) as precursor, has been investigated by high resolution photoelectron spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy. Three different TiOx phases and one Pd-Ti alloy phase have been identified for both surfaces. The Pd-Ti alloy phase is observed at the initial stages of film growth. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations for Pd(100) and Pd(111) suggest that Ti is alloyed into the second layer of the substrate. Increasing the TTIP dose yields a wetting layer comprising Ti2 + species (TiOx, x ∼0.75). On Pd(100), this phase exhibits a mixture of structures with (3 × 5) and (4 × 5) periodicity with respect to the Pd(100) substrate, while an incommensurate structure is formed on Pd(111). Most importantly, on both surfaces this phase consists of a zigzag pattern similar to observations on other reactive metal surfaces. Further increase in coverage results in growth of a fully oxidized (TiO2) phase on top of the partially oxidized layer. Preliminary investigations indicate that the fully oxidized phase on both Pd(100) and Pd(111) may be the TiO2(B) phase.

Deposition and properties of cobalt- and ruthenium-based ultra-thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, Lucas Benjamin

Future copper interconnect systems will require replacement of the materials that currently comprise both the liner layer(s) and the capping layer. Ruthenium has previously been considered as a material that could function as a single material liner, however its poor ability to prevent copper diffusion makes it incompatible with liner requirements. A recently described chemical vapor deposition route to amorphous ruthenium-phosphorus alloy films could correct this problem by eliminating the grain boundaries found in pure ruthenium films. Bias-temperature stressing of capacitor structures using 5 nm ruthenium-phosphorus film as a barrier to copper diffusion and analysis of the times-to-failure at accelerated temperature and field conditions implies that ruthenium-phosphorus performs acceptably as a diffusion barrier for temperatures above 165°C. The future problems associated with the copper capping layer are primarily due to the poor adhesion between copper and the current Si-based capping layers. Cobalt, which adheres well to copper, has been widely proposed to replace the Si-based materials, but its ability to prevent copper diffusion must be improved if it is to be successfully implemented in the interconnect. Using a dual-source chemistry of dicobaltoctacarbonyl and trimethylphosphine at temperatures from 250-350°C, amorphous cobalt-phosphorus can be deposited by chemical vapor deposition. The films contain elemental cobalt and phosphorus, plus some carbon impurity, which is incorporated in the film as both graphitic and carbidic (bonded to cobalt) carbon. When deposited on copper, the adhesion between the two materials remains strong despite the presence of phosphorus and carbon at the interface, but the selectivity for growth on copper compared to silicon dioxide is poor and must be improved prior to consideration for application in interconnect systems. A single molecule precursor containing both cobalt and phosphorus atoms, tetrakis

Supercritical fluid molecular spray film deposition and powder formation

DOEpatents

Smith, Richard D.

1986-01-01

Solid films are deposited, or fine powders formed, by dissolving a solid material into a supercritical fluid solution at an elevated pressure and then rapidly expanding the solution through a short orifice into a region of relatively low pressure. This produces a molecular spray which is directed against a substrate to deposit a solid thin film thereon, or discharged into a collection chamber to collect a fine powder. Upon expansion and supersonic interaction with background gases in the low pressure region, any clusters of solvent are broken up and the solvent is vaporized and pumped away. Solute concentration in the solution is varied primarily by varying solution pressure to determine, together with flow rate, the rate of deposition and to control in part whether a film or powder is produced and the granularity of each. Solvent clustering and solute nucleation are controlled by manipulating the rate of expansion of the solution and the pressure of the lower pressure region. Solution and low pressure region temperatures are also controlled.

In Situ deposition of YBCO high-T(sub c) superconducting thin films by MOCVD and PE-MOCVD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, J.; Noh, D. W.; Chern, C.; Li, Y. Q.; Norris, P.; Gallois, B.; Kear, B.

1990-01-01

Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) offers the advantages of a high degree of compositional control, adaptability for large scale production, and the potential for low temperature fabrication. The capability of operating at high oxygen partial pressure is particularly suitable for in situ formation of high temperature superconducting (HTSC) films. Yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) thin films having a sharp zero-resistance transition with T( sub c) greater than 90 K and Jc approx. 10 to the 4th power A on YSZ have been prepared, in situ, at a substrate temperature of about 800 C. Moreover, the ability to form oxide films at low temperature is very desirable for device applications of HTSC materials. Such a process would permit the deposition of high quality HTSC films with a smooth surface on a variety of substrates. Highly c-axis oriented, dense, scratch resistant, superconducting YBCO thin films with mirror-like surfaces have been prepared, in situ, at a reduced substrate temperature as low as 570 C by a remote microwave-plasma enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (PE-MOCVD) process. Nitrous oxide was used as a reactant gas to generate active oxidizing species. This process, for the first time, allows the formation of YBCO thin films with the orthorhombic superconducting phase in the as-deposited state. The as-deposited films grown by PE-MOCVD show attainment of zero resistance at 72 K with a transition width of about 5 K. MOCVD was carried out in a commercial production scale reactor with the capability of uniform deposition over 100 sq cm per growth run. Preliminary results indicate that PE-MOCVD is a very attractive thin film deposition process for superconducting device technology.

Vapor and healing treatment for CH3NH3PbI3-xClx films toward large-area perovskite solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouda, Laxman; Gottesman, Ronen; Tirosh, Shay; Haltzi, Eynav; Hu, Jiangang; Ginsburg, Adam; Keller, David A.; Bouhadana, Yaniv; Zaban, Arie

2016-03-01

Hybrid methyl-ammonium lead trihalide perovskites are promising low-cost materials for use in solar cells and other optoelectronic applications. With a certified photovoltaic conversion efficiency record of 20.1%, scale-up for commercial purposes is already underway. However, preparation of large-area perovskite films remains a challenge, and films of perovskites on large electrodes suffer from non-uniform performance. Thus, production and characterization of the lateral uniformity of large-area films is a crucial step towards scale-up of devices. In this paper, we present a reproducible method for improving the lateral uniformity and performance of large-area perovskite solar cells (32 cm2). The method is based on methyl-ammonium iodide (MAI) vapor treatment as a new step in the sequential deposition of perovskite films. Following the MAI vapor treatment, we used high throughput techniques to map the photovoltaic performance throughout the large-area device. The lateral uniformity and performance of all photovoltaic parameters (Voc, Jsc, Fill Factor, Photo-conversion efficiency) increased, with an overall improved photo-conversion efficiency of ~100% following a vapor treatment at 140 °C. Based on XRD and photoluminescence measurements, We propose that the MAI treatment promotes a ``healing effect'' to the perovskite film which increases the lateral uniformity across the large-area solar cell. Thus, the straightforward MAI vapor treatment is highly beneficial for large scale commercialization of perovskite solar cells, regardless of the specific deposition method.Hybrid methyl-ammonium lead trihalide perovskites are promising low-cost materials for use in solar cells and other optoelectronic applications. With a certified photovoltaic conversion efficiency record of 20.1%, scale-up for commercial purposes is already underway. However, preparation of large-area perovskite films remains a challenge, and films of perovskites on large electrodes suffer from non

Method and apparatus for conducting variable thickness vapor deposition

DOEpatents

Nesslage, G.V.

1984-08-03

A method of vapor depositing metal on a substrate in variable thickness comprises conducting the deposition continuously without interruption to avoid formation of grain boundaries. To achieve reduced deposition in specific regions a thin wire or ribbon blocking body is placed between source and substrate to partially block vapors from depositing in the region immediately below.

Ferroelectric and reliability properties of metal-organic chemical vapor deposited Pb(Zr0.15Ti0.85)O3 thin films grown in the self-regulation process window

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jin Shi; Lee, Hyun Ju; Sim, Joon Seop; Lee, Keun; Hwang, Cheol Seong

2006-04-01

Ferroelectric reliability of Pb(Zr0.15Ti0.85)O3 films grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition at 570°C on an Ir electrode in the self-regulation process window [constant Pb concentration irrespective of the precursor input ratio (Pb /(Zr+Ti), PIR)] was studied. Although the Pb composition and crystallinity of the films grown under different PIR were almost identical, the film grown under a PIR which was near the center of the process window showed the best ferroelectric performance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the films grown at lower and higher PIR have residual ZrO2 and metallic Pb, respectively, which resulted in reduced remanent polarization and reliability.

Temperature dependent electrical properties of polyaniline film grown on paper through aniline vapor polymerization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deb, K.; Bhowmik, K. L.; Bera, A.; Chattopadhyay, K. K.; Saha, B.

2016-05-01

Polyaniline thin film has been prepared on paper by aniline vapor deposition technique. Ferric chloride has been used as polymerizing agent in this approach. The prepared films were studied through electrical resistivity and optical properties measurements. The electrical resistivity of the polyaniline film shows significant temperature dependence. The resistance sharply falls with the increase in temperature. The optical absorbance measurements shows characteristics absorbance peak indicating the formation of conducting emeraldine salt form of polyaniline. The optical energy band gap of the film was calculated from the transmittance spectra. The optical energy band gap and electrical conductivity of the polyaniline film is well suited for their applications in electronic devices.

Effect of copper doping sol-gel ZnO thin films: physical properties and sensitivity to ethanol vapor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boukaous, Chahra; Benhaoua, Boubaker; Telia, Azzedine; Ghanem, Salah

2017-10-01

In the present paper, the effect of copper doping ZnO thin films, deposited using a sol-gel dip-coating technique, on the structural, optical and ethanol vapor-sensing properties, was investigated. The range of the doping content is 0 wt. %-5 wt. % Cu/Zn and the films’ properties were studied using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The obtained results indicated that undoped and copper-doped zinc oxide thin films have polycrystalline wurtzite structure with (1 0 1) preferred orientation. All samples have a smooth and dense structure free of pinholes. A decrease in the band gap with Cu concentration in the ZnO network was observed. The influence of the dopant on ethanol vapor-sensing properties shows an increase in the film sensitivity to the ethanol vapor within the Cu concentration.

Dependences of deposition rate and OH content on concentration of added trichloroethylene in low-temperature silicon oxide films deposited using silicone oil and ozone gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horita, Susumu; Jain, Puneet

2018-03-01

We investigated the dependences of the deposition rate and residual OH content of SiO2 films on the concentration of trichloroethylene (TCE), which was added during deposition at low temperatures of 160-260 °C with the reactant gases of silicone oil (SO) and O3. The deposition rate depends on the TCE concentration and is minimum at a concentration of ˜0.4 mol/m3 at 200 °C. The result can be explained by surface and gas-phase reactions. Experimentally, we also revealed that the thickness profile is strongly affected by gas-phase reaction, in which the TCE vapor was blown directly onto the substrate surface, where it mixed with SO and O3. Furthermore, it was found that adding TCE vapor reduces residual OH content in the SiO2 film deposited at 200 °C because TCE enhances the dehydration reaction.

Initiated chemical vapor deposition polymers for high peak-power laser targets

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

Baxamusa, Salmaan H.; Lepro, Xavier; Lee, Tom

2016-12-05

Here, we report two examples of initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) polymers being developed for use in laser targets for high peak-power laser systems. First, we show that iCVD poly(divinylbenzene) is more photo-oxidatively stable than the plasma polymers currently used in laser targets. Thick layers (10–12 μm) of this highly crosslinked polymer can be deposited with near-zero intrinsic film stress. Second, we show that iCVD epoxy polymers can be crosslinked after deposition to form thin adhesive layers for assembling precision laser targets. The bondlines can be made as thin as ~ 1 μm, approximately a factor of 2 thinner thanmore » achievable using viscous resin-based adhesives. These bonds can withstand downstream coining and stamping processes.« less

Stretchable Electronic Sensors of Nanocomposite Network Films for Ultrasensitive Chemical Vapor Sensing.

PubMed

Yan, Hong; Zhong, Mengjuan; Lv, Ze; Wan, Pengbo

2017-11-01

A stretchable, transparent, and body-attachable chemical sensor is assembled from the stretchable nanocomposite network film for ultrasensitive chemical vapor sensing. The stretchable nanocomposite network film is fabricated by in situ preparation of polyaniline/MoS 2 (PANI/MoS 2 ) nanocomposite in MoS 2 suspension and simultaneously nanocomposite deposition onto prestrain elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane substrate. The assembled stretchable electronic sensor demonstrates ultrasensitive sensing performance as low as 50 ppb, robust sensing stability, and reliable stretchability for high-performance chemical vapor sensing. The ultrasensitive sensing performance of the stretchable electronic sensors could be ascribed to the synergistic sensing advantages of MoS 2 and PANI, higher specific surface area, the reliable sensing channels of interconnected network, and the effectively exposed sensing materials. It is expected to hold great promise for assembling various flexible stretchable chemical vapor sensors with ultrasensitive sensing performance, superior sensing stability, reliable stretchability, and robust portability to be potentially integrated into wearable electronics for real-time monitoring of environment safety and human healthcare. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Conversion Coatings for Aluminum Alloys by Chemical Vapor Deposition Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reye, John T.; McFadden, Lisa S.; Gatica, Jorge E.; Morales, Wilfredo

2004-01-01

With the rise of environmental awareness and the renewed importance of environmentally friendly processes, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has targeted surface pre-treatment processes based on chromates. Indeed, this process has been subject to regulations under the Clean Water Act as well as other environmental initiatives, and there is today a marked movement to phase the process out in the near future. Therefore, there is a clear need for new advances in coating technology that could provide practical options for replacing present industrial practices. Depending on the final application, such coatings might be required to be resistant to corrosion, act as chemically resistant coatings, or both. This research examined a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) mechanism to deposit uniform conversion coatings onto aluminum alloy substrates. Robust protocols based on solutions of aryl phosphate ester and multi-oxide conversion coating (submicron) films were successfully grown onto the aluminum alloy samples. These films were characterized by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Preliminary results indicate the potential of this technology to replace aqueous-based chromate processes.

Alternate deposition and hydrogen doping technique for ZnO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myong, Seung Yeop; Lim, Koeng Su

2006-08-01

We propose an alternate deposition and hydrogen doping (ADHD) technique for polycrystalline hydrogen-doped ZnO thin films, which is a sublayer-by-sublayer deposition based on metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and mercury-sensitized photodecomposition of hydrogen doping gas. Compared to conventional post-deposition hydrogen doping, the ADHD process provides superior electrical conductivity, stability, and surface roughness. Photoluminescence spectra measured at 10 K reveal that the ADHD technique improves ultraviolet and violet emissions by suppressing the green and yellow emissions. Therefore, the ADHD technique is shown to be very promising aid to the manufacture of improved transparent conducting electrodes and light emitting materials.

Low Temperature Metal Free Growth of Graphene on Insulating Substrates by Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition

PubMed Central

Muñoz, R.; Munuera, C.; Martínez, J. I.; Azpeitia, J.; Gómez-Aleixandre, C.; García-Hernández, M.

2016-01-01

Direct growth of graphene films on dielectric substrates (quartz and silica) is reported, by means of remote electron cyclotron resonance plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition r-(ECR-CVD) at low temperature (650°C). Using a two step deposition process- nucleation and growth- by changing the partial pressure of the gas precursors at constant temperature, mostly monolayer continuous films, with grain sizes up to 500 nm are grown, exhibiting transmittance larger than 92% and sheet resistance as low as 900 Ω·sq-1. The grain size and nucleation density of the resulting graphene sheets can be controlled varying the deposition time and pressure. In additon, first-principles DFT-based calculations have been carried out in order to rationalize the oxygen reduction in the quartz surface experimentally observed. This method is easily scalable and avoids damaging and expensive transfer steps of graphene films, improving compatibility with current fabrication technologies. PMID:28070341

The Barrier Properties of PET Coated DLC Film Deposited by Microwave Surface-Wave PECVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Lianhua; Chen, Qiang

2017-12-01

In this paper we report the investigation of diamond-like carbon (DLC) deposited by microwave surface-wave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) web for the purpose of the barrier property improvement. In order to characterize the properties of DLC coatings, we used several substrates, silicon wafer, glass, and PET web and KBr tablet. The deposition rate was obtained by surface profiler based on the DLC deposited on glass substrates; Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FTIR) was carried out on KBr tablets to investigate chemical composition and bonding structure; the morphology of the DLC coating was analyzed by atomic force microscope (AFM) on Si substrates. For the barrier properties of PET webs, we measured the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) after coated with DLC films. We addressed the film barrier property related to process parameters, such as microwave power and pulse parameter in this work. The results show that the DLC coatings can greatly improve the barrier properties of PET webs.

Microenergetic Shock Initiation Studies on Deposited Films of Petn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tappan, Alexander S.; Wixom, Ryan R.; Trott, Wayne M.; Long, Gregory T.; Knepper, Robert; Brundage, Aaron L.; Jones, David A.

2009-12-01

Films of the high explosive PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) up to 500-μm thick have been deposited through physical vapor deposition, with the intent of creating well-defined samples for shock-initiation studies. PETN films were characterized with microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and focused ion beam nanotomography. These high-density films were subjected to strong shocks in both the out-of-plane and in-plane orientations. Initiation behavior was monitored with high-speed framing and streak camera photography. Direct initiation with a donor explosive (either RDX with binder, or CL-20 with binder) was possible in both orientations, but with the addition of a thin aluminum buffer plate (in-plane configuration only), initiation proved to be difficult. Initiation was possible with an explosively-driven 0.13-mm thick Kapton flyer and direct observation of initiation behavior was examined using streak camera photography at different flyer velocities. Models of this configuration were created using the shock physics code CTH.

Plasma deposition of amorphous silicon carbide thin films irradiated with neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huran, J.; Bohacek, P.; Kucera, M.; Kleinova, A.; Sasinkova, V.; IEE SAS, Bratislava, Slovakia Team; Polymer Institute, SAS, Bratislava, Slovakia Team; Institute of Chemistry, SAS, Bratislava, Slovakia Team

2015-09-01

Amorphous silicon carbide and N-doped silicon carbide thin films were deposited on P-type Si(100) wafer by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technology using silane, methane, ammonium and argon gases. The concentration of elements in the films was determined by RBS and ERDA method. Chemical compositions were analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy. Photoluminescence properties were studied by photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). Irradiation of samples with various neutron fluencies was performed at room temperature. The films contain silicon, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and small amount of oxygen. From the IR spectra, the films contained Si-C, Si-H, C-H, Si-N, N-H and Si-O bonds. No significance effect on the IR spectra after neutron irradiation was observed. PL spectroscopy results of films showed decreasing PL intensity after neutron irradiation and PL intensity decreased with increased neutron fluencies. The measured current of the prepared structures increased after irradiation with neutrons and rise up with neutron fluencies.

Reduced water vapor transmission rates of low-temperature solution-processed metal oxide barrier films via ultraviolet annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Seonuk; Jeong, Yong Jin; Baek, Yonghwa; Kim, Lae Ho; Jang, Jin Hyuk; Kim, Yebyeol; An, Tae Kyu; Nam, Sooji; Kim, Se Hyun; Jang, Jaeyoung; Park, Chan Eon

2017-08-01

Here, we report the fabrication of low-temperature sol-gel-derived aluminum oxide (AlOx) films via ultraviolet (UV) annealing and the investigation of their water vapor blocking properties by measuring the water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs). The UV annealing process induced the formation of a dense metal-oxygen-metal bond (Al-O-Al structure) at low temperatures (<200 °C) that are compatible with commercial plastic substrates. The density of the UV-annealed AlOx thin film at 180 °C was comparable to that of AlOx thin films that have been thermally annealed at 350 °C. Furthermore, the UV-annealed AlOx thin films exhibited a high optical transparency in the visible region (>99%) and good electrical insulating properties (∼10-7 A/cm2 at 2 MV/cm). Finally, we confirmed that a dense AlOx thin film was successfully deposited onto the plastic substrate via UV annealing at low temperatures, leading to a substantial reduction in the WVTRs. The Ca corrosion test was used to measure the WVTRs of AlOx thin films deposited onto polyethylene naphthalate or polyimide substrates, determined to be 0.0095 g m-2 day-1 (25 °C, 50% relative humidity) and 0.26 g m-2 day-1, respectively.

Mechanical properties of ultrahigh molecular weight PHEMA hydrogels synthesized using initiated chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Bose, Ranjita K; Lau, Kenneth K S

2010-08-09

In this work, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), a widely used hydrogel, is synthesized using initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD), a one-step surface polymerization that does not use any solvents. iCVD synthesis is capable of producing linear stoichiometric polymers that are free from entrained unreacted monomer or solvent and, thus, do not require additional purification steps. The resulting films, therefore, are found to be noncytotoxic and also have low nonspecific protein adsorption. The kinetics of iCVD polymerization are tuned so as to achieve rapid deposition rates ( approximately 1.5 microm/min), which in turn yield ultrahigh molecular weight polymer films that are mechanically robust with good water transport and swellability. The films have an extremely high degree of physical chain entanglement giving rise to high tensile modulus and storage modulus without the need for chemical cross-linking that compromises hydrophilicity.

Initial stages of growth and the influence of temperature during chemical vapor deposition of sp{sup 2}-BN films

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

Chubarov, Mikhail; Pedersen, Henrik; Högberg, Hans

2015-11-15

Knowledge of the structural evolution of thin films, starting by the initial stages of growth, is important to control the quality and properties of the film. The authors present a study on the initial stages of growth and the temperature influence on the structural evolution of sp{sup 2} hybridized boron nitride (BN) thin films during chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with triethyl boron and ammonia as precursors. Nucleation of hexagonal BN (h-BN) occurs at 1200 °C on α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} with an AlN buffer layer (AlN/α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}). At 1500 °C, h-BN grows with a layer-by-layer growth mode on AlN/α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} upmore » to ∼4 nm after which the film structure changes to rhombohedral BN (r-BN). Then, r-BN growth proceeds with a mixed layer-by-layer and island growth mode. h-BN does not grow on 6H-SiC substrates; instead, r-BN nucleates and grows directly with a mixed layer-by-layer and island growth mode. These differences may be caused by differences in substrate surface temperature due to different thermal conductivities of the substrate materials. These results add to the understanding of the growth process of sp{sup 2}-BN employing CVD.« less

A novel approach of deposition for uniform diamond films on circular saw blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hongxiu, ZHOU; Boya, YUAN; Jilei, LYU; Nan, JIANG

2017-11-01

Uniform diamond films are highly desirable for cutting industries, due to their high performance and long lifetime used on cutting tools. Nevertheless, they are difficult to obtain on cutting tools with complicated shapes, greatly limiting the applications of diamond films. In this study, a novel approach of deposition for uniform diamond films is proposed, on circular saw blades made of cemented carbide using reflectors of brass sheets. Diamond films are deposited using hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD). A novel concave structure of brass sheets is designed and fabricated, improving the distribution of temperature field, and overcoming the disadvantages of the conventional HFCVD systems. This increases the energy efficiency of use without changing the structure and increasing the cost of HFCVD. The grains are refined and the intensities of diamond peaks are strengthened obviously, which is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectra respectively.

Interaction of platelets, fibrinogen and endothelial cells with plasma deposited PEO-like films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zhilu; Wang, Jin; Li, Xin; Tu, Qiufen; Sun, Hong; Huang, Nan

2012-02-01

For blood-contacting biomedical implants like retrievable vena cava filters, surface-based diagnostic devices or in vivo sensors, limiting thrombosis and cell adhesion is paramount, due to a decrease even failure in performance. Plasma deposited PEO-like films were investigated as surface modifications. In this work, mixed gas composed of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (tetraglyme) vapor and oxygen was used as precursor. It was revealed that plasma polymerization under high ratio of oxygen/tetraglyme led to deposition of the films that had high content of ether groups. This kind of PEO-like films had good stability in phosphate buffer solution. In vitro hemocompatibility and endothelial cell (EC) adhesion revealed low platelet adhesion, platelet activation, fibrinogen adhesion, EC adhesion and proliferation on such plasma deposited PEO-like films. This made it a potential candidate for the applications in anti-fouling surfaces of blood-contacting biomedical devices.

Hybrid Physical Vapor Deposition Instrument for Advanced Functional Multilayers and Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-27

Hybrid Physical Vapor Deposition Instrument for Advanced Functional Multilayers and Materials PI Maria received support to construct a physical... vapor deposition (PVD) system that combines electron beam (e- beam) evaporation, magnetron sputtering, pulsed laser ablation, and ion-assisted deposition ...peer-reviewed journals: Number of Papers published in non peer-reviewed journals: Final Report: Hybrid Physical Vapor Deposition Instrument for Advanced

Properties of Nanocrystalline Cubic Silicon Carbide Thin Films Prepared by Hot-Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition Using SiH4/CH4/H2 at Various Substrate Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabata, Akimori; Komura, Yusuke; Hoshide, Yoshiki; Narita, Tomoki; Kondo, Akihiro

2008-01-01

Silicon carbide (SiC) thin films were prepared by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition from SiH4/CH4/H2 gases, and the influence of substrate temperature, Ts (104 < Ts < 434 °C), on the properties of the SiC thin films was investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman scattering spectra revealed that nanocrystalline cubic SiC (nc-3C-SiC) films grew at Ts above 187 °C, while completely amorphous films grew at Ts = 104 °C. Fourier transform infrared absorption spectra revealed that the crystallinity of the nc-3C-SiC was improved with increasing Ts up to 282 °C and remained almost unchanged with a further increase in Ts from 282 to 434 °C. The spin density was reduced monotonically with increasing Ts.

Nanoscale investigation of platinum nanoparticles on strontium titanium oxide grown via physical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, Steven Thomas

This dissertation examines growth of platinum nanoparticles from vapor deposition on SrTiO3 using a characterization approach that combines imaging techniques and X-ray methods. The primary suite of characterization probes includes atomic force microscopy (AFM), grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The vapor deposition techniques include physical vapor deposition (PVD) by evaporation and atomic layer deposition (ALD). For the PVD platinum study, AFM/XRF showed ˜10 nm nanoparticles separated by an average of 100 nm. The combination of AFM, GISAXS, and XRF indicated that the nanoparticles observed with AFM were actually comprised of closely spaced, smaller nanoparticles. These conclusions were supported by high-resolution SEM. The unusual behavior of platinum nanoparticles to aggregate without coalescence or sintering was observed previously by other researchers using transmissision electron microscopy (TEM). Platinum nanoparticle growth was also investigated on SrTiO3 (001) single crystals using ALD to nucleate nanoparticles that subsequently grew and coalesced into granular films as the ALD progresses. The expected growth rate for the early stages of ALD showed a two-fold increase which was attributed to the platinum deposition occurring faster on the bare substrate. Once the nanoparticles had coalesced into a film, steady state ALD growth proceeded. The formation of nanoparticles was attributed to the atomic diffusion of platinum atoms on the surface in addition to direct growth from the ALD precursor gases. The platinum ALD nanoparticles were also studied on SrTiO3 nanocube powders. The SrTiO3 nanocubes average 60 nm on a side and the cube faces have a {001} orientation. The ALD proceeded in a similar fashion as on the single crystal substrates where the deposition rate was twice as fast as the steady state growth rate. The Pt nanoparticle

Thin-film semiconductor rectifier has improved properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1966-01-01

Cadmium selenide-zinc selenide film is used as a thin film semiconductor rectifier. The film is vapor-deposited in a controlled concentration gradient into a glass substrate to form the required junctions between vapor-deposited gold electrodes.

Chemical vapor deposited silica coatings for solar mirror protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulino, Daniel A.; Dever, Therese M.; Banholzer, William F.

1988-01-01

A variety of techniques is available to apply protective coatings to oxidation susceptible spacecraft components, and each has associated advantages and disadvantages. Film applications by means of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has the advantage of being able to be applied conformally to objects of irregular shape. For this reason, a study was made of the oxygen plasma durability of thin film (less than 5000 A) silicon dioxide coatings applied by CVD. In these experiments, such coatings were applied to silver mirrors, which are strongly subject to oxidation, and which are proposed for use on the space station solar dynamic power system. Results indicate that such coatings can provide adequate protection without affecting the reflectance of the mirror. Scanning electron micrographs indicated that oxidation of the silver layer did occur at stress crack locations, but this did not affect the measured solar reflectances. Oxidation of the silver did not proceed beyond the immediate location of the crack. Such stress cracks did not occur in thinner silica flims, and hence such films would be desirable for this application.

High rate DC-reactive sputter deposition of Y 2O 3 film on the textured metal substrate for the superconducting coated conductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Ho-Sup; Park, Chan; Ko, Rock-Kil; Shi, Dongqui; Chung, Jun-Ki; Ha, Hong-Soo; Park, Yu-Mi; Song, Kyu-Jeong; Youm, Do-Jun

2005-10-01

Y2O3 film was directly deposited on Ni-3at%W substrate by DC reactive sputtering. DC reactive sputtering was carried out using metallic Y target and water vapor for oxidizing the elements of metallic target on the substrate. The detailed conditions of DC reactive sputtering for depositions of Y2O3 films were investigated. The window of water vapor for proper growth of Y2O3 films was determined by sufficient oxidations of the Y2O3 films and the non-oxidation of the target surface, which was required for high rate sputtering. The window turned out to be fairly wide in the chamber used. As the sputtering power was raised, the deposition rate increased without narrowing the window. The fabricated Y2O3 films showed good texture qualities and surface morphologies. The YBCO film deposited directly on the Y2O3 buffered Ni-3at%W substrate showed Tc, Ic (77 K, self field), and Jc (77 K, self field) of 89 K, 64 A/cm and 1.1 MA/cm2, respectively.

CuAlO2 and CuAl2O4 thin films obtained by stacking Cu and Al films using physical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castillo-Hernández, G.; Mayén-Hernández, S.; Castaño-Tostado, E.; DeMoure-Flores, F.; Campos-González, E.; Martínez-Alonso, C.; Santos-Cruz, J.

2018-06-01

CuAlO2 and CuAl2O4 thin films were synthesized by the deposition of the precursor metals using the physical vapor deposition technique and subsequent annealing. Annealing was carried out for 4-6 h in open and nitrogen atmospheres respectively at temperatures of 900-1000 °C with control of heating and cooling ramps. The band gap measurements ranged from 3.3 to 4.5 eV. Electrical properties were measured using the van der Pauw technique. The preferred orientations of CuAlO2 and CuAl2O4 were found to be along the (1 1 2) and (3 1 1) planes, respectively. The phase percentages were quantified using a Rietveld refinement simulation and the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated that the composition is very close to the stoichiometry of CuAlO2 samples and with excess of aluminum and deficiency of copper for CuAl2O4 respectively. High resolution transmission electron microscopy identified the principal planes in CuAlO2 and in CuAl2O4. Higher purities were achieved in nitrogen atmosphere with the control of the cooling ramps.

Low-Temperature Preparation of (111)-oriented Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 Films Using Lattice-Matched (111)SrRuO3/Pt Bottom Electrode by Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuwabara, Hiroki; Sumi, Akihiro; Okamoto, Shoji; Hoko, Hiromasa; Cross, Jeffrey S.; Funakubo, Hiroshi

2009-04-01

Pb(Zr0.35Ti0.65)O3 (PZT) films 170 nm thick were prepared at 415 °C by pulsed metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The (111)-oriented PZT films with local epitaxial growth were obtained on (111)SrRuO3/(111)Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates and their ferroelectricities were ascertained. Ferroelectricity was improved by postannealing under O2 gas flow up to 550 °C. Larger remanent polarization and better fatigue endurance were obtained using a SrRuO3 top electrode compared to a Pt top electrode for PZT films after annealing at 500 °C.

Selective growth of titanium dioxide by low-temperature chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Reinke, Michael; Kuzminykh, Yury; Hoffmann, Patrik

2015-05-13

A key factor in engineering integrated optical devices such as electro-optic switches or waveguides is the patterning of thin films into specific geometries. In particular for functional oxides, etching processes are usually developed to a much lower extent than for silicon or silicon dioxide; therefore, selective area deposition techniques are of high interest for these materials. We report the selective area deposition of titanium dioxide using titanium isopropoxide and water in a high-vacuum chemical vapor deposition (HV-CVD) process at a substrate temperature of 225 °C. Here—contrary to conventional thermal CVD processes—only hydrolysis of the precursor on the surface drives the film growth as the thermal energy is not sufficient to thermally decompose the precursor. Local modification of the substrate surface energy by perfluoroalkylsilanization leads to a reduced surface residence time of the precursors and, consequently, to lower reaction rate and a prolonged incubation period before nucleation occurs, hence, enabling selective area growth. We discuss the dependence of the incubation time and the selectivity of the deposition process on the presence of the perfluoroalkylsilanization layer and on the precursor impinging rates—with selectivity, we refer to the difference of desired material deposition, before nucleation occurs in the undesired regions. The highest measured selectivity reached (99 ± 5) nm, a factor of 3 superior than previously reported in an atomic layer deposition process using the same chemistry. Furthermore, resolution of the obtained patterns will be discussed and illustrated.

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and characterization of ZnO materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Shangzu; Tompa, Gary S.; Hoerman, Brent; Look, David C.; Claflin, Bruce B.; Rice, Catherine E.; Masaun, Puneet

2006-04-01

Zinc oxide is attracting growing interest for potential applications in electronics, optoelectronics, photonics, and chemical and biochemical sensing, among other applications. We report herein our efforts in the growth and characterization of p- and n-type ZnO materials by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), focusing on recent nitrogen-doped films grown using diethyl zinc as the zinc precursor and nitric oxide (NO) as the dopant. Characterization results, including resistivity, Hall measurements, photoluminescence, and SIMS, are reported and discussed. Electrical behavior was observed to be dependent on illumination, atmosphere, and heat treatment, especially for p-type material.

Regularly arranged indium islands on glass/molybdenum substrates upon femtosecond laser and physical vapor deposition processing

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

Ringleb, F.; Eylers, K.; Teubner, Th.

2016-03-14

A bottom-up approach is presented for the production of arrays of indium islands on a molybdenum layer on glass, which can serve as micro-sized precursors for indium compounds such as copper-indium-gallium-diselenide used in photovoltaics. Femtosecond laser ablation of glass and a subsequent deposition of a molybdenum film or direct laser processing of the molybdenum film both allow the preferential nucleation and growth of indium islands at the predefined locations in a following indium-based physical vapor deposition (PVD) process. A proper choice of laser and deposition parameters ensures the controlled growth of indium islands exclusively at the laser ablated spots. Basedmore » on a statistical analysis, these results are compared to the non-structured molybdenum surface, leading to randomly grown indium islands after PVD.« less

Final Report: Vapor Transport Deposition for Thin Film III-V Photovoltaics

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

Boettcher, Shannon; Greenaway, Ann; Boucher, Jason

2016-02-10

Silicon, the dominant photovoltaic (PV) technology, is reaching its fundamental performance limits as a single absorber/junction technology. Higher efficiency devices are needed to reduce cost further because the balance of systems account for about two-thirds of the overall cost of the solar electricity. III-V semiconductors such as GaAs are used to make the highest-efficiency photovoltaic devices, but the costs of manufacture are much too high for non-concentrated terrestrial applications. The cost of III-V’s is driven by two factors: (1) metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), the dominant growth technology, employs expensive, toxic and pyrophoric gas-phase precursors, and (2) the growth substratesmore » conventionally required for high-performance devices are monocrystalline III-V wafers. The primary goal of this project was to show that close-spaced vapor transport (CSVT), using water vapor as a transport agent, is a scalable deposition technology for growing low-cost epitaxial III-V photovoltaic devices. The secondary goal was to integrate those devices on Si substrates for high-efficiency tandem applications using interface nanopatterning to address the lattice mismatch. In the first task, we developed a CSVT process that used only safe solid-source powder precursors to grow epitaxial GaAs with controlled n and p doping and mobilities/lifetimes similar to that obtainable via MOCVD. Using photoelectrochemical characterization, we showed that the best material had near unity internal quantum efficiency for carrier collection and minority carrier diffusions lengths in of ~ 8 μm, suitable for PV devices with >25% efficiency. In the second task we developed the first pn junction photovoltaics using CSVT and showed unpassivated structures with open circuit photovoltages > 915 mV and internal quantum efficiencies >0.9. We also characterized morphological and electrical defects and identified routes to reduce those defects. In task three we grew

Enhanced properties of tungsten thin films deposited with a novel HiPIMS approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velicu, Ioana-Laura; Tiron, Vasile; Porosnicu, Corneliu; Burducea, Ion; Lupu, Nicoleta; Stoian, George; Popa, Gheorghe; Munteanu, Daniel

2017-12-01

Despite the tremendous potential for industrial use of tungsten (W), very few studies have been reported so far on controlling and tailoring the properties of W thin films obtained by physical vapor deposition techniques and, even less, for those deposited by High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS). This study presents results on the deposition process and properties characterization of nanocrystalline W thin films deposited on silicon and molybdenum substrates (100 W average sputtering power) by conventional dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS) and HiPIMS techniques. Topological, structural, mechanical and tribological properties of the deposited thin films were investigated. It was found that in HiPIMS, both deposition process and coatings properties may be optimized by using an appropriate magnetic field configuration and pulsing design. Compared to the other deposited samples, the W films grown in multi-pulse (5 × 3 μs) HiPIMS assisted by an additional magnetic field, created with a toroidal-shaped permanent magnet placed in front of the magnetron cathode, show significantly enhanced properties, such as: smoother surfaces, higher homogeneity and denser microstructure, higher hardness and Young's modulus values, better adhesion to the silicon substrate and lower coefficient of friction. Mechanical behaviour and structural changes are discussed based on plasma diagnostics results.

Low-temperature synthesis of graphene on nickel foil by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Kim, Y; Song, W; Lee, S Y; Jeon, C; Jung, W; Kim, M; Park, C-Y

2011-06-27

Microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) was employed to synthesize high quality centimeter scale graphene film at low temperatures. Monolayer graphene was obtained by varying the gas mixing ratio of hydrogen and methane to 80:1. Using advantages of MPCVD, the synthesis temperature was decreased from 750 °C down to 450 °C. Optical microscopy and Raman mapping images exhibited that a large area monolayer graphene was synthesized regardless of the temperatures. Since the overall transparency of 89% and low sheet resistances ranging from 590 to 1855 Ω∕sq of graphene films were achieved at considerably low synthesis temperatures, MPCVD can be adopted in manufacturing future large-area electronic devices based on graphene film.

Low-temperature synthesis of graphene on nickel foil by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y.; Song, W.; Lee, S. Y.; Jeon, C.; Jung, W.; Kim, M.; Park, C.-Y.

2011-06-01

Microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) was employed to synthesize high quality centimeter scale graphene film at low temperatures. Monolayer graphene was obtained by varying the gas mixing ratio of hydrogen and methane to 80:1. Using advantages of MPCVD, the synthesis temperature was decreased from 750 °C down to 450 °C. Optical microscopy and Raman mapping images exhibited that a large area monolayer graphene was synthesized regardless of the temperatures. Since the overall transparency of 89% and low sheet resistances ranging from 590 to 1855 Ω/sq of graphene films were achieved at considerably low synthesis temperatures, MPCVD can be adopted in manufacturing future large-area electronic devices based on graphene film.

High sensitive formaldehyde graphene gas sensor modified by atomic layer deposition zinc oxide films

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

Mu, Haichuan; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Wang, Keke

2014-07-21

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films with various thicknesses were fabricated by Atomic Layer Deposition on Chemical Vapor Deposition grown graphene films and their response to formaldehyde has been investigated. It was found that 0.5 nm ZnO films modified graphene sensors showed high response to formaldehyde with the resistance change up to 52% at the concentration of 9 parts-per-million (ppm) at room temperature. Meanwhile, the detection limit could reach 180 parts-per-billion (ppb) and fast response of 36 s was also obtained. The high sensitivity could be attributed to the combining effect from the highly reactive, top mounted ZnO thin films, and high conductivemore » graphene base network. The dependence of ZnO films surface morphology and its sensitivity on the ZnO films thickness was also investigated.« less

Kinetic and microstructural study of titanium nitride deposited by laser chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egland, Keith Maynard

Titanium nitride (TiN) films were deposited onto Ti-6Al-4V substrates by laser chemical vapor deposition using a cw COsb2 laser and TiClsb4,\\ Nsb2, and Hsb2 reactant gases. In-situ laser induced fluorescence (LIF) and multi-wavelength pyrometry determined relative titanium gas phase atomic number density and deposition temperature, respectively. Deposited films were yellow to gold in color. Transmission electron microscopy on one sample revealed a face-centered cubic structure with a lattice parameter (0.4237 nm) expected for TiN. Auger electron spectroscopy found substoichiometric compositions with a N/Ti ratio between 0.7 and 0.9. Variables decreasing grain size (lower temperature, higher TiClsb4 input) decreased the N/Ti ratio. Higher Nsb2 input increased stoichiometry, while larger Hsb2 input decreased stoichiometry. The deposit substoichiometry is believed to be caused by diffusion of nitrogen through TiN grain boundaries to the titanium alloy substrate. The morphology starts as a dense polycrystalline structure evolving into a columnar structure having facets or nodules at the surface with crystallite sizes ranging from 10-1000 nm. TiClsb4 input had a inverse correlation with crystallite size, while Nsb2:Hsb2 ratio had minimal effect; the crystallite size (G) varied exponentially with temperature (T) for a given irradiation time, i.e., G = C exp (-28000/T), with constant C reflecting substrate roughness and gas composition. Microhardness tests revealed substrate contributions; nevertheless, films appeared to have a minimum hardness of 2000 Hsbv. The deposition apparent activation energy was calculated as 122 ± 9 kJ/mole using growth rates measured by film height and 117 ± 23 kJ/mole using growth rates measured by LIF signals. This puts the process in the surface kinetic growth regime over the temperature range 1370-1610 K. Above Nsb2 and Hsb2 levels of 1.25% and below TiClsb4 input of 4.5%, the growth rate has a half-order dependence on nitrogen and a

Spray deposited MnFe2O4 thin films for detection of ethanol and acetone vapors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagarajan, V.; Thayumanavan, A.

2018-01-01

Spinel MnFe2O4 films were synthesized with the help of spray pyrolysis technique. The morphology study shows fine crushed sand grain morphology of the film. The structural investigation verifies the polycrystalline nature of prepared MnFe2O4 films, which possess the spinel structure. Crystalline size is found to be around 23.5 nm-37.4 nm morphology analyses. Energy dispersive spectroscopy validates the presence of oxygen, iron and manganese in MnFe2O4 film. The prepared MnFe2O4 film is extremely sensitive towards ethanol molecules at 300 K. The electrical resistance of MnFe2O4 thin film decreases quickly when ethanol and acetone vapor molecules are adsorbed on base material. The synthesized MnFe2O4 film is also highly sensitive towards acetone molecules at ambient temperature. The selectivity, sensing response, stability and recovery time of MnFe2O4 film towards acetone and ethanol detection are analyzed in the present work.

The organometallic chemical vapor deposition of transition metal carbides: The use of homoleptic alkyls

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

Healy, M.D.; Smith, D.C.; Springer, R.W.

1993-12-31

The organometallic chemical vapor deposition of transition metal carbides (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, and Cr) from tetraneopentyl-metal precursors has been carried out. Metal carbides can be deposited on Si, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and stainless steel substrates from M[CH{sub 2}C(CH{sub 3}){sub 3}]{sub 4} at temperatures in the range of 300 to 750 C and pressures from 10{sup {minus}2} to 10{sup {minus}4} Torr. Thin films have also been grown using a carrier gas (Ar, H{sub 2}). The effects of variation of the metal center, deposition conditions, and reactor design on the resulting material have been examined by SEM, XPS, XRD, ERDmore » and AES. Hydrocarbon fragments generated in the deposition chamber have been studied in by in-situ mass spectrometry. Complementary studies examining the UHV surface decomposition of Zr[CH{sub 2}C(CH{sub 3}){sub 3}]{sub 4} have allowed for a better understanding of the mechanism leading to film growth.« less

New deposition technique for metal films containing inorganic fullerene-like (IF) nanoparticles.

PubMed

Goldbart, Ohad; Yoffe, Alexander; Cohen, Sidney R; Rosentsveig, Rita; Feldman, Yishay; Rapoport, Lev; Tenne, Reshef

2013-07-22

This study describes a new method for fabrication of thin composite films using physical vapor deposition (PVD). Titanium (Ti) and hybrid films of titanium containing tungsten disulphide nanoparticles with inorganic fullerene-like structure (Ti/IF-WS2) were fabricated with a modified PVD machine. The evaporation process includes the pulsed deposition of IF-WS2 by a sprayer head. This process results in IF-WS2 nanoparticles embedded in a Ti matrix. The layers were characterized by various techniques, which confirm the composition and structure of the hybrid film. The Ti/IF-WS2 shows better wear resistance and a lower friction coefficient when compared to the Ti layer or Ti substrate. The Ti/IF films show very good antireflective properties in the visible and near-IR region. Such films may find numerous applications, for example, in the aerospace and medical technology. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of wear resistant gradual a-Si1-x:Cx:H coatings on nickel-titanium for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niermann, Benedikt; Böke, Marc; Schauer, Janine-Christina; Winter, Jörg

2010-03-01

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition has been used to deposit thin films with gradual transitions from silicon to carbon on Cu, Ni, stainless steel, and NiTi. Thus show low stress, elasticity, and wear resistance with excellent adhesion on all metals under investigation. Already at low Si concentrations of 10 at. % the intrinsic stress is considerably reduced compared to pure diamondlike carbon (DLC) films. The deposition process is controlled by optical emission spectroscopy. This technique has been applied to monitor the growth precursors and to correlate them with the film composition. The compositions of the films were determined by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and XPS measurements. Due to the elastic properties of the gradual transition and the excellent biocompatibility of DLC, the described film systems present a useful coating for biomedical applications.

Temperature dependent electrical properties of polyaniline film grown on paper through aniline vapor polymerization

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

Deb, K.; Bera, A.; Saha, B., E-mail: biswajit.physics@gmail.com

2016-05-23

Polyaniline thin film has been prepared on paper by aniline vapor deposition technique. Ferric chloride has been used as polymerizing agent in this approach. The prepared films were studied through electrical resistivity and optical properties measurements. The electrical resistivity of the polyaniline film shows significant temperature dependence. The resistance sharply falls with the increase in temperature. The optical absorbance measurements shows characteristics absorbance peak indicating the formation of conducting emeraldine salt form of polyaniline. The optical energy band gap of the film was calculated from the transmittance spectra. The optical energy band gap and electrical conductivity of the polyaniline filmmore » is well suited for their applications in electronic devices.« less

Chemical Vapor Deposition of Turbine Thermal Barrier Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haven, Victor E.

1999-01-01

Ceramic thermal barrier coatings extend the operating temperature range of actively cooled gas turbine components, therefore increasing thermal efficiency. Performance and lifetime of existing ceram ic coatings are limited by spallation during heating and cooling cycles. Spallation of the ceramic is a function of its microstructure, which is determined by the deposition method. This research is investigating metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of yttria stabilized zirconia to improve performance and reduce costs relative to electron beam physical vapor deposition. Coatings are deposited in an induction-heated, low-pressure reactor at 10 microns per hour. The coating's composition, structure, and response to the turbine environment will be characterized.

Nanocrystalline diamond thin films on titanium-6 aluminum-4 vanadium alloy temporomandibular joint prosthesis simulants by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fries, Marc Douglas

A course of research has been performed to assess the suitability of nanocrystal-line diamond (NCD) films on Ti-6Al-4V alloy as wear-resistant coatings in biomedical implant use. A series of temporomandibular (TMJ) joint condyle simulants were polished and acid-passivated as per ASTM F86 standard for surface preparation of implants. A 3-mum-thick coating of NCD film was deposited by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) over the hemispherical articulation surfaces of the simulants. Plasma chemistry conditions were measured and monitored by optical emission spectroscopy (OES), using hydrogen as a relative standard. The films consist of diamond grains around 20 nm in diameter embedded in an amorphous carbon matrix, free of any detectable film stress gradient. Hardness averages 65 GPa and modulus measures 600 GPa at a depth of 250 nm into the film surface. A diffuse film/substrate boundary produces a minimal film adhesion toughness (GammaC) of 158 J/m2. The mean RMS roughness is 14.6 +/- 4.2 nm, with an average peak roughness of 82.6 +/- 65.9 nm. Examination of the surface morphology reveals a porous, dendritic surface. Wear testing resulted in two failed condylar coatings out of three tests. No macroscopic delamination was found on any sample, but micron-scale film pieces broke away, exposing the substrate. Electrochemical corrosion testing shows a seven-fold reduction in corrosion rate with the application of an NCD coating as opposed to polished, passivated Ti-6Al-4V, producing a corrosion rate comparable to wrought Co-Cr-Mo. In vivo biocompatibility testing indicates that implanted NCD films did not elicit an immune response in the rabbit model, and osteointegration was apparent for both compact and trabecular bone on both NCD film and bare Ti-6Al-4V. Overall, NCD thin film material is reasonably smooth, biocompatible, and very well adhered. Wear testing indicates that this material is unacceptable for use in demanding TMJ applications without

Chemical-Vapor Deposition Of Silicon Carbide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cagliostro, D. E.; Riccitiello, S. R.; Ren, J.; Zaghi, F.

1993-01-01

Report describes experiments in chemical-vapor deposition of silicon carbide by pyrolysis of dimethyldichlorosilane in hydrogen and argon carrier gases. Directed toward understanding chemical-kinetic and mass-transport phenomena affecting infiltration of reactants into, and deposition of SiC upon, fabrics. Part of continuing effort to develop method of efficient and more nearly uniform deposition of silicon carbide matrix throughout fabric piles to make improved fabric/SiC-matrix composite materials.

Structure, mechanical, and frictional properties of hydrogenated fullerene-like amorphous carbon film prepared by direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yongfu; Gao, Kaixiong; Zhang, Junyan

2016-07-01

In this study, fullerene like carbon (FL-C) is introduced in hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) film by employing a direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The film has a low friction and wear, such as 0.011 and 2.3 × 10-9mm3/N m in the N2, and 0.014 and 8.4 × 10-8mm3/N m in the humid air, and high hardness and elasticity (25.8 GPa and 83.1%), to make further engineering applications in practice. It has several nanometers ordered domains consisting of less frequently cross-linked graphitic sheet stacks. We provide new evidences for understanding the reported Raman fit model involving four vibrational frequencies from five, six, and seven C-atom rings of FL-C structures, and discuss the structure evolution before or after friction according to the change in the 1200 cm-1 Raman band intensity caused by five- and seven-carbon rings. Friction inevitably facilitates the transformation of carbon into FL-C nanostructures, namely, the ultra low friction comes from both such structures within the carbon film and the sliding induced at friction interface.

Structural, electrical and optical properties of indium tin oxide thin film grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition with tetramethyltin-precursor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuo, Yi; Chen, Zimin; Tu, Wenbin; Ma, Xuejin; Wang, Gang

2018-01-01

Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) is grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using tetramethyltin (TDMASn) as tin precursor. The as-grown ITO films are polycrystalline with (111) and (100) textures. A gradual transition of crystallographic orientation from (111) preferred to (100) preferred is observed as the composition of tin changes. By precisely controlling the Sn doping, the ITO thin films present promising optical and electrical performances at either near-infrared-visible or visible-near-ultraviolet ranges. At low Sn doping level, the as-grown ITO possesses high electron mobility of 48.8 cm2 V-1 s-1, which results in high near-infrared transmittance and low resistivity. At higher Sn doping level, high carrier concentration (8.9 × 1020 cm-3) and low resistivity (3 × 10-4 Ω cm) are achieved. The transmittance is 97.8, 99.1, and 82.3% at the wavelength of 550, 365, and 320 nm, respectively. The results strongly suggest that MOCVD with TDMASn as tin precursor is an effective method to fabricate high quality ITO thin film for near-infrared, visible light, and near-ultraviolet application.

Reactive multilayers fabricated by vapor deposition. A critical review

DOE PAGES

Adams, D. P.

2014-10-02

The reactive multilayer thin films are a class of energetic materials that continue to attract attention for use in joining applications and as igniters. Generally composed of two reactants, these heterogeneous solids can be stimulated by an external source to promptly release stored chemical energy in a sudden emission of light and heat. In our critical review article, results from recent investigations of these materials are discussed. Discussion begins with a brief description of the vapor deposition techniques that provide accurate control of layer thickness and film composition. More than 50 reactive film compositions have been reported to date, withmore » most multilayers fabricated by magnetron sputter deposition or electron-beam evaporation. In later sections, we review how multilayer ignition threshold, reaction rate, and total heat are tailored via thin film design. For example, planar multilayers with nanometer-scale periodicity exhibit rapid, self-sustained reactions with wavefront velocities up to 100 m/s. Numeric and analytical models have elucidated many of the fundamental processes that underlie propagating exothermic reactions while demonstrating how reaction rates vary with multilayer design. Recent, time-resolved diffraction and imaging studies have further revealed the phase transformations and the wavefront dynamics associated with propagating chemical reactions. Many reactive multilayers (e.g., Co/Al) form product phases that are consistent with published equilibrium phase diagrams, yet a few systems, such as Pt/Al, develop metastable products. The final section highlights current and emerging applications of reactive multilayers. Examples include reactive Ni(V)/Al and Pd/Al multilayers which have been developed for localized soldering of heat-sensitive components.« less

Advances in silicon carbide Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) for semiconductor device fabrication