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Zhao M, Yan J, Wang Y, Chen Q, Cao R, Xu H, Wuu DS, Wu WY, Lai FM, Lien SY, Zhu W. The Enhanced Performance of Oxide Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated by a Two-Step Deposition Pressure Process. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2024; 14:690. [PMID: 38668184 PMCID: PMC11054244 DOI: 10.3390/nano14080690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
It is usually difficult to realize high mobility together with a low threshold voltage and good stability for amorphous oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs). In addition, a low fabrication temperature is preferred in terms of enhancing compatibility with the back end of line of the device. In this study, α-IGZO TFTs were prepared by high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) at room temperature. The channel was prepared under a two-step deposition pressure process to modulate its electrical properties. X-ray photoelectron spectra revealed that the front-channel has a lower Ga content and a higher oxygen vacancy concentration than the back-channel. This process has the advantage of balancing high mobility and a low threshold voltage of the TFT when compared with a conventional homogeneous channel. It also has a simpler fabrication process than that of a dual active layer comprising heterogeneous materials. The HiPIMS process has the advantage of being a low temperature process for oxide TFTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingjie Zhao
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Development and Application for Advanced Semiconductor Coating Technology, The School of Opto-Electronic and Communication Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China; (M.Z.); (J.Y.); (Y.W.); (Q.C.); (R.C.); (W.Z.)
| | - Jiahao Yan
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Development and Application for Advanced Semiconductor Coating Technology, The School of Opto-Electronic and Communication Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China; (M.Z.); (J.Y.); (Y.W.); (Q.C.); (R.C.); (W.Z.)
| | - Yaotian Wang
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Development and Application for Advanced Semiconductor Coating Technology, The School of Opto-Electronic and Communication Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China; (M.Z.); (J.Y.); (Y.W.); (Q.C.); (R.C.); (W.Z.)
| | - Qizhen Chen
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Development and Application for Advanced Semiconductor Coating Technology, The School of Opto-Electronic and Communication Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China; (M.Z.); (J.Y.); (Y.W.); (Q.C.); (R.C.); (W.Z.)
| | - Rongjun Cao
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Development and Application for Advanced Semiconductor Coating Technology, The School of Opto-Electronic and Communication Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China; (M.Z.); (J.Y.); (Y.W.); (Q.C.); (R.C.); (W.Z.)
| | - Hua Xu
- Guangzhou New Vision Opto-Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510640, China;
| | - Dong-Sing Wuu
- Department of Applied Materials and Optoelectronic Engineering, National Chi Nan University, Nantou 54561, Taiwan;
| | - Wan-Yu Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National United University, Miaoli 360302, Taiwan;
| | - Feng-Min Lai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Da-Yeh University, Changhua 51591, Taiwan;
| | - Shui-Yang Lien
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Development and Application for Advanced Semiconductor Coating Technology, The School of Opto-Electronic and Communication Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China; (M.Z.); (J.Y.); (Y.W.); (Q.C.); (R.C.); (W.Z.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Da-Yeh University, Changhua 51591, Taiwan;
| | - Wenzhang Zhu
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Development and Application for Advanced Semiconductor Coating Technology, The School of Opto-Electronic and Communication Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China; (M.Z.); (J.Y.); (Y.W.); (Q.C.); (R.C.); (W.Z.)
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Mita C, Cornei N, Frenti M, Bulai G, Dobromir M, Tiron V, Doroshkevich AS, Mardare D. Photocatalytic Activity of N-Doped ZrO 2 Thin Films Determined by Direct and Indirect Irradiation. Materials (Basel) 2023; 16:5901. [PMID: 37687594 PMCID: PMC10488553 DOI: 10.3390/ma16175901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we investigate the decomposition of a toxic organic compound, Rhodamine B, by the photocatalytic activities of undoped and nitrogen-doped ZrO2 thin films, deposited using the HiPIMS technique. The investigation was performed in the presence and in the absence of H2O2, for two types of experimental arrangements: the irradiation of the films, followed by dipping them in the Rhodamine B solutions, and the irradiation of the films dipped in the solution. The two situations were named "direct irradiation" and "indirect irradiation", respectively. Methods like XRD, AFM, XPS, DRS, water/film surface contact angle, and spectrophotometry were used to obtain information on the films' structure, surface morphology, elemental composition of the films surface, optical band gap, hydrophilicity, and photocatalytic activity, respectively. All these properties were described and correlated. By N-doping ZrO2, the films become absorbent in the visible domain, so that the solar light could be efficiently used; the films' hydrophilic properties improve, which is an important fact in self-cleaning applications; and the films' photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of Rhodamine B becomes better. The addition of hydrogen peroxide acted as an inhibitor for all systems and not as an accelerator of the photocatalytic reactions as expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Mita
- Faculty of Chemistry, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 11 Carol I Blvd., 700506 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Nicoleta Cornei
- Faculty of Chemistry, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 11 Carol I Blvd., 700506 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Mariana Frenti
- Faculty of Physics, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 11 Carol I Blvd., 700506 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Georgiana Bulai
- Integrated Center of Environmental Science Studies in the North-Eastern Development Region—CERNESIM, Department of Exact and Natural Science, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 11 Carol I Blvd., 700506 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Marius Dobromir
- Research Center on Advanced Materials and Technologies, Department of Exact and Natural Sciences, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, Romania; (M.D.); (V.T.)
| | - Vasile Tiron
- Research Center on Advanced Materials and Technologies, Department of Exact and Natural Sciences, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, Romania; (M.D.); (V.T.)
| | | | - Diana Mardare
- Faculty of Physics, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 11 Carol I Blvd., 700506 Iasi, Romania;
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Chuang TH, Chen YH, Sakalley S, Cheng WC, Chan CK, Chen CP, Chen SC. Highly Stable and Enhanced Performance of p-i-n Perovskite Solar Cells via Cuprous Oxide Hole-Transport Layers. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2023; 13:1363. [PMID: 37110948 PMCID: PMC10143474 DOI: 10.3390/nano13081363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Solar light is a renewable source of energy that can be used and transformed into electricity using clean energy technology. In this study, we used direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) to sputter p-type cuprous oxide (Cu2O) films with different oxygen flow rates (fO2) as hole-transport layers (HTLs) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The PSC device with the structure of ITO/Cu2O/perovskite/[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM)/bathocuproine (BCP)/Ag showed a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.91%. Subsequently, a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) Cu2O film was embedded and promoted the device performance to 10.29%. As HiPIMS has a high ionization rate, it can create higher density films with low surface roughness, which passivates surface/interface defects and reduces the leakage current of PSCs. We further applied the superimposed high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (superimposed HiPIMS) derived Cu2O as the HTL, and we observed PCEs of 15.20% under one sun (AM1.5G, 1000 Wm-2) and 25.09% under indoor illumination (TL-84, 1000 lux). In addition, this PSC device outperformed by demonstrating remarkable long-term stability via retaining 97.6% (dark, Ar) of its performance for over 2000 h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tung-Han Chuang
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Yin-Hung Chen
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Shikha Sakalley
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan
- Department of Materials Engineering and Center for Plasma and Thin Film Technologies, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 243, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chun Cheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Choon Kit Chan
- Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering and Quantity Surveying, INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Chih-Ping Chen
- Department of Materials Engineering and Center for Plasma and Thin Film Technologies, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 243, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Chi Chen
- Department of Materials Engineering and Center for Plasma and Thin Film Technologies, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 243, Taiwan
- College of Engineering and Center for Green Technology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
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Puźniak M, Gajewski W, Seweryn A, Klepka MT, Witkowski BS, Godlewski M, Mroczyński R. Studies of Electrical Parameters and Thermal Stability of HiPIMS Hafnium Oxynitride (HfO xN y) Thin Films. Materials (Basel) 2023; 16:2539. [PMID: 36984417 PMCID: PMC10051222 DOI: 10.3390/ma16062539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This work demonstrated the optimization of HiPIMS reactive magnetron sputtering of hafnium oxynitride (HfOxNy) thin films. During the optimization procedure, employing Taguchi orthogonal tables, the parameters of examined dielectric films were explored, utilizing optical methods (spectroscopic ellipsometry and refractometry), electrical characterization (C-V, I-V measurements of MOS structures), and structural investigation (AFM, XRD, XPS). The thermal stability of fabricated HfOxNy layers, up to 800 °C, was also investigated. The presented results demonstrated the correctness of the optimization methodology. The results also demonstrated the significant stability of hafnia-based layers at up to 800 °C. No electrical parameters or surface morphology deteriorations were demonstrated. The structural analysis revealed comparable electrical properties and significantly greater immunity to high-temperature treatment in HfOxNy layers formed using HiPIMS, as compared to those formed using the standard pulsed magnetron sputtering technique. The results presented in this study confirmed that the investigated hafnium oxynitride films, fabricated through the HiPIMS process, could potentially be used as a thermally-stable gate dielectric in self-aligned MOS structures and devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirosław Puźniak
- Warsaw University of Technology, Institute of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics, Koszykowa 75, 00-662 Warsaw, Poland
- TRUMPF Huettinger, Marecka 47, 05-220 Zielonka, Poland
| | | | - Aleksandra Seweryn
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Aleja Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin T. Klepka
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Aleja Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej S. Witkowski
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Aleja Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marek Godlewski
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Aleja Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Robert Mroczyński
- Warsaw University of Technology, Institute of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics, Koszykowa 75, 00-662 Warsaw, Poland
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Zhao MJ, Zhang JF, Huang J, Chen ZZ, Xie A, Wu WY, Huang CJ, Wuu DS, Lien SY, Zhu WZ. Role of Ambient Hydrogen in HiPIMS-ITO Film during Annealing Process in a Large Temperature Range. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2022; 12:1995. [PMID: 35745334 DOI: 10.3390/nano12121995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were prepared by high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and annealed in hydrogen-containing forming gas to reduce the film resistivity. The film resistivity reduces by nearly an order of magnitude from 5.6 × 10-3 Ω·cm for the as-deposited film to the lowest value of 6.7 × 10-4 Ω·cm after annealed at 700 °C for 40 min. The role of hydrogen (H) in changing the film properties was explored and discussed in a large temperature range (300-800 °C). When annealed at a low temperature of 300-500 °C, the incorporated H atoms occupied the oxygen sites (Ho), acting as shallow donors that contribute to the increase of carrier concentration, leading to the decrease of film resistivity. When annealed at an intermediate temperature of 500-700 °C, the Ho defects are thermally unstable and decay upon annealing, leading to the reduction of carrier concentration. However, the film resistivity keeps decreasing due to the increase in carrier mobility. Meanwhile, some locally distributed metallic clusters formed due to the reduction effect of H2. When annealed at a high temperature of 700-800 °C, the metal oxide film is severely reduced and transforms to gaseous metal hydride, leading to the dramatic reduction of film thickness and carrier mobility at 750 °C and vanish of the film at 800 °C.
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Sousa VFC, Silva FJG, Lopes H, Casais RCB, Baptista A, Pinto G, Alexandre R. Wear Behavior and Machining Performance of TiAlSiN-Coated Tools Obtained by dc MS and HiPIMS: A Comparative Study. Materials (Basel) 2021; 14:5122. [PMID: 34576346 DOI: 10.3390/ma14185122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Duplex stainless steels are being used on applications that require high corrosion resistance and excellent mechanical properties, such as the naval and oil-gas exploration industry. The components employed in these industries are usually obtained by machining; however, these alloys have low machinability when compared to conventional stainless steels, usually requiring the employment of tool coatings. In the present work, a comparative study of TiAlSiN coating performance obtained by these two techniques in the milling of duplex stainless-steel alloy LDX 2101 was carried out. These coatings were obtained by the conventional direct current magnetron sputtering (dc MS) and the novel high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). The coatings were analyzed and characterized, determining mechanical properties for both coatings, registering slightly higher mechanical properties for the HiPIMS-obtained coating. Machining tests were performed with varying cutting length and feed-rate, while maintaining constant values for axial and radial depth of cut and cutting speed. The surface roughness of the material after machining was assessed, as well as the wear sustained by each of the tool types, identifying the wear mechanisms and behavior of these tools, as well as registering the flank wear values presented for each of the tested tools. The HiPIMS-obtained coating exhibited a very similar behavior when compared to the other, producing similar surface roughness quality. However, the HiPIMS coating exhibited less wear for higher cutting lengths, proving to be a better choice in this case, especially regarding tool life.
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Kikuchi H, Takahashi K, Mukaigawa S, Takaki K, Yukimura K. Silicon Wafer Etching Rate Characteristics with Burst Width Using 150 kHz Band High-Power Burst Inductively Coupled Plasma. Micromachines (Basel) 2021; 12:mi12060599. [PMID: 34067412 PMCID: PMC8224634 DOI: 10.3390/mi12060599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The high-speed etching of a silicon wafer was experimentally investigated, focusing on the duty factor of 150 kHz band high-power burst inductively coupled plasma. The pulse burst width was varied in the range of 400-1000 µs and the repetition rate was set to 10 Hz. A mixture of argon (Ar) and carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) gas was used as the etching gas and injected into the vacuum chamber. The impedance was changed with time, and the coil voltage and current were changed to follow it. During the discharge, about 3 kW of power was applied. The electron temperature and plasma density were measured by the double probe method. The plasma density in the etching region was 1018-1019 m-3. The target current increased with t burst width. The etching rate of Ar discharge at burst width of 1000 µs was 0.005 µm/min. Adding CF4 into Ar, the etching rate became 0.05 µm/min, which was about 10 times higher. The etching rate increased with burst width.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisaki Kikuchi
- Department of Systems Innovation Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Iwate 020-8551, Japan; (H.K.); (K.T.); (S.M.); (K.Y.)
| | - Katsuyuki Takahashi
- Department of Systems Innovation Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Iwate 020-8551, Japan; (H.K.); (K.T.); (S.M.); (K.Y.)
- Agri-Innovation Center, Iwate University, Morioka, Iwate 020-8550, Japan
| | - Seiji Mukaigawa
- Department of Systems Innovation Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Iwate 020-8551, Japan; (H.K.); (K.T.); (S.M.); (K.Y.)
| | - Koichi Takaki
- Department of Systems Innovation Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Iwate 020-8551, Japan; (H.K.); (K.T.); (S.M.); (K.Y.)
- Agri-Innovation Center, Iwate University, Morioka, Iwate 020-8550, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-19-621-6460
| | - Ken Yukimura
- Department of Systems Innovation Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Iwate 020-8551, Japan; (H.K.); (K.T.); (S.M.); (K.Y.)
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Qureshi MW, Ma X, Tang G, Miao B, Niu J. Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of Cr 2AlC MAX Phase Coatings on TiBw/Ti6Al4V Composite Prepared by HiPIMS. Materials (Basel) 2021; 14:826. [PMID: 33572230 DOI: 10.3390/ma14040826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) technique is widely used owing to the high degree of ionization and the ability to synthesize high-quality coatings with a dense structure and smooth morphology. However, limited efforts have been made in the deposition of MAX phase coatings through HiPIMS compared with direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS), and tailoring of the coatings’ properties by process parameters such as pulse width and frequency is lacking. In this study, the Cr2AlC MAX phase coatings are deposited through HiPIMS on network structured TiBw/Ti6Al4V composite. A comparative study was made to investigate the effect of average power by varying frequency (1.2–1.6 kHz) and pulse width (20–60 μs) on the deposition rate, microstructure, crystal orientation, and current waveforms of Cr2AlC MAX phase coatings. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to characterize the deposited coatings. The influence of pulse width was more profound than the frequency in increasing the average power of HiPIMS. The XRD results showed that ex situ annealing converted amorphous Cr-Al-C coatings into polycrystalline Cr2AlC MAX phase. It was noticed that the deposition rate, gas temperature, and roughness of Cr2AlC coatings depend on the average power, and the deposition rate increased from 16.5 to 56.3 nm/min. Moreover, the Cr2AlC MAX phase coatings produced by HiPIMS exhibits the improved hardness and modulus of 19.7 GPa and 286 GPa, with excellent fracture toughness and wear resistance because of dense and column-free morphology as the main characteristic.
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Kumar N, Haviar S, Rezek J, Baroch P, Zeman P. Tuning Stoichiometry and Structure of Pd-WO 3-x Thin Films for Hydrogen Gas Sensing by High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering. Materials (Basel) 2020; 13:E5101. [PMID: 33198193 PMCID: PMC7697909 DOI: 10.3390/ma13225101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
By tuning the deposition parameters of reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering, specifically the pulse length, we were able to prepare WO3-x films with various stoichiometry and structure. Subsequently, the films were annealed in air at moderate temperature (350 °C). We demonstrate that the stoichiometry of the as-deposited films influences considerably the type of crystalline phase formed in the annealed films. The appropriate sub-stoichiometry of the films (approx. WO2.76) enabled crystallization of the monoclinic phase during the annealing. This phase is favorable for hydrogen sensing applications. To characterize the sensory behavior of the films, the tungsten oxide films were decorated by Pd nanoparticles before annealing and were assembled as a conductometric gas sensor. The sensory response of the films that crystallized in the monoclinic structure was proven to be superior to that of the films containing other phases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stanislav Haviar
- Department of Physics and NTIS—European Centre of Excellence, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 8, 306 14 Plzeň, Czech Republic; (N.K.); (J.R.); (P.B.); (P.Z.)
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Banko L, Ries S, Grochla D, Arghavani M, Salomon S, Pfetzing-Micklich J, Kostka A, Rogalla D, Schulze J, Awakowicz P, Ludwig A. Effects of the Ion to Growth Flux Ratio on the Constitution and Mechanical Properties of Cr 1-x-Al x-N Thin Films. ACS Comb Sci 2019; 21:782-793. [PMID: 31689080 DOI: 10.1021/acscombsci.9b00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cr-Al-N thin film materials libraries were synthesized by combinatorial reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). Different HiPIMS repetition frequencies and peak power densities were applied altering the ion to growth flux ratio. Moreover, time-resolved ion energy distribution functions were measured with a retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA). The plasma properties were measured during the growth of films with different compositions within the materials library and correlated to the resulting film properties such as phase, grain size, texture, indentation modulus, indentation hardness, and residual stress. The influence of the ion to growth flux ratio on the film properties was most significant for films with high Al-content (xAl = 50 at. %). X-ray diffraction with a 2D detector revealed hcp-AlN precipitation starting from Al-concentration xAl ≥ 50 at. %. This precipitation might be related to the kinetically enhanced adatom mobility for a high ratio of ions per deposited atoms, leading to strong intermixing of the deposited species. A structure zone transition, induced by composition and flux ratio JI/JG, from zone T to zone Ic structure was observed which hints toward the conclusion that the combination of increasing flux ratio and Al-concentration lead to opposing trends regarding the increase in homologous temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mostafa Arghavani
- Surface Engineering Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Kackertstrasse 15, 52072 Aachen, Germany
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11
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Chen YI, Zheng YZ, Chang LC, Liu YH. Effect of Bias Voltage on Mechanical Properties of HiPIMS/RFMS Cosputtered Zr-Si-N Films. Materials (Basel) 2019; 12:ma12172658. [PMID: 31438512 PMCID: PMC6747595 DOI: 10.3390/ma12172658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Zr–Si–N films with atomic ratios of N/(Zr + Si) of 0.54–0.82 were fabricated through high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS)–radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS) cosputtering by applying an average HiPIMS power of 300 W on the Zr target, various RF power levels on the Si target, and negative bias voltage levels of 0–150 V connected to the substrate holder. Applying a negative bias voltage on substrates enhanced the ion bombardment effect, which affected the chemical compositions, mechanical properties, and residual stress of the Zr–Si–N films. The results indicated that Zr–Si–N films with Si content ranging from 1.4 to 6.3 atom % exhibited a high hardness level of 33.2–34.6 GPa accompanied with a compressive stress of 4.3–6.4 GPa, an H/E* level of 0.080–0.107, an H3/E*2 level of 0.21–0.39 GPa, and an elastic recovery of 62–72%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-I Chen
- Institute of Materials Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
- Center of Excellence for Ocean Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Zhe Zheng
- Institute of Materials Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
| | - Li-Chun Chang
- Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei 24301, Taiwan.
- Center for Plasma and Thin Film Technologies, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei 24301, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-Heng Liu
- Institute of Materials Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
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Najafi-Ashtiani H, Akhavan B, Jing F, Bilek MM. Transparent Conductive Dielectric-Metal-Dielectric Structures for Electrochromic Applications Fabricated by High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2019; 11:14871-14881. [PMID: 30924631 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The growing applications of electrochromic (EC) devices have generated great interest in bifunctional materials that can serve as both transparent conductive (TC) and EC coatings. WO3/Ag/WO3 (WAW) heterostructures, in principle, facilitate this extension of EC technology without reliance on an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate. However, these structures synthesized using traditional methods have shown significant performance deficiencies. Thermally evaporated WAW structures show weak adhesion to the substrate with rapid degradation of coloration efficiency. Improved EC durability can be obtained using magnetron sputtering deposition, but this requires the insertion of an extra tungsten (W) sacrificial layer beneath the external WO3 layer to prevent oxidation and associated loss of conductivity of the silver film. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that a new method, known as high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS), can produce trilayer bifunctional EC and TC devices, eliminating the need for the additional protective layer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction data provided evidence that oxidation of the silver layer can be avoided, whilst stoichiometric WO3 structures are achieved. To achieve optimum WAW structures, we tuned the partial pressure of oxygen in the HiPIMS atmosphere applied for the deposition of WO3 layers. Our optimized WO3 (30 nm)/Ag (10 nm)/WO3 (50 nm) structure had a sheet resistance of 23.0 ± 0.4 Ω/□ and a luminous transmittance of 80.33 ± 0.07%. The HiPIMS coatings exhibited excellent long-term cycling stability for at least 2500 cycles, decent switching times (bleaching: 22.4 s, coloring: 15 s), and luminescence transmittance modulation (Δ T) of 34.5%. The HiPIMS strategy for the fabrication of ITO-free EC coatings for smart windows holds great promise to be extended to producing other metal-dielectric composite coatings for modern applications such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), liquid crystals, and wearable displays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Najafi-Ashtiani
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science , Velayat University , Iranshahr 99111-31411 , Iran
| | | | - Fengjuan Jing
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering , Southwest Jiaotong University , Chengdu 610031 , China
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Zeghioud H, Assadi AA, Khellaf N, Djelal H, Amrane A, Rtimi S. Photocatalytic Performance of Cu xO/TiO₂ Deposited by HiPIMS on Polyester under Visible Light LEDs: Oxidants, Ions Effect, and Reactive Oxygen Species Investigation. Materials (Basel) 2019; 12:E412. [PMID: 30699939 DOI: 10.3390/ma12030412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we propose a new photocatalytic interface prepared by high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS), and investigated for the degradation of Reactive Green 12 (RG12) as target contaminant under visible light light-emitting diodes (LEDs) illumination. The CuxO/TiO₂ nanoparticulate photocatalyst was sequentially sputtered on polyester (PES). The photocatalyst formulation was optimized by investigating the effect of different parameters such as the sputtering time of CuxO, the applied current, and the deposition mode (direct current magnetron sputtering, DCMS or HiPIMS). The results showed that the fastest RG12 degradation was obtained on CuxO/TiO₂ sample prepared at 40 A in HiPIMS mode. The better discoloration efficiency of 53.4% within 360 min was found in 4 mg/L of RG12 initial concentration and 0.05% Cuwt/PESwt as determined by X-ray fluorescence. All the prepared samples contained a TiO₂ under-layer with 0.02% Tiwt/PESwt. By transmission electron microscopy (TEM), both layers were seen uniformly distributed on the PES fibers. The effect of the surface area to volume (dye volume) ratio (SA/V) on the photocatalytic efficiency was also investigated for the discoloration of 4 mg/L RG12. The effect of the presence of different chemicals (scavengers, oxidant or mineral pollution or salts) in the photocatalytic medium was studied. The optimization of the amount of added hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and potassium persulfate (K₂S₂O₈) was also investigated in detail. Both, H₂O₂ and K₂S₂O₈ drastically affected the discoloration efficiency up to 7 and 6 times in reaction rate constants, respectively. Nevertheless, the presence of Cu (metallic nanoparticles) and NaCl salt inhibited the reaction rate of RG12 discoloration by about 4 and 2 times, respectively. Moreover, the systematic study of reactive oxygen species' (ROS) contribution was also explored with the help of iso-propanol, methanol, and potassium dichromate as •OH radicals, holes (h⁺), and superoxide ion-scavengers, respectively. Scavenging results showed that O₂- played a primary role in RG12 removal; however, •OH radicals' and photo-generated holes' (h⁺) contributions were minimal. The CuxO/TiO₂ photocatalyst was found to have a good reusability and stability up to 21 cycles. Ions' release was quantified by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) showing low Cu-ions' release.
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Zdunek K, Chodun R, Wicher B, Nowakowska-Langier K, Okrasa S. Characterization of sp 3 bond content of carbon films deposited by high power gas injection magnetron sputtering method by UV and VIS Raman spectroscopy. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2018; 194:136-140. [PMID: 29331814 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2018.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the results of investigations of carbon films deposited by a modified version of the magnetron sputtering method - HiPGIMS (High Power Gas Injection Magnetron Sputtering). In this experiment, the magnetron system with inversely polarized electrodes (sputtered cathode at ground potential and positively biased, spatially separated anode) was used. This arrangement allowed us to conduct the experiment using voltages ranging from 1 to 2kV and a power supply system equipped with 25/50μF capacitor battery. Carbon films were investigated by VIS/UV Raman spectroscopy. Sp3/sp2 bonding ratio was evaluated basing the elementary components of registered spectra. Our investigation showed that sp3 bond content increases with discharge power but up to specific value only. In extreme conditions of generating plasma impulses, we detected a reversed relation of the sp3/sp2 ratio. In our opinion, a energy of plasma pulse favors nucleation of a sp3 phase because of a relatively higher ionization state but in extreme cases the influence of energy is reversed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Zdunek
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Woloska 141, 02-507 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rafał Chodun
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Woloska 141, 02-507 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Bartosz Wicher
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Woloska 141, 02-507 Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Sebastian Okrasa
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Woloska 141, 02-507 Warsaw, Poland
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Schmidt S, Hänninen T, Goyenola C, Wissting J, Jensen J, Hultman L, Goebbels N, Tobler M, Högberg H. SiNx Coatings Deposited by Reactive High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering: Process Parameters Influencing the Nitrogen Content. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2016; 8:20385-20395. [PMID: 27414283 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b05830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (rHiPIMS) was used to deposit silicon nitride (SiNx) coatings for biomedical applications. The SiNx growth and plasma characterization were conducted in an industrial coater, using Si targets and N2 as reactive gas. The effects of different N2-to-Ar flow ratios between 0 and 0.3, pulse frequencies, target power settings, and substrate temperatures on the discharge and the N content of SiNx coatings were investigated. Plasma ion mass spectrometry shows high amounts of ionized isotopes during the initial part of the pulse for discharges with low N2-to-Ar flow ratios of <0.16, while signals from ionized molecules rise with the N2-to-Ar flow ratio at the pulse end and during pulse-off times. Langmuir probe measurements show electron temperatures of 2-3 eV for nonreactive discharges and 5.0-6.6 eV for discharges in transition mode. The SiNx coatings were characterized with respect to their composition, chemical bond structure, density, and mechanical properties by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray reflectivity, X-ray diffraction, and nanoindentation, respectively. The SiNx deposition processes and coating properties are mainly influenced by the N2-to-Ar flow ratio and thus by the N content in the SiNx films and to a lower extent by the HiPIMS frequencies and power settings as well as substrate temperatures. Increasing N2-to-Ar flow ratios lead to decreasing growth rates, while the N content, coating densities, residual stresses, and the hardness increase. These experimental findings were corroborated by density functional theory calculations of precursor species present during rHiPIMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Schmidt
- Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics (IFM), Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Tuomas Hänninen
- Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics (IFM), Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Goyenola
- Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics (IFM), Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jonas Wissting
- Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics (IFM), Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jens Jensen
- Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics (IFM), Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lars Hultman
- Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics (IFM), Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Nico Goebbels
- IHI Ionbond AG , Industriestraße 211, CH-4600 Olten, Switzerland
| | - Markus Tobler
- IHI Ionbond AG , Industriestraße 211, CH-4600 Olten, Switzerland
| | - Hans Högberg
- Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics (IFM), Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
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