Surface Wettability of Nanostructured Zinc Oxide Films

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanograin and nanorod films were prepared by magnetron sputter deposition and an aqueous solution growth method. Their surface wettability was studied in relation to their surface morphologies. While the surfaces of both films were hydrophobic, the nanorod films exhibited higher surface hydrophobicity. A superhydrophobic surface was obtained on a ZnO nanorod film with a water contact angle of 151 deg. Results have shown that their surface wettability was influenced by the morphology of ZnO nanostructures, including the grain size, the length, and density of nanorods. Both types of ZnO films showed switchable wettability under ultraviolet irradiation and dark storage.     

Structural and Electronic Properties of Gold Contacts on CdZnTe with Different Surface Finishes for Radiation Detector Applications

State-of-the-art room-temperature, high-resolution x-ray and gamma-ray semiconductor detectors can be fabricated from CdZnTe (CZT) crystals. The structural and electronic properties of the CZT surface, especially the contact interfaces, can have a substantial effect on radiation detector performance, for example leakage current, signal-to-noise ratio, and energy resolution, especially for soft x-rays and large pixilated arrays. Atomically smooth and defect-free surfaces are desirable for high-performance CZT-based detectors; chemo-mechanical polishing (CMP) is typically performed to produce such surfaces. The electrical behavior of the metal/CZT interface varies substantially with surface preparation before contact deposition, and with choice of metal and deposition technique. We report a systematic study of the structural and electronic properties of gold (Au) contacts on CZT prepared with different surface finishes. We observed subsurface damage under Au contacts on CMP-finished CZT and abrupt interfaces for Au on chemically-polished (CP) CZT. Schottky barrier formation was observed for Au contacts, irrespective of surface finish, and less charge trapping and low surface resistance were observed for CP-finished surfaces. Pre-deposition surface treatment produced interfaces free from oxide layers.     

The influence of temperature and humidity on printed wiring board surface finishes: Immersion tin vs organic azoles

Substitution of lead-free solders in electronic assemblies requires changes in the conventional Sn:Pb finishes on substrates and component leads to prevent contamination of the candidate lead-free solder. Options for solderability preservative coatings on the printed wiring board include organic (azole or rosin/resin based) films and tin-based plated metallic coatings. This paper compares the solderability performance and corrosion protection effectiveness of electroless tin coatings vs organic azole films after exposure to a series of humidity and thermal cycling conditions. The solderability of immersion tin is directly related to the tin oxide growth on the surface and is not affected by the formation of SnCu intermetallic phases as long as the intermetallic phase is underneath a protective Sn layer. Thin azole films decompose upon heating in the presence of oxygen and lead to solderability degradation. Evaluations of lead-free solder pastes for surface mount assembly applications indicate that immersion tin significantly improves the spreading of Sn:Ag and Sn:Bi alloys as compared to azole surface finishes.     

In situ deposition of polythiophene nanoparticles on flexible transparent films: Effect of the process conditions

Polythiophene (PTh) was deposited as a thin film and nanoparticles on polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) films via ultrasonication or via magnetic stirring with or without a cationic (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) or non-ionic (Triton X-100) surfactant. The resulting conductive flexible films were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectrometry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurements, the four-point-probe technique, X-ray diffraction, and cyclic voltammetry. The highest conductivity was obtained for PTh-CTAB nanoparticles, which had the most compact surface morphology among nanoparticles on PEN films. In general, the surface morphology, electrical conductivity, and whether PTh nanoparticles had been precipitated or deposited depended on the surfactant used, the surfactant/monomer ratio, the oxidant/monomer ratio, and the monomer concentration.     

Achievement of high planarization efficiency in CMP of copper at a reduced down pressure

We report improved planarization efficiency (ratio of step height reduction and removed layer thickness) in chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) of copper lines at a down pressure of 2 psi. The CMP slurry used to achieve these results contains fumed silica particles (abrasive), β-alanine (surface complexing agent) and H₂O₂ (oxidizer), combined with dissolution inhibiting ammonium dodecyl sulfate (ADS) and/or low concentrations (≤1 mM) of benzotriazole (BTAH) at a solution pH of 4.0. When only ADS or BTAH is used, Cu dissolution rate is reduced, but at the cost of somewhat low planarization efficiency. Combination of ADS (typically 3 mM) and BTAH (≤1 mM) in the slurry significantly improves both the surface polish rates and the planarization efficiency. The processed surface (examined by optical profilometry) is noticeably defect-free for this particular system. The mechanisms of surface dissolution and passivation are discussed, and contact angle data are used to elucidate the surface passivating nature of the inhibitor films. The results presented here are relevant for further developments in the area of low pressure CMP of Cu lines overlying fragile low-k dielectrics in the new interconnect structures.     

紫外纳米压印用PMMA转移层膜的制备及性能

以苯甲醚为溶剂,采用旋涂法制备PMMA(聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯)转移层膜。当PMMA的质量分数为5%、旋涂速度为2000～6000r/min时,转移层膜的厚度为90～150nm,粗糙度为0.3nm,可满足纳米压印要求。采用接触角测量仪测试计算出PMMA、PS转移层膜的表面能,并通过转移层膜与压印胶之间的粘附功和界面张力的计算,评价了PMMA、PS和Si片对压印胶的润湿和粘附性能。结果表明,PMMA膜可改善压印胶在基片上的润湿铺展性能和粘附性能,而PS膜虽能改善基片的润湿铺展性能,却不利于压印胶的粘附。     

镁掺杂对ZnO薄膜光诱导亲水性的影响

采用溶胶-凝胶法在Si(111)制备了一系列Mg掺杂的ZnO薄膜。用X射线衍射仪、原子力显微镜和接触角测试仪测量薄膜的微结构、表面形貌和表面接触角。结果表明：Mg掺杂ZnO薄膜仍为六角纤锌矿型结构,所有薄膜均具有较好的c轴择优取向。随着Mg掺杂含量的增加,薄膜的粗超度从2.14nm增大到9.56nm,薄膜表面接触角由89? 减小到 82?。通过对薄膜交替进行紫外光照和黑暗放置(或热处理),可以实现其表面疏水与超亲水性之间的可逆转化,光诱导可逆转化效率随Mg掺杂含量的增加而增大。     

Surface treatment effect on the poly-Si TFTs fabricated by electric field enhanced crystallization of Ni/a-Si:H films

Self-aligned, p-channel polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors (TFTs) were fabricated by electric field enhanced crystallization of a-Si:H in contact with the Ni catalyst, where a chemical solution of 97.5% H/sub 2/O:1% HF:1.5% H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ was used for a surface treatment on polycrystalline silicon films. The wet surface treatment was found to remarkably improve the electrical properties of TFTs, especially the leakage current and subthreshold slope. The enhanced performance was confirmed to be from the removal of the Ni impurity remaining as defect states at the surface and also from the ameliorated surface roughness of the polycrystalline silicon films.     

Preparation of conductive flexible films by in situ deposition of polythiophene nanoparticles on polyethylene naphthalate

Deposition of Polythiophene (PTh) nanoparticles on the unmodified and modified polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) films via solution based in situ chemical polymerization was investigated as conducting transparent anode electrodes in order to produce transparent conducting films with applications in opto-electronic devices, such as flexible displays. The surface of PEN films were modified by different methods. Surface modification was carried out using Piranha and alkaline (KOH) solution and ultraviolet (UV) radiation as a physical method. Combination of chemical and physical treatments (Piranha and UV) was also examined. The effect of surface modification methods on the properties of the in situ deposited PTh nanoparticles was studied. It was found that electrical conductivity increases ~20 times in effect of modification of PEN by the examined methods. Highly ordered morphology of PTh nanoparticles were observed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) in the case of surface modification by UV radiation. Hydrophilicity, transparency and surface morphology of the PEN films were found to be influenced by surface modification techniques as well.     

Preparation and characterisation of Langmuir–Blodgett films of 4‐(4‐(N‐octadecyl‐N‐methylamino) phenylazo)benzoic acid

Langmuir films of the title compound have been spread on an aqueous subphase at various values of pH at 10, 15 and 20°C. Increasing pH and increasing temperature favour stable films, but at the higher subphase pH and temperature values the pressure–area isotherms exhibit a transition to aggregated forms. Tilt angles between the alkyl chains and the normal to the subphase increase with increasing subphase pH and temperature. The area per molecule for films deposited at 15 °C decreased steadily with time at a fixed surface pressure, except at the highest pH, indicating poor stability. Langmuir–Blodgett films deposited at a surface pressure of 30 mN m⁻¹ and a subphase temperature of 15 °C were of Y‐type and showed transfer ratios above unity for the lower subphase pH values. UV/visible spectra of the LB films showed features characteristic of the formation of H aggregates for deposition at the higher subphase pH values. Over long periods of time the spectra for high pH showed evidence of increasing aggregation. Small‐angle X‐ray diffraction confirmed molecular tilts larger than those deduced in the floating monolayer. Reflection–absorption infrared spectroscopy of the LB films showed differences from the bulk also indicative of significant tilt, as did surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The LB films showed weak second‐harmonic generation from 1064 nm radiation consistent with a polar film structure parallel to the substrate. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Role of fullerene electron transport layer on the morphology and optoelectronic properties of perovskite solar cells

High performance, hysteresis-free, low temperature n-i-p perovskite solar cells are successfully fabricated by solution processing using fullerene electron transport layer (ETL). PC₇₁BM fullerene, with broader absorption spectrum and lower HOMO level, when incorporated in the perovskite solar cell yielded average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.9%. This is the highest reported PCE in n-i-p perovskite solar cells with PC₇₁BM ETL. The devices exhibited negligible hysteresis and high open-circuit voltage (V_oc). On the contrary, devices with PC₆₁BM, a common fullerene ETL in perovskite solar cell, exhibited large hysteresis and lower V_oc. The underlying mechanisms of superior performance of devices with PC₇₁BM ETL were found to be correlated with fullerene surface wettability and perovskite grain size. The influence of fullerene ETL on the perovskite grain growth and subsequent photovoltaic performance was investigated by contact angle measurement, morphological characterization of the surface topography and electrochemical impedance analysis.     

Effect of surface preparation on Ni Ohmic contact to 3C-SiC

The effect of roughness and chemical treatment of 3C-SiC film surface on Ni ohmic contact was studied in this work. 3C-SiC(1 1 1) film was grown on Si(1 1 1) in a chemical vapor deposition reactor. The 3C-SiC surface was polished using a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) technique to get a smooth and flat surface. The polished surface was oxidized and then was etched in BHF solution to remove subsurface damages formed during the CMP process. The morphology of thus prepared silicon carbide (SiC) surfaces was investigated using SEM and AFM. Ni contact resistance to the 3C-SiC films was evaluated using linear transmission line method pattern. The formation of good ohmic contact characteristics was observed from Ni contact to all the tested SiC samples. After the CMP process, it was found that the RMS roughness of 3C-SiC surface apparently reduces and the specific contact resistance to 3C-SiC decreases as well, in proportion to the SiC surface roughness. The sacrificial oxidation and etching of the polished SiC surface abruptly decrease the contact resistance to be 3.7×10⁻⁴ Ω cm². It was shown that the surface morphology and subsurface damage concentration of 3C-SiC films are important factors to give a great effect on the contact characteristic of the 3C-SiC films. However, it was considered that the reduction of subsurface damage concentration is essential to get better contact resistance to 3C-SiC surface.     

Multiresponsive PEDOT–Ionic Liquid Materials for the Design of Surfaces with Switchable Wettability

Among the different types of stimuli‐responsive polymers, conjugated polymers reveal unique multiresponsive behavior. In this work, the synthesis and characterization of new functional poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophenes) (PEDOT) bearing imidazolium ionic‐liquid moieties (PEDOT‐Im) is reported. PEDOT‐Im polymers show multiresponsive properties to a variety of stimuli, such as temperature, pH, oxidative doping, and presence of anions. These stimuli provoke different changes in PEDOT‐Im, such as changes in color, oxidation state, and, wetting behavior. In all cases, a reversible effect is observed, and the polymers reveal responsive properties in solution as well as in the form of thin films. Whereas sensitiveness to pH and oxidative doping are known phenomena for other PEDOT derivatives, responsiveness to temperature and to anions is a unique property of PEDOT‐Im. The anion exchange is further investigated by means of the Quartz Crystal Microbalance with dissipation. Anion exchanges induce fast, adjustable, and reversible contact angle changes between 24° and 107°. As a potential application, surfaces with switchable wettability triggered by anion solutions are prepared by spin‐coating PEDOT‐Im films onto different substrates.     

Microstructure transformations induced by modified-layers on pentacene polymorphic films and their effect on performance of organic thin-film transistor

Phenyltrimethoxysilane was used to modify SiO₂ insulator and significantly enhanced the pentacene based organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). The crystal structure, surface morphology, molecular structure and microstructure of pentacene polymorphic films with and without the modifications were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle meter. XRD studies reveal a decreased tilt angle (θ_T) of pentacene molecules from c-axis toward a-axis, indicating that polymorphs transformation from the “triclinic bulk” phase to the “thin film” phase and orthorhombic phase occurs. AFM images show that the surface roughness of gate insulators has no influence on performance of the pentacene based OTFT. These results provide strong evidence that the performance improvement of OTFT after PhTMS modification of SiO₂ insulator surface is related to the microstructure transformation of the semiconductor. It suggests that the modified-layer may alter the molecular geometry and further induce structural phase transitions in the pentacene films for the performance improvement.     

How to evaluate surface free energies of dense and ultra low-κ dielectrics in pattern structures

A method to evaluate the surface free energy in pattern structure, of chemical vapor deposited dense and ultra low-κ (ULK) SiOCH dielectric films, is presented. Therefore dense and ultra low-κ films were treated by different post ash plasma processes. This films were characterized using Auger electron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and contact angle measurements. For both material systems a correlation between the amount of surface near carbon and the surface free energy was found, independent on the plasma chemistry used. The range of the surface roughness is very small and does not have a strong impact on the surface free energy. The correlation model can be applied for pattern structures. After measuring the carbon concentration at the side walls by methods like TEM-EELS or other the model provides the polar and dispersive part of the surface free energy. Having the surface free energy, contact angle of different liquids on or in pattern structures can be calculated. Hence, the wetting behavior and the probability of pattern collapse can be predicted, which is essential to select an appropriate chemical for cleaning and other wet chemical based processes.     

Thermally Stable and Solvent Resistant Mesoporous Honeycomb Films from a Crosslinkable Polymer

The preparation of mesoporous honeycomb films, also known as breath figure arrays (BFAs), from poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) is reported. Films containing regular arrays of micrometer‐sized air‐holes were prepared by evaporation of a chloroform solution of a mixture of the above polymer including 10 % of an amphiphilic polyion complex under high humidity that leads to the formation of a hexagonally packed monolayer of water droplets in the polymer film. The porous films were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Crosslinking was achieved by immersion in an ethanol solution of an α, ω alkyldiamine and the chemical reaction was monitored by infrared spectroscopy. The non‐crosslinked films are hydrophobic with a water contact angle of more than 90°, whereas the crosslinked films became hydrophilic, so that a water drop penetrated into the films. After crosslinking, the honeycomb structure was stable to up to 350 °C, an increase of more than 150 K as compared to the non‐crosslinked films.     

Tuning Dichroic Plasmon Resonance Modes of Gold Nanoparticles in Optical Thin Films

A simple method is presented to tune the gold surface plasmon resonance (SPR) modes by growing anisotropic nanoparticles into transparent SiO₂ thin films prepared by glancing angle deposition. In this type of composite film, the anisotropy of the gold nanoparticles, proved by gracing incidence small angle X‐ray scattering, is determined by the tilted nanocolumnar structure of the SiO₂ host and yields a strong film dichroism evidenced by a change from an intense colored to a nearly transparent aspect depending on light polarization and/or sample orientation. The formation in these films of lithographic non‐dichroic SPR patterns by nanosecond laser writing demonstrates the potentialities of this procedure to develop novel optical encryption or anti‐counterfeiting structures either at micrometer‐ or macroscales.     

CdS/CdTe太阳电池的背接触

磷硝酸腐蚀是一种适宜于工业化生产的背表面刻蚀工艺.文中采用磷硝酸腐蚀CdTe薄膜,并用溴甲醇腐蚀作为对照实验,研究了两种腐蚀对材料性质的影响.随后用真空蒸发法分别沉积了四种背接触层,提出了适宜于工业化生产的背接触技术,并从实验和理论上对两种背接触结构的CdTe太阳电池进行了分析.     

Effects in Surface Free Energy of Sputter-Deposited TaNx Films

TaNx thin films have attracted much attention for semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) packaging molding dies and forming tools due to their excellent hardness and thermal stability. Tantalum nitride (TaNx) thin films with TaN, TaN, TaN, TaN, and TaN were prepared using radio frequency (RF) sputter. The experimental results showed that the contact angle at 20 C go up with raising content to 119.2 at beginning, corresponding to TaN, and then drop off. In addition, the contact angle components decreased with increasing surface temperature. Because increasing surface temperature disrupts the hydrogen bonds between water and the films and water vaporize gradually. The total surface free energy (SFE) at 20 C decrease with content to raise to 39.6 mN/m(TaN) at the start, and then increase. A larger contact angle means a weaker hydrogen bonding, resulting in a lower SFE. The polar SFE component has same trend with total SFE, but the dispersive SFE component is on the contrary exactly. The polar SFE component is also lower than the dispersive SFE component. This results from hydrogen bonding being polar. The total SFE, dispersive SFE, and polar SFE of TaNx films decreased with increasing surface temperature. This is because water evaporation on the surface, disrupted hydrogen bonds, and surface entropy increase with increasing temperature. The film roughness has an obvious effect on the SFE and there is a tendency for the SFE to increase with increasing film surface roughness. SFE and surface roughness can be expressed as a function in direct ratio.