Effects of Film Thickness and Anodizing Potential on the Characteristics of Micro-porous Structure on 316L Stainless Steel Surface

A novel process for fabricating an in-situ micro-porous on 316 L stainless steel was described.Aluminum films about 0.7-1.4 m in thickness were deposited on 316 L stainless steel surface by magnetron sputtering.The films were then anodized in 0.3 M oxalic acid.Through appropriate chemical dissolution,the alumina film was removed and the underlying micro-porous 316 L with diameters ranging from 500 nm to 2.4m was obtained.The morphology of the porous 316 L surface was examined by scanning electron microscope.The results indicate that the thickness of aluminum films and the anodizing potential have a combined action on the formation of porous structure on 316 L surface.Then anodic current density could be affected evidently by the film thickness.The pores size increases obviously with the increasing of the anodizing potential,when the thickness of aluminum film was about 1.4m.     

Preparation of MgO films as buffer layers by laser-ablation at various substrate temperatures

MgO thin films were deposited on Si(100) substrates by laser ablation under various substrate temperatures (Tsub),expecting to provide a candidate buffer layer for the textured growth of functional perovskite oxide films on Si substrates.The effect of Tsub on the preferred orientation,crystallinity and surface morphology of the films was investigated.MgO films in single-phase were obtained at 473-973 K.With increasing Tsub,the preferred orientation of the films changed from (200) to (111).The crystallinity and surface morphology was different too,depending on Tsub.At Tsub=673 K,the MgO film became uniform and smooth,exhibiting high crystallinity and a dense texture.     

Fabrication of GaN films through reactive reconstruction of magnetron sputtered ZnO／Ga2O3

A simple and easily operated technique was developed to fabricate GaN films. GaN films possessing hexagonal wurtzite structure were fabricated on Si(111) substrates with ZnO buffer layers through nitriding Ga2O3 films in the tube quartz furnace. ZnO buffer layers and Ga3O3 films were deposited on Si substrates in turn by using radio frequncy magnetron sputtering system before the nitriding process. The structure and composition of GaN films were studied by X-ray diffraction, selected area electron diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer. The morphologies of GaN films were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The results show that ZnO buffer layer improves the crystalline quality and the surface morphology of the films relative to the films grown directly on silicon substrates. The measurement result of room-temperature photoluminescence spectrum indicates that the photoluminescence peaks locate at 365 nm and 422 nm.     

Preparation and self-assembly of chitosan/carbon microsphere composite

Carbon-based films were synthesized by self-assembly of chitosan-encapsulated carbon microsphere (CMS@CS) composite. First, carbon microspheres (CMSs) prepared by chemical vapor deposition were modified by HNO3 and H2O2. Second, oxidized CMSs were modified by chitosan (CS). Finally, CMS@CS was self-assembled by vertical deposition, in which suspension concentration and deposition temperature on the quality of self-assembling film were investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, and Fourier transformation infrared spectrometry were employed to characterize the morphology and structure of the samples. The results show that CMSs modified by CS had uniform particle size and good dispersion, CMS@CS was self-assembled into a dense film, the film thickened with increasing suspension concentration at fixed temperature, and more ordered film was obtained at 1 wt% of suspension concentration and 50 ℃. The ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra show that the absorbance of CMS@CS film grew steadily with increasing suspension concentration and that the CMSs with oxygen-containing groups have a good assembling performance to form composite films with CS.     

Influence of Heat Treatment Temperature on Microstructure and Bonding of TiO_2 Film Coated on Diamond Particles Surface

TiO_2 films were coated on the surface of diamond particles using a sol-gel method. The effects of heat treatment temperature on the morphology, phase composition and chemical bond of diamond particles coated with TiO_2 films were investigated through SEM, TEM, X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, and XPS. The results showed that when being heat-treated at 600 ℃, the amorphous TiO_2 film transfered to the anatase film which bonded well with diamond substrate. Meanwhile, the Ti-O-C bond formed between TiO_2 film and diamond substrate. When being heat-treated at 800 ℃, TiO_2 film was still anatase, and partial diamond began to graphitize. The graphitizated carbon could also form the Ti-O-C bond with TiO_2 film, although TiO_2 film would tend to crack in this case.     

Surface analysis of chemical stripping titanium alloy oxide films

The chemical stripping method of titanium alloy oxide films was studied. An environment friendly solution hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide without hydrofluoric acid or fluoride were used to strip the oxide films. The morphologies of the surface and cross-section of the oxide films before and after the films stripping were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microstructure and chemical compositions of the oxide films before and after the films stripping were investigated by using Raman spectroscopy (Raman) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was shown that the thickness of the oxide film was in the range of 5-6 μm. The oxide films were stripped for 2 to 8 min in the solution. Moreover, the effect of the stripping time on the efficiency of the film stripping was investigated, and the optimum stripping time was between 6-8 min. When the stripping solution completely dissolved the whole film, the α/β microstructure of the titanium alloy Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al was partly revealed. The stripping mechanism was discussed in terms of the dissolution of film delamination. The hydrogen peroxide had a significant effect on the dissolution of the titanium alloy anodic oxide film. The feasibility of the dissolution reaction also was evaluated.     

Characterization of Hydroxyapatite Film on Titanium Substrate by Sputtering Technique

Radiofrequeut magnetron sputtering technique was used to produce calcium phosphate coated on the titurdum substrates, and the sputtered coating films were crystallized in an autoclave at 110℃ using a low temperature hydrothermal technique. The crystallization of as-sputtered coating film on the titanium substrates were amorphous calcium phosphate film. However, after the hydrothermal technique, calcium phosphate crystals grew and these were cohumnar crystal. The Ca/P ratio of sputtered coating films in 1.6 to 2.0.     

Nanodiamond films deposited at moderate temperature on pure titanium substrate pretreated by ultrasonic scratching in diamond powder suspension

Nanocrystalline diamond （NCD） film deposition on pure titanium and Ti alloys is extraordinarily difficult because of the high diffusion coefficient of carbon in Ti, the large mismatch in their thermal expansion coefficients, the complex nature of the interlayer formed during diamond deposition, and the difficulty to achieve very high nucleation density. In this investigation, NCD films were successfully deposited on pure Ti substrate by using a novel substrate pretreatment of ultrasonic scratching in a diamond powder-ethanol suspension and by a two-step process at moderate temperature. It was shown that by scratching with a 30-μm diamond suspension for 1 h, followed by a 10-h diamond deposition, a continuous NCD film was obtained with an average grain size of about 200 nm. Detailed experimental results on the preparation, characterization, and successful deposition of the NCD films on Ti were discussed.     

Physical properties of Al-doped ZnO and Ga-doped ZnO thin films prepared by direct current sputtering at room temperature

Al-doped zinc oxide(AZO) and Ga-doped zinc oxide(GZO) thin films with the same doping concentration(3.6 at%) were deposited on glass substrates at room temperature by direct current(DC) magnetron sputtering.Consequently,we comparatively studied the doped thin films on the basis of their structural,morphological,electrical,and optical properties for optoelectronic applications.Both thin films exhibited excellent optical properties with more than 85%transmission in the visible range.The GZO thin film had better crystallinity and smoother surface morphology than the AZO thin film.The conductivity of the GZO thin film was improved compared to that of the AZO thin film:the resistivity decreased from 1.01×10~(-3) to 3.5×10~(-4) Ω cm,which was mostly due to the increase of the carrier concentration from 6.5×10~(20) to 1.46×10~(21)cm~(-3).These results revealed that the GZO thin film had higher quality than the AZO thin film with the same doping concentration for optoelectronic applications.     

Preparation and characterization of transparent conductive zinc doped tin oxide thin films prepared by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering

High transparent and conductive thin films of zinc doped tin oxide (ZTO) were deposited on quartz substrates by the radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering using a 12 wt% ZnO doped with 88 wt% SnO2 ceramic target.The effect of substrate temperature on the structural,electrical and optical performances of ZTO films has been studied.X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that ZTO films possess tetragonal rutile structure with the preferred orientation of (101).The surface morphology and roughness of the films was investigated by the atomic force microscope (AFM).The electrical characteristic (including carrier concentration,Hall mobility and resistivity) and optical transmittance were studied by the Hall tester and UV- VIS,respectively.The highest carrier concentration of -1.144×1020 cm-3 and the Hall mobility of 7.018 cm2(V ·sec)-1 for the film with an average transmittance of about 80.0% in the visible region and the lowest resistivity of 1.116×10-2 Ω·cm were obtained when the ZTO films deposited at 250 oC.     

Properties of Al-doped Copper Nitride Films Prepared by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

Cu3N and Al Cu3N films were prepared with reactive magnetron sputtering method. The two films were deposited on glass substrates at 0.8 Pa N2 partial pressure and 100 ℃ substrate temperature by using a pure Cu and AI target, respectively. X-ray diffraction （XRD） measurements show that the un-doped film was composed of Cu3N crystallites with anti-ReO3 structure and adopted [111] preferred orientation. XRD shows that the growth of Al-doped copper nitride films （AlxCu3N） was affected strongly by doping AI, the intensity of [111] peak decreases with increasing the concentration of Al and the high concentration of Al could prevent the Cu3N from crystallization. AFM shows that the surface of AlCu3N film is smoother than that of Cu3N film. Compared with the Cu3N films, the resistivities of the Al-doped copper nitride films （AlxCu3N） have been reduced, and the microhardness has been enhanced.     

Preparation and electrical properties of BaPbO3 thin film

BaPbO3 thin films were deposited on Al2O3 substrates by sol-gel spin-coating and rapid thermal annealing. The microstructure and phase of BaPbO3 thin films were determined by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electrons microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The influence of annealing temperature and annealing time on sheet resistance of the thin films was investigated. The results show that heat treatment, including annealing temperature and time, causes notable change in molar ratio of Pb to Ba, resulting in the variations of sheet resistance. The variation of electrical properties demonstrates that the surface state of the film changes from two-dimensional behavior to three-dimensional behavior with the increase of film thickness. Crack-free BaPbO3 thin films with grain size of 90 nm can be obtained by a rapid thermal annealing at 700 ℃ for 10 min. And the BaPbO3 films with a thickness of 2.5 μm has a sheet resistance of 35 Ω·-1.     

Preparation,characterization and frictional properties of silane self-assembled elastomeric nanocomposite polymer layers

A novel surface modification method was proposed to improve the tribological property of Si. Multilayers were grown on Si(100) substrate by self-assembling monolayer (SAMs) method and filtered catholic vacuum arc (FCVA) technique. The film composition and structure were characterized by using x-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy (Raman). Surface morphology and the roughness were also analyzed by an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The frictional behaviors of the films were evaluated by a UMT tester. Results showed that elastomeric nanocomposite monolayer prepared by SAM was uniformly distributed and isotropy, and the diamond-like carbon (DLC) film was successfully deposited by the FCVA technique. The friction coefficients of the prepared samples were in the range of 0.108-0.188. Furthermore, the friction coefficient slightly increased but the surface quality of the wear trace was improved after adding the copolymer elastomeric macromolecules SEBS on aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APS) layer due to the inherent long chain of SEBS which abated the immediate impulsion at the interface and changed the kinetic energy into elastic potential energy, and stored it in SEBS.     

Ir protective coatings for carbon structural materials

Ir coatings were deposited on the heat-treated C/C composites and graphite by double glow plasma. Microstructure and morphology of the coating and substrate were observed by SEM and TEM. The effect of the surface treatment for the carbon structural materials on the microstructure of the coating was investigated. Many large gaps and pores appeared on the surface of the substrates after heat treatment. The Ir coating did not fully covered on the surface of heat-treated C/C composite and graphite substrates because of the large gaps and pores on the surface of substrates. The Ir coating exhibited excellent ablation resistance at super-high temperature. After super-high temperature ablation, the coating kept the integrity, but the coating was weekly bonded to the substrates. Some microcracks and micropores appeared on the surface of as-ablated coating. The Ir coating would need thick enough to cover and fill the large microgaps and micropores on the surface of the heat-treated C/C and graphite substrates.     

Preparation and properties of Al-Ni composite anodic films on aluminum surface

Ni element was introduced to aluminum surface by a simple chemical immersion method,and Al-Ni composite anodic films were obtained by following anodizing.The morphology,structure and composition of the Al-Ni anodic films were examined by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy disperse spectroscopy(EDS)and atomic force microscopy(AFM).The electrochemical behaviors of the films were studied by means of polarization measurement and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS).The experimental results show that the Al-Ni composite anodic film is more compact with smaller pore diameters than that of the Al anodic film.The introduction of nickel increases the impedances of both the barrier layer and the porous layer of the anodic films.In NaCl solutions,the Al-Ni composite anodic films show higher impedance values and better corrosion resistance.     

Optimization of the process for preparing Al-doped ZnO thin films by sol-gel method

Transparent and conducting Al-doped ZnO thin films with c-axis-preferred orientation were prepared on glass substrate via sol-gel route. The physical and chemical changes during thermal treatment were analyzed by TG-DSC spectra and the crystallization quality was characterized by XRD patterns. The optimized preheating and post-heating temperatures were determined at ~420℃ and ~530℃, respec-tively. From thermodynamic and kinetics views, we investigated the mechanism of orientation growth with (002) plane parallel to the substrates. The surface morphologies of the films, post-heated at 420℃, 450℃, 530℃ and 550℃, respectively, were observed by SEM micrographs. The film post-heated at 530℃ shows a homogenous dense microstructure and exhibits the minimum sheet resistance of 140 Ω/Sq. The visible optical transmittance of all the films is beyond 90%. In addition, the annealing treatment in vacuum can contribute greatly to the electrical conductivity.     

Preparation and characterization of nano-crystalline diamond films on glass substrate

Adherent nano diamond films were successfully deposited on glass substrate by microwave plasma assisted CVD method in H2-CH4 and Ar-CH4 environment. Raman, AFM (Atomic Force Microscope), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope), FTIR, and Nano Indentation techniques were used for characterization of the obtained nano diamond films. It was found that the average grain size was less than 100 nm with a surface roughness value as low as 2 nm. The nano diamond films were found to have excellent transparency in visible and IR spectrum range, and were as hard as natural diamond. Experimental results were presented. Mechanisms for nano diamond film deposition were discussed.     

Preparation and Properties of Ag—TiO2 Thin Films on Glass SUbstrates

Ag-TiO2 thin films were prepared on glasses.The morphology and structure of Ag-TiO2 films were investigated by XRD.SEM and FT-IR.The photocatalytic and hydrophilic properties of Ag-TiO2 thin films were also evaluated by examining photocatalytic degradation dichlorophos under sunlight illumination and the change of contact angle respectively.The research results show that the Ag-TiO2 thin film is mainly composed of 20-100nm Ag and TiO2 particles,The Ag-TiO2 thin films possess a super-hydrophilic ability and higher photocatalytic activity than that of pure TiO2 thin film.     

Preparation and Properties of IrO2 Thin Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition Technique

Highly conductive IrO2 thin films were prepared on Si （100） substrates by means of pulsed laser deposition technique from an iridium metal target in an oxygen ambient atmosphere. Emphasis was put on the effect of oxygen pressure and substrate temperature on the structure, morphology and resistivity of IrO2 films. It was found that the above properties were strongly dependent on the oxygen pressure and substrate temperature. At 20 Pa oxygen ambient pressure, pure polycrystalline IrO2 thin films were obtained at substrate temperature in the 300-500℃ range with the preferential growth orientation of IrO2 films changed with the substrate temperature. IrO2 films exhibited a uniform and densely packed granular morphology with an average feature size increasing with the substrate temperature. The room-temperature resistivity variations of IrO2 films correlated well with the corresponding film morphology changes. IrO2 films with the minimum resistivity of （42 ±6）μΩ·cm was obtained at 500℃.     

Orientation variation along growth direction of millimeter free-standing CVD diamond thinned by mechanical grinding

A free-standing diamond film with millimeter thickness prepared by DC arc plasma jet was thinned successively by mechanical grinding. The orientation and quality of the diamond films with different thicknesses were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The results show a random grain-orientatinn distribution during the initial growth stage. As the film thickness increases, the preferred orientation of the diamond film changes from （111） to （220）, due to the competitive growth mechanism. Twinning generated during the nucleation stage appears to stabilize the preferential growth along the 〈110〉 direction. The interplanar spacing of the （220） plane is enlarged as the film thickness increases, which is caused by the increase of non-diamond-phase carbon and impurities under the cyclic gas. In addition, the quality of the diamond film is barely degraded during the growth process. Furthermore, the peak shift demonstrates a significant inhomogeneity of stress along the film growth direction, which results from competitive growth.