Kinetic versus strain formation of self-organized nanoholes in manganite thin films

We report on the formation of self-organized rows of pits in highly epitaxial La(2/3)Sr(1/3)MnO(3) thin films on top of substrates having different structural misfits by rf magnetron sputtering. The best-defined pits form in coherently grown films at a low misfit irrespective of its nature (tensile or compressive stress). It is also found that the pit rows align along the step edges, which indicates in-phase growth instability with the step edges, irrespective of the misfit. However, out-of-phase pit rows are also found when the terrace width increases due to a decrease of the miscut angle. Pit's volume scales inversely with the lattice mismatch suggesting that structural strain alone does not favor the formation of pits. The formation of pits is analyzed within a thermodynamic model.     

The magneto-optical properties of thin cobalt films

Experimentally measured magneto-optical properties of magnetic materials are usually analysed using a phenomenological approach in which the permittivity is considered as a skew-symmetric tensor. Measurements of the real and imaginary parts of both the optical and the magneto-optical elements of this sensor in the region 1.0–2.5 eV are presented for a series of seven thin (108-13.4 nm) cobalt films. The prominent features of the results are remarkably consistent from film to film.     

Self diffusion studies on cobalt thin films

The study of lateral diffusion in thin metallic films is important from the application point of view, especially in electromigration reliability studies. Lateral self diffusion in cobalt thin films is studied using a non-destructive tracer scanning method. Neutron irradiation is employed to make a well-defined radioactive (⁶⁰Co) region in the middle of a continuous cobalt thin film stripe of width 3 mm. The experimental data are fitted to the appropriate solution of the diffusion equations by means of a non-linear least square fitting procedure using a computer. The diffusion experiments are conducted in the temperature range 300–600°C in argon atmosphere. This thin film data are compared with the diffusion data available on bulk cobalt. The activation energy for surface diffusion obtained (0·14 eV) is very much smaller than the reported activation energy for grain boundary diffusion in cobalt.     

Magnetic properties of cobalt rare-earth thin films

This paper describes the magnetic properties of dc sputtered thin films of Co-Gd and Co-Sm in various compositions. Magnetic moment density, hysteresis loop coercivity and squareness, and rotational hysteresis loss measurements are reported. Crystallite and domain sizes were observed with an electron microscope for a few compositions. A tentative model of magnetization reversal is proposed for some of the compositions.     

Electrodeposited carbon nanotube thin films

A successful attempt to grow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by electrodeposition technique for the first time is reported here. Carbon nanotubes were grown on Si (001) substrate using acetonitrile (1% v/v) and water as electrolyte at an applied d.c. potential ∼20 V. The films were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Raman, optical absorbance, Fourier Transform Infra Red spectroscopy (FTIR) and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) measurements. The effect of magnetic field on the growth of nanotubes was studied critically. It was found that the presence of magnetic field during electro-deposition played a crucial role on the growth of carbon nanotubes and hence the electronic properties. Photoluminescence (PL) studies indicated band edge luminescence ∼0.72-0.83 eV. Field emission studies indicated lower turn-on voltage and higher current density for films deposited with magnetic field.     

Piezoresistive effect in amorphous carbon thin films

Abstract

In this contribution amorphous carbon (a-C) films are integrated as strain gauges in micromachined silicon boss membranes. Sputter deposited a-C films have high hardness and <2 % hydrogen content in it. The tribological properties of the a-C films are comparable with diamond and can be used for hard coatings. The films have very low resistivity which decreases with the temperature. Current voltage characteristics of a-C/oxide Si shows Ohmic behaviour. Variable range hopping mechanism is dominant at low temperatures and is thermally activated at room temperature and at higher temperatures. Piezoresistive gauge factor are measured in the temperature range 23–50°C.     

Passivation of cobalt nanocluster assembled thin films with hydrogen

The effect of hydrogen passivation on bare and Pd capped cobalt nanocluster assembled thin films was studied with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) after exposure to ambient conditions. The nanoclusters are produced in a laser vaporization cluster source in which the helium carrier gas was mixed with hydrogen. RBS revealed that oxidation of the Co nanoclusters is considerably reduced by the presence of hydrogen during cluster formation. The capping did not modify the influence of the passivation. The hydrogen passivation method is especially effective in cases when capping of the films is not desirable, for example for magnetic studies. Clear differences in the magnetic domain structures between hydrogen passivated and non-passivated Co nanocluster films were demonstrated by MFM and are attributed to a difference in inter-cluster magnetic interaction, which is critically depending on the CoO content. The hydrogen passivation method may be used to tailor and stabilize properties of nanocluster assembled thin films.     

Thickness dependent structural, magnetic and transport properties of nanostructured cobalt thin films

This paper presents structural, magnetic, and transport properties measurements carried out on Co thin film as a function of thickness. The structure of the Co thin film changes from amorphous to nano-crystalline with the increase in film thickness. The corresponding magnetic and transport measurements show drastic changes in coercivity, saturation field and resistivity value as a function of Co film thickness. Observed magnetization and resistivity behaviour is mainly attributed to the (i) Change in crystal structure, (ii) stress relaxation, (iii) grain growth as revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements.     

Co-deposition of cobalt disilicide on silicon–germanium thin films

The formation of CoSi₂ on strained epitaxial Si_0.8Ge_0.2/Si(100) films has been studied as a function of the deposition method and annealing temperature. Two types of deposition processes were used: a direct method, where 5 nm of pure Co metal were deposited at room temperature onto a strained 80 nm thick Si_0.8Ge_0.2 layer; and a co-deposition method, where 5 nm Co and 18.2 nm Si were simultaneously deposited in a 1:2 ratio onto a strained Si_0.8Ge_0.2 layer at 450°C. Samples were then annealed at temperatures ranging from 500 to 800°C. Extended X-ray absorbance fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the structure of the resulting films. It was found that the samples prepared via the direct deposition method did not convert to CoSi₂ at any annealing temperature up to 800°C, while the co-deposited samples formed epitaxial CoSi₂ at even the lowest annealing temperature of 500°C. These results are discussed in terms of proposed reaction mechanisms of the different deposition methods, based on consideration of the Co–Si–Ge ternary phase diagram.     

Sol-gel cobalt oxide-silica nanocomposite thin films for gas sensing applications

Various metal oxide-silica nanocomposite films have been recently proposed as gas-sensitive materials. This paper presents results on cobalt oxide-SiO₂ mesoporous nanocomposite thin films templated by a cationic surfactant. The films were deposited on glass substrate by dip-coating process, using [Co(CH₃COO)₂]·4H₂O and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as starting materials. The effect of withdrawal speed, number of layers and thermal treatment on the crystalline structure, morphology, Co-doping states, optical, electrical and gas sensing properties of the thin films has been investigated using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical transmittance and room temperature photoreduction-oxidation data.     

Preparation and characterisation of chromium-doped cobalt oxide spinel thin films

Thin films of cobalt-based oxide spinel were prepared by pulsed spray evaporation chemical vapour deposition (PSE-CVD), and doping with chromium was systematically investigated up to a Cr/Co ratio of 0.096, corresponding to a stoichiometry of Co_3−x Cr _x O₄ with x = 0.00–0.26. The effect of doping concentration on the structure, assessed by X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering, and on the optical and electrical properties of the oxide films was investigated. Single-phase spinel could be preserved for stoichiometries below x = 0.22. The influence of Cr-doping on the band gap energies and on the electrical conductivity was determined, and the obtained results were exploited to discuss the cationic site occupations. The influence of Cr doping was complemented by the investigation of the surface catalytic reactivity towards the oxidation of dichloromethane.     

Implantation of carbon into thin iron films

Polycrystalline iron films, 1000 Å thick, were implanted with carbon ions at 38 kV to an average concentration of 6 at.%. After implantation and subsequent annealing, lattice parameter and microstructural determinations were made with transmitted electrons. Immediately after implantation, the carbon is retained in supersaturated solid solution and the lattice type is transformed from the normal body-centered cubic of alpha iron to body-centered tetragonal with a c/a ratio of 1.6. After annealing above 330 °C for several hours, the carbon precipitates from solid solution as a carbide phase and the c/a ratio is reduced. These results can be interpreted in terms of the formation and annealing of the metastable martensite constituent of the iron-carbon system.     

Transferable thin films of pristine carbon nanotubes

We describe here a simple and low-cost method to prepare ultra-thin, homogeneous, and transferable films of pristine carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The highly efficient chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth method involves silica supported catalysts and alcohol vapor as gaseous carbon source. By varying the amount of catalysts, the thickness of synthesized films can be easily tuned from 20 nm (sub-monolayer) to 150 nm in a controlled fashion. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) revealed that the films are composed primarily of single-walled and a small fraction of double-walled CNTs. A nonlinear relationship between film conductivity and thickness was observed. Our sub-monolayer ( 20 nm) film, which is noticeably thinner than conductive CNT films synthesized using other methods (typically > 50 nm and up to 100 microm), shows the highest conductivity of 400 mho x cm(-1) with 90% transparency in the visible range and close to 100% transparency in the infrared range. This ultra-thin film can also be transferred carrier-film free to a wide range of substrates including low-cost plastics for flexible electronics. Compared to CNT films prepared by filtration techniques, our films demonstrated superior stability against mechanical bending.     

Electrochemical performance of diamond-like carbon thin films

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films used in this study were intended for their electrochemical properties. The DLC films were deposited by a filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) process on p-type silicon (100) substrates biased at different pulse voltages (0-2000 V). The chemical bonding structures of the DLC films were characterized with micro-Raman spectroscopy and the electrochemical properties were evaluated by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization. The DLC films showed high impedance, high polarization resistance and high breakdown potential in a 0.5 M H₂SO₄ aqueous solution, which were attributed to the high sp³ content and uniformity of the films. The excellent chemical inertness of the DLC films made them promising corrosion resistant coating materials.     

The ageing of thin films of nickel,cobalt and nickel-cobalt alloys in ultrahigh vacuum

The electrical resistance of thin films of nickel, cobalt and nickel-cobalt alloys, evaporated at 0 °C substrate temperature in ultrahigh vacuum, was investigated. It was established that stable resistance values are reached after heating at 250 °C. The behaviour of these films in ultrahigh vacuum immediately after evaporation and during heating depends on their original degree of ordering.