Characterization of AlF3 thin films at 193 nm by thermal evaporation

Aluminum fluoride (AlF3) was deposited by a resistive heating boat. To obtain a low optical loss and high laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) at 193 nm, the films were investigated under different substrate temperatures, deposition rates, and annealing after coating. The optical property (the transmittance, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and optical loss) at 193 nm, microstructure (the cross-sectional morphology, surface roughness, and crystalline structure), mechanical property (stress), and LIDT of AlF3 thin films have been studied. AlF3 thin films deposited at a high substrate temperature and low deposition rate showed a lower optical loss. The highest LIDT occurred at the substrate temperature of 150 degrees C. The LIDT of the films prepared at a deposition rate of 2 A/s was higher than that at other deposition rates. The annealing process did not influence the optical properties too much, but it did increase the LIDT and stress.     

Al/Al2O3多层膜的研究

用真空蒸镀及自然氧化方法在玻璃基底上制备纳米量级的4、5、6、7对层的Al／Al2O3多层膜。采用称重法测定薄膜的厚度；在常温和低温下使用三点法测定多层膜的电特性；用扫描电镜（sEM）观察薄膜的表面和截面的形貌及成分。结果表明：制备的是纳米量级非晶态的Al／Al2O3多层膜，在常温和低温（77K）下均具有类似负阻的特性。     

The identification of thin amorphous films at grain-boundaries in Al2O3

The presence of amorphous grain-boundary phases in ceramic materials can significantly influence their properties. Such grain-boundary films can be identified by the dark-field diffuse scattering technique, the Fresnel fringe technique, and analytical electron microscopy (energy-dispersive spectroscopy). However, spectrum artefacts can present major problems for the use of such techniques. Specifically, grain-boundary grooving, surface damage of the specimen and silicon contamination are shown experimentally to arise from ion-milling during the preparation of TEM specimens. It is experimentally shown that, with the above techniques, these artefacts can cause grain-boundaries in commercial alumina specimens to appear to contain glassy phases. The ambiguity in interpreting the results from the use of each of these techniques is discussed in detail.     

掺Er-Al2O3薄膜发光特性的研究

通过离子束辅助沉积(IBAD)在热氧化SiO2上沉积Al2O3薄膜,在120keV下注入5×10115cm-2Er离子,Ar气氛下773～1273K退火1h.低温下测试PL谱线,随退火温度升高,发光强度上升.973K退火下发光强度特别低,并观察到Si衬底的1140nm峰.光透射谱表明几乎在所有的测试范围内尤其在1530nm处973K退火样品的透射谱强度最强,波导损耗最低.1530nm发光强度随退火温度的变化跟发光强度的变化相反.说明Er离子在514.5nm泵谱吸收界面σ跟Al2O3的光吸收损耗有一定关系.     

Influence of thermal annealing and ultraviolet light irradiation on LaF3 thin films at 193 nm

Lanthanum fluoride (LaF3) thin films were prepared by resistive heating evaporation and electron-beam gun evaporation under the same deposition rate, deposition substrate temperature, and vacuum pressure. The coated LaF3 films were then treated by heat annealing and UV light irradiation. The optical properties, microstructures, stress, and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) at a wavelength of 193 nm were investigated. The surface roughness, optical loss, stress, and LIDT of the films were improved after the annealing. The films had better properties when irradiated by UV light as compared with heat annealing.     

Al_2O_3:Ce~(3+)薄膜发光特性研究

用中频反应磁控溅射技术制备了Al2O3:Ce3+的非晶薄膜。这些薄膜的光致发光峰是在370～395 nm之间,它来自于Ce3+离子的5d1激发态向基态4f1的两个劈裂能级的跃迁。发光强度依赖于薄膜的掺杂浓度,并分析了产生这种关系的原因。Al2O3:Ce3+非晶薄膜发光特性在平板显示等领域有着广泛潜在的应用前景。     

Surface structure of silver thin films on In2O3:Sn and Al2O 3 †

Surface structure of thin silver films (200 Å) on two technologically important films, indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminium oxide, has been studied using scanning tunneling microscope. ITO films were prepared by reactive electron beam evaporation. Aluminium oxide films were prepared by oxidizing 2000 Å thick aluminium films evaporated on to H₂ terminated single crystal silicon substrates. The surface structure of silver on ITO and aluminium oxide appeared to be same and was characteristic of Stranski-Krastanov type. The observed asymmetry in the island shape was attributed to the anisotropic nature of the strain fields surrounding the nucleation centres.     

Microwave absorption in YBa2Cu3O x granular thin films at the dc magnetic fields

Localization of microwave absorption in YBa₂Cu₃O _x superconducting thin films in the presence of very low dc magnetic field was studied. The granular YBa₂Cu₃O _x thin films of submicrometer thickness had random orientation of grains, were inserted into a microwave cavity for maximum rf magnetic field. The microwave absorption in low dc magnetic field at temperatures just below the critical temperature shows properties which may be ascribed to superconducting grains. At lower temperatures the hysteretic effects and flux-trapping occur in the intergrain regions of the film.     

Microstructure-related properties at 193 nm of MgF2 and GdF3 films deposited by a resistive-heating boat

MgF2 and GdF3 materials, used for a single-layer coating at 193 nm, are deposited by a resistive-heating boat at specific substrate temperatures. Optical characteristics (transmittance, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and optical loss) and microstructures (morphology and crystalline structure) are investigated and discussed. Furthermore, MgF2 is used as a low-index material, and GdF3 is used as a high-index material for multilayer coatings. Reflectance, stress, and the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) are studied. It is shown that MgF2 and GdF3 thin films, deposited on the substrate at a temperature of 300 degrees C, obtain good quality thin films with high transmittance and little optical loss at 193 nm. For multilayer coatings, the stress mainly comes from MgF2, and the absorption comes from GdF3. Among those coatings, the sixteen-layer design, sub/(1.4L 0.6H)8/air, shows the largest LIDT.     

The optical absorption edge in amorphous thin films of MoO3-In2O3

A study of the effects of changes in composition, film thickness, substrate deposition temperature and annealing on the optical properties of MoO₃-In₂O₃ is presented. The results are found to be compatible with the reduction in the value of optical energy gap of these materials as the molar fraction of In₂O₃ in the MoO₃ thin film increases. This decrease of optical gap may be attributed to the incorporation of In(III) ions in an MoO₃ lattice. The decrease in optical band gap with increasing thickness may be interpreted in terms of the incorporation of oxygen vacancies which are also believed to be the source of conduction electrons in the MoO₃-In₂O₃ complex. The decrease of band gap with increasing substrate temperature may be attributed to the enhanced ordering of the samples and the decrease of band gap with annealing may be attributed to a reduction in the concentration of lattice imperfections.     

Nonlinear high-field conductivity in Nb2O5 thin films

The conduction mechanism in thin amorphous films of Nb₂O₅ with Nb counterelectrodes has been investigated for undoped films and for films doped with Nb by a low energy implantation-diffusion process occurring during sputtering of the Nb counterelectrodes. For films with evaporated electrodes, the conductance G versus the applied voltage V showed three regions: (a) an ohmic region at low fields up to a field E₁ = 1.33 × 10⁵ V/cm; (b) a nonlinear dependence of the form I∝V^m, where m = 3.8, at intermediate fields; and (c) for fields E>1.2×10⁶ V/cm an exponential dependence of G on V corresponding to the Poole-Frenkel field-assisted emission mechanism. Films with sputtered Nb electrodes exhibited ohmic regions up to a field E₁ = 4×10⁴ V/cm (where E₁ decreases with increasing sputtering voltage), a relation G ∞ V⁴ at intermediate fields up to E = 8.3 × 10⁴ V/cm, and then an exponential dependence of G and V corresponding to the Poole-type emission mechanism. The conductance and capacitance increased in films with sputtered Nb electrodes and were found to increase, while the thermal activation energy decreased, with increasing sputtering voltage. The above results indicate an increase of coulombic donor sites in Nb₂O₅ films as a consequence of the Nb implantation-diffusion process.     

Optical absorption spectra of evaporated V2O5 and co-evaporated V2O5/B2O3 thin films

The optical absorption spectra of evaporated V₂O₅ and co-evaporated V₂O₅/B₂O₃ thin films have been studied. For higher photon energies, the absorption is found to be due to a direct forbidden electronic transition process from the oxygen 2p band to the vanadium 3d band in a similar way to that observed in crystalline V₂O₅. The exponential behaviour of absorption edge for lower photon energies is attributed to the electronic transitions between the tailed-off d-d states corresponding to V⁴⁺ ions. For co-evaporated V₂O₅/B₂O₃ films the optical energy gap is observed to increase with the increase in V₂O₅ content of the composite films.     

Optical absorption in co-evaporated V2O5-TeO2 thin films

The electron diffraction pattern shows that co-evaporated V₂O₅-TeO₂ thin film samples are amorphous at room temperature and become polycrystalline at temperatures higher than about 513 K. This behaviour is similar to that of amorphous V₂O₅ thin films. The optical absorption edge of amorphous thin films of V₂O₅-TeO₂ is studied in the wavelength range 200 to 900 nm and the FTIR spectra are studied in the wave number range 400 to 4000 cm^–1. The FTIR spectra of amorphous V₂O₅ thin film are found to be similar to those of amorphous V₂O₅-TeO₂ thin films. This suggests that the coordination number of the vanadium ion in V₂O₅-TeO₂ is the same as that in crystalline V₂O₅, and thus the optical absorption edge of amorphous V₂O₅-TeO₂ thin films can be described by direct forbidden transitions.     

Infrared absorption spectra of evaporated V2O5 and co-evaporated V2O5/B2O3 thin films

The Fourier transform infrared spectra of different compositions of evaporated V₂O₅/B₂O₃ thin films have been investigated. Most of the absorption bands corresponding to V₂O₅ and B₂O₃ films coincide with those reported by other authors. The short-range order in amorphous V₂O₅ films is found to be conserved. The absorption spectra indicate a boroxol ring structure for B₂O₃ films. In co-evaporated V₂O₅/B₂O₃ films the boron is observed to substitute in the V₂O₅ network such that the coordination number of vanadium ion remains unchanged. The presence of a number of bands corresponding to -OH groups indicates the hygroscopic character of the films.     

Al2O3–TiO2 thin films on glass substrate by sol–gel technique

In the present research, self-cleaning Al₂O₃–TiO₂ thin films were successfully prepared on glass substrate using a sol–gel technique for photocatalytic applications. We investigated the phase structure, microstructure, adhesion and optical properties of the coatings by using XRD, SEM, scratch tester and UV/Vis spectrophotometer. Four different solutions were prepared by changing Al/Ti molar ratios such as 0, 0.07, 0.18 and 0.73. Glass substrates were coated by solutions of Ti-alkoxide, Al-chloride, glacial acetic acid and isopropanol. The obtained gel films were dried at 300 °C for 10 min and subsequently heat-treated at 500 °C for 5 min in air. The oxide thin films were annealed at 600 °C for 60 min in air. TiO₂, Ti₃O₅, TiO, Ti₂O, α-Al₂O₃ and AlTi phases were determined in the coatings. The microstructural observations demonstrated that Al₂O₃ content improved surface morphology of the films and the thickness of film and surface defects increased in accordance with number of dipping. It was found that the critical load values of the films with 0, 0.07, 0.18 and 0.73 Al/Ti molar ratios were found to be 11, 15, 22 and 28 mN, respectively. For the optical property, the absorption band of synthesized powders shifted from the UV region to the visible region according to the increase of the amount of Al dopant. The oxide films were found to be active for photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue.     

Microstructure of magnesium fluoride films deposited by boat evaporation at 193 nm

Single layer magnesium fluoride (MgF2) was deposited on fused-silica substrates by a molybdenum boat evaporation process at 193 nm. The formation of various microstructures in relation to the different substrate temperatures and deposition rates were investigated. The relation between these microstructures (including cross-sectional morphology, surface roughness, and crystalline structures), the optical properties (including refractive index and optical loss) and stress, were all investigated. It was found that the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) would be affected by the microstructure, optical loss, and stress of the thin film. To obtain a larger LIDT value and better optical characteristics, MgF2 films should be deposited at a high substrate temperature (300 degrees C) and at a low deposition rate (0.05 nm s(-1)).