An electrochemical study of sprayed CdS and CdZnS films

Thin films of cadmium sulphide and cadmium zinc sulphide were prepared by the airless spray method. Their electrical and optical properties were studied using photoelectrochemical techniques. The films showed a very high donor concentration (N_D ≈ 10¹⁷) irrespective of the ZnS content. Thermal treatments decreased this concentration. The addition of a copper salt to the sprayed solution improved the crystalline quality of the film but did not change the values of N_D. The band gap energies of the films were in good agreement with those reported for evaporated films of similar compositions.     

Effect of the microwave oven on structural, morphological and electrical properties of SrBi4Ti4O15 thin films grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by a soft chemical method

Thin films of SrBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ (SBTi), a prototype of the Bi-layered-ferroelectric oxide family, were obtained by a soft chemical method and crystallized in a domestic microwave oven. For comparison, films were also crystallized in a conventional method at 700 °C for 2 h. Structural and morphological characterization of the SBTi thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Using platinum coated silicon substrates, the ferroelectric properties of the films were determined. Remanent polarization P_r and a coercive field E_c values of 5.1 μC/cm² and 135 kV/cm for the film thermally treated in the microwave oven and 5.4 μC/cm² and 85 kV/cm for the film thermally treated in conventional furnace were found. The films thermally treated in the conventional furnace exhibited excellent fatigue-free characteristics up to 10¹⁰ switching cycles indicating that SBTi thin films are a promising material for use in non-volatile memories.     

双铁电复合材料的制备及其光电化学性能研究

通过模板法制备钒酸铋(BiVO₄)薄膜, 用溶胶-凝胶法制备铁电材料铁酸铋(BiFeO₃)并对BiVO₄进行修饰, 以半导体复合的方式提高BiVO₄的光电化学性能。电化学测试结果表明, 经BiFeO₃修饰后, BiVO₄薄膜的光电化学性能有所提高, 其中经BiFeO₃旋涂5次后的BiVO₄薄膜具有最优的光电化学性能, 光电流密度达到0.72 mA·cm^-2, 较未修饰样品提高了67.4%。利用外场极化调节能带弯曲可以显著地提高BiVO₄/nBiFeO₃铁电复合物的光电化学性能, 复合物经正极化20 V电压处理后的光电流密度最高为0.91 mA·cm^-2, 比BiVO₄薄膜提升了1倍以上, 具有良好的光电化学性能。BiFeO₃与BiVO₄复合后有利于形成异质结, 促进光生电子、光生空穴的产生与分离, 并且外场极化调节能带弯曲使光生电荷加速转移, 是铁电复合物光电化学性能提高的主要原因。     

单靶磁控溅射制备铜铟硒和铜铟锌硒薄膜及其结构、光学性质研究

采用单靶磁控溅射法制备了铜铟硒(CIS)和铜铟锌硒(CIZS)薄膜。XRD表征发现CIZS-300出现了与其它薄膜不同的择优取向, 分析认为贫铜的状态和适宜温度可能促使薄膜择优取向从(112)向(220)转化; 拉曼光谱在171 cm^-1处出现的较强峰, 和206 cm^-1处出现的较弱峰, 分别为A₁和B₂振动模式, 而Zn的掺入导致A₁拉曼峰的宽化和蓝移; Zn的掺入使Cu含量改变进而使CIZS禁带宽度增大, 这是由于Se的p轨道和Cu的d轨道杂化引起的; SEM测试结果表明CIZS薄膜表面比CIS表面更为紧密、平滑。     

Field-lowering carrier excitation in cadmium arsenide thin films

Cadmium arsenide is a II–V semiconductor which exhibits n-type intrinsic conductivity with high mobility up to μ_n=1.0–1.5 m²/V s. Potential applications include magnetoresistors and both thermal and photodetectors, which require electrical characterization over a wide range of deposition and measurement conditions. The films were prepared by vacuum evaporation with deposition rates in the range 0.5–6.0 nm/s and substrate temperatures maintained at constant values of 20–120°C. Sandwich-type samples were deposited with film thicknesses of 0.1–1.1 μm using evaporated electrodes of Ag and occasionally Au or Al. Above a typical electric field F_b of up to 5×10⁷ V/m all samples showed instabilities characteristic of dielectric breakdown or electroforming. Below this field they showed a high-field conduction process with logJ∝V^1/2, where J is the current density and V the applied voltage. This type of dependence is indicative of carrier excitation over a potential barrier whose effective barrier height has been lowered by the high electric field. The field-lowering coefficient β had a value of (1.2–5.3)×10⁻⁵ eV m^1/2/V^1/2 which is reasonably consistent with the theoretical value of β_PF=2.19×10⁻⁵ eV m^1/2/V^1/2 expected when the field-lowering occurs at donor-like centres in the semiconductor (Poole–Frenkel effect). For thinner films Schottky emission was more probable. The effects of the film thickness, electrode materials, deposition rate, and substrate temperature on the conductivity behaviour are discussed.     

高三阶光学非线性Cd/CdS-SiO2复合薄膜的电化学–溶胶凝胶制备及表征

以硝酸镉、硫脲和正硅酸乙酯为前驱体, 采用电化学-溶胶凝胶法, 以ITO玻璃为基底制备了透明薄膜。扫描电子显微镜(SEM)表征表明薄膜为纳米束结构。X射线能谱(EDX)表征表明薄膜由Si、O、Cd、S元素组成, Cd/S(原子比)＞1。EDX表征结合循环伏安(CV)实验确定薄膜为Cd/CdS-SiO₂复合薄膜。Z扫描表征表明, 薄膜在1064 nm处表现出自散焦特性的非线性折射效应和饱和吸收特性的非线性吸收特性。薄膜的三阶非线性极化率(χ(3))较高, 达到了1.18×10^-14~1.39×10^-13 (m/V)², 表明薄膜具有优良的三阶光学非线性。分析认为薄膜中CdS的含量对薄膜的光学性非线性起主要作用。     

Sc2W3O12薄膜制备及其负热膨胀性能

采用脉冲激光沉积法制备了斜方相Sc₂W₃O₁₂薄膜。利用X射线衍射仪(XRD)和场发射扫描电镜(FESEM)对Sc₂W₃O₁₂靶材和Sc₂W₃O₁₂薄膜组分、表面形貌和靶材断面形貌进行表征, 研究衬底温度与氧分压对薄膜制备的影响。采用变温XRD和热机械分析仪(TMA)分析了Sc₂W₃O₁₂陶瓷靶材和薄膜的负热膨胀特性。实验结果表明: 经1000℃烧结6 h得到结构致密的斜方相Sc₂W₃O₁₂陶瓷靶材, 其在室温到600℃的温度范围内平均热膨胀系数为-5.28×10^-6 K^-1。在室温到500℃衬底温度范围内脉冲激光沉积制备的Sc₂W₃O₁₂薄膜均为非晶态, 随着衬底温度的升高, 薄膜表面光滑程度提高; 随着沉积氧压强增大, 表面平整性变差。非晶膜经1000℃退火处理7 min后得到斜方相Sc₂W₃O₁₂多晶薄膜, 在室温到600℃温度区间内, Sc₂W₃O₁₂薄膜的平均热膨胀系数为-7.17×10^-6 K^-1。     

Optical and structural characterizations of Cu-doped KCl films

The production of highly Cu⁺-doped KCl films and the properties of their 266 nm absorption band, which has an off-center property in doped single crystals, open the possibility of application of these films as ultra-violet optical filters. The investigated films, of approximately 1 μm thickness, were prepared by resistive co-evaporation of KCl and CuCl powders on different substrates of CaF₂, Al₂O₃, SiO₂, KCl and Si. The Cu⁺ concentration, as determined by energy-dispersive X-ray, ranges from 10²⁰ to 10²¹ cm⁻³, for 1–15% CuCl nominal mole percent concentration. Structural and optical properties were investigated through scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, ellipsometry, optical absorption and transmission. The films are polycrystalline, and the gain size decreases with increasing Cu⁺ impurity concentration, yielding an increase of visible transmission to a limited CuCl concentration. These films show a 6.295 Å lattice parameter with a f.c.c. structure and an index of refraction of 1.53 at 266 nm. When the Cu⁺ concentration is increased, the UV band position remains the same and no clusters are evidenced even to the high 15% CuCl concentration investigated, which differs very much from single crystals samples grown by the Kyropoulos-Czochralski method. For a Cu⁺ concentration of 8×10²⁰ cm⁻³ the film shows a transmission better than 88% at 350 nm wavelength.     

A comparative study of low dielectric constant barrier layer, etch stop and hardmask films of hydrogenated amorphous Si-(C, O, N)

New barrier layer, etch stop and hardmask films, including hydrogenated amorphous a-SiC_x:H (SiC), a-SiC_xO_y:H (SiCO), and a-SiC_xN_y:H (SiCN) films with a dielectric constant (k) approximately 4.3, are produced using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique. The chemical and structural nature, and mechanical properties of these films are characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and nano-indentation. The leakage current density and breakdown electric field are investigated by a mercury probe on a metal-insulator-semiconductor structure. The properties of the studied films indicate that they are potential candidates as barrier layer, etch stop and hardmask films for the advanced interconnect technology. The SiC film shows a high leakage current density (1.3×10⁻⁷ A/cm² at 1.0 MV/cm) and low breakdown field (1.2 MV/cm at 1.0×10⁻⁶ A/cm²). Considering the mechanical and electrical properties requirements of the interconnect process, SiCN might be a good choice, but the N content may result in via poison problem. The low leakage current (1.2×10⁻⁹ A/cm² at 1.0 MV/cm), high breakdown field (3.1 MV/cm at 1.0×10⁻⁶ A/cm²), and relative high hardness (5.7 GPa) of the SiCO film indicates a good candidate as a barrier layer, etch stop, or hardmask.     

Optical properties of rare earth ion (Nd, Er and Tb)-doped alumina films prepared by the sol–gel method

Rare earth ion (Nd³⁺, Er³⁺ and Tb³⁺)-doped alumina films were prepared by the sol–gel method using aqueous alumina sol. The effects of dopant concentration and treatment temperature on the optical properties, absorption and emission were examined for the doped films. Alumina films prepared by this method gave a high dopant concentration (0–15 mol% per alumina). Significant concentration quenching did not occur in this concentration range. The emissions from ⁵D₃ and ⁵D₄ of Tb³⁺-doped film reflected sensitively a matrix environment around Tb³⁺ ions. Er³⁺- and Nd³⁺-doped alumina films resonantly excited by cw Ti–sapphire laser (800 nm) showed upconversion emission at room temperature. The former gave 548 nm (⁴S_3/2→⁴I_15/2) and 640 nm (⁴F_9/2→⁴I_11/2) signals, and the latter 640 nm (⁴G_7/2→⁴I_11/2), which were dependent on alumina.     

Characterization of indium zinc oxide thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition using a Zn3In2O6 target

Using a Zn₃In₂O₆ target, indium-zinc oxide films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The influence of the substrate deposition temperature and the oxygen pressure on the structure, optical and electrical properties were studied. Crystalline films are obtained for substrate temperatures above 200°C. At the optimum substrate deposition temperature of 500°C and the optimum oxygen pressure of 10⁻³ mbar, both conditions that indeed lead to the highest conductivity, Zn₃In₂O₆ films exhibit a transparency of 85% in the visible region and a conductivity of 1000 S/cm. Depositions carried out in oxygen and reducing gas, 93% Ar/7% H₂, result in large discrepancies between the target stoichiometry and the film composition. The Zn/In (at.%) ratio of 1.5 is only preserved for oxygen pressures of 10⁻²–10⁻³ mbar and a 93% Ar/7% H₂ pressure of 10⁻² mbar. The optical properties are basically not affected by the type of atmosphere used during the film deposition, unlike the conductivity which significantly increases from 80 to 1400 S/cm for a film deposited in 10⁻² mbar of O₂ and in 93% Ar/7% H₂, respectively.     

Highly conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films deposited by pulsed laser ablation

Highly conducting and transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were prepared on SiO₂ glass and silicon substrates by pulsed laser ablation (PLA) from a 90 wt.% In₂O₃-10 wt.% SnO₂ sintered ceramic target. The growths of ITO films under different oxygen pressures (P_O2) ranging from 1×10⁻⁴–5×10⁻² Torr at low substrate temperatures (T_s) between room temperature (RT) and 200°C were investigated. The opto-electrical properties of the films were found to be strongly dependent on the P_O2 during the film deposition. Under a P_O2 of 1×10⁻² Torr, ITO films with low resistivity of 5.35×10⁻⁴ and 1.75×10⁻⁴ Ω cm were obtained at RT (25°C) and 200°C, respectively. The films exhibited high carrier density and reasonably high Hall mobility at the optimal P_O2 region of 1×10⁻² to 1.5×10⁻² Torr. Optical transmittance in excess of 87% in the visible region of the solar spectrum was displayed by the films deposited at Po₂≥1×10⁻² Torr and it was significantly reduced as the P_O2 decreases.     

Electrical and optical characterization of Na: CuInS2 thin films grown by spray pyrolysis

The structural, electrical and optical properties of Na-doped CuInS₂ thin films grown by spray pyrolysis were studied. These films crystallized in the sphalerite structure of CuInS₂, and showed to contain traces of indium sulfide and CuIn₅S₈ as impurity phases. All films were In-rich and showed p-type conductivity. The film conductivity was strongly affected by Na-doping, which decreased from 10⁻² to 10⁻⁵ S/cm by increasing the [Na]/[Cu] ratio from 0.005 to 0.03 in the spray solution. The band gap energy was observed to increase, from 1.4 to 1.45 eV, with increasing the [Na]/[Cu] ratio. Our results suggested that Na could be an effective acceptor impurity in sprayed CuInS₂.     

Semiconducting and structural properties of CrSi2 A-type epitaxial films on Si(111)

Chromium disilicide (CrSi₂) films 1 000 Å thick have been prepared by molecular beam epitaxy on CrSi₂ templates grown on Si(111) substrate. The effect of the substrate temperature on the structural, electrical and optical properties of CrSi₂ films has been studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopies, optical microscopy, electrical resistivity and Hall effect measurements and infrared optical spectrometry. The optimal temperature for the formation of the epitaxial A-type CrSi₂ film have been found to be about 750°C. The electrical measurement have shown that the epitaxial A-type CrSi₂ film is p-type semiconductor having a hole concentration of 1 × 10¹⁷cm⁻³ and Hall mobility of 2 980 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ at room temperature. Optical absorption coefficient data have indicated a minimum, direct energy gap of 0.34 eV. The temperature dependence of the Hall mobility (μ) in the temperature range of T = 180–500 K can be expressed as μ = 7.8 × 10¹⁰T⁻³cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹.     

Improved tribological properties of sputtered MoS2 films through N implantation

The effect of N⁺ implantation on the microstructural and tribological properties of r.f.-sputtered MoS₂ films was studied. The cross-section scanning electron micrographs show that, after N⁺ implantation, the loose column structure of the sputtered MoS₂ films increases in density. A decrease in film thickness of about 50% is also observed. The results of X-ray diffraction analysis show that N⁺ bombardment enhances the (100) edge plane orientation of the MoS₂ crystal in the film. The scratch test indicates an improved film-substrate adherence. The tribological test results indicate that N⁺ implantation yields a distinct enhancement in the wear life of the sputtered MoS₂ films. Compared with the as-deposited MoS₂ film, the wear life of the sputtered MoS₂ films implanted with 150 keV N⁺ at 1 × 10¹⁶ N⁺ cm⁻² shows a threefold increase in a relative humidity of 60%–70% and a twofold increase in a vacuum of 5 × 10⁻³ Pa. However, N⁺ implantation inreases the friction coefficient. The lubrication model of the N⁺-modified film is given.     

Long lasting phosphorescence of Sr4Al14O25:Eu,Dy thin films by magnetron sputtering

This paper reports the preparation process and the long lasting phosphorescence of the Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ thin films obtained by magnetron sputtering. Phosphorescence was achieved by annealing the films in reducing atmosphere. Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅ thin film was obtained when the films were treated at 1200 °C, while SrAl₂O₄ was generated as the intermediate phase during the annealing process. Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ film generated an emission at 485 nm, and SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ film showed an emission peaking at 515 nm. Afterglow characteristics were observed for both films, and Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ film showed a better afterglow property than the SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ film due to a deeper trap level and a higher trap concentration formed in the thin films.     

-Fe2O3 thin films prepared by metalorganic deposition (MOD) from Fe(III) 2-ethylhexanoate

-Fe₂O₃ thin films were prepared by metalorganic deposition (MOD) using Fe(III) 2-ethylhexanoate as the metalorganic precursor. A series of experiments were conducted on the metalorganic spin-coated films and their correspondingly annealed samples by employing experimental techniques ranging from thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to optical property characterization. In this way a better understanding has been achieved regarding the decomposition process of the metalorganic precursor, the solid state -Fe₂O₃ film formation and crystallization process, and the relationship between the structure and the optical properties of the prepared films. The conclusions of our experiments are the following. The decomposition of Fe(III) 2-ethylhexanoate is a multistep process that is characterized by distinct transition temperatures and thermogravimetric loss rates. Amorphous -Fe₂O₃ film is formed at an annealing temperature of around 460°C, further annealing at higher temperatures induces the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition and grain growth. FTIR, XRD and SEM data for structural characterization are correlated and in good agreement. A new FTIR absorption band, peaking at 1085 cm^-1, is assigned to the vibration of crystalline Fe-O mode, therefore this peak is useful in monitoring the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition of -Fe₂O₃ material. Instead of columnar structure in physical vapour deposition-prepared films a granular structure is typical of MOD prepared films, the grain size is much larger near the surface of the film than near the substrate. Optical characterization shows that the refractive index and extinction coefficient of the -Fe₂O₃ thin films increase with the increase of annealing temperatures. The potential interesting applications of the MOD-prepared -Fe₂O₃ thin films include gas sensor materials, photoelectrodes and storage media.     

Anomalous elastic properties of RF-sputtered amorphous TeO2+x thin film for temperature-stable SAW device applications

The anomalous elastic properties of TeO_2+x thin films deposited by rf diode sputtering on substrates at room temperature have been studied. The deposited films are amorphous, and IR spectroscopy reveals the formation of Te-O bond. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the variation in the stoichiometry of TeO_2+x film from x = 0 to 1 with an increase in the oxygen percentage in processing gas composition. The elastic parameters of the films in comparison to the reported values for TeO_2+x single crystal are found to be low. However, the temperature coefficients of elastic parameters of all deposited films exhibit anomalous behavior showing positive values for TC(C₁₁) in the range (32.0 to 600.0) x 10^-40 C^-1 and TC(C¹¹) = (35.0 to 645.5) x 10^-4degC^-1 against the negative values TC(Cn) = -2.7 x 10^-4degC^-1 and TC(C₁₁) = -0.73 x 10^-4degC^-1 reported for TeO₂ single crystal. The variation in the elastic parameters and their temperature coefficients is correlated with the change in the three-dimensional network of Te-O bonding. The anomalous elastic properties of the TeO_2+x films grown in 100% O₂ are useful for potential application in the design of temperature stable surface acoustic wave devices.     

Elastic stiffness and thermal expansion coefficients of various refractory silicides and silicon nitride films

The elestic stiffness parameter E_f/(1−ν_f) and the thermal expansion coefficient _f were obtained for four different silicides (TiSi₂, TaSi₂, MoSi₂ and WSi₂) and for two different nitrides (chemically vapor-deposited Nitrox Si₃N₄ and r.f. plasma SiN) from stress-temperature measurements on identical films deposited on two different substrate materials. The values determined for _f and E_f/(1−ν_f) were quite similar for all silicides and averaged 15 ppm °C⁻¹ and 1.1 × 10¹² dyncm⁻² respectively. The thermal mismatch of these silicides is such that, once safely formed, the silicide film should be able to withstand high temperature processing steps without cracking. For the nitrides the values were essentially the same (approximately 1.5 ppm°C^-1), although the larger value of E_f/(1−ν_f) chemically vapor-deposited Si₃N₄ film (3.7 × 10¹² as opposed to 1.1 × 10¹² dyn cm^-2) indicates that it is somewhat stiffer than the SiN film.     

金属过渡层类型对非晶碳膜结构性能的影响

采用直流磁控溅射技术制备不同金属过渡层(Cr, Ti, W)的类石墨非晶碳膜(GLC), 研究过渡层类型对非晶碳膜微结构的影响, 并考察其在人工海水中摩擦性能的变化。研究结果表明: Cr/GLC薄膜sp²杂化键含量最高, 沿GLC表面到铬碳界面方向, sp²杂化键含量逐渐增大, Ti过渡层和W过渡层的sp²杂化键含量变化不明显。Cr/GLC薄膜较高的sp²杂化键含量有助于其在摩擦过程中产生可以充当润滑相的石墨化转化摩擦转移膜。在三种涂层中, Cr/GLC薄膜表现出最高的腐蚀电位-0.16 V和最低的腐蚀电流密度4.42×10^-9 A/cm²。因此相较于Ti, W作过渡层的GLC薄膜, Cr/GLC薄膜在海水环境下表现出优异的摩擦学特性。