Magnetic properties of sputtered soft magnetic Fe–Ni films with an uniaxial anisotropy

The microstructure and magnetic properties of polycrystalline Fe_100−xNi_x films have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetic moment measurements. In the XRD pattern of Fe–Ni films, the values of area ratio, A(1 1 1)/A(2 0 0) for the XRD peaks, in the thickness dependence decrease rapidly with increasing film thickness in the films with a bias field applied parallel to the plane in order to introduce uniaxial anisotropy, but the values for the films without the field are nearly constant. The coercivity vs. thickness analyzed by using Néel's formula show that the values for the films with the bias field follow Néel's formula within the thickness range of 40–100 nm, except the range of 10–40 nm. This result indicates that there is a change in domain wall type at the thickness of 40 nm. From the results of thickness and temperature dependence of magnetization analyzed by using some theoretical models, the values of interaction strength between magnetic ions were determined. The electrical resistivity of films is found to be consistent with the Mayadas–Shatzkes model.     

The effects of the aluminium concentration on optical and electrical properties of AZO thin films as a transparent conductive layer

In this paper, we studied the effects of the aluminium dopant concentration on the optical and electrical properties of aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films grown on soda-glass substrates by a simple chemical method. The amount of aluminium in the compound was varied from 0 to 5 atomic percent (at.%), and the typical thickness of the films produced was about 300 nm. The thin films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction to investigate the morphology and crystallinity of the samples. The optical properties of the thin films were studied by UV–Vis spectroscopy to determinate absorption, transmittance, and the diffuse reflectance. In addition, the photoluminescence properties of the thin films, excited with a 320 nm UV laser beam, were investigated. The effects of the aluminium concentration on these optical properties are discussed. The films with 2 and 5 % doping had excellent optical transmittance (~85–90 %) in the 400–1100 nm wavelength range. The photoluminescence spectra of the AZO films revealed UV near band edge emission peaks in the 378–401 nm range and an oxygen-vacancy related peak around 471 nm. The addition of aluminium changed the band gap of zinc oxide from 3.29 to 3.41 eV, and the appearance of a new level was observed in the band gap at the higher aluminium doping concentrations. The AZO thin films showed good conductivity (in the order of 10^?2 Ω cm) which allows their use as transparent electrodes. Moreover, the AZO thin films were stable in open air for 30 days.     

Spray deposition of lanthanum selenide (La2Se3) thin films from non-aqueous medium and their characterizations

The spray pyrolysis technique was employed to prepare lanthanum selenide (La₂Se₃) thin films on ordinary glass and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates under optimized conditions. The preparative parameters are optimized to get good quality of La₂Se₃ thin films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study reveals that only cubic La₂Se₃ is formed with a grain size of about 42 nm. The direct optical band gap is estimated to be 2.6 eV. The dispersions of dielectric constant and dielectric loss are studied with the variation of frequency. The room temperature electrical resistivity of the films is found to be of the order of 10⁵ Ω cm. The film is found to be a p-type semiconductor.     

A new method of determining the equivalent circuit parameters of piezoelectric resonators and analysis of the piezoelectric loading effect

An inductive method of piezoelectric resonance detection is applied to the determination of equivalent circuit parameters of piezoelectric resonators. Using this method one can measure the resonance frequency and mechanical Q-factor of a resonator directly as well as their dependences on the electrical impedance which is connected to the resonator. From the equivalent circuit analysis the changes in resonance frequency and Q-factor due to the piezoelectric loading effects are determined. Measurements on two typical commercial piezoelectric resonators, an AT-cut quartz crystal and a PZT ceramic resonator, are in good agreement with the analysis.     

Structural, optical and electrical characterization of spray-deposited TiO2 thin films

Titanium oxide (TiO₂) thin films were deposited onto glass substrates by means of spray pyrolysis method using methanolic titanyl acetyl acetonate as precursor solution. The thin films were deposited at three different temperatures namely 350, 400 and 450 °C. As-deposited thin films were amorphous having 100–300 nm thickness. The thin films were subsequently annealed at 500 °C in air for 2 h. Structural, optical and electrical properties of TiO₂ thin films have been studied. Polycrystalline thin films with rutile crystal structure, as evidenced from X-ray diffraction pattern, were obtained with major reflexion along (1 1 0). Surface morphology and growth stages based on atomic force microscopy measurements are discussed. Electrical properties have been studied by means of electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power measurements. Optical study shows that TiO₂ possesses direct optical transition with band gap of 3.4 eV.     

Effect of mono and composite coating on dynamic fracture toughness of metals at different temperatures

It is well known that during the operating condition of any metallic structural system the dynamic crack growth speed is in the order of 1–2 km/s. Industrial finishes like coating which form the integral part of manufacturing is adopted to improve fracture toughness of metals. These coated samples coated with thin films are mechanically tested by Charpy V-notch impact tester for estimating dynamic fracture toughness. Coatings improve the wear and corrosion resistance of materials; they tend to reduce the strength of materials, because of the increased residual stresses due to the coating process. Defects cannot be precluded from these coated and treated components; strength of those components in the presence of these defects can be analyzed by fracture mechanics approach. An attempt has been made to analyze the effectiveness of coating methods like electroplating, PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition), coating thickness and the service temperature on the fracture behaviour of metals. Experiments have been carried out on EN8 steel and aluminium for different temperatures and the later samples were corroded for 2400 h and tested for corrosion resistance. The specimen preparation and experimentations were carried out according to the ASTM standard E-23. Finite element analysis was done by FRANC 2D (Fracture Analysis Code) for estimating the stress intensity factor at different crack lengths along with influence of temperature and corrosion. PVD coated samples of Al–N (aluminium nitride) and nano-crystalline layer of Ti–Al–N (titanium aluminium nitride) showed improved dynamic fracture toughness properties. The same set of samples showed decrease in stress intensity factors and excellent corrosion resistance compared to conventional Ni (nickel) and Cr (chromium) coated samples. Mechanical behaviour of selected metals under heat affected zone is of also discussed in this paper, the study aims at both coated and uncoated cases. Performances of metals in cryogenic condition are also paid attention in this paper.     

Temperature stability of thin anodic oxide films in metal/insulator/metal structures: A comparison between tantalum and aluminium oxide

The dielectric breakdown of thin (d = 3–4 nm) aluminium and tantalum oxide films was investigated by means of current voltage plots in metal/insulator/metal systems. Dielectric breakdown field strengths, E_DB, of 0.6 GV m^− 1 were found for both oxide types at room temperature. Differences appear in the temperature dependence of E_DB. Tantalum oxide films show an unchanged breakdown behaviour for temperatures up to 420 K while aluminium oxide films lose already 80% of their E_DB value in the same temperature range. Time-resolved investigations of the electric breakdown revealed intermediate states of both oxide types which were stable for several ms being characterized by an enhanced tunnel current. The breakdown voltage clearly scales with the oxide thickness for both oxide types.     

Viscosity-density sensor with resonant torsional paddle for direct detection in liquid

A novel micro-machined biosensor based on the resonant torsional paddle with electromagnetic excitation which can work in liquid directly is presented. The sensor designed consists of two paddles with resonant torsional mode, in which the energy loss of the resonator during the vibration is so lower that it can be suitable for detection in liquid. Finite element method analysis was carried out to guarantee the sensitivity of the sensor. Micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) bulk silicon processes were adopted to accomplish the fabrication. A positive-feedback circuit with energy compensation is designed to improve the characteristics of the sensor in liquid. Experiments show that the resonant torsional paddle can work directly in liquid and the Q-factor of the sensor in liquid can be improved from 2.65 to 40 with energy compensation. Viscosity tests and density tests for the sensor show that the decrease in frequency and the decrease in Q-factor are related to density and viscosity of the solutions, respectively.     

Preparation and characterization of chemically deposited PbSnS3 thin films

High-quality and well-reproducible PbSnS₃ thin films have been prepared by a simple and inexpensive chemical-bath deposition method from an aqueous medium, using thioacetamide as a sulphide ion source. X-ray diffraction analysis of the deposited films revealed that the as-deposited films were amorphous, however, an amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition was observed as the result of thermal annealing at 425 K for 1 h. The X-ray structure analysis of the collected powder from the bath annealed at 425 K for 1.5 h revealed an orthorhombic phase.

Analysis of the optical absorption data of crystalline PbSnS₃ films revealed that both direct and indirect optical transitions exist in the photon energy range 1.24–2.48 eV with optical band gaps of 1.68 and 1.42 eV, respectively. However, a forbidden direct optical transition with a band gap value of 1.038 eV dominates at low energy (<1.24 eV). The refractive index changes from 3.38 to 2.16 in the range 500–1300 nm. The high frequency dielectric constant and the carrier concentration to the effective mass ratio calculated from the refractive index analysis were found to be 4.79 and 2.3×10²⁰ cm⁻³, respectively. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of the deposited films follows the semiconductor behaviour with extrinsic and intrinsic conduction. The determined activation energies range are 0.35–0.42 and 0.76–85 eV, respectively.     

Effect of diamond nucleation process on propagation losses of AlN/diamond SAW filter

In this work, the effect of a diamond nucleation process on freestanding aluminium nitride (AlN)/diamond surface acoustic wave (SAW) device performances was studied. Before diamond deposition, silicon (Si) substrates have been mechanically nucleated, using an ultrasonic vibration table with submicron diamond slurry, and bias-enhanced nucleated (BEN). Freestanding diamond layers obtained on mechanically scratched Si substrates exhibit a surface roughness of R(MS) = 13 nm, whereas very low surface roughness (as low as R(MS) < or = 1 nm) can be achieved on a freestanding BEN diamond layer. Propagation losses have been measured as a function of the operating frequency for the two nucleation techniques. Dispersion curves of phase velocities and electromechanical coupling coefficient (K2) were determined experimentally and by calculation as a function of normalized thickness AlN film (kh(AlN) = 2pi h(AlN)/lambda). Experimental results show that the propagation losses strongly depend on the nucleation technique, and that these losses are weakly increased with frequency when the BEN technique is used.     

微米级ZnS-Qds@聚硅氧烷核-壳型光扩散杂化微球的制备与应用

在液晶背光模组中通常使用扩散膜来提高光的散射效果,提高光的利用率。光散射粒子是影响光散射材料透光率和雾度的主要因素。有机硅微球由于热稳定性好,尺寸稳定性佳,粒径和折射率可以通过反应调控的特点,作为光扩散粒子应用于光扩散材料具有十分广阔的应用前景。本文通过在溶胶-凝胶法制备的聚硅氧烷微球上面沉淀一层被巯基聚硅氧烷包裹的硫化锌量子点(ZnS-Qds),制得微米级ZnS-Qds@聚硅氧烷核-壳型光扩散杂化微球,并制备了添加不同质量分数的杂化微球的光扩散膜。采用TEM、TEM映射分析、荧光光度计等测试手段对所制备的杂化材料进行了表征,并对用该杂化粒子制备得到的光扩散膜进行了光学性能测试。结果表明,ZnS-Qds@聚硅氧烷光扩散杂化微球具有核壳结构,平均粒径约3.6μm,壳层平均厚度为87.4 nm,平均粒径为2 nm的ZnS-Qds均匀地分散在壳层中。将该粒子添加到丙烯酸树脂中并涂覆在聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯(PET)膜上以制成光扩散膜,实验结果表明,当杂化粒子添加量从0wt%增加到20wt%时,光扩散膜的雾度从1.67%提高到91.11%,而光扩散膜的透光率仅从90.10%降低到82.57%。     

The effect of the annealing of electrode films on the electrical resistivity of thin aluminium films

The resistance of aluminium films, coated on glass substrates with annealed and unannealed thick films of gold, silver, copper and aluminium as electrodes, was measured. The percentage variation in resistance of the aluminium films differs with the use of annealed and unannealed electrodes. This variation was found to be greater for gold, silver and copper electrodes and not very marked for aluminium electrodes. The respective roles of factors such as oxide formation and alloying at the film-electrode junction are discussed by considering the observed variation in the resistance of the films. An attempt is also made to correlate this variation with the microscopic features seen at particular electrode-film junctions.     

Numerical simulation of permeation through vacuum‐coated laminate films

The material usage in the packaging market of Germany has decreased over the last few years. This trend results from the substitution of heavy packages with light‐weight, flexible materials. In this context, aluminium foil‐based multilayer films have been partly replaced by metallized laminates in food packaging technology. Other coating materials, such as Al₂O₃ or SiO_x, are used where transparent films are desired. The disadvantage of these vacuum‐coated layers is the existence of pinholes which allow diffusion processes, in contrast to aluminium foil‐based multilayer films. In this study the barrier behaviour of vacuum coated laminate films was predicted by numerical simulation. The results are presented in terms of dimensionless parameters so that they may be transferred to analogous problems. This model provides a method to calculate the oxygen permeation through coated laminates. However, it is invalid for condensable gases such as water vapour. The simulation is suited for characterizing the influence of the compound structure on the barrier properties of vacuum coated laminate films. The results are verified by comparing the calculated with measured values. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electron microscopy observations of N2+ -implanted TiN films as diffusion barriers for very-large-scale integration applications

Titanium nitride films were prepared by implanting 40keV N₂⁺ ions into Si〈100〉n⁺/p shallow junctions coated with titanium layers of different thicknesses (from 80 up to 100nm). Using a suitable thermal annealing a film of TiSi₂ is formed at the TiN-Si interface, as demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations on planar and cross-sectioned specimens, as well as by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry experiments. The effectiveness of these TiN films as diffusion barriers when placed in contact with a thick aluminium overlayer is evaluated, and their electrical performances are tested on suitable test patterns after thermal treatments up to 600°C. The variation in the structure of the interfaces in the TiSi₂/TiN/Al contacts is followed as a function of the heat treatment by cross-sectional TEM investigations and the results are presented.     

Molecular structure and thickness of highly oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) films measured by atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to image thin single-crystal-like layers of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) deposited mechanically on glass. Not only can AFM reveal details of the molecular structure, but it can also provide direct measurement of the absolute thickness and continuity of these films. High-magnification images show individual rod-like molecules with an intermolecular spacing of 0.58 nm. The helix of individual molecules is clearly resolved and fine structures along the polymer chains may indicate individual fluorine atoms. The thickness of the films varies from 7–32 nm depending on deposition temperature and mechanical pressure. The continuity of the films strongly decreases at lower temperatures. The remaining single fibres are not stable and can be modified by the imaging tip.     

Electrical nano-imprint lithography

We present a novel technique called electrical nano-imprint lithography (e-NIL) for topographic and electrostatic patterning of thermoplastic electret films at the nanometer scale. This versatile parallel process consists of simultaneously transferring micro-?or nano-patterns from a conductive mold into a thermoplastic electret film and injecting positive or negative electrical charges into the bottom of the imprinted patterns. As proof of concept, we used this e-NIL process to fabricate arrays of 5?μm and 300?nm wide topographic charged patterns into polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) thin films coated on silicon wafers. We demonstrated that these patterned PMMA films, exhibiting thousands of topographically confined and electrostatically active sites, can be used for high-throughput directed assembly of colloidal nanoparticles.     

Structural,optical and electrical properties of CdZnS thin films

The thin films of Cd_1-x Zn _x S (x?=?0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1) have been prepared by the vacuum evaporation method using a mechanically alloyed mixture of CdS and ZnS. The structural, optical and electrical properties have been investigated through the X-ray diffractometer, spectrophotometer and Keithley electrometer. The X-ray diffraction patterns of these films show that films are polycrystalline in nature having preferential orientation along the (002) plane. In the absorption spectra of these films, absorption edge shifts towards lower wavelength with the increase of Zn concentration. The energy band gap has been determined using these spectra. It is found that the energy band gap increases with increasing Zn concentration. The electrical conductivity of so prepared thin films has been determined using a I–V characteristic curve for these films. The result indicates that the electrical conductivity decreases with increasing Zn content and increases with temperature. An effort has also been made to obtain activation energy of these films which increases with increasing Zn concentration in CdS.     

Preparation of regularly structured nanotubular TiO2 thin films on ITO and their modification with thin ALD-grown layers

Nanotubular titanium dioxide thin films were prepared by anodization of titanium metal films evaporated on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass. A facile method to enhance the adhesion of the titanium film to the ITO glass was developed. An optimum thickness of 550 nm for the evaporated titanium was found to keep the film adhered to ITO during the anodization. The films were further modified by growing amorphous titania, alumina and tantala thin films conformally in the nanotubes by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The optical, electrical and physical properties of the different structures were compared. It was shown that even 5 nm thin layers can modify the properties of the nanotubular titanium dioxide films.     

Polymer coating behavior of Rayleigh-SAW resonators with gold electrode structure for gas sensor applications

Results from systematic polymer coating experiments on surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators and coupled resonator filters (CRF) on ST-cut quartz with a corrosion-proof electrode structure entirely made of gold (Au) are presented and compared with data from similar SAW devices using aluminium (Al) electrodes. The recently developed Au devices are intended to replace their earlier Al counterparts in sensor systems operating in highly reactive chemical gas environments. Solid parylene C and soft poly[chlorotrifluoroethylene-co-vinylidene fluoride] (PCFV) polymer films are deposited under identical conditions onto the surface of Al and Au devices. The electrical performance of the Parylene C coated devices is monitored online during film deposition. The PCVF coated devices are evaluated after film deposition. The experimental data show that the Au devices can stand up to 40% thicker solid films for the same amount of loss increase than the Al devices and retain better resonance and phase characteristics. The frequency sensitivities of Au and Al devices to parylene C deposition are nearly identical. After coating with soft PCFV sensing film, the Au devices provide up to two times higher gas sensitivity when probed with cooling agent, octane, or tetrachloroethylene.     

Effect of thickness on structural,optical, electrical and morphological properties of nanocrystalline CdSe thin films for optoelectronic applications

This paper presents effect of thickness on the physical properties of thermally evaporated cadmium selenide thin films. The films of thickness 445 nm, 631 nm and 810 nm were deposited employing thermal evaporation technique on glass and ITO coated glass substrates followed by thermal annealing in air atmosphere at temperature 300 °C. The as-deposited and annealed films were subjected to the XRD, UV–Vis spectrophotometer, source meter, SEM and EDS to find the structural, optical, electrical, morphological and compositional analysis respectively. The structural analysis shows that the films have cubic phase with preferred orientation (1 1 1) and nanocrystalline nature. The structural parameters like inter-planner spacing, lattice constant, grain size, number of crystallites per unit area, internal strain, dislocation density and texture coefficient are calculated. The optical band gap is found in the range 1.69–1.84 eV and observed to decrease with thickness. The electrical resistivity is found to increase with thickness for as-deposited films and decrease for annealed films. The morphological studies show that the as-deposited and annealed films are homogeneous, smooth, fully covered and free from crystal defects like pin holes and voids. The grains in the as-deposited films are densely packed, well defined and found to be increased with thickness.