Synthesis of the nanocrystalline CoFe2O4 ferrite thin films by a novel sol-gel method using glucose as an additional agent

Polycrystalline and nanometer-sized CoFe₂O₄ ferrite thin films are successfully synthesized using glucose as an addition agent. The thermal gravimetric/differential thermal analyzer, X-ray diffractometer, electron diffraction, scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope and vibrating sample magnetometer are used to characterize the effects of the calcination temperature on the crystalline structure, morphology and magnetic properties of the Co-ferrite thin films. CoFe₂O₄ ferrite thin films have a single phase inverse spinel structure and are crystallized at and above 300 °C which is much lower than the required temperature in the traditional ceramic method (about 500-600 °C). Co-ferrite thin films annealed at relative low temperature of 400 °C show very small particle size with average of 32 nm and excellent magnetic properties for information storage applications.     

三元化合物材料CsxCu（1—x）I晶体薄膜的制备及其结构研究

介绍了三元化合物材料ＣｓＣｕ２ｌ５和Ｃｓ３Ｃｕｌ２ｌ５晶体薄膜的制备工艺,利用低温吸收谱及扫描电镜能谱图分析了庐摹成分,通过透射电镜的衍射图样研究了三元化合物的晶格结构及参数,证明了它们是单一相的晶态膜。     

Oxidation behavior of sputter-deposited Ti–Ni thin films at elevated temperatures

The isothermal oxidation kinetics of sputter-deposited equiatomic Ti–Ni thin films in pure oxygen from 823 to 923 K is studied using thermo-gravimetric analysis. The structure, composition-depth distribution and surface morphology of oxidized Ti–Ni thin films are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. The results show that the oxidation kinetics of Ti–Ni thin films obeys a near-parabolic law. TiO₂, TiNi₃ and parent B2 phase are the compositions of oxidized Ti–Ni thin films. A double-layered scale including the outermost layer and the Ni-rich layer is formed outside the B2 matrix of oxidized Ti–Ni thin films. Moreover, thermal oxidation induces a surface smoothening of Ti–Ni thin films and surface roughness of oxidized Ti–Ni films decreases with the increasing oxidation temperature.     

Influence of P doping on transparent conductive property of SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript>:P thin film

P doped SnO₂ (PTO) thin films had been prepared by sol–gel dip coating method. The effect of phosphorus doping content, annealing temperature and coating times on microstructure and phase composition and optoelectrical properties of the PTO thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), four-point probe and UV–Vis spectrophotometer. The results showed that the PTO thin films exhibited the tetragonal rutile structure under all the experimental conditions. The square resistance of the PTO thin films decreased firstly and then increased with the increase of phosphorus doping content, annealing temperature and coating times. The surface smoothness and grain compactness were increased when annealing temperature increased. The PTO thin films had an optimal square sheet resistance of 8.9 kΩ/□ and high transparency of 95% in the visible region when P/Sn ratio was 2 mol% and annealing temperature was 450?°C and coating times was 14 layer.     

氧化钒薄膜在玻璃基片上的生长研究

采用直流反应磁控溅射法, 在平整光滑的普通玻璃基片表面沉积了厚度分别为80nm、440nm和1μm的氧化钒薄膜. 采用原子力显微镜(AFM)、扫描电镜(SEM)和X射线衍射仪(XRD)对薄膜的表面形貌、结构和结晶化的分析表明, 厚度影响着薄膜的颗粒大小和结晶状态, 随着薄膜厚度的增加, 薄膜的颗粒增大, 晶化增强; 薄膜具有明显的垂直于衬底表面的“柱”状择优生长特征. 对薄膜的方阻和方阻随温度的变化进行了相关分析, 证实了厚度对氧化钒薄膜的电学性能存在明显的影响, 随着薄膜厚度的增加, 薄膜的方阻减小, 方阻温度系数升高, 薄膜的方阻随温度变化的回线滞宽逐渐增大, 薄膜的金属-半导体相变逐渐趋于明显.     

Structural,optical and microscopic properties of chemically deposited Mo<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>W<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Se<Subscript>2</Subscript> thin films

Mo_0.5W_0.5Se₂ thin films were obtained by using relative simple chemical route at room temperature. Various preparative conditions of the thin films are outlined. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, optical and electrical properties. The grown films were found to be uniform, well adherent to substrate and brown in color. The X-ray diffraction pattern shows that thin films have a hexagonal phase. Optical properties show a direct band gap nature with band gap energy 1.44 eV and having specific electrical conductivity in the order of 10⁻⁵ (Ωcm)⁻¹.     

Characterizations of SnO2 and SnO2:Sb thin films prepared by PECVD

Structural characterizations of tin oxide (SnO₂) thin films, deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), were investigated with scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that the films are porous, the crystalline structure transforms from crystalline to amorphous phase as deposition temperature changes from 500°C to 200°C, and the chemical component is non-stoichiometric (Sn:O is 1.0716 prepared at 450°C with a value of O₂ flow 3.5 l/min). Sheet resistance of the thin films decreases with increasing of deposition temperature. Whereas, sheet resistance increases with increasing of oxygen flow. Tin oxide doped with antimony (SnO₂:Sb) thin films prepared by same method have a better selectivity to alcohol than to carbon monoxide; the maximum sensitivity is about 220%. The gas-sensing mechanism of SnO₂ thin films is commentated.     

Structural and electrical studies of thermally evaporated nanostructured CdTe thin films

CdTe thin films were deposited on KCl and glass substrates using thermal evaporation technique under high vacuum conditions. CdTe bulk compound grown by vertical directional solidification (VDS) technique was used as the source material to deposit thin films. Powder X-ray diffraction technique was employed to identify the phase of the as grown bulk CdTe compound as well as its thin films. Surface morphology and the stoichiometry of the bulk compound and thin films was carried out by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an attachment of energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). Microstructural features associated with the as deposited CdTe thin films were studied by using transmission electron microscope (TEM). The films deposited on to glass substrates at different temperatures have been used to study the I-V characteristics of the films. These parameters have been studied in detail in order to prepare good quality nanostructured thin films of CdTe compound. CdTe bulk compound grown by VDS method and its thin films prepared by thermal evaporation method found to have single phase with cubic structure. Size of the particles in the as deposited films vary between 5 and 40 nm In the present study efforts have been made to correlate the electrical and optical properties of the CdTe thin films with the corresponding microstructural features associated with them.     

Thin film growth of epitaxial, polycrystalline and amorphous SrRuO3

The SrRuO₃ thin films were grown on amorphous fused silica and (100) single crystal LaAlO₃ substrates by pulsed laser deposition method. On fused silica substrates, polycrystalline SrRuO₃ thin film was obtained and below the crystallization temperature, SrRuO₃ thin films show an amorphous phase. For the case of epitaxial growth on (100) single crystal LaAlO₃ substrate, the crystallization temperature of SrRuO₃ thin film was increased by ∼ 100 °C indicating that additional energy is necessary in order to obtain the epitaxial thin film. By using the eclipse method and the control of substrate temperature, the variations of surface morphologies and grain size were observed by atomic force microscope. Below the crystallization temperature, amorphous SrRuO₃ thin film shows hopping transport property of an insulator.     

Structural, chemical, and optical properties of tin sulfide thin films as controlled by the growth temperature during co-evaporation and subsequent annealing

Tin sulfide thin films on soda-lime glass substrate were prepared by co-evaporation. This technique uses a vapor phase procedure involving chemical reactions between the precursor species evaporated simultaneously. The influence of the substrate temperature in the crystal structure and chemical composition were determined by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, showing that thin films crystallized in SnS, SnS₂, and Sn₂S₃ phases. Scanning electron microscope shows thin films with homogenous and uniform surface. Some of the samples were annealed to study the variation of structural, chemical, and optical properties. The variation of refractive index (n), extinction coefficient (k), and dielectric constant (ε) with wavelength and photon energy are reported. The energy band gap was calculated from optical transmittance and reflectance measurements in the range 300–1500 nm. The calculated energy band gap values were between 1.75 and 2.3 eV, depending on the phase in which crystallized the different thin films.     

衬底温度对碲化镉薄膜性质及太阳电池性能的影响

蒸汽输运法是制备高质量且大面积均匀的CdTe薄膜的一种优良的方法。采用自主研发的一套蒸汽输运沉积系统制备了CdTe多晶薄膜, 并研究了衬底温度对CdTe薄膜性质及太阳电池性能的影响。利用XRD、SEM、UV-Vis和Hall等测试手段研究了衬底温度对薄膜的结构、光学性质和电学性质的影响。结果表明, 蒸汽输运法制备的CdTe薄膜具有立方相结构, 且沿(111)方向高度择优。随着衬底温度的升高(520℃~640℃), CdTe薄膜的平均晶粒尺寸从2 μm增大到约6 μm, CdTe薄膜的载流子浓度也从1.93×10¹⁰ cm^-3提高到2.36×10¹³ cm^-3, 说明提高衬底温度能够降低CdTe薄膜的缺陷复合, 使薄膜的p型更强。实验进一步研究了衬底温度对CdTe薄膜太阳电池性能的影响, 结果表明适当提高衬底温度, 能够大幅度提高电池的效率、开路电压和填充因子, 但是过高的衬底温度又会降低电池的长波光谱响应, 导致电池转换效率的下降。经过参数优化, 在衬底温度为610℃、无背接触层小面积CdTe薄膜太阳电池的转换效率达到11.2%。     

Correlation between optical, electrical and structural properties of vanadium dioxide thin films

VO₂ films have been prepared on normal microscope glass slides by reactive rf magnetron sputtering of vanadium target in a mixture of argon and oxygen. Optical properties of the films were investigated by the UV/Vis/NIR Perkin–Elmer Lamda 9. Transmission electron microscope and atomic force microscope were used to investigate the structure of the films. Correlation between structural and optical properties of VO₂ thin films is investigated with respect to the dependence of both to substrate temperature.     

Influence of substrate temperature on the physical properties of thermally evaporated nanocrystalline bismuth sulfide thin films

Nanocrystalline bismuth sulfide thin films were deposited on glass substrate by thermal evaporation technique using the solvothermally synthesized nanometer-sized bismuth sulfide powder as the source material. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the films are polycrystalline in nature with orthorhombic structure. The crystallinity of the thin films improved with substrate temperature, and the estimated crystallite size are in the nanometer regime. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed homogenous distribution of grains with well defined grain boundaries. The optical transmittance of the nanocrystalline bismuth sulfide thin films increases with the increase in substrate temperature, and the optical transition was found to be direct and allowed. The estimated optical band gap energy was found to decrease with the increase in substrate temperature. The electrical resistivity of the bismuth sulfide thin films is of the order of 10⁻⁴ Ω-cm and exhibits semiconductor nature. Experimental results demonstrate that the structural, optical and electrical properties of bismuth sulfide thin films have strong dependence on the substrate temperature.     

掠射角溅射沉积纳米结构氧化钨薄膜

采用掠射角反应磁控溅射法在室温下沉积了纳米结构氧化钨(WO₃)薄膜, 并对薄膜进行热处理。利用场发射扫描电镜(FE-SEM)和X射线衍射仪(XRD)对氧化钨薄膜的形貌和结构进行了表征。当掠射角度为80°时, 采用直流电源沉积的氧化钨薄膜具有纳米斜柱状结构, 而采用脉冲直流电源沉积的薄膜呈现纳米孔结构。纳米薄膜经450℃热处理3 h后, 纳米斜柱彼此连接, 失去规整结构, 而纳米孔结构的孔尺寸变大。XRD分析表明室温沉积的氧化钨薄膜具有无定形结构, 经450℃热处理1 h后, 转变为单斜晶相。具有纳米斜柱状或纳米孔结构氧化钨薄膜的光学调制幅度在波长600 nm时达到60%, 且电致变色性能可逆。     

Fabrication of scandium stabilized zirconia thin film by electrostatic spray deposition technique for solid oxide fuel cell electrolyte

A cost-effective and promising simple deposition method, electrostatic spray deposition (ESD), was used to fabricate dense scandium stabilized zirconia (ScSZ) thin films. The effect of solvent mixtures on their surface morphology was investigated. The films deposited using a mixed ethanol-butyl carbitol solvent with high boiling point showed higher smoothness compared with those deposited using ethanol and a mixture of ethanol and ethylene glycol, respectively. Single-phase ScSZ dense films were formed within 2 h at a low deposition temperature of 450 °C. Analysis of as heat-treated films using scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope also indicated the formation of the uniform, smooth and dense thin films even at a low densification temperature. Furthermore, the ScSZ film deposited under the optimal condition showed the maximum in electrical conductivity of approximately 0.33 S cm^− 1 at a low operating temperature of 800 °C.     

Preparation and structural characterization of Zn1?xMnxSe thin films

Undoped and Mn doped ZnSe nanoparticles thin films of thickness ranging from 20 to 120 nm have been successfully synthesized via inert gas condensation (IGC) technique with constant Argon gas flow rate and deposition temperature 300 K. The energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) for freshly deposited Zn_1−xMn_xSe thin films were carried out and revealed that Mn contents (x) were 0, 0.05, 0.16 and 0.25. The as-prepared deposited thin films of different thickness were examined using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and showed that all films were nanocrystalline with particle size ranging from 4.1 to 6.6 nm. The grazing incident in-plane X-ray diffraction (GIIXD) patterns verified nanocrystalline single phase zinc blende structure for 80 nm film thickness for all examined Zn_1−xMn_xSe compound films. A broadening of main characteristic lines (111), (220) and (311) of cubic phase was observed and was attributed to the lower particle size in nanocrystalline examined Zn_1−xMn_xSe compound films.     

Low-temperature preparation of phosphorus doped μc-Si:H thin films by low-frequency inductively coupled plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition

The phosphorus doped n-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (n-μc-Si:H) thin films are prepared, at the two low substrate temperatures of room temperature and 200 °C, through a low-frequency inductively coupled plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition. The effect of the substrate temperature on the structural properties of the thin films, such as the X-ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns and the Raman spectra, is studied. The XRD measurements show that the diffraction orientations of the thin films present an obvious change when the radio frequency power is increased from 1300 W to 2300 W. The Raman spectra of the thin films deposited at room temperature unambiguously present a phase transition from the amorphous structure to microcrystalline structure whereas no structural phase transition is observed for the thin films deposited at 200 °C. The effect of the substrate temperature on the crystalline volume fraction of the thin films presents a large difference for the radio frequency power in the range of 1300 W-1700 W, while the difference becomes small when the power is increased from 1700 W to 2300 W. The deposition rate and the radio frequency power-sheet resistance curve of the thin films deposited at room temperature are obviously different from those of the thin films prepared at 200 °C. It is attributed to the joint effect of the radio frequency power and substrate temperature on the doping concentration. The electron energy distribution function of the species in the chamber is mainly distributed in a low energy range.     

硅基板上Fe掺杂TiO2氧敏薄膜的制备、结构与性能研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法,以Ti(OC₄H₉)₄为前驱体,用提拉法在硅基板上制备了掺Fe的TiO₂氧敏薄膜,对薄膜物相结构进行了X射线衍射(XRD)测定,利用扫描电镜(SEM)对薄膜微结构进行了观察.结果表明:在硅基板上生长的TiO₂薄膜中锐钛矿相为均匀小晶粒分布结构,金红石相以大尺度团聚结构形貌出现.Fe离子的掺杂对硅基板上制备的TiO₂薄膜中金红石相的形成有很大的影响.Fe的掺入降低了金红石相的形成温度约100℃,Fe掺量在6mol% 时,形成金红石相的量达到最大,即析晶能力最强.薄膜中形成晶相的晶格常数在<6mol%的低Fe范围内,随较小的Fe离子取代较大的Ti离子,锐钛矿相和金红石相的晶格常数都随之减小;在>6mol%的高Fe掺量范围内,随Fe掺量的增加,体系缺陷过量增加,晶格结构畸变严重,伴随着畸变能的释放,金红石相的晶格常数c轴逐渐增长,n轴略有下降(或基本不变). TiO₂氧敏薄膜的氧敏性能受金红石相含量和氧空位浓度控制.当Fe离子掺杂浓度为6mol% 时,金红石相及相应氧空位达到最大值,TiO₂氧敏薄膜的氧敏性能也达到最大值,比刚形成金红石相的薄膜的氧敏性能增加近19倍.     

Effects of substrate temperature on the magnetic and electrical properties of cobalt ferrite/metal composite thin films

The magnetic and electrical properties of the cobalt ferrite/metal composite thin films, prepared by reactive sputtering, were studied as a function of substrate temperature. With increasing substrate temperature, the saturation magnetization of the thin films increased owing to precipitation of the Co_0.67Fe_0.33 phase. Also, the electrical resistivity of the thin films decreased. From Hall experiments, the decrease of electrical resistivity of the composite thin films was mainly attributed to the increase of electron concentration. The Seebeck coefficient measurement shows that the electrical conduction mechanism of the thin films containing 37.8 and 33.7 at % Co changes from p-type to n-type and that of the thin films containing 28.5 at % Co remains n-type with increasing substrate temperature. This might be attributed to the change in composition of the cobalt ferrite matrix to Fe-excess with precipitation of Co-rich Fe alloy. ©1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers     

Influence of calcination temperature on structural and optical properties of TiO2-SiO2 thin films prepared by sol-gel dip coating

We prepared TiO₂-SiO₂ thin films with various TiO₂/SiO₂ ratios by sol-gel dip coating method and explored the dependence of their structural and optical properties on calcination temperature. The absorption peaks relevant to Si—O, Si—O—Ti and Ti—O bonds appeared in the FTIR spectra. With increasing TiO₂ content, the intensity of Si—O bond peaks decreases and that of Ti—O bond peaks increases. The XRD results show that the temperature of transformation from amorphous to anatase phase is lowered as TiO₂ content increases. The crystallite size of anatase phase in composite thin films increases with increasing TiO₂ content and calcination temperature. At 1000°C, the mixed phase of anatase and rutile appears in the pure TiO₂ thin films. The rutile films are denser than the anatase films. The increase in refractive index of composite thin films with calcination temperature is related to the decreased thickness and increased density as a result of evaporation of water and organic matters below 400°C. On the other hand, it is related to the change in the crystal phase and crystallite size of the films over 400°C.