Transient hole formation during the growth of thin metal oxide layers

Using a quinternary variable charge molecular dynamics simulation technique, we have discovered a transient hole formation phenomenon during oxidation of thin aluminum layers on Ni₆₅Co₂₀Fe₁₅ substrates. Holes were found to first develop and expand at the earliest stage of the oxidation. These holes then shrank and finally disappeared as oxidation further proceeded. Thermodynamic analysis of the hole healing indicated that it is accompanied by a significant decrease in system potential energy. This suggests that the effect is largely driven by thermodynamics and is less related to the flux shadowing or kinetically introduced island coalescence. The simulations provide insights for the growth of dielectric tunnel barrier layers with reduced layer thicknesses.     

Electrical properties of metal cluster structures formed on the surface of dielectrics

We present the results of experiments on the laser formation of metal microelectrodes of a fractal type on the surface of dielectrics. It is established that the electric resistance of microelectrodes significantly depends on their morphology and fractal dimension, which are determined by the parameters of laser processing. A new approach to analysis of the characteristics of conductivity in metal cluster structures of this type is proposed.     

Formation of small volatile complexes during copper film growth by the combined synthesis-transport method

Stable heterogeneous synthesis products in combined synthesis-transport processes for the growth of thin copper films have been studied by ESR, X-ray photoelectron, and IR spectroscopies. The results demonstrate that the synthesized volatile compounds condensed on solid surfaces have the form of formate-like metal complexes of copper(I). We have identified the mechanisms underlying the formation of volatile monomeric metal complexes on the surface of copper-containing precursor particles and the mechanism of the thermal decomposition of metal complexes on a heated substrate.     

Effect of titanium oxide-polystyrene nanocomposite dielectrics on morphology and thin film transistor performance for organic and polymeric semiconductors

Previous studies have shown that organic thin film transistors with pentacene deposited on gate dielectrics composed of a blend of high K titanium oxide-polystyrene core-shell nanocomposite (TiO₂-PS) with polystyrene (PS) perform with an order of magnitude increase in saturation mobility for TiO₂-PS (K = 8) as compared to PS devices (K = 2.5). The current study finds that this performance enhancement can be translated to alternative small single crystal organics such as α-sexithiophene (α-6T) (enhancement factor for field effect mobility ranging from 30-100× higher on TiO₂-PS/PS blended dielectrics as compared to homogenous PS dielectrics). Interestingly however, in the case of semicrystalline polymers such as (poly-3-hexylthiophene) P3HT, this dramatic enhancement is not observed, possibly due to the difference in processing conditions used to fabricate these devices (film transfer as opposed to thermal evaporation). The morphology for α-sexithiophene (α-6T) grown by thermal evaporation on TiO₂-PS/PS blended dielectrics parallels that observed in pentacene devices. Smaller grain size is observed for films grown on dielectrics with higher TiO₂-PS content. In the case of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) devices, constructed via film transfer, morphological differences exist for the P3HT on different substrates, as discerned by atomic force microscopy studies. However, these devices only exhibit a modest (2×) increase in mobility with increasing TiO₂-PS content in the films. After annealing of the transferred P3HT thin film transistor (TFT) devices, no appreciable enhancement in mobility is observed across the different blended dielectrics. Overall the results support the hypothesis that nucleation rate is responsible for changes in film morphology and device performance in thermally evaporated small molecule crystalline organic semiconductor TFTs. The increased nucleation rate produces organic polycrystalline films with small grain size which are better connected and exhibit lower barriers for charge transport and as such higher field effect mobilities are measured in these devices.     

Substrate effects on surface morphologies and magnetic properties of nanostructured FePt thin films

The substrate effects on surface morphologies, crystal structures, and magnetic properties of the sputter-deposited FePt thin films on Corning 1737, normal glass, and Si wafer substrates, respectively, were investigated. High in-plane coercivities of 10 kOe were obtained for the air-annealed films on Corning 1737 and Si wafer, where both films similarly have granular-like morphologies. Besides, increasing grain size and surface roughness of all the FePt films with the post-anneal temperature were observed. Moreover, partially separated grains were seen in the film on Si wafer, where the formation of Fe silicides during post-anneal is suspected, in which has enhanced the magnetic ordering.     

A note on the wave flow of thin liquid layers on a vertical surface

Periodic flow of thin liquid layers has been investigated with allowance for the shear stress at the liquid-gas interface. The results indicate that the flow friction of two-phase systems is an important factor in calculating the very characteristic parametersa ₀, of wave motion of a liquid film.     

Tailoring of the morphology and chemical composition of thin organosilane microwave plasma polymer layers on metal substrates

The growth of thin microwave organosilicon plasma polymers on model zinc surfaces was investigated as a function of the film thickness and the oxygen partial pressure during film deposition. The evolution of the topology of the film was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The nano- and micro-roughness was investigated at the inner and the outer surfaces of the plasma polymers. A special etching procedure was developed to reveal the underside of the plasma polymer and thereby its inner surface. Rough films contained voids at the interface, which reduced the polymer/metal contact area. The increase in oxygen partial pressure led to a smoother film growth with a perfect imitation of the substrate topography at the interface. The chemical structure of the films was determined by infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS). ToF-SIMS at the outer and the inner surface of the plasma polymers showed that the density of methylsilyl groups increases in the outer surface layer of the plasma polymer and depends on the oxygen partial pressure. The chemical composition of the films could be altered to pure SiO₂ without changing the morphology by using oxygen-plasma post-treatment. This was proved by means of IRRAS and AFM. Chemistry and topology of the films were correlated with the apparent water contact angle. It was found that a linear relationship exists between the nanoscopic roughness of the plasma polymer and the static contact angle of water. Superposition of a nanoscopic roughness of the metal surface and the nanoscopic roughness of methylsilyl-rich films led to ultra-hydrophobic films with water contact angles up to 160°.     

Investigation of the structure of thin layers of hexadecane on a metal substrate by infrared spectroscopy

Infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze the structure of 0.5–10 μm thick layers of hexadecane on a metal substrate in the range 3000–2800 cm⁻¹. The results suggest that density fluctuations occur in layers between 3 and 10 μm thick, whereas the hexadecane crystallizes in thinner layers. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 24, 24–28 (May 26, 1998)     

Formation and characterization of thin films from phthalocyanine complexes: An electrosynthesis study using the atomic-force microscope

(μ-Cyano)(phthalocyaninato)metal(III) [PcMCN]_n species with a central transition metal ion, such as Fe(III) and Co(III), were used to prepare molecular films on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite electrode substrate by using the cyclic voltammetry technique. In order to investigate the influence of the ligand on the film properties, 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone and 2,6-dihydroxyanthraquinone as bivalent ligands were employed. The structure of the molecular materials was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. The in situ film formation, texture, composition and conductivity of each film were further investigated using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and the four-probe technique, respectively. The [PcMCN]_n complexes provided conductive films with an electrical conductivity of 1 × 10^− 6 Ω^− 1 cm^− 1 at 298 K.     

Investigation of nanocrystals in thin layers of paraffin lubricant on the surface of metals by infrared spectroscopy

It has been shown that when the thickness of a layer of paraffin lubricant on a metal substrate decreases, the crystallites become damaged and the alkane solid solutions become partially separated. Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 24, 40–44 (March 26, 1998)     

Formation and characterization of cobalt oxide layers on polyimide films via surface modification and ion-exchange technique

Polyimide (PI) films with thin cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) layers on both film sides have been prepared via a surface modification and ion-exchange technique. The method works by hydrolyzing the PI film surfaces in aqueous potassium hydroxide solution and incorporating Co²⁺ into the hydrolyzed layers of PI film via subsequent ion exchange, and followed by thermal treatment in ambient atmosphere. The PI composite films were characterized by Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffractions, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analyses, as well as surface resistance and mechanical measurements. By varying the absorbed cobalt ion content, a series of PI/Co₃O₄ composite films with insulative to semiconductive surfaces were obtained. The room temperature surface resistances of the semiconductive composite films reached to about 10⁷ Ω. The Co₃O₄ particle formed on PI film surfaces was in the range of 10-40 nm. The final composite films maintained the essential mechanical properties and thermal stability of the pristine PI films. The adhesion between surface Co₃O₄ layers and PI matrix was acceptable.     

Tailoring the microstructure and surface morphology of metal thin films for nano-electro-mechanical systems applications

Metallic structural components for micro-electro-mechanical/nano-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) are promising alternatives to silicon-based materials since they are electrically conductive, optically reflective and ductile. Polycrystalline mono-metallic films typically exhibit low strength and hardness, high surface roughness, and significant residual stress, making them unusable for NEMS. In this study we demonstrate how to overcome these limitations by co-sputtering Ni-Mo. Detailed investigation of the Ni-Mo system using transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM/HRTEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), nanoindentation, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals the presence of an amorphous-nanocrystalline microstructure which exhibits enhanced hardness, metallic conductivity, and sub-nanometer root mean square (RMS) roughness. Uncurled NEMS cantilevers with MHz resonant frequencies and quality factors ranging from 200-900 are fabricated from amorphous Ni-Mo. Using a sub-regular solution model it is shown that the electrical conductivity of Ni-Mo is in excellent agreement with Bhatia's structural model of electrical resistivity in binary alloys. Using a Langevin-type stochastic rate equation the structural evolution of amorphous Ni-Mo is modeled; it is shown that the growth instability due to the competing processes of surface diffusion and self-shadowing is heavily damped out due to the high thermal energies of sputtering, resulting in extremely smooth films.     

Influence of ambient air exposure on surface chemistry and electronic properties of thin copper phthalocyanine sensing layers

In this paper we present photoemission studies of the influence of 12-hour exposure to the ambient air on the chemical and electronic properties of thin 16-nm copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) sensing layers deposited on n- and p-type silicon Si(111) substrates covered with the native oxide. The surface chemistry and electronic parameters of organic thin film including surface band bending, work function, electron affinity and their variations upon the exposure have been monitored with X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy techniques. We found that after the exposure, the surface chemistry of CuPc remained unaffected, however the work function and surface band bending increased by 0.55 eV and 0.45 eV for the layers on n-Si and by 0.25 eV and 0.30 eV for those on p-Si. Additionally, we detected a slight surface dipole at CuPc on n-Si manifested by a small shift in electron affinity of 0.10 eV. In order to explain these changes we developed a model basing on the interaction of ionic species with the phthalocyanine surface.     

GaN薄膜大型V形表面坑的形成和光学性质

研究了用MOCVD设备在高温和低Ⅴ/Ⅲ条件下生长的GaN薄膜表面存在的与位错相连的大型Ⅴ形表面坑,并提出了一个有关质量疏运机制的模型以解释其形成机理.由衬底扩散上出来的Al原子对大型坑的形成具有辅助作用,并阻止了深能级杂质或空位缀饰与坑相连的位错.GaN内的位错是非辐射复合中心,但对深能级发光不起作用.     

Sodium storage properties of thin phosphorus-doped graphene layers developed on the surface of nanodiamonds under hot pressing conditions

Abstract

Phosphorus-doped graphene layers have been formed on the surface of nanodiamond (ND) particles by hot pressing of a mixture of purified detonation ND powder and triphenylphosphine (TPP) at 1000?°C and 100?bar. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy detected about 1.7 at.% of phosphorus in the product, most of which was in the oxidized form. The same treatment conditions of the ND powder without the addition of TPP resulted in the only partial covering of some ND particles by sp²-hybridized carbon layers. The tests in Na-ion half-cells found that the pure carbon sample can reversibly sustain 42 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 0.1?A g^?1. For the phosphorus-doped sample, this value increases up to 54 mAh g^?1 due to mainly accumulation of sodium at various defects created in the graphitic layers as a result of phosphorus incorporation. Taking into account inertness of inner diamond cores, specific capacity values are 417 mAh g^?1 for phosphorus-doped graphene layers and 587 mAh g^?1 for non-doped ones.     

Contactless method of determining the coefficient of thermal diffusivity of local domains of surface layers and thin films

A method is proposed for measuring the coefficient of thermal diffusivity of microsections of surface layers and thin films. The coefficient of thermal diffusivity is calculated from the time dependence of the heat flux emitted by the heated surface.Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 289–294, August, 1976.