Formation and properties of artificially-layered SrCuO2/BaCuO2 superconducting superlattices

Pulsed-laser deposition is used to synthesize artificially-layered high-temperature superconductors. Using the constraint of epitaxy to stabilize SrCuO₂/BaCuO₂ superlattices in the infinite layer structure, novel thin-film compounds are formed which superconduct at temperatures as high as 70 K. These results demonstrate that pulsed-laser deposition and epitaxial stabilization can be effectively used to engineer artificially-layered thin-film superconducting cuprate materials.     

SiO2 and Al2O3/SiO2 coatings for increasing emissivity of Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells for space applications

In this study, optical coatings were investigated as substitutes for the coverglass on flexible thin-film space solar cells. The inherent low emissivity of copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells was increased using optical coatings for thermal balance in space. Evaporated silicon dioxide (SiO₂) and an additional aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) coating on the CIGS solar cell increased the emissivity from 0.18 to 0.77. Higher emissivity was realized with the Al₂O₃/SiO₂ double-layer coating than with the SiO₂ single-layer coating. The straightforward double-layer coating gives the CIGS solar cells appropriate radiative properties for keeping the cell within a permissible temperature range in space.     

Influence of TiO2 incorporation in HfO2 and Al2O3 based capacitor dielectrics

Atomic layer deposition was applied to fabricate metal oxide films on planar substrates and also in deep trenches with appreciable step coverage. Atomic layer deposition of Ru electrodes was realized on planar substrates. Electrical and structural behaviour of HfO₂-TiO₂ and Al₂O₃-TiO₂ nanolaminates and mixtures as well as Al₂O₃ films were evaluated. The lowest leakage current densities with the lowest equivalent oxide thickness were achieved in mixed Al₂O₃-TiO₂ films annealed at 700 °C, compared to all other films in as-deposited state as well as annealed at 900 °C. The highest permittivities in this study were measured on HfO₂-TiO₂ nanolaminates.     

Thermal co-evaporation of Sb2Te3 thin-films optimized for thermoelectric applications

Antimony telluride (Sb₂Te₃) is a chalcogenide material used in thermoelectric applications. The deposition of thin films of Sb₂Te₃ requires a precisely controlled process to achieve a desirable high thermoelectric figure-of-merit. The optimization of the thermal co-evaporation process for p-type Sb₂Te₃ thin-film onto plastic substrates (Kapton© polyimide) for thermoelectric applications is reported. The influence of deposition parameters and composition on thermoelectric properties was studied, seeking optimal thermoelectric performance. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy all confirmed the formation of Sb₂Te₃ thin films. Seebeck coefficient (up to 190 μVK⁻¹), in-plane electrical resistivity (8-15 μΩm), carrier concentration (1 × 10¹⁹-7 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³) and Hall mobility (120-180 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹) were measured at room temperature for the best Sb₂Te₃ thin-films.     

Charge trapping characteristics of Al2O3/Al-rich Al2O3/SiO2 stacked films fabricated by radio-frequency magnetron co-sputtering

A thin-film structure comprising Al₂O₃/Al-rich Al₂O₃/SiO₂ was fabricated on Si substrate. We used radio-frequency magnetron co-sputtering with Al metal plates set on an Al₂O₃ target to fabricate the Al-rich Al₂O₃ thin film, which is used as a charge storage layer for nonvolatile Al₂O₃ memory. We investigated the charge trapping characteristics of the film. When the applied voltage between the gate and the substrate is increased, the hysteresis window of capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics becomes larger, which is caused by the charge trapping in the film. For a fabricated Al-O capacitor structure, we clarified experimentally that the maximum capacitance in the C-V hysteresis agrees well with the series capacitance of insulators and that the minimum capacitance agrees well with the series capacitance of the semiconductor depletion layer and stacked insulator. When the Al content in the Al-rich Al₂O₃ is increased, a large charge trap density is obtained. When the Al content in the Al-O is changed from 40 to 58%, the charge trap density increases from 0 to 18 × 10¹⁸ cm^− 3, which is 2.6 times larger than that of the trap memory using SiN as the charge storage layer. The device structure would be promising for low-cost nonvolatile memory.     

Photoconductivity effects in CuInS2, CuInSe2 and CuInTe2 thin films

Photoconductivity response spectra for CuInS₂, CuInSe₂ and CuInTe₂ thin films are reported. The temperature dependences of the spectra are utilized to determine the bandgap energies as functions of temperature. Photoconductive response times are measured for these I–III–VI₂ ternary semiconductors and are discussed in terms of deposition parameters and post-deposition treatments. The photoconductive decay times are in the range 10^-3 – 10¹ ms.     

Characterization of IrO2/CNT nanocomposites

IrO₂ nanocrystals (NCs) were grown on vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) templates, forming IrO₂/CNT nanocomposites, by metal organic chemical vapour deposition using (C₆H₇)(C₈H₁₂)Ir as a source reagent. The surface morphology, structural and spectroscopic properties of the nanocomposites were characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman scattering. IrO₂ varied from particle- to tube-like NCs as the deposition time increased from 5 to 60 min. The particle-like IrO₂ NCs may be used as a protective layer on CNTs, providing stable and uniform field emission application. The tube-like structure may increase the surface-to-volume ratio which makes the IrO₂/CNT nanocomposites as an attractive candidate for the supercapacitor application.     

One-pot synthesis of intestine-like SnO2/TiO2 hollow nanostructures

In the present study the intestine-like binary SnO₂/TiO₂ hollow nanostructures are one-pot synthesized in aqueous phase at room temperature via a colloid seeded deposition process in which the intestine-like hollow SnO₂ spheres and Ti(SO₄)₂ are used as colloid seeds and Ti-source, respectively. The novel core (SnO₂ hollow sphere)-shell (TiO₂) nanostructures possess a large surface area of 122 m²/g (calcined at 350 °C) and a high exposure of TiO₂ surface. The structural change of TiO₂ shell at different temperatures was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. It was observed that the rutile TiO₂ could form even at room temperature due to the presence of SnO₂ core and the unique core-shell interaction.     

Electrodeposition PbO2-TiO2 and PbO2-ZrO2 and its physicochemical properties

Composite materials based on PbO₂ containing TiO₂ or ZrO₂ were prepared from electrolytes containing a suspension of TiO₂ or ZrO₂. The contents of foreign oxides in the composite depend on the electrolyte composition and conditions of deposition. When a dispersed phase is incorporated into the composite coating, the dimensions of lead dioxide crystals decrease to submicro- and nano-size. Physico-chemical properties of composite materials are mainly determined by their chemical composition.     

Chemical vapor deposition of SiO2 films by TEOS/O2 supermagnetron plasma

A TEOS/O₂ supermagnetron double electrode plasma system was used to deposit SiO₂ films. Deposition rates were measured as a function of rf power and substrate stage temperature. With an increase of rf power on both electrodes from 40 to 80W, the deposition rate increased; however, with a further increase of rf power from 80 to 120W, the deposition rate ceased to increase or decreased only a small amount. The presence of O-H bonds from bonded water in the film was evaluated using buffered HF (BHF) etching solution. With an increase of rf power from 40 to 120W, the BHF etch rate decreased; i.e., the number of O-H bonds were reduced. A minimum BHF etch rate was observed at a rf phase difference of 180° between the two rf power sources. A SiO₂ film was deposited on a trench-patterned quartz substrate. A flat surface SiO₂ layer with air gaps (voids) was formed on the high-aspect ratio (depth/width=1.5-2) trench area.     

Gas sensors with porous three-dimensional framework using TiO2/polymer double-shell hollow microsphere

The correlations between the structures and gas-sensing properties of porous thin-film gas sensors made of packed hollow spheres are investigated. For this purpose, hollow polymeric spheres were used as templates. Double-shell hollow spheres were prepared by encapsulating the polymeric hollow spheres with TiO₂ shells. Solid polymeric spheres were used as templates for comparison. Porous thin-film gas sensor with interconnected three-dimensional pores was prepared by using the TiO₂ encapsulated hollow spheres. The double-shell hollow spheres and porous titania films were characterized by XRD, BET, TEM and SEM. The gas-sensing properties of the sensors toward NO₂ depend on the type of template and the three-dimensional porous structure of the films. Using the hollow sphere template and adding precursors during the film formation procedure help to prevent the collapse of hollow sphere and form the mesopores in films after removing the template. These films show enhanced gas sensitivity when compared to TiO₂ polycrystalline films. Such improvement in sensitivity results from the porous architecture of the hollow microsphere films which not only increase the active surface area but also promotes the gas diffusion.     

Copper phthalocyanine thin-film field-effect transistor with SiO2/Ta2O5/SiO2 multilayer insulator

Top-contact Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) thin-film field-effect transistor (TFT) with SiO₂/Ta₂O₅/SiO₂ (STS) multilayer as the dielectric was fabricated and investigated. With the multi-layer dielectric, drive voltage was remarkably reduced. A relatively large on-current of 1.1 × 10⁻⁷ A at a V_GS of −15 V was obtained due to the strong coupling capability provided by the STS multilayer gate insulator. The device shows a moderate performance: saturation mobility of μ_sat = 6.12 × 10⁻⁴ cm²/V s, on-current to off-current ratio of I_on/I_off = 1.1 × 10³, threshold voltage of V_TH = −3.2 V and sub-threshold swing SS = 1.6 V/dec. Atomic force microscope images show that the STS multilayer has a relative smooth surface. Experiment results indicate that STS multilayer is a promising insulator for the low drive voltage CuPc-based TFTs.     

Ag2S quantum dots-sensitized TiO2 nanotube array photoelectrodes

Ag₂S quantum dots (QDs) were deposited on ordered TiO₂ nanotube arrays (TNTAs) using a sequential chemical bath deposition (S-CBD) approach. AgNO₃ and thiourea were used as the precursor materials of Ag⁺ and S²⁻ ions, respectively. The decoration of Ag₂S QDs significantly shifted the absorption spectrum of the TNTAs to visible light region. As a result, Ag₂S QDs-sensitized TNTAs exhibited much higher photocurrent density than pure TNTAs under visible light irradiation.     

Deposition process of Si-B-C ceramics from CH3SiCl3/BCl3/H2 precursor

Si-B-C coatings have been prepared by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) from CH₃SiCl₃/BCl₃/H₂ precursor mixtures at low temperature (800-1050 °C) and reduced pressures (2, 5, 12 kPa). The kinetics (including apparent activation energy and reaction orders) related to the deposition process were determined within the regime controlled by chemical reactions. A wide range of coatings, prepared in various CVD conditions, were characterized in terms of morphology (scanning electron microscopy), structure (transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy) and elemental composition (Auger electron spectroscopy). On the basis of an in-situ gas phase analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and in agreement with a previous study on the B-C system, the HBCl₂ species was identified as an effective precursor of the boron element. H_xSiCl_(4−x), SiCl₄ and CH₄, derived from CH₃SiCl₃, were also shown to be involved in the homogeneous and the heterogeneous reactions generating silicon and carbon in the coating. A correlation between the various experimental approaches has supported a discussion on the chemical steps involved in the deposition process.     

Ultraviolet photodetectors made from SnO2 nanowires

SnO₂ nanowires can be synthesized on alumina substrates and formed into an ultraviolet (UV) photodetector. The photoelectric current of the SnO₂ nanowires exhibited a rapid photo-response as a UV lamp was switched on and off. The ratio of UV-exposed current to dark current has been investigated. The SnO₂ nanowires were synthesized by a vapor-liquid-solid process at a temperature of 900 °C. It was found that the nanowires were around 70-100 nm in diameter and several hundred microns in length. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) image indicated that the nanowires grew along the [200] axis as a single crystallinity. Cathodoluminescence (CL), thin-film X-ray diffractometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the as-synthesized nanowires.     

Resistive switching characteristics of multilayered (HfO2/Al2O3)n n = 19 thin film

A transparent resistive random access memory used as Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) electrode, ITO/HfO₂/Al₂O₃/…/HfO₂/Al₂O₃/ITO capacitor structure is fabricated on glass substrate by atomic layer deposition. The unipolar resistive switching characteristics can be performed by applying the positive- or negative-bias through top electrode, however, the differences of switching and stability in the two different operations can be observed. The diversities of electrical property are attributed to different oxide/ITO interface materials, which influence the current flow of the injected electrons.     

Photocatalytic activity of pulsed laser deposited TiO2 thin films in N2, O2 and CH4

We report on pulsed laser deposition of TiO₂ films on glass substrates in oxygen, methane, nitrogen and mixture of oxygen and nitrogen atmosphere. The nitrogen incorporation into TiO₂ lattice was successfully achieved, as demonstrated by optical absorption and XPS measurements. The absorption edge of the N-doped TiO₂ films was red-shifted up to ∼ 480 nm from 360 nm in case of undoped ones.The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ films was investigated during toxic Cr(VI) ions photoreduction to Cr(III) state in aqueous media under irradiation with visible and UV light. Under visible light irradiation, TiO₂ films deposited in nitrogen atmosphere showed the highest photocatalytic activity, whereas by UV light exposure the best results were obtained for the TiO₂ structures deposited in pure methane and oxygen atmosphere.     

Semiconducting BaTiO3-CuO mixed oxide thin films for CO2 detection

A full study of the BaTiO₃-CuO thin-film technology properties as carbon dioxide sensing material is presented. The coatings are deposited by RF-Sputtering and the CO₂ concentration is monitored by impedance measurements. Theoretical foundations are correlated to the experimental results and the principal fabrication and operation parameters are clarified: working temperature and frequency, thickness influence and the introduction of silver as an additive. The BaTiO₃-CuO layer shows higher sensitivity than the actual low-cost commercial CO₂ sensors in the range of the principal applications.     

Microstructure control for sputter-deposited ZrO2, ZrO2·CaO and ZrO2·Y2O3

The microstructure of pure and oxide-stabilized cubic ZrO₂ has been determined as a function of the principal deposition conditions for coatings prepared by r.f. diode reactive sputtering. Broad control of crystal structure, phase composition, grain size and crystallographic orientation is obtained by appropriate selection of the target composition, substrate bias and substrate temperature. The crystal structure and phase composition obtained for coatings are compared with predictions based on the equilibrium phase diagrams. The microstructural control demonstrated in this work should make possible rapid, efficient and systematic optimization of ZrO₂ coatings for future engineering applications.     

Thin-film processing of high-Tc superconductors

This review of high-T _c superconducting thin-film processing focuses on the developments in thin-film deposition technologies since 1987. The common deposition processes are described with reference to their effects on superconductor film performance. A comparative evaluation of the potential of the technologies is also given. The development of multilayers and heterostructures is an important requirement for future device applications and is also described. The latest results of the deposition of novel superconducting materials and deposition on uncommon substrates are discussed. The outlook on some imminent topics of future development in process technologies for high-T _c superconducting thin films is discussed.