Article
Engineering, Chemical
Anton S. Tarasov, Sergey A. Lyaschenko, Mikhail V. Rautskii, Anna V. Lukyanenko, Tatiana A. Andryushchenko, Leonid A. Solovyov, Ivan A. Yakovlev, Olga A. Maximova, Dmitriy V. Shevtsov, Mikhail A. Bondarev, Ilya A. Bondarev, Sergei G. Ovchinnikov, Sergey N. Varnakov
Summary: The growth and phase formation features of Cr2GeC and Cr(2-x)MnxGeC MAX phase thin films synthesized by magnetron sputtering technique were studied, along with the influence of structure and morphology on their electronic, optical, and transport properties. It was found that the Cr:Ge:C atomic ratios played a key role in the formation of the MAX phase thin film, and carbon and manganese doping could improve the phase composition of the films. The crystalline structure and morphology of the thin films affected their optical and transport properties.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Stuti Srivastava, Charu Dwivedi, Aditya Yadav, Ashwani Kumar, Govind Gupta, Preetam Singh
Summary: This study presents the H2S gas sensing results of Pd-decorated NiO thin films. The results show that Pd catalyst enhances the sensing capability of NiO films towards H2S gas, with high response, low optimum operating temperature, fast response/recovery time, low detection concentration, good stability, and high selectivity.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Petr Hruska, Frantisek Lukac, Stanislav Cichon, Martin Vondracek, Jakub Cizek, Ladislav Fekete, Jan Lancok, Jozef Vesely, Peter Minarik, Miroslav Cieslar, Oksana Melikhova, Tomas Kmjec, Maciej Oskar Liedke, Maik Butterling, Andreas Wagner
Summary: High entropy alloys are a new type of materials with unique physical properties due to single-phase solid solutions of multiple elements. Nanostructured or amorphous thin films offer increased effective surface area and high intergranular diffusion. The study of HfNbTaTiZr thin films deposited at room temperature showed a cellular structure with fine substructure, close to equimolar composition, and oxidation leading to the formation of oxide clusters.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Masami Aono, Masami Terauchi, Kyoji Morita, Tasuku Inoue, Kazuhiro Kanda, Ken Yonezawa
Summary: In this study, a-CNx thin films were deposited through RF magnetron sputtering with increasing nitrogen gas pressure to provide nitrogen radicals at high concentrations. The films' chemical bonding structures were evaluated using XPS, SXES, and NEXAFS, and compared with films deposited under uniform gas pressure. Increasing the gas pressure around the graphite target slightly increased the deposition rate and changed the chemical bonding structure of a-CNx films. However, the nitrogen content did not increase with the nitrogen gas pressure. The nitrogen incorporation in a-CNx films was more effective at higher RF powers, as indicated by SXES and NEXAFS spectra.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lei Ye, Jia Zheng, Cong Guo, Yu Hu, Jian Yu, Xiaodong Zhu, Tao Chen
Summary: This study demonstrates that high deposition pressure can significantly impact the material properties of sputtered SiC thin films, altering the chemical bonding, composition, and opto-electrical properties. It shows that an increase in deposition pressure leads to a higher oxygen content and a change in the carbon phase, potentially meeting the application requirements for optoelectronic devices.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Micha Mazur, Damian Wojcieszak, Artur Wiatrowski, Danuta Kaczmarek, Aneta Lubanska, Jaros law Domaradzki, Piotr Mazur, Ma lgorzata Kalisz
Summary: This paper analyzed the properties of tungsten oxide thin films prepared using the magnetron sputtering method. Changes in the Ar:O-2 gas mixture ratios were found to influence the structural, optical, and electrical properties of the deposited coatings significantly. The results suggest that controlling the gas atmosphere during sputtering can tailor the optoelectronic properties of tungsten oxide thin films, offering potential applications in transparent electronics.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhenxue Zhang, Mikdat Gurtaran, Xiaoying Li, Hio-Ieng Un, Yi Qin, Hanshan Dong
Summary: In this study, N-type and P-type BiTe-based thin films were deposited on silicon, glass, and Kapton HN polyimide foil using magnetron sputtering technique. The morphology, microstructure, and phase constituents of the thin films were characterized by SEM/EDX, XRD, and TEM. The electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient were measured by an advanced in-plane test system. The power output (open-circuit voltage and electric current) of the thin films was measured at different temperature gradients using a custom-built apparatus. The impact of deposition parameters and the dimensions of the thin films on the power output were investigated to optimize the thin-film flexible TE device for thermal energy harvesting.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maksim Poliakov, Dmitry Kovalev, Sergei Vadchenko, Dmitry Moskovskikh, Philipp Kiryukhantsev-Korneev, Lidiya Volkova, Alexander Dudin, Andrey Orlov, Andrey Goryachev, Alexander Rogachev
Summary: In this work, a high-entropy thin-film CoCrFeNiTix was deposited on a Si/SiO2 substrate using magnetron sputtering. The film had an amorphous atomic structure and retained this structure after annealing up to 400°C. It showed a single-phase structure, a smooth surface, and a uniform distribution of elements. This study demonstrates the potential use of high-entropy alloy films as resistive elements in contemporary and future microelectronic devices.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Femi O. Igbari, Enobong R. Essien, Khadijat O. Abdulwahab, Ayorinde O. Nejo, Ademola Adetona, Luqman A. Adams
Summary: Bipolar electronic behavior was demonstrated in amorphous Cu-Al-O thin films, showing n-type and p-type properties with adjustable majority charge carrier type. X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was used to explain the variation in charge carrier type. The homojunction formed from the two films exhibited rectifying and photovoltaic properties.
MATERIALS SCIENCE IN SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
D. A. Granada-Ramirez, A. Pulzara-Mora, C. A. Pulzara-Mora, A. Pardo-Sierra, A. Cardona-Bedoya, M. Perez-Gonzalez, S. A. Tomas, S. Gallardo-Hernandez, J. G. Mendoza-Alvarez
Summary: InGaN thin films were deposited on silicon substrates using RF magnetron sputtering, and the In content was controlled by adjusting the substrate temperature. The optical and structural properties of the films were analyzed, and it was found that the band gap energy increased with temperature.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Maria Isabel Pintor-Monroy, Martin Gregorio Reyes-Banda, Carlos Avila-Avendano, Manuel A. Quevedo-Lopez
Summary: In this study, a simple and cost-effective method for fabricating thin film transistors (TFTs) based on undoped amorphous Ga2O3 thin films deposited at room temperature by magnetron sputtering is discussed. The control of Ga2O3 thin film resistivity over a wide range is demonstrated by controlling the deposition power and pressure. These TFTs exhibit promising characteristics and have been evaluated as phototransistors under DUV radiation, showing high rejection ratio, responsivity, gain, detectivity, and photosensitivity.
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Michal Mazur, Aneta Lubanska, Jaroslaw Domaradzki, Damian Wojcieszak
Summary: This work examined vanadium oxide thin films prepared by gas impulse magnetron sputtering with different Ar:O-2 gas ratios. The results showed that the thin films were amorphous and crack-free, and the transparency increased with a higher oxygen content in the gas mixture during deposition. The electrical measurements revealed that the thin films exhibited either electron or hole conduction type, depending on the sputtering gas composition. The gas sensing response toward diluted hydrogen was visible only in the p-type thin films at low operating temperature.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Qian Long, Linqing Wang, Weijie Yu, Weijiu Huang, Li Wang
Summary: The study explores the influence of sputtering power on the structural and mechanical properties of a-SiC thin films. It is found that increasing sputtering power leads to denser films with higher hardness and elastic modulus, reaching maximum values at 180 W. The research proposes a reason for the excellent mechanical properties based on theoretical analysis and experimental results.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Santhosh Kumar Adpa, S. Shanmukharao Samatham, Radhamanohar Aepuru, Kalyani Date, Ravi Prakash Magisetty, Suwarna Datar, S. N. Kale, Rodrigo Espinoza Gonzalez, Vijaya Bhaskara Rao Bhaviripudi
Summary: Nanocrystalline Ni3Al thin films were deposited using DC magnetron sputtering and their electron transport mechanism and electromagnetic shielding properties were studied. STM was used to study the electron transport mechanism and barrier heights of the films. The barrier height of Ni3Al thin films decreased with sputtering power and the entire tunneling current appeared to come from Schottky emission. The electromagnetic shielding properties of the films were studied in the X-band region and showed increased shielding effectiveness with sputtering power.
APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Yuxin Ju, Ling Ai, Xiaopeng Qi, Jia Li, Weijie Song
Summary: This review comprehensively examines the scalable and highly reproducible nature of magnetron sputtering for depositing hydrophobic thin films. It outlines the fundamental mechanism of hydrophobicity and summarizes recent advances in the preparation, characteristics, and applications of thin films derived from oxides, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and diamond-like carbon (DLC). The review also discusses the future applications, current challenges, and development of hydrophobic thin films, providing a brief perspective on future research directions.
Article
Physics, Applied
Sijun Luo, Lukas Trefflich, Susanne Selle, Ron Hildebrandt, Evgeny Krueger, Stefan Lange, Jingjing Yu, Chris Sturm, Michael Lorenz, Holger Von Wenckstern, Christian Hagendorf, Thomas Hoeche, Marius Grundmann
Summary: This paper reports the heteroepitaxial growth of (00.1)-oriented Zn2GeO4 thin films on c-plane sapphire substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The thin films exhibit [11.0] Zn2GeO4// [11.0] Al2O3 and [1(1) over bar.0] Zn2GeO4//[1(1) over bar.0] Al2O3 in-plane orientation relationships. The measured properties include a rocking curve full width at half maximum of 0.35 degrees, a direct bandgap of 4.9 +/- 0.1 eV, and a defect-related photoluminescence emission centered at 2.62 eV with a FWHM of 0.55 eV. This study enhances our understanding of the physical properties and potential device application of Zn2GeO4 thin films.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tillmann Stralka, Michael Bar, Fabian Schoeppach, Susanne Selle, Chang Yang, Holger von Wenckstern, Marius Grundmann
Summary: Current probe atomic force microscopy (cp-AFM) measurements reveal the influence of the textured nature of sputtered gamma-CuI (111) thin films on charge carrier transport. The conductive behaviors of grains and grain boundaries (GBs) are differentiated and correlated, showing a clear difference between them. The time-dependent surface changes, possibly caused by atmospheric oxygen, result in the vanishing of charge carrier transport over time.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI A-APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Sofie Vogt, Clemens Petersen, Max Kneiss, Daniel Splith, Thorsten Schultz, Holger von Wenckstern, Norbert Koch, Marius Grundmann
Summary: This study presents the structural and electrical properties of undoped and doped alpha-Ga2O3 thin films grown on m-plane sapphire. An undoped alpha-Ga2O3 buffer layer was introduced to improve crystal quality and stabilize the alpha-phase at lower substrate temperatures. Donor doping with tin and germanium achieved high electron mobilities. Suitable annealing temperature for ohmic Ti/Al/Au layer stacks was identified, while high annealing temperatures deteriorated the electrical properties of the thin films, indicating the need for low temperature contacting procedures for alpha-Ga2O3-based devices.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI A-APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Evgeny Krueger, Volker Gottschalch, Gabriele Benndorf, Ron Hildebrandt, Ana Lucia Pereira, Michael S. Bar, Steffen Blaurock, Stefan Merker, Chris Sturm, Marius Grundmann, Harald Krautscheid
Summary: This study presents the epitaxial growth of AgxCu1-xI alloy layers and isolated small crystals on Al2O3 (0001) using the close distance sublimation (CDS) technique. Single-phase gamma-AgxCu1-xI thin films are obtained up to an Ag content of approximately 0.5, with the beta-phase also observed at higher Ag contents. The epitaxial relationships between the deposited AgxCu1-xI layers and the Al2O3 substrate, as well as the structure type, are discussed for different alloy compositions. Additionally, a method for depositing polycrystalline single-phase gamma-AgxCu1-xI thin films for Ag contents up to approximately 0.7 is presented based on the solid-state reaction of AgI layers on Al2O3 (0001) substrate with CuI. Furthermore, it is shown that the near-band-edge emission at 2 K is dominated by excitonic recombination, and the spectral position of the emission profile can be tuned by the alloy composition.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI B-BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jon Borgersen, Robert Karsthof, Vegard Ronning, Lasse Vines, Holger von Wenckstern, Marius Grundmann, Andrej Yu Kuznetsov, Klaus Magnus Johansen
Summary: Significant resistivity variations have been observed in oxides subjected to low ion doses, which cannot be explained by bulk defects. A comparative study of In2O3-based oxides revealed correlations between resistivity evolution, low ion doses, and UV illumination. The resistivity drops were attributed to oxygen desorption facilitated by irradiation/illumination, as confirmed by post-irradiation exposure to oxygen atmosphere.
Review
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Laurenz Thyen, Daniel Splith, Max Kneiss, Marius Grundmann, Holger von Wenckstern
Summary: We introduce a new technique, MARS-PLD, for area-selective physical vapor deposition. By using a movable mask, we can selectively mask any desired area on a substrate to create multinary material composition gradients. We demonstrated the capabilities of this method by fabricating material gradients in (Mg,Zn)O thin films and on predefined two-dimensional patterns.
JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY A
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Evgeny Krueger, Michael Seifert, Volker Gottschalch, Harald Krautscheid, Claudia S. Schnohr, Silvana Botti, Marius Grundmann, Chris Sturm
Summary: We studied the excitonic transition energy E-0 and spin-orbit split-off energy Delta(0) of gamma-AgxCu1-xI alloy thin films using reflectivity measurements at temperatures between 20 K and 290 K. The observed bowing behavior of the E-0 transition as a function of alloy composition is explained based on first-principles band structure calculations. The spin-orbit coupling increases with increasing Ag-content, and the temperature-dependent bandgap shift decreases with increasing Ag-content.
Article
Physics, Applied
Andreas Mueller, Sebastian Henn, Evgeny Krueger, Steffen Blaurock, Harald Krautscheid, Marius Grundmann, Chris Sturm
Summary: We report on the photoluminescence emission in copper iodide bulk single crystals induced by two- and three-photon absorption around 1.525eV. The non-linear optical processes were investigated through density-dependent, steady-state, and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. We observed that the photoluminescence intensity showed an almost parabolic behavior with the excitation power when the excitation energy corresponded to half of the bandgap energy. We also found a cubic contribution that increased with decreasing excitation energy. The ratio between the two- and three-photon absorption cross sections was determined to be approximately 10(-28) cm(2)s.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Marius Grundmann
Summary: This study revisits the problem of potential, electrical field, and charge density in a space charge region. Using the Boltzmann approximation, an analytical asymptotic solution is obtained. The exact solution can be found by numerically integrating an analytical function. A comparison is made with the popular abrupt (or depletion) approximation, and an analytical approximation is provided. The analytical approximation for potential, electrical field, and charge density in a space charge (depletion) region shows good agreement with the (numerically) exact solution.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI B-BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Michael Lorenz, Holger Hochmuth, Holger von Wenckstern, Marius Grundmann
Summary: Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a highly flexible physical growth technique for thin films of functional materials. This article describes a relatively simple and reliable concept of PLD hardware that enables deposition on large areas (up to 4 inches in diameter) and tailored lateral and vertical composition spreads without the need for time-consuming hardware changes. Different PLD approaches have been implemented in various chambers by using specific and correlated computer-controlled movements of the target, substrate, and masks, along with an appropriate target phase composition.
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Fabian Schoeppach, Daniel Splith, Holger von Wenckstern, Marius Grundmann
Summary: In this study, metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET) devices based on pulsed laser deposition (PLD) grown In2O3 thin films are reported. These devices exhibit on-off ratios exceeding 6 orders of magnitude and low sub-threshold swing values close to the thermodynamic limit. Oxygen plasma treatment and compensation doping with Mg are used to suppress the accumulation of electrons at the surface of In2O3, which is a major obstacle for its use as an active material in electronic devices.
ADVANCED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2023)