Plasma-enhanced reactive linear sputtering source for formation of silicon-based thin films.

In this study, an inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-enhanced reactive sputter deposition system with a rectangular target was developed as a linear plasma source for roll-to-roll deposition processes. The longitudinal distribution of the film thickness indicated the feasibility of uniformity control via the control of the power deposition profile of the assisted ICPs. The characteristics of Si films were investigated in terms of the film thickness uniformity and film crystallinity.

Multi c-BN Coatings by r.f Diode Sputtering and Investigation of Wear Behavior.

Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) films on tool substrates are tendency to delaminate. Therefore, many research groups have studied improvement of c-BN synthesis method and deposition processes due to many potential applications. In this paper, we show that the adhesion property of c-BN layer system can be improved by deposing multi c-BN layers.

Development and utility of a new 3-D magnetron source for high rate deposition of highly conductive ITO thin films near room temperature.

As transparent conductive films, indium tin oxide (ITO) materials are being extensively used as electrodes in various technological and optoelectronic applications. The demand for ITO films is firmly increasing because of the widespread market growth in these industries, but the available solutions only partly fulfill the prerequisites of high transmittance, low resistivity, large area process, cost-effective manufacturing, high growth rate and low-temperature process. The present work demonstrates a possible framework for the detailed study of ITO coatings in addition to the development of a novel highly confined 3-D magnetron source (3DMS) that can be simply used for tailored products.

Systematic study of interdependent relationship on gold nanorod synthesis assisted by electron microscopy image analysis.

Here, we systematically investigated the independent, multiple, and synergic effects of three major components, namely, ascorbic acid (AA), seed, and silver ions (Ag), on the characteristics of gold nanorods (GNRs), i.e., longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak position, shape, size, and monodispersity.

Surface Energy in Nanocrystalline Carbon Thin Films: Effect of Size Dependence and Atmospheric Exposure.

Surface energy (SE) is the most sensitive and fundamental parameter for governing the interfacial interactions in nanoscale carbon materials. However, on account of the complexities involved of hybridization states and surface bonds, achieved SE values are often less in comparison with their theoretical counterparts and strongly influenced by stability aspects. Here, an advanced facing-target pulsed dc unbalanced magnetron-sputtering process is presented for the synthesis of undoped and H/N-doped nanocrystalline carbon thin films.

Shaping thin film growth and microstructure pathways via plasma and deposition energy: a detailed theoretical, computational and experimental analysis.

Understanding the science and engineering of thin films using plasma assisted deposition methods with controlled growth and microstructure is a key issue in modern nanotechnology, impacting both fundamental research and technological applications. Different plasma parameters like electrons, ions, radical species and neutrals play a critical role in nucleation and growth and the corresponding film microstructure as well as plasma-induced surface chemistry. The film microstructure is also closely associated with deposition energy which is controlled by electrons, ions, radical species and activated neutrals.

Size-controlled growth and antibacterial mechanism for Cu:C nanocomposite thin films.

The interdependence of 'size' and 'volume-fraction' hinders the identification of their individual role in the interface properties of metal nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in a matrix. Here, the case of Cu NPs embedded in a C matrix is presented for their profound antibacterial activity. Cu:C nanocomposite thin films with fixed Cu content (≈12 atomic%) are prepared using a plasma process where plasma energy controls the size of Cu NPs (from 9 nm to 16 nm).

Simple realization of efficient barrier performance of a single layer silicon nitride film via plasma chemistry.

Due to the problem of degradation by moisture or oxygen, there is growing interest in efficient gas diffusion barriers for organic optoelectronic devices. Additionally, for the continuous and long-term operation of a device, dedicated flexible thin film encapsulation is required, which is the foremost challenge. Many efforts are being undertaken in the plasma assisted deposition process control for the optimization of film properties.

Plasma engineering of silicon quantum dots and their properties through energy deposition and chemistry.

The characterization of plasma and atomic radical parameters along with the energy influx from plasma to the substrate during plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of Si quantum dot (QD) films is presented and discussed. In particular, relating to the Si QD process optimization and control of film growth, the necessity to control the deposition environment by inducing the effect of the energy of the key plasma species is realized. In this contribution, we report dual frequency PECVD processes for the low-temperature and high-rate deposition of Si QDs by chemistry and energy control of the key plasma species.

La/Sm/Er Cation Doping Induced Thermal Properties of SrTiO3 Perovskite.

The La/Sm/Er cations with different radii doping SrTiO3 (STO) as model Sr0.9R0.1TiO3 (R = La, Sm, Er) were designed to investigate structural characteristics and thermal properties by the molecular dynamics simulation with the Green-Kubo relation at 300-2000 K.

Low temperature synthesis of silicon quantum dots with plasma chemistry control in dual frequency non-thermal plasmas.

The advanced materials process by non-thermal plasmas with a high plasma density allows the synthesis of small-to-big sized Si quantum dots by combining low-temperature deposition with superior crystalline quality in the background of an amorphous hydrogenated silicon nitride matrix. Here, we make quantum dot thin films in a reactive mixture of ammonia/silane/hydrogen utilizing dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas with high atomic hydrogen and nitrogen radical densities. Systematic data analysis using different film and plasma characterization tools reveals that the quantum dots with different sizes exhibit size dependent film properties, which are sensitively dependent on plasma characteristics.

Low temperature plasma processing for cell growth inspired carbon thin films fabrication.

The recent bio-applications (i.e. bio-sensing, tissue engineering and cell proliferation etc.

Growth kinetics of plasma-polymerized films.

The growth kinetics of polymer thin films prepared by plasma-based deposition method were explored using atomic force microscopy. The growth behavior of the first layer of the polythiophene somewhat differs from that of the other layers because the first layer is directly deposited on the substrate, whereas the other layers are deposited on the polymer itself. After the deposition of the first layer, each layer is formed with a cycle of 15 s.

Fabrication of bioactive, antibacterial TiO2 nanotube surfaces, coated with magnetron sputtered Ag nanostructures for dental applications.

We investigated whether a silver coating on an anodic oxidized titania (TiO2) nanotube surface would be useful for preventing infections in dental implants. We used a magnetron sputtering process to deposit Ag nanoparticles onto a TiO2 surface. We studied different sputtering input power densities and maintained other parameters constant.

Controlling conductivity of carbon film for L-929 cell biocompatibility using magnetron sputtering plasmas.

As a material of current interest compatible with many living organisms, carbon has received considerable attention for applications in medicine. To improve and investigate the performance and applications of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films for implantable bio-organs, it is important to optimize the synthesis process from the original deposition conditions to control the characterization of DLC. Simultaneously, it is necessary to develop new techniques and processes that yield DLC films with stronger adhesion to the substrate and better biocompatibility.

Structural and electrical properties of ZnO films deposited with low-temperature facing targets magnetron sputtering (FTS) system with changes in H2 and O2 flow rate.

ZnO has been studied as a strong candidate for high-quality TCO in accordance with increasing demand to replace ITO. The origin of n-doping in ZnO is not clearly understood, but recently, the H2 effect has received attention due to the role it plays in O-rich and O-poor conditions. In spite of recent rapid developments, controlling the electrical conductivity of ZnO has remained a major challenge.

Tailoring of antibacterial Ag nanostructures on TiO2 nanotube layers by magnetron sputtering.

To reduce the incidence of postsurgical bacterial infection that may cause implantation failure at the implant-bone interface, surface treatment of titanium implants with antibiotic materials such as silver (Ag) has been proposed. The purpose of this work was to create TiO2 nanotubes using plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), followed by formation of an antibacterial Ag nanostructure coating on the TiO2 nanotube layer using a magnetron sputtering system. PEO was performed on commercially pure Ti sheets.