| 1. |
- Boström, T, et al.
(författare)
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Structure and morphology of nickel-alumina/silica solar thermal selective absorbers
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-3093 .- 1873-4812. ; 357:5, s. 1370-1375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nickel-alumina/silica thin film materials for the use in solar thermal absorbers have been investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA). The TEM images revealed that all layers have a very small thickness variation and that the layers are completely homogenous. High resolution images showed 5-10 nm (poly) crystalline nickel nano-particles. ERDA showed that both the silica and alumina compositions contain more oxygen than 2:1 and 3:2 respectively. SEM showed the surface morphology and characteristics of the top silica anti-reflection layer. Hybrid-silica has showed to generate a smoother surface with less cracking compared to pure silica. The final curing temperature revealed to be of importance for the formation of cracks and the surface morphology.
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| 2. |
- Eklund, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Discovery of the Ternary Nanolaminated Compound Nb2GeC by a Systematic Theoretical-Experimental Approach
- 2012
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - : American Physical Society. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 109:3, s. 035502-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since the advent of theoretical materials science some 60 years ago, there has been a drive to predict and design new materials in silicio. Mathematical optimization procedures to determine phase stability can be generally applicable to complex ternary or higher-order materials systems where the phase diagrams of the binary constituents are sufficiently known. Here, we employ a simplex-optimization procedure to predict new compounds in the ternary Nb-Ge-C system. Our theoretical results show that the hypothetical Nb2GeC is stable, and excludes all reasonably conceivable competing hypothetical phases. We verify the existence of the Nb2GeC phase by thin film synthesis using magnetron sputtering. This hexagonal nanolaminated phase has a and c lattice parameters of similar to 3.24 angstrom and 12.82 angstrom.
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| 3. |
- Ekström, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Formation mechanism and thermoelectric properties of CaMnO3 thin films synthesized by annealing of Ca0.5Mn0.5O films
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Science. - : SPRINGER. - 0022-2461 .- 1573-4803. ; 54:11, s. 8482-8491
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A two-step synthesis approach was utilized to grow CaMnO3 on M-, R- and C-plane sapphire substrates. Radio-frequency reactive magnetron sputtering was used to grow rock-salt-structured (Ca, Mn)O followed by a 3-h annealing step at 800 degrees C in oxygen flow to form the distorted perovskite phase CaMnO3. The effect of temperature in the post-annealing step was investigated using x-ray diffraction. The phase transformation to CaMnO3 started at 450 degrees C and was completed at 550 degrees C. Films grown on R- and C-plane sapphire showed similar structure with a mixed orientation, whereas the film grown on M-plane sapphire was epitaxially grown with an out-of-plane orientation in the [202] direction. The thermoelectric characterization showed that the film grown on M-plane sapphire has about 3.5 times lower resistivity compared to the other films with a resistivity of 0.077cm at 500 degrees C. The difference in resistivity is a result from difference in crystal structure, single orientation for M-plane sapphire compared to mixed for R- and C-plane sapphire. The highest absolute Seebeck coefficient value is -350 mu VK-1 for all films and is decreasing with temperature.
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| 4. |
- Furlan, Andrej, et al.
(författare)
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Control of crystallinity in sputtered Cr–Ti–C films
- 2013
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Ingår i: Acta Materialia. - : Elsevier. - 1359-6454 .- 1873-2453. ; 61:17, s. 6352-6361
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The influence of Ti content on crystallinity and bonding of Cr–Ti–C thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering have been studied by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Our results show that binary Cr–C films without Ti exhibit an amorphous structure with two non-crystalline components; amorphous CrCx and amorphous C (a-C). The addition of 10–20 at.% Ti leads to the crystallization of the amorphous CrCx and the formation of a metastable cubic (Cr1−xTix)Cy phase. The observation was explained based on the tendency of the 3d transition metals to form crystalline carbide films. The mechanical properties of the films determined by nanoindentation and microindentation were found to be strongly dependent on the film composition in terms of hardness, elasticity modulus, hardness/elasticity ratio and crack development.
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| 5. |
- Furlan, Andrej, et al.
(författare)
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Crystallization characteristics and chemical bonding properties of nickel carbide thin film nanocomposites
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Physics. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0953-8984 .- 1361-648X. ; 26:41
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The crystal structure and chemical bonding of magnetron-sputtering deposited nickel carbide Ni1−xCx (0.05 ⩽ x⩽0.62) thin films have been investigated by high-resolution x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy. By using x-ray as well as electron diffraction, we found carbon-containing hcp-Ni (hcp-NiCy phase), instead of the expected rhombohedral-Ni3C. At low carbon content (4.9 at%), the thin film consists of hcp-NiCy nanocrystallites mixed with a smaller amount of fcc-NiCx. The average grain size is about 10–20 nm. With the increase of carbon content to 16.3 at%, the film contains single-phase hcp-NiCy nanocrystallites with expanded lattice parameters. With a further increase of carbon content to 38 at%, and 62 at%, the films transform to x-ray amorphous materials with hcp-NiCy and fcc-NiCx nanodomain structures in an amorphous carbon-rich matrix. Raman spectra of carbon indicate dominant sp2 hybridization, consistent with photoelectron spectra that show a decreasing amount of C–Ni phase with increasing carbon content. The Ni 3d–C 2p hybridization in the hexagonal structure gives rise to the salient double-peak structure in Ni 2p soft x-ray absorption spectra at 16.3 at% that changes with carbon content. We also show that the resistivity is not only governed by the amount of carbon, but increases by more than a factor of two when the samples transform from crystalline to amorphous.
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| 6. |
- Furlan, Andrej, et al.
(författare)
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Structure and bonding in amorphous iron carbide thin films
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Physics. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0953-8984 .- 1361-648X. ; 27:4, s. 045002-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigate the amorphous structure, chemical bonding, and electrical properties ofmagnetron sputtered Fe1−xCx (0.21 < x < 0.72) thin films. X-ray, electron diffraction andtransmission electron microscopy show that the Fe1−xCx films are amorphousnanocomposites, consisting of a two-phase domain structure with Fe-rich carbidic FeCy , and acarbon-rich matrix. Pair distribution function analysis indicates a close-range order similar tothose of crystalline Fe3C carbides in all films with additional graphene-like structures at highcarbon content (71.8 at% C). From x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, we findthat the amorphous carbidic phase has a composition of 15–25 at% carbon that slightlyincreases with total carbon content. X-ray absorption spectra exhibit an increasing number ofunoccupied 3d states and a decreasing number of C 2p states as a function of carbon content.These changes signify a systematic redistribution in orbital occupation due to charge-transfereffects at the domain-size-dependent carbide/matrix interfaces. The four-point proberesistivity of the Fe1−xCx films increases exponentially with carbon content from ∼200μcm(x = 0.21) to ∼1200μcm (x = 0.72), and is found to depend on the total carbon contentrather than the composition of the carbide. Our findings open new possibilities for modifyingthe resistivity of amorphous thin film coatings based on transition metal carbides through thecontrol of amorphous domain structures.
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| 7. |
- Gao, Xindong, et al.
(författare)
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Epitaxy of Ultrathin NiSi2 Films with Predetermined Thickness
- 2011
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Ingår i: Electrochemical and solid-state letters. - : The Electrochemical Society. - 1099-0062 .- 1944-8775. ; 14:7, s. H268-H270
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This letter presents a proof-of-concept process for tunable, self-limiting growth of ultrathin epitaxial NiSi2 films on Si (100). The process starts with metal sputter-deposition, followed by wet etching and then silicidation. By ionizing a fraction of the sputtered Ni atoms and biasing the Si substrate, the amount of Ni atoms incorporated in the substrate after wet etching can be controlled. As a result, the thickness of the NiSi2 films is increased from 4.7 to 7.2 nm by changing the nominal substrate bias from 0 to 600 V. The NiSi2 films are characterized by a specific resistivity around 50 mu Omega cm.
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| 8. |
- Gharavi, Mohammad Amin, et al.
(författare)
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Microstructure and thermoelectric properties of CrN and CrN/Cr2N thin films
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Physics D. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0022-3727 .- 1361-6463. ; 51:35
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- CrN thin films with an N/Cr ratio of 95% were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering onto (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrates. X-ray diffraction and pole figure texture analysis show CrN (1 1 1) epitaxial growth in a twin domain fashion. By changing the nitrogen versus argon gas flow mixture and the deposition temperature, thin films with different surface morphologies ranging from grainy rough textures to flat and smooth films were prepared. These parameters can also affect the CrNx system, with the film compound changing between semiconducting CrN and metallic Cr2N through the regulation of the nitrogen content of the gas flow and the deposition temperature at a constant deposition pressure. Thermoelectric measurements (electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient), scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy imaging confirm the changing electrical resistivity between 0.75 and 300 , the changing Seebeck coefficient values between 140 and 230 , and the differences in surface morphology and microstructure as higher temperatures result in lower electrical resistivity while gas flow mixtures with higher nitrogen content result in single phase cubic CrN.
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| 9. |
- Gharavi, Mohammad Amin, et al.
(författare)
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Synthesis and characterization of single-phase epitaxial Cr2N thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Science. - : SPRINGER. - 0022-2461 .- 1573-4803. ; 54:2, s. 1434-1442
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cr2N is commonly found as a minority phase or inclusion in stainless steel, CrN-based hard coatings, etc. However, studies on phase-pure material for characterization of fundamental properties are limited. Here, Cr2N thin films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering onto (0001) sapphire substrates. X-ray diffraction and pole figure texture analysis show Cr2N (0001) epitaxial growth. Scanning electron microscopy imaging shows a smooth surface, while transmission electron microscopy and X-ray reflectivity show a uniform and dense film with a density of 6.6gcm(-3), which is comparable to theoretical bulk values. Annealing the films in air at 400 degrees C for 96h shows little signs of oxidation. Nano-indentation shows an elastic-plastic behavior with H=18.9GPa and E-r=265GPa. The moderate thermal conductivity is 12Wm(-1)K(-1), and the electrical resistivity is 70cm. This combination of properties means that Cr2N may be of interest in applications such as protective coatings, diffusion barriers, capping layers and contact materials.
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| 10. |
- Greczynski, Grzegorz, et al.
(författare)
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Core-level spectra and binding energies of transition metal nitrides by non-destructive x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy through capping layers
- 2017
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Ingår i: Applied Surface Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-4332 .- 1873-5584. ; 396, s. 347-358
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the first measurements of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) core level binding energies (BE: s) for the widely-applicable group IVb-VIb polycrystalline transition metal nitrides (TMN's) TiN, VN, CrN, ZrN, NbN, MoN, HfN, TaN, and WN as well as AlN and SiN, which are common components in the TMN-based alloy systems. Nitride thin film samples were grown at 400.degrees C by reactive dc magnetron sputtering from elemental targets in Ar/ N-2 atmosphere. For XPS measurements, layers are either (i) Ar+ ion-etched to remove surface oxides resulting from the air exposure during sample transfer from the growth chamber into the XPS system, or (ii) in situ capped with a few nm thick Cr or W overlayers in the deposition system prior to air-exposure and loading into the XPS instrument. Film elemental composition and phase content is thoroughly characterized with time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF(-) ERDA), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and x-ray diffraction. High energy resolution core level XPS spectra acquired with monochromatic Al K alpha radiation on the ISO-calibrated instrument reveal that even mild etching conditions result in the formation of a nitrogen-deficient surface layer that substantially affects the extracted binding energy values. These spectra-modifying effects of Ar+ ion bombardment increase with increasing the metal atom mass due to an increasing nitrogen-to-metal sputter yield ratio. The superior quality of the XPS spectra obtained in a non-destructive way from capped TMN films is evident from that numerous metal peaks, including Ti 2p, V 2p, Zr 3d, and Hf 4f, exhibit pronounced satellite features, in agreement with previously published spectra from layers grown and analyzed in situ. In addition, the N/ metal concentration ratios are found to be 25-90% higher than those obtained from the corresponding ion-etched surfaces, and in most cases agree very well with the RBS and ToF-E ERDA values. The N 1 s BE: s extracted from capped TMN films, thus characteristic of a native surface, show a systematic trend, which contrasts with the large BE spread of literature "reference" values. Hence, non-destructive core level XPS employing capping layers provides an opportunity to obtain high-quality spectra, characteristic of virgin in situ grown and analyzed TMN films, although with larger versatility, and allows for extracting core level BE values that are more reliable than those obtained from sputter-cleaned N-deficient surfaces. Results presented here, recorded from a consistent set of binary TMN's grown under the same conditions and analyzed in the same instrument, provide a useful reference for future XPS studies of multinary materials systems allowing for true deconvolution of complex core level spectra.
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