| 1. |
- Alami, Jones, et al.
(author)
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High-power impulse magnetron sputtering of Ti-Si-C thin films from a Ti3SiC2 compound target
- 2006
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In: Thin Solid Films. - : Institutionen för fysik, kemi och biologi. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 515:4, s. 1731-1736
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have deposited Ti-Si-C thin films using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) from a Ti3SiC2 compound target. The as-deposited films were composite materials with TiC as the main crystalline constituent. X-ray diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that they also contained amorphous SiC, and for films deposited on inclined substrates, crystalline Ti5Si3Cx. The film morphology was dense and flat, while films deposited with dc magnetron sputtering under comparable conditions were rough and porous. Due to the high degree of ionization of the sputtered species obtained in HIPIMS, it is possible to control the film composition, in particular the C content, by tuning the substrate inclination angle, the Ar process pressure, and the bias voltage.
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| 2. |
- Samuelsson, Mattias, 1976-, et al.
(author)
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Growth of Ti-C nanocomposite films by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering under industrial conditions
- 2012
-
In: Surface & Coatings Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0257-8972 .- 1879-3347. ; 206:8-9, s. 2396-2402
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Titanium carbide (TiC) films were deposited employing high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) in an Ar-C2H2 atmosphere of various compositions. Analysis of the structural, bonding and compositional characteristics revealed that the deposited films are either TiC and hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) nanocomposites, nanocrystalline TiC, or Ti/Tic, depending on the C/Ti ratio. It was found that Ti-C films grown by HiPIMS show a C/Ti ratio of close to 1 for a wide C2H2 flow range (4-15 sccm), with free C ranging from 0 to 20%. Thus, films ranging from near stoichiometric single phase TiC to TiC/a-C:H nanocomposites can be synthesized. This was not the case for DCMS, where films grown using similar deposition rates as for HiPIMS formed larger fractions of amorphous C matrix, thus being nanocomposites in the same C2H2 (above 4 sccm) flow range. For a C/Ti ratio of 1 the resistivity is low (4-8 x 10(2) mu Omega cm) for the HiPIMS films, and high (>100x 10(2) mu Omega cm) for the DCMS films. The hardness also shows a big difference with 20-27 and 6-10 GPa for HiPIMS and DCMS grown films, respectively.
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| 3. |
- Abadei, S., et al.
(author)
-
Microwave properties of tunable capacitors basee on magnetron sputtered ferroelectric Na0.5K0.5NbO3 film on low and high resistivity silicon substrates
- 2001
-
In: Integrated Ferroelectrics. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1058-4587 .- 1607-8489. ; 39:1-4, s. 359-366
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this work, small signal DC voltage dependent dielectric permittivity, loss tangent, and tuneability of magnetron sputtered epitaxial Na0.5K0.5NO3 films are studied experimentally. (100)-oriented Na0.5K0.5NbO3 films are deposited onto SiO2-buffered CMOS grade low resistivity (p = 10-20 cm) and high resistivity (p = 15-45 kcm) silicon substrates. Planar capacitors with 2 or 4 m gaps between electrodes have been fabricated on top of ferroelectric films. These devices have been characterized in the frequency range 1.0 MHz to 50 GHz at temperatures 30 - 300K. Na0.5K0.5NbO3/SiO2/Si structures on high resistivity silicon substrate exhibit C-V performances typical for Metal-Insulator- Semiconductor (MIS) capacitors. At low frequencies, f 1.0 GHz, the large tuneability and large losses are associated with the MIS structure, while at higher microwave frequencies the tuneability is mainly associated with the ferroelectric, film. At 1.0 MHz and room temperature, the tuneability of Na0.5K0.5NbO3/SiO2/Si structures more than 90%, reducing to 10-15 % at 50 GHz. The losses decrease with increasing the DC bias and frequency. A Q-factor more than 15 at 50 GHz is observed. The dielectric permittivity of the Na0.5K0.5NbO3 film is in the range 50-150 at frequencies 0.045-50 GHz. On low resistivity substrate the performance of Na0.5K0.5NbO3 films is completely screened by the high losses in silicon, and the tuneability is negligible. © 2001 Taylor and Francis.
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| 4. |
- Aiempanakit, Montri, 1977-, et al.
(author)
-
Ag2Cu2O3 thin films deposited by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering
- 2013
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Ag2Cu2O3 thin films were prepared by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) from an alloy silver-copper (Ag0.5Cu0.5) target on silicon and glass substrates. The effects of the oxygen gas flow and the peak power on the structural properties of the films were investigated. Structural characterization by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements show that the structure of Ag2Cu2O3 is related to the oxygen flow and the peak power. Films grown with high peak power required higher oxygen flow rate in order to get stoichiometric Ag2Cu2O3 thin films. It was further found that using HiPIMS, polycrystalline Ag2Cu2O3 films can be grown at room temperature without substrate heating or post-deposition annealing, while films deposited by DCMS exhibit poor crystallinity under the same process conditions.
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| 5. |
- Aiempanakit, Montri, et al.
(author)
-
Effect of peak power in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering of titanium dioxide
- 2011
-
In: Surface & Coatings Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0257-8972 .- 1879-3347. ; 205:20, s. 4828-4831
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The effect of peak power in a high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) reactive deposition of TiO(2) films has been studied with respect to the deposition rate and coating properties. With increasing peak power not only the ionization of the sputtered material increases but also their energy. In order to correlate the variation in the ion energy distributions with the film properties, the phase composition, density and optical properties of the films grown with different HiPIMS-parameters have been investigated and compared to a film grown using direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS). All experiments were performed for constant average power and pulse on time (100W and 35 mu s, respectively), different peak powers were achieved by varying the frequency of pulsing. Ion energy distributions for Ti and O and its dependence on the process conditions have been studied. It was found that films with the highest density and highest refractive index were grown under moderate HiPIMS conditions (moderate peak powers) resulting in only a small loss in mass-deposition rate compared to DCMS. It was further found that TiO2 films with anatase and rutile phases can be grown at room temperature without substrate heating and without post-deposition annealing.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Aiempanakit, Montri, et al.
(author)
-
Hysteresis and process stability in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering of metal oxides
- 2011
-
In: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 519:22, s. 7779-7784
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the further development of reactive sputter deposition, strategies which allow for stabilization of the transition zone between the metallic and compound modes, elimination of the process hysteresis, and increase of the deposition rate, are of particular interest. In this study, the hysteresis behavior and the characteristics of the transition zone during reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) of Al and Ce targets in an Ar-O(2) atmosphere as a function of the pulsing frequency and the pumping speed are investigated. Comparison with reactive direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) reveals that HiPIMS allows for elimination/suppression of the hysteresis and a smoother transition from the metallic to the compound sputtering mode. For the experimental conditions employed in the present study, optimum behavior with respect to the hysteresis width is obtained at frequency values between 2 and 4 kHz, while HiPIMS processes with values below or above this range resemble the DCMS behavior. Al-O films are deposited using both HiPIMS and DCMS. Analysis of the film properties shows that elimination/suppression of the hysteresis in HiPIMS facilitates the growth of stoichiometric and transparent Al(2)O(3) at relatively high deposition rates over a wider range of experimental conditions as compared to DCMS.
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| 8. |
- Aiempanakit, Montri, et al.
(author)
-
Hysteresis effect in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering of metal oxides
- 2011
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In order to get high deposition rate and good film properties, the stabilization of the transition zone between the metallic and compound modes is beneficial. We have shown earlier that at least in some cases, HiPIMS can reduce hysteresis effect in reactive sputtering. In our previous work, mechanisms for the suppression/elimination of the hysteresis effect have been suggested. Reactive HiPIMS can suppress/eliminate the hysteresis effect in the range of optimum frequency [1] lead to the process stability during the deposition with high deposition rate. The mechanisms behind this optimum frequency may relate with high erosion rate during the pulse [2,3] and gas rarefaction effect in front of the target [4]. In this contribution, reactive sputtering process using high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) has been studied with focus on the gas rarefaction. Through variations in the sputtering conditions such as pulse frequencies, peak powers, and target area, their effect on the shape of current waveforms have been analyzed. The current waveforms in compound mode are strongly affected. Our experiments show that the shape and amplitude of peak current cannot be explained by the change of the secondary electron yield due to target oxidation only. Reduced rarefaction in compound mode contributes to the observed very high peak current values.
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| 9. |
- Aiempanakit, Montri, 1977-
(author)
-
Reactive High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering of Metal Oxides
- 2013
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The work presented in this thesis deals with reactive magnetron sputtering processes of metal oxides with a prime focus on high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). The aim of the research is to contribute towards understanding of the fundamental mechanisms governing a reactive HiPIMS process and to investigate their implications on the film growth.The stabilization of the HiPIMS process at the transition zone between the metal and compound modes of Al-O and Ce-O was investigated for realizing the film deposition with improved properties and higher depositionrate and the results are compared with direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) processes. The investigations were made for different sputtering conditions obtained by varying pulse frequency, peak power and pumping speed. For the experimental conditions employed, it was found that reactive HiPIMS can eliminate/suppress the hysteresis effect for a range of frequency, leading to a stable deposition process with a high deposition rate. The hysteresis was found to be eliminated for Al-O while for Ce-O, it was not eliminated but suppressed as compared to the DCMS. The behavior of elimination/suppression of the hysteresis may be influenced by high erosion rate during the pulse, limited target oxidation between the pulses and gas rarefaction effects in front of the target. Similar investigations were made for Ti-O employing a larger target and the hysteresis was found to be suppressed as compared to the respective DCMS, but not eliminated. It was shown that the effect of gas rarefaction is a powerful mechanism for preventing oxide formation upon the target surface. The impact of this effect depends on the off-time between the pulses. Longer off-times reduce the influence of gas rarefaction.To gain a better understanding of the discharge current-voltage behavior in a reactive HiPIMS process of metal oxides, the ion compositions and ion energy distributions were measured for Al-O and Ti-O using time averaged and time-resolved mass spectrometry. It was shown that the different discharge current behavior between non-reactive and reactive modes couldn’t be explained solely by the change in the secondary electron emission yield from the sputtering target. The high fluxes of O1+ ions contribute substantially to the discharge current giving rise to an increase in the discharge current in the oxide mode as compared to the metal mode. The results also show that the source of oxygen in the discharge is both, the target surface (via sputtering) as well as the gas phase.The investigations on the properties of HiPIMS grown films were made by synthesizing metal oxide thin films using Al-O, Ti-O and Ag-Cu-O. It was shown that Al2O3 films grown under optimum condition using reactive HiPIMS exhibit superior properties as compared to DCMS. The HiPIMS grown films exhibit higher refractive index as well as the deposition rate of the film growth was higher under the same operating conditions. The effect of HiPIMS peak power on TiO2 film properties was investigated and the results are compared with the DCMS. The properties of TiO2 films such as refractive index, film density and phase structure were experimentally determined. The ion composition during film growth was investigated and an explanation on the correlation of the film properties and ion energy was made. It was found that energetic and ionized sputtered flux in reactive HiPIMS can be used to tailor the phase formation of the TiO2 films with high peak powers facilitating the rutile phase while the anatase phase can be obtained using low peak powers. These phases can be obtained at room temperature without external substrate heating or post-deposition annealing which is in contrast to the reactive DCMS where both, anatase and rutile phases of TiO2 are obtained at either elevated growth temperatures or by employing post deposition annealing. The effect of HiPIMS peak power on the crystal structure of the grown films was also investigated for ternary compound, Ag-Cu-O, for which films were synthesized using reactive HiPIMS as well as reactive DCMS. It was found that the stoichiometric Ag2Cu2O3 can be synthesized by all examined pulsing peak powers. The oxygen gas flow rate required to form stoichiometric films is proportional to the pulsing peak power in HiPIMS. DCMS required low oxygen gas flow to synthesis the stoichiometric films. The HiPIMS grown films exhibit more pronounced crystalline structure as compared to the films grown using DCMS. This is likely an effect of highly ionized depositing flux which facilitates an intense ion bombardment during the film growth using HiPIMS. Our results indicate that Ag2Cu2O3film formation is very sensitive to the ion bombardment on the substrate as well as to the backattraction of metal and oxygen ions to the target.
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| 10. |
- Aiempanakit, Montri, 1977-, et al.
(author)
-
Understanding the discharge current behavior in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering of oxides
- 2013
-
In: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 113:13, s. 133302-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The discharge current behavior in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) of Ti-O and Al-O is investigated. It is found that for both metals, the discharge peak current significantly increases in the oxide mode in contrast to the behavior in reactive direct current magnetron sputtering where the discharge current increases for Al but decreases for Ti when oxygen is introduced. In order to investigate the increase in the discharge current in HiPIMS-mode, the ionic contribution of the discharge in the oxide and metal mode is measured using time-resolved mass spectrometry. The energy distributions and time evolution are investigated during the pulse-on time as well as in the post-discharge. In the oxide mode, the discharge is dominated by ionized oxygen, which has been preferentially sputtered from the target surface. The ionized oxygen determines the discharge behavior in reactive HiPIMS.
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| 11. |
- Aijaz, Asim, et al.
(author)
-
A strategy for increased carbon ionization in magnetron sputtering discharges
- 2012
-
In: Diamond and related materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-9635 .- 1879-0062. ; 23, s. 1-4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A strategy that facilitates a substantial increase of carbon ionization in magnetron sputtering discharges is presented in this work. The strategy is based on increasing the electron temperature in a high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge by using Ne as the sputtering gas. This allows for the generation of an energetic C+ ion population and a substantial increase in the C+ ion flux as compared to a conventional Ar-HiPIMS process. A direct consequence of the ionization enhancement is demonstrated by an increase in the mass density of the grown films up to 2.8 g/cm(3); the density values achieved are substantially higher than those obtained from conventional magnetron sputtering methods.
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| 12. |
- Aijaz, Asim, et al.
(author)
-
Dual-magnetron open field sputtering system for sideways deposition of thin films
- 2010
-
In: SURFACE and COATINGS TECHNOLOGY. - : Elsevier BV. - 0257-8972. ; 204:14, s. 2165-2169
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A dual-magnetron system for deposition inside tubular substrates has been developed. The two magnetrons are facing each other and have opposing magnetic fields forcing electrons and thereby also ionized material to be transported radially towards the substrate. The depositions were made employing direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). To optimize the deposition rate, the system was characterized at different separation distances between the magnetrons under the same sputtering conditions. The deposition rate is found to increase with increasing separation distance independent of discharge technique. The emission spectrum from the HiPIMS plasma shows a highly ionized fraction of the sputtered material. The electron densities of the order of 10(16) m(-3) and 10(18) m(-3) have been determined in the DCMS and the HiPIMS plasma discharges respectively. The results demonstrate a successful implementation of the concept of sideways deposition of thin films providing a solution for coating complex shaped surfaces.
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| 13. |
- Aijaz, Asim, et al.
(author)
-
Exploring the potential of high power impulse magnetron sputtering for the synthesis of scratch resistant, antireflective coatings
- 2013
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Broad band anti-reflective multilayer coatings require the use of a low-index material as a top layer. Normally SiO2 is used which exhibits sufficiently low refractive index (~1.5 at 550 nm) yet its low hardness (~10 GPa) hinders its application in abrasive environments. A strategy to circumnavigate these limitations is the synthesis of multicomponent materials that combine good mechanical and optical performance. In this work we synthesize Al-Si-O thin films seeking to combine the low refractive index of SiO2 and the relatively high hardness of Al2O3. The potential of reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) for synthesizing Al-Si-O suitable for top-layers in anti-reflective coating stacks is explored by depositing films in an Ar+O2 ambient under varied target compositions (Al0.5Si0.5 and Al0.1Si0.9). The behavior of discharge current in metal and oxide mode is correlated with the plasma composition, plasma energetics as well as target surface composition in order to obtain information about the chemical nature and the energy of the film forming species. Plasma composition and plasma energetics are investigated by measuring electron density, electron temperature as well as energy distributions and as fluxes of Ar+, Al+, Si+ and O+ ions. Monte-Carlo based computer simulations are employed to assess the ion-target surface interactions to gain insight into the discharge characteristics as well as film growth. The properties of the grown films (chemical composition, mechanical and optical properties) are investigated and an understanding of the reactive HiPIMS-based growth of anti-reflective Al-Si-O thin films is established. For reference, the plasma and film properties of Al-O are also studied.
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| 14. |
- Aijaz, Asim
(author)
-
HiPIMS-based Novel Deposition Processes for Thin Films
- 2012
-
Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this research, high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) based new deposition processes are introduced to address; the issue of low degree of ionization of C in magnetron sputtering discharges, and the difficulty encountered in thin film deposition on complex-shaped surfaces. The issue of low degree of C ionization is addressed by introducing a new strategy which is based on promoting the electron impact ionization ofC by increasing the electron temperature in the plasma discharge using Ne, instead of conventionally used Ar. The Ne-based HiPIMS process provides highly ionized C fluxes which are essential for the synthesis of high-density and sp3 rich amorphous carbon (a-C) thin films such as diamond-like carbon (DLC) and tetrahedral a-C (ta-C). The feasibility of coating complex-shaped surfaces is demonstrated by using the dual-magnetron approach in an open-field (magnetic field of the magnetrons) configuration and performing sideways deposition of Ti films. The HiPIMS-based open-field configuration process enhances the sideways transport of the sputtered flux — an effect which is observed in the case of HiPIMS.The characterization of the Ne-HiPIMS discharge using a Langmuir probe and mass spectrometry shows that it provides an increase in the electron temperature resulting in an order of magnitude decrease in the mean ionization length of the sputtered C as compared to the conventional Ar-HiPIMS discharge. The C1+ ion energy distribution functions exhibit the presence of an energetic C1+ ion population and a substantial increase in the total C1+ ion flux. The higher C1+ ion flux facilitates the growth of sp3 rich carbon films with mass densities, measured by x-ray reflectometry, reaching as high as approx. 2.8 gcm-3.The dual-magnetron open-field configuration process is operated in DCMS as well as in HiPIMS modes. The plasma characterization, performed by Langmuir probe measurements and optical emission spectroscopy, shows that the plasma density in the Ti-HiPIMS discharge is higher than that of the Ti-DCMS discharge. This results in the higher ionized fraction of the sputtered Ti in the case of HiPIMS. The film uniformity and the deposition rate of the film growth, obtained by employing scanning electron microscopy, demonstrate that the sideways deposition approach can be used for depositing thin films on complex-shaped surfaces.
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| 15. |
- Aijaz, Asim, et al.
(author)
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Principles for designing sputtering-based strategies for high-rate synthesis of dense and hard hydrogenated amorphous carbon thin films
- 2014
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In: Diamond and related materials. - : Elsevier. - 0925-9635 .- 1879-0062. ; 44, s. 117-122
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the present study we contribute to the understanding that is required for designing sputtering-based routes for high rate synthesis of hard and dense amorphous carbon (a-C) films. We compile and implement a strategy for synthesis of a-C thin films that entails coupling a hydrocarbon gas (acetylene) with high density discharges generated by the superposition of high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS). Appropriate control of discharge density (by tuning HiPIMS/DCMS power ratio), gas phase composition and energy of the ionized depositing species leads to a route capable of providing ten-fold increase in the deposition rate of a-C film growth compared to HiPIMS Ar discharge (Aijaz et al. Diamond and Related Materials 23 (2012) 1). This is achieved without significant incorporation of H (< 10 %) and with relatively high hardness (> 25 GPa) and mass density (~2.32 g/cm3). Using our experimental data together with Monte-Carlo computer simulations and data from the literature we suggest that: (i) dissociative reactions triggered by the interactions of energetic discharge electrons with hydrocarbon gas molecules is an important additional (to the sputtering cathode) source of film forming species and (ii) film microstructure and film hydrogen content are primarily controlled by interactions of energetic plasma species with surface and sub-surface layers of the growing film.
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| 16. |
- Aijaz, Asim, et al.
(author)
-
Synthesis of amorphous carbon thin films using acetylene-based high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges
- 2013
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Amorphous carbon (a-C) thin films are synthesized using high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) based Ne-Ar/C2H2 discharges. Plasma properties and film growth are investigated under different gas phase composition and operating pressures. Film mass densities, H content, hardness and compressive stresses are measured. Mass densities in the order of 2.2 g/cm3, hardness close to 25 GPa and H content as low as 11% are obtained. The film properties manifest a dependence on energy and flux of the depositing species and energetic ion bombardment driven structural changes in the films are found to govern the resulting film properties.
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| 17. |
- Aijaz, Asim, 1980-
(author)
-
Synthesis of Carbon-based and Metal-Oxide Thin Films using High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering
- 2014
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The work presented in this thesis deals with synthesis of carbon-based as well as metal-oxide thin films using highly ionized plasmas. The principal deposition method employed was high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). The investigations on plasma chemistry, plasma energetics, plasma-film interactions and its correlation to film growth and resulting film properties were made. The thesis is divided into two parts: (i) HiPIMS-based deposition of carbon-based thin films and (ii) HiPIMS-based deposition of metal-oxide thin films.In the first part of the thesis, HiPIMS based strategies are presented that were developed to address the fundamental issues of low degree of carbon ionization and low deposition rates of carbon film growth in magnetron sputtering. In the first study, a new strategy was introduced for increasing the degree of ionization of sputtered carbon via increasing the electron temperature in the discharge by using a higher ionization potential buffer gas (Ne) in place of commonly used Ar. A direct consequence of enhanced electron temperatures was observed in the form of measured large fluxes of ionized carbon at the substrate position. Consequently, high mass densities of the resulting amorphous carbon (a-C) thin films reaching 2.8 g/cm3 were obtained.In another study, feasibility of HiPIMS-based high density discharges for high-rate synthesis of dense and hard a-C thin films was explored. A strategy was compiled and implemented that entailed coupling a hydrocarbon precursor gas (C2H2) with high density discharges generated by the superposition of HiPIMS and direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS). Appropriate control of discharge density (by tuning HiPIMS/DCMS power ratio), gas phase composition and energy of the ionized depositing species lead to a route capable of providing ten-fold increase in the deposition rate of a-C film growth compared to that obtained using HiPIMS Ar discharge in the first study. The increased deposition rate was achieved without significant incorporation of H (<10 %) and with relatively high hardness (>25 GPa) and mass density (~2.32 g/cm3). The knowledge gained in this work was utilized in a subsequent work where the feasibility of adding high ionization potential buffer gas (Ne) to increase the electron temperature in an Ar/C2H2 HiPIMS discharge was explored. It was found that the increased electron temperature lead to enhanced dissociation of hydrocarbon precursor and an increased H incorporation into the growing film. The resulting a-C thin films exhibited high hardness (~ 25 GPa), mass densities in the order of 2.2 g/cm3 and H content as low as about 11%. The striking feature of the resulting films was low stress levels where the films exhibited compressive stresses in the order of 100 MPa.In the second part of the thesis, investigations on reactive HiPIMS discharge characteristics were made for technologically relevant metal-oxide systems. In the first study, the discharge characteristics of Ti-O and Al-O were investigated by studying the discharge current characteristics and measuring the ion flux composition. Both, Ti-O and Al-O discharges were dominated by large fluxes of ionized metallic as well as sputtering and reactive gases species. The generation of large ionized fluxes influenced the discharge characteristics consequently surpassing the changes in the secondary electron emission yields which, in the case of DCMS discharges entail contrasting behavior of the discharge voltage for the two material systems. The study also suggested that the source of oxygen ions in the case of reactive HiPIMS is both, the target surface (via sputtering) as well as gas phase.In a subsequent study, the knowledge gained from the studies on metal-oxide HiPIMS discharges was utilized for investigating the behavior of reactive HiPIMS discharges related to ternary compound thin film growth. In this work Al-Si-O system, which is a promising candidate for anti-reflective and solar thermal applications, was employed to carry out the investigations under varied target compositions (Al, Al0.5Si0.5, and Al0.1Si0.9). It was found that the discharge current behavior of metal and oxide modes of Al-Si-O HiPIMS discharges were similar to those of Al-O and were independent of the target composition. The influence of energy and composition of the ionized depositing fluxes on the film growth was also investigated. It was shown that stoichiometric Al-Si-O thin films exhibiting a refractive index below 1.6 (which is desired for anti-reflective applications) can be grown. Furthermore, the refractive index and chemical composition of the resulting films were found to be unchanged with respect to the energy of the depositing species.The effect of ionized deposition fluxes that are generated in metal-oxide HiPIMS discharges was also investigated for the phase composition and optical properties of TiO2 thin films. It was found that energetic and ionized sputtered flux in reactive HiPIMS can be used to tailor the phase formation of the TiO2 films with high peak powers facilitating the rutile phase while the anatase phase can be obtained using low peak powers. It was also demonstrated that using HiPIMS, these phases can be obtained at room temperature without external substrate heating or post-deposition annealing. The results on plasma and film properties were also compared with DCMS.
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| 18. |
- Aijaz, Asim, et al.
(author)
-
Synthesis of hydrogenated diamondlike carbon thin films using neon-acetylene based high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges
- 2016
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In: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films. - : American Vacuum Society. - 0734-2101 .- 1520-8559. ; 34:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hydrogenated diamondlike carbon (DLC:H) thin films exhibit many interesting properties that can be tailored by controlling the composition and energy of the vapor fluxes used for their synthesis. This control can be facilitated by high electron density and/or high electron temperature plasmas that allow one to effectively tune the gas and surface chemistry during film growth, as well as the degree of ionization of the film forming species. The authors have recently demonstrated by adding Ne in an Ar-C high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge that electron temperatures can be effectively increased to substantially ionize C species [Aijaz et al., Diamond Relat. Mater. 23, 1 (2012)]. The authors also developed an Ar-C2H2 HiPIMS process in which the high electron densities provided by the HiPIMS operation mode enhance gas phase dissociation reactions enabling control of the plasma and growth chemistry [Aijaz et al., Diamond Relat. Mater. 44, 117 (2014)]. Seeking to further enhance electron temperature and thereby promote electron impact induced interactions, control plasma chemical reaction pathways, and tune the resulting film properties, in this work, the authors synthesize DLC: H thin films by admixing Ne in a HiPIMS based Ar/C2H2 discharge. The authors investigate the plasma properties and discharge characteristics by measuring electron energy distributions as well as by studying discharge current characteristics showing an electron temperature enhancement in C2H2 based discharges and the role of ionic contribution to the film growth. These discharge conditions allow for the growth of thick (>1 mu m) DLC: H thin films exhibiting low compressive stresses (similar to 0.5 GPa), high hardness (similar to 25 GPa), low H content (similar to 11%), and density in the order of 2.2 g/cm(3). The authors also show that film densification and change of mechanical properties are related to H removal by ion bombardment rather than subplantation.
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| 19. |
- Alami, Jones, et al.
(author)
-
Ion-assisted Physical Vapor Deposition for enhanced film properties on non-flat surfaces
- 2005
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In: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films. - : American Vacuum Society. - 0734-2101 .- 1520-8559. ; 23:2, s. 278-280
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have synthesized Ta thin films on Si substrates placed along a wall of a 2-cm-deep and 1-cm-wide trench, using both a mostly neutral Ta flux by conventional dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS) and a mostly ionized Ta flux by high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS). Structure of the grown films was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The Ta thin film grown by HPPMS has a smooth surface and a dense crystalline structure with grains oriented perpendicular to the substrate surface, whereas the film grown by dcMS exhibits a rough surface, pores between the grains, and an inclined columnar structure. The improved homogeneity achieved by HPPMS is a direct consequence of the high ion fraction of sputtered species.
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| 20. |
- Alami, Jones, et al.
(author)
-
Phase tailoring of Ta thin films by highly ionized pulsed magnetron sputtering
- 2007
-
In: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 515:7-8, s. 3434-3438
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ta thin films were grown on Si substrates at different inclination angles with respect to the sputter source using high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS), an ionized physical vapor deposition technique. The ionization allowed for better control of the energy and directionality of the sputtered species, and consequently for improved properties of the deposited films. Depositions were made on Si substrates with the native oxide intact. The structure of the as deposited films was investigated using X-ray diffraction, while a four-point probe setup was used to measure the resistivity. A substrate bias process-window for growth of bcc-Ta was observed. However, the process-window position changed with changing inclination angles of the substrate. The formation of this low-resistivity bcc-phase could be understood in light of the high ion flux from the HIPIMS discharge.
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| 21. |
- Alami, Jones, 1971-
(author)
-
Plasma Characterization & Thin Film Growth and Analysis in Highly Ionized Magnetron Sputtering
- 2005
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The present thesis addresses two research areas related to film growth in a highly ionized magnetron sputtering system: plasma characterization, and thin film growth and analysis. The deposition technique used is called high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS). Characteristic for this technique are high energy pulses (a few Joules) of length 50-100 µs that are applied to the target (cathode) with a duty time of less than 1 % of the total pulse time. This results in a high electron density in the discharge (>1x1019 m-3) and leads to an increase of the ionization fraction of the sputtered material reaching up to 70 % for Cu.In this work the spatial and temporal evolution of the plasma parameters, including the electron energy distribution function (EEDF), the electron density and the electron temperature are determined using electrostatic Langmuir probes. Electron temperature measurements reveal a low effective temperature of 2-3 eV. The degree of ionization in the HPPMS discharge is explained in light of the self-sputtering yield of the target material. A simple model is therefore provided in order to compare the sputtering yield in HPPMS and that in dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS) for the same average power.Thin Ta films are grown using HPPMS and dcMS and their properties are studied. It is shown that enhanced microstructure and morphology of the deposited films is achieved by HPPMS. The Ta films are also deposited at a number of substrate inclination angles ranging from 0o (i.e., facing the target surface) up to 180 o (i.e., facing away from the target). Deposition rate measurements performed at all inclination angles for both techniques, reveal that growth made using HPPMS resulted in an improved film thickness at higher inclination. Furthermore, the high ionization of the Ta atoms in HPPMS discharge is found to allow for phase tailoring of the deposited films at all inclination angles by applying a bias voltage to the substrate. Finally, highly ionized magnetron sputtering of a compound MAX-phase material (Ti3SiC2) is performed, demonstrating that the HPPMS discharge could also be used to tailor the composition of the growing Ti-Si-C films.
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| 22. |
- Alami, Jones, et al.
(author)
-
Plasma dynamics in a highly ionized pulsed magnetron discharge
- 2005
-
In: Plasma sources science & technology. - : IOP Publishing. - 0963-0252 .- 1361-6595. ; 14:3, s. 525-531
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on electrostatic probe measurements of a high-power pulsed magnetron discharge. Space- and time-dependent characteristics of the plasma parameters are obtained as functions of the process parameters. By applying high-power pulses (peak power of ~0.5 MW), with a pulse-on time of ~100 µs and a repetition frequency of 20 ms, peak electron densities of the order of ~1019 m− 3, i.e. three orders of magnitude higher than for a conventional dc magnetron discharge, are achieved soon after the pulse is switched on. At high sputtering gas pressures (>5 mTorr), a second peak occurs in the electron density curve, hundreds of microseconds after the pulse is switched off. This second peak is mainly due to an ion acoustic wave in the plasma, reflecting off the chamber walls. This is concluded from the time delay between the two peaks in the electron and ion saturation currents, which is shown to be dependent on the chamber dimensions and the sputtering gas composition. Finally, the electron temperature is determined, initially very high but decreasing rapidly as the pulse is turned off. The reduction seen in the electron temperature, close to the etched area of the cathode, is due to cooling by the sputtered metal atoms.
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| 23. |
- Andersson, Jon M., et al.
(author)
-
Ab initio calculations on the effects of additives on alumina phase stability
- 2005
-
In: Physical review. B, Condensed matter and materials physics. - 1098-0121 .- 1550-235X. ; 71:014101, s. 014101-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The effects of substitutional additives on the properties and phase stability of - and -alumina (Al2O3), are investigated by density functional theory total energy calculations. The dopants explored are 5 at. % of Cr, Mo, Co, and As substituting for Al, respectively, N and S substituting for O, in the and lattices. Overall, the results show that it is possible to shift, and even reverse, the relative stability between - and -alumina by substitutional additives. The alumina bulk moduli are, in general, only slightly affected by the dopants but density of states profiles reveal additional peaks in the alumina band gaps. We also show that phase separations into pure oxides are energetically favored over doped alumina formation, and we present results on a number of previously unstudied binary oxides.
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| 24. |
- Andersson, Jon Martin, 1976-
(author)
-
Controlling the Formation and Stability of Alumina Phases
- 2005
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this work, physical phenomena related to the growth and phase formation of alumina, Al2O3, are investigated by experiments and computer calculations. Alumina finds applications in a wide variety of areas, due to many beneficial properties and several existing crystalline phases. For example, the α and κ phases are widely used as wear-resistant coatings due to their hardness and thermal stability, while, e.g., the metastable γ and θ phases find applications as catalysts or catalyst supports, since their surface energies are low and, hence, they have large surface areas available for catalytic reactions.The metastable phases are involved in transition sequences, which all irreversibly end in the transformation to the stable α phase at about 1050 °C. As a consequence, the metastable aluminas, which can be grown at low temperatures, cannot be used in high temperature applications, since they are destroyed by the transformation into α. In contrast, α-alumina, which is the only thermodynamically stable phase, typically require high growth temperatures (~1000 °C), prohibiting the use of temperature sensitive substrates. Thus, there is a need for increasing the thermal stability of metastable alumina and decreasing the growth temperature of the α phase.In the experimental part of this work, hard and single-phased α-alumina thin films were grown by magnetron sputtering at temperatures down to 280 °C. This dramaticdecrease in growth temperature was achieved by two main factors. Firstly, the nucleation stage of growth was controlled by pre-depositing a chromia “template” layer, which is demonstrated to promote nucleation of α-alumina. Secondly, it is shown that energetic bombardment was needed to sustain growth of the α phase. Energy-resolved mass spectrometry measurements demonstrate that the likely source of energetic bombardment, in the present case, was oxygen ions/atoms originating from the target surface. Overall, these results demonstrate that low-temperature α-alumina growth is possible by controlling both the nucleation step of growth as well as the energetic bombardment of the growing film. In addition, the mass spectrometry studies showed that a large fraction of the deposition flux consisted of AlO molecules, which were sputtered from the target. Since the film is formed by chemical bonding between the depositing species, this observation is important for the fundamental understanding of alumina thin film growth.In the computational part of the work, the effect of additives on the phase stability of α- and θ-alumina was investigated by density functional theory calculations. A systematic study was performed of a large number of substitutional dopants in the alumina lattices. Most tested dopants tended to reverse the stability between α- and θ-alumina; so that, e.g., Modoping made the θ phase energetically favored. Thus, it is possible to stabilize the metastable phases by additives. An important reason for this is the physical size of the dopant ions with respect to the space available within the alumina lattices. For example, large ions induced θ stabilization, while ions only slightly larger than Al, e.g., Co and Cu, gave a slight increase in the relative stability of the α phase. We also studied the stability of some of these compounds with respect to pure alumina and other phases, containing the dopants, with the result that phase separations are energetically favored and will most likely occur at elevated temperatures.
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| 25. |
- Andersson, Jon M., et al.
(author)
-
Energy distributions of positive and negative ions during magnetron sputtering of an Al target in Ar/O2 mixtures
- 2006
-
In: Journal of Applied Physics. - College Park, MD, United States : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 100:3, s. Art. No. 033305 AUG 1 2006-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ion flux obtained during reactive magnetron sputtering of an Al target in Ar/O2 gas mixtures was studied by energy-resolved mass spectrometry, as a function of the total and O2 partial pressures. The positive ions of film-forming species exhibited bimodal energy distributions, both for direct current and radio frequency discharges, with the higher energy ions most likely originating from sputtered neutrals. For the negative oxygen ions a high-energy peak was observed, corresponding to ions formed at the target surface and accelerated towards the substrate over the sheath potential. As the total pressure was increased the high-energy peaks diminished due to gas-phase scattering. Based on these results, the role of energetic bombardment for the phase constituent of alumina thin films are discussed.
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| 26. |
- Andersson, Jon M., et al.
(author)
-
Microstructure of α-alumina thin films deposited at low temperatures on chromia template layers
- 2004
-
In: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films. - : American Vacuum Society. - 0734-2101 .- 1520-8559. ; 22:1, s. 117-121
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Radio frequency sputtering has been used to deposit -alumina (-Al2O3) thin films at substrate temperatures of 280–560 °C. The films are shown to be single phased and hard. Nanoindentation gives values of 306±31 and 27±3 GPa for elastic modulus and hardness, respectively, for a substrate temperature of 280 °C. Growth of the phase was achieved by in situ predeposition of a chromia template layer. Chromia crystallizes in the same hexagonal structure as -alumina, with a lattice mismatch of 4.1% in the a- and 4.6% in the c-parameter, and is shown to nucleate readily on the amorphous substrates (silicon with a natural oxide layer). This results in local epitaxy of -alumina on the chromia layer, as is shown by transmission electron microscopy. The alumina grains are columnar with grain widths increasing from 22±7 to 41±9 nm, as the temperature increases from 280 to 560 °C. This is consistent with a surface diffusion dominated growth mode and suggests that -alumina deposition at low temperatures is possible once initial grain nucleation has occurred. Results are also presented demonstrating chromia/-alumina growth on a technological substrate (Haynes230 Ni-based super alloy, Haynes International, Inc.).
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| 27. |
- Andersson, Jon M., et al.
(author)
-
Molecular content of the deposition flux during reactive Ar/O2 magnetron sputtering of Al
- 2006
-
In: Applied Physics Letters. - : Institutionen för fysik, kemi och biologi. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 88:05, s. Art. No. 054101 JAN 30 2006-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The deposition flux obtained during reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering of an Al target in Ar/O2 gas mixtures was studied by mass spectrometry. The results show significant amounts of molecular AlO+ (up to 10% of the Al+ flux) in the ionic flux incident onto the substrate. In the presence of ~10–4 Pa H2O additional OH+ and AlOH+ were detected, amounting to up to about 100% and 30% of the Al+ flux, respectively. Since the ions represent a small fraction of the total deposition flux, an estimation of the neutral content was also made. These calculations show that, due to the higher ionization probability of Al, the amount of neutral AlO in the deposition flux is of the order of, or even higher than, the amount of Al. These findings might be of great aid when explaining the alumina thin film growth process.
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| 28. |
- Andersson, Jon Martin, et al.
(author)
-
Phase control of Al2O3 thin films grown at low temperatures
- 2006
-
In: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 513:1-2, s. 57-59
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Low-temperature growth (500 °C) of α-Al2O3 thin films by reactive magnetron sputtering was achieved for the first time. The films were grown onto Cr2O3 nucleation layers and the effects of the total and O2 partial pressures were investigated. At 0.33 Pa total pressure and ≥ 16 mPa O2 partial pressure α-Al2O3 films formed, while at lower O2 pressure or higher total pressure (0.67 Pa), only γ phase was detected in the films (which were all stoichiometric). Based on these results we suggest that α phase formation was promoted by a high energetic bombardment of the growth surface. This implies that the phase content of Al2O3 films can be controlled by controlling the energy of the depositing species. The effect of residual H2O (10− 4 Pa) on the films was also studied, showing no change in phase content and no incorporated H (< 0.1%). Overall, these results are of fundamental importance in the further development of low-temperature Al2O3 growth processes.
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| 29. |
- Askari, Sadegh, et al.
(author)
-
Low-Loss and Tunable Localized Mid-Infrared Plasmons in Nanocrystals of Highly Degenerate InN
- 2018
-
In: Nano letters (Print). - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 1530-6984 .- 1530-6992. ; 18:9, s. 5681-5687
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Plasmonic response of free charges confined in nanostructures of plasmonic materials is a powerful means for manipulating the light-material interaction at the nanoscale and hence has influence on various relevant technologies. In particular, plasmonic materials responsive in the mid-infrared range are technologically important as the mid-infrared is home to the vibrational resonance of molecules and also thermal radiation of hot objects. However, the development of the field is practically challenged with the lack of low-loss materials supporting high quality plasmons in this range of the spectrum. Here, we demonstrate that degenerately doped InN nanocrystals (NCs) support tunable and low-loss plasmon resonance spanning the entire midwave infrared range. Modulating free-carrier concentration is achieved by engineering nitrogen-vacancy defects (InN1-x, 0.017 amp;lt; x amp;lt; 0.085) in highly degenerate NCs using a nonequilibrium gas-phase growth process. Despite the significant reduction in the carrier mobility relative to intrinsic InN, the mobility in degenerate InN NCs (amp;gt;60 cm(2)/(V s)) remains considerably higher than the carrier mobility reported for other materials NCs such as doped metal oxides, chalcogenides, and noble metals. These findings demonstrate feasibility of controlled tuning of infrared plasmon resonances in a low-loss material of III-V compounds and open a gateway to further studies of these materials nanostructures for infrared plasmonic applications.
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| 30. |
- Askari, Sadegh, et al.
(author)
-
Plasma-based processes for planar and 3D surface patterning of functional nanoparticles
- 2019
-
In: Journal of nanoparticle research. - : SPRINGER. - 1388-0764 .- 1572-896X. ; 21:11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present a gas-phase process for surface patterning and 3D self-assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) of functional materials such as metals, oxides, and nitrides. The method relies on electrostatic assembly of free-flying NPs with unipolar charge produced in plasma sources. We demonstrate the capability of the process in self-assembly of NPs, with the size in the range 10-60 nm, into arrays of free-standing 3D microstructures with complex morphologies. Considering that the plasma nanoparticle sources are compatible with synthesis of a large library of material NPs, the process introduces a novel approach for 3D printing of various functional NPs, high-precision device integration of NPs on sub-micrometer scales, and large-area parallel surface patterning of NPs.
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| 31. |
- Avendaño Soto, Esteban Damián, 1975-
(author)
-
Electrochromism in Nickel-based Oxides : Coloration Mechanisms and Optimization of Sputter-deposited Thin Films
- 2004
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Electrochromic properties of sputter-deposited nickel-based oxide films have been studied with a two-fold goal. From a practical point of view, the optical switching performance has been improved by optimizing the deposition conditions and film stoichiometry with respect to oxygen and hydrogen, and further by adding Mg, Al, Si, Zr, Nb or Ta to the films. From a theoretical point of view, details of the coloration mechanism have been studied by means of electrochemical intercalation (CV, GITT), optical measurements (UV, VIS, NIR and MIR), RBS, XRD, XPS and EXAFS. Optimization of deposition conditions has been illustrated by the example of films made by sputtering of a non-magnetic Ni(93)V(7) % wt. target in an atmosphere of Ar/O2/H2. The optimized films exhibit transmittance modulation between 20% and 75 % at 18 mC/cm2 charge intercalation. The remaining problem with nickel oxide and nickel vanadium oxide films is their residual yellow-brown color tint in the bleached state, which disappears as the short-wavelength transmittance increases upon addition of Mg, Al, Zr or Ta. Optimization of deposition conditions by co-sputtering from two targets and the film composition for mixed oxide films has been illustrated by the example of nickel aluminium oxide. The mechanisms of coloration upon electrochemical charge insertion and ozone exposure have been investigated. In the beginning of the electrochemical cycling, first, a reconstruction and crystallization is observed with the outer most part of the grain surface being transformed from oxygen rich nickel oxide into nickel oxy-hydroxide and hydroxide by transfer of H+ and OH- groups. After the charge capacity has been stabilized, only a transfer of H+ occurs with two reversible reactions involved: the first one from Ni(OH)2 to NiOOH and the second one from NiO and Ni(OH)2 to Ni2O3. Ozone coloration is described by a similar reaction scheme. The ozone molecule is split on the surface and dehydrogenates Ni(OH)2 into NiOOH. Further dehydrogenation produces Ni2O3 as in the electrochemical coloration.
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
- Boyd, Robert, et al.
(author)
-
Characterisation of Nanoparticle Structure by High Resolution Electron Microscopy
- 2014
-
In: Electron Microscopy and Analysis Group Conference (EMAG2013). - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). ; , s. 012065-
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Whilst the use of microscopic techniques to determine the size distributions of nanoparticle samples is now well established, their characterisation challenges extend well beyond this. Here it is shown how high resolution electron microscopy can help meet these challenges. One of the key parameters is the determination of particle shape and structure in three dimensions. Here two approaches to determining nanoparticle structure are described and demonstrated. In the first scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with high angle annular dark field imaging (HAADF-STEM) is used to image homogenous nanoparticles, where the contrast is directly related to the thickness of the material in the electron beam. It is shown that this can be related to the three dimensional shape of the nano-object. High resolution TEM imaging, combined with fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis, can determine the crystalline structure and orientation of nanoparticles as well as the presence of any defects. This combined approach allows the physical structure of a significant number of nano-objects to be characterised, relatively quickly.
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| 34. |
- Boyd, Robert, et al.
(author)
-
Complex 3D nanocoral like structures formed by copper nanoparticle aggregation on nanostructured zinc oxide rods
- 2016
-
In: Materials letters (General ed.). - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 0167-577X .- 1873-4979. ; 184, s. 127-130
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper reports a new strategy for nanoparticle surface assembly so that they form anisotropic fibril like features, consisting of particles directly attached to each other, which can extend 500 nm from the surface. The particles are both formed and deposited in a single step process enabled via the use of a pulsed plasma based technique. Using this approach, we have successfully modified zinc oxide rods, up to several hundred nanometers in diameter, with 25 nm diameter copper nanoparticles for catalytic applications. The resulting structure could be modelled using a diffusion limited aggregation based approach. This gives the material the appearance of marine coral, hence the term nanocoral. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 35. |
- Boyd, Robert, et al.
(author)
-
Double oxide shell layer formed on a metal nanoparticle as revealed by aberration corrected (scanning) transmission electron microscopy
- 2014
-
In: Materials Research Express. - : IOP Publishing. - 2053-1591. ; 1:2, s. Art. no. 025016-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Determining the extent of oxidation in batches of metal nanoparticles is essential to predict the behaviour of the material. Using aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM) it was possible to detect the formation of an oxide shell, of thickness 3 nm, on the surface of copper nanoparticles. Further analysis showed that this shell actually consists of two layers, both of which were polycrystalline in nature with domains in the size range of 1-2 nm, and having a thickness of 1.5 nm each. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy confirms that the layers arise due to the formation of oxides, but it was not possible to determine their exact nature. Analysis of the intensity variation within images obtained via probe corrected scanning TEM combined with a high angle annular dark field detector indicates that the shell consists of an inner layer of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) and an outer layer of cupric oxide (CuO). This work was complemented by conventional TEM which provided size distribution and revealed that the majority of particles have a core consisting of a single crystal of copper. This demonstrates the ability of TEM to help to determine the oxidation state of nanoparticles and its potential to be applied to a wide range of homogenous and heterogeneous nanoparticles.
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| 36. |
- Brenning, Nils, et al.
(author)
-
A bulk plasma model for dc and HiPIMS magnetrons
- 2008
-
In: PLASMA SOURCES SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY. - : IOP Publishing. - 0963-0252 .- 1361-6595. ; 17:4, s. 045009-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A plasma discharge model has been developed for the bulk plasma (also called the extended presheath) in sputtering magnetrons. It can be used both for high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and conventional dc sputtering magnetrons. Demonstration calculations are made for the parameters of the HiPIMS sputtering magnetron at Link "oping University, and also benchmarked against results in the literature on dc magnetrons. New insight is obtained regarding the structure and time development of the currents, the electric fields and the potential profiles. The transverse resistivity eta(perpendicular to) has been identified as having fundamental importance both for the potential profiles and for the motion of ionized target material through the bulk plasma. New findings are that in the HiPIMS mode, as a consequence of a high value of eta(perpendicular to), (1) there can be an electric field reversal that in our case extends 0.01-0.04m from the target, (2) the electric field in the bulk plasma is typically an order of magnitude weaker than in dc magnetrons, (3) in the region of electric field reversal the azimuthal current is diamagnetic in nature, i.e. mainly driven by the electron pressure gradient, and actually somewhat reduced by the electron Hall current which here has a reversed direction and (4) the azimuthal current above the racetrack can, through resistive friction, significantly influence the motion of the ionized fraction of the sputtered material and deflect it sideways, away from the target and towards the walls of the magnetron.
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
- Brenning, Nils, et al.
(author)
-
Faster-than-Bohm Cross-B Electron Transport in Strongly Pulsed Plasmas
- 2009
-
In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 103:22
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the empirical discovery of an exceptionally high cross-B electron transport rate in magnetized plasmas, in which transverse currents are driven with abruptly applied high power. Experiments in three different magnetic geometries are analyzed, covering several orders of magnitude in plasma density, magnetic field strength, and ion mass. It is demonstrated that a suitable normalization parameter is the dimensionless product of the electron (angular) gyrofrequency and the effective electron-ion momentum transfer time, omega(ge)tau(EFF), by which all of diffusion, cross-resistivity, cross-B current conduction, and magnetic field diffusion can be expressed. The experiments show a remarkable consistency and yield close to a factor of 5 greater than the Bohm-equivalent values of diffusion coefficient D-perpendicular to, magnetic-diffusion coefficient D-B, Pedersen conductivity sigma(P), and transverse resistivity eta(perpendicular to).
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| 39. |
- Brenning, Nils, et al.
(author)
-
The role of Ohmic heating in dc magnetron sputtering
- 2016
-
In: Plasma sources science & technology. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0963-0252 .- 1361-6595. ; 25:6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sustaining a plasma in a magnetron discharge requires energization of the plasma electrons. In this work, Ohmic heating of electrons outside the cathode sheath is demonstrated to be typically of the same order as sheath energization, and a simple physical explanation is given. We propose a generalized Thornton equation that includes both sheath energization and Ohmic heating of electrons. The secondary electron emission yield gamma(SE) is identified as the key parameter determining the relative importance of the two processes. For a conventional 5 cm diameter planar dc magnetron, Ohmic heating is found to be more important than sheath energization for secondary electron emission yields below around 0.1.
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| 40. |
- Brenning, Nils, et al.
(author)
-
Understanding deposition rate loss in high power impulse magnetron sputtering : I. Ionization-driven electric fields
- 2012
-
In: Plasma sources science & technology. - : IOP Publishing. - 0963-0252 .- 1361-6595. ; 21:2, s. 025005-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The lower deposition rate for high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) compared with direct current magnetron sputtering for the same average power is often reported as a drawback. The often invoked reason is back-attraction of ionized sputtered material to the target due to a substantial negative potential profile, sometimes called an extended presheath, from the location of ionization toward the cathode. Recent studies in HiPIMS devices, using floating-emitting and swept-Langmuir probes, show that such extended potential profiles do exist, and that the electric fields E-z directed toward the target can be strong enough to seriously reduce ion transport to the substrate. However, they also show that the potential drops involved can vary by up to an order of magnitude from case to case. There is a clear need to understand the underlying mechanisms and identify the key discharge variables that can be used for minimizing the back-attraction. We here present a combined theoretical and experimental analysis of the problem of electric fields E-z in the ionization region part of HiPIMS discharges, and their effect on the transport of ionized sputtered material. In particular, we have investigated the possibility of a 'sweet spot' in parameter space in which the back-attraction of ionized sputtered material is low. It is concluded that a sweet spot might possibly exist for some carefully optimized discharges, but probably in a rather narrow window of parameters. As a measure of how far a discharge is from such a window, a Townsend product Pi(Townsend) is proposed. A parametric analysis of Pi(Townsend) shows that the search for a sweet spot is complicated by the fact that contradictory demands appear for several of the externally controllable parameters such as high/low working gas pressure, short/long pulse length, high/low pulse power and high/low magnetic field strength.
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| 41. |
- Buc, D., et al.
(author)
-
Investigation of RuO2/4H-SiC Schottky diode contacts by deep level transient spectroscopy
- 2006
-
In: Chemical Physics Letters. - : Elsevier BV. - 0009-2614 .- 1873-4448. ; 429:4-6, s. 617-621
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Schottky diodes were prepared on n-type silicon carbide (4H-SiC) substrates by deposition of ruthenium dioxide contacts. Their electrical and electronic properties were investigated by current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) methods, and deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Five deep energy levels with thermal activation energies of approximately 0.27, 0.45, 0.56, 0.58 and 0.85 eV referenced to the conduction band minimum were revealed. The two energy levels at 0.56 and 0.85 eV are presumably induced by divacancies and the incorporation of ruthenium impurities into the SiC interfacial region. The Schottky diode structures are typical with a barrier height of 0.88 eV, and the I-V characteristics signify a saturation current of 10 pA with an ideality factor of 1.28.
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| 42. |
- Böhlmark, Johan, 1975-
(author)
-
Fundamentals of High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering
- 2006
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In plasma assisted thin film growth, control over the energy and direction of the incoming species is desired. If the growth species are ionized this can be achieved by the use of a substrate bias or a magnetic field. Ions may be accelerated by an applied potential, whereas neutral particles may not. Thin films grown by ionized physical vapor deposition (I-PVD) have lately shown promising results regarding film structure and adhesion. High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) is a relatively newly developed technique, which relies on the creation of a dense plasma in front of the sputtering target to produce a large fraction of ions of the sputtered material. In HIPIMS, high power pulses with a length of ~100 μs are applied to a conventional planar magnetron. The highly energetic nature of the discharge, which involves power densities of several kW/cm2, creates a dense plasma in front of the target, which allows for a large fraction of the sputtered material to be ionized.The work presented in this thesis involves plasma analysis using electrostatic probes, optical emission spectroscopy (OES), magnetic probes, energy resolved mass spectrometry, and other fundamental observation techniques. These techniques used together are powerful plasma analysis tools, and used together give a good overview of the plasma properties is achieved.from the erosion zone of the magnetron. The peak plasma density during the active cycle of the discharge exceeds 1019 electrons/m3. The expanding plasma is reflected by the chamber wall back into the center part of the chamber, resulting in a second density peak several hundreds of μs after the pulse is turned off.Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) measurements of the plasma indicate that the degree of ionization of sputtered Ti is very high, over 90 % in the peak of the pulse. Even at relatively low applied target power (~200 W/cm2 peak power) the recorded spectrum is totally dominated by radiation from ions. The recorded HIPIMS spectra were compared to a spectrum taken from a DC magnetron discharge, showing a completely different appearance.Magnetic field measurements performed with a coil type probe show significant deformation in the magnetic field of the magnetrons during the pulse. Spatially resolved measurements show evidence of a dense azimuthally E×B drifting current. Circulating currents mainly flow within 2 away cm from the target surface in an early part of the pulse, to later diffuse axially into the chamber and decrease in intensity. We record peak current densities of the E×B drift to be of the order of 105 A/m2.A mass spectrometry (MS) study of the plasma reveals that the HIPIMS discharge contains a larger fraction of highly energetic ions as compared to the continuous DC discharge. Especially ions of the target material are more energetic. Time resolved studies show broad distributions of ion energies in the early stage of the discharge, which quickly narrows down after pulse switch-off. Ti ions with energies up to 100 eV are detected. The time average plasma contains mainly low energy Ar ions, but during the active phase of the discharge, the plasma is highly metallic. Shortly after pulse switch-on, the peak value of the Ti1+/Ar1+ ratio is over 2. The HIPIMS discharge also contains a significant amount of doubly charged ions.
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| 43. |
- Böhlmark, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Guiding the deposition flux in an ionized magnetron discharge
- 2006
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In: Thin Solid Films. - Amsterdam, Netherlands : Elsevier. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 515:4, s. 1928-1931
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A study of the ability to control the deposition flux in a high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge using an external magnetic field is presented in this article. Pulses with peak power of 1.4 kWcm-2 were applied to a conventional planar magnetron equipped with an Al target. The high power creates a high degree of ionization of the sputtered material, which opens for an opportunity to control of the energy and direction of the deposition species. An external magnetic field was created with a current carrying coil placed in front of the target. To measure the distribution of deposition material samples were placed in an array surrounding the target and the depositions were made with and without the external magnetic field. The distribution is significantly changed when the magnetic field is present. An increase of 80 % in deposition rate is observed for the sample placed in the central position (right in front of the target center) and the deposition rate is strongly decreased on samples placed to the side of the target. The measurements were also performed on a conventional direct current magnetron discharge, but no major effect of the magnetic field was observed in that case.
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| 44. |
- Böhlmark, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Ionization of sputtered metals in high power pulsed magnetron sputtering
- 2005
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In: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films. - : American Vacuum Society. - 0734-2101 .- 1520-8559. ; 23:1, s. 18-22
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ion to neutral ratio of the sputtered material have been studied for high power pulsed magnetron sputtering and compared with a continuous direct current (dc) discharge using the same experimental setup except for the power source. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was used to study the optical emission from the plasma through a side window. The emission was shown to be dominated by emission from metal ions. The distribution of metal ionized states clearly differed from the distribution of excited states, and we suggest the presence of a hot dense plasma surrounded by a cooler plasma. Sputtered material was ionized close to the target and transported into a cooler plasma region where the emission was also recorded. Assuming a Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution of excited states the emission from the plasma was quantified. This showed that the ionic contribution to the recorded spectrum was over 90% for high pulse powers. Even at relatively low applied pulse powers, the recorded spectra were dominated by emission from ions. OES analysis of the discharge in a continuous dc magnetron discharge was also made, which demonstrated much lower ionization.
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| 45. |
- Böhlmark, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Measurement of the magnetic field change in a pulsed high current magnetron discharge
- 2004
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In: Plasma Sources Science and Technology. - : IOP Publishing. - 0963-0252 .- 1361-6595. ; 13:4, s. 654-661
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper we present a study of how the magnetic field of a circular planar magnetron is affected when it is exposed to a pulsed high current discharge. Spatially resolved magnetic field measurements are presented and the magnetic disturbance is quantified for different process parameters. The magnetic field is severely deformed by the discharge and we record changes of several millitesla, depending on the spatial location of the measurement. The shape of the deformation reveals the presence of azimuthally drifting electrons close to the target surface. Time resolved measurements show a transition between two types of magnetic perturbations. There is an early stage that is in phase with the axial discharge current and a late stage that is not in phase with the discharge current. The later part of the magnetic field deformation is seen as a travelling magnetic wave. We explain the magnetic perturbations by a combination of E × B drifting electrons and currents driven by plasma pressure gradients and the shape of the magnetic field. A plasma pressure wave is also recorded by a single tip Langmuir probe and the velocity (~103 m s−1) of the expanding plasma agrees well with the observed velocity of the magnetic wave. We note that the axial (discharge) current density is much too high compared to the azimuthal current density to be explained by classical collision terms, and an anomalous charge transport mechanism is required.
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| 46. |
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| 47. |
- Böhlmark, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Spatial electron density distribution in a high-power pulsed magnetron discharge
- 2005
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In: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. - 0093-3813 .- 1939-9375. ; 33:2, s. 346-347
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The spatial electron density distribution was measured as function of time in a high-power pulsed magnetron discharge. A Langmuir probe was positioned in various positions below the target and the electron density was mapped out. We recorded peak electron densities exceeding 1019 m-3 in a close vicinity of the target. The dynamics of the discharge showed a dense plasma expanding from the "race-track" axially into the vacuum chamber. We also record electrons trapped in a magnetic bottle where the magnetron magnetic field is zero, formed due to the unbalanced magnetron.
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| 48. |
- Böhlmark, Johan, et al.
(author)
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The ion energy distributions and ion flux composition from a high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge
- 2006
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In: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 515:4, s. 1522-1526
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The energy distribution of sputtered and ionized metal atoms as well as ions from the sputtering gas is reported for a high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) discharge. High power pulses were applied to a conventional planar circular magnetron Ti target. The peak power on the target surface was 1-2 kW/cm(2) with a duty factor of about 0.5%. Time resolved, and time averaged ion energy distributions were recorded with an energy resolving quadrupole mass spectrometer. The ion energy distributions recorded for the HIPIMS discharge are broader with maximum detected energy of 100 eV and contain a larger fraction of highly energetic ions (about 50% with E-i > 20 eV) as compared to a conventional direct current magnetron sputtering discharge. The composition of the ion flux was also determined, and reveals a high metal fraction. During the most intense moment of the discharge, the ionic flux consisted of approximately 50% Ti1+, 24% Ti2+, 23% Ar1+, and 3% Ar2+ ions.
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| 49. |
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| 50. |
- Carlsson, Axel C, et al.
(author)
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Kidney injury molecule (KIM)-1 is associated with insulin resistance : results from two community-based studies of elderly individuals
- 2014
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In: Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. - : Elsevier. - 0168-8227 .- 1872-8227. ; 103:3, s. 516-21
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Insulin resistance has been shown to be closely associated with glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, even prior to the development of diabetes. Urinary kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1) is a novel, highly specific marker of kidney tubular damage. The role of insulin resistance in the development of kidney tubular damage is not previously reported. Thus, we aimed to investigate the associations between insulin sensitivity (assessed by HOMA) and urinary KIM-1.DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Two community-based cohorts of elderly individuals were investigated: Prospective Investigation of the vasculature in Uppsala seniors (PIVUS, n=701; mean age 75 years, 52% women); and Uppsala Longitudinal Study of adult men (ULSAM, n=533; mean age 78 years).RESULTS: Lower insulin sensitivity was associated with higher urinary KIM-1 in both cohorts after adjustments for age, BMI, blood pressure, antihypertensive treatment, glomerular filtration rate, and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (PIVUS: regression coefficient for 1-SD higher HOMA-IR 0.11, 95% CI 0.03-0.20, p=0.009, and ULSAM: 0.13, 95% CI 0.04-0.22, p=0.007). Results were similar in individuals without diabetes, with normal kidney function and normo-albuminuria.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings in elderly individuals support the notion that the interplay between an impaired glucose metabolism and renal tubular damage is evident even prior to the development of diabetes and overt kidney disease.
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