| 1. |
- Berg, Sören, et al.
(författare)
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Upgrading the “Berg-model” for reactive sputtering processes
- 2014
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Ingår i: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 565, s. 186-192
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several phenomena are neglected in the original “Berg model” in order to provide a simple model of the reactive sputtering process. There exist situations, however, where this simplified treatment limits the usefulness of the model. To partly correct for this, we introduce an upgraded version of the basic model. We abandon the simplifying assumption that compound targets are sputter eroded as molecules. Instead, the molecule is split and individual atoms will be sputter ejected. Also, the effect of ionized reactive gas atoms implanted into the target will be considered. We outline how to modify the original model to include these effects. Still, the mathematical treatment is maintained simple so that the new model may serve as an easy-to-understand tutorial of the complex mechanisms of reactive sputtering.
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| 2. |
- Eklund, Per, et al.
(författare)
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The Mn + 1AXn phases : Materials science and thin-film processing
- 2010
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Ingår i: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 518:8, s. 1851-1878
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article is a Critical review of the M(n + 1)AX(n) phases ("MAX phases", where n = 1, 2, or 3) from a materials science perspective. MAX phases are a class of hexagonal-structure ternary carbides and nitrides ("X") of a transition metal ("M") and an A-group element. The most well known are Ti2AlC, Ti3SiC2, and Ti4AlN3. There are similar to 60 MAX phases with at least 9 discovered in the last five years alone. What makes the MAX phases fascinating and potentially useful is their remarkable combination of chemical, physical, electrical, and mechanical properties, which in many ways combine the characteristics of metals and ceramics. For example, MAX phases are typically resistant to oxidation and corrosion, elastically stiff, but at the same time they exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivities and are machinable. These properties stem from an inherently nanolaminated crystal structure, with M1 + nXn slabs intercalated with pure A-element layers. The research on MAX phases has been accelerated by the introduction of thin-film processing methods. Magnetron sputtering and arc deposition have been employed to synthesize single-crystal material by epitaxial growth, which enables studies of fundamental material properties. However, the surface-initiated decomposition of M(n + 1)AX(n) thin films into MX compounds at temperatures of 1000-1100 degrees C is much lower than the decomposition temperatures typically reported for the corresponding bulk material. We also review the prospects for low-temperature synthesis, which is essential for deposition of MAX phases onto technologically important substrates. While deposition of MAX phases from the archetypical Ti-Si-C and Ti-Al-N systems typically requires synthesis temperatures of similar to 800 degrees C, recent results have demonstrated that V2GeC and Cr2AlC can be deposited at similar to 450 degrees C. Also, thermal spray of Ti2AlC powder has been used to produce thick coatings. We further treat progress in the use of first-principle calculations for predicting hypothetical MAX phases and their properties. Together with advances in processing and materials analysis, this progress has led to recent discoveries of numerous new MAX phases such as Ti4SiC3, Ta4AlC3. and Ti3SnC2. Finally, important future research directions are discussed. These include charting the unknown regions in phase diagrams to discover new equilibrium and metastable phases, as well as research challenges in understanding their physical properties, such as the effects of anisotropy, impurities, and vacancies on the electrical properties, and unexplored properties such as Superconductivity, magnetism, and optics.
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| 3. |
- Granqvist, Claes-Göran
(författare)
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Electrochromics for smart windows : Oxide-based thin films and devices
- 2014
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Ingår i: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 564, s. 1-38
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Electrochromic (EC) smart windows are able to vary their throughput of visible light and solar energy by the application of an electrical voltage and are able to provide energy efficiency and indoor comfort in buildings. Section 1 explains why this technology is important and timely by first outlining today's precarious situation concerning increasing energy use and associated effects on the world's climate, and this section also underscores the great importance of enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings by letting them function more in harmony with the environment particularly its varying temperature than is possible with current mainstream technologies. This same chapter also surveys recent work on the energy savings and other benefits that are possible with EC-based technologies. Section 2 then provides some notes on the history of the EC effect and its applications. Section 3 presents a generic design for the oxide-based EC devices that are most in focus for present-day applications and research. This design includes five superimposed layers with a centrally-positioned electrolyte connecting two oxide films at least one of which having EC properties and with transparent electrical conductors surrounding the three-layer structure in the middle. It is emphasized that this construction can be viewed as a thin-film electrical battery whose charging state is manifested as optical absorption. Also discussed are six well known hurdles for the implementation of these EC devices, as well as a number of practical constructions of EC-based smart windows. Section 4 is an in-depth discussion of various aspects of EC oxides. It begins with a literature survey for 2007-2013, which updates earlier reviews, and is followed by a general discussion of optical and electronic effects and, specifically, on charge transfer absorption in tungsten oxide. Ionic effects are then treated with foci on the inherent nanoporosity of the important EC oxides and on the possibilities to accomplish further porosity by having suitable thin-film deposition parameters. A number of examples on the importance of the detailed deposition conditions are presented, and Section 4 ends with a presentation of the EC properties of films with compositions across the full tungsten-nickel oxide system. Section 5 is devoted to transparent electrical conductors and electrolytes, both of which are necessary in EC devices. Detailed surveys are given of transparent conductors comprising doped-oxide semiconductors, coinage metals, nanowire meshes and other alternatives, and also of electrolytes based on thin films and on polymers. Particular attention is devoted to electrolyte functionalization by nanoparticles. Section 6 considers one particular device construction: A foil that is suitable for glass lamination and which, in the author's view, holds particular promise for low-cost large-area implementation of EC smart windows. Device data are presented, and a discussion is given of quality assessment by use of 1/f noise. The "battery-type" EC device covered in the major part of this critical review is not the only alternative, and Section 7 consists of brief discussions of a number of more or less advanced alternatives such as metal hydrides, suspended particle devices, polymer-dispersed liquid crystals, reversible electroplating, and plasmonic electrochromism based on transparent conducting oxide nanoparticles. Finally, Section 8 provides a brief summary and outlook. The aim of this critical review is not only to paint a picture of the state-of-the-art for electrochromics and its applications in smart windows, but also to provide ample references to current literature of particular relevance and thereby, hopefully, an easy entrance to the research field.
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| 4. |
- Jansson, Ulf, 1960-, et al.
(författare)
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Carbon-containing multi-component thin films
- 2019
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Ingår i: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 688
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- High entropy alloys (HEAs) have been a hot research area for many years. They are solid solutions of at least five elements in approximately equimolar compositions. The HEAs are assumed to be stabilized by a high entropy of mixing favouring a solid solution phase instead of a mixture of intermetallic phases. The importance of entropy of mixing and the true nature of HEAs are debated but the concept has contributed to an interesting development of new alloys. They idea of stabilizing solid solutions with many elements have recently been expanded to nitrides, borides, oxides and carbides. Furthermore, a growing number of thin film studies of these compounds are now published. In this paper we summarise recent results from studies of carbon-containing multi-component thin films based on the HEA concept. We will summarise some general observations connected to "high-entropy" materials. We also describe some general trends in metal-carbon interactions for transition metals and discuss how they should influence the formation of multi-component carbides. A summary of results on bulk multi-component carbide materials is also presented. We review published studies of carbon-containing multi-component thin films mainly deposited with magnetron-sputtering. The crystal structure, microstructure and properties of these films are described. Finally, we highlight some interesting topics for future research.
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| 5. |
- Jansson, Ulf, et al.
(författare)
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Sputter deposition of transition-metal carbide films - A critical review from a chemical perspective
- 2013
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Ingår i: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 536, s. 1-24
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thin films based on transition-metal carbides exhibitmany interesting physical and chemical properties making them attractive for a variety of applications. The most widely used method to produce metal carbide films with specific properties at reduced deposition temperatures is sputter deposition. A large number of papers in this field have been published during the last decades, showing that large variations in structure and properties can be obtained. This review will summarise the literature on sputter-deposited carbide films based on chemical aspects of the various elements in the films. By considering the chemical affinities (primarily towards carbon) and structural preferences of different elements, it is possible to understand trends in structure of binary transition-metal carbides and the ternary materials based on these carbides. These trends in chemical affinity and structure will also directly affect the growth process during sputter deposition. A fundamental chemical perspective of the transition-metal carbides and their alloying elements is essential to obtain control of the material structure (from the atomic level), and thereby its properties and performance. This review covers a wide range of materials: binary transition-metal carbides and their nanocomposites with amorphous carbon; the effect of alloying carbide-based materials with a third element (mainly elements from groups 3 through 14); as well as the amorphous binary and ternary materials from these elements deposited under specific conditions or at certain compositional ranges. Furthermore, the review will also emphasise important aspects regarding materials characterisation which may affect the interpretation of data such as beam-induced crystallisation and sputter-damage during surface analysis.
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| 6. |
- Kindlund, H., et al.
(författare)
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A review of the intrinsic ductility and toughness of hard transition-metal nitride alloy thin films
- 2019
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Ingår i: Thin Solid Films. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 688
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over the past decades, enormous effort has been dedicated to enhancing the hardness of refractory ceramic materials. Typically, however, an increase in hardness is accompanied by an increase in brittleness, which can result in intergranular decohesion when materials are exposed to high stresses. In order to avoid brittle failure, in addition to providing high strength, films should also be ductile, i.e., tough. However, fundamental progress in obtaining hard-yet-ductile ceramics has been slow since most toughening approaches are based on empirical trial-and-error methods focusing on increasing the strength and ductility extrinsically, with a limited focus on understanding thin-film toughness as an inherent physical property of the material. Thus, electronic structure investigations focusing on the origins of ductility vs. brittleness are essential in understanding the physics behind obtaining both high strength and high plastic strain in ceramics films. Here, we review recent progress in experimental validation of density functional theory predictions on toughness enhancement in hard ceramic films, by increasing the valence electron concentration, using examples from the V1-xWxN and V1-xMoxN alloy systems.
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| 7. |
- Magnuson, Martin, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Chemical bonding and electronic-structure in MAX phases as viewed by X-ray spectroscopy and density functional theory
- 2017
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Ingår i: Thin Solid Films. - : Elsevier. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 621, s. 108-130
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This is a critical review of MAX-phase carbides and nitrides from an electronic-structure and chemical bonding perspective. This large group of nanolaminated materials is of great scientific and technological interest and exhibit a combination of metallic and ceramic features. These properties are related to the special crystal structure and bonding characteristics with alternating strong M-C bonds in high-density MC slabs, and relatively weak M-A bonds between the slabs. Here, we review the trend and relationship between the chemical bonding, conductivity, elastic and magnetic properties of the MAX phases in comparison to the parent binary MX compounds with the underlying electronic structure probed by polarized X-ray spectroscopy. Spectroscopic studies constitute important tests of the results of state-of-the-art electronic structure density functional theory that is extensively discussed and are generally consistent. By replacing the elements on the M, A, or X-sites in the crystal structure, the corresponding changes in the conductivity, elasticity, magnetism and other materials properties makes it possible to tailor the characteristics of this class of materials by controlling the strengths of their chemical bonds.
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| 8. |
- Sarakinos, Kostas
(författare)
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A review on morphological evolution of thin metal films on weakly-interacting substrates
- 2019
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Ingår i: Thin Solid Films. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA. - 0040-6090 .- 1879-2731. ; 688
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The interaction strength between film-forming species and substrate atoms is a decisive factor in determining film morphological formation and evolution. When the interaction is weak, as e.g., during deposition of thin metal films on oxide and 2D-material substrates, a pronounced 3D morphology is obtained. Owing to the great technological relevance of these film/substrate systems, the present paper reviews theories and recent developments with regards to the film growth dynamics and the atomistic origin of 3D film morphology. It also highlights possible future directions toward which this sub-field of thin film science and technology can develop.
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