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1 – 10 of 93Jegenathan Krishnasamy, Kah‐Yoong Chan and Teck‐Yong Tou
The purpose of this paper is to address the influence of deposition process parameters. The substrate heating mechanisms are also discussed.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the influence of deposition process parameters. The substrate heating mechanisms are also discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
Deposition duration, sputtering power, working gas pressure, and substrate heater temperature on substrate heating in the direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering deposition process were investigated.
Findings
Results from the experiments show that, in DC magnetron sputtering deposition process, substrate heating is largely influenced by the process parameters and conditions.
Originality/value
This paper usefully demonstrates that substrate heating effects can be minimized by adjusting and selecting the proper sputtering process parameters; the production cost can be reduced by employing a higher sputtering power, lower working gas pressure and shorter deposition duration.
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Bassam Abdallah, M. Kakhia and W. Alsadat
TiN and TiAlVN films have been prepared by DC magnetron sputtering technique at room temperature. TiN target has been used to deposit TiN thin film under pure argon (100 percent…
Abstract
Purpose
TiN and TiAlVN films have been prepared by DC magnetron sputtering technique at room temperature. TiN target has been used to deposit TiN thin film under pure argon (100 percent Ar) gas. Additionally, Ti6Al4V alloy target has been used to deposit TiAlVN under nitrogen and argon gas (50 percent Ar and 50 percent N2). In this paper, two substrate types have been used: stainless steel 304 and Si(100). This analysis has confirmed that the nitride films, (TiN/Si) and TiAlVN in both cases, have been produced. Energy Depressive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) measurement confirmed that the TiN/Si was stoichiometry, where the N/Ti ratio was about 1 with low oxygen contamination. The results obtained have indicated that the TiAlVN has more resistance to corrosion than TiN film in 3.5 percent NaCl at 25°C (seawater). Both films, TiAlVN/SS304 and TiN/SS304, have shown improved corrosion resistance compared with virgin 304 substrate. Microhardness was carried out using Vickers method; the microhardness values for TiN/SS304 and TiAlVN/SS304 were approximately 7.5 GPa and 25.3 GPa, respectively. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The films were prepared by a DC magnetron sputtering system starting from high pure (99.99 percent) Ti6Al4V target (Al 6wt%, V 4wt% and balance Ti) in plasma discharge argon/nitrogen (50 percent Ar and 50 percent N2) for deposition of TiAlVN film. Pure TiN target (99.99 percent) was used for preparation of TiN film in pure argon plasma. The diameter of target was 50 mm and the power applied for preparation of the two films was 100 W. A cylindrical high-vacuum chamber (Figure 2) made of stainless steel 316, with height 363 mm diameter, was fabricated locally. Scanning electron microscope images have been used to discover the films morphology. The composition of the films has been determined by EDX technique for films deposited on Si substrate. The electrochemical corrosion test was carried out using conventional three-electrode cell of 300 ml capacity by using Voltalab PGZ 301 system (France) using Tafel extrapolation method and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques.
Findings
TiN and TiAlVN films have been prepared by DC magnetron sputtering technique without heating of the substrates holder. The effects of the composition of nitride films on mechanical and corrosion properties were investigated. The composition of the films has been determined by EDX technique. The effect of using titanium alloy (Ti with Al and V) on the composition and crystalline quality has been investigated. The microhardness is strongly dependent on the addition of the Al and V elements, and it consequently improves mechanical proprieties. The microhardness values for TiN/SS304 were approximately 7.5 GPa and 25.3 GPa for TiAlVN/SS304. They indicate that prepared films prevent the aggressive action of corrosion media.
Originality/value
TiN and TiAlVN films have been prepared by DC magnetron sputtering method at room temperature. Titanium nitride film, especially TiAlVN, is an effective method to improve the corrosion resistance of SS304. TiAlVN film has exhibited enhanced corrosion resistance and higher microhardness. Independent time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis has been used to determine the composition of the film.
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D. Desideri, M. Bagatin, M. Spolaore, V. Antoni, R. Cavazzana, E. Martines, G. Serianni and M. Zuin
The aim of this paper is to obtain an extensive experimental characterization of a DC magnetron sputtering device used for plasma processing of materials.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to obtain an extensive experimental characterization of a DC magnetron sputtering device used for plasma processing of materials.
Design/methodology/approach
Models and measurements are combined for an interdisciplinary characterization of a DC magnetron sputtering device. Langmuir probes are used for the plasma characterization; the magnetic field is measured by using Hall probes and the data are used to validate a magnetostatic three‐dimensional numerical analysis of the device; precision mechanical measurements are done for the target erosion profile and the results are related to a simple estimation formula; a simple model is proposed for the target heating.
Findings
Data on magnetic and electric fields, electron temperature and density, plasma potential and target erosion are provided. An estimation of the target heating is proposed. Finally, an application concerning thin film deposition is reported.
Research limitations/implications
Measurement of the target surface temperature for the validation of the proposed target heating estimation has not been done.
Originality/value
In the field of the electromagnetic processing of materials, the reported extensive device characterization is a valuable set of information for an optimized utilization of DC magnetron sputtering devices.
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Bassem Assfour, Bassam Abdallah, Hour Krajian, Mahmoud Kakhia, Karam Masloub and Walaa Zetoune
The purpose of this study is to investigate the structural, surface roughness and corrosion properties of the zirconium oxide thin films deposited onto SS304 substrates using the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the structural, surface roughness and corrosion properties of the zirconium oxide thin films deposited onto SS304 substrates using the direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering technique.
Design/methodology/approach
DC sputtering at different powers – 80, 100 and 120 W – was used to deposit ZrO2 thin films onto different substrates (Si/SS304) without annealing of the substrate. Atomic force microscope (AFM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Tafel extrapolation and contact angle techniques were applied to investigate the surface roughness, chemical compositions, corrosion behavior and hydrophobicity of these films.
Findings
Results showed that the thickness of the deposited film increased with power increase, while the corrosion current decreased with power increase. AFM images indicated that the surface roughness decreased with an increase in DC power. EDS analysis showed that the thin film has a stoichiometric ZrO2 (Zr:O 1:2) composition with basic uniformity. Water contact angle measurements indicated that the hydrophobicity of the synthesized films decreased with an increase in surface roughness.
Originality/value
DC magnetron sputtering technique is infrequently used to deposition thin films. The obtained thin films showed good hydrophobic and anticorrosion properties. Finally, results are compared with other deposition techniques.
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Keywords
Xiaohong Yuan, Wenzheng Xu, Fenglin Huang, Qingqing Wang, Qufu Wei and Dongsheng Chen
Structural color is more brilliant in color, more resistant to sunshine and will not fade away with time, and more environmental friendly than traditional dyes and pigments. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Structural color is more brilliant in color, more resistant to sunshine and will not fade away with time, and more environmental friendly than traditional dyes and pigments. The purpose of this paper is to prepare structural colors of fabrics coated with Ag/TiO2 composite films by magnetron sputtering, and analyze the relationship between the colors and the thicknesses of TiO2 films in Ag/TiO2 composite films.
Design/methodology/approach
Preparation of Ag/TiO2 composite films by magnetron sputtering and their deposition on textiles were investigated. The chemical compositions and surface morphology of Ag/TiO2 composite films were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and the structural color of fabric coated with Ag/TiO2 composite film was also analyzed.
Findings
Ag/TiO2 composite films deposited on textile substrate exhibited structural colors, and the bright colors could be adjusted and controlled by the thickness of TiO2 thin films in Ag/TiO2 composite films without any dyes or pigments. By comparing the results of theoretical calculation and experimental results, it was found that the creation of structural colors by the experiment was coincident to the colors by theoretical calculation according to the film interference principle. There was a linear relationship between the thickness of TiO2 film and the wavelength of the structural color.
Originality/value
Compared to traditional coloration by dyes or pigments, the coloration of textile by structural color from Ag/TiO2 composite films prepared by magnetron sputtering was very environmental friendly and simple without water consuming, time consuming and tedious work. Structural colors have great potential applications in textiles in place of traditional dyes and pigments. Furthermore, the textiles coated with Ag/TiO2 composite films have good electrical, optical and magnetic properties, and can be used in apparel, home furnishings and industrial fabrics.
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Jian‐Wei Hoon, Kah‐Yoong Chan and Teck‐Yong Tou
The purpose of this paper is to share valuable information about metallization in microelectronic industries by implementing tungsten silicide (WSi) thin film materials.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to share valuable information about metallization in microelectronic industries by implementing tungsten silicide (WSi) thin film materials.
Design/methodology/approach
Direct current plasma magnetron sputtering technique was employed for the WSi film growth. Different sputtering parameters were investigated, and the WSi films were characterized using four‐point probe electrical measurement method.
Findings
The experimental results reveal that the sputtering parameters such as deposition pressure and substrate temperature exert significant influence on the electrical properties of the WSi films.
Research limitations/implications
By tuning the sputtering parameters, the electrical properties of the WSi films can be optimized and the film resistivity can be reduced significantly.
Practical implications
The investigation results presented in this paper are useful information for microelectronic industries in the area of microelectronic devices metallization.
Originality/value
The fabrication method described in this paper allows fabricating low‐resistivity WSi films by employing a lower deposition pressure and a lower substrate temperature.
Details
Keywords
Bassam Abdallah, Mahmoud Kakhia, Karam Masloub and Walaa Zetoune
Niobium Nitride (NbN) was interesting material for its applications in the medicinal tools or tools field (corresponding to saline serum media) as well as in mechanical…
Abstract
Purpose
Niobium Nitride (NbN) was interesting material for its applications in the medicinal tools or tools field (corresponding to saline serum media) as well as in mechanical properties. The aim of this work was depositing NbN thin films on two types of substrates (stainless steel (SS304) and silicon (100)) using plasma technique at varied powers (100–150 W).
Design/methodology/approach
DC magnetron sputtering technique at different powers were used to synthesis NbN films. Film structure was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. Rutherford elastic backscattering and energy dispersive X-ray were used to examine the deposited film composition. The films morphology was studied via atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images. Corrosion resistance of the three NbN/SS304 films was studied in 0.9% NaCl environment (physiological standard saline).
Findings
All properties could be controlled by the modification of DC power, where the crystallinity of samples was changed and consequently the corrosion and microhardness were modified, which correlated with the power. NbN film deposited at higher power (150 W) has shown better corrosion resistance (0.9% NaCl), which had smaller grain size (smoother) and was thicker.
Originality/value
The NbN films have a preferred orientation (111) matching to cubic structure phase. Corrosion resistance was enhanced for the NbN films compared to SS304 substrates (noncoating). Therefore, NbN films deposited on SS304 substrate could be applied as medicinal tools as well as in mechanical fields.
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Mehran Shahryari, Mohammad Homayoon Shakib, Mohammad Bagher Askari, Shahryar Nanekarani, Sanaz Saeidi Nejad and Sedigheh Bagheri
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the existence of one suitable oxide phase concurrent with deposition for fabricating a titanium (Ti)/p-silicon (Si) Schottky diode by…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the existence of one suitable oxide phase concurrent with deposition for fabricating a titanium (Ti)/p-silicon (Si) Schottky diode by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering method.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, a Ti/p-Si Schottky diode has been fabricated by depositing a Ti film on p-Si substrate by DC magnetron sputtering. Electrical properties of a Schottky junction include three main parameters: ideality factor (n), series resistance (Rs) and barrier height (Φb), which were determined by three analysis methods: current–voltage (I-V), Cheung function and Norde function.
Findings
As result outcomes of the calculated values by three analysis methods, average values were obtained equal to 2.475, 27.07 kÙ and 0.88 ev. With comparing direct calculation of series resistance with the achieved average value of three analysis methods, it illustrates that without X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis consideration, it’s possible to deduce at least one oxide phase forming on the Ti layer.
Originality/value
This work fabricates Ti/p-Si Schottky diode by DC magnetron sputtering. By use of downward-arch region of the LnI-V curve, two functions that are known as Norde and Cheung were made with which this study applies these functions and linear region of LnI-V plot each values of n, Φb and Rs, except n calculated two times. With comparison of calculated values from two parts of plot, it is clear that Norde and Cheung functions are accurate and the applied method is correct. Also, with direct calculation, the value of Rs and as compared with result from analysis, this study has proved that without XRD plot, certainly simultaneity deposition at least one oxide phase was forming on Ti layer.
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Lingling Meng, Qufu Wei, Yueli Li and Wenzheng Xu
In this study, the polyester fabrics were treated with low temperature plasma before Cu sputtering. The effect of oxygen gas plasma pre-treatment on the surface structures…
Abstract
Purpose
In this study, the polyester fabrics were treated with low temperature plasma before Cu sputtering. The effect of oxygen gas plasma pre-treatment on the surface structures, electrical properties, and mechanical properties of samples was investigated. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A laboratory direct current (DC) magnetron sputter coating system was used to deposit the nanoscale copper (Cu) films onto the surface of polyester plain fabric at room temperature.
Findings
The crystal structure of the sputtered copper films did not show any obvious change on the O2-plasma-treated fabric, but the surface roughness and surface particle size increased significantly. Improvement in electrical properties of copper films was closely related to the deposition time. The tensile test results indicated that the mechanical properties of the plasma-treated polyester fabrics were also improved after copper coating.
Originality/value
The research reports on the functional textiles, and the experiment results and analysis are original. There is a great potential to commercialize such functional textiles.
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Keywords
Meiling Dong, Xiufang Cui, Guo Jin, Haidou Wang, Lina Zhu and Jinna Liu
The aim of the present paper is to investigate the mechanical performance of multi-layer films. With the wide application of optic and electronic thin-films, membrane materials…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the present paper is to investigate the mechanical performance of multi-layer films. With the wide application of optic and electronic thin-films, membrane materials and membrane technology have become one of the most active fields of research in contemporary materials science (Dumont et al., 1997). Multi-layer films have evolved as candidates for these applications because of their unique properties. TiN and Ti/TiN multi-layer films were fabricated using the DC magnetron sputtering method. A nano-indentation tester and electronic film distribution tester were utilized to evaluate the mechanical properties and residual stress of the films. The existence of interface effects on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the films were analyzed.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the Ti/TiN multi-layer films were fabricated using the DC magnetron sputtering method. The films were deposited on polished 45# steels. Ti was used as the sputtering target. Ar and N2 were applied as working and reactive gases, respectively. Surface morphology was measured using transmission electron microscopy. The composition was analyzed using D8 X-ray diffraction. Nano-indentation tests were performed using Nanoindenter G200 with a Berkovich indenter. A BGS 6341 electronic film stress distribution tester was used to measure the distribution of stress in the films.
Findings
The film surface was very smooth and the structure was very dense. The elastic modulus and micro-hardness of Ti/TiN multi-layer films were smaller, compared to those of the TiN film. Furthermore, both of these parameters initially decreased and later increased, with a decrease in the modulation period. The residual stress in the film was compressive. The corrosion resistance properties of TiN films were the best in NaCl solution, less so in alkaline solution and worst in acid solution. For the Ti/TiN multi-layer films tested in an acid medium, the corrosion resistance performance was better when the modulation period was decreased to micron grade under exposure conditions at ambient temperature.
Originality/value
In the present paper, the Ti/TiN multi-layer films were fabricated using PVD with different variations, and the influence on the performance of Ti/TiN multi-layer films due to each single layer period of TiN was studied. The findings should provide useful guidelines for the preparation of high quality Ti/TiN multi-layer thin films.
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