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At least 1,639 records · Page 91
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Sol-gel derived Al-Ga co-doped transparent conducting oxide ZnO thin films

Transparent conducting ZnO doped with Al, Ga and co-doped Al and Ga (1:1) (AGZO) thin films were grown on glass substrates by cost effective sol-gel spin coating method. The XRD results showed that all the films are polycrystalline in nature and highly textured along the (002) plane. Enhanced grain size was observed in the case of AGZO thin films. The transmittance of all the films was more than 83% in the visible region of light. The electrical properties such as carrier concentration and mobility values are increased in case of AGZO compared to that of Al and Ga doped ZnO thin films. The minimum resistivity of 2.54 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm was observed in AGZO thin film. The co-doped AGZO thin films exhibited minimum resistivity and high optical transmittance, indicate that co-doped ZnO thin films could be used in transparent electronics mainly in display applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Solid phase epitaxial growth of high mobility La:BaSnO{sub 3} thin films co-doped with interstitial hydrogen

This work presents the solid phase epitaxial growth of high mobility La:BaSnO{sub 3} thin films on SrTiO{sub 3} single crystal substrates by crystallization through thermal annealing of nanocrystalline thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature. The La:BaSnO{sub 3} thin films show high epitaxial quality and Hall mobilities up to 26 ± 1 cm{sup 2}/Vs. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy is used to determine the La concentration profile in the La:BaSnO{sub 3} thin films, and a 9%–16% La doping activation efficiency is obtained. An investigation of H doping to BaSnO{sub 3} thin films is presented employing H plasma treatment at room temperature. Carrier concentrations in previously insulating BaSnO{sub 3} thin films were increased to 3 × 10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3} and in La:BaSnO{sub 3} thin films from 6 × 10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3} to 1.5 × 10{sup 20 }cm{sup −3}, supporting a theoretical prediction that interstitial H serves as an excellent n-type dopant. An analysis of the free electron absorption by infrared spectroscopy yields a small (H,La):BaSnO{sub 3} electron effective mass of 0.27 ± 0.05 m{sub 0} and an optical mobility of 26 ± 7 cm{sup 2}/Vs. As compared to La:BaSnO{sub 3} single crystals, the smaller electron mobility in epitaxial thin films grown on SrTiO{sub 3} substrates is ascribed to threading dislocations as observed in high resolution transmission electron micrographs.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

A direct correlation of x-ray diffraction orientation distributions to the in-plane stiffness of semi-crystalline organic semiconducting films

Large charge mobilities of semi-crystalline organic semiconducting films could be obtained by mechanically aligning the material phases of the film with the loading axis. A key element is to utilize the inherent stiffness of the material for optimal or desired alignment. However, experimentally determining the moduli of semi-crystalline organic thin films for different loading directions is difficult, if not impossible, due to film thickness and material anisotropy. In this paper, we address these challenges by presenting an approach based on combining a composite mechanics stiffness orientation formulation with a Gaussian statistical distribution to directly estimate the in-plane stiffness (transverse isotropy) of aligned semi-crystalline polymer films based on crystalline orientation distributions obtained by X-ray diffraction experimentally at different applied strains. Our predicted results indicate that the in-plane stiffness of an annealing film was initially isotropic, and then it evolved to transverse isotropy with increasing mechanical strains. This study underscores the significance of accounting for the crystalline orientation distributions of the film to obtain an accurate understanding and prediction of the elastic anisotropy of semi-crystalline polymer films.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Handshake electron transfer from hydrogen Rydberg atoms incident at a series of metallic thin films

Thin metallic films have a 1D quantum well along the surface normal direction, which yields particle-in-a-box style electronic quantum states. However the quantum well is not infinitely deep and the wavefunctions of these states penetrate outside the surface where the electron is bound by its own image-charge attraction. Therefore a series of discrete, vacant states reach out from the thin film into the vacuum increasing the probability of electron transfer from an external atom or molecule to the thin film, especially for the resonant case where the quantum well energy matches that of the atom. We show that “handshake” electron transfer from a highly excited Rydberg atom to these thin-film states is experimentally measurable. Thicker films have a wider 1D box, changing the energetic distribution and image-state contribution to the thin film wavefunctions, resulting in more resonances. Calculations successfully predict the number of resonances and the nature of the thin-film wavefunctions for a given film thickness.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structural and optical studied of nano structured lead sulfide thin films prepared by the chemical bath deposition technique

Lead (II) Sulfide PbS thin films were deposited on glass substrates at 25°C by chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The structural properties of the films were studied as a function of the concentration of Thiourea (CS (NH{sub 2}){sub 2}) as Source of Sulfide and deposition time. The surface morphology of the films was characterized by X-ray diffraction and SEM. The obtained results showed that the as-deposited films Polycrystalline had cubic crystalline phase that belong to S.G: Fm3m. We found that they have preferred orientation [200]. Also the thickness of thin films decrease with deposition time after certain value and, it observed free sulfide had orthorhombic phase. Optical properties showed that the thin films have high transmission at visible range and low transmission at UV, IR range. The films of PbS have direct band gap (I.68 - 2.32 ev) at 300 K the values of band energy decreases with increases thickness of the Lead (II) Sulfide films.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Low temperature aluminum nitride thin films for sensory applications

A low-temperature sputter deposition process for the synthesis of aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films that is attractive for applications with a limited temperature budget is presented. Influence of the reactive gas concentration, plasma treatment of the nucleation surface and film thickness on the microstructural, piezoelectric and dielectric properties of AlN is investigated. An improved crystal quality with respect to the increased film thickness was observed; where full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the AlN films decreased from 2.88 ± 0.16° down to 1.25 ± 0.07° and the effective longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d{sub 33,f}) increased from 2.30 ± 0.32 pm/V up to 5.57 ± 0.34 pm/V for film thicknesses in the range of 30 nm to 2 μm. Dielectric loss angle (tan δ) decreased from 0.626% ± 0.005% to 0.025% ± 0.011% for the same thickness range. The average relative permittivity (ε{sub r}) was calculated as 10.4 ± 0.05. An almost constant transversal piezoelectric coefficient (|e{sub 31,f}|) of 1.39 ± 0.01 C/m{sup 2} was measured for samples in the range of 0.5 μm to 2 μm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations performed on thin (100 nm) and thick (1.6 μm) films revealed an (002) oriented AlN nucleation and growth starting directly from the AlN-Pt interface independent of the film thickness and exhibit comparable quality with the state-of-the-art AlN thin films sputtered at much higher substrate temperatures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Comparison of the dielectric and magnetocaloric properties of bulk and film of GdFe 0.5 Cr 0.5 O 3

Here, we report a comparison of the magnetic, magnetocaloric, and dielectric properties of 50% iron substituted GdCrO 3 (GdFe 0.5 Cr 0.5 O 3 ) bulk pellet and 960 nm thick film of GdFe 0.5 Cr 0.5 O 3 (GFCO). The 960 nm film was synthesized on a platinized-silicon substrate by chem. soln. deposition and spin-coating methods. The X-ray diffraction scans of the bulk sample and the film as well as the morphology of the film as examined by the field-emission scanning electron microscope indicate phase-pure and polycrystalline nature of these samples. XPS was used to deermine the valence states of Gd, Fe, and Cr. The temp. dependence of the dielectric const. from 225 to 700 K shows peaks at T C = 525 K for the bulk and ≈450 K for the film due to ferroelectric to paraelectric transitions, since elec. polarization vs elec. field hysteresis loops are observed. at room temp. The dielectric studies in the bulk GFCO for T > T C indicate a relaxor-like behavior. The measurements of the magnetization (M) of the samples as a function of temp. (5-350 K) and magnetic field (H) up to 7 T (=70 kOe) depict hysteresis behavior at low temps. due to the canted antiferromagnetic order of Fe 3+ /Cr 3+ below the Néel temp. of ≈275 K. The M vs H isotherms at various temps. are used to det. and compare the magnetic entropy change (-ΔS) and relative cooling power (RCP) of the two samples, yielding (-ΔS) = 30.7 J/kg K (18.8 J/kg K) and RCP = 566.5 J/kg (375 J/kg) for the bulk (960 nm film) samples of GFCO at 7 K and 7 T, resp. The plot of RCP vs T shows that magnetic cooling for this system is most effective for T < 30 K. Comparatively smaller magnitudes of (-ΔS) and RCP for the film vis-a-vis the bulk sample of GFCO scale with its reduced magnetization. This suggests that further improvements in the quality of the films are needed to improve their magnetization and hence their magnetocaloric properties, possibly making them useful for on-chip cooling in miniaturized devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

A structural analysis of ordered Cs3Sb films grown on single crystal graphene and silicon carbide substrates

Alkali antimonides are well established as high efficiency, low intrinsic emittance photocathodes for accelerators and photon detectors. However, conventionally grown alkali antimonide films are polycrystalline with surface disorder and roughness that can limit achievable beam brightness. Ordering the crystalline structure of alkali antimonides has the potential to deliver higher brightness electron beams by reducing surface disorder and enabling the engineering of material properties at the level of atomic layers. In this report, we demonstrate the growth of ordered Cs3Sb films on single crystal substrates 3C-SiC and graphene-coated 4H-SiC using pulsed laser deposition and conventional thermal evaporation growth techniques. The crystalline structures of the Cs3Sb films were examined using reflection high energy electron diffraction and x-ray diffraction diagnostics, while film thickness and roughness estimates were made using x-ray reflectivity. With these tools, we observed ordered domains in less than 10 nm thick films with quantum efficiencies greater than 1% at 530 nm. Moreover, we identify structural features such as Laue oscillations indicative of highly ordered films. We found that Cs3Sb films grew with flat, fiber-textured surfaces on 3C-SiC and with multiple ordered domains and sub-nanometer surface roughness on graphene-coated 4H-SiC under our growth conditions. We identify the crystallographic orientations of Cs3Sb grown on graphene-coated 4H-SiC substrates and discuss the significance of examining the crystal structure of these films for growing epitaxial heterostructures in future experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Mechanisms of formation of sub- and micrometre-scale holes in thin metal films by single nano- and femtosecond laser pulses

Mechanisms of formation of sub- and micrometre-scale holes in thin silver and chromium films of variable thickness by tightly-focused single nanosecond IR laser pulses with fluences in the range of 10 – 10{sup 4} J cm{sup -2} are studied by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy. At the minimal fluences above 5 J cm{sup -2}, the micrometre (2 – 5 μm in radius) holes are produced in these films, accompanying the lateral heat conduction in the film during the pump laser pulse, cavitation at the metallic/glass interface and subsequent explosive removal of the molten film. At the fluences of ∼1 – 10 kJ cm{sup -2} much larger (20 – 40 μm in radius) holes are formed in the film as a result of its heating by the erosive surface microplasma through the lateral heat conduction in the film during the plasma lifetime of the order of a few microseconds. Finally, at the maximal fluences (well above 10 kJ cm{sup -2}), the submillimetre holes were produced in these films by intense shock waves, generated in the erosive microplasmas. The comparative analysis of the formation mechanisms for sub- and micrometrescale holes in the same thin metal films by the single nano- and femtosecond laser pulses is provided. (extreme light fields and their applications)

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Colossal grain growth in Cd(Se,Te) thin films and their subsequent use in CdTe epitaxy by close-spaced sublimation

Many technologies deposit thin films on inexpensive substrates, resulting in small grains due to classic nucleation and grain growth theory. For example, state-of-the-art solar cells are made by depositing CdSeTe and CdTe layers on inexpensive glass coated with nanocrystalline transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), like SnO 2 . Characteristically, the grain size of these films is on the order of the film thickness, i.e. a few microns. CdTe small-grain films have poor electro-optical properties and require CdCl 2 passivation which fails to fully passivate grain boundaries, causes carrier compensation, and prevents implementing other II–VI alloys and materials to improve performance. Here, we present a method to increase grain size to 1 mm in CdSe x Te 1-x thin films deposited on glass/TCO substrates without CdCl 2 treatment. The colossal grain growth is driven by mechanisms distinct from classic nucleation, grain growth, and Ostwald ripening and only occurs at low selenium content (x ~ 0.1). We also demonstrate how these films can serve as templates for subsequent large-grain epitaxy of other compositions like CdTe, again without exposure to CdCl 2 . The results open new paths for thin film solar cell technology, and thin film devices in general.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

XPS Investigation of Surface Secondary Phase Segregation in CIGS Thin Film

Cu(In, Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) thin films were deposited on Molybdenum (Mo) coated soda lime glass (SLG/Mo) substrates, using physical vapor deposition (PVD) 3-stage process. The Mo thin films were sputtered on SLG substrates using DC planar magnetron sputtering at a working gas (Ar) pressure that varies from 0.8 mT to 12 mT with a sputtering power density of 1.2 W/cm{sub 2}. The sputtering pressure of Mo thin films was varied in order to induce variations in the sputtered films morphology and porosity; as well as to subsequently induce variations in the Na out-diffusion from SLG substrate. The surface chemistry of CIGS thin films was investigated by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS surface surveys (top 30A) and depth profiling survey (top 100A) for the elements, their chemical states, and their relative concentration were analyzed for CIGS thin films. The XPS surface analysis and composition of CIGS thin films were correlated to the bulk composition and Na out-diffusion in the CIGS films from SLG substrates.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Thickness-Dependent Defect Structure of Epitaxial Silicon Thin Films Deposited by Hot-Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition

In this work, we study the defect structure of epitaxial film silicon grown by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) on Si wafers, as a function of film thickness. We used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to investigate the distribution, type, and composition of the defects. To investigate the crystallographic structure, we used electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) on the surface and cross sections of the samples. We observed that, as desired, the films grew epitaxially, and that there was an increase in the density of defects as the film thickness increased. One of the most dominant types of defects grows as long columns, reaching many micrometers in diameter at the surface. EBSD showed that these defects were composed of randomly oriented polycrystalline-silicon grains. To study the electrical nature of the film and defects, we used conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM), which provides information on film conductivity with high-spatial resolution. C-AFM showed that the columnar defects have much lower conductivity than the surrounding Si thin film. In this work, we show how the concentration and distribution of the defects change as the film thickness increases, and investigate their electrical properties. Finally, we discuss how the defect structure might impact solar cells made with this material.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Impact of the Stack Order in Cu-Zn-Sn Metal Precursors on the Properties of Cu2ZnSnS4 Thin Films

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films were grown by the annealing of metallic precursors with different stack orders in sulfur atmosphere. The sequential deposition of the metal layers from single Cu, Zn, and Sn targets on Mo-coated soda-lime glass substrates was carried out using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. In this work, we investigated the effect of the sequence of metal layers on the chemical, structural, and morphological properties of the final CZTS films using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The realized stack sequences were Mo/Sn/Zn/Cu, Mo/Sn/Cu/Zn, Mo/Cu/Zn/Sn, Mo/Cu/Sn/Zn, and Mo/Zn/Cu/Sn. XRF measurements revealed notable impact of the metal layers' stacking order in the precursor on the chemical composition. It also showed Sn loss and high Zn concentration in all sulfurized films; however, having Cu on the Sn or Zn/Sn layer showed some minimization of the Sn loss. XRD showed CZTS films with good crystallinity and no evidence of the presence of secondary phases. Changing the precursor stack order did not show any influence on the films' crystallinity or texture. Raman spectroscopy, in contrast, indicated the presence of ZnS phase beside the main CZTS phase. The morphology study showed significant effect on the structure of the final CZTS films depending on the used stack order. Generally, the films that originated from precursors having a Zn layer deposited directly on Mo or as the second layer exhibited better adhesion to the Mo layer and showed fewer or even no voids compared to the other films.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Characterization of zinc oxide thin film using atomic force microscopy and optimized X-ray reflectivity by genetic algorithm

For the nanostructured thin films, the study of surface physical parameters is often of crucial importance. For example, the transport properties of ZnO thin film are strongly affected by the geometry of this film. In this study sol—gel ZnO thin film was spin coated on glass substrate. The inverse problem of thin film characterization is formulated as a parameter identification problem in which a set of parameters corresponding to the thin film property can be found by minimizing fitness functions formulated using theoretical and experimental X-ray reflectivity. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements used as an independent procedure for extracting structural parameters of the film and accurate interpretation of X-ray reflectivity data. After applying Fractal calculations on the AFM measured data the Genetic algorithm (GA) method was applied for extracting other important structural parameters. Optimization of specular X-ray reflectivity by GA method gives information along the depth such as thickness, roughness, and electron density profile of layers in the film.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Formation of pyrite (FeS{sub 2}) thin films by thermal sulfurization of dc magnetron sputtered iron

Iron films deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering onto glass substrates were converted into FeS{sub 2} films by thermal sulfurization. Experiments were carried out to optimize the sulfurization process, and the formation of FeS{sub 2} thin films was investigated under different annealing temperatures and times. High quality FeS{sub 2} films were fabricated using this process, and single phase pyrite films were obtained after sulfurization in a sulfur and nitrogen atmosphere at 450 deg. C for 1 h. Film crystallinity and phase identification were determined by using x-ray diffraction. The cubic phase pyrite films prepared were p-type, and scanning electron microscopy studies exhibited a homogeneous surface of pyrite. The authors have found that the best Ohmic contact for their pyrite thin films, using inexpensive metals, was Ni. The following were chosen for the study: Al, Mo, Fe, and Ni, and the one that led to the lowest resistance, 333 {Omega}, was Ni.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Temperature threshold for nanorod structuring of metal and oxide films grown by glancing angle deposition

Thin films of tin (Sn), aluminum (Al), gold (Au), ruthenium (Ru), tungsten (W), ruthenium dioxide (RuO{sub 2}), tin dioxide (SnO{sub 2}), and tungsten trioxide (WO{sub 3}) were grown by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) to determine the nanostructuring temperature threshold, {Theta}{sub T}, above which adatom surface diffusion becomes large enough such that nanorod morphology is no longer formed during growth. The threshold was found to be lower in metals compared to oxides. Films were grown using both dc and pulsed dc magnetron sputtering with continuous substrate rotation over the temperature range from 291 to 866 K. Film morphologies, structures, and compositions were characterized by high resolution scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Films were also grown in a conventional configuration for comparison. For elemental metals, nanorod structuring occurs for films with melting points higher than that of Al (933 K) when grown at room temperature with a rotation rate of {approx}5 rpm, corresponding to a value of {Theta}{sub T}{approx_equal}0.33{+-}0.01. For the oxide films, a value of {Theta}{sub T}{approx_equal}0.5 was found, above which GLAD nanorod structuring does not occur. The existence of a nanostructuring temperature threshold in both metal and oxide GLAD films can be attributed to greater adatom mobilities as temperature is increased resulting in nonkinetically limited film nucleation and growth processes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Deposition of ultrathin AlN films for high frequency electroacoustic devices

The authors investigate the microstructure, crystal orientation, and residual stress of reactively sputtered aluminum nitride (AlN) films having thicknesses as low as 200 down to 25 nm. A two-step deposition process by the dual cathode ac (40 kHz) powered S-gun magnetron enabling better conditions for AlN nucleation on the surface of the molybdenum (Mo) bottom electrode was developed to enhance crystallinity of ultrathin AlN films. Using the two-step process, the residual in-plane stress as well as the stress gradient through the film thickness can be effectively controlled. X-ray rocking curve measurements have shown that ultrathin films grown on Mo using this technology are highly c-axis oriented with full widths at half maximum of 1.8 deg. and 3.1 deg. for 200- and 25-nm-thick films, respectively, which are equal to or even better than the results previously reported for relatively thick AlN films. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and fast Fourier transform analyses have confirmed strong grain orientation in 25-100-nm-thick films. A fine columnar texture and a continuous lattice microstructure within a single grain from the interface with the Mo substrate through to the AlN surface have been elicited even in the 25-nm-thick film.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Optical and electrical properties of transparent conducting B-doped ZnO thin films prepared by various deposition methods

B-doped ZnO (BZO) thin films were prepared with various thicknesses up to about 500 nm on glass substrates at 200 deg. C by dc or rf magnetron sputtering deposition, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), and vacuum arc plasma evaporation (VAPE) methods. Resistivities of 4-6 x 10{sup -4}{Omega} cm were obtained in BZO thin films prepared with a B content [B/(B + Zn) atomic ratio] around 1 at. % by PLD and VAPE methods: Hall mobilities above 40 cm{sup 2}/Vs and carrier concentrations on the order of 10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}. All 500-nm-thick-BZO thin films prepared with a resistivity on the order of 10{sup -3}-10{sup -4}{Omega} cm exhibited an averaged transmittance above 80% in the wavelength range of 400-1100 nm. The resistivity in BZO thin films prepared with a thickness below about 500 nm was found to increase over time with exposure to various high humidity environments. In heat-resistance tests, the resistivity stability of BZO thin films was found to be nearly equal to that of Ga-doped ZnO thin films, so these films were judged suitable for use as a transparent electrode for thin-film solar cells.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗