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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Substrate effects on phase formation and interfacial stability in superconducting vanadium silicide thin films

Thin films of vanadium silicide (V-silicide) in the A15 cubic phase (V 3 Si) are promising for superconducting quantum devices due to their high transition temperature and potential compatibility with scalable semiconductor fabrication. However, solid-phase synthesis often yields secondary silicide phases that degrade performance. Here, in this study, we investigate the influence of substrate properties using two silicon-on-insulator architectures: one with a polycrystalline HfO 2 buried layer (group A) and the other with amorphous SiO 2 (group B). Both systems exhibit superconductivity consistent with V 3 Si formation, yet structural analysis reveals mixed-phase films in both cases. Crucially, only group A maintains an atomically sharp and chemically stable interface, a prerequisite for phase purity. Prolonged annealing in group A reduces the unwanted V 5 Si 3 phase but also leads to the emergence of Si-rich VSi 2 , likely due to localized substrate degradation. Preliminary atomic-resolution imaging suggests that HfO 2 crystallinity may promote local phase-selective nucleation. These findings highlight the importance of substrate design in promoting phase control and maintaining interfacial integrity in superconducting silicides.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Chemical Analysis of Tantalum Thin Films compared to Niobium Thin Films using SIMS and XPS

Superconducting qubits are a leading platform for quantum computation. These circuits are typically made from superconducting materials like aluminum or niobium. However, the amorphous niobium oxide and aluminum oxide on the surface of these circuits introduce considerable RF loss due to the presence of two-level systems (TLS), which limits the maximum coherence times T1 to ~100 μs. Capping the niobium qubits with a tantalum layer leads to a 3- 5x improvement [Bal et al., 2024]. But even in this case, tantalum forms an amorphous surface oxide that introduces loss. In an effort to devise strategies to eliminate the presence of this oxide, we present a comprehensive study on the nature of Ta oxide using x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) as a function of heat treatment. The thin films were annealed in ultra-high vacuum conditions and analyzed in situ to characterize the composition and evolution of the native tantalum oxide layer and oxide-metal interface. Our analysis reveals two critical differences between tantalum and niobium oxides: Nb2O5 completely dissolves at 400°C, while Ta2O5 persists even at 800°C. Additionally, tantalum oxide contains only a single suboxide (TaO), in contrast to niobium's two suboxides (NbO and NbO2). The suboxide of tantalum contributes minimally to the total oxide content and shows a relative increase with temperature. Understanding the oxide’s behavior will open new pathways for optimizing coherence times in tantalum qubits.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of Annealing on the Chemical and Superconducting Properties of Ta Thin Films

Tantalum thin films are annealed to dissolve the surface oxide. The effect of annealing is studied using material characterization tools, XPS and TOF-SIMS, and electrical transport measurements of the annealed films are taken using standard PPMS methods to correlate with the surface chemistry. Annealing dissociates the surface oxide, and the oxygen produced diffuses into the thin film. The introduction of oxygen reduces the quality of the thin film, as shown by the suppression of Tc and a reduction in RRR.

Shinde, Maithilee [IIT, Chicago]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Accelerating Discovery of Solid‐State Thin‐Film Metal Dealloying for 3D Nanoarchitecture Materials Design through Laser Thermal Gradient Treatment

Thin‐film solid‐state metal dealloying (thin‐film SSMD) is a promising method for fabricating nanostructures with controlled morphology and efficiency, offering advantages over conventional bulk materials processing methods for integration into practical applications. Although machine learning (ML) has facilitated the design of dealloying systems, the selection of key thermal treatment parameters for nanostructure formation remains largely unknown and dependent on experimental trial and error. To overcome this challenge, a workflow enabling high‐throughput characterization of thermal treatment parameters is demonstrated using a laser‐based thermal treatment to create temperature gradients on single thin‐film samples of Nb‐Al/Sc and Nb‐Al/Cu. This continuous thermal space enables observation of dealloying transitions and the resulting nanostructures of interest. Through synchrotron X‐ray multimodal and high‐throughput characterization, critical transitions and nanostructures can be rapidly captured and subsequently verified using electron microscopy. The key temperatures driving chemical reactions and morphological evolutions are clearly identified. While the oxidation may influence nanostructure formation during thin‐film treatment, the dealloying process at the dealloying front involves interactions solely between the dealloying elements, highlighting the availability and viability of the selected systems. Further, this approach enables efficient exploration of the dealloying process and validation of ML predictions, thereby accelerating the discovery of thin‐film SSMD systems with targeted nanostructures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

A comparative analysis of YOLOv8 and U-Net image segmentation approaches for transmission electron micrographs of polycrystalline thin films

Metallic thin films offer a platform to experimentally study the dynamics of microstructural evolution, but the required transmission electron microscopy (TEM)-based imaging generates complex images that are challenging to segment and quantify. This work provides a comparative analysis of a new YOLOv8 model and an established U-Net model for bright-field TEM images of polycrystals, employing a framework leveraging physical observables to evaluate performance against two hand-traced benchmark datasets. This methodology obviates the comparison of large, diversely structured, and manually labeled datasets that are required to assess performance on a per-image/per-pixel basis. It is found that the YOLOv8 model, adapted for real-time instance segmentation, has up to 43× faster inferencing (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090) compared to U-Net and reconstructs hand-traced grain size distributions (GSDs) with excellent fidelity, finding mean diameter within 3% for grains near an optimal magnification; for grains that deviate from the optimal pixel-diameter, the size of small- (large)-diameter grains is systematically over- (under)-estimated. This is partially mitigated by including scale-aware augmentations during training. Moreover, when the bias is corrected post-inference by a rigid shift in distribution, the YOLOv8 model reproduces ground truth GSDs with exceptional fidelity, with statistical tests indicating <5% probability that the distributions are distinct. Based on ground truth data, calibration curves pertaining to this shift can be constructed for a given model. This issue is not present in the U-Net model’s results, indicating that for quantitative measurements where the true size of objects is of interest, special procedures must be implemented for YOLO-based models.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Magnetostriction and temperature dependent Gilbert damping in boron doped Fe 80 ⁢Ga 20 thin films

Magnetic thin films with strong magnetoelastic coupling and low Gilbert damping are key materials for many magnetoelectric devices. Here, we investigated the effects of boron doping concentration on magnetostriction and temperature dependent Gilbert damping in magnetron sputtered (Fe 80 ⁢Ga 20 ) 1−𝑥 ⁢B 𝑥 films. A crystalline to amorphous structural transition was observed for a boron content near 8% and coincided with a decrease in coercivity from 76 Oe to 3 Oe. A 10% doping concentration is optimal for achieving both large magnetostriction of 48.8 ppm and low Gilbert damping of 6×10 −3 . The temperature dependence of the damping shows an increase at low temperatures with a peak around 40 K, and we associate the relative increase Δ⁢𝛼/𝛼 RT with magnetoelastic contributions to the damping, which has a maximum of 55.7% at 8% boron. An increase in the inhomogeneous linewidth broadening was observed in the structural transition regime at about 8% boron concentration. Furthermore, this study suggests that incorporation of glass forming elements, in this case boron, into Fe 80 ⁢Ga 20 is a practical pathway for simultaneously achieving enhanced magnetoelastic coupling and reduced Gilbert damping.

Cryogenics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Colossal Cryogenic Electro‐Optic Response Through Metastability in Strained BaTiO 3 Thin Films

The search for thin film electro-optic materials that can retain superior performance under cryogenic conditions has become critical for quantum computing. Barium titanate thin films show large linear electro-optic coefficients in the tetragonal phase at room temperature, which is severely degraded down to ≈200 pm V −1 in the rhombohedral phase at cryogenic temperatures. There is immense interest in manipulating these phase transformations and retaining superior electro-optic properties down to liquid helium temperature. Utilizing the thermodynamic theory of optical properties, a large low-temperature electro-optic response is designed by engineering the energetic competition between different ferroelectric phases, leading to a low-symmetry monoclinic phase with a massive electro-optic response. The existence of this phase is demonstrated in a strain-tuned BaTiO 3 thin film that exhibits a linear electro-optic coefficient of 2516 ± 100 pm V −1 at 5 K, which is an order of magnitude higher than the best reported performance thus far. Importantly, the electro-optic coefficient increases by 100 × during cooling, unlike the conventional films, where it degrades. Further, at the lowest temperature, significant higher order electro-optic responses also emerge. These results represent a new framework for designing materials with property enhancements by stabilizing highly tunable metastable phases with strain.

barium titanate↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tunable Semiconducting Behavior and Linear-Nonlinear Optical Properties of Ag–Sn Dual-Doped Nanocrystalline CdO Thin Films for Optoelectronics

Semiconductor-based thin films have a great impact on determining the anticipated optoelectronic device construction and the advancement of cutting-edge applications. Herein, Ag and Sn dual-doped nanocrystalline transparent conducting CdO thin films were prepared on glass substrates using a cost-effective spray coating method, and their structural, morphological, optical, and semiconducting behaviors were investigated. The successful incorporation of Ag and Sn resulted in the polycrystalline nature of the deposited films without the additional peaks, as verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The XRD report also revealed the enhanced crystallinity (65%) at the higher doping level (3 wt % Ag and Sn-doped CdO film). All the deposited CdO films exhibited homogeneous, spherical, or round-shaped grains, with agglomeration revealed by scanning electron microscopy analysis. UV–visible spectroscopy was utilized to determine the linear and nonlinear optical properties of the deposited CdO thin films, and a reduction in the band gap from 3.891 to 3.772 eV was observed. A significant enhancement in the first- and third-order nonlinear susceptibility and nonlinear refractive index of the doped CdO films was also observed with increasing doping concentration. Hall effect data were collected at room temperature to investigate the electrical properties of all of the CdO films. The charge carrier concentration of CdO thin films was increased from 142.08 × 10 18 to 169.10 × 10 18 cm –3 , and the highest conductivity was found to be 192 s/cm on doping 3 wt % Ag–Sn. All the CdO thin films exhibited n-type conductivity, while an incredible n-type to p-type charge carrier transition was noticed at a higher doping level (3 wt % Ag–Sn). The findings of the current work are expected to advance the synthesis of semiconductor thin films through cost-effective spray coating methods for optoelectronic device applications.

deposition↗
DOE OSTI2025

From Data to Discovery: AI's Transformative Role in Thin Film Research

The advancement of thin film technologies is pivotal for progress in numerous fields, including energy, electronics, and quantum computing. However, the traditional trial-and-error approach to materials discovery is inherently slow and inefficient. This presentation will showcase how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming thin film research by enabling a data-driven paradigm shift. We will highlight our past successes in applying AI to understand radiation damage in thin film oxides, demonstrating how graph analytics can unravel complex material behavior. Additionally, we will provide insights into our current work at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where we are leading the charge in autonomous materials science. Backed by a $14M investment in our characterization facility, we are developing AI-guided workflows that seamlessly integrate experimentation and AI-guided decision-making. By harnessing the power of AI, we aim to accelerate the discovery and design of high-performance thin films, propelling innovation across a multitude of industries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Photoelectrochemical Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer of TiO 2 Thin Films on Silicon

TiO 2 thin films are often used as protective layers on semiconductors for applications in photovoltaics, molecule–semiconductor hybrid photoelectrodes, and more. Experiments reported here show that TiO 2 thin films on silicon are electrochemically and photoelectrochemically reduced in buffered acetonitrile at potentials relevant to photoelectrocatalysis of CO 2 reduction, N 2 reduction, and H 2 evolution. On both n-type Si and irradiated p-type Si, TiO 2 reduction is proton-coupled with a 1e – :1H + stoichiometry, as demonstrated by the Nernstian dependence of the Ti 4+/3+ E 1/2 on the buffer pK a . Experiments were conducted with and without illumination, and a photovoltage of ∼0.6 V was observed across 20 orders of magnitude in proton activity. The 4 nm films are almost stoichiometrically reduced under mild conditions. The reduced films catalytically transfer protons and electrons to hydrogen atom acceptors, based on cyclic voltammogram, bulk electrolysis, and other mechanistic evidence. TiO 2 /Si thus has the potential to photoelectrochemically generate high-energy H atom carriers. Characterization of the TiO 2 films after reduction reveals restructuring with the formation of islands, rendering TiO 2 films as a potentially poor choice as protecting films or catalyst supports under reducing and protic conditions. Altogether, this work demonstrates that atomic layer deposition TiO 2 films on silicon photoelectrodes undergo both chemical and morphological changes upon application of potentials only modestly negative of RHE in these media. While the results should serve as a cautionary tale for researchers aiming to immobilize molecular monolayers on “protective” metal oxides, the robust proton-coupled electron transfer reactivity of the films introduces opportunities for the photoelectrochemical generation of reactive charge-carrying mediators.

Electrodes↗
DOE OSTI2026

Surface Reconstruction in Hydrated Amphiphilic Block Copolymer Thin Films Probed by Fluid Cell Atomic Force Microscopy

In many thin film materials, nuanced interplays of interfacial energies control the surface morphology and rearrangement. This work evaluates polymer−solvent interactions and solvent-driven surface reconstructions via ex situ and in situ fluid cell Atomic Force Microscopy (fc-AFM) analysis of amphiphilic block copolymer (BCP) thin films upon exposure to deionized (DI) water. We examine the differences in surface morphology, whole-film swelling, and force response in thin films of polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) and polystyrene- block-poly[(allyl glycidyl ether)-co-(ethylene oxide)] (PS-b- P[AGE-co-EO]) processed into standing-up cylinder morphologies perpendicular to a silicon substrate (⊥C). Using Amplitude Modulation AFM (AM-AFM) and Amplitude-Phase Distance (APD) force spectroscopy, this work probes the mechanoresponsive nature of the dynamic surface layers of these films, unveiling surface layer stratification and surface chain rearrangement via minimal tip−sample stimulation. To help rationalize the observed reconfigurations, the energetic driving forces were estimated using the harmonic mean approximations of interfacial energies. Given the nonionizable nature of the minority P(AGE-co-EO) block and the energetic driving forces for chain mobility, this work shows how the elimination of unfavorable PS−water interfaces drives chain rearrangement and coverage of the PS surface by chains of the hydrophilic block. This work highlights considerations for increasing the heterogeneity and complexity of BCP thin films via random blocks and how those changes to local interfacial energies may drive larger scale film morphology reconstructions, with broader implications for tuning interface hydrophilicity.

Copolymers↗
DOE OSTI2024

Transfer of Millimeter‐Scale Strained Multiferroic Epitaxial Thin Films on Rigid Substrates via an Epoxy Method Producing Magnetic Property Enhancement

The demonstration of epitaxial thin film transfer has enormous potential for thin film devices free from the traditional substrate epitaxy limitations. However, large-area continuous film transfer remains a challenge for the commonly reported polymer-based transfer methods due to bending and cracking during transfer, especially for highly strained epitaxial thin films. In this work, a new epoxy-based, rigid transfer method is used to transfer films from an SrTiO 3 (STO) growth substrate onto various new substrates, including those that will typically pose significant problems for epitaxy. An epitaxial multiferroic Bi 3 Fe 2 Mn 2 O x (BFMO) layered supercell (LSC) material is selected as the thin film for this demonstration. The results of surface and structure studies show an order of magnitude increase in the continuous area of transferred films when compared to previous transfer methods. The magnetic properties of the BFMO LSC films are shown to be enhanced by the release of strain in this method, and ferromagnetic resonance is found with an exceptionally low Gilbert damping coefficient. The large-area transfer of this highly strained complex oxide BFMO thin film presents enormous potential for the integration of many other multifunctional oxides onto new substrates for future magnetic sensors and memory devices.

bismuth oxides↗
DOE OSTI2025

Interplay between Cation “Coloring” and Stereochemically Active Lone Pairs in AgBiS 2 Thin Films

Solution-processed AgBiS 2 thin films were fabricated using novel thiol− amine precursor inks to investigate the stereochemical activity of Bi 3+ 6s 2 lone pairs and their impact on the structure. A dual-space analysis combining Bragg diffraction and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) revealed a rock salt-like average structure with local distortions linked to cation coloring. Density functional theory (DFT) and crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) analyses confirmed that local Bi-rich and Ag-rich nanodomains amplify stereochemical activity, whereas more mixed and cation-order nanodomains are less stereochemically active. This local, nanoscopic mixing of segregated and ordered domains would indeed explain an average Fm3̅m structure that is rock salt-like and that does not manifest the full anharmonicity and noncentrosymmetry evidenced in canonical structures with stereochemical expression. These findings provide insights into the local structural and electronic complexities governing the optoelectronic properties of AgBiS 2 thin films.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mild-Annealed Molecular Layer Deposition (MLD) Tincone Thin Film as Photoelectrochemically Stable and Efficient Electron Transport Layer for Si Photocathodes

Metalcone thin films, composed of inorganic–organic hybrids, are synthesized using molecular layer deposition (MLD) through reactions between organometallic precursors (e.g., Sn, Al, and Ti) and organic reactants (e.g., ethylene glycol and glycerol). Despite their unique properties, metalcones exhibit significant vulnerability to water due to their organic components, limiting their potential in electrochemical applications. This study focuses on enhancing the photoelectrochemical stability of tincone thin films in aqueous electrolyte while preserving their hybrid characteristics through mild annealing in air at 250 °C. As-deposited and vacuum-annealed tincone thin films exhibited significant degradation under these conditions, while high-temperature-annealed (500 °C) tincone thin films offered improved stability with a significant decline in charge transfer efficiency. In contrast, mild annealing in air maintained the C–O bond at half level and improved the stability and charge transport without compromising the unique characteristics of tincone. This was confirmed by ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Mild-annealed tincone deposited on a lightly doped p-type silicon (p-Si) photocathode produced a 20-fold increase in CO volume compared to high-temperature annealed tincone in a CO 2 -saturated potassium bicarbonate (KHCO 3 ) electrolyte with dispersed graphene oxide–cobalt phthalocyanine (GO-CoPc) under 1 sun illumination at 0.9 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), while maintaining the faradaic efficiency for CO and H 2 . These results suggest that mild-annealed tincone thin films hold significant potential as protective charge transport layers on silicon photocathodes for the aqueous CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR).

Annealing (metallurgy)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mesoporous Thin Film Architectures: Addressing Material Demands through Molecular Self-Assembly

Mesoporous thin films spark interest across a wide range of disciplines due to their tunable nanostructures, large internal surface areas, and strong compatibility with planar optical, electronic, and microfluidic devices. While attention in the porous materials community has shifted toward macroporous or disordered nanoporous systems, a resurgence in mesoporous thin film research is underway, driven by new molecular self-assembly methods, advanced materials chemistry, and improved characterization techniques. The integration of high-χN block copolymer design, kinetically persistent micelle templating, and postdeposition processing protocols now allows control over structural parameters such as pore size, wall thickness, porosity, and connectivity. These advances have overcome many of the thermodynamic and processing constraints that previously limited widespread adoption. Rather than serving only as high-surface-area supports, mesoporous thin films are engineered as active interfaces where responsive chemistries and nanoscale confinement act in tandem. Embedding switchable ligands, thermoresponsive polymers, redox mediators, or ion-selective groups directly within the pore walls enables real-time control over transport, optical, and electrochemical properties. These capabilities open up new directions in adaptive coatings, gated membranes, and fast-response biosensors. To further expand their functional scope, mesoporous films are integrated into hierarchical and multicomponent architectures. Techniques such as triblock terpolymer templating, crack-directed assembly, and nanoimprint lithography allow for control over spatial organization on the micron and submicron scale and pore system orientation. This enables programmable anisotropy, enhanced molecular diffusion, and wavelength-selective photonic behavior, essential for next-generation sensing, catalysis, and energy applications. Such structural and functional complexity requires equally sophisticated characterization. Multimodal and in situ techniques can track material dynamics under operational conditions. Recent progress includes extended-range ellipsometric porosimetry (EP) for hierarchical architectures, vacuum EP for interface energetics, time-resolved EP for diffusion kinetics, and correlative AFM-SAXS mapping. The introduction of advanced neutron-based spectroscopies, particularly quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS), promises to provide real-time access to ion transport dynamics and segmental motion under nanoscale confinement, offering a path toward deeper mechanistic understanding of structure-performance correlations in mesoporous systems. This Account reflects the technical advances made and the interdisciplinary collaborations that have shaped our collective vision. The particular dimensions of mesopores enable us to subtly tune interactions at the molecular, interfacial, and mesoscopic levels that permit us to harness nanoconfinement. What emerges is a versatile, modular platform capable of chemical gating, energy transduction, and sensing with a level of tunability unmatched by other porous materials. We highlight critical challenges including the need for more robust large-area processing, a deeper understanding of dynamic behavior under cycling, and better integration with device-level architectures. Our strategies support the transition of mesoporous thin films into active high-performance components in next-generation energy, environmental, and biomedical systems.

oxides↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thin Film Sensors for Fission Surface Power

Physical sensors fabricated with thin films could result a significant savings in space and weight with improved reliability for monitoring the long-term operation of fission surface power systems. Thin film sensors of 1 µm or less are attractive for FSP applications because they can be incorporated onto component surfaces with minimal machining and the additional weight to a system is minimal compared to thick film-, wire-, or foil-based sensors. The thin, surface fabrication of the sensors is also expected to make them less susceptible to deep dose effects that affect thicker sensors. An overview of thin film sensors using thermocouples and resistive elements designed, fabricated, and demonstrated at GRC for aerospace applications exceeding 900°C is presented.

Physical Sensors↗