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Adhesion of Diamond Films on Tungsten

Description: The U.S. Bureau of Mines has investigated the chemical vapor deposition of diamond films on tungsten substrates. The effects of deposition parameters on the adhesion of the films was determined. The films were produced using a hot filament chemical vapor deposition system. Parameters investigated were substrate temperature and methane concentration in the feed gas. Film quality, morphology, and composition were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Adhesion testing was performed using an indentation technique, and the results were quantified by relating adhesion to interface fracture toughness. Diamond films with well-faceted crystalline morphology with grain size greater than 1 pm had poor adhesion properties regardless of substrate temperature or methane concentration. Diamond films with smooth morphologies consisting of rounded clusters of small (<0.2 pm) diamond crystallites and amorphous carbon phases displayed much higher adhesion, although the conditions that led to the growth of these films are not understood.
Date: 1995
Creator: Maggs, K. J.; Walkiewicz, J. W. & Clark, A. E.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Characterization of Boron Nitride Thin Films on Silicon (100) Wafer.

Description: Cubic boron nitride (cBN) thin films offer attractive mechanical and electrical properties. The synthesis of cBN films have been deposited using both physical and chemical vapor deposition methods, which generate internal residual, stresses that result in delamination of the film from substrates. Boron nitride films were deposited using electron beam evaporation without bias voltage and nitrogen bombardment (to reduce stresses) were characterize using FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM, and AFM techniques. In addition, a pin-on-disk tribological test was used to measure coefficient of friction. Results indicated that samples deposited at 400°C contained higher cubic phase of BN compared to those films deposited at room temperature. A BN film containing cubic phase deposited at 400°C for 2 hours showed 0.1 friction coefficient.
Date: August 2007
Creator: Maranon, Walter
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries

The Preparation of Thin Films of Plutonium by Electrodeposition

Description: This report discusses methods for preparing thin films of plutonium on metallic disks, which are used for alpha energy analysis, fission counting, and preparation of geometry standards in ordinary counting. Various methods of preparation were tested and analyzed, but electrodeposition was the most effective method. Deposition was then tested, but the yields were "somewhat erratic".
Date: March 22, 1950
Creator: Miller, H. W. & Brouns, R. J.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Stoichiometry and Deposition Temperature Dependence of the Microstructural and Electrical Properties of Barium Strontium Titanate Thin Films

Description: Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) was deposited on Pt/ZrO2 / SiO2/Si substrates using liquid source metal organic chemical vapor deposition. A stoichiometry series was deposited with various GrII/Ti ratios (0.658 to 1.022) and a temperature series was deposited at 550 to 700°C. The thin films were characterized using transmission electron microscopy. Both series of samples contained cubic perovskite BST and an amorphous phase. The grain size increased and the volume fraction of amorphous phase decreased with increasing deposition temperature. The electrical and microstructural properties improved as the GrII/Ti ratio approached 1 and deteriorated beyond 1. This research demonstrates that BST thin films are a strong candidate for future MOS transistor gate insulator applications.
Date: May 1998
Creator: Pena, Piedad
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries

Role of Microstructural Phenomena in Magnetic Thin Films. Final Report

Description: Over the period of the program we systematically varied microstructural features of magnetic thin films in an attempt to better identify the role which each feature plays in determining selected extrinsic magnetic properties. This report summarizes the results.
Date: April 30, 2001
Creator: Laughlin, D. E. & Lambeth, D. N.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Mechanical Properties of Materials with Nanometer Scale Microstructures

Description: We have been engaged in research on the mechanical properties of materials with nanometer-scale microstructural dimensions. Our attention has been focused on studying the mechanical properties of thin films and interfaces and very small volumes of material. Because the dimensions of thin film samples are small (typically 1 mm in thickness, or less), specialized mechanical testing techniques based on nanoindentation, microbeam bending and dynamic vibration of micromachined structures have been developed and used. Here we report briefly on some of the results we have obtained over the past three years. We also give a summary of all of the dissertations, talks and publications completed on this grant during the past 15 years.
Date: October 31, 2004
Creator: Nix, William D.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Electrical Conductivity in Thin Films

Description: This thesis deals with electrical conductivity in thin films. Classical and quantum size effects in conductivity are discussed including some experimental evidence of quantum size effects. The component conductivity along the applied electric field of a thin film in a transverse magnetic field is developed in a density matrix method.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Meyer, Frederick Otto
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Partner: UNT Libraries

Extensions of the Stoney Formula for Substrate Curvature to Configurations with Thin Substrates or Large Deformations

Description: Two main assumptions which underlie the Stoney formula relating substrate curvature to mis-match strain in a bonded thin film are that the film is very thin compared to the substrate, and the deformations are infinitesimally small. Expressions for the curvature-strain relastionship are derived for cases in which thses assumptions are relaxed, thereby providing a biasis for interpretation of experimental observations for a broader class of film-substrate configurations.
Date: April 26, 1999
Creator: Chason, E.; Floro, J.A. & Freund, L.B.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Article
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Composition and Bonding in Amorphous Carbon Films Grown by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition: Influence of the Assistance Voltage

Description: Amorphous carbon films have been grown by evaporation of graphite with concurrent Ar+ ions bombardment assistance. The ion energy has been varied between 0-800 V while keeping a constant ion to carbon atom arrival ratio. Film composition and density were determined by ion scattering techniques (RBS and ERDA), indicating a negligible hydrogen content and a density dependence with the assistance voltage. The bonding structure of the films has been studied by Raman and X-ray Absorption Near-Edge (XANES) spectroscopy. Different qualitative effects have been found depending on the ion energy range. For ion energies below 300 eV, there is a densification of the carbon layer due to the increase in the sp3 content. For ion energies above 300 eV sputtering phenomena dominate over densification, and thinner films are found with increasing assistance voltage until no film is grown over 600 V. The films with the highest SP3 content are grown with intermediate energies between 200-300 V.
Date: November 12, 1998
Creator: Albella, J.M.; Banks, J.C.; Climent-Font, A.; Doyle, B.L.; Gago, R.; Jimenez, I. et al.
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Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

The Revival of Electrochemistry: Electrochemical Deposition of Metals in Semiconductor Related Research

Description: Adherent Cu films were electrodeposited onto polycrystalline W foils from purged solutions of 0.05 M CuSO4 in H2SO4 supporting electrolyte and 0.025 M CuCO3∙Cu(OH)2 in 0.32 M H3BO3 and corresponding HBF4 supporting electrolyte, both at pH = 1. Films were deposited under constant potential conditions at voltages between -0.6 V and -0.2 V versus Ag/AgCl. All films produced by pulses of 10 s duration were visible to the eye, copper colored, and survived a crude test called "the Scotch tape test", which involves sticking the scotch tape on the sample, then peeling off the tape and observing if the copper film peels off or not. Characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the presence of metallic Cu, with apparent dendritic growth. No sulfur impurity was observable by XPS or EDX. Kinetics measurements indicated that the Cu nucleation process in the sulfuric bath is slower than in the borate bath. In both baths, nucleation kinetics does not correspond to either instantaneous or progressive nucleation. Films deposited from 0.05 M CuSO4/H2SO4 solution at pH > 1 at -0.2 V exhibited poor adhesion and decreased Cu reduction current. In both borate and sulfate baths, small Cu nuclei are observable by SEM upon deposition at higher negative overpotentials, while only large nuclei (~ 1 micron or larger) are observed upon deposition at less negative potentials. Osmium metal has been successfully electrodeposited directly onto p-Si (100) from both Os3+ and Os4+ in both sulfuric and perchloric baths. This electrochemical deposition of osmium metal can provide sufficient amount of osmium which overcome ion beam implantation limitations. The deposited metal can undergo further processing to form osmium silicides, such as Os2Si3, which can be used as optical active materials. The higher osmium concentration results in large deposition currents and ...
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Date: August 2005
Creator: Wang, Chen
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Partner: UNT Libraries

Operando tribochemical formation of onion-likecarbon leads to macroscale superlubricity

Description: This article demonstrates that tribochemical reactions occur even in dry conditions when hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (H-DLC) surface is slid against two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide along with nanodiamonds in dry nitrogen atmosphere.
Date: February 3, 2017
Creator: Berman, Diana; Narayanan, Badri; Cherukara, Mathew J.; Sankaranarayanan, Subramanian K.R.S.; Erdemir, Ali; Zinovev, Alexander et al.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Article
Partner: UNT College of Engineering

Applications of Passive Thin Films

Description: The physical properties of thin films affect the performance and durability of nearly every solar energy conversion device. Familiar examples of thin films for solar applications are optical materials and protective coatings. Optimized optical properties are key to cost-effective photothermal conversion where individual components must have high absorptance, reflectance, or transmittance. The protection of sensitive substrates from corrosion and/or erosion is essential to ensure adequate component and system lifetime. Such substrates range from photovoltaic materials operating near room temperature to turbine blade structural alloys in hostile environments at very high temperatures (>1,000 degrees C). Although much has been written on particular categories of thin-film materials for solar energy (for example, absorbers for receiver surfaces), to date no one has provided an overview of the spectrum of applications for passive thin films in solar energy. This work is such an overview and also reviews the material state of the art as described in the current literature. Active thin film devices such as photovoltaics and thermoeleetrics are not discussed.
Date: May 1, 1979
Creator: Call, P. J.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Effect of underlayer on coalescence of silver islands grown byfiltered cathodic arc deposition

Description: For low-emissivity application on window glass, coalescenceof thin film silver islands is crucial for high transmittance in thevisible andhigh reflectance in the infrared. It is well known that theenergy of ions arriving at the substrate (kinetics) as wells as the typeof underlayer (thermodynamics) affect the nucleation and growth mode.Little is known about coalescence of silver islands synthesized byenergetic condensation, e.g., by filtered cathodic vacuum arc deposition.In this work, the effect of the underlayer on nucleation and growth ofsilver films deposited by filtered cathodic vacuum arc was investigatedby transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy(AFM). The results are compared with data obtained on magnetron sputteredfilms. It was found that uncoated and titanium-oxide-coated glass requiremore silver to achieve the same low value of sheet resistance than silveron zinc-oxide-coated glass. This can be associated with the energy ofinteraction between surface and silver atoms. Silver films made bycathodic arc deposition show an earlier onset of island coalescence andformation of short links. It was found that silver islands in energeticdeposition exhibit a reduced aspect ratio compared to evaporation andsputtering. A nominal 0.1 nm niobium underlayer increases the nucleationdensity and promotes coalescence of silver islands, however, a 0.2 nmlayer did not show these features, indicating the need for furtherstudies.
Date: March 1, 2003
Creator: Byon, Eungsun & Anders, Andre
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Thin Films As a Platform for Understanding the Conversion Mechanism of FeF2 Cathodes in Lithium-Ion Microbatteries

Description: Conversion material electrodes such as FeF2 possess the potential to deliver transformative improvements in lithium ion battery performance because they permit a reversible change of more than one Li-ion per 3d metal cation. They outperform current state of the art intercalation cathodes such as LiCoO2, which have volumetric and gravimetric energy densities that are intrinsically limited by single electron transfer. Current studies focus on composite electrodes that are formed by mixing with carbon (FeF2-C), wherein the carbon is expected to act as a binder to support the matrix and facilitate electronic conduction. These binders complicate the understanding of the electrode-electrolyte interface (SEI) passivation layer growth, of Li agglomeration, of ion and electron transport, and of the basic phase transformation processes under electrochemical cycling. This research uses thin-films as a model platform for obtaining basic understanding to the structural and chemical foundations of the phase conversion processes. Thin film cathodes are free of the binders used in nanocomposite structures and may potentially provide direct basic insight to the evolution of the SEI passivation layer, electron and ion transport, and the electrochemical behavior of true complex phases. The present work consisted of three main tasks (1) Development of optimized processes to deposit FeF2 and LiPON thin-films with the required phase purity and microstructure; (2) Understanding their electron and ion transport properties and; (3) Obtaining insight to the correlation between structure and capacity in thin-film microbatteries with FeF2 thin-film cathode and LiPON thin-film solid electrolyte. Optimized pulsed laser deposition (PLD) growth produced polycrystalline FeF2 films with excellent phase purity and P42/mnm crystallographic symmetry. A schematic band diagram was deduced using a combination of UPS, XPS and UV-Vis spectroscopies. Room temperature Hall measurements reveal that as-deposited FeF2 is n-type with an electron mobility of 0.33 cm2/V.s and a resistivity was 0.255 Ω.cm. The LiPON ...
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Date: August 2015
Creator: Santos-Ortiz, Reinaldo
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Partner: UNT Libraries

Influence of design and coatings on the mechanical reliability of semiconductor wafers.

Description: We investigate some of the mechanical design factors of wafers and the effect on strength. Thin, solid, pre-stressed films are proposed as a means to improve the bulk mechanical properties of a wafer. Three-point bending was used to evaluate the laser scribe density and chemical processing effect on wafer strength. Drop and strike tests were employed to investigate the edge bevel profile effect on the mechanical properties of the wafer. To characterize the effect of thin films on strength, one-micron ceramic films were deposited on wafers using PECVD. Coated samples were prepared by cleaving and were tested using four-point bending. Film adhesion was characterized by notched four-point bending. RBS and FTIR were used to obtain film chemistry, and nanoindentation was used to investigate thin film mechanical properties. A stress measurement gauge characterized residual film stress. Mechanical properties of the wafers correlated to the residual stress in the film.
Date: August 2002
Creator: Yoder, Karl J.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries

Amorphization and De-vitrification in Immiscible Copper-Niobium Alloy Thin Films

Description: While amorphous phases have been reported in immiscible alloy systems, there is still some controversy regarding the reason for the stabilization of these unusual amorphous phases. Direct evidence of nanoscale phase separation within the amorphous phase forming in immiscible Cu-Nb alloy thin films using 3D atom probe tomography has been presented. This evidence clearly indicates that the nanoscale phase separation is responsible for the stabilization of the amorphous phase in such immiscible systems since it substantially reduces the free energy of the undercooled liquid (or amorphous) phase, below that of the competing supersaturated crystalline phases. The devitrification of the immiscible Cu-Nb thin film of composition Cu-45% Nb has been studied in detail with the discussion on the mechanism of phase transformation. The initial phase separation in the amorphous condition seems to play a vital role in the crystallization of the thin film. Detailed analysis has been done using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and 3D atom probe tomography.
Date: May 2007
Creator: Puthucode Balakrishnan, Anantharamakrishnan
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Reactivity of Oxide Surfaces and Metal-Oxide Interfaces: Effects of Water Vapor Pressure on Ultrathin Aluminum Oxide Films, and Studies of Platinum Growth Modes on Ultrathin Oxide Films and Their Effects on Adhesion

Description: The reactivity of oxide surfaces and metal-oxide interfaces play an important role in many technological applications such as corrosion, heterogeneous catalysis, and microelectronics. The focus of this research was (1) understanding the effects of water vapor exposure of ultrathin aluminum oxide films under non-ultrahigh vacuum conditions (>10-9 Torr) and (2) characterization of Pt growth modes on ultrathin Ta silicate and silicon dioxide films and the effects of growth modes on adhesion of a Cu overlayer. These studies were conducted with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Ni3Al(110) was oxidized (10-6 Torr O2, 800K) followed by annealing (1100K). The data indicate that the annealed oxide film is composed of NiO, Al2O3 and an intermediate phase denoted here as "AlOx". Upon exposure of the oxide film at ambient temperature to increasing water vapor pressure (10-6 - 5 Torr), a shift in both the O(1s) and Al(2p)oxide peak maxima to lower binding energies is observed. In contrast, exposure of Al2O3/Al(polycrystalline) to water vapor under the same conditions results in a high binding energy shoulder in the O(1s) spectra which indicates hydroxylation. Spectral decomposition provides further insight into the difference in reactivity between the two oxide films. The corresponding trends of the O(1s)/Ni0(2p3/2) and Al(2p)/Ni0(2p3/2) spectral intensity ratios suggest conformal changes of the oxide film on Ni3Al(110). The growth behavior of sputter deposited Pt at ~300K on Ta silicate and SiO2 ultrathin films formed on Si(100) was investigated. The XPS data show that Pt deposition results in uniform growth or "wetting" on Ta silicate and 2-D cluster growth on SiO2. Electroless Cu deposition on ~11 monolayers (ML) Pt/Ta silicate film results in an adherent Cu film which passed the Scotch tape test. In contrast, electroless Cu deposition on ~11ML Pt/SiO2 results in a non-adherent Cu film due to weak Pt/SiO2 interaction.
Date: May 2004
Creator: Garza, Michelle
Item Type: Refine your search to only Thesis or Dissertation
Partner: UNT Libraries

The Effect of Average Grain Size on Polycrystalline Diamond Films

Description: The work function of hydrogen-terminated, polycrystalline diamond was studied using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Polycrystalline diamond films were deposited onto molybdenum substrates by electrophoresis for grain sizes ranging from 0.3 to 108 microns. The work function and electron affinity were measured using 21.2 eV photons from a helium plasma source. The films were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to determine elemental composition and the sp2/sp3 carbon fraction. The percentage of (111) diamond was determined by x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy was performed to determine average grain size. The measured work function has a maximum of 5.1 eV at 0.3 microns, and decreases to 3.2 eV at approximately 4 microns. Then the work function increases with increasing grain size to 4.0 eV at 15 microns and then asymptotically approaches the 4.8 eV work function of single crystal diamond at 108 microns. These results are consistent with a 3-component model in which the work function is controlled by single-crystal (111) diamond at larger grain sizes, graphitic carbon at smaller grain sizes, and by the electron affinity for the intervening grain sizes.
Date: May 2002
Creator: Abbott, Patrick Roland
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Partner: UNT Libraries

Low Temperature Polymeric Precursor Derived Zinc Oxide Thin Films

Description: Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a versatile environmentally benign II-VI direct wide band gap semiconductor with several technologically plausible applications such as transparent conducting oxide in flat panel and flexible displays. Hence, ZnO thin films have to be processed below the glass transition temperatures of polymeric substrates used in flexible displays. ZnO thin films were synthesized via aqueous polymeric precursor process by different metallic salt routes using ethylene glycol, glycerol, citric acid, and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as chelating agents. ZnO thin films, derived from ethylene glycol based polymeric precursor, exhibit flower-like morphology whereas thin films derived of other precursors illustrate crack free nanocrystalline films. ZnO thin films on sapphire substrates show an increase in preferential orientation along the (002) plane with increase in annealing temperature. The polymeric precursors have also been used in fabricating maskless patterned ZnO thin films in a single step using the commercial Maskless Mesoscale Materials Deposition system.
Date: December 2006
Creator: Choppali, Uma
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Synthesis of cubic boron nitride thin films on silicon substrate using electron beam evaporation.

Description: Cubic boron nitride (cBN) synthesis has gained lot of interest during the past decade as it offers outstanding physical and chemical properties like high hardness, high wear resistance, and chemical inertness. Despite of their excellent properties, every application of cBN is hindered by high compressive stresses and poor adhesion. The cost of equipment is also high in almost all the techniques used so far. This thesis deals with the synthesis of cubic phase of boron nitride on Si (100) wafers using electron beam evaporator, a low cost equipment that is capable of depositing films with reduced stresses. Using this process, need of ion beam employed in ion beam assisted processes can be eliminated thus reducing the surface damage and enhancing the film adhesion. Four sets of samples have been deposited by varying substrate temperature and the deposition time. scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques have been used to determine the structure and composition of the films deposited. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was performed on one of the samples to determine the thickness of the film deposited for the given deposition rate. Several samples showed dendrites being formed as a stage of film formation. It was found that deposition at substrate temperature of 400oC and for a period of one hour yielded high quality cubic boron nitride films.
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Date: May 2004
Creator: Vemuri, Prasanna
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Failure by fracture and fatigue in 'NANO' and 'BIO'materials

Description: The behavior of nanostructured materials/small-volumestructures and biologi-cal/bio-implantable materials, so-called "nano"and "bio" materials, is currently much in vogue in materials science. Oneaspect of this field, which to date has received only limited attention,is their fracture and fatigue properties. In this paper, we examine twotopics in this area, namely the premature fatigue failure ofsilicon-based micron-scale structures for microelectromechanical systems(MEMS), and the fracture properties of mineralized tissue, specificallyhuman bone.
Date: December 19, 2003
Creator: Ritchie, R.O.; Muhlstein, C.L. & Nalla, R.K.
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Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department