EFFECT OF THE PROCESSING PARAMETERS ON THE INTEGRITY OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE COATINGS PRODUCED BY RF-MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Calcium phosphate (CaP) compounds like hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphates are considered to be very important biomaterials. This study used RF-magnetron sputtering (RF-MS) to deposit CaP onto 316L SS. Due to the complex nature of the effect of different sputtering parameters on the quality and integrity of the coatings, there is a need to further investigate those parameters collectively. An L 9(34) orthogonal array was employed to design the experiment that was used to investigate four important coating parameters which include RF-power, argon gas flow rate, deposition time and post-heat treatment conditions. The coating composition and structure were evaluated using XRD, EDX and FTIR. The mechanical property was measured in terms of the adhesion strength using a microscratch testing machine. The response graph of the results revealed that the interfacial strength of CaP was mainly influenced by the deposition power, while the coating thickness was predominantly affected by the argon gas flow rate. High adhesion strength was achieved when the coatings have at least 2 μ m thickness and deposited at a working pressure of 12 m Torr. ANOVA on the control factors helped rank the parameters accordingly in order of importance. Based on the response of the control factors, it was found that optimum adhesion strength could be achieved by depositing the coatings using the following parameters: 10 sccm of argon gas flow rate; 150 W of RF power; and 16 h of deposition.

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Impact of Ar Flow Rates on Micro-Structural Properties of WS2 Thin Film by RF Magnetron Sputtering

Nanomaterials ◽

10.3390/nano11071635 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1635

Author(s):

Md. Akhtaruzzaman ◽

Md. Shahiduzzaman ◽

Nowshad Amin ◽

Ghulam Muhammad ◽

Mohammad Aminul Islam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Thin Films ◽

Electrical Properties ◽

Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Rf Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Flow Rates ◽

Ar Gas

Tungsten disulfide (WS2) thin films were deposited on soda-lime glass (SLG) substrates using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at different Ar flow rates (3 to 7 sccm). The effect of Ar flow rates on the structural, morphology, and electrical properties of the WS2 thin films was investigated thoroughly. Structural analysis exhibited that all the as-grown films showed the highest peak at (101) plane corresponds to rhombohedral phase. The crystalline size of the film ranged from 11.2 to 35.6 nm, while dislocation density ranged from 7.8 × 1014 to 26.29 × 1015 lines/m2. All these findings indicate that as-grown WS2 films are induced with various degrees of defects, which were visible in the FESEM images. FESEM images also identified the distorted crystallographic structure for all the films except the film deposited at 5 sccm of Ar gas flow rate. EDX analysis found that all the films were having a sulfur deficit and suggested that WS2 thin film bears edge defects in its structure. Further, electrical analysis confirms that tailoring of structural defects in WS2 thin film can be possible by the varying Ar gas flow rates. All these findings articulate that Ar gas flow rate is one of the important process parameters in RF magnetron sputtering that could affect the morphology, electrical properties, and structural properties of WS2 thin film. Finally, the simulation study validates the experimental results and encourages the use of WS2 as a buffer layer of CdTe-based solar cells.

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Band gap modulation of ZnTe1-xOx alloy film by control of oxygen gas flow rate during reactive magnetron sputtering

Applied Physics Letters ◽

10.1063/1.4856375 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 103 (26) ◽

pp. 263901 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Dong Uk Lee ◽

Seon Pil Kim ◽

Kyoung Su Lee ◽

Sang Woo Pak ◽

Eun Kyu Kim

Keyword(s):

Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Band Gap ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Alloy Film ◽

Reactive Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Reactive Magnetron ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Oxygen Gas ◽

Band Gap Modulation

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Effect of Argon Gas Flow Rate on the Optical and Mechanical Properties of Sputtered Tungsten Thin Film Coatings

IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering ◽

10.1088/1757-899x/149/1/012075 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 149 ◽

pp. 012075 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

G Vijaya ◽

M Muralidhar Singh ◽

M S Krupashankara ◽

RS Kulkarni

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Mechanical Properties ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Argon Gas ◽

Film Coatings ◽

Thin Film Coatings ◽

Optical And Mechanical Properties

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Very Wide-Gap and Device-Quality a-Si:H from Highly H2 Diluted SiH4 Plasma Decomposed by High RF Power

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-557-145 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 557 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

N. Terada ◽

S. Yata ◽

A. Terakawa ◽

S. Okamoto ◽

K. Wakisaka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Flow Rate ◽

Gas Flow ◽

High Deposition Rate ◽

Rf Power ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Dilution Ratio ◽

Dilution Technique ◽

Film Properties ◽

Wide Gap ◽

Hydrogenated Amorphous

AbstractThe H2 dilution technique at a high deposition rate (RD) was investigated by depositing hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) under a high if power density of 750 mW/cm2, which is 20 times as large as that of conventional conditions. It was found that the H2 dilution ratio γ ( = [H2 gas flow rate] / [SiH4 gas flow rate]) tendency of the film properties, such as the H content (CH), optical gap (Eopt), SiH2/SiH and photoconductivity (σph) of a-Si:H is different for the high rf power (750 mW/cm2) and the medium rf power (75 mW/cm2) conditions. Under medium rf power, the CH, Eopt and SiH2/SiH decrease as γ increases. Under the high if power, on the contrary, the CH and Eopt, monotonously increase while maintaining a low SiH2/SiH and a high σph of 10-6 S/cm as γ increases. These results suggest that increasing the rf power enhances the H incorporation reactions due to H2 dilution. It is thought that a high rf power causes the depletion of SiH4 and hence the extinction of H radicals, expressed by SiH4 + H* → SiH3* + H2, is suppressed. A high H radical density enhances the incorporation of H into a-Si:H, resulting in very wide-gap a-Si:H with a high CH, Consequently, very wide-gap a-Si:H with device-quality (Eopt of 1.82 eV with an (αhv)1/3 plot, corresponding to > 2.1 eV with Tauc's plot, and σph of 10-6 S/cm) can be obtained at a high RD of 12 Å/s without carbon alloying.

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Structural and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study of Al-Doped Zinc-Oxide Thin Films

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering ◽

10.1155/2015/734396 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-5 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Bong Ju Lee ◽

Ho Jun Song ◽

Jin Jeong

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Zinc Oxide ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Rf Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Photoelectron Spectra ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

X Ray ◽

Oxide Component

Al-doped zinc-oxide (AZO) thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering at different oxygen partial pressures and substrate temperatures. The charge-carrier concentrations in the films decreased from 1.69 × 1021to 6.16 × 1017 cm−3with increased gas flow rate from 7 to 21 sccm. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show that the (002)/(103) peak-intensity ratio decreased as the gas flow rate increased, which was related to the increase of AZO thin film disorder. X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) of the O1s were decomposed into metal oxide component (peak A) and the adsorbed molecular oxygen on thin films (peak B). The area ratio of XPS peaks (A/B) was clearly related to the stoichiometry of AZO films; that is, the higher value of A/B showed the higher stoichiometric properties.

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Optical Characterization of Amorphous SiNx:H Films Prepared by Plasma-Enhanced CVD

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-281-803 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 281 ◽

Author(s):

Rung-Ywan Tsai ◽

L. C. Kuo ◽

F. C. Ho

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Electrode Spacing ◽

Refractive Indices ◽

Rf Power ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Obvious Effect ◽

Deposition Rates ◽

Plasma Enhanced Cvd

ABSTRACTAmorphous SiNx:H thin films were prepared by plasma-enhanced CVD process. The effects of preparation conditions on the optical properties, compositions, and deposition rates of a-SiNx:H films were systematically studied by means of spectrophotometer, ellipsometer, and infrared spectroscopy measurements. It has been found that the refractive indices decrease with increasing the NH3 gas flow rate and the rf power, and increase with increasing the electrode spacing. Conversely, the deposition rates increase with increasing the NH3 gas flow rate and the rf power, and decrease with increasing the electrode spacing. There was no obvious effect of substrate temperatures ranging from 250 to 320°C on the optical properties and deposition rates of a-SiNx :H films. The decrease of the refractive index and the increase of the deposition rate were due to the increase of the nitrogen composition x occurring in the a-SiNx:H films. Refractive indices n and extinction coefficients k of a-SiNx:H films can be varied from n = 3.6 and k = 0.1 for x = 0 (pure a-Si:H) to n = 1.8 and k = 0 for x = 1.33 (pure a-Si3 N4:H) at the wavelength of 633 nm.

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