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

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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XPS Depth Profile Analysis of Zn3N2 Thin Films Grown at Different N2/Ar Gas Flow Rates by RF Magnetron Sputtering

Nanoscale Research Letters ◽

10.1186/s11671-016-1769-y ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

M. Baseer Haider

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Depth Profile ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Profile Analysis ◽

Rf Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Depth Profile Analysis ◽

Flow Rates ◽

Ar Gas ◽

Xps Depth Profile

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Effects of fluorine incorporation on the structural and electrical properties of Diamond-like carbon

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/opl.2015.306 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1734 ◽

Author(s):

Kento Nakanishi ◽

Jun Otsuka ◽

Masanori Hiratsuka ◽

Chen Chung Du ◽

Akira Shirakura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Electrical Properties ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Diamond Like Carbon ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Sheet Resistivity ◽

Nitrogen Doped ◽

Structural And Electrical Properties

ABSTRACTDiamond-like carbon (DLC) has widespread attention as a new material for its application to thin film solar cells and other semiconducting devices. DLC can be produced at a lower cost than amorphous silicon, which is utilized for solar cells today. However, the electrical properties of DLC are insufficient for this purpose because of many dangling bonds in DLC. To solve this problem, we investigated the effects of the fluorine incorporation on the structural and electrical properties of DLC.We prepared five kinds of fluorinated DLC (F-DLC) thin film with different amounts of fluorine. Films were deposited by the radio-frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) method. C6H6 and C6HF5 were used as source gases. The total gas flow rate was constant and the gas flow rate ratio R (=C6H6 / (C6H6 + C6HF5)) was changed from 0 to 1 in 0.25 ratio steps. We also prepared nitrogen doped DLC (F-DLC) on p-Si using N2 gas as a doping gas to form nitrogen doped DLC (F-DLC) / p-Si heterojunction diodes.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that fluorine concentration in the DLC films was controlled. Moreover, the XPS analysis of the C1s spectrum at R=2/4 showed the presence of CF bonding. At R=1, CF2 bonding was observed in addition to CF bonding. The sheet resistivity of the films changed from 3.07×1012 to 4.86×109 Ω. The minimum value was obtained at R=2/4. The current-voltage characteristics indicated that nitrogen doped F-DLC of 2/4 and p-Si heterojunction diode exhibited the best rectification characteristics and its energy conversion efficiency had been maximized. This is because of a decrease of dangling bonds density by ESR analysis and an increase of sp2 structures by Raman analysis. When the fluorine is over certain content, the sheet resistivity increases because chain structures become larger, which is due to the CF2 bonding in F-DLC prevents ring structures. Many C2F4 species were observed and it may become precursors of the chain structure domains, such as (CF2)n.In this study, we revealed effects of fluorine incorporation on DLC and succeeded in increasing its conductivity and improving rectification characteristics of DLC/ p-Si hetero-junction diodes. Our results indicate that DLC fluorination is effective for the semiconducting material, such as solar cell applications.

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A Study on the Effect of Process Parameters on Surface Topography of Al Thin Films on Various Substrates Using AFM

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.383-390.903 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 383-390 ◽

pp. 903-908

Author(s):

S. Shanmugan ◽

D. Mutharasu ◽

Z. Hassan ◽

H. Abu. Hassan

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Surface Topography ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Process Conditions ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Glass Substrates ◽

Sputtering Power ◽

Large Particles ◽

Ar Gas

Al thin films were prepared over different substrates at various process conditions using DC sputtering. The surface topography of all prepared films was examined using AFM technique. Very smooth, uniform and dense surface were observed for Al films coated over Glass substrates. The observed particle size was nano scale (20 -70 nm) for Glass substrates. Sputtering power showed immense effect on surface roughness with respective to Ar gas flow rate. Noticeable change on surface with large particles was observed in Copper substrates at various sputtering power and gas flow rate.

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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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ZnO:Al Thin Films with Buffer Layers Fabricated via Nitrogen Mediated Crystallization: Effects of N2/Ar Gas Flow Rate Ratio

Transactions of the Materials Research Society of Japan ◽

10.14723/tmrsj.37.165 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 165-168 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Iping Suhariadi ◽

Naho Itagaki ◽

Kazunari Kuwahara ◽

Koichi Oshikawa ◽

Daisuke Yamashita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Rate Ratio ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Buffer Layers ◽

Flow Rate Ratio ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Ar Gas

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Influences of oxygen gas flow rate on electrical properties of Ga-doped ZnO thin films deposited on glass and sapphire substrates

Thin Solid Films ◽

10.1016/j.tsf.2014.02.013 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 559 ◽

pp. 78-82 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Hisao Makino ◽

Huaping Song ◽

Tetsuya Yamamoto

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Electrical Properties ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Zno Thin Films ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Sapphire Substrates ◽

Oxygen Gas ◽

Doped Zno

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A Study on the Electrical Properties of ITO Thin Films with Various Oxygen Gas Flow Rate

Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering ◽

10.5695/jkise.2007.40.3.144 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 144-148 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dong-H. Choi ◽

Min-J. Keum ◽

A.R. Jean ◽

Jean-G. Han

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Electrical Properties ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Ito Thin Films ◽

Oxygen Gas

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Influence of Ar gas flow rate in organosilicon plasma for the fabrication of SiO:CH thin films by PECVD method

Surface and Coatings Technology ◽

10.1016/j.surfcoat.2008.06.004 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 202 (22-23) ◽

pp. 5259-5261 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yongsup Yun ◽

Takanori Yoshida ◽

Norifumi Shimazu ◽

Naoki Nanba ◽

Yasushi Inoue ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Ar Gas

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

International Journal of Modern Physics B ◽

10.1142/s021797920905479x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 23 (31) ◽

pp. 5811-5818 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

JAY ARRE TOQUE ◽

M. HAMDI ◽

A. IDE-EKTESSABI ◽

IIS SOPYAN

Keyword(s):

Calcium Phosphate ◽

Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Adhesion Strength ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Rf Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Rf Power ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Argon Gas ◽

Control Factors

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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