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Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Films
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Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Films

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Characterization, Deposition and Modification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 21068

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Susana Sério

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: oxide thin films; magnetron sputtering technique; hybrid solar cells; functional coatings; plasma medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite you to submit your work to a Special Issue on “Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Films”. This Special Issue aims at the publication of theoretical and experimental studies and reviews related to the optical, electronic, magnetic, mechanical, and sensing properties of thin films produced via the magnetron sputtering technique. Thin films are a key factor in the development and study of materials with new and unique properties. Moreover, advances in thin film deposition techniques have permitted a wide range of technological breakthroughs in many industrial areas, such as the semiconductor, optical/optoelectronic, photovoltaic, tooling, biomedical, automotive, aeronautic, and aerospace industries. Among the known methods for producing thin films, magnetron sputtering is of particular interest as it can be used to prepare high-quality thin films and is an environmentally-friendly industrial process, which can also be applied to large-area substrates or even when large-scale production is required.

For this Special Issue, we invite researchers to present original research papers, review articles or short communications on the latest experimental and theoretical developments in the field of magnetron sputtering deposition of thin films that will foster the continuous development of advanced concepts for the benefit, in the short and medium term, of the scientific community and also of the industrial sectors. In particular, the topics of interest for this Special Issue include but are not limited to:

  • Production and characterization;
  • Protective and tribological coatings;
  • Coatings related to energy conversion;
  • Mechanics and nanomechanics of thin films;
  • Electrical, magnetic and optical coatings;
  • Functional thin films: e.g. photocatalytic coatings;
  • Biological applications of thin films;
  • Thin film devices: e.g., sensors and actuators.

Prof. Susana Sério
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • magnetron sputtering
  • thin films properties
  • functional coatings
  • thin film devices

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 6116 KiB  
Article
HIPIMS/UBM PVD Coating Equipment Designed to Coat Universal Sized Broaches
by Wolf-Dieter Münz, Roman Klink, Dejan Aleksic and Mansour Mazaheri
Coatings 2022, 12(3), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12030300 - 23 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2713
Abstract
This paper describes a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating equipment, as well as the according deposition parameters suitable to provide hard nitride coatings on broaches up to a length of 2.2 m. The octagonal-shaped vacuum chamber reached a height of 4.5 m and [...] Read more.
This paper describes a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating equipment, as well as the according deposition parameters suitable to provide hard nitride coatings on broaches up to a length of 2.2 m. The octagonal-shaped vacuum chamber reached a height of 4.5 m and a diameter of 1.2 m. To explore a sufficient and reproducible film, an adhesion test sample and tools were subjected to a pretreatment in a Cr2+ Ar+ high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) plasma prior to the actual film deposition. Two deposition methods were applied: reactive unbalanced magnetron (UBM) sputtering was introduced to deposit TiAlN-based coatings from Ti50Al50 2.5 m long targets. Alternatively, multilayer coatings were generated by reactive simultaneous UBM sputtering from Ti50Al50 and TiAl6V4 targets, respectively, and chromium targets utilizing high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) technology. In the latter case, three cathodes were furnished with 0.9 m long targets lined up upon each other. A segmented UBM cathode design was described to meet economic deposition if varying tool sample lots in the deferring workpiece lengths have to be handled in industrial practice. The resulting (TiAl/Cr)N multilayer coatings attained typical hardness values of HV 2800 and an adhesion measured by critical load up to 50 N. The cutting performance of this coating was evaluated by simulated shaping tests over a test length of 210 m on C 45 steel. The (TiAlV/Cr)N showed an improved wear behavior by factor of 2 to 3 compared to TiN deposited by cathodic arc operated in an industrial PVD coater. A real comparison was undertaken, applied to a 1.3 m long model broach. (TiAl/Cr)N showed a prolongation in industrial lifetime by 150% compared to TiN. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Films)
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12 pages, 1706 KiB  
Article
Providing a Specified Level of Electromagnetic Shielding with Nickel Thin Films Formed by DC Magnetron Sputtering
by Oleg A. Testov, Andrey E. Komlev, Kamil G. Gareev, Ivan K. Khmelnitskiy, Victor V. Luchinin, Eugeniy N. Sevost’yanov and Igor O. Testov
Coatings 2021, 11(12), 1455; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11121455 - 26 Nov 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2301
Abstract
Nickel films of 4–250 nm thickness were produced by DC magnetron sputtering onto glass and silicon substrates. The electrical properties of the films were investigated by the four-probe method and the surface morphology of the films was studied by atomic force microscopy. To [...] Read more.
Nickel films of 4–250 nm thickness were produced by DC magnetron sputtering onto glass and silicon substrates. The electrical properties of the films were investigated by the four-probe method and the surface morphology of the films was studied by atomic force microscopy. To measure the shielding effectiveness, a portable closed stand based on horn antennas was used. A theoretical assessment of the shielding effectiveness of nickel films of various thickness under electromagnetic radiation of a range of frequencies was carried out using two different approximations. The results demonstrate the shielding effectiveness of up to 35 dB of the nickel thin films in the frequency range of 2–18 GHz. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Films)
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13 pages, 4259 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Sputtering Technique and Thermal Annealing on YSZ Thin Films for Oxygen Sensing Applications
by Emilio Paz Alpuche, Pascal Gröger, Xuetao Wang, Thomas Kroyer and Stefanos Fasoulas
Coatings 2021, 11(10), 1165; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11101165 - 27 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2308
Abstract
Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films were deposited using direct current (reactive and metallic) and radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The effect of the deposition technique and annealing treatment on the microstructure and crystallinity of the thin films was assessed. Using the films produced in [...] Read more.
Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films were deposited using direct current (reactive and metallic) and radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The effect of the deposition technique and annealing treatment on the microstructure and crystallinity of the thin films was assessed. Using the films produced in this work, oxygen gas sensors were built and their performance under vacuum conditions was evaluated. All the films exhibited a cubic crystalline structure after a post-deposition thermal treatment, regardless of the sputtering technique. When the annealing treatment surpassed 1000 °C, impurities were detected on the thin film surface. The oxygen gas sensors employing the reactive and oxide-sputtered YSZ thin films displayed a proportional increase in the sensor current as the oxygen partial pressure was increased in the evaluated pressure range (5 × 10−6 to 2 × 10−3 mbar). The sensors which employed the metallic-deposited YSZ films suffered from electronic conductivity at low partial pressures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Films)
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12 pages, 1814 KiB  
Article
The Investigation of Microstructure, Photocatalysis and Corrosion Resistance of C-Doped Ti–O Films Fabricated by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering Deposition with CO2 Gas
by Zhiyu Wu, Cong Zhang, Jiaqi Liu, Feng Wen, Huatang Cao and Yutao Pei
Coatings 2021, 11(8), 881; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11080881 - 23 Jul 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4110
Abstract
By employing carbon dioxide as one source of reaction gases, carbon-doped Ti–O films were fabricated via reactive magnetron sputtering deposition. The chemical bonding configurations and microstructure of the films were analyzed by Raman spectrum and SEM, respectively. The effect of pH on the [...] Read more.
By employing carbon dioxide as one source of reaction gases, carbon-doped Ti–O films were fabricated via reactive magnetron sputtering deposition. The chemical bonding configurations and microstructure of the films were analyzed by Raman spectrum and SEM, respectively. The effect of pH on the photocatalytic activities of the films was determined via evaluation of the decolorization rate of methyl orange under alkali, acid and neutrality conditions using UV light irradiation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization tests were employed to determine the anti-corrosion properties. Compared with the C-free Ti–O film, the C-doped Ti–O films exhibit superior corrosion resistance. Furthermore, the results of the photodegradation experiment suggest that the C-doped Ti–O films have excellent photocatalytic activities and, for methyl orange, those with higher carbon content exhibit hyper-photodegradative effect under the alkali condition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Films)
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13 pages, 2628 KiB  
Article
Magnetron Sputtering Thin Films as Tool to Detect Triclosan in Infant Formula Powder: Electronic Tongue Approach
by Cátia Magro, Margarida Sardinha, Paulo A. Ribeiro, Maria Raposo and Susana Sério
Coatings 2021, 11(3), 336; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11030336 - 15 Mar 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2057
Abstract
Triclosan (TCS) is being detected in breast milk and in infants of puerperal women. The harmful effects caused by this compound on living beings are now critical and thus it is pivotal find new tools to TCS monitoring. In the present study, an [...] Read more.
Triclosan (TCS) is being detected in breast milk and in infants of puerperal women. The harmful effects caused by this compound on living beings are now critical and thus it is pivotal find new tools to TCS monitoring. In the present study, an electronic tongue (e-tongue) device comprising an array of sputtered thin films based on Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and titanium dioxide was developed to identify TCS concentrations, from 10−15 to 10−5 M, in both water and milk-based solutions. Impedance spectroscopy was used for device signal transducing and data was analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA). The e-tongue revealed to be able to distinguish water from milk-based matrices through the two Principal Components (PC1 and PC2), which represented 67.3% of the total variance. The PC1 values of infant formula milk powder prepared with tap water (MT) or mineral water (MMW) follows a similar exponential decay curve when plotted with the logarithm of concentration. Therefore, considering the TCS concentration range between 10−15 and 10−9 M, the PC1 values are fitted by a straight line and values of −1.9 ± 0.2 and of 7.6 × 10−16 M were calculated for the sensor sensitivity and sensor resolution, respectively. Additionally, a strong correlation (R = 0.96) between MT and MMW PC1 data was found. These results have shown that the proposed device corresponds to a promisor method for the detection of TCS in milk-based solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Films)
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12 pages, 4018 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Charged Ag Nanoparticles on Thin Film Growth during DC Magnetron Sputtering
by Gil-Su Jang, Du-Yun Kim and Nong-Moon Hwang
Coatings 2020, 10(8), 736; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10080736 - 28 Jul 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3176
Abstract
The possibility that charged nanoparticles (CNPs) are generated in the gas phase during direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering of Ag is studied. Sputtered Ag particles could be captured on an ultrathin amorphous carbon membrane for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. It is confirmed [...] Read more.
The possibility that charged nanoparticles (CNPs) are generated in the gas phase during direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering of Ag is studied. Sputtered Ag particles could be captured on an ultrathin amorphous carbon membrane for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. It is confirmed that the average particle size and the total area of deposition under the condition of the positive bias applied to the substrate are bigger than those under the condition of the negative bias applied to the substrate. The results indicate that some of the sputtered Ag particles are negatively charged. To evaluate the contribution of negatively-charged particles to the film growth, Ag thin films were deposited for 30 min on the Si substrate with the substrate biases of −300, 0 and +300 V and analyzed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and four-point probe. When +300 V was applied to the substrate, the film growth rate was highest with the film thickness of 85.0 nm, the crystallinity was best with the smallest full width at half maximum (FWHM) value of 0.44 and the resistivity was smallest with 3.67 μΩ·cm. In contrast, when −300 V was applied to the substrate, the film growth rate was lowest with the film thickness of 68.9 nm, the crystallinity was worst with the largest FWHM value of 0.53 and the resistivity was largest with 8.87 μΩ·cm. This result indicates that the charge plays an important role in film growth and can be a new process parameter in sputtering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Films)
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10 pages, 17389 KiB  
Article
Generation of Charged Ti Nanoparticles and Their Deposition Behavior with a Substrate Bias during RF Magnetron Sputtering
by Ji-Hye Kwon, Du-Yun Kim and Nong-Moon Hwang
Coatings 2020, 10(5), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10050443 - 30 Apr 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3288
Abstract
This study is based on the film growth by non-classical crystallization, where charged nanoparticles (NPs) are the building block of film deposition. Extensive studies about the generation of charged NPs and their contribution to film deposition have been made in the chemical vapor [...] Read more.
This study is based on the film growth by non-classical crystallization, where charged nanoparticles (NPs) are the building block of film deposition. Extensive studies about the generation of charged NPs and their contribution to film deposition have been made in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. However, only a few studies have been made in the physical vapor deposition (PVD) process. Here, the possibility for Ti films to grow by charged Ti NPs was studied during radio frequency (RF) sputtering using Ti target. After the generation of charged Ti NPs was confirmed, their influence on the film quality was investigated. Charged Ti NPs were captured on amorphous carbon membranes with the electric bias of −70 V, 0 V, +5 V, +15 V and +30 V and examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The number density of the Ti NPs decreased with increasing positive bias, which showed that some of Ti NPs were positively charged and repelled by the positively biased TEM membrane. Ti films were deposited on Si substrates with the bias of −70 V, 0 V and +30 V and analyzed by TEM, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray reflectivity (XRR). The film deposited at −70 V had the highest thickness of 180 nm, calculated density of 4.974 g/cm3 and crystallinity, whereas the film deposited at +30 V had the lowest thickness of 92 nm, calculated density of 3.499 g/cm3 and crystallinity. This was attributed to the attraction of positively charged Ti NPs to the substrate at −70 V and to the landing of only small-sized neutral Ti NPs on the substrate at +30 V. These results indicate that the control of charged NPs is necessary to obtain a high quality thin film at room temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Thin Films)
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