Structuring of DLC:Ag nanocomposite thin films employing plasma chemical etching and ion sputtering (original) (raw)
Related papers
Elsevier B.V., 2018
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images give valuable information about surface roughness of thin films based on the results of power spectral density (PSD) through the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithms. In the present work, AFM data are studied for silver and gold nanoparticles (Ag NPs a-C: H and Au NPs a-C: H) embedded in amorphous hydrogenated carbon films and co-deposited on glass substrate via of RF-Sputtering and RF-Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition methods. Here, the working gas is acetylene and the targets are Ag and Au. While time and power are constant, the only variable parameter in this study is initial pressure. In addition, the crystalline structure of Ag NPs a-C: H and Au NPs a-C: H are studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD). UV–visible spectrophotometry will also investigate optical properties and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of samples. © 2017 The Authors
Fluorocarbon thin films with embedded Ag nano particles were prepared from Ar ion sputtering using alternatively a Teflon or an Ag sputter target. The chemical composition, the structure and the optical properties were analyzed using XPS (X-ray induced photoelectron spectroscopy), HRTEM (high resolution transmission electron microscopy) and UV-VIS spectroscopy, respectively. Further, the surface free energy was determined from contact angle measurements using different liquids. The existence of the Ag nano particle was clearly demonstrated with TEM and the surface plasmon resonance in the UV-VIS transmittance spectra.
Effect of Ar/CH4 Mixture Ratio on Properties of Ag/C:H Nanocomposite Prepared by DC Sputtering
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2013
Ag/C:H films were deposited by DC sputtering method on Si substrates with different Ar/CH4gas mixture ratios. Effect of Ar/CH4gas mixture ratios was investigated on optical and structural properties of Ag/C:H films by FTIR spectroscopy analysis, X-Ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. In order to evaluate the effect of gas flow ratio on the optical and structural properties of Ag/C:H films, Ar/CH4gas ratio was changed by keeping the Ar flow rate constant while varying the CH4gas flow rate (2, 5, and 10 SCCM). From FTIR analysis it was observed that increase in the Ar/CH4gas ratio results in decreasing the sputtered Ag nanoparticles and increasing of C–H bonds. Also from XRD pattern it was found that intensity of Ag crystalline plane and average grain size decrease by adding CH4to working gas admixture. From SEM and AFM micrographs, size of the grains also became smaller on the surface of the films, which will l...
Characterization of nanocomposite a-C:H/Ag thin films synthesized by a hybrid deposition process
The Physics of Metals and Metallography, 2015
Silver containing amorphous carbon films were deposited on Si wafer using a hybrid deposition process combining d.c. magnetron sputtering and PECVD. The concentration of Ag in the films was varied from 1.3 to 8.3 at % by changing d.c. magnetron current of Ag target. The influence of incorporated Ag in the a C:H on the atomic bond structure of the films were investigated by XPS, FTIR, Raman, and HRTEM methods of analysis. The XPS, FTIR, and Raman studies demonstrated that as the silver concentration increased in the a C:H, sp2 bonding content increased and a C:H films changed to more graphitic structure. The high resolution TEM cross sectional studies revealed that crystalline Ag particles formed with a size in the range of 2-4 nm throughout an amorphous a C:H matrix.
Microscopy Research and Technique, 2019
Introduction: In this study, a stereometric analysis of the three dimensional (3‐D) surfaces of the Ag/DLC nanocomposite synthesized by RF‐PECVD was performed. Materials and methods: Atomic force microscopy in noncontact mode was used to study surface morphology in correlation with multi‐parametric statistical analysis. The associated parameters of segmented motifs in conformity with ISO 25178‐2:, 2012 have been extracted using MountainsMap® Premium software. The mathematical algorithm computes detached watersheds of hill or dale motifs and determines the maximum and minimum points of motifs. Results and discussion: The stereometric analyses with MountainsMap® Premium software provided detailed information on the 3‐D surface topography of samples. Fractal analyses revealed the fractal nature of the performed samples is in correlation with the deposition time of samples. Detailed information of manufactured Ag/diamond‐like carbon (DLC) nanocomposite is given based on the information ...
Silver Containing Carbon Amorphous Nanocomposite Films Deposited by Termionic Vacuum Arc Technique
nipne.ro
We investigated the synthesis of silver containing carbon amorphous composite films deposited by thermionic vacuum arc technique, using two electron beams emitted by externally heated cathodes: applying high voltages (1-5kV) between cathodes and the two anodes (carbon and silver), two bright plasma were ignited in carbon and silver atoms. Morphology, chemical composition, microstructure and crystallographic properties of the films were studied by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and low-angle x-ray diffraction. Some mechanical properties (the friction coefficients) were also investigated using a CSM ball-on-disk tribometer.
Patterning of silver on the micro- and nano-scale by local oxidation using air plasma
Nano-Structures and Nano-Objects, 2019
A novel low temperature micro-and nano-patterning approach of metal silver thin films is demonstrated. The process involves local deposition of carbon mask created in situ using the ebeam of scanning electron microscope followed by radio frequency air plasma oxidation. We show that by selecting the appropriate experimental conditions, silver can be transformed locally from metallic to nanoporous oxide. Etching the oxide phase in ammonia solution allows obtaining metal silver patterns. We further show that this approach is not limited to thin films but can be rather extended to nanowires which allows creating periodic metal/metal oxide nanojunctions.
Characterization of nanocrystalline gold/DLC composite films synthesized by plasma CVD technique
Applied Surface Science, 2009
Nanocrystalline gold/DLC composite films (Au-DLC) were deposited by capacitatively coupled r.f. (13.56 MHz) plasma chemical vapour deposition technique. The plasma was generated between two circular aluminium discs. The top aluminium disc was used to hold a 1.0 mm thick gold disc of same diameter and Composite films containing gold nanoparticles embedded in diamond-like carbon (Au-DLC) matrix were deposited on glass and Si (1 0 0) substrates by using capacitatively coupled plasma (CCP) chemical vapour deposition technique (CVD). Particle size and metal volume fraction were tailored by varying the relative amount of argon in the methane + argon gas mixture in the plasma. Optical constants of the films were evaluated. Bonding environment in these films were obtained from Raman and Fourier transformed infrared spectra (FTIR) studies. Blue-shift of the surface plasmon resonance peak in the optical absorbance spectra of the films could be associated with the reduction of the particle size while red shift was observed with the increase in volume fraction of metal particles in the DLC films. Absorption spectra recorded in the reflection mode indicated dichromatism in these films. ß
ArF excimer laser-induced deposition of Ag/C nanocomposite thin films in the presence of n-Hexane
Applied Surface Science, 2014
Ag/C nanocomposite thin films with different Ag/C molar ratios have been prepared using ArF excimer laser-induced ablation process and silver target under n-Hexane atmosphere. The morphology, crystal structure and composition of as-deposited Ag/C nanocomposite thin films were investigated with high resolution electronic microscopic techniques (including scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. Laser Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques were also applied to characterize the final carbonaceous products generated from n-Hexane under laser ablation process. The optical emission of the plume caused by the interaction between excimer laser and silver target in the presence of n-Hexane was studied to understand the possible reaction process. The UV-vis absorption of as-deposited Ag/C thin films, which is attributed to the surface plasmonic excitation, was also investigated in the present work.
Nanotechnology, 2012
Structural properties of SiO x C y -Ag nanocomposite thin films prepared by a dual process PVD-PECVD in the same reactor have been investigated. The experimental results have demonstrated the influence of a PECVD process carried out at room temperature for the growth of a dielectric matrix on the size and the distribution density of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) deposited beforehand by magnetron sputtering. The plasma during the growth of the encapsulation SiO x C y layer caused a diffusion of silver from NPs through the SiO x C y matrix associated with a decrease in the average size of nanoparticles and an increase of their distribution density. Silver diffusion is blocked at a barrier interface to form a buried layer of individual Ag NPs which, for instance, can find plasmonic applications. Silver also diffuses toward the outer surface inducing antibacterial properties. In both cases initial Ag NPs act as reservoirs for multifunctional properties of advanced nanostructured films.