Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.7
3.4
Journals
Coatings
Special Issues
Thin Film Dynamics: Theory and Computer Simulations
share announcement

Thin Film Dynamics: Theory and Computer Simulations

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 2023) | Viewed by 10072

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Arvaidas Galdikas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: surface physics and chemistry; kinetic modeling; thin films; mass transfer; diffusion; heterogeneous catalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is the theory, modeling, and computer simulations of thin film growth processes during deposition by various methods such as physical and chemical vapor deposition, magnetron sputtering, ion-beam-assisted deposition, and many other methods. Thin film morphology, structure, and other properties are determined by the applied deposition method, and it is very important is to understand the mechanisms and dynamics of elementary processes that take place during film deposition (adsorption and desorption in nonthermodynamic equilibrium conditions, surface and bulk diffusion, surface chemical reactions at external activation by particle beams (ions, electrons, photons of all electromagnetic spectra), coalescence (considering different mechanisms, activation by external particle beams), clustering, layering, etc.). A deep understanding of elementary processes, their dynamics, and their mechanisms at different deposition methods allows for the controlling of various physical, chemical, and structural properties of films. Despite the huge progress made in theory, mathematical modeling, and computer simulation of thin film growth, there are still many unanswered questions, especially concerning the deposition and growth of multicomponent and compound thin films and coatings. We warmly invite researchers to submit their contributions, both original research articles and review papers, to this Special Issue that are related to theory, mathematical modeling, and computer simulations analyzing the kinetics and mechanisms of elementary processes taking place during the deposition of compounds and multicomponent thin films.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

  • Adsorption;
  • Coalescence;
  • Compound films;
  • Surface diffusion;
  • Kinetic modeling;
  • Surface roughness;
  • Phase separation;
  • Multilayers;
  • Film morphology.

Prof. Arvaidas Galdikas
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.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 6733 KiB  
Article
Numerical Insights into the Influence of Electrical Properties of n-CdS Buffer Layer on the Performance of SLG/Mo/p-Absorber/n-CdS/n-ZnO/Ag Configured Thin Film Photovoltaic Devices
by Asmaa Soheil Najm, Puvaneswaran Chelvanathan, Sieh Kiong Tiong, Mohammad Tanvirul Ferdaous, Seyed Ahmad Shahahmadi, Yulisa Yusoff, Kamaruzzaman Sopian and Nowshad Amin
Coatings 2021, 11(1), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11010052 - 6 Jan 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2877
Abstract
A CdS thin film buffer layer has been widely used as conventional n-type heterojunction partner both in established and emerging thin film photovoltaic devices. In this study, we perform numerical simulation to elucidate the influence of electrical properties of the CdS buffer layer, [...] Read more.
A CdS thin film buffer layer has been widely used as conventional n-type heterojunction partner both in established and emerging thin film photovoltaic devices. In this study, we perform numerical simulation to elucidate the influence of electrical properties of the CdS buffer layer, essentially in terms of carrier mobility and carrier concentration on the performance of SLG/Mo/p-Absorber/n-CdS/n-ZnO/Ag configured thin film photovoltaic devices, by using the Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS-1D). A wide range of p-type absorber layers with a band gap from 0.9 to 1.7 eV and electron affinity from 3.7 to 4.7 eV have been considered in this simulation study. For an ideal absorber layer (no defect), the carrier mobility and carrier concentration of CdS buffer layer do not significantly alter the maximum attainable efficiency. Generally, it was revealed that for an absorber layer with a conduction band offset (CBO) that is more than 0.3 eV, Jsc is strongly dependent on the carrier mobility and carrier concentration of the CdS buffer layer, whereas Voc is predominantly dependent on the back contact barrier height. However, as the bulk defect density of the absorber layer is increased from 1014 to 1018 cm−3, a CdS buffer layer with higher carrier mobility and carrier concentration is an imperative requirement to a yield device with higher conversion efficiency and a larger band gap-CBO window for realization of a functional device. Most tellingly, simulation outcomes from this study reveal that electrical properties of the CdS buffer layer play a decisive role in determining the progress of emerging p-type photo-absorber layer materials, particularly during the embryonic device development stage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Dynamics: Theory and Computer Simulations)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 30064 KiB  
Article
Modelling of Phase Structure and Surface Morphology Evolution during Compound Thin Film Deposition
by Gediminas Kairaitis and Arvaidas Galdikas
Coatings 2020, 10(11), 1077; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10111077 - 9 Nov 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2098
Abstract
The dependences of the surface roughness and the phase structure of compound thin films on substrate temperature and flux of incoming particles are investigated by a proposed mathematical model. The model, which describes physically deposited thin compound film growth process is based on [...] Read more.
The dependences of the surface roughness and the phase structure of compound thin films on substrate temperature and flux of incoming particles are investigated by a proposed mathematical model. The model, which describes physically deposited thin compound film growth process is based on the Cahn–Hilliard equation and includes processes of phase separation, adsorption, and diffusion. In order to analyze large temperature range and assuming deposition of energetic particles, the diffusion is discriminated into thermal diffusion, radiation-enhanced diffusion, and ion beam mixing. The model is adapted to analyze surface roughness evolution during film growth. The influences of the substrate temperature and incoming flux particles on the surface roughness are determined by a series of numerical experiments. The modelling results showed that the surface roughness increased as the substrate temperature rose. Besides, a similar relationship was discovered between substrate temperature and size of nanoparticles formed in binary films, so the increase in the surface roughness with the substrate temperature was attributed to the increase in size of nanoparticles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Dynamics: Theory and Computer Simulations)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 2441 KiB  
Article
Atomistic Simulation of Stresses in Growing Silicon Dioxide Films
by Fedor V. Grigoriev, Vladimir B. Sulimov and Alexander V. Tikhonravov
Coatings 2020, 10(3), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10030220 - 29 Feb 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2597
Abstract
Dependence of stress values in silicon dioxide films on its thickness in the initial stage of film growth was investigated using atomistic molecular dynamics simulation. It was shown that the stress in normally deposited films was compressive and varied slightly with growth of [...] Read more.
Dependence of stress values in silicon dioxide films on its thickness in the initial stage of film growth was investigated using atomistic molecular dynamics simulation. It was shown that the stress in normally deposited films was compressive and varied slightly with growth of film thickness. The stress in the glancing angle deposited films was several times lower than the stress in the normally deposited films, and varied from compressive stress to tensile stress with increasing film thickness. An essential anisotropy of stress tensor components was revealed for the case of glancing angle deposition. The calculated stress values were in the interval of experimental data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Dynamics: Theory and Computer Simulations)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

14 pages, 1536 KiB  
Review
Spray Freezing Coating on the Carrier Particles for Powder Preparation
by Qing Xu, Ruixin Wang, Fan Zhang, Ruifang Wang, Long Wu and Bo Lin
Coatings 2022, 12(7), 896; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12070896 - 24 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1682
Abstract
Carrier particle spray freeze-drying is a new technology with high added value for thermosensitive powder spray freeze-drying. The technology includes the following steps: atomization, coating, freezing, and drying. Due to the action of carrier particles, the condensation of frozen droplets in the conventional [...] Read more.
Carrier particle spray freeze-drying is a new technology with high added value for thermosensitive powder spray freeze-drying. The technology includes the following steps: atomization, coating, freezing, and drying. Due to the action of carrier particles, the condensation of frozen droplets in the conventional spray freeze-drying process is overcome. However, there are many influencing factors involved in the process of freezing coating. The mechanism of the complex droplet collision freezing process still needs to be studied. In this paper, from the perspective of spray freezing coating after atomized droplets collide with low-temperature carrier particles, the coating process and freezing process of single droplets impacting the sphere are analyzed microscopically. The freezing coating processes of static and dynamic carrier particles are reviewed. Moreover, the surface evaluation of powder and equipment development for creating powder products is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Dynamics: Theory and Computer Simulations)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop