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Special Issue "Plasma Thin Films"

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A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Plasma Coatings, Surfaces & Interfaces".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2023 | Viewed by 5281

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Dr. Andrei Avram

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National Institute for R&D in Microtechnologies – IMT Bucharest, Strada Erou Iancu Nicolae 126A, 077190 Voluntari, Romania
Interests: plasma etching; inductively coupled plasma; chemical vapor deposition; reactive ion etching; graphene; thin films; MEMS and NEMS; thin membranes; magnetism; magnetophoresis; dielectrophoresis
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Dear Colleagues,

Plasma-assissted deposition processes are some of the most widely used methods for the growth and deposition of various types of thin films for a broad range of applications. From the classical oxides and nitrides used in microelectronics, to the more recent organic polymers and exotic 2D materials, plasma processes have always been relied upon to provide good-quality large-scale thin films in a controlled and reproducible manner. What makes plasma assisted deposition so versatile is the ability to synthesize complex thin films while maintaining a relatively low substrate temperature. Additionally, by adjusting proces parameters, modern plasma-assisted deposition processes allows for film properties to be controlled by modifying electron density, energy, and distribution function, among others. This ability to produce such a wide range of thin films with varying properties has placed plasma-assisted deposition processes at the forefront of novel materials research.

The topics of interest for this Special Issue include papers on the following topics:

Novel materials deposition;
Advances in 2D material synthesis;
Metamaterials and nanocomposites;
Carbon-based materials;
Transparent conductive coatings;
Biocompatible coatings;
Organic polymer deposition;
Low-temperature deposition;
Remote plasma ALD and CVD;
High-throughput processes.

Dr. Andrei Avram
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 2200 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

plasma synthesis
conductive thin films
semiconductor thin films
dielectric thin films
functional thin films

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Nanostructured Semi-Transparent TiO₂ Nanoparticle Coatings Produced by Magnetron-Based Gas Aggregation Source

Adéla Hanková

Anna Kuzminova

and

Ondřej Kylián

Coatings 2023, 13(1), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13010051 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1279

Abstract

A novel strategy to produce semi-transparent TiO₂ nanoparticle-based coatings is investigated. This two-step strategy utilizes a magnetron-based gas aggregation source of Ti nanoparticles that are subsequently annealed in air at the temperature of 450 °C. It is shown that by using this technique, it is possible to fabricate highly porous and patterned TiO₂ nanoparticle coatings with an optical band gap of around 3.0 eV on the substrate materials commonly used as transparent electrodes in photovoltaic applications or for water-splitting. In addition, it is shown that the morphology of the resulting coatings may be varied by changing the angle between the direction of the substrate and the incoming beam of nanoparticles. As demonstrated, the tilting of the substrate leads to the formation of columnar nanoparticle films. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Thin Films)

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Open AccessArticle

Plasma-Polymerized Aniline–Diphenylamine Thin Film Semiconductors

Claudia Nastase

Gabriel Prodan

and

Florin Nastase

Coatings 2022, 12(10), 1441; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12101441 - 30 Sep 2022

Viewed by 723

Abstract

Semiconducting polymer thin films were grown by a DC plasma-polymerized technique using a mixture of aniline–diphenylamine as a precursor. FT-IR spectra were taken in order to analyze the structural properties of the resulting polymers. From morphological and structural studies performed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction, an organized structure in plasma polymer thin films was distinguished. I–V characteristics in an asymmetric electrode configuration were studied to determine the conduction mechanism. It was found that the conduction mechanism controlled by SCLC is dominant in plasma-polymerized aniline–diphenylamine (PPAni-PDPA) thin films. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Thin Films)

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Open AccessArticle

Step-By-Step Development of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes by Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Octavian-Gabriel Simionescu

and

Coatings 2022, 12(7), 943; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12070943 - 03 Jul 2022

Viewed by 984

Abstract

In this work, the growth process of self-sustained vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VA-CNTs) is investigated in full: from bare Si wafers to fully grown VA-CNTs on 4″ wafers. Each developmental step, from supporting and catalyst layers’ depositions to CNT growth, is analyzed through X-ray diffraction, X-ray reflectivity, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The crystalline structure of the titanium nitride supporting layer is investigated through grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, while X-ray reflectivity provides information regarding the density, thickness, and roughness of the titanium nitride layer via extended Fourier analysis. Further, the nickel layers’ and CNTs’ morphologies are investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Thin Films)

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Open AccessArticle

Study on Corrosion Resistance and Biological Properties of the Double Glow Plasma Nb-Zr Biological Implantation Alloying Layers

and

Coatings 2022, 12(7), 942; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12070942 - 02 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 917

Abstract

In order to improve the corrosion resistance of implant materials and understand the corrosion mechanisms, we prepared a biomedical Nb-Zr alloying layer on 316L stainless steel using double-layer glow plasma surface-alloying technology and investigated the effects of gas pressures on its surface structure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior. In particular, the surface states of the substrate and alloying layers were investigated using 3D confocal micrographs, the water contact angle, and UV reflectance, which aims to study the effect of the surface quality on corrosion resistance and discuss the corrosion mechanisms. The results show that the working pressure has an effect on the current density, the sputtering amount of the alloying elements, and the diffusion process of the alloying elements during glow discharge. The Nb-Zr alloying layer prepared under a pressure of 40 Pa had a uniform and dense surface structure, and the distribution was island-like. A Nb-Zr alloying layer with a thickness of 15 μm was successfully obtained, including the diffusion layer and the deposition layer. Simultaneously, the elements Nb and Zr were gradually distributed along the depth, and a high Nb concentration formed in the Nb-Zr alloying layer. The solid solution formed by Zr in the Nb layer significantly improved the microhardness and corrosion resistance of the substrate. The Nb-Zr alloying layer prepared under a pressure of 40 Pa had the lowest corrosion current density and excellent corrosion resistance, which originated from the passive film formed by the Nb-Zr alloying layer that could inhibit the invasion of corrosive ions and improve the corrosion resistance. In addition, the Nb-Zr alloying layer could promote cell proliferation during long-term use and had good biocompatibility. Our study provides an efficient, high-quality processing method for the surface modification of biomedical metallic materials to form thicker Nb-Zr alloying layers as a cost-effective alternative to bulk Nb-based alloys. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Thin Films)

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Review

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Open AccessFeature PaperReview

A Review of Vertical Graphene and Its Biomedical Applications

and

Coatings 2023, 13(4), 761; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13040761 - 12 Apr 2023

Viewed by 709

Abstract

This paper explores the synthesis methods and properties of vertically aligned graphene nanosheets (VG) and their applications. VG is obtained using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method, and different VG types with other properties can be obtained by changing the process parameters. VG is part of the graphene family; properties such as excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, chemical stability, and a large, specific surface area make it suitable for biomedical applications. Examples of biomedical applications in which VG is used are biosensors, electrochemical sensors, modified surfaces for bone growth, regeneration, and for antimicrobial effects. First, VG’s properties are reviewed in this review article, and then the most recent progress in its applications and related sciences and technologies are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma Thin Films)

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