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Deposition and Characterization of Thin Metallic- and Semiconductor-Based Films

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Dear Colleagues,

The production of thin films and their efficient characterization is continually growing research topic. Thin films, especially the nanostructured ones, show many interesting effects because of their strongly reduced size, and they have numerous important ongoing and potential applications.

The aim of this Issue is to provide insight into the recent development of techniques for the preparation and characterization of thin films. Especially interesting are the techniques enabling the self-assembled growth of regularly ordered nanostructures, complex nano-objects like core/shell nanoparticles or nanowires, as well as all types of thin films with some interesting properties and/or applications. Another focus of this Issue concerns the modern techniques for the efficient characterization of the thin films’ properties. Grazing incidence X-ray based techniques are welcomed, as well all others techniques sensitive to the close-to-the-surface area of the material. Techniques for the characterization of the optical and electrical properties of the thin films are of high interest as well.

Dr. Maja Mičetić
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Deposition of semiconductor- and metallic-based thin films
thin film characterization

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10 pages, 2637 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of Al+MoO₃ and Au+MoO₃ Thin Films Prepared by Magnetron Codeposition

by Tihomir Car, Ivan Jakovac, Ivana Šarić, Sigrid Bernstorff and Maja Micetic

Materials 2021, 14(4), 766; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14040766 - 6 Feb 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2696

Abstract

Structural, optical and electrical properties of Al+MoO₃ and Au+MoO₃ thin films prepared by simultaneous magnetron sputtering deposition were investigated. The influence of MoO₃ sputtering power on the Al and Au nanoparticle formation and spatial distribution was explored. We demonstrated the formation of spatially arranged Au nanoparticles in the MoO₃ matrix, while Al incorporates in the MoO₃ matrix without nanoparticle formation. The dependence of the Au nanoparticle size and arrangement on the MoO₃ sputtering power was established. The Al-based films show a decrease of overall absorption with an Al content increase, while the Au-based films have the opposite trend. The transport properties of the investigated films also are completely different. The resistivity of the Al-based films increases with the Al content, while it decreases with the Au content increase. The reason is a different transport mechanism that occurs in the films due to their different structural properties. The choice of the incorporated material (Al or Au) and its volume percentage in the MoO₃ matrix enables the design of materials with desirable optical and electrical characteristics for a variety of applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deposition and Characterization of Thin Metallic- and Semiconductor-Based Films)

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16 pages, 4425 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geometry Control of Source/Drain Electrodes in Organic Field-Effect Transistors by Electrohydrodynamic Inkjet Printing

by Piotr Sleczkowski, Michal Borkowski, Hanna Zajaczkowska, Jacek Ulanski, Wojciech Pisula and Tomasz Marszalek

Materials 2020, 13(21), 4974; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13214974 - 5 Nov 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4261

Abstract

In this work we study the influence of dielectric surface and process parameters on the geometry and electrical properties of silver electrodes obtained by electrohydrodynamic inkjet printing. The cross-section and thickness of printed silver tracks are optimized to achieve a high conductivity. Silver overprints with cross-section larger than 4 μm² and thickness larger than 90 nm exhibit the lowest resistivity. To fabricate electrodes in the desired geometry, a sufficient volume of ink is distributed on the surface by applying appropriate voltage amplitude. Single and multilayer overprints are incorporated as bottom contacts in bottom gate organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with a semiconducting polymer as active layer. The multilayer electrodes result in significantly higher electrical parameters than single layer contacts, confirming the importance of a careful design of the printed tracks for reliable device performance. The results provide important design guidelines for precise fabrication of electrodes in electronic devices by electrohydrodynamic inkjet printing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deposition and Characterization of Thin Metallic- and Semiconductor-Based Films)

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11 pages, 3140 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deposition of Thin Alumina Films Containing 3D Ordered Network of Nanopores on Porous Substrates

by Marija Tkalčević, Marijan Gotić, Lovro Basioli, Martina Lihter, Goran Dražić, Sigrid Bernstorff, Tomislav Vuletić and Maja Mičetić

Materials 2020, 13(13), 2883; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13132883 - 27 Jun 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3155

Abstract

Self-supporting thin films containing nanopores are very promising materials for use for multiple applications, especially in nanofiltration. Here, we present a method for the production of nanomembranes containing a 3D ordered network of nanopores in an alumina matrix, with a diameter of about 1 nm and a body centered tetragonal structure of the network nodes. The material is produced by the magnetron sputtering deposition of a 3D ordered network of Ge nanowires in an alumina matrix, followed by a specific annealing process resulting in the evaporation of Ge. We demonstrate that the films can be easily grown on commercially available alumina substrates containing larger pores with diameters between 20 and 400 nm. We have determined the minimal film thickness needed to entirely cover the larger pores. We believe that these films have the potential for applications in the fields of filtration, separation and sensing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deposition and Characterization of Thin Metallic- and Semiconductor-Based Films)

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Deposition and Characterization of Thin Metallic- and Semiconductor-Based Films

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