We show that a precise control of deposition speed during the fabrication of polyfullerenes and donor polymer films by convective self-assembly leads to an optimized film microstructure comprised of interconnected crystalline polymer domains comparab...
We report the fabrication and characterization of solution-route CeO2 thin films with a tunable porosity and microstructure. Films were deposited by means of inkjet printing technique using 0.2 M, 0.4 M and 0.6 M concentration inks prepared from Ce(N...
Nanocrystalline titanium diboride (TiB2) ceramics films were prepared on a high purity graphite substrate via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The substrate was synthesized by a gas mixture of TiCl4, BCl3, and H2 under 1000 °C and 10 Pa. Properties a...
There is a clearly demonstrated relationship between the microstructure, processing and resulting optoelectronic properties of conjugated polymers. Here, we exploited this relationship by exposing polyfluorene thin films to various solvent vapors via...
Diamond-like films (DLC) are an exceptional engineering material with excellent performance such as high hardness, low friction coefficient, superior wear resistance and chemical inertness. However, two major problems of high internal stress and poor...
Here, the electrical properties of NiO thin films grown on glass and Al2O3 (0001) substrates have been investigated. It was found that the resistivity of NiO thin films strongly depends on oxygen stoichiometry. Nearly perfect stoichiometry yields ext...
The TiB2 film exhibits exceptional hardness and chemical stability due to its unique crystal structure and robust covalent bonds, but it also demonstrates high brittleness and poor toughness, which restricts its practical applications in engineering....
This study has investigated the effects of different annealing temperatures on the microstructure, chemical composition, phase structure, and piezoelectric properties of ZnO films. The analysis focuses on how annealing temperature influences the oxyg...
In this study, the Cr-Ti-B-N composite thin films with different Ti and B contents in the films were fabricated by a reactive magnetron sputtering system using chromium (Cr) and TiB2 targets. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and friction pr...
NbN, NbN-Ag and NbN/NbN-Ag multilayer nanocomposite films were successfully deposited by an arc ion plating system (AIP), and their microstructures, mechanical and tribological properties were systematically investigated. The results show that all th...
Antimony (Sb) thin films are critical precursors for next-generation chalcogenide-based optoelectronics. However, the synergistic effects of sputtering power and pressure on their growth dynamics are not yet fully understood. The objective of this st...
Niobium (Nb) thin films, which are potentially useful for integration into electronics and optoelectronics, were made by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering by varying the substrate temperature. The deposition temperature (Ts) effect was systematica...
Nano-Ag paste is one of the most widely used die-attachment materials in modern electronic devices, which are gaining continuously increasing application in transportation industries. The nano-Ag film in a pre-formed dimension and free from the use o...
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) films are promising solid lubricants for aerospace and other advanced applications, yet their tribological performance is highly sensitive to environmental conditions. To enhance environmental adaptability, Zr-doped MoS2 c...
In this work, the Al-Mo nanocrystalline alloy films with Mo contents ranging from 0–10.5 at.% were prepared via magnetron co-sputtering technology. The composition and microstructure of alloy thin films were studied using XRD, TEM, and EDS. The...
Mg-based thin films are promising candidates for hydrogen-responsive optical devices. However, their performance is strongly influenced by microstructural evolution during deposition. In this work, Mg thin films were deposited onto glass substrates p...
FeCoCrNiNbxN (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 molar) high-entropy nitride (HEN) films were fabricated on 304 stainless steel and Si wafers using magnetron sputtering to investigate the influence of Nb content on the microstructure, mechanical properties, a...
Edible films and coatings with good mechanical/physical properties are highly required for carrying medical substances and food packaging. So, solvent-cast films of α- or β-chitosan filled with palygorskite, montmorillonite or geopolymer-containing m...
Growing high-quality Si films at high rates with thicknesses ranging from the few nm- to µm-range while keeping the material consumption at a minimum is important for a wide range of Si-based technologies, spanning from batteries to sensors and...
In this study, closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering (CFUMS) was employed to deposit pure Cr films on soft substrate of 2024 Al alloy. The effects of deposition powers and biases on the microstructures and mechanical performance of Cr films we...
Ferroelectric oxides, such as Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT), have been shown to maintain stable ferroelectricity even in ultrathin film configurations. However, achieving controllable modulation of microstructure and physical responses in these ultrathin films r...
Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films are widely valued for their excellent mechanical strength and low friction, but their performance significantly degrades at elevated temperatures, limiting practical applications in aerospace environments....
The use of magnetron sputtering film as a diffusion source was recently achieved in the industrial production of important grain-boundary-diffusion magnets. In this paper, the multicomponent diffusion source film is explored to optimize the microstru...
Chromium-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC-Cr) nanocomposite films were successfully deposited using a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) system. The Cr content in the films was controlled by adjusting the Cr target powers. The influence o...
Yttrium fluoride (YF3) columnar thin films (CTFs) were fabricated by electron beam evaporation with the glancing angle deposition method. The microstructures and optical properties of YF3 CTFs were studied systematically. The YF3 films grown at diffe...
HfO2 thin films were prepared using radio frequency (RF) ion source-assisted deposition, and the effects of auxiliary ion energy on the microstructure, optical properties, and residual stress of the films were systematically studied. The experimental...
The processing and characterizing of bonding Ti6Al4V to Al2O3 brazed joints using interlayer thin films was investigated. The brazing was conducted in a tubular furnace with an argon flux at 980 °C for 30 min. The brazing fillers consisted of dif...
As giant magnetostrictive material, TbDyFe is regarded as a promising choice for magnetic sensing due to its excellent sensitivity to changes in magnetic fields. To satisfy the requirements of high sensitivity and the stability of magnetic sensors, T...
We report on curved film microstructure arrays fabricated through polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film buckling induced by mechanical stretching. In the process of the microstructure preparation, a PDMA film is glued on a bidirectionally prestretched PDM...
Addressing the urgent need for low-temperature processes in the manufacturing of flexible vehicle-mounted touch display devices, this study investigates the process–structure–performance relationships of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films...
In this work, surface microstructurization was coupled with shape-memory polymer to generate reversibly tunable surface properties. A photopolymerizable thiol-ene composition comprising a mixture of pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate) (PET...
Head-up displays (HUDs) can effectively enhance driving safety by projecting information—such as speed and maps—onto the windshield, thereby reducing blind spots caused by drivers looking down. As drivers need to observe road conditions w...
The presence of a gas film at the solid–liquid interface can effectively reduce fluid flow resistance. This study utilizes numerical simulations to explore how groove microstructures on the lower wall of microchannels affect the evolution of tr...
Gallium-based liquid metal is corrosive to steel alloys, forming FeGa3 surface films which can potentially be applied as a solid lubricant to enhance wear resistance and mitigate liquid metal-induced corrosion. However, the characteristics of these f...
In this work, the reflectance, optical absorption, and band gap have been determined for CdTe thin films grown on planar and microstructured substrates. The treated surface was prepared by laser ablation of a silicon wafer, forming holes in a periodi...
Polymeric thin films offer a wide range of exciting properties and applications, with several advantages compared to inorganic counterparts. The thermal conductivity of such thin films ranges typically between 0.1–1 W m
The naked-eye three-dimensional (3D) display technology without wearing equipment is an inevitable future development trend. In this paper, the design and fabrication of a flexible naked-eye 3D display film element based on a microstructure have been...
Flexible thin-film pressure sensors have garnered significant attention due to their applications in industrial inspection and human–computer interactions. However, due to their ultra-thin structure, these sensors often exhibit lower performanc...
Strontium-barium niobate (SrxBa(1−x)Nb2O6) films can be considered as a promising material for microwave applications due to high dielectric nonlinearity and relatively low losses. Since strontium-barium niobate has a disordered structure that...
The poor corrosion resistance of magnesium (Mg) alloys significantly restricts their wide applications. The preparation of a layered double hydroxides (LDHs) film can provide effective corrosion protection for Mg alloys. Nevertheless, research on the...
Three titanium (Ti) targets with different purities were used to prepare Ti films on polyimide substrates by DC magnetron sputtering. The microstructures of Ti films were characterized by a metallographic microscope, X-ray diffractometer, field emiss...
Direct-current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) was applied to prepare vanadium (V) films on Si substrate. The influence of substrate temperature (Ts) and target–substrate distance (Dt–s) on phase structure and surface morphology of V films we...
Ag/TiO2 thin films were prepared using the sol-gel spin coating method. The microstructural growth behaviors of the prepared Ag/TiO2 thin films were elucidated using real-time synchrotron radiation imaging, its structure was determined using grazing...
Soft magnetic materials are critical for efficient electromagnetic energy conversion, with their development evolving from traditional alloys like ferrites to amorphous/nanocrystalline materials and advanced multi-component alloys. While multi-compon...
In the present study, we propose a new transparent thin-film ITO surface radio-frequency (RF) trap. Charged hybrid microstructures were localized in the developed ITO trap. We show, analytically and experimentally, that the position of the localizati...
Transparent substrates with antifogging and antireflection ability are of extreme significance for optical devices, because they alleviate performance loss and maintenance costs. Here, we reported that a multifunctional film, with excellent mechanica...
Transparent materials with antifogging and self-cleaning ability are of extreme significance for utilization in outdoor solar cell devices to alleviate the performance loss and maintenance costs. Herein, with inspiration from the anti-wetting surface...
To facilitate future novel devices incorporating rare earth metal films and III-V semiconductors on Si substrates, this study investigates the mechanisms of growth via molecular beam epitaxy of gadolinium (Gd) on aluminum nitride (AlN) by determining...
Compared to aluminum nitride (AlN) with simple stoichiometry, lead zirconate titanate thin films (PZT) are the other promising candidate in advanced micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices due to their excellent piezoelectric and dielectric pr...
Single-layered Ni/Ni3N, inter-layered Ni/Ni3N/Ni, and double-layered Ni/Ni3N composite films were produced on an AZ31 magnesium alloy substrate through a magnetron sputtering technique, utilizing precise control over the N2 flow’s modulation. A...
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