Filtern
Erscheinungsjahr
Dokumenttyp
Schlagworte
Organisationseinheit der BAM
Paper des Monats
- ja (1)
The synthesis of polymerlike amorphous carbon (a-C:H) thin-films by microwave excited collisional hydrocarbon plasma process is reported. Stable and highly aromatic a-C:H were obtained containing significant inclusions of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV). PPV confers universal optoelectronic properties to the synthesized material. That is a-C:H with tailor-made refractive index are capable of becoming absorption-free in visible (red)-near infrared wavelength range. Production of large aromatic hydrocarbon including phenyl clusters and/or particles is attributed to enhanced coagulation of elemental plasma species under collisional plasma conditions. Detailed structural and morphological changes that occur in a-C:H during the plasma synthesis are also described.
Die Oberflächentechnik ist eine Schlüsseltechnologie in nahezu zu allen industriellen Branchen. Mit Ausnahme der mechanischen Stabilität, die das Substrat bereitstellt, werden verschiedenartigste Funktionen materialsparend, zum Teil hochintegriert mit maßgeschneiderten Schichtdesigns unter Ausnutzung von Nano- und Quanteneffekten auf Oberflächen appliziert. Ein Großteil der Fertigungskosten in der Mikro- und Nanotechnik wird durch Reinräume und die Umsetzung ausgeklügelter Reinigungsstrategien zur Vermeidung von Restverschmutzungen und partikulären Belegungen
verursacht, da diese unweigerlich zum Bauteilversagen führen. Die Validierung des Reinigungszustandes ist somit von zentraler Bedeutung für die Schichtqualität und Produktfunktionalität. Dies gilt in Abhängigkeit von der Applikation und den vertikalen Schicht- bzw. lateralen Strukturdimensionen sowohl für Fertigungsprozesse im Reinraum als auch für solche in robuster Umgebung. In der Praxis kommt es häufig vor, dass man mikroskopisch scheinbar saubere Substrate erst durch die Beschichtung „enttarnt" und dann Defekte oft mit bloßem Auge sichtbar werden. Noch problematischer ist der Einbau von Verunreinigungen während der Schichtabscheidung, die zunächst nicht sichtbar sind, dann aber zum Bauteilversagen führen.
Auf dem Weg zu Industrie 4.0: Bestimmung von Messunsicherheitsbudgets in der Oberflächentechnik
(2019)
Vorgestellt wurde die Bestimmung von Messunsicherheitsbudgets für sehr unterschiedliche physikalische Größen, die in der Oberflächentechnik von hoher Relevanz sind: Stufenhöhe h, Schichtdicke d, Eindringhärte HIT und Haftfestigkeit. Die Unterschiede betreffen die Art der Prüfmethodik (optisch zerstörungsfrei vs. mechanisch invasiv/zerstörend), die laterale Größe des Integrationsgebietes der Messung (lokal: nano bis sub-mikro vs. global: mikro bis makro) und die Art der Bestimmung von Messunsicherheitsbudgets (physikalische Größen: direkt rückführbar; Werkstoffkenngröße: genormt; Systemkenngröße: genormt).
Im Rahmen von Industrie 4.0 werden ausgehend der geforderten Spezifikation des beschichteten Produkts (Mittelwert mit Vertrauensbereich oder Mindestwert) durchgehende Toleranzbänder zur Oberflächenmodifizierung/Beschichtung des Substrats, einhergehend mit Prozessfenstern, die diese Toleranzbänder garantieren, erforderlich, die zuverlässig erfasst werden müssen. Die Frage der anzuwendenden Mess- und Prüftechnik und die damit notwendige Betrachtung von Messunsicherheitsbudgets ist für die Digitalisierung von Konditionierungs-, Zustands-, Regel- und Steuergrößen unverzichtbar. Mit Blick auf die Einhaltung von Prozessfenstern und die dafür notwendige Prozessführung wird technologisches Kern-Know-how digitalisiert, das es unbedingt zu schützen gilt. Nur lokale Netze können diese Sicherheit garantieren, in globalen Netzen ist die Datensicherheit bestenfalls maximierbar
Titanium and its alloys are known to allow the straightforward laser-based manufacturing of ordered surface nanostructures, so-called high spatial frequency laser-induced periodic surface structures (HSFL). These structures exhibit sub-100 nm spatial periods – far below the optical diffraction limit. The resulting surface functionalities are usually enabled by both, topographic and chemical alterations of the nanostructured surfaces. For exploring these effects, multi-method characterizations were performed here for HSFL processed on Ti–6Al–4V alloy upon irradiation with near-infrared ps-laser pulses (1030 nm, ≈1 ps pulse duration, 1–400 kHz) under different laser scan processing conditions, i.e., by systematically varying the pulse repetition frequency and the number of laser irradiation passes. The sample characterization involved morphological and topographical investigations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), tactile stylus profilometry, as well as near-surface chemical analyses hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) and depth-profiling time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). This provides a quantification of the laser ablation depth, the geometrical HSFL characteristics and enables new insights into the depth extent and the nature of the non-ablative laser-induced near-surface oxidation accompanying these nanostructures. This allows to answer the questions how the processing of HSFL can be industrially scaled up, and whether the latter is limited by heat-accumulation effects.
Transparent conductive oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO) are standards for thin film electrodes, providing a synergy of high optical transparency and electrical conductivity. In an electrolytic environment, the determination of an inert electrochemical potential window is crucial to maintain a stable material performance during device operation. We introduce operando ellipsometry, combining cyclic voltammetry (CV) with spectroscopic ellipsometry, as a versatile tool to monitor the evolution of both complete optical (i.e., complex refractive index) and electrical properties under wet electrochemical operational conditions. In particular, we trace the degradation of ITO electrodes caused by electrochemical reduction in a pH-neutral, water-based electrolyte environment during electrochemical cycling. With the onset of hydrogen evolution at negative bias voltages, indium and tin are irreversibly reduced to the metallic state, causing an advancing darkening, i.e., a gradual loss of transparency, with every CV cycle, while the conductivity is mostly conserved over multiple CV cycles. Post-operando analysis reveals the reductive (loss of oxygen) formation of metallic nanodroplets on the surface. The reductive disruption of the ITO electrode happens at the solid–liquid interface and proceeds gradually from the surface to the bottom of the layer, which is evidenced by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy imaging and complemented by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping. As long as a continuous part of the ITO layer remains at the bottom, the conductivity is largely retained, allowing repeated CV cycling. We consider operando ellipsometry a sensitive and nondestructive tool to monitor early stage material and property changes, either by tracing failure points, controlling intentional processes, or for sensing purposes, making it suitable for various research fields involving solid–liquid interfaces and electrochemical activity.
Optical constants of In2O3-SnO2 (Indium tin oxide, ITO)
Minenkov et al. 2024: on glass; n,k 0.191–1.69 µm
Optical constants of In2O3-SnO2 (Indium tin oxide, ITO)
Minenkov et al. 2024: on Si wafer, top; n,k 0.191–1.69 µm
Optical constants of In2O3-SnO2 (Indium tin oxide, ITO)
Minenkov et al. 2024: on Si wafer, bottom; n,k 0.191–1.69 µm
Critical defects, also known as device killers, in wide bandgap semiconductors significantly affect the performance of power electronic devices. We used the methods imaging ellipsometry (IE) and white light interference microscopy (WLIM) in a hybrid optical metrology study for fast and non-destructive detection, classification, and characterisation of defects in 4H–SiC homoepitaxial layers on 4H–SiC substrates. Ellipsometry measurement results are confirmed by WLIM. They can be successfully applied for wafer characterisation already during production of SiC epilayers and for subsequent industrial quality control.
Abstract. In power electronics, compound semiconductors with large bandgaps, like silicon carbide (SiC), are increasingly being used as material instead of silicon. They have a lot of advantages over silicon but are also intolerant of nanoscale material defects, so that a defect inspection with high accuracy is needed. The different defect types on SiC samples are measured with various measurement methods, including optical and tactile methods. The defect types investigated include carrots, particles, polytype inclusions and threading dislocations, and they are analysed with imaging ellipsometry, coherent Fourier scatterometry (CFS), white light interference microscopy (WLIM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). These different measurement methods are used to investigate which method is most sensitive for which type of defect to be able to use the measurement methods more effectively. It is important to be able to identify the defects to classify them as critical or non-critical for the functionality of the end product. Once these investigations have been completed, the measurement systems can be optimally distributed to the relevant defects in further work to realize a hybrid analysis of the defects. In addition to the identification and classification of defects, such a future hybrid analysis could also include characterizations, e.g. further evaluation of ellipsometric data by using numerical simulations.
Recent publications indicate that the order of electrochemical anodization (before or after the laser processing step) plays an important role for the response of bone-forming osteoblasts—an effect that can be utilized for improving permanent dental or removable bone implants. For exploring these different surface functionalities, multimethod morphological, structural, and chemical characterizations are performed in combination with electrochemical pre- and postanodization for two different characteristic microspikes covered by nanometric laser-induced periodic surface structures on Ti–6Al–4V upon irradiation with near-infrared ps-laser pulses (1030 nm wavelength, ≈1 ps pulse duration, 67 and 80 kHz pulse repetition frequency) at two distinct sets of laser fluence and beam scanning parameters. This work involves morphological and topographical investigations by scanning electron microscopy and white light interference microscopy, structural material examinations via X-ray diffraction, and micro-Raman spectroscopy, as well as near-surface chemical analyses by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results allow to qualify the mean laser ablation depth, assess the spike geometry and surface roughness parameters, and provide new detailed insights into the near-surface oxidation that may affect the different cell growth behavior for pre- or postanodized medical implants.