Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin films grown by chemical vapour deposition have an intrinsic surface roughness, which hinders the development and performance of the films' various applications. Traditional methods of diamond polishing are not effective on NCD thin films. Films either shatter due to the combination of wafer bow and high mechanical pressures or produce uneven surfaces, which ha...

The origin of low threshold field-emission (threshold field 1.25 V/μm) in nanocrystalline diamond-like carbon (nc-DLC) thin films is examined. The introduction of nitrogen and thermal annealing are both observed to change the threshold field and these changes are correlated with changes to the film microstructure. A range of different techniques including micro-Raman and infrared spectroscopy, ...

Structural, optical and nanomechanical properties of nanocrystalline Zinc Telluride (ZnTe) films of thickness upto 10 microns deposited at room temperature on borosilicate glass substrates are reported. X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that the films were preferentially oriented along the (1 1 1) direction. The maximum refractive index of the films was 2.74 at a wavelength of 2000 nm. The opti...

Abstract Nanocrystalline alloy thin films offer a variety of attractive properties, such as high hardness, strength and wear resistance. A disadvantage is the large residual stresses that result from their fabrication by deposition, subsequent susceptibility to defects. Here, we use experimental modelling methods understand impact minority element concentration on emerge after deposition in tun...

As a great promising material for third-generation thin-film photovoltaic cells, hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) thin films have a complex mixed-phase structure, which determines its defectful nature and easy residing of oxygen impurities. We have performed a detailed investigation on the microstructure properties and oxygen impurities in the nc-Si:H thin films prepared under dif...

Ultra-thin silicon oxide (a-SiOx:H) films have been grown by means of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to replace the standard hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) passivation layer for silicon heterojunction solar cells to reduce parasitic absorption. Additionally, silicon oxide surfaces are well known as superior substrates for the nucleation enhancement for nanocrystallin...

We have characterized the structure and electrical properties of p-type nanocrystalline silicon films prepared by radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and explored optimization methods of such layers for potential applications in thin-film solar cells. Particular attention was paid to the characterization of very thin (∼20 nm) films. The cross-sectional morphology of the la...

     Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanorods and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructures thin films were prepared onto glass substrates by the chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The ZnO was structured as nanorods (NRs) while TiO2 was formed as nanoflowers plate as confirmed by Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) images. The ZnO/Fe3O4 and TiO2/Fe3O4 nanostructures thin films were prepared v...

Thin ZnO films are deposited on glass substrates via sol–gel method and dip-coating. The films are prepared from zinc acetate dehydrate as a starting reagent. After that the as-prepared ZnO sol is aged for different periods (0, 1, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 30 days). Nanocrystalline thin films are deposited from various sols. The effect ZnO sols aging time on the structural and photocatalytic properties ...

Nanocrystalline fluorinated silicon films are studied by using Raman spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, nonlinear laser spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. Electrical properties of nanocrystalline silicon and amorphous silicon films were compared. The field-assisted migration of point defects is dramatic for durabi...