Thin Solid Films最新文献

{"title":"Poole-Frenkel conduction and critical charge-to-breakdown in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition silicon-rich silicon nitride films","authors":"T. Al Moussi ,&nbsp;P. Lambkin ,&nbsp;R. Lakshmanan ,&nbsp;B. Chen ,&nbsp;S. Diaham","doi":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work addresses the limited understanding of how stoichiometry influences high-field conduction and breakdown-triggering mechanisms in Silicon-rich silicon nitride (SiNₓ) thin films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), which is critical for their use as insulating barriers for galvanic isolation in microelectronic devices operating under high electric fields. Amorphous hydrogenated a-SiNₓ:H films with <em>x</em>=[N]/[Si] ratios ranging from 0.86 to 1.06 were deposited by PECVD and integrated into metal–insulator–metal (MIM) structures. Electrical characterization was performed using DC polarization–depolarization measurements and AC high-voltage broadband dielectric spectroscopy over a wide frequency range, allowing extraction of current density–electric field (<em>J</em>–<em>E</em>) characteristics under high-field conditions. The experimental results show that Poole–Frenkel (PF) emission governs field-assisted conduction in Silicon-rich SiNₓ films under both DC and AC stress. PF analysis enabled extraction of the zero-field trap barrier height (<span><math><msub><mi>ϕ</mi><mn>0</mn></msub></math></span>) ​and the theoretical dielectric permittivity (<span><math><msubsup><mrow><mi>ε</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>t</mi><mi>h</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>o</mi></mrow><mo>′</mo></msubsup></math></span>), which were compared to experimental permittivity values. The barrier height (<span><math><msub><mi>ϕ</mi><mn>0</mn></msub></math></span>) ​ was found to increase from approximately 0.8 to 1.5 eV with increasing nitrogen content, while (<span><math><msubsup><mrow><mi>ε</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>t</mi><mi>h</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>o</mi></mrow><mo>′</mo></msubsup></math></span>) exhibited a decreasing trend, consistent with experimental observations. Breakdown measurements revealed a strong dependence of the breakdown field (<em>E_BD</em>) ​ on composition, increasing with nitrogen incorporation. In contrast, the charge-to-breakdown (<em>Q_BD</em>) ​ remained within a narrow range across all compositions, indicating that dielectric failure is governed by a critical injected charge, highlighting a conduction-triggered breakdown process. These results provide design-relevant insights into the role of stoichiometry and frequency on trap-assisted conduction and breakdown behavior in Silicon-rich SiNₓ insulating layers, with direct implications for high-voltage microelectronic and galvanic isolation applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23182,"journal":{"name":"Thin Solid Films","volume":"836 ","pages":"Article 140886"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cellulose nanofiber composite copper thin film with high electrical conductivity using copper formate complex ink","authors":"Takahide Tanaka,&nbsp;Akihiro Yabuki","doi":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140877","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140877","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Copper thin films incorporating cellulose nanofibers (CNF) were synthesized from an ink composed of copper formate, octylamine, and CNF to enhance electrical conductivity. Adding 0.5–1.5 wt% CNF significantly reduced the volume resistivity of the copper films to approximately 8 μΩ cm, which is approximately five times higher than that of bulk copper (1.7 μΩ cm). Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that adding CNF promoted the formation of larger copper particles and denser packing. The formation of larger particles was attributed to CNF enclosing some small copper particles and promoting their growth on enclosed particles during calcination. The denser packing resulted from the shrinkage of the CNF network during solvent evaporation, thereby increasing the effective contact area within the film and reducing the number of interfaces between copper particles that contribute to contact resistance. These findings indicate that CNF acts as a net that encloses copper particles, promoting their growth and densification during calcination, thereby improving film conductivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23182,"journal":{"name":"Thin Solid Films","volume":"836 ","pages":"Article 140877"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Selectivity of metal capturing characteristics of mixed Langmuir nanoarchitectonics with monolayers of functional polymers containing azacalixarene rings","authors":"Ryoma Terui ,&nbsp;Yuya Matsuo ,&nbsp;Yuji Shibasaki ,&nbsp;Atsuhiro Fujimori","doi":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140884","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140884","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A mixed monolayer was prepared on the water surface using two types of azacalixarene-containing polymers with different metal-capturing properties. The miscibility of the mixed monolayer on the water surface was examined, and its morphology was evaluated after transfer onto a solid substrate. Furthermore, the regularity of the arrangement and conformation of the azacalixarene ring in the mixed monolayer was analyzed. In the mixed monolayer, azacalixarene derivatives containing a polyethylene glycol (PEG) linker and a low-molecular-weight linker exhibited ideal mixing. Consequently, the orientation angles of the azacalixarene rings, which were originally different, became the same, and only one type of metal cation was captured. The PEG-linker-containing derivative was originally capable of capturing monovalent cations; however, the low-molecular-weight-linker-containing derivative could only capture divalent or higher cations. The orientation angle of the azacalixarene rings in the mixed monolayer was the same as that in the PEG-linker derivative, and the mixed monolayer could capture monovalent cations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23182,"journal":{"name":"Thin Solid Films","volume":"836 ","pages":"Article 140884"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trisylilamine derivative for plasma-assisted fabrication of SiCN:H copper diffusion barrier with reduced value of permittivity","authors":"Evgeniya Ermakova ,&nbsp;Vladimir Shayapov ,&nbsp;Andrey Saraev ,&nbsp;Eugene Maximovsky ,&nbsp;Viktor Kirienko ,&nbsp;Veronica Sulyaeva ,&nbsp;Evgeny Gerasimov ,&nbsp;Marina Kosinova","doi":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140871","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140871","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tris(trimethylsilyl)amine was employed as a single-source precursor for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of dielectric silicon carbonitride films, which act as copper diffusion barriers, at low-to-moderate temperatures. The influence of key process parameters—including precursor partial pressure, plasma power, and deposition temperature—on the deposition rate, chemical bonding structure, composition, and film properties was investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Plasma chemistry was studied by in-situ optical emission spectroscopy. The refractive index of the films ranged from 1.53 to 1.76, while their permittivity (k-value) varied from 2.7 to 4.5. Post-deposition thermal annealing reduced the permittivity to a value as low as 2.5. The Cu diffusion barrier properties were characterized by analyzing the interfaces of a Si/SiOC:H/SiCN:H/Cu stack annealed at 400 °C using transmission electron microscopy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23182,"journal":{"name":"Thin Solid Films","volume":"836 ","pages":"Article 140871"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146049151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural and electrocatalytic properties of La-Co-Ni oxide thin films","authors":"Patrick Marx ,&nbsp;Shivam Shukla ,&nbsp;Alejandro Esteban Perez Mendoza ,&nbsp;Florian Lourens ,&nbsp;Corina Andronescu ,&nbsp;Alfred Ludwig","doi":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140880","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140880","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>La-Co-Ni oxides were fabricated in the form of thin-film materials libraries by combinatorial reactive co-sputtering and analyzed for structural and functional properties over large compositional ranges: normalized to the metals of the film they span about 0 - 70 at.-% for Co, 18 - 81 at.-% for La and 11 - 25 at.-% for Ni. Composition-dependent phase analysis shows formation of three areas with different phase constitutions in dependence of Co-content: In the La-rich region with low Co-content, a mixture of the phases La₂O₃, perovskite, and La(OH)₃ is observed. In the Co-rich region, perovskite and spinel phases form. Between the three-phase region and the Co-rich two-phase region, a single-phase perovskite region emerges. Surface microstructure analysis shows formation of additional crystallites on the surface in the two-phase area, which become more numerous with increasing Ni-content. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis indicates that these crystallites mainly contain Co and Ni, so they could be spinels growing on the surface. The analysis of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalytic activity over all compositions and phase constitutions reveals that the perovskite/spinel two-phase region shows the highest catalytic activity, which increases with higher Ni-content. The highest OER current density was measured as 2.24 mA cm-² at 1.8 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) for the composition (La₂₈Co₄₉Ni₂₃)O_x.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23182,"journal":{"name":"Thin Solid Films","volume":"836 ","pages":"Article 140880"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of NH3 in-situ annealing on diffusion-controlled epitaxial growth of CoSi2 thin films","authors":"Gihyeok Bae,&nbsp;Seung Ryul Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the ambient-dependent epitaxial growth behavior of cobalt disilicide (CoSi₂) thin films on Si(100) substrates via <em>in-situ</em> annealing of Co/CoN_x bilayer structures deposited by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). An amorphous Si–N interfacial layer formed during CoN_x deposition was found to act as an effective diffusion barrier, suppressing excess cobalt diffusion into the silicon substrate and thereby enabling epitaxial CoSi₂ formation. Comparative analyses under various annealing atmosphere, including vacuum, Ar, and NH₃ at different pressures, revealed that optimized NH₃ atmosphere was critical for achieving uniform epitaxial CoSi₂ growth with atomically sharp CoSi₂/Si interfaces. Furthermore, the CoSi₂ thickness showed a linear dependence on the square root of annealing time, confirming a diffusion-controlled growth mechanism. These findings underscore the importance of ambient engineering and interfacial layer integrity for reliable, high-quality epitaxial silicide formation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23182,"journal":{"name":"Thin Solid Films","volume":"836 ","pages":"Article 140879"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Raman spectroscopic approach to hydrogen presence in diamond-like carbon using the hydrogen indicator","authors":"Woo-young Lee ,&nbsp;Minkyung Choi ,&nbsp;Jongkuk Kim ,&nbsp;Kyoung-il Moon ,&nbsp;Jong-oh Ham ,&nbsp;Jin-yong Sim ,&nbsp;Byoung-il Cho","doi":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140854","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140854","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are widely used due to their excellent mechanical and tribological properties; however, reliable evaluation of hydrogen content remains a long-standing challenge. In this study, we experimentally identified a Raman peak at 860 cm⁻¹, referred to as the Hydrogen Indicator (HI) peak, as a qualitative marker of hydrogen incorporation in DLC coatings. Twelve DLC coatings were deposited under varying process conditions, including both hydrogenated and hydrogen-free types, and their bonding structures were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. The HI peak was consistently observed in all hydrogenated coatings but absent in hydrogen-free ones, clearly distinguishing the two groups. The assignment was validated through consistent observation across twelve DLC coatings with and without hydrogen. These findings demonstrate that the HI peak provides a simple, non-destructive, and robust approach for identifying hydrogen incorporation in DLC coatings, offering significant potential for process control and quality assurance in advanced industrial applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23182,"journal":{"name":"Thin Solid Films","volume":"835 ","pages":"Article 140854"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In situ TEM crystallization of free-standing amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiNX)","authors":"Elijah M. Davis ,&nbsp;Paul Kotula ,&nbsp;Calvin Parkin ,&nbsp;Carlos Chacon ,&nbsp;Edwin Chiu ,&nbsp;Aashique Rezwan ,&nbsp;Tesia D. Janicki ,&nbsp;J. Matthew D. Lane ,&nbsp;Hojun Lim ,&nbsp;Christopher Bishop ,&nbsp;Khalid Hattar","doi":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140865","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140865","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amorphous silicon nitride (a‑SiN_X) is widely used in microelectronics and MEMS; however, the long‑term structural stability under elevated temperatures and repeated thermal cycling remains an active field of study. This study employs <em>in situ</em> transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the crystallization mechanisms and kinetics of amorphous silicon nitride thin films. Real-time observation during localized laser-induced heating enables direct visualization of devitrification processes and phase evolution with nanometer-scale resolution. <em>In situ</em> TEM observations show that localized material defects can lower the stability of the amorphous phase and promote crystallization. Notably, the magnitude and distribution of thermal stresses appear to strongly influence crystallization dynamics: intense, localized heating leads to rapid nucleation and near-instantaneous growth, whereas broader, lower-intensity heating induces a slower, two-stage crystallization process. These results are consistent with a strong role of thermal stress in modulating crystallization behavior and offer insights into the thermal reliability of a-SiN_X. Such insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the thermal stability and inform the design of robust thin-film components for high-performance microdevices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23182,"journal":{"name":"Thin Solid Films","volume":"835 ","pages":"Article 140865"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improvement of the photovoltaic properties of BxC/Si heterojunctions by annealing","authors":"Tatsuya Nishida,&nbsp;Yusuke Hayashi,&nbsp;Ryoya Katayama,&nbsp;Yoshiharu Enta,&nbsp;Yushi Suzuki,&nbsp;Yasuyuki Kobayashi,&nbsp;Hideki Nakazawa","doi":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140864","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140864","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We have annealed in vacuo hydrogenated boron carbide (B<em>_x</em>C:H) films and B<em>_x</em>C:H/n-type Si (n-Si) heterojunctions prepared at room temperature via radio-frequency magnetron sputtering using a B₄C target. Our investigation focused on the effects of annealing on the optical and mechanical properties of the films and on the current-voltage characteristics of the heterojunctions. The compressive stress was reduced at 540 °C and 600 °C, and the stress changed to tensile at 670 °C. Additionally, as the annealing temperature increased, the adhesion strength increased. The bandgap energy of the as-deposited B<em>_x</em>C:H film was ∼1.71 eV, while those of the films annealed at 600 °C and 670 °C increased to ∼2.03 and ∼2.07 eV, respectively. The short-circuit current densities of the B<em>_x</em>C:H/n-Si heterojunctions annealed at 600 °C and 670 °C were ∼4.3- and ∼3.6-fold that of the as-fabricated B<em>_x</em>C:H/n-Si heterojunction, respectively. Furthermore, the open-circuit voltage increased by ∼1.5 times after annealing, likely due to an increase in the bandgap energy. The conversion efficiencies of the heterojunctions annealed at 600 °C and 670 °C were ∼6.3- and ∼5.0-fold that of the as-fabricated B<em>_x</em>C:H/n-Si heterojunction, respectively. Notably, the conversion efficiency of the heterojunction annealed at 600 °C reached 0.807%.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23182,"journal":{"name":"Thin Solid Films","volume":"835 ","pages":"Article 140864"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adjustment mechanism of surface properties to induce copper plating on typical polymer films","authors":"Jiajun Xie,&nbsp;Xueyang Dun,&nbsp;Meiyu Wei,&nbsp;Mingyong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140860","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsf.2026.140860","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Composite copper foil with a copper-polymer-copper sandwich structure is a promising negative electrode current collector for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries. Electroless copper plating is an attractive method to directly prepare composite copper foil, but limited by intrinsic inert characteristics of polymer surface. Surface properties of various polymer films are obviously different. The corresponding activation mechanisms are also unclear. This work identifies the surface active sites of typical polymers, i.e. polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polypropylene (PP). The pathway and mechanism for surface modification and activation of polymer are explored. It is confirmed that reactive groups (such as -COOH and -OH) are formed from carbonyl groups (<em>C</em> = <em>O</em>) on PI and PET by NaOH modification. However, PP cannot be modified or activated due to overall inertness. The modified PI can be activated by AgNO₃ to produce COO-Ag active sites for electroless copper plating. However, the modified PET cannot be directly activated by AgNO₃ due to less reactive groups. After plasma etching to graft active functional groups on PET surface, and Ag⁺ can also be anchored on PET surface by NaOH modification and AgNO₃ activation. Composite copper foil with PI or PET polymer film is successfully prepared. This work clarifies the surface properties and the corresponding activation mechanism, which is helpful for the convenient preparation of composite copper foil by electroless copper plating.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23182,"journal":{"name":"Thin Solid Films","volume":"835 ","pages":"Article 140860"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145969296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}