Coloration mechanism in gasochromic thin films through the analysis of a complex refractive index.

In this paper, the dispersion of a complex refractive index is investigated and proposed as a way to analyze the change of the optical properties of gasochromic material under the influence of diluted hydrogen (3.5% H 2 in Ar) as an active volatile medium. Therefore, a tungsten trioxide thin film and an additional platinum catalyst were deposited by electron beam evaporation and used as a prototype material. Based on experimental verification, it is shown that the proposed method allows one to explain the reasons for the observed changes in the transparency in such materials.

Optical and structural properties of gradient (Ti,Co)Ox thin-film coatings with a resistive switching effect.

In this work, the optical and structural properties of gradient (Ti,Co)Ox coatings with a resistive switching effect have been outlined. They were prepared using multi-magnetron sputtering and, despite the high cobalt content, they were transparent and had a high refractive index. The gradient Co-addition resulted in the receiving of fine crystalline T i O 2-anatase and C o 3 O 4 forms in the amorphous surrounding. Observed resistance switching was a fully repeatable effect, and its occurrence in gradient (Ti,Co)Ox coatings has not reported earlier. The prepared gradient coatings exhibit great potential as transparent electronic devices with the resistance switching effect. Such memory effects in transparent thin-film coatings open new possibilities for the manufacturing of innovative memory elements in the future.

[A method of manufacture and characteristic of surface properties and biological activity of thin-film coatings of Cu-Ti system]. / Sposób wytwarzania oraz charakterystyka wlasciwosci powierzchni i aktywnosci biologicznej cienkowarstwowych powlok ukladu typu Cu-Ti.

BACKGROUND: Biomaterials in the form of thin-film coatings as-deposited on different substrates are nowadays increasingly popular. In particular coatings based on a combination of biocompatible materials (eg. titanium) with metals of high biological activity (eg. copper) have a potentially wide range of applications as active films, intended for various types of medical devices. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to present a method for preparation and analysis of the properties of Cu-Ti thin films, in particular their biological activity in connection with the properties of the surface. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The films were prepared by magnetron sputtering method with the aid of an innovative four-target apparatus. During deposition process two metallic targets (copper and titanium) were sputtered under an argon atmosphere. Material composition of produced coatings was characterized by scanning electron microscope equipped with an adapter for energy dispersive spectroscopy. Moreover, the surface microstructure and roughness of coatings was characterized based on three-dimensional surface profiles, which were obtained with the aid of optical profilometer. The research was also carried out by investigations of surface wettability on the apparatus for measurements of contact angle. Characterization of Cu-Ti surface properties was also expanded by microbiological tests involving Staphylococcus aureus (PCM 2602) bacteria and investigations of cytotoxicity with L 929 (NCTC clone 929) cell line. RESULTS: Measurements have shown that the film was composed of 71% at. Cu and 29% at. Ti. The analysis of surface topography has shown that the surface of Cu-Ti thin film was very uniform with roughness in range of nanometers. It was found that as-deposited film is hydrophilic. Obtained results has shown that as-deposited film had a very good bactericidal properties and it was cytotoxic. This effect was associated with the migration of copper ions, which was the most intense at the edge of the sample. CONCLUSIONS: The results presented in this paper testify that manufactured Cu-Ti thin films may find practical application in the industry as a bioactive coating.

[Influence of Cu and Nb additives on specific surface properties and biological activity of transparent TiO2 thin-film coatings]. / Wplyw dodatków Cu i Nb na wlasciwosci powierzchni wlasciwej oraz aktywnosc bakteriobójcza przezroczystych powlok cienkowarstwowych TiO2.

BACKGROUND: Titanium dioxide is widely used as a bacteriostatic and non-toxic material. It is important, therefore, to modify its properties, for greater biological activity. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was comparison of the specific surface properties and the biological activity of TiO2 and TiO2 with niobium and copper additives--TiO2:(Nb,Cu) thin films. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TiO2 and TiO2:(Nb,Cu) thin films were prepared by high-energy magnetron sputtering of metallic Ti-Nb-Cu target in oxygen atmosphere. Films that have been deposited on glass substrates were investigated by transmission method and with the aid of optical profiler transparent. Besides, wettability measurements and antibacterial testes with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PCM2058) were performed. RESULTS: The light transmission characteristics have shown that the film with niobium and copper additives was less transparent than undoped titanium dioxide. Studies of surface geometric structure, performed with the aid of optical profilometer, have shown that coatings were uniform and the surface roughness had several nanometers. The roughness of TiO2:(Nb, Cu) was higher compared to the film of undoped TiO2. The wettability measurements have shown that (Nb, Cu) additives cause a significant reduction in the degree of surface wettability relative to TiO2 and the change of properties from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. The results of the microbiological tests have shown that the TiO2:(Nb, Cu) film had a very good antibacterial properties, while the undoped TiO2 did not exhibit such properties. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of all results of carried investigations has shown that manufactured TiO2:(Nb,Cu) thin films can be used as a transparent antibacterial coating.

Characterization of Structural, Optical, Corrosion, and Mechanical Properties of HfO2 Thin Films Deposited Using Pulsed DC Magnetron Sputtering.

Various properties of HfO2, such as hardness, corrosion, or electrical resistance, depend on the method and the conditions of deposition. In this work, a thorough comparison of scarcely investigated mechanical properties of HfO2 thin films deposited with different conditions of reactive magnetron sputtering process is presented. Four thin films were sputtered in processes that varied in plasma ignition method (continuous or sequential) and target-substrate distance. The structural characteristics of the HfO2 thin films were examined using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements. Furthermore, the optoelectronic properties were determined based on transmittance and current-voltage characteristics. The mechanical properties of the HfO2 thin films were determined using nanoindentation and scratch test. In turn, the corrosion properties were determined by analyzing the voltametric curves. The transparent HfO2 thin films deposited in the continuous process are characterized by better corrosion resistance than the same layer formed in the sequential process, regardless of the target-substrate distance (8 cm or 12 cm). Furthermore, these samples are also characterized by the highest value of Young's modulus and scratch resistance. The combination of good corrosion and scratch resistance could contribute to the new application of HfO2 as a corrosion protective material.

Investigation of a memory effect in a Au/(Ti-Cu)Ox-gradient thin film/TiAlV structure.

This paper presents the results of the analysis of resistive switching properties observed in a Au/(Ti-Cu)Ox/TiAlV structure with a gradient distribution of Cu and Ti along the (Ti-Cu)Ox thin film thickness. Thin films were prepared via multisource reactive magnetron co-sputtering. The programmed profile of the pulse width modulation coefficient during sputtering of the Cu target allowed us to obtain the designed gradient U-shape profile of the Cu concentration in the deposited thin film. Electrical measurements of the Au/(Ti-Cu)Ox/TiAlV structure showed the presence of nonpinched hysteresis loops in the voltage-current plane testifying a resistive switching behavior. Results of optical, X-ray, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements allowed us to elaborate the scheme of the bandgap alignment of the prepared thin films with respect to the Au and TiAlV electrical contacts. Detailed structure and elemental profile investigations allowed us to conclude about the possible mechanism for the observed resistive switching mechanism.

Investigation of the Microstructure, Optical, Electrical and Nanomechanical Properties of ZnOx Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering.

The paper presents the results of an investigation of the influence of technological parameters on the microstructure, optical, electrical and nanomechanical properties of zinc oxide coatings prepared using the pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering method. Three sets of ZnOx thin films were deposited in metallic, shallow dielectric and deep dielectric sputtering modes. Structural investigations showed that thin films deposited in the metallic mode were nanocrystalline with mixed hexagonal phases of metallic zinc and zinc oxide with crystallite size of 9.1 and 6.0 nm, respectively. On the contrary, the coatings deposited in both dielectric modes had a nanocrystalline ZnO structure with an average crystallite size smaller than 10 nm. Moreover, coatings deposited in the dielectric modes had an average transmission of 84% in the visible wavelength range, while thin films deposited in the metallic mode were opaque. Measurements of electrical properties revealed that the resistivity of as-deposited thin films was in the range of 10-4 Ωcm to 108 Ωcm. Coatings deposited in the metallic mode had the lowest hardness of 2.2 GPa and the worst scratch resistance among all sputtered coatings, whereas the best mechanical properties were obtained for the film sputtered in the deep dielectric mode. The obtained hardness of 11.5 GPa is one of the highest reported to date in the literature for undoped ZnO.

Properties of Metallic and Oxide Thin Films Based on Ti and Co Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering from Sintered Targets with Different Co-Content.

In this work, selected properties of metallic and oxide thin films based on titanium and cobalt were described. Thin-film coatings were prepared using the magnetron sputtering method. The deposition was carried out from sintered targets with different Co-content (2 at.%, 12 at.% and 50 at.%). The relation between the Ti-Co target composition and the Co-content in the metallic and oxide films was examined. There was 15-20% more cobalt in the films than in the target. Moreover, the deposition rate under neutral conditions (in Ar plasma) was even 10-times higher compared to oxidizing Ar:O2 (70:30) plasma. A comprehensive analysis of the structural properties (performed with GIXRD and SEM) revealed the amorphous nature of (Ti,Co)Ox coatings, regardless of the cobalt content in the coating. The fine-grained, homogenous microstructure was observed, where cracks and voids were identified only for films with high Co-content. Optical studies have shown that these films were well transparent (60% ÷ 80%), and the amount of cobalt in the target from which they were sputtered had a significant impact on the decrease in the transparency level, the slight shift of the absorption edge position (from 279 nm to 289 nm) as well as the decrease in their optical band gap energy (from 3.13 eV to 1.71 eV). Electrical studies have shown that in (Ti,Co)Ox thin films, a unipolar memristive-like effect can be observed. The occurrence of such effects has not been reported so far in the case of TiO2 coatings with the addition of Co.

Influence of Cu-Ti thin film surface properties on antimicrobial activity and viability of living cells.

The paper describes properties of thin-film coatings based on copper and titanium. Thin films were prepared by co-sputtering of Cu and Ti targets in argon plasma. Deposited coatings consist of 90at.% of Cu and 10at.% of Ti. Characterization of the film was made on the basis of investigations of microstructure and physicochemical properties of the surface. Methods such as scanning electron microscopy, x-ray microanalysis, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, optical profilometry and wettability measurements were used to assess the properties of deposited thin films. An impact of Cu-Ti coating on the growth of selected bacteria and viability of the living cells (line L929, NCTC clone 929) was described in relation to the structure, surface state and wettability of the film. It was found that as-deposited films were amorphous. However, in such surroundings the nanocrystalline grains of 10-15nm and 25-35nm size were present. High surface active area with a roughness of 8.9nm, had an effect on receiving relatively high water contact angle value (74.1°). Such wettability may promote cell adhesion and result in an increase of the probability of copper ion transfer from the film surface into the cell. Thin films revealed bactericidal and fungicidal effects even in short term-contact. High activity of prepared films was directly related to high amount (ca. 51 %) of copper ions at 1+ state as x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results have shown.