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Crystals
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Advances in Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Thin Films
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Advances in Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Thin Films

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2024 | Viewed by 2155

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Miłosz Grodzicki

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Semiconductor Materials Engineering, Faculty of Fundamental Problems of Technology, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, Wrocław, Poland
2. Łukasiewicz Research Network – PORT Polish Center for Technology Development, 54-066 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: surface science; thin-films; PVD; MBE
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Damian Wojcieszak

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Division of Thin Film Technologies, Department of Electronic and Photonic Metrology, Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, Wrocław, Poland
Interests: thin film technology; fucntional coatings; bioactive multilayers; transparent electronics
Dr. Michał Mazur

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Thin Film Technologies, Department of Electronic and Photonic Metrology, Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, Wrocław, Poland
Interests: thin film technology; gas sensors; optical coatings

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thin films have a wide range of applications across various fields due to their unique properties, but their application is dependent on their composition, morphology, microstructure, etc. They find practical applications in electronics and optoelectronics, sensors, energy conversions, magnetic storages, and optical coatings. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the advancement of thin films, leading to the development of novel materials and devices. For this purpose, various thin film growth techniques are being used. These include magnetron sputtering (MS), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), physical vapor deposition (PVD), metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and pulsed laser deposition (PLD), which have been developed and upgraded over the years.

The objective of this Special Issue is to gather high-quality articles that specifically concentrate on thin film materials, coatings, and devices as well as techniques of deposition. The aim is to explore the diverse range of functional films, including metallic, organic, inorganic, hybrid, and composite materials, with the goal of advancing various types of devices. These devices may include transistors, sensors, photodetectors, photovoltaic devices, and light-emitting devices.

Dr. Miłosz Grodzicki
Dr. Damian Wojcieszak
Dr. Michał Mazur
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • thin film fabrication
  • thin film growth
  • thin film characterization
  • thin film applications
  • surfaces and interfaces
  • thin film modeling
  • thin film materials in catalysis, electronics, optics, and coatings

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 5678 KiB  
Article
Design and Study of Composite Film Preparation Platform
by Chao Li, Wenxin Li, Guangqin Wu, Guojin Chen, Junyi Wu, Niushan Zhang, Yusen Gan, Dongqi Zhang and Chang Chen
Crystals 2024, 14(5), 389; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cryst14050389 - 23 Apr 2024
Viewed by 190
Abstract
This study aims to develop equipment for the preparation of composite films and successfully implement a film thickness prediction function. During the research process, we segmented the mechanical structure of the composite thin film preparation equipment into distinct modules, completed the structural design [...] Read more.
This study aims to develop equipment for the preparation of composite films and successfully implement a film thickness prediction function. During the research process, we segmented the mechanical structure of the composite thin film preparation equipment into distinct modules, completed the structural design of the core module, and validated the stability of the process chamber, as well as the reasonableness of the strength and stiffness through simulation. Additionally, we devised a regression model for predicting the film thickness of composite films. The input features for the model included the sputtering air pressure, sputtering current, and sputtering time for magnetron sputtering process samples, as well as the evaporation volume and evaporation current for vacuum evaporation process samples. Simultaneously, the output features were the film thickness for both process samples. Subsequently, we established the designed composite film preparation equipment and conducted experimental verification. During the experiments, we successfully prepared Cr-Al composite films and utilized AFM for surface morphology analysis. The results confirmed the excellent performance of the Cr-Al composite films produced by the equipment, demonstrating the reliability of the equipment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Thin Films)
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13 pages, 8452 KiB  
Article
Growth and Properties of Ultra-Thin PTCDI-C8 Films on GaN(0001)
by Katarzyna Lament, Miłosz Grodzicki, Radosław Wasielewski, Piotr Mazur and Antoni Ciszewski
Crystals 2024, 14(3), 201; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cryst14030201 - 20 Feb 2024
Viewed by 773
Abstract
Ultra-thin PTCDI-C8 films are vapor-deposited under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions onto surfaces of p- or n-doped GaN(0001) samples. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results reveal a lack of strong chemical interaction between the PTCDI-C8 molecule and the substrate. Changes in the electronic structure [...] Read more.
Ultra-thin PTCDI-C8 films are vapor-deposited under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions onto surfaces of p- or n-doped GaN(0001) samples. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results reveal a lack of strong chemical interaction between the PTCDI-C8 molecule and the substrate. Changes in the electronic structure of the substrate or the adsorbed molecules due to adsorption are not noticed at the XPS spectra. Work function changes have been measured as a function of the film thickness. The position of the HOMO level for films of thicknesses 3.2–5.5 nm has been determined. Energy diagrams of the interface between p- and n-type GaN(0001) substates and the PTCDI-C8 films are proposed. The fundamental molecular building blocks of the PTCDI-C8 films on GaN(0001), assembled by self-organization, have been identified. They are rows of PTCDI-C8 molecules stacked in “stand-up” positions in reference to the substrate, supported by the π–π bonds which are formed between the molecular cores of the molecules and monomolecular layers constituted by rows which are tilted in reference to the layer plane. The layers are epitaxially oriented. The epitaxial relation between the rows and the crystallographic directions of the substrate are determined. A model of the PTCDI-C8 film’s growth on GaN(0001) substrate is proposed. The 3D islands of PTCDI-C8 molecules formed on the substrate surface during film deposition are thermodynamically unstable. The Volmer–Weber type of growth observed here is a kinetic effect. Rewetting processes are noticeable after film aging at room temperature or annealing at up to 100 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Thin Films)
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15 pages, 6390 KiB  
Article
Sol–Gel Synthesis of ZnO:Li Thin Films: Impact of Annealing on Structural and Optical Properties
by Tatyana Ivanova, Antoaneta Harizanova, Tatyana Koutzarova, Benedicte Vertruyen and Raphael Closset
Crystals 2024, 14(1), 6; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cryst14010006 (registering DOI) - 20 Dec 2023
Viewed by 901
Abstract
A sol–gel deposition approach was applied for obtaining nanostructured Li-doped ZnO thin films. ZnO:Li films were successfully spin-coated on quartz and silicon substrates. The evolution of their structural, vibrational, and optical properties with annealing temperature (300–600 °C) was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), [...] Read more.
A sol–gel deposition approach was applied for obtaining nanostructured Li-doped ZnO thin films. ZnO:Li films were successfully spin-coated on quartz and silicon substrates. The evolution of their structural, vibrational, and optical properties with annealing temperature (300–600 °C) was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), UV-VIS spectroscopic, and field emission scanning electron microscopic (FESEM) characterization techniques. It was found that lithium doping maintains the wurtzite arrangement of ZnO, with increasing crystallite sizes when increasing the annealing temperature. Analysis of the FTIR spectra revealed a broad main absorption band (around 404 cm−1) for Li-doped films, implying the inclusion of Li into the ZnO lattice. The ZnO:Li films were transparent, with slightly decreased transmittance after the use of higher annealing temperatures. The porous network of undoped ZnO films was transformed to a denser, grained, packed structure, induced by lithium doping. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Thin Films)
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