1 research outputs found
Combinatorial Nitrogen Gradients in Sputtered Thin Films
High-throughput
synthesis and characterization methods can significantly
accelerate the rate of experimental research. For physical vapor deposition
(PVD), these methods include combinatorial sputtering with intentional
gradients of metal/metalloid composition, temperature, and thickness
across the substrate. However, many other synthesis parameters still
remain out of reach for combinatorial methods. Here, we extend combinatorial
sputtering parameters to include gradients of gaseous elements in
thin films. Specifically, a nitrogen gradient was generated in a thin
film sample library by placing two MnTe sputtering sources with different
gas flows (Ar and Ar/N<sub>2</sub>) opposite of one another during
the synthesis. The nitrogen content gradient was measured along the
sample surface, correlating with the distance from the nitrogen source.
The phase, composition, and optoelectronic properties of the resulting
thin films change as a function of the nitrogen content. This work
shows that gradients of gaseous elements can be generated in thin
films synthesized by sputtering, expanding the boundaries of combinatorial
science