10 research outputs found
Transparent yttrium hydride thin films prepared by reactive sputtering
Metal hydrides have earlier been suggested for utilization in solar cells.
With this as a motivation we have prepared thin films of yttrium hydride by
reactive magnetron sputter deposition. The resulting films are metallic for low
partial pressure of hydrogen during the deposition, and black or
yellow-transparent for higher partial pressure of hydrogen. Both metallic and
semiconducting transparent YHx films have been prepared directly in-situ
without the need of capping layers and post-deposition hydrogenation. Optically
the films are similar to what is found for YHx films prepared by other
techniques, but the crystal structure of the transparent films differ from the
well-known YH3 phase, as they have an fcc lattice instead of hcp
MgyNi1-y(Hx) thin films deposited by magnetron co-sputtering
In this work we have synthesised thin films of MgyNi1-y(Hx) metal and metal
hydride with y between 0 and 1. The films are deposited by magnetron
co-sputtering of metallic targets of Mg and Ni. Metallic MgyNi1-y films were
deposited with pure Ar plasma while MgyNi1-yHx hydride films were deposited
reactively with 30% H2 in the Ar plasma. The depositions were done with a fixed
substrate carrier, producing films with a spatial gradient in the Mg and Ni
composition. The combinatorial method of co-sputtering gives an insight into
the phase diagram of MgyNi1-y and MgyNi1-yHx, and allows us to investigate
structural, optical and electrical properties of the resulting alloys. Our
results show that reactive sputtering gives direct deposition of metal hydride
films, with high purity in the case of Mg~2NiH~4. We have observed limited
oxidation after several months of exposure to ambient conditions. MgyNi1-y and
MgyNi1-yHx films might be applied for optical control in smart windows, optical
sensors and as a semiconducting material for photovoltaic solar cells
Deposition of magnesium hydride thin films using radio frequency reactive sputtering
Reactive sputter deposition of MgHx thin films was performed using mixed hydrogen–argon plasma. This technique allows in-situ deposition of metal hydride films in contrast to the commonly applied ex-situ hydrogenation of metallic films. Partly transparent films were obtained and the formation of crystalline MgH2 could be observed for thicknesses above about 200 nm. The formation of some metallic Mg in the films could not be avoided. Increased hydrogen loading by increased pressure, H2:Ar ratio or reduced power produced films of porous structure that easily oxidise. More densely packed films remain stable for several months of air exposure. Post-deposition treatments in H-plasma showed evidence of hydrogenation of deposited films without the use of a catalysing capping film. Film properties are studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and by optical and resistivity measurements
Annealing-induced structural rearrangement and optical band gap change in Mg-Ni-H thin films
It is well known that optical properties of Mg-Ni-H films can be tuned by hydrogen uptake from Mg-Ni-H and upload into Mg-Ni systems. In this work we show that modulation of optical properties of Mg-Ni-H can take place as a result of thermal processing in air as well. When reactively sputter deposited semiconducting Mg-Ni-H films are annealed at temperatures of 200 degrees C-300 degrees C in air, gradual band gap change from 1.6 to 2.04 eV occurs followed by change in optical appearance, from brown, to orange and, subsequently, to yellow. We investigate this phenomenon using optical and structural characterization tools, and link the changes to an atomic rearrangement and a structure reordering of the [NiH4]4-complex. The films are x-ray amorphous up to 280 degrees C, where above this temperature an increase in crystallite size and establishing of long-range order lead to a formation of the cubic crystalline phase of Mg2NiH4. Also, the results suggest that even though annealing was conducted in air, no oxidation or other changes in chemical composition of the bulk of the film occurred. Therefore, the band gap of this semiconductor can be tuned permanently by heat treatment, in the range from 1.6 to 2 eV