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    Enhanced hydrophilicity for TiO2 nanotube array by simultaneous nitrogen plasma and thermal annealing treatments
    (2018-09-05)
    Sattha, Chanawee
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    In this work, highly ordered TiO<inf>2</inf> nanotube (TNTs) array was fabricated by electrochemical anodization technique on titanium sheet. Simultaneous N<inf>2</inf> plasma and thermal annealing process were employed on TNTs using different N<inf>2</inf> gas flow rates at 500°C. As-anodized and N<inf>2</inf> plasma TNTs were characterized for their microstructure, surface elemental composition, and wettability by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and contact angle measurement, respectively. It was found that N<inf>2</inf> plasma and thermal annealing treatments affect to the change of crystal structure, surface chemistry and wettability of TNTs. The N<inf>2</inf> plasma TNTs exhibits anatase phase with the orientations of (101) and (200). XPS spectra show that the nitrogen atom from plasma was introduced into the surface of TNTs and depends on the N<inf>2</inf> gas flow rates. From contact angle measurement, it can be observed the improvement of wettability (hydrophilicity) of the TNTs due to the N-doped TiO<inf>2</inf> nanotube after N<inf>2</inf> plasma and thermal annealing treatments.
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    The advantages of ga-graded obtained by growth profile modification and Na incorporation on Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells
    (2014-01-01) ;
    Chatraphorn, Sojiphong
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    Yoodee, Kajornyod
    Cu(In,Ga)Se<inf>2</inf> (CIGS) compound is a p-type semiconductor that has been used as light absorber layer in high efficiency thin film solar cell. The CIGS compound can be adjusted the band gap energy by varying the ratio of [Ga]/([In] +[Ga]) ratio (x). From theoretical and simulation, it was found that band gap grading in CIGS thin films showed the advantages to increase the efficiency of solar cells. Generally, the band gap grading can be done by the growth of non homogeneous x-ratio in depth of CIGS thin films. In this work, we develop two approaches to create band gap grading in CIGS thin films; (1) modifying the growth profile and (2) using Na incorporation in the growth process. The effects of Ga-graded would be revealed and compared with homogeneous CIGS thin films. CIGS thin films were grown on soda-lime glass and Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> coated soda-lime glass substrates by molecular beam deposition method. The growth process was based on 2-stage and 3-stage growth profiles. The as grown films were characterized for their structural property, chemical composition and optical transmission as well as solar cell performance. The Auger electron spectroscopy in depth profiles revealed the variation of x- ratio increasing from the surface toward the back contact in CIGS films with our modified growth profile and Na incorporation. This result indicated Ga-graded in CIGS thin films. The structural property of Gagraded CIGS films showed the (112) preferred orientation of the chalcopyrite structure with a broad asymmetric spectrum related to the inhomogeneous structure. The optical transmission measurements of the Ga-graded CIGS film showed the broad transition near the absorption edge indicating the effect of the band gap grading as a result of the variation in depth of the Ga-content. From I-V measurements, the solar cell efficiencies significantly increase due to the advantages of Ga-graded constitute. © (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.
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    Figures of merit of low-cost CuAl0.9Fe0.1O2 thermoelectric material prepared at different solid state reaction sintering temperatures
    (2015-01-01) ;
    Thonglamul, Rungnapa
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    In this study, we investigated a CuAl<inf>0.9</inf>Fe<inf>0.1</inf>O<inf>2</inf> compound prepared at two different sintering temperatures in order to find out the effects of sintering temperature on the compound's figure of merit of thermoelectric properties. The thermoelectric CuAl<inf>0.9</inf>Fe<inf>0.1</inf>O<inf>2</inf> compounds were prepared from high purity grade Cu<inf>2</inf>O, Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> and Fe<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> powders. The mixture of these powders were ground and then pressed with uniaxial pressure into pellets. The pellets obtained were sintered in the air at 1423K and 1473K. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed a single phase of CuAl<inf>0.9</inf>Fe<inf>0.1</inf>O<inf>2</inf> with rhombohedral structure, R3¯m, along with a trace of CuO second phase. Moreover, the XRD peaks of the sample sintered at 1423K indicated that more Fe<sup>3+</sup> atoms replaced Al3+ atoms in this sample than they did in the sample sintered at 1473K. The average grain size of the CuAl<inf>0.9</inf>Fe<inf>0.1</inf>O<inf>2</inf> compound prepared increased with increasing sintering temperature, whereas its mean pore size and porosity decreased with increasing sintering temperature. The dispersed small pores markedly decreased the thermal conductivity of the compound, while the Fe<sup>3+</sup> substitution of Al<sup>3+</sup> increased its electrical conductivity. The highest figure of merit (ZT) found was 0.021 at 973K in the CuAl<inf>0.9</inf>Fe<inf>0.1</inf>O<inf>2</inf> sample sintered at 1423K. Our findings show that this low-cost material with a reasonable figure of merit is a good candidate for thermoelectric applications at high-temperature.
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    The effects of O2:N2 gas ratios on structural, optical, electrical properties of TiOxNy thin film deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering
    (2015-01-01)
    Khumtong, Tanakorn
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    In this work, titaniumoxynitride (TiO<inf>x</inf>N<inf>y</inf>) thin films were deposited on glass slide substrates by using reactive dc magnetron sputtering technique. The reactive gas ratios between O<inf>2</inf> and N<inf>2</inf> were studied in the range of 15-30% with a constant of Ar gas at 110 sccm and a time of 120 minutes. Microstructure, optical, and electrical properties of TiO<inf>x</inf>N<inf>y</inf> thin films were analysis by using SEM, AFM, GIXRD, UV-VIS spectrophotometer, and 4-point probe measurements. We found that the thickness of the films decreases from 1.0 to 0.8 μm by increasing of O<inf>2</inf> gas ratios. The TiO<inf>x</inf>N<inf>y</inf> thin films have smooth surface related to small nano-grain size. The roughness of the films slightly decreases when O<inf>2</inf> gas ratios increase. From optical transmission spectra, we observed that the transparent of the films increases with different O<inf>2</inf> gas ratio and shifts the band gap from 2.67 to 3.32 eV. The resistivity of the films obviously increases from 3.04 × 10<sup>-3</sup>Ω-cm to 5.45 Ω-cm depending on O<inf>2</inf> gas ratio. These results indicate the phase changes of the TiO<inf>x</inf>N<inf>y</inf> films from metallic to oxide phases. The XRD spectra show poor crystalline TiN (220) and TiO<inf>2</inf> (021) at 15% of O<inf>2</inf> ratio and then the films become amorphous structure by increasing the O<inf>2</inf> gases. The O<inf>2</inf>:N<inf>2</inf> gas ratios also affects to the different concentration of oxygen and nitrogen into the TiO<inf>x</inf>N<inf>y</inf> thin films that lead to the various structural, optical and electrical properties.
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    Structural, morphological and adhesion properties of coFeB thin films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering
    (2013-10-29)
    Ibuki, Chuleerat
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    In this work the effects of amorphous (glass) and crystalline (Si) substrates on the structural, morphological and adhesion properties of CoFeB thin film deposited by DC Magnetron sputtering were investigated. It was found that the structure of a substrate affects to crystal formation, surface morphology and adhesion of CoFeB thin films. The X-Ray diffraction patterns reveal that as-deposited CoFeB thin film at low sputtering power was amorphous and would become crystal when the power increased. The increase in crystalline structure of CoFeB thin film is attributed to the crystalline substrate and the increase of kinetic energy of sputtering atoms. Atomic Force Microscopy images of CoFeB thin film clearly show that the roughness, grain size, and uniformity correlate to the sputtering power and the structure of substrate. The CoFeB thin film on glass substrate shows a smooth surface and a small grain size whereas the CoFeB thin film on Si substrate shows a rough surface and a slightly increases of grain size. Sticky Tape Test on CoFeB thin film deposited on glass substrate indicates the adhesion failure with a high sputtering power. The results suggest that the crystalline structure of substrate affects to the atomic bonding and the sputtering power affects to intrinsic stress of CoFeB thin film. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.
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    Changes in structural, morphological, and corrosion properties of CrN thin film effected by varying N2 pressure In the sputtering process
    (2015-01-01)
    Wongtanasarasin, Wichuda
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    Suwansukho, Kajpanya
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    In this study, we investigate a facet of the fabrication process of chromium nitride (CrN) film intended as a protective coating for pineapple blades. CrN thin films were deposited on unpolished stainless steel substrates (AISI304) by DC reactive magnetron sputtering in Ar+N<inf>2</inf> gases. In principle, the proportion of nitrogen partial pressure to the total pressure in the sputtering process should have considerable effects on the CrN film's chemical composition, its crystal structure, its hardness, and its corrosion resistance. We tested this supposition out by using several different nitrogen partial pressures in the sputtering process and observed the films deposited. The coatings were deposited at five different nitrogen partial pressures of 4.0×10<sup>-4</sup> mbar, 8.0×10<sup>-4</sup> mbar, 1.2×10<sup>-3</sup> mbar, 1.6×10<sup>-3</sup> mbar, and 2.0×10<sup>-3</sup>. The deposition times were controlled to achieve 5-μm thick films in each deposition. The films were analyzed by several analytical methods, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope, micro-hardness and potentiostat in pineapple juice. The XRD spectra of the films showed face-centered cubic structure with (200) preferred orientation, positively identifying them as Cr<inf>2</inf>N and CrN thin films. The calculated d-spacing and lattice parameter of the CrN films increased with increasing nitrogen partial pressure; the ranges were 0.283-0.287 nm and 0.491-0.497 nm, respectively. The cross-section morphology of the CrN films reveals the columnar grain growth with a high density. The crystal structure and the grain texture correspond with the hardness property. The films corrosion potential, an indicator of their corrosion property, was varied from -0.14 to -0.05 volts with varying nitrogen pressure. The most corrosion resistant and the good hardness were the film fabricated at the nitrogen partial pressure of 1.2×10<sup>-3</sup> mbar.
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    Hardness and wear resistance improvement of ABS surface by CrN thin film
    This work aims to investigate the effect of sputtering power on the hardness and wear resistance of chromium nitride (CrN) thin films deposited on the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) substrates. These coatings were performed by a reactive DC magnetron sputtering technique. The values of sputtering power were adjusted in the range of 125-200 W. The total pressure (P<inf>t</inf>), nitrogen partial pressure (P<inf>N2</inf>), and sputtering time were kept constant at 4×10<sup>-3</sup> mbar, 30%, and 120 min, respectively. The surface roughness of the thin films was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The crystalline structure of these CrN thin films was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The hardness and Young's modulus of the CrN coated ABS samples were analyzed by a nanoindentation hardness test. Wear resistance tests under ambient air condition at room temperature were carried out by pin-on-disc method. The wear scars of the samples were determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the hardness values were varied from 6.65 to 9.58 GPa. Young's modulus of the samples was changed from 30.87 to 44.25 GPa. The CrN coating deposited on the ABS substrate at 175 W exhibited the highest hardness of 9.58 GPa which value is as high as that of steel. This indicated its potential and promising applications as hard coating layers for ABS plastic parts.
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    The analysis of a microwave sensor signal for detecting a kick gesture
    A hands-free operation is a solution for people who require a hand to do an action but both right and left hands are busy carrying something. There are many techniques, and most of them use sensors to check a command from humans such as voice and movement. A kick gesture is one technique that people can kick into the air to invoke an operation of a target device such as a kick-activation liftgate of a car. In this paper, we use a microwave sensor to detect the movement of a human's foot and employ machine learning techniques to analyses the sensor data. It has found that the Logistic Regression technique provides the best accuracy, and the model can be simply programmed in an embedded system.
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    The influence of N2 partial pressure on color, mechanical, and corrosion properties of TiN thin films deposited by dc reactive magnetron sputtering
    (2015-01-01)
    Nimnual, Pisitpat
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    ;
    Multi-functional thin films have gained increasing importance in a decorative application. Among the available material, titanium nitride (TiN) thin film is interesting due to its golden color and mechanical resistance. Beside their properties, the corrosion property of TiN films is mainly considered in order to extend the life time. In this work, the TiN thin films were deposited on 3×3 cm<sup>2</sup> Si(100) substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering technique. The effects of N<inf>2</inf> partial pressure (P<inf>N2</inf>) on deposited film properties such as microstructure, surface morphology, color, mechanical and corrosion properties were investigated. We found that the crystal structure of the TiN films exhibit the (200) preferred orientation. The color of TiN films change from gold-yellow to gold-red colors by increasing of N<inf>2</inf> partial pressure that could be explained by Drude model. The TiN films have smoother surface when the N<inf>2</inf> partial pressure increases. Standard corrosion tests in artificial sweat solution show the corrosion current density (i<inf>corr</inf>) in the range between 0.25 to 4.25 μA/cm<sup>2</sup> and the polarization resistance increases with increasing of N<inf>2</inf> partial pressure. The highest hardness of the film is approximately 40 GPa with elastic modulus of 340 GPa. We conclude that N<inf>2</inf> partial pressure corelates with color, mechanical property and corrosion resistance of TiN films, which were optimized to use in decorative application.
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    Resistive switching behavior of Ti/ZnO/Mo thin film structure for nonvolatile memory applications
    In this work, we study the resistive switching behavior of a new model metal/insulator/metal (MIM) junction. The MIM junction consists of titanium front electrode, zinc oxide insulation layer and molybdenum back electrode. The Ti/ZnO/Mo structure was prepared on 3×3 cm<sup>2</sup> soda lime glass substrates using dc magnetron sputtering for metal electrodes and rf magnetron sputtering for ZnO layer. The thicknesses of Ti, ZnO and Mo films were controlled at 200nm, 50nm and 500nm, respectively. The crystalline structure and microstructure of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the device cells were obtained by using dc voltage sweep mode. The XRD spectra of the devices show Mo(100) and ZnO(002) preferred orientations. The Mo and ZnO film surfaces exhibit dense crystallized grains with the root mean square roughness (RMS) of 1.0 and 1.4 nm, respectively. The device cells behave unipolar resistive switching characteristics with reversible, controllable and reliability within 150 cycles. The difference between high resistive state (HRS) and low resistive state (LRS) is about 10<sup>3</sup> times. A low operating voltage range of 0.50-0.60V is obtained for switching from HRS to LRS at a current compliance of 10mA. The new MIM structure was demonstrated and suggested a potential to use as nonvolatile memory application.