Abstract: A method for producing a sputtered stoichiometric a-Al2O3 thin film. A substrate is placed into a chamber containing an Al target to be sputtered. The chamber is evacuated to a base pressure of about 7×10?8 Torr or lower and the temperature of the substrate is maintained. With a sputtering shutter in the chamber closed, Ar gas is flowed into the chamber to backsputter the Al target and Ar and O2 gases are flowed into the chamber to presputter the target. The shutter is opened and Al is sputtered onto the substrate in the presence of the Ar and O2 gases to obtain a sputtered a-Al2O3 film on the substrate.

Abstract: A method for producing high-temperature sputtered stoichiometric TiN thin films. A substrate is placed in a sputtering chamber a Ti target to be sputtered and the substrate temperature is controlled to be between room temperature and about 800° C. The sputtering chamber is evacuated to a base pressure of 2×10?7 Torr or lower, The Ti target is presputtered under an Ar gas flow at a pressure of 2-15 mTorr in a radio frequency (RF) power of 50-200 W. The Ti is then sputtered onto the substrate in the presence of N2 and Ar gas flows under the same pressure and RF power, with the ratio of N2 to Ar favoring N to ensure that the film is nitrogen-saturated.

Abstract: Processes for fabricating multi- and monolayer silicene on catalyst metal surfaces by means of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Silicene is grown by means of PECVD from a starting mixture of H2 and SiH4 having an H2:SiH4 ratio of 100 to 400 on an Ag(111) substrate having a substrate temperature between 20° C. and 290° C., with the deposition being performed for about 10-25 minutes at an RF power between 10 W and 500 W and under a chamber pressure between about 100 mTorr and 1300 mTorr. In most cases, the substrate will be in the form of an Ag(111) film sputtered on a fused silica substrate. A multi-layer silicene film can be formed by extending the deposition time past 25 minutes.

Abstract: A method for producing a sputtered stoichiometric a-Al2O3 thin film. A substrate is placed into a chamber containing an Al target to be sputtered. The chamber is evacuated to a base pressure of about 7×10?8 Torr or lower and the temperature of the substrate is maintained. With a sputtering shutter in the chamber closed, Ar gas is flowed into the chamber to backsputter the Al target and Ar and O2 gases are flowed into the chamber to presputter the target. The shutter is opened and Al is sputtered onto the substrate in the presence of the Ar and O2 gases to obtain a sputtered a-Al2O3 film on the substrate.

Abstract: A method for producing high-temperature sputtered stoichiometric TiN thin films. A substrate is placed in a sputtering chamber a Ti target to be sputtered and the substrate temperature is controlled to be between room temperature and about 800° C. The sputtering chamber is evacuated to a base pressure of 2×10?7 Torr or lower, The Ti target is presputtered under an Ar gas flow at a pressure of 2-15 mTorr in a radio frequency (RF) power of 50-200 W. The Ti is then sputtered onto the substrate in the presence of N2 and Ar gas flows under the same pressure and RF power, with the ratio of N2 to Ar favoring N to ensure that the film is nitrogen-saturated.

Abstract: Processes for fabricating multi- and monolayer silicene on catalyst metal surfaces by means of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Silicene is grown by means of PECVD from a starting mixture of H2 and SiH4 having an H2:SiH4 ratio of 100 to 400 on an Ag(111) substrate having a substrate temperature between 20° C. and 290° C., with the deposition being performed for about 10-25 minutes at an RF power between 10 W and 500 W and under a chamber pressure between about 100 mTorr and 1300 mTorr. In most cases, the substrate will be in the form of an Ag(111) film sputtered on a fused silica substrate. A multi-layer silicene film can be formed by extending the deposition time past 25 minutes.

Abstract: A process for forming a doped nc-Si thin film thermoelectric material. A nc-Si thin film is slowly deposited on a substrate, either by hot-wire CVD (HWCVD) with a controlled H2:SiH4 ratio R=6-10 or by plasma-enhanced (PECVD) with a controlled R=80-100, followed by ion implantation of an n- or p-type dopant and a final annealing step to activate the implanted dopants and to remove amorphous regions. A doped nc-Si thin film thermoelectric material so formed has both a controllable grain size of from a few tens of nm to 3 nm and a controllable dopant distribution and thus can be configured to provide a thermoelectric material having predetermined desired thermal and/or electrical properties. A final annealing step is used to activate the dopants and remove any residual amorphous regions.

Abstract: A process for forming a doped nc-Si thin film thermoelectric material. A nc-Si thin film is slowly deposited on a substrate, either by hot-wire CVD (HWCVD) with a controlled H2:SiH4 ratio R=6-10 or by plasma-enhanced (PECVD) with a controlled R=80-100, followed by ion implantation of an n- or p-type dopant and a final annealing step to activate the implanted dopants and to remove amorphous regions. A doped nc-Si thin film thermoelectric material so formed has both a controllable grain size of from a few tens of nm to 3 nm and a controllable dopant distribution and thus can be configured to provide a thermoelectric material having predetermined desired thermal and/or electrical properties. A final annealing step is used to activate the dopants and remove any residual amorphous regions.

Abstract: A process for forming a doped nc-Si thin film thermoelectric material. A nc-Si thin film is slowly deposited on a substrate, either by hot-wire CVD (HWCVD) with a controlled H2:SiH4 ratio R=6-10 or by plasma-enhanced (PECVD) with a controlled R=80-100, followed by ion implantation of an n- or p-type dopant and a final annealing step to activate the implanted dopants and to remove amorphous regions. A doped nc-Si thin film thermoelectric material so formed has both a controllable grain size of from a few tens of nm to 3 nm and a controllable dopant distribution and thus can be configured to provide a thermoelectric material having predetermined desired thermal and/or electrical properties. A final annealing step is used to activate the dopants and remove any residual amorphous regions.

Abstract: A process for forming a doped nc-Si thin film thermoelectric material. A nc-Si thin film is slowly deposited on a substrate, either by hot-wire CVD (HWCVD) with a controlled H2:SiH4 ratio R=6-10 or by plasma-enhanced (PECVD) with a controlled R=80-100, followed by ion implantation of an n- or p-type dopant and a final annealing step to activate the implanted dopants and to remove amorphous regions. A doped nc-Si thin film thermoelectric material so formed has both a controllable grain size of from a few tens of nm to 3 nm and a controllable dopant distribution and thus can be configured to provide a thermoelectric material having predetermined desired thermal and/or electrical properties. A final annealing step is used to activate the dopants and remove any residual amorphous regions.