Abstract
The physical and mechanical properties of Cr(30 nm)/Cu(30 nm)/Ni(30 nm) thin films magnetron sputtered on Si (001) were studied. A novel microtribological tests have been proposed to evaluate the wear resistance and adhesion of the thin films. Microtribological characteristics such as coefficient of friction, wear resistance, and adhesion were quantified for samples in the as-deposited state and also after their low-energy (1000 eV) Ar+ ion irradiation, after annealing at 450 °C in vacuum for 15 min, and finally after their combined treatment when the ion irradiation followed by the annealing. The best microtribological properties among all the samples tested were demonstrated by thin-films after their combined treatment. The results of the SIMS depth profile show that the diffusion redistribution of the major components over the entire depth of the film occurs after annealing. After ion bombardment, the redistribution of the main components was not observed, but the chemistry of the close surface layer was modified by the introduced Ar. The result of the combined treatment (ion bombardment + annealing) showed that chemical modification occurs in the surface layer and mainly in Ar, while the total distribution of the main components over the depth of the film is similar to the case of annealed sample. The improvement in thin-film mechanical properties was explained by their surface hardening associated with dislocation dynamics modified by the implanted argon ions. Therefore, pre-irradiation with ions can be recommended for long-term stability of Cu-based thin-film metal contacts for new generation solar cells that are exposed to elevated temperatures.
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Acknowledgements
This publication is based on work supported by a grant (#G-202108-68019) from the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CRDF Global). Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CRDF Global. This study has been also partially supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine grant (project #0121U110283).
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Kruhlov, I., Orlov, A., Zakiev, V., Zakiev, I., Prikhodko, S., Voloshko, S. (2022). Multi-layered Thin-Film Metal Contacts for New Generation Solar Cells. In: TMS 2022 151st Annual Meeting & Exhibition Supplemental Proceedings. The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92381-5_39
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