X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to analyze an epitaxially grown SrRuO3/SrTiO3(100) single crystal thin film. XP spectra were obtained using incident monochromatic Al Kα radiation at 0.83401 nm. A survey spectrum together with O 1s, Ru 3p, C 1s, Ru 3d, Sr 3p, Sr 3d, Ru 4p, Sr 4s, O 2s, and Sr 4p core-level spectra and the valence band are presented. The spectra indicate the principle core-level photoelectron and Auger electron signals and show only minor carbon contamination. Making use of the O 1s, Ru 3p, and Sr 3d lines and neglecting the components related to surface contaminants, XPS quantitative analysis reveals an altered stoichiometry of the air-exposed crystal surface of SrRu0.92O3.41.

The time-dependent plasma properties of a High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) plasma are investigated which include a positive “kick” pulse on the sputtering target immediately following the main negative pulse. The time dependent electron energy distribution function (EEDF) at the substrate, plasma potential, potential commute time and plasma diffusion properties are captured using a single Langmuir probe. Results show that the positive pulse on the target expels plasma and raises the plasma potential across the chamber on the order of 1 usec, which is the time scale of the electron diffusion. The EEDF fits a Druyvesteyn distribution during the main pulse rising slightly in average energy. The distribution is still Druyvesteyn and at the very start of the kick pulse, but then loses the higher energy electrons and drops in average electron energy as the kick pulse progresses.

The effect on the ion energy distribution function (IEDF) of plasma produced during a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge as the pulse conditions are varied is reported. Pressure was varied from 0.67 -2.00 Pa (5-15 mTorr), positive kick pulses up to 200 V tested with a constant 4 μs delay between negative and positive cycles. The results demonstrate that the resulting plasma during the positive kick pulse is the result of expansion through the largely neutral gas species between the end of the magnetic trap of the target and the workpiece. The plasma potential rises on similar time scale with the evolution of a narrow peak in the IEDF close to the applied bias. The peak of the distribution function remains narrow close to the applied bias irrespective of pulse length, and with only slight pressure dependence. One exception discovered is that the IEDF contains a broad high energy tail early in the kick pulse due to acceleration of ions present beyond the trap from the main pulse separate from the ionization front that follows.

Thin-film semiconducting anatase TiO 2 finds several applications, including photocatalysis, wherein control over carrier concentration and other material properties would be useful. The present work employs atomic layer deposition to fabricate thin amorphous films of TiO 2 , which are then annealed into polycrystalline anatase. Variations in the temperature and growth rate for deposition, as well as in the ramp rate and final temperature employed during the annealing, propagate into changes in one or more of the final carrier concentration, crystallite size and bulk density. Many of these surprising findings can be interpreted in terms of medium range atomic order existing in the initial amorphous films, and demonstrate that the order can be manipulated and exploited to some degree.