Eric Ko

Annotated Source List

“Pulsed Laser Deposition - Andor Learning Centre.” ​Oxford Instruments​,

www.oxinst.com/learning/view/article/pulsed-laser-deposition​.

Summary: ​Webpage
In addition to Chemical Vapor Deposition, another way to apply coatings on substrates is
by using Pulsed Laser Deposition, which also ensures the coating is of higher quality. This
technique uses laser pulses to melt, evaporate, and ionize material from the surface of a target.
This in turn creates a bright plasma material that rapidly moves away from the target. The
plasma material then collects on a prepared substrate, in which it condenses onto the surface and
makes a thin film. The technique of pulsed laser deposition is highly preferred over film
deposition because 1. The chemical composition can be maintained 2. Film thickness can be
controlled in real time 3. Filaments are not required 4. When changing between materials,
vacuum does not need to be broken.
Despite the many advantages of PLD, it still has a couple flaws. The thickness of the
condensated substance is non-uniform and therefore does not have uniform thickness. Also, the
coated substance contains molten material that is detrimental to the properties of the film being
deposited. All in all, PLD is a relatively new topic that still needs research on.

Application to Research:
I was reading my mentor’s research papers in order to gain an understanding of the
research he was conducting, and stumbled across Pulsed Laser Deposition in addition to
Chemical Vapor Deposition. A relatively new topic, it was difficult to understand because of the
many words I was unfamiliar with. However, I now understand why I measure the thickness of
diamond ray filaments using wavelengths at my internship; in order to measure how uneven the
surface is due to the straightforwardness of the method. Using this article, I can further my
research by collecting data on different deposition conditions, and based on the uniformity of the
substrate thickness, provide an ideal setting for Pulsed Laser Deposition to take place.

BU Physics​, Boston University, 3 Aug. 1999, physics.bu.edu/~duffy/PY106/Diffraction.html.

Summary: ​Webpage
Diffraction is the bending and expansion of waves when it is forced through a small slit.
The slit can be thought as an emitter of waves, and these waves interfere with each other to
produce a pattern known as the diffraction pattern.
Thin film interference is when there are interference between light waves, resulting in a
colorful pattern. To obtain an optimal pattern, the ​thickness of the film has to be similar to the
wavelength of light.​ For completely constructive interference to occur, the two reflected waves
need to be shifted by a whole number of wavelengths from each other, which also depends on the
index of refraction.

Application to Research:
 I want to incorporate as much as my internship experience to my research, so I
researched on the significance of wavelengths when I measure the thickness of films. Familiar
with Physical and Geometric Optics, indexes of refraction and constructive and destructive
interference are all within my capability of understanding, but this article helped me make the
connection between reality and textbooks and helped me understand the significance of the
wavelength of the film itself in thin-film interference: because the indexes of refractions are
different per surface of the film.

“CVD Nanodiamond Coating for Electronics | Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition
(HFCVD) System.” ​Bluewave Semiconductors​, 2016,
www.bluewavesemi.com/product/hot-filament-chemical-vapor-deposition-system/​.

Summary: ​Webpage
The Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition System is a system designed for the
“synthesis of nanodiamond coatings, CVD diamond films, Microcrystalline CVD diamond
coatings, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and a variety of other thin film coatings.” The chamber’s
body is made from stainless steel with a double wall for cooling purposes. It is capable of
measuring pressure, the temperature of the filament, voltage, current, and temperature of the gas
inside the chamber. Additional components include In-situ Laser Reflectivity, which include a
laser with 632 wavelength, detectors, filters, and steering mirrors, and Lab View Control, when
downloaded on a PC, can control gas flow, chamber pressure, Heater temperature, DC power,
and filament temperature.

Application to Research:
Although this may assist me in my research, this page helps me more because this exact
machine is what I monitor at my internship. After gathering the necessary background
information about Chemical Vapor Deposition, then Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition, I
can now understand which values I am collecting, and the significance behind them. As I lower
the pressure inside the chamber using Lab View Control, it makes sense that the Temperature
falls because I know the Ideal Gas Law applies to this situation, and the volume inside the
chamber remains constant. Additionally, after becoming familiar with features of the system, my
inventory of tools for research grows, and I can open myself to specific branches of HFCVD.

Chandler, David L. “Explained: Chemical Vapor Deposition.” ​MIT News​, MIT News Office, 19
June 2015, news.mit.edu/2015/explained-chemical-vapor-deposition-0619.

Summary: ​Webpage
Chemical Vapor Deposition is a rapidly advancing topic, pushing research in new
directions. Gleason’s research on CVD originally began with the intention of proving a
widely-accepted idea: that CVD could not work with polymer materials without the presence of
plasma to initiate the reaction. After experimenting on Teflon (compound of chlorine and
fluorine), however, she realized that the absence of plasma meant nothing, and instead found the
real key to CVD: the substrate needed to be cooler than the surrounding gas. Prior to Gleason’s
discovery, CVD had been a high temperature process, rather than a low-temperature process
used in industrial settings. Hart has expanded onto this research, discovering a roll-to-roll
processing system to make sheets of graphene.

Application to Research:
At my internship, I record the status of a machine that uses Chemical Vapor Deposition
to create coatings onto a Diamond Filament Ray. Using a software connected to the machine, I
can adjust the Volume and Temperature of the gas surrounding the substrate, and thus alter
various aspects such as the Current and Voltage, and the temperature of both the substrate and
the gas. Although I have much to learn about this complex, modern process, the article has given
me important background information on the topic and introduced me to two upcoming research
fields about CVD. Additionally, after reading this article, I understand the relationship between
the Volume and Temperature and can now apply the Ideal Gas Law I learned in Chemistry to my
future research.

Gan YX, Yu Z, Gan JB, Cheng W, Li M. Gold Catalyst-Assisted Metal Organic Chemical Vapor
Deposition of Bi-Te-Ni-Cu-Au Complex Thermoelectric Materials on Anodic Aluminum Oxide
Nanoporous Template. ​Coatings​. 2018; 8(5):166

Summary: ​Article
CVD is widely used today in the coating of materials of the nanoscale level and
depositing various thermoelectric materials, including “silicon nanowires, SiC, oxides, Ge
nanocones, and Se-C films.” A particular branch of CVD explored in this article is Metal
Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition, mainly used for depositing Bismuth-Tellurium
Antimony-Tellurium thermoelectric films, using Alkyl metals as precursors. The performance of
thermoelectric materials is measured by their “figure of merit” noted by the letter ​z,​ and their
energy conversion efficiency is noted by ​zT​ (at a given temperature ​T.​ To this day, the best
reported ​zT ​values have been in the 2-3 range, so scientists are currently researching on how to
improve the composition and structure of materials to improve their efficiency.
In order to push the limits of energy conversion efficiency, the authors have combined
two factors together: the complexity of the structure to encourage photon scattering, and
improving the electrical conductivity by using a thermoelectric alloy doped with conductive
elements such as Bismuth, a semiconductor. As for the metal precursors, Nickel Acetate,
Bismuth Acetate, Copper Nitrate, and Tellurium Chloride were used, with Hydrogen as the
carrier gas.

Application to Research:
After reading this article, I gained a more accurate sense of how Chemical Vapor
Deposition could be included in my research. I could further research on how to push the energy
conversion efficiency rate, and try it out myself at my internship. In addition to learning two very
important elements of CVD (​z and zT​), I have learned about Seebeck Coefficient, also known as
thermopower, a measurement of the magnitude of an induced voltage in response to Temperature
difference across the metal, and Seebeck effect, where the temperature difference between two
electrical semiconductors can induce a voltage between the substrates. Although I have yet to
fully grasp the significance of this newly acquired information, I know I will run into it again at
my internship, so I will at least be able to go into it with background knowledge.

Laj, Guan-Ren, et al. “Deposition of Diamond Films in a Closed Hot Filament CVD System.”
US National Center for Biotechnology Information​, 1995,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4887217/.

Summary: ​Scholarly Journal

Introduces the reader to Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition. The journal
specializes on the deposition of diamond which contains a fixed amount of hydrogen and a
graphite rod as the carbon source.
Two substrates were used: polished single crystal silicon wafers and single crystal silicon
wafers previously coated with a layer of diamond. A five turn helical tungsten wire was used as a
filament. As the diamond grew, the mass of the deposited diamond lessened as the pressure of
the closed chamber grew. As the filament substrate distance increased, Graphite to Diamond
conversion increased. Being able to produce diamond in a closed container proves better things
for the future, which can be proven by how far HFCVD has gone today.

Application to Research:
When I measure the filament to substrate distance at my internship, I can now make
judgements of my own and adjust the substrate so it can function at its best. Knowing the
relationships among parameters such as filament substrate distance, mass, and pressure is greatly
beneficial in that I understand the significance behind what were previously just numbers.

Mendoza, Frank, et al. “Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition: Enabling the Scalable
Synthesis of Bilayer Graphene and Other Carbon Materials.” ​Intech Open​, IntechOpen, 31 Aug.
2016,
www.intechopen.com/books/chemical-vapor-deposition-recent-advances-and-applications-in-opt
ical-solar-cells-and-solid-state-devices/hot-filament-chemical-vapor-deposition-enabling-the-scal
able-synthesis-of-bilayer-graphene-and-other​.

Summary: ​Book
The Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition begins with a heated coil wire to
decompose the precursors in the gas mixture and then applied to the substrate surface at lower
temperatures. For the synthesis of carbon based materials such as diamond or graphene, a gas
mixture containing hydrocarbon diluted in hydrogen is decomposed using a metal filament, such
as tungsten or tantalum and heated to around 2000 degrees Celsius. Every little detail counts, as
lower temperatures result in little or no diamond film, while high temperatures result in higher
quality diamonds - however, high temperatures also result in the filaments becoming carburized.
The filament is very brittle, so this is not good for it, which is revealed in the generally short life
spans of filaments.
A challenge many engineers face is obtaining a uniform layer of diamond film.
Simulating the scenario with graphene instead of diamond (both are carbon based), methane is
added to the gas mixture and heated to the minimum of 1800 degrees Celsius. After lowering the
temperature by 50 degree intervals, setting the deposition time from 30 to 100 minutes, the ideal
parameters were found at 950 degrees Celsius.

Application to Research:
This section of the book discussed about the Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition
design and the relationship between the reactor parameters, such as filament and substrate
temperatures, filament to substrate distance, and total pressure. Theses are all parameters I record
every 10 minutes at my internship, so I can finally understand the significance behind these
numbers. As for my further research, this helps me gain a better understanding of the data that I
am collecting and will potentially use.

Snow, Dave. “What Is PVD Coating?” ​Semicore​, SemiCore Equipment Inc. , 2018,
www.semicore.com/what-is-pvd-coating.

Summary: ​Webpage
PVD, or physical vapor deposition, refers to a variety of thin film deposition techniques
where solid metal is vaporized in a high vacuum environment and deposited on electrically
conductive materials as a pure metal or alloy coating. As a molecular process, it provides a high
performance coating that greatly reduces the amount of toxic substances that must be disposed of
with more conventional types of coating. This coating is non-susceptible to tarnishing and
corrosion and has a superior hardness, durability and resistance to wear.
To achieve this precise, uniform layer, the parts to be coated are placed on a several axis
rotating at a uniform speed in the vacuum deposition equipment chamber. Then the equipment is
pumped down to the optimum pressure and the layer of coating is applied. Many different
coatings are available for different purposes; graphite and titanium are often used in high
performance aerospace and automotive component where friction and temperature are crucial
success factors. Other coating include Zirconium Nitride (ZrN), Zirconium Carbon Nitride
(ZrCN), Titanium Nitride (TiN), Titanium Carbon Nitride (TiCN), and more. Overall, the PVD
coating process provide a precise, eco-friendly coatings that can be implemented in modern,
cutting edge technology such as microchips to solar panels.

Application to Research:
Because I am researching on the topic of Vapor Deposition, I must be familiar with both
aspects: Chemical and Physical. I know that CVD mainly is composed of vaporizing precursors,
accelerating the chemical reactions between a gas and a substrate inside a chamber in order to
form a desired coating on the substrate. In replacement of the chemical reactions that occur
between the substrate and gases, the sources are evaporated, then electronically conducted onto
the substrate surface, and only uses physical forces. Although this doesn’t specifically help me
on chemical vapor deposition, I feel that it is especially important to understand all sides before
delving deeper into one specific topic.
Yasushi Hotta​, ​Iwao Kawayama​, ​Shozo Miyake​, ​Ikuya Saiki​, ​Shintaro Nishi​, ​Kota Yamahara​,
Koji Arafune​, ​Haruhiko Yoshida​, ​Shin-ichi Satoh​, ​Naomi Sawamoto​, ​Atsushi Ogura​, ​Akira Ito​,
Hidetoshi Nakanishi​, ​Masayoshi Tonouchi​, ​Hitoshi Tabata​. (2018)

Summary: ​Scholarly Journal

Scientists studied the net charge density of strontium silicate films growing on silicon
substrates. The layers were deposited through pulsed laser deposition, and then put into a 400 to
600 degree Celsius environment in an oxygen atmosphere. With increasing temperature, the
strontium silicate films penetrated the silicon substrate, decreasing the net charge density of the
layers, and the charges concentrated near the film.

Application to Research:
Although I am straying away from the main point of my research, I thought it would be
interesting in exploring how other values affect the process of Pulsed Laser Deposition,
including a static electric field. A static electric field is interesting because while it still exerts a
force on charges, it maintains a zero frequency, thus having no wavelength. Results of the
experiment showed that an increase of temperature resulted in the silicate layers penetrating the
silicon substrate, degrading the properties as a whole. This in turn suggests that the anion and
cation migration is significant in charge generation.

Zhang T, Zou Y. The Effect of Deposition Parameters on the Growth Rate of Microcrystalline
Diamond Powders Synthesized by HFCVD Method. ​Coatings​. 2017; 7(7):95.

Summary: ​Article
Before chemical vapor deposition, diamond powders were produced from physically
crushing diamonds using high pressure and temperature techniques. Today, using CVD, these
powders are regrown by another branch of CVD called Hot Filament Chemical Vapor
Deposition. In HFCVD, carbon concentration, substrate temperature, and bias current are very
important in the growth of the diamonds. This article attempts to control the growth rate of
isolated diamond crystals, and draws a conclusion at the end that under certain preconditions, the
growth rate of isolated diamond crystals can be controlled at 0.9 mu m/h.
Diamonds synthesized by CVD are highly sought after for their low defect density, well
defined size, and smooth surfaces. Nevertheless, the process of synthesizing itself remains a
challenge, and has yet to be fully developed and no research done yet on controlling the
deposition parameters for an ideal growth rate. This article experiments for depositing CVD
microcrystalline diamonds by varying the deposition parameters such as carbon concentration,
substrate temperature, and bias current, in order to increasing the growth rate while keeping the
overall shape of the crystals.

Application to Research:
In my internship, I measure the thickness of diamond ray filaments made from chemical
vapor deposition by measuring various wavelengths induced within the filament from a tungsten
induced light. Using this research on Hot filament Chemical Vapor Deposition, I can begin to
experiment with the deposition parameters like carbon concentration, substrate temperature, and
bias current to see the varied results of the growth rate of isolated diamond crystals. It is
especially interesting to see a specific aspect of my internship being researched on and
investigated, and pleasing to know so that I could apply the results of this article to my possible
research on diamond ray filaments.

Zhao, Jingping, and Wenfu Yan. ​Modern Inorganic Synthetic Chemistry​. Edited by Ruren Xu et
al., Elsevier, 2011.

Summary: ​Book
Chemical Vapor Deposition is a technology used to coat substrates with films or to form
solid powders in the gas phase. There are two kinds of vapor depositions, however: Physical and
chemical. Physical Vapor Deposition includes vacuum vaporization, spattering, ion plating, etc.
while CVD focuses on depositions based on chemical reactions enhanced by plasma. Because of
rapid advancements in technology, there are cases that belong to both fields, such as reaction
spattering and reaction ion plating, where metals are vaporized, then reacted to produce oxides
and nitrides.

Application to Research:
For the purpose of my internship, it is useful to be familiar with the concept of chemical
deposition: however, I need to be knowledgeable in the applications of the method so I can apply
it to my experiences. One particular concept the chapter focuses on is Reduction-Oxidation
Deposition. I recall noting the methane and hydrogen levels of the closed environment used to
coat the substrate, so this is a topic I know is applied to my internship: the reduction of carbon by
hydrogen for methane. This is additionally a very useful source in that I could use the other
chapters if their topics resurface in my research.