City University of Hong Kong

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1 City University of Hong Kong Information on a Course offered by the Department of Physics and Materials Science with effect from Semester A in 2013 / 2014 Part I Course Title: Thin Film Technology and Nanocrystalline Coatings Course Code: AP4121 Course Duration: One semester No of Credit Units: 3 Level: B4 Medium of Instruction: English Prerequisites: Nil Precursors: AP2102 Introduction to Materials Engineering AP3169/ AP3170 Materials Testing Techniques AP3171 Materials Characterization Techniques AP3172 Electronic Properties of Materials MA2176 Basic Calculus and Linear Algebra or MA1201 Calculus and Basic Linear Algebra II Equivalent Courses: Nil Exclusive Courses: AP6121 Thin Film Technology and Nanocrystalline Coatings AP8121 Thin Film Technology and Nanocrystalline Coatings AP4121 (3-3-4) 1

2 Part II 1. Course Aims: The course provides fundamental knowledge on modern material syntheses in materials engineering and science. This emerging technology equips the students with knowledge in processing both pure elementary materials and compounds that can be prepared in crystalline, polycrystalline, nanocrystalline or amorphous forms. The course is designed as a practical guide in thin film deposition used in industry and science. It also stimulates ingenuity in experiment and material processing design as well as inventiveness in development of novel materials and nanomaterials. The course represents an important interface between the school and industrial and scientific practice. 2. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs) Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to: No. CILOs Level of Importance 1 Recognize the fundamental growth and material 2 parameters of thin films and nanomaterials such as growth rate, arrival rate ratio of particles, surface energy, lattice parameters, density, stress, adhesion, stoichiometry, sticking coefficient, etc. 2 Recognize the various deposition methods and 3 syntheses of various materials and be able to relate them to the principles of fundamental physics and chemistry. 3 Select modern techniques of deposition and synthesis and apply them to prepare different 2 materials and nanomaterials under proper conditions. 4 Evaluate and design processes of material synthesis to form thin films and nanomaterials. 2 Remarks: 1 is the least importance 3. Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs) (designed to facilitate students achievement of the CILOs) TLAs Large Class Activities Small Class Activities Lab Work Total no of hours CILO CILO CILO CILO Total (hrs) The Large Class Activities are lectures scheduled weekly in 2 hours teaching blocks. Lectures follow the teaching structure as indicated in the Key syllabus. The Small Class Activities refer to tutorials being based on interpretation of the necessary hardware used in deposition and synthesis methods. Important components are AP4121 (3-3-4) 2

3 numerical evaluation of thin film processing and problems relevant to thin film growth and synthesis of different materials under vacuum conditions. These activities take 7 weeks. Laboratory work is scheduled throughout the semester in small groups and is focussed on hardware used in thin film growth and material synthesis as well as selected deposition techniques such as magnetron sputtering and plasma enhanced electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition. Scheduled activities: 2 hrs lecture hr tutorial + 1 hr laboratory 4. Assessment Tasks/Activities (designed to assess how well the students achieve the CILOs) Examination duration is 2 hrs Percentage of coursework, examination, etc.:30% by coursework; 70% by exam To pass the course, students need to obtain at least 30% in the examination. ATs Exam Quiz Mid-term Lab Total (%) Test Report CILO CILO CILO CILO Total (%) Individual tasks are assessed continuously throughout the whole semester. The assessment is by course work (30%) and exam (70%). The course assessment is composed of 5 Quiz tasks, 1 mid-term test, and 4 laboratory projects with typed reports. The information on assessment and learning is fed back to the students within 7 days. The exam assessment follows the weighting individual tasks and comprises shorter and longer questions as well as calculation (~20%). The questions are focused on principles of materials synthesis and thin film growth and evaluation of these processes. 5. Grading of Student Achievement: Refer to Grading of Courses in the Academic Regulations The grading is based on students performance in assessment tasks/activities. Grade A The student completes all assessment tasks/activities and is able to demonstrate excellent understanding of the scientific principles and the working mechanisms of methods of deposition and synthesis, deposition and materials parameters. He/she can thoroughly identify and explain how the principles of deposition and synthesis are applied to science and technology and solving physical and engineering problems. The student shows strong evidence of original thinking, supported by various properly documented information sources, other than taught materials. He/she is able to communicate ideas effectively and persuasively via written and/or oral presentation. AP4121 (3-3-4) 3

4 Grade B The student completes the assessment tasks/activities and can describe and explain the scientific principles. He/she can in details evaluate the principles of deposition and synthesis, applied them to materials science and technology and solve relevant physical and engineering problems. He/she demonstrates ability to integrate taught concepts, techniques of deposition and synthesis and applications via clear oral and/or written communication. Grade C The student completes the given assessment tasks/activities and can describe and explain some scientific principles. He/she provides simple but fairly accurate evaluations of the deposition/synthesis principles and applies them to science and technology and solving physical and engineering problems. He/she can communicate tasks on materials synthesis and deposition clearly in writing and/or oral presentations. Grade D The student completes the given assessment tasks/activities but can only briefly describe some scientific principles. He/she can properly demonstrate only some techniques of deposition/synthesis and applications of their principles to science, technology and solving physical and engineering problems. He/she can communicate simple ideas in writing and/or oral presentations. Grade F The student fails to complete assessment tasks/activities and/or cannot accurately describe and explain the principles of deposition and synthesis. He/she fails to identify and explain the principles applied to science and technology and solving physical and engineering problems objectively or systematically. He/she is weak in presentations of fundamental ideas of materials deposition and synthesis; and/or the student s work shows evidence of plagiarism. Part III Keyword Syllabus: Definition of thin films. Environment and molecular and plasma processes in thin film deposition. Cold and thermal plasma. Requirement for substrate. Substrate cleaning. Formation of thin films Sticking coefficient. Formation of thermodynamically stable cluster nucleation. Growth process. Properties of thin films: Microstructure. Single crystalline films. Polycrystalline films. Nanocrystalline thin film. Amorphous films. Metastable films. Surface morphology. Film density. Stress in thin films. Adhesion. Stoichiometry. Mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical, and optical properties of thin films. Thermal evaporation Resistance evaporation. Electron beam evaporation. Molecular beam epitaxy. Laser ablation. Synthesis of nanomaterials (nanowires, nanoribbons) Electrical discharges used in thin film deposition AP4121 (3-3-4) 4

5 Mechanism of electrical discharges. I-V characteristic of electrical discharges. Townsend discharge. Glow discharge. Arc. Practical electric discharge configuration for deposition of thin films. Direct current electric discharges. Radio-frequency discharges. Microwave discharges. Electron cyclotron resonance plasma. Matching units. Floating potential. Bias potential. Plasma potential. Effective bias. Self-bias. Physical deposition techniques Direct current and radiofrequency sputtering. Magnetron sputtering. Cathodic arc deposition. Filtered cathodic arc deposition. Ion beam sputtering. Ion plating. Chemical vapor deposition techniques (CVD) Thermally activated CVD Plasma enhanced CVD. Oxidizing and nitriding. Photoassisted CVD. Plasma polymerization. Chemical transport in plasma. Hydrogen neutralization is semiconductors. Other processing technologies Pattern transfer. Reactive ion etching. Ion milling. Ion beam dry etching. Recommended Reading: Reference Book(s): D Clocker, S I Shah (Eds), Handbook of Thin Film Process Technology, Institude of Physics Publishing, London W N G Hitchon, Plasma Processes for semiconductor Fabrication, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge J L Vossen, W. Kern (Eds), Thin Film Processes II, Academic Press, Boston J L Vossen, W. Kern (Eds), Thin Film Processes, Academic Press, San Francisco F C Matacotta, G. Ottaviani, Science and technology of Thin Films, World Scientific, New Jersey S Sivaran, Chemical Vapor Deposition, Thermal and Plasma Deposition of Electronic Materials, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York AP4121 (3-3-4) 5