Real-time optical monitoring of the dip coating process

A significant part of film production by the coating industry is based on wet bench processes, where better understanding of their temporal dynamics could facilitate control and optimization. In this work, in situ laser interferometry is applied to study properties of flowing liquids and quantitatively monitor the dip coating batch process. Two oil standards Newtonian, non-volatile, with constant refractive indices and distinct flow properties - were measured under several withdrawing speeds. The dynamics of film physical thickness then depends on time as t(-1/2), and flow characterization becomes possible with high precision (linear slope uncertainty of +/-0.04%). Resulting kinematic viscosities for OP60 and OP400 are 1,17 +/- 0,03. St and 9,9 +/- 0,2 St, respectively. These results agree with nominal values, as provided by the manufacturer. For more complex films (a multi-component sol-gel Zirconyl Chloride aqueous solution) with a varying refractive index, through a direct polarimetric measurement, allowing also determination of the temporal evolution of physical thickness (uncertainty of +/- 0,007 microns) is also determined during dip coating.

Preparation of 9/65/35 PLZT thin films deposited by a dip-coating process

Crack-free polycrystalline PLZT (Pb,a)(Zr,Ti)O-3 thin films with the perovskite structure were prepared by dir-coating using the Pechinis process. Lead acetate, hydrated lanthanum carbonate, zirconium n-propoxide and titanium isopropoxide were used as raw materials. The viscosity of the solution was adjusted in the range of 20 to 56 cP and the films were deposited by a dip-coating process on silicon (100) as substrate. Solutions with ionic concentration of 0.1 and 0.2 M were used. Thin film deposition was accomplished by dipping the substrates in the solution with control of withdrawal speed from 5 to 20 mm/min. The thin films were thermally treated in two steps: at 300 degreesC amid 650 degreesC. The influence of withdrawal speed. viscosity, heating rate and ionic concentration on the morphology of PLZT thin film was discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Um procedimento simples e barato para a construção de um equipamento "dip-coating" para deposição de filmes em laboratório

In this work we show how to build a piece of equipment for depositing thin films by the dip-coating process, using inexpensive components easily found on the market. This equipment allows us to control the dipping and pulling velocity at which the substrate is put in the film precursor solution, two very important parameters for obtain thin films. This article discusses the construction of the mechanical and electric parts of the equipment, a simple method to interface it to a computer and the development of the software to control the dip-coating parameters.

Numerical simulation of the liquid phase in SnO(2) thin film deposition by sol-gel-dip-coating

The fluid flow of the liquid phase in the sol-gel-dip-coating process for SnO(2) thin film deposition is numerically simulated. This calculation yields useful information on the velocity distribution close to the substrate, where the film is deposited. The fluid modeling is done by assuming Newtonian behavior, since the linear relation between shear stress and velocity gradient is observed. Besides, very low viscosities are used. The fluid governing equations are the Navier-Stokes in the two dimensional form, discretized by the finite difference technique. Results of optical transmittance and X-ray diffraction on films obtained from colloidal suspensions with regular viscosity, confirm the substrate base as the thickest part of the film, as inferred from the numerical simulation. In addition, as the viscosity increases, the fluid acquires more uniform velocity distribution close to the substrate, leading to more homogenous and uniform films.

Numerical simulation of the liquid phase in SnO2 thin film deposition by sol-gel-dip-coating

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Transparent and conductive ZnO : Al thin films prepared by sol-gel dip-coating

Aluminum doped zinc oxide polycrystalline thin films (AZO) were prepared by sol-gel dip-coating process. The sol was prepared from an ethanolic solution of zinc acetate using lithium hydroxide or succinic acid as hydrolytic catalyst. The quantity of aluminum in the sol was varied from 1 to 10 mol%. The structural characteristics studied by X-ray diffractometry were complemented by resistivity measurements and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy. The films are transparent from the near ultraviolet to the near infrared, presenting an absorption cut-off at almost 290 nm, irrespective of the nature of the catalyst and doping level. The best conductors were obtained for the AZO films containing 3 mol% of aluminum, prepared under acidic and basic catalysis and sintered at 450 degreesC. Their optical band-gap of 4.4 eV calculated from the absorption cut-off is larger than the values for band-gap widening predicted by the standard model for polar semiconductors. These polycrystalline films are textured with preferential orientation of grains along the wurtzite c-axis or the (100) direction. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Filmes de titânio-silício preparados por "spin" e "dip-coating"

The conditions for the preparation of luminescent materials, consisting of Eu3+ ions entrapped in a titanium matrix, in the forma of a thin film, using the sol-gel process, are described. The films were obtained from sols prepared with TEOS and TEOT, in the presence of acetylacetone as the hidrolysis-retarding agent, using the dip-coating and spin-coating techniques. The influence of these techniques on the films based on titanium and silicon are presented. The Eu3+ was used as a luminescent probe. The films have been characterized by luminescence, reflection and transmittance. The thickness of the films could be related to the preparation procedure. Transparent thin films have been prepared by dip-coating technique.

Interface Formation and Electrical Transport in SnO2:Eu3+/GaAs Heterojunction Deposited by Sol-Gel Dip-Coating and Resistive Evaporation

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Schottky emission in nanoscopically crystallized Ce-doped SnO2 thin films deposited by sol-gel-dip-coating

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Filmes de titânio-silício preparados por spin e dip-coating

The conditions for the preparation of luminescent materials, consisting of Eu3+ ions entrapped in a titanium matrix, in the forma of a thin film, using the sol-gel process, are described. The films were obtained from sols prepared with TEOS and TEOT, in the presence of acetylacetone as the hidrolysis-retarding agent, using the dip-coating and spin-coating techniques. The influence of these techniques on the films based on titanium and silicon are presented. The Eu3+ was used as a luminescent probe. The films have been characterized by luminescence, reflection and transmittance. The thickness of the films could be related to the preparation procedure. Transparent thin films have been prepared by dip-coating technique.

SrBi2Nb2O9 thin films deposited by dip coating using aqueous solution

A new approach for SrBi2Nb2O9 (SBN) thin films synthesis using aqueous solution was successfully experienced. The deposition solution was prepared from Sr-Bi-Nb mixed-citrate solution, requiring no special atmosphere and using common reagents. Films were deposited by dip coating onto Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates and hear treated at temperatures ranging from 300 to 700 degrees C. The process of formation and crystallization of SrBi2Nb2O9 thin films, prepared by the aqueous solution method have been studied with particular emphasis on the microstructure of crystallized films. Crystalline phases formation were followed by grazing incident X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), microstructure characterization was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and surface roughness were observed using atomic for ce microscopy (AFM). To reach the desired thickness, substrates were dipped in the deposition solution twice, forming double-layered films. The thickness of each layer ranged from 80 to 100 nm. (C) 1999 Elsevier B.V. Limited. All rights reserved.

Electrical and optical characteristics of SnO2 thin films prepared by dip coating from aqueous colloidal suspensions

Starting from aqueous colloidal suspensions, undoped and Nb5+ doped SnO2 thin films have been prepared by using the dip-coating sol gel process. X-ray diffraction results show that films are polycrystalline with crystallites of average size1-4nm. Decreasing the thickness of the films and increasing the Nb5+ concentration limits the crystallite size growth during firing. Complex impedance measurements reveal capacitive and resistive effects between adjacent crystallites or grains, characteristic of electrical potential barriers. The transfer of charge throughout these barriers determines the macroscopic electrical resistance of the layer. The analysis of the optical absorption spectra shows that the samples present more than 80% of their transmittance in the visible region and the value of the band gap energy increases with decreasing crystallite size. © 1997 Chapman & Hall.

Improved Conductivity Induced by Photodesorption in SnO2 Thin Films Grown by a Sol-Gel Dip Coating Technique

Thin films of undoped and Sb-doped SnO2 have been prepared by a sol-gel dip-coating technique. For the high doping level (2-3 mol% Sb) n-type degenerate conduction is expected, however, measurements of resistance as a function of temperature show that doped samples exhibit strong electron trapping, with capture levels at 39 and 81 meV. Heating in a vacuum and irradiation with UV monochromatic light (305 nm) improve the electrical characteristics, decreasing the carrier capture at low temperature. This suggests an oxygen related level, which can be eliminated by a photodesorption process. Absorption spectral dependence indicates an indirect bandgap transition with Eg ≅ 3.5 eV. Current-voltage characteristics indicate a thermionic emission mechanism through interfacial states.

Temporal evolution of sulfated zirconia sol-gel during dip coating: Analysis of mass drainage with time-varying refractive index

The formation of sulfated zirconia films from a sol-gel derived aqueous suspension is subjected to double-optical monitoring during batch dip coating. Interpretation of interferometric patterns, previously obscured by a variable refractive index, is now made possible by addition of its direct measurement by a polarimetric technique in real time. Significant sensitivity of the resulting physical thickness and refractive index curves (uncertainties of ±7 nm and ±0.005, respectively) to temporal film evolution is shown under different withdrawal speeds. As a first contribution to quantitative understanding of temporal film formation with varying nanostructure during dip coating, detailed analysis is directed to the stage of the process dominated by mass drainage, whose simple modeling with temporal t-1/2 dependence is verified experimentally. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deposition and photo-induced electrical resistivity of dip-coated NiO thin films from a precipitation process

Thin films of the semiconductor NiO are deposited using a straightforward combination of simple and versatile techniques: the co-precipitation in aqueous media along with the dip- coating process. The obtained material is characterized by gravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and X-ray diffraction technique. TG curve shows 30 % of total mass loss, whereas DTA indicates the formation of the NiO phase about 578 K (305 C). X-ray diffraction (XRD) data confirms the FCC crystalline phase of NiO, whose crystallinity increases with thermal annealing temperature. UV-Vis optical absorption measurements are carried out for films deposited on quartz substrate in order to avoid the masking of bandgap evaluation by substrate spectra overlapping. The evaluated bandgap is about 3.0 eV. Current-voltage (I-V) curves measured for different temperatures as well as the temperature-dependent resistivity data show typical semiconductor behavior with the resistivity increasing with the decreasing of temperature. The Arrhenius plot reveals a level 233 meV above the conduction band top, which was attributed to Ni2+ vacancy level, responsible for the p-type electrical nature of NiO, even in undoped samples. Light irradiation on the films leads to a remarkable behavior, because above bandgap light induced a resistivity increase, despite the electron-hole generation. This performance was associated with excitation of the Ni 2+ vacancy level, due to the proximity between energy levels. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York.