@article {11889, title = {Functionalization of Hydrogen-free Diamond-like Carbon Films using Open-air Dielectric Barrier Discharge Atmospheric Plasma Treatments}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {254}, year = {2008}, month = {08/2008}, chapter = {5323}, address = {Boulder, CO}, abstract = {

A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) technique has been employed to produce uniform atmospheric plasmas of He and N2 gas mixtures in open air in order to functionalize the surface of filtered-arc deposited hydrogen-free diamond-like carbon (DLC) films. XPS measurements were carried out on both untreated and He/N2 DBD plasma-treated DLC surfaces. Chemical states of the C 1s and N 1s peaks were collected and used to characterize the surface bonds. Contact angle measurements were also used to record the short- and long-term variations in wettability of treated and untreated DLC. In addition, cell viability tests were performed to determine the influence of various He/N2 atmospheric plasma treatments on the attachment of osteoblast MC3T3 cells. Current evidence shows the feasibility of atmospheric plasmas in producing long-lasting variations in the surface bonding and surface energy of hydrogen-free DLC and consequently the potential for this technique in the functionalization of DLC-coated devices.

}, keywords = {Cell viability, DLC, Ion implantation and deposition, wettability, XPS}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2008.02.065}, author = {Jose L. Endrino and Jose F. Marco and Phitsanu Poolcharuansin and Ayalasomayajula R. Phani and Matthew Allen and Jos{\'e} M. Albella and Andr{\'e} Anders} } @article {11879, title = {Filtered cathodic arc deposition with ion-species-selective bias}, journal = {Review of Scientific Instruments}, year = {2006}, abstract = {

A dual-cathode arc plasma source was combined with a computer-controlled bias amplifier such as to synchronize substrate bias with the pulsed production of plasma. In this way, bias can be applied in a material-selective way. The principle has been applied to the synthesis metal-doped diamond-like carbon films, where the bias was applied and adjusted when the carbon plasma was condensing, and the substrate was at ground when the metal was incorporated. In doing so, excessive sputtering by too-energetic metal ions can be avoided while the sp3/sp2 ratio can be adjusted. It is shown that the resistivity of the film can be tuned by this species-selective bias. The principle can be extended to multiple-material plasma sources and complex materials.

}, author = {Andr{\'e} Anders and Nitisak Pasaja and Sakon Sansongsiri and Sunnie H.N. Lim} } @article {11892, title = {Fundamentals of Pulsed Plasmas for Materials Processing}, journal = {Surface and Coatings Technology}, volume = {183}, number = {3-Feb}, year = {2003}, pages = {301-311}, abstract = {

Pulsed plasmas offer the use of much higher power (during each pulse) compared to continuously operated plasmas, and additional new parameters appear such as pulse duty cycle. Pulsed processing may help meeting the demands of increasingly sophisticated materials processes, including thin film deposition, plasma etching, plasma cleaning of surfaces, and plasma immersion ion implantation. The high kinetic energy of ions allows processes to occur far from thermodynamic equilibrium. Pulsed plasmas are driven by external pulsed power sources, and one has to consider the power source and the plasma as a coupled system. The dynamic plasma impedance is a key quantity from an electrical engineering point of view. From a plasma physics point of view, one needs to consider the dynamics of plasma species, their density and energy distribution, ionization and recombination reactions, and, most importantly, the development of transient sheaths. Dimensionless scaling parameters are a useful tool putting the variety of plasma parameters in relation to characteristic quantities. This is illustrated by several examples of pulsed processes relevant to thin film deposition. The emerging technology of pulsed sputtering is discussed in detail including the possibility to achieve the mode of self-sustained self-sputtering during each pulse.

}, author = {Andr{\'e} Anders} } @conference {11886, title = {Formation of Metal Oxides by Cathodic Arc Deposition}, booktitle = {International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films, April 24-28, 1995}, year = {1995}, month = {04/1995}, address = {San Diego, CA}, abstract = {

Metal oxide thin films are of interest for a number of applications. Cathodic arc deposition, which is an established and industrially applied technique for the formation of nitrides (e.g. TIN), can also be used for metal oxide thin film formation. A cathodic arc plasma source with the desired cathode material is operated in an oxygen atmosphere of appropriate pressure, and metal oxides of various stoichiometric composition can be formed on different substrates. We report here on a series of experiments on metal oxide formation by cathodic arc deposition for different applications. Black copper oxide has been deposited on accelerator components to increase the radiative heat transfer between the parts. Various metal oxides such as tungsten oxide, niobium oxide, nickel oxide and vanadium oxide have been deposited on ITO glass to form electrochromic films for window applications. Tantalum oxide films are of interest for replacing polymer electrolytes. Optical waveguide structures can be formed by refractive index variation using oxide multilayers. We have synthesized multilayers of Al2O3/Y2O3/Al2O3/Si as possible basic structures for passive optoelectronic integrated circuits, and Al2-xErxO3 thin films with a variable Er concentration which is a potential component layer for the production of active optoelectronic integrated devices such as amplifiers or lasers at a wavelength of 1.53 pm. Aluminum and chromium oxide films have been deposited on a number of substrates to impart improved corrosion resistance at high temperature. Titanium sub-oxides which are electrically conductive and corrosion resistant and stable in a number of aggressive environments have been deposited on various substrates. These sub-oxides are of great interest for use in electrochemical cells. Common features of all these depositions are the high deposition rate typical for cathodic arc deposition, the good adhesion of the films due to the high metal ion energy, and the advantage of an environmentally clean method in comparison to wet-chemical oxide formation techniques.

}, keywords = {Cathodic arc deposition, Oxide formation}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0257-8972(95)02508-1}, author = {Simone Anders and Andr{\'e} Anders and Michael D. Rubin and Zhien Wang and Sebastien Raoux and Fanping Kong and Ian G. Brown} }