Nickel thin films are widely used in microelectronic, magnetic, and sensor applications, where their functional performance is strongly influenced by morphology, oxidation state, and substrate interaction. Understanding the interplay between these factors is essential for optimizing film properties. This work presents a comprehensive characterization of the structural, electrical, thermal, and magnetic properties of nanostructured films deposited on glass substrates. The film thickness was estimated using optical interference analysis. SEM identified highaspect-ratio nanowire-like features. The chemical composition was determined using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis, and the structure was characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The specific heat (SH) was measured using a Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS). Electrical characterization was performed through voltage versus current curves, and the magnetic study was conducted using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). Electrical resistivity exhibited a nonlinear temperature dependence attributed to electron-phonon, grain boundary, and surface scattering mechanisms. EPR spectroscopy revealed the simultaneous presence of Ni2+ and Ni3+ states, which may enhance oxidation stability and influence magnetic behavior. These results demonstrate the complex interplay between nanostructure, valence states, and transport properties in thin metallic films, highlighting the value of EPR as a complementary tool in thin-film magnetism.

This study investigates the corrosion products present on TiSi, AlTi, and WTi coatings deposited onto Ti6Al4V titanium alloy substrates using the RF sputtering PVD technique. Following deposition, the coatings underwent exposure to a temperature of 600 °C for 100 h. The corroded surfaces were meticulously characterized to identify the resultant corrosion products. Utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, optical profilometry, and XPS spectroscopy, the coatings were comprehensively examined. Furthermore, Raman mapping with multivariate analysis was employed to determine the spatial distribution of oxides in the coating post-high-temperature corrosion. Additionally, XPS spectroscopy unveiled the presence of species undetected by Raman spectroscopy, such as silicon oxide SiO2, aluminum oxide Al2O3, and tungsten oxide WO2, in oxidation studies on TiSi, AlTi, and WTi coatings, corroborated by XRD analysis. The results allowed us to propose the corrosion mechanisms of these coatings and to determine that the TiSi coating exhibits a superior high-temperature corrosion response compared to the AlTi and WTi coatings. The AlTi coating experiences aluminum depletion, whereas the WTi coating shows accumulations of tungsten oxides that resemble pitting.

The rapid advancement of technology necessitates the continual development of versatile materials that can adapt to new electronic devices. Rare earth elements, which are scarce in nature, possess the set of properties required for use as semiconductors. Consequently, this research aims to achieve similar properties using materials that are abundant in nature and have a low commercial cost. To this end, nickel and copper were utilized to synthesize thin films of nickel–copper binary oxynitride via reactive RF sputtering. The influence of nitrogen flow on the structure, morphology, chemical composition, and optical properties of the films was investigated using various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as transmittance and absorbance measurements. The crystalline structure of the films shows that they can have preferential growth or be polycrystalline according to the nitrogen flow used during deposition and that both the oxides and oxynitrides of metals are formed. We identified unknown phases specific to this material, termed “NiCuOxNy”. The morphology revealed that the grain size of the coatings was dependent on the nitrogen flow rate, with grain size decreasing as the nitrogen flow rate increased. Notably, the coatings demonstrated transparency for wavelengths exceeding 1000 nm, with an optical band gap ranging from 1.21 to 1.86 eV.

The need for progress in the development of energy supply devices such as batteries and large capacitors has led to the improvement and innovation of these devices so that they can store energy efficiently, and additionally, they must be small, light, with low production costs, and friendly to the environment. For these reasons, in this investigation results of the characterization of physical and chemical behaviors of graphene-manganese oxide and copper and manganese oxide-copper systems are studied. The graphene was synthesized through the electrochemical exfoliation technique and deposited as a film on common glass and silicon substrates via the spray technique, and over this film, Mn2O3 films were deposited through spin coating. The Raman results showed the presence of peaks D and G, located at 1534 and 1597 cm-1, respectively. XPS analysis demonstrated that the graphene is made up of three layers. TEM studies determined that the graphene is polycrystalline, and XRD established the manganese oxide coatings' growth along the (222) and (440) planes of Mn2O3. The optical behavior indicated that the absorbance of the graphene-Mn2O3 system decreases the energy gap in 0.8 eV concerning Mn2O3 films. The voltage-current measurements suggest that the density current in the discharge process of the Mn2O3-Cu electrode system was improved approximately 3-fold with the graphene-Mn2O3-Cu electrode system. The obtained results conclude that the addition of graphene to manganese oxide coatings increases their electrochemical performance, so graphene-manganese oxide could be used in energy storage devices.

The incorporation of an element such as silicon, silver, or copper, etc. into transition metal nitrides has allowed the production of multifunctional materials. These materials exhibit distinct properties contributed by each phase, thereby enhancing the industrial application of metal nitrides. This study focuses on the deposition of ZrSiN-Cu coatings using pulsed-DC reactive magnetron sputtering, aiming to investigate the influence of copper on the chemical composition, morphology, microstructure, and optical behavior of the coatings. The results showed that the deposited coatings were nanostructured, with a mixture of ZrN, ZrO2, and nanocrystalline Cu, which had a profound impact on the Cu segregation on the surface and columnar boundary due to the fact that copper is relatively inert with respect to a ceramic matrix. Furthermore, an increase in the Cu content led to the presence of large aggregates on the surface and lower bandgaps.

AlCrTiN coatings were obtained by radio frequency magnetron sputtering and deposited on aluminum-silicon alloy substrates (A4032). The microstructure, morphology and chemical composition of the coatings were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The effect of nitrogen flow on hardness, wear resistance, and adhesion was investigated and correlated with the microstructure of the samples. The coatings crystallized in a hexagonal Wurtzite structure with preferential growth on the (002) direction. With increasing nitrogen flow, a decrease of the crystallite size is observed. The mechanical properties of AlCrTiN coatings on an aluminum-silicon alloy showed characteristics of interest for industrial applications: the coated substrates showed better hardness (around of 10.5 GPa), improved wear resistance (COF similar to 0.3) and increased fracture toughness (H-3/E-2 around 0.23), compared to the uncoated substrate (1.41 GPa, 0.42, and 0.0014, respectively).

The need for growth in the development of energy supply devices such as batteries and large capacitors has led to the improvement and innovation of these devices so that they store energy efficiently, and additionally they must be small, light, with low production costs, and friendly to the environment. For these reasons, in this investigation results of the development of graphene-based electrodes to be used in batteries are presented. The graphene was synthesized by means of the electrochemical exfoliation technique and deposited as a coating on common glass via the spray technique, and over this coating an Mn2O3 coating was deposited by means of spin coating. The study and characterization of the chemical properties was carried out using the Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. In addition, the electrochemical properties of the electrodes were evaluated by means of potentiostat measurements. The Raman results showed the presence of peaks D and G, located at 1534 and 1597 cm-1, respectively. The electrochemical measurements indicated that the density current in the discharge process of the Mn2O3-Cu electrode system was improved by approximately 3 times with the Graphene-Mn2O3-Cu electrode system.

The tribological behavior of Ni-based coatings was analyzed. The coatings were deposited on grey cast iron substrates in a spray and fuse process using Superjet Eutalloy deposition equipment, varying the oxygen flow conditions in the flame. By means of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, the crystal structure of the coatings was determined. The XRD patterns show the crystalline phases with principal reflections for Ni in the planes (111) and (222). Crystalline properties such as the orientation coefficient, crystallite size, and macrostrain showed the relationship with tribological and mechanical properties such as the dry wear rate and the microhardness. The microhardness was analyzed on the surface and on cross sections of the coatings by means of a Knoop microhardness tester. The topography and the morphological characteristics of the coatings and the tribo-surfaces were exanimated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy, while the chemical composition was measured by means of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The tribological behavior of the coatings was examined via the scratch cohesion–adhesion test, using cross sections of the coatings. Furthermore, adhesion and abrasion wear tests were carried out, using the pin-on-disk method, under the ASTM G99 standard and the ASTM G65 standard, respectively. The wear rate of the coatings showed a strong relation to the porosity in the metal matrix, which was previously determined via electrochemical characterization techniques.

The effect of two different interlayers on the adherence of DLC coatings to AISI 316 L stainless steel was studied. Titanium‑silicon (TixSi) interlayers and titanium‑silicon plus amorphous hydrogenated silicon (TixSi/a-Si:H) interlayers were deposited. TixSi intermediate layers were grown with three different thicknesses via the RF sputtering technique, while a-Si:H interlayers and DLC coatings were deposited using a DC-PECVD system with an active screen as an additional cathode. The microstructural characterization of the titanium‑silicon interlayer was carried out through the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques, and chemical analysis was done by means of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), while DLC coatings were studied with Raman spectroscopy. The degree of adhesion of the DLC coatings to AISI 316 L stainless steel substrates was analyzed using critical load measurements and a VDI 3198 indentation test. XRD results showed that new crystalline phases were not present in the TixSi interlayer. XPS spectra showed a bond between the Sisingle bondFe and the Ti-Fe-O. The adherence results showed that the DLC coatings deposited using TixSi with 200 nm thickness exhibited a critical load value of 5 N, while the coatings with other thicknesses were completely delaminated when the same load was applied. These results suggested that the low adhesion of the DLC coating was due to the oxides formed at the TixSi-DLC interface. For the AISI 316 L/TixSi/a-Si:H/DLC coating, a critical load of 26 N was determined. The formation of titanium silicide, iron silicide, and silicon carbide in the interfaces allowed an increase in the adhesion strength between the interlayers. The Raman results showed that the DLC coatings exhibited good microstructural properties and hydrogen contents around 28 at.%. The DLC coatings also exhibited a hardness of 25 GPa.

A study on the physical, chemical and electrochemical (properties) behavior of bismuth oxide thin films is presented in this work. Thin films were grown on 316 L stainless steel substrates via Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering (UMS) in reactive phase, varying the DC power applied to the target between 20 and 80 W with 10 W step, keeping the gases flow constant at 9 sccm and the Ar/O-2 ratio at 80:20. X-ray diffraction analysis was carried out for the structural characterization, showing that the crystallinity of the films strongly depends on the power of the discharge. The elemental chemical composition was determined using the Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) technique, making it possible to observe that the films were composed by a mixture of crystalline bismuth and possibly amorphous bismuth oxide. With this technique, the thickness of the coatings was measured, observing that this parameter increased from 200 to 700 nm as power values increased. Finally, the electrochemical analysis showed that corrosive behavior depends on the sample growth conditions and coatings thickness.

The effect of two different interlayers on the adherence of DLC coatings to AISI 316 L stainless steel was studied. Titanium-silicon (TixSi) interlayers and titanium-silicon plus amorphous hydrogenated silicon (TixSi/a-Si:H) interlayers were deposited. TixSi intermediate layers were grown with three different thicknesses via the RF sputtering technique, while a-Si:H interlayers and DLC coatings were deposited using a DC-PECVD system with an active screen as an additional cathode. The microstructural characterization of the titanium-silicon interlayer was carried out through the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques, and chemical analysis was done by means of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), while DLC coatings were studied with Raman spectroscopy. The degree of adhesion of the DLC coatings to AISI 316 L stainless steel substrates was analyzed using critical load measurements and a VDI 3198 indentation test. XRD results showed that new crystalline phases were not present in the TixSi interlayer. XPS spectra showed a bond between the Si-Fe and the Ti-Fe-O. The adherence results showed that the DLC coatings deposited using TixSi with 200 nm thickness exhibited a critical load value of 5 N, while the coatings with other thicknesses were completely delaminated when the same load was applied. These results suggested that the low adhesion of the DLC coating was due to the oxides formed at the Ti,,Si-DLC interface. For the AISI 316 L/TixSi/a-Si:H/DLC coating, a critical load of 26 N was determined. The formation of titanium silicide, iron silicide, and silicon carbide in the interfaces allowed an increase in the adhesion strength between the interlayers. The Raman results showed that the DLC coatings exhibited good microstructural properties and hydrogen contents around 28 at.%. The DLC coatings also exhibited a hardness of 25 GPa.

The physical and chemical properties of multifunctional materials have been extensively studied in the last few years especially the mechanical and tribological applications and less attention has taken the electrical and optical properties. Therefore, in this work presents the growth of (Al, Ti, Si)N films deposited on common glass substrates with a maximum thickness of 1024 nm, via reactive DC magnetron sputtering, to analyze the influence of the silicon content on their crystallographic structure, optic and electric behavior. The microstructure of the films was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The films morphology was evaluated through scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The optical measurements were carried out by means UV-vis spectroscopy, and the electrical properties were analyzed using a four-point probe. XRD analysis indicated that the films changed from a crystalline phase to an amorphous phase, and the electrical and optical response indicated that the films with higher Si content have l223.6 Ω.cm of resistivity with an energy gap of approximately 1.0 eV and an optical energy gap of 1.5 eV. This electrical property has not been previously reported in these films.

This article presents nanohardness, coefficient of friction (COF), and wear of Yttria-stabilized zirconia coatings (YSZ) deposited on 316L steel substrates and co-deposited with Al and Ag. YSZ coatings were deposited via RF sputtering reactive phase technique. It is widely known that the RF sputtering technique produces stoichiometric coatings with high homogeneity and density. The average thickness of the coatings was 200 nm, and the X-ray diffraction study (XRD) showed the formation of alumina alpha (alpha-Al2O3) and metallic silver in the YSZ coatings deposited with Al and Ag, respectively. The mechanical properties were evaluated by means of nanoindentation, and the wear resistance was studied with pin-on-disk technique. The addition of Ag to the YSZ coatings led to decreased hardness, while the YSZ coatings deposited with Al presented an increased hardness. Finally, YSZ coatings deposited with aluminum and silver had the lowest friction coefficient, while Ag-YSZ coatings had a COF very similar to that obtained in YSZ coatings. The wear resistance test showed that YSZ coatings deposited with Al had lower volume loss compared to YSZ coatings deposited with Ag. The wear mechanism in the deposited coatings is analyzed.

Chromium carbide, vanadium carbide, and chromium–vanadium mixture coatings were deposited on AISI D2 steel via the thermo-reactive deposition/diffusion (TRD) technique. The carbides were obtained from a salt bath composed of molten borax, ferro-chrome, ferro-vanadium, and aluminum at 1020 °C for 4 h. Analysis of the morphology and microstructure of the coatings was done via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The hardness of the coatings was evaluated using nano-indentation, and the friction coefficient was determined via pin-on-disk (POD) testing. The electrochemical behavior was studied through potentiodynamic polarization tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The XRD results show evidence of the presence of V8C7 in the vanadium carbide coating and Cr23C6 and Cr7C3 in the chromium carbide coating. The hardness value for the vanadium–chromium carbide coating was 23 GPa, which was higher than the 6.70 ± 0.28 GPa for the uncoated steel. The wear and corrosion resistance obtained was higher for the niobium–chromium carbide coating, due to the nature of the ceramic carbide produced.

We present results for the deposition of coatings of zirconium stabilized with Yttria (YSZ) and doped with aluminum and silver. The coatings were grown from an YSZ ceramic target symmetrically covered with metallic (Al, Ag) pieces on AISI 316L steel substrates, via the RF sputtering technique. The microstructure of the coatings was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), the chemical composition was determined through X-ray dispersive energy (EDX) analysis, and the electrochemical response was evaluated via impedance (EIS) and Tafel corrosion techniques. The XRD analysis showed that the coatings exhibited peaks belonging to the target material, dopant elements, and oxides such as Al2O3. Electrochemical analysis indicated an increase in the corrosion resistance of the coatings grown on aluminum oxide.

Silicon (Si) has been the paradigm of the electronic industry, because it has been used in fabrication of different electronic circuit elements such as diodes, operational amplifiers, transistors, and in the last few decades, it has been the base material of the development of solar energy industry. However, other research fields in which the physical and chemical properties of Si have demonstrated to be relevant to applications in areas such as the mechanical, optical, electrical, and electrochemical are less known. Therefore, it is relevant to know the technology that has generated materials with new or better physical and chemical properties, such as the nanocomposite materials that have been growing in thin films. These films exhibiting new properties with respect to the bulk material and with the addition of Si, have demonstrated to improve the properties of the transition metal nitride (MeN), obtaining thin films with a high nanohardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and high thermal stability. Therefore, the main objective of this chapter is to know the role that plays the incorporation Si in growth, microstructure, chemical composition, and functional properties of ZrN thin films.

Nanostructured coatings have been widely investigated due to their excellent physical and chemical features that surpass those of conventional materials. Hard ceramic coatings doped with silicon are part of nanostructured coatings used to modify the surface of solid materials and thus enhance their physical properties. In this investigation, a series of zirconium nitride (ZrN) coatings with different silicon (Si) contents (Zr-Si-N) were deposited on common glass and 316 l stainless steel substrates using pulsed-DC reactive magnetron sputtering, and the influence of the silicon content on the nanohardness, optical transmittance, and corrosion resistance was investigated using nanoindentation, UV-vis-IR spectrophotometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, respectively. The results indicated that as the silicon content increases, the nanohardness values decrease from 29.6 GPa (0 at% Si) to 15.9 GPa (15 at% Si), but as the silicon content increases (>15 at%), the nanohardness value increased to 28.1 GPa. Optical measurements showed that the transmittance is higher in the infrared wavelengths as the silicon content increases, and the corrosion resistance of the 316 L stainless steel substrate was improved with the addition of silicon.

Graphene has attracted considerable interest due its exceptional physical properties. This article describes the thermoelectric and magnetic properties such as the Seebeck coefficient and the magnetoresistance, at room temperature, of multilayers of graphene fabricated through the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and coated with Ag nanoparticles (NPs). According to the results, the Seebeck coefficient increased from -30 to -5 μV/K as a function of deposition time of Ag NPsand magnetoresistance increase their initial value as a function of sheet resistance up to 16.6%.