Amorphous cobalt-lanthanum (Co80La20) thin films with thicknesses of 10 nm to 50 nm were successfully deposited on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates via direct-current (DC) magnetron sputtering and subsequently studied under as-deposited conditions as well as mild annealing at 40 degrees C and 80 degrees C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that all films remained amorphous, demonstrating exceptional structural stability attributed to the high glass-forming ability of Co-La alloys. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measurements revealed that surface roughness, hydrophobicity, and surface energy increased with annealing, with PET-supported films showing the most pronounced morphological evolution. Notably, 40 degrees C annealing produced dense, ordered surfaces with the highest surface energy and maximum water contact angle. Optical measurements exhibited a strong thickness-dependent transmittance decrease, with PET films slightly less transparent than PMMA due to enhanced scattering, while annealing had minimal effect, confirming optical stability. Electrical characterization revealed that sheet resistance decreased from 650 Omega/sq to 82 Omega/sq on PET and from 655 Omega/sq to 68 Omega/sq on PMMA as film thickness increased, while mild annealing significantly enhanced carrier mobility, reaching 494 cm2/V center dot s and 721 cm2/V center dot s on PET and PMMA substrates, respectively. Mechanical testing revealed maximum hardness and Young's modulus of 5.1 GPa and 26.7 GPa on PET, while magnetic analysis demonstrated optimal saturation magnetization (Ms) 1212 emu/cm3 and remanent magnetization (Mr) 860 emu/cm3 at 40 degrees C annealing. These findings indicate that precise control of substrate, thickness, and mild thermal treatment enables tuning of electrical, mechanical, and magnetic properties, positioning Co80La20 thin films as promising candidates for flexible electronics, wearable sensors, and multifunctional device applications.

Nanostructured cobalt lanthanum (Co80La20) thin films with thicknesses of 10-50 nm were deposited on glass and silicon (Si)(100) substrates by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering and subsequently annealed at 100, 200, and 300 degrees C. Structural analysis via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed improved crystallinity, grain growth, and increased surface roughness with annealing. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) demonstrated a transition from fragmented to well-aligned stripe-like magnetic domains, associated with enhanced in-plane magnetic anisotropy. Magnetic characterization confirmed soft magnetic behavior, showing reduced coercivity (Hc) and increased remanence magnetization (Mr) after annealing. Mechanical measurements indicated significant increases in hardness and Young's modulus, attributed to grain boundary strengthening and defect reduction. Optical transmittance decreased with increasing film thickness (tf) and roughness due to enhanced scattering, while electrical conductivity improved as a result of increased carrier mobility and reduced resistivity, despite a minor decrease in carrier concentration after annealing. This work highlights the synergistic effect of annealing temperature (TA) and substrate crystallinity on tuning the structural, magnetic, mechanical, optical, and electrical properties of Co80La20 thin films. The findings demonstrate their promising potential for multifunctional applications including flexible spintronic devices, magnetic sensors, and transparent conductive films.

Amorphous cobalt-iron-boron-gadolinium (Co40Fe40B10Gd10) thin films were deposited on glass and silicon (Si) (100) substrates to investigate the effects of thermal annealing at 100–300°C on their structural, surface, mechanical, optical, magnetic, and electrical properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that the films maintained an amorphous structure up to 300°C, highlighting the stabilizing roles of boron (B) and gadolinium (Gd). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that surface roughness initially increased and then decreased, reaching 0.54 nm on glass and 0.85 nm on Si at 300°C, which strongly influenced the films’ multifunctional behavior. After annealing at 300°C, 50 nm-thick films exhibited a hardness of 13.1 GPa and a Young’s modulus of 195 GPa, while 10 nm-thick films maintained a transmittance of 39

Amorphous cobalt–iron–gadolinium (Co40Fe40Gd20) thin films with thicknesses ranging from 10 nm to 50 nm were deposited on silicon (Si)(100) and glass substrates by direct-current (DC) sputtering and subsequently annealed at temperatures between 100°C and 300°C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that all films retained an amorphous structure after annealing. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed oxygen uptake, particularly for films deposited on glass substrates, reaching approximately 25

Amorphous cobalt-iron-gadolinium (Co40Fe40Gd20) thin films with thicknesses of 10 nm-50 nm were deposited on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates via direct-current (DC) magnetron sputtering and annealed at 40 degrees C and 80 degrees C to investigate the effects of film thickness, annealing temperature, and substrate type on structural, mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the films remained amorphous under all conditions, due to the high gadolinium (Gd) content and limited thermal energy below the polymer glass transition temperatures. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed substrate-dependent surface evolution, with PET films showing a decrease in roughness from 5.91 nm to 4.79 nm after 80 degrees C annealing, whereas PMMA films exhibited minimal roughness change. Surface energy increased with film thickness but decreased slightly upon annealing due to atomic rearrangement. Mechanical properties improved with both thickness and annealing. PET films reached a maximum Young's modulus of 22.58 GPa and hardness of 4.75 Gpa at 50 nm after 80 degrees C annealing, while PMMA films achieved 15.05 GPa modulus at 50 nm after 40 degrees C. Electrical measurements showed a significant reduction in sheet resistance from 7261 Omega/sq for as-deposited 10 nm films to 144 Omega/sq for 50 nm films annealed at 80 degrees C, with enhanced carrier mobility and concentration. Magnetic analysis confirmed in-plane soft magnetic behavior, with minor variations in coercivity (Hc) and saturation magnetization (Ms) influenced by stress relaxation and morphology-induced anisotropy. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) indicated moderate annealing promoted ordered stripe domains, while higher temperatures induced domain coarsening. Optical characterization revealed transmittance decreased with thickness, reaching 40.68 % and 47.15 % at 10 nm on PET and PMMA at annealing 40 degrees C, whereas absorbance increased, indicating thickness-dominated optical behavior. These findings demonstrate that controlled annealing and thickness optimization enable precise tuning of surface roughness and multifunctional properties of CoFeGd amorphous films on flexible substrates, supporting their design for advanced flexible spintronic, electronic, and optoelectronic devices.

Amorphous cobalt-iron-boron-gadolinium (Co40Fe40B10Gd10) films with thicknesses of 10 nm to 50 nm were deposited on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates to investigate how annealing-induced surface roughness reduction affects multifunctional properties. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) confirmed that all films remained amorphous up to annealing 80 °C, where boron (B) and gadolinium (Gd) suppressed crystallization while enabling structural relaxation. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed a sharp roughness decrease on PET from 3.81 nm to 2.10 nm, while PMMA showed only a modest change from 2.24 nm to 1.79 nm. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) images and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) hysteresis loops revealed that PET films rapidly lost their stripe-domain anisotropy, accompanied by a decrease in coercivity (Hc) from 6.26 Oe to 5.19 Oe, whereas PMMA films retained relatively stable in-plane anisotropy. Mechanical tests indicated a dramatic modulus increase in PET films from 2.01 GPa to 16.70 GPa due to compressive stress locking, while PMMA increased gradually from 10.76 GPa to 11.34 GPa. Optical results showed that transmittance decreased from about 40 % at 10 nm to below 5 % at 50 nm, with annealing effects being minor. Hall measurements revealed pronounced substrate-dependent transport behavior. PET-based films exhibited mobility degradation from 60.91 cm²/V•s to 5.83 cm²/V•s accompanied by an increase in carrier concentration from 2.61 × 1019–8.49 × 1020 cm−3, whereas PMMA-based films showed enhanced mobility and reduced carrier density, consistent with defect relaxation. These contrasting trends are interpreted in terms of substrate-dependent defect evolution, as supported by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses. Overall, annealing-induced roughness reduction promotes densification, structural relaxation, and interface smoothing, which suppress domain-wall pinning, scattering, and indentation instability. Substrate effects remain decisive, PET amplifies stiffness but degrades transport through defect formation, whereas PMMA preserves electronic and optical advantages with steadier mechanics. Roughness engineering coupled with substrate selection provides a unified strategy for tailoring amorphous films in flexible spintronic and optoelectronic devices. This study systematically investigates how annealing-induced surface roughness relaxation governs the multifunctional properties, including magnetic, mechanical, optical, and electrical performance of amorphous Co₄₀Fe₄₀B₁₀Gd₁₀ thin films deposited on flexible PET and PMMA substrates, highlighting the critical interplay between thermal treatment and substrate selection for optimizing device functionality.

This study examines the influence of deposition thickness and annealing temperature on the surface roughness, surface energy, and mechanical, electrical, and magnetic properties of Ni80Ce20 thin films deposited on Si(100) substrates. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed a reduction in the arithmetic mean surface roughness (Ra) from 1.23 nm in the as-deposited state to 0.97 nm after annealing at 300 °C, accompanied by a decrease in surface energy from 43.0 to 25.2 mJ/mm2 for 10 nm films. Hardness measurements showed a maximum value of 14.39 GPa for the 30 nm film annealed at 300 °C, while the lowest hardness, 9.66 GPa, was observed in the as-deposited 50 nm film. Electrical resistivity decreased with increasing film thickness and annealing temperature, reaching a minimum of 2.96 × 10−5 Ω cm for the 40 nm film annealed at 300 °C. Similarly, the sheet resistance declined to 6.45 Ω/sq for the 50 nm film at the same temperature. Magnetic characterization indicated enhanced domain continuity and increased low-frequency magnetic susceptibility (χac) with both greater thickness and higher annealing temperature. The highest χac value of 1.15 was recorded for the 50 nm film annealed at 300 °C at a resonance frequency (fres) of 50 Hz. These improvements are attributed to thermally induced grain growth, reduced surface roughness, lower defect density, and improved domain alignment. Overall, the findings demonstrate that optimizing the film thickness and annealing conditions significantly enhances the multifunctional properties of Ni80Ce20 thin films, making them promising candidates for magnetic, electronic, and spintronic applications.

Rare earths (RE) and transition metals (TM) are widely studied for enhancing soft magnetic characteristics in magnetic devices. This study explores Fe80Ce20 films deposited on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates using direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering, focusing on the impact of film thickness and annealing temperature on structural, surface, magnetic, and mechanical properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the crystalline microstructure of Fe80Ce20 films, with body-centered cubic (BCC) alpha-Fe(110) phases. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed increased surface roughness with annealed grain size growth. The films were hydrophilic, and annealing increased the contact angle due to rougher surfaces. Surface energy was unaffected by film thickness. Optical properties indicated that thickness affects transmittance, with rougher surfaces causing light scattering. The films were too thin for significant substrate effects, and annealing did not eliminate residual stress. Hysteresis loops revealed good soft magnetic properties with a coercivity (Hc) of about 37Oe and saturation magnetization (Ms) over 1500 emu/cm3. Magnetic domain images showed a striped pattern, with changes in domain size affecting saturation magnetization.

Nickel-cerium (Ni80Ce20) thin films with thicknesses ranging from 10 nm to 50 nm were deposited onto polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates via direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering at room temperature (RT), followed by annealing at 40 degrees C and 80 degrees C. The films were characterized using various techniques, including grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), magnetic force microscopy (MFM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), nanoindentation, Hall effect measurement, and optical transmittance. XRD results revealed crystallization and improved atomic ordering with annealing, with a substrate-dependent crystallographic orientation observed nickel (Ni) (110) on PET and NiCe (220) on PMMA. Surface roughness decreased with annealing, more significantly for PET-based films. Magnetic domain analysis showed a transition from striped to wavy structures, enhancing domain stability. Magnetic properties, including saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercivity (Hc), varied with annealing temperature and substrate type. Mechanical properties, such as hardness and Young's modulus, increased with film thickness and annealing, with higher values observed for thicker films and those annealed at 80 degrees C. The electrical properties, such as sheet resistance and resistivity, exhibited a decrease with increasing film thickness and annealing temperature, which can be attributed to enhanced crystallinity and reduced electron scattering. These findings provide insights into the influence of annealing and substrate type on the structural, magnetic, mechanical, and electrical properties of Ni80Ce20 thin films for potential applications in flexible electronics.

The integration of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and tungsten disulfide (WS2) as hole transport layers in polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) is investigated using a wet-transfer method for deposition on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. Compared to conventional PEDOT:PSS/ITO anodes, WS2/ITO and MoS2/ITO devices exhibit enhanced performance, achieving maximum luminance values of 1212 cd/m2 and 873 cd/m2, respectively, exceeding the 721 cd/m2 of PEDOT:PSS/ITO. Current efficiencies reach 1.63 cd/A (WS2/ITO) and 1.35 cd/A (MoS2/ITO), surpassing the reference by factors of 2.04 and 1.69. Electroluminescence intensity enhancements of 9017c (WS2/ITO) and 6007c (MoS2/ITO) further highlight superior charge transfer and optical properties. These findings demonstrate the potential of MoS2 and WS2 as promising alternatives to PEDOT:PSS for efficient and stable PLEDs. (c) 2025 Optica Publishing Group. All rights, including for text and data mining (TDM), Artificial Intelligence (AI) training, and similar technologies, are reserved.

This study investigates the impact of annealing conditions and thickness on the properties of Co80Ce20 thin films deposited on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis reveals that surface roughness increases with temperature, rising from 2.90 nm to 3.28 nm for PET and from 2.44 nm to 2.67 nm for PMMA. Conversely, increasing thickness reduces roughness, from 6.21 nm to 3.28 nm for PET and from 9.36 nm to 2.67 nm for PMMA. Surface energy decreases with thickness, correlating with enhanced hydrophobicity. Hardness peaks at 4.69 GPa for PET at 120 degrees C and 3.20 GPa for PMMA at 80 degrees C, while Young's modulus reaches 16.96 GPa for PET and 16.03 GPa for PMMA. Optical transmittance diminishes with thickness, with maximum values of 16.46 % for PET and 16.55 % for PMMA at 10 nm, decreasing to 0.13 % at 50 nm. Electrical measurements show reduced sheet resistance and increased conductivity, with the lowest resistivity at 1.37 x 10-4 Omega.cm. Magnetic measurements indicate saturation magnetization peaks at 80 degrees C for PET and 60 degrees C for PMMA, with increased surface roughness leading to reduce coercivity (Hc). These findings highlight the tunable properties of Co80Ce20 thin films for flexible electronics and magnetic storage applications.

For anodic aluminum oxide (AAO)-assisted anodization process, almost all metal oxide nanostructures are in the form of nanodots and nanorods, while tubular metal oxide nanostructures are rarely investigated. In this study, the anodized WO3 nanotubes with cap structures are successfully fabricated via AAO assistance in an anodization process. The height of the WO3 nanotubes is limited to ~180 nm by an electric field of 0.75 GV/m due to the dielectric breakdown effect, which is larger than the height of ~130 nm for the nanorods with 0.855 GV/m. The WO3 species is the dominant component at the top of the nanotubes, while the incomplete oxides such as W2O5, WOx, and even tungsten metal rule the elementss at the bottom. The bottom-up growth mechanism of the WO3 nanotubes is identified at the oxide/metal interface. The photoresponse of the WO3 nanotubes exhibits superiority under blue and UV light irradiation compared to the incompletely anodized WO3 nanorings, whereas opposite results are observed under red and green light irradiation. This result demonstrates that completely anodized structures facilitate exciton pumping, while incomplete oxides are conducive to low-energy excitons. The unique tubular metal oxide nanostructures are advantageous for designing various sensing devices, especially in optics.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) recently have attracted much attention because of their outstanding catalytic activity, low cost, and earth abundance in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Among these TMDs, MoS2 and WS2 are recognized as promising HER electrocatalysts and have been explored to be one of the can-didates for replacing precious metals. In this work, the electrocatalytic activity of WS2 grown in Ar-only, Ar + H2, and ambient environments were studied, where the WS2 was synthesized by thermolysis from (NH4)2WS4 pre -cursor. Different surface morphologies are shown under the different growth atmospheres. The structures of pure WS2, WS2 and WO3 mixed, and almost WO3 were prepared in different growth atmospheres of Ar-only, Ar + H2, and ambient environment, respectively. All the materials prepared in these different environments exhibit high crystalline characteristic. Especially, the pure WS2 grown in an Ar-only environment presents the preferred (103) lattice plane. The pure WS2 performs the best H2 evolution efficiency, indicating that high crystallinity and preferred (103) lattice plane could be relative to the electrocatalytic activity. The studies provide fundamental insight for further design and preparation of electrocatalysts, useful in the development of clean energy.

The impact of film thickness and annealing temperature on the structural, electrical, magnetic, and mechanical properties of cobalt–iron–dysprosium (Co40Fe40Dy20 ) thin films deposited on Si(100) substrates have been investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the film's crystalline microstructure, featuring dysprosium oxide, Dy2O3(440), and cobalt oxide, Co2O3(422) and Co2O3(511), crystallographic phases. Surface energy measurements indicated a noticeable reduction in surface energy following annealing treatments, which could be ascribed to the alleviation of residual stress and enhanced atomic arrangement, resulting in a more stable film structure with reduced surface energy. The film exhibited a decreasing trend in hardness with increasing thickness, and film resistivity was significantly responsive to alterations in thickness and annealing temperature. Notably, the Co40Fe40Dy20 film demonstrated exceptional characteristics, featuring a high saturation magnetization (Ms) of 675 emu/cm3 and a low coercivity (Hc) of 9.5 Oe. Further analysis of magnetic domains and hysteresis loops revealed that larger and brighter domains were associated with higher Hc. To sum up, the surface roughness of CoFeDy films under various annealing temperatures played a pivotal role in shaping their magnetic, electrical, adhesive, and optical characteristics. An improved low-frequency alternating current magnetic susceptibility (χac) value was achieved by minimizing the pinning effect on domain walls through surface smoothing. Moreover, smoother surfaces displayed heightened carrier conductivity, resulting in a decrease in electrical resistance. On the whole, Co40Fe40Dy20 films exhibited outstanding soft magnetic properties, encompassing high saturation magnetization, low coercivity, exceptional mechanical attributes, and decreased surface energy.

This study investigates Co40Fe40Dy20 thin films on glass substrates with thicknesses ranging from 10 nm to 50 nm under four conditions: as-deposited, annealed at 100°C, 200°C, and 300°C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirms film amorphousness due to limited thermal energy. Maximum low-frequency alternate-current magnetic susceptibility (χac) is observed at thicker films and higher annealing temperatures, with films at 300°C showing the highest value 0.41. Annealing at 200°C yields exceptional properties high saturation magnetization (Ms) 748 emu/cm³ and low coercivity (Hc) 10 Oe, though Ms decreases at 300°C due to thermal effects. Electrical resistivity and sheet resistance decrease with thickness and annealing, enhancing carrier transport. Transmittance (%) decreases notably with increased thickness, attributed to thickness and interface effects. Variations in surface roughness from annealing affect properties, with smoother surfaces improving carrier conductivity but reducing optical transparency. Overall, Co40Fe40Dy20 exhibits excellent soft magnetic properties suitable for various applications.

In this study, we focused on depositing a target material, cobalt-iron-dysprosium (Co60Fe20Dy20), onto silicon (Si) (100) substrates with thickness varying from 10 nm to 50 nm through a direct-current (DC) magnetron sputtering technique. The subsequent step involved subjecting the samples to an hour-long annealing process in a vacuum annealing furnace at temperatures of 100°C, 200°C, and 300°C. To assess the elemental composition of the CoFeDy films, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was employed. An observed trend indicated an increase in low-frequency alternating-current magnetic susceptibility (χac) with the increasing thickness. Remarkably, the CoFeDy films exhibited their peak χac following annealing at 300°C, with an optimal resonance frequency of 50 Hz. After annealing at 300°C, the CoFeDy film’s surface energy peaked at 50 nm. The magnetic, electrical, and adhesive properties of the CoFeDy films were notably influenced by surface roughness at different annealing temperatures. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis revealed a gradual reduction in film roughness post-annealing, corresponding to smoother surfaces indicative of a weaker domain wall pinning effect, heightened carrier conductivity, and increased liquid spreading. Collectively, these outcomes contributed to diminished χac, reduced electrical resistance, and enhanced adhesion.

In this study, Fe80Ce20 80 Ce 20 films were deposited on Si(100) and glass substrates using sputtering in a high-vacuum environment and subsequently heat-treated in a vacuum annealing furnace. The films, with thicknesses ranging from 10 nm to 50 nm, were annealed at temperatures of 100 degrees C, 200 degrees C, and 300 degrees C. The objective was to investigate the effects of film thickness and annealing temperature on the structural, surface energy, and magnetic properties of the material. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of both Si (100)/Fe80Ce20 80 Ce 20 and Glass/Fe80Ce20 80 Ce 20 films. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed a smooth film surface that became rougher after annealing. Contact angle measurements indicated hydrophilic properties, with the highest surface energy observed in the as-deposited films due to a higher density of defects and grain boundaries. The hysteresis loop demonstrated exceptional soft magnetic properties and a high saturation magnetization (Ms) of approximately 2000 emu/cm3. 3 . Annealing at 100 degrees C altered the magnetic domain structure from a striped labyrinthine configuration to an aligned pattern. At higher annealing temperatures, the films exhibited grain growth, increased surface roughness, and new grain formation. Following annealing, the grains in the Fe80Ce20 80 Ce 20 films became larger, surface roughness increased, and the water contact angle increased, rendering the films more hydrophobic. The as-deposited films displayed the highest surface energy due to the high density of defects and grain boundaries. Increased surface roughness led to more grain boundary defects and irregularities, which served as pinning points for magnetic domain walls, thus increasing coercivity (Hc). Rough surfaces induced local stress fields, increased magnetic anisotropy, and decreased saturation magnetization. Thermal perturbations from higher annealing temperatures further disrupted the alignment of the magnetic moments, leading to a reduction in saturation magnetization.

The structural, magnetic, optical, and adhesion properties of Cobalt-Iron-Dysprosium (CoFeDy) films were investigated in this study. Glass substrates were coated with a Co60Fe20Dy20 alloy via sputtering, with a thickness ranging from 10 nm to 50 nm. Subsequently, the films underwent annealing at temperatures of 100 °C, 200 °C, and 300 °C for one hour. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of the deposited CoFeDy films under four distinct conditions. Notably, a thickness-dependent increase in low-frequency alternate-current magnetic susceptibility (χac) was observed. After annealing at 300 °C, CoFeDy films exhibited the highest χac compared to other temperatures. Surface roughness exhibited a decreasing trend with rising annealing temperature, as observed through atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments. The maximum surface energy of CoFeDy films was achieved at a thickness of 50 nm following annealing at 300 °C. Higher surface energy was indicative of stronger adhesion efficiency. Furthermore, lower resistance and sheet resistance values were obtained through annealing at higher temperatures, suggesting that increasing thickness and reducing electron transport barriers enhanced electron conductivity. As film thickness increased, transmittance decreased due to the thickness effect, suppressing the photon signal. Consequently, rougher surfaces were associated with improved performance in magnetism, electrical adhesion, and optics, attributed to reduced domain pinning, enhanced carrier conductivity, and minimized light scattering.

This study explores cobalt–cerium (Co90Ce10) thin films deposited on silicon (Si) (100) and glass substrates via direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering, with thicknesses from 10 nanometer (nm) to 50 nm. Post-deposition annealing treatments, conducted from 100 °C to 300 °C, resulted in significant changes in surface roughness, surface energy, and magnetic domain size, demonstrating the potential to tune magnetic properties via thermal processing. The films exhibited hydrophilic behavior, with thinner films showing a stronger substrate effect, crucial for surface engineering in device fabrication. Increased film thickness reduced transmittance due to photon signal inhibition and light scattering, important for optimizing optical devices. Furthermore, the reduction in sheet resistance and resistivity with increasing thickness and heat treatment highlights the significance of these parameters in optimizing the electrical properties for practical applications.

MoS2 is 2D material applicable for electronics, photo-detectors, light-emitting diodes, and solar cells. Since these applications operate at elevated temperatures, determining and controlling the environmental stability of MoS2 is essential. This study uses Raman spectroscopic experiments at elevated temperatures to observe reversible and irreversible changes in 2D MoS2 films with varying thickness, morphology, and substrate to explore the limits of its thermal stability. Molecular dynamics simulations and in-situ X-ray diffraction confirm that thermal expansion causes the Raman reversible spectral shifts. Further analysis reveals irreversible spectral shifts associated with oxidation and strain effects caused by oxidation with two distinct modes. The former is due to the general homogenous thinning of layers from the top layer down through randomly spaced sulfur vacancies. The latter is due to inhomogeneous oxidation, which known to occur as localized pitting at grain boundaries, void formation from nucleation centers, or stress corrosion cracking starting from edges under strain. Segregation of doping and strain contributions confirms higher strain in the edges. Annealing increases the spread of the strain distribution. These results highlight the critical role of strain, resulting from thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between substrates and 2D MoS2 films, on their environmental stability.