Field Effected Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition (FE-AACVD) of Thin Film Materials

金属氧化物半导体中的无机薄膜可以进行广泛的电子和能源存储应用，对工业和社会都具有巨大的潜力。对于所使用的每种前体组合和基材，气溶胶辅助化学气相沉积 (AACVD) 生成的金属氧化物材料通常以特定的结晶度和结构方向形成，称为形态。将研究传输和沉积过程中电场和磁场对 AACVD 中雾化前体的直接影响，目的是获得具有改进功效的新颖形态的无机薄膜。最初的目标是制造用于水分解过程的半导体光电极。将首先实现待沉积的已知和新颖的d-嵌段和/或f-嵌段无机前体的化学合成，尽可能针对单一源前体设计。钒和铁等元素的偶极和顺磁性前体似乎是最大化与电场和磁场协同作用的有希望的候选者。 L. Romero、R. Binions 等人的作品。关于电场AACVD下二氧化钛薄膜的合成将提供合适的参考点。在研究沉积过程中引入电场和磁场的形态影响之前，将进行控制 AACVD 沉积。 X射线衍射和扫描电子显微镜等分析技术将用于解释结果。最有希望的前体将被用于深入分析运输过程中的气溶胶成分和分布，以了解与形态控制的相关性。

Thin inorganic films as seen in metal oxide semiconductors can perform wide-ranging electronic and energy storage applications and possess great potential for both industry and society. Metal oxide materials generated by Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition (AACVD) typically form in a specific orientation of crystallinity and structure, termed a morphology, for each precursor combination and substrate used. The directing effects of electric and magnetic fields on aerosolised precursors in AACVD during transport and deposition will be investigated with the aim of accessing thin inorganic films with novel morphologies of improved efficacy. The initial target will be making semiconducting photoelectrodes of use in water splitting processes. The chemical synthesis of both known and novel d-block and/or f-block inorganic precursors to be deposited will first be achieved, targeting single source precursor designs where possible. Dipolar and paramagnetic precursors of elements such as vanadium and iron appear promising candidates for maximising synergy with electric and magnetic fields. Work by L. Romero, R. Binions et al. concerning titanium dioxide film synthesis under electric field AACVD will provide a suitable reference point. Control AACVD depositions will be performed before the morphological impact of introducing electric and magnetic fields during deposition is investigated. Analytical techniques e.g., X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, will be used to interpret results. The most promising precursor(s) will be taken forwards for an in-depth analysis of aerosol composition and distribution during transport to gain understanding of correlations with morphological control.