Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), Characterization and Applications of Multilayers and Thin Films

Dear Colleagues,

Science and technology of thin films produced by CVD techniques, despite being a matured research field, demonstrates continuous progress due to the synthesis of new materials, adaptation of deposition parameters to demands of particular applications, better in situ control of reaction gas chemistry, and sophisticated methods for material characterization. CVD films are indispensable for the fabrication of electronic and photonic devices and for surface coatings with special properties such as high hardness, wear and chemical resistance, low friction, superhydrophobicity, dielectric/conductive layers, bioactivity, and many others. The use of complex (multilayer) structures may greatly improve film functionality, allowing to obtain heterostructures with tuned electronic properties, metamaterials, adherent superhard coatings on tools with reduced stress, and optical coatings for specific spectral ranges. The control of interface structures both for single layers and multilayers plays a very important role in achieving the full potential of the deposited material.

This Special Issue will be devoted to all aspects related to CVD films: growth, characterization, and applications, to present the state of the art in this rapidly developing field, with a special focus on multilayer structures and interface phenomena. Original research papers and review articles related to these areas are cordially invited.

The topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Multilayers and gradient films for stress, adhesion, and surface roughness control;
• Ultrathin films;
• Composite films;
• Bilayers and multilayers for electronic applications;
• Defects formation on interfaces;
• Structure of interfaces on atomic and nanoscale;
• Optical, electronic, thermal, and mechanical properties of thin films;
• Diamond multilayer films with modulation of grain size, isotope composition, doping level;
• Protocols of CVD processes for film growth;
• In situ control of multilayer film deposition;
• Methods for the characterization of thin films;
• Spectroscopic gas (plasma) diagnostics in CVD processes;
• Simulation of multilayers with a focus on interface structure.

Dr. Victor Ralchenko
Guest Editor

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• CVD
• thin films
• interface
• multilayers
• stress
• defects
• doping
• in situ diagnostics