Textured Substrate Crystal Orientation Improving Layer Epitaxial Film
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing textured substrates for epitaxial film formation face limitations in improving orientation degrees (Δφ and Δω) of the textured metal layer, which restricts the quality of epitaxial thin films, particularly for superconducting materials, as conventional methods struggle to enhance these parameters beyond certain values.
Innovation Solution
A textured substrate with a crystal orientation improving layer of 1 to 5000 nm thickness is introduced, where the orientation degrees Δφ and Δω are improved by forming a metal thin film with a similar crystal structure and lattice constant as the textured metal layer, using epitaxial growth methods like plating, and further smoothing the surface with additional metals and heat treatment to reduce surface roughness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the textured metal layer is made by bonding a metal base to a metal plate through cold working and heat treatment, then the substrate provides handleability, but the orientation degrees are restricted and cannot be improved beyond certain values
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate structure is segmented into multiple functional layers: a base metal plate providing mechanical strength and handleability, a textured metal layer providing initial crystal orientation, and an intermediate metal layer providing improved orientation degrees. This segmentation allows each layer to fulfill its specific function without compromising the others.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite substrate structure combining multiple metal layers with different properties. The base plate provides mechanical properties, while the textured and intermediate metal layers provide progressively improved crystal orientation. This composite structure achieves both handleability and high orientation degrees that cannot be achieved with a single material.
2Reliability
If conventional methods are used to texture the metal layer, then the substrate can support epitaxial film formation, but the orientation degrees Δφ and Δω are limited, restricting the quality of epitaxial thin films
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate metal layer acts as a mediator that bridges the gap between the conventionally textured metal layer and the epitaxial film. It improves the crystal orientation transmission, enabling higher quality epitaxial films with better orientation degrees than would be achievable with the base textured layer alone.
Solution Approach 2:
By introducing a metal layer with specific crystallographic parameters (lattice constant and crystal structure similar to both the base layer and epitaxial film), the invention changes the substrate parameters to enable improvement of orientation degrees, thereby enhancing epitaxial film quality beyond conventional limits.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively enhances the orientation degrees Δφ and Δω by 0.1 to 3.0°, improving the quality of epitaxial films and surface smoothness, enabling the formation of high-quality epitaxial films with improved characteristics for applications like superconducting conductors.
Implementation Method 1
forming a metal thin film with a similar crystal structure and lattice constant as the textured metal layer, using epitaxial growth methods like plating
Implementation Method 2
smoothing the surface with additional metals and heat treatment to reduce surface roughness
Data Source
AI summary
Orientation degree and smoothness of a substrate surface better than those of conventional ones are provided in a textured substrate for epitaxial thin film growth. The present invention is a textured substrate for epitaxial film formation, including a crystal orientation improving layer made of a metal thin film of 1 to 5000 nm in thickness on the surface of the textured substrate for epitaxial film formation having a textured metal layer at least on one surface, wherein differences between orientation degrees (Δφ and Δω) in the textured metal layer surface and orientation degrees (Δφ and Δω) in the crystal orientation improving layer surface are both 0.1 to 3.0°. Further, when another metal different from the metal constituting this textured substrate crystal orientation improving layer is added equivalent to a thin film which is 30 nm or less, and subsequently is subjected to heat treatment, the smoothness of that surface can be improved. At this time, the surface roughness of the substrate surface becomes 20 nm or less.