Deposition techniques of thin films.

Physical methods: evaporation, sputtering molecular-beam epitaxy.

Chemical methods: vapour-phase deposition, electrolytic and chemical deposition. Structure of thin films: amorphous, polycrystalline and single crystal layers, multilayer structures, textures. Survey of methods for studying thin film-structures: electron diffraction, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, surface-analytical methods: electron microprobe, Auger spectroscopy, ESCA, SIMS.

Development of structures: nucleation, vapour-liquid-solid phase transition, mechanism of growth of amorphous and crystalline phases, coalescence, formation of textures and morphologies, role of additives and impurities, planning of films with various structures and properties, nanocrystalline layers, interface reactions. connections between structures and properties.