ZrO₂ films on silicon wafer were deposited by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition technique using zirconium tetratert butoxide (ZTB). The structure and composition of the deposited layers were studied by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The deposition rates were also studied. MOS capacitors fabricated using deposited oxides were used to characterize the electrical properties of ZrO₂ films. The films showed their suitability for microelectronic applications.

High dielectric constant (high-𝑘) Ta₂O₅ films have been deposited on ZnO/𝑝-Si substrate by microwave plasma at 150°C. Structure and composition of the ZnO/𝑝-Si films have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for chemical composition. The electrical properties of the Ta₂O₅/ZnO/𝑝-Si metal insulator semiconductor (MIS) structures were studied using high frequency capacitance–voltage (𝐶–𝑉), conductance–voltage (𝐺–𝑉) and current–voltage (𝐼–𝑉) characteristics. Charged trapping properties have been studied by measuring the gate voltage shift due to trapped charge generation under Fowler–Nordheim (𝐹–𝑁) constant current stressing.

Epitaxial layers of silicon are grown on single crystal Si-substrate from a solution of silicon in indium using conventional graphite slider boat technique. The important problems of natural convection due to lower density of silicon compared to indium, poor wetting of substrate due to high angle of contact of indium solution on silicon substrate resulting in poor nucleation, melt removal from the growth substrate and saturation wafer associated with LPE in this technique are practically eliminated using sandwich method with simple modifications of the boat and the method of growth. Some experimental studies on the effect of different surface preparations of growth substrate are also reported. Growth results are shown and discussed. Further, improvization of slider boat to facilitate better study of growth parameters is suggested in the line of modification already carried out.

Thin films of silicon dioxide are deposited on ZnO/𝑛-Si substrate at a low temperature using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). The ZnO/𝑛-Si films have been characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The border trap density (𝑄_bt) and fixed oxide charge density (𝑄_f/𝑞) of the SiO₂/ZnO/𝑛-Si films are found to be 3.9 × 10¹⁰ cm^-2 and 1.048 × 10¹¹ cm^-2, respectively. The trapping characteristics and stress induced leakage current (SILC) have also been studied under Fowler–Nordheim (F–N) constant current stressing.

Alloy ingots with nominal composition, Al_92–𝑥Ni₈La_𝑥 (𝑥 = 4 to 6) and Al_94–𝑥Ni₆La_𝑥 (𝑥 = 6, 7), were prepared by induction melting in a purified Ar atmosphere. Each ingot was inductively re-melted and rapidly solidified ribbons were obtained by ejecting the melt onto a rotating copper wheel in an argon atmosphere. The crystallization behaviour of melt-spun amorphous ribbon was investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. DSC showed that Al₈₆Ni₈La₆ alloy undergoes a three-stage and rest of the alloys undergo a two-stage crystallization process upon heating. The phases responsible for each stage of crystallization were identified. During the first crystallization stage fcc-Al precipitates for low La-containing alloys and for higher La-containing alloys a bcc metastable phase precipitates. The second crystallization stage is due to formation of intermetallic compounds along with fcc-Al. Microhardness of all the ribbons was examined at different temperatures and correlated with structural evolutions. Precipitation strengthening of nano-size fcc-Al is responsible for maximum hardness in these annealed alloys.