Many innovations fail on the market. Non-adoption and slow diffusion represent a high risk for companies in technology-intensive industries when looking to innovate, develop, market and launch a new technology. Its diffusion in the market is a major challenge for marketing. The consequence of a failed market introduction can be financial and reputational loss. Diffusion of innovation research shows a short-coming of researching barriers and challenges which prevent new technologies from being successful. This research sheds some light in the diversity, importance and existence of barriers for the diffusion of innovation. The originality of this investigation is a mixed-methods approach to explore barriers and challenges for the diffusion of innovation. An exploratory qualitative research is performed on the unique case of digital radio diffusion in Germany. Barriers evolve by this method in addition to barriers, which so far are described in a theoretical framework. These barriers are researched empirically via an international survey with close to one thousand participants representing experienced practitioners in marketing and sales positions from different industries. Various research findings are presented. The evolving barriers are researched and show circumstances of today, such as the dominance of internet, environmental awareness or the importance of inter-industrial collaboration. Additionally, diffusion barriers from a theoretical framework are tested with empirical data. Findings are presented as evidence for diffusion barriers and their importance for the specific example of digital radio is explained. Furthermore, barriers are also generalized for different technology-intensive industries. The existence of barriers is confirmed by empirical data and patterns of variations are outlined. Validity is achieved via triangulation of methodologies and supporting literature. The findings are presented to extend the theoretical framework and to close a gap in diffusion of innovation theory. The research contributes in very different ways to existing knowledge. Apart from the theoretical contributions, methodological and practical contributions are also made. With quantitative research, the sampling strategy for an online questionnaire considers the benefits of professional social networks on a global level to contribute empirical data to a theoretical framework. The practical contribution is directed to industry stakeholders and practitioners such as in marketing. The research findings result in a framework of barriers and supporting illustrations for technology-intensive industries. Practitioners can benefit from the illustrations for strategic decision-making in business development, product and general management, marketing and sales.

<p><font face="Times-Roman"> <p align="left">The growth of the Internet has led to many interesting developments for both educational and commercial purposes. In this project an attempt was made to use the Internet for a research purpose to facilitate the determination of the thermal stability of diffusion barriers. Another purpose of this thesis is to investigate the teaching and training use of the Internet through the development of online interactive tools and activities as well as materials. The training aspects are mentioned as it is hoped that this thesis can serve as a form of documentation of the use of the Internet, while the central part was the determination of thermal stability of TiN, TaN and TiW diffusion <font face="Times-Roman">barriers on Ag.</font></p> </font></p>

Advancements in the semiconductor industry require new materials with improved performance. With the introduction of copper as the interconnect material for integrated circuits, efficient diffusion barriers are required to prevent the diffusion of copper into silicon, which is primarily through grain boundaries. This dissertation reports the processing of high quality stoichiometric thin films of TiN, TaN and HfN, and studies their Cu diffusion barrier properties. Epitaxial metastable cubic TaN (B1-NaCl) thin films were grown on Si(001) using an ultra-thin TiN (B1-NaCl) seed layer which was as thin as 1 nm. The TiN/TaN stacks were deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD), with the TiN thickness systematically reduced from 15 to 1 nm. Microstructural studies included X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM (HRTEM). Preliminary Cu diffusion experiments showed that the TiN seed layer thickness had little or no obvious effect on the overall microstructure and the diffusion barrier properties of the TaN/TiN stacks. Epitaxial and highly textured cubic HfN (B1-NaCl) thin films (~100 nm) were deposited on MgO(001) and Si(001) using PLD. Low resistivities (~40 mu omega-cm) were measured with a four point probe (FPP). Microstructural characterizations included XRD, TEM, and HRTEM. Preliminary Cu diffusion tests demonstrated good diffusion barrier properties, suggesting that HfN is a promising candidate for Cu diffusion barriers. Cubic HfN (B1-NaCl) thin films were grown epitaxially on Si(001) substrates by using a TiN (B1-NaCl) buffer layer as thin as ~10 nm. The HfN/TiN stacks were deposited by PLD with an overall thickness less than 60 nm. Detailed microstructural characterizations included XRD, TEM, and HRTEM. The electrical resistivity measured by FPP was as low as 70 mu omega-cm. Preliminary copper diffusion tests showed good diffusion barrier properties with a diffusion depth of 2~3 nm after vacuum annealing at 500 degrees C for 30 minutes. Additional samples with Cu deposited on top of the cubic HfN/TiN/Si(001) were vacuum annealed at 500 degrees C, 600 degrees C and 650 degrees C for 30 minutes. The diffusivity of copper in the epitaxial stack was investigated using HRTEM. The measured diffusion depths, 2 Dt , were 3, 4 and 5 nm at 500 degrees C, 600 degrees C and 650 degrees C respectively. Finally, the diffusivity of Cu into epitaxial HfN was determined to be D=D0 exp(-Q/kT)cm2s-1 with D0=2.3x10-14cm2s-1 and Q=0.52eV.

Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) is a leading thin film photovoltaic (PV) material due to its near ideal bandgap of 1.45 eV and its high optical absorption coefficient. The typical CdTe thin film solar cell is of the superstrate configuration where a window layer (CdS), the absorber (CdTe) and a back contact are deposited onto glass coated with a transparent electrode. Substrate CdTe solar cells where the above listed films are deposited in reverse are not common. In this study substrate CdTe solar cells are fabricated on flexible foils. The properties of the Molybdenum back contact, Zinc Telluride (ZnTe) interlayer and CdTe absorber on the flexible foils were studied and characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Substrate curvature and film flaking was observed during the fabrication as a result of differences in thermal expansion coefficients between the substrate and the deposited films, and also due to impurity diffusion from the foil into the film stack. In order to overcome this problem diffusion barriers where used to eliminate contamination. Silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (Si3N4) and molybdenum nitride (MoxNy) were used as such barriers. Electrical characterization of completed devices was carried out by Current-Voltage (J-V), Capacitance-Voltage (C-V) and Spectral Response (SR) measurements. Roll-over was observed in the first quadrant of J-V curves indicating the existence of a back barrier due to a Schottky back contact. The formation of non-rectifying contact to p-CdTe thin-film is one of the major and critical challenges associated with the fabrication of efficient and stable solar cells. Several materials (ZnTe, Cu, Cu2Te, and Te) were studied as potential candidates for the formation of an effective back contact.

<p><font face="Times-Roman"> <p align="left">The growth of the Internet has led to many interesting developments for both educational and commercial purposes. In this project an attempt was made to use the Internet for a research purpose to facilitate the determination of the thermal stability of diffusion barriers. Another purpose of this thesis is to investigate the teaching and training use of the Internet through the development of online interactive tools and activities as well as materials. The training aspects are mentioned as it is hoped that this thesis can serve as a form of documentation of the use of the Internet, while the central part was the determination of thermal stability of TiN, TaN and TiW diffusion <font face="Times-Roman">barriers on Ag.</font></p> </font></p>

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The growth of the Internet has led to many interesting developments for both educational and commercial purposes. In this project an attempt was made to use the Internet for a research purpose to facilitate the determination of the thermal stability of diffusion barriers. Another purpose of this thesis is to investigate the teaching and training use of the Internet through the development of online interactive tools and activities as well as materials. The training aspects are mentioned as it is hoped that this thesis can serve as a form of documentation of the use of the Internet, while the central part was the determination of thermal stability of TiN, TaN and TiW diffusion barriers on Ag.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The growth of the Internet has led to many interesting developments for both educational and commercial purposes. In this project an attempt was made to use the Internet for a research purpose to facilitate the determination of the thermal stability of diffusion barriers. Another purpose of this thesis is to investigate the teaching and training use of the Internet through the development of online interactive tools and activities as well as materials. The training aspects are mentioned as it is hoped that this thesis can serve as a form of documentation of the use of the Internet, while the central part was the determination of thermal stability of TiN, TaN and TiW diffusion barriers on Ag. The fact that most advanced instruments are computer driven or can be interfaced with a computer was exploited to set up a virtual laboratory facility through which sophisticated and scarce instrumentation can be remotely accessed. The major piece of equipment that forms part of the laboratory is a four-point probe furnace at Arizona State University, Tempe, USA. The Internet made it possible to use the facility to perform an online experiment to determine the effectiveness of different diffusion barriers for silver metallisation. This was accomplished by measuring the resistance of the different samples remotely over the Internet through the control of the four-point probe furnace at Arizona State University. Four types of analysis were used to determine the thermal stability of the diffusion barriers, namely the Scanning Electron Microscopy, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry, X-Ray Diffraction and resistivity measurements. Similar facilities exist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, USA, where a range of different electron microscopes can be accessed remotely via the Internet. The measurements of the diffusion barriers form the main part of this work. However, the other aspects required for the use of the Internet in such a system, such as the development of a website to receive and upload scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, the development of the virtual scanning electron microscope and the learning of the Virtual Reality Markup Language are also included.

Masters thesis deals with formation of diffusion barrier coatings by means of powder mixtures chemical vapor deposition. Its theoretical part is focused on the problems with diffusion barriers formation, where predominantly three most commonly used methods are introduced, i.e. CVD from powder mixtures, active gasses and slurries. The experimental part of master thesis deals with the formation of nickel-aluminide diffusion barriers on Inconel 713LC superalloy substrate, where was for aluminization used six different powder mixtures at the temperature of 800 °C and dwell of 0, 2 and 5 hours.

Cette thèse concerne le dépôt de couches minces par la méthode de co-pulvérisation assistée par plasma micro-onde dans le contexte de leurs applications potentielles pour la thermoélectricité. Deux volets principaux ont été développés au cours de ce travail: la synthèse et l'étude des propriétés de couches minces à base de Mg2Si et Mg2(Si,Sn) pour une mise en œuvre au sein de modules thermoélectriques miniaturisés, et l'étude de matériaux susceptibles d’agir comme barrières de diffusion entre un thermoélément à base de Mg2Si et les joints de brasage utilisés pour connecter les contacts électriques. Dans la première partie de l'ouvrage, des couches minces de solutions solides de Mg2(Si,Sn), avec une stœchiométrie proche de Mg2Si0.4Sn0.6, ont été déposées sur différents substrats. Les propriétés thermomécaniques de ces couches ont été étudiées en fonction du processus de dépôt et de la nature du substrat, tandis que la stabilité thermique et la réactivité avec les substrats ont été examinées, ont fonction de la composition, dans le domaine de températures intermédiaires. En outre, les propriétés de transport des couches minces de Mg2Si dopé au Sb ont été caractérisées, en s’intéressant, en particulier, à l’effet de la texturation de la couche mince sur les propriétés thermoélectriques (coefficient Seebeck, conductivité électrique et thermique). La deuxième partie de cette thèse est dédiée au dépôt de couches barrières sur des échantillons massifs de Mg2(Si,Ge) dopés Bi afin de limiter la diffusion et la réactivité entre le thermoélément et le joint de brasage à base d'alliage Al-Si dans le but d’obtenir un contact électrique chimiquement stable et de faible résistance. Deux options ont été étudiées : l'une est basée sur des couches à gradient destinées à ajuster progressivement la composition entre celle du thermoélément et une couche supérieure de Ni qui constitue la barrière de diffusion. L'autre option concerne les bi-couches M/Ni, où M est un métal (Ti, Ta, W ou Cr). Globalement, le travail présenté ici offre un aperçu du potentiel des couches minces à base de Mg2Si et Mg2(Si,Sn) dans la réalisation d'un module thermoélectrique miniaturisé et l'étude de faisabilité de différents matériaux comme barrières de diffusion dans des modules conventionnels. / In this thesis are presented the deposition of thin films by microwave plasma-assisted co­sputtering and their characterization within the context of thermoelectric applications. The aims of the work are split into two categories: the investigation of Mg2Si and Mg2(Si,Sn) thin films in terms of their potential to be implemented in a miniaturized thermoelectric module and the inquiry of materials which may act as diffusion barriers at the interface between Mg2Si-based thermoelements and the brazing joints used in the preparation of electrical contacts. In the first part of the work, thin films of Mg2(Si,Sn) solid solutions with a stoichiometry close to Mg2Si0.4Sn0.6 have been deposited on various substrates. The thermo­mechanical properties of these films have been investigated with respect to their dependence on the deposition process and the nature of the substrate on which they are grown, while the thermal stability and reactivity with the substrates at intermediate temperatures based on their composition has been explored. Furthermore, the transport properties of Sb-doped Mg2Si thin films have been also characterized. This was done in the context of finding the evolution and dependence of the thermoelectric properties (Seebeck coefficient, electrical and thermal conductivities) to the level of texturing within the thin film. The second part of this thesis involves the deposition of diffusion barriers on bulk Bi-doped Mg2(Si,Ge) thermoelements in order to disrupt the diffusion and reactivity between the thermoelectric leg and the Al-Si alloy-based brazing joint and to obtain a chemically stable, low resistive electrical contact. With this objective, two options have been pursued. One is based on the deposition of gradient layers that are meant to gradually inverse the composition from the Mg2(Si,Ge) thermoelements to a top layer of Ni that is used in the deposition of the potential diffusion barrier. The other option concerns the deposition of a M/Ni bi­layer on the TE legs, where M is a metallic layer (Ti, Ta, W or Cr). Overall, the work presented here offers a glimpse of the potential use of Mg2Si and Mg2(Si,Sn) thin films in the making of a miniaturized thermoelectric module and the efficiency of various materials as diffusion barriers in the industry of thermoeletrics.