An Inter-Laboratory Study of Zn-Sn-Ti-O Thin Films using High-Throughput Experimental Methods

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Physics

Background:

• High-throughput experimental (HTE) techniques accelerate materials research but lack standardization and inter-laboratory reproducibility data.
• Developing common standards for sample and data exchange is crucial for collaborative materials development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the reproducibility of HTE methods for Zn-Sn-Ti-O thin films across different laboratories.
• To evaluate the feasibility of a collaborative HTE framework through sample and data exchange.

Main Methods:

• Combinatorial physical vapor deposition (co-sputtering and pulsed laser deposition) was used to synthesize thin film libraries.
• Spatially resolved techniques characterized composition, structure, thickness, optical, and electrical properties.
• Comparative analysis was performed between results from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Main Results:

• Excellent qualitative agreement was observed across all measurement techniques used at both laboratories.
• Quantitative agreement varied by measurement type, with specific confidence intervals reported for band gap, film thickness, and sheet resistance.
• Successful exchange of high-throughput sample libraries, workflows, and data was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms the high degree of reproducibility for HTE techniques in materials research.
• The findings support the establishment of a High-Throughput Experimental Materials Collaboratory (HTE-MC) for collaborative research.
• Standardized exchange of samples and data is feasible and essential for advancing materials discovery.