Aluminum nitride (AlN) films were synthesized onto Si(100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in vacuum or nitrogen, at 0.1, 1, 5, or 10 Pa, and substrate temperatures ranging from RT to 800 °C. The laser parameters were set at: incident laser fluence of 3–10 J/cm² and laser pulse repetition frequency of 3, 10, or 40 Hz, respectively. The films’ hardness was investigated by depth-sensing nanoindentation. The optical properties were studied by FTIR spectroscopy and UV-near IR ellipsometry. Hardness values within the range of 22–30 GPa and Young’s modulus values of 230–280 GPa have been inferred. These values were determined by the AlN film structure that consisted of nanocrystallite grains, strongly dependent on the deposition parameters. The values of optical constants, superior to amorphous AlN, support the presence of crystallites in the amorphous film matrix. They were visualized by TEM and evidenced by FTIR spectroscopy. The characteristic Reststrahlen band of the h-AlN lattice with component lines arising from IR active phonon vibrational modes in AlN nanocrystallites was well detectable within the spectral range of 950–500 cm⁻¹. Control X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy data were introduced and discussed. All measurements delivered congruent results and have clearly shown a correlation between the films’ structure and the mechanical and optical properties dependent on the experimental conditions.

The deposition of thin uniform dielectric layers on graphene is important for its successful integration into electronic devices. We report on the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al₂O₃ nanofilms onto graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition onto copper foil. A pretreatment with deionized water (DI H₂O) for graphene functionalization was carried out, and, subsequently, trimethylaluminum and DI H₂O were used as precursors for the Al₂O₃ deposition process. The proper temperature regime for this process was adjusted by means of the ALD temperature window for Al₂O₃ deposition onto a Si substrate. The obtained Al₂O₃/graphene heterostructures were characterized by Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ellipsometry and atomic force and scanning electron microscopy. Samples of these heterostructures were transferred onto glass substrates by standard methods, with the Al₂O₃ coating serving as a protective layer during the transfer. Raman monitoring at every stage of the sample preparation and after the transfer enabled us to characterize the influence of the Al₂O₃ coating on the graphene film.

ZnO/Ag/ZnO nanolaminate structures were deposited by consecutive RF sputtering at room temperature.The optical transparency, sheet resistance, and figure of merit are determined in relation to the deposition time of Ag and to the film thickness of the ZnO top layer. An improved transmittance has been found in the visible spectral range of the ZnO/Ag/ZnO structure compared to ZnO multilayers without Ag. High transmittance of 98% at 550 nm, sheet resistance of 8 Ω/sq, and figure of merit (FOM) of 111.01 × 10⁻³ Ω⁻¹are achieved for an optimized ZnO/Ag/ZnO nanolaminate structure. It is suggested that the good optical and electrical properties are due to the deposition of the discontinuous Ag layer. The electrical metallic type conductivity is caused by planar located silver metal granules. The deposition of a discrete layer of Ag nano-granules is confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cross-section high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations.