We are facing hurdles in achieving desired deposition rates while depositing cathode-based materials via thermal evaporation. Despite starting with a vacuum setup reaching up to 10^-7 torrs, initial deposition stages show promising rates. However, these rates decline significantly over time, seemingly linked to the depletion of lithium content. Even with the power input increased to 200 W, I still fell short of reaching the minimum desired deposition rate (>0.02 nm/sec). Although my power supply can go up to 2000 W, going beyond 200 W is problematic due to significant power fluctuations with these cathode materials.
Since electron beam deposition isn't feasible due to challenges in pellet formation without binders, I'm considering the possibility of incorporating dopants or flux agents to lower the melting point. This could potentially counteract the observed reduction in deposition rate.
I'm seeking advice on optimizing thermal evaporation parameters or exploring alternative methods to enhance deposition efficiency for cathode materials, considering the limitations and basic principles of material deposition processes
Is your filament glowing at high temperature? Use tungsten or molybdenum-based basket or crucible for the filament. Check at the same power/current settings, which filament is glowing better. If you are reaching the desired temperature to thermally evaporate your material in high vacuum condition, then there should not be any problem regarding deposition.
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