In nanotechnology, the first observation was made using a scanning tunneling microscope, which employs an extremely sharp probe equipped with an enhanced electric field. Under the influence of this strong electric field, the probe can attract individual atoms and then move them to another location, arranging them into the desired structure. The multilayer thin films used in high-performance nanoscale pressure sensors are fabricated by a kinetic-energy-transfer method, in which individual atoms are excited and transported to new locations, where they are deposited to form nanoscale thin films. There are numerous reports from abroad on the use of kinetic-energy-transfer techniques for atom relocation. For example, Professor Makoto Matsui of Japan has utilized NEC’s precision instrumentation ion-beam equipment to produce tiny components with thicknesses less than 0.1 μm (micrometers) via ion-beam deposition technology. Abroad, there have also been reports on equipment developed specifically for surface micromachining in the fields of nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing—for instance, ion-beam mercury transfer and plating, molecular-beam epitaxy, and etching using electron beams and light beams—all of which can be applied in these processes. Mr. Toshiyuki Takagi, a leading expert on thin films from Japan, pointed out that by leveraging ion-engineering, laser ablation, and laser-processing technologies to precisely control the orderliness of atoms and molecules, it is possible to create highly functional, ultra-thin deposited films.
　　Typically, research in nuclear physics focuses on phenomena arising from the bombardment of a target material by energetic particles. The generation, acceleration, deceleration, and transport of these energetic particles are all accomplished by accelerators. When energetic particles strike solid-surface targets and substrates, a series of phenomena occur. At energies below 300 eV, the incident particles can directly deposit onto the struck substrate, forming a thin film of the particle material—this process is known as ion-beam direct deposition. At energies between 300 eV and 500 eV, the incident particles cause target atoms to be ejected through elastic collisions rather than vaporization; this process does not involve any gas-phase transformation of the atoms, and no condensation of the atoms into a film occurs on the substrate. At energies ranging from 500 eV to 2000 eV, the sputtering phenomenon is dominated by condensation from the gas phase. When the energy exceeds 2000 eV, the incident particles penetrate directly into the crystal lattice of the target material—this phenomenon is referred to as ion implantation. We employ a very-low-energy multi-channel ion accelerator for thin-film deposition, with energy control within the range of (300–1000) eV, enabling atom ejection via elastic collisions rather than vaporization.
　　The fundamental principle underlying kinetic energy conversion is that when particles bombard a solid surface, the energy must exceed a critical threshold—specifically, an energy at which the sputtering yield equals or falls below 1. The sputtering yield refers to the ratio of the number of atoms ejected from the target material to the ion beam current incident on the target. For example, for an ion beam with a current density of 1.0 mA/cm², a sputtering yield of s=1 corresponds to an etching rate of 6 × 10¹⁵ atoms/s/cm². For copper, this translates into a deposition rate of 7 Å/s. Given that the diameter of metal atoms typically ranges from 0.3 to 0.4 nm, selecting an ion beam current density of 0.5 mA/cm² enables the deposition of single atomic layers. As this process continues sequentially, it results in the growth of thin films layer by layer, each consisting of a single atomic layer—this is precisely how nanoparticles are assembled into thin films. This mechanism differs significantly from the principles underlying film formation through evaporation and magnetron sputtering.
　　The bombardment energy required to achieve a yield of 1 differs depending on the material. For most materials, at a kinetic energy of (300–500 eV), the yield from kinetic-energy conversion is roughly equivalent to the removal or deposition of single atoms. Currently, the energy required to achieve a yield of 1 for materials such as Ni-Cr and SiO₂ remains unknown; however, the atomic binding energies of most materials typically range in the tens of electron volts. Therefore, an energy level of (300–500) eV is sufficient to facilitate the conversion of kinetic energy. According to available literature, ion-beam deposition can produce high-purity thin films with adhesion properties approaching those of bulk materials. These films exhibit flat, smooth surfaces, minimal residual stress, and highly precise control over their compositional ratios. Ion-beam deposition offers unique advantages in thin-film fabrication that are not found in other deposition methods. Nevertheless, research on this technique remains relatively limited to date—particularly regarding the underlying film-forming mechanisms and the influence of parameters such as energy, deposition rate, and vacuum degree. The method is:
　　1. Select low energy (including bombardment voltage and ion beam current): When depositing alloy films or elemental metals, start with an energy of 300 eV at a current density of 0.3 mA/cm², keeping the beam current density constant, and then gradually increase the ion energy to 500 eV for bombardment. For SiO₂ film deposition, first deposit using an energy of 500 eV, and then switch to bombardment at 700 eV. At the same time, precisely control the thickness of the deposited film.
　　2. Control the deposition method. The substrate for depositing the thin film rotates in a planetary manner, with four turntables sequentially passing through the region of highest deposition rate. After leaving this position, the deposited film has sufficient time to undergo surface migration, diffusion, crystallization, and ultimately form a continuous thin film. Moreover, this approach avoids bombardment by subsequently deposited atoms, thereby preventing the re-emission of atoms from the deposited film. Furthermore, by precisely controlling the residence time of the substrate after deposition, it is possible to achieve deposition of single atomic layers.
　　3. Achieving atomic bonding between the thin-film material and the substrate significantly enhances adhesion compared to molecular bonding. The method involves generating extremely low-energy ions (100–300 eV) in another accelerator channel within the vacuum chamber, which are then directly directed to bombard the substrate. This process exfoliates atoms from the substrate material in situ; once a fresh atomic layer is exposed, it bonds strongly with the atoms being deposited, forming a robust interface.
　　4. Control the deposition temperature carefully. During deposition, the substrate temperature should be 100℃. If the temperature is too high, condensation from the vapor phase is likely to occur; if it’s too low, the film will develop more defects.
　　To verify the film thickness of the nano-thin-film pressure sensor produced by Sensor Nobleman Company, we conducted the following experiment: On polished optical glass, we deposited Ni-Cr, Ta, Ta2O5, and SiO2 thin films using the same process conditions employed in the fabrication of the sensors. The measured thickness of the nano-functional material Ni-Cr film was 650 Å (65 nm). The experimental results clearly demonstrate that this thickness corresponds to the characteristic features of nano-thin films at the nanoscale. At a film thickness of 650 Å, quantum effects cannot occur, since quantum effects only arise when the dimensions reach the quantum size regime.
　　We have measured the performance of our nanofilm pressure sensors and compared them with those of a similar product from a well-known U.S. film pressure sensor manufacturer (data sourced from the manufacturer’s official website). Clearly, our nanofilm pressure sensors demonstrate improvements in key performance parameters.
　　① Insulation performance: Under test voltages that are twice as high, its insulation resistance is more than 10 times higher than that of U.S.-made products.
　　② Bridge arm resistance: More than twice that of U.S. products.
　　③ Thermal stability: More than 3 times higher than that of U.S. products.
　　④ Operating temperature: Our product reaches a temperature of 380℃, while the U.S. product reaches 177℃.
　　A certain unit under the Ministry of Aerospace conducted tests on the product’s high-temperature performance and stability of zero-point drift. They operated the device continuously at 125℃ for ten hours and performed cyclic loading tests under high temperature and high pressure to evaluate the zero-point drift and overall performance at elevated temperatures. The test results showed that the zero-point drift at 125℃ was less than 0.05% of full scale. The zero-point temperature drift (thermal stability) was better than five parts per hundred thousand, reaching as low as 0.0002% of full scale per degree Celsius. The improved sensor performance is attributed to the superior properties of the nanofilm. Since one gram of nanoparticles can have a surface area of up to several tens of thousands of square meters, and given that the diameter of metal atoms ranges from 0.3 nm to 0.4 nm, the tiny particle size ensures that the nanofilm is highly dense, exhibits excellent adhesion, has few lattice defects, and experiences minimal internal stress. These characteristics significantly enhance the sensor’s fatigue resistance, virtually eliminating creep and hysteresis effects and improving its static performance. Moreover, the nanofilm boasts excellent thermal conductivity, thereby enhancing the sensor’s temperature characteristics; it features fewer pinholes and better uniformity, which in turn improves its insulation performance and reduces electrical noise caused by resistive defects. The thinner nanofilm brings additional benefits: the sensor’s sensitivity is increased, the bridge arm resistance is raised, power consumption is reduced, heat generation is minimized, and the operating temperature range is extended. As a result, the nanofilm-based pressure sensor represents a new-generation pressure sensor that truly achieves extremely low zero-point drift, minimal humidity influence, and exceptional stability, reliability, accuracy, as well as high resistance to both high temperatures and high pressures—making it a cutting-edge technology today. This sensor will find wide-ranging applications in numerous fields and industries, including military industry, aerospace, petrochemicals, machinery, power generation, automotive, metallurgy, nuclear energy, and industrial process control.
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