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Fluorocarbon thin films are widely used in protective coatings due to their distinctive physical and chemical properties. However, their inherent lubricating nature often results in low scratch resistance and poor adhesion to substrates. In this study, a beam plasma source was employed to deposit fluorocarbon thin films, resulting in enhanced adhesion and scratch resistance while preserving optical transmittance and hydrophobicity. The beam plasma source can generate high-density plasma, resulting in the effective dissociation of the C4F8 source gas, as evidenced by the large ion current and high film deposition rates. A unique feature of this beam plasma source is that it can simultaneously emit a single broad beam of ions with independently controllable ion energy and flux to interact with the film. The fluorocarbon films exhibit high hydrophobicity with a contact angle of about 105°, a high optical transmittance of 85–90% in the visible wavelength range, and exceptional scratch resistance and durability. 

The use of flashlamp annealing as a low-temperature alternative or supplement to thermal annealing is investigated. Flashlamp annealing and thermal annealing were conducted on 100 nm thick indium tin oxide (ITO) films deposited on glass to compare the properties of films under different annealing methods. The ITO samples had an average initial sheet resistance of 50 Ω/sq. After flashlamp annealing, the sheet resistance was reduced to 33 Ω/sq only, while by thermal annealing at 210 °C for 30 min, a sheet resistance of 29 Ω/sq was achieved. Using a combination of flashlamp annealing and thermal annealing at 155 °C for 5 min, a sheet resistance of 29 Ω/sq was achieved. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that flashlamp annealing can be used to crystallize ITO. Flashlamp annealing allows for low-temperature crystallization of ITO on a time scale of 1–3 min. Through electrical and optical characterizations, it was determined that flashlamp annealing can achieve similar electrical and optical properties as thermal annealing. Flashlamp offers the method of low-temperature annealing, which is particularly suitable for temperature sensitive substrates.