Seeking to Improve Low Energy Neutral Atom Detection in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shappirio, M.; Coplan, M.; Chornay, D.; Collier, M.; Herrero, F.; Ogilvie, K.; Williams, E.

2007-01-01

The detection of energetic neutral atoms allows for the remote examination of the interactions between plasmas and neutral populations in space. Before these neutral atoms can be measured, they must first be converted to ions. For the low energy end of this spectrum, interaction with a conversion surface is often the most efficient method to convert neutrals into ions. It is generally thought that the most efficient surfaces are low work functions materials. However, by their very nature, these surfaces are highly reactive and unstable, and therefore are not suitable for space missions where conditions cannot be controlled as they are in a laboratory. We therefore are looking to optimize a stable surface for conversion efficiency. Conversion efficiency can be increased either by changing the incident angle of the neutral particles to be grazing incidence and using stable surfaces with high conversion efficiencies. We have examined how to increase the angle of incidence from -80 degrees to -89 degrees, while maintaining or improving the total active conversion surface area without increasing the overall volume of the instrument. We are developing a method to micro-machine silicon, which will reduce the volume to surface area ratio by a factor of 60. We have also examined the material properties that affect the conversion efficiency of the surface for stable surfaces. Some of the parameters we have examined are work function, smoothness, and bond structure. We find that for stable surfaces, the most important property is the smoothness of the surface.

Trampoline motions in Xe-graphite(0 0 0 1) surface scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Yoshimasa; Yamaguchi, Hiroki; Hashinokuchi, Michihiro; Sawabe, Kyoichi; Maruyama, Shigeo; Matsumoto, Yoichiro; Shobatake, Kosuke

2005-09-01

We have investigated Xe scattering from the graphite(0 0 0 1) surface at hyperthermal incident energies using a molecular beam-surface scattering technique and molecular dynamics simulations. For all incident conditions, the incident Xe atom conserves the momentum parallel to the surface and loses approximately 80% of the normal incident energy. The weak interlayer potential of graphite disperses the deformation over the wide range of a graphene sheet. The dynamic corrugation induced by the collision is smooth even at hyperthermal incident energy; the graphene sheet moves like a trampoline net and the Xe atom like a trampoliner.

Surface morphology evolution during plasma etching of silicon: roughening, smoothing and ripple formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ono, Kouichi; Nakazaki, Nobuya; Tsuda, Hirotaka; Takao, Yoshinori; Eriguchi, Koji

2017-10-01

Atomic- or nanometer-scale roughness on feature surfaces has become an important issue to be resolved in the fabrication of nanoscale devices in industry. Moreover, in some cases, smoothing of initially rough surfaces is required for planarization of film surfaces, and controlled surface roughening is required for maskless fabrication of organized nanostructures on surfaces. An understanding, under what conditions plasma etching results in surface roughening and/or smoothing and what are the mechanisms concerned, is of great technological as well as fundamental interest. In this article, we review recent developments in the experimental and numerical study of the formation and evolution of surface roughness (or surface morphology evolution such as roughening, smoothing, and ripple formation) during plasma etching of Si, with emphasis being placed on a deeper understanding of the mechanisms or plasma-surface interactions that are responsible for. Starting with an overview of the experimental and theoretical/numerical aspects concerned, selected relevant mechanisms are illustrated and discussed primarily on the basis of systematic/mechanistic studies of Si etching in Cl-based plasmas, including noise (or stochastic roughening), geometrical shadowing, surface reemission of etchants, micromasking by etch inhibitors, and ion scattering/chanelling. A comparison of experiments (etching and plasma diagnostics) and numerical simulations (Monte Carlo and classical molecular dynamics) indicates a crucial role of the ion scattering or reflection from microscopically roughened feature surfaces on incidence in the evolution of surface roughness (and ripples) during plasma etching; in effect, the smoothing/non-roughening condition is characterized by reduced effects of the ion reflection, and the roughening-smoothing transition results from reduced ion reflections caused by a change in the predominant ion flux due to that in plasma conditions. Smoothing of initially rough surfaces as well as non-roughening of initially planar surfaces during etching (normal ion incidence) and formation of surface ripples by plasma etching (off-normal ion incidence) are also presented and discussed in this context.

Nanostructures on fused silica surfaces produced by ion beam sputtering with Al co-deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ying; Hirsch, Dietmar; Fechner, Renate; Hong, Yilin; Fu, Shaojun; Frost, Frank; Rauschenbach, Bernd

2018-01-01

The ion beam sputtering (IBS) of smooth mono-elemental Si with impurity co-deposition is extended to a pre-rippled binary compound surface of fused silica (SiO2). The dependence of the rms roughness and the deposited amount of Al on the distance from the Al source under Ar+ IBS with Al co-deposition was investigated on smooth SiO2, pre-rippled SiO2, and smooth Si surfaces, using atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Although the amounts of Al deposited on these three surfaces all decreased with increasing distance from the Al target, the morphology and rms roughness of the smooth Si surface did not demonstrate a strong distance dependence. In contrast to smooth Si, the rms roughness of both the smooth and pre-rippled SiO2 surfaces exhibited a similar distance evolution trend of increasing, decreasing, and final stabilization at the distance where the results were similar to those obtained without Al co-deposition. However, the pre-rippled SiO2 surfaces showed a stronger modulation of rms roughness than the smooth surfaces. At the incidence angles of 60° and 70°, dot-decorated ripples and roof-tiles were formed on the smooth SiO2 surfaces, respectively, whereas nanostructures of closely aligned grains and blazed facets were generated on the pre-rippled SiO2, respectively. The combination of impurity co-deposition with pre-rippled surfaces was found to facilitate the formation of novel types of nanostructures and morphological growth. The initial ripples act as a template to guide the preferential deposition of Al on the tops of the ripples or the ripple sides facing the Al wedge, but not in the valleys between the ripples, leading to 2D grains and quasi-blazed grating, which offer significant promise in optical applications. The rms roughness enhancement is attributed not to AlSi, but to AlOxFy compounds originating mainly from the Al source.

Roughness measurement and ion-beam polishing of super-smooth optical surfaces of fused quartz and optical ceramics.

PubMed

Chkhalo, N I; Churin, S A; Pestov, A E; Salashchenko, N N; Vainer, Yu A; Zorina, M V

2014-08-25

The main problems and the approach used by the authors for roughness metrology of super-smooth surfaces designed for diffraction-quality X-ray mirrors are discussed. The limitations of white light interferometry and the adequacy of the method of atomic force microscopy for surface roughness measurements in a wide range of spatial frequencies are shown and the results of the studies of the effect of etching by argon and xenon ions on the surface roughness of fused quartz and optical ceramics, Zerodur, ULE and Sitall, are given. Substrates of fused quartz and ULE with the roughness, satisfying the requirements of diffraction-quality optics intended for working in the spectral range below 10 nm, are made.

Classification Order of Surface-Confined Intermixing at Epitaxial Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michailov, M.

The self-organization phenomena at epitaxial interface hold special attention in contemporary material science. Being relevant to the fundamental physical problem of competing, long-range and short-range atomic interactions in systems with reduced dimensionality, these phenomena have found exacting academic interest. They are also of great technological importance for their ability to bring spontaneous formation of regular nanoscale surface patterns and superlattices with exotic properties. The basic phenomenon involved in this process is surface diffusion. That is the motivation behind the present study which deals with important details of diffusion scenarios that control the fine atomic structure of epitaxial interface. Consisting surface imperfections (terraces, steps, kinks, and vacancies), the interface offers variety of barriers for surface diffusion. Therefore, the adatoms and clusters need a certain critical energy to overcome the corresponding diffusion barriers. In the most general case the critical energies can be attained by variation of the system temperature. Hence, their values define temperature limits of system energy gaps associated with different diffusion scenarios. This systematization imply classification order of surface alloying: blocked, incomplete, and complete. On that background, two diffusion problems, related to the atomic-scale surface morphology, will be discussed. The first problem deals with diffusion of atomic clusters on atomically smooth interface. On flat domains, far from terraces and steps, we analyzed the impact of size, shape, and cluster/substrate lattice misfit on the diffusion behavior of atomic clusters (islands). We found that the lattice constant of small clusters depends on the number N of building atoms at 1 < N ≤ 10. In heteroepitaxy, this effect of variable lattice constant originates from the enhanced charge transfer and the strong influence of the surface potential on cluster atomic arrangement. At constant temperature, the variation of the lattice constant leads to variable misfit which affects the island migration. The cluster/substrate commensurability influences the oscillation behavior of the diffusion coefficient caused by variation in the cluster shape. We discuss the results in a physical model that implies cluster diffusion with size-dependent cluster/substrate misfit. The second problem is devoted to diffusion phenomena in the vicinity of atomic terraces on stepped or vicinal surfaces. Here, we develop a computational model that refines important details of diffusion behavior of adatoms accounting for the energy barriers at specific atomic sites (smooth domains, terraces, and steps) located on the crystal surface. The dynamic competition between energy gained by mixing and substrate strain energy results in diffusion scenario where adatoms form alloyed islands and alloyed stripes in the vicinity of terrace edges. Being in agreement with recent experimental findings, the observed effect of stripe and island alloy formation opens up a way regular surface patterns to be configured at different atomic levels on the crystal surface. The complete surface alloying of the entire interface layer is also briefly discussed with critical analysis and classification of experimental findings and simulation data.

Investigations into the mechanism of material removal and surface modification at atomic scale on stainless steel using molecular dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranjan, Prabhat; Balasubramaniam, R.; Jain, V. K.

2018-06-01

A molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) has been carried out to investigate the material removal phenomenon of chemo-mechanical magnetorheological finishing (CMMRF) process. To understand the role of chemical assisted mechanical abrasion in CMMRF process, material removal phenomenon is subdivided into three different stages. In the first stage, new atomic bonds viz. Fe-O-Si is created on the surface of the workpiece (stainless steel). The second stage deals with the rupture of parent bonds like Fe-Fe on the workpiece. In the final stage, removal of material from the surface in the form of dislodged debris (cluster of atoms) takes place. Effects of process parameters like abrasive particles, depth of penetration and initial surface condition on finishing force, potential energy (towards secondary phenomenon such as chemical instability of the finished surface) and material removal at atomic scale have been investigated. It was observed that the type of abrasive particle is one of the important parameters to produce atomically smooth surface. Experiments were also conducted as per the MDS to generate defect-free and sub-nanometre-level finished surface (Ra value better than 0.2 nm). The experimental results reasonably agree well with the simulation results.

Optimization of metamorphic buffers for MBE growth of high quality AlInSb/InSb quantum structures: Suppression of hillock formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Y.; Gosselink, D.; Gharavi, K.; Baugh, J.; Wasilewski, Z. R.

2017-11-01

The optimization of metamorphic buffers for InSb/AlInSb QWs grown on GaAs (0 0 1) substrates is presented. With increasing surface offcut angle towards [ 1 1 bar 0 ] direction, the interaction of spiral growth around threading dislocations (TDs) with the offcut-induced atomic steps leads to a gradual change in the morphology of the AlSb buffer from one dominated by hillocks to that exhibiting near-parallel steps, and finally to a surface with increasing number of localized depressions. With the growth conditions used, the smoothest AlSb surface morphology was obtained for the offcut angles range of 0.8-1.3°. On substrates with 0° offcut, subsequent 3 repeats of Al0.24In0.76 Sb/Al0.12In0.88 Sb interlayers reduces the TD density of AlSb buffer by a factor of 10, while 70 times reduction in the surface density of TD-related hillocks is observed. The remaining hillocks have rectangular footprint and small facet angles with respect to GaAs (0 0 1) surface: 0.4° towards [ 1 1 bar 0 ] direction and 0.7° towards [1 1 0] direction. Their triangular-shaped sidewalls with regularly spaced atomic steps show occasional extra step insertion sites, characteristic of TD outcrops. Many of the observed sidewalls are dislocation free and offer atomically smooth areas of up to 1 μm2, already suitable for high-quality InSb growth and subsequent top-down fabrication of InSb nanowires. It is proposed that the sidewalls of the remaining hillocks offer local vicinal surfaces with atomic step density optimal for suppression of TD-induced spiral growth, thus providing the important information on the exact substrate offcut needed to achieve large hillock-free and atomically smooth areas on AlInSb metamorphic buffers.

Quantum trajectories in elastic atom-surface scattering: threshold and selective adsorption resonances.

PubMed

Sanz, A S; Miret-Artés, S

2005-01-01

The elastic resonant scattering of He atoms off the Cu(117) surface is fully described with the formalism of quantum trajectories provided by Bohmian mechanics. Within this theory of quantum motion, the concept of trapping is widely studied and discussed. Classically, atoms undergo impulsive collisions with the surface, and then the trapped motion takes place covering at least two consecutive unit cells. However, from a Bohmian viewpoint, atom trajectories can smoothly adjust to the equipotential energy surface profile in a sort of sliding motion; thus the trapping process could eventually occur within one single unit cell. In particular, both threshold and selective adsorption resonances are explained by means of this quantum trapping considering different space and time scales. Furthermore, a mapping between each region of the (initial) incoming plane wave and the different parts of the diffraction and resonance patterns can be easily established, an important issue only provided by a quantum trajectory formalism. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Atomic structures of B20 FeGe thin films grown on the Si(111) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Wondong; Noh, Seungkyun; Yoon, Jisoo; Kim, Young Heon; Lee, Inho; Kim, Jae-Sung; Hwang, Chanyong

We investigated the growth and atomic structures of FeGe thin films on the Si (111) surface by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The 2 5nm- thick FeGe thin films were prepared on the clean Si(111) 7x7 surface by co-deposition of Fe and Ge from separated electron-beam evaporators. With direct deposition on the substrate at the temperature above 550 K, the surface of FeGe films was not smooth and consisted of coarse grains. By the combination of room-temperature annealing and post-annealing process around 800 K, the structure of FeGe thin films evolved into the well crystalized structures. Atom-resolved STM images revealed that there are at least four different surface terminations. We constructed atomic models for each surface terminations based on the bulk atomic arrangement of a B20 chiral structure and confirmed that the observed STM images are successfully reproduced by using computational simulations employing Vienna Ab Initio Simulation package (VASP) with a B20 chiral structure model. TEM cross-sectional images also support our atomic models by revealing clearly the characteristic zigzag features of B20 structures of FeGe(111) thin films.

Microscale surface modifications for heat transfer enhancement.

PubMed

Bostanci, Huseyin; Singh, Virendra; Kizito, John P; Rini, Daniel P; Seal, Sudipta; Chow, Louis C

2013-10-09

In this experimental study, two surface modification techniques were investigated for their effect on heat transfer enhancement. One of the methods employed the particle (grit) blasting to create microscale indentations, while the other used plasma spray coating to create microscale protrusions on Al 6061 (aluminum alloy 6061) samples. The test surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Because of the surface modifications, the actual surface area was increased up to 2.8× compared to the projected base area, and the arithmetic mean roughness value (Ra) was determined to vary from 0.3 μm for the reference smooth surface to 19.5 μm for the modified surfaces. Selected samples with modified surfaces along with the reference smooth surface were then evaluated for their heat transfer performance in spray cooling tests. The cooling system had vapor-atomizing nozzles and used anhydrous ammonia as the coolant in order to achieve heat fluxes up to 500 W/cm(2) representing a thermal management setting for high power systems. Experimental results showed that the microscale surface modifications enhanced heat transfer coefficients up to 76% at 500 W/cm(2) compared to the smooth surface and demonstrated the benefits of these practical surface modification techniques to enhance two-phase heat transfer process.

Atomic layer epitaxy of YBaCuO for optoelectronic applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skogman, R. A.; Khan, M. A.; Van Hove, J. M.; Bhattarai, A.; Boord, W. T.

1992-01-01

An MOCVD-based atomic-layer epitaxy process is being developed as a potential solution to the problems of film-thickness and interface-abruptness control which are encountered when fabricating superconductor-insulator-superconductor devices using YBa2Cu3O(7-x). In initial studies, the atomic-layer MOCVD process yields superconducting YBa2Cu3O(7-x) films with substrate temperatures of 605 C during film growth, and no postdeposition anneal. The low temperature process yields a smooth film surface and can reduce interface degradation due to diffusion.

Laser polishing for topography management of accelerator cavity surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, Liang; Klopf, J. Mike; Reece, Charles E.

2015-07-20

Improved energy efficiency and reduced cost are greatly desired for advanced particle accelerators. Progress toward both can be made by atomically-smoothing the interior surface of the niobium superconducting radiofrequency accelerator cavities at the machine's heart. Laser polishing offers a green alternative to the present aggressive chemical processes. We found parameters suitable for polishing niobium in all surface states expected for cavity production. As a result, careful measurement of the resulting surface chemistry revealed a modest thinning of the surface oxide layer, but no contamination.

Atomic scale morphology, growth behaviour and electronic properties of semipolar {101[overline]3} GaN surfaces.

PubMed

Kioseoglou, J; Kalesaki, E; Lymperakis, L; Karakostas, Th; Komninou, Ph

2013-01-30

First-principles calculations relating to the atomic structure and electronic properties of {101[overline]3} GaN surfaces reveal significant differentiations between the two polarity orientations. The (101[overline]3) surface exhibits a remarkable morphological stability, stabilizing a metallic structure (Ga adlayer) over the entire range of the Ga chemical potential. In contrast, the semiconducting, cleaved surface is favoured on (101[overline]3[overline]) under extremely and moderately N-rich conditions, a Ga bilayer is stabilized under corresponding Ga-rich conditions and various transitions between metallic reconstructions take place in intermediate growth stoichiometries. Efficient growth schemes for smooth, two-dimensional GaN layers and the isolation of {101[overline]3} material from parasitic orientations are identified.

Lattice constant grading in the Al.sub.y Ca.sub.1-y As.sub.1-x Sb.sub.x alloy system

DOEpatents

Moon, Ronald L.

1981-01-01

Liquid phase epitaxy is employed to grow a lattice matched layer of GaAsSb on GaAs substrates through the compositional intermediary of the III-V alloy system AlGaAsSb which acts as a grading layer. The Al constituent reaches a peak atomic concentration of about 6% within the first 2.5.mu.m of the transition layer, then decreases smoothly to about 1% to obtain a lattice constant of 5.74 A. In the same interval the equilibrium concentration of Sb smoothly increases from 0 to about 9 atomic percent to form a surface on which a GaAsSb layer having the desired energy bandgap of 1.1 ev for one junction of an optimized dual junction photovoltaic device. The liquid phase epitaxy is accomplished with a step cooling procedure whereby dislocation defects are more uniformly distributed over the surface of the growing layer.

Lattice constant grading in the Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y As.sub.1-x Sb.sub.x alloy system

DOEpatents

Moon, Ronald L.

1980-01-01

Liquid phase epitaxy is employed to grow a lattice matched layer of GaAsSb on GaAs substrates through the compositional intermediary of the III-V alloy system AlGaAsSb which acts as a grading layer. The Al constituent reaches a peak atomic concentration of about 6% within the first 2.5 .mu.m of the transition layer, then decreases smoothly to about 1% to obtain a lattice constant of 5.74 A. In the same interval the equilibrium concentration of Sb smoothly increases from 0 to about 9 atomic percent to form a surface on which a GaAsSb layer having the desired energy bandgap of 1.1 ev for one junction of an optimized dual junction photolvoltaic device. The liquid phase epitaxy is accomplished with a step cooling procedure whereby dislocation defects are more uniformly distributed over the surface of growing layer.

Polyvinyl alcohol coating of polystyrene inertial confinement fusion targets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Annamalai, P.; Lee, M. C.; Crawley, R. L.; Downs, R. L.

1985-01-01

An inertial confinement fusion (ICF) target made of polystyrene is first levitated in an acoustic field. The surface of the target is then etched using an appropriate solution (e.g., cyclohexane) to enhance the wetting characteristics. A specially prepared polyvinyl alcohol solution is atomized using an acoustic atomizer and deposited on the surface of the target. The solution is air dried to form a thin coating (2 microns) on the target (outside diameter of about 350-850 microns). Thicker coatings are obtained by repeated applications of the coating solutions. Preliminary results indicate that uniform coatings may be achievable on the targets with a background surface smoothness in the order of 1000 A.

A theoretical study for mechanical contact between carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takagi, Yoshiteru; Uda, Tsuyoshi; Ohno, Takahisa

2005-03-01

We have theoretically investigated motions of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) which are mounted on a flat substrate layer of SWNTs by tight-binding molecular dynamics simulations. One of the most interesting motions is the conversion of force and torque, where the force and torque acting initially on the mounted tube finally results in the lateral motion and rolling of the supporting tubes in the substrate. This motion is well understood in terms of the total energy surface of the SWNT/SWNT system. It is suggested that an undulation of the total energy surface plays a role as an atomic-scale gear tooth in the field of nanomechanics, in spite of the atomically smooth surface of SWNT.

Thermal motion in proteins: Large effects on the time-averaged interaction energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goethe, Martin; Fita, Ignacio; Rubi, J. Miguel

2016-03-01

As a consequence of thermal motion, inter-atomic distances in proteins fluctuate strongly around their average values, and hence, also interaction energies (i.e. the pair-potentials evaluated at the fluctuating distances) are not constant in time but exhibit pronounced fluctuations. These fluctuations cause that time-averaged interaction energies do generally not coincide with the energy values obtained by evaluating the pair-potentials at the average distances. More precisely, time-averaged interaction energies behave typically smoother in terms of the average distance than the corresponding pair-potentials. This averaging effect is referred to as the thermal smoothing effect. Here, we estimate the strength of the thermal smoothing effect on the Lennard-Jones pair-potential for globular proteins at ambient conditions using x-ray diffraction and simulation data of a representative set of proteins. For specific atom species, we find a significant smoothing effect where the time-averaged interaction energy of a single atom pair can differ by various tens of cal/mol from the Lennard-Jones potential at the average distance. Importantly, we observe a dependency of the effect on the local environment of the involved atoms. The effect is typically weaker for bulky backbone atoms in beta sheets than for side-chain atoms belonging to other secondary structure on the surface of the protein. The results of this work have important practical implications for protein software relying on free energy expressions. We show that the accuracy of free energy expressions can largely be increased by introducing environment specific Lennard-Jones parameters accounting for the fact that the typical thermal motion of protein atoms depends strongly on their local environment.

Electrodes synthesized from carbon nanostructures coated with a smooth and conformal metal adlayer

DOEpatents

Adzic, Radoslav; Harris, Alexander

2014-04-15

High-surface-area carbon nanostructures coated with a smooth and conformal submonolayer-to-multilayer thin metal films and their method of manufacture are described. The preferred manufacturing process involves the initial oxidation of the carbon nanostructures followed by a surface preparation process involving immersion in a solution with the desired pH to create negative surface dipoles. The nanostructures are subsequently immersed in an alkaline solution containing a suitable quantity of non-noble metal ions which adsorb at surface reaction sites. The metal ions are then reduced via chemical or electrical means. The nanostructures are exposed to a solution containing a salt of one or more noble metals which replace adsorbed non-noble surface metal atoms by galvanic displacement. The process can be controlled and repeated to obtain a desired film coverage. The resulting coated nanostructures may be used, for example, as high-performance electrodes in supercapacitors, batteries, or other electric storage devices.

Characterization of the surface charge distribution on kaolinite particles using high resolution atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Naveen; Zhao, Cunlu; Klaassen, Aram; van den Ende, Dirk; Mugele, Frieder; Siretanu, Igor

2016-02-01

Most solid surfaces, in particular clay minerals and rock surfaces, acquire a surface charge upon exposure to an aqueous environment due to adsorption and/or desorption of ionic species. Macroscopic techniques such as titration and electrokinetic measurements are commonly used to determine the surface charge and ζ -potential of these surfaces. However, because of the macroscopic averaging character these techniques cannot do justice to the role of local heterogeneities on the surfaces. In this work, we use dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine the distribution of surface charge on the two (gibbsite-like and silica-like) basal planes of kaolinite nanoparticles immersed in aqueous electrolyte with a lateral resolution of approximately 30 nm. The surface charge density is extracted from force-distance curves using DLVO theory in combination with surface complexation modeling. While the gibbsite-like and the silica-like facet display on average positive and negative surface charge values as expected, our measurements reveal lateral variations of more than a factor of two on seemingly atomically smooth terraces, even if high resolution AFM images clearly reveal the atomic lattice on the surface. These results suggest that simple surface complexation models of clays that attribute a unique surface chemistry and hence homogeneous surface charge densities to basal planes may miss important aspects of real clay surfaces.

Step-height standards based on the rapid formation of monolayer steps on the surface of layered crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komonov, A. I.; Prinz, V. Ya.; Seleznev, V. A.; Kokh, K. A.; Shlegel, V. N.

2017-07-01

Metrology is essential for nanotechnology, especially for structures and devices with feature sizes going down to nm. Scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) permits measurement of nanometer- and subnanometer-scale objects. Accuracy of size measurements performed using SPMs is largely defined by the accuracy of used calibration measures. In the present publication, we demonstrate that height standards of monolayer step (∼1 and ∼0.6 nm) can be easily prepared by cleaving Bi2Se3 and ZnWO4 layered single crystals. It was shown that the conducting surface of Bi2Se3 crystals offers height standard appropriate for calibrating STMs and for testing conductive SPM probes. Our AFM study of the morphology of freshly cleaved (0001) Bi2Se3 surfaces proved that such surfaces remained atomically smooth during a period of at least half a year. The (010) surfaces of ZnWO4 crystals remained atomically smooth during one day, but already two days later an additional nanorelief of amplitude ∼0.3 nm appeared on those surfaces. This relief, however, did not further grow in height, and it did not hamper the calibration. Simplicity and the possibility of rapid fabrication of the step-height standards, as well as their high stability, make these standards available for a great, permanently growing number of users involved in 3D printing activities.

Effects of dextrose and lipopolysaccharide on the corrosion behavior of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy with a smooth surface or treated with double-acid-etching.

PubMed

Faverani, Leonardo P; Assunção, Wirley G; de Carvalho, Paulo Sérgio P; Yuan, Judy Chia-Chun; Sukotjo, Cortino; Mathew, Mathew T; Barao, Valentim A

2014-01-01

Diabetes and infections are associated with a high risk of implant failure. However, the effects of such conditions on the electrochemical stability of titanium materials remain unclear. This study evaluated the corrosion behavior of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy, with a smooth surface or conditioned by double-acid-etching, in simulated body fluid with different concentrations of dextrose and lipopolysaccharide. For the electrochemical assay, the open-circuit-potential, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and potentiodynamic test were used. The disc surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Their surface roughness and Vickers microhardness were also tested. The quantitative data were analyzed by Pearson's correlation and independent t-tests (α = 0.05). In the corrosion parameters, there was a strong lipopolysaccharide correlation with the Ipass (passivation current density), Cdl (double-layer capacitance), and Rp (polarization resistance) values (p<0.05) for the Ti-6Al-4V alloy with surface treatment by double-acid-etching. The combination of dextrose and lipopolysaccharide was correlated with the Icorr (corrosion current density) and Ipass (p<0.05). The acid-treated groups showed a significant increase in Cdl values and reduced Rp values (p<0.05, t-test). According to the topography, there was an increase in surface roughness (R2 = 0.726, p<0.0001 for the smooth surface; R2 = 0.405, p = 0.036 for the double-acid-etching-treated surface). The microhardness of the smooth Ti-6Al-4V alloy decreased (p<0.05) and that of the treated Ti-6Al-4V alloy increased (p<0.0001). Atomic force microscopy showed changes in the microstructure of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy by increasing the surface thickness mainly in the group associated with dextrose and lipopolysaccharide. The combination of dextrose and lipopolysaccharide affected the corrosion behavior of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy surface treated with double-acid-etching. However, no dose-response corrosion behavior could be observed. These results suggest a greater susceptibility to corrosion of titanium implants in diabetic patients with associated infections.

Effects of Dextrose and Lipopolysaccharide on the Corrosion Behavior of a Ti-6Al-4V Alloy with a Smooth Surface or Treated with Double-Acid-Etching

PubMed Central

Faverani, Leonardo P.; Assunção, Wirley G.; de Carvalho, Paulo Sérgio P.; Yuan, Judy Chia-Chun; Sukotjo, Cortino; Mathew, Mathew T.; Barao, Valentim A.

2014-01-01

Diabetes and infections are associated with a high risk of implant failure. However, the effects of such conditions on the electrochemical stability of titanium materials remain unclear. This study evaluated the corrosion behavior of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy, with a smooth surface or conditioned by double-acid-etching, in simulated body fluid with different concentrations of dextrose and lipopolysaccharide. For the electrochemical assay, the open-circuit-potential, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and potentiodynamic test were used. The disc surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Their surface roughness and Vickers microhardness were also tested. The quantitative data were analyzed by Pearson's correlation and independent t-tests (α = 0.05). In the corrosion parameters, there was a strong lipopolysaccharide correlation with the Ipass (passivation current density), Cdl (double-layer capacitance), and Rp (polarization resistance) values (p<0.05) for the Ti-6Al-4V alloy with surface treatment by double-acid-etching. The combination of dextrose and lipopolysaccharide was correlated with the Icorr (corrosion current density) and Ipass (p<0.05). The acid-treated groups showed a significant increase in Cdl values and reduced Rp values (p<0.05, t-test). According to the topography, there was an increase in surface roughness (R2 = 0.726, p<0.0001 for the smooth surface; R2 = 0.405, p = 0.036 for the double-acid-etching-treated surface). The microhardness of the smooth Ti-6Al-4V alloy decreased (p<0.05) and that of the treated Ti-6Al-4V alloy increased (p<0.0001). Atomic force microscopy showed changes in the microstructure of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy by increasing the surface thickness mainly in the group associated with dextrose and lipopolysaccharide. The combination of dextrose and lipopolysaccharide affected the corrosion behavior of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy surface treated with double-acid-etching. However, no dose-response corrosion behavior could be observed. These results suggest a greater susceptibility to corrosion of titanium implants in diabetic patients with associated infections. PMID:24671257

Smooth Scaling of Valence Electronic Properties in Fullerenes: From One Carbon Atom, to C60, to Graphene

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-18

Smooth scaling of valence electronic properties in fullerenes: from one carbon atom , to C60, to graphene Greyson R. Lewis,1 William E. Bunting,1...pacitance scaling lines of the fullerenes. Lastly, it is found that points representing the carbon atom and the graphene limit lie on scaling lines for...icosahedral fullerenes, so their quantum capacitances and their detachment energies scale smoothly from one C atom , through C60, to graphene. I

Dynamic Scaling and Island Growth Kinetics in Pulsed Laser Deposition of SrTiO 3

DOE PAGES

Eres, Gyula; Tischler, J. Z.; Rouleau, C. M.; ...

2016-11-11

We use real-time diffuse surface x-ray diffraction to probe the evolution of island size distributions and its effects on surface smoothing in pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of SrTiO 3. In this study, we show that the island size evolution obeys dynamic scaling and two distinct regimes of island growth kinetics. Our data show that PLD film growth can persist without roughening despite thermally driven Ostwald ripening, the main mechanism for surface smoothing, being shut down. The absence of roughening is concomitant with decreasing island density, contradicting the prevailing view that increasing island density is the key to surface smoothing inmore » PLD. We also report a previously unobserved crossover from diffusion-limited to attachment-limited island growth that reveals the influence of nonequilibrium atomic level surface transport processes on the growth modes in PLD. We show by direct measurements that attachment-limited island growth is the dominant process in PLD that creates step flowlike behavior or quasistep flow as PLD “self-organizes” local step flow on a length scale consistent with the substrate temperature and PLD parameters.« less

Dynamic Scaling and Island Growth Kinetics in Pulsed Laser Deposition of SrTiO 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eres, Gyula; Tischler, J. Z.; Rouleau, C. M.

We use real-time diffuse surface x-ray diffraction to probe the evolution of island size distributions and its effects on surface smoothing in pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of SrTiO 3. In this study, we show that the island size evolution obeys dynamic scaling and two distinct regimes of island growth kinetics. Our data show that PLD film growth can persist without roughening despite thermally driven Ostwald ripening, the main mechanism for surface smoothing, being shut down. The absence of roughening is concomitant with decreasing island density, contradicting the prevailing view that increasing island density is the key to surface smoothing inmore » PLD. We also report a previously unobserved crossover from diffusion-limited to attachment-limited island growth that reveals the influence of nonequilibrium atomic level surface transport processes on the growth modes in PLD. We show by direct measurements that attachment-limited island growth is the dominant process in PLD that creates step flowlike behavior or quasistep flow as PLD “self-organizes” local step flow on a length scale consistent with the substrate temperature and PLD parameters.« less

Overcoming Ehrlich-Schwöbel barrier in (1 1 1)A GaAs molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritzmann, Julian; Schott, Rüdiger; Gross, Katherine; Reuter, Dirk; Ludwig, Arne; Wieck, Andreas D.

2018-01-01

In this work, we first study the effect of different growth parameters on the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of GaAs layers on (1 1 1)A oriented substrates. After that we present a method for the MBE growth of atomically smooth layers by sequences of growth and annealing phases. The samples exhibit low surface roughness and good electrical properties shown by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and van-der-Pauw Hall measurements.

Microwave plasma induced surface modification of diamond-like carbon films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao Polaki, Shyamala; Kumar, Niranjan; Gopala Krishna, Nanda; Madapu, Kishore; Kamruddin, Mohamed; Dash, Sitaram; Tyagi, Ashok Kumar

2017-12-01

Tailoring the surface of diamond-like carbon (DLC) film is technically relevant for altering the physical and chemical properties, desirable for useful applications. A physically smooth and sp3 dominated DLC film with tetrahedral coordination was prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique. The surface of the DLC film was exposed to hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen plasma for physical and chemical modifications. The surface modification was based on the concept of adsorption-desorption of plasma species and surface entities of films. Energetic chemical species of microwave plasma are adsorbed, leading to desorbtion of the surface carbon atoms due to energy and momentum exchange. The interaction of such reactive species with DLC films enhanced the roughness, surface defects and dangling bonds of carbon atoms. Adsorbed hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen formed a covalent network while saturating the dangling carbon bonds around the tetrahedral sp3 valency. The modified surface chemical affinity depends upon the charge carriers and electron covalency of the adsorbed atoms. The contact angle of chemically reconstructed surface increases when a water droplet interacts either through hydrogen or van dear Waals bonding. These weak interactions influenced the wetting property of the DLC surface to a great extent.

Hydrogel brushes grafted from stainless steel via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization for marine antifouling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jingjing; Wei, Jun

2016-09-01

Crosslinked hydrogel brushes were grafted from stainless steel (SS) surfaces for marine antifouling. The brushes were prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) respectively with different fractions of crosslinker in the feed. The grafted layers prepared with different thickness were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), ellipsometry and water contact angle measurements. With the increase in the fraction of crosslinker in the feed, the thickness of the grafted layer increased and the surface became smooth. All the brush-coated SS surfaces could effectively reduce the adhesion of bacteria and microalgae and settlement of barnacle cyprids, as compared to the pristine SS surface. The antifouling efficacy of the PEGMA polymer (PPEGMA)-grafted surface was higher than that of the MPC polymer (PMPC)-grafted surfaces. Furthermore, the crosslinked hydrogel brush-grafted surfaces exhibited better fouling resistance than the non-crosslinked polymer brush-grafted surfaces, and the antifouling efficacy increased with the crosslinking density. These hydrogel coatings of low toxicity and excellent anti-adhesive characteristics suggested their useful applications as environmentally friendly antifouling coatings.

Single crystalline thin films as a novel class of electrocatalysts

DOE PAGES

Snyder, Joshua; Markovic, Nenad; Stamenkovic, Vojislav

2013-01-01

The ubiquitous use of single crystal metal electrodes has garnered invaluable insight into the relationship between surface atomic structure and functional electrochemical properties. But, the sensitivity of their electrochemical response to surface orientation and the amount of precious metal required can limit their use. We present here a generally applicable procedure for producing thin metal films with a large proportion of atomically flat (111) terraces without the use of an epitaxial template. Thermal annealing in a controlled atmosphere induces long-range ordering of magnetron sputtered thin metal films deposited on an amorphous substrate. The ordering transition in these thin metal filmsmore » yields characteristic (111) electrochemical signatures with minimal amount of material and provides an adequate replacement for oriented bulk single crystals. Our procedure can be generalized towards a novel class of practical multimetallic thin film based electrocatalysts with tunable near-surface compositional profile and morphology. Annealing of atomically corrugated sputtered thin film Pt-alloy catalysts yields an atomically smooth structure with highly crystalline, (111)-like ordered and Pt segregated surface that displays superior functional properties, bridging the gap between extended/bulk surfaces and nanoscale systems.« less

Rotary-Atomizer Electric Power Generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Trieu; Tran, Tuan; de Boer, Hans; van den Berg, Albert; Eijkel, Jan C. T.

2015-03-01

We report experimental and theoretical results on a ballistic energy-conversion method based on a rotary atomizer working with a droplet acceleration-deceleration cycle. In a rotary atomizer, liquid is fed onto the center of a rotating flat surface, where it spreads out under the action of the centrifugal force and creates "atomized" droplets at its edge. The advantage of using a rotary atomizer is that the centrifugal force exerted on the fluid on a smooth, large surface is not only a robust form of acceleration, as it avoids clogging, but also easily allows high throughput, and produces high electrical power. We successfully demonstrate an output power of 4.9 mW and a high voltage up to 3120 V. At present, the efficiency of the system is still low (0.14%). However, the conversion mechanism of the system is fully interpreted in this paper, permitting a conceptual understanding of system operation and providing a roadmap for system optimization. This observation will open up a road for building power-generation systems in the near future.

Highly reflective Ag-Cu alloy-based ohmic contact on p-type GaN using Ru overlayer.

PubMed

Son, Jun Ho; Jung, Gwan Ho; Lee, Jong-Lam

2008-12-15

We report on a metallization scheme of high reflectance, low resistance, and smooth surface morphology ohmic contact on p-type GaN. Ag-Cu alloy/Ru contact showed low contact resistivity as low as 6.2 x 10(-6) Ohms cm(2) and high reflectance of 91% at 460 nm after annealing at 400 degrees C in air ambient. The oxidation annealing promoted the out-diffusion of Ga atoms to dissolve in an Ag-Cu layer with the formation of an Ag-Ga solid solution, lowering the contact resistivity. The Ru overlayer acts as a diffusion barrier for excessive oxygen incorporation during oxidation annealing, resulting in high reflectance, good thermal stability, and smooth surface quality of the contact.

Miscut dependent surface evolution in the process of N-polar GaN(000 1 bar) growth under N-rich condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krzyżewski, Filip; Załuska-Kotur, Magdalena A.; Turski, Henryk; Sawicka, Marta; Skierbiszewski, Czesław

2017-01-01

The evolution of surface morphology during the growth of N-polar (000 1 bar) GaN under N-rich conditions is studied by kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations for two substrates miscuts 2° and 4°. The results are compared with experimentally observed surface morphologies of (000 1 bar) GaN layers grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The proposed kMC two-component model of GaN(000 1 bar) surface where both types of atoms, nitrogen and gallium, attach to the surface and diffuse independently shows that at relatively high rates of the step flow (miscut angle < 2 °) the low mobility of gallium adatoms causes surface instabilities and leads to experimentally observed roughening while for low rates of the step flow (miscut 4°), smooth surface can be obtained. In the presence of almost immobile nitrogen atoms under N-rich conditions crystal growth is realized by the process of two-dimensional island nucleation and coalescence. Larger crystal miscut, lower growth rate or higher temperature results in similar effect of the surface smoothening. We show that the surface also smoothens for the growth conditions with very high N-excess. In the presence of large number of nitrogen atoms the mobility of gallium atoms changes locally thus providing easier coalescence of separated island.

Controlling Surface Morphology and Circumventing Secondary Phase Formation in Non-polar m-GaN by Tuning Nitrogen Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, C. W.; Wadekar, P. V.; Guo, S. S.; Cheng, Y. J.; Chou, M.; Huang, H. C.; Hsieh, W. C.; Lai, W. C.; Chen, Q. Y.; Tu, L. W.

2018-01-01

For the development of non-polar nitrides based optoelectronic devices, high-quality films with smooth surfaces, free of defects or clusters, are critical. In this work, the mechanisms governing the topography and single phase epitaxy of non-polar m-plane gallium nitride ( m-GaN) thin films are studied. The samples were grown using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on m-plane sapphire substrates. Growth of pure m-GaN thin films, concomitant with smooth surfaces is possible at low radio frequency powers and high growth temperatures as judged by the high resolution x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy measurements. Defect types and densities are quantified using transmission electron microscopy, while Raman spectroscopy was used to analyze the in-plane stress in the thin films which matches the lattice mismatch analysis. Energy dispersive spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence support a congruent growth and a dominant near band edge emission. From the analysis, a narrow growth window is discovered wherein epitaxial growth of pure m-plane GaN samples free of secondary phases with narrow rocking curves and considerable smooth surfaces are successfully demonstrated.

Surface morphological evolution of epitaxial CrN(001) layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frederick, J. R.; Gall, D.

2005-09-01

CrN layers, 57 and 230 nm thick, were grown on MgO(001) at Ts=600-800 °C by ultrahigh-vacuum magnetron sputter deposition in pure N2 discharges from an oblique deposition angle α=80°. Layers grown at 600 °C nucleate as single crystals with a cube-on-cube epitaxial relationship with the substrate. However, rough surfaces with cauliflower-type morphologies cause the nucleation of misoriented CrN grains that develop into cone-shaped grains that protrude out of the epitaxial matrix to form triangular faceted surface mounds. The surface morphology of epitaxial CrN(001) grown at 700 °C is characterized by dendritic ridge patterns extending along the orthogonal <110> directions superposed by square-shaped super mounds with <100> edges. The ridge patterns are attributed to a Bales-Zangwill instability while the supermounds form due to atomic shadowing which leads to the formation of epitaxial inverted pyramids that are separated from the surrounding layer by tilted nanovoids. Growth at 800 °C yields complete single crystals with smooth surfaces. The root-mean-square surface roughness for 230-nm-thick layers decreases from 18.8 to 9.3 to 1.1 nm as Ts is raised from 600 to 700 to 800 °C. This steep decrease is due to a transition in the roughening mechanism from atomic shadowing to kinetic roughening. Atomic shadowing is dominant at 600 and 700 °C, where misoriented grains and supermounds, respectively, capture a larger fraction of the oblique deposition flux in comparison to the surrounding epitaxial matrix, resulting in a high roughening rate that is described by a power law with an exponent β>0.5. In contrast, kinetic roughening controls the surface morphology for Ts=800 °C, as well as the epitaxial fraction of the layers grown at 600 and 700 °C, yielding relatively smooth surfaces and β<=0.27.

Atomic Oxygen Durability of Second Surface Silver Microsheet Glass Concentrators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

deGroh, Kim K.; Jaworske, Donald A.; Smith, Daniela C.; Mroz, Thaddeus S.

1996-01-01

Second surface silver microsheet glass concentrators are being developed for potential use in future solar dynamic space power systems. Traditional concentrators are aluminum honeycomb sandwich composites with either aluminum or graphite epoxy face sheets, where a reflective aluminum layer is deposited onto an organic leveling layer on the face sheet. To protect the underlying layers, a SiO2 layer is applied on top of the aluminum reflective layer. These concentrators may be vulnerable to atomic oxygen degradation due to possible atomic oxygen attack of the organic layers at defect sites in the protective and reflective coatings. A second surface microsheet glass concentrator would be inherently more atomic oxygen durable than these first surface concentrators. In addition, a second surface microsheet glass concentrator design provides a smooth optical surface and allows for silver to be used as a reflective layer, which would improve the reflectivity of the concentrator and the performance of the system. A potential threat to the performance of second surface microsheet glass concentrators is atomic oxygen attack of the underlying silver at seams and edges or at micrometeoroid and debris (MMD) impacts sites. Second surface silver microsheet glass concentrator samples were fabricated and tested for atomic oxygen durability. The samples were iteratively exposed to an atomic oxygen environment in a plasma asher. Samples were evaluated for potential degradation at fabrication seams, simulated MMD impact sites, and edges. Optical microscopy was used to evaluate atomic oxygen degradation. Reflectance was obtained for an impacted sample prior to and after atomic oxygen exposure. After an initial atomic oxygen exposure to an effective fluence of approx. 1 x 10(exp 21) atoms/cm(exp 2), oxidation of the silver at defect sites and edges was observed. Exposure to an additional approx. 1 x 10(exp 21) atoms/cm(exp 2) caused no observed increase in oxidation. Oxidation at an impact site caused negligible changes in reflectance. In all cases oxidation was found to be confined to the vicinity of the seams, impact sites, edges or defect sites. Asher to in-space atomic oxygen correlation issues will be addressed.

Improvement of the relaxation time and the order parameter of nematic liquid crystal using a hybrid alignment mixture of carbon nanotube and polyimide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Hyojin; Yang, Seungbin; Lee, Ji-Hoon, E-mail: jihoonlee@jbnu.ac.kr

2014-05-12

We examined the electrooptical properties of a nematic liquid crystal (LC) sample whose substrates were coated with a mixture of carbon nanotube (CNT) and polyimide (PI). The relaxation time of the sample coated with 1.5 wt. % CNT mixture was about 35% reduced compared to the pure polyimide sample. The elastic constant and the order parameter of the CNT-mixture sample were increased and the fast relaxation of LC could be approximated to the mean-field theory. We found the CNT-mixed polyimide formed more smooth surface than the pure PI from atomic force microscopy images, indicating the increased order parameter is related to themore » smooth surface topology of the CNT-polyimide mixture.« less

Optimization of functionalization conditions for protein analysis by AFM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arroyo-Hernández, María; Daza, Rafael; Pérez-Rigueiro, Jose; Elices, Manuel; Nieto-Márquez, Jorge; Guinea, Gustavo V.

2014-10-01

Activated vapor silanization (AVS) is used to functionalize silicon surfaces through deposition of amine-containing thin films. AVS combines vapor silanization and chemical vapor deposition techniques and allows the properties of the functionalized layers (thickness, amine concentration and topography) to be controlled by tuning the deposition conditions. An accurate characterization is performed to correlate the deposition conditions and functional-film properties. In particular, it is shown that smooth surfaces with a sufficient surface density of amine groups may be obtained with this technique. These surfaces are suitable for the study of proteins with atomic force microscopy.

The Development of Surface Roughness and Implications for Cellular Attachment in Biomedical Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce; Miller, Sharon; deGroh, Kim; Chan, Amy; Sahota, Mandeep

2001-01-01

The application of a microscopic surface texture produced by ion beam sputter texturing to the surfaces of polymer implants has been shown to result in significant increases in cellular attachment compared to smooth surface implants in animal studies. A collaborative program between NASA Glenn Research Center and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation has been established to evaluate the potential for improving osteoblast attachment to surfaces that have been microscopically roughened by atomic oxygen texturing. The range of surface textures that are feasible depends upon both the texturing process and the duration of treatment. To determine whether surface texture saturates or continues to increase with treatment duration, an effort was conducted to examine the development of surface textures produced by various physical and chemical erosion processes. Both experimental tests and computational modeling were performed to explore the growth of surface texture with treatment time. Surface texturing by means of abrasive grit blasting of glass, stainless steel, and polymethylmethacry I ate surfaces was examined to measure the growth in roughness with grit blasting duration by surface profilometry measurements. Laboratory tests and computational modeling was also conducted to examine the development of texture on Aclar(R) (chlorotfifluoroethylene) and Kapton(R) polyimide, respectively. For the atomic oxygen texturing tests of Aclar(R), atomic force microscopy was used to measure the development of texture with atomic oxygen fluence. The results of all the testing and computational modeling support the premise that development of surface roughness obeys Poisson statistics. The results indicate that surface roughness does not saturate but increases as the square root of the treatment time.

A Gaussian Approximation Potential for Silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernstein, Noam; Bartók, Albert; Kermode, James; Csányi, Gábor

We present an interatomic potential for silicon using the Gaussian Approximation Potential (GAP) approach, which uses the Gaussian process regression method to approximate the reference potential energy surface as a sum of atomic energies. Each atomic energy is approximated as a function of the local environment around the atom, which is described with the smooth overlap of atomic environments (SOAP) descriptor. The potential is fit to a database of energies, forces, and stresses calculated using density functional theory (DFT) on a wide range of configurations from zero and finite temperature simulations. These include crystalline phases, liquid, amorphous, and low coordination structures, and diamond-structure point defects, dislocations, surfaces, and cracks. We compare the results of the potential to DFT calculations, as well as to previously published models including Stillinger-Weber, Tersoff, modified embedded atom method (MEAM), and ReaxFF. We show that it is very accurate as compared to the DFT reference results for a wide range of properties, including low energy bulk phases, liquid structure, as well as point, line, and plane defects in the diamond structure.

Alloy-assisted deposition of three-dimensional arrays of atomic gold catalyst for crystal growth studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fang, Yin; Jiang, Yuanwen; Cherukara, Mathew J.

Large-scale assembly of individual atoms over smooth surfaces is difficult to achieve. A configuration of an atom reservoir, in which individual atoms can be readily extracted, may successfully address this challenge. In this work, we demonstrate that a liquid gold-silicon alloy established in classical vapor-liquid-solid growth can deposit ordered and three-dimensional rings of isolated gold atoms over silicon nanowire sidewalls. Here, we perform ab initio molecular dynamics simulation and unveil a surprising single atomic gold-catalyzed chemical etching of silicon. Experimental verification of this catalytic process in silicon nanowires yields dopant-dependent, massive and ordered 3D grooves with spacing down to similarmore » to 5 nm. Finally, we use these grooves as self-labeled and ex situ markers to resolve several complex silicon growths, including the formation of nodes, kinks, scale-like interfaces, and curved backbones.« less

Alloy-assisted deposition of three-dimensional arrays of atomic gold catalyst for crystal growth studies

DOE PAGES

Fang, Yin; Jiang, Yuanwen; Cherukara, Mathew J.; ...

2017-12-08

Large-scale assembly of individual atoms over smooth surfaces is difficult to achieve. A configuration of an atom reservoir, in which individual atoms can be readily extracted, may successfully address this challenge. In this work, we demonstrate that a liquid gold-silicon alloy established in classical vapor-liquid-solid growth can deposit ordered and three-dimensional rings of isolated gold atoms over silicon nanowire sidewalls. Here, we perform ab initio molecular dynamics simulation and unveil a surprising single atomic gold-catalyzed chemical etching of silicon. Experimental verification of this catalytic process in silicon nanowires yields dopant-dependent, massive and ordered 3D grooves with spacing down to similarmore » to 5 nm. Finally, we use these grooves as self-labeled and ex situ markers to resolve several complex silicon growths, including the formation of nodes, kinks, scale-like interfaces, and curved backbones.« less

Osteoblast response to magnesium ion-incorporated nanoporous titanium oxide surfaces.

PubMed

Park, Jin-Woo; Kim, Youn-Jeong; Jang, Je-Hee; Song, Hwangjun

2010-11-01

This study investigated the surface characteristics and in vitro osteoconductivity of a titanium (Ti) surface incorporated with the magnesium ions (Mg) produced by hydrothermal treatment for future application as an endosseous implant surface. Mg-incorporated Ti oxide surfaces were produced by hydrothermal treatment using Mg-containing solution on two different microstructured surfaces--abraded minimally rough (Ma) or grit-blasted moderately rough (RBM) samples. The surface characteristics were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, thin-film X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical profilometry, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cell attachment, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and quantitative analysis of osteoblastic gene expression on Ma, RBM, Mg-incorporated Ma (Mg), and Mg-incorporated grit-blasted (RBM/Mg) Ti surfaces were evaluated. Hydrothermal treatment produced an Mg-incorporated Ti oxide layer with nanoporous surface structures. Mg-incorporated surfaces showed surface morphologies and surface roughness values almost identical to those of untreated smooth or micro-rough surfaces at the micron scale. ICP-AES analysis showed Mg ions released from treated surfaces into the solution. Mg incorporation significantly increased cellular attachment (P=0 at 0.5 h, P=0.01 at 1 h) on smooth surfaces, but no differences were found on micro-rough surfaces. Mg incorporation further increased ALP activity in cells grown on both smooth and micro-rough surfaces at 7 and 14 days of culture (P=0). Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed higher mRNA expressions of the osteoblast transcription factor gene (Dlx5), various integrins, and the osteoblast phenotype genes (ALP, bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin) in cells grown on micro-rough (RBM) and Mg-incorporated (Mg and RBM/Mg) surfaces than those on Ma surfaces. Mg incorporation further increased the mRNA expressions of key osteoblast genes and integrins (α1, α2, α5, and β1) in cells grown on both the smooth and the micro-rough surfaces. These results indicate that an Mg-incorporated nanoporous Ti oxide surface produced by hydrothermal treatment may improve implant bone healing by enhancing the attachment and differentiation of osteoblastic cells. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Interaction transfer of silicon atoms forming Co silicide for Co/√(3)×√(3)R30°-Ag/Si(111) and related magnetic properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang, Cheng-Hsun-Tony; Fu, Tsu-Yi; Tsay, Jyh-Shen, E-mail: jstsay@phy.ntnu.edu.tw

Combined scanning tunneling microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and surface magneto-optic Kerr effect studies were employed to study the microscopic structures and magnetic properties for ultrathin Co/√(3)×√(3)R30°-Ag/Si(111). As the annealing temperature increases, the upward diffusion of Si atoms and formation of Co silicides occurs at temperature above 400 K. Below 600 K, the √(3)×√(3)R30°-Ag/Si(111) surface structure persists. We propose an interaction transferring mechanism of Si atoms across the √(3)×√(3)R30°-Ag layer. The upward transferred Si atoms react with Co atoms to form Co silicide. The step height across the edge of the island, a separation of 0.75 nm from the analysis of the 2 × 2 structure,more » and the calculations of the normalized Auger signal serve as strong evidences for the formation of CoSi{sub 2} at the interface. The interaction transferring mechanism for Si atoms enhances the possibility of interactions between Co and Si atoms. The smoothness of the surface is advantage for that the easy axis of magnetization for Co/√(3)×√(3)R30°-Ag/Si(111) is in the surface plane. This provides a possible way of growing flat magnetic layers on silicon substrate with controllable silicide formation and shows potential applications in spintronics devices.« less

Self-assembled monolayers of alkyl-thiols on InAs: A Kelvin probe force microscopy study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szwajca, A.; Wei, J.; Schukfeh, M. I.; Tornow, M.

2015-03-01

We report on the preparation and characterization of self-assembled monolayers from aliphatic thiols with different chain length and termination on InAs (100) planar surfaces. This included as first step the development and investigation of a thorough chemical InAs surface preparation step using a dedicated bromine/NH4OH-based etching process. Ellipsometry, contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicated the formation of smooth, surface conforming monolayers. The molecular tilt angles were obtained as 30 ± 10° with respect to the surface normal. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurements in hand with Parameterized Model number 5 (PM5) calculations of the involved molecular dipoles allowed for an estimation of the molecular packing densities on the surface. We obtained values of up to n = 1014 cm- 2 for the SAMs under study. These are close to what is predicted from a simple geometrical model that would calculate a maximum density of about n = 2.7 × 1014 cm- 2. We take this as additional conformation of the substrate smoothness and quality of our InAs-SAM hybrid layer systems.

Fouling-release coatings prepared from alpha,omega-dihydroxypoly(dimethylsiloxane) cross-linked with (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)triethoxysilane.

PubMed

Berglin, Mattias; Wynne, Kenneth J; Gatenholm, Paul

2003-01-15

Surface properties of pristine and water-aged polymeric films made of alpha,omega-dihydroxypoly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) cross-linked with (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)triethoxysilane (FTEOS17) or tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) were investigated. The FTEOS17-cured coatings showed stable advancing and receding contact angles over a period of 3 months of water exposure, compared to a 70 degrees decrease in receding contact angle for the TEOS-cured coatings. After immersion in water, hydroxyl groups were detected on the TEOS-cured coatings with attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT/IR). Tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) on pristine FTEOS17-cured coatings showed surfaces topologies ranging from smooth and featureless to topologically complex, depending on FTEOS17 concentration. The fluorinated coatings showed a stable surface morphology after water immersion, which we believe is due to the formation of a fluorinated siliceous phase that prevented the surface reconstruction, water penetration, and hydrolysis. The smooth pristine TEOS-cured coatings showed an increased roughness with cracks and erosion pits present on the surface after water immersion.

Comparison of four methods of surface roughness assessment of corneal stromal bed after lamellar cutting

PubMed Central

Jumelle, Clotilde; Hamri, Alina; Egaud, Gregory; Mauclair, Cyril; Reynaud, Stephanie; Dumas, Virginie; Pereira, Sandrine; Garcin, Thibaud; Gain, Philippe; Thuret, Gilles

2017-01-01

Corneal lamellar cutting with a blade or femtosecond laser (FSL) is commonly used during refractive surgery and corneal grafts. Surface roughness of the cutting plane influences postoperative visual acuity but is difficult to assess reliably. For the first time, we compared chromatic confocal microscopy (CCM) with scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and focus-variation microscopy (FVM) to characterize surfaces of variable roughness after FSL cutting. The small area allowed by AFM hinders conclusive roughness analysis, especially with irregular cuts. FVM does not always differentiate between smooth and rough surfaces. Finally, CCM allows analysis of large surfaces and differentiates between surface states. PMID:29188095

Nanoscale mass conveyors

DOEpatents

Regan, Brian C [Oakland, CA; Aloni, Shaul [Albany, CA; Zettl, Alexander K [Kensington, CA

2008-03-11

A mass transport method and device for individually delivering chargeable atoms or molecules from source particles is disclosed. It comprises a channel; at least one source particle of chargeable material fixed to the surface of the channel at a position along its length; a means of heating the channel; and a means for applying an controllable electric field along the channel, whereby the device transports the atoms or molecules along the channel in response to applied electric field. In a preferred embodiment, the mass transport device will comprise a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT), although other one dimensional structures may also be used. The MWNT or other structure acts as a channel for individual or small collections of atoms due to the atomic smoothness of the material. Also preferred is a source particle of a metal such as indium. The particles move by dissociation into small units, in some cases, individual atoms. The particles are preferably less than 100 nm in size.

Research of vacuum polymer film on three-dimension surface (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bau, Yung-Han

2016-09-01

This study focused on UV-curable acrylic hybrid of solute in vacuum-deposited on the surface and make it smooth. On the surface coating of the entire process, including the pre-treatment of organic solutes, vacuum, nozzle pressure, airflow, frequency ratio, the surface of the rotation rate, nozzle angle, UV light irradiation time, waste solute recycling.Organic solutes through a flow meter and precise measured,by high pressure or vibration of a piezoelectric material, spray our organic solute in a certain degree of vacuum,leaving nozzle of tiny micro-mist volatiles in a vacuum to form secondary atomization,deposited our surface,Since no UV light irradiation, the surface is a liquid having fluidity, so the non-planar substrates can have good performance, finally it is irradiated by UV light of sufficient energy solidify to form a solid film.The advantage of this approach is that a smooth surface,Strong adhesion, low-cost equipment, low temperature, a wide range of high deposition rate can be combined with other deposition method,Under vacuum have not waste because excess paint can be recycled.Avoid solute direct contact with human, relative to the environment-friendly.

Coated substrates and process

DOEpatents

Chu, Wei-kan; Childs, Charles B.

1991-01-01

Disclosed herein is a coated substrate and a process for forming films on substrates and for providing a particularly smooth film on a substrate. The method of this invention involves subjecting a surface of a substrate to contact with a stream of ions of an inert gas having sufficient force and energy to substantially change the surface characteristics of said substrate, and then exposing a film-forming material to a stream of ions of an inert gas having sufficient energy to vaporize the atoms of said film-forming material and to transmit the vaporized atoms to the substrate surface with sufficient force to form a film bonded to the substrate. This process is particularly useful commercially because it forms strong bonds at room temperature. This invention is particularly useful for adhering a gold film to diamond and forming ohmic electrodes on diamond, but also can be used to bond other films to substrates.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eaton, Craig; Brahlek, Matthew; Engel-Herbert, Roman, E-mail: rue2@psu.edu

The authors report the growth of stoichiometric SrVO{sub 3} thin films on (LaAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.3}(Sr{sub 2}AlTaO{sub 6}){sub 0.7} (001) substrates using hybrid molecular beam epitaxy. This growth approach employs a conventional effusion cell to supply elemental A-site Sr and the metalorganic precursor vanadium oxytriisopropoxide (VTIP) to supply vanadium. Oxygen is supplied in its molecular form through a gas inlet. An optimal VTIP:Sr flux ratio has been identified using reflection high-energy electron-diffraction, x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy, demonstrating stoichiometric SrVO{sub 3} films with atomically flat surface morphology. Away from the optimal VTIP:Sr flux, characteristic changes inmore » the crystalline structure and surface morphology of the films were found, enabling identification of the type of nonstoichiometry. For optimal VTIP:Sr flux ratios, high quality SrVO{sub 3} thin films were obtained with smallest deviation of the lattice parameter from the ideal value and with atomically smooth surfaces, indicative of the good cation stoichiometry achieved by this growth technique.« less

Characterization of poly(Sodium Styrene Sulfonate) Thin Films Grafted from Functionalized Titanium Surfaces

PubMed Central

Zorn, Gilad; Baio, Joe E.; Weidner, Tobias; Migonney, Veronique; Castner, David G.

2011-01-01

Biointegration of titanium implants in the body is controlled by their surface properties. Improving surface properties by coating with a bioactive polymer is a promising approach to improve the biological performance of titanium implants. To optimize the grafting processes, it is important to fully understand the composition and structure of the modified surfaces. The main focus of this study is to provide a detailed, multi-technique characterization of a bioactive poly(sodium styrene sulfonate) (pNaSS) thin film grafted from titanium surfaces via a two-step procedure. Thin titanium films (~50 nm thick with an average surface roughness of 0.9±0.2nm) prepared by evaporation onto silicon wafers were used as smooth model substrates. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) showed that the titanium film was covered with a TiO2 layer that was at least 10nm thick and contained hydroxyl groups present at the outermost surface. These hydroxyl groups were first modified with a 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) cross linker. XPS and ToF-SIMS showed that a monolayer of the MPS molecules were successfully attached onto the titanium surfaces. The pNaSS film was grafted from the MPS modified titanium through atom transfer radical polymerization. Again, XPS and ToF-SIMS were used to verify that the pNaSS molecules were successfully grafted onto the modified surfaces. Atomic force microscopy analysis showed that the film was smooth and uniformly covered the surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated an ordered array of grafted NaSS molecules were present on the titanium surfaces. Sum frequency generation vibration spectroscopy and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy illustrated that the NaSS molecules were grafted onto the titanium surface with a substantial degree of orientational order in the styrene rings. PMID:21892821

Oleophobic properties of the step-and-terrace sapphire surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muslimov, A. E.; Butashin, A. V.; Kanevsky, V. M.

2017-03-01

Sapphire is widely used in production of optical windows for various devices due to its mechanical and optical properties. However, during operation the surface can be affected by fats, oils, and other organic contaminations. Therefore, it is important to improve the oleophobic properties of sapphire windows. In this study, we investigate the interaction of a supersmooth sapphire surface with oleic acid droplets, which imitate human finger printing. It is established that chemical-mechanical polishing with additional annealing in air, which leads to the formation of an atomically smooth sapphire surface, makes it possible to significantly improve the oleophobic properties of the surface. The results are analyzed using the Ventsel-Deryagin homogeneous wetting model.

Oleophobic properties of the step-and-terrace sapphire surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muslimov, A. E., E-mail: amuslimov@mail.ru; Butashin, A. V.; Kanevsky, V. M.

Sapphire is widely used in production of optical windows for various devices due to its mechanical and optical properties. However, during operation the surface can be affected by fats, oils, and other organic contaminations. Therefore, it is important to improve the oleophobic properties of sapphire windows. In this study, we investigate the interaction of a supersmooth sapphire surface with oleic acid droplets, which imitate human finger printing. It is established that chemical–mechanical polishing with additional annealing in air, which leads to the formation of an atomically smooth sapphire surface, makes it possible to significantly improve the oleophobic properties of themore » surface. The results are analyzed using the Ventsel–Deryagin homogeneous wetting model.« less

Method and apparatus for reducing coherence of high-power laser beams

DOEpatents

Moncur, Norman K.; Mayer, Frederick J.

1978-01-01

Method and apparatus for reducing the coherence and for smoothing the power density profile of a collimated high-power laser beam in which the beam is focused at a point on the surface of a target fabricated of material having a low atomic number. The initial portion of the focused beam heats the material to form a hot reflective plasma at the material surface. The remaining, major portion of the focused beam is reflected by the plasma and recollected to form a collimated beam having reduced beam coherence.

3D-SURFER 2.0: web platform for real-time search and characterization of protein surfaces.

PubMed

Xiong, Yi; Esquivel-Rodriguez, Juan; Sael, Lee; Kihara, Daisuke

2014-01-01

The increasing number of uncharacterized protein structures necessitates the development of computational approaches for function annotation using the protein tertiary structures. Protein structure database search is the basis of any structure-based functional elucidation of proteins. 3D-SURFER is a web platform for real-time protein surface comparison of a given protein structure against the entire PDB using 3D Zernike descriptors. It can smoothly navigate the protein structure space in real-time from one query structure to another. A major new feature of Release 2.0 is the ability to compare the protein surface of a single chain, a single domain, or a single complex against databases of protein chains, domains, complexes, or a combination of all three in the latest PDB. Additionally, two types of protein structures can now be compared: all-atom-surface and backbone-atom-surface. The server can also accept a batch job for a large number of database searches. Pockets in protein surfaces can be identified by VisGrid and LIGSITE (csc) . The server is available at http://kiharalab.org/3d-surfer/.

Thermal motion in proteins: Large effects on the time-averaged interaction energies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goethe, Martin, E-mail: martingoethe@ub.edu; Rubi, J. Miguel; Fita, Ignacio

As a consequence of thermal motion, inter-atomic distances in proteins fluctuate strongly around their average values, and hence, also interaction energies (i.e. the pair-potentials evaluated at the fluctuating distances) are not constant in time but exhibit pronounced fluctuations. These fluctuations cause that time-averaged interaction energies do generally not coincide with the energy values obtained by evaluating the pair-potentials at the average distances. More precisely, time-averaged interaction energies behave typically smoother in terms of the average distance than the corresponding pair-potentials. This averaging effect is referred to as the thermal smoothing effect. Here, we estimate the strength of the thermal smoothingmore » effect on the Lennard-Jones pair-potential for globular proteins at ambient conditions using x-ray diffraction and simulation data of a representative set of proteins. For specific atom species, we find a significant smoothing effect where the time-averaged interaction energy of a single atom pair can differ by various tens of cal/mol from the Lennard-Jones potential at the average distance. Importantly, we observe a dependency of the effect on the local environment of the involved atoms. The effect is typically weaker for bulky backbone atoms in beta sheets than for side-chain atoms belonging to other secondary structure on the surface of the protein. The results of this work have important practical implications for protein software relying on free energy expressions. We show that the accuracy of free energy expressions can largely be increased by introducing environment specific Lennard-Jones parameters accounting for the fact that the typical thermal motion of protein atoms depends strongly on their local environment.« less

Ripple formation on atomically flat cleaved Si surface with roughness of 0.038 nm rms by low-energy Ar{sup 1+} ion bombardment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pahlovy, Shahjada A.; Mahmud, S. F.; Yanagimoto, K.

The authors have conducted research regarding ripple formation on an atomically flat cleaved Si surface by low-energy Ar{sup +} ion bombardment. The cleaved atomically flat and smooth plane of a Si wafer was obtained by cutting vertically against the orientation of a Si (100) wafer. Next, the cleaved surface was sputtered by a 1 keV Ar{sup +} ion beam at ion-incidence angles of 0 deg., 60 deg., 70 deg., and 80 deg. The results confirm the successful ripple formation at ion-incidence angles of 60 deg. - 80 deg. and that the wavelength of the ripples increases with the increase ofmore » the ion-incidence angle, as well as the inverse of ion doses. The direction of the ripple also changes from perpendicular to parallel to the projection of the ion-beam direction along the surface with the increasing ion-incidence angle. The authors have also observed the dose effects on surface roughness of cleaved Si surface at the ion-incidence angle of 60 deg., where the surface roughness increases with the increased ion dose. Finally, to understand the roughening mechanism, the authors studied the scaling behavior, measured the roughness exponent {alpha}, and compared the evolution of scaling regimes with Cuerno's one-dimensional simulation results.« less

Surface treatment of magnetic recording heads

DOEpatents

Komvopoulos, Kyriakos; Brown, Ian G.; Wei, Bo; Anders, Simone; Anders, Andre; Bhatia, C. Singh

1998-01-01

Surface modification of magnetic recording heads using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition is disclosed. This method may be carried out using a vacuum arc deposition system with a metallic or carbon cathode. By operating a plasma gun in a long-pulse mode and biasing the substrate holder with short pulses of a high negative voltage, direct ion implantation, recoil implantation, and surface deposition are combined to modify the near-surface regions of the head or substrate in processing times which may be less than 5 min. The modified regions are atomically mixed into the substrate. This surface modification improves the surface smoothness and hardness and enhances the tribological characteristics under conditions of contact-start-stop and continuous sliding. These results are obtained while maintaining original tolerances.

Surface treatment of magnetic recording heads

DOEpatents

Komvopoulos, Kyriakos; Brown, Ian G.; Wei, Bo; Anders, Simone; Anders, Andre; Bhatia, Singh C.

1995-01-01

Surface modification of magnetic recording heads using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition is disclosed. This method may be carried out using a vacuum arc deposition system with a metallic or carbon cathode. By operating a plasma gun in a long-pulse mode and biasing the substrate holder with short pulses of a high negative voltage, direct ion implantation, recoil implantation, and surface deposition are combined to modify the near-surface regions of the head or substrate in processing times which may be less than 5 min. The modified regions are atomically mixed into the substrate. This surface modification improves the surface smoothness and hardness and enhances the tribological characteristics under conditions of contact-start-stop and continuous sliding. These results are obtained while maintaining original tolerances.

Surface treatment of magnetic recording heads

DOEpatents

Komvopoulos, K.; Brown, I.G.; Wei, B.; Anders, S.; Anders, A.; Bhatia, C.S.

1998-11-17

Surface modification of magnetic recording heads using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition is disclosed. This method may be carried out using a vacuum arc deposition system with a metallic or carbon cathode. By operating a plasma gun in a long-pulse mode and biasing the substrate holder with short pulses of a high negative voltage, direct ion implantation, recoil implantation, and surface deposition are combined to modify the near-surface regions of the head or substrate in processing times which may be less than 5 min. The modified regions are atomically mixed into the substrate. This surface modification improves the surface smoothness and hardness and enhances the tribological characteristics under conditions of contact-start-stop and continuous sliding. These results are obtained while maintaining original tolerances. 22 figs.

Surface treatment of magnetic recording heads

DOEpatents

Komvopoulos, K.; Brown, I.G.; Wei, B.; Anders, S.; Anders, A.; Bhatia, S.C.

1995-12-19

Surface modification of magnetic recording heads using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition is disclosed. This method may be carried out using a vacuum arc deposition system with a metallic or carbon cathode. By operating a plasma gun in a long-pulse mode and biasing the substrate holder with short pulses of a high negative voltage, direct ion implantation, recoil implantation, and surface deposition are combined to modify the near-surface regions of the head or substrate in processing times which may be less than 5 min. The modified regions are atomically mixed into the substrate. This surface modification improves the surface smoothness and hardness and enhances the tribological characteristics under conditions of contact-start-stop and continuous sliding. These results are obtained while maintaining original tolerances. 15 figs.

A significant reduction of ice adhesion on nanostructured surfaces that consist of an array of single-walled carbon nanotubes: A molecular dynamics simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Luyao; Huang, Zhaoyuan; Priezjev, Nikolai V.; Chen, Shaoqiang; Luo, Kai; Hu, Haibao

2018-04-01

It is well recognized that excessive ice accumulation at low-temperature conditions can cause significant damage to civil infrastructure. The passive anti-icing surfaces provide a promising solution to suppress ice nucleation and enhance ice removal. However, despite extensive efforts, it remains a challenge to design anti-icing surfaces with low ice adhesion. Using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we show that surfaces with single-walled carbon nanotube array (CNTA) significantly reduce ice adhesion due to the extremely low solid areal fraction. It was found that the CNTA surface exhibits up to a 45% decrease in the ice adhesion strength in comparison with the atomically smooth graphene surface. The details of the ice detachment from the CNTA surface were examined for different water-carbon interaction energies and temperatures of the ice cube. Remarkably, the results of MD simulations demonstrate that the ice detaching strength depends linearly on the ratio of the ice-surface interaction energy and the ice temperature. These results open the possibility for designing novel robust surfaces with low ice adhesion for passive anti-icing applications.

Surface Morphology of Undoped and Doped ZnSe Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

George, T.; Hayes, M.; Chen, H.; Chattopadhyay, K.; Thomas E.; Morgan, S.; Burger, A.

1998-01-01

Rare-earth doped ions in polar II-VI semiconductors have recently played an important role in the optical properties of materials and devices. In this study, undoped ZnSe and erbium doped ZnSe films were grown by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was used together with optical microscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy to characterize the films. Doped samples were found to have higher surface roughness and quite different surface morphology compared to that of undoped samples. The grown films generally show a relatively smooth and uniform surface indicating that they are of overall good quality. The impact of plasma etching on ZnSe:Er film examined under AFM is also discussed.

Scattering of particles in the presence of harmonic confinement perturbed by a complex absorbing potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maghari, A.; Kermani, M. M.

2018-04-01

A system of two interacting atoms confined in 1D harmonic trap and perturbed by an absorbing boundary potential is studied using the Lippmann-Schwinger formalism. The atom-atom interaction potential was considered as a nonlocal separable model. The perturbed absorbing boundary potential was also assumed in the form of Scarf II complex absorbing potential. The model is used for the study of 1D optical lattices that support the trapping of a pair atom within a unit cell. Moreover, it allows to describe the scattering particles in a tight smooth trapping surface and to analyze the bound and resonance states. The analytical expressions for wavefunctions and transition matrix as well as the absorption probabilities are calculated. A demonstration of how the complex absorbing potential affecting the bound states and resonances of particles confined in a harmonic trap is described.

Atomically Defined Templates for Epitaxial Growth of Complex Oxide Thin Films

PubMed Central

Dral, A. Petra; Dubbink, David; Nijland, Maarten; ten Elshof, Johan E.; Rijnders, Guus; Koster, Gertjan

2014-01-01

Atomically defined substrate surfaces are prerequisite for the epitaxial growth of complex oxide thin films. In this protocol, two approaches to obtain such surfaces are described. The first approach is the preparation of single terminated perovskite SrTiO3 (001) and DyScO3 (110) substrates. Wet etching was used to selectively remove one of the two possible surface terminations, while an annealing step was used to increase the smoothness of the surface. The resulting single terminated surfaces allow for the heteroepitaxial growth of perovskite oxide thin films with high crystalline quality and well-defined interfaces between substrate and film. In the second approach, seed layers for epitaxial film growth on arbitrary substrates were created by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) deposition of nanosheets. As model system Ca2Nb3O10- nanosheets were used, prepared by delamination of their layered parent compound HCa2Nb3O10. A key advantage of creating seed layers with nanosheets is that relatively expensive and size-limited single crystalline substrates can be replaced by virtually any substrate material. PMID:25549000

Climbing ability of teneral and sclerotized adult bed bugs and assessment of adhesive properties of the exoskeletal fluid using atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Hinson, Kevin R; Reukov, Vladimir; Benson, Eric P; Zungoli, Patricia A; Bridges, William C; Ellis, Brittany R; Song, Jinbo

2017-01-01

We observed that teneral adults (<1 h post-molt) of Cimex lectularius L. appeared more adept at climbing a smooth surface compared to sclerotized adults. Differences in climbing ability on a smooth surface based on sclerotization status were quantified by measuring the height to which bed bugs climbed when confined within a glass vial. The average maximum height climbed by teneral (T) bed bugs (n = 30, height climbed = 4.69 cm) differed significantly (P< 0.01) from recently sclerotized (RS) bed bugs (n = 30, height climbed = 1.73 cm at ~48 h post molt), sclerotized group 1 (S1) bed bugs (n = 30, S1 = 2.42 cm at >72 h), and sclerotized group 2 (S2) bed bugs (n = 30, height climbed = 2.64 cm at >72 h post molt). When heights from all climbing events were summed, teneral bed bugs (650.8 cm climbed) differed significantly (P< 0.01) from recently sclerotized (82 cm climbed) and sclerotized (group 1 = 104.6 cm climbed, group 2 = 107.8 cm climbed) bed bugs. These findings suggested that the external surface of teneral bed bug exoskeletons possess an adhesive property. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), we found that adhesion force of an exoskeletal (presumably molting) fluid decreased almost five-fold from 88 to 17 nN within an hour of molting. Our findings may have implications for laboratory safety and the effectiveness of bed bug traps, barriers, and biomimetic-based adhesives.

Improved AFM Mapping of ICF Target Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, D. K.; Drake, T.; Frey, D.; Huang, H.; Stephens, R. B.

2003-10-01

Targets for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) research are made from spherical shells with very strict requirements on surface smoothness. Hydrodynamic instabilities are amplified by the presence of surface defects, greatly reducing the gain of ICF targets. Sub-micron variations in the surface can be examined using an Atomic Force Microscope. The current sphere mapping assembly at General Atomics is designed to trace near the equator of a rotating sphere under the AFM head. Spheres are traced on three mutually orthogonal planes. The ˜10 mm piezo-electric actuator range limits how far off the equator we can scan spheres of millimeter diameter. Because only a small fraction of the target's surface can be covered, localized high-mode defects are difficult to detect. In order to meet the needs of ICF research, we need to scan more surface area of the sphere with the AFM. By integrating an additional stepping motor to the sphere mapping assembly, we will be able to recenter the piezo driver of the AFM while mapping. This additional ability allows us to increase the amount of the sphere's surface we are able to scan with the AFM by extending the range of the AFM from the sphere's equator.

Thin film GaP for solar cell application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morozov, I. A.; Gudovskikh, A. S.; Kudryashov, D. A.; Nikitina, E. V.; Kleider, J.-P.; Myasoedov, A. V.; Levitskiy, V.

2016-08-01

A new approach to the silicon based heterostructures technology consisting of the growth of III-V compounds (GaP) on a silicon substrate by low-temperature plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) is proposed. The basic idea of the method is to use a time modulation of the growth process, i.e. time separated stages of atoms or precursors transport to the growing surface, migration over the surface, and crystal lattice relaxation for each monolayer. The GaP layers were grown on Si substrates by PE-ALD at 350°C with phosphine (PH3) and trimethylgallium (TMG) as sources of III and V atoms. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy demonstrate that the grown GaP films have homogeneous amorphous structure, smooth surface and a sharp GaP/Si interface. The GaP/Si heterostructures obtained by PE-ALD compare favourably to that conventionally grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Indeed, spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements indicate similar interband optical absorption while photoluminescence measurements indicate higher charge carrier effective lifetime. The better passivation properties of GaP layers grown by PE-ALD demonstrate a potential of this technology for new silicon based photovoltaic heterostructure

Native gallium adatoms discovered on atomically-smooth gallium nitride surfaces at low temperature.

PubMed

Alam, Khan; Foley, Andrew; Smith, Arthur R

2015-03-11

In advanced compound semiconductor devices, such as in quantum dot and quantum well systems, detailed atomic configurations at the growth surfaces are vital in determining the structural and electronic properties. Therefore, it is important to investigate the surface reconstructions in order to make further technological advancements. Usually, conventional semiconductor surfaces (e.g., arsenides, phosphides, and antimonides) are highly reactive due to the existence of a high density of group V (anion) surface dangling bonds. However, in the case of nitrides, group III rich growth conditions in molecular beam epitaxy are usually preferred leading to group III (Ga)-rich surfaces. Here, we use low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy to reveal a uniform distribution of native gallium adatoms with a density of 0.3%-0.5% of a monolayer on the clean, as-grown surface of nitrogen polar GaN(0001̅) having the centered 6 × 12 reconstruction. Unseen at room temperature, these Ga adatoms are strongly bound to the surface but move with an extremely low surface diffusion barrier and a high density saturation coverage in thermodynamic equilibrium with Ga droplets. Furthermore, the Ga adatoms reveal an intrinsic surface chirality and an asymmetric site occupation. These observations can have important impacts in the understanding of gallium nitride surfaces.

Fabrication and characterization of optical super-smooth surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, Dirk-Roger; Kratz, Frank; Ringel, Gabriele A.; Mangelsdorf, Juergen; Creuzet, Francois; Garratt, John D.

1995-08-01

Intercomparison roughness measurements have been carried out at supersmooth artefacts fabricated from BK7, fused silica, and Zerodur. The surface parameters were determined using a special prototype of the mechanical profiler Nanostep (Rank Taylor Hobson), the Optical Heterodyne Profiler Z5500 (Zygo), and an Atomic Force Microscope (Park Scientific) with an improved acquisition technique. The intercomparison was performed after the range of collected spatial wavelength for each instrument was adjusted using digital filtering techniques. It is demonstrated for different roughness ranges that are applied superpolishing techniques yield supersmooth artefacts which can be used for more intercomparisons.

Stability, resolution, and ultra-low wear amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy of DNA: Small amplitude small set-point imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Sergio; Barcons, Victor; Christenson, Hugo K.; Billingsley, Daniel J.; Bonass, William A.; Font, Josep; Thomson, Neil H.

2013-08-01

A way to operate fundamental mode amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy is introduced which optimizes stability and resolution for a given tip size and shows negligible tip wear over extended time periods (˜24 h). In small amplitude small set-point (SASS) imaging, the cantilever oscillates with sub-nanometer amplitudes in the proximity of the sample, without the requirement of using large drive forces, as the dynamics smoothly lead the tip to the surface through the water layer. SASS is demonstrated on single molecules of double-stranded DNA in ambient conditions where sharp silicon tips (R ˜ 2-5 nm) can resolve the right-handed double helix.

Template-Stripped Smooth Ag Nanohole Arrays with Silica Shells for Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensing

PubMed Central

Im, Hyungsoon; Lee, Si Hoon; Wittenberg, Nathan J.; Johnson, Timothy W.; Lindquist, Nathan C.; Nagpal, Prashant; Norris, David J.; Oh, Sang-Hyun

2011-01-01

Inexpensive, reproducible and high-throughput fabrication of nanometric apertures in metallic films can benefit many applications in plasmonics, sensing, spectroscopy, lithography and imaging. Here we use template stripping to pattern periodic nanohole arrays in optically thick, smooth Ag films with a silicon template made via nanoimprint lithography. Ag is a low-cost material with good optical properties, but it suffers from poor chemical stability and biocompatibility. However, a thin silica shell encapsulating our template-stripped Ag nanoholes facilitates biosensing applications by protecting the Ag from oxidation as well as providing a robust surface that can be readily modified with a variety of biomolecules using well-established silane chemistry. The thickness of the conformal silica shell can be precisely tuned by atomic layer deposition, and a 15-nm-thick silica shell can effectively prevent fluorophore quenching. The Ag nanohole arrays with silica shells can also be bonded to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channels for fluorescence imaging, formation of supported lipid bilayers, and real-time, label-free SPR sensing. Additionally, the smooth surfaces of the template-stripped Ag films enhance refractive index sensitivity compared with as-deposited, rough Ag films. Because nearly centimeter-sized nanohole arrays can be produced inexpensively without using any additional lithography, etching or lift-off, this method can facilitate widespread applications of metallic nanohole arrays for plasmonics and biosensing. PMID:21770414

Friction of atomically stepped surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dikken, R. J.; Thijsse, B. J.; Nicola, L.

2017-03-01

The friction behavior of atomically stepped metal surfaces under contact loading is studied using molecular dynamics simulations. While real rough metal surfaces involve roughness at multiple length scales, the focus of this paper is on understanding friction of the smallest scale of roughness: atomic steps. To this end, periodic stepped Al surfaces with different step geometry are brought into contact and sheared at room temperature. Contact stress that continuously tries to build up during loading, is released with fluctuating stress drops during sliding, according to the typical stick-slip behavior. Stress release occurs not only through local slip, but also by means of step motion. The steps move along the contact, concurrently resulting in normal migration of the contact. The direction of migration depends on the sign of the step, i.e., its orientation with respect to the shearing direction. If the steps are of equal sign, there is a net migration of the entire contact accompanied by significant vacancy generation at room temperature. The stick-slip behavior of the stepped contacts is found to have all the characteristic of a self-organized critical state, with statistics dictated by step density. For the studied step geometries, frictional sliding is found to involve significant atomic rearrangement through which the contact roughness is drastically changed. This leads for certain step configurations to a marked transition from jerky sliding motion to smooth sliding, making the final friction stress approximately similar to that of a flat contact.

An analytical model accounting for tip shape evolution during atom probe analysis of heterogeneous materials.

PubMed

Rolland, N; Larson, D J; Geiser, B P; Duguay, S; Vurpillot, F; Blavette, D

2015-12-01

An analytical model describing the field evaporation dynamics of a tip made of a thin layer deposited on a substrate is presented in this paper. The difference in evaporation field between the materials is taken into account in this approach in which the tip shape is modeled at a mesoscopic scale. It was found that the non-existence of sharp edge on the surface is a sufficient condition to derive the morphological evolution during successive evaporation of the layers. This modeling gives an instantaneous and smooth analytical representation of the surface that shows good agreement with finite difference simulations results, and a specific regime of evaporation was highlighted when the substrate is a low evaporation field phase. In addition, the model makes it possible to calculate theoretically the tip analyzed volume, potentially opening up new horizons for atom probe tomographic reconstruction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Slip length measurement of confined air flow on three smooth surfaces.

PubMed

Pan, Yunlu; Bhushan, Bharat; Maali, Abdelhamid

2013-04-02

An experimental measurement of the slip length of air flow close to three different solid surfaces is presented. The substrate was driven by a nanopositioner moving toward an oscillating glass sphere glued to an atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever. A large separation distance was used to get more effective data. The slip length value was obtained by analyzing the amplitude and phase data of the cantilever. The measurements show that the slip length does not depend on the oscillation amplitude of the cantilever. Because of the small difference among the slip lengths of the three surfaces, a simplified analysis method was used. The results show that on glass, graphite, and mica surfaces the slip lengths are 98, 234, and 110 nm, respectively.

Atomic force microscopy studies of homoepitaxial GaN layers grown on GaN template by laser MBE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choudhary, B. S.; Rajasthan Technical University, Rawatbhata Road, Kota 324010; Singh, A.

We have grown homoepitaxial GaN films on metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) grown 3.5 µm thick GaN on sapphire (0001) substrate (GaN template) using an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) laser assisted molecular beam epitaxy (LMBE) system. The GaN films were grown by laser ablating a polycrystalline solid GaN target in the presence of active r.f. nitrogen plasma. The influence of laser repetition rates (10-30 Hz) on the surface morphology of homoepitaxial GaN layers have been studied using atomic force microscopy. It was found that GaN layer grown at 10 Hz shows a smooth surface with uniform grain size compared to the rough surfacemore » with irregular shape grains obtained at 30 Hz. The variation of surface roughness of the homoepitaxial GaN layer with and without wet chemical etching has been also studied and it was observed that the roughness of the film decreased after wet etching due to the curved structure/rough surface.« less

Wetting Hysteresis at the Molecular Scale

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jin, Wei; Koplik, Joel; Banavar, Jayanth R.

1996-01-01

The motion of a fluid-fluid-solid contact line on a rough surface is well known to display hysteresis in the contact angle vs. velocity relationship. In order to understand the phenomenon at a fundamental microscopic level, we have conducted molecular dynamics computer simulations of a Wilhelmy plate experiment in which a solid surface is dipped into a liquid bath, and the force-velocity characteristics are measured. We directly observe a systematic variation of force and contact angle with velocity, which is single-valued for the case of an atomically smooth solid surface. In the microscopically rough case, however, we find (as intuitively expected) an open hysteresis loop. Further characterization of the interface dynamics is in progress.

Surface reactions of ethanol over UO 2(100) thin film

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S. D. Senanayake; Mudiyanselage, K.; Burrell, A. K.

2015-10-08

The study of the reactions of oxygenates on well-defined oxide surfaces is important for the fundamental understanding of heterogeneous chemical pathways that are influenced by atomic geometry, electronic structure, and chemical composition. In this work, an ordered uranium oxide thin film surface terminated in the (100) orientation is prepared on a LaAlO 3 substrate and studied for its reactivity with a C-2 oxygenate, ethanol (CH 3CH 2OH). With the use of synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we have probed the adsorption and desorption processes observed in the valence band, C 1s, O 1s, and U 4f to investigate the bondingmore » mode, surface composition, electronic structure, and probable chemical changes to the stoichiometric-UO 2(100) [smooth-UO 2(100)] and Ar +-sputtered UO 2(100) [rough-UO 2(100)] surfaces. Unlike UO 2(111) single crystal and UO 2 thin film, Ar-ion-sputtering of this UO 2(100) did not result in noticeable reduction of U cations. Upon ethanol adsorption (saturation occurred at 0.5 ML), only the ethoxy (CH 3CH 2O –) species is formed on smooth-UO 2(100) whereas initially formed ethoxy species are partially oxidized to surface acetate (CH3COO–) on the Ar +-sputtered UO 2(100) surface. Furthermore, all ethoxy and acetate species are removed from the surface between 600 and 700 K.« less

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of high electron mobility InAs/AlSb deep quantum well structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Juan; Wang, Guo-Wei; Xu, Ying-Qiang; Xing, Jun-Liang; Xiang, Wei; Tang, Bao; Zhu, Yan; Ren, Zheng-Wei; He, Zhen-Hong; Niu, Zhi-Chuan

2013-07-01

InAs/AlSb deep quantum well (QW) structures with high electron mobility were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on semi-insulating GaAs substrates. AlSb and Al0.75Ga0.25Sb buffer layers were grown to accommodate the lattice mismatch (7%) between the InAs/AlSb QW active region and GaAs substrate. Transmission electron microscopy shows abrupt interface and atomic force microscopy measurements display smooth surface morphology. Growth conditions of AlSb and Al0.75Ga0.25Sb buffer were optimized. Al0.75Ga0.25Sb is better than AlSb as a buffer layer as indicated. The sample with optimal Al0.75Ga0.25Sb buffer layer shows a smooth surface morphology with root-mean-square roughness of 6.67 Å. The electron mobility has reached as high as 27 000 cm2/Vs with a sheet density of 4.54 × 1011/cm2 at room temperature.

A smoothed particle hydrodynamics framework for modelling multiphase interactions at meso-scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ling; Shen, Luming; Nguyen, Giang D.; El-Zein, Abbas; Maggi, Federico

2018-01-01

A smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) framework is developed for modelling multiphase interactions at meso-scale, including the liquid-solid interaction induced deformation of the solid phase. With an inter-particle force formulation that mimics the inter-atomic force in molecular dynamics, the proposed framework includes the long-range attractions between particles, and more importantly, the short-range repulsive forces to avoid particle clustering and instability problems. Three-dimensional numerical studies have been conducted to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed framework to quantitatively replicate the surface tension of water, to model the interactions between immiscible liquids and solid, and more importantly, to simultaneously model the deformation of solid and liquid induced by the multiphase interaction. By varying inter-particle potential magnitude, the proposed SPH framework has successfully simulated various wetting properties ranging from hydrophobic to hydrophilic surfaces. The simulation results demonstrate the potential of the proposed framework to genuinely study complex multiphase interactions in wet granular media.

Studies of carbon incorporation on the diamond [100] surface during chemical vapor deposition using density functional theory.

PubMed

Cheesman, Andrew; Harvey, Jeremy N; Ashfold, Michael N R

2008-11-13

Accurate potential energy surface calculations are presented for many of the key steps involved in diamond chemical vapor deposition on the [100] surface (in its 2 x 1 reconstructed and hydrogenated form). The growing diamond surface was described by using a large (approximately 1500 atoms) cluster model, with the key atoms involved in chemical steps being described by using a quantum mechanical (QM, density functional theory, DFT) method and the bulk of the atoms being described by molecular mechanics (MM). The resulting hybrid QM/MM calculations are more systematic and/or at a higher level of theory than previous work on this growth process. The dominant process for carbon addition, in the form of methyl radicals, is predicted to be addition to a surface radical site, opening of the adjacent C-C dimer bond, insertion, and ultimate ring closure. Other steps such as insertion across the trough between rows of dimer bonds or addition to a neighboring dimer leading to formation of a reconstruction on the next layer may also contribute. Etching of carbon can also occur; the most likely mechanism involves loss of a two-carbon moiety in the form of ethene. The present higher-level calculations confirm that migration of inserted carbon along both dimer rows and chains should be relatively facile, with barriers of approximately 150 kJ mol (-1) when starting from suitable diradical species, and that this step should play an important role in establishing growth of smooth surfaces.

The improvement of laser induced damage resistance of optical workpiece surface by hydrodynamic effect polishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Wenqiang; Guan, Chaoliang; Li, Shengyi; Wang, Zhuo

2016-10-01

Surface and subsurface damage in optical element will greatly decrease the laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) in the intense laser optical system. Processing damage on the workpiece surface can be inevitably caused when the material is removed in brittle or plastic mode. As a non-contact polishing technology, hydrodynamic effect polishing (HEP) shows very good performance on generating an ultra-smooth surface without damage. The material is removed by chemisorption between nanoparticle and workpiece surface in the elastic mode in HEP. The subsurface damage and surface scratches can be effectively removed after the polishing process. Meanwhile ultra-smooth surface with atomic level surface roughness can be achieved. To investigate the improvement of LIDT of optical workpiece, polishing experiment was conducted on a magnetorheological finishing (MRF) silica glass sample. AFM measurement results show that all the MRF directional plastic marks have been removed clearly and the root-mean-square (rms) surface roughness has decreased from 0.673nm to 0.177nm after HEP process. Laser induced damage experiment was conducted with laser pulse of 1064nm wavelength and 10ns time width. Compared with the original state, the LEDT of the silica glass sample polished by HEP has increased from 29.78J/cm2 to 45.47J/cm2. It demonstrates that LIDT of optical element treated by HEP can be greatly improved for ultra low surface roughness and nearly defect-free surface/subsurface.

Climbing ability of teneral and sclerotized adult bed bugs and assessment of adhesive properties of the exoskeletal fluid using atomic force microscopy

PubMed Central

Zungoli, Patricia A.; Bridges, William C.; Ellis, Brittany R.; Song, Jinbo

2017-01-01

We observed that teneral adults (<1 h post-molt) of Cimex lectularius L. appeared more adept at climbing a smooth surface compared to sclerotized adults. Differences in climbing ability on a smooth surface based on sclerotization status were quantified by measuring the height to which bed bugs climbed when confined within a glass vial. The average maximum height climbed by teneral (T) bed bugs (n = 30, height climbed = 4.69 cm) differed significantly (P< 0.01) from recently sclerotized (RS) bed bugs (n = 30, height climbed = 1.73 cm at ~48 h post molt), sclerotized group 1 (S1) bed bugs (n = 30, S1 = 2.42 cm at >72 h), and sclerotized group 2 (S2) bed bugs (n = 30, height climbed = 2.64 cm at >72 h post molt). When heights from all climbing events were summed, teneral bed bugs (650.8 cm climbed) differed significantly (P< 0.01) from recently sclerotized (82 cm climbed) and sclerotized (group 1 = 104.6 cm climbed, group 2 = 107.8 cm climbed) bed bugs. These findings suggested that the external surface of teneral bed bug exoskeletons possess an adhesive property. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), we found that adhesion force of an exoskeletal (presumably molting) fluid decreased almost five-fold from 88 to 17 nN within an hour of molting. Our findings may have implications for laboratory safety and the effectiveness of bed bug traps, barriers, and biomimetic-based adhesives. PMID:29244819

Enhanced initial protein adsorption on engineered nanostructured cubic zirconia.

PubMed

Sabirianov, R F; Rubinstein, A; Namavar, F

2011-04-14

Motivated by experimentally-observed biocompatibility enhancement of nanoengineered cubic zirconia (ZrO(2)) coatings to mesenchymal stromal cells, we have carried out computational analysis of the initial immobilization of one known structural fragment of the adhesive protein (fibronectin) on the corresponding surface. We constructed an atomistic model of the ZrO(2) nano-hillock of 3-fold symmetry based on Atom Force Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy images. First principle quantum mechanical calculations show a substantial variation of electrostatic potential at the hillock due to the presence of surface features such as edges and vertexes. Using an implemented Monte Carlo simulated annealing method, we found the orientation of the immobilized protein on the ZrO(2) surface and the contribution of the amino acid residues from the protein sequence to the adsorption energy. Accounting for the variation of the dielectric permittivity at the protein-implant interface, we used a model distance-dependent dielectric function to describe the inter-atom electrostatic interactions in the adsorption potential. We found that the initial immobilization of the rigid protein fragment on the nanostructured pyramidal ZrO(2) surface is achieved with a magnitude of adsorption energy larger than that of the protein on the smooth (atomically flat) surface. The strong attractive electrostatic interactions are a major contributing factor in the enhanced adsorption at the nanostructured surface. In the case of adsorption on the flat, uncharged surface this factor is negligible. We show that the best electrostatic and steric fit of the protein to the inorganic surface corresponds to a minimum of the adsorption energy determined by the non-covalent interactions.

A general method for constructing multidimensional molecular potential energy surfaces from {ital ab} {ital initio} calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ho, T.; Rabitz, H.

1996-02-01

A general interpolation method for constructing smooth molecular potential energy surfaces (PES{close_quote}s) from {ital ab} {ital initio} data are proposed within the framework of the reproducing kernel Hilbert space and the inverse problem theory. The general expression for an {ital a} {ital posteriori} error bound of the constructed PES is derived. It is shown that the method yields globally smooth potential energy surfaces that are continuous and possess derivatives up to second order or higher. Moreover, the method is amenable to correct symmetry properties and asymptotic behavior of the molecular system. Finally, the method is generic and can be easilymore » extended from low dimensional problems involving two and three atoms to high dimensional problems involving four or more atoms. Basic properties of the method are illustrated by the construction of a one-dimensional potential energy curve of the He{endash}He van der Waals dimer using the exact quantum Monte Carlo calculations of Anderson {ital et} {ital al}. [J. Chem. Phys. {bold 99}, 345 (1993)], a two-dimensional potential energy surface of the HeCO van der Waals molecule using recent {ital ab} {ital initio} calculations by Tao {ital et} {ital al}. [J. Chem. Phys. {bold 101}, 8680 (1994)], and a three-dimensional potential energy surface of the H{sup +}{sub 3} molecular ion using highly accurate {ital ab} {ital initio} calculations of R{umlt o}hse {ital et} {ital al}. [J. Chem. Phys. {bold 101}, 2231 (1994)]. In the first two cases the constructed potentials clearly exhibit the correct asymptotic forms, while in the last case the constructed potential energy surface is in excellent agreement with that constructed by R{umlt o}hse {ital et} {ital al}. using a low order polynomial fitting procedure. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}« less

Computational experience with a parallel algorithm for tetrangle inequality bound smoothing.

PubMed

Rajan, K; Deo, N

1999-09-01

Determining molecular structure from interatomic distances is an important and challenging problem. Given a molecule with n atoms, lower and upper bounds on interatomic distances can usually be obtained only for a small subset of the 2(n(n-1)) atom pairs, using NMR. Given the bounds so obtained on the distances between some of the atom pairs, it is often useful to compute tighter bounds on all the 2(n(n-1)) pairwise distances. This process is referred to as bound smoothing. The initial lower and upper bounds for the pairwise distances not measured are usually assumed to be 0 and infinity. One method for bound smoothing is to use the limits imposed by the triangle inequality. The distance bounds so obtained can often be tightened further by applying the tetrangle inequality--the limits imposed on the six pairwise distances among a set of four atoms (instead of three for the triangle inequalities). The tetrangle inequality is expressed by the Cayley-Menger determinants. For every quadruple of atoms, each pass of the tetrangle inequality bound smoothing procedure finds upper and lower limits on each of the six distances in the quadruple. Applying the tetrangle inequalities to each of the (4n) quadruples requires O(n4) time. Here, we propose a parallel algorithm for bound smoothing employing the tetrangle inequality. Each pass of our algorithm requires O(n3 log n) time on a REW PRAM (Concurrent Read Exclusive Write Parallel Random Access Machine) with O(log(n)n) processors. An implementation of this parallel algorithm on the Intel Paragon XP/S and its performance are also discussed.

Influence of Roughness-Induced Slip on Colloid Transport: Experimental and Modelling Insights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasmuson, J. A.; Johnson, W. P.

2017-12-01

A limitation of classic colloid filtration theory is that it applies only to smooth surfaces, yet most natural surfaces present some degree of nano- to micro-scale roughness. A large volume of research has been dedicated to understanding the effects of roughness on particle attachment at the nano-scale since these interactions dictate field scale transport behavior. It has been previously demonstrated that roughness imposes a finite slip vector at the surface that causes particles to experience higher near-surface velocities than would be expected over a smooth surface. Slip near a rough surface can affect two primary mechanisms of particle attenuation: 1) interception of the surface (finding a landing spot) and 2) arrest on the surface (sticking the landing). However, a clear designation on how slip affects particle transport near rough surfaces is missing. The goal of this study was to provide a guide for the height of the slip layer and contact surface in reference to the mean-plane for rough surfaces. Direct observation was used to measure near-surface velocities of particles translating near surfaces of varying roughness spanning three orders of magnitude. The influence of roughness on particle transport was investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling with rough surfaces measured with atomic force microscopy (AFM). The CFD and experimental results were used to calibrate a Lagrangian particle transport model that utilizes simple modifications to the flow field for a smooth surface using statistically based roughness parameters. Advantages of the Lagrangian model are significantly decreased computation times and applicability to a wide range of natural surfaces without explicitly simulating individual asperities. The results suggest that the no-slip boundary should be placed at the bottom of the maximum asperity valleys, and that the contact surface should be placed at the root mean square (RMS) roughness above the mean plane. Collector surfaces with the greatest RMS roughness had the highest sensitivity to the placement of the contact surface. These findings highlight the need for accurate and representative AFM measurements and have important implications for future transport models.

Micropore x-ray optics using anisotropic wet etching of (110) silicon wafers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ezoe, Yuichiro; Koshiishi, Masaki; Mita, Makoto

2006-12-10

To develop x-ray mirrors for micropore optics, smooth silicon (111)sidewalls obtained after anisotropic wet etching of a silicon (110) wafer were studied. A sample device with 19 {mu}m wide (111) sidewalls was fabricated using a 220 {mu}m thick silicon (110) wafer and potassium hydroxide solution. For what we believe to be the first time,x-ray reflection on the (111) sidewalls was detected in the angular response measurement. Compared to ray-tracing simulations, the surface roughness of the sidewalls was estimated to be 3-5 nm, which is consistent with the atomic force microscope and the surface profiler measurements.

Micropore x-ray optics using anisotropic wet etching of (110) silicon wafers.

PubMed

Ezoe, Yuichiro; Koshiishi, Masaki; Mita, Makoto; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Hoshino, Akio; Ishisaki, Yoshitaka; Yang, Zhen; Takano, Takayuki; Maeda, Ryutaro

2006-12-10

To develop x-ray mirrors for micropore optics, smooth silicon (111) sidewalls obtained after anisotropic wet etching of a silicon (110) wafer were studied. A sample device with 19 microm wide (111) sidewalls was fabricated using a 220 microm thick silicon (110) wafer and potassium hydroxide solution. For what we believe to be the first time, x-ray reflection on the (111) sidewalls was detected in the angular response measurement. Compared to ray-tracing simulations, the surface roughness of the sidewalls was estimated to be 3-5 nm, which is consistent with the atomic force microscope and the surface profiler measurements.

Effect of surface morphology on friction of graphene on various substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Dae-Hyun; Wang, Lei; Kim, Jin-Seon; Lee, Gwan-Hyoung; Kim, Eok Su; Lee, Sunhee; Lee, Sang Yoon; Hone, James; Lee, Changgu

2013-03-01

The friction of graphene on various substrates, such as SiO2, h-BN, bulk-like graphene, and mica, was investigated to characterize the adhesion level between graphene and the underlying surface. The friction of graphene on SiO2 decreased with increasing thickness and converged around the penta-layers due to incomplete contact between the two surfaces. However, the friction of graphene on an atomically flat substrate, such as h-BN or bulk-like graphene, was low and comparable to that of bulk-like graphene. In contrast, the friction of graphene folded onto bulk-like graphene was indistinguishable from that of mono-layer graphene on SiO2 despite the ultra-smoothness of bulk-like graphene. The characterization of the graphene's roughness before and after folding showed that the corrugation of graphene induced by SiO2 morphology was preserved even after it was folded onto an atomically flat substrate. In addition, graphene deposited on mica, when folded, preserved the same corrugation level as before the folding event. Our friction measurements revealed that graphene, once exfoliated from the bulk crystal, tends to maintain its corrugation level even after it is folded onto an atomically flat substrate and that ultra-flatness in both graphene and the substrate is required to achieve the intimate contact necessary for strong adhesion.The friction of graphene on various substrates, such as SiO2, h-BN, bulk-like graphene, and mica, was investigated to characterize the adhesion level between graphene and the underlying surface. The friction of graphene on SiO2 decreased with increasing thickness and converged around the penta-layers due to incomplete contact between the two surfaces. However, the friction of graphene on an atomically flat substrate, such as h-BN or bulk-like graphene, was low and comparable to that of bulk-like graphene. In contrast, the friction of graphene folded onto bulk-like graphene was indistinguishable from that of mono-layer graphene on SiO2 despite the ultra-smoothness of bulk-like graphene. The characterization of the graphene's roughness before and after folding showed that the corrugation of graphene induced by SiO2 morphology was preserved even after it was folded onto an atomically flat substrate. In addition, graphene deposited on mica, when folded, preserved the same corrugation level as before the folding event. Our friction measurements revealed that graphene, once exfoliated from the bulk crystal, tends to maintain its corrugation level even after it is folded onto an atomically flat substrate and that ultra-flatness in both graphene and the substrate is required to achieve the intimate contact necessary for strong adhesion. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Sample preparation method, identification of graphene thickness, AFM and FFM measurements. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr34181j

Characteristics of InN epilayers grown with H2-assistance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Jin; Li, Jinchai; Lu, Shiqiang; Kang, Junyong; Lin, Wei

2017-11-01

A series of InN films were grown on GaN-on-sapphire template with H2 pulse flow by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. The scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy observations demonstrate that the smooth surface has been achieved. The X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra measurements indicate that InN layers experience stronger accommodated compressive stress, resulting in a larger fraction of (002) oriented InN grains. On the basics of the first-principles calculations, these features can be understand as competition between N-penetrating effect with the assistance of the H atom and the etching effect of H2. Finally, the absorption spectra in conjunction with simulated results reveal that the band gap energy predominantly increase with increasing compressive strain.

Influence of non-smooth surface on tribological properties of glass fiber-epoxy resin composite sliding against stainless steel under natural seawater lubrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Shaofeng; Gao, Dianrong; Liang, Yingna; Chen, Bo

2015-11-01

With the development of bionics, the bionic non-smooth surfaces are introduced to the field of tribology. Although non-smooth surface has been studied widely, the studies of non-smooth surface under the natural seawater lubrication are still very fewer, especially experimental research. The influences of smooth and non-smooth surface on the frictional properties of the glass fiber-epoxy resin composite (GF/EPR) coupled with stainless steel 316L are investigated under natural seawater lubrication in this paper. The tested non-smooth surfaces include the surfaces with semi-spherical pits, the conical pits, the cone-cylinder combined pits, the cylindrical pits and through holes. The friction and wear tests are performed using a ring-on-disc test rig under 60 N load and 1000 r/min rotational speed. The tests results show that GF/EPR with bionic non-smooth surface has quite lower friction coefficient and better wear resistance than GF/EPR with smooth surface without pits. The average friction coefficient of GF/EPR with semi-spherical pits is 0.088, which shows the largest reduction is approximately 63.18% of GF/EPR with smooth surface. In addition, the wear debris on the worn surfaces of GF/EPR are observed by a confocal scanning laser microscope. It is shown that the primary wear mechanism is the abrasive wear. The research results provide some design parameters for non-smooth surface, and the experiment results can serve as a beneficial supplement to non-smooth surface study.

Synchrotron studies of top-down grown silicon nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turishchev, S. Yu.; Parinova, E. V.; Nesterov, D. N.; Koyuda, D. A.; Sivakov, V.; Schleusener, A.; Terekhov, V. A.

2018-06-01

Morphology of the top-down grown silicon nanowires obtained by metal-assisted wet-chemical approach on silicon substrates with different resistance were studied by scanning electron microscopy. Obtained arrays of compact grown Si nanowires were a subject for the high resolution electronic structures studies by X-ray absorption near edge structure technique performed with the usage of high intensity synchrotron radiation of the SRC storage ring of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The different oxidation rates were found by investigation of silicon atoms local surrounding specificity of the highly developed surface and near surface layer that is not exceeded 70 nm. Flexibility of the wires arrays surface morphology and its composition is demonstrated allowing smoothly form necessary surface oxidation rate and using Si nanowires as a useful matrixes for a wide range of further functionalization.

Surface smoothening effects on growth of diamond films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reshi, Bilal Ahmad; Kumar, Shyam; Kartha, Moses J.; Varma, Raghava

2018-04-01

We have carried out a detailed study of the growth dynamics of the diamond film during initial time on diamond substrates. The diamond films are deposited using Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (MPCVD) method for different times. Surface morphology and its correlation with the number of hours of growth of thin films was invested using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Diamond films have smooth interface with average roughness of 48.6873nm. The initial growth dynamics of the thin film is investigated. Interestingly, it is found that there is a decrease in the surface roughness of the film. Thus a smoothening effect is observed in the grown films. The film enters into the growth regime in the later times. Our results also find application in building diamond detector.

Potential energy surfaces and reaction dynamics of polyatomic molecules

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang, Yan-Tyng

A simple empirical valence bond (EVB) model approach is suggested for constructing global potential energy surfaces for reactions of polyatomic molecular systems. This approach produces smooth and continuous potential surfaces which can be directly utilized in a dynamical study. Two types of reactions are of special interest, the unimolecular dissociation and the unimolecular isomerization. For the first type, the molecular dissociation dynamics of formaldehyde on the ground electronic surface is investigated through classical trajectory calculations on EVB surfaces. The product state distributions and vector correlations obtained from this study suggest very similar behaviors seen in the experiments. The intramolecular hydrogenmore » atom transfer in the formic acid dimer is an example of the isomerization reaction. High level ab initio quantum chemistry calculations are performed to obtain optimized equilibrium and transition state dimer geometries and also the harmonic frequencies.« less

Growth of Bi2Se3 topological insulator thin film on Ge(1 1 1) substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seungyeon; Lee, Sangsoo; Woo, Jeongseok; Lee, Geunseop

2018-02-01

Atomically smooth, single crystalline Bi2Se3 thin films were grown on a Ge(1 1 1) substrate using molecular beam epitaxy. Crystallinities of both the surface and the bulk as well as the stoichiometry of the grown film were characterized by using low-energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and photoelectron spectroscopies. Hexagonal atomic structures, quintuple layer steps observed in STM images confirmed that the Bi2Se3 film with a (0 0 0 1) surface was grown. Diffraction peak positions as well as the chemical composition determined from the core-level photoelectron spectra coincide well with those expected for the Bi2Se3 crystal. The surface state with a Dirac cone was observed in the valence photoelectron spectra, which also support that a high-quality Bi2Se3 film was grown on the Ge(1 1 1) substrate. The interface between Ge(1 1 1) and Bi2Se3(0 0 0 1) is expected to be abrupt due to the small lattice between them.

Temperature dependence of the crystalline quality of AlN layer grown on sapphire substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiao-Hang; Wei, Yong O.; Wang, Shuo; Xie, Hongen; Kao, Tsung-Ting; Satter, Md. Mahbub; Shen, Shyh-Chiang; Douglas Yoder, P.; Detchprohm, Theeradetch; Dupuis, Russell D.; Fischer, Alec M.; Ponce, Fernando A.

2015-03-01

We studied temperature dependence of crystalline quality of AlN layers at 1050-1250 °C with a fine increment step of around 18 °C. The AlN layers were grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) ω-scans and atomic force microscopy (AFM). At 1050-1068 °C, the templates exhibited poor quality with surface pits and higher XRD (002) and (102) full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) because of insufficient Al atom mobility. At 1086 °C, the surface became smooth suggesting sufficient Al atom mobility. Above 1086 °C, the (102) FWHM and thus edge dislocation density increased with temperatures which may be attributed to the shorter growth mode transition from three-dimension (3D) to two-dimension (2D). Above 1212 °C, surface macro-steps were formed due to the longer diffusion length of Al atoms than the expected step terrace width. The edge dislocation density increased rapidly above 1212 °C, indicating this temperature may be a threshold above which the impact of the transition from 3D to 2D is more significant. The (002) FWHM and thus screw dislocation density were insensitive to the temperature change. This study suggests that high-quality AlN/sapphire templates may be potentially achieved at temperatures as low as 1086 °C which is accessible by most of the III-nitride MOCVD systems.

Characterizing low-Z erosion and deposition in the DIII-D divertor using aluminum

DOE PAGES

Chrobak, Chris P.; Doerner, R. P.; Stangeby, Peter C.; ...

2017-01-28

Here, we present measurements and modeling of aluminum erosion and redeposition experiments in separate helium and deuterium low power, low density L-mode plasmas at the outer divertor strike point of DIII-D to provide a low-Z material benchmark dataset for tokamak erosion-deposition modeling codes. Coatings of Al ~100nm thick were applied to ideal (smooth) and realistic (rough) surfaces and exposed to repeat plasma discharges using the DiMES probe. Redeposition and re-erosion in all cases was primarily in the downstream toroidal field direction, evident from both in-situ spectroscopic and post-mortem non spectroscopic measurements. The gross Al erosion yield estimated from both Hemore » and D plasma exposures was ~40-70% of the expected erosion yield based on theoretical physical sputtering yields. However, the multi-step redeposition and re-erosion process, and hence the measured net erosion yield and material migration, was found to be influenced by the surface roughness and/or porosity. On rough surfaces, the fraction of the eroded Al coating found redeposited outside the original coating area was 25x higher than on smooth surfaces. The amount of Al found redeposited on the rough substrate was in fact proportional to the net eroded Al, suggesting an accumulation of deposited Al in surface pores and other areas shadowed from re-erosion. In order to determine the fraction and distribution of eroded Al returning to the surface, a simple model for erosion and redeposition was developed and fitted to the measurements. The model presented here reproduces many of the observed results in these experiments by using theoretically calculated sputtering yields, calculating surface composition changes and erosion rates in time, assuming a spatial distribution function for redepositing atoms, and accounting for deposit trapping in pores. The results of the model fits reveal that total redeposition fraction increases with higher plasma temperature (~30% for 15-18eV plasmas, and ~45% for 25-30eV plasmas), and that 50% of the atoms redepositing on rough surfaces accumulated in shadowed areas.« less

Epitaxial titanium diboride films grown by pulsed-laser deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, H. Y.; Christen, H. M.; Cantoni, C.; Goyal, A.; Lowndes, D. H.

2002-03-01

Epitaxial, smooth, and low-resistivity titanium diboride (TiB2) films have been grown on SiC substrates using pulsed-laser deposition. Combined studies from ex situ x-ray diffraction and in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction indicate the crystallographic alignment between TiB2 and SiC both parallel and normal to the substrate. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy studies show that these epitaxial films have a smooth surface, and the resistivity of these films is comparable to that of single-crystal TiB2. Growth of these films is motivated by this material's structural and chemical similarity and lattice match to the newly discovered superconductor MgB2, both to gain further insight into the physical mechanisms of diborides in general and, more specifically, as a component of MgB2-based thin-film heterostructures.

Liquid-solid surface phase transformation of fluorinated fullerene on monolayer tungsten diselenide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Zhibo; Wang, Qixing; Li, Ming-Yang; Li, Lain-Jong; Zheng, Yu Jie; Wang, Zhuo; Lin, Tingting; Chi, Dongzhi; Ding, Zijing; Huang, Yu Li; Thye Shen Wee, Andrew

2018-04-01

Hybrid van der Waals heterostructures constructed by the integration of organic molecules and two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials have useful tunable properties for flexible electronic devices. Due to the chemically inert and atomically smooth nature of the TMD surface, well-defined crystalline organic films form atomically sharp interfaces facilitating optimal device performance. Here, the surface phase transformation of the supramolecular packing structure of fluorinated fullerene (C60F48 ) on single-layer tungsten diselenide (WSe2) is revealed by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, from thermally stable liquid to solid phases as the coverage increases. Statistical analysis of the intermolecular interaction potential reveals that the repulsive dipole-dipole interaction induced by interfacial charge transfer and substrate-mediated interactions play important roles in stabilizing the liquid C60F48 phases. Theoretical calculations further suggest that the dipole moment per C60F48 molecule varies with the surface molecule density, and the liquid-solid transformation could be understood from the perspective of the thermodynamic free energy for open systems. This study offers insights into the growth behavior at 2D organic/TMD hybrid heterointerfaces.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qiusheng, Y., E-mail: qsyan@gdut.edu.cn; Senkai, C., E-mail: senkite@sina.com; Jisheng, P., E-mail: panjisheng@gdut.edu.cn

Different machining processes were used in the single crystal SiC wafer machining. SEM was used to observe the surface morphology and a cross-sectional cleavages microscopy method was used for subsurface cracks detection. Surface and subsurface cracks characteristics of single crystal SiC wafer in abrasive machining were analysed. The results show that the surface and subsurface cracks system of single crystal SiC wafer in abrasive machining including radial crack, lateral crack and the median crack. In lapping process, material removal is dominated by brittle removal. Lots of chipping pits were found on the lapping surface. With the particle size becomes smaller,more » the surface roughness and subsurface crack depth decreases. When the particle size was changed to 1.5µm, the surface roughness Ra was reduced to 24.0nm and the maximum subsurface crack was 1.2µm. The efficiency of grinding is higher than lapping. Plastic removal can be achieved by changing the process parameters. Material removal was mostly in brittle fracture when grinding with 325# diamond wheel. Plow scratches and chipping pits were found on the ground surface. The surface roughness Ra was 17.7nm and maximum subsurface crack depth was 5.8 µm. When grinding with 8000# diamond wheel, the material removal was in plastic flow. Plastic scratches were found on the surface. A smooth surface of roughness Ra 2.5nm without any subsurface cracks was obtained. Atomic scale removal was possible in cluster magnetorheological finishing with diamond abrasive size of 0.5 µm. A super smooth surface eventually obtained with a roughness of Ra 0.4nm without any subsurface crack.« less

Effects of SiO 2 overlayer at initial growth stage of epitaxial Y 2O 3 film growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, M.-H.; Ko, D.-H.; Choi, Y. G.; Lyo, I. W.; Jeong, K.; Whang, C. N.

2000-12-01

We investigated the dependence of the Y 2O 3 film growth on Si surface at initial growth stage. The reflection high-energy electron diffraction, X-ray scattering, and atomic force microscopy showed that the film crystallinity and morphology strongly depended on whether Si surface contained O or not. In particular, the films grown on oxidized surfaces revealed significant improvement in crystallinity and surface smoothness. A well-ordered atomic structure of Y 2O 3 film was formed on 1.5 nm thick SiO 2 layer with the surface and interfacial roughness markedly enhanced, compared with the film grown on the clean Si surfaces. The epitaxial film on the oxidized Si surface exhibited extremely small mosaic structures at interface, while the film on the clean Si surface displayed an island-like growth with large mosaic structures. The nucleation sites for Y 2O 3 were provided by the reaction between SiO 2 and Y at the initial growth stage. The SiO 2 layer known to hinder crystal growth is found to enhance the nucleation of Y 2O 3, and provides a stable buffer layer against the silicide formation. Thus, the formation of the initial SiO 2 layer is the key to the high-quality epitaxial growth of Y 2O 3 on Si.

Soft chemical synthesis of silicon nanosheets and their applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nakano, Hideyuki; Ikuno, Takashi

2016-12-15

Two-dimensional silicon nanomaterials are expected to show different properties from those of bulk silicon materials by virtue of surface functionalization and quantum size effects. Since facile fabrication processes of large area silicon nanosheets (SiNSs) are required for practical applications, a development of soft chemical synthesis route without using conventional vacuum processes is a challenging issue. We have recently succeeded to prepare SiNSs with sub-nanometer thicknesses by exfoliating layered silicon compounds, and they are found to be composed of crystalline single-atom-thick silicon layers. In this review, we present the synthesis and modification methods of SiNSs. These SiNSs have atomically flat andmore » smooth surfaces due to dense coverage of organic moieties, and they are easily self-assembled in a concentrated state to form a regularly stacked structure. We have also characterized the electron transport properties and the electronic structures of SiNSs. Finally, the potential applications of these SiNSs and organic modified SiNSs are also reviewed.« less

Growth and interfacial structure of methylammonium lead iodide thin films on Au(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

She, Limin; Liu, Meizhuang; Li, Xiaoli; Cai, Zeying; Zhong, Dingyong

2017-02-01

Due to the promising optoelectronic properties, organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have been intensively studied as the active layers in perovskite solar cells. However, the structural information about their interface, one of the key factors determining device performances, is so far very rare. Herein, we report on the growth of CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3, MA=CH3NH3) thin films by means of vapor deposition under ultrahigh vacuum. The surface morphology and interfacial structure have been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. At the initial growth stage, a complicated transient phase consisting of three atomic layers, i.e., iodine, MA-PbI4 and MA-I, was formed on the Au(111) substrate. With the coverage increasing, atomically smooth MAPbI3 films with orthorhombic structure have been obtained after annealing to 373 K. The films followed a self-organized twofold-layer by twofold-layer growth mode with the formation of complete PbI6 octahedrons and the exposure of MA-I terminated (001) surface.

Measurements of dispersion forces between colloidal latex particles with the atomic force microscope and comparison with Lifshitz theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elzbieciak-Wodka, Magdalena; Popescu, Mihail N.; Ruiz-Cabello, F. Javier Montes; Trefalt, Gregor; Maroni, Plinio; Borkovec, Michal

2014-03-01

Interaction forces between carboxylate colloidal latex particles of about 2 μm in diameter immersed in aqueous solutions of monovalent salts were measured with the colloidal probe technique, which is based on the atomic force microscope. We have systematically varied the ionic strength, the type of salt, and also the surface charge densities of the particles through changes in the solution pH. Based on these measurements, we have accurately measured the dispersion forces acting between the particles and estimated the apparent Hamaker constant to be (2.0 ± 0.5) × 10-21 J at a separation distance of about 10 nm. This value is basically independent of the salt concentration and the type of salt. Good agreement with Lifshitz theory is found when roughness effects are taken into account. The combination of retardation and roughness effects reduces the value of the apparent Hamaker constant and its ionic strength dependence with respect to the case of ideally smooth surfaces.

Measurements of dispersion forces between colloidal latex particles with the atomic force microscope and comparison with Lifshitz theory.

PubMed

Elzbieciak-Wodka, Magdalena; Popescu, Mihail N; Montes Ruiz-Cabello, F Javier; Trefalt, Gregor; Maroni, Plinio; Borkovec, Michal

2014-03-14

Interaction forces between carboxylate colloidal latex particles of about 2 μm in diameter immersed in aqueous solutions of monovalent salts were measured with the colloidal probe technique, which is based on the atomic force microscope. We have systematically varied the ionic strength, the type of salt, and also the surface charge densities of the particles through changes in the solution pH. Based on these measurements, we have accurately measured the dispersion forces acting between the particles and estimated the apparent Hamaker constant to be (2.0 ± 0.5) × 10(-21) J at a separation distance of about 10 nm. This value is basically independent of the salt concentration and the type of salt. Good agreement with Lifshitz theory is found when roughness effects are taken into account. The combination of retardation and roughness effects reduces the value of the apparent Hamaker constant and its ionic strength dependence with respect to the case of ideally smooth surfaces.

Formation of thin film like assembly of exfoliated C3N4 nanoflakes by solvent non-evaporative method using centrifuge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tejasvi, Ravi; Basu, Suddhasatwa

2017-12-01

A simple method for depositing a thin film of nanomaterial on a substrate using centrifugation technique has been developed, whereby solvent evaporation is prevented and solvent reuse is possible. The centrifuge technique of deposition yields uniform, smooth thin film irrespective of substrate surface texture. The deposited TiO2/eC3N4 film studied, through field emission scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and optical surface profilometer, shows variation in surface roughness on the basis of centrifugation speeds. Initially film coverage improves and surface roughness decreases with the increase in rpm of the centrifuge and the surface roughness slightly increases with further increase in rpm. The photoelectrochemical studies of TiO2/eC3N4 films suggest that the centrifuge technique forms better heterojunctions compared to that by spin coating technique leading to enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Cytocompatibility of polyethylene grafted with triethylenetetramine functionalized carbon nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Žáková, Pavlína; Slepičková Kasálková, Nikola; Slepička, Petr; Kolská, Zdeňka; Karpíšková, Jana; Stibor, Ivan; Švorčík, Václav

2017-11-01

Various carbon nanostructures are widely researched as scaffolds for tissue engineering. We evaluated the surface properties and cell-substrate interactions of carbon nanoparticles functionalized with triethylenetetramine (CNPs) grafted polymer film. Two forms of polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE) were treated in an inert argon plasma discharge and, subsequently, grafted with CNPs. The surface properties were studied using multiple methods, including Raman spectroscopy, goniometry, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrokinetic analysis. Cell-substrate interactions were determined in vitro by studying adhesion, proliferation and viability of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from the aorta of a rat. Cell-substrate interactions on pristine and modified substrates were compared to standard tissue culture polystyrene. Our results show that CNPs affect surface morphology and wettability and therefore adhesion, proliferation and viability of cultured muscle cells.

Localized atomic segregation in the spalled area of a Zr50Cu40Al10 bulk metallic glasses induced by laser-shock experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jodar, B.; Loison, D.; Yokoyama, Y.; Lescoute, E.; Nivard, M.; Berthe, L.; Sangleboeuf, J.-C.

2018-02-01

Laser-shock experiments were performed on a ternary {Zr50{Cu}40{Al}10} bulk metallic glass. A spalling process was studied through post-mortem analyses conducted on a recovered sample and spall. Scanning electron microscopy magnification of fracture surfaces revealed the presence of a peculiar feature known as cup-cone. Cups are found on sample fracture surface while cones are observed on spall. Two distinct regions can be observed on cups and cones: a smooth viscous-like region in the center and a flat one with large vein-pattern in the periphery. Energy dispersive spectroscopy measurements conducted on these features emphasized atomic distribution discrepancies both on the sample and spall. We propose a mechanism for the initiation and the growth of these features but also a process for atomic segregation during spallation. Cup and cones would originate from cracks arising from shear bands formation (softened paths). These shear bands result from a quadrupolar-shaped atomic disorder engendered around an initiation site by shock wave propagation. This disorder turns into a shear band when tensile front reaches spallation plane. During the separation process, temperature gain induced by shock waves and shear bands generation decreases material viscosity leading to higher atomic mobility. Once in a liquid-like form, atomic clusters migrate and segregate due to inertial effects originating from particle velocity variation (interaction of release waves). As a result, a high rate of copper is found in sample cups and high zirconium concentration is found on spall cones.

Surface and subsurface cracks characteristics of single crystal SiC wafer in surface machining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiusheng, Y.; Senkai, C.; Jisheng, P.

2015-03-01

Different machining processes were used in the single crystal SiC wafer machining. SEM was used to observe the surface morphology and a cross-sectional cleavages microscopy method was used for subsurface cracks detection. Surface and subsurface cracks characteristics of single crystal SiC wafer in abrasive machining were analysed. The results show that the surface and subsurface cracks system of single crystal SiC wafer in abrasive machining including radial crack, lateral crack and the median crack. In lapping process, material removal is dominated by brittle removal. Lots of chipping pits were found on the lapping surface. With the particle size becomes smaller, the surface roughness and subsurface crack depth decreases. When the particle size was changed to 1.5µm, the surface roughness Ra was reduced to 24.0nm and the maximum subsurface crack was 1.2µm. The efficiency of grinding is higher than lapping. Plastic removal can be achieved by changing the process parameters. Material removal was mostly in brittle fracture when grinding with 325# diamond wheel. Plow scratches and chipping pits were found on the ground surface. The surface roughness Ra was 17.7nm and maximum subsurface crack depth was 5.8 µm. When grinding with 8000# diamond wheel, the material removal was in plastic flow. Plastic scratches were found on the surface. A smooth surface of roughness Ra 2.5nm without any subsurface cracks was obtained. Atomic scale removal was possible in cluster magnetorheological finishing with diamond abrasive size of 0.5 µm. A super smooth surface eventually obtained with a roughness of Ra 0.4nm without any subsurface crack.

Ultra-hard amorphous AlMgB14 films RF sputtered onto curved substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grishin, A. M.; Putrolaynen, V. V.; Yuzvyuk, M. H.

2017-03-01

Recently, hard AlMgB14 (BAM) coatings were deposited for the first time by RF magnetron sputtering using a single stoichiometric ceramic target. High target sputtering power and sufficiently short target-to-substrate distance were found to be critical processing conditions. They enabled fabrication of stoichiometric in-depth compositionally homogeneous films with the peak values of nanohardness 88 GPa and Young’s modulus 517 GPa at the penetration depth of 26 nm and, respectively, 35 GPa and 275 GPa at 200 nm depth in 2 µm thick film (Grishin et al 2014 JETP Lett. 100 680). The narrow range of sufficiently short target-to-substrate distance makes impossible to coat non flat specimens. To achieve ultimate BAM films’ characteristics onto curved surfaces we developed two-step sputtering process. The first thin layer is deposited as a template at low RF power that facilitates a layered Frank van der Merwe mode growth of smooth film occurs. The next layer is grown at high RF target sputtering power. The affinity of subsequent flow of sputtered atoms to already evenly condensed template fosters the development of smooth film surface. As an example, we made BAM coating onto hemispherical 5 mm in diameter ball made from a hard tool steel and used as a head of a special gauge. Very smooth (6.6 nm RMS surface roughness) and hard AlMgB14 films fabricated onto commercial ball-shaped items enhance hardness of tool steel specimens by a factor of four.

Activation of Osteoblastic Function on Titanium Surface with Titanium-Doped Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticle Coating: An In Vitro Study.

PubMed

Nakazawa, Masahiro; Yamada, Masahiro; Wakamura, Masato; Egusa, Hiroshi; Sakurai, Kaoru

Titanium-doped hydroxyapatite (TiHA) nanoparticles contain titanium atoms in the hydroxyapatite lattice, which can physicochemically functionalize the titanium surface without modification of the surface topography. This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical properties of machined or microroughened titanium surfaces coated with TiHA nanoparticles and the functions of osteoblasts cultured on them. Titanium disks with commercially available surface topography, such as machined or sandblasted, large-grit, and acid-etched (SLA) surfaces, were coated with TiHA. The disks with original or TiHA-coated surfaces were evaluated in topography, wettability, and chemical composition. Osteoblastic cells from rat femurs were cultured on the disks and evaluated in proliferation and differentiation. TiHA coating changed from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity on both machined and SLA surfaces. Calcium and phosphate atoms were detected all over the surface with TiHA coating regardless of the surface topography. However, the considerable change in the inherent surface topographies was not observed on both types of surfaces after TiHA coating. Osteoblastic proliferative activity at day 4 was increased by TiHA coating on both types of surfaces. TiHA coating did not enhance expressions of bone matrix-related genes such as osteocalcin, osteopontin, bone sialoprotein, alkaline phosphatase, and collagen I. However, depositions of collagen, osteocalcin, and calcium in the culture at days 7 and 20 were increased on both types of surface topographies with TiHA coating. TiHA coating enhanced extracellular matrix formation on smooth and microroughened titanium surfaces by increasing osteoblastic proliferative activity without the deterioration of differentiation through hydrophilic and chemical functionalization.

Physicochemical variation of mica surface by low energy ion beam irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhowmik, Dipak; Karmakar, Prasanta

2018-05-01

We report the transformation of smooth and hydrophilic mica surface to a patterned and hydrophobic surface by 12 keV Ar+ and N+ ion bombardment at oblique ion incidence. Periodic ripple pattern has been found on the mica surface when nitrogen like lighter or argon like heavier ions are bombarded at an angle 60° with respect to the surface normal. During ion bombardment the different components of multi-elemental mica are eroded at different rate; as a result surface chemistry is changed, as well as a surface ripple pattern is developed on the surface due to the generation of surface instabilities. The change of surface chemistry and presence of pattern change the hydrophilic nature of the mica surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study of irradiated mica surface shows that the upper K atoms are sputtered most. The vertical and lateral dimensions of the surface patterns are controlled by varying the ion fluence. Contact angle measurement of un-irradiated and irradiated mica surface shows a certain change from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity. The physicochemical changes of mica surface due to Ar+ and N+ ion bombardment have been discussed.

Automatic selection of atomic fingerprints and reference configurations for machine-learning potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imbalzano, Giulio; Anelli, Andrea; Giofré, Daniele; Klees, Sinja; Behler, Jörg; Ceriotti, Michele

2018-06-01

Machine learning of atomic-scale properties is revolutionizing molecular modeling, making it possible to evaluate inter-atomic potentials with first-principles accuracy, at a fraction of the costs. The accuracy, speed, and reliability of machine learning potentials, however, depend strongly on the way atomic configurations are represented, i.e., the choice of descriptors used as input for the machine learning method. The raw Cartesian coordinates are typically transformed in "fingerprints," or "symmetry functions," that are designed to encode, in addition to the structure, important properties of the potential energy surface like its invariances with respect to rotation, translation, and permutation of like atoms. Here we discuss automatic protocols to select a number of fingerprints out of a large pool of candidates, based on the correlations that are intrinsic to the training data. This procedure can greatly simplify the construction of neural network potentials that strike the best balance between accuracy and computational efficiency and has the potential to accelerate by orders of magnitude the evaluation of Gaussian approximation potentials based on the smooth overlap of atomic positions kernel. We present applications to the construction of neural network potentials for water and for an Al-Mg-Si alloy and to the prediction of the formation energies of small organic molecules using Gaussian process regression.

Smoothing optimization of supporting quadratic surfaces with Zernike polynomials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hang; Lu, Jiandong; Liu, Rui; Ma, Peifu

2018-03-01

A new optimization method to get a smooth freeform optical surface from an initial surface generated by the supporting quadratic method (SQM) is proposed. To smooth the initial surface, a 9-vertex system from the neighbor quadratic surface and the Zernike polynomials are employed to establish a linear equation system. A local optimized surface to the 9-vertex system can be build by solving the equations. Finally, a continuous smooth optimization surface is constructed by stitching the above algorithm on the whole initial surface. The spot corresponding to the optimized surface is no longer discrete pixels but a continuous distribution.

Investigation of the influence of a step change in surface roughness on turbulent heat transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Robert P.; Coleman, Hugh W.; Taylor, J. Keith; Hosni, M. H.

1991-01-01

The use is studied of smooth heat flux gages on the otherwise very rough SSME fuel pump turbine blades. To gain insights into behavior of such installations, fluid mechanics and heat transfer data were collected and are reported for a turbulent boundary layer over a surface with a step change from a rough surface to a smooth surface. The first 0.9 m length of the flat plate test surface was roughened with 1.27 mm hemispheres in a staggered, uniform array spaced 2 base diameters apart. The remaining 1.5 m length was smooth. The effect of the alignment of the smooth surface with respect to the rough surface was also studied by conducting experiments with the smooth surface aligned with the bases or alternatively with the crests of the roughness elements. Stanton number distributions, skin friction distributions, and boundary layer profiles of temperature and velocity are reported and are compared to previous data for both all rough and all smooth wall cases. The experiments show that the step change from rough to smooth has a dramatic effect on the convective heat transfer. It is concluded that use of smooth heat flux gages on otherwise rough surfaces could cause large errors.

Topography evolution of rough-surface metallic substrates by solution deposition planarization method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Jingyuan; Zhao, Yue; Liu, Linfei; Wu, Wei; Zhang, Zhiwei; Hong, Zhiyong; Li, Yijie; Jin, Zhijian

2018-01-01

As an emerging technique for surface smoothing, solution deposition planarization (SDP) has recently drawn more attention on the fabrication of the second generation high temperature superconducting (2G-HTS) tapes. In our work, a number of amorphous oxide layers were deposited on electro-polished or mirror-rolled metallic substrates by chemical solution route. Topography evolution of surface defects on these two types of metallic substrates was thoroughly investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was showed that root mean square roughness values (at 50 × 50 μm2 scanning scale) on both rough substrates reduced to ∼5 nm after coating with SDP-layer. The smoothing effect was mainly attributed to decrease of the depth at grain boundary grooving on the electro-polished metallic substrate. On the mirror-rolled metallic substrates, the amplitude and frequency of the height fluctuation perpendicular to the rolling direction were gradually reduced as depositing more numbers of SDP-layer. A high Jc value of 4.17 MA cm-2 (at 77 K, s.f.) was achieved on a full stack of YBCO/CeO2/IBAD-MgO/SDP-layer/C276 sample. This study enhanced understanding of the topography evolution on the surface defects covered by the SDP-layer, and demonstrated a low-cost route for fabricating IBAD-MgO based YBCO templates with a simplified architecture.

Spline-Based Smoothing of Airfoil Curvatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, W.; Krist, S.

2008-01-01

Constrained fitting for airfoil curvature smoothing (CFACS) is a splinebased method of interpolating airfoil surface coordinates (and, concomitantly, airfoil thicknesses) between specified discrete design points so as to obtain smoothing of surface-curvature profiles in addition to basic smoothing of surfaces. CFACS was developed in recognition of the fact that the performance of a transonic airfoil is directly related to both the curvature profile and the smoothness of the airfoil surface. Older methods of interpolation of airfoil surfaces involve various compromises between smoothing of surfaces and exact fitting of surfaces to specified discrete design points. While some of the older methods take curvature profiles into account, they nevertheless sometimes yield unfavorable results, including curvature oscillations near end points and substantial deviations from desired leading-edge shapes. In CFACS as in most of the older methods, one seeks a compromise between smoothing and exact fitting. Unlike in the older methods, the airfoil surface is modified as little as possible from its original specified form and, instead, is smoothed in such a way that the curvature profile becomes a smooth fit of the curvature profile of the original airfoil specification. CFACS involves a combination of rigorous mathematical modeling and knowledge-based heuristics. Rigorous mathematical formulation provides assurance of removal of undesirable curvature oscillations with minimum modification of the airfoil geometry. Knowledge-based heuristics bridge the gap between theory and designers best practices. In CFACS, one of the measures of the deviation of an airfoil surface from smoothness is the sum of squares of the jumps in the third derivatives of a cubicspline interpolation of the airfoil data. This measure is incorporated into a formulation for minimizing an overall deviation- from-smoothness measure of the airfoil data within a specified fitting error tolerance. CFACS has been extensively tested on a number of supercritical airfoil data sets generated by inverse design and optimization computer programs. All of the smoothing results show that CFACS is able to generate unbiased smooth fits of curvature profiles, trading small modifications of geometry for increasing curvature smoothness by eliminating curvature oscillations and bumps (see figure).

Analysis of layer-by-layer thin-film oxide growth using RHEED and Atomic Force Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adler, Eli; Sullivan, M. C.; Gutierrez-Llorente, Araceli; Joress, H.; Woll, A.; Brock, J. D.

2015-03-01

Reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) is commonly used as an in situ analysis tool for layer-by-layer thin-film growth. Atomic force microscopy is an equally common ex situ tool for analysis of the film surface, providing visual evidence of the surface morphology. During growth, the RHEED intensity oscillates as the film surface changes in roughness. It is often assumed that the maxima of the RHEED oscillations signify a complete layer, however, the oscillations in oxide systems can be misleading. Thus, using only the RHEED maxima is insufficient. X-ray reflectivity can also be used to analyze growth, as the intensity oscillates in phase with the smoothness of the surface. Using x-ray reflectivity to determine the thin film layer deposition, we grew three films where the x-ray and RHEED oscillations were nearly exactly out of phase and halted deposition at different points in the growth. Pre-growth and post-growth AFM images emphasize the fact that the maxima in RHEED are not a justification for determining layer completion. Work conducted at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) supported by NSF Awards DMR-1332208 and DMR-0936384 and the Cornell Center for Materials Research Shared Facilities are supported through DMR-1120296.

Nanodroplet impact onto solid platinum surface: Spreading and bouncing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lussier, Daniel; Ventikos, Yiannis

2009-11-01

The impact of droplets onto solid surfaces is found in a huge variety of natural and technological applications, from rain drops splashing on the pavement, to material manufacturing by molten droplet deposition. Taking inspiration from existing microfluidic technologies (i.e. lab-on-chip), there is increasing interest in the use of nanodroplets (D < 100 nm) for a number of applications such as drug delivery and semiconductor device manufacturing. However, as the size of the droplet is reduced into the nanoscale, the direct use of previously obtained macroscopic results is not guaranteed. At the nanoscale, important effects due to the molecular nature of the fluid, thermal fluctuations and reduced dimensionality can play a critical role in determining system dynamics. In this paper we present the results of large-scale, fully atomistic, three-dimensional molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of an argon nanodroplet (D = 18 nm, 54 000 atoms) impact onto a solid platinum surface, using the LAMMPS software package. The fluid argon is modeled using the well-known Lennard-Jones (LJ) potential, while the embedded-atom model (EAM) potential is used for the solid platinum. By varying both the impact velocities (10-1000 m/s) and the wettability of the solid surface a wide range of impact behaviors is observed, from smooth spreading, to bouncing recoil, pointing towards a wide array of potential applications.

Thermal smoothing of rough surfaces in vacuo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wahl, G.

1986-01-01

The derivation of equations governing the smoothing of rough surfaces, based on Mullins' (1957, 1960, and 1963) theories of thermal grooving and of capillarity-governed solid surface morphology is presented. As an example, the smoothing of a one-dimensional sine-shaped surface is discussed.

Development of hybrid fluid jet/float polishing process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaucamp, Anthony T. H.; Namba, Yoshiharu; Freeman, Richard R.

2013-09-01

On one hand, the "float polishing" process consists of a tin lap having many concentric grooves, cut from a flat by single point diamond turning. This lap is rotated above a hydrostatic bearing spindle of high rigidity, damping and rotational accuracy. The optical surface thus floats above a thin layer of abrasive particles. But whilst surface texture can be smoothed to ~0.1nm rms (as measured by atomic force microscopy), this process can only be used on flat surfaces. On the other hand, the CNC "fluid jet polishing" process consists of pumping a mixture of water and abrasive particles to a converging nozzle, thus generating a polishing spot that can be moved along a tool path with tight track spacing. But whilst tool path feed can be moderated to ultra-precisely correct form error on freeform optical surfaces, surface finish improvement is generally limited to ~1.5nm rms (with fine abrasives). This paper reports on the development of a novel finishing method, that combines the advantages of "fluid jet polishing" (i.e. freeform corrective capability) with "float polishing" (i.e. super-smooth surface finish of 0.1nm rms or less). To come up with this new "hybrid" method, computational fluid dynamic modeling of both processes in COMSOL is being used to characterize abrasion conditions and adapt the process parameters of experimental fluid jet polishing equipment, including: (1) geometrical shape of nozzle, (2) position relative to the surface, (3) control of inlet pressure. This new process is aimed at finishing of next generation X-Ray / Gamma Ray focusing optics.

Metal-HfO{sub 2}-Ge capacitor: Its enhanced charge trapping properties with S-treated substrate and atomic-layer-deposited HfO{sub 2} layer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, In-Sung; Jung, Yong Chan; Seong, Sejong

2015-01-15

The charge trapping properties of metal-HfO{sub 2}-Ge capacitor as a nonvolatile memory have been investigated with (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}S-treated Ge substrate and atomic-layer-deposited HfO{sub 2} layer. The interfacial layer generated by (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}S-treated Ge substrate reveals a trace of -S- bonding, very sharp interface edges, and smooth surface morphology. The Ru-HfO{sub 2}-Ge capacitor with (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}S-treated Ge substrate shows an enhanced interface state with little frequency dispersion, a lower leakage current, and very reliable properties with the enhanced endurance and retention than Ru-HfO{sub 2}-Ge capacitor with cyclic-cleaned Ge substrate.

Atomic Layer Deposition of HfO2 and Si Nitride on Ge Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Shiyang; Nakajima, Anri

2007-12-01

Hafnium oxide (HfO2) thin films were deposited on Ge substrates at 300 °C using atomic layer deposition (ALD) with tetrakis(diethylamino)hafnium (termed as TDEAH) as a precursor and water as an oxidant. The deposition rate was estimated to be 0.09 nm/cycle and the deposited HfO2 films have a smooth surface and an almost stoichiometric composition, indicating that the growth follows a layer-by-layer kinetics, similarly to that on Si substrates. Si nitride thin films were also deposited on Ge by ALD using SiCl4 as a precursor and NH3 as an oxidant. Si nitride has a smaller deposition rate of about 0.055 nm/cycle and a larger gate leakage current than HfO2 deposited on Ge by ALD.

Thin films structural properties: results of the full-atomistic supercomputer simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grigoriev, F. V.; Sulimov, V. B.; Tikhonravov, A. V.

2017-12-01

The previously developed full-atomistic approach to the thin film growth simulation is applied for the investigation of the dependence of silicon dioxide films properties on deposition conditions. It is shown that the surface roughness and porosity are essentially reduced with the growth of energy of deposited silicon atoms. The growth of energy from 0.1 eV to 10 eV results in the increase of the film density for 0.2 - 0.4 g/cm3 and of the refractive index for 0.04-0.08. The compressive stress in films structures is observed for all deposition conditions. Absolute values of the stress tensor components increase with the growth of e energy of deposited atoms. The increase of the substrate temperature results in smoothing of the density profiles of the deposited films.

Contact area of rough spheres: Large scale simulations and simple scaling laws

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pastewka, Lars, E-mail: lars.pastewka@kit.edu; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218; Robbins, Mark O., E-mail: mr@pha.jhu.edu

2016-05-30

We use molecular simulations to study the nonadhesive and adhesive atomic-scale contact of rough spheres with radii ranging from nanometers to micrometers over more than ten orders of magnitude in applied normal load. At the lowest loads, the interfacial mechanics is governed by the contact mechanics of the first asperity that touches. The dependence of contact area on normal force becomes linear at intermediate loads and crosses over to Hertzian at the largest loads. By combining theories for the limiting cases of nominally flat rough surfaces and smooth spheres, we provide parameter-free analytical expressions for contact area over the wholemore » range of loads. Our results establish a range of validity for common approximations that neglect curvature or roughness in modeling objects on scales from atomic force microscope tips to ball bearings.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aadila, A., E-mail: aadilaazizali@gmail.com; Afaah, A. N.; Asib, N. A. M.

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films were deposited on glass substrate by sol-gel spin-coating method. The films were annealed for 10 minutes in furnace at different annealing temperature of room temperature, 50, 100, 150 and 200 °C. The effect of annealing temperatures to the surface and optical properties of PMMA films spin-coated on the substrate were investigated by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) Spectroscopy. It was observed in AFM analysis all the annealed films show excellent smooth surface with zero roughness. All the samples demonstrate a high transmittance of 80% in UV region as shown in UV-Vis measurement. Highly transparentmore » films indicate the films are good optical properties and could be applied in various optical applications and also in non-linear optics.« less

Metal shell technology based upon hollow jet instability. [for inertial confinement fusion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kendall, J. M.; Lee, M. C.; Wang, T. G.

1982-01-01

Spherical shells of submillimeter size are sought as ICF targets. Such shells must be dimensionally precise, smooth, of high strength, and composed of a high atomic number material. A technology for the production of shells based upon the hydrodynamic instability of an annular jet of molten metal is described. Shells in the 0.7-2.0 mm size range have been produced using tin as a test material. Specimens exhibit good sphericity, fair concentricity, and excellent finish over most of the surface. Work involving a gold-lead-antimony alloy is in progress. Droplets of this are amorphous and possess superior surface finish. The flow of tin models that of the alloy well; experiments on both metals show that the technique holds considerable promise.

Bacterial resistance of self-assembled surfaces using PPOm-b-PSBMAn zwitterionic copolymer - concomitant effects of surface topography and surface chemistry on attachment of live bacteria.

PubMed

Hsiao, Sheng-Wen; Venault, Antoine; Yang, Hui-Shan; Chang, Yung

2014-06-01

Three well-defined diblock copolymers made of poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (poly(SBMA)) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) groups were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. They were physically adsorbed onto three types of surfaces having different topography, including smooth flat surface, convex surface, and indented surface. Chemical state of surfaces was characterized by XPS while the various topographies were examined by SEM and AFM. Hydrophilicity of surfaces was dependent on both the surface chemistry and the surface topography, suggesting that orientation of copolymer brushes can be tuned in the design of surfaces aimed at resisting bacterial attachment. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus mutans and Escherichia coli with green fluorescent protein (E. coli GFP) were used in bacterial tests to assess the resistance to bacterial attachment of poly(SBMA)-covered surfaces. Results highlighted a drastic improvement of resistance to bacterial adhesion with the increasing of poly(SBMA) to PPO ratio, as well as an important effect of surface topography. The chemical effect was directly related to the length of the hydrophilic moieties. When longer, more water could be entrapped, leading to improved anti-bacterial properties. The physical effect impacted on the orientation of the copolymer brushes, as well as on the surface contact area available. Convex surfaces as well as indented surfaces wafer presented the best resistance to bacterial adhesion. Indeed, bacterial attachment was more importantly reduced on these surfaces compared with smooth surfaces. It was explained by the non-orthogonal orientation of copolymer brushes, resulting in a more efficient surface coverage of zwitterionic molecules. This work suggests that not only the control of surface chemistry is essential in the preparation of surfaces resisting bacterial attachment, but also the control of surface topography and orientation of antifouling moieties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Water-walled microfluidics for high-optical finesse cavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maayani, Shai; Martin, Leopoldo L.; Carmon, Tal

2016-01-01

In submerged microcavities there is a tradeoff between resonant enhancement for spatial water and light overlap. Why not transform the continuously resonating optical mode to be fully contained in a water microdroplet per se? Here we demonstrate a sustainable 30-μm-pure water device, bounded almost completely by free surfaces, enabling >1,000,000 re-circulations of light. The droplets survive for >16 h using a technique that is based on a nano-water bridge from the droplet to a distant reservoir to compensate for evaporation. More than enabling a nearly-perfect optical overlap with water, atomic-level surface smoothness that minimizes scattering loss, and ~99% coupling efficiency from a standard fibre. Surface tension in our droplet is 8,000 times stronger than gravity, suggesting a new class of devices with water-made walls, for new fields of study including opto-capillaries.

Distinguishing between microscale gaseous bubbles and liquid drops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Beng Hau; An, Hongjie; Chan, Chon U.; Ohl, Claus-Dieter

2015-11-01

In recent years, there has been strong research interest in decorating surfaces with tiny bubbles and drops due to their potential applications in reducing slippage in micro and nanofluidic devices. Both nanobubbles and nanodrops are typically nucleated by exchanging fluids over a suitable substrate. However, the nucleation experiments present many challenges, such as reproducibility and the possibility of contamination. The use of one-use plastic syringes and needle cannulas in nucleation experiments can introduce polymeric contamination. A contaminated experiment may nucleate bubbles, drops or both. Moreover, it is surprisingly difficult to distinguish between bubbles and drops under the usual atomic force microscopy or optical techniques. Here we present an experimental study comparing bubbles and oil (PDMS) drops on an atomically smooth surface (HOPG). Instead of nucleating the objects via solvent exchange, we directly introduced bubbles via electrolysis, and oil drops by injecting a dilute solution. Contrary to previous reports, we find that under careful AFM characterisation, liquid drops and gaseous bubbles respond differently to a change in imaging force, and moreover present different characteristic force curves.

Measurements of dispersion forces between colloidal latex particles with the atomic force microscope and comparison with Lifshitz theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elzbieciak-Wodka, Magdalena; Ruiz-Cabello, F. Javier Montes; Trefalt, Gregor

2014-03-14

Interaction forces between carboxylate colloidal latex particles of about 2 μm in diameter immersed in aqueous solutions of monovalent salts were measured with the colloidal probe technique, which is based on the atomic force microscope. We have systematically varied the ionic strength, the type of salt, and also the surface charge densities of the particles through changes in the solution pH. Based on these measurements, we have accurately measured the dispersion forces acting between the particles and estimated the apparent Hamaker constant to be (2.0 ± 0.5) × 10{sup −21} J at a separation distance of about 10 nm. Thismore » value is basically independent of the salt concentration and the type of salt. Good agreement with Lifshitz theory is found when roughness effects are taken into account. The combination of retardation and roughness effects reduces the value of the apparent Hamaker constant and its ionic strength dependence with respect to the case of ideally smooth surfaces.« less

Gold nanoparticles deposited on glass: physicochemical characterization and cytocompatibility

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Properties of gold films sputtered under different conditions onto borosilicate glass substrate were studied. Mean thickness of sputtered gold film was measured by gravimetry, and film contact angle was determined by goniometry. Surface morphology was examined by atomic force microscopy, and electrical sheet resistance was determined by two-point technique. The samples were seeded with rat vascular smooth muscle cells, and their adhesion and proliferation were studied. Gold depositions lead to dramatical changes in the surface morphology and roughness in comparison to pristine substrate. For sputtered gold structures, the rapid decline of the sheet resistance appears on structures deposited for the times above 100 s. The thickness of deposited gold nanoparticles/layer is an increasing function of sputtering time and current. AFM images prove the creation of separated gold islands in the initial deposition phase and a continuous gold coverage for longer deposition times. Gold deposition has a positive effect on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. Largest number of cells was observed on sample sputtered with gold for 20 s and at the discharge current of 40 mA. This sample exhibits lowest contact angle, low relative roughness, and only mild increase of electrical conductivity. PMID:23705782

Diamond Smoothing Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voronov, Oleg

2007-01-01

Diamond smoothing tools have been proposed for use in conjunction with diamond cutting tools that are used in many finish-machining operations. Diamond machining (including finishing) is often used, for example, in fabrication of precise metal mirrors. A diamond smoothing tool according to the proposal would have a smooth spherical surface. For a given finish machining operation, the smoothing tool would be mounted next to the cutting tool. The smoothing tool would slide on the machined surface left behind by the cutting tool, plastically deforming the surface material and thereby reducing the roughness of the surface, closing microcracks and otherwise generally reducing or eliminating microscopic surface and subsurface defects, and increasing the microhardness of the surface layer. It has been estimated that if smoothing tools of this type were used in conjunction with cutting tools on sufficiently precise lathes, it would be possible to reduce the roughness of machined surfaces to as little as 3 nm. A tool according to the proposal would consist of a smoothing insert in a metal holder. The smoothing insert would be made from a diamond/metal functionally graded composite rod preform, which, in turn, would be made by sintering together a bulk single-crystal or polycrystalline diamond, a diamond powder, and a metallic alloy at high pressure. To form the spherical smoothing tip, the diamond end of the preform would be subjected to flat grinding, conical grinding, spherical grinding using diamond wheels, and finally spherical polishing and/or buffing using diamond powders. If the diamond were a single crystal, then it would be crystallographically oriented, relative to the machining motion, to minimize its wear and maximize its hardness. Spherically polished diamonds could also be useful for purposes other than smoothing in finish machining: They would likely also be suitable for use as heat-resistant, wear-resistant, unlubricated sliding-fit bearing inserts.

Constructing irregular surfaces to enclose macromolecular complexes for mesoscale modeling using the discrete surface charge optimization (DISCO) algorithm.

PubMed

Zhang, Qing; Beard, Daniel A; Schlick, Tamar

2003-12-01

Salt-mediated electrostatics interactions play an essential role in biomolecular structures and dynamics. Because macromolecular systems modeled at atomic resolution contain thousands of solute atoms, the electrostatic computations constitute an expensive part of the force and energy calculations. Implicit solvent models are one way to simplify the model and associated calculations, but they are generally used in combination with standard atomic models for the solute. To approximate electrostatics interactions in models on the polymer level (e.g., supercoiled DNA) that are simulated over long times (e.g., milliseconds) using Brownian dynamics, Beard and Schlick have developed the DiSCO (Discrete Surface Charge Optimization) algorithm. DiSCO represents a macromolecular complex by a few hundred discrete charges on a surface enclosing the system modeled by the Debye-Hückel (screened Coulombic) approximation to the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, and treats the salt solution as continuum solvation. DiSCO can represent the nucleosome core particle (>12,000 atoms), for example, by 353 discrete surface charges distributed on the surfaces of a large disk for the nucleosome core particle and a slender cylinder for the histone tail; the charges are optimized with respect to the Poisson-Boltzmann solution for the electric field, yielding a approximately 5.5% residual. Because regular surfaces enclosing macromolecules are not sufficiently general and may be suboptimal for certain systems, we develop a general method to construct irregular models tailored to the geometry of macromolecules. We also compare charge optimization based on both the electric field and electrostatic potential refinement. Results indicate that irregular surfaces can lead to a more accurate approximation (lower residuals), and the refinement in terms of the electric field is more robust. We also show that surface smoothing for irregular models is important, that the charge optimization (by the TNPACK minimizer) is efficient and does not depend on the initial assigned values, and that the residual is acceptable when the distance to the model surface is close to, or larger than, the Debye length. We illustrate applications of DiSCO's model-building procedure to chromatin folding and supercoiled DNA bound to Hin and Fis proteins. DiSCO is generally applicable to other interesting macromolecular systems for which mesoscale models are appropriate, to yield a resolution between the all-atom representative and the polymer level. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 24: 2063-2074, 2003

Surface polishing of niobium for superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavity applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, Liang

2014-08-01

Niobium cavities are important components in modern particle accelerators based on superconducting radio frequency (SRF) technology. The interior of SRF cavities are cleaned and polished in order to produce high accelerating field and low power dissipation on the cavity wall. Current polishing methods, buffered chemical polishing (BCP) and electro-polishing (EP), have their advantages and limitations. We seek to improve current methods and explore laser polishing (LP) as a greener alternative of chemical methods. The topography and removal rate of BCP at different conditions (duration, temperature, sample orientation, flow rate) was studied with optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electronmore » backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Differential etching on different crystal orientations is the main contributor to fine grain niobium BCP topography, with gas evolution playing a secondary role. The surface of single crystal and bi-crystal niobium is smooth even after heavy BCP. The topography of fine grain niobium depends on total removal. The removal rate increases with temperature and surface acid flow rate within the rage of 0~20 °C, with chemical reaction being the possible dominate rate control mechanism. Surface flow helps to regulate temperature and avoid gas accumulation on the surface. The effect of surface flow rate on niobium EP was studied with optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and power spectral density (PSD) analysis. Within the range of 0~3.7 cm/s, no significant difference was found on the removal rate and the macro roughness. Possible improvement on the micro roughness with increased surface flow rate was observed. The effect of fluence and pulse accumulation on niobium topography during LP was studied with optical microscopy, SEM, AFM, and PSD analysis. Polishing on micro scale was achieved within fluence range of 0.57~0.90 J/cm2, with pulse accumulation adjusted accordingly. Larger area treatment was proved possible by overlapping laser tracks at proper ratio. Comparison of topography and PSD indicates that LP smooths the surface in a way similar to EP. The optimized LP parameters were applied to different types of niobium surfaces representing different stages in cavity fabrication. LP reduces the sharpness on rough surfaces effectively, while doing no harm to smooth surfaces. Secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) analysis showed that LP reduces the oxide layer slightly and no contamination occurred from LP. EBSD showed no significant change on crystal structure after LP.« less

Surface morphology of Al0.3Ga0.7N/Al2O3-high electron mobility transistor structure.

PubMed

Cörekçi, S; Usanmaz, D; Tekeli, Z; Cakmak, M; Ozçelik, S; Ozbay, E

2008-02-01

We present surface properties of buffer films (AIN and GaN) and Al0.3Gao.zN/Al2O3-High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) structures with/without AIN interlayer grown on High Temperature (HT)-AIN buffer/Al2O3 substrate and Al2O3 substrate. We have found that the GaN surface morphology is step-flow in character and the density of dislocations was about 10(8)-10(9) cm(-2). The AFM measurements also exhibited that the presence of atomic steps with large lateral step dimension and the surface of samples was smooth. The lateral step sizes are in the range of 100-250 nm. The typical rms values of HEMT structures were found as 0.27, 0.30, and 0.70 nm. HT-AIN buffer layer can have a significant impact on the surface morphology of Al0.3Ga0.7N/Al2O3-HEMT structures.

Investigation of novel sol-gel hydrophobic surfaces for desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analysis.

PubMed

Penna, Andrea; Elviri, Lisa; Careri, Maria; Mangia, Alessandro; Predieri, Giovanni

2011-05-01

Sol-gel-based materials were synthesized, characterized and finally tested as solid supports for desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) analysis of a mixture of compounds of different polarity. Films with thickness in the 2-4 μm range were obtained by a dip-coating process using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and octyltriethoxysilane (OTES) as sol-gel precursors. Three types of surface with different hydrophobic character were obtained by varying the TEOS/OTES ratio in the sol-gel mixture. Each coating was characterized by atomic force microscopy investigations, gaining insight into homogeneity, smoothness and thickness of the obtained films. To study hydrophobicity of each surface, surface free energy measurements were performed. Different DESI-MS responses were observed when different solvent mixture deposition procedures and solvent spray compositions were investigated. Results were finally compared to those obtained by using commercial polytetrafluoroethylene-coated slides. It was found that surface free energy plays an important role in the desorption/ionization process as a function of the polarity of analytes.

Influence of the softness of the parietal pleura on respiratory sliding mechanisms

PubMed Central

Kim, Jae Hun; Butler, James P.; Loring, Stephen H.

2011-01-01

The pleural surfaces of the lung and chest wall slide against each other with low friction. Normal load support can be effected either by a combination of quasi-static fluid pressure and solid-solid contacts of relatively stiff asperities, or by shear-induced hydrodynamic pressures in the pleural fluid layer. To distinguish between these mechanisms, we measured surface topography and spatial distribution of stiffness of rat parietal pleura using atomic force microscopy. The topography of the pleural surface has unevenness at length scales smaller than the thickness of pleural fluid, similar to mesothelial cell diameters. The estimated maximum normal contact pressure that could be borne by asperities of the soft pleura is much less than that required to support a substantial difference between pleural fluid pressure and the pleural surface pressure. These results suggest that during sliding motion, unevenness of the pleural surface is smoothed by local hydrodynamic pressure, preventing any significant contribution of solid-solid contacts. PMID:21473935

Pulse electrochemical meso/micro/nano ultraprecision machining technology.

PubMed

Lee, Jeong Min; Kim, Young Bin; Park, Jeong Woo

2013-11-01

This study demonstrated meso/micro/nano-ultraprecision machining through electrochemical reactions using intermittent DC pulses. The experiment focused on two machining methods: (1) pulse electrochemical polishing (PECP) of stainless steel, and (2) pulse electrochemical nano-patterning (PECNP) on a silicon (Si) surface, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) for fabrication. The dissolution reaction at the stainless steel surface following PECP produced a very clean, smooth workpiece. The advantages of the PECP process included improvements in corrosion resistance, deburring of the sample surface, and removal of hydrogen from the stainless steel surface as verified by time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). In PECNP, the electrochemical reaction generated within water molecules produced nanoscale oxide textures on a Si surface. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) was used to evaluate nanoscale-pattern processing on a Si wafer surface produced by AFM-PECNP For both processes using pulse electrochemical reactions, three-dimensional (3-D) measurements and AFM were used to investigate the changes on the machined surfaces. Preliminary results indicated the potential for advancing surface polishing techniques and localized micro/nano-texturing technology using PECP and PECNP processes.

Radial Basis Function Based Quadrature over Smooth Surfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-24

Radial Basis Functions φ(r) Piecewise Smooth (Conditionally Positive Definite) MN Monomial |r|2m+1 TPS thin plate spline |r|2mln|r| Infinitely Smooth...smooth surfaces using polynomial interpolants, while [27] couples Thin - Plate Spline interpolation (see table 1) with Green’s integral formula [29

Facile solution-precipitation assisted synthesis and luminescence property of greenish-yellow emitting Ca{sub 6}Ba(PO{sub 4}){sub 4}O:Eu{sup 2+} phosphor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ji, Haipeng; Huang, Zhaohui, E-mail: huang118@cugb.edu.cn; Xia, Zhiguo, E-mail: xiazg@ustb.edu.cn

2016-03-15

Highlights: • Ca{sub 6}Ba(PO{sub 4}){sub 4}O:Eu{sup 2+} phosphor was prepared by the solution-precipitation assisted route. • The phosphors have satisfactory smooth grain surface and particle size. • It shows greenish-yellow color emission (maximum at 540 nm) upon blue light excitation. • Eu{sup 2+} is coordinated with isolated oxygen atoms and those from PO{sub 4} polyhedra. - Abstract: Greenish-yellow emitting microcrystalline Ca{sub 6}Ba(PO{sub 4}){sub 4}O:Eu{sup 2+} phosphor was successfully prepared by a solution-precipitation assisted high temperature reaction method. Phase structure, morphology and/or luminescence properties of the precursor and the as-prepared phosphors were characterized. The phase-pure Ca{sub 6}Ba(PO{sub 4}){sub 4}O:Eu{sup 2+} phosphorsmore » were obtained with smooth grain surface and particle size of 2–8 μm. Ca{sub 6}Ba(PO{sub 4}){sub 4}O:Eu{sup 2+} exhibits bright greenish-yellow color emission with its maximum at 540 nm upon UV-blue light excitation. The maximum position of the broad emission band is independent on the calcination temperature. The emission intensity increases with increasing calcination temperature due to improved crystallinity. Besides, the presence of two Eu{sup 2+} emission centers in the Ca{sub 6}Ba(PO{sub 4}){sub 4}O crystal lattice was confirmed and the coordination effects are considered concerning the roles of isolated O atoms and those from the PO{sub 4} tetrahedra.« less

Kinetically controlled fabrication of single-crystalline TiO 2 nanobrush architectures with high energy {001} facets

DOE PAGES

Fan, Lisha; Gao, Xiang; Lee, Dongkyu; ...

2017-03-01

Here, this study demonstrates that precise control of nonequilibrium growth conditions during pulsed laser deposition (PLD) can be exploited to produce single-crystalline anatase TiO 2 nanobrush architectures with large surface areas terminated with high energy {001} facets. The data indicate that the key to nanobrush formation is controlling the atomic surface transport processes to balance defect aggregation and surface-smoothing processes. High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy data reveal that defect-mediated aggregation is the key to TiO 2 nanobrush formation. The large concentration of defects present at the intersection of domain boundaries promotes aggregation of PLD growth species, resulting in the growthmore » of the single-crystalline nanobrush architecture. This study proposes a model for the relationship between defect creation and growth mode in nonequilibrium environments, which enables application of this growth method to novel nanostructure design in a broad range of materials.« less

The fabrication of visible light responsive Ag-SiO2 co-doped TiO2 thin films by the sol-gel method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dam Le, Duy; Dung Dang, Thi My; Thang Chau, Vinh; Chien Dang, Mau

2010-03-01

In this study we have successfully deposited Ag-SiO2 co-doped TiO2 thin films on glass substrates by the sol-gel method. After being coated by a dip coating method, the film was transparent, smooth and had strong adhesion on the glass surface. The deposited film was characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) to investigate its crystallization, transmittance and surface structure. The antifogging ability is explained by the contact angle of water on the surface of the glass substrates under visible-light. The obtained results show that Ag-SiO2 co-doped TiO2 film has potential applications for self cleaning and anti-bacterial ceramic tiles.

Nano-immunoassay with improved performance for detection of cancer biomarkers

DOE PAGES

Krasnoslobodtsev, Alexey V.; Torres, Maria P.; Kaur, Sukhwinder; ...

2015-01-01

Nano-immunoassay utilizing surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect is a promising analytical technique for the early detection of cancer. In its current standing the assay is capable of discriminating samples of healthy individuals from samples of pancreatic cancer patients. Further improvements in sensitivity and reproducibility will extend practical applications of the SERS-based detection platforms to wider range of problems. In this report, we discuss several strategies designed to improve performance of the SERS-based detection system. We demonstrate that reproducibility of the platform is enhanced by using atomically smooth mica surface as a template for preparation of capture surface in SERS sandwichmore » immunoassay. Furthermore, the assay's stability and sensitivity can be further improved by using either polymer or graphene monolayer as a thin protective layer applied on top of the assay addresses. The protective layer renders the signal to be more stable against photo-induced damage and carbonaceous contamination.« less

Nanoscale surface characterization using laser interference microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ignatyev, Pavel S.; Skrynnik, Andrey A.; Melnik, Yury A.

2018-03-01

Nanoscale surface characterization is one of the most significant parts of modern materials development and application. The modern microscopes are expensive and complicated tools, and its use for industrial tasks is limited due to laborious sample preparation, measurement procedures, and low operation speed. The laser modulation interference microscopy method (MIM) for real-time quantitative and qualitative analysis of glass, metals, ceramics, and various coatings has a spatial resolution of 0.1 nm for vertical and up to 100 nm for lateral. It is proposed as an alternative to traditional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods. It is demonstrated that in the cases of roughness metrology for super smooth (Ra >1 nm) surfaces the application of a laser interference microscopy techniques is more optimal than conventional SEM and AFM. The comparison of semiconductor test structure for lateral dimensions measurements obtained with SEM and AFM and white light interferometer also demonstrates the advantages of MIM technique.

Simulations of submonolayer Xe on Pt(111): The case for a chaotic low temperature phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novaco, Anthony D.; Bavaresco, Jessica

2018-04-01

Molecular dynamics simulations are reported for the structural and thermodynamic properties of submonolayer xenon adsorbed on the (111) surface of platinum for temperatures up to the (apparently incipient) triple point and beyond. While the motion of the atoms in the surface plane is treated with a standard two-dimensional molecular dynamics simulation, the model takes into consideration the thermal excitation of quantum states associated with surface-normal dynamics in an attempt to describe the apparent smoothing of the corrugation with increasing temperature. We examine the importance of this thermal smoothing to the relative stability of several observed and proposed low-temperature structures. Structure factor calculations are compared to experimental results in an attempt to determine the low temperature structure of this system. These calculations provide strong evidence that, at very low temperatures, the domain wall structure of a xenon monolayer adsorbed on a Pt(111) substrate possesses a chaotic-like nature, exhibiting long-lived meta-stable states with pinned domain walls, these walls having narrow widths and irregular shapes. This result is contrary to the standard wisdom regarding this system, namely, that the very low temperature phase of this system is a striped incommensurate phase. We present the case for further experimental investigation of this and similar systems as possible examples of chaotic low temperature phases in two dimensions.

Ceramic coatings on smooth surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, R. A. (Inventor); Brindley, W. J. (Inventor); Rouge, C. J. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A metallic coating is plasma sprayed onto a smooth surface of a metal alloy substitute or on a bond coating. An initial thin ceramic layer is low pressure sprayed onto the smooth surface of the substrate or bond coating. Another ceramic layer is atmospheric plasma sprayed onto the initial ceramic layer.

Semi-exact concentric atomic density fitting: Reduced cost and increased accuracy compared to standard density fitting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hollman, David S.; Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061; Schaefer, Henry F.

2014-02-14

A local density fitting scheme is considered in which atomic orbital (AO) products are approximated using only auxiliary AOs located on one of the nuclei in that product. The possibility of variational collapse to an unphysical “attractive electron” state that can affect such density fitting [P. Merlot, T. Kjærgaard, T. Helgaker, R. Lindh, F. Aquilante, S. Reine, and T. B. Pedersen, J. Comput. Chem. 34, 1486 (2013)] is alleviated by including atom-wise semidiagonal integrals exactly. Our approach leads to a significant decrease in the computational cost of density fitting for Hartree–Fock theory while still producing results with errors 2–5 timesmore » smaller than standard, nonlocal density fitting. Our method allows for large Hartree–Fock and density functional theory computations with exact exchange to be carried out efficiently on large molecules, which we demonstrate by benchmarking our method on 200 of the most widely used prescription drug molecules. Our new fitting scheme leads to smooth and artifact-free potential energy surfaces and the possibility of relatively simple analytic gradients.« less

Electrophoretic coating of amphiphilic chitosan colloids on regulating cellular behaviour

PubMed Central

Wang, Yen-Jen; Lo, Teng-Yuan; Wu, Chieh-Hsi; Liu, Dean-Mo

2013-01-01

In this communication, we report a facile nanotopographical control over a stainless steel surface via an electrophoretic deposition of colloidal amphiphilic chitosan for preferential growth, proliferation or migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Atomic force microscopy revealed that the colloidal surface exhibited a deposition time-dependent nanotopographical evolution, wherein two different nanotopographic textures indexed by ‘kurtosis’ (Rkur) value were easily designed, which were termed as ‘sharp’ (i.e. high peak-to-valley texture) surface and ‘flat’ (i.e. low peak-to-valley texture) surface. Cellular behaviour of VSMCs and HUVECs on both surfaces demonstrated topographically dependent morphogenesis, adherent responses and biochemical properties in comparison with bare stainless steel. The formation of a biofunctionalized surface upon a facile colloidal chitosan deposition envisions the potential application towards numerous biomedical devices, and this is especially promising for cardiovascular stents wherein a new surface with optimized texture can be designed and is expected to create an advantageous environment to stimulate HUVEC growth for improved healing performance. PMID:23804439

Ion radiation albedo effect: influence of surface roughness on ion implantation and sputtering of materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yonggang; Yang, Yang; Short, Michael P.; Ding, Zejun; Zeng, Zhi; Li, Ju

2017-01-01

In fusion devices, ion retention and sputtering of materials are major concerns in the selection of compatible plasma-facing materials (PFMs), especially in the context of their microstructural conditions and surface morphologies. We demonstrate how surface roughness changes ion implantation and sputtering of materials under energetic ion irradiation. Using a new, sophisticated 3D Monte Carlo (MC) code, IM3D, and a random rough surface model, ion implantation and the sputtering yields of tungsten (W) with a surface roughness varying between 0-2 µm have been studied for irradiation by 0.1-1 keV D+, He+ and Ar+ ions. It is found that both ion backscattering and sputtering yields decrease with increasing roughness; this is hereafter called the ion radiation albedo effect. This effect is mainly dominated by the direct, line-of-sight deposition of a fraction of emitted atoms onto neighboring asperities. Backscattering and sputtering increase with more oblique irradiation angles. We propose a simple analytical formula to relate rough-surface and smooth-surface results.

Finite element based contact analysis of radio frequency MEMs switch membrane surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jin-Ya; Chalivendra, Vijaya; Huang, Wenzhen

2017-10-01

Finite element simulations were performed to determine the contact behavior of radio frequency (RF) micro-electro-mechanical (MEM) switch contact surfaces under monotonic and cyclic loading conditions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to capture the topography of RF-MEM switch membranes and later they were analyzed for multi-scale regular as well as fractal structures. Frictionless, non-adhesive contact 3D finite element analysis was carried out at different length scales to investigate the contact behavior of the regular-fractal surface using an elasto-plastic material model. Dominant micro-scale regular patterns were found to significantly change the contact behavior. Contact areas mainly cluster around the regular pattern. The contribution from the fractal structure is not significant. Under cyclic loading conditions, plastic deformation in the 1st loading/unloading cycle smooth the surface. The subsequent repetitive loading/unloading cycles undergo elastic contact without changing the morphology of the contacting surfaces. The work is expected to shed light on the quality of the switch surface contact as well as the optimum design of RF MEM switch surfaces.

A nanostructural basis for gloss of avian eggshells

PubMed Central

Igic, Branislav; Fecheyr-Lippens, Daphne; Xiao, Ming; Chan, Andrew; Hanley, Daniel; Brennan, Patricia R. L.; Grim, Tomas; Waterhouse, Geoffrey I. N.; Hauber, Mark E.; Shawkey, Matthew D.

2015-01-01

The role of pigments in generating the colour and maculation of birds' eggs is well characterized, whereas the effects of the eggshell's nanostructure on the visual appearance of eggs are little studied. Here, we examined the nanostructural basis of glossiness of tinamou eggs. Tinamou eggs are well known for their glossy appearance, but the underlying mechanism responsible for this optical effect is unclear. Using experimental manipulations in conjunction with angle-resolved spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and chemical analyses, we show that the glossy appearance of tinamou eggshells is produced by an extremely smooth cuticle, composed of calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate and, potentially, organic compounds such as proteins and pigments. Optical calculations corroborate surface smoothness as the main factor producing gloss. Furthermore, we reveal the presence of weak iridescence on eggs of the great tinamou (Tinamus major), an optical effect never previously documented for bird eggs. These data highlight the need for further exploration into the nanostructural mechanisms for the production of colour and other optical effects of avian eggshells. PMID:25505139

Calculations of the electrostatic potential adjacent to model phospholipid bilayers.

PubMed

Peitzsch, R M; Eisenberg, M; Sharp, K A; McLaughlin, S

1995-03-01

We used the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation to calculate electrostatic potentials in the aqueous phase adjacent to model phospholipid bilayers containing mixtures of zwitterionic lipids (phosphatidylcholine) and acidic lipids (phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylglycerol). The aqueous phase (relative permittivity, epsilon r = 80) contains 0.1 M monovalent salt. When the bilayers contain < 11% acidic lipid, the -25 mV equipotential surfaces are discrete domes centered over the negatively charged lipids and are approximately twice the value calculated using Debye-Hückel theory. When the bilayers contain > 25% acidic lipid, the -25 mV equipotential profiles are essentially flat and agree well with the values calculated using Gouy-Chapman theory. When the bilayers contain 100% acidic lipid, all of the equipotential surfaces are flat and agree with Gouy-Chapman predictions (including the -100 mV surface, which is located only 1 A from the outermost atoms). Even our model bilayers are not simple systems: the charge on each lipid is distributed over several atoms, these partial charges are non-coplanar, there is a 2 A ion-exclusion region (epsilon r = 80) adjacent to the polar headgroups, and the molecular surface is rough. We investigated the effect of these four factors using smooth (or bumpy) epsilon r = 2 slabs with embedded point charges: these factors had only minor effects on the potential in the aqueous phase.

Calculations of the electrostatic potential adjacent to model phospholipid bilayers.

PubMed Central

Peitzsch, R M; Eisenberg, M; Sharp, K A; McLaughlin, S

1995-01-01

We used the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation to calculate electrostatic potentials in the aqueous phase adjacent to model phospholipid bilayers containing mixtures of zwitterionic lipids (phosphatidylcholine) and acidic lipids (phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylglycerol). The aqueous phase (relative permittivity, epsilon r = 80) contains 0.1 M monovalent salt. When the bilayers contain < 11% acidic lipid, the -25 mV equipotential surfaces are discrete domes centered over the negatively charged lipids and are approximately twice the value calculated using Debye-Hückel theory. When the bilayers contain > 25% acidic lipid, the -25 mV equipotential profiles are essentially flat and agree well with the values calculated using Gouy-Chapman theory. When the bilayers contain 100% acidic lipid, all of the equipotential surfaces are flat and agree with Gouy-Chapman predictions (including the -100 mV surface, which is located only 1 A from the outermost atoms). Even our model bilayers are not simple systems: the charge on each lipid is distributed over several atoms, these partial charges are non-coplanar, there is a 2 A ion-exclusion region (epsilon r = 80) adjacent to the polar headgroups, and the molecular surface is rough. We investigated the effect of these four factors using smooth (or bumpy) epsilon r = 2 slabs with embedded point charges: these factors had only minor effects on the potential in the aqueous phase. Images FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3 FIGURE 4 PMID:7756540

Mechanically Assisted Self-Healing of Ultrathin Gold Nanowires.

PubMed

Wang, Binjun; Han, Ying; Xu, Shang; Qiu, Lu; Ding, Feng; Lou, Jun; Lu, Yang

2018-04-17

As the critical feature sizes of integrated circuits approaching sub-10 nm, ultrathin gold nanowires (diameter <10 nm) have emerged as one of the most promising candidates for next-generation interconnects in nanoelectronics. Also due to their ultrasmall dimensions, however, the structures and morphologies of ultrathin gold nanowires are more prone to be damaged during practical services, for example, Rayleigh instability can significantly alter their morphologies upon Joule heating, hindering their applications as interconnects. Here, it is shown that upon mechanical perturbations, predamaged, nonuniform ultrathin gold nanowires can quickly recover into uniform diameters and restore their smooth surfaces, via a simple mechanically assisted self-healing process. By examining the local self-healing process through in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, the underlying mechanism is believed to be associated with surface atomic diffusion as evidenced by molecular dynamics simulations. In addition, mechanical manipulation can assist the atoms to overcome the diffusion barriers, as suggested by ab initio calculations, to activate more surface adatoms to diffuse and consequently speed up the self-healing process. This result can provide a facile method to repair ultrathin metallic nanowires directly in functional devices, and quickly restore their microstructures and morphologies by simple global mechanical perturbations. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Smoothing Polymer Surfaces by Solvent-Vapor Exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anthamatten, Mitchell

2003-03-01

Ultra-smooth polymer surfaces are of great importance in a large body of technical applications such as optical coatings, supermirrors, waveguides, paints, and fusion targets. We are investigating a simple approach to controlling surface roughness: by temporarily swelling the polymer with solvent molecules. As the solvent penetrates into the polymer, its viscosity is lowered, and surface tension forces drive surface flattening. To investigate sorption kinetics and surface-smoothing phenomena, a series of vapor-deposited poly(amic acid) films were exposed to dimethyl sulfoxide vapors. During solvent exposure, the surface topology was continuously monitored using light interference microscopy. The resulting power spectra indicate that high-frequency defects smooth faster than low-frequency defects. This frequency dependence was studied by depositing polymer films onto a series of 2D sinusoidal surfaces and performing smoothing experiments. Results show that the amplitudes of the sinusoidal surfaces decay exponentially with solvent exposure time, and the exponential decay constants are proportional to surface frequency. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.

Ceramic surfaces, interfaces and solid-state reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heffelfinger, Jason Roy

Faceting, the decomposition of a surface into two or more surfaces of different orientation, is studied as a function of annealing time for ceramic surfaces. Single-crystals of Alsb2Osb3\\ (alpha-Alsb2Osb3 or corundum structure) are carefully prepared and characterized by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The mechanisms by which the originally smooth vicinal surface transforms into either a hill-and-valley or a terrace-and-step structure have been characterized. The progression of faceting is found to have a series of stages: surface smoothing, nucleation and growth of individual facets, formation of facet domains, coalescence of individual and facet domains and facet coarsening. These stages provide a model for the mechanisms of how other ceramic surfaces may facet into hill-and-valley and terrace-and-step surface microstructures. The well characterized Alsb2Osb3 surfaces provide excellent substrates by which to study the effect of surface structure on thin-film growth. Pulsed-laser deposition was used to grow thin films of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and Ysb2Osb3 onto annealed Alsb2Osb3 substrates. The substrate surface structure, such as surface steps and terraces, was found to have several effects on thin-film growth. Thin-films grown onto single-crystal substrates serve as a model geometry for studying thin-film solid-state reactions. Here, the reaction sequence and orientation relationship between thin films of Ysb2Osb3 and an Alsb2Osb3 substrate were characterized for different reaction temperatures. In a system were multiple reaction phases can form, the yttria aluminum monoclinic phase (YAM) was found to form prior to formation of other phases in this system. In a second system, a titanium alloy was reacted with single crystal Alsb2Osb3 in order to study phase formation in an intermetallic system. Both Tisb3Al and TiAl were found to form as reaction products and their orientation relationships with the Alsb2Osb3 are discussed.

Optical monitoring of proteins at solid interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunne, G.; McDonnell, L.; Miller, R.; McMillan, N. D.; O'Rourke, B.; Mitchell, C. I.

2005-06-01

The adsorption properties of polymers are of great importance for implant studies. A better understanding of these properties can lead to improved implant materials. In this study the surface energy of different polymers was derived from contact angle measurements taken using profile analysis tensiometry (PAT) of sessile drops of water. The contact angles were measured for advancing and receding water drops on polished polymer surfaces and also on polymer surfaces modified by adsorbing protein to the surface prior to analysis of the sessile drop. The protein used was bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the surfaces were poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA), poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) and stainless steel. The polymer surfaces were also studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Images of the surfaces were taken in different states: rough, smooth and with albumin adsorbed. As a method to identify the proteins on the surface easier, anti-albumin antibodies with 30nm nano gold particles attached were adsorbed to the albumin on the surfaces. Using nano gold particles made the imaging more straightforward and thus made identification of the protein on the surface easier. The results from this work show the differing hydrophobicities of polymer surfaces under different conditions and a new nanotechnological method of protein identification.

Characterization of PEG-Like Macromolecular Coatings on Plasma Modified NiTi Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jun; Gao, Jiacheng; Chang, Peng; Wang, Jianhua

2008-04-01

A poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG-like) coating was developed to improve the biocompatibility of Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) alloy implants. The PEG-like macromolecular coatings were deposited on NiTi substrates at a room temperature of 298 K through a ECR (electron-cyclotron resonance) cold-plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method using tetraglyme (CH3-O-(CH2-CH2-O)4-CH3) as a precursor. A power supply with a frequency of 2.45 GHz was applied to ignite the plasma with Ar(argon) used as the carrier gas. Based on the atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies, a thin smooth coating on NiTi substrates with highly amorphous functional groups on the modified NiTi surfaces were mainly the same accumulated stoichiometric ratio of C and O with PEG. The vitro studies showed that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) adsorption on the modified NiTi alloy surface was significantly reduced. This study indicated that plasma surface modification changes the surface components of NiTi alloy and subsequently improves its biocompatibility.

Optimization of the Surface Structure on Black Silicon for Surface Passivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Xiaojie; Zhou, Chunlan; Wang, Wenjing

2017-03-01

Black silicon shows excellent anti-reflection and thus is extremely useful for photovoltaic applications. However, its high surface recombination velocity limits the efficiency of solar cells. In this paper, the effective minority carrier lifetime of black silicon is improved by optimizing metal-catalyzed chemical etching (MCCE) method, using an Al2O3 thin film deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a passivation layer. Using the spray method to eliminate the impact on the rear side, single-side black silicon was obtained on n-type solar grade silicon wafers. Post-etch treatment with NH4OH/H2O2/H2O mixed solution not only smoothes the surface but also increases the effective minority lifetime from 161 μs of as-prepared wafer to 333 μs after cleaning. Moreover, adding illumination during the etching process results in an improvement in both the numerical value and the uniformity of the effective minority carrier lifetime.

Platinum-based electrocatalysts synthesized by depositing contiguous adlayers on carbon nanostructures

DOEpatents

Adzic, Radoslav R.; Harris, Alexander

2015-10-06

High-surface-area carbon nanostructures coated with a smooth and conformal submonolayer-to-multilayer thin metal films and their method of manufacture are described. The manufacturing process may involve initial oxidation of the carbon nanostructures followed by immersion in a solution with the desired pH to create negative surface dipoles. The nanostructures are subsequently immersed in an alkaline solution containing non-noble metal ions which adsorb at surface reaction sites. The metal ions are then reduced via chemical or electrical means and the nanostructures are exposed to a solution containing a salt of one or more noble metals which replace adsorbed non-noble surface metal atoms by galvanic displacement. Subsequent film growth may be performed via the initial quasi-underpotential deposition of a non-noble metal followed by immersion in a solution comprising a more noble metal. The resulting coated nanostructures may be used, for example, as high-performance electrodes in supercapacitors, batteries, or other electric storage devices.

Platinum-based electrocatalysts synthesized by depositing contiguous adlayers on carbon nanostructures

DOEpatents

Adzic, Radoslav; Harris, Alexander

2013-03-26

High-surface-area carbon nanostructures coated with a smooth and conformal submonolayer-to-multilayer thin metal films and their method of manufacture are described. The preferred manufacturing process involves the initial oxidation of the carbon nanostructures followed by immersion in a solution with the desired pH to create negative surface dipoles. The nanostructures are subsequently immersed in an alkaline solution containing non-noble metal ions which adsorb at surface reaction sites. The metal ions are then reduced via chemical or electrical means and the nanostructures are exposed to a solution containing a salt of one or more noble metals which replace adsorbed non-noble surface metal atoms by galvanic displacement. Subsequent film growth may be performed via the initial quasi-underpotential deposition of a non-noble metal followed by immersion in a solution comprising a more noble metal. The resulting coated nanostructures may be used, for example, as high-performance electrodes in supercapacitors, batteries, or other electric storage devices.

Optimization of the Surface Structure on Black Silicon for Surface Passivation.

PubMed

Jia, Xiaojie; Zhou, Chunlan; Wang, Wenjing

2017-12-01

Black silicon shows excellent anti-reflection and thus is extremely useful for photovoltaic applications. However, its high surface recombination velocity limits the efficiency of solar cells. In this paper, the effective minority carrier lifetime of black silicon is improved by optimizing metal-catalyzed chemical etching (MCCE) method, using an Al 2 O 3 thin film deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a passivation layer. Using the spray method to eliminate the impact on the rear side, single-side black silicon was obtained on n-type solar grade silicon wafers. Post-etch treatment with NH 4 OH/H 2 O 2 /H 2 O mixed solution not only smoothes the surface but also increases the effective minority lifetime from 161 μs of as-prepared wafer to 333 μs after cleaning. Moreover, adding illumination during the etching process results in an improvement in both the numerical value and the uniformity of the effective minority carrier lifetime.

Characterization of cell surface and extracellular matrix remodeling of Azospirillum brasilense chemotaxis-like 1 signal transduction pathway mutants by atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Edwards, Amanda Nicole; Siuti, Piro; Bible, Amber N; Alexandre, Gladys; Retterer, Scott T; Doktycz, Mitchel J; Morrell-Falvey, Jennifer L

2011-01-01

To compete in complex microbial communities, bacteria must sense environmental changes and adjust cellular functions for optimal growth. Chemotaxis-like signal transduction pathways are implicated in the regulation of multiple behaviors in response to changes in the environment, including motility patterns, exopolysaccharide production, and cell-to-cell interactions. In Azospirillum brasilense, cell surface properties, including exopolysaccharide production, are thought to play a direct role in promoting flocculation. Recently, the Che1 chemotaxis-like pathway from A. brasilense was shown to modulate flocculation, suggesting an associated modulation of cell surface properties. Using atomic force microscopy, distinct changes in the surface morphology of flocculating A. brasilense Che1 mutant strains were detected. Whereas the wild-type strain produces a smooth mucosal extracellular matrix after 24 h, the flocculating Che1 mutant strains produce distinctive extracellular fibril structures. Further analyses using flocculation inhibition, lectin-binding assays, and comparison of lipopolysaccharides profiles suggest that the extracellular matrix differs between the cheA1 and the cheY1 mutants, despite an apparent similarity in the macroscopic floc structures. Collectively, these data indicate that disruption of the Che1 pathway is correlated with distinctive changes in the extracellular matrix, which likely result from changes in surface polysaccharides structure and/or composition. FEMS Microbiology Letters © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. No claim to original US government works.

Wetting and spreading at the molecular scale

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koplik, Joel; Banavar, Jayanth R.

1994-01-01

We have studied the microscopic aspects of the spreading of liquid drops on a solid surface by molecular dynamics simulations of coexisting three-phase Lennard-Jones systems of liquid, vapor and solid. We consider both spherically symmetric atoms and chain-like molecules, and a range of interaction strengths. As the attraction between liquid and solid increases we observed a smooth transition in spreading regimes, from partial to complete to terraced wetting. In the terraced case, where distinct monomolecular layers spread with different velocities, the layers are ordered but not solid, with qualitative behavior resembling recent experimental findings, but with interesting differences in the spreading rate.

Wind-Tunnel Study of Scalar Transfer Phenomena for Surfaces of Block Arrays and Smooth Walls with Dry Patches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Juyeon; Hagishima, Aya; Ikegaya, Naoki; Tanimoto, Jun

2015-11-01

We report the result of a wind-tunnel experiment to measure the scalar transfer efficiency of three types of surfaces, wet street surfaces of cube arrays, wet smooth surfaces with dry patches, and fully wet smooth surfaces, to examine the effects of roughness topography and scalar source allocation. Scalar transfer coefficients defined by the source area {C}_{E wet} for an underlying wet street surface of dry block arrays show a convex trend against the block density λ _p. Comparison with past data, and results for wet smooth surfaces including dry patches, reveal that the positive peak of {C}_{E wet} with increasing λ _p is caused by reduced horizontal advection due to block roughness and enhanced evaporation due to a heterogeneous scalar source distribution. In contrast, scalar transfer coefficients defined by a lot-area including wet and dry areas {C}_{E lot} for smooth surfaces with dry patches indicate enhanced evaporation compared to the fully wet smooth surface (the oasis effect) for all three conditions of dry plan-area ratio up to 31 %. Relationships between the local Sherwood and Reynolds numbers derived from experimental data suggest that attenuation of {C}_{E wet} for a wet street of cube arrays against streamwise distance is weaker than for a wet smooth surface because of canopy flow around the blocks. Relevant parameters of ratio of roughness length for momentum to scalar {B}^{-1} were calculated from observational data. The result implies that {B}^{-1} possibly increases with block roughness, and decreases with the partitioning of the scalar boundary layer because of dry patches.

Thin film lubrication of hexadecane confined by iron and iron oxide surfaces: A crucial role of surface structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ta, D. T.; Tieu, A. K.; Zhu, H. T., E-mail: hongtao@uow.edu.au

2015-10-28

A comparative analysis of thin film lubrication of hexadecane between different iron and its oxide surfaces has been carried out using classical molecular dynamic simulation. An ab initio force-field, COMPASS, was applied for n-hexadecane using explicit atom model. An effective potential derived from density functional theory calculation was utilized for the interfacial interaction between hexadecane and the tribo-surfaces. A quantitative surface parameterization was introduced to investigate the influence of surface properties on the structure, rheological properties, and tribological performance of the lubricant. The results show that although the wall-fluid attraction of hexadecane on pure iron surfaces is significantly stronger thanmore » its oxides, there is a considerable reduction of shear stress of confined n-hexadecane film between Fe(100) and Fe(110) surfaces compared with FeO(110), FeO(111), Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(001), and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(012). It was found that, in thin film lubrication of hexadecane between smooth iron and iron oxide surfaces, the surface corrugation plays a role more important than the wall-fluid adhesion strength.« less

Terraced spreading of simple liquids on solid surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, Ju-Xing; Koplik, Joel; Banavar, Jayanth R.

1992-01-01

We have studied the spreading of liquid drops on a solid surface by molecular-dynamics simulations of coexisting three-phase Lennard-Jones systems of liquid, vapor, and solid. We consider both spherically symmetric atoms and diatomic molecules, and a range of interaction strengths. As the attraction between liquid and solid increases we observe a smooth transition in spreading regimes, from partial to complete to terraced wetting. In the terraced case, where distinct monomolecular layers spread with different velocities, the layers are ordered but not solid, with substantial molecular diffusion both within and between layers. The quantitative behavior resembles recent experimental findings, but the detailed dynamics differ. In particular, the layers exhibit an unusual spreading law, where their radii vary in time as R-squared approximately equal to log10t, which disagrees with experiments on polymeric liquids as well as recent calculations.

Trapping dynamics of xenon on Pt(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arumainayagam, Christopher R.; Madix, Robert J.; Mcmaster, Mark C.; Suzawa, Valerie M.; Tully, John C.

1990-02-01

The dynamics of Xe trapping on Pt(111) was studied using supersonic atomic beam techniques. Initial trapping probabilities ( S0) were measured directly as a function of incident translational energy ( EinT) and angle of incidence (θ i) at a surface temperature ( Tins) 95 K. The initial trapping probability decreases smoothly with increasing ET cosθ i;, rather than ET cos 2θ i, suggesting participation of parallel momentum in the trapping process. Accordingly, the measured initial trapping probability falls off more slowly with increasing incident translational energy than predicted by one-dimensional theories. This finding is in near agreement with previous mean translational energy measurements for Xe desorbing near the Pt(111) surface normal, assuming detailed balance applies. Three-dimensional stochastic classical trajectory calculations presented herein also exhibit the importance of tangential momentum in trapping and satisfactorily reproduce the experimental initial trapping probabilities.

Characterization of chemically and enzymatically treated hemp fibres using atomic force microscopy and spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Michael; Mussone, Paolo G.; Abboud, Zeinab; Bressler, David C.

2014-09-01

The mechanical and moisture resistance properties of natural fibre reinforced composites are dependent on the adhesion between the matrix of choice and the fibre. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effect of NaOH swelling of hemp fibres prior to enzymatic treatment and a novel chemical sulfonic acid method on the physical properties of hemp fibres. The colloidal properties of treated hemp fibres were studied exclusively using an atomic force microscope. AFM imaging in tapping mode revealed that each treatment rendered the surface topography of the hemp fibres clean and exposed the individual fibre bundles. Hemp fibres treated with laccase had no effect on the surface adhesion forces measured. Interestingly, mercerization prior to xylanase + cellulase and laccase treatments resulted in greater enzyme access evident in the increased adhesion force measurements. Hemp fibres treated with sulfonic acid showed an increase in surface de-fibrillation and smoothness. A decrease in adhesion forces for 4-aminotoulene-3-sulfonic acid (AT3S) treated fibres suggested a reduction in surface polarity. This work demonstrated that AFM can be used as a tool to estimate the surface forces and roughness for modified fibres and that enzymatic coupled with chemical methods can be used to improve the surface properties of natural fibres for composite applications. Further, this work is one of the first that offers some insight into the effect of mercerization prior to enzymes and the effect on the surface topography. AFM will be used to selectively screen treated fibres for composite applications based on the adhesion forces associated with the colloidal interface between the AFM tip and the fibre surfaces.

Nanopatterning of optical surfaces during low-energy ion beam sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Wenlin; Dai, Yifan; Xie, Xuhui

2014-06-01

Ion beam figuring (IBF) provides a highly deterministic method for high-precision optical surface fabrication, whereas ion-induced microscopic morphology evolution would occur on surfaces. Consequently, the fabrication specification for surface smoothness must be seriously considered during the IBF process. In this work, low-energy ion nanopatterning of our frequently used optical material surfaces is investigated to discuss the manufacturability of an ultrasmooth surface. The research results indicate that ion beam sputtering (IBS) can directly smooth some amorphous or amorphizable material surfaces, such as fused silica, Si, and ULE under appropriate processing conditions. However, for IBS of a Zerodur surface, preferential sputtering together with curvature-dependent sputtering overcome ion-induced smoothing mechanisms, leading to the granular nanopatterns' formation and the coarsening of the surface. Furthermore, the material property difference at microscopic scales and the continuous impurity incorporation would affect the ion beam smoothing of optical surfaces. Overall, IBS can be used as a promising technique for ultrasmooth surface fabrication, which strongly depends on processing conditions and material characters.

Molecular dynamics analysis of a equilibrium nanoscale droplet on a solid surface with periodic roughness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuta, Yuma; Surblys, Donatas; Yamaguchi, Yastaka

2016-11-01

Molecular dynamics simulations of the equilibrium wetting behavior of hemi-cylindrical argon droplets on solid surfaces with a periodic roughness were carried out. The rough solid surface is located at the bottom of the calculation cell with periodic boundary conditions in surface lateral directions and mirror boundary condition at the top boundary. Similar to on a smooth surface, the change of the cosine of the droplet contact angle was linearly correlated to the potential well depth of the inter-atomic interaction between liquid and solid on a surface with a short roughness period while the correlation was deviated on one with a long roughness period. To further investigate this feature, solid-liquid, solid-vapor interfacial free energies per unit projected area of solid surface were evaluated by using the thermodynamic integration method in independent quasi-one-dimensional simulation systems with a liquid-solid interface or vapor-solid interface on various rough solid surfaces at a constant pressure. The cosine of the apparent contact angles estimated from the density profile of the droplet systems corresponded well with ones calculated from Young's equation using the interfacial energies evaluated in the quasi-one dimensional systems.

The nature of the air-cleaved mica surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christenson, Hugo K.; Thomson, Neil H.

2016-06-01

The accepted image of muscovite mica is that of an inert and atomically smooth surface, easily prepared by cleavage in an ambient atmosphere. Consequently, mica is extensively used a model substrate in many fundamental studies of surface phenomena and as a substrate for AFM imaging of biomolecules. In this review we present evidence from the literature that the above picture is not quite correct. The mica used in experimental work is almost invariably cleaved in laboratory air, where a reaction between the mica surface, atmospheric CO2 and water occurs immediately after cleavage. The evidence suggests very strongly that as a result the mica surface becomes covered by up to one formula unit of K2CO3 per nm2, which is mobile under humid conditions, and crystallises under drier conditions. The properties of mica in air or water vapour cannot be fully understood without reference to the surface K2CO3, and many studies of the structure of adsorbed water on mica surfaces may need to be revisited. With this new insight, however, the air-cleaved mica should provide exciting opportunities to study phenomena such as two-dimensional ion diffusion, electrolyte effects on surface conductivity, and two-dimensional crystal nucleation.

Chemical method for producing smooth surfaces on silicon wafers

DOEpatents

Yu, Conrad

2003-01-01

An improved method for producing optically smooth surfaces in silicon wafers during wet chemical etching involves a pre-treatment rinse of the wafers before etching and a post-etching rinse. The pre-treatment with an organic solvent provides a well-wetted surface that ensures uniform mass transfer during etching, which results in optically smooth surfaces. The post-etching treatment with an acetic acid solution stops the etching instantly, preventing any uneven etching that leads to surface roughness. This method can be used to etch silicon surfaces to a depth of 200 .mu.m or more, while the finished surfaces have a surface roughness of only 15-50 .ANG. (RMS).

Carbon decorative coatings by dip-, spin-, and spray-assisted layer-by-layer assembly deposition.

PubMed

Hong, Jinkee; Kang, Sang Wook

2011-09-01

We performed a comparative surface analysis of all-carbon nano-objects (multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) or graphene oxide (GO) sheets) based multilayer coatings prepared using three widely used nanofilm fabrication methods: dip-, spin-, and spray-assisted layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition. The resultant films showed a marked difference in their growth mechanisms and surface morphologies. Various carbon decorative coatings were synthesized with different surface roughness values, despite identical preparation conditions. In particular, smooth to highly rough all-carbon surfaces, as determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), were readily obtained by manipulating the LbL deposition methods. As was confirmed by the AFM and SEM analyses, this finding indicated the fundamental morphological evolution of one-dimensional nano-objects (MWNT) and two-dimensional nano-objects (GO) by control of the surface roughness through the deposition method. Therefore, an analysis of the three LbL-assembly methods presented herein may offer useful information about the industrial use of carbon decorative coatings and provide an insight into ways to control the structures of multilayer coatings by tuning the morphologies of carbon nano-objects.

Ultrathin Au film on polymer surface for surface plasmon polariton waveguide application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Tong; Ji, Lanting; He, Guobing; Sun, Xiaoqiang; Wang, Fei; Zhang, Daming

2017-11-01

Formation of laterally continuous ultrathin gold films on polymer substrates is a technological challenge. In this work, the vacuum thermal evaporation method is adopted to form continuous Au films in the thickness range of 7-17 nm on polymers of Poly(methyl-methacrylate-glycidly-methacrylate) and SU-8 film surface without using the adhesion or metallic seeding layers. Absorption spectrum, scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope images are used to characterize the Au film thickness, roughness and optical loss. The result shows that molecular-scale structure, surface energy and electronegativity have impacts on the Au film morphology on polymers. Wet chemical etching is used to fabricate 7-nm thick Au stripes embedded in polymer claddings. These long-range surface plasmon polariton waveguides demonstrate the favorable morphological configurations and cross-sectional states. Through the end-fire excitation method, propagation losses of 6-μm wide Au stripes are compared to theoretical values and analyzed from practical film status. The smooth, patternable gold films on polymer provide potential applications to plasmonic waveguides, biosensing, metamaterials and optical antennas.

A Fast Smoothing Algorithm for Post-Processing of Surface Reflectance Spectra Retrieved from Airborne Imaging Spectrometer Data

PubMed Central

Gao, Bo-Cai; Liu, Ming

2013-01-01

Surface reflectance spectra retrieved from remotely sensed hyperspectral imaging data using radiative transfer models often contain residual atmospheric absorption and scattering effects. The reflectance spectra may also contain minor artifacts due to errors in radiometric and spectral calibrations. We have developed a fast smoothing technique for post-processing of retrieved surface reflectance spectra. In the present spectral smoothing technique, model-derived reflectance spectra are first fit using moving filters derived with a cubic spline smoothing algorithm. A common gain curve, which contains minor artifacts in the model-derived reflectance spectra, is then derived. This gain curve is finally applied to all of the reflectance spectra in a scene to obtain the spectrally smoothed surface reflectance spectra. Results from analysis of hyperspectral imaging data collected with the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data are given. Comparisons between the smoothed spectra and those derived with the empirical line method are also presented. PMID:24129022

A Pragmatic Smoothing Method for Improving the Quality of the Results in Atomic Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennun, Leonardo

2017-07-01

A new smoothing method for the improvement on the identification and quantification of spectral functions based on the previous knowledge of the signals that are expected to be quantified, is presented. These signals are used as weighted coefficients in the smoothing algorithm. This smoothing method was conceived to be applied in atomic and nuclear spectroscopies preferably to these techniques where net counts are proportional to acquisition time, such as particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and other X-ray fluorescence spectroscopic methods, etc. This algorithm, when properly applied, does not distort the form nor the intensity of the signal, so it is well suited for all kind of spectroscopic techniques. This method is extremely effective at reducing high-frequency noise in the signal much more efficient than a single rectangular smooth of the same width. As all of smoothing techniques, the proposed method improves the precision of the results, but in this case we found also a systematic improvement on the accuracy of the results. We still have to evaluate the improvement on the quality of the results when this method is applied over real experimental results. We expect better characterization of the net area quantification of the peaks, and smaller Detection and Quantification Limits. We have applied this method to signals that obey Poisson statistics, but with the same ideas and criteria, it could be applied to time series. In a general case, when this algorithm is applied over experimental results, also it would be required that the sought characteristic functions, required for this weighted smoothing method, should be obtained from a system with strong stability. If the sought signals are not perfectly clean, this method should be carefully applied

High-Temperature Growth of GaN and Al x Ga1- x N via Ammonia-Based Metalorganic Molecular-Beam Epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Billingsley, Daniel; Henderson, Walter; Doolittle, W. Alan

2010-05-01

The effect of high-temperature growth on the crystalline quality and surface morphology of GaN and Al x Ga1- x N grown by ammonia-based metalorganic molecular-beam epitaxy (NH3-MOMBE) has been investigated as a means of producing atomically smooth films suitable for device structures. The effects of V/III ratio on the growth rate and surface morphology are described herein. The crystalline quality of both GaN and AlGaN was found to mimic that of the GaN templates, with (002) x-ray diffraction (XRD) full-widths at half- maximum (FWHMs) of ~350 arcsec. Nitrogen-rich growth conditions have been found to provide optimal surface morphologies with a root-mean-square (RMS) roughness of ~0.8 nm, yet excessive N-rich environments have been found to reduce the growth rate and result in the formation of faceted surface pitting. AlGaN exhibits a decreased growth rate, as compared with GaN, due to increased N recombination as a result of the increased pyrolysis of NH3 in the presence of Al. AlGaN films grown directly on GaN templates exhibited Pendellösung x-ray fringes, indicating an abrupt interface and a planar AlGaN film. AlGaN films grown for this study resulted in an optimal RMS roughness of ~0.85 nm with visible atomic steps.

Influence of surface morphology on adsorption of potassium stearate molecules on diamond-like carbon substrate: A molecular dynamics study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Shusen; Cao, Yongzhi; Sun, Tao; Zhang, Junjie; Gu, Le; Zhang, Chuanwei; Xu, Zhiqiang

2018-05-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to provide insights into the influence of nano-scale surface morphology on adsorptive behavior of Potassium stearate molecules on diamond-like carbon (DLC) substrates. Particular focus was given to explain that how the distinctive geometric properties of different surface morphologies affect the equilibrium structures and substrate-molecules interactions of monolayers, which was achieved through adsorptive analysis methods including adsorptive process, density profile, density distribution and surface potential energy. Analysis on surface potential energy demonstrated that the adsorptivity of amorphous smooth substrate is uniformly distributed over the surface, while DLC substrates with different surface morphologies appear to be more potentially corrugated, which improves the adsorptivity significantly. Because of the large distance of molecules from carbon atoms located at the square groove bottom, substrate-molecules interactions vanish significantly, and thus potassium stearate molecules cannot penetrate completely into the square groove. It can be observed that the equilibrium substrate-molecules interactions of triangle groove and semi-circle groove are much more powerful than that of square groove due to geometrically advantageous properties. These findings provided key information of optimally design of solid substrates with controllable adsorptivity.

Numerical Prediction of the Influence of Process Parameters on Large Area Diamond Deposition by DC Arcjet with ARC Roots Rotating and Operating at Gas Recycling Mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, F. X.; Huang, T. B.; Tang, W. Z.; Song, J. H.; Tong, Y. M.

A computer model have been set up for simulation of the flow and temperature field, and the radial distribution of atomic hydrogen and active carbonaceous species over a large area substrate surface for a new type dc arc plasma torch with rotating arc roots and operating at gas recycling mode A gas recycling radio of 90% was assumed. In numerical calculation of plasma chemistry, the Thermal-Calc program and a powerful thermodynamic database were employed. Numerical calculations to the computer model were performed using boundary conditions close to the experimental setup for large area diamond films deposition. The results showed that the flow and temperature field over substrate surface of Φ60-100mm were smooth and uniform. Calculations were also made with plasma of the same geometry but no arc roots rotation. It was clearly demonstrated that the design of rotating arc roots was advantageous for high quality uniform deposition of large area diamond films. Theoretical predictions on growth rate and film quality as well as their radial uniformity, and the influence of process parameters on large area diamond deposition were discussed in detail based on the spatial distribution of atomic hydrogen and the carbonaceous species in the plasma over the substrate surface obtained from thermodynamic calculations of plasma chemistry, and were compared with experimental observations.

Characterization of Cell Surface and EPS Remodeling of Azospirillum brasilense Chemotaxis-like 1 Signal Transduction Pathway mutants by Atomic Force Microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Billings, Amanda N; Siuti, Piro; Bible, Amber

2011-01-01

To compete in complex microbial communities, bacteria must quickly sense environmental changes and adjust cellular functions for optimal growth. Chemotaxis-like signal transduction pathways are implicated in the modulation of multiple cellular responses, including motility, EPS production, and cell-to-cell interactions. Recently, the Che1 chemotaxis-like pathway from Azospirillum brasilense was shown to modulate flocculation. In A. brasilense, cell surface properties, including EPS production, are thought to play a direct role in promoting flocculation. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), we have detected distinct changes in the surface morphology of flocculating A. brasilense Che1 mutant strains that are absent in the wild type strain.more » Whereas the wild type strain produces a smooth mucosal extracellular matrix, the flocculating Che1 mutant strains produce distinctive extracellular fibril structures. Further analyses using flocculation inhibition and lectin-binding assays suggest that the composition of EPS components in the extracellular matrix differs between the cheA1 and cheY1 mutants, despite an apparent similarity in the macroscopic floc structures. Collectively, these data indicate that mutations in the Che1 pathway that result in increased flocculation are correlated with distinctive changes in the extracellular matrix structure produced by the mutants, including likely changes in the EPS structure and/or composition.« less

Smooth operator: The effects of different 3D mesh retriangulation protocols on the computation of Dirichlet normal energy.

PubMed

Spradley, Jackson P; Pampush, James D; Morse, Paul E; Kay, Richard F

2017-05-01

Dirichlet normal energy (DNE) is a metric of surface topography that has been used to evaluate the relationship between the surface complexity of primate cheek teeth and dietary categories. This study examines the effects of different 3D mesh retriangulation protocols on DNE. We examine how different protocols influence the DNE of a simple geometric shape-a hemisphere-to gain a more thorough understanding than can be achieved by investigating a complex biological surface such as a tooth crown. We calculate DNE on 3D surface meshes of hemispheres and on primate molars subjected to various retriangulation protocols, including smoothing algorithms, smoothing amounts, target face counts, and criteria for boundary face exclusion. Software used includes R, MorphoTester, Avizo, and MeshLab. DNE was calculated using the R package "molaR." In all cases, smoothing as performed in Avizo sharply decreases DNE initially, after which DNE becomes stable. Using a broader boundary exclusion criterion or performing additional smoothing (using "mesh fairing" methods) further decreases DNE. Increasing the mesh face count also results in increased DNE on tooth surfaces. Different retriangulation protocols yield different DNE values for the same surfaces, and should not be combined in meta-analyses. Increasing face count will capture surface microfeatures, but at the expense of computational speed. More aggressive smoothing is more likely to alter the essential geometry of the surface. A protocol is proposed that limits potential artifacts created during surface production while preserving pertinent features on the occlusal surface. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optimization of conditions for thermal smoothing GaAs surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhundov, I. O.; Kazantsev, D. M.; Kozhuhov, A. S.; Alperovich, V. L.

2018-03-01

GaAs thermal smoothing by annealing in conditions which are close to equilibrium between the surface and vapors of As and Ga was earlier proved to be effective for the step-terraced surface formation on epi-ready substrates with a small root-mean-square roughness (Rq ≤ 0.15 nm). In the present study, this technique is further developed in order to reduce the annealing duration and to smooth GaAs samples with a larger initial roughness. To this end, we proposed a two-stage anneal with the first high-temperature stage aimed at smoothing "coarse" relief features and the second stage focused on "fine" smoothing at a lower temperature. The optimal temperatures and durations of two-stage annealing are found by Monte Carlo simulations and adjusted after experimentation. It is proved that the temperature and duration of the first high-temperature stage are restricted by the surface roughening, which occurs due to deviations from equilibrium conditions.

An atomistic fingerprint algorithm for learning ab initio molecular force fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Yu-Hang; Zhang, Dongkun; Karniadakis, George Em

2018-01-01

Molecular fingerprints, i.e., feature vectors describing atomistic neighborhood configurations, is an important abstraction and a key ingredient for data-driven modeling of potential energy surface and interatomic force. In this paper, we present the density-encoded canonically aligned fingerprint algorithm, which is robust and efficient, for fitting per-atom scalar and vector quantities. The fingerprint is essentially a continuous density field formed through the superimposition of smoothing kernels centered on the atoms. Rotational invariance of the fingerprint is achieved by aligning, for each fingerprint instance, the neighboring atoms onto a local canonical coordinate frame computed from a kernel minisum optimization procedure. We show that this approach is superior over principal components analysis-based methods especially when the atomistic neighborhood is sparse and/or contains symmetry. We propose that the "distance" between the density fields be measured using a volume integral of their pointwise difference. This can be efficiently computed using optimal quadrature rules, which only require discrete sampling at a small number of grid points. We also experiment on the choice of weight functions for constructing the density fields and characterize their performance for fitting interatomic potentials. The applicability of the fingerprint is demonstrated through a set of benchmark problems.

Surfactant-assisted atomic-level engineering of spin valves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chopra, Harsh Deep; Yang, David X.; Chen, P. J.; Egelhoff, W. F.

2002-03-01

Surfactant Ag is successfully used to atomically engineer interfaces and nanostructure in NiO-Co-Cu-based bottom spin valves. At a Cu spacer thickness of 1.5 nm, a strong net ferromagnetic (or positive) coupling >13.92 kA/m (>175 Oe) between NiO-pinned and ``free'' Co layers leads to a negligible ``giant'' magnetoresistance (GMR) effect (<0.7%) in Ag-free samples. In contrast, the net ferromagnetic coupling could be reduced by a factor of 2 or more in spin valves deposited in the presence of ~1-3 ML of surfactant Ag, and such samples exhibit more than an order of magnitude increase in GMR (8.5-13 %). Based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM), a large contribution to net ferromagnetic coupling in Ag-free samples could be directly attributed to the presence of numerous pinholes. In situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and TEM studies show that surfactant Ag floats out to the surface during deposition of successive Co and Cu overlayers, leaving behind smooth interfaces and continuous layers that are less prone to intermixing and pinholes. The use of surfactants in the present study also illustrates their potential use in atomic engineering of magnetoelectronics devices and other multilayer systems.

Electroless silver coating of rod-like glass particles.

PubMed

Moon, Jee Hyun; Kim, Kyung Hwan; Choi, Hyung Wook; Lee, Sang Wha; Park, Sang Joon

2008-09-01

An electroless silver coating of rod-like glass particles was performed and silver glass composite powders were prepared to impart electrical conductivity to these non-conducting glass particles. The low density Ag-coated glass particles may be utilized for manufacturing conducting inorganic materials for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding applications and the techniques for controlling the uniform thickness of silver coating can be employed in preparation of biosensor materials. For the surface pretreatment, Sn sensitization was performed and the coating powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam microscopy (FIB), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) along with the surface resistant measurements. In particular, the use of FIB technique for determining directly the Ag-coating thickness was very effective on obtaining the optimum conditions for coating. The surface sensitization and initial silver loading for electroless silver coating could be found and the uniform and smooth silver-coated layer with thickness of 46 nm was prepared at 2 mol/l of Sn and 20% silver loading.

A high-mobility electronic system at an electrolyte-gated oxide surface

DOE PAGES

Gallagher, Patrick; Lee, Menyoung; Petach, Trevor A.; ...

2015-03-12

Electrolyte gating is a powerful technique for accumulating large carrier densities at a surface. Yet this approach suffers from significant sources of disorder: electrochemical reactions can damage or alter the sample, and the ions of the electrolyte and various dissolved contaminants sit Angstroms from the electron system. Accordingly, electrolyte gating is well suited to studies of superconductivity and other phenomena robust to disorder, but of limited use when reactions or disorder must be avoided. Here we demonstrate that these limitations can be overcome by protecting the sample with a chemically inert, atomically smooth sheet of hexagonal boron nitride. We illustratemore » our technique with electrolyte-gated strontium titanate, whose mobility when protected with boron nitride improves more than 10-fold while achieving carrier densities nearing 10 14 cm –2. In conclusion, our technique is portable to other materials, and should enable future studies where high carrier density modulation is required but electrochemical reactions and surface disorder must be minimized.« less

Effect of tetramethylammonium hydroxide/isopropyl alcohol wet etching on geometry and surface roughness of silicon nanowires fabricated by AFM lithography

PubMed Central

Yusoh, Siti Noorhaniah

2016-01-01

Summary The optimization of etchant parameters in wet etching plays an important role in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. Wet etching of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH)/isopropyl alcohol (IPA) on silicon nanowires fabricated by AFM lithography is studied herein. TMAH (25 wt %) with different IPA concentrations (0, 10, 20, and 30 vol %) and etching time durations (30, 40, and 50 s) were investigated. The relationships between etching depth and width, and etching rate and surface roughness of silicon nanowires were characterized in detail using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The obtained results indicate that increased IPA concentration in TMAH produced greater width of the silicon nanowires with a smooth surface. It was also observed that the use of a longer etching time causes more unmasked silicon layers to be removed. Importantly, throughout this study, wet etching with optimized parameters can be applied in the design of the devices with excellent performance for many applications. PMID:27826521

Instability of confined water films between elastic surfaces.

PubMed

de Beer, Sissi; 't Mannetje, Dieter; Zantema, Sietske; Mugele, Frieder

2010-03-02

We investigated the dynamics of nanometer thin water films at controlled ambient humidity adsorbed onto two atomically smooth mica sheets upon rapidly bringing the surfaces into contact. Using a surface forces apparatus (SFA) in imaging mode, we found that the water films break up into a distribution of drops with a typical thickness of a few nanometers and a characteristic lateral size and spacing of several micrometers. Whereas the characteristic length is found to be independent of the ambient humidity, the characteristic time of the breakup decreases from approximately 1 to 0.01 s with increasing humidity. The existence of characteristic length and time scales shows that this breakup is controlled by an instability rather than a conventional nucleation and growth mechanism for SFA experiments. These findings cannot be explained by a dispersion-driven instability mechanism. In contrast, a model involving the elastic energies for the deformation of both the mica sheets and the underlying glue layer correctly reproduces the scaling of the characteristic length and time with humidity.

Nanoscale wear and kinetic friction between atomically smooth surfaces sliding at high speeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajauria, Sukumar; Canchi, Sripathi V.; Schreck, Erhard; Marchon, Bruno

2015-02-01

The kinetic friction and wear at high sliding speeds is investigated using the head-disk interface of hard disk drives, wherein the head and the disk are less than 10 nm apart and move at sliding speeds of 5-10 m/s relative to each other. While the spacing between the sliding surfaces is of the same order of magnitude as various AFM based fundamental studies on friction, the sliding speed is nearly six orders of magnitude larger, allowing a unique set-up for a systematic study of nanoscale wear at high sliding speeds. In a hard disk drive, the physical contact between the head and the disk leads to friction, wear, and degradation of the head overcoat material (typically diamond like carbon). In this work, strain gauge based friction measurements are performed; the friction coefficient as well as the adhering shear strength at the head-disk interface is extracted; and an experimental set-up for studying friction between high speed sliding surfaces is exemplified.

Parallel algorithms for the molecular conformation problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajan, Kumar

Given a set of objects, and some of the pairwise distances between them, the problem of identifying the positions of the objects in the Euclidean space is referred to as the molecular conformation problem. This problem is known to be computationally difficult. One of the most important applications of this problem is the determination of the structure of molecules. In the case of molecular structure determination, usually only the lower and upper bounds on some of the interatomic distances are available. The process of obtaining a tighter set of bounds between all pairs of atoms, using the available interatomic distance bounds is referred to as bound-smoothing . One method for bound-smoothing is to use the limits imposed by the triangle inequality. The distance bounds so obtained can often be tightened further by applying the tetrangle inequality---the limits imposed on the six pairwise distances among a set of four atoms (instead of three for the triangle inequalities). The tetrangle inequality is expressed by the Cayley-Menger determinants. The sequential tetrangle-inequality bound-smoothing algorithm considers a quadruple of atoms at a time, and tightens the bounds on each of its six distances. The sequential algorithm is computationally expensive, and its application is limited to molecules with up to a few hundred atoms. Here, we conduct an experimental study of tetrangle-inequality bound-smoothing and reduce the sequential time by identifying the most computationally expensive portions of the process. We also present a simple criterion to determine which of the quadruples of atoms are likely to be tightened the most by tetrangle-inequality bound-smoothing. This test could be used to enhance the applicability of this process to large molecules. We map the problem of parallelizing tetrangle-inequality bound-smoothing to that of generating disjoint packing designs of a certain kind. We map this, in turn, to a regular-graph coloring problem, and present a simple, parallel algorithm for tetrangle-inequality bound-smoothing. We implement the parallel algorithm on the Intel Paragon X/PS, and apply it to real-life molecules. Our results show that with this parallel algorithm, tetrangle inequality can be applied to large molecules in a reasonable amount of time. We extend the regular graph to represent more general packing designs, and present a coloring algorithm for this graph. This can be used to generate constant-weight binary codes in parallel. Once a tighter set of distance bounds is obtained, the molecular conformation problem is usually formulated as a non-linear optimization problem, and a global optimization algorithm is then used to solve the problem. Here we present a parallel, deterministic algorithm for the optimization problem based on Interval Analysis. We implement our algorithm, using dynamic load balancing, on a network of Sun Ultra-Sparc workstations. Our experience with this algorithm shows that its application is limited to small instances of the molecular conformation problem, where the number of measured, pairwise distances is close to the maximum value. However, since the interval method eliminates a substantial portion of the initial search space very quickly, it can be used to prune the search space before any of the more efficient, nondeterministic methods can be applied.

Spatial resolution in thin film deposition on silicon surfaces by combining silylation and UV/ozonolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Lei; Zaera, Francisco

2014-12-01

A simple procedure has been developed for the processing of silicon wafers in order to facilitate the spatially resolved growth of thin solid films on their surfaces. Specifically, a combination of silylation and UV/ozonolysis was tested as a way to control the concentration of the surface hydroxo groups required for subsequent atomic layer deposition (ALD) of metals or oxides. Water contact angle measurements were used to evaluate the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the surface, a proxy for OH surface coverage, and to optimize the UV/ozonolysis treatment. Silylation with hexamethyldisilazane, trichloro(octadecyl)silane, or trimethylchlorosilane was found to be an efficient way to block the hydroxo sites and to passivate the underlying surface, and UV/O3 treatments were shown to effectively remove the silylation layer and to regain the surface reactivity. Both O3 and 185 nm UV radiation were determined necessary for the removal of the silylation layer, and additional 254 nm radiation was found to enhance the process. Attenuated total reflection-infrared absorption spectroscopy was employed to assess the success of the silylation and UV/O3 removal steps, and atomic force microscopy data provided evidence for the retention of the original smoothness of the surface. Selective growth of HfO2 films via TDMAHf + H2O ALD was seen only on the UV/O3 treated surfaces; total inhibition of the deposition was observed on the untreated silylated surfaces (as determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ellipsometry). Residual film growth was still detected on the latter if the ALD was carried out at high temperatures (250 °C), because the silylation layer deteriorates under such harsh conditions and forms surface defects that act as nucleation sites for the growth of oxide grains (as identified by electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy). We believe that the silylation-UV/O3 procedure advanced here could be easily implemented for the patterning of surfaces in many microelectronic applications.

PREFACE: International Conference on Many Particle Spectroscopy of Atoms, Molecules, Clusters and Surfaces (MPS2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ancarani, Lorenzo Ugo

2015-04-01

This volume contains a collection of contributions from the invited speakers at the 2014 edition of the International Conference on Many Particle Spectroscopy of Atoms, Molecules, Clusters and Surfaces held in Metz, France, from 15th to 18th July 2014. This biennial conference alternates with the ICPEAC satellite International Symposium on (e,2e), Double Photoionization and Related Topics, and is concerned with experimental and theoretical studies of radiation interactions with matter. These include many-body and electron-electron correlation effects in excitation, and in single and multiple ionization of atoms, molecules, clusters and surfaces with various projectiles: electrons, photons and ions. More than 80 scientists, from 19 different countries around the world, came together to discuss the most recent progress on these topics. The scientific programme included 28 invited talks and a poster session extending over the three days of the meeting. Amongst the 51 posters, 11 have been selected and were advertised through short talks. Besides, Professor Nora Berrah gave a talk in memory of Professor Uwe Becker who sadly passed away shortly after co-chairing the previous edition of this conference. Financial support from the Institut Jean Barriol, Laboratoire SRSMC, Groupement de Recherche THEMS (CNRS), Ville de Metz, Metz Métropole, Conseil Général de la Moselle and Région Lorraine is gratefully acknowledged. Finally, I would like to thank the members of the local committee and the staff of the Université de Lorraine for making the conference run smoothly, the International Advisory Board for building up the scientific programme, the sessions chairpersons, those who gave their valuable time in carefully refereeing the articles of this volume and last, but not least, all participants for contributing to lively and fruitful discussions throughout the meeting.

Surfactant Mediated Growth of Co on MgO(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson-Steigelman, H. Trevor; Parihar, Somendra S.; Lyman, Paul F.

2010-03-01

Monolayer films of Co were deposited using an electrostatic electron-beam evaporator on single-crystal MgO(111)- √3 x√3 R 30^o substrates held at room temperature, with subsequent annealing of temperatures 400 C to 800 C. These films were characterized using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). After short anneals of 400 C, AFM, LEED, and XPS suggest that islanding has occurred at the surface. XPS and XRD indicate the presence of elemental Co. 1-2 ML films of Ag were examined as a potential surfactant to aid in the growth of smooth Co films. Despite the fact that Ag itself formed islands, it was found that the presence of Ag did have a surfactant effect upon the thin-film growth of Co on Ag/MgO(111)- √3 x√3 R 30^o. Co islands were still present, but much more smooth than islands formed without Ag. XPS and AFM suggest strongly that Ag floated to the top of these samples at temperatures above 400 ^oC.

Direct surface analysis coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry reveals heterogeneous composition of the cuticle of Hibiscus trionum petals.

PubMed

Giorio, Chiara; Moyroud, Edwige; Glover, Beverley J; Skelton, Paul C; Kalberer, Markus

2015-10-06

Plant cuticle, which is the outermost layer covering the aerial parts of all plants including petals and leaves, can present a wide range of patterns that, combined with cell shape, can generate unique physical, mechanical, or optical properties. For example, arrays of regularly spaced nanoridges have been found on the dark (anthocyanin-rich) portion at the base of the petals of Hibiscus trionum. Those ridges act as a diffraction grating, producing an iridescent effect. Because the surface of the distal white region of the petals is smooth and noniridescent, a selective chemical characterization of the surface of the petals on different portions (i.e., ridged vs smooth) is needed to understand whether distinct cuticular patterns correlate with distinct chemical compositions of the cuticle. In the present study, a rapid screening method has been developed for the direct surface analysis of Hibiscus trionum petals using liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. The optimized method was used to characterize a wide range of plant metabolites and cuticle monomers on the upper (adaxial) surface of the petals on both the white/smooth and anthocyanic/ridged regions, and on the lower (abaxial) surface, which is entirely smooth. The main components detected on the surface of the petals are low-molecular-weight organic acids, sugars, and flavonoids. The ridged portion on the upper surface of the petal is enriched in long-chain fatty acids, which are constituents of the wax fraction of the cuticle. These compounds were not detected on the white/smooth region of the upper petal surface or on the smooth lower surface.

Enhancement of surface definition and gridding in the EAGLE code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Joe F.

1991-01-01

Algorithms for smoothing of curves and surfaces for the EAGLE grid generation program are presented. The method uses an existing automated technique which detects undesirable geometric characteristics by using a local fairness criterion. The geometry entity is then smoothed by repeated removal and insertion of spline knots in the vicinity of the geometric irregularity. The smoothing algorithm is formulated for use with curves in Beta spline form and tensor product B-spline surfaces.

Growth and structure of Bi 0.5(Na 0.7K 0.2Li 0.1) 0.5TiO 3 thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Lei; Xiao, Dingquan; Lin, Dunmin; Zhang, Yongbin; Zhu, Jianguo

2009-02-01

Bi 0.5(Na 0.7K 0.2Li 0.1) 0.5TiO 3 (BNKLT) thin films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO 2/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The films prepared were examined by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The effects of the processing parameters, such as oxygen pressure, substrate temperature and laser power, on the crystal structure, surface morphology, roughness and deposition rates of the thin films were investigated. It was found that the substrate temperature of 600 °C and oxygen pressure of 30 Pa are the optimized technical parameters for the growth of textured film, and all the thin films prepared have granular structure, homogeneous grain size and smooth surfaces.

In-situ laser nano-patterning for ordered InAs/GaAs(001) quantum dot growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei; Shi, Zhenwu; Huo, Dayun; Guo, Xiaoxiang; Zhang, Feng; Chen, Linsen; Wang, Qinhua; Zhang, Baoshun; Peng, Changsi

2018-04-01

A study of in-situ laser interference nano-patterning on InGaAs wetting layers was carried out during InAs/GaAs (001) quantum dot molecular beam epitaxy growth. Periodic nano-islands with heights of a few atomic layers were obtained via four-beam laser interference irradiation on the InGaAs wetting layer at an InAs coverage of 0.9 monolayer. The quantum dots nucleated preferentially at edges of nano-islands upon subsequent deposition of InAs on the patterned surface. When the nano-islands are sufficiently small, the patterned substrate could be spontaneously re-flattened and an ordered quantum dot array could be produced on the smooth surface. This letter discusses the mechanisms of nano-patterning and ordered quantum dot nucleation in detail. This study provides a potential technique leading to site-controlled, high-quality quantum dot fabrication.

Symmetric and asymmetric capillary bridges between a rough surface and a parallel surface.

PubMed

Wang, Yongxin; Michielsen, Stephen; Lee, Hoon Joo

2013-09-03

Although the formation of a capillary bridge between two parallel surfaces has been extensively studied, the majority of research has described only symmetric capillary bridges between two smooth surfaces. In this work, an instrument was built to form a capillary bridge by squeezing a liquid drop on one surface with another surface. An analytical solution that describes the shape of symmetric capillary bridges joining two smooth surfaces has been extended to bridges that are asymmetric about the midplane and to rough surfaces. The solution, given by elliptical integrals of the first and second kind, is consistent with a constant Laplace pressure over the entire surface and has been verified for water, Kaydol, and dodecane drops forming symmetric and asymmetric bridges between parallel smooth surfaces. This solution has been applied to asymmetric capillary bridges between a smooth surface and a rough fabric surface as well as symmetric bridges between two rough surfaces. These solutions have been experimentally verified, and good agreement has been found between predicted and experimental profiles for small drops where the effect of gravity is negligible. Finally, a protocol for determining the profile from the volume and height of the capillary bridge has been developed and experimentally verified.

Cellular Behavior of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells on Wettable Gradient Polyethylene Surfaces

PubMed Central

Ahn, Hyun Hee; Lee, Il Woo; Lee, Hai Bang; Kim, Moon Suk

2014-01-01

Appropriate surface wettability and roughness of biomaterials is an important factor in cell attachment and proliferation. In this study, we investigated the correlation between surface wettability and roughness, and biological response in human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs). We prepared wettable and rough gradient polyethylene (PE) surfaces by increasing the power of a radio frequency corona discharge apparatus with knife-type electrodes over a moving sample bed. The PE changed gradually from hydrophobic and smooth surfaces to hydrophilic (water contact angle, 90º to ~50º) and rough (80 to ~120 nm) surfaces as the power increased. We found that hADSCs adhered better to highly hydrophilic and rough surfaces and showed broadly stretched morphology compared with that on hydrophobic and smooth surfaces. The proliferation of hADSCs on hydrophilic and rough surfaces was also higher than that on hydrophobic and smooth surfaces. Furthermore, integrin beta 1 gene expression, an indicator of attachment, and heat shock protein 70 gene expression were high on hydrophobic and smooth surfaces. These results indicate that the cellular behavior of hADSCs on gradient surface depends on surface properties, wettability and roughness. PMID:24477265

Optimum deposition conditions of ultrasmooth silver nanolayers

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Reduction of surface plasmon-polariton losses due to their scattering on metal surface roughness still remains a challenge in the fabrication of plasmonic devices for nanooptics. To achieve smooth silver films, we study the dependence of surface roughness on the evaporation temperature in a physical vapor deposition process. At the deposition temperature range 90 to 500 K, the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients of Ag, Ge wetting layer, and sapphire substrate does not deteriorate the metal surface. To avoid ice crystal formation on substrates, the working temperature of the whole physical vapor deposition process should exceed that of the sublimation at the evaporation pressure range. At optimum room temperature, the root-mean-square (RMS) surface roughness was successfully reduced to 0.2 nm for a 10-nm Ag layer on sapphire substrate with a 1-nm germanium wetting interlayer. Silver layers of 10- and 30-nm thickness were examined using an atomic force microscope (AFM), X-ray reflectometry (XRR), and two-dimensional X-ray diffraction (XRD2). PACS 63.22.Np Layered systems; 68. Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and nanosystems (structure and nonelectronic properties); 81.07.-b Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization PMID:24685115

An atomic-scale and high efficiency finishing method of zirconia ceramics by using magnetorheological finishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Hu; Guo, Meijian; Yin, Shaohui; Chen, Fengjun; Huang, Shuai; Lu, Ange; Guo, Yuanfan

2018-06-01

Zirconia ceramics is a valuable crucial material for fabricating functional components applied in aerospace, biology, precision machinery, military industry and other fields. However, the properties of its high brittleness and high hardness could seriously reduce its finishing efficiency and surface quality by conventional processing technology. In this work, we present a high efficiency and high-quality finishing process by using magnetorheological finishing (MRF), which employs the permanent magnetic yoke with straight air gap as excitation unit. The sub-nanoscale surface roughness and damage free surface can be obtained after magnetorheological finishing. The XRD results and SEM morphologies confirmed that the mechanical shear removal with ductile modes are the dominant material removal mechanism for the magnetorheological finishing of zirconia ceramic. With the developed experimental apparatus, the effects of workpiece speed, trough speed and work gap on material removal rate and surface roughness were systematically investigated. Zirconia ceramics finished to ultra-smooth surface with surface roughness less than Ra 1 nm was repeatedly achieved during the parametric experiments. Additionally, the highest material removal rate exceeded 1 mg/min when using diamond as an abrasive particle. Magnetorheological finishing promises to be an adaptable and efficient method for zirconia ceramics finishing.

Evaluation of reduced point charge models of proteins through Molecular Dynamics simulations: application to the Vps27 UIM-1-Ubiquitin complex.

PubMed

Leherte, Laurence; Vercauteren, Daniel P

2014-02-01

Reduced point charge models of amino acids are designed, (i) from local extrema positions in charge density distribution functions built from the Poisson equation applied to smoothed molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) functions, and (ii) from local maxima positions in promolecular electron density distribution functions. Corresponding charge values are fitted versus all-atom Amber99 MEPs. To easily generate reduced point charge models for protein structures, libraries of amino acid templates are built. The program GROMACS is used to generate stable Molecular Dynamics trajectories of an Ubiquitin-ligand complex (PDB: 1Q0W), under various implementation schemes, solvation, and temperature conditions. Point charges that are not located on atoms are considered as virtual sites with a nul mass and radius. The results illustrate how the intra- and inter-molecular H-bond interactions are affected by the degree of reduction of the point charge models and give directions for their implementation; a special attention to the atoms selected to locate the virtual sites and to the Coulomb-14 interactions is needed. Results obtained at various temperatures suggest that the use of reduced point charge models allows to probe local potential hyper-surface minima that are similar to the all-atom ones, but are characterized by lower energy barriers. It enables to generate various conformations of the protein complex more rapidly than the all-atom point charge representation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the question of whether lubricants fluidize in stick–slip friction

PubMed Central

Rosenhek-Goldian, Irit; Kampf, Nir; Yeredor, Arie; Klein, Jacob

2015-01-01

Intermittent sliding (stick–slip motion) between solids is commonplace (e.g., squeaking hinges), even in the presence of lubricants, and is believed to occur by shear-induced fluidization of the lubricant film (slip), followed by its resolidification (stick). Using a surface force balance, we measure how the thickness of molecularly thin, model lubricant films (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane) varies in stick–slip sliding between atomically smooth surfaces during the fleeting (ca. 20 ms) individual slip events. Shear fluidization of a film of five to six molecular layers during an individual slip event should result in film dilation of 0.4–0.5 nm, but our results show that, within our resolution of ca. 0.1 nm, slip of the surfaces is not correlated with any dilation of the intersurface gap. This reveals that, unlike what is commonly supposed, slip does not occur by such shear melting, and indicates that other mechanisms, such as intralayer slip within the lubricant film, or at its interface with the confining surfaces, may be the dominant dissipation modes. PMID:26039993

Surface microroughness of ion-beam etched optical surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Savvides, N.

2005-03-01

Ion-beam etching (IBE) and ion-beam figuring techniques using low-energy ion-beam sources have been applied for more than ten years in the fabrication and finishing of extremely smooth high-performance optics. We used optical interferometric techniques and atomic force microscopy to study the evolution of the surface root-mean-square (rms) microroughness, Rq, as a function of depth of a material removed (0-3000 nm) by a broad ion-beam source (Ar{sup +} ions of energy 600 eV and ion current density of 1 mA cm{sup -2}). Highly polished samples of fused silica and Zerodur (Rq{approx}3.5 A) showed a small decrease in microroughness (to 2.5 A)more » after 3000-nm IBE removal while an ultrapolished single-crystal sapphire sample (Rq{approx}1 A rms) retained its very low microroughness during IBE. Power spectral density functions over the spatial frequency interval of measurement (f=5x10{sup -3}-25 {mu}m{sup -1}) indicate that the IBE surfaces have minimal subsurface damage and low optical scatter.« less

Molecular transport through capillaries made with atomic-scale precision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radha, B.; Esfandiar, A.; Wang, F. C.; Rooney, A. P.; Gopinadhan, K.; Keerthi, A.; Mishchenko, A.; Janardanan, A.; Blake, P.; Fumagalli, L.; Lozada-Hidalgo, M.; Garaj, S.; Haigh, S. J.; Grigorieva, I. V.; Wu, H. A.; Geim, A. K.

2016-10-01

Nanometre-scale pores and capillaries have long been studied because of their importance in many natural phenomena and their use in numerous applications. A more recent development is the ability to fabricate artificial capillaries with nanometre dimensions, which has enabled new research on molecular transport and led to the emergence of nanofluidics. But surface roughness in particular makes it challenging to produce capillaries with precisely controlled dimensions at this spatial scale. Here we report the fabrication of narrow and smooth capillaries through van der Waals assembly, with atomically flat sheets at the top and bottom separated by spacers made of two-dimensional crystals with a precisely controlled number of layers. We use graphene and its multilayers as archetypal two-dimensional materials to demonstrate this technology, which produces structures that can be viewed as if individual atomic planes had been removed from a bulk crystal to leave behind flat voids of a height chosen with atomic-scale precision. Water transport through the channels, ranging in height from one to several dozen atomic planes, is characterized by unexpectedly fast flow (up to 1 metre per second) that we attribute to high capillary pressures (about 1,000 bar) and large slip lengths. For channels that accommodate only a few layers of water, the flow exhibits a marked enhancement that we associate with an increased structural order in nanoconfined water. Our work opens up an avenue to making capillaries and cavities with sizes tunable to ångström precision, and with permeation properties further controlled through a wide choice of atomically flat materials available for channel walls.

Multiple-Primitives Hierarchical Classification of Airborne Laser Scanning Data in Urban Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, H.; Lin, X. G.; Zhang, J. X.

2017-09-01

A hierarchical classification method for Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data of urban areas is proposed in this paper. This method is composed of three stages among which three types of primitives are utilized, i.e., smooth surface, rough surface, and individual point. In the first stage, the input ALS data is divided into smooth surfaces and rough surfaces by employing a step-wise point cloud segmentation method. In the second stage, classification based on smooth surfaces and rough surfaces is performed. Points in the smooth surfaces are first classified into ground and buildings based on semantic rules. Next, features of rough surfaces are extracted. Then, points in rough surfaces are classified into vegetation and vehicles based on the derived features and Random Forests (RF). In the third stage, point-based features are extracted for the ground points, and then, an individual point classification procedure is performed to classify the ground points into bare land, artificial ground and greenbelt. Moreover, the shortages of the existing studies are analyzed, and experiments show that the proposed method overcomes these shortages and handles more types of objects.

Effect of applied voltage on surface properties of anodised titanium in mixture of β-glycerophosphate (β-GP) and calcium acetate (CA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuan, Lee Te; Rathi, Muhammad Fareez Mohamad; Abidin, Muhamad Yusuf Zainal; Abdullah, Hasan Zuhudi; Idris, Maizlinda Izwana

2015-07-01

Anodic oxidation is a surface modification method which combines electric field driven metal and oxygen ion diffusion for formation of oxide layer on the anode surface. This method has been widely used to modify the surface morphology of biomaterial especially titanium. This study aimed to investigate the effect of applied voltage on titanium. Specifically, the titanium foil was anodised in mixture of β-glycerophosphate disodium salt pentahydrate (β-GP) and calcium acetate monohydrate (CA) with different applied voltage (50-350 V), electrolyte concentration (0.04 M β-GP + 0.4 M CA), anodising time (10minutes) and current density (50 and 70 mA.cm-2) at room temperature. Surface oxide properties of anodised titanium were characterised by digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR camera), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). At lower applied voltage (≤150 V), surface of titanium foils were relatively smooth. With increasing applied voltage (≥250 V), the oxide layer became more porous and donut-shaped pores were formed on the surface of titanium foils. The AFM results indicated that the surface roughness of anodised titanium increases with increasing of applied voltage. The porous and rough surface is able to promote the osseointegration and reduce the suffering time of patient.

A novel approach to characterizing the surface topography of niobium superconducting radio frequency (SRF) accelerator cavities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hui Tian, Guilhem Ribeill, Chen Xu, Charles E. Reece, Michael J. Kelley

2011-03-01

As superconducting niobium radio-frequency (SRF) cavities approach fundamental material limits, there is increased interest in understanding the details of topographical influences on realized performance limitations. Micro- and nano-roughness are implicated in both direct geometrical field enhancements as well as complications of the composition of the 50 nm surface layer in which the super-currents typically flow. Interior surface chemical treatments such as buffered chemical polishing (BCP) and electropolishing (EP) used to remove mechanical damage leave surface topography, including pits and protrusions of varying sharpness. These may promote RF magnetic field entry, locally quenching superconductivity, so as to degrade cavity performance. Amore » more incisive analysis of surface topography than the widely used average roughness is needed. In this study, a power spectral density (PSD) approach based on Fourier analysis of surface topography data acquired by both stylus profilometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) is introduced to distinguish the scale-dependent smoothing effects, resulting in a novel qualitative and quantitative description of Nb surface topography. The topographical evolution of the Nb surface as a function of different steps of well-controlled EP is discussed. This study will greatly help to identify optimum EP parameter sets for controlled and reproducible surface levelling of Nb for cavity production.« less

Theory connecting nonlocal sediment transport, earth surface roughness, and the Sadler effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schumer, Rina; Taloni, Alessandro; Furbish, David Jon

2017-03-01

Earth surface evolution, like many natural phenomena typified by fluctuations on a wide range of scales and deterministic smoothing, results in a statistically rough surface. We present theory demonstrating that scaling exponents of topographic and stratigraphic statistics arise from long-time averaging of noisy surface evolution rather than specific landscape evolution processes. This is demonstrated through use of "elastic" Langevin equations that generically describe disturbance from a flat earth surface using a noise term that is smoothed deterministically via sediment transport. When smoothing due to transport is a local process, the geologic record self organizes such that a specific Sadler effect and topographic power spectral density (PSD) emerge. Variations in PSD slope reflect the presence or absence and character of nonlocality of sediment transport. The range of observed stratigraphic Sadler slopes captures the same smoothing feature combined with the presence of long-range spatial correlation in topographic disturbance.

Femtosecond laser structuring of titanium implants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vorobyev, A. Y.; Guo, Chunlei

2007-06-01

In this study we perform the first femtosecond laser surface treatment of titanium in order to determine the potential of this technology for surface structuring of titanium implants. We find that the femtosecond laser produces a large variety of nanostructures (nanopores, nanoprotrusions) with a size down to 20 nm, multiple parallel grooved surface patterns with a period on the sub-micron level, microroughness in the range of 1-15 μm with various configurations, smooth surface with smooth micro-inhomogeneities, and smooth surface with sphere-like nanostructures down to 10 nm. Also, we have determined the optimal conditions for producing these surface structural modifications. Femtosecond laser treatment can produce a richer variety of surface structures on titanium for implants and other biomedical applications than long-pulse laser treatments.

Surface engineering of ferroelectric polymer for the enhanced electrical performance of organic transistor memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Do-Kyung; Lee, Gyu-Jeong; Lee, Jae-Hyun; Kim, Min-Hoi; Bae, Jin-Hyuk

2018-05-01

We suggest a viable surface control method to improve the electrical properties of organic nonvolatile memory transistors. For viable surface control, the surface of the ferroelectric insulator in the memory field-effect transistors was modified using a smooth-contact-curing process. For the modification of the ferroelectric polymer, during the curing of the ferroelectric insulators, the smooth surface of a soft elastomer contacts intimately with the ferroelectric surface. This smooth-contact-curing process reduced the surface roughness of the ferroelectric insulator without degrading its ferroelectric properties. The reduced roughness of the ferroelectric insulator increases the mobility of the organic field-effect transistor by approximately eight times, which results in a high memory on–off ratio and a low-voltage reading operation.

Acoustic mirror effect increases prey detection distance in trawling bats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siemers, Björn M.; Baur, Eric; Schnitzler, Hans-Ulrich

2005-06-01

Many different and phylogenetically distant species of bats forage for insects above water bodies and take insects from and close to the surface; the so-called ‘trawling behaviour’. Detection of surface-based prey by echolocation is facilitated by acoustically smooth backgrounds such as water surfaces that reflect sound impinging at an acute angle away from the bat and thereby render a prey object acoustically conspicuous. Previous measurements had shown that the echo amplitude of a target on a smooth surface is higher than that of the same target in mid-air, due to an acoustic mirror effect. In behavioural experiments with three pond bats (Myotis dasycneme), we tested the hypothesis that the maximum distances at which bats can detect prey are larger for prey on smooth surfaces than for the same prey in an airborne situation. We determined the moment of prey detection from a change in echolocation behaviour and measured the detection distance in 3D space from IR-video recordings using stereo-photogrammetry. The bats showed the predicted increase in detection distance for prey on smooth surfaces. The acoustic mirror effect therefore increases search efficiency and contributes to the acoustic advantages encountered by echolocating bats when foraging at low heights above smooth water surfaces. These acoustic advantages may have favoured the repeated evolution of trawling behaviour.

Acoustic mirror effect increases prey detection distance in trawling bats.

PubMed

Siemers, Björn M; Baur, Eric; Schnitzler, Hans-Ulrich

2005-06-01

Many different and phylogenetically distant species of bats forage for insects above water bodies and take insects from and close to the surface; the so-called 'trawling behaviour'. Detection of surface-based prey by echolocation is facilitated by acoustically smooth backgrounds such as water surfaces that reflect sound impinging at an acute angle away from the bat and thereby render a prey object acoustically conspicuous. Previous measurements had shown that the echo amplitude of a target on a smooth surface is higher than that of the same target in mid-air, due to an acoustic mirror effect. In behavioural experiments with three pond bats (Myotis dasycneme), we tested the hypothesis that the maximum distances at which bats can detect prey are larger for prey on smooth surfaces than for the same prey in an airborne situation. We determined the moment of prey detection from a change in echolocation behaviour and measured the detection distance in 3D space from IR-video recordings using stereo-photogrammetry. The bats showed the predicted increase in detection distance for prey on smooth surfaces. The acoustic mirror effect therefore increases search efficiency and contributes to the acoustic advantages encountered by echolocating bats when foraging at low heights above smooth water surfaces. These acoustic advantages may have favoured the repeated evolution of trawling behaviour.

Intrinsic hydrophilic nature of epitaxial thin-film of rare-earth oxide grown by pulsed laser deposition.

PubMed

Prakash, Saurav; Ghosh, Siddhartha; Patra, Abhijeet; Annamalai, Meenakshi; Motapothula, Mallikarjuna Rao; Sarkar, Soumya; Tan, Sherman J R; Zhunan, Jia; Loh, Kian Ping; Venkatesan, T

2018-02-15

Herein, we report a systematic study of water contact angle (WCA) of rare-earth oxide thin-films. These ultra-smooth and epitaxial thin-films were grown using pulsed laser deposition and then characterized using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Through both the traditional sessile drop and the novel f-d method, we found that the films were intrinsically hydrophilic (WCA < 10°) just after being removed from the growth chamber, but their WCAs evolved with an exposure to the atmosphere with time to reach their eventual saturation values near 90° (but always stay 'technically' hydrophilic). X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis was used to further investigate qualitatively the nature of hydrocarbon contamination on the freshly prepared as well as the environmentally exposed REO thin-film samples as a function of the exposure time after they were removed from the deposition chamber. A clear correlation between the carbon coverage of the surface and the increase in WCA was observed for all of the rare-earth films, indicating the extrinsic nature of the surface wetting properties of these films and having no relation to the electronic configuration of the rare-earth atoms as proposed by Azimi et al.

Mirror buckling of freestanding graphene membranes induced by local heating due to a scanning tunneling microscope tip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoelz, J. K.; Neek Amal, M.; Xu, P.; Barber, S. D.; Ackerman, M. L.; Thibado, P. M.; Sadeghi, A.; Peeters, F. M.

2014-03-01

Scanning tunneling microscopy has been an invaluable tool in the study of graphene at the atomic scale. Several STM groups have managed to obtain atomic scale images of freestanding graphene membranes providing insight into the behavior of the stabilized ripple geometry. However, we found that the interaction between the STM tip and the freestanding graphene sample may induce additional effects. By varying the tunneling parameters, we can tune the position of the sample, in either a smooth or step like fashion. These phenomena were investigated by STM experiments, continuum elasticity theory and large scale molecular dynamics simulations. These results confirm that by increasing the tip bias, the electrostatic attraction between the tip and sample increases. When applied on a concave surface, this can result in mirror buckling which leads to a large scale movement of the sample. Interestingly, due in part to the negative coefficient of thermal expansion of graphene, buckling transitions can also be induced through local heating of the surface using the STM tip. Financial support by O.N.R. grant N00014-10-1-0181, N.S.F grant DMR-0855358, EU-Marie Curie IIF postdoc Fellowship/299855 (for M. N. A.), ESF-EuroGRAPHENE project CONGRAN, F.S.F (FWO-Vl), and Methusalem Foundation of the Flemish Government.

Effect of nanoporous TiO2 coating and anodized Ca2+ modification of titanium surfaces on early microbial biofilm formation

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The soft tissue around dental implants forms a barrier between the oral environment and the peri-implant bone and a crucial factor for long-term success of therapy is development of a good abutment/soft-tissue seal. Sol-gel derived nanoporous TiO2 coatings have been shown to enhance soft-tissue attachment but their effect on adhesion and biofilm formation by oral bacteria is unknown. Methods We have investigated how the properties of surfaces that may be used on abutments: turned titanium, sol-gel nanoporous TiO2 coated surfaces and anodized Ca2+ modified surfaces, affect biofilm formation by two early colonizers of the oral cavity: Streptococcus sanguinis and Actinomyces naeslundii. The bacteria were detected using 16S rRNA fluorescence in situ hybridization together with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Results Interferometry and atomic force microscopy revealed all the surfaces to be smooth (Sa ≤ 0.22 μm). Incubation with a consortium of S. sanguinis and A. naeslundii showed no differences in adhesion between the surfaces over 2 hours. After 14 hours, the level of biofilm growth was low and again, no differences between the surfaces were seen. The presence of saliva increased the biofilm biovolume of S. sanguinis and A. naeslundii ten-fold compared to when saliva was absent and this was due to increased adhesion rather than biofilm growth. Conclusions Nano-topographical modification of smooth titanium surfaces had no effect on adhesion or early biofilm formation by S. sanguinis and A. naeslundii as compared to turned surfaces or those treated with anodic oxidation in the presence of Ca2+. The presence of saliva led to a significantly greater biofilm biovolume but no significant differences were seen between the test surfaces. These data thus suggest that modification with sol-gel derived nanoporous TiO2, which has been shown to improve osseointegration and soft-tissue healing in vivo, does not cause greater biofilm formation by the two oral commensal species tested than the other surfaces. PMID:21385428

Optical properties study of silicone polymer PDMS substrate surfaces modified by plasma treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahid, A.; Dai, B.; Hong, R.; Zhang, D.

2017-10-01

In this study, PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) substrates with a half-plain, half-rough surface were prepared on a plain and rough fused silica glass substrate using a molding technique. The molded PDMS surface morphology was changed into a half-smooth and half-rough surface after peeling. The modified PDMS surfaces’ optical properties were inspected with and without treatment. The treatment is exposed by oxygen plasma (15 W) for 3 min in a vacuum, down to a pressure of six torr, using a vacuum pump. An atomic force microscope (AMF) and interferometer (white light) indicated that the plasma O2 treatment increased the formation of the plain surface and decreased the formation of the rough surface. The optical properties via a spectrophotometer (lambda) show the resonance from 300 nm to 1200 nm on the rough surface, which is considered to be a faithful reproduction for transmittance and reflectance. The Raman spectra and FDTD simulation results are in excellent agreement; not to be confused with metal local surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs). The Raman spectra peaks and hotspot are the results of the PDMS Si-O backbone. The PDMS substrate presented the diversity of the optical properties, which makes the substrate complementary to various optical applications.

14 CFR 25.105 - Takeoff.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., hard-surfaced runways; and (ii) At the option of the applicant, grooved or porous friction course wet, hard-surfaced runways. (2) Smooth water, in the case of seaplanes and amphibians; and (3) Smooth, dry...

14 CFR 25.105 - Takeoff.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., hard-surfaced runways; and (ii) At the option of the applicant, grooved or porous friction course wet, hard-surfaced runways. (2) Smooth water, in the case of seaplanes and amphibians; and (3) Smooth, dry...

14 CFR 25.105 - Takeoff.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., hard-surfaced runways; and (ii) At the option of the applicant, grooved or porous friction course wet, hard-surfaced runways. (2) Smooth water, in the case of seaplanes and amphibians; and (3) Smooth, dry...

14 CFR 25.105 - Takeoff.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., hard-surfaced runways; and (ii) At the option of the applicant, grooved or porous friction course wet, hard-surfaced runways. (2) Smooth water, in the case of seaplanes and amphibians; and (3) Smooth, dry...

Probing softness of the parietal pleural surface at the micron scale

PubMed Central

Kim, Jae Hun; Butler, James P.; Loring, Stephen H.

2011-01-01

The pleural surfaces of the chest wall and lung slide against each other, lubricated by pleural fluid. During sliding motion of soft tissues, shear induced hydrodynamic pressure deforms the surfaces, promoting uniformity of the fluid layer thickness, thereby reducing friction. To assess pleural deformability at length scales comparable to pleural fluid thickness, we measured the modulus of the parietal pleura of rat chest wall using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to indent the pleural surface with spheres (radius 2.5 µm and 5 µm). The pleura exhibited two distinct indentation responses depending on location, reflecting either homogeneous or significantly heterogeneous tissue properties. We found an elastic modulus of 0.38–0.95 kPa, lower than the values measured using flat-ended cylinders > 100 µm radii (Gouldstone et al., 2003, Journal of Applied Physiology 95, 2345–2349). Interestingly, the pleura exhibited a three-fold higher modulus when probed using 2.5 µm vs. 5 µm spherical tips at the same normalized depth, confirming depth dependent inhomogeneous elastic properties. The observed softness of the pleura supports the hypothesis that unevenness of the pleural surface on this scale is smoothed by local hydrodynamic pressure. PMID:21820660

Chiral zinc phenylalanine nanofibers with fluorescence.

PubMed

Chen, Erdan; Guo, Beidou; Zhang, Baohong; Gan, Li-Hua; Gong, Jian Ru

2011-09-01

Chiral Zn(II)/D-,L-phenylalanine (Phe) bio-coordination polymer nanofibers with fluorescence were prepared by fast coordination-assisted assembly. The synthetic strategy is based on the fact that the Zn2+ ions were linked to oxygen atoms from carboxylate groups of the D- or L-amino acid by coordination interactions to form the chiral polymers. The Zn(II)/D-,L-Phe nanofibers had homogeneous diameters in the range of 700-900 nm and ultra-long length in several hundred micrometers, and the surface of the fiber was extremely smooth. In addition, the enantiomers of Zn(II)/Phe nanofibers exhibited both optical activity and fluorescent property in the solid state, which has great potential for application in the field of biomimetic nanofabrication and micro-/nano-optoelectronics.

Mechanisms of Texture Development in Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics with Perovskite Structure Made by the Templated Grain Growth Process

PubMed Central

Kimura, Toshio; Yi, Yuan; Sakurai, Fumito

2010-01-01

The mechanisms of texture development were examined for BaTiO3 and a (K,Na,Li)(Nb,Ta)O3 solid solution made by the templated grain growth method, and compared with the mechanism in Bi0.5(Na,K)0.5TiO3. The dominant mechanism was different in each material; grain boundary migration in BaTiO3, solid state spreading in Bi0.5(Na,K)0.5TiO3, and abnormal grain growth in the (K,Na,Li)(Nb,Ta)O3 solid solution. The factor determining the dominant mechanism is the degree of smoothness of surface structure at an atomic level. PMID:28883364

Synthesis of TiN/a-Si3N4 thin film by using a Mather type dense plasma focus system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, T.; R., Ahmad; Khalid, N.; A. Umar, Z.; Hussnain, A.

2013-05-01

A 2.3 kJ Mather type pulsed plasma focus device was used for the synthesis of a TiN/a-Si3N4 thin film at room temperature. The film was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The XRD pattern confirms the growth of polycrystalline TiN thin film. The XPS results indicate that the synthesized film is non-stoichiometric and contains titanium nitride, silicon nitride, and a phase of silicon oxy-nitride. The SEM and AFM results reveal that the surface of the synthesized film is quite smooth with 0.59 nm roughness (root-mean-square).

Erosion and attrition of human enamel in vitro part I: interaction effects.

PubMed

Eisenburger, M; Addy, M

2002-01-01

The aim of the study in vitro was to measure the interplay of attrition and erosion of human enamel under several different pH conditions. Cusp and smooth surface enamel specimens were prepared from unerupted human third molar teeth. Cusp and smooth surface specimens opposed each other in a wear machine under a load of 600 g. The machine simulated tooth grinding for 30 min (2280 wear cycles). Six groups of 10 specimens were worn in the following environmental conditions: saline, citric acid at pH values of 3.2, 5.5 or 7.0 and two cycling groups (pH 3.2/saline or saline/pH 3.2). Additionally, 10 smooth surface specimens were exposed to the same fluids without attrition. Tissue loss on smooth surface specimens was determined by profilometry. The worn specimen surfaces were studied by SEM. Attrition depth in saline and pH 7.0 citric acid was 25.5 microm. At pH 3.2 and 5.5 attrition depths were 6.0 and 4.3 microm, respectively. Cycling in saline/citric acid and vice versa produced attrition depths of 9.2 and 7.9 microm, respectively. In the erosion only specimens lesion depths were 3.0, 1.2 and 0 microm at pH 3.2, 5.5 and 7.0 and saline, respectively. Attrition specimens at pH 7.0 and in saline showed very rough surfaces. At low pH enamel surfaces appeared flat and smooth. Enamel wear in neutral conditions is significantly higher than in acidic conditions (p < 0.05), apparently due to a smoothing effect of erosion on contacting surfaces. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Textured-surface quartz resonator fluid density and viscosity monitor

DOEpatents

Martin, Stephen J.; Wiczer, James J.; Cernosek, Richard W.; Frye, Gregory C.; Gebert, Charles T.; Casaus, Leonard; Mitchell, Mary A.

1998-08-25

A pair of thickness-shear mode resonators, one smooth and one with a textured surface, allows fluid density and viscosity to be independently resolved. A textured surface, either randomly rough or regularly patterned, leads to trapping of liquid at the device surface. The synchronous motion of this trapped liquid with the oscillating device surface allows the device to weigh the liquid; this leads to an additional response that depends on liquid density. This additional response enables a pair of devices, one smooth and one textured, to independently resolve liquid density and viscosity; the difference in responses determines the density while the smooth device determines the density-viscosity product, and thus, the pair determines both density and viscosity.

Atomistic kinetic Monte Carlo study of atomic layer deposition derived from density functional theory.

PubMed

Shirazi, Mahdi; Elliott, Simon D

2014-01-30

To describe the atomic layer deposition (ALD) reactions of HfO2 from Hf(N(CH3)2)4 and H2O, a three-dimensional on-lattice kinetic Monte-Carlo model is developed. In this model, all atomistic reaction pathways in density functional theory (DFT) are implemented as reaction events on the lattice. This contains all steps, from the early stage of adsorption of each ALD precursor, kinetics of the surface protons, interaction between the remaining precursors (steric effect), influence of remaining fragments on adsorption sites (blocking), densification of each ALD precursor, migration of each ALD precursors, and cooperation between the remaining precursors to adsorb H2O (cooperative effect). The essential chemistry of the ALD reactions depends on the local environment at the surface. The coordination number and a neighbor list are used to implement the dependencies. The validity and necessity of the proposed reaction pathways are statistically established at the mesoscale. The formation of one monolayer of precursor fragments is shown at the end of the metal pulse. Adsorption and dissociation of the H2O precursor onto that layer is described, leading to the delivery of oxygen and protons to the surface during the H2O pulse. Through these processes, the remaining precursor fragments desorb from the surface, leaving the surface with bulk-like and OH-terminated HfO2, ready for the next cycle. The migration of the low coordinated remaining precursor fragments is also proposed. This process introduces a slow reordering motion (crawling) at the mesoscale, leading to the smooth and conformal thin film that is characteristic of ALD. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of an optimized electrochemical process for subsequent coating of 316 stainless steel for stent applications.

PubMed

Haïdopoulos, M; Turgeon, S; Sarra-Bournet, C; Laroche, G; Mantovani, D

2006-07-01

Metallic endovascular stents are used as medical devices to scaffold biological lumen, most often diseased arteries, after balloon angioplasty. They are commonly made of 316L stainless steel or Nitinol, two alloys containing nickel, an element classified as potentially toxic and carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Although they are largely implanted, the long-term safety of such metallic elements is still controversial, since the corrosion processes may lead to the release of several metallic ions, including nickel ions in diverse oxidation states. To avoid metallic ion release in the body, the strategy behind this work was to develop a process aiming the complete isolation of the stainless steel device from the body fluids by a thin, cohesive and strongly adherent coating of RF-plasma-polymerized fluoropolymer. Nevertheless, prior to the polymer film deposition, an essential aspect was the development of a pre-treatment for the metallic substrate, based on the electrochemical polishing process, aiming the removal of any fragile interlayer, including the native oxide layer and the carbon contaminated layer, in order to obtain a smooth, defect-free surface to optimize the adhesion of the plasma-deposited thin film. In this work, the optimized parameters for electropolishing, such as the duration and the temperature of the electrolysis, and the complementary acid dipping were presented and accurately discussed. Their effects on roughness as well as on the evolution of surface topography were investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy, stylus profilometry and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The modifications induced on the surface atomic concentrations were studied by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The improvements in terms of the surface morphology after the pre-treatment were also emphasized, as well as the influence of the original stainless steel surface finish.

Heat transfer in the turbulent boundary layer with a short strip of surface roughness

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taylor, R.P.; Chakroun, W.M.

1992-01-01

The effects of a short strip of surface roughness on heat transfer and fluid flow in the turbulent boundary layer are investigated experimentally. This is done by measuring Stanton number and skin friction distributions and mean velocity, turbulence intensity, and mean temperature profiles in a turbulent boundary layer where the first 0.7 m length is smooth, the next 0.2 m is roughened with 1.27 mm hemispheres spaced 2 base diameters apart and the final 1.5 m is smooth. These results are compared with previously published data from experiments wiht a rough leading portion and smooth final portion and from experimentsmore » on an all-smooth surface. The influence of the roughness is large in the neighborhood of the rough strip, but the Stanton number and skin friction distributions are seen to quickly recover smooth-wall behavior downstream of the rough strip. 19 refs.« less

EC02-0188-3

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-07-12

Technician Shawn Warren carefully smoothes out the composite skin of an instrument fairingatop the upper fuselage of the Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., facility at Adelanto, Calif.

Influence of surface topology and electrostatic potential on water/electrode systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siepmann, J. Ilja; Sprik, Michiel

1995-01-01

We have used the classical molecular dynamics technique to simulate the ordering of a water film adsorbed on an atomic model of a tip of a scanning tunneling microscope approaching a planar metal surface. For this purpose, we have developed a classical model for the water-substrate interactions that solely depends on the coordinates of the particles and does not require the definition of geometrically smooth boundary surfaces or image planes. The model includes both an electrostatic induction for the metal atoms (determined by means of an extended Lagrangian technique) and a site-specific treatment of the water-metal chemisorption. As a validation of the model we have investigated the structure of water monolayers on metal substrates of various topology [the (111), (110), and (100) crystallographic faces] and composition (Pt, Ag, Cu, and Ni), and compared the results to experiments. The modeling of the electrostatic induction is compatible with a finite external potential imposed on the metal. This feature is used to investigate the structural rearrangements of the water bilayer between the pair of scanning tunneling microscope electrodes in response to an applied external voltage difference. We find significant asymmetry in the dependence on the sign of the applied voltage. Another result of the calculation is an estimate of the perturbation to the work function caused by the wetting film. For the conditions typical for operation of a scanning tunneling microscope probe, the change in the work function is found to be comparable to the applied voltage (a few hundred millivolts).

Engineering the Mechanical Properties of Ultrabarrier Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition for the Encapsulation of Printed Electronics

DOE PAGES

Bulusu, Anuradha; Singh, Ankit K.; Wang, Cheng-Yin; ...

2015-08-28

Direct deposition of barrier films by atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto printed electronics presents a promising method for packaging devices. Films made by ALD have been shown to possess desired ultrabarrier properties, but face challenges when directly grown onto surfaces with varying composition and topography. Challenges include differing nucleation and growth rates across the surface, stress concentrations from topography and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch, elastic mismatch, and particle contamination that may impact the performance of the ALD barrier. In such cases, a polymer smoothing layer may be needed to coat the surface prior to ALD barrier film deposition.more » We present the impact of architecture on the performance of aluminum oxide (Al2O3)/hafnium oxide (HfO2) ALD nanolaminate barrier films deposited on fluorinated polymer layer using an optical calcium (Ca) test under damp heat. It is found that with increasing polymer thickness, the barrier films with residual tensile stress are prone to cracking resulting in rapid failure of the Ca sensor at 50{degree sign}C/85% RH. Inserting a SiNx layer with residual compressive stress between the polymer and ALD layers is found to prevent cracking over a range of polymer thicknesses with more than 95% of the Ca sensor remaining after 500 h of testing. These results suggest that controlling mechanical properties and film architecture play an important role in the performance of direct deposited ALD barriers.« less

Injection Principles from Combustion Studies in a 200-Pound-Thrust Rocket Engine Using Liquid Oxygen and Heptane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heidmann, M. F.; Auble, C. M.

1955-01-01

The importance of atomizing and mixing liquid oxygen and heptane was studied in a 200-pound-thrust rocket engine. Ten injector elements were used with both steel and transparent chambers. Characteristic velocity was measured over a range of mixture ratios. Combustion gas-flow and luminosity patterns within the chamber were obtained by photographic methods. The results show that, for efficient combustion, the propellants should be both atomized and mixed. Heptane atomization controlled the combustion rate to a much larger extent than oxygen atomization. Induced mixing, however, was required to complete combustion in the smallest volume. For stable, high-efficiency combustion and smooth engine starts, mixing after atomization was most promising.

Surface characterization of nickel titanium orthodontic arch wires

PubMed Central

Krishnan, Manu; Seema, Saraswathy; Tiwari, Brijesh; Sharma, Himanshu S.; Londhe, Sanjay; Arora, Vimal

2015-01-01

Background Surface roughness of nickel titanium orthodontic arch wires poses several clinical challenges. Surface modification with aesthetic/metallic/non metallic materials is therefore a recent innovation, with clinical efficacy yet to be comprehensively evaluated. Methods One conventional and five types of surface modified nickel titanium arch wires were surface characterized with scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive analysis, Raman spectroscopy, Atomic force microscopy and 3D profilometry. Root mean square roughness values were analyzed by one way analysis of variance and post hoc Duncan's multiple range tests. Results Study groups demonstrated considerable reduction in roughness values from conventional in a material specific pattern: Group I; conventional (578.56 nm) > Group V; Teflon (365.33 nm) > Group III; nitride (301.51 nm) > Group VI (i); rhodium (290.64 nm) > Group VI (ii); silver (252.22 nm) > Group IV; titanium (229.51 nm) > Group II; resin (158.60 nm). It also showed the defects with aesthetic (resin/Teflon) and nitride surfaces and smooth topography achieved with metals; titanium/silver/rhodium. Conclusions Resin, Teflon, titanium, silver, rhodium and nitrides were effective in decreasing surface roughness of nickel titanium arch wires albeit; certain flaws. Findings have clinical implications, considering their potential in lessening biofilm adhesion, reducing friction, improving corrosion resistance and preventing nickel leach and allergic reactions. PMID:26843749

Silica nano-particle super-hydrophobic surfaces: the effects of surface morphology and trapped air pockets on hydrodynamic drainage forces.

PubMed

Chan, Derek Y C; Uddin, Md Hemayet; Cho, Kwun L; Liaw, Irving I; Lamb, Robert N; Stevens, Geoffrey W; Grieser, Franz; Dagastine, Raymond R

2009-01-01

We used atomic force microscopy to study dynamic forces between a rigid silica sphere (radius approximately 45 microm) and a silica nano-particle super-hydrophobic surface (SNP-SHS) in aqueous electrolyte, in the presence and absence of surfactant. Characterization of the SNP-SHS surface in air showed a surface roughness of up to two microns. When in contact with an aqueous phase, the SNP-SHS traps large, soft and stable air pockets in the surface interstices. The inherent roughness of the SNP-SHS together with the trapped air pockets are responsible for the superior hydrophobic properties of SNP-SHS such as high equilibrium contact angle (> 140 degrees) of water sessile drops on these surfaces and low hydrodynamic friction as observed in force measurements. We also observed that added surfactants adsorbed at the surface of air pockets magnified hydrodynamic interactions involving the SNP-SHS. The dynamic forces between the same silica sphere and a laterally smooth mica surface showed that the fitted Navier slip lengths using the Reynolds lubrication model were an order of magnitude larger than the length scale of the sphere surface roughness. The surface roughness and the lateral heterogeneity of the SNP-SHS hindered attempts to characterize the dynamic response using the Reynolds lubrication model even when augmented with a Navier slip boundary.

Methods and energy storage devices utilizing electrolytes having surface-smoothing additives

DOEpatents

Xu, Wu; Zhang, Jiguang; Graff, Gordon L; Chen, Xilin; Ding, Fei

2015-11-12

Electrodeposition and energy storage devices utilizing an electrolyte having a surface-smoothing additive can result in self-healing, instead of self-amplification, of initial protuberant tips that give rise to roughness and/or dendrite formation on the substrate and anode surface. For electrodeposition of a first metal (M1) on a substrate or anode from one or more cations of M1 in an electrolyte solution, the electrolyte solution is characterized by a surface-smoothing additive containing cations of a second metal (M2), wherein cations of M2 have an effective electrochemical reduction potential in the solution lower than that of the cations of M1.

Diversity of dermal denticle structure in sharks: Skin surface roughness and three-dimensional morphology.

PubMed

Ankhelyi, Madeleine V; Wainwright, Dylan K; Lauder, George V

2018-05-29

Shark skin is covered with numerous placoid scales or dermal denticles. While previous research has used scanning electron microscopy and histology to demonstrate that denticles vary both around the body of a shark and among species, no previous study has quantified three-dimensional (3D) denticle structure and surface roughness to provide a quantitative analysis of skin surface texture. We quantified differences in denticle shape and size on the skin of three individual smooth dogfish sharks (Mustelus canis) using micro-CT scanning, gel-based surface profilometry, and histology. On each smooth dogfish, we imaged between 8 and 20 distinct areas on the body and fins, and obtained further comparative skin surface data from leopard, Atlantic sharpnose, shortfin mako, spiny dogfish, gulper, angel, and white sharks. We generated 3D images of individual denticles and measured denticle volume, surface area, and crown angle from the micro-CT scans. Surface profilometry was used to quantify metrology variables such as roughness, skew, kurtosis, and the height and spacing of surface features. These measurements confirmed that denticles on different body areas of smooth dogfish varied widely in size, shape, and spacing. Denticles near the snout are smooth, paver-like, and large relative to denticles on the body. Body denticles on smooth dogfish generally have between one and three distinct ridges, a diamond-like surface shape, and a dorsoventral gradient in spacing and roughness. Ridges were spaced on average 56 µm apart, and had a mean height of 6.5 µm, comparable to denticles from shortfin mako sharks, and with narrower spacing and lower heights than other species measured. We observed considerable variation in denticle structure among regions on the pectoral, dorsal, and caudal fins, including a leading-to-trailing edge gradient in roughness for each region. Surface roughness in smooth dogfish varied around the body from 3 to 42 microns. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Influence of the Inner Topology of Cooling Units on the Performance of Automotive Exhaust-Based Thermoelectric Generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, D. C.; Su, C. Q.; Deng, Y. D.; Wang, Y. P.; Liu, X.

2017-11-01

Automotive exhaust-based thermoelectric generators are currently a hot topic in energy recovery. The waste heat of automotive exhaust gas can be converted into electricity by means of thermoelectric modules. Generally, inserting fins into the cooling unit contributes to enhancing the heat transfer for a higher power output. However, the introduction of fins will result in a pressure drop in the cooling system. In current research, in order to enhance the heat transfer and avoid a large pressure drop, a cooling unit with cylindrical grooves on the interior surface was proposed. To evaluate the performance of the cylindrical grooves, different inner topologies, including a smooth interior surface,a smooth interior surface with inserted fins and an interior surface with cylindrical grooves, were compared. The results revealed that compared with the smooth interior surface, the smooth interior surface with inserted fins and the interior surface with cylindrical grooves both enhanced the heat transfer, but the interior surface with cylindrical grooves obtained a lower pressure drop. To improve the performance of the cylindrical grooves, different groove-depth ratios were tried, and the results showed that a groove-depth ratio of 0.081 could provide the best overall performance.

The Influence of the Inner Topology of Cooling Units on the Performance of Automotive Exhaust-Based Thermoelectric Generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, D. C.; Su, C. Q.; Deng, Y. D.; Wang, Y. P.; Liu, X.

2018-06-01

Automotive exhaust-based thermoelectric generators are currently a hot topic in energy recovery. The waste heat of automotive exhaust gas can be converted into electricity by means of thermoelectric modules. Generally, inserting fins into the cooling unit contributes to enhancing the heat transfer for a higher power output. However, the introduction of fins will result in a pressure drop in the cooling system. In current research, in order to enhance the heat transfer and avoid a large pressure drop, a cooling unit with cylindrical grooves on the interior surface was proposed. To evaluate the performance of the cylindrical grooves, different inner topologies, including a smooth interior surface,a smooth interior surface with inserted fins and an interior surface with cylindrical grooves, were compared. The results revealed that compared with the smooth interior surface, the smooth interior surface with inserted fins and the interior surface with cylindrical grooves both enhanced the heat transfer, but the interior surface with cylindrical grooves obtained a lower pressure drop. To improve the performance of the cylindrical grooves, different groove-depth ratios were tried, and the results showed that a groove-depth ratio of 0.081 could provide the best overall performance.

Surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization grafting of sodium styrene sulfonate from titanium and silicon substrates.

PubMed

Foster, Rami N; Keefe, Andrew J; Jiang, Shaoyi; Castner, David G

2013-11-01

This study investigates the grafting of poly-sodium styrene sulfonate (pNaSS) from trichlorosilane/10-undecen-1-yl 2-bromo-2-methylpropionate functionalized Si and Ti substrates by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The composition, molecular structure, thickness, and topography of the grafted pNaSS films were characterized with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. XPS and ToF-SIMS results were consistent with the successful grafting of a thick and uniform pNaSS film on both substrates. VASE and AFM scratch tests showed the films were between 25 and 49 nm thick on Si, and between 13 and 35 nm thick on Ti. AFM determined root-mean-square roughness values were ∼2 nm on both Si and Ti substrates. Therefore, ATRP grafting is capable of producing relatively smooth, thick, and chemically homogeneous pNaSS films on Si and Ti substrates. These films will be used in subsequent studies to test the hypothesis that pNaSS-grafted Ti implants preferentially adsorb certain plasma proteins in an orientation and conformation that modulates the foreign body response and promotes formation of new bone.

Surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization grafting of sodium styrene sulfonate from titanium and silicon substrates

PubMed Central

Foster, Rami N.; Keefe, Andrew J.; Jiang, Shaoyi; Castner, David G.

2013-01-01

This study investigates the grafting of poly-sodium styrene sulfonate (pNaSS) from trichlorosilane/10-undecen-1-yl 2-bromo-2-methylpropionate functionalized Si and Ti substrates by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The composition, molecular structure, thickness, and topography of the grafted pNaSS films were characterized with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. XPS and ToF-SIMS results were consistent with the successful grafting of a thick and uniform pNaSS film on both substrates. VASE and AFM scratch tests showed the films were between 25 and 49 nm thick on Si, and between 13 and 35 nm thick on Ti. AFM determined root-mean-square roughness values were ∼2 nm on both Si and Ti substrates. Therefore, ATRP grafting is capable of producing relatively smooth, thick, and chemically homogeneous pNaSS films on Si and Ti substrates. These films will be used in subsequent studies to test the hypothesis that pNaSS-grafted Ti implants preferentially adsorb certain plasma proteins in an orientation and conformation that modulates the foreign body response and promotes formation of new bone. PMID:24482558

Refractory thermal insulation for smooth metal surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1964-01-01

To protect rocket metal surfaces from engine exhaust heat, a refractory thermal insulation mixture, which adheres to smooth metals, has been developed. Insulation protection over a wide temperature range can be controlled by thickness of the applied mixture.

Microscopic morphology evolution during ion beam smoothing of Zerodur® surfaces.

PubMed

Liao, Wenlin; Dai, Yifan; Xie, Xuhui; Zhou, Lin

2014-01-13

Ion sputtering of Zerodur material often results in the formation of nanoscale microstructures on the surfaces, which seriously influences optical surface quality. In this paper, we describe the microscopic morphology evolution during ion sputtering of Zerodur surfaces through experimental researches and theoretical analysis, which shows that preferential sputtering together with curvature-dependent sputtering overcomes ion-induced smoothing mechanisms leading to granular nanopatterns formation in morphology and the coarsening of the surface. Consequently, we propose a new method for ion beam smoothing (IBS) of Zerodur optics assisted by deterministic ion beam material adding (IBA) technology. With this method, Zerodur optics with surface roughness down to 0.15 nm root mean square (RMS) level is obtained through the experimental investigation, which demonstrates the feasibility of our proposed method.

[Observation of the L929 cell membrane after infrasound exposure with atomic force microscope].

PubMed

Wang, Bing-shui; Chen, Jing-zao; Liu, Bin; Li, Ling; Yi, Nan; Liu, Jing; Zhang, Sa

2005-12-01

To observe the changes of L929 cell membrane with atomic force microscope (AFM) after infrasound exposure and to explore the mechanisms of effect of infrasound on cell membrane. After primary culture, the L929 cells were exposed to infrasound with intensity output of 130 dB and frequency of 16 Hz 2 hours each day for 3 days. The subsequent changes in the membrane of the control cells and the cells exposed to the infrasound were determined by nano-scale scanning with AFM. After infrasound exposure, the normal prominence of the membrane became short and the dent became shallow in the 7.5 microm x 7.5 microm and 4.0 microm x 4.0 microm photographs. The prominence appeared as cobblestones. The surface of the membrane became smooth. The membrane structure of the L929 cells can be changed by infrasound exposure with intensity of 130 dB and frequency of 16 Hz. The change might be one of the characteristics of effect of infrasound on cell membrane.

Extreme Pressure Synergistic Mechanism of Bismuth Naphthenate and Sulfurized Isobutene Additives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xin; Hu, Jianqiang; Yang, Shizhao; Xie, Feng; Guo, Li

A four-ball tester was used to evaluate the tribological performances of bismuth naphthenate (BiNap), sulfurized isobutene (VSB), and their combinations. The results show that the antiwear properties of BiNap and VSB are not very visible, but they possess good extreme pressure (EP) properties, particularly sulfur containing bismuth additives. Synergistic EP properties of BiNap with various sulfur-containing additives were investigated. The results indicate that BiNap exhibits good EP synergism with sulfur-containing additives. The surface analytical tools, such as X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), were used to investigate the topography, composition contents, and depth profile of some typical elements on the rubbing surface. Smooth topography of wear scar further confirms that the additive showed good EP capacities, and XPS and EDX analyzes indicate that tribochemical mixed protective films composed of bismuth, bismuth oxides, sulfides, and sulfates are formed on the rubbing surface, which improves the tribological properties of lubricants. In particular, a large number of bismuth atoms and bismuth sulfides play an important role in improving the EP properties of oils.

Electrical and optical properties of sol-gel derived La modified PbTiO 3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chopra, Sonalee; Sharma, Seema; Goel, T. C.; Mendiratta, R. G.

2004-09-01

Lanthanum modified lead titanate (Pb 1- xLa xTi 1- x/4 O 3) PLT x ( x=0.08 i.e. PLT8) sol-gel derived thin films have been prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass and quartz substrates using lead acetate trihydrate, lanthanum acetate hydrate and titanium isopropoxide as precursors along with 2-methoxyethanol as solvent and acetic acid as catalyst by spin coating method. The microstructure and surface morphology of the films annealed at 650 °C have been studied by X-ray diffraction technique and atomic force microscope (AFM). XRD has shown a single phase with tetragonal structure and AFM images have confirmed a smooth and crack-free surface with low surface roughness. The dependence of leakage current on applied voltage show ohmic behavior at low field region with a space charge conduction mechanism at high fields. The wavelength dispersion curve of thin films obtained from the transmission spectrum of thin films show that the films have high optical transparency in the visible region.

Influence of hydrogen on the structure and stability of ultra-thin ZnO on metal substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bieniek, Bjoern; Hofmann, Oliver T.; Institut für Festkörperphysik, TU Graz, 8010 Graz

2015-03-30

We investigate the atomic and electronic structure of ultra-thin ZnO films (1 to 4 layers) on the (111) surfaces of Ag, Cu, Pd, Pt, Ni, and Rh by means of density-functional theory. The ZnO monolayer is found to adopt an α-BN structure on the metal substrates with coincidence structures in good agreement with experiment. Thicker ZnO layers change into a wurtzite structure. The films exhibit a strong corrugation, which can be smoothed by hydrogen (H) adsorption. An H over-layer with 50% coverage is formed at chemical potentials that range from low to ultra-high vacuum H{sub 2} pressures. For the Agmore » substrate, both α-BN and wurtzite ZnO films are accessible in this pressure range, while for Cu, Pd, Pt, Rh, and Ni wurtzite films are favored. The surface structure and the density of states of these H passivated ZnO thin films agree well with those of the bulk ZnO(0001{sup ¯})-2×1-H surface.« less

Characterization Of Graphene-Ferroelectric Superlattice Hybrid Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusuf, Mohammed; Du, Xu; Dawber, Matthew

2013-03-01

Ferroelectric materials possess a spontaneous electrical polarization, which can be controlled by an electric field. A good interface between ferroelectric surface and graphene sheets can introduce a new generation of multifunctional devices, in which the ferroelectric material can be used to control the properties of graphene. In our approach, problems encountered in previous efforts to combine ferroelectric/carbon systems are overcome by the use of artificially layered superlattice materials grown in the form of epitaxial thin films. In these materials the phase transition temperature and dielectric response of the material can be tailored, allowing us to avoid polarization screening by surface absorbates, whilst maintaining an atomically smooth surface and optimal charge doping properties. Using ferroelectric PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices, we have shown ultra-low-voltage operation of graphene field effect devices within +/- 1 V at room temperature. The switching of the graphene field effect transistors is characterized by pronounced resistance hysteresis, suitable for ultra-fast non-volatile electronics. Low temperature characterization confirmed that the coercive field required for the ferroelectric domain switching increases significantly with decreasing temperatures. National Science Foundation (NSF) (grant number 1105202)

Transition regime from step-flow to step-bunching in the growth of epitaxial SrRuO3 on (001) SrTiO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gura, Anna; Bertino, Giulia; Bein, Benjamin; Dawber, Matthew

2018-04-01

We present a study of the surface morphology of SrRuO3 thin films grown on TiO2 terminated (001) SrTiO3 substrates using an off-axis RF magnetron sputtering deposition technique. We investigated the step bunching formation and the evolution of the films by varying deposition parameters. The thin films were characterized using atomic force microscopy methods, allowing us to study the various growth regimes of SrRuO3 as a function of the growth parameters. We observe a strong influence of both the miscut angle and growth temperature on the evolution of the SrRuO3 surface morphology. In addition, a thickness dependence is present. Remarkably, the formation of a smooth, regular, and uniform "fish-skin" structure at the step-bunch transition is observed. The fish-skin morphology results from the merging of 2D flat islands predicted by previous models. The direct observation of surface evolution allows us to better understand the different growth regimes of SrRuO3 thin films.

Effect of asymmetric concentration profile on thermal conductivity in Ge/SiGe superlattices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hahn, Konstanze R., E-mail: konstanze.hahn@dsf.unica.it; Cecchi, Stefano; Colombo, Luciano

2016-05-16

The effect of the chemical composition in Si/Ge-based superlattices on their thermal conductivity has been investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. Simulation cells of Ge/SiGe superlattices have been generated with different concentration profiles such that the Si concentration follows a step-like, a tooth-saw, a Gaussian, and a gamma-type function in direction of the heat flux. The step-like and tooth-saw profiles mimic ideally sharp interfaces, whereas Gaussian and gamma-type profiles are smooth functions imitating atomic diffusion at the interface as obtained experimentally. Symmetry effects have been investigated comparing the symmetric profiles of the step-like and the Gaussian function to the asymmetric profilesmore » of the tooth-saw and the gamma-type function. At longer sample length and similar degree of interdiffusion, the thermal conductivity is found to be lower in asymmetric profiles. Furthermore, it is found that with smooth concentration profiles where atomic diffusion at the interface takes place the thermal conductivity is higher compared to systems with atomically sharp concentration profiles.« less

Smooth ZnO:Al-AgNWs Composite Electrode for Flexible Organic Light-Emitting Device.

PubMed

Wang, Hu; Li, Kun; Tao, Ye; Li, Jun; Li, Ye; Gao, Lan-Lan; Jin, Guang-Yong; Duan, Yu

2017-12-01

The high interest in organic light-emitting device (OLED) technology is largely due to their flexibility. Up to now, indium tin oxide (ITO) films have been widely used as transparent conductive electrodes (TCE) in organic opto-electronic devices. However, ITO films, typically deposited on glass are brittle and they make it difficult to produce flexible devices, restricting their use for flexible devices. In this study, we report on a nano-composite TCE, which is made of a silver nanowire (AgNW) network, combined with aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al, AZO) by atomic layer deposition. The AgNWs/AZO composite electrode on photopolymer substrate shows a low sheet resistance of only 8.6 Ω/sq and a high optical transmittance of about 83% at 550 nm. These values are even comparable to conventional ITO on glass. In addition, the electrodes also have a very smooth surface (0.31 nm root-mean-square roughness), which is flat enough to contact the OLED stack. Flexible OLED were built with AgNWs/AZO electrodes, which suggests that this approach can replace conventional ITO TCEs in organic electronic devices in the future.

Smooth ZnO:Al-AgNWs Composite Electrode for Flexible Organic Light-Emitting Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hu; Li, Kun; Tao, Ye; Li, Jun; Li, Ye; Gao, Lan-Lan; Jin, Guang-Yong; Duan, Yu

2017-01-01

The high interest in organic light-emitting device (OLED) technology is largely due to their flexibility. Up to now, indium tin oxide (ITO) films have been widely used as transparent conductive electrodes (TCE) in organic opto-electronic devices. However, ITO films, typically deposited on glass are brittle and they make it difficult to produce flexible devices, restricting their use for flexible devices. In this study, we report on a nano-composite TCE, which is made of a silver nanowire (AgNW) network, combined with aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al, AZO) by atomic layer deposition. The AgNWs/AZO composite electrode on photopolymer substrate shows a low sheet resistance of only 8.6 Ω/sq and a high optical transmittance of about 83% at 550 nm. These values are even comparable to conventional ITO on glass. In addition, the electrodes also have a very smooth surface (0.31 nm root-mean-square roughness), which is flat enough to contact the OLED stack. Flexible OLED were built with AgNWs/AZO electrodes, which suggests that this approach can replace conventional ITO TCEs in organic electronic devices in the future.

Wetting properties of molecularly rough surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Svoboda, Martin; Lísal, Martin, E-mail: lisal@icpf.cas.cz; Department of Physics, Institute of Science, J. E. Purkinje University, 400 96 Ústí n. Lab.

2015-09-14

We employ molecular dynamics simulations to study the wettability of nanoscale rough surfaces in systems governed by Lennard-Jones (LJ) interactions. We consider both smooth and molecularly rough planar surfaces. Solid substrates are modeled as a static collection of LJ particles arranged in a face-centered cubic lattice with the (100) surface exposed to the LJ fluid. Molecularly rough solid surfaces are prepared by removing several strips of LJ atoms from the external layers of the substrate, i.e., forming parallel nanogrooves on the surface. We vary the solid-fluid interactions to investigate strongly and weakly wettable surfaces. We determine the wetting properties bymore » measuring the equilibrium droplet profiles that are in turn used to evaluate the contact angles. Macroscopic arguments, such as those leading to Wenzel’s law, suggest that surface roughness always amplifies the wetting properties of a lyophilic surface. However, our results indicate the opposite effect from roughness for microscopically corrugated surfaces, i.e., surface roughness deteriorates the substrate wettability. Adding the roughness to a strongly wettable surface shrinks the surface area wet with the liquid, and it either increases or only marginally affects the contact angle, depending on the degree of liquid adsorption into the nanogrooves. For a weakly wettable surface, the roughness changes the surface character from lyophilic to lyophobic due to a weakening of the solid-fluid interactions by the presence of the nanogrooves and the weaker adsorption of the liquid into the nanogrooves.« less

Surface smoothing of indium tin oxide film by laser-induced photochemical etching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, JoonHyun; Kim, Young-Hwan; Kwon, Seok Joon; Park, Joon-Suh; Park, Kyoung Wan; Park, Jae-Gwan; Han, Il Ki

2017-12-01

Surface smoothing of indium tin oxide (ITO) film by laser irradiation was demonstrated. The ITO surface was etched by choline radicals, which were activated by laser irradiation at a wavelength of 532 nm. The RMS surface roughness was improved from 5.6 to 4.6 nm after 10 min of laser irradiation. We also showed the changes in the surface morphology of the ITO film with various irradiation powers and times.

The effect of CO2 and Nd:YAP lasers on CAD/CAM Ceramics: SEM, EDS and thermal studies.

PubMed

El Gamal, Ahmed; Fornaini, Carlo; Rocca, Jean Paul; Muhammad, Omid H; Medioni, Etienne; Cucinotta, Annamaria; Brulat-Bouchard, Nathalie

2016-03-31

The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction of infrared laser light on Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) ceramic surfaces. Sixty CAD/CAM ceramic discs were prepared and divided into two different groups: lithiumdisilicate ceramic (IPSe.maxCADs) and Zirconia ceramic (IPSe.maxZirCADs). The laser irradiation was performed on graphite and non-graphite surfaces with a Carbon Dioxide laser at 5W and 10W power in continuous mode (CW mode) and with Neodymium Yttrium Aluminum Perovskite (Nd:YAP) laser at 10W. Surface textures and compositions were examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). Thermal elevation was measured by thermocouple during laser irradiation. The SEM observation showed a rough surface plus cracks and fissures on CO2 10W samples and melting areas in Nd:YAP samples; moreover, with CO2 5W smooth and shallow surfaces were observed. EDS analysis revealed that laser irradiation does not result in modifications of the chemical composition even if minor changes in the atomic mass percentage of the components were registered. Thermocouple showed several thermal changes during laser irradiation. CO2 and Nd:YAP lasers modify CAD/CAM ceramic surface without chemical composition modifications.

String-like collective atomic motion in the melting and freezing of nanoparticles.

PubMed

Zhang, Hao; Kalvapalle, Pranav; Douglas, Jack F

2011-12-08

The melting of a solid represents a transition between a solid state in which atoms are localized about fixed average crystal lattice positions to a fluid state that is characterized by relative atomic disorder and particle mobility so that the atoms wander around the material as a whole, impelled by the random thermal impulses of surrounding atoms. Despite the fundamental nature and practical importance of this particle delocalization transition, there is still no fundamental theory of melting and instead one often relies on the semi-phenomenological Lindemann-Gilvarry criterion to estimate roughly the melting point as an instability of the crystal lattice. Even the earliest simulations of melting in hexagonally packed hard discs by Alder and Wainwright indicated the active role of nonlocal collective atomic motions in the melting process, and here we utilize molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to determine whether the collective particle motion observed in melting has a similar geometrical form as those in recent studies of nanoparticle (NP) interfacial dynamics and the molecular dynamics of metastable glass-forming liquids. We indeed find string-like collective atomic motion in NP melting that is remarkably similar in form to the collective interfacial motions in NPs at equilibrium and to the collective motions found in the molecular dynamics of glass-forming liquids. We also find that the spatial localization and extent of string-like motion in the course of NP melting and freezing evolves with time in distinct ways. Specifically, the collective atomic motion propagates from the NP surface and from within the NP in melting and freezing, respectively, and the average string length varies smoothly with time during melting. In contrast, the string-like cooperative motion peaks in an intermediate stage of the freezing process, reflecting a general asymmetry in the dynamics of NP superheating and supercooling. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Combined fabrication process for high-precision aspheric surface based on smoothing polishing and magnetorheological finishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Xuqing; Li, Shengyi; Song, Ci; Hu, Hao

2014-08-01

Due to the different curvature everywhere, the aspheric surface is hard to achieve high-precision accuracy by the traditional polishing process. Controlling of the mid-spatial frequency errors (MSFR), in particular, is almost unapproachable. In this paper, the combined fabrication process based on the smoothing polishing (SP) and magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is proposed. The pressure distribution of the rigid polishing lap and semi-flexible polishing lap is calculated. The shape preserving capacity and smoothing effect are compared. The feasibility of smoothing aspheric surface with the semi-flexible polishing lap is verified, and the key technologies in the SP process are discussed. Then, A K4 parabolic surface with the diameter of 500mm is fabricated based on the combined fabrication process. A Φ150 mm semi-flexible lap is used in the SP process to control the MSFR, and the deterministic MRF process is applied to figure the surface error. The root mean square (RMS) error of the aspheric surface converges from 0.083λ (λ=632.8 nm) to 0.008λ. The power spectral density (PSD) result shows that the MSFR are well restrained while the surface error has a great convergence.

Quartz resonator fluid density and viscosity monitor

DOEpatents

Martin, Stephen J.; Wiczer, James J.; Cernosek, Richard W.; Frye, Gregory C.; Gebert, Charles T.; Casaus, Leonard; Mitchell, Mary A.

1998-01-01

A pair of thickness-shear mode resonators, one smooth and one with a textured surface, allows fluid density and viscosity to be independently resolved. A textured surface, either randomly rough or regularly patterned, leads to trapping of liquid at the device surface. The synchronous motion of this trapped liquid with the oscillating device surface allows the device to weigh the liquid; this leads to an additional response that depends on liquid density. This additional response enables a pair of devices, one smooth and one textured, to independently resolve liquid density and viscosity; the difference in responses determines the density while the smooth device determines the density-viscosity product, and thus, the pair determines both density and viscosity.

Methods and electrolytes for electrodeposition of smooth films

DOEpatents

Zhang, Jiguang; Xu, Wu; Graff, Gordon L; Chen, Xilin; Ding, Fei; Shao, Yuyan

2015-03-17

Electrodeposition involving an electrolyte having a surface-smoothing additive can result in self-healing, instead of self-amplification, of initial protuberant tips that give rise to roughness and/or dendrite formation on the substrate and/or film surface. For electrodeposition of a first conductive material (C1) on a substrate from one or more reactants in an electrolyte solution, the electrolyte solution is characterized by a surface-smoothing additive containing cations of a second conductive material (C2), wherein cations of C2 have an effective electrochemical reduction potential in the solution lower than that of the reactants.

High reflectivity mirrors and method for making same

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heikman, Sten; Jacob-Mitos, Matthew; Li, Ting

2016-06-07

A composite high reflectivity mirror (CHRM) with at least one relatively smooth interior surface interface. The CHRM includes a composite portion, for example dielectric and metal layers, on a base element. At least one of the internal surfaces is polished to achieve a smooth interface. The polish can be performed on the surface of the base element, on various layers of the composite portion, or both. The resulting smooth interface(s) reflect more of the incident light in an intended direction. The CHRMs may be integrated into light emitting diode (LED) devices to increase optical output efficiency

Micromorphology of cactus-pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill) cladodes based on scanning microscopies.

PubMed

Ben Salem-Fnayou, Asma; Zemni, Hassène; Nefzaoui, Ali; Ghorbel, Abdelwahed

2014-01-01

Cladode ultrastructural features of two prickly and two spineless Opuntia ficus-indica cultivars were examined using environmental scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. Observations focused on cladode as well as spine and glochid surface micromorphologies. Prickly cultivars were characterized by abundant cracked epicuticular wax deposits covering the cladode surface, with an amorphous structure as observed by AFM, while less abundant waxy plates were observed by ESEM on spineless cultivar cladodes. Further AFM observations allowed a rough granular and crystalloid epicuticular wax structure to be distinguished in spineless cultivars. Regarding spine micromorphology, prickly cultivars had strong persistent spines, observed by ESEM as a compact arrangement of oblong epidermal cells with a rough granular structure. However, deciduous spines in spineless cultivars had a broken transversely fissured epidermis covering a parallel arrangement of fibres. Through AFM, the deciduous spine surface presented an irregular hilly and smooth microrelief while persistent spines exhibited rough helical filamentous prints. ESEM and AFM studies of cladode surfaces from prickly and spineless cactus pear cultivars revealed valuable micro-morphological details that ought to be extended to a large number of O. ficus-indica cultivars. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concurrent segregation and erosion effects in medium-energy iron beam patterning of silicon surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redondo-Cubero, A.; Lorenz, K.; Palomares, F. J.; Muñoz, A.; Castro, M.; Muñoz-García, J.; Cuerno, R.; Vázquez, L.

2018-07-01

We have bombarded crystalline silicon targets with a 40 keV Fe+ ion beam at different incidence angles. The resulting surfaces have been characterized by atomic force, current-sensing and magnetic force microscopies, scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We have found that there is a threshold angle smaller than 40° for the formation of ripple patterns, which is definitely lower than those frequently reported for noble gas ion beams. We compare our observations with estimates of the value of the critical angle and of additional basic properties of the patterning process, which are based on a continuum model whose parameters are obtained from binary collision simulations. We have further studied experimentally the ripple structures and measured how the surface slopes change with the ion incidence angle. We explore in particular detail the fluence dependence of the pattern for an incidence angle value (40°) close to the threshold. Initially, rimmed holes appear randomly scattered on the surface, which evolve into large, bug-like structures. Further increasing the ion fluence induces a smooth, rippled background morphology. By means of microscopy techniques, a correlation between the morphology of these structures and their metal content can be unambiguously established.

Method for large-scale fabrication of atomic-scale structures on material surfaces using surface vacancies

DOEpatents

Lim, Chong Wee; Ohmori, Kenji; Petrov, Ivan Georgiev; Greene, Joseph E.

2004-07-13

A method for forming atomic-scale structures on a surface of a substrate on a large-scale includes creating a predetermined amount of surface vacancies on the surface of the substrate by removing an amount of atoms on the surface of the material corresponding to the predetermined amount of the surface vacancies. Once the surface vacancies have been created, atoms of a desired structure material are deposited on the surface of the substrate to enable the surface vacancies and the atoms of the structure material to interact. The interaction causes the atoms of the structure material to form the atomic-scale structures.

Basis Expansion Approaches for Regularized Sequential Dictionary Learning Algorithms With Enforced Sparsity for fMRI Data Analysis.

PubMed

Seghouane, Abd-Krim; Iqbal, Asif

2017-09-01

Sequential dictionary learning algorithms have been successfully applied to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data analysis. fMRI data sets are, however, structured data matrices with the notions of temporal smoothness in the column direction. This prior information, which can be converted into a constraint of smoothness on the learned dictionary atoms, has seldomly been included in classical dictionary learning algorithms when applied to fMRI data analysis. In this paper, we tackle this problem by proposing two new sequential dictionary learning algorithms dedicated to fMRI data analysis by accounting for this prior information. These algorithms differ from the existing ones in their dictionary update stage. The steps of this stage are derived as a variant of the power method for computing the SVD. The proposed algorithms generate regularized dictionary atoms via the solution of a left regularized rank-one matrix approximation problem where temporal smoothness is enforced via regularization through basis expansion and sparse basis expansion in the dictionary update stage. Applications on synthetic data experiments and real fMRI data sets illustrating the performance of the proposed algorithms are provided.

Theory of Electromagnetic Surface Waves in Plasma with Smooth Boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzelev, M. V.

2018-05-01

A theory of nonpotential surface waves in plasma with smooth boundaries is developed. The complex frequencies of surface waves for plasma systems of different geometries and different profiles of the plasma density are calculated. Expressions for the rates of collisionless damping of surface waves due to their resonance interaction with local plasma waves of continuous spectrum are obtained. The influence of collisions in plasma is also considered.

Interface properties of SiO2/GaN structures formed by chemical vapor deposition with remote oxygen plasma mixed with Ar or He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truyen, Nguyen Xuan; Taoka, Noriyuki; Ohta, Akio; Makihara, Katsunori; Yamada, Hisashi; Takahashi, Tokio; Ikeda, Mitsuhisa; Shimizu, Mitsuaki; Miyazaki, Seiichi

2018-06-01

The impacts of noble gas species (Ar and He) on the formation of a SiO2/GaN structure formed by a remote oxygen plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (ROPE-CVD) method were systematically investigated. Atomic force microscopy revealed that ROPE-CVD with He leads to a smooth SiO2 surface compared with the case of Ar. We found that no obvious oxidations of the GaN surfaces after the SiO2 depositions with the both Ar and He cases were observed. The capacitance–voltage (C–V) curves of the GaN MOS capacitors formed by ROPE-CVD with the Ar and He dilutions show good interface properties with no hysteresis and good agreement with the ideal C–V curves even after post deposition annealing at 800 °C. Besides, we found that the current density–oxide electric field characteristics shows a gate leakage current for the Ar case lower than the He case.

Improved Biomolecular Thin-Film Sensor based on Plasmon Waveguide Resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byard, Courtney; Aslan, Mustafa; Mendes, Sergio

2009-05-01

The design, fabrication, and characterization of a plasmon waveguide resonance (PWR) sensor are presented. Glass substrates are coated with a 35 nm gold film using electron beam evaporation, and then covered with a 143 nm aluminum oxide waveguide using an atomic layer deposition process, creating a smooth, highly transparent dielectric film. When probed in the Kretschmann configuration, the structure allows for an efficient conversion of an incident optical beam into a surface wave, which is mainly confined in the dielectric layer and exhibits a deep and narrow angular resonance. The performance (reflectance vs. incidence angle in TE polarization) is modeled using a transfer-matrix approach implemented into a Mathematica code. Our simulations and experimental data are compared with that of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor using the same criteria. We show that the resolution of PWR is approximately ten times better than SPR, opening opportunities for more sensitive studies in various applications including research in protein interactions, pharmaceutical drug development, and food analysis.

A correlation of various smoothness measuring systems for asphaltic concrete surfaces : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-06-01

The primary purpose of this research effort was to assess the presently specified smoothness criteria for new construction of asphaltic concrete surfaces using various rolling straightedges and roadmeters. This assessment was to be based on the corre...

Low-temperature remote plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of ZrO2/zircone nanolaminate film for efficient encapsulation of flexible organic light-emitting diodes.

PubMed

Chen, Zheng; Wang, Haoran; Wang, Xiao; Chen, Ping; Liu, Yunfei; Zhao, Hongyu; Zhao, Yi; Duan, Yu

2017-01-06

Encapsulation is essential to protect the air-sensitive components of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) such as active layers and cathode electrodes. In this study, hybrid zirconium inorganic/organic nanolaminates were fabricated using remote plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) and molecular layer deposition at a low temperature. The nanolaminate serves as a thin-film encapsulation layer for OLEDs. The reaction mechanism of PEALD process was investigated using an in-situ quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and in-situ quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS). The bonds present in the films were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The primary reaction byproducts in PEALD, such as CO, CO 2 , NO, H 2 O, as well as the related fragments during the O 2 plasma process were characterized using the QMS, indicating a combustion-like reaction process. The self-limiting nature and growth mechanisms of the ZrO 2 during the complex surface chemical reaction of the ligand and O 2 plasma were monitored using the QCM. The remote PEALD ZrO 2 /zircone nanolaminate structure prolonged the transmission path of water vapor and smooth surface morphology. Consequently, the water barrier properties were significantly improved (reaching 3.078 × 10 -5  g/m 2 /day). This study also shows that flexible OLEDs can be successfully encapsulated to achieve a significantly longer lifetime.

Low-temperature remote plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of ZrO2/zircone nanolaminate film for efficient encapsulation of flexible organic light-emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zheng; Wang, Haoran; Wang, Xiao; Chen, Ping; Liu, Yunfei; Zhao, Hongyu; Zhao, Yi; Duan, Yu

2017-01-01

Encapsulation is essential to protect the air-sensitive components of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) such as active layers and cathode electrodes. In this study, hybrid zirconium inorganic/organic nanolaminates were fabricated using remote plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) and molecular layer deposition at a low temperature. The nanolaminate serves as a thin-film encapsulation layer for OLEDs. The reaction mechanism of PEALD process was investigated using an in-situ quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and in-situ quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS). The bonds present in the films were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The primary reaction byproducts in PEALD, such as CO, CO2, NO, H2O, as well as the related fragments during the O2 plasma process were characterized using the QMS, indicating a combustion-like reaction process. The self-limiting nature and growth mechanisms of the ZrO2 during the complex surface chemical reaction of the ligand and O2 plasma were monitored using the QCM. The remote PEALD ZrO2/zircone nanolaminate structure prolonged the transmission path of water vapor and smooth surface morphology. Consequently, the water barrier properties were significantly improved (reaching 3.078 × 10-5 g/m2/day). This study also shows that flexible OLEDs can be successfully encapsulated to achieve a significantly longer lifetime.

Direct growth of nanocrystalline hexagonal boron nitride films on dielectric substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tay, Roland Yingjie; Temasek Laboratories@NTU, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, Singapore 639798; Tsang, Siu Hon

Atomically thin hexagonal-boron nitride (h-BN) films are primarily synthesized through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on various catalytic transition metal substrates. In this work, a single-step metal-catalyst-free approach to obtain few- to multi-layer nanocrystalline h-BN (NCBN) directly on amorphous SiO{sub 2}/Si and quartz substrates is demonstrated. The as-grown thin films are continuous and smooth with no observable pinholes or wrinkles across the entire deposited substrate as inspected using optical and atomic force microscopy. The starting layers of NCBN orient itself parallel to the substrate, initiating the growth of the textured thin film. Formation of NCBN is due to the random andmore » uncontrolled nucleation of h-BN on the dielectric substrate surface with no epitaxial relation, unlike on metal surfaces. The crystallite size is ∼25 nm as determined by Raman spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the NCBN formed sheets of multi-stacked layers with controllable thickness from ∼2 to 25 nm. The absence of transfer process in this technique avoids any additional degradation, such as wrinkles, tears or folding and residues on the film which are detrimental to device performance. This work provides a wider perspective of CVD-grown h-BN and presents a viable route towards large-scale manufacturing of h-BN substrates and for coating applications.« less

N-Doped Graphene with Low Intrinsic Defect Densities via a Solid Source Doping Technique.

PubMed

Liu, Bo; Yang, Chia-Ming; Liu, Zhiwei; Lai, Chao-Sung

2017-09-30

N-doped graphene with low intrinsic defect densities was obtained by combining a solid source doping technique and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The solid source for N-doping was embedded into the copper substrate by NH₃ plasma immersion. During the treatment, NH₃ plasma radicals not only flattened the Cu substrate such that the root-mean-square roughness value gradually decreased from 51.9 nm to 15.5 nm but also enhanced the nitrogen content in the Cu substrate. The smooth surface of copper enables good control of graphene growth and the decoupling of height fluctuations and ripple effects, which compensate for the Coulomb scattering by nitrogen incorporation. On the other hand, the nitrogen atoms on the pre-treated Cu surface enable nitrogen incorporation with low defect densities, causing less damage to the graphene structure during the process. Most incorporated nitrogen atoms are found in the pyrrolic configuration, with the nitrogen fraction ranging from 1.64% to 3.05%, while the samples exhibit low defect densities, as revealed by Raman spectroscopy. In the top-gated graphene transistor measurement, N-doped graphene exhibits n-type behavior, and the obtained carrier mobilities are greater than 1100 cm²·V -1 ·s -1 . In this study, an efficient and minimally damaging n-doping approach was proposed for graphene nanoelectronic applications.

Evaluation of cytotoxicity and corrosion resistance of orthodontic mini-implants.

PubMed

Alves, Celha Borges Costa; Segurado, Márcio Nunes; Dorta, Miriam Cristina Leandro; Dias, Fátima Ribeiro; Lenza, Maurício Guilherme; Lenza, Marcos Augusto

2016-01-01

To evaluate and compare in vitro cytotoxicity and corrosion resistance of mini-implants from three different commercial brands used for orthodontic anchorage. Six mini-implants (Conexão(tm), Neodent(tm) and SIN(tm)) were separately immersed in artificial saliva (pH 6.76) for 30 and 60 days. The cytotoxicity of the corrosion extracts was assessed in L929 cell cultures using the violet crystal and MTT assays, as well as cell morphology under light microscopy. Metal surface characteristics before and after immersion in artificial saliva were assessed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The samples underwent atomic absorption spectrophotometry to determine the concentrations of aluminum and vanadium ions, constituent elements of the alloy that present potential toxicity. For statistical analysis, one-way ANOVA/Bonferroni tests were used for comparisons among groups with p < 0.05 considered significant. Statistical analysis was carried out with Graph Pad PRISM software Version 4.0. No changes in cell viability or morphology were observed. Mini-implants SEM images revealed smooth surfaces with no obvious traces of corrosion. The extracts assessed by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry presented concentrations of aluminum and vanadium ions below 1.0 µg/mL and 0.5 µg/mL, respectively. Orthodontic mini-implants manufactured by Conexão(tm), Neodent(tm) and SIN(tm) present high corrosion resistance and are not cytotoxic.

Irradiation of amorphous Ta42Si13N45 film with a femtosecond laser pulse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romano, V.; Meier, M.; Theodore, N. D.; Marble, D. K.; Nicolet, M.-A.

2011-07-01

Films of 260 nm thickness, with atomic composition Ta42Si13N45, on 4″ silicon wafers, have been irradiated in air with single laser pulses of 200 femtoseconds duration and 800 nm wave length. As sputter-deposited, the films are structurally amorphous. A laterally truncated Gaussian beam with a near-uniform fluence of ˜0.6 J/cm2 incident normally on such a film ablates 23 nm of the film. Cross-sectional transmission electron micrographs show that the surface of the remaining film is smooth and flat on a long-range scale, but contains densely distributed sharp nanoprotrusions that sometimes surpass the height of the original surface. Dark field micrographs of the remaining material show no nanograins. Neither does glancing angle X-ray diffraction with a beam illuminating many diffraction spots. By all evidence, the remaining film remains amorphous after the pulsed femtosecond irradiation. The same single pulse, but with an enhanced and slightly peaked fluence profile, creates a spot with flat peripheral terraces whose lateral extents shrink with depth, as scanning electron and atomic force micrographs revealed. Comparison of the various figures suggests that the sharp nanoprotrusions result from an ejection of material by brittle fraction and spallation, not from ablation by direct beam-solid interaction. Conditions under which spallation should dominate over ablation are discussed.

Evaluation of cytotoxicity and corrosion resistance of orthodontic mini-implants

PubMed Central

Alves, Celha Borges Costa; Segurado, Márcio Nunes; Dorta, Miriam Cristina Leandro; Dias, Fátima Ribeiro; Lenza, Maurício Guilherme; Lenza, Marcos Augusto

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate and compare in vitro cytotoxicity and corrosion resistance of mini-implants from three different commercial brands used for orthodontic anchorage. Methods: Six mini-implants (Conexão(tm), Neodent(tm) and SIN(tm)) were separately immersed in artificial saliva (pH 6.76) for 30 and 60 days. The cytotoxicity of the corrosion extracts was assessed in L929 cell cultures using the violet crystal and MTT assays, as well as cell morphology under light microscopy. Metal surface characteristics before and after immersion in artificial saliva were assessed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The samples underwent atomic absorption spectrophotometry to determine the concentrations of aluminum and vanadium ions, constituent elements of the alloy that present potential toxicity. For statistical analysis, one-way ANOVA/Bonferroni tests were used for comparisons among groups with p < 0.05 considered significant. Statistical analysis was carried out with Graph Pad PRISM software Version 4.0. Results: No changes in cell viability or morphology were observed. Mini-implants SEM images revealed smooth surfaces with no obvious traces of corrosion. The extracts assessed by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry presented concentrations of aluminum and vanadium ions below 1.0 µg/mL and 0.5 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: Orthodontic mini-implants manufactured by Conexão(tm), Neodent(tm) and SIN(tm) present high corrosion resistance and are not cytotoxic. PMID:27901227

Interaction of divalent cations with basal planes and edge surfaces of phyllosilicate minerals: muscovite and talc.

PubMed

Yan, Lujie; Masliyah, Jacob H; Xu, Zhenghe

2013-08-15

Smooth basal plane and edge surfaces of two platy phyllosilicate minerals (muscovite and talc) were prepared successfully to allow accurate colloidal force measurement using an atomic force microscope (AFM), which allowed us to probe independently interactions of divalent cations with phyllosilicate basal planes and edge surfaces. The Stern potential of basal planes and edge surfaces was obtained by fitting the measured force profiles with the classical DLVO theory. The fitted Stern potential of the muscovite basal plane became less negative with increasing Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) concentration but did not reverse its sign even at Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) concentrations up to 5 mM. In contrast, the Stern potential of the muscovite edge surface reversed at Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) concentrations as low as 0.1 mM. The Stern potential of the talc basal plane became less negative with 0.1 mM Ca(2+) addition and nearly zero with 1 mM Ca(2+) addition. The Stern potential of talc edge surface became reversed with 0.1 mM Ca(2+) or 1 mM Mg(2+) addition, showing not only a different binding mechanism of talc basal planes and edge surfaces with Ca(2+) and Mg(2+), but also different binding mechanism between Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) ions with basal planes and edge surfaces. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of applied voltage on surface properties of anodised titanium in mixture of β-glycerophosphate (β-GP) and calcium acetate (CA)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chuan, Lee Te, E-mail: gd130079@siswa.uthm.edu.my; Rathi, Muhammad Fareez Mohamad, E-mail: cd110238@siswa.uthm.edu.my; Abidin, Muhamad Yusuf Zainal, E-mail: cd110221@siswa.uthm.edu.my

Anodic oxidation is a surface modification method which combines electric field driven metal and oxygen ion diffusion for formation of oxide layer on the anode surface. This method has been widely used to modify the surface morphology of biomaterial especially titanium. This study aimed to investigate the effect of applied voltage on titanium. Specifically, the titanium foil was anodised in mixture of β-glycerophosphate disodium salt pentahydrate (β-GP) and calcium acetate monohydrate (CA) with different applied voltage (50-350 V), electrolyte concentration (0.04 M β-GP + 0.4 M CA), anodising time (10minutes) and current density (50 and 70 mA.cm{sup −2}) at room temperature. Surfacemore » oxide properties of anodised titanium were characterised by digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR camera), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). At lower applied voltage (≤150 V), surface of titanium foils were relatively smooth. With increasing applied voltage (≥250 V), the oxide layer became more porous and donut-shaped pores were formed on the surface of titanium foils. The AFM results indicated that the surface roughness of anodised titanium increases with increasing of applied voltage. The porous and rough surface is able to promote the osseointegration and reduce the suffering time of patient.« less

Ion-damage-free planarization or shallow angle sectioning of solar cells for mapping grain orientation and nanoscale photovoltaic properties

DOE PAGES

Kutes, Yasemin; Luria, Justin; Sun, Yu; ...

2017-04-11

Ion beam milling is the most common modern method for preparing specific features for microscopic analysis, even though concomitant ion implantation and amorphization remain persistent challenges, particularly as they often modify materials properties of interest. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), on the other hand, can mechanically mill specific nanoscale regions in plan-view without chemical or high energy ion damage, due to its resolution, directionality, and fine load control. As an example, AFM-nanomilling (AFM-NM) is implemented for top-down planarization of polycrystalline CdTe thin film solar cells, with a resulting decrease in the root mean square (RMS) roughness by an order of magnitude,more » even better than for a low incidence FIB polished surface. Subsequently AFM-based property maps reveal a substantially stronger contrast, in this case of the short-circuit current or open circuit voltage during light exposure. Furthermore, electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) imaging also becomes possible upon AFM-NM, enabling direct correlations between the local materials properties and the polycrystalline microstructure. Smooth shallow-angle cross-sections are demonstrated as well, based on targeted oblique milling. As expected, this reveals a gradual decrease in the average short-circuit current and maximum power as the underlying CdS and electrode layers are approached, but a relatively consistent open-circuit voltage through the diminishing thickness of the CdTe absorber. AFM-based nanomilling is therefore a powerful tool for material characterization, uniquely providing ion-damage free, selective area, planar smoothing or low-angle sectioning of specimens while preserving their functionality. This then enables novel, co-located advanced AFM measurements, EBSD analysis, and investigations by related techniques that are otherwise hindered by surface morphology or surface damage.« less

Ion-damage-free planarization or shallow angle sectioning of solar cells for mapping grain orientation and nanoscale photovoltaic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutes, Yasemin; Luria, Justin; Sun, Yu; Moore, Andrew; Aguirre, Brandon A.; Cruz-Campa, Jose L.; Aindow, Mark; Zubia, David; Huey, Bryan D.

2017-05-01

Ion beam milling is the most common modern method for preparing specific features for microscopic analysis, even though concomitant ion implantation and amorphization remain persistent challenges, particularly as they often modify materials properties of interest. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), on the other hand, can mechanically mill specific nanoscale regions in plan-view without chemical or high energy ion damage, due to its resolution, directionality, and fine load control. As an example, AFM-nanomilling (AFM-NM) is implemented for top-down planarization of polycrystalline CdTe thin film solar cells, with a resulting decrease in the root mean square (RMS) roughness by an order of magnitude, even better than for a low incidence FIB polished surface. Subsequent AFM-based property maps reveal a substantially stronger contrast, in this case of the short-circuit current or open circuit voltage during light exposure. Electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) imaging also becomes possible upon AFM-NM, enabling direct correlations between the local materials properties and the polycrystalline microstructure. Smooth shallow-angle cross-sections are demonstrated as well, based on targeted oblique milling. As expected, this reveals a gradual decrease in the average short-circuit current and maximum power as the underlying CdS and electrode layers are approached, but a relatively consistent open-circuit voltage through the diminishing thickness of the CdTe absorber. AFM-based nanomilling is therefore a powerful tool for material characterization, uniquely providing ion-damage free, selective area, planar smoothing or low-angle sectioning of specimens while preserving their functionality. This enables novel, co-located advanced AFM measurements, EBSD analysis, and investigations by related techniques that are otherwise hindered by surface morphology or surface damage.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kutes, Yasemin; Luria, Justin; Sun, Yu

Ion beam milling is the most common modern method for preparing specific features for microscopic analysis, even though concomitant ion implantation and amorphization remain persistent challenges, particularly as they often modify materials properties of interest. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), on the other hand, can mechanically mill specific nanoscale regions in plan-view without chemical or high energy ion damage, due to its resolution, directionality, and fine load control. As an example, AFM-nanomilling (AFM-NM) is implemented for top-down planarization of polycrystalline CdTe thin film solar cells, with a resulting decrease in the root mean square (RMS) roughness by an order of magnitude,more » even better than for a low incidence FIB polished surface. Subsequently AFM-based property maps reveal a substantially stronger contrast, in this case of the short-circuit current or open circuit voltage during light exposure. Furthermore, electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) imaging also becomes possible upon AFM-NM, enabling direct correlations between the local materials properties and the polycrystalline microstructure. Smooth shallow-angle cross-sections are demonstrated as well, based on targeted oblique milling. As expected, this reveals a gradual decrease in the average short-circuit current and maximum power as the underlying CdS and electrode layers are approached, but a relatively consistent open-circuit voltage through the diminishing thickness of the CdTe absorber. AFM-based nanomilling is therefore a powerful tool for material characterization, uniquely providing ion-damage free, selective area, planar smoothing or low-angle sectioning of specimens while preserving their functionality. This then enables novel, co-located advanced AFM measurements, EBSD analysis, and investigations by related techniques that are otherwise hindered by surface morphology or surface damage.« less

Biocompatible, smooth, plasma-treated nickel-titanium surface--an adequate platform for cell growth.

PubMed

Chrzanowski, W; Szade, J; Hart, A D; Knowles, J C; Dalby, M J

2012-02-01

High nickel content is believed to reduce the number of biomedical applications of nickel-titanium alloy due to the reported toxicity of nickel. The reduction in nickel release and minimized exposure of the cell to nickel can optimize the biocompatibility of the alloy and increase its use in the application where its shape memory effects and pseudoelasticity are particularly useful, e.g., spinal implants. Many treatments have been tried to improve the biocompatibility of Ni-Ti, and results suggest that a native, smooth surface could provide sufficient tolerance, biologically. We hypothesized that the native surface of nickel-titanium supports cell differentiation and insures good biocompatibility. Three types of surface modifications were investigated: thermal oxidation, alkali treatment, and plasma sputtering, and compared with smooth, ground surface. Thermal oxidation caused a drop in surface nickel content, while negligible chemistry changes were observed for plasma-modified samples when compared with control ground samples. In contrast, alkali treatment caused significant increase in surface nickel concentration and accelerated nickel release. Nickel release was also accelerated in thermally oxidized samples at 600 °C, while in other samples it remained at low level. Both thermal oxidation and alkali treatment increased the roughness of the surface, but mean roughness R(a) was significantly greater for the alkali-treated ones. Ground and plasma-modified samples had 'smooth' surfaces with R(a)=4 nm. Deformability tests showed that the adhesion of the surface layers on samples oxidized at 600 °C and alkali treatment samples was not sufficient; the layer delaminated upon deformation. It was observed that the cell cytoskeletons on the samples with a high nickel content or release were less developed, suggesting some negative effects of nickel on cell growth. These effects were observed primarily during initial cell contact with the surface. The most favorable cell responses were observed for ground and plasma-sputtered surfaces. These studies indicated that smooth, plasma-modified surfaces provide sufficient properties for cells to grow. © The Author(s), 2011.

SiGe nano-heteroepitaxy on Si and SiGe nano-pillars.

PubMed

Mastari, M; Charles, M; Bogumilowicz, Y; Thai, Q M; Pimenta-Barros, P; Argoud, M; Papon, A M; Gergaud, P; Landru, D; Kim, Y; Hartmann, J M

2018-07-06

In this paper, SiGe nano-heteroepitaxy on Si and SiGe nano-pillars was investigated in a 300 mm industrial reduced pressure-chemical vapour deposition tool. An integration scheme based on diblock copolymer patterning was used to fabricate nanometre-sized templates for the epitaxy of Si and SiGe nano-pillars. Results showed highly selective and uniform processes for the epitaxial growth of Si and SiGe nano-pillars. 200 nm thick SiGe layers were grown on Si and SiGe nano-pillars and characterised by atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Smooth SiGe surfaces and full strain relaxation were obtained in the 650 °C-700 °C range for 2D SiGe layers grown either on Si or SiGe nano-pillars.

Structural characterization of casein micelles: shape changes during film formation.

PubMed

Gebhardt, R; Vendrely, C; Kulozik, U

2011-11-09

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of size-fractionation by centrifugation on the film structure of casein micelles. Fractionated casein micelles in solution were asymmetrically distributed with a small distribution width as measured by dynamic light scattering. Films prepared from the size-fractionated samples showed a smooth surface in optical microscopy images and a homogeneous microstructure in atomic force micrographs. The nano- and microstructure of casein films was probed by micro-beam grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (μGISAXS). Compared to the solution measurements, the sizes determined in the film were larger and broadly distributed. The measured GISAXS patterns clearly deviate from those simulated for a sphere and suggest a deformation of the casein micelles in the film. © 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd

Quantification of Hydrogen Concentrations in Surface and Interface Layers and Bulk Materials through Depth Profiling with Nuclear Reaction Analysis.

PubMed

Wilde, Markus; Ohno, Satoshi; Ogura, Shohei; Fukutani, Katsuyuki; Matsuzaki, Hiroyuki

2016-03-29

Nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) via the resonant (1)H((15)N,αγ)(12)C reaction is a highly effective method of depth profiling that quantitatively and non-destructively reveals the hydrogen density distribution at surfaces, at interfaces, and in the volume of solid materials with high depth resolution. The technique applies a (15)N ion beam of 6.385 MeV provided by an electrostatic accelerator and specifically detects the (1)H isotope in depths up to about 2 μm from the target surface. Surface H coverages are measured with a sensitivity in the order of ~10(13) cm(-2) (~1% of a typical atomic monolayer density) and H volume concentrations with a detection limit of ~10(18) cm(-3) (~100 at. ppm). The near-surface depth resolution is 2-5 nm for surface-normal (15)N ion incidence onto the target and can be enhanced to values below 1 nm for very flat targets by adopting a surface-grazing incidence geometry. The method is versatile and readily applied to any high vacuum compatible homogeneous material with a smooth surface (no pores). Electrically conductive targets usually tolerate the ion beam irradiation with negligible degradation. Hydrogen quantitation and correct depth analysis require knowledge of the elementary composition (besides hydrogen) and mass density of the target material. Especially in combination with ultra-high vacuum methods for in-situ target preparation and characterization, (1)H((15)N,αγ)(12)C NRA is ideally suited for hydrogen analysis at atomically controlled surfaces and nanostructured interfaces. We exemplarily demonstrate here the application of (15)N NRA at the MALT Tandem accelerator facility of the University of Tokyo to (1) quantitatively measure the surface coverage and the bulk concentration of hydrogen in the near-surface region of a H2 exposed Pd(110) single crystal, and (2) to determine the depth location and layer density of hydrogen near the interfaces of thin SiO2 films on Si(100).

Quantification of Hydrogen Concentrations in Surface and Interface Layers and Bulk Materials through Depth Profiling with Nuclear Reaction Analysis

PubMed Central

Wilde, Markus; Ohno, Satoshi; Ogura, Shohei; Fukutani, Katsuyuki; Matsuzaki, Hiroyuki

2016-01-01

Nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) via the resonant 1H(15N,αγ)12C reaction is a highly effective method of depth profiling that quantitatively and non-destructively reveals the hydrogen density distribution at surfaces, at interfaces, and in the volume of solid materials with high depth resolution. The technique applies a 15N ion beam of 6.385 MeV provided by an electrostatic accelerator and specifically detects the 1H isotope in depths up to about 2 μm from the target surface. Surface H coverages are measured with a sensitivity in the order of ~1013 cm-2 (~1% of a typical atomic monolayer density) and H volume concentrations with a detection limit of ~1018 cm-3 (~100 at. ppm). The near-surface depth resolution is 2-5 nm for surface-normal 15N ion incidence onto the target and can be enhanced to values below 1 nm for very flat targets by adopting a surface-grazing incidence geometry. The method is versatile and readily applied to any high vacuum compatible homogeneous material with a smooth surface (no pores). Electrically conductive targets usually tolerate the ion beam irradiation with negligible degradation. Hydrogen quantitation and correct depth analysis require knowledge of the elementary composition (besides hydrogen) and mass density of the target material. Especially in combination with ultra-high vacuum methods for in-situ target preparation and characterization, 1H(15N,αγ)12C NRA is ideally suited for hydrogen analysis at atomically controlled surfaces and nanostructured interfaces. We exemplarily demonstrate here the application of 15N NRA at the MALT Tandem accelerator facility of the University of Tokyo to (1) quantitatively measure the surface coverage and the bulk concentration of hydrogen in the near-surface region of a H2 exposed Pd(110) single crystal, and (2) to determine the depth location and layer density of hydrogen near the interfaces of thin SiO2 films on Si(100). PMID:27077920

Role of Integrin Subunits in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation and Osteoblast Maturation on Graphitic Carbon-coated Microstructured Surfaces

PubMed Central

Olivares-Navarrete, Rene; Rodil, Sandra E.; Hyzy, Sharon L.; Dunn, Ginger R.; Almaguer-Flores, Argelia; Schwartz, Zvi; Boyan, Barbara D.

2015-01-01

Surface roughness, topography, chemistry, and energy promote osteoblast differentiation and increase osteogenic local factor production in vitro and bone-to-implant contact in vivo, but the mechanisms involved are not well understood. Knockdown of integrin heterodimer alpha2beta1 (α2β1) blocks the osteogenic effects of the surface, suggesting signaling by this integrin homodimer is required. The purpose of the present study was to separate effects of surface chemistry and surface structure on integrin expression by coating smooth or rough titanium (Ti) substrates with graphitic carbon, retaining surface morphology but altering surface chemistry. Ti surfaces (smooth [Ra<0.4μm], rough [Ra≥3.4μm]) were sputter-coated using a magnetron sputtering system with an ultrapure graphite target, producing a graphitic carbon thin film. Human mesenchymal stem cells and MG63 osteoblast-like cells had higher mRNA for integrin subunits α1, α2, αv, and β1 on rough surfaces in comparison to smooth, and integrin αv on graphitic-carbon-coated rough surfaces in comparison to Ti. Osteogenic differentiation was greater on rough surfaces in comparison to smooth, regardless of chemistry. Silencing integrins β1, α1, or α2 decreased osteoblast maturation on rough surfaces independent of surface chemistry. Silencing integrin αv decreased maturation only on graphitic carbon-coated surfaces, not on Ti. These results suggest a major role of the integrin β1 subunit in roughness recognition, and that integrin alpha subunits play a major role in surface chemistry recognition. PMID:25770999

Gravitational lensing by a smoothly variable surface mass density

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paczynski, Bohdan; Wambsganss, Joachim

1989-01-01

The statistical properties of gravitational lensing due to smooth but nonuniform distributions of matter are considered. It is found that a majority of triple images had a parity characteristic for 'shear-induced' lensing. Almost all cases of triple or multiple imaging were associated with large surface density enhancements, and lensing objects were present between the images. Thus, the observed gravitational lens candidates for which no lensing object has been detected between the images are unlikely to be a result of asymmetric distribution of mass external to the image circle. In a model with smoothly variable surface mass density, moderately and highly amplified images tended to be single rather than multiple. An opposite trend was found in models which had singularities in the surface mass distribution.

PREFACE: NC-AFM 2005: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Non-Contact Atomic Force Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichling, M.; Mikosch, W.

2006-04-01

The 8th International Conference on Non-Contact Atomic Force Microscopy, held in Bad Essen, Germany, from 15 18th August 2005, attracted a record breaking number of participants presenting excellent contributions from a variety of scientific fields. This clearly demonstrated the high level of activity and innovation present in the community of NC-AFM researchers and the continuous growth of the field. The strongest ever participation of companies for a NC-AFM meeting is a sign for the emergence of new markets for the growing NC-AFM community; and the high standard of the products presented at the exhibition, many of them brand-new developments, reflected the unbroken progress in technology. The development of novel technologies and the sophistication of known techniques in research laboratories and their subsequent commercialization is still a major driving force for progress in this area of nanoscience. The conference was a perfect demonstration of how progress in the development of enabling technologies can readily be transcribed into basic research yielding fundamental insight with an impact across disciplines. The NC-AFM 2005 scientific programme was based on five cornerstones, each representing an area of vivid research and scientific progress. Atomic resolution imaging on oxide surfaces, which has long been a vision for the catalysis community, appears to be routine in several laboratories and after a period of demonstrative experiments NC-AFM now makes unique contributions to the understanding of processes in surface chemistry. These capabilities also open up new routes for the analysis of clusters and molecules deposited on dielectric surfaces where resolution limits are pushed towards the single atom level. Atomic precision manipulation with the dynamic AFM left the cradle of its infancy and flourishes in the family of bottom-up fabrication nanotechnologies. The systematic development of established and the introduction of new concepts of contrast formation allow the highly resolved measurement of a number of physical properties far beyond the determination of surface topography. The development of techniques allowing atomic resolution dynamic mode imaging in liquids pushes the door open for an atomic precision analysis of biological samples under physiological conditions. In each of these fields, the conference demonstrated cutting-edge results and also provided perspectives for the next steps on the roadmap of NC-AFM towards the development of its full extent. The conference in Bad Essen was made possible by the continuous dedication of the local management and we are most grateful to Frauke Riemann, Joachim Fontaine and the members of the supporting team for the smooth organization. We gratefully appreciate the financial support of the exhibitors, namely Anfatec, HALCYONICS, JEOL, LOT-Oriel, NanoMagnetics, NT-MDT, Omicron, Schaefer Technology, SURFACE, UNISOKU and the local sponsors which enabled us to provide free participation at the conference for ten promising young researchers who had submitted excellent contributions. It was a great pleasure for us to continue our most successful collaboration with Nanotechnology as our partner for the proceedings publication and we would like to thank Ian Forbes and the publishing team for the professional handling of the peer review and all production matters.

The quantitative analysis of silicon carbide surface smoothing by Ar and Xe cluster ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ieshkin, A. E.; Kireev, D. S.; Ermakov, Yu. A.; Trifonov, A. S.; Presnov, D. E.; Garshev, A. V.; Anufriev, Yu. V.; Prokhorova, I. G.; Krupenin, V. A.; Chernysh, V. S.

2018-04-01

The gas cluster ion beam technique was used for the silicon carbide crystal surface smoothing. The effect of processing by two inert cluster ions, argon and xenon, was quantitatively compared. While argon is a standard element for GCIB, results for xenon clusters were not reported yet. Scanning probe microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques were used for the analysis of the surface roughness and surface crystal layer quality. The gas cluster ion beam processing results in surface relief smoothing down to average roughness about 1 nm for both elements. It was shown that xenon as the working gas is more effective: sputtering rate for xenon clusters is 2.5 times higher than for argon at the same beam energy. High resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis of the surface defect layer gives values of 7 ± 2 nm and 8 ± 2 nm for treatment with argon and xenon clusters.

Homogeneous solutions of stationary Navier-Stokes equations with isolated singularities on the unit sphere. II. Classification of axisymmetric no-swirl solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Li; Li, YanYan; Yan, Xukai

2018-05-01

We classify all (- 1)-homogeneous axisymmetric no-swirl solutions of incompressible stationary Navier-Stokes equations in three dimension which are smooth on the unit sphere minus the south and north poles, parameterizing them as a four dimensional surface with boundary in appropriate function spaces. Then we establish smoothness properties of the solution surface in the four parameters. The smoothness properties will be used in a subsequent paper where we study the existence of (- 1)-homogeneous axisymmetric solutions with non-zero swirl on S2 ∖ { S , N }, emanating from the four dimensional solution surface.

A new seamless, smooth, interior, absorptive finishing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Antonio, Peter

2003-04-01

Architects and acousticians have sought a field-applied, absorptive finishing system that resembles a smooth plaster or painted drywall surface, since the dawn of architectural acoustics. Some success has been achieved using sprayed cellulose or cementitious materials, but surface smoothness has been a challenge. A new approach utilizing a thin microporous layer of mineral particles applied over a mineral wool panel will be described. This material can be applied to almost any shape surface, internally pigmented to match almost any color and renovated. It is currently finding application in many architectural applications, including museums. A recent installation in the New Pinakothek Museum in Munich will be illustrated.

Modeling and validation of spectral BRDF on material surface of space target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Qingyu; Zhi, Xiyang; Zhang, Huili; Zhang, Wei

2014-11-01

The modeling and the validation methods of the spectral BRDF on the material surface of space target were presented. First, the microscopic characteristics of the space targets' material surface were analyzed based on fiber-optic spectrometer using to measure the direction reflectivity of the typical materials surface. To determine the material surface of space target is isotropic, atomic force microscopy was used to measure the material surface structure of space target and obtain Gaussian distribution model of microscopic surface element height. Then, the spectral BRDF model based on that the characteristics of the material surface were isotropic and the surface micro-facet with the Gaussian distribution which we obtained was constructed. The model characterizes smooth and rough surface well for describing the material surface of the space target appropriately. Finally, a spectral BRDF measurement platform in a laboratory was set up, which contains tungsten halogen lamp lighting system, fiber optic spectrometer detection system and measuring mechanical systems with controlling the entire experimental measurement and collecting measurement data by computers automatically. Yellow thermal control material and solar cell were measured with the spectral BRDF, which showed the relationship between the reflection angle and BRDF values at three wavelengths in 380nm, 550nm, 780nm, and the difference between theoretical model values and the measured data was evaluated by relative RMS error. Data analysis shows that the relative RMS error is less than 6%, which verified the correctness of the spectral BRDF model.

Impact of a smoothness incentive.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

Smoothness, the absence of bumps and dips in the riding surface of a pavement, improves the quality of the ride and is believed to prolong the life of the pavement. This research addressed the impact of potential pay adjustments for smoothness on mai...

Smooth extrapolation of unknown anatomy via statistical shape models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grupp, R. B.; Chiang, H.; Otake, Y.; Murphy, R. J.; Gordon, C. R.; Armand, M.; Taylor, R. H.

2015-03-01

Several methods to perform extrapolation of unknown anatomy were evaluated. The primary application is to enhance surgical procedures that may use partial medical images or medical images of incomplete anatomy. Le Fort-based, face-jaw-teeth transplant is one such procedure. From CT data of 36 skulls and 21 mandibles separate Statistical Shape Models of the anatomical surfaces were created. Using the Statistical Shape Models, incomplete surfaces were projected to obtain complete surface estimates. The surface estimates exhibit non-zero error in regions where the true surface is known; it is desirable to keep the true surface and seamlessly merge the estimated unknown surface. Existing extrapolation techniques produce non-smooth transitions from the true surface to the estimated surface, resulting in additional error and a less aesthetically pleasing result. The three extrapolation techniques evaluated were: copying and pasting of the surface estimate (non-smooth baseline), a feathering between the patient surface and surface estimate, and an estimate generated via a Thin Plate Spline trained from displacements between the surface estimate and corresponding vertices of the known patient surface. Feathering and Thin Plate Spline approaches both yielded smooth transitions. However, feathering corrupted known vertex values. Leave-one-out analyses were conducted, with 5% to 50% of known anatomy removed from the left-out patient and estimated via the proposed approaches. The Thin Plate Spline approach yielded smaller errors than the other two approaches, with an average vertex error improvement of 1.46 mm and 1.38 mm for the skull and mandible respectively, over the baseline approach.

Effect of soybean-lecithin as an enhancer of buccal mucosa absorption of insulin.

PubMed

Tian, Weiqun; Hu, Qiaolin; Xu, Ying; Xu, Yi

2012-01-01

Transmucosal delivery is a suitable route for insulin non-injection administration. In order to understand how insulin passes through mucosa with soybean-lecithin as an enhancing absorption. The penetration rate of insulin molecular through porcine buccal mucosa was investigated by measuring transbuccal fluxes in the Ussing Chambers. The imaging morphology of rabbits buccal mucosa was analyzed by using non-contact mode atomic force microscopy. The permeation rate can be increased by co-administration of soybean-lecithin. Untreated buccal mucosa showed relatively smooth surface characteristics, with many small crater-like pits and indentations spread over mucosa surfaces. Buccal mucosa that had been treated with 1.0% (w/v) sodium deoxycholic acid (pH 7.4) appeared to much more indentations characteristic, which treated with 2.5% (w/v) soybean-lecithin (pH 7.4) and 2.5% (w/v) Azone or laurocapram (pH 7.4) appeared rather different, the surface mucosa treated with soybean-lecithin emulsion showed a fine, rippling effect whereas those exposed to Azone display a more coarse, undulating surface feature. As a result of that Azone could damage the surface of the buccal mucosa, but soybean-lecithin could not. This study demonstrated that soybean-lecithin is a better and safer enhancer for insulin transmucosal delivery.

Wetting behaviour of carbon nitride nanostructures grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad Kamal, Shafarina Azlinda; Ritikos, Richard; Abdul Rahman, Saadah

2015-02-01

Tuning the wettability of various coating materials by simply controlling the deposition parameters is essential for various specific applications. In this work, carbon nitride (CNx) films were deposited on silicon (1 1 1) substrates using radio-frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition employing parallel plate electrode configuration. Effects of varying the electrode distance (DE) on the films' structure and bonding properties were investigated using Field emission scanning electron microscopy, Atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The wettability of the films was analyzed using water contact angle measurements. At high DE, the CNx films' surface was smooth and uniform. This changed into fibrous nanostructures when DE was decreased. Surface roughness of the films increased with this morphological transformation. Nitrogen incorporation increased with decrease in DE which manifested the increase in both relative intensities of Cdbnd N to Cdbnd C and Nsbnd H to Osbnd H bonds. sp2-C to sp3-C ratio increased as DE decreased due to greater deformation of sp2 bonded carbon at lower DE. The films' characteristics changed from hydrophilic to super-hydrophobic with the decrease in DE. Roughness ratio, surface porosity and surface energy calculated from contact angle measurements were strongly dependent on the morphology, surface roughness and bonding properties of the films.

Effect of strain on the electron effective mobility in biaxially strained silicon inversion layers: An experimental and theoretical analysis via atomic force microscopy measurements and Kubo-Greenwood mobility calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonno, Olivier; Barraud, Sylvain; Mariolle, Denis; Andrieu, François

2008-03-01

Recently, in order to explain the long-channel electron effective mobility at a high sheet carrier density in strained silicon channel transistors, it has been suggested by [M. V. Fischetti, F. Gamiz, and W. Hansch, J. Appl. Phys. 92, 7230 (2002)] that biaxial tensile strain should smooth the Si/SiO2 interface. To address this topic, the roughness properties of biaxial strained silicon-on-insulator (s-SOI) films are investigated by means of atomic force microscopy. Through in-depth statistical analysis of the digitalized surface profiles, the roughness parameters are extracted for unstrained and strained SOI films, with 0.8% biaxial tensile strain. Especially, it is found that strain significantly reduces the roughness amplitude. Then, mobility calculations in SOI and s-SOI inversion layers are performed in the framework of the Kubo-Greenwood formalism. The model accounts for the main scattering mechanisms that are dominant in the high electron density range, namely phonon and surface roughness. Special attention has been paid to the modeling of the latter by accounting for all the contributions of the potential which arise from the deformed rough interface, and by using a multisubband wavelength-dependent screening model. This model is then applied to study the influence of the surface morphology on the mobility in s-SOI inversion layers. In this context, the mobility gain between s-SOI and unstrained SOI layers is found to agree significantly better with experimental data if the strain-induced decrease of the roughness amplitude is taken into account.

Direct Measurement of the Wettability of Minerals Using Atomic Force Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Y.; Xu, L.; Lu, H.; Wang, H.; Shi, Y.

2016-12-01

The wettability of reservoir rock plays an essential role in affecting the states of fluids (water, oil, etc) in pores which are constructed with various minerals. The contact angle method, which is based on the optical microscope photographs of millimeter-sized droplets on a smooth mineral surface, is one of the most widely employed methods to evaluate the wettability of a rock. However, the real reservoir rocks are composed of several kinds of minerals and thus nonhomogeneous, which leads to different wettability at different location of the rock. The mineral grains are usually micrometer-sized so that the traditional optical contact angle method cannot obtain the wettability of different minerals in the rock. Here we used a tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM, MFP-3D-BIO, Asylum Research) to measure the contact angles of micrometer-sized water droplets on different minerals in a tight sand rock which is mainly composed of quartz, albite, potash feldspar and anorthite. The water droplets varied from submicron to several tens micron in diameter. With the optimization of tool and operation parameters, the AFM tip was well controlled so that the nanoscale morphology of the contact configuration between water film and the mineral surface can be obtained at high resolution without disturbing the liquid surface. The AFM results showed that the contact angles of water on quartz and albite were 30-40 ° and 37-45 °, respectively. The AFM method provides a new measure for the wettability evaluation of reservoir rocks, and it is with potential to be applied to oil and gas hydrate studies.

Stability of smooth and rough mini-implants: clinical and biomechanical evaluation - an in vivostudy

PubMed Central

Vilani, Giselle Naback Lemes; Ruellas, Antônio Carlos de Oliveira; Elias, Carlos Nelson; Mattos, Cláudia Trindade

2015-01-01

Objective: To compare in vivo orthodontic mini-implants (MI) of smooth (machined) and rough (acid etched) surfaces, assessing primary and secondary stability. Methods: Thirty-six (36) MI were inserted in the mandibles of six (6) dogs. Each animal received six (6) MI. In the right hemiarch, three (3) MI without surface treatment (smooth) were inserted, whereas in the left hemiarch, another three (3) MI with acid etched surfaces (rough) were inserted. The two distal MI in each hemiarch received an immediate load of 1.0 N for 16 weeks, whereas the MI in the mesial extremity was not subject to loading. Stability was measured by insertion and removal torque, initial and final mobility and by inter mini-implant distance. Results: There was no statistical behavioral difference between smooth and rough MI. High insertion torque and reduced initial mobility were observed in all groups, as well as a reduction in removal torques in comparison with insertion torque. Rough MI presented higher removal torque and lower final mobility in comparison to smooth MI. MI did not remain static, with displacement of rough MI being smaller in comparison with smooth MI, but with no statistical difference. Conclusions: MI primary stability was greater than stability measured at removal. There was no difference in stability between smooth and rough MI when assessing mobility, displacement and insertion as well as removal torques. PMID:26560819

Experimental exploration of the hydrodynamic effect polishing machinability for different types of material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, W. Q.; Li, Y.; Wang, Z.; Li, S. Y.

2018-01-01

Hydrodynamic effect polishing (HEP), in which the material removal relies on the chemisorption between nanoparticles and the workpiece surface in elastic mode, can realize automatic level smooth surface without surface/subsurface damage. The machinability of different types of optical material (such as monocrystalline silicon and crystalline quartz, amorphous silicate glass, Zerodur and so on) were investigated experimentally. The workpiece surfaces before and after being polished by HEP was observed by atomic force microscopy. The experimental results show the surface roughness of monocrystalline silicon and quartz, amorphous silicate glass have decreased from Rms 0.737nm to Rms 0.175nm, Rms 0.490nm to Rms 0.187nm, Rms 0.469nm to Rms 0.157nm respectively, and meanwhile all the defects and bumpy structures have been removed clearly. However the surface roughness has increased from Rms 0.213nm to Rms 0.321nm with the obvious increment of micro unevenness. By comparison, we can conclude that excellent performance is shown when HEP is applied on the optical material structure with a single monocrystalline or amorphous component. However the ultrasmooth surface cannot be obtained when HEP was applied on the combinational materials such as Zerodur glass. The micro unevenness increases gradually along with polishing process due to the different material removal of the monocrystalline and amorphous component.

Particle systems for adaptive, isotropic meshing of CAD models

PubMed Central

Levine, Joshua A.; Whitaker, Ross T.

2012-01-01

We present a particle-based approach for generating adaptive triangular surface and tetrahedral volume meshes from computer-aided design models. Input shapes are treated as a collection of smooth, parametric surface patches that can meet non-smoothly on boundaries. Our approach uses a hierarchical sampling scheme that places particles on features in order of increasing dimensionality. These particles reach a good distribution by minimizing an energy computed in 3D world space, with movements occurring in the parametric space of each surface patch. Rather than using a pre-computed measure of feature size, our system automatically adapts to both curvature as well as a notion of topological separation. It also enforces a measure of smoothness on these constraints to construct a sizing field that acts as a proxy to piecewise-smooth feature size. We evaluate our technique with comparisons against other popular triangular meshing techniques for this domain. PMID:23162181

Singular perturbation of smoothly evolving Hele-Shaw solutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Siegel, M.; Tanveer, S.

1996-01-01

We present analytical scaling results, confirmed by accurate numerics, to show that there exists a class of smoothly evolving zero surface tension solutions to the Hele-Shaw problem that are significantly perturbed by an arbitrarily small amount of surface tension in order one time. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

Macrophage responses to 316L stainless steel and cobalt chromium alloys with different surface topographies.

PubMed

Anderson, Jordan A; Lamichhane, Sujan; Mani, Gopinath

2016-11-01

The surface topography of a biomaterial plays a vital role in determining macrophage interactions and influencing immune response. In this study, we investigated the effect of smooth and microrough topographies of commonly used metallic biomaterials such as 316 L stainless steel (SS) and cobalt-chromium (CoCr) alloys on macrophage interactions. The macrophage adhesion was greater on CoCr compared to SS, irrespective of their topographies. The macrophage activation and the secretion of most pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IP-10) were greater on microrough surfaces than on smooth surfaces by day-1. However, by day-2, the macrophage activation on smooth surfaces was also significantly increased up to the same level as observed on the microrough surfaces, with more amount of cytokines secreted. The secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) was significantly increased from day-1 to day-2 on all the alloy surfaces with the effect most prominently observed on microrough surfaces. The production of nitric oxide by the macrophages did not show any major substrate-dependent effect. The foreign body giant cells formed by macrophages were least observed on the microrough surfaces of CoCr. Thus, this study demonstrated that the nature of material (SS or CoCr) and their surface topographies (smooth or microrough) strongly influence the macrophage responses. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2658-2672, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

STM observation of the chemical reaction of atomic hydrogen on the N-adsorbed Cu(001) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hattori, Takuma; Yamada, Masamichi; Komori, Fumio

2017-01-01

Chemical reaction of atomic hydrogen with the N-adsorbed Cu(001) surfaces was investigated at room temperature by scanning tunnel microscopy. At the low exposure of atomic hydrogen, it reacted with the N atoms and turned to be the NH species on the surface. The reaction rate is proportional to the amount of the unreacted N atoms. By increasing the exposure of atomic hydrogen from this condition, the amount of nitrogen species on the surface decreased. This is attributed to the formation of ammonia and its desorption from the surface. The NH species on the surface turn to NH3 through the surface NH2 species by atomic hydrogen. Coexistence of the clean Cu surface enhances the rate of ammonia formation owing to atomic hydrogen migrating on the clean surface.

Super-smooth processing x-ray telescope application research based on the magnetorheological finishing (MRF) technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Xianyun; Hou, Xi; Yang, Jinshan

2016-09-01

Nickel is the unique material in the X-ray telescopes. And it has the typical soft material characteristics with low hardness high surface damage and low stability of thermal. The traditional fabrication techniques are exposed to lots of problems, including great surface scratches, high sub-surface damage and poor surface roughness and so on. The current fabrication technology for the nickel aspheric mainly adopt the single point diamond turning(SPDT), which has lots of advantages such as high efficiency, ultra-precision surface figure, low sub-surface damage and so on. But the residual surface texture of SPDT will cause great scattering losses and fall far short from the requirement in the X-ray applications. This paper mainly investigates the magnetorheological finishing (MRF) techniques for the super-smooth processing on the nickel optics. Through the study of the MRF polishing techniques, we obtained the ideal super-smooth polishing technique based on the self-controlled MRF-fluid NS-1, and finished the high-precision surface figure lower than RMS λ/80 (λ=632.8nm) and super-smooth roughness lower than Ra 0.3nm on the plane reflector and roughness lower than Ra 0.4nm on the convex cone. The studying of the MRF techniques makes a great effort to the state-of-the-art nickel material processing level for the X-ray optical systems applications.

Rigidity controllable polishing tool based on magnetorheological effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jia; Wan, Yongjian; Shi, Chunyan

2012-10-01

A stable and predictable material removal function (MRF) plays a crucial role in computer controlled optical surfacing (CCOS). For physical contact polishing case, the stability of MRF depends on intimate contact between polishing interface and workpiece. Rigid laps maintain this function in polishing spherical surfaces, whose curvature has no variation with the position on the surface. Such rigid laps provide smoothing effect for mid-spatial frequency errors, but can't be used in aspherical surfaces for they will destroy the surface figure. Flexible tools such as magnetorheological fluid or air bonnet conform to the surface [1]. They lack rigidity and provide little natural smoothing effect. We present a rigidity controllable polishing tool that uses a kind of magnetorheological elastomers (MRE) medium [2]. It provides the ability of both conforming to the aspheric surface and maintaining natural smoothing effect. What's more, its rigidity can be controlled by the magnetic field. This paper will present the design, analysis, and stiffness variation mechanism model of such polishing tool [3].

Epitaxial hexagonal boron nitride on Ir(111): A work function template

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, Fabian; Drost, Robert; Hämäläinen, Sampsa K.; Demonchaux, Thomas; Seitsonen, Ari P.; Liljeroth, Peter

2014-06-01

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a prominent member in the growing family of two-dimensional materials with potential applications ranging from being an atomically smooth support for other two-dimensional materials to templating growth of molecular layers. We have studied the structure of monolayer h-BN grown by chemical vapor deposition on Ir(111) by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) experiments and state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The lattice mismatch between the h-BN and Ir(111) surface results in the formation of a moiré superstructure with a periodicity of ˜29 Å and a corrugation of ˜0.4 Å. By measuring the field emission resonances above the h-BN layer, we find a modulation of the work function within the moiré unit cell of ˜0.5 eV. DFT simulations for a 13-on-12 h-BN/Ir(111) unit cell confirm our experimental findings and allow us to relate the change in the work function to the subtle changes in the interaction between boron and nitrogen atoms and the underlying substrate atoms within the moiré unit cell. Hexagonal boron nitride on Ir(111) combines weak topographic corrugation with a strong work function modulation over the moiré unit cell. This makes h-BN/Ir(111) a potential substrate for electronically modulated thin film and heterosandwich structures.

Global Patch Matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, X.; Hu, K.; Ling, X.; Zhang, Y.; Lu, Z.; Zhou, G.

2017-09-01

This paper introduces a novel global patch matching method that focuses on how to remove fronto-parallel bias and obtain continuous smooth surfaces with assuming that the scenes covered by stereos are piecewise continuous. Firstly, simple linear iterative cluster method (SLIC) is used to segment the base image into a series of patches. Then, a global energy function, which consists of a data term and a smoothness term, is built on the patches. The data term is the second-order Taylor expansion of correlation coefficients, and the smoothness term is built by combing connectivity constraints and the coplanarity constraints are combined to construct the smoothness term. Finally, the global energy function can be built by combining the data term and the smoothness term. We rewrite the global energy function in a quadratic matrix function, and use least square methods to obtain the optimal solution. Experiments on Adirondack stereo and Motorcycle stereo of Middlebury benchmark show that the proposed method can remove fronto-parallel bias effectively, and produce continuous smooth surfaces.

Role of nanostructured gold surfaces on monocyte activation and Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation

PubMed Central

Svensson, Sara; Forsberg, Magnus; Hulander, Mats; Vazirisani, Forugh; Palmquist, Anders; Lausmaa, Jukka; Thomsen, Peter; Trobos, Margarita

2014-01-01

The role of material surface properties in the direct interaction with bacteria and the indirect route via host defense cells is not fully understood. Recently, it was suggested that nanostructured implant surfaces possess antimicrobial properties. In the current study, the adhesion and biofilm formation of Staphylococcus epidermidis and human monocyte adhesion and activation were studied separately and in coculture in different in vitro models using smooth gold and well-defined nanostructured gold surfaces. Two polystyrene surfaces were used as controls in the monocyte experiments. Fluorescent viability staining demonstrated a reduction in the viability of S. epidermidis close to the nanostructured gold surface, whereas the smooth gold correlated with more live biofilm. The results were supported by scanning electron microscopy observations, showing higher biofilm tower formations and more mature biofilms on smooth gold compared with nanostructured gold. Unstimulated monocytes on the different substrates demonstrated low activation, reduced gene expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and low cytokine secretion. In contrast, stimulation with opsonized zymosan or opsonized live S. epidermidis for 1 hour significantly increased the production of reactive oxygen species, the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and IL-10, as well as the secretion of TNF-α, demonstrating the ability of the cells to elicit a response and actively phagocytose prey. In addition, cells cultured on the smooth gold and the nanostructured gold displayed a different adhesion pattern and a more rapid oxidative burst than those cultured on polystyrene upon stimulation. We conclude that S. epidermidis decreased its viability initially when adhering to nanostructured surfaces compared with smooth gold surfaces, especially in the bacterial cell layers closest to the surface. In contrast, material surface properties neither strongly promoted nor attenuated the activity of monocytes when exposed to zymosan particles or S. epidermidis. PMID:24550671

Epitaxial GeSn film formed by solid phase epitaxy and its application to Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3}-gated GeSn metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors with sub-nm equivalent oxide thickness

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Ching-Wei; Wu, Yung-Hsien; Hsieh, Ching-Heng

2014-11-17

Through the technique of solid phase epitaxy (SPE), an epitaxial Ge{sub 0.955}Sn{sub 0.045} film was formed on a Ge substrate by depositing an amorphous GeSn film followed by a rapid thermal annealing at 550 °C. A process that uses a SiO{sub 2} capping layer on the amorphous GeSn film during SPE was proposed and it prevents Sn precipitation from occurring while maintaining a smooth surface due to the reduced surface mobility of Sn atoms. The high-quality epitaxial GeSn film was observed to have single crystal structure, uniform thickness and composition, and tiny surface roughness with root mean square of 0.56 nm. Withmore » a SnO{sub x}-free surface, Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3}-gated GeSn metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors with equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of 0.55 nm were developed. A small amount of traps inside the Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3} was verified by negligible hysteresis in capacitance measurement. Low leakage current of 0.4 A/cm{sup 2} at gate bias of flatband voltage (V{sub FB})-1 V suggests the high quality of the gate dielectric. In addition, the feasibility of using Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3} to well passivate GeSn surface was also evidenced by the small interface trap density (D{sub it}) of 4.02 × 10{sup 11} eV{sup −1} cm{sup −2}, which can be attributed to smooth GeSn surface and Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3} valency passivation. Both leakage current and D{sub it} performance outperform other passivation techniques at sub-nm EOT regime. The proposed epitaxial GeSn film along with Yb{sub 2}O{sub 3} dielectric paves an alternative way to enable high-performance GeSn MOS devices.« less

Discrimination between native and intentionally misfolded conformations of proteins: ES/IS, a new method for calculating conformational free energy that uses both dynamics simulations with an explicit solvent and an implicit solvent continuum model.

PubMed

Vorobjev, Y N; Almagro, J C; Hermans, J

1998-09-01

A new method for calculating the total conformational free energy of proteins in water solvent is presented. The method consists of a relatively brief simulation by molecular dynamics with explicit solvent (ES) molecules to produce a set of microstates of the macroscopic conformation. Conformational energy and entropy are obtained from the simulation, the latter in the quasi-harmonic approximation by analysis of the covariance matrix. The implicit solvent (IS) dielectric continuum model is used to calculate the average solvation free energy as the sum of the free energies of creating the solute-size hydrophobic cavity, of the van der Waals solute-solvent interactions, and of the polarization of water solvent by the solute's charges. The reliability of the solvation free energy depends on a number of factors: the details of arrangement of the protein's charges, especially those near the surface; the definition of the molecular surface; and the method chosen for solving the Poisson equation. Molecular dynamics simulation in explicit solvent relaxes the protein's conformation and allows polar surface groups to assume conformations compatible with interaction with solvent, while averaging of internal energy and solvation free energy tend to enhance the precision. Two recently developed methods--SIMS, for calculation of a smooth invariant molecular surface, and FAMBE, for solution of the Poisson equation via a fast adaptive multigrid boundary element--have been employed. The SIMS and FAMBE programs scale linearly with the number of atoms. SIMS is superior to Connolly's MS (molecular surface) program: it is faster, more accurate, and more stable, and it smooths singularities of the molecular surface. Solvation free energies calculated with these two programs do not depend on molecular position or orientation and are stable along a molecular dynamics trajectory. We have applied this method to calculate the conformational free energy of native and intentionally misfolded globular conformations of proteins (the EMBL set of deliberately misfolded proteins) and have obtained good discrimination in favor of the native conformations in all instances.

Prediction of an internal boundary layer on a flat plate after a step change in roughness using a near-wall RANS model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Minghan; Meng, Fanxiao; Bergstrom, Donald J.

2017-11-01

An in-house computational fluid dynamics code was used to simulate turbulent flow over a flat plate with a step change in roughness, exhibiting a smooth-rough-smooth configuration. An internal boundary layer (IBL) is formed at the transition from the smooth to rough (SR) and then the rough to smooth (RS) surfaces. For an IBL the flow far above the surface has experienced a wall shear stress that is different from the local value. Within a Reynolds-Averaged-Navier-Stokes (RANS) formulation, the two-layer k- ɛ model of Durbin et al. (2001) was implemented to analyze the response of the flow to the change in surface condition. The numerical results are compared to experimental data, including some in-house measurements and the seminal work of Antonia and Luxton (1971,72). This problem captures some aspects of roughness in industrial and environmental applications, such as corrosion and the earth's surface heterogeneity, where the roughness is often encountered as discrete distributions. It illustrates the challenge of incorporating roughness models in RANS that are capable of responding to complex surface roughness profiles.

Liquid-Infused Smooth Surface for Improved Condensation Heat Transfer.

PubMed

Tsuchiya, Hirotaka; Tenjimbayashi, Mizuki; Moriya, Takeo; Yoshikawa, Ryohei; Sasaki, Kaichi; Togasawa, Ryo; Yamazaki, Taku; Manabe, Kengo; Shiratori, Seimei

2017-09-12

Control of vapor condensation properties is a promising approach to manage a crucial part of energy infrastructure conditions. Heat transfer by vapor condensation on superhydrophobic coatings has garnered attention, because dropwise condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces with rough structures leads to favorable heat-transfer performance. However, pinned condensed water droplets within the rough structure and a high thermodynamic energy barrier for nucleation of superhydrophobic surfaces limit their heat-transfer increase. Recently, slippery liquid-infused surfaces (SLIPS) have been investigated, because of their high water sliding ability and surface smoothness originating from the liquid layer. However, even on SLIPS, condensed water droplets are eventually pinned to degrade their heat-transfer properties after extended use, because the rough base layer is exposed as infused liquid is lost. Herein, we report a liquid-infused smooth surface named "SPLASH" (surface with π electron interaction liquid adsorption, smoothness, and hydrophobicity) to overcome the problems derived from the rough structures in previous approaches to obtain stable, high heat-transfer performance. The SPLASH displayed a maximum condensation heat-transfer coefficient that was 175% higher than that of an uncoated substrate. The SPLASH also showed higher heat-transfer performance and more stable dropwise condensation than superhydrophobic surfaces and SLIPS from the viewpoints of condensed water droplet mobility and the thermodynamic energy barrier for nucleation. The effects of liquid-infused surface roughness and liquid viscosity on condensation heat transfer were investigated to compare heat-transfer performance. This research will aid industrial applications using vapor condensation.

Morphological Properties of Siloxane-Hydrogel Contact Lens Surfaces.

PubMed

Stach, Sebastian; Ţălu, Ştefan; Trabattoni, Silvia; Tavazzi, Silvia; Głuchaczka, Alicja; Siek, Patrycja; Zając, Joanna; Giovanzana, Stefano

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to quantitatively characterize the micromorphology of contact lens (CL) surfaces using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and multifractal analysis. AFM and multifractal analysis were used to characterize the topography of new and worn siloxane-hydrogel CLs made of Filcon V (I FDA group). CL surface roughness was studied by AFM in intermittent-contact mode, in air, on square areas of 25 and 100 μm 2 , by using a Nanoscope V MultiMode (Bruker). Detailed surface characterization of the surface topography was obtained using statistical parameters of 3-D (three-dimensional) surface roughness, in accordance with ISO 25178-2: 2012. Before wear, the surface was found to be characterized by out-of-plane and sharp structures, whilst after a wear of 8 h, two typical morphologies were observed. One morphology (sharp type) has a similar aspect as the unworn CLs and the other morphology (smooth type) is characterized by troughs and bumpy structures. The analysis of the AFM images revealed a multifractal geometry. The generalized dimension D q and the singularity spectrum f(α) provided quantitative values that characterize the local scale properties of CL surface geometry at nanometer scale. Surface statistical parameters deduced by multifractal analysis can be used to assess the CL micromorphology and can be used by manufacturers in developing CLs with improved surface characteristics. These parameters can also be used in understanding the tribological interactions of the back surface of the CL with the corneal surface and the front surface of the CL with the under-surface of the eyelid (friction, wear, and micro-elastohydrodynamic lubrication at a nanometer scale).

Ultra-smooth finishing of aspheric surfaces using CAST technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, John; Young, Kevin

2014-06-01

Growing applications for astronomical ground-based adaptive systems and air-born telescope systems demand complex optical surface designs combined with ultra-smooth finishing. The use of more sophisticated and accurate optics, especially aspheric ones, allows for shorter optical trains with smaller sizes and a reduced number of components. This in turn reduces fabrication and alignment time and costs. These aspheric components include the following: steep surfaces with large aspheric departures; more complex surface feature designs like stand-alone off-axis-parabola (OAP) and free form optics that combine surface complexity with a requirement for ultra-high smoothness, as well as special optic materials such as lightweight silicon carbide (SiC) for air-born systems. Various fabrication technologies for finishing ultra-smooth aspheric surfaces are progressing to meet these growing and demanding challenges, especially Magnetorheological Finishing (MRF) and ion-milling. These methods have demonstrated some good success as well as a certain level of limitations. Amongst them, computer-controlled asphere surface-finishing technology (CAST), developed by Precision Asphere Inc. (PAI), plays an important role in a cost effective manufacturing environment and has successfully delivered numerous products for the applications mentioned above. One of the most recent successes is the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), the world's most powerful planet-hunting instrument, with critical aspheric components (seven OAPs and free form optics) made using CAST technology. GPI showed off its first images in a press release on January 7, 2014 . This paper reviews features of today's technologies in handling the ultra-smooth aspheric optics, especially the capabilities of CAST on these challenging products. As examples, three groups of aspheres deployed in astronomical optics systems, both polished and finished using CAST, will be discussed in detail.

Jumping without slipping: leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) possess special tarsal structures for jumping from smooth surfaces.

PubMed

Clemente, Christofer J; Goetzke, Hanns Hagen; Bullock, James M R; Sutton, Gregory P; Burrows, Malcolm; Federle, Walter

2017-05-01

Many hemipteran bugs can jump explosively from plant substrates, which can be very smooth. We therefore analysed the jumping performance of froghoppers ( Philaenus spumarius, Aphrophoridae) and leafhoppers ( Aphrodes bicinctus/makarovi, Cicadellidae) taking off from smooth (glass) and rough (sandpaper, 30 µm asperity size) surfaces. On glass, the propulsive hind legs of Philaenus froghoppers slipped, resulting in uncontrolled jumps with a fast forward spin, a steeper angle and only a quarter of the velocity compared with jumps from rough surfaces. By contrast, Aphrodes leafhoppers took off without their propulsive hind legs slipping, and reached low take-off angles and high velocities on both substrates. This difference in jumping ability from smooth surfaces can be explained not only by the lower acceleration of the long-legged leafhoppers, but also by the presence of 2-9 soft pad-like structures (platellae) on their hind tarsi, which are absent in froghoppers. High-speed videos of jumping showed that platellae contact the surface briefly (approx. 3 ms) during the acceleration phase. Friction force measurements on individual hind tarsi on glass revealed that at low sliding speeds, both pushing and pulling forces were small, and insufficient to explain the recorded jumps. Only when the tarsi were pushed with higher velocities did the contact area of the platellae increase markedly, and high friction forces were produced, consistent with the observed jumps. Our findings show that leafhoppers have special adhesive footpads for jumping from smooth surfaces, which achieve firm grip and rapid control of attachment/detachment by combining anisotropic friction with velocity dependence. © 2017 The Authors.

Jumping without slipping: leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) possess special tarsal structures for jumping from smooth surfaces

PubMed Central

Bullock, James M. R.

2017-01-01

Many hemipteran bugs can jump explosively from plant substrates, which can be very smooth. We therefore analysed the jumping performance of froghoppers (Philaenus spumarius, Aphrophoridae) and leafhoppers (Aphrodes bicinctus/makarovi, Cicadellidae) taking off from smooth (glass) and rough (sandpaper, 30 µm asperity size) surfaces. On glass, the propulsive hind legs of Philaenus froghoppers slipped, resulting in uncontrolled jumps with a fast forward spin, a steeper angle and only a quarter of the velocity compared with jumps from rough surfaces. By contrast, Aphrodes leafhoppers took off without their propulsive hind legs slipping, and reached low take-off angles and high velocities on both substrates. This difference in jumping ability from smooth surfaces can be explained not only by the lower acceleration of the long-legged leafhoppers, but also by the presence of 2–9 soft pad-like structures (platellae) on their hind tarsi, which are absent in froghoppers. High-speed videos of jumping showed that platellae contact the surface briefly (approx. 3 ms) during the acceleration phase. Friction force measurements on individual hind tarsi on glass revealed that at low sliding speeds, both pushing and pulling forces were small, and insufficient to explain the recorded jumps. Only when the tarsi were pushed with higher velocities did the contact area of the platellae increase markedly, and high friction forces were produced, consistent with the observed jumps. Our findings show that leafhoppers have special adhesive footpads for jumping from smooth surfaces, which achieve firm grip and rapid control of attachment/detachment by combining anisotropic friction with velocity dependence. PMID:28468924

Fabrication of a high-precision spherical micromirror by bending a silicon plate with a metal pad.

PubMed

Wu, Tong; Hane, Kazuhiro

2011-09-20

We demonstrate here the fabrication of a smooth mirror surface by bending a thin silicon plate. A spherical surface is achieved by the bending moment generated in the circumference of the micromirror. Both convex and concave spherical micromirrors are realized through the anodic bonding of silicon and Pyrex glass. Since the mirror surface is originated from the polished silicon surface and no additional etching is introduced for manufacturing, the surface roughness is thus limited to the polishing error. This novel approach opens possibilities for fabricating a smooth surface for micromirror and microlens applications.

The effect of CO2 and Nd:YAP lasers on CAD/CAM Ceramics: SEM, EDS and thermal studies

PubMed Central

Fornaini, Carlo; Rocca, Jean Paul; Muhammad, Omid H; Medioni, Etienne; Cucinotta, Annamaria; Brulat-Bouchard, Nathalie

2016-01-01

Background and aims: The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction of infrared laser light on Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) ceramic surfaces. Material and Methods: Sixty CAD/CAM ceramic discs were prepared and divided into two different groups: lithiumdisilicate ceramic (IPSe.maxCADs) and Zirconia ceramic (IPSe.maxZirCADs). The laser irradiation was performed on graphite and non-graphite surfaces with a Carbon Dioxide laser at 5W and 10W power in continuous mode (CW mode) and with Neodymium Yttrium Aluminum Perovskite (Nd:YAP) laser at 10W. Surface textures and compositions were examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). Thermal elevation was measured by thermocouple during laser irradiation. Results: The SEM observation showed a rough surface plus cracks and fissures on CO2 10W samples and melting areas in Nd:YAP samples; moreover, with CO2 5W smooth and shallow surfaces were observed. EDS analysis revealed that laser irradiation does not result in modifications of the chemical composition even if minor changes in the atomic mass percentage of the components were registered. Thermocouple showed several thermal changes during laser irradiation. Conclusion: CO2 and Nd:YAP lasers modify CAD/CAM ceramic surface without chemical composition modifications. PMID:27141152

Non-Thermal Atmospheric Plasma: Can it Be Taken as a Common Solution for the Surface Treatment of Dental Materials?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emre, Seker; Mehmet, Ali Kilicarslan; Serdar, Polat; Emre, Ozkir; Suat, Pat

2016-04-01

This study aimed to evaluate the surface roughness and wetting properties of various dental prosthetic materials after different durations of non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) treatment. One hundred and sixty discs of titanium (Ti) (n:40), cobalt chromium (Co-Cr) (n:40), yttrium stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZP) (n:40) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) (n:40) materials were machined and smoothed with silicon carbide papers. The surface roughness was evaluated in a control group and in groups with different plasma exposure times [1-3-5 s]. The average surface roughness (Ra) and contact angle (CA) measurements were recorded via an atomic force microscope (AFM) and tensiometer, respectively. Surface changes were examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Data were analyzed with two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey HSD test α=0.05). According to the results, the NTAP surface treatment significantly affected the roughness and wettability properties (P < 0.05). SEM images reveal that more grooves were present in the NTAP groups. With an increase in the NTAP application time, an apparent increment was observed for Ra, except in the PMMA group, and a remarkable reduction in CA was observed in all groups. It is concluded that the NTAP technology could enhance the roughening and wetting performance of various dental materials. supported by the Department of Scientific Research, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Turkey (No. 201441045)

Polarized Fermi Condensates with Unequal Masses: Tuning the Tricritical Point

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parish, M. M.; Marchetti, F. M.; Simons, B. D.

We consider a two-component atomic Fermi gas within a mean-field, single-channel model, where both the mass and population of each component are unequal. We show that the tricritical point at zero temperature evolves smoothly from the BEC to BCS side of the resonance as a function of mass ratio r. We find that the interior gap state proposed by Liu and Wilczek is always unstable to phase separation, while the breached pair state with one Fermi surface for the excess fermions exhibits differences in its density of states and pair correlation functions depending on which side of the resonance itmore » lies. Finally, we show that, when r > or appro. 3.95, the finite-temperature phase diagram of trapped gases at unitarity becomes topologically distinct from the equal mass system.« less

Model of step propagation and step bunching at the sidewalls of nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filimonov, Sergey N.; Hervieu, Yuri Yu.

2015-10-01

Radial growth of vertically aligned nanowires involves formation and propagation of monoatomic steps at atomically smooth nanowire sidewalls. Here we study the step dynamics with a step flow model taking into account the presence of a strong sink for adatoms at top of the nanowire and adatom exchange between the nanowire sidewall and surrounding substrate surface. Analytical expressions for velocities of steps propagating from the nanowire base to the nanowire top are obtained. It is shown that the step approaching the nanowire top will slow down if the top nanowire facet is a stronger sink for adatoms than the sidewall step. This might trigger bunching of the steps at the sidewall resulting in development of the pencil-like shape of nanowires such as observed in, e.g., the Au-assisted MBE growth of InAs.

Electrical properties of solution processed highly transparent ZnO TFT with organic gate dielectric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandya, Nirav C.; Joshi, Nikhil G.; Trivedi, U. N.; Joshi, U. S.

2013-02-01

All oxide thin film transistors (TFT) with zinc oxide active layer were fabricated by chemical solution deposition (CSD) using aqueous solutions on glass substrate. Thin film transistors (TFTs) with amorphous zinc oxide as channel layers and poly-vinyl alcohol as dielectric layers were fabricated at low temperatures by chemical solution deposition (CSD). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirmed nano grain size with fairly smooth surface topography. Very small leakage currents were achieved in the transfer curves, while soft saturation was observed in the output current voltage (I-V) characteristics of the device. Optical transmission of better than 87% in the visible region was estimated, which is better than the organic gate insulator based ZnO TFTs reported so far. Our results offer lot of promise to TFT based display and optoelectronics.

Ultrahigh strength single crystalline nanowhiskers grown by physical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Richter, Gunther; Hillerich, Karla; Gianola, Daniel S; Mönig, Reiner; Kraft, Oliver; Volkert, Cynthia A

2009-08-01

The strength of metal crystals is reduced below the theoretical value by the presence of dislocations or by flaws that allow easy nucleation of dislocations. A straightforward method to minimize the number of defects and flaws and to presumably increase its strength is to increase the crystal quality or to reduce the crystal size. Here, we describe the successful fabrication of high aspect ratio nanowhiskers from a variety of face-centered cubic metals using a high temperature molecular beam epitaxy method. The presence of atomically smooth, faceted surfaces and absence of dislocations is confirmed using transmission electron microscopy investigations. Tensile tests performed in situ in a focused-ion beam scanning electron microscope on Cu nanowhiskers reveal strengths close to the theoretical upper limit and confirm that the properties of nanomaterials can be engineered by controlling defect and flaw densities.

Fast Growth of GaN Epilayers via Laser-Assisted Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition for Ultraviolet Photodetector Applications.

PubMed

Rabiee Golgir, Hossein; Li, Da Wei; Keramatnejad, Kamran; Zou, Qi Ming; Xiao, Jun; Wang, Fei; Jiang, Lan; Silvain, Jean-François; Lu, Yong Feng

2017-06-28

In this study, we successfully developed a carbon dioxide (CO 2 )-laser-assisted metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (LMOCVD) approach to fast synthesis of high-quality gallium nitride (GaN) epilayers on Al 2 O 3 [sapphire(0001)] substrates. By employing a two-step growth procedure, high crystallinity and smooth GaN epilayers with a fast growth rate of 25.8 μm/h were obtained. The high crystallinity was confirmed by a combination of techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. By optimizing growth parameters, the ∼4.3-μm-thick GaN films grown at 990 °C for 10 min showed a smooth surface with a root-mean-square surface roughness of ∼1.9 nm and excellent thickness uniformity with sharp GaN/substrate interfaces. The full-width at half-maximum values of the GaN(0002) X-ray rocking curve of 313 arcsec and the GaN(101̅2) X-ray rocking curve of 390 arcsec further confirmed the high crystallinity of the GaN epilayers. We also fabricated ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors based on the as-grown GaN layers, which exhibited a high responsivity of 0.108 A W -1 at 367 nm and a fast response time of ∼125 ns, demonstrating its high optical quality with potential in optoelectronic applications. Our strategy thus provides a simple and cost-effective means toward fast and high-quality GaN heteroepitaxy growth suitable for fabricating high-performance GaN-based UV detectors.

Stabilization and Structure of wave packets in Rydberg atoms ionized by a strong light field.

PubMed

Fedorov, M; Fedorov, S

1998-09-28

New features of the phenomenon of interference stabilization of Rydberg atoms are found to exist. The main of them are: (i) dynamical stabilization, which means that in case of pulses with a smooth envelope the time-dependent residual probability for an atom to survive in bound states remains almost constant in the middle part of a pulse (at the strongest fields); (ii) existence of the strong-field stabilization of the after-pulse residual probability in case of pulses longer than the classical Kepler period; and (iii) pulsation of the time-dependent Rydberg wave packet formed in the process of photoionization.

Effect of attochirp on attosecond streaking time delay in photoionization of atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldsmith, C.; Jaroń-Becker, A.; Becker, A.

2018-01-01

We present a theoretical analysis of the effect of the attochirp on the streaking time delay, intrinsic to photoionization of an atom by an attosecond laser pulse at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths superposed by a femtosecond streaking pulse. To this end, we determine the expectation value of the delay in a chirped pulse using a recently developed model formula. Results of our calculations show that the attochirp can be relevant for photoemission from the 3p shell in argon atom at frequencies near the Cooper minimum, while it is negligible if the photoionization cross section as a function of frequency varies smoothly.

Single- and double-photoionization cross sections of atomic nitrogen from threshold to 31 A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samson, James A. R.; Angel, G. C.

1990-01-01

The relative photoionization cross section of atomic nitrogen for the production of singly and doubly charged ions has been measured from 44.3 to 275 A and from 520 to 852 A. The results have been made absolute by normalization to one-half of the molecular nitrogen cross section at short wavelengths. The smoothed atomic nitrogen cross sections sigma can be accurately represented, at short wavelengths, by the equation sigma(Mb) = 36,700 x (E exp-2.3) as a function of the photon energy E (eV), thereby allowing the cross sections to be extrapolated to the nitrogen K edge at 31 A.

In vitro hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility of dexamethasone-eluting PLGA stent coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiang; Liu, Yang; Luo, Rifang; Chen, Si; Li, Xin; Yuan, Shuheng; Wang, Jin; Huang, Nan

2015-02-01

Drug-eluting stents (DESs) have been an important breakthrough for interventional cardiology applications since 2002. Though successful in reducing restenosis, some adverse clinical problems still emerged, which were mostly caused by the bare-metal stents and non-biodegradable polymer coatings, associated with the delayed endothelialization process. In this study, dexamethasone-loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) coatings were developed to explore the potential application of dexamethasone-eluting stents. Dexamethasone-eluting PLGA stents were prepared using ultrasonic atomization spray method. For other tests like stability and cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility tests, dexamethasone loaded coatings were deposited on 316L SS wafers. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results demonstrated that there was no chemical reaction between PLGA and dexamethasone. The balloon expansion experiment and surface morphology observation suggested that the stent coatings were smooth and uniform, and could also withstand the compressive and tensile strains imparted without cracking after stent expansion. The drug release behavior in vitro indicated that dexamethasone existed burst release within 1 day, but it presented linear release characteristics after 6 days. In vitro platelets adhesion, activation test and APTT test were also done, which showed that after blending dexamethasone into PLGA, the hemocompatibility was improved. Besides, dexamethasone and dexamethasone-loaded PLGA coatings could significantly inhibit the attachment and proliferation of smooth muscle cells.

Moiré superlattice-level stick-slip instability originated from geometrically corrugated graphene on a strongly interacting substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Ruoyu; Gao, Lei; Lu, Hongliang; Li, Qunyang; Ma, Tian-Bao; Guo, Hui; Du, Shixuan; Feng, Xi-Qiao; Zhang, Shuai; Liu, Yanmin; Cheng, Peng; Hu, Yuan-Zhong; Gao, Hong-Jun; Luo, Jianbin

2017-06-01

Two dimensional (2D) materials often exhibit novel properties due to various coupling effects with their supporting substrates. Here, using friction force microscopy (FFM), we report an unusual moiré superlattice-level stick-slip instability on monolayer graphene epitaxially grown on Ru(0 0 0 1) substrate. Instead of smooth friction modulation, a significant long-range stick-slip sawtooth modulation emerges with a period coinciding with the moiré superlattice structure, which is robust against high external loads and leads to an additional channel of energy dissipation. In contrast, the long-range stick-slip instability reduces to smooth friction modulation on graphene/Ir(1 1 1) substrate. The moiré superlattice-level slip instability could be attributed to the large sliding energy barrier, which arises from the morphological corrugation of graphene on Ru(0 0 0 1) surface as indicated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The locally steep humps acting as obstacles opposing the tip sliding, originates from the strong interfacial electronic interaction between graphene and Ru(0 0 0 1). This study opens an avenue for modulating friction by tuning the interfacial atomic interaction between 2D materials and their substrates.

Effect of surface roughness on the in vitro degradation behaviour of a biodegradable magnesium-based alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, R.; Kannan, M. Bobby; He, Y.; Sandham, A.

2013-08-01

In this study, the in vitro degradation behaviour of AZ91 magnesium alloy with two different surface finishes was investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in simulated body fluid (SBF). The polarisation resistance (Rp) of the rough surface alloy immersed in SBF for 3 h was ~30% lower as compared to that of the smooth surface alloy. After 12 h immersion in SBF, the Rp values for both the surface finishes decreased and were also similar. However, localised degradation occurred sooner, and to a noticeably higher severity in the rough surface alloy as compared to the smooth surface alloy.

The effect of intermediate-scale motions on line formation. [sawtooth and sine motions in solar atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shine, R. A.

1975-01-01

The problem of LTE and non-LTE line formation in the presence of nonthermal velocity fields with geometric scales between the microscopic and macroscopic limits is investigated in the cases of periodic sinusoidal and sawtooth waves. For a fixed source function (the LTE case), it is shown that time-averaged line profiles progress smoothly from the microscopic to the macroscopic limits as the geometric scale of the motions increases, that the sinusoidal motions produce symmetric time-averaged profiles, and that the sawtooth motions cause a redshift. In several idealized non-LTE cases, it is found that intermediate-scale velocity fields can significantly increase the surface source functions and line-core intensities. Calculations are made for a two-level atom in an isothermal atmosphere for a range of velocity scales and non-LTE coupling parameters and also for a two-level atom and a four-level representation of Na I line formation in the Harvard-Smithsonian Reference Atmosphere (1971) solar model. It is found that intermediate-scale velocity fields in the solar atmosphere could explain the central intensities of the Na I D lines and other strong absorption lines without invoking previously suggested high electron densities.

Effect of Pr3+doping on key properties of CdO thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis using perfume atomizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravikumar, M.; Chandramohan, R.; Kumar, K. Deva Arun; Valanarasu, S.; Kathalingam, A.; Ganesh, V.; Shkir, Mohd.; AlFaify, S.; Algarni, H.

2018-07-01

High quality Cadmium oxide thin films doped with Praseodymium (Pr) were prepared using perfume atomizer based spray pyrolysis technique at substrate temperature near 350 °C. Structural analysis of films was examined by XRD and confirmed that the films are cubic in structure. All un-doped and doped films were good crystalline in nature with smooth and flat surface without significant modifications owed to doping. Optical transmittances of doped films was decrease in the visible and IR range with increasing Pr doping concentration. Band gap widened from 2.42 to 2.20 eV when doped with Pr from 0 to 5 at. %. In addition, the photoluminescence property of the films was also observed. Further, the electrical studies were performed on pure and doped samples Viz., the electrical resistivity, carrier concentration (ρ) and Hall mobility (μ). It confirmed that the deposited films has good structural environments in terms of grain size, absolute stress correspond and low resistivity. Current-voltage measurements on the nanostructured Al/Pr-nCdO/p-Si/Al device showed a non-linear electric characteristics indicating diode like behavior.

Temperature-dependent quantum efficiency degradation of K-Cs-Sb bialkali antimonide photocathodes grown by a triple-element codeposition method

DOE PAGES

Ding, Zihao; Karkare, Siddharth; Feng, Jun; ...

2017-11-09

K-Cs-Sb bialkali antimonide photocathodes grown by a triple-element codeposition method have been found to have excellent quantum efficiency (QE) and outstanding near-atomic surface smoothness and have been employed in the VHF gun in the Advanced Photoinjector Experiment (APEX), however, their robustness in terms of their lifetime at elevated photocathode temperature has not yet been investigated. In this paper, the relationship between the lifetime of the K-Cs-Sb photocathode and the photocathode temperature has been investigated. The origin of the significant QE degradation at photocathode temperatures over 70 °C has been identified as the loss of cesium atoms from the K-Cs-Sb photocathode,more » based on the in situ x-ray analysis on the photocathode film during the decay process. The findings from this work will not only further the understanding of the behavior of K-Cs-Sb photocathodes at elevated temperature and help develop more temperature-robust cathodes, but also will become an important guide to the design and operation of the future high-field rf guns employing the use of such photocathodes.« less

Temperature-dependent quantum efficiency degradation of K-Cs-Sb bialkali antimonide photocathodes grown by a triple-element codeposition method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ding, Zihao; Karkare, Siddharth; Feng, Jun

K-Cs-Sb bialkali antimonide photocathodes grown by a triple-element codeposition method have been found to have excellent quantum efficiency (QE) and outstanding near-atomic surface smoothness and have been employed in the VHF gun in the Advanced Photoinjector Experiment (APEX), however, their robustness in terms of their lifetime at elevated photocathode temperature has not yet been investigated. In this paper, the relationship between the lifetime of the K-Cs-Sb photocathode and the photocathode temperature has been investigated. The origin of the significant QE degradation at photocathode temperatures over 70 °C has been identified as the loss of cesium atoms from the K-Cs-Sb photocathode,more » based on the in situ x-ray analysis on the photocathode film during the decay process. The findings from this work will not only further the understanding of the behavior of K-Cs-Sb photocathodes at elevated temperature and help develop more temperature-robust cathodes, but also will become an important guide to the design and operation of the future high-field rf guns employing the use of such photocathodes.« less

Effects of cholesterol depletion on membrane nanostructure in MCF-7 cells by atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuhua; Jiang, Ningcheng; Shi, Aisi; Zheng, Liqin; Yang, Hongqin; Xie, Shusen

2017-02-01

The cell membrane is composed of phospholipids, glycolipids, cholesterol and proteins that are dynamic and heterogeneous distributed in the bilayer structure and many researches have showed that the plasma membrane in eukaryotic cells contains microdomains termed "lipid raft" in which cholesterol, sphingolipids and specific membrane proteins are enriched. Cholesterol extraction induced lipid raft disruption is one of the most widely used methods for lipid raft research and MβCD is a type of solvent to extract the cholesterol from cell membranes. In this study, the effect of MβCD treatment on the membrane nanostructure in MCF-7 living cells was investigated by atomic force microscopy. Different concentrations of MβCD were selected to deplete cholesterol for 30 min and the viability of cells was tested by MTT assay to obtain the optimal concentration. Then the nanostructure of the cell membrane was detected. The results show that an appropriate concentration of MβCD can induce the alteration of cell membranes nanostructure and the roughness of membrane surface decreases significantly. This may indicate that microdomains of the cell membrane disappear and the cell membrane appears more smoothly. Cholesterol can affect nanostructure and inhomogeneity of the plasma membrane in living cells.

Cooling atomic ions with visible and infra-red light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindenfelser, F.; Marinelli, M.; Negnevitsky, V.; Ragg, S.; Home, J. P.

2017-06-01

We demonstrate the ability to load, cool and detect singly charged calcium ions in a surface electrode trap using only visible and infrared lasers for the trapped-ion control. As opposed to the standard methods of cooling using dipole-allowed transitions, we combine power broadening of a quadrupole transition at 729 nm with quenching of the upper level using a dipole allowed transition at 854 nm. By observing the resulting 393 nm fluorescence we are able to perform background-free detection of the ion. We show that this system can be used to smoothly transition between the Doppler cooling and sideband cooling regimes, and verify theoretical predictions throughout this range. We achieve scattering rates which reliably allow recooling after collision events and allow ions to be loaded from a thermal atomic beam. This work is compatible with recent advances in optical waveguides, and thus opens a path in current technologies for large-scale quantum information processing. In situations where dielectric materials are placed close to trapped ions, it carries the additional advantage of using wavelengths which do not lead to significant charging, which should facilitate high rate optical interfaces between remotely held ions.

Biocompatibility evaluation of sputtered zirconium-based thin film metallic glass-coated steels.

PubMed

Subramanian, Balasubramanian; Maruthamuthu, Sundaram; Rajan, Senthilperumal Thanka

2015-01-01

Thin film metallic glasses comprised of Zr48Cu36Al8Ag8 (at.%) of approximately 1.5 μm and 3 μm in thickness were prepared using magnetron sputtering onto medical grade 316L stainless steel. Their structural and mechanical properties, in vitro corrosion, and antimicrobial activity were analyzed. The amorphous thin film metallic glasses consisted of a single glassy phase, with an absence of any detectable peaks corresponding to crystalline phases. Elemental composition close to the target alloy was noted from EDAX analysis of the thin film. The surface morphology of the film showed a smooth surface on scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. In vitro electrochemical corrosion studies indicated that the zirconium-based metallic glass could withstand body fluid, showing superior resistance to corrosion and electrochemical stability. Interactions between the coated surface and bacteria were investigated by agar diffusion, solution suspension, and wet interfacial contact methods. The results indicated a clear zone of inhibition against the growth of microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, confirming the antimicrobial activity of the thin film metallic glasses. Cytotoxicity studies using L929 fibroblast cells showed these coatings to be noncytotoxic in nature.

Biocompatibility evaluation of sputtered zirconium-based thin film metallic glass-coated steels

PubMed Central

Subramanian, Balasubramanian; Maruthamuthu, Sundaram; Rajan, Senthilperumal Thanka

2015-01-01

Thin film metallic glasses comprised of Zr48Cu36Al8Ag8 (at.%) of approximately 1.5 μm and 3 μm in thickness were prepared using magnetron sputtering onto medical grade 316L stainless steel. Their structural and mechanical properties, in vitro corrosion, and antimicrobial activity were analyzed. The amorphous thin film metallic glasses consisted of a single glassy phase, with an absence of any detectable peaks corresponding to crystalline phases. Elemental composition close to the target alloy was noted from EDAX analysis of the thin film. The surface morphology of the film showed a smooth surface on scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. In vitro electrochemical corrosion studies indicated that the zirconium-based metallic glass could withstand body fluid, showing superior resistance to corrosion and electrochemical stability. Interactions between the coated surface and bacteria were investigated by agar diffusion, solution suspension, and wet interfacial contact methods. The results indicated a clear zone of inhibition against the growth of microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, confirming the antimicrobial activity of the thin film metallic glasses. Cytotoxicity studies using L929 fibroblast cells showed these coatings to be noncytotoxic in nature. PMID:26491304

Nanometric edge profile measurement of cutting tools on a diamond turning machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asai, Takemi; Arai, Yoshikazu; Cui, Yuguo; Gao, Wei

2008-10-01

Single crystal diamond tools are used for fabrication of precision parts [1-5]. Although there are many types of tools that are supplied, the tools with round nose are popular for machining very smooth surfaces. Tools with small nose radii, small wedge angles and included angles are also being utilized for fabrication of micro structured surfaces such as microlens arrays [6], diffractive optical elements and so on. In ultra precision machining, tools are very important as a part of the machining equipment. The roughness or profile of machined surface may become out of desired tolerance. It is thus necessary to know the state of the tool edge accurately. To meet these requirements, an atomic force microscope (AFM) for measuring the 3D edge profiles of tools having nanometer-scale cutting edge radii with high resolution has been developed [7-8]. Although the AFM probe unit is combined with an optical sensor for aligning the measurement probe with the tools edge top to be measured in short time in this system, this time only the AFM probe unit was used. During the measurement time, that was attached onto the ultra precision turning machine to confirm the possibility of profile measurement system.

Relaxor properties of barium titanate crystals grown by Remeika method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roth, Michel; Tiagunov, Jenia; Dul'kin, Evgeniy; Mojaev, Evgeny

2017-06-01

Barium titanate (BaTiO3, BT) crystals have been grown by the Remeika method using both the regular KF and mixed KF-NaF (0.6-0.4) solvents. Typical acute angle "butterfly wing" BT crystals have been obtained, and they were characterized using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (including energy dispersive spectroscopy), conventional dielectric and acoustic emission methods. A typical wing has a triangular plate shape which is up to 0.5 mm thick with a 10-15 mm2 area. The plate has a (001) habit and an atomically smooth outer surface. Both K+ and F- solvent ions are incorporated as dopants into the crystal lattice during growth substituting for Ba2+ and O2- ions respectively. The dopants' distribution is found to be inhomogeneous, their content being almost an order of magnitude higher (up to 2 mol%) at out surface of the plate relatively to the bulk. A few μm thick surface layer is formed where a multidomain ferroelectric net is confined between two≤1 μm thick dopant-rich surfaces. The layer as a whole possess relaxor ferroelectric properties, which is apparent from the appearance of additional broad maxima, Tm, in the temperature dependence of the dielectric permittivity around the ferroelectric phase transition. Intense acoustic emission responses detected at temperatures corresponding to the Tm values allow to observe the Tm shift to lower temperatures at higher frequencies, or dispersion, typical for relaxor ferroelectrics. The outer surface of the BT wing can thus serve as a relaxor thin film for various electronic application, such as capacitors, or as a substrate for BT-based multiferroic structure. Crystals grown from KF-NaF fluxes contain sodium atoms as an additional impurity, but the crystal yield is much smaller, and while the ferroelectric transition peak is diffuse it does not show any sign of dispersion typical for relaxor behavior.

Accelerating molecular Monte Carlo simulations using distance and orientation dependent energy tables: tuning from atomistic accuracy to smoothed “coarse-grained” models

PubMed Central

Lettieri, S.; Zuckerman, D.M.

2011-01-01

Typically, the most time consuming part of any atomistic molecular simulation is due to the repeated calculation of distances, energies and forces between pairs of atoms. However, many molecules contain nearly rigid multi-atom groups such as rings and other conjugated moieties, whose rigidity can be exploited to significantly speed up computations. The availability of GB-scale random-access memory (RAM) offers the possibility of tabulation (pre-calculation) of distance and orientation-dependent interactions among such rigid molecular bodies. Here, we perform an investigation of this energy tabulation approach for a fluid of atomistic – but rigid – benzene molecules at standard temperature and density. In particular, using O(1) GB of RAM, we construct an energy look-up table which encompasses the full range of allowed relative positions and orientations between a pair of whole molecules. We obtain a hardware-dependent speed-up of a factor of 24-50 as compared to an ordinary (“exact”) Monte Carlo simulation and find excellent agreement between energetic and structural properties. Second, we examine the somewhat reduced fidelity of results obtained using energy tables based on much less memory use. Third, the energy table serves as a convenient platform to explore potential energy smoothing techniques, akin to coarse-graining. Simulations with smoothed tables exhibit near atomistic accuracy while increasing diffusivity. The combined speed-up in sampling from tabulation and smoothing exceeds a factor of 100. For future applications greater speed-ups can be expected for larger rigid groups, such as those found in biomolecules. PMID:22120971

A computer program for fitting smooth surfaces to three-dimensional aircraft configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craidon, C. B.; Smith, R. E., Jr.

1975-01-01

A computer program developed to fit smooth surfaces to the component parts of three-dimensional aircraft configurations was described. The resulting equation definition of an aircraft numerical model is useful in obtaining continuous two-dimensional cross section plots in arbitrarily defined planes, local tangents, enriched surface plots and other pertinent geometric information; the geometry organization used as input to the program has become known as the Harris Wave Drag Geometry.

A quantitative AFM analysis of nano-scale surface roughness in various orthodontic brackets.

PubMed

Lee, Gi-Ja; Park, Ki-Ho; Park, Young-Guk; Park, Hun-Kuk

2010-10-01

In orthodontics, the surface roughnesses of orthodontic archwire and brackets affect the effectiveness of arch-guided tooth movement, corrosion behavior, and the aesthetics of orthodontic components. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements were used to provide quantitative information on the surface roughness of the orthodontic material. In this study, the changes in surface roughness of various orthodontic bracket slots before and after sliding movement of archwire in vitro and in vivo were observed through the utilization of AFM. Firstly, we characterized the surface of four types of brackets slots as follows: conventional stainless steel (Succes), conventional ceramic (Perfect), self-ligating stainless steel (Damon) and self-ligating ceramic (Clippy-C) brackets. Succes) and Damon brackets showed relatively smooth surfaces, while Perfect had the roughest surface among the four types of brackets used. Secondly, after in vitro sliding test with beta titanium wire in two conventional brackets (Succes and Perfect), there were significant increases in only stainless steel bracket, Succes. Thirdly, after clinical orthodontic treatment for a maximum of 2 years, the self-ligating stainless steel bracket, Damon, showed a significant increase in surface roughness. But self-ligating ceramic brackets, Clippy-C, represented less significant changes in roughness parameters than self-ligating stainless steel ones. Based on the results of the AFM measurements, it is suggested that the self-ligating ceramic bracket has great possibility to exhibit less friction and better biocompatibility than the other tested brackets. This implies that these bracket slots will aid in the effectiveness of arch-guided tooth movement.

AlN grown on Si(1 1 1) by ammonia-molecular beam epitaxy in the 900-1200 °C temperature range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamariz, Sebastian; Martin, Denis; Grandjean, Nicolas

2017-10-01

We present a comprehensive study of AlN growth on Si(1 1 1) substrate by gas source molecular beam epitaxy with ammonia as nitrogen precursor in the high temperature range. We first demonstrate that the observation of the silicon 7 × 7 surface reconstruction by reflection high energy electron diffraction can be misleading as this technique is not sensitive to low density surface defects like SiC crystallites. A careful in situ cleaning procedure with annealing cycles at 1100 °C allows getting rid of any surface defects, as shown by atomic force microscopy imaging. Then, we explore the effect of the growth temperature on the surface morphology and structural properties of 100 nm thick AlN epilayers. At 1200 °C, the growth proceeds with the step flow mode regime, which induces spiral-growth around screw-type dislocations and therefore surface roughening. On the other hand, a smooth surface morphology can be achieved by setting the temperature at 1100 °C, which corresponds to the growth mode transition from two-dimensional nucleation to step flow. A further decrease of the growth temperature to 900 °C leads to surface defects ascribed to polarity inversion domains. Similar defects are observed for growths performed at 1100 °C when the NH3 flow is reduced below 100 sccm. This points out the sensitivity of AlN to the surface stoichiometry.

Modern volcanic activity on the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidmachenko, A. P.

2018-05-01

Volcanic activity on the Moon began when its surface cooled, and the nucleus and mantle were clearly separated inside. Fragments of volcanic eruptions were discovered in the lunar soil, which was delivered to the Earth by "Apollo" spacecrafts. As shown by the analysis of some lunar meteorites, the first eruptions occurred 4.35 billion years ago. This is evidenced by the unique composition of the oxygen atoms for the Moon and on the radiocarbon analysis data. Well-visible on its surface, the dark "seas", which emerged shortly after the formation of the Moon, when the lowlands and large old craters were filled by liquid basaltic magma, rich in iron. The lunar "seas" are mostly on the visible side of the Moon, and cover almost a third of it; on the reverse side-the seas occupy less than 2%. Smooth surfaces of the seas mean that the lunar lava was very liquid. Therefore, at low gravity, it easily spread over a large area, almost without creating large cone-shaped peaks, but forming many small cone volcanic systems with an age of 3-4 billion years ago. On the images of the visible side of the Moon obtained with the help of the LRO, evidence is provided that volcanic eruptions on its surface were possible even a few million years ago.

Electronegativity determination of individual surface atoms by atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Onoda, Jo; Ondráček, Martin; Jelínek, Pavel; Sugimoto, Yoshiaki

2017-04-26

Electronegativity is a fundamental concept in chemistry. Despite its importance, the experimental determination has been limited only to ensemble-averaged techniques. Here, we report a methodology to evaluate the electronegativity of individual surface atoms by atomic force microscopy. By measuring bond energies on the surface atoms using different tips, we find characteristic linear relations between the bond energies of different chemical species. We show that the linear relation can be rationalized by Pauling's equation for polar covalent bonds. This opens the possibility to characterize the electronegativity of individual surface atoms. Moreover, we demonstrate that the method is sensitive to variation of the electronegativity of given atomic species on a surface due to different chemical environments. Our findings open up ways of analysing surface chemical reactivity at the atomic scale.

Electronegativity determination of individual surface atoms by atomic force microscopy

PubMed Central

Onoda, Jo; Ondráček, Martin; Jelínek, Pavel; Sugimoto, Yoshiaki

2017-01-01

Electronegativity is a fundamental concept in chemistry. Despite its importance, the experimental determination has been limited only to ensemble-averaged techniques. Here, we report a methodology to evaluate the electronegativity of individual surface atoms by atomic force microscopy. By measuring bond energies on the surface atoms using different tips, we find characteristic linear relations between the bond energies of different chemical species. We show that the linear relation can be rationalized by Pauling's equation for polar covalent bonds. This opens the possibility to characterize the electronegativity of individual surface atoms. Moreover, we demonstrate that the method is sensitive to variation of the electronegativity of given atomic species on a surface due to different chemical environments. Our findings open up ways of analysing surface chemical reactivity at the atomic scale. PMID:28443645

49 CFR 213.113 - Defective rails.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... smooth, bright, or dark, round or oval surface substantially at a right angle to the length of the rail... in the head of the rail as a smooth, bright, or dark surface progressing until substantially at a... head, and extending into or through it. A crack or rust streak may show under the head close to the web...

49 CFR 213.113 - Defective rails.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... smooth, bright, or dark, round or oval surface substantially at a right angle to the length of the rail... in the head of the rail as a smooth, bright, or dark surface progressing until substantially at a... head, and extending into or through it. A crack or rust streak may show under the head close to the web...

49 CFR 213.113 - Defective rails.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... smooth, bright, or dark, round or oval surface substantially at a right angle to the length of the rail... in the head of the rail as a smooth, bright, or dark surface progressing until substantially at a... head, and extending into or through it. A crack or rust streak may show under the head close to the web...

49 CFR 213.113 - Defective rails.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... smooth, bright, or dark, round or oval surface substantially at a right angle to the length of the rail... in the head of the rail as a smooth, bright, or dark surface progressing until substantially at a... head, and extending into or through it. A crack or rust streak may show under the head close to the web...

Low-temperature remote plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of ZrO2/zircone nanolaminate film for efficient encapsulation of flexible organic light-emitting diodes

PubMed Central

Chen, Zheng; Wang, Haoran; Wang, Xiao; Chen, Ping; Liu, Yunfei; Zhao, Hongyu; Zhao, Yi; Duan, Yu

2017-01-01

Encapsulation is essential to protect the air-sensitive components of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) such as active layers and cathode electrodes. In this study, hybrid zirconium inorganic/organic nanolaminates were fabricated using remote plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) and molecular layer deposition at a low temperature. The nanolaminate serves as a thin-film encapsulation layer for OLEDs. The reaction mechanism of PEALD process was investigated using an in-situ quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and in-situ quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS). The bonds present in the films were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The primary reaction byproducts in PEALD, such as CO, CO2, NO, H2O, as well as the related fragments during the O2 plasma process were characterized using the QMS, indicating a combustion-like reaction process. The self-limiting nature and growth mechanisms of the ZrO2 during the complex surface chemical reaction of the ligand and O2 plasma were monitored using the QCM. The remote PEALD ZrO2/zircone nanolaminate structure prolonged the transmission path of water vapor and smooth surface morphology. Consequently, the water barrier properties were significantly improved (reaching 3.078 × 10−5 g/m2/day). This study also shows that flexible OLEDs can be successfully encapsulated to achieve a significantly longer lifetime. PMID:28059160

Long-range empirical potential model: extension to hexagonal close-packed metals.

PubMed

Dai, Y; Li, J H; Liu, B X

2009-09-23

An n-body potential is developed and satisfactorily applied to hcp metals, Co, Hf, Mg, Re, Ti, and Zr, in the form of long-range empirical potential. The potential can well reproduce the lattice constants, c/a ratios, cohesive energies, and the bulk modulus for their stable structures (hcp) and metastable structures (bcc or fcc). Meanwhile, the potential can correctly predict the order of structural stability and distinguish the energy differences between their stable hcp structure and other structures. The energies and forces derived by the potential can smoothly go to zero at cutoff radius, thus completely avoiding the unphysical behaviors in the simulations. The developed potential is applied to study the vacancy, surface fault, stacking fault and self-interstitial atom in the hcp metals. The calculated formation energies of vacancy and divacancy and activation energies of self-diffusion by vacancies are in good agreement with the values in experiments and in other works. The calculated surface energies and stacking fault energies are also consistent with the experimental data and those obtained in other theoretical works. The calculated formation energies generally agree with the results in other works, although the stable configurations of self-interstitial atoms predicted in this work somewhat contrast with those predicted by other methods. The proposed potential is shown to be relevant for describing the interaction of bcc, fcc and hcp metal systems, bringing great convenience for researchers in constructing potentials for metal systems constituted by any combination of bcc, fcc and hcp metals.

Spectral asymmetry of atoms in the van der Waals potential of an optical nanofiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, B. D.; Solano, P.; Julienne, P. S.; Orozco, L. A.; Rolston, S. L.

2018-03-01

We measure the modification of the transmission spectra of cold 87Rb atoms in the proximity of an optical nanofiber (ONF). Van der Waals interactions between the atoms an the ONF surface decrease the resonance frequency of atoms closer to the surface. An asymmetric spectra of the atoms holds information of their spatial distribution around the ONF. We use a far-detuned laser beam coupled to the ONF to thermally excite atoms at the ONF surface. We study the change of transmission spectrum of these atoms as a function of heating laser power. A semiclassical phenomenological model for the thermal excitation of atoms in the atom-surface van der Waals bound states is in good agreement with the measurements. This result suggests that van der Waals potentials could be used to trap and probe atoms at few nanometers from a dielectric surface, a key tool for hybrid photonic-atomic quantum systems.

Effect of Surface Treatments on Electron Beam Freeform Fabricated Aluminum Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taminger, Karen M. B.; Hafley, Robert A.; Fahringer, David T.; Martin, Richard E.

2004-01-01

Electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3) parts exhibit a ridged surface finish typical of many layer-additive processes. This, post-processing is required to produce a net shape with a smooth surface finish. High speed milling wire electrical discharge machining (EDM), electron beam glazing, and glass bead blasting were performed on EBF3-build 2219 aluminum alloy parts to reduce or eliminate the ridged surface features. Surface roughness, surface residual stress state, and microstructural characteristics were examined for each of the different surface treatment to assess the quality and effect of the surface treatments on the underlying material. The analysis evaluated the effectivenes of the different surface finishing techniques for achieving a smooth surface finish on an electron beam freeform fabricated part.

On a theory of surface waves in a smoothly inhomogeneous plasma in an external magnetic field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuzelev, M. V., E-mail: kuzelev@mail.ru; Orlikovskaya, N. G.

2016-12-15

A theory of surface waves in a magnetoactive plasma with smooth boundaries has been developed. A dispersion equation for surface waves has been derived for a linear law of density change at the plasma boundary. The frequencies of surface waves and their collisionless damping rates have been determined. A generalization to an arbitrary density profile at the plasma boundary is given. The collisions have been taken into account, and the application of the Landau rule in the theory of surface wave damping in a spatially inhomogeneous magnetoactive collisional plasma has been clarified.

Where's the dust? Characterizing locations of azinphos-methyl residues in house and vehicle dust among farmworkers with young children.

PubMed

Coronado, Gloria D; Griffith, William C; Vigoren, Eric M; Faustman, Elaine M; Thompson, Beti

2010-12-01

Organophosphate pesticides are commonly used in the United States, and farmworkers are at risk for chronic exposure. Using data from a community randomized trial to interrupt the take-home pathway of pesticide exposure, we examined the association between floor surface type (smooth floor, thin carpet, and thick carpet) and rooms in which dust samples were collected (living room vs. non-living room) and concentrations of azinphos-methyl residues in home environments. We also examined the association between vehicle type (truck, auto, or other) and footwell floor surfaces (carpeted, smooth surface, or no mat) and concentrations of azinphos-methyl in vehicle dust samples. Dust samples were collected from 203 and 179 households and vehicles, respectively. All households had at least one child aged 2-6. Vehicle dust samples were collected from footwells of the vehicle used for commuting to and from work. A total of 183 samples were collected from living rooms, and 20 were collected from other rooms in the home. Forty-two samples were collected from thick carpets, 130 from thin carpets, and 27 from smooth floor surfaces. Thick and thin carpets had a significantly greater dust mass than smooth floor surfaces (6.0 g/m(2) for thick carpets, 7.8 g/m(2) for thin carpets, and 1.5 g/m(2) for smooth surfaces). Of the 179 vehicle samples, 113 were from cars, 34 from trucks, and 32 from other vehicles. Vehicles with no mats had a significantly higher mass of dust (21.3 g) than those with hard mats (9.3 g) but did not differ from vehicles with plush mats (12.0 g). Further research is needed to characterize the environment in which children may be exposed to pesticides.

Where’s the Dust? Characterizing Locations of Azinphos-Methyl Residues in House and Vehicle Dust Among Farmworkers with Young Children

PubMed Central

Coronado, Gloria D.; Griffith, William C.; Vigoren, Eric M.; Faustman, Elaine M.; Thompson, Beti

2010-01-01

Organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are commonly used in the United States, and farm workers are at risk for chronic exposure. Using data from a community randomized trial to interrupt the take-home pathway of pesticide exposure, we examined the association between floor surface type (smooth floor, thin carpet, and thick carpet) and rooms in which dust samples were collected (living room vs. non-living room) and concentrations of azinphos-methyl residues in home environments. We also examined the association between vehicle type (truck, auto, or other) and footwell floor surfaces (carpeted, smooth surface, or no mat) and concentrations of azinphos-methyl in vehicle dust samples. Dust samples were collected from 203 and 179 households and vehicles, respectively. All households had at least one child aged 2–6. Vehicle dust samples were collected from footwells of the vehicle used for commuting to and from work. A total of 183 samples were collected from living rooms, and 20 were collected from other rooms in the home. Forty-two samples were collected from thick carpets, 130 from thin carpets, and 27 from smooth floor surfaces. Thick and thin carpets had a significantly greater dust mass than smooth floor surfaces (6.0 g/m2 for thick carpets, 7.8 g/m2 for thin carpets, and 1.5 g/m2 for smooth surfaces). Of the 179 vehicle samples, 113 were from cars, 34 from trucks, and 32 from other vehicles. Vehicles with no mats had a significantly higher mass of dust (21.3 g) than those with hard mats (9.3 g) but did not differ from vehicles with plush mats (12.0g). Further research is needed to characterize the environment in which children may be exposed to pesticides. PMID:20945243

Molecular dynamics study of nanodroplet diffusion on smooth solid surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Zhao-Xia; Huang, Tao; Chen, Yong

2018-10-01

We perform molecular dynamics simulations of Lennard-Jones particles in a canonical ensemble to study the diffusion of nanodroplets on smooth solid surfaces. Using the droplet-surface interaction to realize a hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface and calculating the mean square displacement of the center-of-mass of the nanodroplets, the random motion of nanodroplets could be characterized by shorttime subdiffusion, intermediate-time superdiffusion, and long-time normal diffusion. The short-time subdiffusive exponent increases and almost reaches unity (normal diffusion) with decreasing droplet size or enhancing hydrophobicity. The diffusion coefficient of the droplet on hydrophobic surfaces is larger than that on hydrophilic surfaces.

Ion-beam-induced planarization, densification, and exfoliation of low-density nanoporous silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kucheyev, S. O.; Shin, S. J.

2017-09-01

Planarization of low-density nanoporous solids is challenging. Here, we demonstrate that ion bombardment to doses of ˜1015 cm-2 results in significant smoothing of silica aerogels, yielding mirror-like surfaces after metallization. The surface smoothing efficiency scales with the ion energy loss component leading to local lattice heating. Planarization is accompanied by sub-surface monolith densification, resulting in surface exfoliation with increasing ion dose. These findings have implications for the fabrication of graded-density nanofoams, aerogel-based lightweight optical components, and meso-origami.

Trajectory fitting in function space with application to analytic modeling of surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barger, Raymond L.

1992-01-01

A theory for representing a parameter-dependent function as a function trajectory is described. Additionally, a theory for determining a piecewise analytic fit to the trajectory is described. An example is given that illustrates the application of the theory to generating a smooth surface through a discrete set of input cross-section shapes. A simple procedure for smoothing in the parameter direction is discussed, and a computed example is given. Application of the theory to aerodynamic surface modeling is demonstrated by applying it to a blended wing-fuselage surface.

Low-loss integrated electrical surface plasmon source with ultra-smooth metal film fabricated by polymethyl methacrylate 'bond and peel' method.

PubMed

Liu, Wenjie; Hu, Xiaolong; Zou, Qiushun; Wu, Shaoying; Jin, Chongjun

2018-06-15

External light sources are mostly employed to functionalize the plasmonic components, resulting in a bulky footprint. Electrically driven integrated plasmonic devices, combining ultra-compact critical feature sizes with extremely high transmission speeds and low power consumption, can link plasmonics with the present-day electronic world. In an effort to achieve this prospect, suppressing the losses in the plasmonic devices becomes a pressing issue. In this work, we developed a novel polymethyl methacrylate 'bond and peel' method to fabricate metal films with sub-nanometer smooth surfaces on semiconductor wafers. Based on this method, we further fabricated a compact plasmonic source containing a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide with an ultra-smooth metal surface on a GaAs-based light-emitting diode wafer. An increase in propagation length of the SPP mode by a factor of 2.95 was achieved as compared with the conventional device containing a relatively rough metal surface. Numerical calculations further confirmed that the propagation length is comparable to the theoretical prediction on the MIM waveguide with perfectly smooth metal surfaces. This method facilitates low-loss and high-integration of electrically driven plasmonic devices, thus provides an immediate opportunity for the practical application of on-chip integrated plasmonic circuits.

[A study of different polishing techniques for amalgams and glass-cermet cement by scanning electron microscope (SEM)].

PubMed

Kakaboura, A; Vougiouklakis, G; Argiri, G

1989-01-01

Finishing and polishing an amalgam restoration, is considered as an important and necessary step of the restorative procedure. Various polishing techniques have been recommended to success a smooth amalgam surface. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of three different polishing treatments on the marginal integrity and surface smoothness of restorations made of three commercially available amalgams and a glass-cermet cement. The materials used were the amalgams, Amalcap (Vivadent), Dispersalloy (Johnson and Johnson), Duralloy (Degussa) and the glass-cermet Katac-Silver (ESPE). The occlusal surfaces of the restorations were polished by the methods: I) round bur, No4-rubber cup-zinc oxide paste in a small brush, II) round bur No 4-bur-brown, green and super green (Shofu) polishing cups and points successively and III) amalgam polishing bur of 12-blades-smooth amalgam polishing bur. Photographs from unpolished and polished surfaces of the restorations, were taken with scanning electron microscope, to evaluate the polishing techniques. An improvement of marginal integrity and surface smoothness of all amalgam restorations was observed after the specimens had been polished with the three techniques. Method II, included Shofu polishers, proved the best results in comparison to the methods I and III. Polishing of glass-cermet cement was impossible with the examined techniques.

How to Quantify Penile Corpus Cavernosum Structures with Histomorphometry: Comparison of Two Methods

PubMed Central

Felix-Patrício, Bruno; De Souza, Diogo Benchimol; Gregório, Bianca Martins; Costa, Waldemar Silva; Sampaio, Francisco José

2015-01-01

The use of morphometrical tools in biomedical research permits the accurate comparison of specimens subjected to different conditions, and the surface density of structures is commonly used for this purpose. The traditional point-counting method is reliable but time-consuming, with computer-aided methods being proposed as an alternative. The aim of this study was to compare the surface density data of penile corpus cavernosum trabecular smooth muscle in different groups of rats, measured by two observers using the point-counting or color-based segmentation method. Ten normotensive and 10 hypertensive male rats were used in this study. Rat penises were processed to obtain smooth muscle immunostained histological slices and photomicrographs captured for analysis. The smooth muscle surface density was measured in both groups by two different observers by the point-counting method and by the color-based segmentation method. Hypertensive rats showed an increase in smooth muscle surface density by the two methods, and no difference was found between the results of the two observers. However, surface density values were higher by the point-counting method. The use of either method did not influence the final interpretation of the results, and both proved to have adequate reproducibility. However, as differences were found between the two methods, results obtained by either method should not be compared. PMID:26413547

Low-loss integrated electrical surface plasmon source with ultra-smooth metal film fabricated by polymethyl methacrylate ‘bond and peel’ method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wenjie; Hu, Xiaolong; Zou, Qiushun; Wu, Shaoying; Jin, Chongjun

2018-06-01

External light sources are mostly employed to functionalize the plasmonic components, resulting in a bulky footprint. Electrically driven integrated plasmonic devices, combining ultra-compact critical feature sizes with extremely high transmission speeds and low power consumption, can link plasmonics with the present-day electronic world. In an effort to achieve this prospect, suppressing the losses in the plasmonic devices becomes a pressing issue. In this work, we developed a novel polymethyl methacrylate ‘bond and peel’ method to fabricate metal films with sub-nanometer smooth surfaces on semiconductor wafers. Based on this method, we further fabricated a compact plasmonic source containing a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide with an ultra-smooth metal surface on a GaAs-based light-emitting diode wafer. An increase in propagation length of the SPP mode by a factor of 2.95 was achieved as compared with the conventional device containing a relatively rough metal surface. Numerical calculations further confirmed that the propagation length is comparable to the theoretical prediction on the MIM waveguide with perfectly smooth metal surfaces. This method facilitates low-loss and high-integration of electrically driven plasmonic devices, thus provides an immediate opportunity for the practical application of on-chip integrated plasmonic circuits.

How to Quantify Penile Corpus Cavernosum Structures with Histomorphometry: Comparison of Two Methods.

PubMed

Felix-Patrício, Bruno; De Souza, Diogo Benchimol; Gregório, Bianca Martins; Costa, Waldemar Silva; Sampaio, Francisco José

2015-01-01

The use of morphometrical tools in biomedical research permits the accurate comparison of specimens subjected to different conditions, and the surface density of structures is commonly used for this purpose. The traditional point-counting method is reliable but time-consuming, with computer-aided methods being proposed as an alternative. The aim of this study was to compare the surface density data of penile corpus cavernosum trabecular smooth muscle in different groups of rats, measured by two observers using the point-counting or color-based segmentation method. Ten normotensive and 10 hypertensive male rats were used in this study. Rat penises were processed to obtain smooth muscle immunostained histological slices and photomicrographs captured for analysis. The smooth muscle surface density was measured in both groups by two different observers by the point-counting method and by the color-based segmentation method. Hypertensive rats showed an increase in smooth muscle surface density by the two methods, and no difference was found between the results of the two observers. However, surface density values were higher by the point-counting method. The use of either method did not influence the final interpretation of the results, and both proved to have adequate reproducibility. However, as differences were found between the two methods, results obtained by either method should not be compared.

Diffusion of Drag-Reducing Polymers within a High-Reynolds-Number, Rough-Wall Turbulent Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elbing, Brian; Perlin, Marc; Dowling, David; Solomon, Michael; Ceccio, Steven

2008-11-01

Two experiments were conducted to investigate polymer drag reduction (PDR) within high Reynolds number (to 200 million based on downstream distance), rough-wall turbulent boundary layers. The first experiment was conducted at the U.S. Navy's Large Cavitation Channel on a 12.9 m long flat-plate at speeds to 20 m/s with the surface hydraulically smooth and fully rough. Local skin-friction measurements on the smooth and rough surfaces had maximum PDR levels of 65 and 75 percent, respectively. However, PDR decreased with increasing downstream distance and flow speed more rapidly on the rough surface, and at the top speed no measureable level of PDR was observed. The roughness-induced increased diffusion was quantified with near-wall concentration measurements and the second experiment, which measured concentration profiles on a 0.94 m long flat-plate with three surface conditions: smooth, 240-grit, and 60-grit sandpaper. The increased diffusion does not fully explain the smooth-rough PDR differences observed in the first experiment. Rheological analysis of drawn samples from the first experiment indicates that polymer degradation (chain scission) could be responsible for the remaining loss of rough-wall PDR. These results have implications for the cost effectiveness of PDR for surface ships.

Atomization from a tantalum surface in graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregoire, D. C.; Chakrabarti, C. L.

The mechanism of atom formation of U, V, Mo, Ni, Mn, Cu and Mg atomized from pyrolytic graphite and tantalum metal surfaces has been studied. The mechanism of atom formation for U from a graphite tube atomizer is reported for the first time. The peak absorbance for U and Cu is increased by factors of 59.7 and 2.0, respectively, whereas that of V, Mo and Ni is reduced by several orders of magnitude when they are atomized from a tantalum metal surface. The peak absorbance of Mn and Mg is not appreciably affected by the material of the atomization surface. Interaction of Mn and Mg with the graphite surface and formation of their refractory carbides was found to be negligible. Uranium forms a refractory carbide when heated from a graphite surface.

Fast localized orthonormal virtual orbitals which depend smoothly on nuclear coordinates.

PubMed

Subotnik, Joseph E; Dutoi, Anthony D; Head-Gordon, Martin

2005-09-15

We present here an algorithm for computing stable, well-defined localized orthonormal virtual orbitals which depend smoothly on nuclear coordinates. The algorithm is very fast, limited only by diagonalization of two matrices with dimension the size of the number of virtual orbitals. Furthermore, we require no more than quadratic (in the number of electrons) storage. The basic premise behind our algorithm is that one can decompose any given atomic-orbital (AO) vector space as a minimal basis space (which includes the occupied and valence virtual spaces) and a hard-virtual (HV) space (which includes everything else). The valence virtual space localizes easily with standard methods, while the hard-virtual space is constructed to be atom centered and automatically local. The orbitals presented here may be computed almost as quickly as projecting the AO basis onto the virtual space and are almost as local (according to orbital variance), while our orbitals are orthonormal (rather than redundant and nonorthogonal). We expect this algorithm to find use in local-correlation methods.

Colloidal nanocrystals and method of making

DOEpatents

Kahen, Keith

2015-10-06

A tight confinement nanocrystal comprises a homogeneous center region having a first composition and a smoothly varying region having a second composition wherein a confining potential barrier monotonically increases and then monotonically decreases as the smoothly varying region extends from the surface of the homogeneous center region to an outer surface of the nanocrystal. A method of producing the nanocrystal comprises forming a first solution by combining a solvent and at most two nanocrystal precursors; heating the first solution to a nucleation temperature; adding to the first solution, a second solution having a solvent, at least one additional and different precursor to form the homogeneous center region and at most an initial portion of the smoothly varying region; and lowering the solution temperature to a growth temperature to complete growth of the smoothly varying region.

Transient heat transfer behavior of water spray evaporative cooling on a stainless steel cylinder with structured surface for safety design application in high temperature scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aamir, Muhammad; Liao, Qiang; Hong, Wang; Xun, Zhu; Song, Sihong; Sajid, Muhammad

2017-02-01

High heat transfer performance of spray cooling on structured surface might be an additional measure to increase the safety of an installation against any threat caused by rapid increase in the temperature. The purpose of present experimental study is to explore heat transfer performance of structured surface under different spray conditions and surface temperatures. Two cylindrical stainless steel samples were used, one with pyramid pins structured surface and other with smooth surface. Surface heat flux of 3.60, 3.46, 3.93 and 4.91 MW/m2 are estimated for sample initial average temperature of 600, 700, 800 and 900 °C, respectively for an inlet pressure of 1.0 MPa. A maximum cooling rate of 507 °C/s was estimated for an inlet pressure of 0.7 MPa at 900 °C for structured surface while for smooth surface maximum cooling rate of 356 °C/s was attained at 1.0 MPa for 700 °C. Structured surface performed better to exchange heat during spray cooling at initial sample temperature of 900 °C with a relative increase in surface heat flux by factor of 1.9, 1.56, 1.66 and 1.74 relative to smooth surface, for inlet pressure of 0.4, 0.7, 1.0 and 1.3 MPa, respectively. For smooth surface, a decreasing trend in estimated heat flux is observed, when initial sample temperature was increased from 600 to 900 °C. Temperature-based function specification method was utilized to estimate surface heat flux and surface temperature. Limited published work is available about the application of structured surface spray cooling techniques for safety of stainless steel structures at very high temperature scenario such as nuclear safety vessel and liquid natural gas storage tanks.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell response to nano-structured oxidized and turned titanium surfaces.

PubMed

Annunziata, Marco; Oliva, Adriana; Buosciolo, Antonietta; Giordano, Michele; Guida, Agostino; Guida, Luigi

2012-06-01

The aim of this study was to analyse the topographic features of a novel nano-structured oxidized titanium implant surface and to evaluate its effect on the response of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) compared with a traditional turned surface. The 10 × 10 × 1 mm turned (control) and oxidized (test) titanium samples (P.H.I. s.r.l.) were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) and characterized by height, spatial and hybrid roughness parameters at different dimensional ranges of analysis. Primary cultures of BM-MSC were seeded on titanium samples and cell morphology, adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, in terms of alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin synthesis and extracellular matrix mineralization, were evaluated. At SEM and AFM analyses turned samples were grooved, whereas oxidized surfaces showed a more complex micro- and nano-scaled texture, with higher values of roughness parameters. Cell adhesion and osteogenic parameters were greater on oxidized (P<0.05 at least) vs. turned surfaces, whereas the cell proliferation rate was similar on both samples. Although both control and test samples were in the range of average roughness proper of smooth surfaces, they exhibited significantly different topographic properties in terms of height, spatial and, mostly, of hybrid parameters. This different micro- and nano-structure resulted in an enhanced adhesion and differentiation of cells plated onto the oxidized surfaces. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Percutaneous Implants with Porous Titanium Dermal Barriers: An In Vivo Evaluation of Infection Risk

PubMed Central

Isackson, Dorthyann; McGill, Lawrence D.; Bachus, Kent N.

2010-01-01

Osseointegrated percutaneous implants are a promising prosthetic alternative for a subset of amputees. However, as with all percutaneous implants, they have an increased risk of infection since they breach the skin barrier. Theoretically, host tissues could attach to the metal implant creating a barrier to infection. When compared with smooth surfaces, it is hypothesized that porous surfaces improve the attachment of the host tissues to the implant, and decrease the infection risk. In this study, 4 titanium implants, manufactured with a percutaneous post and a subcutaneous disk, were placed subcutaneously on the dorsum of eight New Zealand White rabbits. Beginning at four weeks post-op, the implants were inoculated weekly with 108 CFU Staphylococcus aureus until signs of clinical infection presented. While we were unable to detect a difference in the incidence of infection of the porous metal implants, smooth surface (no porous coating) percutaneous and subcutaneous components had a 7-fold increased risk of infection compared to the implants with a porous coating on one or both components. The porous coated implants displayed excellent tissue ingrowth into the porous structures; whereas, the smooth implants were surrounded with a thick, organized fibrotic capsule that was separated from the implant surface. This study suggests that porous coated metal percutaneous implants are at a significantly lower risk of infection when compared to smooth metal implants. The smooth surface percutaneous implants were inadequate in allowing a long-term seal to develop with the soft tissue, thus increasing vulnerability to the migration of infecting microorganisms. PMID:21145778

Study of yttrium 4-nitrocinnamate to promote surface interactions with AS1020 steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hien, P. V.; Vu, N. S. H.; Thu, V. T. H.; Somers, A.; Nam, N. D.

2017-08-01

Yttrium 4-nitrocinnamate (Y(4-NO2Cin)3) was added to an aqueous chloride solution and studied as a possible corrosion inhibition system. Electrochemical techniques and surface analysis have been powerful tools to better understand the corrosion and inhibition processes of mild steel in 0.01 M NaCl solution. A combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Potentiodynamic polarization (PD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and wire beam electrode (WBE) techniques was found to be useful in the characterization of this system. The result indicated that Y(4-NO2Cin)3 is able to effectively inhibit corrosion at a low concentration of 0.45 mM. Surface analysis clearly shows that the surface of steel coupons exposed to Y(4-NO2Cin)3 solution remained uniform and smooth, whereas the surface of steel coupons exposed to solution without inhibitor addition was severely corroded. The results suggest that Y(4-NO2Cin)3 behaves as a mixed inhibitor and mitigates corrosion by promoting random distribution of minor anodes. These are attributed to the formation of metal species bonding to the 4-nitrocinnamate component and hydrolysis of the Y(4-NO2Cin)3 to form oxide/hydroxides as a protective film layer.

Preparation of Water-Repellent Glass by Sol-Gel Process Using Perfluoroalkylsilane and Tetraethoxysilane.

PubMed

Jeong, Hye-Jeong; Kim, Dong-Kwon; Lee, Soo-Bok; Kwon, Soo-Han; Kadono, Kohei

2001-03-01

Coating films on glass substrate were prepared by sol-gel process using alkoxide solutions containing perfluoroalkylsilane (PFAS) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). The physical properties of the coating films were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, and XRD. And their surface properties were investigated by measuring contact angles and atomic compositions. Transparent coating films with smooth surface and uniform thickness could be obtained. The contact angles of the coating films for water and methylene iodide are extremely high, at 118 degrees and 97 degrees, respectively, and their surface free energies are about 9.7 dyn/cm. It was found that the water-repellent glass prepared is very hydrophobic and exhibits excellent water-repellency. Hydrophobic perfluoroalkyl groups are preferentially enriched to the outermost layer at the coating film-air interface, and two layers probably exist in the coating film. The upper layer oriented toward the air is composed of mainly perfluoroalkyl groups originating from PFAS, and the lower layer is composed of mainly -OSiO- groups originating from TEOS. The heat treatment after drying step cannot influence the surface enrichment of the perfluoroalkyl group. The hydrolysis reaction should be more completely done before the dip coating step to obtain lower surface free energy. The burning temperature should be less than 300 degrees C because the perfluoroalkyl group begins to decompose from this temperature. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Correlation between border traps and exposed surface properties in gate recessed normally-off Al2O3/GaN MOSFET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Ruiyuan; Li, Yue; Sun, Yu; Wen, Cheng P.; Hao, Yilong; Wang, Maojun

2018-06-01

We report the effect of the gate recess process and the surface of as-etched GaN on the gate oxide quality and first reveal the correlation between border traps and exposed surface properties in normally-off Al2O3/GaN MOSFET. The inductively coupled plasma (ICP) dry etching gate recess with large damage presents a rough and active surface that is prone to form detrimental GaxO validated by atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Lower drain current noise spectral density of the 1/f form and less dispersive ac transconductance are observed in GaN MOSFETs fabricated with oxygen assisted wet etching compared with devices based on ICP dry etching. One decade lower density of border traps is extracted in devices with wet etching according to the carrier number fluctuation model, which is consistent with the result from the ac transconductance method. Both methods show that the density of border traps is skewed towards the interface, indicating that GaxO is of higher trap density than the bulk gate oxide. GaxO located close to the interface is the major location of border traps. The damage-free oxidation assisted wet etching gate recess technique presents a relatively smooth and stable surface, resulting in lower border trap density, which would lead to better MOS channel quality and improved device reliability.

Microporous Ti implant compact coated with hydroxyapatite produced by electro-discharge-sintering and electrostatic-spray-deposition.

PubMed

Jo, Y J; Kim, Y H; Jo, Y H; Seong, J G; Chang, S Y; Van Tyne, C J; Lee, W H

2014-11-01

A single pulse of 1.5 kJ/0.7 g of atomized spherical Ti powder from 300 μF capacitor was applied to produce the porous-surfaced Ti implant compact by electro-discharge-sintering (EDS). A solid core surrounded by porous layer was self-consolidated by a discharge in the middle of the compact in 122 μsec. Average pore size, porosity, and compressive yield strength of EDS Ti compact were estimated to be about 68.2 μm, 25.5%, and 266.4 MPa, respectively. Coatings with hydroxyapatite (HAp) on the Ti compact were conducted by electrostatic-spray-deposition (ESD) method. As-deposited HAp coating was in the form of porous structure and consisted of HAp particles which were uniformly distributed on the Ti porous structure. By heat-treatment at 700 degrees C, HAp particles were agglomerated each other and melted to form a highly smooth and homogeneous HAp thin film consisted of equiaxed nano-scaled grains. Porous-surfaced Ti implant compacts coated with highly crystalline apatite phase were successfully obtained by using the EDS and ESD techniques.

Synthesis of Large and Few Atomic Layers of Hexagonal Boron Nitride on Melted Copper

PubMed Central

Khan, Majharul Haque; Huang, Zhenguo; Xiao, Feng; Casillas, Gilberto; Chen, Zhixin; Molino, Paul J.; Liu, Hua Kun

2015-01-01

Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNS) have been proposed as an ideal substrate for graphene-based electronic devices, but the synthesis of large and homogeneous h-BNNS is still challenging. In this contribution, we report a facile synthesis of few-layer h-BNNS on melted copper via an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition process. Comparative studies confirm the advantage of using melted copper over solid copper as a catalyst substrate. The former leads to the formation of single crystalline h-BNNS that is several microns in size and mostly in mono- and bi-layer forms, in contrast to the polycrystalline and mixed multiple layers (1–10) yielded by the latter. This difference is likely to be due to the significantly reduced and uniformly distributed nucleation sites on the smooth melted surface, in contrast to the large amounts of unevenly distributed nucleation sites that are associated with grain boundaries and other defects on the solid surface. This synthesis is expected to contribute to the development of large-scale manufacturing of h-BNNS/graphene-based electronics. PMID:25582557

Effects of O2 plasma post-treatment on ZnO: Ga thin films grown by H2O-thermal ALD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yueh-Lin; Chuang, Jia-Hao; Huang, Tzu-Hsuan; Ho, Chong-Long; Wu, Meng-Chyi

2013-03-01

Transparent conducting oxides have been widely employed in optoelectronic devices using the various deposition methods such as sputtering, thermal evaporator, and e-gun evaporator technologies.1-3 In this work, gallium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga) thin films were grown on glass substrates via H2O-thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) at different deposition temperatures. ALD-GZO thin films were constituted as a layer-by-layer structure by stacking zinc oxides and gallium oxides. Diethylzinc (DEZ), triethylgallium (TEG) and H2O were used as zinc, gallium precursors and oxygen source, respectively. Furthermore, we investigated the influences of O2 plasma post-treatment power on the surface morphology, electrical and optical property of ZnO:Ga films. As the result of O2 plasma post-treatment, the characteristics of ZnO:Ga films exhibit a smooth surface, low resistivity, high carrier concentration, and high optical transmittance in the visible spectrum. However, the transmittance decreases with O2 plasma power in the near- and mid-infrared regions.

Natural organic UV-absorbent coatings based on cellulose and lignin: designed effects on spectroscopic properties.

PubMed

Hambardzumyan, Arayik; Foulon, Laurence; Chabbert, Brigitte; Aguié-Béghin, Véronique

2012-12-10

Novel nanocomposite coatings composed of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and lignin (either synthetic or fractionated from spruce and corn stalks) were prepared without chemical modification or functionalization (via covalent attachment) of one of the two biopolymers. The spectroscopic properties of these coatings were investigated by UV-visible spectrophotometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry. When using the appropriate weight ratio of CNC/lignin (R), these nanocomposite systems exhibited high-performance optical properties, high transmittance in the visible spectrum, and high blocking in the UV spectrum. Atomic force microscopy analysis demonstrated that these coatings were smooth and homogeneous, with visible dispersed lignin nodules in a cellulosic matrix. It was also demonstrated that the introduction of nanoparticles into the medium increases the weight ratio and the CNC-specific surface area, which allows better dispersion of the lignin molecules throughout the solid film. Consequently, the larger molecular expansion of these aromatic polymers on the surface of the cellulosic nanoparticles dislocates the π-π aromatic aggregates, which increases the extinction coefficient and decreases the transmittance in the UV region. These nanocomposite coatings were optically transparent at visible wavelengths.

Generation of silicon nanocrystals by damage free continuous wave laser annealing of substrate-bound SiO{sub x} films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fricke-Begemann, T., E-mail: fricke-begemann@llg-ev.de; Ihlemann, J.; Wang, N.

2015-09-28

Silicon nanocrystals have been generated by laser induced phase separation in SiO{sub x} films. A continuous wave laser emitting at 405 nm is focused to a 6 μm diameter spot on 530 nm thick SiO{sub x} films deposited on fused silica substrates. Irradiation of lines is accomplished by focus scanning. The samples are investigated by atomic force microscopy, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence measurements. At a laser power of 35 mW corresponding to an irradiance of about 1.2 × 10{sup 5 }W/cm{sup 2}, the formation of Si-nanocrystals in the film without any deterioration of the surface is observed. At higher laser power, the centralmore » irradiated region is oxidized to SiO{sub 2} and exhibits some porous character, while the surface remains optically smooth, and nanocrystals are observed beside and beneath this oxidized region. Amorphous Si-nanoclusters are formed at lower laser power and around the lines written at high power.« less

New Tetra-Schiff Bases as Efficient Photostabilizers for Poly(vinyl chloride).

PubMed

Ahmed, Dina S; El-Hiti, Gamal A; Hameed, Ayad S; Yousif, Emad; Ahmed, Ahmed

2017-09-09

Three new tetra-Schiff bases were synthesized and characterized to be used as photostabilizers for poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) films. The photostability of PVC films (40 μm thickness) in the presence of Schiff bases (0.5 wt %) upon irradiation (300 h) with a UV light (λ max = 365 nm and light intensity = 6.43 × 10 -9 ein∙dm -3 ∙s -1 ) was examined using various spectroscopic measurements and surface morphology analysis. The changes in various functional groups' indices, weight and viscosity average molecular weight of PVC films were monitored against irradiation time. The additives used showed photostability for PVC films, with Schiff base 1 being the most effective additive upon irradiation, followed by 2 and 3 . The atomic force microscopy (AFM) images for the PVC surface containing Schiff base 1 after irradiation were found to be smooth, with a roughness factor ( R q) of 36.8, compared to 132.2 for the PVC (blank). Several possible mechanisms that explain PVC photostabilization upon irradiation in the presence of tetra-Schiff bases were proposed.

Synthesis of large and few atomic layers of hexagonal boron nitride on melted copper.

PubMed

Khan, Majharul Haque; Huang, Zhenguo; Xiao, Feng; Casillas, Gilberto; Chen, Zhixin; Molino, Paul J; Liu, Hua Kun

2015-01-13

Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNS) have been proposed as an ideal substrate for graphene-based electronic devices, but the synthesis of large and homogeneous h-BNNS is still challenging. In this contribution, we report a facile synthesis of few-layer h-BNNS on melted copper via an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition process. Comparative studies confirm the advantage of using melted copper over solid copper as a catalyst substrate. The former leads to the formation of single crystalline h-BNNS that is several microns in size and mostly in mono- and bi-layer forms, in contrast to the polycrystalline and mixed multiple layers (1-10) yielded by the latter. This difference is likely to be due to the significantly reduced and uniformly distributed nucleation sites on the smooth melted surface, in contrast to the large amounts of unevenly distributed nucleation sites that are associated with grain boundaries and other defects on the solid surface. This synthesis is expected to contribute to the development of large-scale manufacturing of h-BNNS/graphene-based electronics.

Effects of laser energy fluence on the onset and growth of the Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities and its influence on the topography of the Fe thin film grown in pulsed laser deposition facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mahmood, S.; Department of Physics, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270; Rawat, R. S.

2012-10-15

The effect of laser energy fluence on the onset and growth of Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instabilities in laser induced Fe plasma is investigated using time-resolved fast gated imaging. The snow plow and shock wave models are fitted to the experimental results and used to estimate the ablation parameters and the density of gas atoms that interact with the ablated species. It is observed that RT instability develops during the interface deceleration stage and grows for a considerable time for higher laser energy fluence. The effects of RT instabilities formation on the surface topography of the Fe thin films grown in pulsedmore » laser deposition system are investigated (i) using different laser energy fluences for the same wavelength of laser radiation and (ii) using different laser wavelengths keeping the energy fluence fixed. It is concluded that the deposition achieved under turbulent condition leads to less smooth deposition surfaces with bigger sized particle agglomerates or network.« less

Snap evaporation of droplets on smooth topographies.

PubMed

Wells, Gary G; Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Élfego; Le Lirzin, Youen; Nourry, Anthony; Orme, Bethany V; Pradas, Marc; Ledesma-Aguilar, Rodrigo

2018-04-11

Droplet evaporation on solid surfaces is important in many applications including printing, micro-patterning and cooling. While seemingly simple, the configuration of evaporating droplets on solids is difficult to predict and control. This is because evaporation typically proceeds as a "stick-slip" sequence-a combination of pinning and de-pinning events dominated by static friction or "pinning", caused by microscopic surface roughness. Here we show how smooth, pinning-free, solid surfaces of non-planar topography promote a different process called snap evaporation. During snap evaporation a droplet follows a reproducible sequence of configurations, consisting of a quasi-static phase-change controlled by mass diffusion interrupted by out-of-equilibrium snaps. Snaps are triggered by bifurcations of the equilibrium droplet shape mediated by the underlying non-planar solid. Because the evolution of droplets during snap evaporation is controlled by a smooth topography, and not by surface roughness, our ideas can inspire programmable surfaces that manage liquids in heat- and mass-transfer applications.

Elastic wave generated by granular impact on rough and erodible surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachelet, Vincent; Mangeney, Anne; de Rosny, Julien; Toussaint, Renaud; Farin, Maxime

2018-01-01

The elastic waves generated by impactors hitting rough and erodible surfaces are studied. For this purpose, beads of variable materials, diameters, and velocities are dropped on (i) a smooth PMMA plate, (ii) stuck glass beads on the PMMA plate to create roughness, and (iii) the rough plate covered with layers of free particles to investigate erodible beds. The Hertz model validity to describe impacts on a smooth surface is confirmed. For rough and erodible surfaces, an empirical scaling law that relates the elastic energy to the radius Rb and normal velocity Vz of the impactor is deduced from experimental data. In addition, the radiated elastic energy is found to decrease exponentially with respect to the bed thickness. Lastly, we show that the variability of the elastic energy among shocks increases from some percents to 70% between smooth and erodible surfaces. This work is a first step to better quantify seismic emissions of rock impacts in natural environment, in particular on unconsolidated soils.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tyson, T. A.; Gao, W.; Chen, Y. -S.

Solar cells based on hybrid perovskites have shown high efficiency while possessing simple processing methods. To gain a fundamental understanding of their properties on an atomic level, we investigate single crystals of CH 3NH 3PbI 3 with a narrow transition (~5 K) near 327 K. Temperature dependent structural measurements reveal a persistent tetragonal structure with smooth changes in the atomic displacement parameters (ADPs) on crossing T*. We show that the ADPs for I ions yield extended flat regions in the potential wells consistent with the measured large thermal expansion parameter. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that this material exhibits significant asymmetriesmore » in the Pb-I pair distribution functions. We also show that the intrinsically enhanced freedom of motion of the iodine atoms enables large deformations. This flexibility (softness) of the atomic structure results in highly localized atomic relaxation about defects and hence accounts for both the high carrier mobility as well as the structural instability.« less

PREFACE: NC-AFM 2003: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Non-contact Atomic Force Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichling, Michael

2004-02-01

Direct nanoscale and atomic resolution imaging is a key issue in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The invention of the dynamic force microscope in the early 1990s was an important step forward in this direction as this instrument provides a universal tool for measuring the topography and many other physical and chemical properties of surfaces at the nanoscale. Operation in the so-called non-contact mode now allows direct atomic resolution imaging of electrically insulating surfaces and nanostructures which has been an unsolved problem during the first decade of nanotechnology. Today, we face a most rapid development of the technique and an extension of its capabilities far beyond imaging; atomically resolved force spectroscopy provides information about local binding properties and researchers now develop sophisticated schemes of force controlled atomic manipulation with the tip of the force microscope. Progress in the field of non-contact force microscopy is discussed at the annually held NC-AFM conferences that are part of a series started in 1998 with a meeting in Osaka, Japan. The 6th International Conference on Non-contact Atomic Force Microscopy took place in Dingle, Ireland, from 31 August to 3 September 2003 and this special issue is a compilation of the original publications of work presented at this meeting. The papers published here well reflect recent achievements, current trends and some of the challenging new directions in non-contact force microscopy that have been discussed during the most stimulating conference days in Dingle. Fundamental aspects of forces and dissipation relevant in imaging and spectroscopy have been covered by experimental and theoretical contributions yielding a more detailed understanding of tip--surface interaction in force microscopy. Novel and improved imaging and spectroscopy techniques have been introduced that either improve the performance of force microscopy or pave the way towards new functionalities and applications. With regard to studies on the specific systems investigated, there was a strong emphasis on oxides and ionics, as well as on organic systems. Following previous pioneering work in uncovering the atomic structure of insulating oxides with force microscopy, it was shown in the meeting that this important class of materials is now accessible for a quantitative atomic scale surface characterization. Single organic molecules and ordered organic layers are building blocks for functional nanostructures currently developed in many laboratories for applications in molecular electronics and sensor technologies. The Dingle conference impressively demonstrated that dynamic force microscopy is ready for its application as an analytical tool for these promising future nanotechnologies. The meeting was a great success scientifically and participants enjoyed the beauty of the conference site. I would like to thank all members of the international steering committee, the programme committee and the co-chairs, J Pethica, A Shluger and G Thornton, for their efforts in preparing the meeting. The members of the local organising committee, J Ballentine-Armstrong, G Cross, S Dunne, S Jarvis and Ö Özer, kept the meeting running smoothly and created a very pleasant atmosphere. The generous financial support from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), is greatly appreciated; SFI is dramatically raising the profile of Irish science. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to N Couzin and the journal team from Institute of Physics Publishing for their editorial management and perfect co-operation in the preparation of this special issue.

Atomic structure and dynamics properties of Cu50Zr50 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Heng; Qu, Bingyan; Li, Dongdong; Zhou, Rulong; Zhang, Bo

2018-01-01

In this paper, the structural and dynamic properties of Cu50Zr50 films are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that the dynamics of the surface atoms are much faster than those of the bulk. Especially, the diffusion coefficient of the surface atoms is about forty times larger than that of the bulk at 600 K, which qualitatively agrees with the experimental results. Meanwhile, we find that the population of the icosahedral (-like) clusters in the surface region is obviously higher than that of the bulk, which prevents the surface from crystallization. A new method to determine the string-like collective atomic motion is introduced in the paper, and it suggests a possible connection between the glass formation ability and collective atomic motion. By using the method, the effects of surface on collective motion are illustrated. Our results show that the string-like collective atomic motion of surface atoms is weakened while that of the interior atoms is strengthened. The studies clearly explain the effects of surface on the structural and dynamic properties of Cu50Zr50 films from the atomic scale.

Growth process of hydrogenated amorphous carbon films synthesized by atmospheric pressure plasma enhanced CVD using nitrogen and helium as a dilution gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, Takanori; Sakurai, Takachika; Sato, Taiki; Shirakura, Akira; Suzuki, Tetsuya

2016-04-01

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon films with various thicknesses were synthesized by dielectric barrier discharge-based plasma deposition under atmospheric pressure diluted with nitrogen (N2) and helium (He) at various pulse frequencies. The C2H2/N2 film showed cauliflower-like-particles that grew bigger with the increase in film’s thickness. At 5 kHz, the film with a thickness of 2.7 µm and smooth surface was synthesized. On the other hand, the films synthesized from C2H2/He had a smooth surface and was densely packed with domed particles. The domed particles extended with the increase in the film thickness, enabling it to grow successfully to 37 µm with a smooth surface.

Compensating for estimation smoothing in kriging

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olea, R.A.; Pawlowsky, Vera

1996-01-01

Smoothing is a characteristic inherent to all minimum mean-square-error spatial estimators such as kriging. Cross-validation can be used to detect and model such smoothing. Inversion of the model produces a new estimator-compensated kriging. A numerical comparison based on an exhaustive permeability sampling of a 4-fr2 slab of Berea Sandstone shows that the estimation surface generated by compensated kriging has properties intermediate between those generated by ordinary kriging and stochastic realizations resulting from simulated annealing and sequential Gaussian simulation. The frequency distribution is well reproduced by the compensated kriging surface, which also approximates the experimental semivariogram well - better than ordinary kriging, but not as well as stochastic realizations. Compensated kriging produces surfaces that are more accurate than stochastic realizations, but not as accurate as ordinary kriging. ?? 1996 International Association for Mathematical Geology.

Smooth polishing of femtosecond laser induced craters on cemented carbide by ultrasonic vibration method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H. P.; Guan, Y. C.; Zheng, H. Y.

2017-12-01

Rough surface features induced by laser irradiation have been a challenging for the fabrication of micro/nano scale features. In this work, we propose hybrid ultrasonic vibration polishing method to improve surface quality of microcraters produced by femtosecond laser irradiation on cemented carbide. The laser caused rough surfaces are significantly smoothened after ultrasonic vibration polishing due to the strong collision effect of diamond particles on the surfaces. 3D morphology, SEM and AFM analysis has been conducted to characterize surface morphology and topography. Results indicate that the minimal surface roughness of Ra 7.60 nm has been achieved on the polished surfaces. The fabrication of microcraters with smooth surfaces is applicable to molding process for mass production of micro-optical components.

Modulation of dry tribological property of stainless steel by femtosecond laser surface texturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhuo; Zhao, Quanzhong; Wang, Chengwei; Zhang, Yang

2015-06-01

We reported on the modification of tribological properties of stainless steel by femtosecond laser surface microstructuring. Regular arranged micro-grooved textures with different spacing were produced on the AISI 304L steel surfaces by an 800-nm femtosecond laser. The tribological properties of smooth surface and textured surface were investigated by carrying out reciprocating ball-on-flat tests against Al2O3 ceramic balls under dry friction. Results show that the spacing of micro-grooves had a significant impact on friction coefficient of textured surfaces. Furthermore, the wear behaviors of smooth and textured surface were also investigated. Femtosecond laser surface texturing had a marked potential for modulating friction and wear properties if the micro-grooves were distributed in an appropriate manner.

Preprocessing of SAR interferometric data using anisotropic diffusion filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sartor, Kenneth; Allen, Josef De Vaughn; Ganthier, Emile; Tenali, Gnana Bhaskar

2007-04-01

The most commonly used smoothing algorithms for complex data processing are blurring functions (i.e., Hanning, Taylor weighting, Gaussian, etc.). Unfortunately, the filters so designed blur the edges in a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) scene, reduce the accuracy of features, and blur the fringe lines in an interferogram. For the Digital Surface Map (DSM) extraction, the blurring of these fringe lines causes inaccuracies in the height of the unwrapped terrain surface. Our goal here is to perform spatially non-uniform smoothing to overcome the above mentioned disadvantages. This is achieved by using a Complex Anisotropic Non-Linear Diffuser (CANDI) filter that is a spatially varying. In particular, an appropriate choice of the convection function in the CANDI filter is able to accomplish the non-uniform smoothing. This boundary sharpening intra-region smoothing filter acts on interferometric SAR (IFSAR) data with noise to produce an interferogram with significantly reduced noise contents and desirable local smoothing. Results of CANDI filtering will be discussed and compared with those obtained by using the standard filters on simulated data.

Adsorbate-driven morphological changes on Cu(111) nano-pits

DOE PAGES

Mudiyanselage, K.; Xu, F.; Hoffmann, F. M.; ...

2014-12-09

Adsorbate-driven morphological changes of pitted-Cu(111) surfaces have been investigated following the adsorption and desorption of CO and H. The morphology of the pitted-Cu(111) surfaces, prepared by Ar + sputtering, exposed a few atomic layers deep nested hexagonal pits of diameters from 8 to 38 nm with steep step bundles. The roughness of pitted-Cu(111) surfaces can be healed by heating to 450-500 K in vacuum. Adsorption of CO on the pitted-Cu(111) surface leads to two infrared peaks at 2089-2090 and 2101-2105 cm -1 for CO adsorbed on under-coordinated sites in addition to the peak at 2071 cm -1 for CO adsorbedmore » on atop sites of the close-packed Cu(111) surface. CO adsorbed on under-coordinated sites is thermally more stable than that of atop Cu(111) sites. Annealing of the CO-covered surface from 100 to 300 K leads to minor changes of the surface morphology. In contrast, annealing of a H covered surface to 300 K creates a smooth Cu(111) surface as deduced from infrared data of adsorbed CO and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) imaging. The observation of significant adsorbate-driven morphological changes with H is attributed to its stronger modification of the Cu(111) surface by the formation of a sub-surface hydride with a hexagonal structure, which relaxes into the healed Cu(111) surface upon hydrogen desorption. These morphological changes occur ~150 K below the temperature required for healing of the pitted-Cu(111) surface by annealing in vacuum. In contrast, the adsorption of CO, which only interacts with the top-most Cu layer and desorbs by 160 K, does not significantly change the morphology of the pitted-Cu(111) surface.« less

Dry friction of microstructured polymer surfaces inspired by snake skin.

PubMed

Baum, Martina J; Heepe, Lars; Fadeeva, Elena; Gorb, Stanislav N

2014-01-01

The microstructure investigated in this study was inspired by the anisotropic microornamentation of scales from the ventral body side of the California King Snake (Lampropeltis getula californiae). Frictional properties of snake-inspired microstructured polymer surface (SIMPS) made of epoxy resin were characterised in contact with a smooth glass ball by a microtribometer in two perpendicular directions. The SIMPS exhibited a considerable frictional anisotropy: Frictional coefficients measured along the microstructure were about 33% lower than those measured in the opposite direction. Frictional coefficients were compared to those obtained on other types of surface microstructure: (i) smooth ones, (ii) rough ones, and (iii) ones with periodic groove-like microstructures of different dimensions. The results demonstrate the existence of a common pattern of interaction between two general effects that influence friction: (1) molecular interaction depending on real contact area and (2) the mechanical interlocking of both contacting surfaces. The strongest reduction of the frictional coefficient, compared to the smooth reference surface, was observed at a medium range of surface structure dimensions suggesting a trade-off between these two effects.

Cleaving the Halqeh-ye-nur diamonds: a dynamic fracture analysis.

PubMed

Atkinson, Colin; Martineau, Philip M; Khan, Rizwan U A; Field, John E; Fisher, David; Davies, Nick M; Samartseva, Julia V; Putterman, Seth J; Hird, Jonathan R

2015-03-28

The degree of surface roughness and clarity with which a surface in a brittle material can be formed via fracture is known to be related to the speed of the propagating crack. Cracks traversing a brittle material at low speed produce very smooth surfaces, while those propagating faster create less reflective and rough surfaces (Buehler MJ, Gao H. 2006 Nature 439, 307-310 (doi:10.1038/nature04408)). The elastic wave speeds (c(l)≈18 000 m s(-1), c(s)≈11 750 m s(-1)) in diamond are fast (Willmott GR, Field JE. 2006 Phil. Mag. 86, 4305-4318 (doi:10.1080/14786430500482336)) and present a particular problem in creating smooth surfaces during the cleaving of diamond-a routine operation in the fashioning of diamonds for gemstone purposes--as the waves are reflected from the boundaries of the material and can add a tensile component to the propagating crack tip causing the well-known cleavage steps observed on diamond surfaces (Field JE. 1971 Contemp. Phys. 12, 1-31 (doi:10.1080/00107517108205103); Field JE. 1979 Properties of diamond, 1st edn, Academic Press; Wilks EM. 1958 Phil. Mag. 3, 1074-1080 (doi:10.1080/14786435808237036)). Here we report an analysis of two diamonds, having large dimensions and high aspect ratio, which from a gemological analysis are shown to have been cleaved from the same 200 carat specimen. A methodology for their manufacture is calculated by an analysis of a model problem. This takes into account the effect of multiple reflections from the sample boundaries. It is suggested that the lapidary had an intuitive guide to how to apply the cleavage force in order to control the crack speed. In particular, it is shown that it is likely that this technique caused the fracture to propagate at a lower speed. The sacrifice of a large diamond with the intention of creating thin plates, rather than a faceted gemstone, demonstrates how symbolism and beliefs associated with gemstones have changed over the centuries (Harlow GE. 1998 The nature of diamonds, Cambridge University Press). The scientific insights gained by studying these gemstones suggest a method of producing macroscale atomically flat and stress-free surfaces on other brittle materials.

Cleaving the Halqeh-ye-nur diamonds: a dynamic fracture analysis

PubMed Central

Atkinson, Colin; Martineau, Philip M.; Khan, Rizwan U. A.; Field, John E.; Fisher, David; Davies, Nick M.; Samartseva, Julia V.; Putterman, Seth J.; Hird, Jonathan R.

2015-01-01

The degree of surface roughness and clarity with which a surface in a brittle material can be formed via fracture is known to be related to the speed of the propagating crack. Cracks traversing a brittle material at low speed produce very smooth surfaces, while those propagating faster create less reflective and rough surfaces (Buehler MJ, Gao H. 2006 Nature 439, 307–310 (doi:10.1038/nature04408)). The elastic wave speeds (cl≈18 000 m s−1, cs≈11 750 m s−1) in diamond are fast (Willmott GR, Field JE. 2006 Phil. Mag. 86, 4305–4318 (doi:10.1080/14786430500482336)) and present a particular problem in creating smooth surfaces during the cleaving of diamond—a routine operation in the fashioning of diamonds for gemstone purposes—as the waves are reflected from the boundaries of the material and can add a tensile component to the propagating crack tip causing the well-known cleavage steps observed on diamond surfaces (Field JE. 1971 Contemp. Phys. 12, 1–31 (doi:10.1080/00107517108205103); Field JE. 1979 Properties of diamond, 1st edn, Academic Press; Wilks EM. 1958 Phil. Mag. 3, 1074–1080 (doi:10.1080/14786435808237036)). Here we report an analysis of two diamonds, having large dimensions and high aspect ratio, which from a gemological analysis are shown to have been cleaved from the same 200 carat specimen. A methodology for their manufacture is calculated by an analysis of a model problem. This takes into account the effect of multiple reflections from the sample boundaries. It is suggested that the lapidary had an intuitive guide to how to apply the cleavage force in order to control the crack speed. In particular, it is shown that it is likely that this technique caused the fracture to propagate at a lower speed. The sacrifice of a large diamond with the intention of creating thin plates, rather than a faceted gemstone, demonstrates how symbolism and beliefs associated with gemstones have changed over the centuries (Harlow GE. 1998 The nature of diamonds, Cambridge University Press). The scientific insights gained by studying these gemstones suggest a method of producing macroscale atomically flat and stress-free surfaces on other brittle materials. PMID:25713458

Classical And Quantum Rainbow Scattering From Surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Winter, H.; Schueller, A.; Busch, M.

2011-06-01

The structure of clean and adsorbate covered surfaces as well as of ultrathin films can be investigated by grazing scattering of fast atoms. We present two recent experimental techniques which allow one to study the structure of ordered arrangements of surface atoms in detail. (1) Rainbow scattering under axial surface channeling conditions, and (2) fast atom diffraction. Our examples demonstrate the attractive features of grazing fast atom scattering as a powerful analytical tool in studies on the structure of surfaces. We will concentrate our discussion on the structure of ultrathin silica films on a Mo(112) surface and of adsorbed oxygenmore » atoms on a Fe(110) surface.« less

Predicting stability limits for pure and doped dicationic noble gas clusters undergoing coulomb explosion: A parallel tempering based study.

PubMed

Ghorai, Sankar; Chaudhury, Pinaki

2018-05-30

We have used a replica exchange Monte-Carlo procedure, popularly known as Parallel Tempering, to study the problem of Coulomb explosion in homogeneous Ar and Xe dicationic clusters as well as mixed Ar-Xe dicationic clusters of varying sizes with different degrees of relative composition. All the clusters studied have two units of positive charges. The simulations reveal that in all the cases there is a cutoff size below which the clusters fragment. It is seen that for the case of pure Ar, the value is around 95 while that for Xe it is 55. For the mixed clusters with increasing Xe content, the cutoff limit for suppression of Coulomb explosion gradually decreases from 95 for a pure Ar to 55 for a pure Xe cluster. The hallmark of this study is this smooth progression. All the clusters are simulated using the reliable potential energy surface developed by Gay and Berne (Gay and Berne, Phys. Rev. Lett. 1982, 49, 194). For the hetero clusters, we have also discussed two different ways of charge distribution, that is one in which both positive charges are on two Xe atoms and the other where the two charges are at a Xe atom and at an Ar atom. The fragmentation patterns observed by us are such that single ionic ejections are the favored dissociating pattern. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

High-quality fiber fabrication in buffered hydrofluoric acid solution with ultrasonic agitation.

PubMed

Zhong, Nianbing; Liao, Qiang; Zhu, Xun; Wang, Yongzhong; Chen, Rong

2013-03-01

An etching method for preparing high-quality fiber-optic sensors using a buffered etchant with ultrasonic agitation is proposed. The effects of etching conditions on the etch rate and surface morphology of the etched fibers are investigated. The effect of surface roughness is discussed on the fibers' optical properties. Linear etching behavior and a smooth fiber surface can be repeatedly obtained by adjusting the ultrasonic power and etchant pH. The fibers' spectral quality is improved as the ratio of the pit depth to size decreases, and the fibers with smooth surfaces are more sensitive to a bacterial suspension than those with rough surfaces.

VR-SCOSMO: A smooth conductor-like screening model with charge-dependent radii for modeling chemical reactions.

PubMed

Kuechler, Erich R; Giese, Timothy J; York, Darrin M

2016-04-28

To better represent the solvation effects observed along reaction pathways, and of ionic species in general, a charge-dependent variable-radii smooth conductor-like screening model (VR-SCOSMO) is developed. This model is implemented and parameterized with a third order density-functional tight binding quantum model, DFTB3/3OB-OPhyd, a quantum method which was developed for organic and biological compounds, utilizing a specific parameterization for phosphate hydrolysis reactions. Unlike most other applications with the DFTB3/3OB model, an auxiliary set of atomic multipoles is constructed from the underlying DFTB3 density matrix which is used to interact the solute with the solvent response surface. The resulting method is variational, produces smooth energies, and has analytic gradients. As a baseline, a conventional SCOSMO model with fixed radii is also parameterized. The SCOSMO and VR-SCOSMO models shown have comparable accuracy in reproducing neutral-molecule absolute solvation free energies; however, the VR-SCOSMO model is shown to reduce the mean unsigned errors (MUEs) of ionic compounds by half (about 2-3 kcal/mol). The VR-SCOSMO model presents similar accuracy as a charge-dependent Poisson-Boltzmann model introduced by Hou et al. [J. Chem. Theory Comput. 6, 2303 (2010)]. VR-SCOSMO is then used to examine the hydrolysis of trimethylphosphate and seven other phosphoryl transesterification reactions with different leaving groups. Two-dimensional energy landscapes are constructed for these reactions and calculated barriers are compared to those obtained from ab initio polarizable continuum calculations and experiment. Results of the VR-SCOSMO model are in good agreement in both cases, capturing the rate-limiting reaction barrier and the nature of the transition state.

Surface Forces Apparatus Measurements of Interactions between Rough and Reactive Calcite Surfaces.

PubMed

Dziadkowiec, Joanna; Javadi, Shaghayegh; Bratvold, Jon E; Nilsen, Ola; Røyne, Anja

2018-06-26

nm-Range forces acting between calcite surfaces in water affect macroscopic properties of carbonate rocks and calcite-based granular materials and are significantly influenced by calcite surface recrystallization. We suggest that the repulsive mechanical effects related to nm-scale surface recrystallization of calcite in water could be partially responsible for the observed decrease of cohesion in calcitic rocks saturated with water. Using the surface forces apparatus, we simultaneously followed the calcite reactivity and measured the forces in water in two surface configurations: between two rough calcite surfaces (CC) and between rough calcite and a smooth mica surface (CM). We used nm-scale rough, polycrystalline calcite films prepared by atomic layer deposition. We measured only repulsive forces in CC in CaCO 3 -saturated water, which was related to roughness and possibly to repulsive hydration effects. Adhesive or repulsive forces were measured in CM in CaCO 3 -saturated water depending on calcite roughness, and the adhesion was likely enhanced by electrostatic effects. The pull-off adhesive force in CM became stronger with time, and this increase was correlated with a decrease of roughness at contacts, the parameter which could be estimated from the measured force-distance curves. That suggested a progressive increase of real contact areas between the surfaces, caused by gradual pressure-driven deformation of calcite surface asperities during repeated loading-unloading cycles. Reactivity of calcite was affected by mass transport across nm- to μm-thick gaps between the surfaces. Major roughening was observed only for the smoothest calcite films, where gaps between two opposing surfaces were nm-thick over μm-sized areas and led to force of crystallization that could overcome confining pressures of the order of MPa. Any substantial roughening of calcite caused a significant increase of the repulsive mechanical force contribution.

A small mode volume tunable microcavity: Development and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greuter, Lukas; Starosielec, Sebastian; Najer, Daniel; Ludwig, Arne; Duempelmann, Luc; Rohner, Dominik; Warburton, Richard J.

2014-09-01

We report the realization of a spatially and spectrally tunable air-gap Fabry-Pérot type microcavity of high finesse and cubic-wavelength-scale mode volume. These properties are attractive in the fields of opto-mechanics, quantum sensing, and foremost cavity quantum electrodynamics. The major design feature is a miniaturized concave mirror with atomically smooth surface and radius of curvature as low as 10 μm produced by CO2 laser ablation of fused silica. We demonstrate excellent mode-matching of a focussed laser beam to the microcavity mode and confirm from the frequencies of the resonator modes that the effective optical radius matches the physical radius. With these small radii, we demonstrate wavelength-size beam waists. We also show that the microcavity is sufficiently rigid for practical applications: in a cryostat at 4 K, the root-mean-square microcavity length fluctuations are below 5 pm.

III-nitride integration on ferroelectric materials of lithium niobate by molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namkoong, Gon; Lee, Kyoung-Keun; Madison, Shannon M.; Henderson, Walter; Ralph, Stephen E.; Doolittle, W. Alan

2005-10-01

Integration of III-nitride electrical devices on the ferroelectric material lithium niobate (LiNbO3) has been demonstrated. As a ferroelectric material, lithium niobate has a polarization which may provide excellent control of the polarity of III-nitrides. However, while high temperature, 1000°C, thermal treatments produce atomically smooth surfaces, improving adhesion of GaN epitaxial layers on lithium niobate, repolarization of the substrate in local domains occurs. These effects result in multi domains of mixed polarization in LiNbO3, producing inversion domains in subsequent GaN epilayers. However, it is found that AlN buffer layers suppress inversion domains of III-nitrides. Therefore, two-dimensional electron gases in AlGaN /GaN heterojunction structures are obtained. Herein, the demonstration of the monolithic integration of high power devices with ferroelectric materials presents possibilities to control LiNbO3 modulators on compact optoelectronic/electronic chips.

Polymer Thin Film Stabilization.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, A. C.; Oslanec, R.; Composto, R. J.; Vlcek, P.

1998-03-01

We study the dewetting dynamics of thin polystyrene (PS) films deposited on silicon oxide surfaces using optical (OM) and atomic force (AFM) microscopes. Quantitative analysis of the hole diameter as a function of annealing time at 175^oC shows that blending poly(styrene-block-methyl-methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) with PS acts to dramatically slow down the dewetting rate and even stops holes growth before they impinge. AFM studies show that the hole floor is smooth for a pure PS film but contains residual polymer for the blend. At 5% vol., a PS-b-PMMA with high molar mass and low PMMA is a more effective stabilizing agent than a low molar mass/high PMMA additive. The optimum copolymer concentration is 3% vol. beyond which film stability doesn't improve. Although dewetting is slowed down relative to pure PS, PS/PS-b-PMMA bilayers dewet at a faster rate than blends having the same overall additive concentration.

Molecular dynamics study about the effect of substrate temperature on a-Si:H structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Yaorong; Gong, Hongyong; Zhou, Naigen; Huang, Haibin; Zhou, Lang

2018-01-01

Molecular dynamics simulation of the microstructure of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film with different substrate temperatures has been performed based on the Tersoff potential. The results showed that: the silicon thin film maintained amorphous structure in the substrate temperature range from 200 to 1000 K; high substrate temperature could smooth the surface. The first neighbour Voronoi polyhedron was dominated by the tetrahedron. When the substrate temperature increased, the content of tetrahedrons increased due to the transition from pentahedrons and hexahedrons to tetrahedrons. The change of the second neighbour Voronoi polyhedron could be classified into two cases: one case with low medium coordination number decreased as temperature increased, while the other one with high medium coordination number showed an opposite change tendency. It indicated that the local paracrystalline structure arrangement of the second neighbour atoms had been enhanced as substrate temperature rose.

Biological monitoring of glazers exposed to lead in the ceramics industry in Iran.

PubMed

Shouroki, Fatemeh Kargar; Shahtaheri, Seyed Jamaleddin; Golbabaei, Farideh; Barkhordari, Abolfazle; Rahimi-Froushani, Abbas

2015-01-01

Exposure to heavy metals, particularly lead, takes place in the ceramics industry. Lead is used in glaze to produce smooth and brilliant surfaces; thus, there is a likelihood of occupational adverse effects on humans. Urine samples were collected from 49 glazers at the start and end of the work shifts (98 samples). Solid phase extraction was used for separation and pre-concentration of the analyte. Samples were analysed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Lung function tests were performed on both control and lead exposed subjects. Statistical analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to evaluate the data obtained. The concentration of lead in glazers was 6.37 times higher than in the control group. Lung functions were significantly lower in the glazers compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Results showed that poor ventilation systems, overtime work and work history are effective determinants of high exposure levels.

Effect of self-assembled InAs islands on the interfacial roughness of optical-switched resonant tunneling diode

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Embedding a quantum dot [QD] layer between the double barriers of resonant tunneling diode [RTD] is proved to be an effective method to increase the sensitivity of QD-RTD single-photon detector. However, the interfacial flatness of this device would be worsened due to the introduction of quantum dots. In this paper, we demonstrate that the interfacial quality of this device can be optimized through increasing the growth temperature of AlAs up barrier. The glancing incidence X-ray reflectivity and the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements show that the interfacial smoothness has been greatly improved, and the photo-luminescence test indicated that the InAs QDs were maintained at the same time. The smoother interface was attributed to the evaporation of segregated indium atoms at InGaAs surface layer. PACS 73.40.GK, 73.23._b, 73.21.La, 74.62.Dh PMID:22333518

Effect of self-assembled InAs islands on the interfacial roughness of optical-switched resonant tunneling diode.

PubMed

Tian, Haitao; Wang, Lu; Shi, Zhenwu; Gao, Huaiju; Zhang, Shuhui; Wang, Wenxin; Chen, Hong

2012-02-14

Embedding a quantum dot [QD] layer between the double barriers of resonant tunneling diode [RTD] is proved to be an effective method to increase the sensitivity of QD-RTD single-photon detector. However, the interfacial flatness of this device would be worsened due to the introduction of quantum dots. In this paper, we demonstrate that the interfacial quality of this device can be optimized through increasing the growth temperature of AlAs up barrier. The glancing incidence X-ray reflectivity and the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements show that the interfacial smoothness has been greatly improved, and the photo-luminescence test indicated that the InAs QDs were maintained at the same time. The smoother interface was attributed to the evaporation of segregated indium atoms at InGaAs surface layer. PACS: 73.40.GK, 73.23._b, 73.21.La, 74.62.Dh.

Hydrogen assisted growth of high quality epitaxial graphene on the C-face of 4H-SiC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cai, Tuocheng; Jia, Zhenzhao; Yan, Baoming

2015-01-05

We demonstrate hydrogen assisted growth of high quality epitaxial graphene on the C-face of 4H-SiC. Compared with the conventional thermal decomposition technique, the size of the growth domain by this method is substantially increased and the thickness variation is reduced. Based on the morphology of epitaxial graphene, the role of hydrogen is revealed. It is found that hydrogen acts as a carbon etchant. It suppresses the defect formation and nucleation of graphene. It also improves the kinetics of carbon atoms via hydrocarbon species. These effects lead to increase of the domain size and the structure quality. The consequent capping effectmore » results in smooth surface morphology and suppression of multilayer growth. Our method provides a viable route to fine tune the growth kinetics of epitaxial graphene on SiC.« less

On using smoothing spline and residual correction to fuse rain gauge observations and remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Chengcheng; Zheng, Xiaogu; Tait, Andrew; Dai, Yongjiu; Yang, Chi; Chen, Zhuoqi; Li, Tao; Wang, Zhonglei

2014-01-01

Partial thin-plate smoothing spline model is used to construct the trend surface.Correction of the spline estimated trend surface is often necessary in practice.Cressman weight is modified and applied in residual correction.The modified Cressman weight performs better than Cressman weight.A method for estimating the error covariance matrix of gridded field is provided.

Prototype flaking head smooths surfaces left by headrig or edger chipping heads

Treesearch

Peter Koch

1976-01-01

Flaking heads arranged to follow headrig and edger chipper cheads could smooth machined surfaces and produce high-value flakes of near optimum dimsneions for structural flakeboard. In the proposed concept, eight knives are closely grouped in a 45-degree helix on a cutterhead tipped at 45-degree angle to the direction of workpiece feed. Each knife is set out in cutting...

Prototype flaking head smooths surfaces left by headrig or edger chipping heads

Treesearch

P. Koch

1976-01-01

Flaking heads arranged to follow headrig and edger chipper heads would smooth machined surfaces and produce high-value flakes of near optimum dimensions for structural flakeboard. In the proposed concept, eight knives are closely grouped in a 45-degree helix on a cutterhead tipped at 45-degree angle to the direction of workpiece feed. Each knife is set out in cutting...

High current density electropolishing in the preparation of highly smooth substrate tapes for coated conductors

DOEpatents

Kreiskott, Sascha [Los Alamos, NM; Matias, Vladimir [Santa Fe, NM; Arendt, Paul N [Los Alamos, NM; Foltyn, Stephen R [Los Alamos, NM; Bronisz, Lawrence E [Los Alamos, NM

2009-03-31

A continuous process of forming a highly smooth surface on a metallic tape by passing a metallic tape having an initial roughness through an acid bath contained within a polishing section of an electropolishing unit over a pre-selected period of time, and, passing a mean surface current density of at least 0.18 amperes per square centimeter through the metallic tape during the period of time the metallic tape is in the acid bath whereby the roughness of the metallic tape is reduced. Such a highly smooth metallic tape can serve as a base substrate in subsequent formation of a superconductive coated conductor.

Toward an alternative hardness kernel matrix structure in the Electronegativity Equalization Method (EEM).

PubMed

Chaves, J; Barroso, J M; Bultinck, P; Carbó-Dorca, R

2006-01-01

This study presents an alternative of the Electronegativity Equalization Method (EEM), where the usual Coulomb kernel has been transformed into a smooth function. The new framework, as the classical EEM, permits fast calculations of atomic charges in a given molecule for a small computational cost. The original EEM procedure needs to previously calibrate the different implied atomic hardness and electronegativity, using a chosen set of molecules. In the new EEM algorithm half the number of parameters needs to be calibrated, since a relationship between electronegativities and hardnesses has been found.

AFM AND XPS Characterization of Zinc-Aluminum Alloy Coatings with Attention to Surface Dross and Flow Lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harding, Felipe A.; Alarcon, Nelson A.; Toledo, Pedro G.

Surfaces of various zinc-aluminum alloy (Zn-Al) coated steel samples are studied with attention to foreign surface dross by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS/ESCA). AFM topographic maps of zinc-aluminum alloy surfaces free of dross reveal the perfect nanoscale details of two kinds of dendrites: branched and globular. In all magnifications the dendrites appear smooth and, in general, very clean. XPS analysis of the extreme surface of a Zn-Al sample reveals Al, Zn, Si and O as the main components. The XPS results show no segregation or separation of phases other than those indicated by the ternary Al-Zn-Si diagram. For surfaces of Zn-Al plagued with impurities, high resolution AFM topographic maps reveal three situations: (1) areas with well-defined dendrites, relatively free of dross; (2) areas with small, millimeter-sized black spots known as dross; and (3) areas with large black stains, known as flow lines. Dendrite deformation and dross accumulation increase notably in the neighborhood, apparently clean to the naked eye, of dross or flow lines. XPS results of areas with dross and flow lines indicate unacceptable high concentration of Si and important Si phase separation. These results, in the light of AFM work, reveal that dross and flow lines are a consequence of a high local concentration of Si from high melting point silica and silicate impurities in the Zn-Al alloy source.

Stick–slip friction of gecko-mimetic flaps on smooth and rough surfaces

PubMed Central

Das, Saurabh; Cadirov, Nicholas; Chary, Sathya; Kaufman, Yair; Hogan, Jack; Turner, Kimberly L.; Israelachvili, Jacob N.

2015-01-01

The discovery and understanding of gecko ‘frictional-adhesion’ adhering and climbing mechanism has allowed researchers to mimic and create gecko-inspired adhesives. A few experimental and theoretical approaches have been taken to understand the effect of surface roughness on synthetic adhesive performance, and the implications of stick–slip friction during shearing. This work extends previous studies by using a modified surface forces apparatus to quantitatively measure and model frictional forces between arrays of polydimethylsiloxane gecko footpad-mimetic tilted microflaps against smooth and rough glass surfaces. Constant attachments and detachments occur between the surfaces during shearing, as described by an avalanche model. These detachments ultimately result in failure of the adhesion interface and have been characterized in this study. Stick–slip friction disappears with increasing velocity when the flaps are sheared against a smooth silica surface; however, stick–slip was always present at all velocities and loads tested when shearing the flaps against rough glass surfaces. These results demonstrate the significance of pre-load, shearing velocity, shearing distances, commensurability and shearing direction of gecko-mimetic adhesives and provide us a simple model for analysing and/or designing such systems. PMID:25589569

MC3T3-E1 Cells on Titanium Surfaces with Nanometer Smoothness and Fibronectin Immobilization

PubMed Central

Hayakawa, Tohru; Yoshida, Eiji; Yoshimura, Yoshitaka; Uo, Motohiro; Yoshinari, Masao

2012-01-01

The present study was aimed to evaluate the viability and total protein contents of osteoblast-like cells on the titanium surface with different surface mechanical treatment, namely, nanometer smoothing (Ra: approximately 2.0 nm) and sandblasting (Ra: approximately 1.0 μm), and biochemical treatment, namely, with or without fibronectin immobilization. Fibronectin could be easily immobilized by tresyl chloride-activation technique. MC3T3-E1 cells were seeded on the different titanium surfaces. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. At 1 day of cell culture, there were no significant differences in cell viability among four different titanium surfaces. At 11 days, sandblasted titanium surface with fibronectin immobilization showed the significantly highest cell viability than other titanium surface. No significant differences existed for total protein contents among four different titanium surfaces at 11 days of cell culture. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed that smoothness of titanium surface produced more spread cell morphologies, but that fibronectin immobilization did not cause any changes of the morphologies of attached cells. Fibronectin immobilization provided greater amount of the number of attached cells and better arrangement of attached cells. In conclusion, the combination of sandblasting and fibronectin immobilization enhanced the cell viability and fibronectin immobilization providing better arrangements of attached cells. PMID:22675359

Bacterial attachment on titanium surfaces is dependent on topography and chemical changes induced by nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma.

PubMed

Jeong, Won-Seok; Kwon, Jae-Sung; Lee, Jung-Hwan; Uhm, Soo-Hyuk; Ha Choi, Eun; Kim, Kwang-Mahn

2017-07-26

Here, we investigated the antibacterial effects of chemical changes induced by nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTAPP) on smooth and rough Ti. The morphologies of smooth and rough surfaces of Ti were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both Ti specimens were then treated for 10 min by NTAPP with nitrogen gas. The surface roughness, chemistry, and wettability were examined by optical profilometry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and water contact angle analysis, respectively. Bacterial attachment was measured by determining the number of colony forming units and by SEM analysis. The rough Ti showed irregular micropits, whereas smooth Ti had a relatively regular pattern on the surface. There were no differences in morphology between samples before and after NTAPP treatment. NTAPP treatment resulted in changes from hydrophobic to hydrophilic properties on rough and smooth Ti; rough Ti showed relatively higher hydrophilicity. Before NTAPP treatment, Streptococcus sanguinis (S. sanguinis) showed greater attachment on rough Ti, and after NTAPP treatment, there was a significant reduction in bacterial attachment. Moreover, the bacterial attachment rate was significantly lower on rough Ti, and the structure of S. sanguinis colonies were significantly changed on NTAPP-treated Ti. NTAPP treatment inhibited bacterial attachment surrounding titanium implants, regardless of surface topography. Therefore, NTAPP treatment on Ti is a next-generation tool for antibacterial applications in the orthopaedic and dental fields.

Dynamics of archaea at fine spatial scales in Shark Bay mat microbiomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Hon Lun; Visscher, Pieter T.; White, Richard Allen, III; Smith, Daniela-Lee; Patterson, Molly M.; Burns, Brendan P.

2017-04-01

The role of archaea in microbial mats is poorly understood. Delineating the spatial distribution of archaea with mat depth will enable resolution of putative niches in these systems. In the present study, high throughput amplicon sequencing was undertaken in conjunction with analysis of key biogeochemical properties of two mats (smooth and pustular) from Shark Bay, Australia. One-way analysis of similarity tests indicated the archaeal community structures of smooth and pustular mats were significantly different (global R = 1, p = 0.1%). Smooth mats possessed higher archaeal diversity, dominated by Parvarchaeota. The methanogenic community in smooth mats was dominated by hydrogenotrophic Methanomicrobiales, as well as methylotrophic Methanosarcinales, Methanococcales, Methanobacteriales and Methanomassiliicoccaceae. Pustular mats were enriched with Halobacteria and Parvarchaeota. Key metabolisms (bacterial and archaeal) were measured, and the rates of oxygen production/consumption and sulfate reduction were up to four times higher in smooth than in pustular mats. Methane production peaked in the oxic layers and was up to seven-fold higher in smooth than pustular mats. The finding of an abundance of anaerobic methanogens enriched at the surface where oxygen levels were highest, coupled with peak methane production in the oxic zone, suggests putative surface anoxic niches in these microbial mats.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

CRESSWELL,M.W.; ALLEN,R.A.; GHOSHTAGORE,R.N.

This paper describes the fabrication and measurement of the linewidths of the reference segments of cross-bridge resistors patterned in (100) Bonded and Etched Back Silicon-on-Insulator (BESOI) material. The critical dimensions (CD) of the reference segments of a selection of the cross-bridge resistor test structures were measured both electrically and by Scanning-Electron Microscopy (SEM) cross-section imaging. The reference-segment features were aligned with <110> directions in the BESOI surface material and had drawn linewidths ranging from 0.35 to 3.0 {micro}m. They were defined by a silicon micro-machining process which results in their sidewalls being atomically-planar and smooth and inclined at 54.737{degree} tomore » the surface (100) plane of the substrate. This (100) implementation may usefully complement the attributes of the previously-reported vertical-sidewall one for selected reference-material applications. For example, the non-orthogonal intersection of the sidewalls and top-surface planes of the reference-segment features may alleviate difficulties encountered with atomic-force microscope measurements. In such applications it has been reported that it may be difficult to maintain probe-tip control at the sharp 90{degree} outside corner of the sidewalls and the upper surface. A second application is refining to-down image-processing algorithms and checking instrument performance. Novel aspects of the (100) SOI implementation that are reported here include the cross-bridge resistor test-structure architecture and details of its fabrication. The long-term goal is to develop a technique for the determination of the absolute dimensions of the trapezoidal cross-sections of the cross-bridge resistors' reference segments, as a prelude to developing them for dimensional reference applications. This is believed to be the first report of electrical CD measurements made on test structures of the cross-bridge resistor type that have been patterned in (100) SOI material. The electrical CD results are compared with cross-section SEM measurements made on the same features.« less

The limits of local correlation theory: electronic delocalization and chemically smooth potential energy surfaces.

PubMed

Subotnik, Joseph E; Sodt, Alex; Head-Gordon, Martin

2008-01-21

Local coupled-cluster theory provides an algorithm for measuring electronic correlation quickly, using only the spatial locality of localized electronic orbitals. Previously, we showed [J. Subotnik et al., J. Chem. Phys. 125, 074116 (2006)] that one may construct a local coupled-cluster singles-doubles theory which (i) yields smooth potential energy surfaces and (ii) achieves near linear scaling. That theory selected which orbitals to correlate based only on the distances between the centers of different, localized orbitals, and the approximate potential energy surfaces were characterized as smooth using only visual identification. This paper now extends our previous algorithm in three important ways. First, locality is now based on both the distances between the centers of orbitals as well as the spatial extent of the orbitals. We find that, by accounting for the spatial extent of a delocalized orbital, one can account for electronic correlation in systems with some electronic delocalization using fast correlation methods designed around orbital locality. Second, we now enforce locality on not just the amplitudes (which measure the exact electron-electron correlation), but also on the two-electron integrals themselves (which measure the bare electron-electron interaction). Our conclusion is that we can bump integrals as well as amplitudes, thereby gaining a tremendous increase in speed and paradoxically increasing the accuracy of our LCCSD approach. Third and finally, we now make a rigorous definition of chemical smoothness as requiring that potential energy surfaces not support artificial maxima, minima, or inflection points. By looking at first and second derivatives from finite difference techniques, we demonstrate complete chemical smoothness of our potential energy surfaces (bumping both amplitudes and integrals). These results are significant both from a theoretical and from a computationally practical point of view.

Oscillations in motor unit discharge are reflected in the low-frequency component of rectified surface EMG and the rate of change in force.

PubMed

Yoshitake, Yasuhide; Shinohara, Minoru

2013-11-01

Common drive to a motor unit (MU) pool manifests as low-frequency oscillations in MU discharge rate, producing fluctuations in muscle force. The aim of the study was to examine the temporal correlation between instantaneous MU discharge rate and rectified EMG in low frequencies. Additionally, we attempted to examine whether there is a temporal correlation between the low-frequency oscillations in MU discharge rate and the first derivative of force (dF/dt). Healthy young subjects produced steady submaximal force with their right finger as a single task or while maintaining a pinch-grip force with the left hand as a dual task. Surface EMG and fine-wire MU potentials were recorded from the first dorsal interosseous muscle in the right hand. Surface EMG was band-pass filtered (5-1,000 Hz) and full-wave rectified. Rectified surface EMG and the instantaneous discharge rate of MUs were smoothed by a Hann-window of 400 ms duration (equivalent to 2 Hz low-pass filtering). In each of the identified MUs, the smoothed MU discharge rate was positively correlated with the rectified-and-smoothed EMG as confirmed by the distinct peak in cross-correlation function with greater values in the dual task compared with the single task. Additionally, the smoothed MU discharge rate was temporally correlated with dF/dt more than with force and with rectified-and-smoothed EMG. The results indicated that the low-frequency component of rectified surface EMG and the first derivative of force provide temporal information on the low-frequency oscillations in the MU discharge rate.

The electrical and dielectrical behavior of n-conducting perylene tetracarboxylic diimide derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, Daniel; Zahn, Dietrich R. T.

2009-04-01

A comparison of the electrical characteristics of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on derivatives of the electron-conductor perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) in top-contact configuration is presented. The derivatives used are N,N'-dimethyl-3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-diimide (DiMe-PTCDI), N,N'-diphenyl-3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-diimide (DiPhenyl-PTCDI), N,N'-dimethoxyethyl-3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-diimide (DiMethoxyethyl-PTCDI), N,N'-di(3-pentyl)-3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-diimide (Di3Pentyl-PTCDI), and N,N'-diheptyl-3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-diimide (DiHeptyl-PTCDI). Current/voltage measurements were first performed in situ and later ex situ. Additionally, the effect of annealing and bias stress was probed in situ. A strong influence of the different side groups on the order of magnitude of the electron mobility is revealed, ranging from 4×10-6 cm2/V s for DiMethoxyethyl-PTCDI to 5×10-2 cm2/V s for DiHeptyl-PTCDI. While none of the devices was stable in air after exposition to air, only the DiMe-PTCDI one resumed its functionality after restoring vacuum conditions. The dielectric functions of the derivatives was derived, additionally revealing optical isotropy for all films and varying surface roughness. While DiHeptyl-PTCDI and Di3Pentyl-PTCDI, yielding also the highest electron mobilities, form smooth layers with negligible surface roughness, strong island formation was be observed for DiPhenyl-PTCDI and DiMethoxyethyl-PTCDI, yielding low mobilities. This island growth was also confirmed by atomic force microscopy measurements. Ageing of the samples for several months under ambient conditions leads to increased roughness for the very rough samples. Layers with smooth surface, on the other hand, showed no significant change in the dielectric behavior of the sample.

Collisional quenching of atoms and molecules on spacecraft thermal protection surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marinelli, W. J.; Green, B. D.

1988-01-01

Preliminary results of a research program to determine energy partitioning in spacecraft thermal protection materials due to atom recombination at the gas-surface interface are presented. The primary focus of the research is to understand the catalytic processes which determine heat loading on Shuttle, Aeroassisted OTV, and NASP thermal protection surfaces in nonequilibrium flight regimes. Highly sensitive laser diagnostics based on laser-induced fluorescence and resonantly-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectroscopy are used to detect atoms and metastable molecules. At low temperatures, a discharge flow reactor is employed to measure deactivation/recombination coefficients for O-atoms, N-atoms, and O2. Detection methods are presented for measuring O-atoms, O2 and N2, and results for deactivation of O2 and O-atoms on reaction-cured glass and Ni surfaces. Both atom recombination and metastable product formation are examined. Radio-frequency discharges are used to produce highly dissociated beams of atomic species at energies characteristic of the surface temperature. Auger electron spectroscopy is employed as a diagnostic of surface composition in order to accurately define and control measurement conditions.

Surface Modification of Plastic Substrates Using Atomic Hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heya, Akira; Matsuo, Naoto

The surface properties of a plastic substrate were changed by a novel surface treatment called atomic hydrogen annealing (AHA). In this method, a plastic substrate was exposed to atomic hydrogen generated by cracking of hydrogen molecules on heated tungsten wire. Surface roughness was increased and halogen elements (F and Cl) were selectively etched by AHA. In addition, plastic surface was reduced by AHA. The surface can be modified by the recombination reaction of atomic hydrogen, the reduction reaction and selective etching of halogen atom. It is concluded that this method is a promising technique for improvement of adhesion between inorganic films and plastic substrates at low temperatures.

Osmium Atoms and Os2 Molecules Move Faster on Selenium-Doped Compared to Sulfur-Doped Boronic Graphenic Surfaces.

PubMed

Barry, Nicolas P E; Pitto-Barry, Anaïs; Tran, Johanna; Spencer, Simon E F; Johansen, Adam M; Sanchez, Ana M; Dove, Andrew P; O'Reilly, Rachel K; Deeth, Robert J; Beanland, Richard; Sadler, Peter J

2015-07-28

We deposited Os atoms on S- and Se-doped boronic graphenic surfaces by electron bombardment of micelles containing 16e complexes [Os(p-cymene)(1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecarborane-1,2-diselenate/dithiolate)] encapsulated in a triblock copolymer. The surfaces were characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and electron energy loss spectroscopy of energy filtered TEM (EFTEM). Os atoms moved ca. 26× faster on the B/Se surface compared to the B/S surface (233 ± 34 pm·s(-1) versus 8.9 ± 1.9 pm·s(-1)). Os atoms formed dimers with an average Os-Os distance of 0.284 ± 0.077 nm on the B/Se surface and 0.243 ± 0.059 nm on B/S, close to that in metallic Os. The Os2 molecules moved 0.83× and 0.65× more slowly than single Os atoms on B/S and B/Se surfaces, respectively, and again markedly faster (ca. 20×) on the B/Se surface (151 ± 45 pm·s(-1) versus 7.4 ± 2.8 pm·s(-1)). Os atom motion did not follow Brownian motion and appears to involve anchoring sites, probably S and Se atoms. The ability to control the atomic motion of metal atoms and molecules on surfaces has potential for exploitation in nanodevices of the future.

Unified heat kernel regression for diffusion, kernel smoothing and wavelets on manifolds and its application to mandible growth modeling in CT images.

PubMed

Chung, Moo K; Qiu, Anqi; Seo, Seongho; Vorperian, Houri K

2015-05-01

We present a novel kernel regression framework for smoothing scalar surface data using the Laplace-Beltrami eigenfunctions. Starting with the heat kernel constructed from the eigenfunctions, we formulate a new bivariate kernel regression framework as a weighted eigenfunction expansion with the heat kernel as the weights. The new kernel method is mathematically equivalent to isotropic heat diffusion, kernel smoothing and recently popular diffusion wavelets. The numerical implementation is validated on a unit sphere using spherical harmonics. As an illustration, the method is applied to characterize the localized growth pattern of mandible surfaces obtained in CT images between ages 0 and 20 by regressing the length of displacement vectors with respect to a surface template. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An important atomic process in the CVD growth of graphene: Sinking and up-floating of carbon atom on copper surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yingfeng; Li, Meicheng; Gu, TianSheng; Bai, Fan; Yu, Yue; Trevor, Mwenya; Yu, Yangxin

2013-11-01

By density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the early stages of the growth of graphene on copper (1 1 1) surface are investigated. At the very first time of graphene growth, the carbon atom sinks into subsurface. As more carbon atoms are adsorbed nearby the site, the sunken carbon atom will spontaneously form a dimer with one of the newly adsorbed carbon atoms, and the formed dimer will up-float on the top of the surface. We emphasize the role of the co-operative relaxation of the co-adsorbed carbon atoms in facilitating the sinking and up-floating of carbon atoms. In detail: when two carbon atoms are co-adsorbed, their co-operative relaxation will result in different carbon-copper interactions for the co-adsorbed carbon atoms. This difference facilitates the sinking of a single carbon atom into the subsurface. As a third carbon atom is co-adsorbed nearby, it draws the sunken carbon atom on top of the surface, forming a dimer. Co-operative relaxations of the surface involving all adsorbed carbon atoms and their copper neighbors facilitate these sinking and up-floating processes. This investigation is helpful for the deeper understanding of graphene synthesis and the choosing of optimal carbon sources or process.

Simulations of chemical vapor deposition diamond film growth using a kinetic Monte Carlo model and two-dimensional models of microwave plasma and hot filament chemical vapor deposition reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

May, P. W.; Harvey, J. N.; Allan, N. L.; Richley, J. C.; Mankelevich, Yu. A.

2010-12-01

A one-dimensional kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model has been developed to simulate the chemical vapor deposition of a diamond (100) surface under conditions used to grow single-crystal diamond (SCD), microcrystalline diamond (MCD), nanocrystalline diamond (NCD), and ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films. The model considers adsorption, etching/desorption, lattice incorporation and surface migration but not defect formation or renucleation processes. Two methods have been devised for estimation of the gas phase concentrations of species at the growing diamond surface, and are used to determine adsorption rates for C1Hx hydrocarbons for the different conditions. The rate of migration of adsorbed carbon species is governed by the availability of neighboring radical sites, which, in turn, depend upon the rates of H abstraction and of surface-radical migration. The KMC model predicts growth rates and surface roughness for each of diamond types consistent with experiment. In the absence of defect formation and renucleation the average surface diffusion length, ℓ, is a key parameter controlling surface morphology. When ℓ <2, surface migration is limited by the lack of availability of surface radical sites, and the migrating surface species simply hop back and forth between two adjacent sites but do not travel far beyond their initial adsorption site. Thus, Eley-Rideal processes dominate the growth, leading to the rough surfaces seen in NCD and UNCD. The maximum or "intrinsic" surface roughness occurs for nominally zero-migration conditions (ℓ =0) with an rms value of approximately five carbon atoms. Conversely, when migration occurs over greater distances (ℓ >2), Langmuir-Hinshelwood processes dominate the growth producing the smoother surfaces of MCD and SCD. By extrapolation, we predict that atomically smooth surfaces over large areas should occur once migrating species can travel approximately five sites (ℓ ˜5). β-scission processes are found to be unimportant for MCD and SCD growth conditions, but can remove up to 5% of the adsorbing carbon for NCD and UNCD growth. C1Hx insertion reactions also contribute <1% to the growth for nearly all conditions, while C2Hx (x <2) insertion reactions are negligible due their very low concentrations at the surface. Finally, the predictions for growth rate and morphology for UNCD deposition in a microwave system were found to be anomalous compared to those for all the other growth conditions, suggesting that carbonaceous particulates created in these plasmas may significantly affect the gas chemistry.

Effect of specific surface microstructures on substrate endothelialisation and thrombogenicity: Importance for stent design.

PubMed

Lutter, Christoph; Nothhaft, Matthias; Rzany, Alexander; Garlichs, Christoph D; Cicha, Iwona

2015-01-01

In coronary artery disease, highly stenosed arteries are frequently treated by stent implantation, which thereafter necessitates a dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in order to prevent stent-thrombosis. We hypothesized that specific patterns of microstructures on stents can accelerate endothelialisation thereby reducing their thrombogenicity and the DAPT duration. Differently designed, 2-5 μm high elevations or hollows were lithographically etched on silicon plates, subsequently coated with silicon carbide. Smooth silicon plates and bare metal substrates were used as controls. To assess attachment and growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells under static or flow conditions, actin cytoskeleton was visualised with green phalloidin. Endothelial migration was assessed in a modified barrier assay. To investigate surface thrombogenicity, platelets were incubated on the structured surfaces in static and flow conditions, and visualised with fluorescein-conjugated P-selectin antibody. Images were taken with incident-light fluorescent microscope for non-transparent objects. Compared to smooth surface, flat cubic elevations (5 μm edge length) improved endothelial cell attachment and growth under static and dynamic conditions, whereas smaller, spiky structures (2 μm edge length) had a negative influence on endothelialisation. Endothelial cell migration was fastest on flat cubic elevations, hollows, and smooth surfaces, whereas spiky structures and bare metal had a negative effect on endothelial migration. Thrombogenicity assays under static and flow conditions showed that platelet adhesion was reduced on the flat elevations and the smooth surface, as compared to the spiky structures, the hollow design and the bare metal substrates. Surface microstructures strongly influence endothelialisation of substrates. Designing stents with surface topography which accelerates endothelialisation and reduces thrombogenicity may be of clinical benefit by improving the safety profile of coronary interventions.

Eggshell structure in Caiman latirostris eggs improves embryo survival during nest inundation.

PubMed

Cedillo-Leal, César; Simoncini, Melina S; Leiva, Pamela M L; Larriera, Alejandro; Lang, Jeffrey W; Piña, Carlos I

2017-05-17

Egg inundation often results in poor hatching success in crocodylians. However, how tolerant eggs are to submergence, and/or how eggshell ultrastructure may affect embryo survival when inundated, are not well understood. In this study, our objective was to determine if embryo survival in Caiman latirostris is affected by eggshell surface roughness, when eggs are submerged under water. Tolerance to inundation was tested early (day 30) versus late (day 60) in development, using eight clutches (four per time treatments), subdivided into four groups: ( N = 9 per clutch per treatment; 9 × 4 = 36 eggs per group). 'Rough' eggshell represented the natural, unmodified eggshell surface structure. 'Smooth' eggshell surface structure was created by mechanically sanding the natural rough surface to remove surface columnar elements and secondary layer features, e.g. irregularities that result in 'roughness'. When inundated by submerging eggs under water for 10 h at day 30, 'smooth' eggshell structure resulted in more than twice as many dead embryos (16 versus 6, smooth versus rough; N = 36), and fewer than half as many healthy embryos (6 versus 13, smooth versus rough, respectively; N = 36). By contrast, at day 60, inundation resulted in very low hatching success, regardless of eggshell surface structure. Only two hatchlings survived the inundation, notably in the untreated group with intact, rough eggshells. Inundation produced a high rate of malformations (58% at day 30), but did not affect hatchling size. Our results indicate that eggshell roughness enhances embryo survival when eggs are inundated early in development, but not late in development. Apparently, the natural surface 'roughness' entraps air bubbles at the eggshell surface during inundation, thereby facilitating gas exchange through the eggshell even when the egg is submerged under water. © 2017 The Author(s).

Theory of Reactions at a Solid Surface.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-01

vibrational and rotational motions of X2 and X are separable even at small distances away from the surface, and that the lattice vibra- tions do not...volume of the clean surface, and o(X) is the reaction cross section of X atoms with lattice atoms M. Rearranging Eq. (28), we ,can write d[n(M) - an(R...positions of only a small number, n, of local surface atoms. We designate these as the "primary lattice atoms". The remaining N-n solid atoms serve

Surface modification of paper on a continuous atmospheric-pressure-plasma system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz-Barba, Luis Emilio

Plasma technologies for the continuous modification of materials in atmospheric-pressure-plasma conditions were used to evaluate the surface modification of paper under different plasma conditions. The generation of hydrophobic layers was used to characterize the efficiency of the originally designed system for future application in the paper industry. Generation of hydrophobic layers was carried out by deposition of thin layers from fluorine containing gases, as well as cross-linking of pre-deposited thin layers of hydrophobic materials, such as fluoropolymers and silicones, in a continuous system plasma reactor (CSPR). Physical and chemical characterization of these layers was carried out by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle goniometry, and water absorption evaluations. Pure gaseous CF4 and a CF4/CH4 mixture were used to deposit fluorinated layers, rendering paper surfaces with low to moderate relative surface atomic contents of fluorine (2.5 to 16.3%). Morphological characterization revealed that the deposition consists of small clusters of fluorinated species scattered on the surface. Contact angle evaluations (50°--70°) indicated a reduction in the water affinity of the paper. Thin layers of fluoropolymer pre-deposited on paper surfaces were cross-linked in the presence of CF4, CF4/CH4, and NH 3 plasmas. All of the gases proved to be effective for the cross-linking under different conditions. These cross-linked layers were determined to maintain the original polymer structure, consisting mainly of CF2-CF 2 and small quantities of CFx. Surface characterization by AFM indicated lower roughness values compared to the untreated additive-free paper (45.1 vs 67.1 nm). Paper samples treated by this approach showed a highly hydrophobic character with up to 160° contact angles, and water absorption was reduced by as much as 61.6%. Silicone layers were cross-linked in the presence of argon and oxygen plasmas. Characterization of the silicone-coated paper indicated, as in the case of fluoropolymers, the retention of the original chemical structure. Surface roughness values (AFM) were in the range of 11.8 to 18.2 nm, evidence of a very smooth surface. High hydrophobicity levels were reached, as shown by contact angles of up to 126°, and water absorption showed a maximum reduction of 76.8%.

Atomic force microscopy study on topography of films produced by ion-based techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X.; Liu, X. H.; Zou, S. C.; Martin, P. J.; Bendavid, A.

1996-09-01

The evolution of surface morphologies of films prepared by ion-based deposition techniques has been investigated by atomic force microscopy. Two deposition processes, filtered arc deposition (FAD) and ion-beam-assisted deposition, where low-energy (<100 eV) ion irradiation and high-energy (several tens of keV) ion-beam bombardment concurrent with film growth were involved, respectively, have been employed to prepare TiN and Al films. Comparative studies on the effect of energetic ions on the development of topography have been performed between the low-ion-energy regime and high-ion-energy regime. In addition, the relationship between topography and mechanical properties of thin films has been revealed, by involving thin films prepared by thermal evaporation deposition (TED), where almost all depositing particles are neutral. In the images of the TED TiN and Al films, a large number of porous and deep boundaries between columnar grains was observed, suggesting a very rough and loose surface. In contrast, the FAD films exhibited much denser surface morphologies, although still columnar. The root-mean-square roughness of the FAD films was less than 1 Å. Hardness test and optical parameter measurement indicated that the FAD films were much harder and, in the case of optical films, much more transparent than the TED films, which was considered to arise from the denser surface morphologies rather than crystallization of the films. The high density and super smoothness of the FAD films, and the resultant mechanical and optical properties superior to those of the TED films, were attributed to the enhancement of surface migration of the deposited adatoms in the FAD process, which could provide intensive low-energy ion irradiation during film growth. As for topography modification by high-energy ion-beam bombardment concurrent with film growth, in addition to the increase of surface diffusion due to elastic collision and thermal spikes, physical sputtering must be considered while explaining the development of the film topography. Both surface migration enhancement and sputtering played important roles in the case of high-energy heavy-ion-beam bombardment, under which condition surface morphology characterized by dense columns with larger dimension and deep clean boundaries was formed. However, under high-energy light-ion-beam bombardment, the sputtering was dominant, and the variation of sputtering coefficient with position on the surface of growing film led to the formation of cones.

Amorphous Mixed-Metal Oxide Thin Films from Aqueous Solution Precursors with Near-Atomic Smoothness.

PubMed

Kast, Matthew G; Cochran, Elizabeth A; Enman, Lisa J; Mitchson, Gavin; Ditto, Jeffrey; Siefe, Chris; Plassmeyer, Paul N; Greenaway, Ann L; Johnson, David C; Page, Catherine J; Boettcher, Shannon W

2016-12-28

Thin films with tunable and homogeneous composition are required for many applications. We report the synthesis and characterization of a new class of compositionally homogeneous thin films that are amorphous solid solutions of Al 2 O 3 and transition metal oxides (TMO x ) including VO x , CrO x , MnO x , Fe 2 O 3 , CoO x , NiO, CuO x , and ZnO. The synthesis is enabled by the rapid decomposition of molecular transition-metal nitrates TM(NO 3 ) x at low temperature along with precondensed oligomeric Al(OH) x (NO 3 ) 3-x cluster species, both of which can be processed from aq solution. The films are dense, ultrasmooth (R rms < 1 nm, near 0.1 nm in many cases), and atomically mixed amorphous metal-oxide alloys over a large composition range. We assess the chemical principles that favor the formation of amorphous homogeneous films over rougher phase-segregated nanocrystalline films. The synthesis is easily extended to other compositions of transition and main-group metal oxides. To demonstrate versatility, we synthesized amorphous V 0.1 Cr 0.1 Mn 0.1 Fe 0.1 Zn 0.1 Al 0.5 O x and V 0.2 Cr 0.2 Fe 0.2 Al 0.4 O x with R rms ≈ 0.1 nm and uniform composition. The combination of ideal physical properties (dense, smooth, uniform) and broad composition tunability provides a platform for film synthesis that can be used to study fundamental phenomena when the effects of transition metal cation identity, solid-state concentration of d-electrons or d-states, and/or crystallinity need to be controlled. The new platform has broad potential use in controlling interfacial phenomena such as electron transfer in solar-cell contacts or surface reactivity in heterogeneous catalysis.

H(D) → D(H) + Cu(111) collision system: Molecular dynamics study of surface temperature effects

PubMed Central

Vurdu, Can D.; Güvenç, Ziya B.

2011-01-01

All the channels of the reaction dynamics of gas-phase H (or D) atoms with D (or H) atoms adsorbed onto a Cu(111) surface have been studied by quasiclassical constant energy molecular dynamics simulations. The surface is flexible and is prepared at different temperature values, such as 30 K, 94 K, and 160 K. The adsorbates were distributed randomly on the surface to create 0.18 ML, 0.28 ML, and 0.50 ML of coverages. The multi-layer slab is mimicked by a many-body embedded-atom potential energy function. The slab atoms can move according to the exerted external forces. Treating the slab atoms non-rigid has an important effect on the dynamics of the projectile atom and adsorbates. Significant energy transfer from the projectile atom to the surface lattice atoms takes place especially during the first impact that modifies significantly the details of the dynamics of the collisions. Effects of the different temperatures of the slab are investigated in this study. Interaction between the surface atoms and the adsorbates is modeled by a modified London–Eyring–Polanyi–Sato (LEPS) function. The LEPS parameters are determined by using the total energy values which were calculated by a density functional theory and a generalized gradient approximation for an exchange-correlation energy for many different orientations, and locations of one- and two-hydrogen atoms on the Cu(111) surface. The rms value of the fitting procedure is about 0.16 eV. Many different channels of the processes on the surface have been examined, such as inelastic reflection of the incident hydrogen, subsurface penetration of the incident projectile and adsorbates, sticking of the incident atom on the surface. In addition, hot-atom and Eley-Rideal direct processes are investigated. The hot-atom process is found to be more significant than the Eley-Rideal process. Furthermore, the rate of subsurface penetration is larger than the sticking rate on the surface. In addition, these results are compared and analyzed as a function of the surface temperatures. PMID:21528959

H(D) → D(H) + Cu(111) collision system: molecular dynamics study of surface temperature effects.

PubMed

Vurdu, Can D; Güvenç, Ziya B

2011-04-28

All the channels of the reaction dynamics of gas-phase H (or D) atoms with D (or H) atoms adsorbed onto a Cu(111) surface have been studied by quasiclassical constant energy molecular dynamics simulations. The surface is flexible and is prepared at different temperature values, such as 30 K, 94 K, and 160 K. The adsorbates were distributed randomly on the surface to create 0.18 ML, 0.28 ML, and 0.50 ML of coverages. The multi-layer slab is mimicked by a many-body embedded-atom potential energy function. The slab atoms can move according to the exerted external forces. Treating the slab atoms non-rigid has an important effect on the dynamics of the projectile atom and adsorbates. Significant energy transfer from the projectile atom to the surface lattice atoms takes place especially during the first impact that modifies significantly the details of the dynamics of the collisions. Effects of the different temperatures of the slab are investigated in this study. Interaction between the surface atoms and the adsorbates is modeled by a modified London-Eyring-Polanyi-Sato (LEPS) function. The LEPS parameters are determined by using the total energy values which were calculated by a density functional theory and a generalized gradient approximation for an exchange-correlation energy for many different orientations, and locations of one- and two-hydrogen atoms on the Cu(111) surface. The rms value of the fitting procedure is about 0.16 eV. Many different channels of the processes on the surface have been examined, such as inelastic reflection of the incident hydrogen, subsurface penetration of the incident projectile and adsorbates, sticking of the incident atom on the surface. In addition, hot-atom and Eley-Rideal direct processes are investigated. The hot-atom process is found to be more significant than the Eley-Rideal process. Furthermore, the rate of subsurface penetration is larger than the sticking rate on the surface. In addition, these results are compared and analyzed as a function of the surface temperatures.

Diffusion of Cd and Te adatoms on CdTe(111) surfaces: A computational study using density functional theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naderi, Ebadollah; Nanavati, Sachin; Majumder, Chiranjib; Ghaisas, S. V.

2015-01-01

CdTe is one of the most promising semiconductor for thin-film based solar cells. Here we report a computational study of Cd and Te adatom diffusion on the CdTe (111) A-type (Cd terminated) and B-type (Te terminated) surfaces and their migration paths. The atomic and electronic structure calculations are performed under the DFT formalism and climbing Nudge Elastic Band (cNEB) method has been applied to evaluate the potential barrier of the Te and Cd diffusion. In general the minimum energy site on the surface is labeled as Aa site. In case of Te and Cd on B-type surface, the sub-surface site (a site just below the top surface) is very close in energy to the A site. This is responsible for the subsurface accumulation of adatoms and therefore, expected to influence the defect formation during growth. The diffusion process of adatoms is considered from Aa (occupied) to Aa (empty) site at the nearest distance. We have explored three possible migration paths for the adatom diffusion. The adatom surface interaction is highly dependent on the type of the surface. Typically, Te interaction with both type (5.2 eV for A-type and 3.8 eV for B-type) is stronger than Cd interactions(2.4 eV for B-type and 0.39 eV for A-type). Cd interaction with the A-type surface is very weak. The distinct behavior of the A-type and B-type surfaces perceived in our study explain the need of maintaining the A-type surface during growth for smooth and stoichiometric growth.

Preparation, anti-biofouling and drag-reduction properties of a biomimetic shark skin surface

PubMed Central

Pu, Xia; Li, Guangji; Huang, Hanlu

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Shark skin surfaces show non-smoothness characteristics due to the presence of a riblet structure. In this study, biomimetic shark skin was prepared by using the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-embedded elastomeric stamping (PEES) method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the surface microstructure and fine structure of shark skin and biomimetic shark skin. To analyse the hydrophobic mechanism of the shark skin surface microstructure, the effect of biomimetic shark skin surface microstructure on surface wettability was evaluated by recording water contact angle. Additionally, protein adhesion experiments and anti-algae adhesion performance testing experiments were used to investigate and evaluate the anti-biofouling properties of the surface microstructure of biomimetic shark skin. The recorded values of the water contact angle of differently microstructured surfaces revealed that specific microstructures have certain effects on surface wettability. The anti-biofouling properties of the biomimetic shark skin surface with microstructures were superior to a smooth surface using the same polymers as substrates. Moreover, the air layer fixed on the surface of the biomimetic shark skin was found to play a key role in their antibiont adhesion property. An experiment into drag reduction was also conducted. Based on the experimental results, the microstructured surface of the prepared biomimetic shark skin played a significant role in reducing drag. The maximum of drag reduction rate is 12.5%, which is higher than the corresponding maximum drag reduction rate of membrane material with a smooth surface. PMID:26941105

Preparation, anti-biofouling and drag-reduction properties of a biomimetic shark skin surface.

PubMed

Pu, Xia; Li, Guangji; Huang, Hanlu

2016-04-15

Shark skin surfaces show non-smoothness characteristics due to the presence of a riblet structure. In this study, biomimetic shark skin was prepared by using the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-embedded elastomeric stamping (PEES) method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the surface microstructure and fine structure of shark skin and biomimetic shark skin. To analyse the hydrophobic mechanism of the shark skin surface microstructure, the effect of biomimetic shark skin surface microstructure on surface wettability was evaluated by recording water contact angle. Additionally, protein adhesion experiments and anti-algae adhesion performance testing experiments were used to investigate and evaluate the anti-biofouling properties of the surface microstructure of biomimetic shark skin. The recorded values of the water contact angle of differently microstructured surfaces revealed that specific microstructures have certain effects on surface wettability. The anti-biofouling properties of the biomimetic shark skin surface with microstructures were superior to a smooth surface using the same polymers as substrates. Moreover, the air layer fixed on the surface of the biomimetic shark skin was found to play a key role in their antibiont adhesion property. An experiment into drag reduction was also conducted. Based on the experimental results, the microstructured surface of the prepared biomimetic shark skin played a significant role in reducing drag. The maximum of drag reduction rate is 12.5%, which is higher than the corresponding maximum drag reduction rate of membrane material with a smooth surface. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Method for smoothing the surface of a protective coating

DOEpatents

Sangeeta, D.; Johnson, Curtis Alan; Nelson, Warren Arthur

2001-01-01

A method for smoothing the surface of a ceramic-based protective coating which exhibits roughness is disclosed. The method includes the steps of applying a ceramic-based slurry or gel coating to the protective coating surface; heating the slurry/gel coating to remove volatile material; and then further heating the slurry/gel coating to cure the coating and bond it to the underlying protective coating. The slurry/gel coating is often based on yttria-stabilized zirconia, and precursors of an oxide matrix. Related articles of manufacture are also described.

A new seamless, smooth, interior, absorptive finishing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Antonio, Peter

2003-10-01

Government architecture typically employs classic forms of vaults, domes and other focusing or reflective shapes, usually created with hard materials like concrete and plaster. The use of conventional porous absorption is typically rejected as an acoustical surface material for aesthetic reasons. Hence, many of these new and existing facilities have compromised speech intelligibility and music quality. Acousticians have sought a field-applied, absorptive finishing system that resembles a smooth plaster or painted drywall surface, since the dawn of architectural acoustics. Some success has been achieved using sprayed cellulose or cementitious materials, but surface smoothness has been a challenge. A new approach utilizing a thin microporous layer of mineral particles applied over a mineral wool panel will be described. This material can be applied to almost any shape surface, internally pigmented to match almost any color and renovated. Because of these unique characteristics the new seamless, absorptive, finishing system is being specified for many new and renovated spaces. Application examples will be presented.

Surface smoothness: cartilage biomarkers for knee OA beyond the radiologist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tummala, Sudhakar; Dam, Erik B.

2010-03-01

Fully automatic imaging biomarkers may allow quantification of patho-physiological processes that a radiologist would not be able to assess reliably. This can introduce new insight but is problematic to validate due to lack of meaningful ground truth expert measurements. Rather than quantification accuracy, such novel markers must therefore be validated against clinically meaningful end-goals such as the ability to allow correct diagnosis. We present a method for automatic cartilage surface smoothness quantification in the knee joint. The quantification is based on a curvature flow method used on tibial and femoral cartilage compartments resulting from an automatic segmentation scheme. These smoothness estimates are validated for their ability to diagnose osteoarthritis and compared to smoothness estimates based on manual expert segmentations and to conventional cartilage volume quantification. We demonstrate that the fully automatic markers eliminate the time required for radiologist annotations, and in addition provide a diagnostic marker superior to the evaluated semi-manual markers.

Point Set Denoising Using Bootstrap-Based Radial Basis Function.

PubMed

Liew, Khang Jie; Ramli, Ahmad; Abd Majid, Ahmad

2016-01-01

This paper examines the application of a bootstrap test error estimation of radial basis functions, specifically thin-plate spline fitting, in surface smoothing. The presence of noisy data is a common issue of the point set model that is generated from 3D scanning devices, and hence, point set denoising is one of the main concerns in point set modelling. Bootstrap test error estimation, which is applied when searching for the smoothing parameters of radial basis functions, is revisited. The main contribution of this paper is a smoothing algorithm that relies on a bootstrap-based radial basis function. The proposed method incorporates a k-nearest neighbour search and then projects the point set to the approximated thin-plate spline surface. Therefore, the denoising process is achieved, and the features are well preserved. A comparison of the proposed method with other smoothing methods is also carried out in this study.

On the long range propagation of sound over irregular terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howe, M. S.

1984-01-01

The theory of sound propagation over randomly irregular, nominally plane terrain of finite impedance is discussed. The analysis is an extension of the theory of coherent scatter originally proposed by Biot for an irregular rigid surface. It combines Biot's approach, wherein the surface irregularities are modeled by a homogeneous distribution of hemispherical bosses, with more conventional analyses in which the ground is modeled as a smooth plane of finite impedance. At sufficiently low frequencies the interaction of the surface irregularities with the nearfield of a ground-based source leads to the production of surface waves, which are effective in penetrating the ground shadow zone predicted for a smooth surface of the same impedance.

A computer program for fitting smooth surfaces to an aircraft configuration and other three dimensional geometries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craidon, C. B.

1975-01-01

A computer program that uses a three-dimensional geometric technique for fitting a smooth surface to the component parts of an aircraft configuration is presented. The resulting surface equations are useful in performing various kinds of calculations in which a three-dimensional mathematical description is necessary. Programs options may be used to compute information for three-view and orthographic projections of the configuration as well as cross-section plots at any orientation through the configuration. The aircraft geometry input section of the program may be easily replaced with a surface point description in a different form so that the program could be of use for any three-dimensional surface equations.

Charge-dependent non-bonded interaction methods for use in quantum mechanical modeling of condensed phase reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuechler, Erich R.

Molecular modeling and computer simulation techniques can provide detailed insight into biochemical phenomena. This dissertation describes the development, implementation and parameterization of two methods for the accurate modeling of chemical reactions in aqueous environments, with a concerted scientific effort towards the inclusion of charge-dependent non-bonded non-electrostatic interactions into currently used computational frameworks. The first of these models, QXD, modifies interactions in a hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular (QM/MM) mechanical framework to overcome the current limitations of 'atom typing' QM atoms; an inaccurate and non-intuitive practice for chemically active species as these static atom types are dictated by the local bonding and electrostatic environment of the atoms they represent, which will change over the course of the simulation. The efficacy QXD model is demonstrated using a specific reaction parameterization (SRP) of the Austin Model 1 (AM1) Hamiltonian by simultaneously capturing the reaction barrier for chloride ion attack on methylchloride in solution and the solvation free energies of a series of compounds including the reagents of the reaction. The second, VRSCOSMO, is an implicit solvation model for use with the DFTB3/3OB Hamiltonian for biochemical reactions; allowing for accurate modeling of ionic compound solvation properties while overcoming the discontinuous nature of conventional PCM models when chemical reaction coordinates. The VRSCOSMO model is shown to accurately model the solvation properties of over 200 chemical compounds while also providing smooth, continuous reaction surfaces for a series of biologically motivated phosphoryl transesterification reactions. Both of these methods incorporate charge-dependent behavior into the non-bonded interactions variationally, allowing the 'size' of atoms to change in meaningful ways with respect to changes in local charge state, as to provide an accurate, predictive and transferable models for the interactions between the quantum mechanical system and their solvated surroundings.

Chlorine adsorption on the InAs (001) surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bakulin, A. V.; Eremeev, S. V.; Tereshchenko, O. E.

2011-01-15

Chlorine adsorption on the In-stabilized InAs(001) surface with {zeta}-(4 Multiplication-Sign 2) and {beta}3 Prime -(4 Multiplication-Sign 2) reconstructions and on the Ga-stabilized GaAs (001)-{zeta}-(4 Multiplication-Sign 2) surface has been studied within the electron density functional theory. The equilibrium structural parameters of these reconstructions, surface atom positions, bond lengths in dimers, and their changes upon chlorine adsorption are determined. The electronic characteristics of the clean surface and the surface with adsorbed chlorine are calculated. It is shown that the most energetically favorable positions for chlorine adsorption are top positions over dimerized indium or gallium atoms. The mechanism of chlorine binding withmore » In(Ga)-stabilized surface is explained. The interaction of chlorine atoms with dimerized surface atoms weakens surface atom bonds and controls the initial stage of surface etching.« less

Electronic structure studies of Ni( 1 0 0 ) surface reconstructions resulting from carbon, nitrogen, or oxygen atom adsorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirsch, Janet E.; Harris, Suzanne

2003-01-01

Solid-state Fenske-Hall band structure calculations have been used to study the different surface structures which result from adsorption of a half monolayer of C, N, or O atoms on the Ni(1 0 0) surface. C or N atoms sit nearly coplanar with the surface Ni atoms and induce the "clock" reconstruction of the surface. In contrast, adsorbed O atoms sit slightly above the Ni(1 0 0) surface plane and have little effect on the overall surface structure. The local environments of the C, N, and O atoms on these surfaces are similar to their environments in a series of late transition metal carbonyl clusters, suggesting that some of the same electronic factors may play a role in favoring the different structures. Results of the calculations indicate that when adsorbates occupy coplanar sites on Ni(1 0 0), much of the Ni-Ni bonding within the surface layer and between the surface- and second-layers is disrupted. On the C- and N-covered surfaces the disruption is more than compensated for by the formation of strong adsorbate-Ni bonds and by new Ni-Ni surface bonds resulting from the clock reconstruction. When O is forced into a coplanar site, however, both the higher electron count and increased electronegativity of the O atoms lead to severe disruption of the surface bonding and weak Ni-O bonds. When O atoms sit above the surface, they form more polar Ni-O bonds, contribute less electron density to the Ni surface bands, and cause less disruption to Ni-Ni surface bonds. These results suggest that, similar to the organometallic clusters, the site preferences of C, N, and O atoms are directly related to their electron count, and in turn to the relative occupation of both Ni-Ni and X-Ni (X=C, N, O) antibonding bands.

Optical properties of nanocrystalline Y2O3 thin films grown on quartz substrates by electron beam deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiktorczyk, Tadeusz; Biegański, Piotr; Serafińczuk, Jarosław

2016-09-01

Yttrium oxide thin films of a thickness 221-341 nm were formed onto quartz substrates by reactive physical vapor deposition in an oxygen atmosphere. An electron beam gun was applied as a deposition source. The effect of substrate temperature during film deposition (in the range of 323-673 K) on film structure, surface morphology and optical properties was investigated. The surface morphology studies (with atomic force microscopy and diffuse spectra reflectivity) show that the film surface was relatively smooth with RMS surface roughness in the range of 1.7-3.8 nm. XRD analysis has revealed that all diffraction lines belong to a cubic Y2O3 structure. The films consisted of small nanocrystals. Their average grain size increases from 1.6 nm to 22 nm, with substrate temperature rising from 323 K to 673 K. Optical examinations of transmittance and reflectance were performed in the spectral range of 0.2-2.5 μm. Optical constants and their dispersion curves were determined. Values of the refractive index of the films were in the range of n = 1.79-1.90 (at 0.55 μm) for substrate temperature during film deposition of 323-673 K. The changes in the refractive index upon substrate temperature correspond very well with the increase in the nanocrystals grain diameter and with film porosity.

Phosphonate-anchored monolayers for antibody binding to magnetic nanoparticles.

PubMed

Benbenishty-Shamir, Helly; Gilert, Roni; Gotman, Irena; Gutmanas, Elazar Y; Sukenik, Chaim N

2011-10-04

Targeted delivery of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) to a specific tissue can be achieved by conjugation with particular biological ligands on an appropriately functionalized IONP surface. To take best advantage of the unique magnetic properties of IONPs and to maximize their blood half-life, thin, strongly bonded, functionalized coatings are required. The work reported herein demonstrates the successful application of phosphonate-anchored self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) as ultrathin coatings for such particles. It also describes a new chemical approach to the anchoring of antibodies on the surface of SAM-coated IONPs (using nucleophilic aromatic substitution). This anchoring strategy results in stable, nonhydrolyzable, covalent attachment and allows the reactivity of the particles toward antibody binding to be activated in situ, such that prior to the activation the modified surface is stable for long-term storage. While the SAMs do not have the well-packed crystallinity of other such monolayers, their structure was studied using smooth model substrates based on an iron oxide layer on a double-side polished silicon wafer. In this way, atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, and contact angle goniometry (tools that could not be applied to the nanoparticles' surfaces) could contribute to the determination of their monomolecular thickness and uniformity. Finally, the successful conjugation of IgG antibodies to the SAM-coated IONPs such that the antibodies retain their biological activity is verified by their complexation to a secondary fluorescent antibody. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Ceruloplasmin and cardiovascular disease

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, P. L.; Mazumder, B.; Ehrenwald, E.; Mukhopadhyay, C. K.

2000-01-01

Transition metal ion-mediated oxidation is a commonly used model system for studies of the chemical, structural, and functional modifications of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The physiological relevance of studies using free metal ions is unclear and has led to an exploration of free metal ion-independent mechanisms of oxidation. We and others have investigated the role of human ceruloplasmin (Cp) in oxidative processes because it the principal copper-containing protein in serum. There is an abundance of epidemiological data that suggests that serum Cp may be an important risk factor predicting myocardial infarction and cardiovascular disease. Biochemical studies have shown that Cp is a potent catalyst of LDL oxidation in vitro. The pro-oxidant activity of Cp requires an intact structure, and a single copper atom at the surface of the protein, near His(426), is required for LDL oxidation. Under conditions where inhibitory protein (such as albumin) is present, LDL oxidation by Cp is optimal in the presence of superoxide, which reduces the surface copper atom of Cp. Cultured vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells also oxidize LDL in the presence of Cp. Superoxide release by these cells is a critical factor regulating the rate of oxidation. Cultured monocytic cells, when activated by zymosan, can oxidize LDL, but these cells are unique in their secretion of Cp. Inhibitor studies using Cp-specific antibodies and antisense oligonucleotides show that Cp is a major contributor to LDL oxidation by these cells. The role of Cp in lipoprotein oxidation and atherosclerotic lesion progression in vivo has not been directly assessed and is an important area for future studies.

Electron tomography and fractal aspects of MoS2 and MoS2/Co spheres.

PubMed

Ramos, Manuel; Galindo-Hernández, Félix; Arslan, Ilke; Sanders, Toby; Domínguez, José Manuel

2017-09-26

A study was made by a combination of 3D electron tomography reconstruction methods and N 2 adsorption for determining the fractal dimension for nanometric MoS 2 and MoS 2 /Co catalyst particles. DFT methods including Neimarke-Kiselev's method allowed to determine the particle porosity and fractal arrays at the atomic scale for the S-Mo-S(Co) 2D- layers that conform the spherically shaped catalyst particles. A structural and textural correlation was sought by further characterization performed by x-ray Rietveld refinement and Radial Distribution Function (RDF) methods, electron density maps, computational density functional theory methods and nitrogen adsorption methods altogether, for studying the structural and textural features of spherical MoS 2 and MoS 2 /Co particles. Neimark-Kiselev's equations afforded the evaluation of a pore volume variation from 10 to 110 cm 3 /g by cobalt insertion in the MoS 2 crystallographic lattice, which induces the formation of cavities and throats in between of less than 29 nm, with a curvature radius r k  < 14.4 nm; typical large needle-like arrays having 20 2D layers units correspond to a model consisting of smooth surfaces within these cavities. Decreasing D P , D B , D I and D M values occur when Co atoms are present in the MoS 2 laminates, which promote the formation of smoother edges and denser surfaces that have an influence on the catalytic properties of the S-Mo-S(Co) system.

Fabrication of AlN/BN bishell hollow nanofibers by electrospinning and atomic layer deposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haider, Ali; Kayaci, Fatma; Uyar, Tamer

2014-09-01

Aluminum nitride (AlN)/boron nitride (BN) bishell hollow nanofibers (HNFs) have been fabricated by successive atomic layer deposition (ALD) of AlN and sequential chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of BN on electrospun polymeric nanofibrous template. A four-step fabrication process was utilized: (i) fabrication of polymeric (nylon 6,6) nanofibers via electrospinning, (ii) hollow cathode plasma-assisted ALD of AlN at 100 °C onto electrospun polymeric nanofibers, (iii) calcination at 500 °C for 2 h in order to remove the polymeric template, and (iv) sequential CVD growth of BN at 450 °C. AlN/BN HNFs have been characterized for their chemical composition, surface morphology, crystal structure, and internal nanostructuremore » using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and selected area electron diffraction. Measurements confirmed the presence of crystalline hexagonal BN and AlN within the three dimensional (3D) network of bishell HNFs with relatively low impurity content. In contrast to the smooth surface of the inner AlN layer, outer BN coating showed a highly rough 3D morphology in the form of BN nano-needle crystallites. It is shown that the combination of electrospinning and plasma-assisted low-temperature ALD/CVD can produce highly controlled multi-layered bishell nitride ceramic hollow nanostructures. While electrospinning enables easy fabrication of nanofibrous template, self-limiting reactions of plasma-assisted ALD and sequential CVD provide control over the wall thicknesses of AlN and BN layers with sub-nanometer accuracy.« less

Adsorption of hyaluronic acid on solid supports: role of pH and surface chemistry in thin film self-assembly.

PubMed

Choi, Jae-Hyeok; Kim, Seong-Oh; Linardy, Eric; Dreaden, Erik C; Zhdanov, Vladimir P; Hammond, Paula T; Cho, Nam-Joon

2015-06-15

Owing to its biocompatibility, resistance to biofouling, and desirable physicochemical and biological properties, hyaluronic acid (HA) has been widely used to modify the surface of various materials. The role of various physicochemical factors in HA adsorption remains, however, to be clarified. Herein, we employed quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) in order to investigate HA adsorption at different pH conditions onto three substrates-silicon oxide, amine-terminated self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on gold, and carboxylic acid-terminated SAM on gold. The QCM-D experiments indicated specific pH conditions where either strong or weak HA adsorption occurs. The morphology of the adsorbed HA layers was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and we identified that strong HA adsorption produced a complete, homogenous and smooth HA layer, while weak HA adsorption resulted in rough and inhomogeneous HA layers. The observed specifics of the kinetics of HA adsorption, including a short initial linear phase and subsequent long non-linear phase, were described by using a mean-field kinetic model taking HA diffusion limitations and reconfiguration in the adsorbed state into account. The findings extend the physicochemical background of design strategies for improving the use of passive HA adsorption for surface modification applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transport Properties of Thin Bismuth Films on InP (110) Surfaces by Scanning Tunneling Potentiometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feenstra, R. M.; Briner, B. G.; Chin, T. P.; Woodall, J. M.

1996-03-01

Charge transport in 20--30 Å thick Bi-films is studied by scanning tunneling potentiometry (STP) at room temperature. The Bi is deposited on cleaved InP(110) surfaces at temperatures near 140 K, yielding atomically flat films interspersed with 12 Å deep holes. The InP substrates contain conducting/insulating/conducting layers, which in cross-section are used to form contacts to the film, thus enabling lateral current densities as high as 8 × 10^6 A/cm^2 . Potential variations due to scattering of this lateral current is detected using STP, by locating the zero-crossing of current-voltage characteristics at each pixel in an image. Potential images reveal, on a coarse scale, a smooth ramp arising from the electric field due to phonon scattering in the film, from which an electron-phonon scattering length of >1000 Å is deduced. On a finer scale, potential steps 2--10 mV high are seen near surface holes and grain boundaries in the film. Detailed study of the ballistic scattering near the holes reveals a dipole shaped feature, which is identified as a residual resistivity dipole. *present address: Physics, Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh PA 15213 **now at: Fritz-Haber-Institut, 14195 Berlin, briner@fhi-berlin.mpg.de

Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Ceramic Deposition on SS430 Ferritic Steel Grown by PLD - Pulsed Laser Deposition Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalid Rivai, Abu; Mardiyanto; Agusutrisno; Suharyadi, Edi

2017-01-01

Development of high temperature materials are one of the key issues for the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors due to higher temperature operation. One of the candidate materials for that purpose is ceramic-coated ferritic steel that one of the functions is to be a thermal barrier coating (TBC). Thin films of YSZ (Ytrria-Stabilized Zirconia) ceramic have been deposited on a SS430 ferritic steel using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) at Center For Science and Technology of Advanced Materials laboratory - National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia (BATAN). The thin film was deposited with the chamber pressure range of 200-225 mTorr, the substrate temperature of 800oC, and the number of laser shots of 3×104, 6×104 and 9×104. Afterward, the samples were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscope - Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscope (SEM-EDS), X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Vickers hardness tester. The results showed that the YSZ could homogeneously and sticky deposited on the surface of the ferritic steel. The surfaces were very smoothly formed with the surface roughness was in the range of 70 nm. Furthermore, thickness, composition of Zr4+ dan Y3+, the crystallinity, and hardness property was increased with the increasing the number of the shots.

Improvement in negative bias illumination stress stability of In-Ga-Zn-O thin film transistors using HfO2 gate insulators by controlling atomic-layer-deposition conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Na, So-Yeong; Kim, Yeo-Myeong; Yoon, Da-Jeong; Yoon, Sung-Min

2017-12-01

The effects of atomic layer deposition (ALD) conditions for the HfO2 gate insulators (GI) on the device characteristics of the InGaZnO (IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) were investigated when the ALD temperature and Hf precursor purge time were varied to 200, 225, and 250 °C, and 15 and 30 s, respectively. The HfO2 thin films showed low leakage current density of 10-8 A cm-2, high dielectric constant of over 20, and smooth surface roughness at all ALD conditions. The IGZO TFTs using the HfO2 GIs showed good device characteristics such as a saturation mobility as high as 11 cm2 V-1 s-1, a subthreshold swing as low as 0.10 V/dec, and all the devices could be operated at a gate voltage as low as  ±3 V. While there were no marked differences in transfer characteristics and PBS stabilities among the fabricated devices, the NBIS instabilities could be improved by increasing the ALD temperature for the formation of HfO2 GIs by reducing the oxygen vacancies within the IGZO channel.

Operando SXRD of E-ALD deposited sulphides ultra-thin films: Crystallite strain and size

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giaccherini, Andrea; Russo, Francesca; Carlà, Francesco; Guerri, Annalisa; Picca, Rosaria Anna; Cioffi, Nicola; Cinotti, Serena; Montegrossi, Giordano; Passaponti, Maurizio; Di Benedetto, Francesco; Felici, Roberto; Innocenti, Massimo

2018-02-01

Electrochemical Atomic Layer Deposition (E-ALD), exploiting surface limited electrodeposition of atomic layers, can easily grow highly ordered ultra-thin films and 2D structures. Among other compounds CuxZnyS grown by means of E-ALD on Ag(111) has been found particularly suitable for the solar energy conversion due to its band gap (1.61 eV). However its growth seems to be characterized by a micrometric thread-like structure, probably overgrowing a smooth ultra-thin films. On this ground, a SXRD investigation has been performed, to address the open questions about the structure and the growth of CuxZnyS by means of E-ALD. The experiment shows a pseudo single crystal pattern as well as a powder pattern, confirming that part of the sample grows epitaxially on the Ag(111) substrate. The growth of the film was monitored by following the evolution of the Bragg peaks and Debye rings during the E-ALD steps. Breadth and profile analysis of the Bragg peaks lead to a qualitative interpretation of the growth mechanism. This study confirms that Zn lead to the growth of a strained Cu2S-like structure, while the growth of the thread-like structure is probably driven by the release of the stress from the epitaxial phase.

How a Nanodroplet Diffuses on Smooth Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chu; Huang, Jizu; Li, Zhigang

2016-11-01

In this study, we investigate how nanodroplets diffuse on smooth surfaces through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and theoretical analyses. The simulations results show that the surface diffusion of nanodroplet is different from that of single molecules and solid nanoparticles. The dependence of nanodroplet diffusion coefficient on temperature is surface wettability dependent, which undergoes a transition from linear to nonlinear as the surface wettability is weakened due to the coupling of temperature and surface energy. We also develop a simple relation for the diffusion coefficient by using the contact angle and contact radius of the droplet. It works well for different surface wettabilities and sized nanodroplets, as confirmed by MD simulations. This work was supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under Grant No. 615312.

Energy functions for regularization algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delingette, H.; Hebert, M.; Ikeuchi, K.

1991-01-01

Regularization techniques are widely used for inverse problem solving in computer vision such as surface reconstruction, edge detection, or optical flow estimation. Energy functions used for regularization algorithms measure how smooth a curve or surface is, and to render acceptable solutions these energies must verify certain properties such as invariance with Euclidean transformations or invariance with parameterization. The notion of smoothness energy is extended here to the notion of a differential stabilizer, and it is shown that to void the systematic underestimation of undercurvature for planar curve fitting, it is necessary that circles be the curves of maximum smoothness. A set of stabilizers is proposed that meet this condition as well as invariance with rotation and parameterization.

Substrate texture affects female cricket walking response to male calling song

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarmiento-Ponce, E. J.; Sutcliffe, M. P. F.; Hedwig, B.

2018-03-01

Field crickets are extensively used as a model organism to study female phonotactic walking behaviour, i.e. their attraction to the male calling song. Laboratory-based phonotaxis experiments generally rely on arena or trackball-based settings; however, no attention has been paid to the effect of substrate texture on the response. Here, we tested phonotaxis in female Gryllus bimaculatus, walking on trackballs machined from methyl-methacrylate foam with different cell sizes. Surface height variations of the trackballs, due to the cellular composition of the material, were measured with profilometry and characterized as smooth, medium or rough, with roughness amplitudes of 7.3, 16 and 180 µm. Female phonotaxis was best on a rough and medium trackball surface, a smooth surface resulted in a significant lower phonotactic response. Claws of the cricket foot were crucial for effective walking. Females insert their claws into the surface pores to allow mechanical interlocking with the substrate texture and a high degree of attachment, which cannot be established on smooth surfaces. These findings provide insight to the biomechanical basis of insect walking and may inform behavioural studies that the surface texture on which walking insects are tested is crucial for the resulting behavioural response.

Effect of manufacturing defects on optical performance of discontinuous freeform lenses.

PubMed

Wang, Kai; Liu, Sheng; Chen, Fei; Liu, Zongyuan; Luo, Xiaobing

2009-03-30

Discontinuous freeform lens based secondary optics are essential to LED illumination systems. Surface roughness and smooth transition between two discrete sub-surfaces are two of the most common manufacturing defects existing in discontinuous freeform lenses. The effects of these two manufacturing defects on the optical performance of two discontinuous freeform lenses were investigated by comparing the experimental results with the numerical simulation results based on Monte Carlo ray trace method. The results demonstrated that manufacturing defects induced surface roughness had small effect on the light output efficiency and the shape of light pattern of the PMMA lens but significantly affected the uniformity of light pattern, which declined from 0.644 to 0.313. The smooth transition surfaces with deviation angle more than 60 degrees existing in the BK7 glass lens, not only reduced the uniformity of light pattern, but also reduced the light output efficiency from 96.9% to 91.0% and heavily deformed the shape of the light pattern. Comparing with the surface roughness, the smooth transition surface had a much more adverse effect on the optical performance of discontinuous freeform lenses. Three methods were suggested to improve the illumination performance according to the analysis and discussion.

Impact of Fe powder sintering and soldering in production of porous heating surface on flow boiling heat transfer in minichannels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Depczyński, Wojciech; Piasecki, Artur; Piasecka, Magdalena; Strąk, Kinga

2017-10-01

This paper focuses on identification of the impact of porous heated surface on flow boiling heat transfer in a rectangular minichannel. The heated element for Fluorinert FC-72 was a thin plate made of Haynes-230. Infrared thermography was used to determine changes in the temperature on its outer smooth side. The porous surface in contact with the fluid in the minichannel was produced in two processes: sintering or soldering of Fe powder to the plate. The results were presented as relationships between the heat transfer coefficient and the distance from the minichannel inlet and as boiling curves. Results obtained for using a smooth heated plate at the saturated boiling region were also presented to compare. In the subcooled boiling region, at a higher heat flux, the heat transfer coefficient was slightly higher for the surface prepared via soldering. In the saturated boiling region, the local heat transfer coefficients obtained for the smooth plate surface were slightly higher than those achieved from the sintered plate surface. The porous structures formed have low thermal conductivity. This may induce noticeable thermal resistance at the diffusion bridges of the sintered structures, in particular within the saturated boiling region.

Osmium Atoms and Os2 Molecules Move Faster on Selenium-Doped Compared to Sulfur-Doped Boronic Graphenic Surfaces

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

We deposited Os atoms on S- and Se-doped boronic graphenic surfaces by electron bombardment of micelles containing 16e complexes [Os(p-cymene)(1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecarborane-1,2-diselenate/dithiolate)] encapsulated in a triblock copolymer. The surfaces were characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and electron energy loss spectroscopy of energy filtered TEM (EFTEM). Os atoms moved ca. 26× faster on the B/Se surface compared to the B/S surface (233 ± 34 pm·s–1versus 8.9 ± 1.9 pm·s–1). Os atoms formed dimers with an average Os–Os distance of 0.284 ± 0.077 nm on the B/Se surface and 0.243 ± 0.059 nm on B/S, close to that in metallic Os. The Os2 molecules moved 0.83× and 0.65× more slowly than single Os atoms on B/S and B/Se surfaces, respectively, and again markedly faster (ca. 20×) on the B/Se surface (151 ± 45 pm·s–1 versus 7.4 ± 2.8 pm·s–1). Os atom motion did not follow Brownian motion and appears to involve anchoring sites, probably S and Se atoms. The ability to control the atomic motion of metal atoms and molecules on surfaces has potential for exploitation in nanodevices of the future. PMID:26525180

Fully methylated, atomically flat (111) silicon surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fidélis, A.; Ozanam, F.; Chazalviel, J.-N.

2000-01-01

The atomically flat hydrogenated (111) silicon surface has been methylated by anodization in a Grignard reagent and the surface obtained characterized by infrared spectroscopy. 100% substitution of the hydrogen atoms by methyl groups is observed. The resulting surface exhibits preserved ordering and superior chemical stability.

Investigations of the kinetics of surfactant-assisted growth of cobalt/copper multilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Brennan Lovelace

Surfactants---a term given to a broad family of surface additives used in thin film growth---provide a potentially useful tool for the deposition engineer. A long history of work on the field has produced a sometimes conflicting view of what surfactants do, and while their efficacy in improving magnetic films is well established, the attendant structural changes remain unclear. Early work on surfactant-assisted growth was generally confined to deposition at near equilibrium conditions: high temperature and very slow deposition rates on very smooth (single crystal) substrates. In the case of low temperature sputter deposition, the kinetic phenomena differ greatly from the near-equilibrium case: high rate, more interlayer diffusive pathways, high grain boundary density, and few well defined atomic steps. There are two major ideas which underlie and explain the use of surfactants. First, they are used to alter growth kinetics of a single material by changing the diffusion barriers on the growing surface. Second, surfactants alter the initial nucleation parameters in heteroepitaxial growth, which is often explained with reference to changes in the surface energy, gamma. Changes to these parameters result, in turn, to variations of the roughness and conformality of thin films grown with the assistance of surfactants. Finally, the roughness and conformality are critical for determining the performance of modern thin film magnetic sensors. As surfactants offer a way to alter the nucleation and growth kinetics, they offer tremendous potential benefits. However, before surfactants are trustworthy deposition tool, a better understanding of their structural effects and underlying surface energy and kinetic changes is necessary. In order to investigate these phenomena, DC magnetron sputtered [Co/Cu] multilayers were deposited on Si/SiO2 substrates using O2 , Ag, Pb, and In as surfactants. Oxygen was introduced during growth at partial pressures ranging from 10-9 to 10-6 Torr, as well as "puffed" onto interfaces. The metallic surfactants (Pb, In, Ag) were deposited at various points in the multilayer---on top of the Co, on top of the Cu, or at the base---in order to determine the most effective position. In order to determine the role surface energy plays in determining surfactant assisted growth, in-situ stress measurements were taken. Surface energy effects are clearly seen in In and Pb deposition, while minimal changes are seen for O2 and Ag. To quantify the microstructural changes, low angle specular and diffuse scatter measurements were made. Specular scatter is sensitive to the film roughness, while diffuse scatter is particularly sensitive to changes to the layer-to-layer roughness correlations. The addition of a constant background of O2 during growth had the largest effect on the conformality and smoothness of the multilayers. Of the metallic surfactants, using Ag led to the greatest improvement in smoothness and correlation. With these results in hand, we posit a few basic models of surfactant activity in the various material systems.

Surface Coating of Gypsum-Based Molds for Maxillofacial Prosthetic Silicone Elastomeric Material: The Surface Topography.

PubMed

Khalaf, Salah; Ariffin, Zaihan; Husein, Adam; Reza, Fazal

2015-07-01

This study aimed to compare the surface roughness of maxillofacial silicone elastomers fabricated in noncoated and coated gypsum materials. This study was also conducted to characterize the silicone elastomer specimens after surfaces were modified. A gypsum mold was coated with clear acrylic spray. The coated mold was then used to produce modified silicone experimental specimens (n = 35). The surface roughness of the modified silicone elastomers was compared with that of the control specimens, which were prepared by conventional flasking methods (n = 35). An atomic force microscope (AFM) was used for surface roughness measurement of silicone elastomer (unmodified and modified), and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to evaluate the topographic conditions of coated and noncoated gypsum and silicone elastomer specimens (unmodified and modified) groups. After the gypsum molds were characterized, the fabricated silicone elastomers molded on noncoated and coated gypsum materials were evaluated further. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis of gypsum materials (noncoated and coated) and silicone elastomer specimens (unmodified and modified) was performed to evaluate the elemental changes after coating was conducted. Independent t test was used to analyze the differences in the surface roughness of unmodified and modified silicone at a significance level of p < 0.05. Roughness was significantly reduced in the silicone elastomers processed against coated gypsum materials (p < 0.001). The AFM and SEM analysis results showed evident differences in surface smoothness. EDX data further revealed the presence of the desired chemical components on the surface layer of unmodified and modified silicone elastomers. Silicone elastomers with lower surface roughness of maxillofacial prostheses can be obtained simply by coating a gypsum mold. © 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

WETTABILITY AND IMBIBITION: MICROSCOPIC DISTRIBUTION OF WETTING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES AT THE CORE AND FIELD SCALES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jill S. Buckley; Norman R. Morrow; Chris Palmer

2003-02-01

The questions of reservoir wettability have been approached in this project from three directions. First, we have studied the properties of crude oils that contribute to wetting alteration in a reservoir. A database of more than 150 different crude oil samples has been established to facilitate examination of the relationships between crude oil chemical and physical properties and their influence on reservoir wetting. In the course of this work an improved SARA analysis technique was developed and major advances were made in understanding asphaltene stability including development of a thermodynamic Asphaltene Solubility Model (ASM) and empirical methods for predicting themore » onset of instability. The CO-Wet database is a resource that will be used to guide wettability research in the future. The second approach is to study crude oil/brine/rock interactions on smooth surfaces. Contact angle measurements were made under controlled conditions on mica surfaces that had been exposed to many of the oils in the CO-Wet database. With this wealth of data, statistical tests can now be used to examine the relationships between crude oil properties and the tendencies of those oils to alter wetting. Traditionally, contact angles have been used as the primary wetting assessment tool on smooth surfaces. A new technique has been developed using an atomic forces microscope that adds a new dimension to the ability to characterize oil-treated surfaces. Ultimately we aim to understand wetting in porous media, the focus of the third approach taken in this project. Using oils from the CO-Wet database, experimental advances have been made in scaling the rate of imbibition, a sensitive measure of core wetting. Application of the scaling group to mixed-wet systems has been demonstrated for a range of core conditions. Investigations of imbibition in gas/liquid systems provided the motivation for theoretical advances as well. As a result of this project we have many new tools for studying wetting at microscopic and macroscopic scales and a library of well-characterized fluids for use in studies of crude oil/brine/rock interactions.« less

Fine tuning the ionic liquid-vacuum outer atomic surface using ion mixtures.

PubMed

Villar-Garcia, Ignacio J; Fearn, Sarah; Ismail, Nur L; McIntosh, Alastair J S; Lovelock, Kevin R J

2015-03-28

Ionic liquid-vacuum outer atomic surfaces can be created that are remarkably different from the bulk composition. In this communication we demonstrate, using low-energy ion scattering (LEIS), that for ionic liquid mixtures the outer atomic surface shows significantly more atoms from anions with weaker cation-anion interactions (and vice versa).

INVESTIGATION INTO THE MECHANISMS OF TISSUE ATOMIZATION BY HIGH INTENSITY FOCUSED ULTRASOUND

PubMed Central

Simon, Julianna C.; Sapozhnikov, Oleg A.; Wang, Yak-Nam; Khokhlova, Vera A.; Crum, Lawrence A.; Bailey, Michael R.

2014-01-01

Ultrasonic atomization, or the emission of a fog of droplets, was recently proposed to explain tissue fractionation in boiling histotripsy. However, even though liquid atomization has been studied extensively, the mechanisms of tissue atomization remain unclear. In this paper, high-speed photography and overpressure were used to evaluate the role of bubbles in tissue atomization. As the static pressure increased, the degree of fractionation decreased, and the ex vivo tissue became thermally denatured. The effect of surface wetness on atomization was also evaluated in vivo and in tissue-mimicking gels where surface wetness was found to enhance atomization by forming surface instabilities that augment cavitation. In addition, experimental results indicated that wetting collagenous tissues, such as the liver capsule, allowed atomization to breach such barriers. These results highlight the importance of bubbles and surface instabilities in atomization and could be used to enhance boiling histotripsy for transition to clinical use. PMID:25662182