Spray-Pyrolyzed Three-Dimensional CuInS2 Solar Cells on Nanocrystalline-Titania Electrodes with Chemical-Bath-Deposited Inx(OH)ySz Buffer Layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Duy-Cuong; Mikami, Yuki; Tsujimoto, Kazuki; Ryo, Toshihiro; Ito, Seigo

2012-10-01

Three-dimensional (3D) compound solar cells with the structure of have been fabricated by spray pyrolysis deposition of CuInS2 and chemical-bath deposition of Inx(OH)ySz for the light absorber and buffer layer, respectively. The effect of deposition and annealing conditions of Inx(OH)ySz on the photovoltaic properties of 3D CuInS2 solar cells was investigated. Inx(OH)ySz annealed in air ambient showed a better cell performance than those annealed in nitrogen ambient and without annealing. The improvement of the performance of cells with Inx(OH)ySz buffer layers annealed in air ambient is due to the increase in oxide concentration in the buffer layers [confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement]. Among cells with Inx(OH)ySz buffer layers deposited for 1, 1.5, 1.75, and 2 h, that with Inx(OH)ySz deposited for 1.75 h showed the best cell performance. The best cell performance was observed for Inx(OH)ySz deposited for 1.75 h with annealing at 300 °C for 30 min in air ambient, and cell parameters were 22 mA cm-2 short-circuit photocurrent density, 0.41 V open-circuit voltage, 0.35 fill factor, and 3.2% conversion efficiency.

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

Ding, Junjia; Ade, P. A. R.; Anderson, A. J.

In this paper, we describe the optimization of transition-edge-sensor (TES) detector arrays for the third-generation camera for the South PoleTelescope. The camera, which contains similar to 16 000 detectors, will make high-angular-resolution maps of the temperature and polarization of the cosmic microwave background. Our key results are scatter in the transition temperature of Ti/Au TESs is reduced by fabricating the TESs on a thin Ti(5 nm)/Au(5 nm) buffer layer and the thermal conductivity of the legs that support our detector islands is dominated by the SiOx dielectric in the microstrip transmission lines that run along the legs.

Effects of Different Buffers on the Construction of Aptamer Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Quan; Dai, Zhao; Wu, Wenjing; Zhu, Haijia; Ji, Luyu

2017-12-01

In this paper, the effect of different buffers, PBS and TBE, on the construction of an aptamer sensor (apt sensor) for ATP was investigated. The apt sensor was based on fluorescence energy resonance transfer (FRET), when the energy donor was 5'-carboxyfluorescein (5'-FAM) and the energy receptor was Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), respectively. Both the donor and acceptor were conjugated with complementary and single stranded DNA (ssDNA). The fluorescent changes of the sensors were measured to investigate the influence of different buffers during the whole preparation and detection process. The results indicated that when the AuNPs and ssDNA (Au-DNA1) were conjugated in PBS buffer, the corresponding apt sensors would obtain a better detection ability of ATP than in TBE buffer.

Stress engineering of high-quality single crystal diamond by heteroepitaxial lateral overgrowth

DOE PAGES

Tang, Y. -H.; Golding, B.

2016-02-02

Here, we describe a method for lateral overgrowth of low-stress single crystal diamond by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The process is initiated by deposition of a thin (550 nm) (001) diamond layer on Ir-buffered a-plane sapphire. The diamond is partially masked by periodic thermally evaporated Au stripes using photolithography. Lateral overgrowth of the Au occurs with extremely effective filtering of threading dislocations. Thermal stress resulting from mismatch of the low thermal expansion diamond and the sapphire substrate is largely accommodated by the ductile Au layer. The stress state of the diamond is investigated by Raman spectroscopy for two thicknesses: atmore » 10 μm where the film has just overgrown the Au mask and at 180 μm where the film thickness greatly exceeds the scale of the masking. For the 10-μm film, the Raman linewidth shows spatial oscillations with the period of the Au stripes with a factor of 2 to 3 reduction relative to the unmasked region. In a 180-μm thick diamond film, the overall surface stress was extremely low, 0.00 ± 0.16 GPa, obtained from the Raman shift averaged over the 7.5mm diameter of the crystal at its surface. We conclude that the metal mask protects the overgrown diamond layer from substrate-induced thermal stress and cracking. Lastly, it is also responsible for low internal stress by reducing dislocation density by several orders of magnitude.« less

Interface magnetic anisotropy for monatomic layer-controlled Co/Ni epitaxial multilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shioda, A.; Seki, T.; Shimada, J.; Takanashi, K.

2015-05-01

The magnetic properties for monatomic layer (ML)-controlled Co/Ni epitaxial multilayers were investigated in order to evaluate the interface magnetic anisotropy energy (Ks) between Ni and Co layers. The Co/Ni epitaxial multilayers were prepared on an Al2O3 (11-20) substrate with V/Au buffer layers. The value of Ks was definitely larger than that for the textured Co/Ni grown on a thermally oxidized Si substrate. We consider that the sharp interface for the epitaxial Co/Ni played a role to increase the value of Ks, which also enabled us to obtain perpendicular magnetization even for the 1 ML-Co/1 ML-Ni multilayer.

Patterned Electrode-Based Amperometric Gas Sensor for Direct Nitric Oxide Detection within Microfluidic Devices

PubMed Central

Cha, Wansik; Tung, Yi-Chung; Meyerhoff, Mark E.; Takayama, Shuichi

2010-01-01

This manuscript describes a thin amperometric nitric oxide (NO) sensor that can be microchannel embedded to enable direct real-time detection of NO produced by cells cultured within the microdevice. A key for achieving the thin (~ 1 mm) planar sensor configuration required for sensor-channel integration is the use of gold/indium-tin oxide patterned electrode directly on a porous polymer membrane (pAu/ITO) as the base working electrode. Electrochemically deposited Au-hexacyanoferrate layer on pAu/ITO is used to catalyze NO oxidation to nitrite at lower applied potentials (0.65 ~ 0.75 V vs. Ag/AgCl) and stabilize current output. Furthermore, use of a gas-permeable membrane to separate internal sensor compartments from the sample phase imparts excellent NO selectivity over common interferents (e.g., nitrite, ascorbate, ammonia, etc.) present in culture media and biological fluids. The optimized sensor design reversibly detects NO down to ~1 nM level in stirred buffer and <10 nM in flowing buffer when integrated within a polymeric microfluidic device. We demonstrate utility of the channel-embedded sensor by monitoring NO generation from macrophages cultured within non-gas permeable microchannels, as they are stimulated with endotoxin. PMID:20329749

C-Axis-Oriented Hydroxyapatite Film Grown Using ZnO Buffer Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakoishi, Yasuhiro; Iguchi, Ryo; Nishikawa, Hiroaki; Hontsu, Shigeki; Hayami, Takashi; Kusunoki, Masanobu

2013-11-01

A method of fabricating c-axis-oriented hydroxyapatite film on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor was investigated. ZnO was used as a template to obtain a hexagonal hydroxyapatite crystal of uniaxial orientation. The ZnO was grown as a c-axis film on a Au/quartz with the surface structure of a QCM sensor. Under optimized conditions, hydroxyapatite was deposited by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction showed the hydroxyapatite film to be oriented along the c-axis. Because Au and ZnO are applied to many devices, the anisotropic properties of hydroxyapatite may be incorporated into these devices as well as QCM sensors.

Optimization of transition edge sensor arrays for cosmic microwave background observations with the south pole telescope

DOE PAGES

Ding, Junjia; Ade, P. A. R.; Anderson, A. J.; ...

2016-12-15

In this study, we describe the optimization of transition-edge-sensor (TES) detector arrays for the thirdgeneration camera for the South PoleTelescope.The camera,which contains ~16 000 detectors, will make high-angular-resolution maps of the temperature and polarization of the cosmic microwave background. Our key results are scatter in the transition temperature of Ti/Au TESs is reduced by fabricating the TESs on a thin Ti(5 nm)/Au(5 nm) buffer layer and the thermal conductivity of the legs that support our detector islands is dominated by the SiOx dielectric in the microstrip transmission lines that run along

A novel electrochemical immunosensor based on Au nanoparticles and horseradish peroxidase signal amplification for ultrasensitive detection of α-fetoprotein.

PubMed

Lu, Dingqiang; Xu, Qiuda; Pang, Guangchang; Lu, Fuping

2018-06-05

An electrochemical double-layer Au nanoparticle membrane immunosensor was developed using an electrochemical biosensing signal amplification system with Au nanoparticles, thionine, chitosan, and horseradish peroxidase, which was fabricated using double self-adsorption of Au nanoparticle sol followed by anti-α-fetoprotein Balb/c mouse monoclonal antibody adsorption. The AuNPs sol was characterized by spectrum scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The immunosensor was characterized by atomic force microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and alternating-current impedance during each stage of adsorption and assembly. The amperometric I-t curve method was used to measure α-fetoprotein (AFP) diluted in phosphate buffered saline. The result indicated a wide linear range, and the change rate of steady-current before and after immune response had linear correlation within the range 0.1-10 4  pg/mL AFP. The current change rate equation was △I = 5.82334 lgC + 37.01195 (R 2  = 0.9922). The lowest limit of detection was 0.03 pg/mL (S/N = 3), and the reproducibility of the sensor was good. Additionally, the sensor could be stably stored above phosphate buffered saline at 4 °C for more than 24 days. More importantly, the sensor is label-free, reagentless and low fouling, making it capable of assaying AFP in real serum samples without suffering from significant interference or biofouling.

Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles with Buffer-Dependent Variations of Size and Morphology in Biological Buffers.

PubMed

Ahmed, Syed Rahin; Oh, Sangjin; Baba, Rina; Zhou, Hongjian; Hwang, Sungu; Lee, Jaebeom; Park, Enoch Y

2016-12-01

The demand for biologically compatible and stable noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) has increased in recent years due to their inert nature and unique optical properties. In this article, we present 11 different synthetic methods for obtaining gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) through the use of common biological buffers. The results demonstrate that the sizes, shapes, and monodispersity of the NPs could be varied depending on the type of buffer used, as these buffers acted as both a reducing agent and a stabilizer in each synthesis. Theoretical simulations and electrochemical experiments were performed to understand the buffer-dependent variations of size and morphology exhibited by these Au NPs, which revealed that surface interactions and the electrostatic energy on the (111) surface of Au were the determining factors. The long-term stability of the synthesized NPs in buffer solution was also investigated. Most NPs synthesized using buffers showed a uniquely wide range of pH stability and excellent cell viability without the need for further modifications.

Noble-metal intercalation process leading to a protected adatom in a graphene hollow site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narayanan Nair, M.; Cranney, M.; Jiang, T.; Hajjar-Garreau, S.; Aubel, D.; Vonau, F.; Florentin, A.; Denys, E.; Bocquet, M.-L.; Simon, L.

2016-08-01

In previous studies, we have shown that gold deposited on a monolayer (ML) of graphene on SiC(0001) is intercalated below the ML after an annealing procedure and affects the band structure of graphene. Here we prove experimentally and theoretically that some of the gold forms a dispersed phase composed of single adatoms, being intercalated between the ML and the buffer layer and in a hollow position with respect to C atoms of the ML on top. They are freestanding and negatively charged, due to the partial screening of the electron transfer between SiC and the ML, without changing the intrinsic n-type doping of the ML. As these single atoms decouple the ML from the buffer layer, the quasiparticles of graphene are less perturbed, thus increasing their Fermi velocity. Moreover, the hollow position of the intercalated single Au atoms might lead to spin-orbit coupling in the graphene layer covering IC domains. This effect of spin-orbit coupling has been recently observed experimentally in Au-intercalated graphene on SiC(0001) [D. Marchenko, A. Varykhalov, J. Sánchez-Barriga, Th. Seyller, and O. Rader, Appl. Phys. Lett. 108, 172405 (2016), 10.1063/1.4947286] and has been theoretically predicted for heavy atoms, like thallium, in a hollow position on graphene [C. Weeks, J. Hu, J. Alicea, M. Franz, and R. Wu, Phys. Rev. X 1, 021001 (2011), 10.1103/PhysRevX.1.021001; A. Cresti, D. V. Tuan, D. Soriano, A. W. Cummings, and S. Roche, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 246603 (2014), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.246603].

Au@Ag core-shell nanocubes for efficient plasmonic light scattering effect in low bandgap organic solar cells.

PubMed

Baek, Se-Woong; Park, Garam; Noh, Jonghyeon; Cho, Changsoon; Lee, Chun-Ho; Seo, Min-Kyo; Song, Hyunjoon; Lee, Jung-Yong

2014-04-22

In this report, we propose a metal-metal core-shell nanocube (NC) as an advanced plasmonic material for highly efficient organic solar cells (OSCs). We covered an Au core with a thin Ag shell as a scattering enhancer to build Au@Ag NCs, which showed stronger scattering efficiency than Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) throughout the visible range. Highly efficient plasmonic organic solar cells were fabricated by embedding Au@Ag NCs into an anodic buffer layer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), and the power conversion efficiency was enhanced to 6.3% from 5.3% in poly[N-9-hepta-decanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4,7-di-2-thienyl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT):[6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) based OSCs and 9.2% from 7.9% in polythieno[3,4-b]thiophene/benzodithiophene (PTB7):PC70BM based OSCs. The Au@Ag NC plasmonic PCDTBT:PC70BM-based organic solar cells showed 2.2-fold higher external quantum efficiency enhancement compared to AuNPs devices at a wavelength of 450-700 nm due to the amplified plasmonic scattering effect. Finally, we proved the strongly enhanced plasmonic scattering efficiency of Au@Ag NCs embedded in organic solar cells via theoretical calculations and detailed optical measurements.

Molecular-level insights of early-stage prion protein aggregation on mica and gold surface determined by AFM imaging and molecular simulation.

PubMed

Lou, Zhichao; Wang, Bin; Guo, Cunlan; Wang, Kun; Zhang, Haiqian; Xu, Bingqian

2015-11-01

By in situ time-lapse AFM, we investigated early-stage aggregates of PrP formed at low concentration (100 ng/mL) on mica and Au(111) surfaces in acetate buffer (pH 4.5). Remarkably different PrP assemblies were observed. Oligomeric structures of PrP aggregates were observed on mica surface, which was in sharp contrast to the multi-layer PrP aggregates yielding parallel linear patterns observed Au(111) surface. Combining molecular dynamics and docking simulations, PrP monomers, dimers and trimers were revealed as the basic units of the observed aggregates. Besides, the mechanisms of the observed PrP aggregations and the corresponding molecular-substrate and intermolecular interactions were suggested. These interactions involved gold-sulfur interaction, electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic interaction, and hydrogen binding interaction. In contrast, the PrP aggregates observed in pH 7.2 PBS buffer demonstrated similar large ball-like structures on both mica and Au(111) surfaces. The results indicate that the pH of a solution and the surface of the system can have strong effects on supramolecular assemblies of prion proteins. This study provides in-depth understanding on the structural and mechanistic nature of PrP aggregation, and can be used to study the aggregation mechanisms of other proteins with similar misfolding properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Method of depositing an electrically conductive oxide buffer layer on a textured substrate and articles formed therefrom

DOEpatents

Paranthaman, M. Parans; Aytug, Tolga; Christen, David K.

2005-10-18

An article with an improved buffer layer architecture includes a substrate having a textured metal surface, and an electrically conductive lanthanum metal oxide epitaxial buffer layer on the surface of the substrate. The article can also include an epitaxial superconducting layer deposited on the epitaxial buffer layer. An epitaxial capping layer can be placed between the epitaxial buffer layer and the superconducting layer. A method for preparing an epitaxial article includes providing a substrate with a metal surface and depositing on the metal surface a lanthanum metal oxide epitaxial buffer layer. The method can further include depositing a superconducting layer on the epitaxial buffer layer, and depositing an epitaxial capping layer between the epitaxial buffer layer and the superconducting layer.

Method of depositing an electrically conductive oxide buffer layer on a textured substrate and articles formed therefrom

DOEpatents

Paranthaman, M. Parans; Aytug, Tolga; Christen, David K.

2003-09-09

An article with an improved buffer layer architecture includes a substrate having a textured metal surface, and an electrically conductive lanthanum metal oxide epitaxial buffer layer on the surface of the substrate. The article can also include an epitaxial superconducting layer deposited on the epitaxial buffer layer. An epitaxial capping layer can be placed between the epitaxial buffer layer and the superconducting layer. A method for preparing an epitaxial article includes providing a substrate with a metal surface and depositing on the metal surface a lanthanum metal oxide epitaxial buffer layer. The method can further include depositing a superconducting layer on the epitaxial buffer layer, and depositing an epitaxial capping layer between the epitaxial buffer layer and the superconducting layer.

Magnetic domain observation of FeCo thin films fabricated by alternate monoatomic layer deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohtsuki, T.; Kojima, T.; Kotsugi, M.; Ohkochi, T.; Mizuguchi, M.; Takanashi, K.

2014-01-01

FeCo thin films are fabricated by alternate monoatomic layer deposition method on a Cu3Au buffer layer, which in-plane lattice constant is very close to the predicted value to obtain a large magnetic anisotropy constant. The variation of the in-plane lattice constant during the deposition process is investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The magnetic domain images are also observed by a photoelectron emission microscope in order to microscopically understand the magnetic structure. As a result, element-specific magnetic domain images show that Fe and Co magnetic moments align parallel. A series of images obtained with various azimuth reveal that the FeCo thin films show fourfold in-plane magnetic anisotropy along ⟨110⟩ direction, and that the magnetic domain structure is composed only of 90∘ wall.

Degradation of small-molecule organic solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Q. L.; Wang, M. L.; Obbard, E. G.; Sun, X. Y.; Ding, X. M.; Hou, X. Y.; Li, C. M.

2006-12-01

Small-molecule organic solar cells with a structure of indium tin oxide (ITO)tris-8-hydroxy-quinolinato aluminum (Alq3) (2nm)fullerene (C60) (40nm)\\copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) (32nm)Au (40nm) were fabricated. The shelf lifetime of unencapsulated devices was over 1500h, and the power conversion efficiency reached 0.76% under AM1.5G (air mass 1.5 global) 75mW/cm2. The long lifetime was attributed to the inverted structure compared to the conventional ITO CuPcC60bufferAl structure since the former could effectively protect C60 from the diffusion of oxygen and modify interfacial electrical properties. The introduction of a 2nm Alq3 layer into the cells enhanced the power conversion efficiency by more than 20 times. The presence of the thin Alq3 film on the ITO substrate lowered the substrate work function and hence increased the electric field in the organic layers, which was beneficial to the collection of free carriers. The reasons for the degradation of such kind of organic solar cells are analyzed in detail.

Pt monolayer coating on complex network substrate with high catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction

PubMed Central

Li, Man; Ma, Qiang; Zi, Wei; Liu, Xiaojing; Zhu, Xuejie; Liu, Shengzhong (Frank)

2015-01-01

A deposition process has been developed to fabricate a complete-monolayer Pt coating on a large-surface-area three-dimensional (3D) Ni foam substrate using a buffer layer (Ag or Au) strategy. The quartz crystal microbalance, current density analysis, cyclic voltammetry integration, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that the monolayer deposition process accomplishes full coverage on the substrate and the deposition can be controlled to a single atomic layer thickness. To our knowledge, this is the first report on a complete-monolayer Pt coating on a 3D bulk substrate with complex fine structures; all prior literature reported on submonolayer or incomplete-monolayer coating. A thin underlayer of Ag or Au is found to be necessary to cover a very reactive Ni substrate to ensure complete-monolayer Pt coverage; otherwise, only an incomplete monolayer is formed. Moreover, the Pt monolayer is found to work as well as a thick Pt film for catalytic reactions. This development may pave a way to fabricating a high-activity Pt catalyst with minimal Pt usage. PMID:26601247

Magnetic domain observation of FeCo thin films fabricated by alternate monoatomic layer deposition

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

Ohtsuki, T., E-mail: ohtsuki@spring8.or.jp; Kotsugi, M.; Ohkochi, T.

2014-01-28

FeCo thin films are fabricated by alternate monoatomic layer deposition method on a Cu{sub 3}Au buffer layer, which in-plane lattice constant is very close to the predicted value to obtain a large magnetic anisotropy constant. The variation of the in-plane lattice constant during the deposition process is investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The magnetic domain images are also observed by a photoelectron emission microscope in order to microscopically understand the magnetic structure. As a result, element-specific magnetic domain images show that Fe and Co magnetic moments align parallel. A series of images obtained with various azimuth reveal that themore » FeCo thin films show fourfold in-plane magnetic anisotropy along 〈110〉 direction, and that the magnetic domain structure is composed only of 90∘ wall.« less

Reducing interface recombination for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} by atomic layer deposited buffer layers

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

Hultqvist, Adam; Bent, Stacey F.; Li, Jian V.

2015-07-20

Partial CuInGaSe{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cell stacks with different atomic layer deposited buffer layers and pretreatments were analyzed by photoluminescence (PL) and capacitance voltage (CV) measurements to investigate the buffer layer/CIGS interface. Atomic layer deposited ZnS, ZnO, and SnO{sub x} buffer layers were compared with chemical bath deposited CdS buffer layers. Band bending, charge density, and interface state density were extracted from the CV measurement using an analysis technique new to CIGS. The surface recombination velocity calculated from the density of interface traps for a ZnS/CIGS stack shows a remarkably low value of 810 cm/s, approaching the range of single crystallinemore » II–VI systems. Both the PL spectra and its lifetime depend on the buffer layer; thus, these measurements are not only sensitive to the absorber but also to the absorber/buffer layer system. Pretreatment of the CIGS prior to the buffer layer deposition plays a significant role on the electrical properties for the same buffer layer/CIGS stack, further illuminating the importance of good interface formation. Finally, ZnS is found to be the best performing buffer layer in this study, especially if the CIGS surface is pretreated with potassium cyanide.« less

Reducing interface recombination for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 by atomic layer deposited buffer layers

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

Hultqvist, Adam; Li, Jian V.; Kuciauskas, Darius

2015-07-20

Partial CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) solar cell stacks with different atomic layer deposited buffer layers and pretreatments were analyzed by photoluminescence (PL) and capacitance voltage (CV) measurements to investigate the buffer layer/CIGS interface. Atomic layer deposited ZnS, ZnO, and SnOx buffer layers were compared with chemical bath deposited CdS buffer layers. Band bending, charge density, and interface state density were extracted from the CV measurement using an analysis technique new to CIGS. The surface recombination velocity calculated from the density of interface traps for a ZnS/CIGS stack shows a remarkably low value of 810 cm/s, approaching the range of single crystalline II-VImore » systems. Both the PL spectra and its lifetime depend on the buffer layer; thus, these measurements are not only sensitive to the absorber but also to the absorber/buffer layer system. Pretreatment of the CIGS prior to the buffer layer deposition plays a significant role on the electrical properties for the same buffer layer/CIGS stack, further illuminating the importance of good interface formation. Finally, ZnS is found to be the best performing buffer layer in this study, especially if the CIGS surface is pretreated with potassium cyanide.« less

Reducing interface recombination for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 by atomic layer deposited buffer layers

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

Hultqvist, Adam; Li, Jian V.; Kuciauskas, Darius

2015-07-20

Partial CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) solar cell stacks with different atomic layer deposited buffer layers and pretreatments were analyzed by photoluminescence (PL) and capacitance voltage (CV) measurements to investigate the buffer layer/CIGS interface. Atomic layer deposited ZnS, ZnO, and SnOx buffer layers were compared with chemical bath deposited CdS buffer layers. Band bending, charge density, and interface state density were extracted from the CV measurement using an analysis technique new to CIGS. The surface recombination velocity calculated from the density of interface traps for a ZnS/CIGS stack shows a remarkably low value of 810 cm/s, approaching the range of single crystalline II–VImore » systems. Both the PL spectra and its lifetime depend on the buffer layer; thus, these measurements are not only sensitive to the absorber but also to the absorber/buffer layer system. Pretreatment of the CIGS prior to the buffer layer deposition plays a significant role on the electrical properties for the same buffer layer/CIGS stack, further illuminating the importance of good interface formation. Finally, ZnS is found to be the best performing buffer layer in this study, especially if the CIGS surface is pretreated with potassium cyanide.« less

Influence of liquid medium and surface morphology on the response of QCM during immobilization and hybridization of short oligonucleotides.

PubMed

Ha, Tai Hwan; Kim, Sunhee; Lim, Geunbae; Kim, Kwan

2004-09-15

With the goal of developing a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)-based DNA sensor, we have conducted an in situ QCM study along with fluorescence measurements using oligonucleotides (15-mer) as a model single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) in two different aqueous buffer solutions; the sequence of 15-mer is a part of iduronate-2-sulphate exon whose mutation is known to cause Hunter syndrome, and the 15-mer is thiolated to be immobilized on the Au-coated quartz substrate. The fluorescence data indicate that the initial immobilization as well as the subsequent hybridization with a complementary strand is hardly dependent on the kind of buffer solution. In contrast, the mass increases deducible from the decrease of QCM frequency via the Sauerbrey equation are 2.7-6.2 and 3.0-4.4 times larger than the actual mass increases, as reflected in the fluorescence measurements, for the immobilization and the subsequent hybridization processes, respectively. Such an overestimation is attributed to the trapping of solvent as well as the formation of quite a rigid hydration layer associated with the higher viscosities and/or densities of the buffer solutions. Another noteworthy observation is the excessively large frequency change that occurs when the gold electrode is deposited in advance with Au nanoparticles. This clearly illustrates that the QCM detection of DNA hybridization is also affected greatly by the surface morphology of the electrode. These enlarged signals are altogether presumed to be advantageous when using a QCM system as an in situ probing device in DNA sensors.

Leakage effects in n-GaAs MESFET with n-GaAs buffer layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Y. C.; Bahrami, M.

1983-01-01

Whereas improvement of the interface between the active layer and the buffer layer has been demonstrated, the leakage effects can be important if the buffer layer resistivity is not sufficiently high and/or the buffer layer thickness is not sufficiently small. It was found that two buffer leakage currents exist from the channel under the gate to the source and from drain to the channel in addition to the buffer leakage resistance between drain and source. It is shown that for a 1 micron gate-length n-GaAs MESFET, if the buffer layer resistivity is 12 OHM-CM and the buffer layer thickness h is 2 microns, the performance of the device degrades drastically. It is suggested that h should be below 2 microns.

Bulk heterojunction formation between indium tin oxide nanorods and CuInS2 nanoparticles for inorganic thin film solar cell applications.

PubMed

Cho, Jin Woo; Park, Se Jin; Kim, Jaehoon; Kim, Woong; Park, Hoo Keun; Do, Young Rag; Min, Byoung Koun

2012-02-01

In this study, we developed a novel inorganic thin film solar cell configuration in which bulk heterojunction was formed between indium tin oxide (ITO) nanorods and CuInS(2) (CIS). Specifically, ITO nanorods were first synthesized by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering deposition method followed by deposition of a dense TiO(2) layer and CdS buffer layer using atomic layer deposition and chemical bath deposition method, respectively. The spatial region between the nanorods was then filled with CIS nanoparticle ink, which was presynthesized using the colloidal synthetic method. We observed that complete gap filling was achieved to form bulk heterojunction between the inorganic phases. As a proof-of-concept, solar cell devices were fabricated by depositing an Au electrode on top of the CIS layer, which exhibited the best photovoltaic response with a V(oc), J(sc), FF, and efficiency of 0.287 V, 9.63 mA/cm(2), 0.364, and 1.01%, respectively.

Effect of ZnO seed layer on the morphology and optical properties of ZnO nanorods grown on GaN buffer layers

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

Nandi, R., E-mail: rajunandi@iitb.ac.in; Mohan, S., E-mail: rajunandi@iitb.ac.in; Major, S. S.

2014-04-24

ZnO nanorods were grown by chemical bath deposition on sputtered, polycrystalline GaN buffer layers with and without ZnO seed layer. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction show that the ZnO nanorods on GaN buffer layers are not vertically well aligned. Photoluminescence spectrum of ZnO nanorods grown on GaN buffer layer, however exhibits a much stronger near-band-edge emission and negligible defect emission, compared to the nanorods grown on ZnO buffer layer. These features are attributed to gallium incorporation at the ZnO-GaN interface. The introduction of a thin (25 nm) ZnO seed layer on GaN buffer layer significantly improves the morphology andmore » vertical alignment of ZnO-NRs without sacrificing the high optical quality of ZnO nanorods on GaN buffer layer. The presence of a thick (200 nm) ZnO seed layer completely masks the effect of the underlying GaN buffer layer on the morphology and optical properties of nanorods.« less

Solubility of gold in oxidized, sulfur-bearing fluids at 500-850 °C and 200-230 MPa: A synthetic fluid inclusion study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Haihao; Audétat, Andreas; Dolejš, David

2018-02-01

Although Au solubility in magmatic-hydrothermal fluids has been investigated by numerous previous studies, there is a dearth of data on oxidized (log fO2 > FMQ+2.5; FMQ - fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer), sulfur-bearing fluids such as those that formed porphyry Cu-Au (-Mo) deposits. We performed experiments to constrain the effects of fluid salinity, HCl content, sulfur content, fO2 and temperature on Au solubility in such oxidized, sulfur-bearing fluids. For this purpose, small aliquots of fluids equilibrated with Au metal were trapped at high pressure and temperature in the form of synthetic fluid inclusions in quartz and were subsequently analyzed by LA-ICP-MS. Additionally, Raman spectra were collected from quartz-hosted fluid inclusions at up to 600 °C to help to identify the nature of dissolved gold and sulfur species. Gold solubility was found to be affected most strongly by the HCl content of the fluid, followed by fO2, fluid salinity and temperature. Compared to these factors the sulfur content of the fluid has relatively little influence. At 600 °C and 100 MPa, fluids with geologically realistic HCl contents (∼1.1 wt%) and salinities (7-50 wt% NaClequiv) dissolve ∼1000-3000 ppm Au at oxygen fugacities controlled by the magnetite-hematite buffer. At even more oxidized conditions (three log units above the hematite-magnetite fO2 buffer), HCl-, NaCl- and H2SO4-rich fluids can dissolve up to 5 wt% Au at 800 °C and 200 MPa. The observed Au solubility trends are controlled by HCl0 species in the Na-H-Cl-SO4 fluid and are quantitatively reproduced by existing thermodynamic data for Au-Cl complexes. In all experiments, AuCl0 and AuCl2- species are predicted to occur in comparable although variable concentrations, and account for more than 95% of Au solutes. Natural, high-temperature (>500 °C) brine inclusions from porphyry Cu-Au (-Mo) deposits contain significantly less Au than gold-saturated brines that were synthesized experimentally, implying that the natural brines were Au-undersaturated. Consequently, gold grades in Au-rich porphyries were not controlled by the precipitation of native Au, but rather by factors that caused the precipitation of Au-bearing hydrothermal sulfides such as bornite.

Back contact buffer layer for thin-film solar cells

DOEpatents

Compaan, Alvin D.; Plotnikov, Victor V.

2014-09-09

A photovoltaic cell structure is disclosed that includes a buffer/passivation layer at a CdTe/Back contact interface. The buffer/passivation layer is formed from the same material that forms the n-type semiconductor active layer. In one embodiment, the buffer layer and the n-type semiconductor active layer are formed from cadmium sulfide (CdS). A method of forming a photovoltaic cell includes the step of forming the semiconductor active layers and the buffer/passivation layer within the same deposition chamber and using the same material source.

Methods for improved growth of group III nitride buffer layers

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

Melnik, Yurity; Chen, Lu; Kojiri, Hidehiro

Methods are disclosed for growing high crystal quality group III-nitride epitaxial layers with advanced multiple buffer layer techniques. In an embodiment, a method includes forming group III-nitride buffer layers that contain aluminum on suitable substrate in a processing chamber of a hydride vapor phase epitaxy processing system. A hydrogen halide or halogen gas is flowing into the growth zone during deposition of buffer layers to suppress homogeneous particle formation. Some combinations of low temperature buffers that contain aluminum (e.g., AlN, AlGaN) and high temperature buffers that contain aluminum (e.g., AlN, AlGaN) may be used to improve crystal quality and morphologymore » of subsequently grown group III-nitride epitaxial layers. The buffer may be deposited on the substrate, or on the surface of another buffer. The additional buffer layers may be added as interlayers in group III-nitride layers (e.g., GaN, AlGaN, AlN).« less

Electrochemical detection of copper ions leached from CuO nanoparticles in saline buffers and biological media using a gold wire working electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldisserri, Carlo; Costa, Anna Luisa

2016-04-01

We performed explorative cyclic voltammetry in phosphate-buffered saline buffers, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), and fetal bovine serum-added DMEM using Au wire as working electrode, both in the absence and in the presence of known nominal concentrations of Cu2+ ions or 15 nm CuO nanoparticles. Addition of either Cu2+ ions or aqueous suspension of CuO nanoparticles caused a single anodic peak to appear in the double-layer region of all three pristine media. The height of the anodic peak was found to increase in a monotonic fashion vs. Cu2+ concentration in Cu2+-added media, and versus time since CuO addition in CuO-added media. Stepwise addition of glycine to Cu2+-added phosphate-buffered saline buffer caused an increasing cathodic shift of the anodic peak accompanied by decreasing peak currents. Results indicate that preparing Cu2+-free suspensions of CuO nanoparticles in such media is difficult, owing to the presence of leached copper ions. The implications on results of experiments in which CuO nanoparticle-added biological media are used as cell culture substrates are discussed. Literature data on the interactions between Cu2+ ions, dissolved carbon dioxide in aqueous CuO suspensions, and amino acids present in such media are compared to our results.

Doped LZO buffer layers for laminated conductors

DOEpatents

Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans [Knoxville, TN; Schoop, Urs [Westborough, MA; Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN; Thieme, Cornelis Leo Hans [Westborough, MA; Verebelyi, Darren T [Oxford, MA; Rupich, Martin W [Framingham, MA

2010-03-23

A laminated conductor includes a metallic substrate having a surface, a biaxially textured buffer layer supported by the surface of the substrate, the biaxially textured buffer layer comprising LZO and a dopant for mitigating metal diffusion through the LZO, and a biaxially textured conductor layer supported by the biaxially textured buffer layer.

Insights into the Influence of Work Functions of Cathodes on Efficiencies of Perovskite Solar Cells.

PubMed

Yue, Shizhong; Lu, Shudi; Ren, Kuankuan; Liu, Kong; Azam, Muhammad; Cao, Dawei; Wang, Zhijie; Lei, Yong; Qu, Shengchun; Wang, Zhanguo

2017-05-01

Though various efforts on modification of electrodes are still undertaken to improve the efficiency of perovskite solar cells, attributing to the large scope of these methods, it is of significance to unveil the working principle systematically. Herein, inverted perovskite solar cells based on indium tin oxide (ITO)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 /phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC 61 BM)/buffer metal/Al are constructed. Through the choice of different buffer metals to tune work function of the cathode, the contact nature of the active layer with the cathode could be manipulated well. In comparison with the device using Au/Al as the electrode that shows an unfavorable band bending for conducting the excited electrons to the cathode, the one with Ca/Al presents a dramatically improved efficiency over 17.1%, ascribed to the favorable band bending at the interface of the cathode with the active layer. Details for tuning the band bending and the corresponding charge transfer mechanism are given in a systematic manner. Thus, a general guideline for constructing perovskite photovoltaic devices efficiently is provided. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The effect of underlayers on the reversal of perpendicularly magnetized multilayer thin films for magnetic micro- and nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vemulkar, T.; Mansell, R.; Petit, D. C. M. C.; Cowburn, R. P.; Lesniak, M. S.

2017-01-01

Perpendicularly magnetized microparticles offer the ability to locally apply high torques on soft matter under an applied magnetic field. These particles are engineered to have a zero remanence magnetic configuration via synthetic antiferromagnetic coupling using a Ru coupling interlayer. The flexibility offered by the top down thin film fabrication process in a CoFeB/Pt perpendicular thin film is demonstrated by using the Pt interlayer thicknesses in a Pt/Ru/Pt antiferromagnetic coupling multilayer to tune the applied magnetic field value of the easy axis spin-flip transition to saturation and hence the field value at which the magnetic particles are magnetically activated via a distinct transition to saturation. The importance of a Ta buffer layer on the magnetic behavior of the stack is shown. While Au capping layers are desirable for biotechnology applications, we demonstrate that they can drastically change the nucleation and propagation of domains in the film, thereby altering the reversal behavior of the thin film. The effect of Au underlayers on a multilayer thin film composed of repeated motifs of a synthetic antiferromagnetic building block is also investigated.

Corrosion Protection of Al/Au/ZnO Anode for Hybrid Cell Application

PubMed Central

Slaughter, Gymama; Stevens, Brian

2015-01-01

Effective protection of power sources from corrosion is critical in the development of abiotic fuel cells, biofuel cells, hybrid cells and biobateries for implantable bioelectronics. Corrosion of these bioelectronic devices result in device inability to generate bioelectricity. In this paper Al/Au/ZnO was considered as a possible anodic substrate for the development of a hybrid cell. The protective abilities of corrosive resistant aluminum hydroxide and zinc phosphite composite films formed on the surface of Al/Au/ZnO anode in various electrolyte environments were examined by electrochemical methods. The presence of phosphate buffer and physiological saline (NaCl) buffer allows for the formation of aluminum hyrdroxide and zinc phosphite composite films on the surface of the Al/Au/ZnO anode that prevent further corrosion of the anode. The highly protective films formed on the Al/Au/ZnO anode during energy harvesting in a physiological saline environment resulted in 98.5% corrosion protective efficiency, thereby demonstrating that the formation of aluminum hydroxide and zinc phosphite composite films are effective in the prevention of anode corrosion during energy harvesting. A cell assembly consisting of the Al/Au/ZnO anode and platinum cathode resulted in an open circuit voltage of 1.03 V. A maximum power density of 955.3 μW/ cm2 in physiological saline buffer at a cell voltage and current density of 345 mV and 2.89 mA/ cm2, respectively. PMID:26580661

Corrosion Protection of Al/Au/ZnO Anode for Hybrid Cell Application.

PubMed

Slaughter, Gymama; Stevens, Brian

2015-11-16

Effective protection of power sources from corrosion is critical in the development of abiotic fuel cells, biofuel cells, hybrid cells and biobateries for implantable bioelectronics. Corrosion of these bioelectronic devices result in device inability to generate bioelectricity. In this paper Al/Au/ZnO was considered as a possible anodic substrate for the development of a hybrid cell. The protective abilities of corrosive resistant aluminum hydroxide and zinc phosphite composite films formed on the surface of Al/Au/ZnO anode in various electrolyte environments were examined by electrochemical methods. The presence of phosphate buffer and physiological saline (NaCl) buffer allows for the formation of aluminum hyrdroxide and zinc phosphite composite films on the surface of the Al/Au/ZnO anode that prevent further corrosion of the anode. The highly protective films formed on the Al/Au/ZnO anode during energy harvesting in a physiological saline environment resulted in 98.5% corrosion protective efficiency, thereby demonstrating that the formation of aluminum hydroxide and zinc phosphite composite films are effective in the prevention of anode corrosion during energy harvesting. A cell assembly consisting of the Al/Au/ZnO anode and platinum cathode resulted in an open circuit voltage of 1.03 V. A maximum power density of 955.3 mW/ cm² in physiological saline buffer at a cell voltage and current density of 345 mV and 2.89 mA/ cm², respectively.

Simulation study on single event burnout in linear doping buffer layer engineered power VDMOSFET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yunpeng, Jia; Hongyuan, Su; Rui, Jin; Dongqing, Hu; Yu, Wu

2016-02-01

The addition of a buffer layer can improve the device's secondary breakdown voltage, thus, improving the single event burnout (SEB) threshold voltage. In this paper, an N type linear doping buffer layer is proposed. According to quasi-stationary avalanche simulation and heavy ion beam simulation, the results show that an optimized linear doping buffer layer is critical. As SEB is induced by heavy ions impacting, the electric field of an optimized linear doping buffer device is much lower than that with an optimized constant doping buffer layer at a given buffer layer thickness and the same biasing voltages. Secondary breakdown voltage and the parasitic bipolar turn-on current are much higher than those with the optimized constant doping buffer layer. So the linear buffer layer is more advantageous to improving the device's SEB performance. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61176071), the Doctoral Fund of Ministry of Education of China (No. 20111103120016), and the Science and Technology Program of State Grid Corporation of China (No. SGRI-WD-71-13-006).

Tuning SPT-3G Transition-Edge-Sensor Electrical Properties with a Four-Layer Ti-Au-Ti-Au Thin-Film Stack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, F. W.; Ade, P. A. R.; Ahmed, Z.; Anderson, A. J.; Austermann, J. E.; Avva, J. S.; Thakur, R. Basu; Bender, A. N.; Benson, B. A.; Carlstrom, J. E.; Cecil, T.; Chang, C. L.; Cliche, J. F.; Cukierman, A.; Denison, E. V.; de Haan, T.; Ding, J.; Divan, R.; Dobbs, M. A.; Dutcher, D.; Everett, W.; Foster, A.; Gannon, R. N.; Gilbert, A.; Groh, J. C.; Halverson, N. W.; Harke-Hosemann, A. H.; Harrington, N. L.; Henning, J. W.; Hilton, G. C.; Holzapfel, W. L.; Huang, N.; Irwin, K. D.; Jeong, O. B.; Jonas, M.; Khaire, T.; Kofman, A. M.; Korman, M.; Kubik, D.; Kuhlmann, S.; Kuo, C. L.; Kutepova, V.; Lee, A. T.; Lowitz, A. E.; Meyer, S. S.; Michalik, D.; Miller, C. S.; Montgomery, J.; Nadolski, A.; Natoli, T.; Nguyen, H.; Noble, G. I.; Novosad, V.; Padin, S.; Pan, Z.; Pearson, J.; Posada, C. M.; Rahlin, A.; Ruhl, J. E.; Saunders, L. J.; Sayre, J. T.; Shirley, I.; Shirokoff, E.; Smecher, G.; Sobrin, J. A.; Stan, L.; Stark, A. A.; Story, K. T.; Suzuki, A.; Tang, Q. Y.; Thompson, K. L.; Tucker, C.; Vale, L. R.; Vanderlinde, K.; Vieira, J. D.; Wang, G.; Whitehorn, N.; Yefremenko, V.; Yoon, K. W.; Young, M. R.

2018-04-01

We have developed superconducting Ti transition-edge sensors with Au protection layers on the top and bottom for the South Pole Telescope's third-generation receiver (a cosmic microwave background polarimeter, due to be upgraded this austral summer of 2017/2018). The base Au layer (deposited on a thin Ti glue layer) isolates the Ti from any substrate effects; the top Au layer protects the Ti from oxidation during processing and subsequent use of the sensors. We control the transition temperature and normal resistance of the sensors by varying the sensor width and the relative thicknesses of the Ti and Au layers. The transition temperature is roughly six times more sensitive to the thickness of the base Au layer than to that of the top Au layer. The normal resistance is inversely proportional to sensor width for any given film configuration. For widths greater than five micrometers, the critical temperature is independent of width.

Multifunctional two-photon active silica-coated Au@MnO Janus particles for selective dual functionalization and imaging.

PubMed

Schick, Isabel; Lorenz, Steffen; Gehrig, Dominik; Schilmann, Anna-Maria; Bauer, Heiko; Panthöfer, Martin; Fischer, Karl; Strand, Dennis; Laquai, Frédéric; Tremel, Wolfgang

2014-02-12

Monodisperse multifunctional and nontoxic Au@MnO Janus particles with different sizes and morphologies were prepared by a seed-mediated nucleation and growth technique with precise control over domain sizes, surface functionalization, and dye labeling. The metal oxide domain could be coated selectively with a thin silica layer, leaving the metal domain untouched. In particular, size and morphology of the individual (metal and metal oxide) domains could be controlled by adjustment of the synthetic parameters. The SiO2 coating of the oxide domain allows biomolecule conjugation (e.g., antibodies, proteins) in a single step for converting the photoluminescent and superparamagnetic Janus nanoparticles into multifunctional efficient vehicles for theranostics. The Au@MnO@SiO2 Janus particles were characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-)TEM, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), optical (UV-vis) spectroscopy, confocal laser fluorescence scanning microscopy (CLSM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The functionalized nanoparticles were stable in buffer solution or serum, showing no indication of aggregation. Biocompatibility and potential biomedical applications of the Au@MnO@SiO2 Janus particles were assayed by a cell viability analysis by coincubating the Au@MnO@SiO2 Janus particles with Caki 1 and HeLa cells. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with CLSM revealed the silica-coated Au@MnO@SiO2 Janus particles to be highly two-photon active; no indication for an electronic interaction between the dye molecules incorporated in the silica shell surrounding the MnO domains and the attached Au domains was found; fluorescence quenching was observed when dye molecules were bound directly to the Au domains.

Enhanced electrical stability of flexible indium tin oxide films prepared on stripe SiO 2 buffer layer-coated polymer substrates by magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Zhi-nong; Zhao, Jian-jian; Xia, Fan; Lin, Ze-jiang; Zhang, Dong-pu; Leng, Jian; Xue, Wei

2011-03-01

The electrical stability of flexible indium tin oxide (ITO) films fabricated on stripe SiO 2 buffer layer-coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates by magnetron sputtering was investigated by the bending test. The ITO thin films with stripe SiO 2 buffer layer under bending have better electrical stability than those with flat SiO 2 buffer layer and without buffer layer. Especially in inward bending text, the ITO thin films with stripe SiO 2 buffer layer only have a slight resistance change when the bending radius r is not less than 8 mm, while the resistances of the films with flat SiO 2 buffer layer and without buffer layer increase significantly at r = 16 mm with decreasing bending radius. This improvement of electrical stability in bending test is due to the small mismatch factor α in ITO-SiO 2, the enhanced interface adhesion and the balance of residual stress. These results indicate that the stripe SiO 2 buffer layer is suited to enhance the electrical stability of flexible ITO film under bending.

In-depth evolution of chemical states and sub-10-nm-resolution crystal orientation mapping of nanograins in Ti(5 nm)/Au(20 nm)/Cr(3 nm) tri-layer thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xiaoli; Todeschini, Matteo; Bastos da Silva Fanta, Alice; Liu, Lintao; Jensen, Flemming; Hübner, Jörg; Jansen, Henri; Han, Anpan; Shi, Peixiong; Ming, Anjie; Xie, Changqing

2018-09-01

The applications of Au thin films and their adhesion layers often suffer from a lack of sufficient information about the chemical states of adhesion layers and about the high-lateral-resolution crystallographic morphology of Au nanograins. Here, we demonstrate the in-depth evolution of the chemical states of adhesive layers at the interfaces and the crystal orientation mapping of gold nanograins with a lateral resolution of less than 10 nm in a Ti/Au/Cr tri-layer thin film system. Using transmission electron microscopy, the variation in the interdiffusion at Cr/Au and Ti/Au interfaces was confirmed. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profiling, the chemical states of Cr, Au and Ti were characterized layer by layer, suggesting the insufficient oxidation of the adhesive layers. At the interfaces the Au 4f peaks shift to higher binding energies and this behavior can be described by a proposed model based on electron reorganization and substrate-induced final-state neutralization in small Au clusters supported by the partially oxidized Ti layer. Utilizing transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) in a scanning electron microscope, the crystal orientation of Au nanograins between two adhesion layers was non-destructively characterized with sub-10 nm spatial resolution. The results provide nanoscale insights into the Ti/Au/Cr thin film system and contribute to our understanding of its behavior in nano-optic and nano-electronic devices.

Buffer architecture for biaxially textured structures and method of fabricating same

DOEpatents

Norton, David P.; Park, Chan; Goyal, Amit

2004-04-06

The invention relates to an article with an improved buffer layer architecture comprising a substrate having a metal surface, and an epitaxial buffer layer on the surface of the substrate. The epitaxial buffer layer comprises at least one of the group consisting of ZrO.sub.2, HfO.sub.2, and compounds having at least one of Ca and a rare earth element stabilizing cubic phases of ZrO.sub.2 and/or HfO.sub.2. The article can also include a superconducting layer deposited on the epitaxial buffer layer. The article can also include an epitaxial capping layer between the epitaxial buffer layer and the superconducting layer. A method for preparing an epitaxial article comprises providing a substrate with a metal surface, depositing on the metal surface an epitaxial buffer layer comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of ZrO.sub.2, HfO.sub.2, and compounds having at least one of Ca and a rare earth element stabilizing cubic phases of at least one of ZrO.sub.2 and HfO.sub.2. The epitaxial layer depositing step occurs in a vacuum with a background pressure of no more than 1.times.10.sup.-5 Torr. The method can further comprise depositing a superconducting layer on the epitaxial layer, and depositing an epitaxial capping layer between the epitaxial buffer layer and the superconducting layer.

Layer-by-layer assembly of gold nanoparticles and cysteamine on gold electrode for immunosensing of human chorionic gonadotropin at picogram levels.

PubMed

Roushani, Mahmoud; Valipour, Akram; Valipour, Mehdi

2016-04-01

The development of an electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is described with a limit of detection as low as 0.3 pg mL(-1) in phosphate buffer. In this immunosensor, cysteamine (Cys) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used to immobilize an anti-hCG monoclonal antibody onto a gold electrode (GE). The structure of AuNPs has been confirmed by EDS, SEM, and TEM analysis. Due to the large specific surface area and excellent electrical conductivity of AuNPs, electron transfer was promoted and the amount of hCG antibody was enhanced significantly. A systematic study on the effects of experimental parameters such as pH, incubation time in the hCG solution and urea solution used for experiments on the binding between the immobilized antibody and hCG has been carried out. Under optimal experimental parameters, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) signal changes of the [Fe(CN)6](3-/4-) are used to detect hCG with two broad linear ranges: 0.001 to 0.2 and 0.2 to 60.7 ng mL(-1). The LOD value proves more sensitive in comparison with previously reported methods. The prepared immunosensor showed high sensitivity and stability. In addition, the immunosensor was successfully used for the determination of hCG in human serum. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design and comparative study of vertical LEDs with graphene, ITO and Ni/Au as contact/current spreading layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Sumitra; Mahala, Pramila; Pal, Suchandan

2018-01-01

This work evaluates the effect of graphene, indium tin oxide (ITO) and Ni/Au as contact/current spreading layer/current spreading layer for GaN vertical light emitting diodes (V-LEDs). In this simulation study, the effect of these contact/current spreading layers on different performance parameters of GaN V-LEDs has been studied. By using these three different types of contact/current spreading layers, we have comparatively studied the effect on light extraction efficiency (LEE), optical output power, wall plug efficiency and radiant intensity of V-LEDs. As per the simulation results, it shows that using graphene contact/current spreading layers, it is possible to achieve better performance than using ITO and Ni/Au contact/current spreading layers. For graphene/(Ni/Au) contact/current spreading layers, the LEE is improved by 36.77% whereas for ITO/(Ni/Au) contact/current spreading layers it is improved by 13.74%. Also, by using graphene/(Ni/Au) contact/current spreading layers, the optical output power of LEDs improved by 11.11% whereas for ITO/(Ni/Au) contact/current spreading layers shown 4.16% improvement. The radiant intensity is enhanced by 37.65% for graphene/(Ni/Au) contact/current spreading layers and 13.5% for ITO/(Ni/Au) contact/current spreading layers. In this report, we have given a detailed analysis of the obtained simulation results. The simulation was carried out in SimuLED tool.

Thin film photovoltaic devices with a minimally conductive buffer layer

DOEpatents

Barnes, Teresa M.; Burst, James

2016-11-15

A thin film photovoltaic device (100) with a tunable, minimally conductive buffer (128) layer is provided. The photovoltaic device (100) may include a back contact (150), a transparent front contact stack (120), and an absorber (140) positioned between the front contact stack (120) and the back contact (150). The front contact stack (120) may include a low resistivity transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer (124) and a buffer layer (128) that is proximate to the absorber layer (140). The photovoltaic device (100) may also include a window layer (130) between the buffer layer (128) and the absorber (140). In some cases, the buffer layer (128) is minimally conductive, with its resistivity being tunable, and the buffer layer (128) may be formed as an alloy from a host oxide and a high-permittivity oxide. The high-permittivity oxide may further be chosen to have a bandgap greater than the host oxide.

Structural evaluation of InAsP/InGaAsP strained-layer superlattices with dislocations as grown by metal-organic molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakashima, Kiichi; Sugiura, Hideo

1997-08-01

The relaxation process in InAsP/InGaAsP strained-layer superlattices (SLSs) with interfacial misfit dislocations has been investigated systematically by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray analyses. The TEM analysis reveals that dislocations locate a little inside the buffer layer near the interface between the buffer and first well layer in the SLS. The x-ray analysis of (400) azimuthal angle dependence indicates the buffer layer has a large macroscopic tilt. Using a curve fitting analysis of various (hkl) x-ray profiles and reciprocal lattice mapping measurements, residual strain was determined quantitatively, i.e., Δa∥ and Δa⊥, in the SLS and buffer layer. These results reveal that the dislocations mainly cause lattice distortion of the buffer layer rather than relaxation of the SLS layer. The most remarkable result is that the change of a∥ is not equal to that of a⊥ in the buffer layer. This phenomenon strongly suggests that microplastic domains are generated in the buffer layer.

Doped Y.sub.2O.sub.3 buffer layers for laminated conductors

DOEpatents

Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans [Knoxville, TN; Schoop, Urs [Westborough, MA; Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN; Thieme, Cornelis Leo Hans [Westborough, MA; Verebelyi, Darren T [Oxford, MA; Rupich, Martin W [Framingham, MA

2007-08-21

A laminated conductor includes a metallic substrate having a surface, a biaxially textured buffer layer supported by the surface of the metallic substrate, the biaxially textured buffer layer comprising Y.sub.2O.sub.3 and a dopant for blocking cation diffusion through the Y.sub.2O.sub.3, and a biaxially textured conductor layer supported by the biaxially textured buffer layer.

The Au/Si eutectic bonding compatibility with KOH etching for 3D devices fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Hengmao; Liu, Mifeng; Liu, Song; Xu, Dehui; Xiong, Bin

2018-01-01

KOH etching and Au/Si eutectic bonding are cost-efficient technologies for 3D device fabrication. Aimed at investigating the process compatibility of KOH etching and Au/Si bonding, KOH etching tests have been carried out for Au/bulk Si and Au/amorphous Si (a-Si) bonding wafers in this paper. For the Au/bulk Si bonding wafer, a serious underetch phenomenon occurring on the damage layer in KOH etching definitely results in packaging failure. In the microstructure analysis, it is found that the formation of the damage layer between the bonded layer and bulk Si is attributed to the destruction of crystal Si lattices in Au/bulk Si eutectic reaction. Considering the occurrence of underetch for Au/Si bonding must meet two requirements: the superfluous Si and the defective layer near the bonded layer, the Au/a-Si bonding by regulating the a-Si/Au thickness ratio is presented in this study. Only when the a-Si/Au thickness ratio is relatively low are there not underetch phenomena, of which the reason is the full reaction of the a-Si layer avoiding the formation of the damage layer for easy underetch. Obviously, the Au/a-Si bonding via choosing a moderate a-Si/Au thickness ratio (⩽1.5:1 is suggested) could be reliably compatible with KOH etching, which provides an available and low-cost approach for 3D device fabrication. More importantly, the theory of the damage layer proposed in this study can be naturally applied to relevant analyses on the eutectic reaction of other metals and single crystal materials.

Hybrid structures based on gold nanoparticles and semiconductor quantum dots for biosensor applications.

PubMed

Kurochkina, Margarita; Konshina, Elena; Oseev, Aleksandr; Hirsch, Soeren

2018-01-01

The luminescence amplification of semiconductor quantum dots (QD) in the presence of self-assembled gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) is one of way for creating biosensors with highly efficient transduction. The objective of this study was to fabricate the hybrid structures based on semiconductor CdSe/ZnS QDs and Au NP arrays and to use them as biosensors of protein. In this paper, the hybrid structures based on CdSe/ZnS QDs and Au NP arrays were fabricated using spin coating processes. Au NP arrays deposited on a glass wafer were investigated by optical microscopy and absorption spectroscopy depending on numbers of spin coating layers and their baking temperature. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as the target protein analyte in a phosphate buffer. A confocal laser scanning microscope was used to study the luminescent properties of Au NP/QD hybrid structures and to test BSA. The dimensions of Au NP aggregates increased and the space between them decreased with increasing processing temperature. At the same time, a blue shift of the plasmon resonance peak in the absorption spectra of Au NP arrays was observed. The deposition of CdSe/ZnS QDs with a core diameter of 5 nm on the surface of the Au NP arrays caused an increase in absorption and a red shift of the plasmon peak in the spectra. The exciton-plasmon enhancement of the QDs' photoluminescence intensity has been obtained at room temperature for hybrid structures with Au NPs array pretreated at temperatures of 100°C and 150°C. It has been found that an increase in the weight content of BSA increases the photoluminescence intensity of such hybrid structures. The ability of the qualitative and quantitative determination of protein content in solution using the Au NP/QD structures as an optical biosensor has been shown experimentally.

Hybrid structures based on gold nanoparticles and semiconductor quantum dots for biosensor applications

PubMed Central

Kurochkina, Margarita; Konshina, Elena; Oseev, Aleksandr; Hirsch, Soeren

2018-01-01

Background The luminescence amplification of semiconductor quantum dots (QD) in the presence of self-assembled gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) is one of way for creating biosensors with highly efficient transduction. Aims The objective of this study was to fabricate the hybrid structures based on semiconductor CdSe/ZnS QDs and Au NP arrays and to use them as biosensors of protein. Methods In this paper, the hybrid structures based on CdSe/ZnS QDs and Au NP arrays were fabricated using spin coating processes. Au NP arrays deposited on a glass wafer were investigated by optical microscopy and absorption spectroscopy depending on numbers of spin coating layers and their baking temperature. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as the target protein analyte in a phosphate buffer. A confocal laser scanning microscope was used to study the luminescent properties of Au NP/QD hybrid structures and to test BSA. Results The dimensions of Au NP aggregates increased and the space between them decreased with increasing processing temperature. At the same time, a blue shift of the plasmon resonance peak in the absorption spectra of Au NP arrays was observed. The deposition of CdSe/ZnS QDs with a core diameter of 5 nm on the surface of the Au NP arrays caused an increase in absorption and a red shift of the plasmon peak in the spectra. The exciton–plasmon enhancement of the QDs’ photoluminescence intensity has been obtained at room temperature for hybrid structures with Au NPs array pretreated at temperatures of 100°C and 150°C. It has been found that an increase in the weight content of BSA increases the photoluminescence intensity of such hybrid structures. Conclusion The ability of the qualitative and quantitative determination of protein content in solution using the Au NP/QD structures as an optical biosensor has been shown experimentally. PMID:29731613

Method of deforming a biaxially textured buffer layer on a textured metallic substrate and articles therefrom

DOEpatents

Lee, Dominic F.; Kroeger, Donald M.; Goyal, Amit

2000-01-01

The present invention provides methods and biaxially textured articles having a deformed epitaxial layer formed therefrom for use with high temperature superconductors, photovoltaic, ferroelectric, or optical devices. A buffer layer is epitaxially deposited onto biaxially-textured substrates and then mechanically deformed. The deformation process minimizes or eliminates grooves, or other irregularities, formed on the buffer layer while maintaining the biaxial texture of the buffer layer. Advantageously, the biaxial texture of the buffer layer is not altered during subsequent heat treatments of the deformed buffer. The present invention provides mechanical densification procedures which can be incorporated into the processing of superconducting films through the powder deposit or precursor approaches without incurring unfavorable high-angle grain boundaries.

Selectively Enhanced UV-A Photoresponsivity of a GaN MSM UV Photodetector with a Step-Graded AlxGa1-xN Buffer Layer.

PubMed

Lee, Chang-Ju; Won, Chul-Ho; Lee, Jung-Hee; Hahm, Sung-Ho; Park, Hongsik

2017-07-21

The UV-to-visible rejection ratio is one of the important figure of merits of GaN-based UV photodetectors. For cost-effectiveness and large-scale fabrication of GaN devices, we tried to grow a GaN epitaxial layer on silicon substrate with complicated buffer layers for a stress-release. It is known that the structure of the buffer layers affects the performance of devices fabricated on the GaN epitaxial layers. In this study, we show that the design of a buffer layer structure can make effect on the UV-to-visible rejection ratio of GaN UV photodetectors. The GaN photodetector fabricated on GaN-on-silicon substrate with a step-graded Al x Ga -x N buffer layer has a highly-selective photoresponse at 365-nm wavelength. The UV-to-visible rejection ratio of the GaN UV photodetector with the step-graded Al x Ga 1-x N buffer layer was an order-of-magnitude higher than that of a photodetector with a conventional GaN/AlN multi buffer layer. The maximum photoresponsivity was as high as 5 × 10 - ² A/W. This result implies that the design of buffer layer is important for photoresponse characteristics of GaN UV photodetectors as well as the crystal quality of the GaN epitaxial layers.

Efficient fluorescence quenching in electrochemically exfoliated graphene decorated with gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurtado-Morales, M.; Ortiz, M.; Acuña, C.; Nerl, H. C.; Nicolosi, V.; Hernández, Y.

2016-07-01

High surface area graphene sheets were obtained by electrochemical exfoliation of graphite in an acid medium under constant potential conditions. Filtration and centrifugation processes played an important role in order to obtain stable dispersions in water. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy imaging revealed highly exfoliated crystalline samples of ∼5 μm. Raman, Fourier transform infrared and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy further confirmed the high quality of the exfoliated material. The electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EEG) was decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using sodium cholate as a buffer layer. This approach allowed for a non-covalent functionalization without altering the desirable electronic properties of the EEG. The AuNP-EEG samples were characterized with various techniques including absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. These samples displayed a fluorescence signal using an excitation wavelength of 290 nm. The calculated quantum yield (Φ) for these samples was 40.04%, a high efficiency compared to previous studies using solution processable graphene.

Mitigation of substrate defects in reticles using multilayer buffer layers

DOEpatents

Mirkarimi, Paul B.; Bajt, Sasa; Stearns, Daniel G.

2001-01-01

A multilayer film is used as a buffer layer to minimize the size of defects on a reticle substrate prior to deposition of a reflective coating on the substrate. The multilayer buffer layer deposited intermediate the reticle substrate and the reflective coating produces a smoothing of small particles and other defects on the reticle substrate. The reduction in defect size is controlled by surface relaxation during the buffer layer growth process and by the degree of intermixing and volume contraction of the materials at the multilayer interfaces. The buffer layers are deposited at near-normal incidence via a low particulate ion beam sputtering process. The growth surface of the buffer layer may also be heated by a secondary ion source to increase the degree of intermixing and improve the mitigation of defects.

Oxygen fugacity and piston cylinder capsule assemblies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakobsson, S.

2011-12-01

A double capsule assembly designed to control oxygen fugacity in piston cylinder experiments has been tested at 1200 °C and 10 kbar. The assembly consists of an outer Pt-capsule containing a solid buffer (Ni-NiO or Co-CoO plus H2O) and an inner AuPd-capsule containing the sample, H2O and a Pt-wire. To prevent direct contact with the buffer phases the AuPd-capsule is embedded in finely ground Al2O3 along with some coarser, fractured Al2O3 facilitating fluid inclusion formation. No water loss is observed in the sample even after 48 hrs but a slight increase in water content is observed in longer duration runs due to oxygen and hydrogen diffusion into the AuPd-capsule. Carbon from the furnace also diffuses through the outer Pt-capsule but reacts with H2O in the outer capsule to form CO2 and never reaches the inner capsule. Oxygen fugacity of runs in equilibrium with the Ni-NiO and Co-CoO buffers was measured by analyzing the Fe content of the Pt-wire in the sample1 and by analyzing Fe dissolved in the AuPd capsule2. The second method gives values that are in good agreement with established buffer whereas results from the first method are one half to one log units higher than the established values. References 1. E. Medard, C. A. McCammon, J. A. Barr, T. L. Grove, Am. Mineral. 93, 1838 (2008). 2. J. Barr, T. Grove, Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 160, 631 (2010)

Buffer layer dependence of magnetoresistance effects in Co2Fe0.4Mn0.6Si/MgO/Co50Fe50 tunnel junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Mingling; Kubota, Takahide; Takahashi, Shigeki; Kawato, Yoshiaki; Sonobe, Yoshiaki; Takanashi, Koki

2018-05-01

Buffer layer dependence of tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effects was investigated in Co2Fe0.4Mn0.6Si (CFMS)/MgO/Co50Fe50 magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Pd, Ru and Cr were selected for the buffer layer materials, and MTJs with three different CFMS thicknesses (30, 5, and 0.8 nm) were fabricated. A maximum TMR ratio of 136% was observed in the Ru buffer layer sample with a 30-nm-thick CFMS layer. TMR ratios drastically degraded for the CFMS thickness of 0.8 nm, and the values were 26% for Cr buffer layer and less than 1% for Pd and Ru buffer layers. From the annealing temperature dependence of the TMR ratios, amounts of interdiffusion and effects from the lattice mismatch were discussed.

Structural properties and diffusion processes of the Cu 3Au (0 0 1) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fang; Zhang, Jian-Min; Zhang, Yan; Ji, Vincent

2010-09-01

The surface relaxation and surface energy of both the mixed AuCu and pure Cu terminated Cu 3Au (0 0 1) surfaces are simulated and calculated by using the modified analytical embedded-atom method. We find that the mixed AuCu termination is energetically preferred over the pure Cu termination thereby the mono-vacancy diffusion is also investigated in the topmost few layers of the mixed AuCu terminated Cu 3Au (0 0 1) surface. In the mixed AuCu terminated surface the relaxed Au atoms are raised above Cu atoms for 0.13 Å in the topmost layer. All the surface atoms displace outwards, this effect occurs in the first three layers and changes the first two inter-layer spacing. For mono-vacancy migration in the first layer, the migration energies of Au and Cu mono-vacancy via two-type in-plane displace: the nearest neighbor jump (NNJ) and the second nearest neighbor jump (2NNJ), are calculated and the results show that the NNJ requires a much lower energy than 2NNJ. For the evolution of the energy requirements for successive nearest neighbor jumps (SNNJ) along three different paths: circularity, zigzag and beeline, we find that the circularity path is preferred over the other two paths due to its minimum energy barriers and final energies. In the second layer, the NN jumps in intra- and inter-layer of the Cu mono-vacancy are investigated. The calculated energy barriers and final energies show that the vacancy prefer jump up to a proximate Cu site. This replacement between the Cu vacancy in the second layer and Cu atom in the first layer is remunerative for the Au atoms enrichment in the topmost layer.

Buffer layers for REBCO films for use in superconducting devices

DOEpatents

Goyal, Amit; Wee, Sung-Hun

2014-06-10

A superconducting article includes a substrate having a biaxially textured surface. A biaxially textured buffer layer, which can be a cap layer, is supported by the substrate. The buffer layer includes a double perovskite of the formula A.sub.2B'B''O.sub.6, where A is rare earth or alkaline earth metal and B' and B'' are different transition metal cations. A biaxially textured superconductor layer is deposited so as to be supported by the buffer layer. A method of making a superconducting article is also disclosed.

Biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles by Aspergillum sp. WL-Au for degradation of aromatic pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Yuanyuan; Pei, Xiaofang; Shen, Wenli; Zhang, Xuwang; Wang, Jingwei; Zhang, Zhaojing; Li, Shuzhen; You, Shengnan; Ma, Fang; Zhou, Jiti

2017-04-01

A simple method for synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using Aspergillum sp. WL-Au was presented in this study. According to UV-vis spectra and transmission electron microscopy images, the shape and size of AuNPs were affected by different parameters, including buffer solution, pH, biomass and HAuCl4 concentrations. Phosphate sodium buffer was more suitable for extracellular synthesis of AuNPs, and the optimal conditions for AuNPs synthesis were pH 7.0, biomass 100 mg/mL and HAuCl4 3 mM, leading to the production of spherical and pseudo-spherical nanoparticles. The biosynthesized AuNPs possessed excellent catalytic activities for the reduction of 2-nitrophenol, 3-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol, o-nitroaniline and m-nitroaniline in the presence of NaBH4, and the catalytic rate constants were calculated to be 6.3×10-3 s-1, 5.5×10-3 s-1, 10.6×10-3 s-1, 8.4×10-3 s-1 and 13.8×10-3 s-1, respectively. The AuNPs were also able to catalyze the decolorization of various azo dyes (e.g. Cationic Red X-GRL, Acid Orange II and Acid scarlet GR) using NaBH4 as the reductant, and the decolorization rates reached 91.0-96.4% within 7 min. The present study should provide a potential candidate for green synthesis of AuNPs, which could serve as efficient catalysts for aromatic pollutants degradation.

AlGaSb Buffer Layers for Sb-Based Transistors

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

transistor ( HEMT ), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), field-effect transistor (FET), buffer layer INTRODUCTION High-electron-mobility transistors ( HEMTs ) with InAs...monolayers/s. The use of thinner buffer layers reduces molecular beam epitaxial growth time and source consumption. The buffer layers also exhibit...source. In addition, some of the flux from an Sb cell in a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system will deposit near the mouth of the cell, eventually

Formation of Au nano-patterns on various substrates using simplified nano-transfer printing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jong-Woo; Yang, Ki-Yeon; Hong, Sung-Hoon; Lee, Heon

2008-06-01

For future device applications, fabrication of the metal nano-patterns on various substrates, such as Si wafer, non-planar glass lens and flexible plastic films become important. Among various nano-patterning technologies, nano-transfer print method is one of the simplest techniques to fabricate metal nano-patterns. In nano-transfer printing process, thin Au layer is deposited on flexible PDMS mold, containing surface protrusion patterns, and the Au layer is transferred from PDMS mold to various substrates due to the difference of bonding strength of Au layer to PDMS mold and to the substrate. For effective transfer of Au layer, self-assembled monolayer, which has strong bonding to Au, is deposited on the substrate as a glue layer. In this study, complicated SAM layer coating process was replaced to simple UV/ozone treatment, which can activates the surface and form the -OH radicals. Using simple UV/ozone treatments on both Au and substrate, Au nano-pattern can be successfully transferred to as large as 6 in. diameter Si wafer, without SAM coating process. High fidelity transfer of Au nano-patterns to non-planar glass lens and flexible PET film was also demonstrated.

Multi-layered nanocomposite dielectrics for high density organic memory devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Moonyeong; Chung, Kyungwha; Baeg, Kang-Jun; Kim, Dong Ha; Kim, Choongik

2015-01-01

We fabricated organic memory devices with metal-pentacene-insulator-silicon structure which contain double dielectric layers comprising 3D pattern of Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) and block copolymer (PS-b-P2VP). The role of Au NPs is to charge/discharge carriers upon applied voltage, while block copolymer helps to form highly ordered Au NP patterns in the dielectric layer. Double-layered nanocomposite dielectrics enhanced the charge trap density (i.e., trapped charge per unit area) by Au NPs, resulting in increase of the memory window (ΔVth).

Nanostructured enzymatic biosensor based on fullerene and gold nanoparticles: preparation, characterization and analytical applications.

PubMed

Lanzellotto, C; Favero, G; Antonelli, M L; Tortolini, C; Cannistraro, S; Coppari, E; Mazzei, F

2014-05-15

In this work a novel electrochemical biosensing platform based on the coupling of two different nanostructured materials (gold nanoparticles and fullerenols) displaying interesting electrochemical features, has been developed and characterized. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) exhibit attractive electrocatalytic behavior stimulating in the last years, several sensing applications; on the other hand, fullerene and its derivatives are a very promising family of electroactive compounds although they have not yet been fully employed in biosensing. The methodology proposed in this work was finalized to the setup of a laccase biosensor based on a multilayer material consisting in AuNPs, fullerenols and Trametes versicolor Laccase (TvL) assembled layer by layer onto a gold (Au) electrode surface. The influence of different modification step procedures on the electroanalytical performance of biosensors has been evaluated. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) were used to characterize the modification of surface and to investigate the bioelectrocatalytic biosensor response. This biosensor showed fast amperometric response to gallic acid, which is usually considered a standard for polyphenols analysis of wines, with a linear range 0.03-0.30 mmol L(-1) (r(2)=0.9998), with a LOD of 0.006 mmol L(-1) or expressed as polyphenol index 5.0-50 mg L(-1) and LOD 1.1 mg L(-1). A tentative application of the developed nanostructured enzyme-based biosensor was performed evaluating the detection of polyphenols either in buffer solution or in real wine samples. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selective excitation of window and buffer layers in chalcopyrite devices and modules

DOE PAGES

Glynn, Stephen; Repins, Ingrid L.; Burst, James M.; ...

2018-02-02

Window and buffer layers in chalcopyrite devices are well known to affect junctions, conduction, and photo-absorption properties of the device. Some of these layers, particularly 'buffers,' which are deposited directly on top of the absorber, exhibit metastable effects upon exposure to light. Thus, to understand device performance and/or metastability, it is sometimes desirable to selectively excite different layers in the device stack. Absorption characteristics of various window and buffer layers used in chalcopyrite devices are measured. These characteristics are compared with emission spectra of common and available light sources that might be used to optically excite such layers. Effects ofmore » the window and buffer absorption on device quantum efficiency and metastability are discussed. For the case of bath-deposited Zn(O,S) buffers, we conclude that this layer is not optically excited in research devices or modules. Furthermore, this provides a complimentary mechanism to the chemical differences that may cause long time constants (compared to devices with CdS buffers) associated with reaching a stable 'light-soaked' state.« less

Selective excitation of window and buffer layers in chalcopyrite devices and modules

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

Glynn, Stephen; Repins, Ingrid L.; Burst, James M.

Window and buffer layers in chalcopyrite devices are well known to affect junctions, conduction, and photo-absorption properties of the device. Some of these layers, particularly 'buffers,' which are deposited directly on top of the absorber, exhibit metastable effects upon exposure to light. Thus, to understand device performance and/or metastability, it is sometimes desirable to selectively excite different layers in the device stack. Absorption characteristics of various window and buffer layers used in chalcopyrite devices are measured. These characteristics are compared with emission spectra of common and available light sources that might be used to optically excite such layers. Effects ofmore » the window and buffer absorption on device quantum efficiency and metastability are discussed. For the case of bath-deposited Zn(O,S) buffers, we conclude that this layer is not optically excited in research devices or modules. Furthermore, this provides a complimentary mechanism to the chemical differences that may cause long time constants (compared to devices with CdS buffers) associated with reaching a stable 'light-soaked' state.« less

Buffer layer for thin film structures

DOEpatents

Foltyn, Stephen R.; Jia, Quanxi; Arendt, Paul N.; Wang, Haiyan

2006-10-31

A composite structure including a base substrate and a layer of a mixture of strontium titanate and strontium ruthenate is provided. A superconducting article can include a composite structure including an outermost layer of magnesium oxide, a buffer layer of strontium titanate or a mixture of strontium titanate and strontium ruthenate and a top-layer of a superconducting material such as YBCO upon the buffer layer.

Buffer layer for thin film structures

DOEpatents

Foltyn, Stephen R.; Jia, Quanxi; Arendt, Paul N.; Wang, Haiyan

2010-06-15

A composite structure including a base substrate and a layer of a mixture of strontium titanate and strontium ruthenate is provided. A superconducting article can include a composite structure including an outermost layer of magnesium oxide, a buffer layer of strontium titanate or a mixture of strontium titanate and strontium ruthenate and a top-layer of a superconducting material such as YBCO upon the buffer layer.

On buffer layers as non-reflecting computational boundaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayder, M. Ehtesham; Turkel, Eli L.

1996-01-01

We examine an absorbing buffer layer technique for use as a non-reflecting boundary condition in the numerical simulation of flows. One such formulation was by Ta'asan and Nark for the linearized Euler equations. They modified the flow inside the buffer zone to artificially make it supersonic in the layer. We examine how this approach can be extended to the nonlinear Euler equations. We consider both a conservative and a non-conservative form modifying the governing equations in the buffer layer. We compare this with the case that the governing equations in the layer are the same as in the interior domain. We test the effectiveness of these buffer layers by a simulation of an excited axisymmetric jet based on a nonlinear compressible Navier-Stokes equations.

The Effect of Buffer Types on the In0.82Ga0.18As Epitaxial Layer Grown on an InP (100) Substrate.

PubMed

Zhang, Min; Guo, Zuoxing; Zhao, Liang; Yang, Shen; Zhao, Lei

2018-06-08

In 0.82 Ga 0.18 As epitaxial layers were grown on InP (100) substrates at 530 °C by a low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD) technique. The effects of different buffer structures, such as a single buffer layer, compositionally graded buffer layers, and superlattice buffer layers, on the crystalline quality and property were investigated. Double-crystal X-ray diffraction (DC-XRD) measurement, Raman scattering spectrum, and Hall measurements were used to evaluate the crystalline quality and electrical property. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to characterize the surface morphology and microstructure, respectively. Compared with the In 0.82 Ga 0.18 As epitaxial layer directly grown on an InP substrate, the quality of the sample is not obviously improved by using a single In 0.82 Ga 0.18 As buffer layer. By introducing the graded In x Ga 1−x As buffer layers, it was found that the dislocation density in the epitaxial layer significantly decreased and the surface quality improved remarkably. In addition, the number of dislocations in the epitaxial layer greatly decreased under the combined action of multi-potential wells and potential barriers by the introduction of a In 0.82 Ga 0.18 As/In 0.82 Al 0.18 As superlattice buffer. However, the surface subsequently roughened, which may be explained by surface undulation.

Study of Sn and SnAgCu Solders Wetting Reaction on Ni/Pd/Au Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, C. Y.; Wei, Y. S.; Lin, E. J.; Hsu, Y. C.; Tang, Y. K.

2016-12-01

Wetting reactions of pure Sn and Sn-Ag-Cu solder balls on Au(100 Å and 1000 Å)/Pd(500 Å)/Ni substrates were investigated. The (Au, Pd)Sn4 phase formed in the initial interfacial reaction between pure Sn and Au(100 Å and 1000 Å)/Pd(500 Å)/Ni substrates. Then, the initially formed (Au, Pd)Sn4 compound layer either dissolved or spalled into the molten Sn solder with 3 s of reflowing. The exposed Ni under-layer reacted with Sn solder and formed an interfacial Ni3Sn4 compound. We did not observe spalling compound in the Sn-Ag-Cu case, either on the thin Au (100 Å) or the thick Au (1000 Å) substrates. This implies that the Cu content in the Sn-Ag-Cu solder can efficiently suppress the spalling effect and really stabilize the interfacial layer. Sn-Ag-Cu solder has a better wetting than that of the pure Sn solder, regardless of the Au thickness of the Au/Pd/Ni substrate. For both cases of pure Sn and Sn-Ag-Cu, the initial wetting (<3-s reflowing) on the thin Au (100 Å) substrate is better than that of the thick Au (1000 Å) substrate. Over 3-s reflowing, the wetting on the thicker Au layer (1000 Å) substrate becomes better than the wetting on the thinner Au layer (100 Å) substrate.

New MBE buffer for micron- and quarter-micron-gateGaAs MESFETs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

A new buffer layer has been developed that eliminates backgating in GaAs MESFETs and substantially reduces short-channel effects in GaAs MESFETs with 0.27-micron-long gates. The new buffer is grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at a substrate temperature of 200 C using Ga and As sub 4 beam fluxes. The buffer is crystalline, highly resistive, optically inactive, and can be overgrown with high quality GaAs. GaAs MESFETs with a gate length of 0.27 microns that incorporate the new buffer show improved dc and RF properties in comparison with a similar MESFET with a thin undoped GaAs buffer. To demonstrate the backgating performance improvement afforded by the new buffer, MESFETs were fabricated using a number of different buffer layers and structures. A schematic cross section of the MESFET structure used in this study is shown. The measured gate length, gate width, and source-drain spacing of this device are 2,98, and 5.5 microns, respectively. An ohmic contact, isolated from the MESFET by mesa etching, served as the sidegate. The MESFETs were fabricated in MBE n-GaAs layers grown on the new buffer and also in MBE n-GaAs layers grown on buffer layers of undoped GaAs, AlGaAs, and GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices. All the buffer layers were grown by MBE and are 2 microns thick. The active layer is doped to approximately 2 x 10 to the 17th/cu cm with silicon and is 0.3 microns thick.

Mitigation of substrate defects in reflective reticles using sequential coating and annealing

DOEpatents

Mirkanimi, Paul B.

2002-01-01

A buffer-layer to minimize the size of defects on a reticle substrate prior to deposition of a reflective coating on the substrate. The buffer-layer is formed by either a multilayer deposited on the substrate or by a plurality of sequentially deposited and annealed coatings deposited on the substrate. The plurality of sequentially deposited and annealed coating may comprise multilayer and single layer coatings. The multilayer deposited and annealed buffer layer coatings may be of the same or different material than the reflecting coating thereafter deposited on the buffer-layer.

Group-III nitride based high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) with barrier/spacer layer

DOEpatents

Chavarkar, Prashant; Smorchkova, Ioulia P.; Keller, Stacia; Mishra, Umesh; Walukiewicz, Wladyslaw; Wu, Yifeng

2005-02-01

A Group III nitride based high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) is disclosed that provides improved high frequency performance. One embodiment of the HEMT comprises a GaN buffer layer, with an Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y N (y=1 or y 1) layer on the GaN buffer layer. An Al.sub.x Ga.sub.1-x N (0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.5) barrier layer on to the Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y N layer, opposite the GaN buffer layer, Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y N layer having a higher Al concentration than that of the Al.sub.x Ga.sub.1-x N barrier layer. A preferred Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y N layer has y=1 or y.about.1 and a preferred Al.sub.x Ga.sub.1-x N barrier layer has 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.5. A 2DEG forms at the interface between the GaN buffer layer and the Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y N layer. Respective source, drain and gate contacts are formed on the Al.sub.x Ga.sub.1-x N barrier layer. The HEMT can also comprising a substrate adjacent to the buffer layer, opposite the Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y N layer and a nucleation layer between the Al.sub.x Ga.sub.1-x N buffer layer and the substrate.

Inverted bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells with the transfer-printed anodes and low-temperature-processed ultrathin buffer layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itoh, Eiji; Sakai, Shota; Fukuda, Katsutoshi

2018-03-01

We studied the effects of a hole buffer layer [molybdenum oxide (MoO3) and natural copper oxide layer] and a low-temperature-processed electron buffer layer on the performance of inverted bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells in a device consisting of indium-tin oxide (ITO)/poly(ethylene imine) (PEI)/titanium oxide nanosheet (TiO-NS)/poly(3-hexylthiopnehe) (P3HT):phenyl-C61-butyric acid methylester (PCBM)/oxide/anode (Ag or Cu). The insertion of ultrathin TiO-NS (˜1 nm) and oxide hole buffer layers improved the open circuit voltage V OC, fill factor, and rectification properties owing to the effective hole blocking and electron transport properties of ultrathin TiO-NS, and to the enhanced work function difference between TiO-NS and the oxide hole buffer layer. The insertion of the TiO-NS contributed to the reduction in the potential barrier at the ITO/PEI/TiO-NS/active layer interface for electrons, and the insertion of the oxide hole buffer layer contributed to the reduction in the potential barrier for holes. The marked increase in the capacitance under positive biasing in the capacitance-voltage characteristics revealed that the combination of TiO-NS and MoO3 buffer layers contributes to the selective transport of electrons and holes, and blocks counter carriers at the active layer/oxide interface. The natural oxide layer of the copper electrode also acts as a hole buffer layer owing to the increase in the work function of the Cu surface in the inverted cells. The performance of the cell with evaporated MoO3 and Cu layers that were transfer-printed to the active layer was almost comparable to that of the cell with MoO3 and Ag layers directly evaporated onto the active layer. We also demonstrated comparable device performance in the cell with all-printed MoO3 and low-temperature-processed silver nanoparticles as an anode.

Buffer layers on metal alloy substrates for superconducting tapes

DOEpatents

Jia, Quanxi; Foltyn, Stephen R.; Arendt, Paul N.; Groves, James R.

2004-06-29

An article including a substrate, a layer of an inert oxide material upon the surface of the substrate, a layer of an amorphous oxide or oxynitride material upon the inert oxide material layer, a layer of an oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure upon the amorphous oxide material layer, and a layer of a SrRuO.sub.3 buffer material upon the oriented cubic oxide material layer is provided together with additional layers such as a HTS top-layer of YBCO directly upon the layer of a SrRuO.sub.3 buffer material layer. With a HTS top-layer of YBCO upon at least one layer of the SrRuO.sub.3 buffer material in such an article, J.sub.c 's of up to 1.3.times.10.sup.6 A/cm.sup.2 have been demonstrated with projected IC's of over 200 Amperes across a sample 1 cm wide.

Chemical solution deposition method of fabricating highly aligned MgO templates

DOEpatents

Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans [Knoxville, TN; Sathyamurthy, Srivatsan [Knoxville, TN; Aytug, Tolga [Knoxville, TN; Arendt, Paul N [Los Alamos, NM; Stan, Liliana [Los Alamos, NM; Foltyn, Stephen R [Los Alamos, NM

2012-01-03

A superconducting article includes a substrate having an untextured metal surface; an untextured barrier layer of La.sub.2Zr.sub.2O.sub.7 or Gd.sub.2Zr.sub.2O.sub.7 supported by and in contact with the surface of the substrate; a biaxially textured buffer layer supported by the untextured barrier layer; and a biaxially textured superconducting layer supported by the biaxially textured buffer layer. Moreover, a method of forming a buffer layer on a metal substrate includes the steps of: providing a substrate having an untextured metal surface; coating the surface of the substrate with a barrier layer precursor; converting the precursor to an untextured barrier layer; and depositing a biaxially textured buffer layer above and supported by the untextured barrier layer.

Effect of hydrogen on the device performance and stability characteristics of amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistors with a SiO2/SiNx/SiO2 buffer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Ki-Lim; Ok, Kyung-Chul; Cho, Hyeon-Su; Oh, Saeroonter; Park, Jin-Seong

2017-08-01

We investigate the influence of the multi-layered buffer consisting of SiO2/SiNx/SiO2 on amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The multi-layered buffer inhibits permeation of water from flexible plastic substrates and prevents degradation of overlying organic layers. The a-IGZO TFTs with a multi-layered buffer suffer less positive bias temperature stress instability compared to the device with a single SiO2 buffer layer after annealing at 250 °C. Hydrogen from the SiNx layer diffuses into the active layer and reduces electron trapping at loosely bound oxygen defects near the SiO2/a-IGZO interface. Quantitative analysis shows that a hydrogen density of 1.85 × 1021 cm-3 is beneficial to reliability. However, the multi-layered buffer device annealed at 350 °C resulted in conductive characteristics due to the excess carrier concentration from the higher hydrogen density of 2.12 × 1021 cm-3.

Threading Dislocations in InGaAs/GaAs (001) Buffer Layers for Metamorphic High Electron Mobility Transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yifei; Kujofsa, Tedi; Ayers, John E.

2018-07-01

In order to evaluate various buffer layers for metamorphic devices, threading dislocation densities have been calculated for uniform composition In x Ga1- x As device layers deposited on GaAs (001) substrates with an intermediate graded buffer layer using the L MD model, where L MD is the average length of misfit dislocations. On this basis, we compare the relative effectiveness of buffer layers with linear, exponential, and S-graded compositional profiles. In the case of a 2 μm thick buffer layer linear grading results in higher threading dislocation densities in the device layer compared to either exponential or S-grading. When exponential grading is used, lower threading dislocation densities are obtained with a smaller length constant. In the S-graded case, lower threading dislocation densities result when a smaller standard deviation parameter is used. As the buffer layer thickness is decreased from 2 μm to 0.1 μm all of the above effects are diminished, and the absolute threading dislocation densities increase.

Final Report: Rational Design of Wide Band Gap Buffer Layers for High-Efficiency Thin-Film Photovoltaics

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

Lordi, Vincenzo

The main objective of this project is to enable rational design of wide band gap buffer layer materials for CIGS thin-film PV by building understanding of the correlation of atomic-scale defects in the buffer layer and at the buffer/absorber interface with device electrical properties. Optimized wide band gap buffers are needed to reduce efficiency loss from parasitic absorption in the buffer. The approach uses first-principles materials simulations coupled with nanoscale analytical electron microscopy as well as device electrical characterization. Materials and devices are produced by an industrial partner in a manufacturing line to maximize relevance, with the goal of enablingmore » R&D of new buffer layer compositions or deposition processes to push device efficiencies above 21%. Cadmium sulfide (CdS) is the reference material for analysis, as the prototypical high-performing buffer material.« less

Buffer layers for high-Tc thin films on sapphire

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, X. D.; Foltyn, S. R.; Muenchausen, R. E.; Cooke, D. W.; Pique, A.; Kalokitis, D.; Pendrick, V.; Belohoubek, E.

1992-01-01

Buffer layers of various oxides including CeO2 and yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) have been deposited on R-plane sapphire. The orientation and crystallinity of the layers were optimized to promote epitaxial growth of YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) (YBCO) thin films. An ion beam channeling minimum yield of about 3 percent was obtained in the CeO2 layer on sapphire, indicating excellent crystallinity of the buffer layer. Among the buffer materials used, CeO2 was found to be the best one for YBCO thin films on R-plane sapphire. High Tc and Jc were obtained in YBCO thin films on sapphire with buffer layers. Surface resistances of the YBCO films were about 4 mOmega at 77 K and 25 GHz.

Effects of V2O5/Au bi-layer electrodes on the top contact Pentacene-based organic thin film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borthakur, Tribeni; Sarma, Ranjit

2017-05-01

Top-contact Pentacene-based organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) with a thin layer of Vanadium Pent-oxide between Pentacene and Au layer are fabricated. Here we have found that the devices with V2O5/Au bi-layer source-drain electrode exhibit better field-effect mobility, high on-off ratio, low threshold voltage and low sub-threshold slope than the devices with Au only. The field-effect mobility, current on-off ratio, threshold voltage and sub-threshold slope of V2O5/Au bi-layer OTFT estimated from the device with 15 nm thick V2O5 layer is .77 cm2 v-1 s-1, 7.5×105, -2.9 V and .36 V/decade respectively.

Non-polar a-plane ZnO films grown on r-Al2O3 substrates using GaN buffer layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, C. X.; Chen, W.; Pan, X. H.; Chen, S. S.; Ye, Z. Z.; Huang, J. Y.

2016-09-01

In this work, GaN buffer layer has been used to grow non-polar a-plane ZnO films by laser-assisted and plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The thickness of GaN buffer layer ranges from ∼3 to 12 nm. The GaN buffer thickness effect on the properties of a-plane ZnO thin films is carefully investigated. The results show that the surface morphology, crystal quality and optical properties of a-plane ZnO films are strongly correlated with the thickness of GaN buffer layer. It was found that with 6 nm GaN buffer layer, a-plane ZnO films display the best crystal quality with X-ray diffraction rocking curve full-width at half-maximum of only 161 arcsec for the (101) reflection.

Improving fatigue resistance of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films by using PbZrO3 buffer layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mensur Alkoy, Ebru; Uchiyama, Kiyoshi; Shiosaki, Tadashi; Alkoy, Sedat

2006-05-01

Ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) thin films with PbZrO3 (PZ) buffer layers were prepared on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates using a hybrid rf magnetron sputtering and sol-gel process. Texture of PZT films was found to depend on Pb content of PZ buffer layers. Buffered PZT films displayed comparable ferroelectric properties (2Pr=38-53 μC/cm2,2Ec=136-170 kV/cm) with unbuffered PZT. Asymmetric leakage current and fatigue behavior with superior fatigue resistance was observed in PZ buffered PZT compared to unbuffered films. PZ buffer layers were found to affect crystallization and texture of PZT, and act as a capacitive interface layer possibly blocking charge injection from electrodes.

Rare earth zirconium oxide buffer layers on metal substrates

DOEpatents

Williams, Robert K.; Paranthaman, Mariappan; Chirayil, Thomas G.; Lee, Dominic F.; Goyal, Amit; Feenstra, Roeland

2001-01-01

A laminate article comprises a substrate and a biaxially textured (RE.sub.x A.sub.(1-x)).sub.2 O.sub.2-(x/2) buffer layer over the substrate, wherein 0

Improvement in temperature dependence and dielectric tunability properties of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 thin films using Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3 buffer layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zhi; Zhou, Jing; Chen, Wen; Shen, Jie; Yang, Huimin; Zhang, Shisai; Liu, Yueli

2016-12-01

In this paper, Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) thin films were prepared via sol-gel method. The effects of Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3 (BMT) buffer layer on the temperature dependence and dielectric tunability properties of PZT thin films were studied. As the thickness of BMT buffer layer increases, the tan δ and tunability of PZT thin films decrease while tunability still maintains above 10%. This result shows that BMT buffer layer can improve the dielectric tunability properties of PZT thin films. Furthermore, the temperature coefficient of the dielectric constant decreases from 2333.4 to 906.9 ppm/°C with the thickness of BMT buffer layer increasing in the range from 25 to 205 °C, indicating that BMT buffer layer can improve the temperature stability of PZT thin films. Therefore, BMT buffer layer plays a critical role in improving temperature dependence and dielectric tunability properties of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 thin films.

Study of the effects of GaN buffer layer quality on the dc characteristics of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

DOE PAGES

Ahn, Shihyun; Zhu, Weidi; Dong, Chen; ...

2015-04-21

Here we studied the effect of buffer layer quality on dc characteristics of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility (HEMTs). AlGaN/GaN HEMT structures with 2 and 5 μm GaN buffer layers on sapphire substrates from two different vendors with the same Al concentration of AlGaN were used. The defect densities of HEMT structures with 2 and 5 μm GaN buffer layer were 7 × 10 9 and 5 × 10 8 cm ₋2, respectively, as measured by transmission electron microscopy. There was little difference in drain saturation current or in transfer characteristics in HEMTs on these two types of buffer. However, theremore » was no dispersion observed on the nonpassivated HEMTs with 5 μm GaN buffer layer for gate-lag pulsed measurement at 100 kHz, which was in sharp contrast to the 71% drain current reduction for the HEMT with 2 μm GaN buffer layer.« less

Microstructure and opto-electronic properties of Sn-rich Au-Sn diffusive solders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rerek, T.; Skowronski, L.; Kobierski, M.; Naparty, M. K.; Derkowska-Zielinska, B.

2018-09-01

Microstructural and opto-electronic properties of Au ⧹ Sn and Sn ⧹ Au bilayers, obtained by sequential evaporating of metals on the Si substrate, were investigated by means of atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Thicknesses of individual films were established to obtain the atomic ratio of Au:Sn atoms 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4, which were favor the formation of AuSn, AuSn2 and AuSn4, respectively. However, the produced intermatallic compounds were detected as AuSn and AuSn2. Additionally, the unbounded Sn was found. The sequence of deposition of Au and Sn films as well as their thickness strongly affect on the composition, microstructure, optical and electrical properties of the produced layers. The Au ⧹ Sn (Sn on the top) layers were more smooth than Sn ⧹ Au (Au on the top) films. Generally, the Au ⧹ Sn layers exhibit a better electrical and optical properties than Sn ⧹ Au films. The optical parameters: plasma energy, free-carrier damping, mean relaxation time of conduction electrons and optical resistivity were determined from the effective complex dielectric function of the formed Au, Sn and Au-Sn films. The optical resistivity values are in the range from 17.8 μΩ cm to 85.1 μΩ cm and from 29.6 μΩ cm to 113.3 μΩ cm for Au ⧹ Sn and Sn ⧹ Au layers, respectively.

Dynamics of gold nanoparticles in synthetic and biopolymer solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohli, Indermeet

Soft matter systems of colloidal particles, polymers, amphiphiles and liquid crystals are ubiquitous in our everyday life. Food, plastics, soap and even human body is comprised of soft materials. Research conducted to understand the behavior of these soft matter systems at molecular level is essential for many interdisciplinary fields of study as well as important for many technological applications. We used gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) to investigate the length-scale dependent dynamics in semidilute poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-water, bovine serum albumin (BSA)-phosphate buffer, dextran and particulate solutions. In case of PEG-water solutions, fluctuation correlation spectroscopy was used to measure the diffusion coefficients (D) of the NPs as a function of their radius, Ro (2.5-10 nm), PEG volume fraction, φ (0-0.37) and molecular weight, Mw (5 kg/mol and 35 kg/mol). Our results indicate that the radius of gyration, Rg of the polymer chain is the crossover length scale for the NPs experiencing nanoviscosity or macroviscosity. In BSA-phosphate buffer solutions, we observed a monolayer formation at the NP surface with a thickness of 3.8 nm. The thickness of the adsorbed layer was independent of NP size. Best fit was obtained by the anticooperative binding model with the Hill coefficient of n = 0.63. Dissociation constant (KD) increased with particle size indicating stronger interaction of BSA with smaller sized NPs. We also contrasted the diffusion of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in crowded solutions of randomly branched polymer (dextran) and rigid, spherical particles (silica) to understand the roles played by the probe size and structure of the crowding agent in determining the probe diffusion. AuNPs of two different sizes (2.5 nm & 10 nm), dextran of molecular weight 70 kDa and silica particles of radius 10 nm were used. Our results indicated that the AuNP diffusion can be described using the bulk viscosity of the matrix and hydrodynamically dextran behaved similar to soft colloid. In all situations, we observed normal diffusion except for 2.5 nm sized AuNP particles in dextran solution at higher volume fraction. This was caused by transient trapping of particles within the random branches. The results showed the importance of macromolecular architecture in determining the transport properties in intracellular matrix and in cells with spiny dendrites.

Buffer layers on metal alloy substrates for superconducting tapes

DOEpatents

Jia, Quanxi; Foltyn, Stephen R.; Arendt, Paul N.; Groves, James R.

2004-10-05

An article including a substrate, at least one intermediate layer upon the surface of the substrate, a layer of an oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure upon the at least one intermediate layer, and a layer of a SrRuO.sub.3 buffer material upon the oriented cubic oxide material layer is provided together with additional layers such as a HTS top-layer of YBCO directly upon the layer of a SrRuO.sub.3 buffer material layer. With a HTS top-layer of YBCO upon at least one layer of the SrRuO.sub.3 buffer material in such an article, J.sub.c 's of up to 1.3.times.10.sup.6 A/cm.sup.2 have been demonstrated with projected I.sub.c 's of over 200 Amperes across a sample 1 cm wide.

Influences of ultra-thin Ti seed layers on the dewetting phenomenon of Au films deposited on Si oxide substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamiko, Masao; Kim, So-Mang; Jeong, Young-Seok; Ha, Jae-Ho; Koo, Sang-Mo; Ha, Jae-Geun

2018-05-01

The influences of a Ti seed layer (1 nm) on the dewetting phenomenon of Au films (5 nm) grown onto amorphous SiO2 substrates have been studied and compared. Atomic force microscopy results indicated that the introduction of Ti between the substrate and Au promoted the dewetting phenomenon. X-ray diffraction measurements suggested that the initial deposition of Ti promoted crystallinity of Au. A series of Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results revealed that Ti transformed to a Ti oxide layer by reduction of the amorphous SiO2 substrate surface, and that the Ti seed layer remained on the substrate, without going through the dewetting process during annealing. We concluded that the enhancement of Au dewetting and the improvement in crystallinity of Au by the insertion of Ti could be attributed to the fact that Au location was changed from the surface of the amorphous SiO2 substrate to that of the Ti oxide layer.

Lightweight, durable lead-acid batteries

DOEpatents

Lara-Curzio, Edgar [Lenoir City, TN; An, Ke [Knoxville, TX; Kiggans, Jr., James O.; Dudney, Nancy J [Knoxville, TN; Contescu, Cristian I [Knoxville, TN; Baker, Frederick S [Oak Ridge, TN; Armstrong, Beth L [Clinton, TN

2011-09-13

A lightweight, durable lead-acid battery is disclosed. Alternative electrode materials and configurations are used to reduce weight, to increase material utilization and to extend service life. The electrode can include a current collector having a buffer layer in contact with the current collector and an electrochemically active material in contact with the buffer layer. In one form, the buffer layer includes a carbide, and the current collector includes carbon fibers having the buffer layer. The buffer layer can include a carbide and/or a noble metal selected from of gold, silver, tantalum, platinum, palladium and rhodium. When the electrode is to be used in a lead-acid battery, the electrochemically active material is selected from metallic lead (for a negative electrode) or lead peroxide (for a positive electrode).

Lightweight, durable lead-acid batteries

DOEpatents

Lara-Curzio, Edgar; An, Ke; Kiggans, Jr., James O; Dudney, Nancy J; Contescu, Cristian I; Baker, Frederick S; Armstrong, Beth L

2013-05-21

A lightweight, durable lead-acid battery is disclosed. Alternative electrode materials and configurations are used to reduce weight, to increase material utilization and to extend service life. The electrode can include a current collector having a buffer layer in contact with the current collector and an electrochemically active material in contact with the buffer layer. In one form, the buffer layer includes a carbide, and the current collector includes carbon fibers having the buffer layer. The buffer layer can include a carbide and/or a noble metal selected from of gold, silver, tantalum, platinum, palladium and rhodium. When the electrode is to be used in a lead-acid battery, the electrochemically active material is selected from metallic lead (for a negative electrode) or lead peroxide (for a positive electrode).

ITO/Au/ITO sandwich structure for near-infrared plasmonics.

PubMed

Fang, Xu; Mak, Chee Leung; Dai, Jiyan; Li, Kan; Ye, Hui; Leung, Chi Wah

2014-09-24

ITO/Au/ITO trilayers with varying gold spacer layer thicknesses were deposited on glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Transmission electron microscopy measurements demonstrated the continuous nature of the Au layer down to 2.4 nm. XRD patterns clearly showed an enhanced crystallinity of the ITO films promoted by the insertion of the gold layer. Compared with a single layer of ITO with a carrier concentration of 7.12 × 10(20) cm(-3), the ITO/Au/ITO structure achieved an effective carrier concentration as high as 3.26 × 10(22) cm(-3). Transmittance and ellipsometry measurements showed that the optical properties of ITO/Au/ITO films were greatly influenced by the thickness of the inserted gold layer. The cross-point wavelength of the trilayer samples was reduced with increasing gold layer thickness. Importantly, the trilayer structure exhibited a reduced loss (compared with plain Au) in the near-infrared region, suggesting its potential for plasmonic applications in the near-infrared range.

Method of depositing buffer layers on biaxially textured metal substrates

DOEpatents

Beach, David B.; Morrell, Jonathan S.; Paranthaman, Mariappan; Chirayil, Thomas; Specht, Eliot D.; Goyal, Amit

2002-08-27

A laminate article comprises a substrate and a biaxially textured (RE.sup.1.sub.x RE.sup.2.sub.(1-x)).sub.2 O.sub.3 buffer layer over the substrate, wherein 0

Growth mechanism, surface and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures deposited on various Au-seeded thickness obtained by mist-atomization

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

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

2016-07-06

In this paper, growth mechanisms of ZnO nanostructures on non-seeded glass, 6 nm and 12 nm Au seed layer obtained by mist-atomization was proposed. ZnO films were successfully deposited on glass substrate with different thickness of Au seed layer i.e. 6 nm and 12 nm. The surface and optical properties of the prepared samples were investigated using Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and photoluminescence (PL). FESEM micrograph show that ZnO nanostructure deposited on 6 nm Au seed layer has uniform formation and well distributed. From PL spectroscopy, the UV emission shows that ZnO deposited on 6 nm Au seedmore » layer has the more intense UV intensity which proved that high crystal quality of nanostructured ZnO deposited on 6 nm Au seed layer.« less

Tunneling Injection and Exciton Diffusion of White Organic Light-Emitting Diodes with Composed Buffer Layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Su-Hua; Wu, Jian-Ping; Huang, Tao-Liang; Chung, Bin-Fong

2018-02-01

Four configurations of buffer layers were inserted into the structure of a white organic light emitting diode, and their impacts on the hole tunneling-injection and exciton diffusion processes were investigated. The insertion of a single buffer layer of 4,4'-bis(carbazol-9-yl)biphenyl (CBP) resulted in a balanced carrier concentration and excellent color stability with insignificant chromaticity coordinate variations of Δ x < 0.023 and Δ y < 0.023. A device with a 2,9-Dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP) buffer layer was beneficial for hole tunneling to the emission layer, resulting in a 1.45-fold increase in current density. The tunneling of holes and the diffusion of excitons were confirmed by the preparation of a dual buffer layer of CBP:tris-(phenylpyridine)-iridine (Ir(ppy)3)/BCP. A maximum current efficiency of 12.61 cd/A with a luminance of 13,850 cd/m2 was obtained at 8 V when a device with a dual-buffer layer of CBP:6 wt.% Ir(ppy)3/BCP was prepared.

Growth of periodic nano-layers of nano-crystals of Au, Ag, Cu by ion beam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Cydale C.; Zheng, B.; Muntele, C. I.; Muntele, I. C.; Ila, D.

2005-01-01

Multilayered thin films of SiO2/AU+ SiO2/, SiO2/Ag+ SiO2/, and SiO2/Cu+ SiO2/, were grown by deposition. We have previously shown that MeV ion Bombardment of multi-nano-layers of SiO2/AU+ SiO2/ produces Au nanocrystals in the AU+ SiO2 layers. An increased number of nano-layers followed by MeV ion bombardment produces a wide optical absorption band, of which its FWHM depends on the number of nano-layers of SiO2/AU+ SiO2/. We have successfully repeated this process for nano-layers of SiO2/Ag+ SiO2/, and SiO2/Cu+ SiO2/. In this work we used 5 MeV Si as the post deposition bombardment ion and monitored the location as well as the optical absorption's FWHM for each layered structure using Optical Absorption Photospectrometry. The concentration and location of the metal nano-crystals were measured by Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry. We will report on the results obtained for nano-layered structures produced by post deposition bombardment of SiO2/AU+ SiO2/, SiO2/Ag+ SiO2/, and SiO2/Cu+ SiO2/ layered systems as well as the results obtained from a system containing a periodic combination of SiO2/AU+ SiO2/, SiO2/Ag+ SiO2/, and SiO2/Cu+ SiO2/.

Matching characteristics of different buffer layers with VO2 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kai; Zhang, Dongping; Liu, Yi; Guan, Tianrui; Qin, Xiaonan; Zhong, Aihua; Cai, Xingmin; Fan, Ping; Lv, Weizhong

2016-10-01

VO2 thin films were fabricated by reactive DC magnetron sputtering on different buffer layers of MgF2, Al2O3 and TiO2, respectively. The crystallinity and orientation relationship, thickness of VO2 thin films, atoms vibrational modes, optical and electrical property, surface morphology of films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering microscopy, step profiler, spectrophotometer, four-probe technique, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. XRD results investigated that the films have preferential crystalline planes VO2 (011). The crystallinity of VO2 films grown on TiO2 buffer layers are superior to VO2 directly deposited on soda-lime glass. The Raman bands of the VO2 films correspond to an Ag symmetry mode of VO2 (M). The sample prepared on 100nm TiO2 buffer layer appears nanorods structure, and exhibits remarkable solar energy modulation ability as high as 5.82% in full spectrum and 23% in near infrared spectrum. Cross-sectional SEM image of the thin films samples indicate that MgF2 buffer layer has clear interface with VO2 layer. But there are serious interdiffusion phenomenons between Al2O3, TiO2 buffer layer with VO2 layer.

CHEMICAL SOLUTION DEPOSITION BASED OXIDE BUFFERS AND YBCO COATED CONDUCTORS

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

Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans

We have reviewed briefly the growth of buffer and high temperature superconducting oxide thin films using a chemical solution deposition (CSD) method. In the Rolling-Assisted Biaxially Textured Substrates (RABiTS) process, developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, utilizes the thermo mechanical processing to obtain the flexible, biaxially oriented copper, nickel or nickel-alloy substrates. Buffers and Rare Earth Barium Copper Oxide (REBCO) superconductors have been deposited epitaxially on the textured nickel alloy substrates. The starting substrate serves as a template for the REBCO layer, which has substantially fewer weak links. Buffer layers play a major role in fabricating the second generation REBCOmore » wire technology. The main purpose of the buffer layers is to provide a smooth, continuous and chemically inert surface for the growth of the REBCO film, while transferring the texture from the substrate to the superconductor layer. To achieve this, the buffer layers need to be epitaxial to the substrate, i.e. they have to nucleate and grow in the same bi-axial texture provided by the textured metal foil. The most commonly used RABiTS multi-layer architectures consist of a starting template of biaxially textured Ni-5 at.% W (Ni-W) substrate with a seed (first) layer of Yttrium Oxide (Y2O3), a barrier (second) layer of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ), and a Cerium Oxide (CeO2) cap (third) layer. These three buffer layers are generally deposited using physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques such as reactive sputtering. On top of the PVD template, REBCO film is then grown by a chemical solution deposition. This article reviews in detail about the list of oxide buffers and superconductor REBCO films grown epitaxially on single crystal and/or biaxially textured Ni-W substrates using a CSD method.« less

Growth of germanium on Au(111): formation of germanene or intermixing of Au and Ge atoms?

PubMed

Cantero, Esteban D; Solis, Lara M; Tong, Yongfeng; Fuhr, Javier D; Martiarena, María Luz; Grizzi, Oscar; Sánchez, Esteban A

2017-07-19

We studied the growth of Ge layers on Au(111) under ultra-high vacuum conditions from the submonolayer regime up to a few layers with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), Direct Recoiling Spectroscopy (DRS) and Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED). Most STM images for the thicker layers are consistent with a commensurate 5 × 8 arrangement. The high surface sensitivity of TOF-DRS allows us to confirm the coexistence of Au and Ge atoms in the top layer for all stages of growth. An estimation of the Au to Ge ratio at the surface of the thick layer gives about 1 Au atom per 2 Ge ones. When the growth is carried out at sample temperatures higher than about 420 K, a fraction of the deposited Ge atoms migrate into the bulk of Au. This incorporation of Ge into the bulk reduces the growth rate of the Ge films, making it more difficult to obtain films thicker than a few layers. After sputtering the Ge/Au surface, the segregation of bulk Ge atoms to the surface occurs for temperatures ≥600 K. The surface obtained after segregation of Ge reaches a stable condition (saturation) with an n × n symmetry with n on the order of 14.

Nitrogen-Polar (000 1 ¯ ) GaN Grown on c-Plane Sapphire with a High-Temperature AlN Buffer.

PubMed

Song, Jie; Han, Jung

2017-03-02

We demonstrate growing nitrogen-polar (N-polar) GaN epilayer on c-plane sapphire using a thin AlN buffer layer by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. We have studied the influence of the AlN buffer layer on the polarity, crystalline quality, and surface morphology of the GaN epilayer and found that the growth temperature of the AlN buffer layer played a critical role in the growth of the GaN epilayer. The low growth temperature of the AlN buffer results in gallium-polar GaN. Even a nitridation process has been conducted. High growth temperature for an AlN buffer layer is required to achieve pure N-polarity, high crystalline quality, and smooth surface morphology for a GaN epilayer.

Efficient CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite/fullerene planar heterojunction hybrid solar cells with oxidized Ni/Au/Cu transparent electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Wei-Chih; Lin, Kun-Wei; Guo, Tzung-Fang; Chen, Peter; Liao, Yuan-Yu

2018-02-01

We demonstrated the performance of inverted CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based solar cells (SCs) with a thermally oxidized nickel/gold/copper (Ni/Au/Cu) trilayer transparent electrode. Oxidized Ni/Au/Cu is a high transparent layer and has less resistance than the oxidized Ni/Au layer. Like the oxidized Ni/Au layer, oxidized Ni and Cu in oxidized Ni/Au/Cu could perform as a hole transport layer of the perovskite-based SCs. It leads to improved perovskite SC performance on an open circuit voltage of 1.01 V, a short circuit current density of 14.36 mA/cm2, a fill factor of 76.7%, and a power conversion efficiency (η%) of 11.1%. The η% of perovskite SCs with oxidized Ni (10 nm)/Au (6 nm)/Cu (1 nm) improved by approximately 10% compared with that of perovskite SCs with oxidized Ni/Au.

Contact engineering for efficient charge injection in organic transistors with low-cost metal electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panigrahi, D.; Kumar, S.; Dhar, A.

2017-10-01

Controlling charge injection at the metal-semiconductor interface is very crucial for organic electronic devices in general as it can significantly influence the overall device performance. Herein, we report a facile, yet efficient contact modification approach, to enhance the hole injection efficiency through the incorporation of a high vacuum deposited TPD [N,N'-Bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N'-diphenylbenzidine] interlayer between the electrodes and the active semiconducting layer. The device performance parameters such as mobility and on/off ratio improved significantly after the inclusion of the TPD buffer layer, and more interestingly, the devices with cost effective Ag and Cu electrodes were able to exhibit a superior device performance than the typically used Au source-drain devices. We have also observed that this contact modification technique can be even more effective than commonly used metal oxide interface modifying layers. Our investigations demonstrate the efficacy of the TPD interlayer in effectively reducing the interfacial contact resistance through the modification of pentacene energy levels, which consequently results in the substantial improvement in the device performances.

MgO buffer layers on rolled nickel or copper as superconductor substrates

DOEpatents

Paranthaman, Mariappan; Goyal, Amit; Kroeger, Donald M.; List, III, Frederic A.

2001-01-01

Buffer layer architectures are epitaxially deposited on biaxially-textured rolled-Ni and/or Cu substrates for high current conductors, and more particularly buffer layer architectures such as MgO/Ag/Pt/Ni, MgO/Ag/Pd/Ni, MgO/Ag/Ni, MgO/Ag/Pd/Cu, MgO/Ag/Pt/Cu, and MgO/Ag/Cu. Techniques used to deposit these buffer layers include electron beam evaporation, thermal evaporation, rf magnetron sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), combustion CVD, and spray pyrolysis.

Method for making MgO buffer layers on rolled nickel or copper as superconductor substrates

DOEpatents

Paranthaman, Mariappan; Goyal, Amit; Kroeger, Donald M.; List, III, Frederic A.

2002-01-01

Buffer layer architectures are epitaxially deposited on biaxially-textured rolled-Ni and/or Cu substrates for high current conductors, and more particularly buffer layer architectures such as MgO/Ag/Pt/Ni, MgO/Ag/Pd/Ni, MgO/Ag/Ni, MgO/Ag/Pd/Cu, MgO/Ag/Pt/Cu, and MgO/Ag/Cu. Techniques used to deposit these buffer layers include electron beam evaporation, thermal evaporation, rf magnetron sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), combustion CVD, and spray pyrolysis.

Critical CuI buffer layer surface density for organic molecular crystal orientation change

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

Ahn, Kwangseok; Kim, Jong Beom; Lee, Dong Ryeol, E-mail: drlee@ssu.ac.kr

We have determined the critical surface density of the CuI buffer layer inserted to change the preferred orientation of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) crystals grown on the buffer layer. X-ray reflectivity measurements were performed to obtain the density profiles of the buffer layers and out-of-plane and 2D grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction measurements were performed to determine the preferred orientations of the molecular crystals. Remarkably, it was found that the preferred orientation of the CuPc film is completely changed from edge-on (1 0 0) to face-on (1 1 −2) by a CuI buffer layer with a very low surface density, so low thatmore » a large proportion of the substrate surface is bare.« less

Impact of the silicon substrate resistivity and growth condition on the deep levels in Ni-Au/AlN/Si MIS Capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chong; Simoen, Eddy; Zhao, Ming; Li, Wei

2017-10-01

Deep levels formed under different growth conditions of a 200 nm AlN buffer layer on B-doped Czochralski Si(111) substrates with different resistivity were investigated by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) on metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors. Growth-temperature-dependent Al diffusion in the Si substrate was derived from the free carrier density obtained by capacitance-voltage measurement on samples grown on p- substrates. The DLTS spectra revealed a high concentration of point and extended defects in the p- and p+ silicon substrates, respectively. This indicated a difference in the electrically active defects in the silicon substrate close to the AlN/Si interface, depending on the B doping concentration.

Near-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with transparent conducting layer of gold-doped multi-layer graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Chu-Young; Choe, Minhyeok; Lee, Sang-Jun; Hong, Sang-Hyun; Lee, Takhee; Lim, Wantae; Kim, Sung-Tae; Park, Seong-Ju

2013-03-01

We report on gold (Au)-doped multi-layer graphene (MLG), which can be used as a transparent conducting layer in near-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (NUV-LEDs). The optical output power of NUV-LEDs with thermally annealed Au-doped MLG was increased by 34% compared with that of NUV-LEDs with a bare MLG. This result is attributed to the reduced sheet resistance and the enhanced current injection efficiency of NUV-LEDs by the thermally annealed Au-doped MLG film, which shows high transmittance in NUV and UV regions and good adhesion of Au-doped MLG on p-GaN layer of NUV-LEDs.

A membraneless single compartment abiotic glucose fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slaughter, Gymama; Sunday, Joshua

2014-09-01

A simple energy harvesting strategy has been developed to selectively catalyze glucose in the presence of oxygen in a glucose/O2 fuel cell. The anode consists of an abiotic catalyst Al/Au/ZnO, in which ZnO seed layer was deposited on the surface of Al/Au substrate using hydrothermal method. The cathode is constructed from a single rod of platinum with an outer diameter of 500 μm. The abiotic glucose fuel cell was studied in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4) containing 5 mM glucose at a temperature of 22 °C. The cell is characterized according to its open-circuit voltage, polarization profile, and power density plot. Under these conditions, the abiotic glucose fuel cell possesses an open-circuit voltage of 840 mV and delivered a maximum power density of 16.2 μW cm-2 at a cell voltage of 495 mV. These characteristics are comparable to biofuel cell utilizing a much more complex system design. Such low-cost lightweight abiotic catalyzed glucose fuel cells have a great promise to be optimized, miniaturized to power bio-implantable devices.

Anisotropic In Situ-Coated AuNPs on Screen-Printed Carbon Surface for Enhanced Prostate-Specific Antigen Impedimetric Aptasensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Do, Tram T. N.; Van Phi, Toan; Nguy, Tin Phan; Wagner, Patrick; Eersels, Kasper; Vestergaard, Mun'delanji C.; Truong, Lien T. N.

2017-06-01

An impedimetric aptasensor has been used to study the effect of charge transfer on the binding of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to its aptamer. Full understanding of this mechanism will be beneficial to further improve its sensitivity for PSA detection in human semen at physiologically relevant concentrations. Bare gold electrodes (SPAuEs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-coated screen-printed carbon ink electrodes (AuNPs/SPCEs) were coated with aptamer solution at various concentrations and the sensor response to increasing PSA concentration in buffer solution examined. AuNPs were deposited onto carbon electrodes in 10 cycles. AuNPs/SPCEs were then coated with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid prior to aptamer immobilization at dose of 5 μg mL-1. The results indicate that anisotropic AuNPs/SPCEs outperform bare gold electrodes in terms of decreased amount of aptamer bunches as well as the number of intermediate PSA-aptamer complexes formed on the electrode surface. The key finding is that the fabricated aptasensor is sensitive enough [limit of detection (LoD) 1.95 ng mL-1] for early diagnosis of prostate cancer and displays linear response in the physiologically relevant concentration range (0 ng mL-1 to 10 ng mL-1), as shown by the calibration curve of the relative change in electron transfer resistance (Δ R CT) versus PSA concentration when aptamer/SAM/AuNPs/SPCEs were exposed to buffer containing PSA at different concentrations.

Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembling Gold Nanorods and Glucose Oxidase onto Carbon Nanotubes Functionalized Sol-Gel Matrix for an Amperometric Glucose Biosensor.

PubMed

Wu, Baoyan; Hou, Shihua; Miao, Zhiying; Zhang, Cong; Ji, Yanhong

2015-09-18

A novel amperometric glucose biosensor was fabricated by layer-by-layer self-assembly of gold nanorods (AuNRs) and glucose oxidase (GOD) onto single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)-functionalized three-dimensional sol-gel matrix. A thiolated aqueous silica sol containing SWCNTs was first assembled on the surface of a cleaned Au electrode, and then the alternate self-assembly of AuNRs and GOD were repeated to assemble multilayer films of AuNRs-GOD onto SWCNTs-functionalized silica gel for optimizing the biosensor. Among the resulting glucose biosensors, the four layers of AuNRs-GOD-modified electrode showed the best performance. The sol-SWCNTs-(AuNRs- GOD)₄/Au biosensor exhibited a good linear range of 0.01-8 mM glucose, high sensitivity of 1.08 μA/mM, and fast amperometric response within 4 s. The good performance of the proposed glucose biosensor could be mainly attributed to the advantages of the three-dimensional sol-gel matrix and stereo self-assembly films, and the natural features of one-dimensional nanostructure SWCNTs and AuNRs. This study may provide a new facile way to fabricate the enzyme-based biosensor with high performance.

Constrained Evolution of a Radially Magnetized Protoplanetary Disk: Implications for Planetary Migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, Matthew; Thompson, Christopher

2015-12-01

We consider the inner ˜1 AU of a protoplanetary disk (PPD) at a stage where angular momentum transport is driven by the mixing of a radial magnetic field into the disk from a T Tauri wind. Because the radial profile of the imposed magnetic field is well constrained, a constrained calculation of the disk mass flow becomes possible. The vertical disk profiles obtained in Paper I imply a stronger magnetization in the inner disk, faster accretion, and a secular depletion of the disk material. Inward transport of solids allows the disk to maintain a broad optical absorption layer even when the grain abundance becomes too small to suppress its ionization. Thus, a PPD may show a strong mid- to near-infrared spectral excess even while its mass profile departs radically from the minimum-mass solar nebula. The disk surface density is buffered at ˜30 g cm-2 below this, X-rays trigger magnetorotational turbulence at the midplane strong enough to loft millimeter- to centimeter-sized particles high in the disk, followed by catastrophic fragmentation. A sharp density gradient bounds the inner depleted disk and propagates outward to ˜1-2 AU over a few megayears. Earth-mass planets migrate through the inner disk over a similar timescale, whereas the migration of Jupiters is limited by the supply of gas. Gas-mediated migration must stall outside 0.04 AU, where silicates are sublimated and the disk shifts to a much lower column. A transition disk emerges when the dust/gas ratio in the MRI-active layer falls below Xd ˜ 10-6 (ad/μm), where ad is the grain size.

Contribution of ion beam analysis methods to the development of second generation high temperature superconducting wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usov, I. O.; Arendt, P. N.; Foltyn, S. R.; Stan, L.; DePaula, R. F.; Holesinger, T. G.

2010-06-01

One of the crucial steps in the second generation high temperature superconducting wire program was development of the buffer-layer architecture. The architecture designed at the Superconductivity Technology Center at Los Alamos National Laboratory consists of several oxide layers wherein each layer plays a specific role, namely: nucleation layer, diffusion barrier, biaxially textured template, and intermediate layer providing a suitable lattice match to the superconducting Y 1Ba 2Cu 3O 7 (YBCO) compound. This report demonstrates how a wide range of ion beam analysis techniques (SIMS, RBS, channeling, PIXE, PIGE, NRA and ERD) was employed for analysis of each buffer layer and the YBCO film. These results assisted in understanding of a variety of physical processes occurring during the buffer layer fabrication and helped to optimize the buffer-layer architecture as a whole.

Modified band alignment effect in ZnO/Cu2O heterojunction solar cells via Cs2O buffer insertion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eom, Kiryung; Lee, Dongyoon; Kim, Seunghwan; Seo, Hyungtak

2018-02-01

The effects of a complex buffer layer of cesium oxide (Cs2O) on the photocurrent response in oxide heterojunction solar cells (HSCs) were investigated. A p-n junction oxide HSC was fabricated using p-type copper (I) oxide (Cu2O) and n-type zinc oxide (ZnO); the buffer layer was inserted between the Cu2O and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO). Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and x-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy analyses were performed to characterize the electronic band structures of cells, both with and without this buffer layer. In conjunction with the measured band electronic structures, the significantly improved visible-range photocurrent spectra of the buffer-inserted HSC were analyzed in-depth. As a result, the 1 sun power conversion efficiency was increased by about three times by the insertion of buffer layer. The physicochemical origin of the photocurrent enhancement was mainly ascribed to the increased photocarrier density in the buffer layer and modified valence band offset to promote the effective hole transfer at the interface to FTO on the band-alignment model.

Tailoring the charge carrier in few layers MoS2 field-effect transistors by Au metal adsorbate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Arun Kumar; Pandey, Rajiv K.; Prakash, Rajiv; Eom, Jonghwa

2018-04-01

It is an essential to tune the charge carrier concentrations in semiconductor in order to approach high-performance of the electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here, we report the effect of thin layer of gold (Au) metal on few layer (FL) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) by atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and electrical charge transport measurements. The Raman spectra and charge transport measurements show that Au thin layer affect the electronic properties of the FL MoS2. After deposition of Au thin layer, the threshold voltages of FL MoS2 field-effect transistors (FETs) shift towards positive gate voltages, this reveal the p-doping in FL MoS2 nanosheets. The shift of peak frequencies of the Raman bands are also analyzed after the deposition of Au metal films of different thickness on FL MoS2 nanosheets. The surface morphology of Au metal on FL MoS2 is characterized by AFM and shows the smoother and denser film in comparison to Au metal on SiO2.

Synthesis of CO2/N2-triggered reversible stability-controllable poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-grafted-AuNPs by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization.

PubMed

Kitayama, Yukiya; Takeuchi, Toshifumi

2014-10-28

CO2/N2-triggered stability-controllable gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) grafted with poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEMA) layers (PDEAEMA-g-AuNPs) were synthesized by the surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of DEAEMA with AuNPs bearing the bis[2-(2-bromoisobutyryloxy)undecyl] layer (grafting from method). Extension of the PDEAEMA chain length increased the stability of the PDEAEMA-g-AuNPs in CO2-bubbled water because of the electrosteric repulsion of the protonated PDEAEMA layer. The chain-length-dependent stability of PDEAEMA-g-AuNPs was confirmed by DLS and UV-vis spectra by using the localized surface plasmon resonance property of the AuNPs, where the extinction wavelength was shifted toward shorter wavelength with increasing PDEAEMA chain length. The reversible stability change with the gas stimuli of CO2/N2 was also successfully demonstrated. Finally, the transfer across the immiscible interface between water and organic solvent was successfully demonstrated by N2-triggered insolubilization of PDEAEMA layer on AuNPs in the aqueous phase, leading to the successful collection of AuNPs using organic solvent from the aqueous phase. Our "grafting from" method of reversible stability-controllable AuNPs can be applied to develop advanced materials such as reusable optical AuNP-based nanosensors because the molecular recognition layer can be constructed by two-step polymerization.

Current isolating epitaxial buffer layers for high voltage photodiode array

DOEpatents

Morse, Jeffrey D.; Cooper, Gregory A.

2002-01-01

An array of photodiodes in series on a common semi-insulating substrate has a non-conductive buffer layer between the photodiodes and the semi-insulating substrate. The buffer layer reduces current injection leakage between the photodiodes of the array and allows optical energy to be converted to high voltage electrical energy.

Semiconductor films on flexible iridium substrates

DOEpatents

Goyal, Amit

2005-03-29

A laminate semiconductor article includes a flexible substrate, an optional biaxially textured oxide buffer system on the flexible substrate, a biaxially textured Ir-based buffer layer on the substrate or the buffer system, and an epitaxial layer of a semiconductor. Ir can serve as a substrate with an epitaxial layer of a semiconductor thereon.

Direct electrochemistry of Shewanella loihica PV-4 on gold nanoparticles-modified boron-doped diamond electrodes fabricated by layer-by-layer technique.

PubMed

Wu, Wenguo; Xie, Ronggang; Bai, Linling; Tang, Zuming; Gu, Zhongze

2012-05-01

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are robust devices capable of taping biological energy, converting pollutants into electricity through renewable biomass. The fabrication of nanostructured electrodes with good bio- and electrochemical activity, play a profound role in promoting power generation of MFCs. Au nanoparticles (AuNPs)-modified Boron-Doped Diamond (BDD) electrodes are fabricated by layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technique and used for the direct electrochemistry of Shewanella loihica PV-4 in an electrochemical cell. Experimental results show that the peak current densities generated on the Au/PAH multilayer-modified BDD electrodes increased from 1.25 to 2.93 microA/cm(-2) as the layer increased from 0 to 6. Different cell morphologies of S. loihica PV-4 were also observed on the electrodes and the highest density of cells was attached on the (Au/PAH)6/BDD electrode with well-formed three-dimensional nanostructure. The electrochemistry of S. loihica PV-4 was enhanced on the (Au/PAH)4/BDD electrode due to the appropriate amount of AuNPsand thickness of PAH layer.

AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor Grown and Fabricated on ZrTi Metallic Alloy Buffer Layers

DOE PAGES

Ren, Fan; Pearton, Stephen J.; Ahn, Shihyun; ...

2017-09-26

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were demonstrated for structures grown on ZrTi metallic alloy buffer layers, which provided lattice matching of the in-plane lattice parameter (“a-parameter”) to hexagonal GaN. The quality of the GaN buffer layer and HEMT structure were confirmed with X-ray 2θ and rocking scans as well as cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. The X-ray 2θ scans showed full widths at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.06°, 0.05° and 0.08° for ZrTi alloy, GaN buffer layer, and the entire HEMT structure, respectively. TEM of the lower section of the HEMT structure containing the GaN buffer layer andmore » the AlN/ZrTi/AlN stack on the Si substrate showed that it was important to grow AlN on the top of ZrTi prior to growing the GaN buffer layer. Finally, the estimated threading dislocation (TD) density in the GaN channel layer of the HEMT structure was in the 10 8 cm -2 range.« less

Long life hydrocarbon conversion catalyst and method of making

DOEpatents

Tonkovich, Anna Lee Y [Pasco, WA; Wang, Yong [Richland, WA; Gao, Yufei [Kennewick, WA

2002-11-12

The present invention includes a catalyst that has at least four layers, (1) porous support, (2) buffer layer, (3) interfacial layer, and optionally (4) catalyst layer. The buffer layer provides a transition of thermal expansion coefficient from the porous support to the interfacial layer thereby reducing thermal expansion stress as the catalyst is heated to high operating temperatures. The method of the present invention for making the at least three layer catalyst has the steps of (1) selecting a porous support, (2) solution depositing an interfacial layer thereon, and optionally (3) depositing a catalyst material onto the interfacial layer; wherein the improvement comprises (4) depositing a buffer layer between the porous support and the interfacial layer.

Optimization of figure of merit in magnetoplasmonic waveguides with Fe/Au multilayer for optical isolator based on nonreciprocal coupling on Si waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, Hiromasa; Shimodaira, Takahiro

2018-04-01

We report on magnetoplasmonic Si waveguides with a ferromagnetic Fe/conductive metal Au multilayer for realizing a sizable magnetooptic effect with a low propagation loss for integrated optical isolators. By combining the ferromagnetic metal Fe with a highly conductive Au layer, the largest nonreciprocal differences in effective index were estimated for propagation lengths of 1-20 µm. Mode analysis with and without a Au layer clarified that the insertion of a Au layer on an Fe layer improves the optical confinement in the Fe layer with reduced propagation loss and is effective in enlarging the magnetooptic effect for the same propagation length. On the basis of the optimized Fe/Au multilayer structure, we designed waveguide optical isolators based on nonreciprocal coupling by the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. We estimated an optical isolation of 10.8 dB with a forward insertion loss of 13.4 dB in a 34-µm-long nonreciprocal directional coupler.

Enhanced adhesion for LIGA microfabrication by using a buffer layer

DOEpatents

Bajikar, Sateesh S.; De Carlo, Francesco; Song, Joshua J.

2004-01-27

The present invention is an improvement on the LIGA microfabrication process wherein a buffer layer is applied to the upper or working surface of a substrate prior to the placement of a resist onto the surface of the substrate. The buffer layer is made from an inert low-Z material (low atomic weight), a material that absorbs secondary X-rays emissions from the substrate that are generated from the substrate upon exposure to a primary X-rays source. Suitable materials for the buffer layer include polyamides and polyimide. The preferred polyimide is synthesized form pyromellitic anhydride and oxydianiline (PMDA-ODA).

Enhanced adhesion for LIGA microfabrication by using a buffer layer

DOEpatents

Bajikar, Sateesh S.; De Carlo, Francesco; Song, Joshua J.

2001-01-01

The present invention is an improvement on the LIGA microfabrication process wherein a buffer layer is applied to the upper or working surface of a substrate prior to the placement of a resist onto the surface of the substrate. The buffer layer is made from an inert low-Z material (low atomic weight), a material that absorbs secondary X-rays emissions from the substrate that are generated from the substrate upon exposure to a primary X-rays source. Suitable materials for the buffer layer include polyamides and polyimide. The preferred polyimide is synthesized form pyromellitic anhydride and oxydianiline (PMDA-ODA).

The solubility of gold in silicate melts: First results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borisov, A.; Palme, H.; Spettel, B.

1993-01-01

The effects of oxygen fugacity and temperature on the solubility of Au in silicate melts were determined. Pd-Au alloys were equilibrated with silicate of anorthite-diopside eutectic composition at different T-fO2 conditions. The behavior of Au was found to be similar to that of Pd reported recently. Au solubilities for alloys with 30 to 40 at. percent Au decrease at 1400 C from 12 ppm in air to 160 ppb at a log fO2 = -8.7. The slope of the log(Me-solubility) vs. log(fO2) curve is close to 1/4 for Au and the simultaneously determined Pd suggesting a formal valence of Au and Pd of 1+. Near the IW buffer Pd and Au solubilities become even less dependent on fO2 perhaps reflecting the presence of some metallic Au and Pd.

Structural and Optical Studies of ZnCdSe/ZnSe/ZnMgSSe Separate Confinement Heterostructures with Different Buffer Layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Ru-Chin; Su, Yan-Kuin; Huang, Ying-Sheng; Chen, Giin-Sang; Chou, Shu-Tsun

1998-09-01

Detailed structural and optical studies of ZnCdSe/ZnSe/ZnMgSSe separate confinementheterostructures (SCH) grown on ZnSe, ZnSe/ZnSSe strained-layer superlattices (SLS),and GaAs buffer layers at the II VI/GaAs interface have been carried out by employingtransmission electron microscopy, variable temperature photoluminescence (PL), andcontactless electroreflectance (CER) measurements. A significant improvement onthe defect reduction and the optical quality has been observed by using either theZnSe/ZnSSe SLS or GaAs as the buffer layers when compared to that of the sample usingonly ZnSe as the buffer layer. However, the sample grown with the SLS buffer layersreveals a room temperature PL intensity higher than that of the sample grown witha GaAs buffer layer, which may still suffer from the great ionic differences betweenthe II V and III V atoms. Using 15 K CER spectra, we have also studied variousexcitonic transitions originating from strained Zn0.80Cd0.20Se/ZnSe single quantumwell in SCH with different buffer layers. An analysis of the CER spectra has ledto the identification of various excitonic transitions, mnH (L), between the mthconduction band state and the nth heavy (light)-hole band state. An excellentagreement between experiments and theoretical calculations based on the envelopefunction approximation model has been achieved.

Improved properties of barium strontium titanate thin films grown on copper foils by pulsed laser deposition using a self-buffered layer.

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

Liu, S.; Ma, B.; Narayanan, M.

2012-01-01

Ba{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}TiO{sub 3} (BST) films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition on copper foils with low-temperature self-buffered layers. The deposition conditions included a low oxygen partial pressure and a temperature of 700 C to crystallize the films without the formation of secondary phases and substrate oxidation. The results from x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the microstructure of the BST films strongly depended on the growth temperature. The use of the self-buffered layer improved the dielectric properties of the deposited BST films. The leakage current density of the BST films on the copper foil was 4.4 xmore » 10{sup -9} A cm{sup -2} and 3.3 x 10{sup -6} A cm{sup -2} with and without the self-buffered layer, respectively. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop for the BST thin film with buffer layer was slim, in contrast to the distorted loop observed for the film without the buffer layer. The permittivity (7 0 0) and dielectric loss tangent (0.013) of the BST film on the copper foil with self-buffered layer at room temperature were comparable to those of the film on metal and single-crystal substrates.« less

The role of hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide buffer layer on improving the performance of hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium single-junction solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sritharathikhun, Jaran; Inthisang, Sorapong; Krajangsang, Taweewat; Krudtad, Patipan; Jaroensathainchok, Suttinan; Hongsingtong, Aswin; Limmanee, Amornrat; Sriprapha, Kobsak

2016-12-01

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide (a-Si1-xOx:H) film was used as a buffer layer at the p-layer (μc-Si1-xOx:H)/i-layer (a-Si1-xGex:H) interface for a narrow band gap hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium (a-Si1-xGex:H) single-junction solar cell. The a-Si1-xOx:H film was deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at 40 MHz in a same processing chamber as depositing the p-type layer. An optimization of the thickness of the a-Si1-xOx:H buffer layer and the CO2/SiH4 ratio was performed in the fabrication of the a-Si1-xGex:H single junction solar cells. By using the wide band gap a-Si1-xOx:H buffer layer with optimum thickness and CO2/SiH4 ratio, the solar cells showed an improvement in the open-circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF), and short circuit current density (Jsc), compared with the solar cells fabricated using the conventional a-Si:H buffer layer. The experimental results indicated the excellent potential of the wide-gap a-Si1-xOx:H buffer layers for narrow band gap a-Si1-xGex:H single junction solar cells.

Au-coated 3-D nanoporous titania layer prepared using polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) block copolymer nanoparticles.

PubMed

Shin, Won-Jeong; Basarir, Fevzihan; Yoon, Tae-Ho; Lee, Jae-Suk

2009-04-09

New nanoporous structures of Au-coated titania layers were prepared by using amphiphilic block copolymer nanoparticles as a template. A 3-D template composed of self-assembled quaternized polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (Q-PS-b-P2VP) block copolymer nanoparticles below 100 nm was prepared. The core-shell-type nanoparticles were well ordered three-dimensionally using the vertical immersion method on the substrate. The polar solvents were added to the polymer solution to prevent particle merging at 40 degrees C when considering the interaction between polymer nanoparticles and solvents. Furthermore, Au-coated PS-b-P2VP nanoparticles were prepared using thiol-capped Au nanoparticles (3 nm). The 3-D arrays with Au-coated PS-b-P2VP nanoparticles as a template contributed to the preparation of the nanoporous Au-coated titania layer. Therefore, the nanoporous Au-coated titania layer was fabricated by removing PS-b-P2VP block copolymer nanoparticles by oxygen plasma etching.

Au/Ti resistors used for Nb/Pb-alloy Josephson junctions. II. Thermal stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murakami, Masanori; Kim, K. K.

1984-10-01

In the preceding paper bilayered Au/Ti resistors were found to have excellent electrical stability during storage at room temperature after preannealing at an elevated temperature, which is essential to design logic and memory circuits of Nb/Pb-alloy Josephson junction devices. The resistors could contact directly with the Pb-alloy control lines in which Pb and In atoms which are known to intermix easily with Au atoms are contained. Since Pb and In atoms in the control lines are separated from Au atoms of the resistors by thin Ti layers, thermal stability at the contacts is a major concern for use of the Au/Ti resistor material in the Josephson devices. In the present study, surface morphology change and diffusion mechanism at the resistor/control-line contacts were studied using x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy for square-shaped Au/Ti resistors covered by Pb-In layers. The samples were isothermally annealed at temperatures ranging from 353 to 423 K. The diffusion did not occur immediately after annealing at these temperatures. After the incubation period, the interdiffusion was observed to initiate at the edges of the resistors facing to the center of the cathode. Significant amounts of the In atoms in the Pb-In layers were observed to diffuse into the Au layers of the resistors, forming AuIn2 compounds under the Ti layers. By measuring growth rates of the AuIn2 layers, the diffusion coefficients and the activation energy for the layer growth were determined. Also, by analyzing changes in the In concentration in the Pb-In layers during annealing, interdiffusion coefficients of In atoms in the Pb-In layers were determined using a computer simulation technique. The activation energy was about 1.1 eV. Since these diffusion coefficients were found to be very close to those determined previously in bulk materials, the diffusion kinetics is believed to be controlled by the lattice diffusion. Based on the present results, several methods to reduce the interdiffusion between Pb-alloy and Au/Ti resistors were proposed.

Low-Cd CIGS solar cells made with a hybrid CdS/Zn(O,S) buffer layer

DOE PAGES

Garris, Rebekah L.; Mansfield, Lorelle M.; Egaas, Brian; ...

2016-10-27

In Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells, CdS and Zn(O,S) buffer layers were compared with a hybrid buffer layer consisting of thin CdS followed Zn(O,S). We explore the physics of this hybrid layer that combines the standard (Cd) approach with the alternative (Zn) approach in the pursuit to unlock further potential for CIGS technology. CdS buffer development has shown optimal interface properties, whereas Zn(O,S) buffer development has shown increased photocurrent. Although a totally Cd-free solar module is more marketable, the retention of a small amount of Cd can be beneficial to achieve optimum junction properties. As long as the amount of Cdmore » is reduced to less than 0.01% by weight, the presence of Cd does not violate the hazardous substance restrictions of the European Union (EU). We estimate the amount of Cd allowed in the EU for CIGS on both glass and stainless steel substrates, and we show that reducing Cd becomes increasingly important as substrate weights decrease. As a result, this hybrid buffer layer had reduced Cd content and a wider space charge region, while achieving equal or better solar cell performance than buffer layers of either CdS or Zn(O,S) alone.« less

The effect of the carbon nanotube buffer layer on the performance of a Li metal battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ding; Zhou, Yi; Liu, Changhong; Fan, Shoushan

2016-05-01

Lithium (Li) metal is one of the most promising candidates as an anode for the next-generation energy storage systems because of its high specific capacity and lowest negative electrochemical potential. But the growth of Li dendrites limits the application of the Li metal battery. In this work, a type of modified Li metal battery with a carbon nanotube (CNT) buffer layer inserted between the separator and the Li metal electrode was reported. The electrochemical results show that the modified batteries have a much better rate capability and cycling performance than the conventional Li metal batteries. The mechanism study by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals that the modified battery has a smaller charge transfer resistance and larger Li ion diffusion coefficient during the deposition process on the Li electrode than the conventional Li metal batteries. Symmetric battery tests show that the interfacial behavior of the Li metal electrode with the buffer layer is more stable than the naked Li metal electrode. The morphological characterization of the CNT buffer layer and Li metal lamina reveals that the CNT buffer layer has restrained the growth of Li dendrites. The CNT buffer layer has great potential to solve the safety problem of the Li metal battery.Lithium (Li) metal is one of the most promising candidates as an anode for the next-generation energy storage systems because of its high specific capacity and lowest negative electrochemical potential. But the growth of Li dendrites limits the application of the Li metal battery. In this work, a type of modified Li metal battery with a carbon nanotube (CNT) buffer layer inserted between the separator and the Li metal electrode was reported. The electrochemical results show that the modified batteries have a much better rate capability and cycling performance than the conventional Li metal batteries. The mechanism study by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals that the modified battery has a smaller charge transfer resistance and larger Li ion diffusion coefficient during the deposition process on the Li electrode than the conventional Li metal batteries. Symmetric battery tests show that the interfacial behavior of the Li metal electrode with the buffer layer is more stable than the naked Li metal electrode. The morphological characterization of the CNT buffer layer and Li metal lamina reveals that the CNT buffer layer has restrained the growth of Li dendrites. The CNT buffer layer has great potential to solve the safety problem of the Li metal battery. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr00465b

High dielectric constant and energy density induced by the tunable TiO2 interfacial buffer layer in PVDF nanocomposite contained with core-shell structured TiO2@BaTiO3 nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Penghao; Jia, Zhuye; Shen, Zhonghui; Wang, Peng; Liu, Xiaoru

2018-05-01

To realize application in high-capacity capacitors and portable electric devices, large energy density is eagerly desired for polymer-based nanocomposite. The core-shell structured nanofillers with inorganic buffer layer are recently supposed to be promising in improving the dielectric property of polymer nanocomposite. In this work, core-shell structured TO@BT nanoparticles with crystalline TiO2 buffer layer coated on BaTiO3 nanoparticle were fabricated via solution method and heat treatment. The thickness of the TO buffer layer can be tailored by modulating the additive amount of the titanate coupling agent in preparation process, and the apparent dielectric properties of nanocomposite are much related to the thickness of the TO layer. The relatively thin TO layer prefer to generate high polarization to increase dielectric constant while the relatively thick TO layer would rather to homogenize field to maintain breakdown strength. Simulation of electric field distribution in the interfacial region reveals the improving effect of the TO buffer layer on the dielectric properties of nanocomposite which accords with the experimental results well. The optimized nanoparticle TO@BT-2 with a mean thickness of 3-5 nm buffer layer of TO is effective in increasing both the ε and Eb in the PVDF composite film. The maximal discharged energy density of 8.78 J/cm3 with high energy efficiency above 0.6 is obtained in TO@BT-2/PVDF nanocomposite with 2.5 vol% loading close to the breakdown strength of 380 kV/mm. The present study demonstrates the approach to optimize the structure of core-shell nanoparticles by modulating buffer layer and provides a new way to further enlarge energy density in polymer nanocomposite.

Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembling Gold Nanorods and Glucose Oxidase onto Carbon Nanotubes Functionalized Sol-Gel Matrix for an Amperometric Glucose Biosensor

PubMed Central

Wu, Baoyan; Hou, Shihua; Miao, Zhiying; Zhang, Cong; Ji, Yanhong

2015-01-01

A novel amperometric glucose biosensor was fabricated by layer-by-layer self-assembly of gold nanorods (AuNRs) and glucose oxidase (GOD) onto single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)-functionalized three-dimensional sol-gel matrix. A thiolated aqueous silica sol containing SWCNTs was first assembled on the surface of a cleaned Au electrode, and then the alternate self-assembly of AuNRs and GOD were repeated to assemble multilayer films of AuNRs-GOD onto SWCNTs-functionalized silica gel for optimizing the biosensor. Among the resulting glucose biosensors, the four layers of AuNRs-GOD-modified electrode showed the best performance. The sol-SWCNTs-(AuNRs-GOD)4/Au biosensor exhibited a good linear range of 0.01–8 mM glucose, high sensitivity of 1.08 μA/mM, and fast amperometric response within 4 s. The good performance of the proposed glucose biosensor could be mainly attributed to the advantages of the three-dimensional sol-gel matrix and stereo self-assembly films, and the natural features of one-dimensional nanostructure SWCNTs and AuNRs. This study may provide a new facile way to fabricate the enzyme-based biosensor with high performance. PMID:28347080

Cooptimization of Adhesion and Power Conversion Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells by Controlling Surface Energy of Buffer Layers.

PubMed

Lee, Inhwa; Noh, Jonghyeon; Lee, Jung-Yong; Kim, Taek-Soo

2017-10-25

Here, we demonstrate the cooptimization of the interfacial fracture energy and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of poly[N-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT)-based organic solar cells (OSCs) by surface treatments of the buffer layer. The investigated surface treatments of the buffer layer simultaneously changed the crack path and interfacial fracture energy of OSCs under mechanical stress and the work function of the buffer layer. To investigate the effects of surface treatments, the work of adhesion values were calculated and matched with the experimental results based on the Owens-Wendt model. Subsequently, we fabricated OSCs on surface-treated buffer layers. In particular, ZnO layers treated with poly[(9,9-bis(3'-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)] (PFN) simultaneously satisfied the high mechanical reliability and PCE of OSCs by achieving high work of adhesion and optimized work function.

Au-nanoparticles grafted on plasma treated PE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Švorčík, V.; Chaloupka, A.; Řezanka, P.; Slepička, P.; Kolská, Z.; Kasálková, N.; Hubáček, T.; Siegel, J.

2010-03-01

Polyethylene (PE) surface was treated with Ar plasma. Activated surface was grafted from methanol solution of 1,2-ethanedithiol. Then the sample was immersed into freshly prepared colloid solution of Au-nanoparticles. Finally Au layer was sputtered on the samples. Properties of the modified PE were studied using various methods: AFM, EPR, RBS and nanoindentation. It was shown that the plasma treatment results in degradation of polymer chain (AFM) and creation of free radicals by EPR. After grafting with dithiol, the concentration of free radicals declines. The presence of Au and S in the surface layer after the coating with Au-nanoparticles was proved by RBS. Plasma treatment changes PE surface morphology and increases surface roughness, too. Another significant change in surface morphology and roughness was observed after deposition of Au-nanoparticles. Nanoindentation measurements show that the grafting with Au-nanoparticles increases adhesion of subsequently sputtered Au layer.

Laminate article

DOEpatents

Williams, Robert K.; Paranthaman, Mariappan; Chirayil, Thomas G.; Lee, Dominic F.; Goyal, Amit; Feenstra, Roeland

2002-01-01

A laminate article comprises a substrate and a biaxially textured (RE.sub.x A.sub.(1-x)).sub.2 O.sub.2-(x/2) buffer layer over the substrate, wherein 0

Solid-state dewetting of Au-Ni bi-layer films mediated through individual layer thickness and stacking sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herz, Andreas; Theska, Felix; Rossberg, Diana; Kups, Thomas; Wang, Dong; Schaaf, Peter

2018-06-01

In the present work, the solid-state dewetting of Au-Ni bi-layer thin films deposited on SiO2/Si is systematically studied with respect to individual layer thickness and stacking sequence. For this purpose, a rapid heat treatment at medium temperatures is applied in order to examine void formation at the early stages of the dewetting. Compositional variations are realized by changing the thickness ratio of the bi-layer films, while the total thickness is maintained at 20 nm throughout the study. In the event of Au/Ni films annealed at 500 °C, crystal voids exposing the substrate are missing regardless of chemical composition. In reverse order, the number of voids per unit area in two-phase Au-Ni thin films is found to be governed by the amount of Au-rich material. At higher temperatures up to 650 °C, a decreased probability of nucleation comes at the expense of a major portion of cavities, resulting in the formation of bubbles in 15 nm Ni/5 nm Au bi-layers. Film buckling predominantly occurred at phase boundaries crossing the bubbles.

The effects of GaN nanocolumn arrays and thin SixNy buffer layers on the morphology of GaN layers grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on Si(111) substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shubina, K. Yu; Pirogov, E. V.; Mizerov, A. M.; Nikitina, E. V.; Bouravleuv, A. D.

2018-03-01

The effects of GaN nanocolumn arrays and a thin SixNy layer, used as buffer layers, on the morphology of GaN epitaxial layers are investigated. Two types of samples with different buffer layers were synthesized by PA-MBE. The morphology of the samples was characterized by SEM. The crystalline quality of the samples was assessed by XRD. The possibility of synthesis of continuous crystalline GaN layers on Si(111) substrates without the addition of other materials such as aluminum nitride was demonstrated.

Redox buffered hydrofluoric acid etchant for the reduction of galvanic attack during release etching of MEMS devices having noble material films

DOEpatents

Hankins, Matthew G [Albuquerque, NM

2009-10-06

Etchant solutions comprising a redox buffer can be used during the release etch step to reduce damage to the structural layers of a MEMS device that has noble material films. A preferred redox buffer comprises a soluble thiophosphoric acid, ester, or salt that maintains the electrochemical potential of the etchant solution at a level that prevents oxidation of the structural material. Therefore, the redox buffer preferentially oxidizes in place of the structural material. The sacrificial redox buffer thereby protects the exposed structural layers while permitting the dissolution of sacrificial oxide layers during the release etch.

Method for producing chemical energy

DOEpatents

Jorgensen, Betty S.; Danen, Wayne C.

2004-09-21

Fluoroalkylsilane-coated metal particles having a central metal core, a buffer layer surrounding the core, and a fluoroalkylsilane layer attached to the buffer layer are prepared by combining a chemically reactive fluoroalkylsilane compound with an oxide coated metal particle having a hydroxylated surface. The resulting fluoroalkylsilane layer that coats the particles provides them with excellent resistance to aging. The particles can be blended with oxidant particles to form energetic powder that releases chemical energy when the buffer layer is physically disrupted so that the reductant metal core can react with the oxidant.

Energetic powder

DOEpatents

Jorgensen, Betty S.; Danen, Wayne C.

2003-12-23

Fluoroalkylsilane-coated metal particles. The particles have a central metal core, a buffer layer surrounding the core, and a fluoroalkylsilane layer attached to the buffer layer. The particles may be prepared by combining a chemically reactive fluoroalkylsilane compound with an oxide coated metal particle having a hydroxylated surface. The resulting fluoroalkylsilane layer that coats the particles provides them with excellent resistance to aging. The particles can be blended with oxidant particles to form energetic powder that releases chemical energy when the buffer layer is physically disrupted so that the reductant metal core can react with the oxidant.

The effect of the MgO buffer layer thickness on magnetic anisotropy in MgO/Fe/Cr/MgO buffer/MgO(001)

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

Kozioł-Rachwał, Anna, E-mail: a.koziolrachwal@aist.go.jp; AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków; Nozaki, Takayuki

2016-08-28

The relationship between the magnetic properties and MgO buffer layer thickness d was studied in epitaxial MgO/Fe(t)/Cr/MgO(d) layers grown on MgO(001) substrate in which the Fe thickness t ranged from 0.4 nm to 1.1 nm. For 0.4 nm ≤ t ≤ 0.7 nm, a non-monotonic coercivity dependence on the MgO buffer thickness was shown by perpendicular magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry. For thicker Fe films, an increase in the buffer layer thickness resulted in a spin reorientation transition from perpendicular to the in-plane magnetization direction. Possible origins of these unusual behaviors were discussed in terms of the suppression of carbon contamination at the Fe surface and changes inmore » the magnetoelastic anisotropy in the system. These results illustrate a method to control magnetic anisotropy in MgO/Fe/Cr/MgO(d) via an appropriate choice of MgO buffer layer thickness d.« less

A study of the Au/Ni ohmic contact on p-GaN

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

Qiao, D.; Yu, L. S.; Lau, S. S.

2000-10-01

The formation mechanism of the ohmic Au/Ni/p-GaN contact has been investigated. We found that it is essential to (i) deposit a structure of Au and Ni in the proper deposition sequence, and (ii) anneal the bilayer structure in an oxygen containing ambient. Our findings indicated that oxygen assists the layer-reversal reactions of the metallized layers to form a structure of NiO/Au/p-GaN. The presence of oxygen during annealing appears to increase the conductivity of the p-GaN. It is further suggested that Ni removes or reduces the surface contamination of the GaN sample before or during layer reversal. In the final contactmore » structure, an Au layer, which has a large work function, is in contact with the p-GaN substrate. The presence of Au in the entire contacting layer improves the conductivity of the contact. An ohmic formation mechanism based on our experimental results is proposed and discussed in this work. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.« less

Solid-state dewetting of single- and bilayer Au-W thin films: Unraveling the role of individual layer thickness, stacking sequence and oxidation on morphology evolution

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

Herz, A., E-mail: andreas.herz@tu-ilmenau.de, E-mail: dong.wang@tu-ilmenau.de; Franz, A.; Theska, F.

2016-03-15

Self-assembly of ultrathin Au, W, and Au-W bilayer thin films is investigated using a rapid thermal annealing technique in an inert ambient. The solid-state dewetting of Au films is briefly revisited in order to emphasize the role of initial film thickness. W films deposited onto SiO{sub 2} evolve into needle-like nanocrystals rather than forming particle-like agglomerates upon annealing at elevated temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that such nanocrystals actually consist of tungsten (VI) oxide (WO{sub 3}) which is related to an anisotropic oxide crystal growth out of the thin film. The evolution of W films is highly sensitive to themore » presence of any residual oxygen. Combination of both the dewetting of Au and the oxide crystal growth of WO{sub 3} is realized by using various bilayer film configurations of the immiscible Au and W. At low temperature, Au dewetting is initiated while oxide crystal growth is still suppressed. Depending on the stacking sequence of the Au-W bilayer thin film, W acts either as a substrate or as a passivation layer for the dewetting of Au. Being the ground layer, W changes the wettability of Au which clearly modifies its initial state for the dewetting. Being the top layer, W prevents Au from dewetting regardless of Au film thickness. Moreover, regular pattern formation of Au-WO{sub 3} nanoparticles is observed at high temperature demonstrating how bilayer thin film dewetting can create unique nanostructure arrangements.« less

Laminate articles on biaxially textured metal substrates

DOEpatents

Beach, David B.; Morrell, Jonathan S.; Paranthaman, Mariappan; Chirayil, Thomas; Specht, Eliot D.; Goyal, Amit

2003-12-16

A laminate article comprises a substrate and a biaxially textured (RE.sup.1.sub.x RE.sup.2.sub.(1-x)).sub.2 O.sub.3 buffer layer over the substrate, wherein 0

Improved high temperature integration of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} on MoS{sub 2} by using a metal oxide buffer layer

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

Son, Seokki; Choi, Moonseok; Kim, Dohyung

2015-01-12

We deposited a metal oxide buffer layer before atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} onto exfoliated molybdenum disulfide (MoS{sub 2}) in order to accomplish enhanced integration. We demonstrate that even at a high temperature, functionalization of MoS{sub 2} by means of a metal oxide buffer layer can effectively provide nucleation sites for ALD precursors, enabling much better surface coverage of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. It is shown that using a metal oxide buffer layer not only allows high temperature ALD process, resulting in highly improved quality of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/MoS{sub 2} interface, but also leaves MoS{sub 2} intact.

Stability of surface and subsurface hydrogen on and in Au/Ni near-surface alloys

DOE PAGES

Celik, Fuat E.; Mavrikakis, Manos

2015-01-12

Periodic, self-consistent DFT-GGA (PW91) calculations were used to study the interaction of hydrogen atoms with the (111) surfaces of substitutional near-surface alloys (NSAs) of Au and Ni with different surface layer compositions and different arrangements of Au atoms in the surface layer. The effect of hydrogen adsorption on the surface and in the first and second subsurface layers of the NSAs was studied. Increasing the Au content in the surface layer weakens hydrogen binding on the surface, but strengthens subsurface binding, suggesting that the distribution of surface and subsurface hydrogen will be different than that on pure Ni(111). While themore » metal composition of the surface layer has an effect on the binding energy of hydrogen on NSA surfaces, the local composition of the binding site has a stronger effect. For example, fcc hollow sites consisting of three Ni atoms bind H nearly as strongly as on Ni(111), and fcc sites consisting of three Au atoms bind H nearly as weakly as on Au(111). Sites with one or two Au atoms show intermediate binding energies. The preference of hydrogen for three-fold Ni hollow sites alters the relative stabilities of different surface metal atom arrangements, and may provide a driving force for adsorbate-induced surface rearrangement.« less

Stability of Surface and Subsurface Hydrogen on and in Au/Ni Near-Surface Alloys

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

Celik, Fuat E.; Mavrikakis, Manos

2015-10-01

Periodic, self-consistent DFT-GGA (PW91) calculations were used to study the interaction of hydrogen atoms with the (111) surfaces of substitutional near-surface alloys (NSAs) of Au and Ni with different surface layer compositions and different arrangements of Au atoms in the surface layer. The effect of hydrogen adsorption on the surface and in the first and second subsurface layers of the NSAs was studied. Increasing the Au content in the surface layer weakens hydrogen binding on the surface, but strengthens subsurface binding, suggesting that the distribution of surface and subsurface hydrogen will be different than that on pure Ni(111). While themore » metal composition of the surface layer has an effect on the binding energy of hydrogen on NSA surfaces, the local composition of the binding site has a stronger effect. For example, fcc hollow sites consisting of three Ni atoms bind H nearly as strongly as on Ni(111), and fcc sites consisting of three Au atoms bind H nearly as weakly as on Au(111). Sites with one or two Au atoms show intermediate binding energies. The preference of hydrogen for three-fold Ni hollow sites alters the relative stabilities of different surface metal atom arrangements, and may provide a driving force for adsorbate-induced surface rearrangement.« less

Stability of surface and subsurface hydrogen on and in Au/Ni near-surface alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celik, Fuat E.; Mavrikakis, Manos

2015-10-01

Periodic, self-consistent DFT-GGA (PW91) calculations were used to study the interaction of hydrogen atoms with the (111) surfaces of substitutional near-surface alloys (NSAs) of Au and Ni with different surface layer compositions and different arrangements of Au atoms in the surface layer. The effect of hydrogen adsorption on the surface and in the first and second subsurface layers of the NSAs was studied. Increasing the Au content in the surface layer weakens hydrogen binding on the surface, but strengthens subsurface binding, suggesting that the distribution of surface and subsurface hydrogen will be different than that on pure Ni(111). While the metal composition of the surface layer has an effect on the binding energy of hydrogen on NSA surfaces, the local composition of the binding site has a stronger effect. For example, fcc hollow sites consisting of three Ni atoms bind H nearly as strongly as on Ni(111), and fcc sites consisting of three Au atoms bind H nearly as weakly as on Au(111). Sites with one or two Au atoms show intermediate binding energies. The preference of hydrogen for three-fold Ni hollow sites alters the relative stabilities of different surface metal atom arrangements, and may provide a driving force for adsorbate-induced surface rearrangement.

Gold Nanoclusters@Ru(bpy)₃²⁺-Layered Double Hydroxide Ultrathin Film as a Cathodic Electrochemiluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer Probe.

PubMed

Yu, Yingchang; Lu, Chao; Zhang, Meining

2015-08-04

Herein, it is the first report that a cathodic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) resonance energy transfer (ERET) system is fabricated by layer-by-layer (LBL) electrostatic assembly of CoAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets with a mixture of blue BSA-gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) and Ru(bpy)3(2+) (denoted as AuNCs@Ru) on an Au electrode. The possible ECL mechanism indicates that the appearance of CoAl-LDH nanosheets generates a long-range stacking order of the AuNCs@Ru on an Au electrode, facilitating the occurrence of the ERET between BSA-AuNC donors and Ru(bpy)3(2+) acceptors on the as-prepared AuNCs@Ru-LDH ultrathin films (UTFs). Furthermore, it is observed that the cathodic ECL intensity can be quenched efficiently in the presence of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) in a linear range of 2.5-100 nM with a detection limit of 1.0 nM. On the basis of these interesting phenomena, a facile cathodic ECL sensor has successfully distinguished 6-MP from other thiol-containing compounds (e.g., cysteine and glutathione) in human serum and urine samples. The proposed sensing scheme opens a way for employing the layered UTFs as a platform for the cathodic ECL of Ru(bpy)3(2+).

Epitaxial growth of a mono-crystalline metastable AuIn layer at the Au/InP(001) interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renda, M.; Morita, K.

1990-01-01

Thermal annealing of a gold layer deposited on the InP(001)-p(2×4) surface has been studied in-situ by means of LEED, AES and RBS techniques and by post analysis of RBS-channeling and glancing incidence X-ray diffraction. A clean LEED pattern of p(2×2) spots was observed for the specimen annealed for 10 min at 300°C. The composition ratio of Au/In in the epitaxial compound layer was found to be 49/51 by RBS and several at% of P was also detected by post sputter-AES analysis. It was also found that the epitaxial layer shows a clear channeling dip for an incident ion beam which is aligned along the <001> axis of InP substrate. The glancing incidence X-ray diffraction analysis indicates diffraction peaks from the pseudo-orthorombic phase of AuIn. From these experimental results, it is concluded that the epitaxial Au-compound layer is a mono-crystalline metastable phase of AuIn, of which every three atomic rows of Au or In in the [110] direction would be situated on every four atomic rows in the [010] direction of the In(001) face of the InP crystal.

Formation of alternating interfacial layers in Au-12Ge/Ni joints

PubMed Central

Lin, Shih-kang; Tsai, Ming-yueh; Tsai, Ping-chun; Hsu, Bo-hsun

2014-01-01

Au-Ge alloys are promising materials for high-power and high-frequency packaging, and Ni is frequently used as diffusion barriers. This study investigates interfacial reactions in Au-12Ge/Ni joints at 300°C and 400°C. For the reactions at 300°C, typical interfacial morphology was observed and the diffusion path was (Au) + (Ge)/NiGe/Ni5Ge3/Ni. However, an interesting phenomenon – the formation of (Au,Ni,Ge)/NiGe alternating layers – was observed for the reactions at 400°C. The diffusion path across the interface was liquid/(Au,Ni,Ge)/NiGe/···/(Au,Ni,Ge)/NiGe/Ni2Ge/Ni. The periodic thermodynamic instability at the NiGe/Ni2Ge interface caused the subsequent nucleation of new (Au,Ni,Ge)/NiGe pairs. The thermodynamic foundation and mechanism of formation of the alternating layers are elaborated in this paper. PMID:24690992

Method of depositing epitaxial layers on a substrate

DOEpatents

Goyal, Amit

2003-12-30

An epitaxial article and method for forming the same includes a substrate having a textured surface, and an electrochemically deposited substantially single orientation epitaxial layer disposed on and in contact with the textured surface. The epitaxial article can include an electromagnetically active layer and an epitaxial buffer layer. The electromagnetically active layer and epitaxial buffer layer can also be deposited electrochemically.

High quality Ge epilayer on Si (1 0 0) with an ultrathin Si1-x Ge x /Si buffer layer by RPCVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Da; Guo, Qinglei; Zhang, Nan; Xu, Anli; Wang, Bei; Li, Ya; Wang, Gang

2017-07-01

The authors report a method to grow high quality strain-relaxed Ge epilayer on a combination of low temperature Ge seed layer and Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer by reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition system without any subsequent annealing treatment. Prior to the growth of high quality Ge epilayer, an ultrathin Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer with the thickness of 50 nm and a 460 nm Ge seed layer were deposited successively at low temperature. Then an 840 nm Ge epilayer was grown at high deposition rate with the surface root-mean-square roughness of 0.707 nm and threading dislocation density of 2.5  ×  106 cm-2, respectively. Detailed investigations of the influence of ultrathin low-temperature Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer on the quality of Ge epilayer were performed, which indicates that the crystalline quality of Ge epilayer can be significantly improved by enhancing the Ge concentration of Si1-x Ge x /Si superlattice buffer layer.

Conductive layer for biaxially oriented semiconductor film growth

DOEpatents

Findikoglu, Alp T.; Matias, Vladimir

2007-10-30

A conductive layer for biaxially oriented semiconductor film growth and a thin film semiconductor structure such as, for example, a photodetector, a photovoltaic cell, or a light emitting diode (LED) that includes a crystallographically oriented semiconducting film disposed on the conductive layer. The thin film semiconductor structure includes: a substrate; a first electrode deposited on the substrate; and a semiconducting layer epitaxially deposited on the first electrode. The first electrode includes a template layer deposited on the substrate and a buffer layer epitaxially deposited on the template layer. The template layer includes a first metal nitride that is electrically conductive and has a rock salt crystal structure, and the buffer layer includes a second metal nitride that is electrically conductive. The semiconducting layer is epitaxially deposited on the buffer layer. A method of making such a thin film semiconductor structure is also described.

Electrical properties of pseudo-single-crystalline Ge films grown by Au-induced layer exchange crystallization at 250 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higashi, H.; Kudo, K.; Yamamoto, K.; Yamada, S.; Kanashima, T.; Tsunoda, I.; Nakashima, H.; Hamaya, K.

2018-06-01

We study the electrical properties of pseudo-single-crystalline Ge (PSC-Ge) films grown by a Au-induced layer exchange crystallization method at 250 °C. By inserting the SiNx layer between PSC-Ge and SiO2, we initiatively suppress the influence of the Ge/SiO2 interfacial defective layers, which have been reported in our previous works, on the electrical properties of the PSC-Ge layers. As a result, we can detect the influence of the ionized Au+ donors on the temperature-dependent hole concentration and Hall mobility. To further examine their electrical properties in detail, we also fabricate p-thin-film transistors (TFTs) with the PSC-Ge layer. Although the off-state leakage currents are suppressed by inserting the SiNx layer, the value of on/off ratio remains poor (<102). Even after the post-annealing at 400 °C for the TFTs, the on/off ratio is still poor (˜102) because of the gate-induced drain leakage current although a nominal field effect mobility is enhanced up to ˜25 cm2/V s. Considering these features, we conclude that the Au contaminations into the PSC-Ge layer can affect the electrical properties and device performances despite a low-growth temperature of 250 °C. To achieve further high-performance p-TFTs, we have to suppress the Au contaminations into PSC-Ge during the Au-induced crystallization growth.

The effect of the carbon nanotube buffer layer on the performance of a Li metal battery.

PubMed

Zhang, Ding; Zhou, Yi; Liu, Changhong; Fan, Shoushan

2016-06-07

Lithium (Li) metal is one of the most promising candidates as an anode for the next-generation energy storage systems because of its high specific capacity and lowest negative electrochemical potential. But the growth of Li dendrites limits the application of the Li metal battery. In this work, a type of modified Li metal battery with a carbon nanotube (CNT) buffer layer inserted between the separator and the Li metal electrode was reported. The electrochemical results show that the modified batteries have a much better rate capability and cycling performance than the conventional Li metal batteries. The mechanism study by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals that the modified battery has a smaller charge transfer resistance and larger Li ion diffusion coefficient during the deposition process on the Li electrode than the conventional Li metal batteries. Symmetric battery tests show that the interfacial behavior of the Li metal electrode with the buffer layer is more stable than the naked Li metal electrode. The morphological characterization of the CNT buffer layer and Li metal lamina reveals that the CNT buffer layer has restrained the growth of Li dendrites. The CNT buffer layer has great potential to solve the safety problem of the Li metal battery.

On the Effect of Native SiO2 on Si over the SPR-mediated Photocatalytic Activities of Au and Ag Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Wang, Jiale; de Freitas, Isabel C; Alves, Tiago V; Ando, Romulo A; Fang, Zebo; Camargo, Pedro H C

2017-05-29

In hybrid materials containing plasmonic nanoparticles such as Au and Ag, charge-transfer processes from and to Au or Ag can affect both activities and selectivity in plasmonic catalysis. Inspired by the widespread utilization of commercial Si wafers in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) studies, we investigated herein the effect of the native SiO 2 layer on Si wafers over the surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-mediated activities of the Au and Ag nanoparticles (NPs). We prepared SERS-active plasmonic comprised of Au and Ag NPs deposited onto a Si wafer. Here, two kinds of Si wafers were employed: Si with a native oxide surface layer (Si/SiO 2 ) and Si without a native oxide surface layer (Si). This led to Si/SiO 2 /Au, Si/SiO 2 /Ag, Si/Au, and Si/Ag NPs. The SPR-mediated oxidation of p-aminothiophenol (PATP) to p,p'-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) was employed as a model transformation. By comparing the performances and band structures for the Si/Au and Si/Ag relative to Si/SiO 2 /Au and Si/SiO 2 /Ag NPs, it was found that the presence of a SiO 2 layer was crucial to enable higher SPR-mediated PATP to DMAB conversions. The SiO 2 layer acts to prevent the charge transfer of SPR-excited hot electrons from Au or Ag nanoparticles to the Si substrate. This enabled SPR-excited hot electrons to be transferred to adsorbed O 2 molecules, which then participate in the selective oxidation of PATP to DMAB. In the absence of a SiO 2 layer, SPR-excited hot electrons are preferentially transferred to Si instead of adsorbed O 2 molecules, leading to much lower PATP oxidation. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Near single-crystalline, high-carrier-mobility silicon thin film on a polycrystalline/amorphous substrate

DOEpatents

Findikoglu, Alp T [Los Alamos, NM; Jia, Quanxi [Los Alamos, NM; Arendt, Paul N [Los Alamos, NM; Matias, Vladimir [Santa Fe, NM; Choi, Woong [Los Alamos, NM

2009-10-27

A template article including a base substrate including: (i) a base material selected from the group consisting of polycrystalline substrates and amorphous substrates, and (ii) at least one layer of a differing material upon the surface of the base material; and, a buffer material layer upon the base substrate, the buffer material layer characterized by: (a) low chemical reactivity with the base substrate, (b) stability at temperatures up to at least about 800.degree. C. under low vacuum conditions, and (c) a lattice crystal structure adapted for subsequent deposition of a semiconductor material; is provided, together with a semiconductor article including a base substrate including: (i) a base material selected from the group consisting of polycrystalline substrates and amorphous substrates, and (ii) at least one layer of a differing material upon the surface of the base material; and, a buffer material layer upon the base substrate, the buffer material layer characterized by: (a) low chemical reactivity with the base substrate, (b) stability at temperatures up to at least about 800.degree. C. under low vacuum conditions, and (c) a lattice crystal structure adapted for subsequent deposition of a semiconductor material, and, a top-layer of semiconductor material upon the buffer material layer.

Low-temperature interface reactions in layered Au/Sb films: In situ investigation of the formation of an amorphous phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyen, H.-G.; Cossy-Favre, A.; Oelhafen, P.; Siber, A.; Ziemann, P.; Lauinger, C.; Moser, T.; Häussler, P.; Baumann, F.

1995-01-01

Photoelectron-spectroscopy methods combined with electrical-resistance measurements were employed to study the effects of intermixing at Au/Sb interfaces at low temperatures. For the purpose of characterizing the growth processes of the intermixed phase on a ML scale, Au/Sb bilayers (layer thicknesses DAu=0.5-75 ML and DSb=150 ML) were evaporated at 77 K and the different in situ techniques allowed a comparison to vapor-quenched amorphous AuxSb100-x alloys. For Au thicknesses between 0.5 and 0.9 ML, a change from a semiconducting to a metallic behavior of the samples has been detected, as indicated by the development of a steplike photoelectron intensity at the Fermi level. Evidence has been found that for Au coverages <= 6 ML chemical reactions at the Au/Sb interface occur, leading to the formation of a homogeneously intermixed amorphous layer with a maximum thickness of about 2.3 nm and Au concentrations as high as x~=80 at. %. This latter value corresponds to the limiting Au content where amorphous alloys can be prepared at low temperature (0 at. % <=x<= 80 at. %). For nominal coverages beyond 6 ML polycrystalline Au films were formed. Consequently, Au/Sb multilayers with sufficiently small modulation lengths, which were prepared at 130 K by ion-beam sputtering, were observed to grow as a homogeneous amorphous phase over a broad range of compositions, as evidenced by in situ resistance measurements and by comparing the obtained crystallization temperatures to those of vapor-quenched amorphous alloys. Variation of the deposition temperature Ts revealed that an amorphous interface layer is only formed for Ts<= 220 K. This is consistent with the fact that for multilayers with large modulation lengths containing unreacted polycrystalline Au and Sb layers, long-range interdiffusion is found to set in at temperatures above 230 K. This interdiffusion, however, results in the formation of polycrystalline Au-Sb alloys.

Comparative analysis of strain fields in layers of step-graded metamorphic buffers of various designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleshin, A. N.; Bugaev, A. S.; Ruban, O. A.; Tabachkova, N. Yu.; Shchetinin, I. V.

2017-10-01

Spatial distribution of residual elastic strain in the layers of two step-graded metamophic buffers of various designs, grown by molecular beam epitaxy from ternary InxAl1-xAs solutions on GaAs(001) substrates, is obtained using reciprocal space mapping by three-axis X-ray diffractometry and the linear theory of elasticity. The difference in the design of the buffers enabled the formation of a dislocation-free layer with different thickness in each of the heterostructures, which was the main basis of this study. It is shown that, in spite of the different design of graded metamorphic buffers, the nature of strain fields in them is the same, and the residual elastic strains in the final elements of both buffers adjusted for the effect of work hardening subject to the same phenomenological law, which describes the strain relief process in single-layer heterostructures.

Characterization of spatial manipulation on ZnO nanocomposites consisting of Au nanoparticles, a graphene layer, and ZnO nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Shen-Che; Lu, Chien-Cheng; Su, Wei-Ming; Weng, Chen-Yuan; Chen, Yi-Cian; Wang, Shing-Chung; Lu, Tien-Chang; Chen, Ching-Pang; Chen, Hsiang

2018-01-01

Three types of ZnO-based nanocomposites were fabricated consisting of 80-nm Au nanoparticles (NPs), a graphene layer, and ZnO nanorods (NRs). To investigate interactions between the ZnO NRs and Au nanoparticle, multiple material analysis techniques including field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), surface contact angle measurements, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopic characterizations were performed. Results indicate that incorporating a graphene layer could block the interaction between the ZnO NRs and the Au NPs. Furthermore, the Raman signal of the Au NPs could be enhanced by inserting a graphene layer on top of the ZnO NRs. Investigation of these graphene-incorporated nanocomposites would be helpful to future studies of the physical properties and Raman analysis of the ZnO-based nanostructure design.

Fabrication of hierarchical hybrid structures using bio-enabled layer-by-layer self-assembly.

PubMed

Hnilova, Marketa; Karaca, Banu Taktak; Park, James; Jia, Carol; Wilson, Brandon R; Sarikaya, Mehmet; Tamerler, Candan

2012-05-01

Development of versatile and flexible assembly systems for fabrication of functional hybrid nanomaterials with well-defined hierarchical and spatial organization is of a significant importance in practical nanobiotechnology applications. Here we demonstrate a bio-enabled self-assembly technique for fabrication of multi-layered protein and nanometallic assemblies utilizing a modular gold-binding (AuBP1) fusion tag. To accomplish the bottom-up assembly we first genetically fused the AuBP1 peptide sequence to the C'-terminus of maltose-binding protein (MBP) using two different linkers to produce MBP-AuBP1 hetero-functional constructs. Using various spectroscopic techniques, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), we verified the exceptional binding and self-assembly characteristics of AuBP1 peptide. The AuBP1 peptide tag can direct the organization of recombinant MBP protein on various gold surfaces through an efficient control of the organic-inorganic interface at the molecular level. Furthermore using a combination of soft-lithography, self-assembly techniques and advanced AuBP1 peptide tag technology, we produced spatially and hierarchically controlled protein multi-layered assemblies on gold nanoparticle arrays with high molecular packing density and pattering efficiency in simple, reproducible steps. This model system offers layer-by-layer assembly capability based on specific AuBP1 peptide tag and constitutes novel biological routes for biofabrication of various protein arrays, plasmon-active nanometallic assemblies and devices with controlled organization, packing density and architecture. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of organic buffer layer in the electrical properties of amorphous-indium gallium zinc oxide thin film transistor.

PubMed

Wang, Jian-Xun; Hyung, Gun Woo; Li, Zhao-Hui; Son, Sung-Yong; Kwon, Sang Jik; Kim, Young Kwan; Cho, Eou Sik

2012-07-01

In this research, we reported on the fabrication of top-contact amorphous-indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with an organic buffer layer between inorganic gate dielectric and active layer in order to improve the electrical properties of devices. By inserting an organic buffer layer, it was possible to make an affirmation of the improvements in the electrical characteristics of a-IGZO TFTs such as subthreshold slope (SS), on/off current ratio (I(ON/OFF)), off-state current, and saturation field-effect mobility (muFE). The a-IGZO TFTs with the cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (c-PVA) buffer layer exhibited the pronounced improvements of the muFE (17.4 cm2/Vs), SS (0.9 V/decade), and I(ON/OFF) (8.9 x 10(6)).

Y1Ba2Cu3O(6+delta) growth on thin Y-enhanced SiO2 buffer layers on silicon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robin, T.; Mesarwi, A.; Wu, N. J.; Fan, W. C.; Espoir, L.; Ignatiev, A.; Sega, R.

1991-01-01

SiO2 buffer layers as thin as 2 nm have been developed for use in the growth of Y1Ba2Cu3O(6+delta) thin films on silicon substrates. The SiO2 layers are formed through Y enhancement of silicon oxidation, and are highly stoichiometric. Y1Ba2Cu3O(6+delta) film growth on silicon with thin buffer layers has shown c orientation and Tc0 = 78 K.

The effects of the porous buffer layer and doping with dysprosium on internal stresses in the GaInP:Dy/por-GaAs/GaAs(100) heterostructures

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

Seredin, P. V.; Gordienko, N. N.; Glotov, A. V.

2009-08-15

In structures with a porous buffer layer, residual internal stresses caused by a mismatch between the crystal-lattice parameters of the epitaxial GaInP alloy and the GaAs substrate are redistributed to the porous layer that acts as a buffer and is conducive to disappearance of internal stresses. Doping of the epitaxial layer with dysprosium exerts a similar effect on the internal stresses in the film-substrate structure.

Tetradymite layer assisted heteroepitaxial growth and applications

DOEpatents

Stoica, Vladimir A.; Endicott, Lynn; Clarke, Roy; Uher, Ctirad

2017-08-01

A multilayer stack including a substrate, an active layer, and a tetradymite buffer layer positioned between the substrate and the active layer is disclosed. A method for fabricating a multilayer stack including a substrate, a tetradymite buffer layer and an active layer is also disclosed. Use of such stacks may be in photovoltaics, solar cells, light emitting diodes, and night vision arrays, among other applications.

Effect of ZnO buffer layer on phase transition properties of vanadium dioxide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Huiqun; Li, Lekang; Li, Chunbo

2016-03-01

VO2 thin films were prepared on ZnO buffer layers by DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature using vanadium target and post annealing at 400 °C. The ZnO buffer layers with different thickness deposited on glass substrates by magnetron sputtering have a high visible and near infrared optical transmittance. The electrical resistivity and the phase transition properties of the VO2/ZnO composite thin films in terms of temperature were investigated. The results showed that the resistivity variation of VO2 thin film with ZnO buffer layer deposited for 35 min was 16 KΩ-cm. The VO2/ZnO composite thin films exhibit a reversible semiconductor-metal phase transition at 48 °C.

Etching-dependent fluorescence quenching of Ag-dielectric-Au three-layered nanoshells: The effect of inner Ag nanosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jian; Xu, Zai-jie; Weng, Guo-jun; Zhao, Jing; Li, Jian-jun; Zhao, Jun-wu

2018-07-01

In this report, Ag-dielectric-Au three-layered nanoshells with controlled inner core size were synthesized. The fluorescence emission of the rhodamine 6G (R6G) could be quenched by the three-layered nanoshells distinctly. What's more, the fluorescence quenching efficiency could be further improved by tuning the etching of inner Ag nanosphere. The maximum fluorescence quenching efficiency is obtained when the separate layer just appears between the inner Ag core and the outer Au shell. Whereas the fluorescence quenching efficiency is weakened when no gaps take place around the inner Ag core or the separate layer is too thick and greater than 13 nm. The fluorescence quenching properties of the Ag-dielectric-Au three-layered nanoshells with different initial sizes of the Ag nanoparticles are also studied. The maximum fluorescence quenching efficiency is obtained when the three-layered nanoshells are synthesized based on the Ag nanoparticles with 60 nm, which is better than others two sizes (42 and 79 nm). Thus we believe that the size of initial Ag nanospheres also greatly affects the optimized fluorescence quenching efficiency. These results about fluorescence quenching properties of Ag-dielectric-Au three-layered nanoshells present a potential for design and fabrication of fluorescence nanosensors based on tuning the geometry of the inner core and the separate layer.

Architecture of Pd-Au bimetallic nanoparticles in sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate reverse micelles as investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

PubMed

Chen, Ching-Hsiang; Sarma, Loka Subramanyam; Chen, Jium-Ming; Shih, Shou-Chu; Wang, Guo-Rung; Liu, Din-Goa; Tang, Mau-Tsu; Lee, Jyh-Fu; Hwang, Bing-Joe

2007-09-01

In this study, we demonstrate the unique application of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) as a fundamental characterization tool to help in designing and controlling the architecture of Pd-Au bimetallic nanoparticles within a water-in-oil microemulsion system of water/sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT)/n-heptane. Structural insights obtained from the in situ XAS measurements recorded at each step during the formation process revealed that Pd-Au bimetallic clusters with various Pd-Au atomic stackings are formed by properly performing hydrazine reduction and redox transmetalation reactions sequentially within water-in-oil microemulsions. A structural model is provided to explain reasonably each reaction step and to give detailed insight into the nucleation and growth mechanism of Pd-Au bimetallic clusters. The combination of in situ XAS analysis at both the Pd K-edge and the Au L(III)-edge and UV-vis absorption spectral features confirms that the formation of Pd-Au bimetallic clusters follows a (Pd(nuclei)-Au(stack))-Pd(surf) stacking. This result further implies that the thickness of Au(stack) and Pd(surf) layers may be modulated by varying the dosage of the Au precursor and hydrazine, respectively. In addition, a bimetallic (Pd-Au)(alloy) nanocluster with a (Pd(nuclei)-Au(stack))-(Pd-Au(alloy))(surf) stacking was also designed and synthesized in order to check the feasibility of Pd(surf) layer modification. The result reveals that the Pd(surf) layer of the stacked (Pd(nuclei)-Au)(stack) bimetallic clusters can be successfully modified to form a (Au-Pd alloy)(surf) layer by a co-reduction of Pd and Au ions by hydrazine. Further, we demonstrate the alloying extent or atomic distribution of Pd and Au in Pd-Au bimetallic nanoparticles from the derived XAS structural parameters. The complete XAS-based methodology, demonstrated here on the Pd-Au bimetallic system, can easily be extended to design and control the alloying extent or atomic distribution, atomic stacking, and electronic structure to construct many other types of bimetallic systems for interesting applications.

On the Adsorption of DNA Origami Nanostructures in Nanohole Arrays.

PubMed

Brassat, Katharina; Ramakrishnan, Saminathan; Bürger, Julius; Hanke, Marcel; Doostdar, Mahnaz; Lindner, Jörg K N; Grundmeier, Guido; Keller, Adrian

2018-05-22

DNA origami nanostructures are versatile substrates for the controlled arrangement of molecular capture sites with nanometer precision and thus have many promising applications in single-molecule bioanalysis. Here, we investigate the adsorption of DNA origami nanostructures in nanohole arrays which represent an important class of biosensors and may benefit from the incorporation of DNA origami-based molecular probes. Nanoholes with well-defined diameter that enable the adsorption of single DNA origami triangles are fabricated in Au films on Si wafers by nanosphere lithography. The efficiency of directed DNA origami adsorption on the exposed SiO 2 areas at the bottoms of the nanoholes is evaluated in dependence of various parameters, i.e., Mg 2+ and DNA origami concentrations, buffer strength, adsorption time, and nanohole diameter. We observe that the buffer strength has a surprisingly strong effect on DNA origami adsorption in the nanoholes and that multiple DNA origami triangles with 120 nm edge length can adsorb in nanoholes as small as 120 nm in diameter. We attribute the latter observation to the low lateral mobility of once adsorbed DNA origami on the SiO 2 surface, in combination with parasitic adsorption to the Au film. Although parasitic adsorption can be suppressed by modifying the Au film with a hydrophobic self-assembled monolayer, the limited surface mobility of the adsorbed DNA origami still leads to poor localization accuracy in the nanoholes and results in many DNA origami crossing the boundary to the Au film even under optimized conditions. We discuss possible ways to minimize this effect by varying the composition of the adsorption buffer, employing different fabrication conditions, or using other substrate materials for nanohole array fabrication.

Surface plasmon dispersion engineering via double-metallic AU/AG layers for nitride light-emitting diodes

DOEpatents

Tansu, Nelson; Zhao, Hongping; Zhang, Jing; Liu, Guangyu

2014-04-01

A double-metallic deposition process is used whereby adjacent layers of different metals are deposited on a substrate. The surface plasmon frequency of a base layer of a first metal is tuned by the surface plasmon frequency of a second layer of a second metal formed thereon. The amount of tuning is dependent upon the thickness of the metallic layers, and thus tuning can be achieved by varying the thicknesses of one or both of the metallic layers. In a preferred embodiment directed to enhanced LED technology in the green spectrum regime, a double-metallic Au/Ag layer comprising a base layer of gold (Au) followed by a second layer of silver (Ag) formed thereon is deposited on top of InGaN/GaN quantum wells (QWs) on a sapphire/GaN substrate.

Synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical behavior of Au@Pd core shell nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wicaksono, W. P.; Ivandini, T. A.

2017-04-01

Au@Pd core shell nanoparticles (Au@Pd CSNPs) were successfully synthesized using a seed-mediated growth method. Firstly, a pale pink gold seed solution was used to produce a pale purple gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) core solution. Then, three series of Pd shell thickness using 20μ, 100 μL, and 500 μL of PdCl2 produced purple, brown, and deep brown of Au@Pd CSNPs respectively. A strong absorbance UV-Visible spectrum with peaks at 285 nm and 535 nm was identified for AuNPs formation. The disappearance of the peak at 535 nm was indicated the Au@Pd CSNPs formation. The electrochemical properties were examined in phosphate buffer pH 7 using cyclic voltammetry technique with boron-doped diamond (BDD) as working electrode showed a couple oxidation and reduction peak of gold at 0.67 V and at 0.33 V, respectively. The Au@Pd CNPs will be used for modification of BDD electrodes.

Efficiency enhancement of polymer solar cells by applying poly(vinylpyrrolidone) as a cathode buffer layer via spin coating or self-assembly.

PubMed

Wang, Haitao; Zhang, Wenfeng; Xu, Chenhui; Bi, Xianghong; Chen, Boxue; Yang, Shangfeng

2013-01-01

A non-conjugated polymer poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) was applied as a new cathode buffer layer in P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells (BHJ-PSCs), by means of either spin coating or self-assembly, resulting in significant efficiency enhancement. For the case of incorporation of PVP by spin coating, power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/PVP/Al BHJ-PSC device (3.90%) is enhanced by 29% under the optimum PVP spin-coating speed of 3000 rpm, which leads to the optimum thickness of PVP layer of ~3 nm. Such an efficiency enhancement is found to be primarily due to the increase of the short-circuit current (J(sc)) (31% enhancement), suggesting that the charge collection increases upon the incorporation of a PVP cathode buffer layer, which originates from the conjunct effects of the formation of a dipole layer between P3HT:PCBM active layer and Al electrodes, the chemical reactions of PVP molecules with Al atoms, and the increase of the roughness of the top Al film. Incorporation of PVP layer by doping PVP directly into the P3HT:PCBM active layer leads to an enhancement of PCE by 13% under the optimum PVP doping ratio of 3%, and this is interpreted by the migration of PVP molecules to the surface of the active layer via self-assembly, resulting in the formation of the PVP cathode buffer layer. While the formation of the PVP cathode buffer layer is fulfilled by both fabrication methods (spin coating and self-assembly), the dependence of the enhancement of the device performance on the thickness of the PVP cathode buffer layer formed by self-assembly or spin coating is different, because of the different aggregation microstructures of the PVP interlayer.

Quality-enhanced In{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As film grown on GaAs substrate with an ultrathin amorphous In{sub 0.6}Ga{sub 0.4}As buffer layer

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

Gao, Fangliang; Li, Guoqiang, E-mail: msgli@scut.edu.cn

2014-01-27

Using low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy, amorphous In{sub 0.6}Ga{sub 0.4}As layers have been grown on GaAs substrates to act as buffer layers for the subsequent epitaxial growth of In{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As films. It is revealed that the crystallinity of as-grown In{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As films is strongly affected by the thickness of the large-mismatched amorphous In{sub 0.6}Ga{sub 0.4}As buffer layer. Given an optimized thickness of 2 nm, this amorphous In{sub 0.6}Ga{sub 0.4}As buffer layer can efficiently release the misfit strain between the In{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As epi-layer and the GaAs substrate, trap the threading and misfit dislocations from propagating to the following In{sub 0.3}Ga{submore » 0.7}As epi-layer, and reduce the surface fluctuation of the as-grown In{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As, leading to a high-quality In{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As film with competitive crystallinity to that grown on GaAs substrate using compositionally graded In{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}As metamorphic buffer layers. Considering the complexity of the application of the conventional In{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}As graded buffer layers, this work demonstrates a much simpler approach to achieve high-quality In{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As film on GaAs substrate and, therefore, is of huge potential for the InGaAs-based high-efficiency photovoltaic industry.« less

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

Katoch, Neha, E-mail: nehakatoch2@gmail.com; Kapoor, Pooja; Sharma, Munish

We report stability and electronic properties of benzene molecule adsorbed on the Au atomic layer within the framework of density function theory (DFT). Horizontal configuration of benzene on the top site of Au monolayer prefers energetically over other studied configurations. On the adsorption of benzene, the ballistic conductance of Au monolayer is found to decrease from 4G{sub 0} to 2G{sub 0} suggesting its applications for the fabrications of organic sensor devices based on the Au atomic layers.

Integration of (208) oriented epitaxial Hf-doped Bi4Ti3O12 with (0002) GaN using SrTiO3/TiO2 buffer layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, W. B.; Zhu, J.; Li, Y. R.; Wang, X. P.; Zhang, Y.

2009-05-01

Hf-doped Bi4Ti3O12 (BTH) ferroelectric films with excellent electrical properties were epitaxially integrated with GaN semiconductor using (111) SrTiO3 (STO)/rutile (200) TiO2 as buffer layer. The STO/TiO2 buffer layer was deposited by laser molecular beam epitaxy. The structural characteristics of the buffer layer were in situ and ex situ characterized by reflective high energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and high resolution transmission microscopy. The overlaying SrRuO3 (SRO) and BTH films were then deposited by pulsed laser deposition. XRD spectra, including θ-2θ and Φ scans, show that the (208) BTH films were epitaxially grown on GaN, and the BTH films inherit the in-plane twin-domain of STO buffer layer. Electrical measurements demonstrate that the non-c axis BTH films possess a large remnant polarization (2Pr=45 μC/cm2), excellent fatigue endurance (10.2% degradation after 1.1×1010 switching cycles), and a low leakage current density (1.94×10-7 A/cm2 at an electric field of 200 kV/cm). These results reveal that the (208) BTH films with favorable electrical performance could be epitaxially grown on GaN template using STO/TiO2 buffer layer.

Electrical properties of n-type GaSb substrates and p-type GaSb buffer layers for InAs/InGaSb superlattice infrared detectors

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

Mitchel, W. C., E-mail: William.Mitchel.1@us.af.mil; Haugan, H. J.; Mou, Shin

2015-09-15

Lightly doped n-type GaSb substrates with p-type GaSb buffer layers are the preferred templates for growth of InAs/InGaSb superlattices used in infrared detector applications because of relatively high infrared transmission and a close lattice match to the superlattices. We report here temperature dependent resistivity and Hall effect measurements of bare substrates and substrate-p-type buffer layer structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Multicarrier analysis of the resistivity and Hall coefficient data demonstrate that high temperature transport in the substrates is due to conduction in both the high mobility zone center Γ band and the low mobility off-center L band. High overallmore » mobility values indicate the absence of close compensation and that improved infrared and transport properties were achieved by a reduction in intrinsic acceptor concentration. Standard transport measurements of the undoped buffer layers show p-type conduction up to 300 K indicating electrical isolation of the buffer layer from the lightly n-type GaSb substrate. However, the highest temperature data indicate the early stages of the expected p to n type conversion which leads to apparent anomalously high carrier concentrations and lower than expected mobilities. Data at 77 K indicate very high quality buffer layers.« less

Improvement of transmission properties of visible pilot beam for polymer-coated silver hollow fibers with acrylic silicone resin as buffer layer for sturdy structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwai, Katsumasa; Takaku, Hiroyuki; Miyagi, Mitsunobu; Shi, Yi-Wei; Zhu, Xiao-Song; Matsuura, Yuji

2017-02-01

Flexible hollow fibers with 530-μm-bore size were developed for infrared laser delivery. Sturdy hollow fibers were fabricated by liquid-phase coating techniques. A silica glass capillary is used as the substrate. Acrylic silicone resin is used as a buffer layer and the buffer layer is firstly coated on the inner surface of the capillary to protect the glass tube from chemical damages due to the following silver plating process. A silver layer was inner-plated by using the conventional silver mirror-plating technique. To improve adhesion of catalyst to the buffer layer, a surface conditioner has been introduced in the method of silver mirror-plating technique. We discuss improvement of transmission properties of sturdy polymer-coated silver hollow fibers for the Er:YAG laser and red pilot beam delivery.

Improvement on controllable fabrication of streptavidin-modified three-layer core-shell Fe3O4@SiO2@Au magnetic nanocomposites with low fluorescence background.

PubMed

Jiang, Hongrong; Zeng, Xin; Xi, Zhijiang; Liu, Ming; Li, Chuanyan; Li, Zhiyang; Jin, Lian; Wang, Zhifei; Deng, Yan; He, Nongyue

2013-04-01

In present study, we put forward an approach to prepare three-layer core-shell Fe3O4@SiO2@Au magnetic nanocomposites via the combination of self-assembling, seed-mediated growing and multi-step chemical reduction. The Fe3O4@SiO2@Au magnetic nanocomposites were analyzed and characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electronic microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer analysis (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis). TEM and SEM characterizations showed that the FeO4@SiO2@Au nanocomposites were obtained successfully with three-layer structures, especially a layer of thin, smooth and continuous gold shell. The average diameter of Fe3O4@SiO2@Au nanocomposites was about 600 nm and an excellent dispersity was observed for the as-prepared nanoparticles. EDS characterizations demonstrated that the nanocomposites contained three elements of the precursors, Fe, Si, and Au. Furthermore, FT-IR showed that the silica and gold shell were coated successfully. UV-Vis and VSM characterizations showed that the Fe3O4@SiO2@Au nanocomposites exhibited good optical and magnetic property, and the saturation magnetization was 25.76 emu/g. In conclusion, the Fe3O4@SiO2@Au magnetic nanocomposites with three-layer core-shell structures were prepared. Furthermore, Fe3O4@SiO2@Au magnetic nanocomposites were modified with streptavidin (SA) successfully, and it was validated that they performed low fluorescence background, suggesting that they should have good applications especially in bioassay based on fluorescence detection through bonding the biotinylated fluorescent probes.

Stretchable Characteristics of Thin Au Film on Polydimethylsiloxane Substrate with Parylene Intermediate Layer for Stretchable Electronic Packaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Donghyun; Shin, Soo Jin; Oh, Tae Sung

2018-01-01

Thin Au films with thickness of 150 nm could be reversibly stretched up to 30% elongation on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate with 150-nm-thick Parylene C deposited as intermediate layer instead of a Cr adhesion layer. Prestretching of the Parylene-deposited PDMS was effective to suppress the resistance increase of Au films during their tensile elongation. While the resistance change rate Δ R/ R 0 of the Au film at 30% elongation was 11 without prestretching of the Parylene-deposited PDMS, it was substantially suppressed to 0.4 with 30% prestretching of the Parylene-deposited PDMS.

Finding the lost open-circuit voltage in polymer solar cells by UV-ozone treatment of the nickel acetate anode buffer layer.

PubMed

Wang, Fuzhi; Sun, Gang; Li, Cong; Liu, Jiyan; Hu, Siqian; Zheng, Hua; Tan, Zhan'ao; Li, Yongfang

2014-06-25

Efficient polymer solar cells (PSCs) with enhanced open-circuit voltage (Voc) are fabricated by introducing solution-processed and UV-ozone (UVO)-treated nickel acetate (O-NiAc) as an anode buffer layer. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data, NiAc partially decomposed to NiOOH during the UVO treatment. NiOOH is a dipole species, which leads to an increase in the work function (as confirmed by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy), thus benefitting the formation of ohmic contact between the anode and photoactive layer and leading to increased Voc. In addition, the UVO treatment improves the wettability between the substrate and solvent of the active layer, which facilitates the formation of an upper photoactive layer with better morphology. Further, the O-NiAc layer can decrease the series resistance (Rs) and increase the parallel resistance (Rp) of the devices, inducing enhanced Voc in comparison with the as-prepared NiAc-buffered control devices without UVO treatment. For PSCs based on the P3HT:PCBM system, Voc increases from 0.50 to 0.60 V after the NiAc buffer layer undergoes UVO treatment. Similarly, in the P3HT:ICBA system, the Voc value of the device with a UVO-treated NiAc buffer layer increases from 0.78 to 0.88 V, showing an enhanced power conversion efficiency of 6.64%.

Evaluation of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors grown on ZrTi buffer layers with sapphire substrates

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

Ren, Fan; Pearton, Stephen J.; Ahn, Shihyun

Here, AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have been grown on sapphire substrates, using ZrTi buffer layers to provide in-plane lattice-matching to hexagonal GaN. X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to assess the quality of the HEMT structure. The XRD 2θ scans showed full-width-at-half-maximum values of 0.16°, 0.07°, and 0.08° for ZrTi alloy, GaN buffer layer, and the entire HEMT structure, respectively. TEM studies of the GaN buffer layer and the AlN/ZrTi/AlN stack showed the importance of growing thin AlN buffer layers on the ZrTi layer prior to growth of the GaN buffermore » layer. The density of threading dislocations in the GaN channel layer of the HEMT structure was estimated to be in the 10 8 cm –2 range. The HEMT device exhibited a saturation drain current density of 820 mA/mm, and the channel of the fabricated HEMTs could be well modulated. A cutoff frequency (f T) of 8.9 GHz and a maximum frequency of oscillation (f max) of 17.3 GHz were achieved for HEMTs with gate dimensions of 1 × 200 μm.« less

Evaluation of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors grown on ZrTi buffer layers with sapphire substrates

DOE PAGES

Ren, Fan; Pearton, Stephen J.; Ahn, Shihyun; ...

2016-09-21

Here, AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have been grown on sapphire substrates, using ZrTi buffer layers to provide in-plane lattice-matching to hexagonal GaN. X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to assess the quality of the HEMT structure. The XRD 2θ scans showed full-width-at-half-maximum values of 0.16°, 0.07°, and 0.08° for ZrTi alloy, GaN buffer layer, and the entire HEMT structure, respectively. TEM studies of the GaN buffer layer and the AlN/ZrTi/AlN stack showed the importance of growing thin AlN buffer layers on the ZrTi layer prior to growth of the GaN buffermore » layer. The density of threading dislocations in the GaN channel layer of the HEMT structure was estimated to be in the 10 8 cm –2 range. The HEMT device exhibited a saturation drain current density of 820 mA/mm, and the channel of the fabricated HEMTs could be well modulated. A cutoff frequency (f T) of 8.9 GHz and a maximum frequency of oscillation (f max) of 17.3 GHz were achieved for HEMTs with gate dimensions of 1 × 200 μm.« less

Optimization of the Energy Level Alignment between the Photoactive Layer and the Cathode Contact Utilizing Solution-Processed Hafnium Acetylacetonate as Buffer Layer for Efficient Polymer Solar Cells.

PubMed

Yu, Lu; Li, Qiuxiang; Shi, Zhenzhen; Liu, Hao; Wang, Yaping; Wang, Fuzhi; Zhang, Bing; Dai, Songyuan; Lin, Jun; Tan, Zhan'ao

2016-01-13

The insertion of an appropriate interfacial buffer layer between the photoactive layer and the contact electrodes makes a great impact on the performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs). Ideal interfacial buffer layers could minimize the interfacial traps and the interfacial barriers caused by the incompatibility between the photoactive layer and the electrodes. In this work, we utilized solution-processed hafnium(IV) acetylacetonate (Hf(acac)4) as an effective cathode buffer layer (CBL) in PSCs to optimize the energy level alignment between the photoactive layer and the cathode contact, with the short-circuit current density (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), and fill factor (FF) all simultaneously improved with Hf(acac)4 CBL, leading to enhanced power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) were performed to confirm that the interfacial dipoles were formed with the same orientation direction as the built-in potential between the photoactive layer and Hf(acac)4 CBL, benefiting the exciton separation and electron transport/extraction. In addition, the optical characteristics and surface morphology of the Hf(acac)4 CBL were also investigated.

Photovoltaic devices comprising zinc stannate buffer layer and method for making

DOEpatents

Wu, Xuanzhi; Sheldon, Peter; Coutts, Timothy J.

2001-01-01

A photovoltaic device has a buffer layer zinc stannate Zn.sub.2 SnO.sub.4 disposed between the semiconductor junction structure and the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) layer to prevent formation of localized junctions with the TCO through a thin window semiconductor layer, to prevent shunting through etched grain boundaries of semiconductors, and to relieve stresses and improve adhesion between these layers.

Magnetoresistance of layered structures with alternating in-plane and perpendicular anisotropies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stobiecki, F.; Szymański, B.; Luciński, T.; Dubowik, J.; Urbaniak, M.; Röll, K.

2004-11-01

The magnetic properties of (Ni83Fe17/Au/Co/Au) multilayers with different thickness of Au (0.5⩽tAu⩽3 nm) and Co (0.2⩽tCo⩽1.5 nm) layers were characterized. For tAu⩾1.5 nm independent magnetization reversal of Ni-Fe and Co was found. Increase of tCo for (Ni83Fe17-2 nm/Au-3 nm/Co-tCo/Au-3 nm)15 multilayers results in a sequence of transformations in the magnetic properties due to changes in Co microstructure: from superparamagnetic to ferromagnetic clusters at tCo≈0.3 nm, from discontinuous to continuous layers at tCo≈0.6 nm and from perpendicular to in-plane anisotropy at tCo≈1.2 nm.

Boundary layer friction of solvate ionic liquids as a function of potential.

PubMed

Li, Hua; Rutland, Mark W; Watanabe, Masayoshi; Atkin, Rob

2017-07-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to investigate the potential dependent boundary layer friction at solvate ionic liquid (SIL)-highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and SIL-Au(111) interfaces. Friction trace and retrace loops of lithium tetraglyme bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide (Li(G4) TFSI) at HOPG present clearer stick-slip events at negative potentials than at positive potentials, indicating that a Li + cation layer adsorbed to the HOPG lattice at negative potentials which enhances stick-slip events. The boundary layer friction data for Li(G4) TFSI shows that at HOPG, friction forces at all potentials are low. The TFSI - anion rich boundary layer at positive potentials is more lubricating than the Li + cation rich boundary layer at negative potentials. These results suggest that boundary layers at all potentials are smooth and energy is predominantly dissipated via stick-slip events. In contrast, friction at Au(111) for Li(G4) TFSI is significantly higher at positive potentials than at negative potentials, which is comparable to that at HOPG at the same potential. The similarity of boundary layer friction at negatively charged HOPG and Au(111) surfaces indicates that the boundary layer compositions are similar and rich in Li + cations for both surfaces at negative potentials. However, at Au(111), the TFSI - rich boundary layer is less lubricating than the Li + rich boundary layer, which implies that anion reorientations rather than stick-slip events are the predominant energy dissipation pathways. This is confirmed by the boundary friction of Li(G4) NO 3 at Au(111), which shows similar friction to Li(G4) TFSI at negative potentials due to the same cation rich boundary layer composition, but even higher friction at positive potentials, due to higher energy dissipation in the NO 3 - rich boundary layer.

19.5%-Efficient CuIn1-xGaxSe2 Photovoltaic Cells Using A Cd-Zn-S Buffer Layer

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

Bhattacharya. R. N.

2008-01-01

CuIn1-xGaxSe2 (CIGS) solar cell junctions prepared by chemical-bath-deposited (CBD) Zn1-xCdxS (CdZnS), ZnS, and CdS buffer layers are discussed. A 19.52%-efficient, CIGS-based, thin-film photovoltaic device has been fabricated using a single-layer CBD CdZnS buffer layer. The mechanism that creates extensive hydroxide and oxide impurities in CBD-ZnS and CBD-CdZnS thin films (compared to CBD-CdS thin film) is presented.

Electrodeposition of catalytic and magnetic gold nanoparticles on dendrimer-carbon nanotube layer-by-layer films.

PubMed

Siqueira, José R; Gabriel, Rayla C; Zucolotto, Valtencir; Silva, Anielle C A; Dantas, Noelio O; Gasparotto, Luiz H S

2012-11-07

Magnetic and catalytic gold nanoparticles were electrodeposited through potential pulse on dendrimer-carbon nanotube layer-by-layer (LbL) films. A plasmon absorption band at about 550 nm revealed the presence of nanoscale gold in the film. The location of the Au nanoparticles in the film was clearly observed by selecting the magnetic force microscopy mode. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the electrochemical synthesis of magnetic Au nanoparticles. In addition to the magnetic properties, the Au nanoparticles also exhibited high catalytic activity towards ethanol and glycerol oxidation in alkaline medium.

Photosystem I assembly on chemically tailored SAM/ Au substrates for bio-hybrid device fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukherjee, Dibyendu; Khomami, Bamin

2011-03-01

Photosystem I (PS I), a supra-molecular protein complex and a biological photodiode responsible for driving natural photosynthesis mechanism, charge separates upon exposure to light. Effective use of the photo-electrochemical activities of PS I for future bio-hybrid electronic devices requires controlled attachment of these proteins onto organic/ inorganic substrates. Our results indicate that various experimental parameters alter the surface topography of PS I deposited from colloidal aqueous buffer suspensions onto OH-terminated alkanethiolate SAM /Au substrates, thereby resulting in complex columnar structures that affect the electron capture pathway of PS I. Specifically, solution phase characterizations indicate that specific detergents used for PS I stabilization in buffer solutions drive the unique colloidal chemistry to tune protein-protein interactions and prevent aggregation, thereby allowing us to tailor the morphology of surface immobilized PS I. We present surface topographical, adsorption, and electrochemical characterizations of PSI /SAM/Au substrates to elucidate protein-surface attachment dynamics and its effect on the photo-activated electronic activities of surface immobilized PS I. Sustainable Energy Education and Research Center (SEERC).

Investigation of transparent zinc oxide-based contacts for high performance III-nitride light emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Sungpyo

In this dissertation, we investigate Al-doped ZnO(AZO) contact structure to a variety of GaN LED structures. Our results show that ZnO is a potentially viable transparent contact for GaN-based LEDs. We began our investigation by depositing AZO and Ni/AZO contacts to p-GaN. However, these contacts are highly resistive. Next, we deposited thin Ni/Au layer, oxidized the Ni/Au layer to form a good ohmic contact to p-GaN, and then followed by the deposition of thick AZO layer. However, the electrical resistance of oxidized Ni/Au-AZO contacts is higher than that of the conventional Ni/Au contacts. We solve the high contact resistance problem by using a two-step thermal annealing process. In this method, Ni/Au layer is deposited first followed by the AZO layer without any annealing step. After finishing the device fabrication, the samples are annealed in air first to achieve low contact resistance with Ni/Au/AZO and p-GaN and then annealed in nitrogen to achieve low sheet resistance for the AZO layer. The improved electrical and optical characteristics of this scheme compared to conventional Ni/Au contact scheme are demonstrated on a variety of GaN LEDs: blue, green, small area, large area and bottom emitting LEDs. The benefits of ZnO-based contacts are more significant in large area LEDs that include lower forward voltage, and higher optical emission, better emission uniformity and reliability. The advantages of ZnO-based contact in terms of lower contact resistance and higher optical emission on LED fabricated on roughened GaN wafers are also demonstrated. For bottom emitting LED structure intended for flip chip applications, our original oxidized Ni/Au layer over coated with either Al or Ag contacts have shown to simultaneously yield superior I-V characteristics and greatly enhanced optical performance compared to conventional LEDs using a thick Ni/Au contact in the flip-chip configuration. However, the contact is unstable at operating temperatures > 100°C due to close proximity of Ag and Al with p-GaN. Here, the ZnO layer probably can be interdiffusion barrier layer of Al into GaN. We have demonstrated low contact resistance and higher light emission by using ZnO as a barrier material between oxidize Ni/Au and Al reflecting layer. In summary, our investigation demonstrates the applicability of ZnO-based transparent contacts for high performance LEDs that will be larger in size and are expected to be operating at higher current for solid-state lighting of the future. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Electron-Selective TiO 2 Contact for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 Solar Cells

DOE PAGES

Hsu, Weitse; Sutter-Fella, Carolin M.; Hettick, Mark; ...

2015-11-03

The non-toxic and wide bandgap material TiO 2 is explored as an n-type buffer layer on p-type Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) absorber layer for thin film solar cells. The amorphous TiO 2 thin film deposited by atomic layer deposition process at low temperatures shows conformal coverage on the CIGS absorber layer. Solar cells from non-vacuum deposited CIGS absorbers with TiO 2 buffer layer result in a high short-circuit current density of 38.9 mA/cm 2 as compared to 36.9 mA/cm 2 measured in the reference cell with CdS buffer layer, without compromising open-circuit voltage. The significant photocurrent gain, mainly in the UVmore » part of the spectrum, can be attributed to the low parasitic absorption loss in the ultrathin TiO 2 layer (~10 nm) with a larger bandgap of 3.4 eV compared to 2.4 eV of the traditionally used CdS. Overall the solar cell conversion efficiency was improved from 9.5% to 9.9% by substituting the CdS by TiO 2 on an active cell area of 10.5 mm2. In conclusion, optimized TiO 2/CIGS solar cells show excellent long-term stability. The results imply that TiO 2 is a promising buffer layer material for CIGS solar cells, avoiding the toxic CdS buffer layer with added performance advantage.« less

Synthesis, structure, and bonding in K12Au21Sn4. A polar intermetallic compound with dense Au20 and open AuSn4 layers.

PubMed

Li, Bin; Kim, Sung-Jin; Miller, Gordon J; Corbett, John D

2009-12-07

The new phase K(12)Au(21)Sn(4) has been synthesized by direct reaction of the elements at elevated temperatures. Single crystal X-ray diffraction established its orthorhombic structure, space group Pmmn (No. 59), a = 12.162(2); b = 18.058(4); c = 8.657(2) A, V = 1901.3(7) A(3), and Z = 2. The structure consists of infinite puckered sheets of vertex-sharing gold tetrahedra (Au(20)) that are tied together by thin layers of alternating four-bonded-Sn and -Au atoms (AuSn(4)). Remarkably, the dense but electron-poorer blocks of Au tetrahedra coexist with more open and saturated Au-Sn layers, which are fragments of a zinc blende type structure that maximize tetrahedral heteroatomic bonding outside of the network of gold tetrahedra. LMTO band structure calculations reveal metallic properties and a pseudogap at 256 valence electrons per formula unit, only three electrons fewer than in the title compound and at a point at which strong Au-Sn bonding is optimized. Additionally, the tight coordination of the Au framework atoms by K plays an important bonding role: each Au tetrahedra has 10 K neighbors and each K atom has 8-12 Au contacts. The appreciably different role of the p element Sn in this structure from that in the triel members in K(3)Au(5)In and Rb(2)Au(3)Tl appears to arise from its higher electron count which leads to better p-bonding (valence electron concentrations = 1.32 versus 1.22).

Effect of annealing on magnetoresistance and microstructure of multilayered CoFe/Cu systems with different buffer layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bannikova, N. S.; Milyaev, M. A.; Naumova, L. I.; Proglyado, V. V.; Krinitsina, T. P.; Chernyshova, T. A.; Ustinov, V. V.

2015-02-01

The effects of annealing on the structure, magnetic hysteresis, and magnetoresistance of [Co90Fe10(15 Å)/Cu(23 Å)] n superlattices with Cr and Co90Fe10 buffer layers of different thicknesses have been studied. The optimum temperature and time of annealing that increase the magnetoresistance were shown to depend on the buffer layer thickness. The coefficients of effective interlayer diffusion due to the annealing have been determined.

Structural and luminescent Properties of Bulk InAsSb

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-21

have used compositionally graded metamorphic buffer layers to accommodate the misfit strain between InAsxSb1-x alloys and GaSb and InSb substrates in...wavelength range. The authors have used compositionally graded metamorphic buffer layers to accommodate the misfit strain between InAsxSb1x alloys...long wave IR range. We used compositionally graded GaInSb, AlGaInSb, and InAsxSb1x metamorphic buffer layers to accommodate the misfit strain between

Electrocatalytic activity of spots of electrodeposited noble-metal catalysts on carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon.

PubMed

Chen, Xingxing; Eckhard, Kathrin; Zhou, Min; Bron, Michael; Schuhmann, Wolfgang

2009-09-15

A strategy for the screening of the electrocatalytic activity of electrocatalysts for possible application in fuel cells and other devices is presented. In this approach, metal nanoclusters (Pt, Au, Ru, and Rh and their codeposits) were prepared using a capillary-based droplet-cell by pulsed electrodeposition in a diffusion-restricted viscous solution. A glassy carbon surface was modified with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by electrophoretic accumulation and was used as substrate for metal nanoparticle deposition. The formed catalyst spots on the CNT-modified glassy carbon surface were investigated toward their catalytic activity for oxygen reduction as a test reaction employing the redox competition mode of scanning electrochemical microscopy (RC-SECM). Qualitative information on the electrocatalytic activity of the catalysts was obtained by varying the potential applied to the substrate; semiquantitative evaluation was based on the determination of the electrochemically deposited catalyst loading by means of the charge transferred during the metal nanoparticle deposition. Qualitatively, Au showed the highest electrocatalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in phosphate buffer among all investigated single metal catalysts which was attributed to the much higher loading of Au achieved during electrodeposition. Coelectrodeposited Au-Pt catalysts showed a more positive onset potential (-150 mV in RC-SECM experiments) of the ORR in phosphate buffer at pH 6.7. After normalizing the SECM image by the charge during the metal nanocluster deposition which represents the mass loading of the catalyst, Ru showed a higher electrocatalytic activity toward the ORR than Au.

The roles of buffer layer thickness on the properties of the ZnO epitaxial films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Kun; Huang, Shimin; Gu, Shulin; Zhu, Shunming; Ye, Jiandong; Xu, Zhonghua; Zheng, Youdou

2016-12-01

In this article, the authors have investigated the optimization of the buffer thickness for obtaining high-quality ZnO epi-films on sapphire substrates. The growth mechanism of the buffers with different thickness has been clearly revealed, including the initial nucleation and vertical growth, the subsequent lateral growth with small grain coalescence, and the final vertical growth along the existing larger grains. Overall, the quality of the buffer improves with increasing thickness except the deformed surface morphology. However, by a full-scale evaluation of the properties for the epi-layers, the quality of the epi-film is briefly determined by the surface morphology of the buffer, rather than the structural, optical, or electrical properties of it. The best quality epi-layer has been grown on the buffer with a smooth surface and well-coalescent grains. Meanwhile, due to the huge lattice mismatch between sapphire and ZnO, dislocations are inevitably formed during the growth of buffers. More importantly, as the film grows thicker, the dislocations may attracting other smaller dislocations and defects to reduce the total line energy and thus result in the formation of V-shape defects, which are connected with the bottom of the threading dislocations in the buffers. The V-defects appear as deep and large hexagonal pits from top view and they may act as electron traps which would affect the free carrier concentration of the epi-layers.

Chemically Deposited CdS Buffer/Kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cells: Relationship between CdS Thickness and Device Performance.

PubMed

Hong, Chang Woo; Shin, Seung Wook; Suryawanshi, Mahesh P; Gang, Myeng Gil; Heo, Jaeyeong; Kim, Jin Hyeok

2017-10-25

Earth-abundant, copper-zinc-tin-sulfide (CZTS), kesterite, is an attractive absorber material for thin-film solar cells (TFSCs). However, the open-circuit voltage deficit (V oc -deficit) resulting from a high recombination rate at the buffer/absorber interface is one of the major challenges that must be overcome to improve the performance of kesterite-based TFSCs. In this paper, we demonstrate the relationship between device parameters and performances for chemically deposited CdS buffer/CZTS-based heterojunction TFSCs as a function of buffer layer thickness, which could change the CdS/CZTS interface conditions such as conduction band or valence band offsets, to gain deeper insight and understanding about the V oc -deficit behavior from a high recombination rate at the CdS buffer/kesterite interface. Experimental results show that device parameters and performances are strongly dependent on the CdS buffer thickness. We postulate two meaningful consequences: (i) Device parameters were improved up to a CdS buffer thickness of 70 nm, whereas they deteriorated at a thicker CdS buffer layer. The V oc -deficit in the solar cells improved up to a CdS buffer thickness of 92 nm and then deteriorated at a thicker CdS buffer layer. (ii) The minimum values of the device parameters were obtained at 70 nm CdS thickness in the CZTS TFSCs. Finally, the highest conversion efficiency of 8.77% (V oc : 494 mV, J sc : 34.54 mA/cm 2 , and FF: 51%) is obtained by applying a 70 nm thick CdS buffer to the Cu 2 ZnSn(S,Se) 4 absorber layer.

Au/NiFe/M(Au, MoS2, graphene) trilayer magnetoplasmonics DNA-hybridized sensors with high record of sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faridi, Ehsan; Moradi, Maryam; Ansari, Narges; Ghasemi, Amir Hossein Baradaran; Afshar, Amir; Mohseni, Seyed Majid

2017-12-01

The demonstration of biosensors based on the surface plasmon effect holds promise for future high-sensitive electrodeless biodetection. The combination of magnetic effects with surface plasmon waves brings additional freedom to improve sensitivity and signal selectivity. Stacking biosensors with two-dimensional (2-D) materials, e.g., graphene (Gr) and MoS2, can influence plasmon waves and facilitate surface physiochemical properties as additional versatility aspects. We demonstrate magnetoplasmonic biosensors through the detuning of surface plasmon oscillation modes affected by magnetic effect via the presence of the NiFe (Py) layer and different light absorbers of Gr, MoS2, and Au ultrathin layers in three stacks of Au/Py/M(MoS2, Gr, Au) trilayers. We found minimum reflection, resonance angle shift, and transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect (TMOKE) responses of all sensors in the presence of the ss-DNA monolayer. Very few changes of ˜5×10-7 in the ss-DNA's refractive index result in valuable TMOKE response. We found that the presence of three-layer Gr and two-layer MoS2 on top of the Au/Py bilayer can dramatically increase the sensitivity by nine and four times, respectively, than the conventional Au/Co/Au trilayer. Our results show the highest reported DNA sensitivity based on the coupling of light with 2-D materials in magnetoplasmonic devices.

Benzocyclobutene (BCB) Polymer as Amphibious Buffer Layer for Graphene Field-Effect Transistor.

PubMed

Wu, Yun; Zou, Jianjun; Huo, Shuai; Lu, Haiyan; Kong, Yuecan; Chen, Tangshen; Wu, Wei; Xu, Jingxia

2015-08-01

Owing to the scattering and trapping effects, the interfaces of dielectric/graphene or substrate/graphene can tailor the performance of field-effect transistor (FET). In this letter, the polymer of benzocyclobutene (BCB) was used as an amphibious buffer layer and located at between the layers of substrate and graphene and between the layers of dielectric and graphene. Interestingly, with the help of nonpolar and hydrophobic BCB buffer layer, the large-scale top-gated, chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene transistors was prepared on Si/SiO2 substrate, its cutoff frequency (fT) and the maximum cutoff frequency (fmax) of the graphene field-effect transistor (GFET) can be reached at 12 GHz and 11 GHz, respectively.

An over 18%-efficiency completely buffer-free Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishizuka, Shogo; Nishinaga, Jiro; Koida, Takashi; Shibata, Hajime

2018-07-01

In this letter, an independently certified photovoltaic efficiency of 18.4% demonstrated from a completely buffer-layer-free Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cell is reported. A Si-doped CIGS thin film was used as the photoabsorber layer and a conductive B-doped ZnO (BZO) front electrode layer was directly deposited on the CIGS layer. Metastable acceptor activation by heat-light soaking treatment was performed to maximize the efficiency. The results presented here are expected to serve as a benchmark for simplified-structure CIGS devices as well as a reference for discussions on the role of buffer layers used in conventional CIGS solar cells.

Domain matched epitaxial growth of (111) Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} thin films on (0001) Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} with ZnO buffer layer

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

Krishnaprasad, P. S., E-mail: pskrishnaprasu@gmail.com, E-mail: mkj@cusat.ac.in; Jayaraj, M. K., E-mail: pskrishnaprasu@gmail.com, E-mail: mkj@cusat.ac.in; Antony, Aldrin

2015-03-28

Epitaxial (111) Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} (BST) thin films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition on (0001) Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrate with ZnO as buffer layer. The x-ray ω-2θ, Φ-scan and reciprocal space mapping indicate epitaxial nature of BST thin films. The domain matched epitaxial growth of BST thin films over ZnO buffer layer was confirmed using Fourier filtered high resolution transmission electron microscope images of the film-buffer interface. The incorporation of ZnO buffer layer effectively suppressed the lattice mismatch and promoted domain matched epitaxial growth of BST thin films. Coplanar inter digital capacitors fabricated on epitaxial (111) BSTmore » thin films show significantly improved tunable performance over polycrystalline thin films.« less

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells with In2S3 buffer layer deposited by thermal evaporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, SeongYeon; Rana, Tanka R.; Kim, JunHo; Yun, JaeHo

2017-12-01

We report on physical vapor deposition of indium sulfide (In2S3) buffer layers and its application to Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) thin film solar cell. The Indium sulfide buffer layers were evaporated onto CIGSe at various substrate temperatures from room temperature (RT) to 350 °C. The effect of deposition temperature of buffer layers on the solar cell device performance were investigated by analyzing temperature dependent current-voltage ( J- V- T), external quantum efficiency (EQE) and Raman spectroscopy. The fabricated device showed the highest power conversion efficiency of 6.56% at substrate temperature of 250 °C, which is due to the decreased interface recombination. However, the roll-over in J- V curves was observed for solar cell device having buffer deposited at substrate temperature larger than 250 °C. From the measurement results, the interface defect and roll-over related degradation were found to have limitation on the performance of solar cell device.

Sulfide and Oxide Heterostructures For the SrTiO3 Thin Film Growth on Si and Their Structural and Interfacial Stabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, Young‑Zo; Song, Jeong‑Hwan; Konishi, Yoshinori; Kawasaki, Masashi; Koinuma, Hideomi; Chikyow, Toyohiro

2006-03-01

Epitaxial SrTiO3 (STO) thin films with high electrical properties were grown on Si using ZnS single- and SrS/MnS hetero-buffer layers. STO films on both ZnS-buffered and SrS/MnS-buffered Si showed two growth orientations, (100) and (110). The temperature dependence of the growth orientation for STO films was different for the ZnS single-buffer layer in comparison with the SrS/MnS heterobuffer layers. (100) growth of STO films on SrS/MnS-buffered Si became dominant at high temperatures about 700 °C, while (100) growth of STO films on ZnS-buffered Si became dominant at a relatively low growth temperature of 550 °C. STO(100) films on ZnS-buffered and SrS/MnS-buffered Si showed lattice and domain matches for epitaxial relationships with [001]ZnS\\parallel[011]STO and SrS[001]\\parallel[011]STO, respectively via 45° in-plane rotation of STO films relative to both ZnS and SrS layers. The ZnS buffer layer contained many stacking faults because of the mismatch between ZnS and Si, however, those defects were terminated at the ZnS/STO interface. In contrast, the MnS buffer was very stable against stacking defect formation. Transmission electron microscopy measurements revealed the presence of a disordered region at the ZnS/Si and MnS/Si interfaces. Auger electron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy results showed that a good MnS/Si interface at the initial growth stage degraded to a SiS2-x-rich phase during MnS deposition and again into a SiO2-x-rich phase during STO deposition at the high growth temperature of 700 °C. It was also observed that STO on SrS/MnS-buffered Si showed a markedly high dielectric constant compared with that of STO on ZnS-buffered Si.

Synthesis of Ti3AuC2, Ti3Au2C2 and Ti3IrC2 by noble metal substitution reaction in Ti3SiC2 for high-temperature-stable Ohmic contacts to SiC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fashandi, Hossein; Dahlqvist, Martin; Lu, Jun; Palisaitis, Justinas; Simak, Sergei I.; Abrikosov, Igor A.; Rosen, Johanna; Hultman, Lars; Andersson, Mike; Lloyd Spetz, Anita; Eklund, Per

2017-08-01

The large class of layered ceramics encompasses both van der Waals (vdW) and non-vdW solids. While intercalation of noble metals in vdW solids is known, formation of compounds by incorporation of noble-metal layers in non-vdW layered solids is largely unexplored. Here, we show formation of Ti3AuC2 and Ti3Au2C2 phases with up to 31% lattice swelling by a substitutional solid-state reaction of Au into Ti3SiC2 single-crystal thin films with simultaneous out-diffusion of Si. Ti3IrC2 is subsequently produced by a substitution reaction of Ir for Au in Ti3Au2C2. These phases form Ohmic electrical contacts to SiC and remain stable after 1,000 h of ageing at 600 °C in air. The present results, by combined analytical electron microscopy and ab initio calculations, open avenues for processing of noble-metal-containing layered ceramics that have not been synthesized from elemental sources, along with tunable properties such as stable electrical contacts for high-temperature power electronics or gas sensors.

Carbon doped GaN buffer layer using propane for high electron mobility transistor applications: Growth and device results

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

Li, X.; Nilsson, D.; Danielsson, Ö.

2015-12-28

The creation of a semi insulating (SI) buffer layer in AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) devices is crucial for preventing a current path beneath the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). In this investigation, we evaluate the use of a gaseous carbon gas precursor, propane, for creating a SI GaN buffer layer in a HEMT structure. The carbon doped profile, using propane gas, is a two stepped profile with a high carbon doping (1.5 × 10{sup 18 }cm{sup −3}) epitaxial layer closest to the substrate and a lower doped layer (3 × 10{sup 16 }cm{sup −3}) closest to the 2DEG channel. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry measurement showsmore » a uniform incorporation versus depth, and no memory effect from carbon doping can be seen. The high carbon doping (1.5 × 10{sup 18 }cm{sup −3}) does not influence the surface morphology, and a roughness root-mean-square value of 0.43 nm is obtained from Atomic Force Microscopy. High resolution X-ray diffraction measurements show very sharp peaks and no structural degradation can be seen related to the heavy carbon doped layer. HEMTs are fabricated and show an extremely low drain induced barrier lowering value of 0.1 mV/V, demonstrating an excellent buffer isolation. The carbon doped GaN buffer layer using propane gas is compared to samples using carbon from the trimethylgallium molecule, showing equally low leakage currents, demonstrating the capability of growing highly resistive buffer layers using a gaseous carbon source.« less

Polyethylenimine Interfacial Layers in Inverted Organic Photovoltaic Devices: Effects of Ethoxylation and Molecular Weight on Efficiency and Temporal Stability.

PubMed

Courtright, Brett A E; Jenekhe, Samson A

2015-12-02

We report a comparative study of polyethylenimine (PEI) and ethoxylated-polyethylenimine (PEIE) cathode buffer layers in high performance inverted organic photovoltaic devices. The work function of the indium-tin oxide (ITO)/zinc oxide (ZnO) cathode was reduced substantially (Δφ = 0.73-1.09 eV) as the molecular weight of PEI was varied from 800 g mol(-1) to 750 000 g mol(-1) compared with the observed much smaller reduction when using a PEIE thin film (Δφ = 0.56 eV). The reference inverted polymer solar cells based on the small band gap polymer PBDTT-FTTE (ITO/ZnO/PBDTT-FTTE:PC70BM/MoO3/Ag), without a cathode buffer layer, had an average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.06 ± 0.22%. Incorporation of a PEIE cathode buffer layer in the same PBDTT-FTTE:PC70BM blend devices gave an enhanced performance with a PCE of 7.37 ± 0.53%. In contrast, an even greater photovoltaic efficiency with a PCE of 8.22 ± 0.10% was obtained in similar PBDTT-FTTE:PC70BM blend solar cells containing a PEI cathode buffer layer. The temporal stability of the inverted polymer solar cells was found to increase with increasing molecular weight of the cathode buffer layer. The results show that PEI is superior to PEIE as a cathode buffer layer in high performance organic photovoltaic devices and that the highest molecular weight PEI interlayer provides the highest temporal stability.

Ultrastable BSA-capped gold nanoclusters with a polymer-like shielding layer against reactive oxygen species in living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wenjuan; Cao, Yuqing; Sui, Dandan; Guan, Weijiang; Lu, Chao; Xie, Jianping

2016-05-01

The prevalence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the enzyme-containing intracellular environment could lead to the fluorescence quenching of bovine serum albumin (BSA)-capped gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). Here we report an efficient strategy to address this issue, where a polymer-like shielding layer is designed to wrap around the Au core to significantly improve the stability of AuNCs against ROS and protease degradation. The key of our design is to covalently incorporate a thiolated AuNC into the BSA-AuNC via carbodiimide-activated coupling, leading to the formation of a AuNC pair inside the cross-linked BSA molecule. The as-designed paired AuNCs in BSA (or BSA-p-AuNCs for short) show improved performances in living cells.The prevalence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the enzyme-containing intracellular environment could lead to the fluorescence quenching of bovine serum albumin (BSA)-capped gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). Here we report an efficient strategy to address this issue, where a polymer-like shielding layer is designed to wrap around the Au core to significantly improve the stability of AuNCs against ROS and protease degradation. The key of our design is to covalently incorporate a thiolated AuNC into the BSA-AuNC via carbodiimide-activated coupling, leading to the formation of a AuNC pair inside the cross-linked BSA molecule. The as-designed paired AuNCs in BSA (or BSA-p-AuNCs for short) show improved performances in living cells. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Detailed experimental materials, apparatus, experimental procedures and characterization data. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr02178f

Homoepitaxial electrodeposition on reconstructed and unreconstructed Au(100): An in-situ STM study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Shakran, Mohammad; Kibler, Ludwig A.; Jacob, Timo

2015-01-01

A study of homoepitaxial electrodeposition on reconstructed and unreconstructed Au(100) surfaces is presented. The growth behavior has been investigated by in-situ scanning tunneling microscopy for Au(100) in contact with 0.1 M H2SO4 + 5 μM K[AuCl4]. It is shown that the initial surface structure is decisive for the emerging Au structures, giving rise to clearly different surface morphologies for electro-crystallization of Au on the unreconstructed and on the reconstructed Au(100) surface. A layer-by-layer growth is observed at more positive potentials for unreconstructed Au(100). The electrodeposition proceeds initially by the formation of Au islands followed by island coalescence due to the high mobility of surface atoms. Monatomic recessed stripes are formed as a result of the coalescence of deposited Au islands. At more negative potentials, the growth of Au proceeds strongly anisotropic on the reconstructed surface by the formation of reconstructed elongated islands.

Ultra-high current density thin-film Si diode

DOEpatents

Wang; Qi

2008-04-22

A combination of a thin-film .mu.c-Si and a-Si:H containing diode structure characterized by an ultra-high current density that exceeds 1000 A/cm.sup.2, comprising: a substrate; a bottom metal layer disposed on the substrate; an n-layer of .mu.c-Si deposited the bottom metal layer; an i-layer of .mu.c-Si deposited on the n-layer; a buffer layer of a-Si:H deposited on the i-layer, a p-layer of .mu.c-Si deposited on the buffer layer; and a top metal layer deposited on the p-layer.

Structural characteristics of a non-polar ZnS layer on a ZnO buffer layer formed on a sapphire substrate by mist chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okita, Koshi; Inaba, Katsuhiko; Yatabe, Zenji; Nakamura, Yusui

2018-06-01

ZnS is attractive as a material for low-cost light-emitting diodes. In this study, a non-polar ZnS layer was epitaxially grown on a sapphire substrate by inserting a ZnO buffer layer between ZnS and sapphire. The ZnS and ZnO layers were grown by a mist chemical vapor deposition system with a simple setup operated under atmospheric pressure. The sample was characterized by high-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements including 2θ/ω scans, rocking curves, and reciprocal space mapping. The results showed that an m-plane wurtzite ZnS layer grew epitaxially on an m-plane wurtzite ZnO buffer layer formed on the m-plane sapphire substrate to provide a ZnS/ZnO/sapphire structure.

Properties of unrelaxed InAs{sub 1-X}Sb{sub X} alloys grown on compositionally graded buffers

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

Belenky, G.; Donetsky, D.; Kipshidze, G.

Unrelaxed InAs{sub 1-x}Sb{sub x} layers with lattice constants up to 2.1% larger than that of GaSb substrates were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaInSb and AlGaInSb compositionally graded buffer layers. The topmost section of the buffers was unrelaxed but strained. The in-plane lattice constant of the top buffer layer was grown to be equal to the lattice constant of unrelaxed and unstrained InAs{sub 1-x}Sb{sub x} with given X. The InAs{sub 0.56}Sb{sub 0.44} layers demonstrate photoluminescence peak at 9.4 {mu}m at 150 K. The minority carrier lifetime measured at 77 K for InAs{sub 0.8}Sb{sub 0.2} was {tau} = 250 ns.

Encapsulation of Au Nanoparticles on a Silicon Wafer During Thermal Oxidation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

We report the behavior of Au nanoparticles anchored onto a Si(111) substrate and the evolution of the combined structure with annealing and oxidation. Au nanoparticles, formed by annealing a Au film, appear to “float” upon a growing layer of SiO2 during oxidation at high temperature, yet they also tend to become partially encapsulated by the growing silica layers. It is proposed that this occurs largely because of the differential growth rates of the silica layer on the silicon substrate between the particles and below the particles due to limited access of oxygen to the latter. This in turn is due to a combination of blockage of oxygen adsorption by the Au and limited oxygen diffusion under the gold. We think that such behavior is likely to be seen for other metal–semiconductor systems. PMID:24163715

Tailoring dispersion and aggregation of Au nanoparticles in the BHJ layer of polymer solar cells: plasmon effects versus electrical effects.

PubMed

Kim, Wanjung; Cha, Bong Geun; Kim, Jung Kyu; Kang, Woonggi; Kim, Eunchul; Ahn, Tae Kyu; Wang, Dong Hwan; Du, Qing Guo; Cho, Jeong Ho; Kim, Jaeyun; Park, Jong Hyeok

2014-12-01

Plasmonic effects that arise from embedding metallic nanoparticles (NPs) in polymer solar cells (PSCs) have been extensively studied. Many researchers have utilized metallic NPs in PSCs by either incorporating them into the PSC interlayers (e.g., the hole extraction and electron extraction layers) or blending them into the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active layer. In such studies, the dispersity of the metallic NPs in each layer may vary due to both the different nature of the ligands and the amount of ligands on the metallic NPs. This in turn can produce different PSC performance parameters. Here, we systematically control the amount of attached organic ligands on Au NPs to control their dispersion behavior in the BHJ active layer of PSCs. By controlling the number of capping organic ligands on the Au NPs, the dispersity of the NPs in the BHJ layer is also controlled and the positive effects (particularly the plasmonic and electrical effects) of the Au NPs in the PSCs are investigated. From the obtained results, we find that the electrical contribution of the Au NPs is a more dominant factor for enhancing cell efficiency when compared to the plasmonic effect. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tailoring of the Perpendicular Magnetization Component in Ferromagnetic Films on a Vicinal Substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stupakiewicz, A.; Maziewski, A.; Matlak, K.; Spiridis, N.; Ślęzak, M.; Ślęzak, T.; Zajac, M.; Korecki, J.

2008-11-01

We have engineered the magnetic properties of 1 8 nm Co films epitaxially grown on an Au-buffered bifacial W(110)/W(540) single crystal. The surface of Au/W(110) was atomically flat, whereas the Au/W(540) followed the morphology of the vicinal W surface, showing a regular array of monoatomic steps. For Co grown on Au/W(540), the existence of the out-of-plane magnetization component extended strongly to a thickness d of about 8 nm, which was accompanied by an anomalous increase of the out-of-plane switching field with increasing d. In addition, the process of up-down magnetization switching could be realized with both a perpendicular and in-plane external magnetic field.

Au Nanoparticle Sub-Monolayers Sandwiched between Sol-Gel Oxide Thin Films

PubMed Central

Della Gaspera, Enrico; Menin, Enrico; Sada, Cinzia

2018-01-01

Sub-monolayers of monodisperse Au colloids with different surface coverage have been embedded in between two different metal oxide thin films, combining sol-gel depositions and proper substrates functionalization processes. The synthetized films were TiO2, ZnO, and NiO. X-ray diffraction shows the crystallinity of all the oxides and verifies the nominal surface coverage of Au colloids. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the metal nanoparticles is affected by both bottom and top oxides: in fact, the SPR peak of Au that is sandwiched between two different oxides is centered between the SPR frequencies of Au sub-monolayers covered with only one oxide, suggesting that Au colloids effectively lay in between the two oxide layers. The desired organization of Au nanoparticles and the morphological structure of the prepared multi-layered structures has been confirmed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses that show a high quality sandwich structure. The multi-layered structures have been also tested as optical gas sensors. PMID:29538338

Dependence of Magnetic Properties of Co/Pt Multilayers on Deposition Temperature of Pt Buffer Layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiomi, Shigeru; Nishimura, Tomotaka; Kobayashi, Tadashi; Masuda, Morio

1993-04-01

A 15-nm-thick Pt buffer layer was deposited on a glass slide at temperature Ts(Ptbuf) ranging from 30 to 300°C by e-gun evaporation. Following the cooling in vacuum to ambient temperature, Co and Pt layers have been alternately deposited on it. Very large perpendicular anisotropy and coercivity have been obtained at Ts(Ptbuf) higher than 200°C. The (111) preferred orientation of the Co/Pt multilayer as well as the Pt buffer layer became more pronounced with elevating Ts(Ptbuf), to which the enhancement of perpendicular anisotropy with elevating Ts(Ptbuf) might be ascribable.

Cathode buffer composed of fullerene-ethylenediamine adduct for an organic solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimoto, Yoshinori; Akiyama, Tsuyoshi; Fujita, Katsuhiko

2017-02-01

We developed a fullerene-ethylenediamine adduct (C60P-DC) for a cathode buffer material in organic bulk heterojunction solar cells, which enhance the open-circuit voltage (V oc). The evaporative spray deposition using ultra dilute solution (ESDUS) technique was employed to deposit the buffer layer onto the organic active layer to avoid damage during the deposition. By the insertion of a C60P-DC buffer layer, V oc and power conversion efficiency (PCE) were increased from 0.41 to 0.57 V and from 1.65 to 2.10%, respectively. The electron-only device with the C60P-DC buffer showed a much lower current level than that without the buffer, indicating that the V oc increase is caused not by vacuum level shift but by hole blocking. The curve fitting of current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics to the equivalent circuit with a single diode indicated that the decrease in reversed saturation current by hole blocking increased caused the V oc.

Gold nanoparticle plasmon resonance in near-field coupled Au NPs layer/Al film nanostructure: Dependence on metal film thickness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeshchenko, Oleg A.; Kozachenko, Viktor V.; Naumenko, Antonina P.; Berezovska, Nataliya I.; Kutsevol, Nataliya V.; Chumachenko, Vasyl A.; Haftel, Michael; Pinchuk, Anatoliy O.

2018-05-01

We study the effects of coupling between plasmonic metal nanoparticles and a thin metal film by using light extinction spectroscopy. A planar monolayer of gold nanoparticles located near an aluminum thin film (thicknesses within the range of 0-62 nm) was used to analyze the coupling between the monolayer and the thin metal film. SPR peak area increase for polymer coated Au NPs, non-monotonical behavior of the peak area for bare Au NPs, as well as red shift and broadening of SPR at the increase of the Al film thickness have been observed. These effects are rationalized as a result of coupling of the layer of Au NPs with Al film through the field of localized surface plasmons in Au NPs that causes the excitation of collective plasmonic gap mode in the nanostructure. An additional mechanism for bare Au NPs is the non-radiative damping of SPR that is caused by the electrical contact between metal NPs and film.

Study of a MHEMT heterostructure with an In{sub 0.4}Ga{sub 0.6}As channel MBE-grown on a GaAs substrate using reciprocal space mapping

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

Aleshin, A. N., E-mail: a.n.aleshin@mail.ru; Bugaev, A. S.; Ermakova, M. A.

2015-08-15

The crystallographic characteristics of the design elements of a metamorphic high-electron-mobility (MHEMT) heterostructure with an In{sub 0.4}Ga{sub 0.6}As channel are determined based on reciprocal space mapping. The heterostructure is grown by molecular beam epitaxy on the vicinal surface of a GaAs substrate with a deviation angle from the (001) plane of 2° and consists of a stepped metamorphic buffer containing six layers including an inverse step, a high-temperature buffer layer with constant composition, and active HEMT layers. The InAs content in the layers of the metamorphic buffer is varied from 0.1 to 0.48. Reciprocal space maps are constructed for themore » (004) symmetric reflection and (224)+ asymmetric reflection. It is found that the heterostructure layers are characterized both by a tilt angle relative to the plane of the (001) substrate and a rotation angle around the [001] axis. The tilt angle of the layer increases as the InAs concentration in the layer increases. It is shown that a high-temperature buffer layer of constant composition has the largest degree of relaxation compared with all other layers of the heterostructure.« less

A facile approach for reducing the working voltage of Au/TiO2/Au nanostructured memristors by enhancing the local electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arab Bafrani, Hamidreza; Ebrahimi, Mahdi; Bagheri Shouraki, Saeed; Moshfegh, Alireza Z.

2018-01-01

Memristor devices have attracted tremendous interest due to different applications ranging from nonvolatile data storage to neuromorphic computing units. Exploring the role of surface roughness of the bottom electrode (BE)/active layer interface provides useful guidelines for the optimization of the memristor switching performance. This study focuses on the effect of surface roughness of the BE electrode on the switching characteristics of Au/TiO2/Au three-layer memristor devices. An optimized wet-etching treatment condition was found to modify the surface roughness of the Au BE where the measurement results indicate that the roughness of the Au BE is affected by both duration time and solution concentrations of the wet-etching process. Then we fabricated arrays of TiO2-based nanostructured memristors sandwiched between two sets of cross-bar Au electrode lines (junction area 900 μm2). The results revealed a reduction in the working voltages in current-voltage characteristic of the device performance when increasing the surface roughness at the Au(BE)/TiO2 active layer interface. The set voltage of the device (Vset) significantly decreased from 2.26-1.93 V when we increased the interface roughness from 4.2-13.1 nm. The present work provides information for better understanding the switching mechanism of titanium-dioxide-based devices, and it can be inferred that enhancing the roughness of the Au BE/TiO2 active layer interface leads to a localized non-uniform electric field distribution that plays a vital role in reducing the energy consumption of the device.

Ohmic contacts to n-GaN formed by ion-implanted Si into p-GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Xichang; Xu, Jintong; Zhang, Wenjing; Wang, Ling; Chu, Kaihui; Li, Chao; Li, Xiangyang

2009-07-01

In this paper, we report the ohmic contact to n-GaN fabricated by implanting silicon into Mg-doped GaN using an alloy of Ti/Al/Ti/Au metallization. The used materials were grown on (001) sapphire substrates by metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD). The layer structure was comprised of a GaN buffer layer and followed by a 2 μm thickness Mg-doped GaN (Na=5×1017cm-3) and then double silicon implantation was performed in order to convert p-type GaN into n-type GaN films. The as-implanted samples were then thermal annealed at 1150 °C for 5 min in N2 ambient. The carrier concentration and Hall mobility were 3.13×1018 cm3 and 112 cm2/ (VÂ.s) measured by Hall method. Multilayer electrode of Ti (50 nm)/Al (50 nm)/Ti (30 nm)/Au (30 nm) was deposited on n-GaN using an electron-beam evaporation and contacts were formed by a N2 annealing technique ranging from 600 to 900 °C. After annealing lower than 700 °C, the contacts exhibited a rectifying behavior and became ohmic contact only after high temperature processes (>=700 °C). Specific contact resistance was as low as 9.58×10-4 ΩÂ.cm2 after annealing at 800 °C for 60 seconds. While annealing temperature is higher than 800 °C, the specific contact resistance becomes worse. This phenomenon is caused by the surface morphology degradation.

Formation of a 1,8-octanedithiol self-assembled monolayer on Au(111) prepared in a lyotropic liquid-crystalline medium.

PubMed

García Raya, Daniel; Madueño, Rafael; Blázquez, Manuel; Pineda, Teresa

2010-07-20

A characterization of the 1,8-octanedithiol (ODT) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) formed from a Triton X-100 lyotropic medium has been conducted by electrochemical techniques. It is found that an ODT layer of standing-up molecules is obtained at short modification time without removing oxygen from the medium. The electrochemical study shows that the ODT layer formed after 15 min of modification time has similar electron-transfer blocking properties to the layers formed from organic solvents at much longer modification times. On the basis of XPS data, it is demonstrated that the inability to bind gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is due to the presence of extra ODT molecules either interdigited or on top of the layer. Treatment consisting of an acid washing step following the formation of the ODT-Au(111) SAM produces a layer that is able to attach AuNPs as demonstrated by electrochemical techniques and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images.

Simultaneous enhancement of photovoltage and charge transfer in Cu{sub 2}O-based photocathode using buffer and protective layers

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

Li, Changli; Delaunay, Jean-Jacques, E-mail: jean@mech.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Hisatomi, Takashi

2016-07-18

Coating n-type buffer and protective layers on Cu{sub 2}O may be an effective means to improve the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting performance of Cu{sub 2}O-based photocathodes. In this letter, the functions of the buffer layer and protective layer on Cu{sub 2}O are examined. It is found that a Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} buffer layer can form a buried junction with Cu{sub 2}O, which inhibits Cu{sub 2}O self-reduction as well as increases the photovoltage through a small conduction band offset between the two semiconductors. The introduction of a TiO{sub 2} thin protective layer not only improves the stability of the photocathode but alsomore » enhances the electron transfer from the photocathode surface into the electrolyte, thus resulting in an increase in photocurrent at positive potentials. These results show that the selection of overlayers with appropriate conduction band positions provides an effective strategy for obtaining a high photovoltage and high photocurrent in PEC systems.« less

Clustering of gold particles in Au implanted CrN thin films: The effect on the SPR peak position

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novaković, M.; Popović, M.; Schmidt, E.; Mitrić, M.; Bibić, N.; Rakočević, Z.; Ronning, C.

2017-12-01

We report on the formation of gold particles in 280 nm thin polycrystalline CrN layers caused by Au+ ion implantation. The CrN layers were deposited at 150 °C by d.c. reactive sputtering on Si(100) wafers and then implanted at room temperature with 150 keV Au+ ions to fluences of 2 × 1016 cm-2 to 4.1 × 1016 cm-2. The implanted layers were analysed by the means of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements. The results revealed that the Au atoms are situated in the near-surface region of the implanted CrN layers. At the fluence of 2 × 1016 cm-2 the formation of Au particles of ∼200 nm in diameter has been observed. With increasing Au ion fluence the particles coalesce into clusters with dimensions of ∼1.7 μm. The synthesized particles show a strong absorption peak associated with the excitation of surface plasmon resonances (SPR). The position of the SPR peak shifted in the range of 426.8-690.5 nm when the Au+ ion fluence was varied from 2 × 1016 cm-2 to 4.1 × 1016 cm-2. A correlation of the shift in the peak wavelength caused by the change in the particles size and clustering has been revealed, suggesting that the interaction between Au particles dominate the surface plasmon resonance effect.

Au/NiFe/M(Au, MoS2, graphene) trilayer magnetoplasmonics DNA-hybridized sensors with high record of sensitivity.

PubMed

Faridi, Ehsan; Moradi, Maryam; Ansari, Narges; Baradaran Ghasemi, Amir Hossein; Afshar, Amir; Mohseni Armaki, Seyed Majid

2017-12-01

The demonstration of biosensors based on the surface plasmon effect holds promise for future high-sensitive electrodeless biodetection. The combination of magnetic effects with surface plasmon waves brings additional freedom to improve sensitivity and signal selectivity. Stacking biosensors with two-dimensional (2-D) materials, e.g., graphene (Gr) and MoS2, can influence plasmon waves and facilitate surface physiochemical properties as additional versatility aspects. We demonstrate magnetoplasmonic biosensors through the detuning of surface plasmon oscillation modes affected by magnetic effect via the presence of the NiFe (Py) layer and different light absorbers of Gr, MoS2, and Au ultrathin layers in three stacks of Au/Py/M(MoS2, Gr, Au) trilayers. We found minimum reflection, resonance angle shift, and transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect (TMOKE) responses of all sensors in the presence of the ss-DNA monolayer. Very few changes of ∼5×10-7 in the ss-DNA's refractive index result in valuable TMOKE response. We found that the presence of three-layer Gr and two-layer MoS2 on top of the Au/Py bilayer can dramatically increase the sensitivity by nine and four times, respectively, than the conventional Au/Co/Au trilayer. Our results show the highest reported DNA sensitivity based on the coupling of light with 2-D materials in magnetoplasmonic devices. (2017) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Gold diffusion in mercury cadmium telluride grown by molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selamet, Yusuf; Singh, Rasdip; Zhao, Jun; Zhou, Yong D.; Sivananthan, Sivalingam; Dhar, Nibir K.

2003-12-01

The growth and characterization of Au-doped HgCdTe layers on (211)B CdTe/Si substrates grown by molecular beam epitaxy reported. The electrical properties of these layers studied for diffusion are presented. For ex-situ experiments, thin Au layers were deposited by evaporation and annealed at various temperatures and times to investigate the p-type doping properties and diffusion of Au in HgCdTe. The atomic distribution of the diffused Au was determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy. We found clear evidence for p-type doping of HgCdTe:Au by in-situ and ex-situ methods. For in-situ doped layers, we found that, the Au cell temperature needs to be around 900°C to get p-type behavior. The diffusion coefficient of Au in HgCdTe was calculated by fitting SIMS profiles after annealing. Both complementary error functions and gaussian fittings were used, and were in full agreement. Diffusion coefficient as low as 8x10-14cm2/s observed for a sample annealed at 250°C and slow component of a diffusion coefficient as low as 2x10-15 cm2/s observed for a sample annealed at 300°C. Our preliminary results indicate no appreciable diffusion of Au in HgCdTe under the conditions used in these studies. Further work is in progress to confirm these results and to quantify our SIMS profiles.

Assembly of citrate gold nanoparticles on hydrophilic monolayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vikholm-Lundin, Inger; Rosqvist, Emil; Ihalainen, Petri; Munter, Tony; Honkimaa, Anni; Marjomäki, Varpu; Albers, Willem M.; Peltonen, Jouko

2016-08-01

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) as model surfaces were linked onto planar gold films thorough lipoic acid or disulfide groups. The molecules used were polyethylene glycol (EG-S-S), N-[tris-(hydroxymethyl)methyl]acrylamide polymers with and without lipoic acid (Lipa-pTHMMAA and pTHMMAA) and a lipoic acid triazine derivative (Lipa-MF). All the layers, but Lipa-MF with a primary amino group were hydroxyl terminated. The layers were characterized by contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy, AFM. Citrate stabilized nanoparticles, AuNPs in water and phosphate buffer were allowed to assemble on the layers for 10 min and the binding was followed in real-time with surface plasmon resonance, SPR. The SPR resonance curves were observed to shift to higher angles and become increasingly damped, while also the peaks strongly broaden when large nanoparticles assembled on the surface. Both the angular shift and the damping of the curve was largest for nanoparticles assembling on the EG-S-S monolayer. High amounts of particles were also assembled on the pTHMMAA layer without the lipoic acid group, but the damping of the curve was considerably lower with a more even distribution of the particles. Topographical images confirmed that the highest number of particles were assembled on the polyethylene glycol monolayer. By increasing the interaction time more particles could be assembled on the surface.

Simple O2 plasma-processed V2O5 as an anode buffer layer for high-performance polymer solar cells.

PubMed

Bao, Xichang; Zhu, Qianqian; Wang, Ting; Guo, Jing; Yang, Chunpeng; Yu, Donghong; Wang, Ning; Chen, Weichao; Yang, Renqiang

2015-04-15

A simple O2 plasma processing method for preparation of a vanadium oxide (V2O5) anode buffer layer on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass for polymer solar cells (PSCs) is reported. The V2O5 layer with high transmittance and good electrical and interfacial properties was prepared by spin coating a vanadium(V) triisopropoxide oxide alcohol solution on ITO and then O2 plasma treatment for 10 min [V2O5 (O2 plasma)]. PSCs based on P3HT:PC61BM and PBDTTT-C:PC71BM using V2O5 (O2 plasma) as an anode buffer layer show high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 4.47 and 7.54%, respectively, under the illumination of AM 1.5G (100 mW/cm(2)). Compared to that of the control device with PBDTTT-C:PC71BM as the active layer and PSS (PCE of 6.52%) and thermally annealed V2O5 (PCE of 6.27%) as the anode buffer layer, the PCE was improved by 15.6 and 20.2%, respectively, after the introduction of a V2O5 (O2 plasma) anode buffer layer. The improved PCE is ascribed to the greatly improved fill factor and enhanced short-circuit current density of the devices, which benefited from the change in the work function of V2O5, a surface with many dangling bonds for better interfacial contact, and the excellent charge transport property of the V2O5 (O2 plasma) layer. The results indicate that an O2 plasma-processed V2O5 film is an efficient and economical anode buffer layer for high-performance PSCs. It also provides an attractive choice for low-cost fabrication of organic electronics.

Effect of Alloy 625 Buffer Layer on Hardfacing of Modified 9Cr-1Mo Steel Using Nickel Base Hardfacing Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Gopa; Das, C. R.; Albert, S. K.; Bhaduri, A. K.; Murugesan, S.; Dasgupta, Arup

2016-04-01

Dashpot piston, made up of modified 9Cr-1Mo steel, is a part of diverse safety rod used for safe shutdown of a nuclear reactor. This component was hardfaced using nickel base AWS ER NiCr-B alloy and extensive cracking was experienced during direct deposition of this alloy on dashpot piston. Cracking reduced considerably and the component was successfully hardfaced by application of Inconel 625 as buffer layer prior to hardface deposition. Hence, a separate study was undertaken to investigate the role of buffer layer in reducing the cracking and on the microstructure of the hardfaced deposit. Results indicate that in the direct deposition of hardfacing alloy on modified 9Cr-1Mo steel, both heat-affected zone (HAZ) formed and the deposit layer are hard making the thickness of the hard layer formed equal to combined thickness of both HAZ and deposit. This hard layer is unable to absorb thermal stresses resulting in the cracking of the deposit. By providing a buffer layer of Alloy 625 followed by a post-weld heat treatment, HAZ formed in the modified 9Cr-1Mo steel is effectively tempered, and HAZ formed during the subsequent deposition of the hardfacing alloy over the Alloy 625 buffer layer is almost completely confined to Alloy 625, which does not harden. This reduces the cracking susceptibility of the deposit. Further, unlike in the case of direct deposition on modified 9Cr-1Mo steel, dilution of the deposit by Ni-base buffer layer does not alter the hardness of the deposit and desired hardness on the deposit surface could be achieved even with lower thickness of the deposit. This gives an option for reducing the recommended thickness of the deposit, which can also reduce the risk of cracking.

Interplay between strain, quantum confinement, and ferromagnetism in strained ferromagnetic semiconductor (In,Fe)As thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasaki, Daisuke; Anh, Le Duc; Nam Hai, Pham; Tanaka, Masaaki

2014-04-01

We systematically investigated the influence of strain on the electronic structure and ferromagnetism of (In,Fe)As thin films. It is found that while the shift of the critical point energies of compressive-strained (In,Fe)As layers grown on (In1-y,Gay)As (y = 0.05, 0.1) buffer layers can be explained by the hydrostatic deformation effect (HDE) alone, those of tensile-strained (In,Fe)As layers grown on (Ga1-z,Alz)Sb (z = 0, 0.5, 1) buffer layers can be explained by the combination of HDE and the quantum confinement effect (QCE). The Curie temperature TC of the (In,Fe)As layers strongly depends on the strain, and shows a maximum for the (In,Fe)As layer grown on a GaSb buffer layer. The strain dependence of TC can be explained by the s-d exchange mechanism taking into account HDE and QCE.

Au-Interaction of Slp1 Polymers and Monolayer from Lysinibacillus sphaericus JG-B53 - QCM-D, ICP-MS and AFM as Tools for Biomolecule-metal Studies

PubMed Central

Suhr, Matthias; Raff, Johannes; Pollmann, Katrin

2016-01-01

In this publication the gold sorption behavior of surface layer (S-layer) proteins (Slp1) of Lysinibacillus sphaericus JG-B53 is described. These biomolecules arrange in paracrystalline two-dimensional arrays on surfaces, bind metals, and are thus interesting for several biotechnical applications, such as biosorptive materials for the removal or recovery of different elements from the environment and industrial processes. The deposition of Au(0) nanoparticles on S-layers, either by S-layer directed synthesis 1 or adsorption of nanoparticles, opens new possibilities for diverse sensory applications. Although numerous studies have described the biosorptive properties of S-layers 2-5, a deeper understanding of protein-protein and protein-metal interaction still remains challenging. In the following study, inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for the detection of metal sorption by suspended S-layers. This was correlated to measurements of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), which allows the online detection of proteinaceous monolayer formation and metal deposition, and thus, a more detailed understanding on metal binding. The ICP-MS results indicated that the binding of Au(III) to the suspended S-layer polymers is pH dependent. The maximum binding of Au(III) was obtained at pH 4.0. The QCM-D investigations enabled the detection of Au(III) sorption as well as the deposition of Au(0)-NPs in real-time during the in situ experiments. Further, this method allowed studying the influence of metal binding on the protein lattice stability of Slp1. Structural properties and protein layer stability could be visualized directly after QCM-D experiment using atomic force microscopy (AFM). In conclusion, the combination of these different methods provides a deeper understanding of metal binding by bacterial S-layer proteins in suspension or as monolayers on either bacterial cells or recrystallized surfaces. PMID:26863150

Excitation mechanism of surface plasmon polaritons in a double-layer wire grid structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motogaito, Atsushi; Nakajima, Tomoyasu; Miyake, Hideto; Hiramatsu, Kazumasa

2017-12-01

We characterize the optical properties of a double-layer wire grid structure and investigate in detail the excitation mechanism of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). Angular spectra for the transmittance of the transverse magnetic polarized light that are obtained through the experiment reveal two peaks. In addition, simulated mapping of the transmittance and the magnetic field distribution indicate that SPPs are excited in two areas of the wire grid structures: at the interface between the Au layer and the resist layer or the glass substrate and at the interface between the Au layer and air. The experimental data are consistent with the transmittance mapping result and the distribution of the magnetic field. Accordingly, we constructed a model of SPPs propagation. We consider that SPPs excited at the interface between the Au layer and the resist layer or the glass substrate strongly contribute to the extraordinary transmission observed in the wire grid structures.

Fluorinated tin oxide back contact for AZTSSe photovoltaic devices

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

Gershon, Talia S.; Gunawan, Oki; Haight, Richard A.

A photovoltaic device includes a substrate, a back contact comprising a stable low-work function material, a photovoltaic absorber material layer comprising Ag.sub.2ZnSn(S,Se).sub.4 (AZTSSe) on a side of the back contact opposite the substrate, wherein the back contact forms an Ohmic contact with the photovoltaic absorber material layer, a buffer layer or Schottky contact layer on a side of the absorber layer opposite the back contact, and a top electrode on a side of the buffer layer opposite the absorber layer.

Effect of dopent on the structural and optical properties of ZnS thin film as a buffer layer in solar cell application

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

Vashistha, Indu B., E-mail: indu-139@yahoo.com; Sharma, S. K.; Sharma, Mahesh C.

2015-08-28

In order to find the suitable alternative of toxic CdS buffer layer, deposition of pure ZnS and doped with Al by chemical bath deposition method have been reported. Further as grown pure and doped thin films have been annealed at 150°C. The structural and surface morphological properties have been characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM).The XRD analysis shows that annealed thin film has been polycrystalline in nature with sphalerite cubic crystal structure and AFM images indicate increment in grain size as well as growth of crystals after annealing. Optical measurement data give band gap of 3.5more » eV which is ideal band gap for buffer layer for solar cell suggesting that the obtained ZnS buffer layer is suitable in a low-cost solar cell.« less

Growth and micro structural studies on Yittria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) and Strontium Titanate (STO) buffer layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinivas, S.; Pinto, R.; Pai, S. P.; Dsousa, D. P.; Apte, P. R.; Kumar, D.; Purandare, S. C.; Bhatnagar, A. K.

1995-01-01

Microstructure of Yittria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) and Strontium Titanate (STO) of radio frequency magnetron sputtered buffer layers was studied at various sputtering conditions on Si (100), Sapphire and LaAlO3 (100) substrates. The effect of substrate temperatures up to 800 C and sputtering gas pressures in the range of 50 mTorr. of growth conditions was studied. The buffer layers of YSZ and STO showed a strong tendency for columnar growth was observed above 15 mTorr sputtering gas pressure and at high substrate temperatures. Post annealing of these films in oxygen atmosphere reduced the oxygen deficiency and strain generated during growth of the films. Strong c-axis oriented superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) thin films were obtained on these buffer layers using pulsed laser ablation technique. YBCO films deposited on multilayers of YSZ and STO were shown to have better superconducting properties.

Buffer layer between a planar optical concentrator and a solar cell

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

Solano, Manuel E.; Barber, Greg D.; Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802

2015-09-15

The effect of inserting a buffer layer between a periodically multilayered isotropic dielectric (PMLID) material acting as a planar optical concentrator and a photovoltaic solar cell was theoretically investigated. The substitution of the photovoltaic material by a cheaper dielectric material in a large area of the structure could reduce the fabrication costs without significantly reducing the efficiency of the solar cell. Both crystalline silicon (c-Si) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) were considered as the photovoltaic material. We found that the buffer layer can act as an antireflection coating at the interface of the PMLID and the photovoltaic materials, and the structuremore » increases the spectrally averaged electron-hole pair density by 36% for c-Si and 38% for GaAs compared to the structure without buffer layer. Numerical evidence indicates that the optimal structure is robust with respect to small changes in the grating profile.« less

Tuning the Two-Dimensional Electron Liquid at Oxide Interfaces by Buffer-Layer-Engineered Redox Reactions.

PubMed

Chen, Yunzhong; Green, Robert J; Sutarto, Ronny; He, Feizhou; Linderoth, Søren; Sawatzky, George A; Pryds, Nini

2017-11-08

Polar discontinuities and redox reactions provide alternative paths to create two-dimensional electron liquids (2DELs) at oxide interfaces. Herein, we report high mobility 2DELs at interfaces involving SrTiO 3 (STO) achieved using polar La 7/8 Sr 1/8 MnO 3 (LSMO) buffer layers to manipulate both polarities and redox reactions from disordered overlayers grown at room temperature. Using resonant X-ray reflectometry experiments, we quantify redox reactions from oxide overlayers on STO as well as polarity induced electronic reconstruction at epitaxial LSMO/STO interfaces. The analysis reveals how these effects can be combined in a STO/LSMO/disordered film trilayer system to yield high mobility modulation doped 2DELs, where the buffer layer undergoes a partial transformation from perovskite to brownmillerite structure. This uncovered interplay between polar discontinuities and redox reactions via buffer layers provides a new approach for the design of functional oxide interfaces.

La0.7Sr0.3MnO3: A single, conductive-oxide buffer layer for the development of YBa2Cu3O7-δ coated conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aytug, T.; Paranthaman, M.; Kang, B. W.; Sathyamurthy, S.; Goyal, A.; Christen, D. K.

2001-10-01

Coated conductor applications in power technologies require stabilization of the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) layers against thermal runaway. Conductive La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) has been epitaxially grown on biaxially textured Ni substrates as a single buffer layer. The subsequent epitaxial growth of YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) coatings by pulsed laser deposition yielded self-field critical current densities (Jc) of 0.5×106A/cm2 at 77 K, and provided good electrical connectivity over the entire structure (HTS+conductive-buffer+metal substrate). Property characterizations of YBCO/LSMO/Ni architecture revealed excellent crystallographic and morphological properties. These results have demonstrated that LSMO, used as a single, conductive buffer layer, may offer potential for use in fully stabilized YBCO coated conductors.

Enhancement of emission of InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well nanorods by coupling to Au-nanoparticle plasmons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Jieying; Chen, Yinsong; Liu, Yuebo; Liang, Jiezhi; Chen, Jie; Ren, Yuan; Han, Xiaobiao; Zhong, Changming; Yang, Hang; Huang, Dejia; Hou, Yaqian; Wu, Zhisheng; Liu, Yang; Zhang, Baijun

2018-05-01

We demonstrate the enhancement of emission of InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well nanorods by nearly a factor of 2 by coupling them to localized surface plasmons of Au nano-particles (NPs). The Au NPs are fabricated in situ on the nanorods using a Ni/SiO2/Au/SiNx compound functional layer. This layer serves as a combination dry-etch mask for fabricating the nanorods and the Au NPs, as well as providing isolation necessary to prevent fluorescence quenching. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements confirm that emission enhancement originates from the coupling.

Schottky barrier detection devices having a 4H-SiC n-type epitaxial layer

DOEpatents

Mandal, Krishna C.; Terry, J. Russell

2016-12-06

A detection device, along with methods of its manufacture and use, is provided. The detection device can include: a SiC substrate defining a substrate surface cut from planar to about 12.degree.; a buffer epitaxial layer on the substrate surface; a n-type epitaxial layer on the buffer epitaxial layer; and a top contact on the n-type epitaxial layer. The buffer epitaxial layer can include a n-type 4H--SiC epitaxial layer doped at a concentration of about 1.times.10.sup.15 cm.sup.-3 to about 5.times.10.sup.18 cm.sup.-3 with nitrogen, boron, aluminum, or a mixture thereof. The n-type epitaxial layer can include a n-type 4H--SiC epitaxial layer doped at a concentration of about 1.times.10.sup.13 cm.sup.-3 to about 5.times.10.sup.15 cm.sup.-3 with nitrogen. The top contact can have a thickness of about 8 nm to about 15 nm.

Ohmic contacts to p-GaN Using Au/Ni-Mg-O Metallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liday, Jozef; Vogrinčič, Peter; Hotový, Ivan; Bonanni, Alberta; Sitter, Helmut; Lalinský, Tibor; Vanko, Gabriel; Řeháček, Vlastimil; Breza, Juraj; Ecke, Gernot

2010-11-01

Electrical characteristics and elemental depth profiles of ohmic contacts to p-GaN using Au/Ni-Mg-Ox metallization have been investigated. The objective was to examine the possibilities of increasing the charge carrier concentration in the surface region of GaN by adding Mg, thus of a p-type dopant into the Au/NiOx metallization structure. For this purpose, a Ni-Mg-Ox layer with a low concentration of Mg was deposited on p-GaN by dc reactive magnetron sputtering. The top Au layer was deposited in a similar way. The fabricated contact structures were annealed in N2. When the Ni-Mg layer in the Au/Ni-Mg-Ox/p-GaN structure was deposited in an atmosphere with a low concentration of oxygen (0.2 at%), the structure exhibited a low resistance ohmic nature. The contact resistance was lower than in the case of a Au/Ni-Ox/p-GaN structure without the Mg dopant in the metallic layer. An increase in the concentration of oxygen in the working atmosphere resulted in higher values of the contact resistance of the Au/Ni-Mg-Ox/p-GaN structure. In our opinion the ohmic nature of the contact structure is related to the existence of a metal/p-NiO/p-GaN scheme. The measured values of the contact resistance in the Au/Ni-Mg-Ox/p-GaN structure in comparison with the Au/Ni-Ox/p-GaN structure are caused by an increased charge carrier concentration in the surface region of p-GaN, which is a consequence of Mg diffusion from the Ni-Mg-Ox layer.

Magnetic properties of Pr-Fe-B thick-film magnets deposited on Si substrates with glass buffer layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakano, M.; Kurosaki, A.; Kondo, H.; Shimizu, D.; Yamaguchi, Y.; Yamashita, A.; Yanai, T.; Fukunaga, H.

2018-05-01

In order to improve the magnetic properties of PLD-made Pr-Fe-B thick-film magnets deposited on Si substrates, an adoption of a glass buffer layer was carried out. The glass layer could be fabricated under the deposition rate of approximately 70 μm/h on a Si substrate using a Nd-YAG pulse laser in the vacuum atmosphere. The use of the layer enabled us to reduce the Pr content without a mechanical destruction and enhance (BH)max value by approximately 20 kJ/m3 compared with the average value of non-buffer layered Pr-Fe-B films with almost the same thickness. It is also considered that the layer is also effective to apply a micro magnetization to the films deposited on Si ones.

Improved fill factor in inverted planar perovskite solar cells with zirconium acetate as the hole-and-ion-blocking layer.

PubMed

Zhang, Xuewen; Liang, Chunjun; Sun, Mengjie; Zhang, Huimin; Ji, Chao; Guo, Zebang; Xu, Yajun; Sun, Fulin; Song, Qi; He, Zhiqun

2018-03-14

Planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have gained great interest due to their low-temperature solution preparation and simple process. In inverted planar PSCs, an additional buffer layer is usually needed on the top of the PCBM electron-transport layer (ETL) to enhance the device performance. In this work, we used a new buffer layer, zirconium acetate (Zr(Ac) 4 ). The inclusion of the Zr(Ac) 4 buffer layer leads to the increase of FF from ∼68% to ∼79% and PCE from ∼14% to ∼17% in the planar PSCs. The UPS measurement indicates that the Zr(Ac) 4 layer has a low HOMO level of -8.2 eV, indicating that the buffer layer can act as a hole-blocking layer. Surface morphology and surface chemistry investigations reveal that the elements I, MA and Pb can diffuse across the PCBM ETL, damaging the device performance. The covering Zr(Ac) 4 molecules fill in the pinholes of the PCBM layer and effectively block the ions/molecules of the perovskite from diffusion across the ETL. The resulting more robust PCBM/Zr(Ac) 4 ETL leads to weaker ionic charge accumulation and lower diode leakage current. The double role of hole-and-ion blocking of the Zr(Ac) 4 layer explains the improved FF and PCE in the PSCs.

Substrate Structures For Growth Of Highly Oriented And/Or Epitaxial Layers Thereon

DOEpatents

Arendt, Paul N.; Foltyn, Stephen R.; Groves, James R.; Jia, Quanxi

2005-07-26

A composite substrate structure including a substrate, a layer of a crystalline metal oxide or crystalline metal oxynitride material upon the substrate, a layer of an oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure upon the crystalline metal oxide or crystalline metal oxynitride material layer is provided together with additional layers such as one or more layers of a buffer material upon the oriented cubic oxide material layer. Jc's of 2.3×106 A/cm2 have been demonstrated with projected Ic's of 320 Amperes across a sample 1 cm wide for a superconducting article including a flexible polycrystalline metallic substrate, an inert oxide material layer upon the surface of the flexible polycrystalline metallic substrate, a layer of a crystalline metal oxide or crystalline metal oxynitride material upon the layer of the inert oxide material, a layer of an oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure upon the crystalline metal oxide or crystalline metal oxynitride material layer, a layer of a buffer material upon the oriented cubic oxide material layer, and, a top-layer of a high temperature superconducting material upon the layer of a buffer material.

Impact of the deposition conditions of buffer and windows layers on lowering the metastability effects in Cu(In,Ga)Se2/Zn(S,O)-based solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naghavi, Negar; Hildebrandt, Thibaud; Bouttemy, Muriel; Etcheberry, Arnaud; Lincot, Daniel

2016-02-01

The highest and most reproducible (Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) based solar-cell efficiencies are obtained by use of a very thin n-type CdS layer deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD). However because of both Cadmium's adverse environmental impact and the narrow bandgap of CdS (2.4-2.5 eV) one of the major objectives in the field of CIGSe technology remains the development and implementation in the production line of Cd-free buffer layers. The CBDZn( S,O) remains one the most studied buffer layer for replacing the CdS in Cu(In,Ga)Se2-based solar cells and has already demonstrated its potential to lead to high-efficiency solar cells up to 22.3%. However one of the key issue to implement a CBD-Zn(S,O) process in a CIGSe production line is the cells stability, which depends both on the deposition conditions of CBD-Zn(S,O) and on a good band alignment between CIGSe/Zn(S,O)/windows layers. The most common window layers applied in CIGSe solar cells consist of two layers : a thin (50-100 nm) and highly resistive i-ZnO layer deposited by magnetron sputtering and a transparent conducting 300-500 nm ZnO:Al layer. In the case of CBD-Zn(S,O) buffer layer, the nature and deposition conditions of both Zn(S,O) and the undoped window layer can strongly influence the performance and stability of cells. The present contribution will be specially focused on the effect of condition growth of CBD-Zn(S,O) buffer layers and the impact of the composition and deposition conditions of the undoped window layers such as ZnxMgyO or ZnxSnyO on the stability and performance of these solar cells.

Atomic and electronic structures of Si(1 1 1)-(√3 x √3)R30°-Au and (6 × 6)-Au surfaces.

PubMed

Patterson, C H

2015-12-02

Si(1 1 1)-Au surfaces with around one monolayer of Au exhibit many ordered structures and structures containing disordered domain walls. Hybrid density functional theory (DFT) calculations presented here reveal the origin of these complex structures and tendency to form domain walls. The conjugate honeycomb chain trimer (CHCT) structure of the [Formula: see text]-Au phase contains Si atoms with non-bonding surface states which can bind Au atoms in pairs in interstices of the CHCT structure and make this surface metallic. Si adatoms adsorbed on the [Formula: see text]-Au surface induce a gapped surface through interaction with the non-bonding states. Adsorption of extra Au atoms in interstitial sites of the [Formula: see text]-Au surface is stabilized by interaction with the non-bonding orbitals and leads to higher coverage ordered structures including the [Formula: see text]-Au phase. Extra Au atoms bound in interstitial sites of the [Formula: see text]-Au surface result in top layer Si atoms with an SiAu4 butterfly wing configuration. The structure of a [Formula: see text]-Au phase, whose in-plane top atomic layer positions were previously determined by an electron holography technique (Grozea et al 1998 Surf. Sci. 418 32), is calculated using total energy minimization. The Patterson function for this structure is calculated and is in good agreement with data from an in-plane x-ray diffraction study (Dornisch et al 1991 Phys. Rev. B 44 11221). Filled and empty state scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images are calculated for domain walls and the [Formula: see text]-Au structure. The [Formula: see text]-Au phase is 2D chiral and this is evident in computed and actual STM images. [Formula: see text]-Au and domain wall structures contain the SiAu4 motif with a butterfly wing shape. Chemical bonding within the Si-Au top layers of the [Formula: see text]-Au and [Formula: see text]-Au surfaces is analyzed and an explanation for the SiAu4 motif structure is given.

FIBER AND INTEGRATED OPTICS: Investigation of a fiber-optic polarizer with a metal film and a dielectric buffer layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelikonov, V. M.; Gusovskiĭ, D. D.; Konoplev, Yu N.; Leonov, V. I.; Mamaev, Yu A.; Turkin, A. A.

1990-01-01

A model of a plane-layer waveguide is used in a theoretical analysis of the attenuation coefficients of the TM0 and TE0 waves in a fiber-optic polarizer with a metal film and two dielectric buffer layers, one of which is the residual part of the fiber cladding. A report is given of the construction and experimental investigation of polarizers with a buffer layer of magnesium fluoride and an aluminum film operating at wavelengths of 0.63 and 0.81 μm and characterized by extinction coefficients of at least 53 and 46 dB, respectively, and by losses not exceeding 0.5 dB.

Liftoff process for exfoliation of thin film photovoltaic devices and back contact formation

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

Haight, Richard A.; Hannon, James B.; Oida, Satoshi

A method for forming a back contact on an absorber layer in a photovoltaic device includes forming a two dimensional material on a first substrate. An absorber layer including Cu--Zn--Sn--S(Se) (CZTSSe) is grown over the first substrate on the two dimensional material. A buffer layer is grown on the absorber layer on a side opposite the two dimensional material. The absorber layer is exfoliated from the two dimensional material to remove the first substrate from a backside of the absorber layer opposite the buffer layer. A back contact is deposited on the absorber layer.

Junction formation of Cu3BiS3 investigated by Kelvin probe force microscopy and surface photovoltage measurements

PubMed Central

Mesa, Fredy; Chamorro, William; Vallejo, William; Baier, Robert; Dittrich, Thomas; Grimm, Alexander; Lux-Steiner, Martha C

2012-01-01

Summary Recently, the compound semiconductor Cu3BiS3 has been demonstrated to have a band gap of ~1.4 eV, well suited for photovoltaic energy harvesting. The preparation of polycrystalline thin films was successfully realized and now the junction formation to the n-type window needs to be developed. We present an investigation of the Cu3BiS3 absorber layer and the junction formation with CdS, ZnS and In2S3 buffer layers. Kelvin probe force microscopy shows the granular structure of the buffer layers with small grains of 20–100 nm, and a considerably smaller work-function distribution for In2S3 compared to that of CdS and ZnS. For In2S3 and CdS buffer layers the KPFM experiments indicate negatively charged Cu3BiS3 grain boundaries resulting from the deposition of the buffer layer. Macroscopic measurements of the surface photovoltage at variable excitation wavelength indicate the influence of defect states below the band gap on charge separation and a surface-defect passivation by the In2S3 buffer layer. Our findings indicate that Cu3BiS3 may become an interesting absorber material for thin-film solar cells; however, for photovoltaic application the band bending at the charge-selective contact has to be increased. PMID:22497001

Junction formation of Cu(3)BiS(3) investigated by Kelvin probe force microscopy and surface photovoltage measurements.

PubMed

Mesa, Fredy; Chamorro, William; Vallejo, William; Baier, Robert; Dittrich, Thomas; Grimm, Alexander; Lux-Steiner, Martha C; Sadewasser, Sascha

2012-01-01

Recently, the compound semiconductor Cu(3)BiS(3) has been demonstrated to have a band gap of ~1.4 eV, well suited for photovoltaic energy harvesting. The preparation of polycrystalline thin films was successfully realized and now the junction formation to the n-type window needs to be developed. We present an investigation of the Cu(3)BiS(3) absorber layer and the junction formation with CdS, ZnS and In(2)S(3) buffer layers. Kelvin probe force microscopy shows the granular structure of the buffer layers with small grains of 20-100 nm, and a considerably smaller work-function distribution for In(2)S(3) compared to that of CdS and ZnS. For In(2)S(3) and CdS buffer layers the KPFM experiments indicate negatively charged Cu(3)BiS(3) grain boundaries resulting from the deposition of the buffer layer. Macroscopic measurements of the surface photovoltage at variable excitation wavelength indicate the influence of defect states below the band gap on charge separation and a surface-defect passivation by the In(2)S(3) buffer layer. Our findings indicate that Cu(3)BiS(3) may become an interesting absorber material for thin-film solar cells; however, for photovoltaic application the band bending at the charge-selective contact has to be increased.

Direct charge carrier injection into Ga2O3 thin films using an In2O3 cathode buffer layer: their optical, electrical and surface state properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, W.; Zhao, X. L.; An, Y. H.; Guo, D. Y.; Qing, X. Y.; Wu, Z. P.; Li, P. G.; Li, L. H.; Cui, C.; Tang, W. H.

2017-04-01

Conductive Ga2O3 thin films with an In2O3 buffer layer have been prepared on c-plane sapphire substrates using a laser molecular beam epitaxy technique. The effects of the In2O3 buffer layer on the structure and optical, electrical and surface state properties of the Ga2O3 films have been studied. The change in conductivity of the thin films is attributed to different thicknesses of the In2O3 buffer layer, which determine the concentration of charge carriers injected into the upper Ga2O3 layer from the interface of the bilayer thin films. In addition, the increase in flat band voltage shift and capacitance values as the In2O3 buffer layer thickens are attributed to the increase in surface state density, which also contributes to the rapid shrinkage of the optical band gap of the Ga2O3. With transparency to visible light, high n-type conduction and the ability to tune the optical band gap and surface state density, we propose that Ga2O3/In2O3 bilayer thin film is an ideal n-type semiconductor for fabrication of transparent power devices, solar cell electrodes and gas sensors.

Long wavelength emitting GaInN quantum wells on metamorphic GaInN buffer layers with enlarged in-plane lattice parameter

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

Däubler, J., E-mail: juergen.daeubler@iaf.fraunhofer.de; Passow, T.; Aidam, R.

Metamorphic (i.e., linear composition graded) GaInN buffer layers with an increased in-plane lattice parameter, grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, were used as templates for metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) grown GaInN/GaInN quantum wells (QWs), emitting in the green to red spectral region. A composition pulling effect was observed allowing considerable higher growth temperatures for the QWs for a given In composition. The internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of the QWs was determined by temperature and excitation power density dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. An increase in IQE by a factor of two was found for green emitting QWs grown onmore » metamorphic GaInN buffer compared to reference samples grown on standard GaN buffer layers. The ratio of room temperature to low temperature intensity PL of the red emitting QWs were found to be comparable to the PL efficiency of green emitting QWs, both grown on metamorphic GaInN buffers. The excitation density and well width dependence of the IQE indicate a reduction of the quantum confined Stark effect upon growth on GaInN buffer layers with increased in-plane lattice parameter.« less

Ultraselective Toluene-Gas Sensor: Nanosized Gold Loaded on Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Suematsu, Koichi; Watanabe, Kosuke; Tou, Akihiro; Sun, Yongjiao; Shimanoe, Kengo

2018-02-06

Selectivity is an important parameter of resistive-type gas sensors that use metal oxides. In this study, a highly selective toluene sensor is prepared using highly dispersed gold-nanoparticle-loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles (Au-ZnO NPs). Au-ZnO NPs are synthesized by coprecipitation and calcination at 400 °C with Au loadings of 0.15, 0.5, and 1.5 mol %. The Au NPs on ZnO are about 2-4 nm in size, and exist in a metallic state. Porous gas-sensing layers are fabricated by screen printing. The responses of the sensor to 200 ppm hydrogen, 200 ppm carbon monoxide, 100 ppm ethanol, 100 ppm acetaldehyde, 100 ppm acetone, and 100 ppm toluene are evaluated at 377 °C in a dry atmosphere. The sensor response of 0.15 mol % Au-ZnO NPs to toluene is about 92, whereas its sensor responses to other combustible gases are less than 7. Such selective toluene detection is probably caused by the utilization efficiency of the gas-sensing layer. Gas diffusivity into the sensing layer of Au-ZnO NPs is lowered by the catalytic oxidation of combustible gases during their diffusion through the layer. The present approach is an effective way to improve the selectivity of resistive-type gas sensors.

Patterning of supported gold monolayers via chemical lift-off lithography

PubMed Central

Slaughter, Liane S; Cheung, Kevin M; Kaappa, Sami; Cao, Huan H; Yang, Qing; Young, Thomas D; Serino, Andrew C; Malola, Sami; Olson, Jana M; Link, Stephan

2017-01-01

The supported monolayer of Au that accompanies alkanethiolate molecules removed by polymer stamps during chemical lift-off lithography is a scarcely studied hybrid material. We show that these Au–alkanethiolate layers on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) are transparent, functional, hybrid interfaces that can be patterned over nanometer, micrometer, and millimeter length scales. Unlike other ultrathin Au films and nanoparticles, lifted-off Au–alkanethiolate thin films lack a measurable optical signature. We therefore devised fabrication, characterization, and simulation strategies by which to interrogate the nanoscale structure, chemical functionality, stoichiometry, and spectral signature of the supported Au–thiolate layers. The patterning of these layers laterally encodes their functionality, as demonstrated by a fluorescence-based approach that relies on dye-labeled complementary DNA hybridization. Supported thin Au films can be patterned via features on PDMS stamps (controlled contact), using patterned Au substrates prior to lift-off (e.g., selective wet etching), or by patterning alkanethiols on Au substrates to be reactive in selected regions but not others (controlled reactivity). In all cases, the regions containing Au–alkanethiolate layers have a sub-nanometer apparent height, which was found to be consistent with molecular dynamics simulations that predicted the removal of no more than 1.5 Au atoms per thiol, thus presenting a monolayer-like structure. PMID:29259879

Influence of the Metal-MoS2 interface on MoS2 Transistor Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Hui; Cheng, Guangjun; Hight Walker, Angela; You, Lin; Kopanski, Joseph J.; Li, Qiliang; Richter, Curt A.

2015-03-01

We compare the electrical characteristics of MoS2 field-effect transistors (FETS) with Ag source/drain contacts with transistors with Ti contacts, and we demonstrate that the metal-MoS2 interface is crucial to the final device performance. The topography of 5nm Au/5nm Ag (contact layer) and 5nm Au/5nm Ti metal films deposited onto mono- and few-layer MoS2 was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The surface morphology of the Au/Ti films on MoS2 shows a rough, dewetting pattern while Au/Ag forms smooth, dense films. These smoother and denser Au/Ag contacts lead to improved carrier transport efficiency. FETs with Ag contacts show more than 60 times higher on-state current and a steeper subthreshold slope. Raman spectroscopy of MoS2 covered with Au/Ag or Au/Ti films revealed that the contact layer is Ag or Ti, respectively. In addition, there is a dramatic difference in the heat transfer between the MoS2 and the two metals: while laser heating is observed in Au/Ti covered MoS2, no heating effects are seen in Au/Ag covered MoS2. It is reasonable to conclude that the smoother and denser Ag contact leads to higher carrier transport efficiency and contributes to the improved thermal properties.

Conductive and robust nitride buffer layers on biaxially textured substrates

DOEpatents

Sankar, Sambasivan [Chicago, IL; Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN; Barnett, Scott A [Evanston, IL; Kim, Ilwon [Skokie, IL; Kroeger, Donald M [Knoxville, TN

2009-03-31

The present invention relates to epitaxial, electrically conducting and mechanically robust, cubic nitride buffer layers deposited epitaxially on biaxially textured substrates such as metals and alloys. The invention comprises of a biaxially textured substrate with epitaxial layers of nitrides. The invention also discloses a method to form such epitaxial layers using a high rate deposition method as well as without the use of forming gases. The invention further comprises epitaxial layers of oxides on the biaxially textured nitride layer. In some embodiments the article further comprises electromagnetic devices which may have superconducting properties.

NiFeCo/Cu superlattices with high magnetoresistive sensitivity and weak hysteresis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bannikova, N. S.; Milyaev, M. A.; Naumova, L. I.; Krinitsina, T. P.; Patrakov, E. I.; Proglyado, V. V.; Chernyshova, T. A.; Ustinov, V. V.

2016-10-01

The microstructure and the magetoresistive characteristics of [NiFeCo/Cu]8 superlattices prepared by magnetron sputtering with various thickness of the buffer NiFeCr layer and exhibiting a giant magnetoresistive effect have been studied. It has been found that these nanostructures are formed with a strong or weak hysteresis depending on the structure (bcc or fcc) formed in the NiFeCr buffer layer. The method of the substantial decrease in the hysteresis loop width of the magnetoresistance by using the composite Ta/NiFeCr buffer layer has been suggested.

Effect of InSb/In0.9Al0.1Sb superlattice buffer layer on the structural and electronic properties of InSb films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xiaomeng; Zhang, Yang; Guan, Min; Cui, Lijie; Wang, Baoqiang; Zhu, Zhanping; Zeng, Yiping

2017-07-01

The effect of InSb/In0.9Al0.1Sb buffer layers on InSb thin films grown on GaAs (0 0 1) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is investigated. The crystal quality and the surface morphology of InSb are characterized by XRD and AFM. The carrier transport property is researched through variable temperature hall test. The sharp interface between InSb/In0.9Al0.1Sb is demonstrated important for the high quality InSb thin film. We try different superlattice buffer layers by changing ratios, 2-0.5, thickness, 300-450 nm, and periods, 20-50. According to the function of the dislocation density to the absolute temperature below 150 K with different periods of SL buffers, we can find that the number of periods of superlattice is a major factor to decrease the density of threading dislocations. With the 50 periods SL buffer layer, the electron mobility of InSb at the room temperature and liquid nitrogen cooling temperature is ∼63,000 and ∼4600 cm2/V s, respectively. We deduce that the interface in the SL structure works as a filter layer to prevent the dislocation propagating to the upper InSb thin films.

Effect of CoSi2 buffer layer on structure and magnetic properties of Co films grown on Si (001) substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Bo; He, Wei; Ye, Jun; Tang, Jin; Syed Sheraz, Ahmad; Zhang, Xiang-Qun; Cheng, Zhao-Hua

2015-01-01

Buffer layer provides an opportunity to enhance the quality of ultrathin magnetic films. In this paper, Co films with different thickness of CoSi2 buffer layers were grown on Si (001) substrates. In order to investigate morphology, structure, and magnetic properties of films, scanning tunneling microscope (STM), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and surface magneto-optical Kerr effect (SMOKE) were used. The results show that the crystal quality and magnetic anisotropies of the Co films are strongly affected by the thickness of CoSi2 buffer layers. Few CoSi2 monolayers can prevent the interdiffusion of Si substrate and Co film and enhance the Co film quality. Furthermore, the in-plane magnetic anisotropy of Co film with optimal buffer layer shows four-fold symmetry and exhibits the two-jumps of magnetization reversal process, which is the typical phenomenon in cubic (001) films. Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2011CB921801 and 2012CB933102), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11374350, 11034004, 11274361, and 11274033), and the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20131102130005).

Influence of C or In buffer layer on photoluminescence behaviour of ultrathin ZnO film

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

Saravanan, K., E-mail: saravanan@igcar.gov.in; Jayalakshmi, G.; Krishnan, R.

We study the effect of the indium or carbon buffer layer on the photoluminescence (PL) property of ZnO ultrathin films deposited on a Si(100) substrate. The surface morphology of the films obtained using scanning tunnelling microscopy shows spherical shaped ZnO nanoparticles of size ∼8 nm in ZnO/C/Si and ∼22 nm in ZnO/Si samples, while the ZnO/In/Si sample shows elliptical shaped ZnO particles. Further, the ZnO/C/Si sample shows densely packed ZnO nanoparticles in comparison with other samples. Strong band edge emission has been observed in the presence of In or C buffer layer, whereas the ZnO/Si sample exhibits poor PL emission. The influencemore » of C and In buffer layers on the PL behaviour of ZnO films is studied in detail using temperature dependent PL measurements in the range of 4 K–300 K. The ZnO/C/Si sample exhibits a multi-fold enhancement in the PL emission intensity with well-resolved free and bound exciton emission lines. Our experimental results imply that the ZnO films deposited on the C buffer layer showed higher particle density and better exciton emission desired for optoelectronic applications.« less

Single-layer ZnS supported on Au(111): A combined XPS, LEED, STM and DFT study

DOE PAGES

Deng, Xingyi; Sorescu, Dan C.; Lee, Junseok

2016-12-31

Single-layer of ZnS, consisting of one atomic layer of ZnS(111) plane, has been grown on Au(111) and characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). While the LEED measurement indicates a coincidence structure of ZnS-(3×3)/Au(111)-(4×4), high resolution STM images reveal hexagonal unit cells of 6.7×6.7 Å 2 and 11.6×11.6 Å 2, corresponding to √3 and 3 times the unit cell of the ideal zincblende ZnS-(1×1), respectively, depending on the tunneling conditions. Calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) indicate a significantly reconstructed non-planar structure of ZnS single-layer on Au(111) with 2/3 ofmore » the S anions being located nearly in the plane of the Zn cations and the rest 1/3 of the S anions protruding above the Zn plane. In conclusion, the calculated STM image shows similar characteristics to those of the experimental STM image. Additionally, the DFT calculations reveal the different bonding nature of the S anions in ZnS single-layer supported on Au(111).« less

Design of optimal buffer layers for CuInGaSe2 thin-film solar cells(Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lordi, Vincenzo; Varley, Joel B.; He, Xiaoqing; Rockett, Angus A.; Bailey, Jeff; Zapalac, Geordie H.; Mackie, Neil; Poplavskyy, Dmitry; Bayman, Atiye

2016-09-01

Optimizing the buffer layer in manufactured thin-film PV is essential to maximize device efficiency. Here, we describe a combined synthesis, characterization, and theory effort to design optimal buffers based on the (Cd,Zn)(O,S) alloy system for CIGS devices. Optimization of buffer composition and absorber/buffer interface properties in light of several competing requirements for maximum device efficiency were performed, along with process variations to control the film and interface quality. The most relevant buffer properties controlling performance include band gap, conduction band offset with absorber, dopability, interface quality, and film crystallinity. Control of an all-PVD deposition process enabled variation of buffer composition, crystallinity, doping, and quality of the absorber/buffer interface. Analytical electron microscopy was used to characterize the film composition and morphology, while hybrid density functional theory was used to predict optimal compositions and growth parameters based on computed material properties. Process variations were developed to produce layers with controlled crystallinity, varying from amorphous to fully epitaxial, depending primarily on oxygen content. Elemental intermixing between buffer and absorber, particularly involving Cd and Cu, also is controlled and significantly affects device performance. Secondary phase formation at the interface is observed for some conditions and may be detrimental depending on the morphology. Theoretical calculations suggest optimal composition ranges for the buffer based on a suite of computed properties and drive process optimizations connected with observed film properties. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Hafnium nitride buffer layers for growth of GaN on silicon

DOEpatents

Armitage, Robert D.; Weber, Eicke R.

2005-08-16

Gallium nitride is grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy on (111) and (001) silicon substrates using hafnium nitride buffer layers. Wurtzite GaN epitaxial layers are obtained on both the (111) and (001) HfN/Si surfaces, with crack-free thickness up to 1.2 {character pullout}m. However, growth on the (001) surface results in nearly stress-free films, suggesting that much thicker crack-free layers could be obtained.

A new bimetallic plasmonic photocatalyst consisting of gold(core)-copper(shell) nanoparticle and titanium(IV) oxide support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Yuichi; Naya, Shin-ichi; Tada, Hiroaki

2015-10-01

Ultrathin Cu layers (˜2 atomic layers) have been selectively formed on the Au surfaces of Au nanoparticle-loaded rutile TiO2 (Au@Cu/TiO2) by a deposition precipitation-photodeposition technique. Cyclic voltammetry and photochronopotentiometry measurements indicate that the reaction proceeds via the underpotential deposition. The ultrathin Cu shell drastically increases the activity of Au/TiO2 for the selective oxidation of amines to the corresponding aldehydes under visible-light irradiation (λ > 430 nm). Photochronoamperometry measurements strongly suggest that the striking Cu shell effect stems from the enhancement of the charge separation in the localized surface plasmon resonance-excited Au/TiO2.

Z-scan studies of the nonlinear optical properties of gold nanoparticles prepared by electron beam deposition.

PubMed

Mezher, M H; Nady, A; Penny, R; Chong, W Y; Zakaria, R

2015-11-20

This paper details the fabrication process for placing single-layer gold (Au) nanoparticles on a planar substrate, and investigation of the resulting optical properties that can be exploited for nonlinear optics applications. Preparation of Au nanoparticles on the substrate involved electron beam deposition and subsequent thermal dewetting. The obtained thin films of Au had a variation in thicknesses related to the controllable deposition time during the electron beam deposition process. These samples were then subjected to thermal annealing at 600°C to produce a randomly distributed layer of Au nanoparticles. Observation from field-effect scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images indicated the size of Au nanoparticles ranges from ∼13 to ∼48  nm. Details of the optical properties related to peak absorption of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the nanoparticle were revealed by use of UV-Vis spectroscopy. The Z-scan technique was used to measure the nonlinear effects on the fabricated Au nanoparticle layers where it strongly relates LSPR and nonlinear optical properties.

A preliminary investigation of acousto-ultrasonic NDE of metal matrix composite test specimens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kautz, Harold E.; Lerch, Brad A.

1991-01-01

Acousto-ultrasonic (AU) measurements were performed on a series of tensile specimens composed of 8 laminated layers of continuous, SiC fiber reinforced Ti-15-3 matrix. The following subject areas are covered: AU signal analysis; tensile behavior; AU and interrupted tensile tests; AU and thermally cycled specimens; AU and stiffness; and AU and specimen geometry.

Aligned crystalline semiconducting film on a glass substrate and method of making

DOEpatents

Findikoglu, Alp T.

2010-08-24

A semiconducting structure having a glass substrate. In one embodiment, the glass substrate has a softening temperature of at least about 750.degree. C. The structure includes a nucleation layer formed on a surface of the substrate, a template layer deposited on the nucleation layer by one of ion assisted beam deposition and reactive ion beam deposition, at least on biaxially oriented buffer layer epitaxially deposited on the template layer, and a biaxially oriented semiconducting layer epitaxially deposited on the buffer layer. A method of making the semiconducting structure is also described.

Polycrystalline ferroelectric or multiferroic oxide articles on biaxially textured substrates and methods for making same

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

Goyal, Amit; Shin, Junsoo

A polycrystalline ferroelectric and/or multiferroic oxide article includes a substrate having a biaxially textured surface; at least one biaxially textured buffer layer supported by the substrate; and a biaxially textured ferroelectric or multiferroic oxide layer supported by the buffer layer. Methods for making polycrystalline ferroelectric and/or multiferroic oxide articles are also disclosed.

Ultralow threading dislocation density in GaN epilayer on near-strain-free GaN compliant buffer layer and its applications in hetero-epitaxial LEDs.

PubMed

Shih, Huan-Yu; Shiojiri, Makoto; Chen, Ching-Hsiang; Yu, Sheng-Fu; Ko, Chung-Ting; Yang, Jer-Ren; Lin, Ray-Ming; Chen, Miin-Jang

2015-09-02

High threading dislocation (TD) density in GaN-based devices is a long unresolved problem because of the large lattice mismatch between GaN and the substrate, which causes a major obstacle for the further improvement of next-generation high-efficiency solid-state lighting and high-power electronics. Here, we report InGaN/GaN LEDs with ultralow TD density and improved efficiency on a sapphire substrate, on which a near strain-free GaN compliant buffer layer was grown by remote plasma atomic layer deposition. This "compliant" buffer layer is capable of relaxing strain due to the absorption of misfit dislocations in a region within ~10 nm from the interface, leading to a high-quality overlying GaN epilayer with an unusual TD density as low as 2.2 × 10(5) cm(-2). In addition, this GaN compliant buffer layer exhibits excellent uniformity up to a 6" wafer, revealing a promising means to realize large-area GaN hetero-epitaxy for efficient LEDs and high-power transistors.

Study on plasmon absorption of hybrid Au-GO-GNP films for SPR sensing application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhtar, Wan Maisarah; Ahmad, Farah Hayati; Samsuri, Nurul Diyanah; Murat, Noor Faezah

2018-06-01

This study proposed the development of hybrid Au-GO-GNP films for the enhancement of plasmon absorption in SPR sensing. Several thicknesses of Au at t=40nm, t=50nm and t=300nm were sputtered on the glass substrate. The hybridization of bilayer and trilayer films were formed by depositing GO-GNP layers and GNP-GO layers on top of various thicknesses of Au coated substrates. UV-Vis spectra analysis was conducted to characterize the plasmon absorption for each configuration. The plasmon absorption was successfully amplified by employing hybrid trilayer Au-GO-GNP with the thickness of Au film was fixed at t=50nm. It is noteworthy to highlight that the employment of bilayer and trilayer configurations are the key success to enhance the SPP excitation. Au-GNP and Au-GNP-GO results no significant outcome in comparison with Au-GO and Au-GO-GNP. A redshift of the absorbance wavelength evinces the presence of GO on Au-GO sample and GNP on Au-GO-GNP sample due to the surface reconstruction. It is important to emphasize that not all bilayer and trilayer configurations able to enhance the plasmon absorption where no significant output was obtained with the hybridization order of Au-GNP and Au-GNP-GO.

Alternative buffer layer development in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Peipei

Cu(In,Ga)Se2-based thin film solar cells are considered to be one of the most promising photovoltaic technologies. Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar devices have the potential advantage of low-cost, fast fabrication by using semiconductor layers of only a few micrometers thick and high efficiency photovoltaics have been reported at both the cell and the module levels. CdS via chemical bath deposition (CBD) has been the most widely used buffer option to form the critical junction in CIGS-based thin film photovoltaic devices. However, the disadvantages of CdS can’t be ignored - regulations on cadmium usage are getting stricter primarily due to its toxicity and environmental impacts, and the proper handling of the large amount of toxic chemical bath waste is a massive and expensive task. This dissertation is devoted to the development of Cd-free alternative buffer layers in CIGS-based thin film solar cells. Based on the considerations of buffer layer selection criteria and extensive literature review, Zn-compound buffer materials are chosen as the primary investigation candidates. Radio frequency magnetron sputtering is the preferred buffer deposition approach since it’s a clean and more controllable technique compared to CBD, and is readily scaled to large area manufacturing. First, a comprehensive study of the ZnSe1-xOx compound prepared by reactive sputtering was completed. As the oxygen content in the reactive sputtering gas increased, ZnSe1-xOx crystallinity and bandgap decreased. It’s observed that oxygen miscibility in ZnSe was low and a secondary phase formed when the O2 / (O2 + Ar) ratio in the sputtering gas exceeded 2%. Two approaches were proposed to optimize the band alignment between the CIGS and buffer layer. One method focused on the bandgap engineering of the absorber, the other focused on the band structure modification of the buffer. As a result, improved current of the solar cell was achieved although a carrier transport barrier at the junction interface still limited the device performance. Second, an investigation of Zn(S,O) buffer layers was completed. Zn(S,O) films were sputtered in Ar using a ZnO0.7S0.3 compound target. Zn(S,O) films had the composition close to the target with S / (S+O) ratio around 0.3. Zn(S,O) films showed the wurtzite structure with the bandgap about 3.2eV. The champion Cu(In,Ga)Se2 / Zn(S,O) cell had 12.5% efficiency and an (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 / Zn(S,O) cell achieved 13.2% efficiency. Detailed device analysis was used to study the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 and (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 absorbers, the influence of absorber surface treatments, the effects of device treatments, the sputtering damage and the Na concentration in the absorber. Finally alternative buffer layer development was applied to an innovative superstrate CIGS configuration. The superstrate structure has potential benefits of improved window layer properties, cost reduction, and the possibility to implement back reflector engineering techniques. The application of three buffer layer options - CdS, ZnO and ZnSe was studied and limitations of each were characterized. The best device achieved 8.6% efficiency with a ZnO buffer. GaxOy formation at the junction interface was the main limiting factor of this device performance. For CdS / CIGS and ZnSe / CIGS superstrate devices extensive inter-diffusion between the absorber and buffer layer under CIGS growth conditions was the critical problem. Inter-diffusion severely deteriorated the junction quality and led to poorly behaved devices, despite different efforts to optimize the fabrication process.

Calix[4]arene-Functionalised Silver Nanoparticles as Hosts for Pyridinium-Loaded Gold Nanoparticles as Guests.

PubMed

Vita, Francesco; Boccia, Alice; Marrani, Andrea G; Zanoni, Robertino; Rossi, Francesca; Arduini, Arturo; Secchi, Andrea

2015-10-19

A series of lipophilic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) circa 5 nm in diameter and having a mixed organic layer consisting of 1-dodecanethiol and 1-(11-mercaptoundecyl) pyridinium bromide was synthesised by reacting tetraoctylammonium bromide stabilised AuNPs in toluene with different mixtures of the two thiolate ligands. A bidentate ω-alkylthiolate calix[4]arene derivative was instead used as a functional protecting layer on AgNPs of approximately 3 nm. The functionalised nanoparticles were characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and by UV/Vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Recognition of the pyridinium moieties loaded on the AuNPs by the calix[4]arene units immobilised on the AgNPs was demonstrated in solution of weakly polar solvents by UV/Vis titrations and DLS measurements. The extent of Au-AgNPs aggregation, shown through the low-energy shift of their surface plasmon bands (SPB), was strongly dependent on the loading of the pyridinium moieties present in the organic layer of the AuNPs. Extensive aggregation between dodecanethiol-capped AuNPs and the Ag calix[4]arene-functionalised NPs was also promoted by the action of a simple N-octyl pyridinium difunctional supramolecular linker. This linker can interdigitate through its long fatty tail in the organic layer of the dodecanethiol-capped AuNPs, and simultaneously interact through its pyridinium moiety with the calix[4]arene units at the surface of the modified AgNPs. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Anisotropic structural and optical properties of semi-polar (11-22) GaN grown on m-plane sapphire using double AlN buffer layers.

PubMed

Zhao, Guijuan; Wang, Lianshan; Yang, Shaoyan; Li, Huijie; Wei, Hongyuan; Han, Dongyue; Wang, Zhanguo

2016-02-10

We report the anisotropic structural and optical properties of semi-polar (11-22) GaN grown on m-plane sapphire using a three-step growth method which consisted of a low temperature AlN buffer layer, followed by a high temperature AlN buffer layer and GaN growth. By introducing double AlN buffer layers, we substantially improve the crystal and optical qualities of semi-polar (11-22) GaN, and significantly reduce the density of stacking faults and dislocations. The high resolution x-ray diffraction measurement revealed that the in-plane anisotropic structural characteristics of GaN layer are azimuthal dependent. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the majority of dislocations in the GaN epitaxial layer grown on m-sapphire are the mixed-type and the orientation of GaN layer was rotated 58.4° against the substrate. The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed the PL intensity and wavelength have polarization dependence along parallel and perpendicular to the [1-100] axis (polarization degrees ~ 0.63). The realization of a high polarization semi-polar GaN would be useful to achieve III-nitride based lighting emission device for displays and backlighting.

Effects of interfaces on the thermal conductivity in Si/Si0.75Ge0.25 multilayer with varying Au layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yangsen; Wu, Zhenghua; Ye, Fengjie; Hu, Zhiyu

2018-02-01

The manoeuvre of thermal transport property across multilayer films with inserted metal layers through controlling the metal-nonmetal interfaces is of fundamental interest. In this work, amorphous Si/Si0.75Ge0.25 multilayer films inserted with varying Au layers were fabricated by magnetron sputtering. The structure and sharp interface of multilayers films were characterized by low angle x-ray diffraction (LAXRD), grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A differential 3ω method was applied to measure the effective thermal conductivity. The measurements show that thermal conductivity has changed as varying Au layers. Thermal conductivity increased from 0.94 to 1.31 Wm-1K-1 while Si0.75Ge0.25 layer was replaced by different Au layers, which was attributed to the strong electron-phonon coupling and interface thermal resistance in a metal-nonmetal multilayered system. Theoretical calculation combined with experimental results indicate that the thermal conductivity of the multilayer film could be facilely controlled by introducing different number of nanoconstructed metal-nonmetal interfaces, which provide a more insightful understanding of the thermal transport manipulation mechanism of the thin film system with inserting metal layers.

Effect of different thickness crystalline SiC buffer layers on the ordering of MgB{sub 2} films probed by extended x-ray absorption fine structure

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

Putri, W. B. K.; Tran, D. H.; Kang, B., E-mail: bwkang@chungbuk.ac.kr

2014-03-07

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy is a powerful method to investigate the local structure of thin films. Here, we have studied EXAFS of MgB{sub 2} films grown on SiC buffer layers. Crystalline SiC buffer layers with different thickness of 70, 100, and 130 nm were deposited on the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (0001) substrates by using a pulsed laser deposition method, and then MgB{sub 2} films were grown on the SiC buffer layer by using a hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition technique. Transition temperature of MgB{sub 2} film decreased with increasing thickness of SiC buffer layer. However, the T{sub c} droppingmore » went no farther than 100 nm-thick-SiC. This uncommon behavior of transition temperature is likely to be created from electron-phonon interaction in MgB{sub 2} films, which is believed to be related to the ordering of MgB{sub 2} atomic bonds, especially in the ordering of Mg–Mg bonds. Analysis from Mg K-edge EXAFS measurements showed interesting ordering behavior of MgB{sub 2} films. It is noticeable that the ordering of Mg–B bonds is found to decrease monotonically with the increase in SiC thickness of the MgB{sub 2} films, while the opposite happens with the ordering in Mg–Mg bonds. Based on these results, crystalline SiC buffer layers in MgB{sub 2} films seemingly have evident effects on the alteration of the local structure of the MgB{sub 2} film.« less

Interface effects in ultra-thin films: Magnetic and chemical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sungkyun

When the thickness of a magnetic layer is comparable to (or smaller than) the electron mean free path, the interface between magnetic and non-magnetic layers becomes very important factor to determine magnetic properties of the ultra-thin films. The quality of interface can enhance (or reduce) the desired properties. Several interesting physical phenomena were studied using these interface effects. The magnetic anisotropy of ultra-thin Co films is studied as function of non-magnetic underlayer thickness and non- magnetic overlayer materials using ex situ Brillouin light scattering (BLS). I observed that perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) increases with underlayer thickness and saturates after 5 ML. This saturation can be understood as a relaxation of the in-plane lattice parameter of Au(111) on top of Cu(111) to its bulk value. For the overlayer study, Cu, Al, and Au are used. An Au overlayer gives the largest PMA due to the largest in-plane lattice mismatch between Co and Au. An unusual effect was found by adding an additional layer on top of the Au overlayer. An additional Al capping layer on top of the Au overlayer reduces the PMA significantly. The possible explanation is that the misfit strain at the interface between the Al and the Au can be propagated through the Au layer to affect the magnetic properties of Co even though the in- plane lattice mismatch is less than 1%. Another interesting problem in interface interdiffusion and thermal stability in magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures is studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Since XPS is a very chemically sensitive technique, it allows us to monitor interface interdiffusion of the MTJ structures as-deposited and during post-deposition processing. For the plasma- oxidized samples, Fe only participates in the oxidation reduction process. In contrast to plasma-oxidized samples, there were no noticeable chemical shifts as- deposited and during post-deposition processing in air- oxidized samples. However, peak intensity variations were observed due to interface interdiffusion.

Magnon Valve Effect between Two Magnetic Insulators.

PubMed

Wu, H; Huang, L; Fang, C; Yang, B S; Wan, C H; Yu, G Q; Feng, J F; Wei, H X; Han, X F

2018-03-02

The key physics of the spin valve involves spin-polarized conduction electrons propagating between two magnetic layers such that the device conductance is controlled by the relative magnetization orientation of two magnetic layers. Here, we report the effect of a magnon valve which is made of two ferromagnetic insulators (YIG) separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer (Au). When a thermal gradient is applied perpendicular to the layers, the inverse spin Hall voltage output detected by a Pt bar placed on top of the magnon valve depends on the relative orientation of the magnetization of two YIG layers, indicating the magnon current induced by the spin Seebeck effect at one layer affects the magnon current in the other layer separated by Au. We interpret the magnon valve effect by the angular momentum conversion and propagation between magnons in two YIG layers and conduction electrons in the Au layer. The temperature dependence of the magnon valve ratio shows approximately a power law, supporting the above magnon-electron spin conversion mechanism. This work opens a new class of valve structures beyond the conventional spin valves.

Magnon Valve Effect between Two Magnetic Insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, H.; Huang, L.; Fang, C.; Yang, B. S.; Wan, C. H.; Yu, G. Q.; Feng, J. F.; Wei, H. X.; Han, X. F.

2018-03-01

The key physics of the spin valve involves spin-polarized conduction electrons propagating between two magnetic layers such that the device conductance is controlled by the relative magnetization orientation of two magnetic layers. Here, we report the effect of a magnon valve which is made of two ferromagnetic insulators (YIG) separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer (Au). When a thermal gradient is applied perpendicular to the layers, the inverse spin Hall voltage output detected by a Pt bar placed on top of the magnon valve depends on the relative orientation of the magnetization of two YIG layers, indicating the magnon current induced by the spin Seebeck effect at one layer affects the magnon current in the other layer separated by Au. We interpret the magnon valve effect by the angular momentum conversion and propagation between magnons in two YIG layers and conduction electrons in the Au layer. The temperature dependence of the magnon valve ratio shows approximately a power law, supporting the above magnon-electron spin conversion mechanism. This work opens a new class of valve structures beyond the conventional spin valves.

Characterization of ZrO2 buffer layers for sequentially evaporated Y-Ba-CuO on Si and Al2O3 substrates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valco, George J.; Rohrer, Norman J.; Pouch, John J.; Warner, Joseph D.; Bhasin, Kul B.

1988-01-01

Thin film high temperature superconductors have the potential to change the microwave technology for space communications systems. For such applications it is desirable that the films be formed on substrates such as Al2O3 which have good microwave properties. The use of ZrO2 buffer layers between Y-Ba-Cu-O and the substrate has been investigated. These superconducting films have been formed by multilayer sequential electron beam evaporation of Cu, BaF2 and Y with subsequent annealing. The three layer sequence of Y/BaF2/Cu is repeated four times for a total of twelve layers. Such a multilayer film, approximately 1 micron thick, deposited directly on SrTiO3 and annealed at 900 C for 45 min produces a film with a superconducting onset of 93 K and critical temperature of 85 K. Auger electron spectroscopy in conjunction with argon ion sputtering was used to obtain the distribution of each element as a function of depth for an unannealed film, the annealed film on SrTiO3 and annealed films on ZrO2 buffer layers. The individual layers were apparent. After annealing, the bulk of the film on SrTiO3 is observed to be fairly uniform while films on the substrates with buffer layers are less uniform. The Y-Ba-Cu-O/ZrO2 interface is broad with a long Ba tail into the ZrO2, suggesting interaction between the film and the buffer layer. The underlying ZrO2/Si interface is sharper. The detailed Auger results are presented and compared with samples annealed at different temperatures and durations.

Strained layer Fabry-Perot device

DOEpatents

Brennan, Thomas M.; Fritz, Ian J.; Hammons, Burrell E.

1994-01-01

An asymmetric Fabry-Perot reflectance modulator (AFPM) consists of an active region between top and bottom mirrors, the bottom mirror being affixed to a substrate by a buffer layer. The active region comprises a strained-layer region having a bandgap and thickness chosen for resonance at the Fabry-Perot frequency. The mirrors are lattice matched to the active region, and the buffer layer is lattice matched to the mirror at the interface. The device operates at wavelengths of commercially available semiconductor lasers.

Coordination-based gold nanoparticle layers.

PubMed

Wanunu, Meni; Popovitz-Biro, Ronit; Cohen, Hagai; Vaskevich, Alexander; Rubinstein, Israel

2005-06-29

Gold nanoparticle (NP) mono- and multilayers were constructed on gold surfaces using coordination chemistry. Hydrophilic Au NPs (6.4 nm average core diameter), capped with a monolayer of 6-mercaptohexanol, were modified by partial substitution of bishydroxamic acid disulfide ligand molecules into their capping layer. A monolayer of the ligand-modified Au NPs was assembled via coordination with Zr4+ ions onto a semitransparent Au substrate (15 nm Au, evaporated on silanized glass and annealed) precoated with a self-assembled monolayer of the bishydroxamate disulfide ligand. Layer-by-layer construction of NP multilayers was achieved by alternate binding of Zr4+ ions and ligand-modified NPs onto the first NP layer. Characterization by atomic force microscopy (AFM), ellipsometry, wettability, transmission UV-vis spectroscopy, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy showed regular growth of NP layers, with a similar NP density in successive layers and gradually increased roughness. The use of coordination chemistry enables convenient step-by-step assembly of different ligand-possessing components to obtain elaborate structures. This is demonstrated by introducing nanometer-scale vertical spacing between a NP layer and the gold surface, using a coordination-based organic multilayer. Electrical characterization of the NP films was carried out using conductive AFM, emphasizing the barrier properties of the organic spacer multilayer. The results exhibit the potential of coordination self-assembly in achieving highly controlled composite nanostructures comprising molecules, NPs, and other ligand-derivatized components.

Polarization characteristics of semipolar (112̄2) InGaN/GaN quantum well structures grown on relaxed InGaN buffer layers and comparison with experiment.

PubMed

Park, Seoung-Hwan; Mishra, Dhaneshwar; Eugene Pak, Y; Kang, K; Park, Chang Yong; Yoo, Seung-Hyun; Cho, Yong-Hee; Shim, Mun-Bo; Kim, Sungjin

2014-06-16

Partial strain relaxation effects on polarization ratio of semipolar (112̄2) InxGa1−xN/GaN quantum well (QW) structures grown on relaxed InGaN buffers were investigated using the multiband effective-mass theory. The absolute value of the polarization ratio gradually decreases with increasing In composition in InGaN buffer layer when the strain relaxation ratio (ε0y′y′−εy′y′)/ε0y′y′ along y′-axis is assumed to be linearly proportional to the difference of lattice constants between the well and the buffer layer. Also, it changes its sign for the QW structure grown on InGaN buffer layer with a relatively larger In composition (x > 0.07). These results are in good agreement with the experiment. This can be explained by the fact that, with increasing In composition in the InGaN subsrate, the spontaneous emission rate for the y′-polarization gradually increases while that for x′-polarization decreases due to the decrease in a matrix element at the band-edge (k‖ = 0).

Buffer layers on biaxially textured metal substrates

DOEpatents

Shoup, Shara S.; Paranthamam, Mariappan; Beach, David B.; Kroeger, Donald M.; Goyal, Amit

2001-01-01

A method is disclosed for forming a biaxially textured buffer layer on a biaxially oriented metal substrate by using a sol-gel coating technique followed by pyrolyzing/annealing in a reducing atmosphere. This method is advantageous for providing substrates for depositing electronically active materials thereon.

Deposition of gold nano-particles and nano-layers on polyethylene modified by plasma discharge and chemical treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Švorčík, V.; Chaloupka, A.; Záruba, K.; Král, V.; Bláhová, O.; Macková, A.; Hnatowicz, V.

2009-08-01

Polyethylene (PE) was treated in Ar plasma discharge and then grafted from methanol solution of 1,2-ethanedithiol to enhance adhesion of gold nano-particles or sputtered gold layers. The modified PE samples were either immersed into freshly prepared colloid solution of Au nano-particles or covered by sputtered, 50 nm thick gold nano-layer. Properties of the plasma modified, dithiol grafted and gold coated PE were studied using XPS, UV-VIS, AFM, EPR, RBS methods and nanoindentation. It was shown that the plasma treatment results in degradation of polymer chain, creation of excessive free radicals and conjugated double bonds. After grafting with 1,2-ethanedithiol the concentration of free radicals declined but the concentration of double bonds remained unchanged. Plasma treatment changes PE surface morphology and increases surface roughness too. Another significant change in the surface morphology and roughness was observed after deposition of Au nano-particles. The presence of Au on the sample surface after the coating with Au nano-particles was proved by XPS and RBS methods. Nanoindentation measurements shown that the grafting of plasma activated PE surface with dithiol increases significantly adhesion of sputtered Au nano-layer.

Method to adjust multilayer film stress induced deformation of optics

DOEpatents

Mirkarimi, Paul B.; Montcalm, Claude

2000-01-01

A buffer-layer located between a substrate and a multilayer for counteracting stress in the multilayer. Depositing a buffer-layer having a stress of sufficient magnitude and opposite in sign reduces or cancels out deformation in the substrate due to the stress in the multilayer. By providing a buffer-layer between the substrate and the multilayer, a tunable, near-zero net stress results, and hence results in little or no deformation of the substrate, such as an optic for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tool. Buffer-layers have been deposited, for example, between Mo/Si and Mo/Be multilayer films and their associated substrate reducing significantly the stress, wherein the magnitude of the stress is less than 100 MPa and respectively near-normal incidence (5.degree.) reflectance of over 60% is obtained at 13.4 nm and 11.4 nm. The present invention is applicable to crystalline and non-crystalline materials, and can be used at ambient temperatures.

Multi-Layer SnSe Nanoflake Field-Effect Transistors with Low-Resistance Au Ohmic Contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Sang-Hyeok; Cho, Kwanghee; Park, No-Won; Park, Soonyong; Koh, Jung-Hyuk; Lee, Sang-Kwon

2017-05-01

We report p-type tin monoselenide (SnSe) single crystals, grown in double-sealed quartz ampoules using a modified Bridgman technique at 920 °C. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) measurements clearly confirm that the grown SnSe consists of single-crystal SnSe. Electrical transport of multi-layer SnSe nanoflakes, which were prepared by exfoliation from bulk single crystals, was conducted using back-gated field-effect transistor (FET) structures with Au and Ti contacts on SiO2/Si substrates, revealing that multi-layer SnSe nanoflakes exhibit p-type semiconductor characteristics owing to the Sn vacancies on the surfaces of SnSe nanoflakes. In addition, a strong carrier screening effect was observed in 70-90-nm-thick SnSe nanoflake FETs. Furthermore, the effect of the metal contacts to multi-layer SnSe nanoflake-based FETs is also discussed with two different metals, such as Ti/Au and Au contacts.

Detection of organic vapors on sputtered and annealed thin Au films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kvitek, O.; Kopacek, V.; Reznickova, A.; Svorcik, V.

2018-03-01

Unique optical properties of metal nanostructures enable construction of new types of chemical sensors. Nanostructures composed of Au on glass substrate were prepared by annealing of 2-20 nm thick sputtered Au films at 300 °C for 1 h. The annealing leads to transformation of the as sputtered continuous Au layers to a nanoisland structure. The forming nanostructure shows a strong, well defined surface plasmon resonance absorption band in UV-Vis spectrum, which is useful for construction of a chemical sensor. The samples were used to detect vapors of acetone and water in an experimental testing apparatus. The achieved signal-to-noise ratio was 583 and 386 for acetone and water vapors, respectively on the nanostructure prepared from 4 nm thick Au layer. The nanostructured sensitive layers, however, showed poor signal stability; therefore a polymer overlayer was introduced to protect it. The employed polystyrene film prepared by spin-coating improved sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor, while the dynamic properties of the sensing influenced only slightly.

Polarization induced doped transistor

DOEpatents

Xing, Huili; Jena, Debdeep; Nomoto, Kazuki; Song, Bo; Zhu, Mingda; Hu, Zongyang

2016-06-07

A nitride-based field effect transistor (FET) comprises a compositionally graded and polarization induced doped p-layer underlying at least one gate contact and a compositionally graded and doped n-channel underlying a source contact. The n-channel is converted from the p-layer to the n-channel by ion implantation, a buffer underlies the doped p-layer and the n-channel, and a drain underlies the buffer.

Atomic and electronic structures of Si(1 1 1)-\\left(\\sqrt{\\mathbf{3}}\\times\\sqrt{\\mathbf{3}}\\right)\\text{R}\\mathbf{3}{{\\mathbf{0}}^{\\circ}} -Au and (6 × 6)-Au surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, C. H.

2015-12-01

Si(1 1 1)-Au surfaces with around one monolayer of Au exhibit many ordered structures and structures containing disordered domain walls. Hybrid density functional theory (DFT) calculations presented here reveal the origin of these complex structures and tendency to form domain walls. The conjugate honeycomb chain trimer (CHCT) structure of the \\sqrt{3} -Au phase contains Si atoms with non-bonding surface states which can bind Au atoms in pairs in interstices of the CHCT structure and make this surface metallic. Si adatoms adsorbed on the \\sqrt{3} -Au surface induce a gapped surface through interaction with the non-bonding states. Adsorption of extra Au atoms in interstitial sites of the \\sqrt{3} -Au surface is stabilized by interaction with the non-bonding orbitals and leads to higher coverage ordered structures including the ≤ft(6× 6\\right) -Au phase. Extra Au atoms bound in interstitial sites of the \\sqrt{3} -Au surface result in top layer Si atoms with an SiAu4 butterfly wing configuration. The structure of a ≤ft(6× 6\\right) -Au phase, whose in-plane top atomic layer positions were previously determined by an electron holography technique (Grozea et al 1998 Surf. Sci. 418 32), is calculated using total energy minimization. The Patterson function for this structure is calculated and is in good agreement with data from an in-plane x-ray diffraction study (Dornisch et al 1991 Phys. Rev. B 44 11221). Filled and empty state scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images are calculated for domain walls and the ≤ft(6× 6\\right) -Au structure. The ≤ft(6× 6\\right) -Au phase is 2D chiral and this is evident in computed and actual STM images. ≤ft(6× 6\\right) -Au and domain wall structures contain the SiAu4 motif with a butterfly wing shape. Chemical bonding within the Si-Au top layers of the \\sqrt{3} -Au and ≤ft(6× 6\\right) -Au surfaces is analyzed and an explanation for the SiAu4 motif structure is given.

Layer-based buffer aware rate adaptation design for SHVC video streaming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudumasu, Srinivas; Hamza, Ahmed; Asbun, Eduardo; He, Yong; Ye, Yan

2016-09-01

This paper proposes a layer based buffer aware rate adaptation design which is able to avoid abrupt video quality fluctuation, reduce re-buffering latency and improve bandwidth utilization when compared to a conventional simulcast based adaptive streaming system. The proposed adaptation design schedules DASH segment requests based on the estimated bandwidth, dependencies among video layers and layer buffer fullness. Scalable HEVC video coding is the latest state-of-art video coding technique that can alleviate various issues caused by simulcast based adaptive video streaming. With scalable coded video streams, the video is encoded once into a number of layers representing different qualities and/or resolutions: a base layer (BL) and one or more enhancement layers (EL), each incrementally enhancing the quality of the lower layers. Such layer based coding structure allows fine granularity rate adaptation for the video streaming applications. Two video streaming use cases are presented in this paper. The first use case is to stream HD SHVC video over a wireless network where available bandwidth varies, and the performance comparison between proposed layer-based streaming approach and conventional simulcast streaming approach is provided. The second use case is to stream 4K/UHD SHVC video over a hybrid access network that consists of a 5G millimeter wave high-speed wireless link and a conventional wired or WiFi network. The simulation results verify that the proposed layer based rate adaptation approach is able to utilize the bandwidth more efficiently. As a result, a more consistent viewing experience with higher quality video content and minimal video quality fluctuations can be presented to the user.

Conductive and robust nitride buffer layers on biaxially textured substrates

DOEpatents

Sankar, Sambasivan; Goyal, Amit; Barnett, Scott A.; Kim, Ilwon; Kroeger, Donald M.

2004-08-31

The present invention relates to epitaxial, electrically conducting and mechanically robust, cubic nitride buffer layers deposited epitaxially on biaxially textured substrates such as metal and alloys. The invention comprises of a biaxially textured substrate with epitaxial layers of nitrides. The invention also discloses a method to form such epitaxial layers using a high rate deposition method as well as without the use of forming gases. The invention further comprises epitaxial layers of oxides on the biaxially textured nitride layers. In some embodiments the article further comprises electromagnetic devices which may be super conducting properties.

Solution-processed MoS(x) as an efficient anode buffer layer in organic solar cells.

PubMed

Li, Xiaodong; Zhang, Wenjun; Wu, Yulei; Min, Chao; Fang, Junfeng

2013-09-25

We reported a facile solution-processed method to fabricate a MoSx anode buffer layer through thermal decomposition of (NH4)2MoS4. Organic solar cells (OSCs) based on in situ growth MoSx as the anode buffer layer showed impressive improvements, and the power conversion efficiency was higher than that of conventional PEDOT:PSS-based device. The MoSx films obtained at different temperatures and the corresponding device performance were systematically studied. The results indicated that both MoS3 and MoS2 were beneficial to the device performance. MoS3 could result in higher Voc, while MoS2 could lead to higher Jsc. Our results proved that, apart from MoO3, molybdenum sulfides and Mo(4+) were also promising candidates for the anode buffer materials in OSCs.

Electrophoretic build-up of alternately multilayered films and micropatterns based on graphene sheets and nanoparticles and their applications in flexible supercapacitors.

PubMed

Niu, Zhiqiang; Du, Jianjun; Cao, Xuebo; Sun, Yinghui; Zhou, Weiya; Hng, Huey Hoon; Ma, Jan; Chen, Xiaodong; Xie, Sishen

2012-10-22

Graphene nanosheets and metal nanoparticles (NPs) have been used as nano-building-blocks for assembly into macroscale hybrid structures with promising performance in electrical devices. However, in most graphene and metal NP hybrid structures, the graphene sheets and metal NPs (e.g., AuNPs) do not enable control of the reaction process, orientation of building blocks, and organization at the nanoscale. Here, an electrophoretic layer-by-layer assembly for constructing multilayered reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/AuNP films and lateral micropatterns is presented. This assembly method allows easy control of the nano-architecture of building blocks along the normal direction of the film, including the number and thickness of RGO and AuNP layers, in addition to control of the lateral orientation of the resultant multilayered structures. Conductivity of multilayered RGO/AuNP hybrid nano-architecture shows great improvement caused by a bridging effect of the AuNPs along the out-of-plane direction between the upper and lower RGO layers. The results clearly show the potential of electrophoretic build-up in the fabrication of graphene-based alternately multilayered films and patterns. Finally, flexible supercapacitors based on multilayered RGO/AuNP hybrid films are fabricated, and excellent performance, such as high energy and power densities, are achieved. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Growth dynamics of L-cysteine SAMs on single-crystal gold surfaces: a metastable deexcitation spectroscopy study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canepa, M.; Lavagnino, L.; Pasquali, L.; Moroni, R.; Bisio, F.; DeRenzi, V.; Terreni, S.; Mattera, L.

2009-07-01

We report on a metastable deexcitation spectroscopy investigation of the growth of L-cysteine layers deposited under UHV conditions on well-defined Au(110)- (1 × 2) and Au(111) surfaces. The interaction of He* with molecular orbitals gave rise to well-defined UPS-like Penning spectra which provided information on the SAM assembly dynamics and adsorption configurations. Penning spectra have been interpreted through comparison with molecular orbital DFT calculations of the free molecule and have been compared with XPS results of previous works. Regarding adsorption of first-layer molecules at room temperature (RT), two different growth regimes were observed. On Au(110), the absence of spectral features related to orbitals associated with SH groups indicated the formation of a compact SAM of thiolate molecules. On Au(111), the data demonstrated the simultaneous presence, since the early stages of growth, of strongly and weakly bound molecules, the latter showing intact SH groups. The different growth mode was tentatively assigned to the added rows of the reconstructed Au(110) surface which behave as extended defects effectively promoting the formation of the S-Au bond. The growth of the second molecular layer was instead observed to proceed similarly for both substrates. Second-layer molecules preferably adopt an adsorption configuration in which the SH group protrudes into the vacuum side.

Enhanced activity of CaFeMg layered double hydroxides-supported gold nanodendrites for the electrochemical evolution of oxygen and hydrogen in alkaline media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Havakeshian, Elaheh; Salavati, Hossein; Taei, Masoumeh; Hasheminasab, Fatemeh; Seddighi, Mohadeseh

2018-02-01

In this study, Au was electrodeposited on a support of CaFeMg layered double hydroxide and then, its catalytic activity was investigated for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Field emission scanning electron microscopy images showed that a uniform porous film of aggregated nano-particles of the LDH has been decorated with Au nanodendrite-like structures (AuNDs@LDH). The results obtained from polarization curves, Tafel plots and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the AuNDs@LDH exhibits lower overpotential, higher current density, faster kinetics and enhanced stability for both of the OER and HER, in comparison with the single AuNPs and LDH catalysts.

Hybrid ZnO/phthalocyanine photovoltaic device with highly resistive ZnO intermediate layer.

PubMed

Izaki, Masanobu; Chizaki, Ryo; Saito, Takamasa; Murata, Kazufumi; Sasano, Junji; Shinagawa, Tsutomu

2013-10-09

We report a hybrid photovoltaic device composed of a 3.3 eV bandgap zinc oxide (ZnO) semiconductor and metal-free phthalocyanine layers and the effects of the insertion of the highly resistive ZnO buffer layer on the electrical characteristics of the rectification feature and photovoltaic performance. The hybrid photovoltaic devices have been constructed by electrodeposition of the 300 nm thick ZnO layer in a simple zinc nitrate aqueous solution followed by vacuum evaporation of 50-400 nm thick-phthalocyanine layers. The ZnO layers with the resistivity of 1.8 × 10(3) and 1 × 10(8) Ω cm were prepared by adjusting the cathodic current density and were installed into the hybrid photovoltaic devices as the n-type and buffer layer, respectively. The phthalocyanine layers with the characteristic monoclinic lattice showed a characteristic optical absorption feature regardless of the thickness, but the preferred orientation changed depending on the thickness. The ZnO buffer-free hybrid 50 nm thick phthalocyanine/n-ZnO photovoltaic device showed a rectification feature but possessed a poor photovoltaic performance with a conversion efficiency of 7.5 × 10(-7) %, open circuit voltage of 0.041 V, and short circuit current density of 8.0 × 10(-5) mA cm(-2). The insertion of the ZnO buffer layer between the n-ZnO and phthalocyanine layers induced improvements in both the rectification feature and photovoltaic performance. The excellent rectification feature with a rectification ratio of 3188 and ideally factor of 1.29 was obtained for the hybrid 200 nm thick phthalocyanine/ZnO buffer/n-ZnO photovoltaic device, and the hybrid photovoltaic device possessed an improved photovoltaic performance with the conversion efficiency of 0.0016%, open circuit voltage of 0.31 V, and short circuit current density of 0.015 mA cm(-2).

Growth of ZnO(0001) on GaN(0001)/4H-SiC buffer layers by plasma-assisted hybrid molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adolph, David; Tingberg, Tobias; Ive, Tommy

2015-09-01

Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy was used to grow ZnO(0001) layers on GaN(0001)/4H-SiC buffer layers deposited in the same growth chamber equipped with both N- and O-plasma sources. The GaN buffer layers were grown immediately before initiating the growth of ZnO. Using a substrate temperature of 445 °C and an O2 flow rate of 2.5 standard cubic centimeters per minute, we obtained ZnO layers with statistically smooth surfaces having a root-mean-square roughness of 0.3 nm and a peak-to-valley distance of 3 nm as revealed by atomic force microscopy. The full-width-at-half-maximum for x-ray rocking curves obtained across the ZnO(0002) and ZnO(10 1 bar 5) reflections was 198 and 948 arcsec, respectively. These values indicated that the mosaicity of the ZnO layer was comparable to the corresponding values of the underlying GaN buffer layer. Reciprocal space maps showed that the in-plane relaxation of the GaN and ZnO layers was 82% and 73%, respectively, and that the relaxation occurred abruptly during the growth. Room-temperature Hall-effect measurements revealed that the layers were inherently n-type and had an electron concentration of 1×1019 cm-3 and a Hall mobility of 51 cm2/V s.

Rapid Nanoprobe Signal Enhancement by In Situ Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis.

PubMed

Dias, Jorge T; Svedberg, Gustav; Nystrand, Mats; Andersson-Svahn, Helene; Gantelius, Jesper

2018-03-07

The use of nanoprobes such as gold, silver, silica or iron-oxide nanoparticles as detection reagents in bioanalytical assays can enable high sensitivity and convenient colorimetric readout. However, high densities of nanoparticles are typically needed for detection. The available synthesis-based enhancement protocols are either limited to gold and silver nanoparticles or rely on precise enzymatic control and optimization. Here, we present a protocol to enhance the colorimetric readout of gold, silver, silica, and iron oxide nanoprobes. It was observed that the colorimetric signal can be improved by up to a 10000-fold factor. The basis for such signal enhancement strategies is the chemical reduction of Au 3+ to Au 0 . There are several chemical reactions that enable the reduction of Au 3+ to Au 0 . In the protocol, Good's buffers and H2O2 are used and it is possible to favor the deposition of Au 0 onto the surface of existing nanoprobes, in detriment of the formation of new gold nanoparticles. The protocol consists of the incubation of the microarray with a solution consisting of chloroauric acid and H2O2 in 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid pH 6 buffer following the nanoprobe-based detection assay. The enhancement solution can be applied to paper and glass-based sensors. Moreover, it can be used in commercially available immunoassays as demonstrated by the application of the method to a commercial allergen microarray. The signal development requires less than 5 min of incubation with the enhancement solution and the readout can be assessed by naked eye or low-end image acquisition devices such as a table-top scanner or a digital camera.

Preparation, characterization and dye adsorption of Au nanoparticles/ZnAl layered double oxides nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yu Xin; Hao, Xiao Dong; Kuang, Min; Zhao, Han; Wen, Zhong Quan

2013-10-01

In this work, Au/ZnAl-layer double oxides (LDO) nanocomposties were prepared through a facile calcination process of AuCl4- intercalated ZnAl-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) nanocomposites. The morphology and crystal structure of these nanocomposites were characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and N2 sorption analysis. By tailoring the process parameter, such as calcination temperature, heating time and the component composition, the adsorption properties of methyl orange (MO) on the Au/ZnAl-LDO nanocomposites were investigated in this work. In a typical adsorption process, it was found that 0.985 mg of MO (0.01 g L-1, 100 mL, 1 mg of MO in total) can be removed in 60 min by utilizing only 2.5 mg of Au/ZnAl-LDO (Au content, 1%) as adsorbents. Our adsorption data obtained from the Langmuir model also gave good values of the determination coefficient, and the saturated adsorption capacity of Au/ZnAl-LDO nanocomposites for MO was found to be 627.51 mg/g under ambient condition (e.g., room temperature, 1 atm). In principle, these hybrid nanostructures with higher adsorption abilities could be very promising adsorbents for wastewater treatment.

High-Efficiency Polycrystalline CdS/CdTe Solar Cells on Buffered Commercial TCO-Coated Glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colegrove, E.; Banai, R.; Blissett, C.; Buurma, C.; Ellsworth, J.; Morley, M.; Barnes, S.; Gilmore, C.; Bergeson, J. D.; Dhere, R.; Scott, M.; Gessert, T.; Sivananthan, Siva

2012-10-01

Multiple polycrystalline CdS/CdTe solar cells with efficiencies greater than 15% were produced on buffered, commercially available Pilkington TEC Glass at EPIR Technologies, Inc. (EPIR, Bolingbrook, IL) and verified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). n-CdS and p-CdTe were grown by chemical bath deposition (CBD) and close space sublimation, respectively. Samples with sputter-deposited CdS were also investigated. Initial results indicate that this is a viable dry-process alternative to CBD for production-scale processing. Published results for polycrystalline CdS/CdTe solar cells with high efficiencies are typically based on cells using research-grade transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) requiring high-temperature processing inconducive to low-cost manufacturing. EPIR's results for cells on commercial glass were obtained by implementing a high-resistivity SnO2 buffer layer and by optimizing the CdS window layer thickness. The high-resistivity buffer layer prevents the formation of CdTe-TCO junctions, thereby maintaining a high open-circuit voltage and fill factor, whereas using a thin CdS layer reduces absorption losses and improves the short-circuit current density. EPIR's best device demonstrated an NREL-verified efficiency of 15.3%. The mean efficiency of hundreds of cells produced with a buffer layer between December 2010 and June 2011 is 14.4%. Quantum efficiency results are presented to demonstrate EPIR's progress toward NREL's best-published results.

A new approach to epitaxially grow high-quality GaN films on Si substrates: the combination of MBE and PLD.

PubMed

Wang, Wenliang; Wang, Haiyan; Yang, Weijia; Zhu, Yunnong; Li, Guoqiang

2016-04-22

High-quality GaN epitaxial films have been grown on Si substrates with Al buffer layer by the combination of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technologies. MBE is used to grow Al buffer layer at first, and then PLD is deployed to grow GaN epitaxial films on the Al buffer layer. The surface morphology, crystalline quality, and interfacial property of as-grown GaN epitaxial films on Si substrates are studied systematically. The as-grown ~300 nm-thick GaN epitaxial films grown at 850 °C with ~30 nm-thick Al buffer layer on Si substrates show high crystalline quality with the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) for GaN(0002) and GaN(102) X-ray rocking curves of 0.45° and 0.61°, respectively; very flat GaN surface with the root-mean-square surface roughness of 2.5 nm; as well as the sharp and abrupt GaN/AlGaN/Al/Si hetero-interfaces. Furthermore, the corresponding growth mechanism of GaN epitaxial films grown on Si substrates with Al buffer layer by the combination of MBE and PLD is hence studied in depth. This work provides a novel and simple approach for the epitaxial growth of high-quality GaN epitaxial films on Si substrates.

Experimental observation of motion of edge dislocations in Ge/Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1–x}/Si(001) (x = 0.2–0.6) heterostructures

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

Bolkhovityanov, Yu. B., E-mail: bolkhov@isp.nsc.ru; Gutakovskii, A. K.; Deryabin, A. S.

2016-11-15

The Ge/Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1–x}/Si(001) (x = 0.2–0.6) heterostructures grown by the molecular epitaxy method are analyzed using high-resolution electron microscopy with atomic resolution. The thickness of the Ge{sub x}Si{sub 1–x} buffer layer is 7–35 nm. It is shown that such heterostructures relax in two stages: an ordered network of edge dislocations is formed during their growth (500°C) at the Ge/GeSi interface and then, contrary to the generally accepted opinion concerning their immobility, some of the edge dislocations move through the buffer GeSi layer to the GeSi/Si(001) interface during annealing at higher temperatures and x > 0.3. It is found thatmore » plastic relaxation of the GeSi buffer layer occurs due to motion of dislocation complexes of the edge type, consisting of a pair of complementary 60° dislocations with the ends of (111) extra planes located approximately at a distance from 2 to 12 interplanar spacings. It is shown that the penetration of dislocation complexes into the GeSi buffer layer and further to the GeSi/Si interface is intensified with increasing annealing temperature (600–800°C) and the fraction of Ge in the buffer layer.« less

Experience from the construction and operation of the STAR PXL detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greiner, L.; Anderssen, E. C.; Contin, G.; Schambach, J.; Silber, J.; Stezelberger, T.; Sun, X.; Szelezniak, M.; Vu, C.; Wieman, H. H.; Woodmansee, S.

2015-04-01

A new silicon based vertex detector called the Heavy Flavor Tracker (HFT) was installed at the Soleniodal Tracker At RHIC (STAR) experiment for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) 2014 heavy ion run to improve the vertex resolution and extend the measurement capabilities of STAR in the heavy flavor domain. The HFT consists of four concentric cylinders around the STAR interaction point composed of three different silicon detector technologies based on strips, pads and for the first time in an accelerator experiment CMOS monolithic active pixels (MAPS) . The two innermost layers at a radius of 2.8 cm and 8 cm from the beam line are constructed with 400 high resolution MAPS sensors arranged in 10-sensor ladders mounted on 10 thin carbon fiber sectors giving a total silicon area of 0.16 m2. Each sensor consists of a pixel array of nearly 1 million pixels with a pitch of 20.7 μm with column-level discriminators, zero-suppression circuitry and output buffer memory integrated into one silicon die with a sensitive area of ~ 3.8 cm2. The pixel (PXL) detector has a low power dissipation of 170 mW/cm2, which allows air cooling. This results in a global material budget of 0.5% radiation length per layer for detector used in this run. A novel mechanical approach to detector insertion allows for the installation and integration of the pixel sub detector within a 12 hour period during an on-going STAR run. The detector specifications, experience from the construction and operation, lessons learned and initial measurements of the PXL performance in the 200 GeV Au-Au run will be presented.

Layered double hydroxide supported gold nanoclusters by glutathione-capped Au nanoclusters precursor method for highly efficient aerobic oxidation of alcohols.

PubMed

Li, Lun; Dou, Liguang; Zhang, Hui

2014-04-07

M3Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH, M = Mg, Ni, Co) supported Au nanoclusters (AuNCs) catalysts have been prepared for the first time by using water-soluble glutathione-capped Au nanoclusters as precursor. Detailed characterizations show that the ultrafine Au nanoclusters (ca. 1.5 ± 0.6 nm) were well dispersed on the surface of LDH with a loading of Au below ∼0.23 wt% upon synergetic interaction between AuNCs and M3Al-LDH. AuNCs/Mg3Al-LDH-0.23 exhibits much higher catalytic performance for the oxidation of 1-phenylethanol in toluene than Au/Mg3Al-LDH(DP) by the conventional deposition precipitation method and can be applied for a wide range of alcohols without basic additives. This catalyst can also be reused without loss of activity or selectivity. The AuNCs/M(= Ni, Co)3Al-LDH catalysts present even higher alcohol oxidation activity than AuNCs/Mg3Al-LDH. Particularly, AuNCs/Ni3Al-LDH-0.22 exhibits the highest activity (46 500 h(-1)) for the aerobic oxidation of 1-phenylethanol under solvent-free conditions attributed to its strongest Au-support synergy. The excellent activity and stability of AuNCs/M3Al-LDH catalysts render these materials promising candidates for green base-free selective oxidation of alcohols by molecular oxygen.

Studies of molecular-beam epitaxy growth of GaAs on porous Si substrates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mii, Y. J.; Kao, Y. C.; Wu, B. J.; Wang, K. L.; Lin, T. L.; Liu, J. K.

1988-01-01

GaAs has been grown on porous Si directly and on Si buffer layer-porous Si substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy. In the case of GaAs growth on porous Si, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals that the dominant defects in GaAs layers grown on porous Si are microtwins and stacking faults, which originate from the GaAs/porous Si interface. GaAs is found to penetrate into the porous Si layers. By using a thin Si buffer layer (50 nm), GaAs penetration diminishes and the density of microtwins and stacking faults is largely reduced and localized at the GaAs/Si buffer interface. However, there is a high density of threading dislocations remaining. Both Si (100) aligned and four degree tilted substrates have been examined in this study. TEM results show no observable effect of the tilted substrates on the quality of the GaAs epitaxial layer.

Sol-gel deposition of buffer layers on biaxially textured metal substances

DOEpatents

Shoup, Shara S.; Paranthamam, Mariappan; Beach, David B.; Kroeger, Donald M.; Goyal, Amit

2000-01-01

A method is disclosed for forming a biaxially textured buffer layer on a biaxially oriented metal substrate by using a sol-gel coating technique followed by pyrolyzing/annealing in a reducing atmosphere. This method is advantageous for providing substrates for depositing electronically active materials thereon.

Quantification of elemental area densities in multiple metal layers (Au/Ni/Cu) on a Cr-coated quartz glass substrate for certification of NMIJ CRM 5208-a.

PubMed

Ariga, Tomoko; Zhu, Yanbei; Ito, Mika; Takatsuka, Toshiko; Terauchi, Shinya; Kurokawa, Akira; Inagaki, Kazumi

2018-04-01

Area densities of Au/Ni/Cu layers on a Cr-coated quartz substrate were characterized to certify a multiple-metal-layer certified reference material (NMIJ CRM5208-a) that is intended for use in the analysis of the layer area density and the thickness by an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The area densities of Au/Ni/Cu layers were calculated from layer mass amounts and area. The layer mass amounts were determined by using wet chemical analyses, namely inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), isotope-dilution (ID-) ICP-MS, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) after dissolving the layers with diluted mixture of HCl and HNO 3 (1:1, v/v). Analytical results of the layer mass amounts obtained by the methods agreed well with each another within their uncertainty ranges. The area of the layer was determined by using a high-resolution optical scanner calibrated by Japan Calibration Service System (JCSS) standard scales. The property values of area density were 1.84 ± 0.05 μg/mm 2 for Au, 8.69 ± 0.17 μg/mm 2 for Ni, and 8.80 ± 0.14 μg/mm 2 for Cu (mean ± expanded uncertainty, coverage factor k = 2). In order to assess the reliability of these values, the density of each metal layer calculated from the property values of the area density and layer thickness measured by using a scanning electron microscope were compared with available literature values and good agreement between the observed values and values obtained in previous studies.

Growth temperature optimization of GaAs-based In0.83Ga0.17As on InxAl1-xAs buffers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X. Y.; Gu, Y.; Zhang, Y. G.; Ma, Y. J.; Du, B.; Zhang, J.; Ji, W. Y.; Shi, Y. H.; Zhu, Y.

2018-04-01

Improved quality of gas source molecular beam epitaxy grown In0.83Ga0.17As layer on GaAs substrate was achieved by adopting a two-step InxAl1-xAs metamorphic buffer at different temperatures. With a high-temperature In0.83Al0.17As template following a low-temperature composition continuously graded InxAl1-xAs (x = 0.05-0.86) buffer, better structural, optical and electrical properties of succeeding In0.83Ga0.17As were confirmed by atomic force microscopy, photoluminescence and Hall-effect measurements. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy revealed significant effect of the two-step temperature grown InAlAs buffer layers on the inhibition of threading dislocations due to the deposition of high density nuclei on GaAs substrate at the low growth temperature. The limited reduction for the dark current of GaAs-based In0.83Ga0.17As photodetectors on the two-step temperature grown InxAl1-xAs buffer layers was ascribed to the contribution of impurities caused by the low growth temperature of InAlAs buffers.

Model for threading dislocations in metamorphic tandem solar cells on GaAs (001) substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yifei; Kujofsa, Tedi; Ayers, John E.

2018-02-01

We present an approximate model for the threading dislocations in III-V heterostructures and have applied this model to study the defect behavior in metamorphic triple-junction solar cells. This model represents a new approach in which the coefficient for second-order threading dislocation annihilation and coalescence reactions is considered to be determined by the length of misfit dislocations, LMD, in the structure, and we therefore refer to it as the LMD model. On the basis of this model we have compared the average threading dislocation densities in the active layers of triple junction solar cells using linearly-graded buffers of varying thicknesses as well as S-graded (complementary error function) buffers with varying thicknesses and standard deviation parameters. We have shown that the threading dislocation densities in the active regions of metamorphic tandem solar cells depend not only on the thicknesses of the buffer layers but on their compositional grading profiles. The use of S-graded buffer layers instead of linear buffers resulted in lower threading dislocation densities. Moreover, the threading dislocation densities depended strongly on the standard deviation parameters used in the S-graded buffers, with smaller values providing lower threading dislocation densities.

Tunable surface plasmon resonance frequency of Au-Ag bimetallic asymmetric structure thin films in the UV and IR region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Ruijin; Ji, Jialin; Tao, Chunxian; Zhang, Dawei

2016-10-01

Au/ZnO/Ag sandwich structure films were fabricated by DC magnetron sputter at room temperature. The tunability of the surface plasmon resonance wavelength was realized by varying the thickness of ZnO thin film. The effects of ZnO layer on the optical properties of Au/ZnO/Au thin films were investigated by optical absorption and Raman scattering measurements. It has been found that both the surface plasmon resonance frequency and SERS can be controlled by adjusting the thickness of ZnO layer due to the coupling of metal and semiconductor.

Visualization of Individual Images in Patterned Organic-Inorganic Multilayers Using GISAXS-CT.

PubMed

Ogawa, Hiroki; Nishikawa, Yukihiro; Takenaka, Mikihito; Fujiwara, Akihiko; Nakanishi, Yohei; Tsujii, Yoshinobu; Takata, Masaki; Kanaya, Toshiji

2017-05-16

Using grazing-incidence small-angle scattering (GISAXS) with computed tomography (CT), we have individually reconstructed the spatial distribution of a thin gold (Au) layer buried under a thin poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) layer. Owing to the difference between total reflection angles of Au and PS-b-P2VP, the scattering profiles for Au nanoparticles and self-assembled nanostructures of PS-b-P2VP could be independently obtained by changing the X-ray angle of incidence. Reconstruction of scattering profiles allows one to separately characterize spatial distributions in Au and PS-b-P2VP nanostructures.

Low frequency noise in the unstable contact region of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches

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

Qiu, Haodong; Wang, Hong, E-mail: ewanghong@ntu.edu.sg; Ke, Feixiang

The noise behavior of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches has been experimentally studied in the unstable contact region. The results suggest that the electrical conduction remains nonmetallic at the initial stage during contact formation due to the existence of alien films, and traps in the alien layer located at the contact interface could play an important role in determining the conduction noise. The conduction fluctuation induced by electron trapping-detrapping associated with the hydrocarbon layer is found to be an intrinsic noise source contributing to the low frequency noise in the unstable contact region.

Low frequency noise in the unstable contact region of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Haodong; Wang, Hong; Ke, Feixiang

2014-06-01

The noise behavior of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches has been experimentally studied in the unstable contact region. The results suggest that the electrical conduction remains nonmetallic at the initial stage during contact formation due to the existence of alien films, and traps in the alien layer located at the contact interface could play an important role in determining the conduction noise. The conduction fluctuation induced by electron trapping-detrapping associated with the hydrocarbon layer is found to be an intrinsic noise source contributing to the low frequency noise in the unstable contact region.

A novel surface plasmon resonance biosensor based on the PDA-AgNPs-PDA-Au film sensing platform for horse IgG detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ning; Zhang, Di; Deng, Xinyu; Sun, Ying; Wang, Xinghua; Ma, Pinyi; Song, Daqian

2018-02-01

Herein we report a novel polydopamine-silver nanoparticle-polydopamine-gold (PDA-AgNPs-PDA-Au) film based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor for horse IgG detection. The PDA-AgNPs-PDA-Au film sensing platform was built on Au-film via layer-by-layer self-assembly. Ag ion was reduced in situ to AgNPs in presence of PDA. The top PDA layer can prevent AgNPs from being oxidized and connect with antibody via Schiff alkali reaction directly. The morphology and thickness of the modified gold film were characterized using scanning electron microscope and Talystep. Experimental results show that the PDA-AgNPs-PDA-Au film sensing platform is stable, regenerative and sensitive for horse IgG detection. The detection limit of horse IgG obtained with the present biosensor is 0.625 μg mL- 1, which is 2-fold and 4-fold lower than that obtained with biosensor based on PDA modified Au film and conventional biosensor based on MPA, respectively. Furthermore, when challenged to real serum samples, our sensor exhibited excellent specificity to horse IgG, suggesting its potential for industrial application.

Third-order optical nonlinearity studies of bilayer Au/Ag metallic films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mezher, M. H.; Chong, W. Y.; Zakaria, R.

2016-05-01

This paper presents nonlinear optical studies of bilayer metallic films of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) on glass substrate prepared using electron beam evaporation. The preparation of Au and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) on the substrate involved the use of electron beam deposition, then thermal annealing at 600 °C and 270 °C, respectively, to produce a randomly distributed layer of Au and a layer of Ag NPs. Observation of field-effect scanning electron microscope images indicated the size of the NPs. Details of the optical properties related to peak absorption of surface plasmon resonance of the nanoparticle were revealed by use of UV-Vis spectroscopy. The Z-scan technique was used to measure the nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction of the fabricated NP layers. The third-order nonlinear refractive index coefficients for Au and Ag are (-9.34 and  -1.61)  ×  10-11 cm2 W-1 given lower n 2, in comparison with bilayer (Au and Ag) NPs at  -1.24  ×  10-10 cm2 W-1. The results show bilayer NPs have higher refractive index coefficients thus enhance the nonlinearity effects.

Time-resolved X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy for Electron Transport Study in Warm Dense Gold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jong-Won; Bae, Leejin; Engelhorn, Kyle; Heimann, Philip; Ping, Yuan; Barbrel, Ben; Fernandez, Amalia; Beckwith, Martha Anne; Cho, Byoung-Ick; GIST Team; IBS Team; LBNL Collaboration; SLAC Collaboration; LLNL Collaboration

2015-11-01

The warm dense Matter represents states of which the temperature is comparable to Fermi energy and ions are strongly coupled. One of the experimental techniques to create such state in the laboratory condition is the isochoric heating of thin metal foil with femtosecond laser pulses. This concept largely relies on the ballistic transport of electrons near the Fermi-level, which were mainly studied for the metals in ambient conditions. However, they were barely investigated in warm dense conditions. We present a time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy measured for the Au/Cu dual layered sample. The front Au layer was isochorically heated with a femtosecond laser pulse, and the x-ray absorption changes around L-edge of Cu, which was attached on the backside of Au, was measured with a picosecond resolution. Time delays between the heating of the `front surface' of Au layer and the alternation of x-ray spectrum of Cu attached on the `rear surface' of Au indicate the energetic electron transport mechanism through Au in the warm dense conditions. IBS (IBS-R012-D1) and the NRF (No. 2013R1A1A1007084) of Korea.

Photoacoustic emission from Au nanoparticles arrayed on thermal insulation layer.

PubMed

Namura, Kyoko; Suzuki, Motofumi; Nakajima, Kaoru; Kimura, Kenji

2013-04-08

Efficient photoacoustic emission from Au nanoparticles on a porous SiO(2) layer was investigated experimentally and theoretically. The Au nanoparticle arrays/porous SiO(2)/SiO(2)/Ag mirror sandwiches, namely, local plasmon resonators, were prepared by dynamic oblique deposition (DOD). Photoacoustic measurements were performed on the local plasmon resonators, whose optical absorption was varied from 0.03 (3%) to 0.95 by varying the thickness of the dielectric SiO(2) layer. The sample with high absorption (0.95) emitted a sound that was eight times stronger than that emitted by graphite (0.94) and three times stronger than that emitted by the sample without the porous SiO(2) layer (0.93). The contribution of the porous SiO(2) layer to the efficient photoacoustic emission was analyzed by means of a numerical method based on a one-dimensional heat transfer model. The result suggested that the low thermal conductivity of the underlying porous layer reduces the amount of heat escaping from the substrate and contributes to the efficient photoacoustic emission from Au nanoparticle arrays. Because both the thermal conductivity and the spatial distribution of the heat generation can be controlled by DOD, the local plasmon resonators produced by DOD are suitable for the spatio-temporal modulation of the local temperature.

Structure characterization of MHEMT heterostructure elements with In0.4Ga0.6As quantum well grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrate using reciprocal space mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleshin, A. N.; Bugaev, A. S.; Ermakova, M. A.; Ruban, O. A.

2016-03-01

The crystallographic parameters of elements of a metamorphic high-electron-mobility transistor (MHEMT) heterostructure with In0.4Ga0.6As quantum well are determined using reciprocal space mapping. The heterostructure has been grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) on the vicinal surface of a GaAs substrate with a deviation angle of 2° from the (001) plane. The structure consists of a metamorphic step-graded buffer (composed of six layers, including an inverse step), a high-temperature buffer of constant composition, and active high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) layers. The InAs content in the metamorphic buffer layers varies from 0.1 to 0.48. Reciprocal space mapping has been performed for the 004 and 224 reflections (the latter in glancing exit geometry). Based on map processing, the lateral and vertical lattice parameters of In x Ga1- x As ternary solid solutions of variable composition have been determined. The degree of layer lattice relaxation and the compressive stress are found within the linear elasticity theory. The high-temperature buffer layer of constant composition (on which active MHEMT layers are directly formed) is shown to have the highest (close to 100%) degree of relaxation in comparison with all other heterostructure layers and a minimum compressive stress.

Improvement of the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction by introducing a Ta buffer layer

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

Kim, Nam-Hui; Jung, Jinyong; Cho, Jaehun

2015-10-05

We report systematic measurements of the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (iDMI) by employing Brillouin light scattering in Pt/Co/AlO{sub x} and Ta/Pt/Co/AlO{sub x} structures. By introducing a tantalum buffer layer, the saturation magnetization and the interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are significantly improved due to the better interface between heavy metal and ferromagnetic layer. From the frequency shift between Stokes- and anti-Stokes spin-waves, we successively obtain considerably larger iDM energy densities (D{sub max} = 1.65 ± 0.13 mJ/m{sup 2} at t{sub Co} = 1.35 nm) upon adding the Ta buffer layer, despite the nominally identical interface materials. Moreover, the energy density shows an inverse proportionality with the Co layer thickness,more » which is the critical clue that the observed iDMI is indeed originating from the interface between the Pt and Co layers.« less

Epitaxial growth of YBa2Cu3O7 - delta films on oxidized silicon with yttria- and zirconia-based buffer layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pechen, E. V.; Schoenberger, R.; Brunner, B.; Ritzinger, S.; Renk, K. F.; Sidorov, M. V.; Oktyabrsky, S. R.

1993-09-01

A study of epitaxial growth of YBa2Cu3O7-δ films on oxidized Si with yttria- and zirconia-based buffer layers is reported. Using substrates with either SiO2 free or naturally oxidized (100) surfaces of Si it was found that a thin SiO2 layer on top of the Si favors high-quality superconducting film formation. Compared to yttria-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) single layers, YSZY2O3 double and YSZ/Y2O3YSZ triple layers allows the deposition of thin YBa2Cu3O7-δ films with improved properties including reduced aging effects. In epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-δ films grown on the double buffer layers a critical temperature Tc(R=0)=89.5 K and critical current densities of 3.5×106 A/cm2 at 77 K and 1×107 A/cm2 at 66 K were reached.

Ultralow threading dislocation density in GaN epilayer on near-strain-free GaN compliant buffer layer and its applications in hetero-epitaxial LEDs

PubMed Central

Shih, Huan-Yu; Shiojiri, Makoto; Chen, Ching-Hsiang; Yu, Sheng-Fu; Ko, Chung-Ting; Yang, Jer-Ren; Lin, Ray-Ming; Chen, Miin-Jang

2015-01-01

High threading dislocation (TD) density in GaN-based devices is a long unresolved problem because of the large lattice mismatch between GaN and the substrate, which causes a major obstacle for the further improvement of next-generation high-efficiency solid-state lighting and high-power electronics. Here, we report InGaN/GaN LEDs with ultralow TD density and improved efficiency on a sapphire substrate, on which a near strain-free GaN compliant buffer layer was grown by remote plasma atomic layer deposition. This “compliant” buffer layer is capable of relaxing strain due to the absorption of misfit dislocations in a region within ~10 nm from the interface, leading to a high-quality overlying GaN epilayer with an unusual TD density as low as 2.2 × 105 cm−2. In addition, this GaN compliant buffer layer exhibits excellent uniformity up to a 6” wafer, revealing a promising means to realize large-area GaN hetero-epitaxy for efficient LEDs and high-power transistors. PMID:26329829

Layer-by-Layer-Assembled AuNPs-Decorated First-Generation Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimer with Reduced Graphene Oxide Core as Highly Sensitive Biosensing Platform with Controllable 3D Nanoarchitecture for Rapid Voltammetric Analysis of Ultratrace DNA Hybridization.

PubMed

Jayakumar, Kumarasamy; Camarada, María Belén; Dharuman, Venkataraman; Rajesh, Rajendiran; Venkatesan, Rengarajan; Ju, Huangxian; Maniraj, Mahalingam; Rai, Abhishek; Barman, Sudipta Roy; Wen, Yangping

2018-06-27

The structure and electrochemical properties of layer-by-layer-assembled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-decorated first-generation (G1) poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (PD) with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) core as a highly sensitive and label-free biosensing platform with a controllable three-dimensional (3D) nanoarchitecture for the rapid voltammetric analysis of DNA hybridization at ultratrace levels were characterized. Mercaptopropinoic acid (MPA) was self-assembled onto Au substrate, then GG1PD formed by the covalent functionalization between the amino terminals of G1PD and carboxyl terminals of rGO was covalently linked onto MPA, and finally AuNPs were decorated onto GG1PD by strong physicochemical interaction between AuNPs and -OH of rGO in GG1PD, which was characterized through different techniques and confirmed by computational calculation. This 3D controllable thin-film electrode was optimized and evaluated using [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3-/4- as the redox probe and employed to covalently immobilize thiol-functionalized single-stranded DNA as biorecognition element to form the DNA nanobiosensor, which achieved fast, ultrasensitive, and high-selective differential pulse voltammetric analysis of DNA hybridization in a linear range from 1 × 10 -6 to 1 × 10 -13 g m -1 with a low detection limit of 9.07 × 10 -14 g m -1 . This work will open a new pathway for the controllable 3D nanoarchitecture of the layer-by-layer-assembled metal nanoparticles-functionalized lower-generation PD with two-dimensional layered nanomaterials as cores that can be employed as ultrasensitive and label-free nanobiodevices for the fast diagnosis of specific genome diseases in the field of biomedicine.

Propagation of misfit dislocations from buffer/Si interface into Si

DOEpatents

Liliental-Weber, Zuzanna [El Sobrante, CA; Maltez, Rogerio Luis [Porto Alegre, BR; Morkoc, Hadis [Richmond, VA; Xie, Jinqiao [Raleigh, VA

2011-08-30

Misfit dislocations are redirected from the buffer/Si interface and propagated to the Si substrate due to the formation of bubbles in the substrate. The buffer layer growth process is generally a thermal process that also accomplishes annealing of the Si substrate so that bubbles of the implanted ion species are formed in the Si at an appropriate distance from the buffer/Si interface so that the bubbles will not migrate to the Si surface during annealing, but are close enough to the interface so that a strain field around the bubbles will be sensed by dislocations at the buffer/Si interface and dislocations are attracted by the strain field caused by the bubbles and move into the Si substrate instead of into the buffer epi-layer. Fabrication of improved integrated devices based on GaN and Si, such as continuous wave (CW) lasers and light emitting diodes, at reduced cost is thereby enabled.

Interface observation in Au/Ni/p-GaN studied by HREM and energy-filtering TEM.

PubMed

Lim, Sung-Hwan; Ra, Tae-Yeub; Kim, Won-Yong

2003-01-01

The contact resistance of Au/Ni/p-GaN ohmic contacts for different annealing conditions was measured. This was then correlated with microstructure, including phase distribution, observed by high-resolution electron microscopy combined with energy-filtering imaging. A contact resistance of 2.22 x 10(-4) ohms cm2 for Au/Ni contacts to p-GaN after annealing at 500 degrees C for 5 min in air ambient was obtained. NiO layers were identified at the interface and upper area of annealed Ni/Au/p-GaN for air ambient. In addition, an Au layer was found at the interface of p-GaN due to a reversal reaction during annealing. Identification of the observed phases is discussed, along with possible formation mechanisms for the ohmic contacts in the Au/Ni/p-GaN system.

A first principles study on the electronic origins of silver segregation at the Ag-Au (111) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoppe, Sandra; Müller, Stefan

2017-12-01

The special electronic structure of gold gives rise to many interesting phenomena, such as its color. The surface segregation of the silver-gold system has been the subject of numerous experimental and theoretical studies, yielding conflicting results ranging from strong Ag surface enrichment to Au surface segregation. Via a combined approach of density functional theory (DFT) and statistical physics, we have analyzed the segregation at the Ag-Au (111) surface with different Ag bulk concentrations. Interestingly, we observe a moderate Au surface segregation, which is due to a charge transfer from the less electronegative Ag to Au. Canonical Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the calculated concentration profile with a Au-enriched surface layer remains stable up to higher temperatures. However, the presence of adsorbed oxygen reverses the segregation behavior and leads to strong Ag enrichment of the surface layer.

Growth and characterization of an InSb infrared photoconductor on Si via an AlSb/GaSb buffer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Bo Wen; Tan, Kian Hua; Loke, Wan Khai; Wicaksono, Satrio; Yoon, Soon Fatt

2018-05-01

A 99.6% relaxed InSb layer is grown on a 6° offcut (1 0 0) Si substrate via an AlSb/GaSb buffer using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). A 200 nm GaSb buffer is first grown on Si and the lattice mismatch between them is accommodated by an interfacial misfit (IMF) array consisting of uniformly distributed 90° misfit dislocations. Si delta doping is introduced during the growth of GaSb to reduce the density of threading dislocation. Subsequently, a 50 nm AlSb buffer is grown followed by a 0.8 μm InSb layer. The InSb layer exhibits a 300 K electron mobility of 22,300 cm2/Vs. An InSb photoconductor on Si is demonstrated with a photoconductive gain from 77 K to 200 K under a 700 °C maintained blackbody.

Minute synthesis of extremely stable gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Zhou, Min; Wang, Baoxiang; Rozynek, Zbigniew; Xie, Zhaohui; Fossum, Jon Otto; Yu, Xiaofeng; Raaen, Steinar

2009-12-16

We describe a rapid environmentally friendly wet-chemical approach to synthesize extremely stable non-toxic, biocompatible, water-soluble monodispersed gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in one step at room temperature. The particles have been successfully achieved in just a few minutes by merely adding sodium hydroxide (NaOH) acting as an initiator for the reduction of HAuCl(4) in aqueous solution in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) without the use of any reducing agent. It is also proved to be highly efficient for the preparation of AuNPs with controllable sizes. The AuNPs show remarkable stability in water media with high concentrations of salt, various buffer solutions and physiological conditions in biotechnology and biomedicine. Moreover, the AuNPs are also non-toxic at high concentration (100 microM). Therefore, it provides great opportunities to use these AuNPs for biotechnology and biomedicine. This new approach also involved several green chemistry concepts, such as the selection of environmentally benign reagents and solvents, without energy consumption, and less reaction time.

Using Multifunctional Peptide Conjugated Au Nanorods for Monitoring β-amyloid Aggregation and Chemo-Photothermal Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.

PubMed

Li, Meng; Guan, Yijia; Zhao, Andong; Ren, Jinsong; Qu, Xiaogang

2017-01-01

Development of sensitive detectors of Aβ aggregates and effective inhibitors of Aβ aggregation are of diagnostic importance and therapeutic implications for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment. Herein, a novel strategy has been presented by self-assembly of peptide conjugated Au nanorods (AuP) as multifunctional Aβ fibrillization detectors and inhibitors. Our design combines the unique high NIR absorption property of AuNRs with two known Aβ inhibitors, Aβ15-20 and polyoxometalates (POMs). The synthesized AuP can effectively inhibit Aβ aggregation and dissociate amyloid deposits with NIR irradiation both in buffer and in mice cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and protect cells from Aβ-related toxicity upon NIR irradiation. In addition, with the shape and size-dependent optical properties, the nanorods can also act as effective diagnostic probes to sensitively detect the Aβ aggregates. This is the first report to integrate 3 segments, an Aβ-targeting element, a reporter and inhibitors, in one drug delivery system for AD treatment.

Using Multifunctional Peptide Conjugated Au Nanorods for Monitoring β-amyloid Aggregation and Chemo-Photothermal Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

PubMed Central

Li, Meng; Guan, Yijia; Zhao, Andong; Ren, Jinsong; Qu, Xiaogang

2017-01-01

Development of sensitive detectors of Aβ aggregates and effective inhibitors of Aβ aggregation are of diagnostic importance and therapeutic implications for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment. Herein, a novel strategy has been presented by self-assembly of peptide conjugated Au nanorods (AuP) as multifunctional Aβ fibrillization detectors and inhibitors. Our design combines the unique high NIR absorption property of AuNRs with two known Aβ inhibitors, Aβ15-20 and polyoxometalates (POMs). The synthesized AuP can effectively inhibit Aβ aggregation and dissociate amyloid deposits with NIR irradiation both in buffer and in mice cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and protect cells from Aβ-related toxicity upon NIR irradiation. In addition, with the shape and size-dependent optical properties, the nanorods can also act as effective diagnostic probes to sensitively detect the Aβ aggregates. This is the first report to integrate 3 segments, an Aβ-targeting element, a reporter and inhibitors, in one drug delivery system for AD treatment. PMID:28839459

Electron-lattice energy relaxation in laser-excited thin-film Au-insulator heterostructures studied by ultrafast MeV electron diffraction.

PubMed

Sokolowski-Tinten, K; Shen, X; Zheng, Q; Chase, T; Coffee, R; Jerman, M; Li, R K; Ligges, M; Makasyuk, I; Mo, M; Reid, A H; Rethfeld, B; Vecchione, T; Weathersby, S P; Dürr, H A; Wang, X J

2017-09-01

We apply time-resolved MeV electron diffraction to study the electron-lattice energy relaxation in thin film Au-insulator heterostructures. Through precise measurements of the transient Debye-Waller-factor, the mean-square atomic displacement is directly determined, which allows to quantitatively follow the temporal evolution of the lattice temperature after short pulse laser excitation. Data obtained over an extended range of laser fluences reveal an increased relaxation rate when the film thickness is reduced or the Au-film is capped with an additional insulator top-layer. This behavior is attributed to a cross-interfacial coupling of excited electrons in the Au film to phonons in the adjacent insulator layer(s). Analysis of the data using the two-temperature-model taking explicitly into account the additional energy loss at the interface(s) allows to deduce the relative strength of the two relaxation channels.

Colloidal domain lithography for regularly arranged artificial magnetic out-of-plane monodomains in Au/Co/Au layers.

PubMed

Kuświk, Piotr; Ehresmann, Arno; Tekielak, Maria; Szymański, Bogdan; Sveklo, Iosif; Mazalski, Piotr; Engel, Dieter; Kisielewski, Jan; Lengemann, Daniel; Urbaniak, Maciej; Schmidt, Christoph; Maziewski, Andrzej; Stobiecki, Feliks

2011-03-04

Regularly arranged magnetic out-of-plane patterns in continuous and flat films are promising for applications in data storage technology (bit patterned media) or transport of individual magnetic particles. Whereas topographic magnetic structures are fabricated by standard lithographical techniques, the fabrication of regularly arranged artificial domains in topographically flat films is difficult, since the free energy minimization determines the existence, shape, and regularity of domains. Here we show that keV He(+) ion bombardment of Au/Co/Au layer systems through a colloidal mask of hexagonally arranged spherical polystyrene beads enables magnetic patterning of regularly arranged cylindrical magnetic monodomains with out-of-plane magnetization embedded in a ferromagnetic matrix with easy-plane anisotropy. This colloidal domain lithography creates artificial domains via periodic lateral anisotropy variations induced by periodic defect density modulations. Magnetization reversal of the layer system observed by magnetic force microscopy shows individual disc switching indicating monodomain states.

Electron-lattice energy relaxation in laser-excited thin-film Au-insulator heterostructures studied by ultrafast MeV electron diffraction

PubMed Central

Sokolowski-Tinten, K.; Shen, X.; Zheng, Q.; Chase, T.; Coffee, R.; Jerman, M.; Li, R. K.; Ligges, M.; Makasyuk, I.; Mo, M.; Reid, A. H.; Rethfeld, B.; Vecchione, T.; Weathersby, S. P.; Dürr, H. A.; Wang, X. J.

2017-01-01

We apply time-resolved MeV electron diffraction to study the electron-lattice energy relaxation in thin film Au-insulator heterostructures. Through precise measurements of the transient Debye-Waller-factor, the mean-square atomic displacement is directly determined, which allows to quantitatively follow the temporal evolution of the lattice temperature after short pulse laser excitation. Data obtained over an extended range of laser fluences reveal an increased relaxation rate when the film thickness is reduced or the Au-film is capped with an additional insulator top-layer. This behavior is attributed to a cross-interfacial coupling of excited electrons in the Au film to phonons in the adjacent insulator layer(s). Analysis of the data using the two-temperature-model taking explicitly into account the additional energy loss at the interface(s) allows to deduce the relative strength of the two relaxation channels. PMID:28795080

Structure determination of a multilayer with an island-like overlayer using hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

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

Isomura, N., E-mail: isomura@mosk.tytlabs.co.jp; Kataoka, K.; Horibuchi, K.

We use hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) to obtain the surface structure of a multilayer Au/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate sample with an island-like overlayer. Photoelectron intensities are measured as a function of incident photon energy (PE) and take-off angle (TOA, measured from the sample surface). The Au layer coverage and Au and SiO{sub 2} layer thicknesses are obtained by the PE dependence, and are used for the following TOA analysis. The Au island lateral width in the cross section is obtained by the TOA dependence, including information about surface roughness, in consideration of the island shadowing at small TOAs. In bothmore » cases, curve-fitting analysis is conducted. The surface structure, which consists of layer thicknesses, overlayer coverage and island width, is determined nondestructively by a combination of PE and TOA dependent HAXPES measurements.« less

Influence of the Debye length on the interaction of a small molecule-modified Au nanoparticle with a surface-bound bioreceptor.

PubMed

Bukar, Natalia; Zhao, Sandy Shuo; Charbonneau, David M; Pelletier, Joelle N; Masson, Jean-Francois

2014-05-18

We report that a shorter Debye length and, as a consequence, decreased colloidal stability are required for the molecular interaction of folic acid-modified Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) to occur on a surface-bound receptor, human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR). The interaction measured using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing was optimal in a phosphate buffer at pH 6 and ionic strength exceeding 300 mM. Under these conditions, the aggregation constant of the Au NPs was approximately 10(4) M(-1) s(-1) and the Debye length was below 1 nm, on the same length scale as the size of the folate anion (approximately 0.8 nm). Longer Debye lengths led to poorer SPR responses, revealing a reduced affinity of the folic acid-modified Au NPs for hDHFR. While high colloidal stability of Au NPs is desired in most applications, these conditions may hinder molecular interactions due to Debye lengths exceeding the size of the ligand and thus preventing close interactions with the surface-bound molecular receptor.

Control and monitoring of oxygen fugacity in piston cylinder experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matjuschkin, Vladimir; Brooker, Richard A.; Tattitch, Brian; Blundy, Jon D.; Stamper, Charlotte C.

2015-01-01

We present a newly developed capsule design that resolves some common problems associated with the monitoring and control of oxygen fugacity ( fO2) in high-pressure piston cylinder experiments. The new fO2 control assembly consists of an AuPd outer capsule enclosing two inner capsules: one of AuPd capsule containing the experimental charge (including some water), and the other of Pt containing a solid oxygen buffer plus water. The inner capsules are separated by crushable alumina. The outer capsule is surrounded by a Pyrex sleeve to simultaneously minimise hydrogen loss from the cell and carbon infiltration from the graphite furnace. Controlled fO2 experiments using this cell design were carried out at 1.0 GPa and 1,000 °C. We used NiPd, CoPd and (Ni, Mg)O fO2 sensors, whose pressure sensitivity is well calibrated, to monitor the redox states achieved in experiments buffered by Re-ReO2, Ni-NiO and Co-CoO, respectively. Results for the fO2 sensors are in good agreement with the intended fO2 established by the buffer, demonstrating excellent control for durations of 24-48 h, with uncertainties less than ± 0.3 log bar units of fO2.

Pedagog II Realization.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

BE2 CD66 ALl SGG/110(14) 5/AS2 SGG/79(14) AMI 110(13) 5/AU2 78(16) NI KRIRF/lll(2) ANl PRIRF/lll(l) ARI IPC/lll(ll) 7/BPl IPC/144(4) ASI KRF/106(9...KRS 6034 Read a character from the keyboard/reader buffer. The keyboard/reader flag is set when the operation is completed. KIE 6035 Enable the...keyboard/ reader flag is a 1. KCC 6032 Clear the AC and the keyboard/reader flag. KRS 6034 Read a character from the keyboard/reader buffer. The keyboard

SnS2 films deposited from molecular ink as Cd-free alternative buffer layer for solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jariwala, Akshay; Chaudhuri, Tapas K.; Toshniwal, Aditi; Patel, Sanjay; Kheraj, Vipul; Ray, Abhijit

2018-05-01

This work investigates the potential of SnS2 as a Cd-free alternative buffer layer for CIGS solar cells. The suitability of SnS2 film as a buffer layer has been evaluated by numerical analysis using SCAPS software. A new simple method for preparation of SnS2 films by dip-coating from molecular ink is reported. The formation of SnS2 is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The films are smooth and shiny with roughness of 2-3 nm. The films are n-type with band gap of 2.6 eV and electrical conductivity of 10-3 S/cm.

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

Ok, Kyung-Chul; Park, Jin-Seong, E-mail: hkim-2@naver.com, E-mail: jsparklime@hanyang.ac.kr; Ko Park, Sang-Hee

We demonstrated the fabrication of flexible amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) on high-temperature polyimide (PI) substrates, which were debonded from the carrier glass after TFT fabrication. The application of appropriate buffer layers on the PI substrates affected the TFT performance and stability. The adoption of the SiN{sub x}/AlO{sub x} buffer layers as water and hydrogen diffusion barriers significantly improved the device performance and stability against the thermal annealing and negative bias stress, compared to single SiN{sub x} or SiO{sub x} buffer layers. The substrates could be bent down to a radius of curvature of 15 mm and themore » devices remained normally functional.« less

Effect of buffer layer on photoresponse of MoS2 phototransistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyamoto, Yuga; Yoshikawa, Daiki; Takei, Kuniharu; Arie, Takayuki; Akita, Seiji

2018-06-01

An atomically thin MoS2 field-effect transistor (FET) is expected as an ultrathin photosensor with high sensitivity. However, a persistent photoconductivity phenomenon prevents high-speed photoresponse. Here, we investigate the photoresponse of a MoS2 FET with a thin Al2O3 buffer layer on a SiO2 gate insulator. The application of a 2-nm-thick Al2O3 buffer layer greatly improves not only the steady state properties but also the response speed from 1700 to 0.2 s. These experimental results are well explained by the random localized potential fluctuation model combined with the model based on the recombination of the bounded electrons around the trapped hole.

Enhanced interface perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in electrodeposited Co/Au(111) layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cagnon, L.; Devolder, T.; Cortes, R.; Morrone, A.; Schmidt, J. E.; Chappert, C.; Allongue, P.

2001-03-01

This work investigates the structure and interface perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) of electrodeposited Cu/Co/Au(111) sandwiches with variable Co thickness [2-20 monolayers (ML's)]. In optimum deposition conditions, polar magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements show that the axis of easy magnetization is perpendicular to the layers for thicknesses below ca. 7.2 ML's. This value is among the best ever reported for the Cu/Co/Au(111) structure. While extended x-ray-absorption fine structure indicates that layers are hcp, in situ STM imaging suggests that magnetoelastic effects contribute significantly to PMA. The correlation observed between the strength of PMA and film structure is discussed in details.

Buffer-regulated biocorrosion of pure magnesium.

PubMed

Kirkland, Nicholas T; Waterman, Jay; Birbilis, Nick; Dias, George; Woodfield, Tim B F; Hartshorn, Richard M; Staiger, Mark P

2012-02-01

Magnesium (Mg) alloys are being actively investigated as potential load-bearing orthopaedic implant materials due to their biodegradability in vivo. With Mg biomaterials at an early stage in their development, the screening of alloy compositions for their biodegradation rate, and hence biocompatibility, is reliant on cost-effective in vitro methods. The use of a buffer to control pH during in vitro biodegradation is recognised as critically important as this seeks to mimic pH control as it occurs naturally in vivo. The two different types of in vitro buffer system available are based on either (i) zwitterionic organic compounds or (ii) carbonate buffers within a partial-CO(2) atmosphere. This study investigated the influence of the buffering system itself on the in vitro corrosion of Mg. It was found that the less realistic zwitterion-based buffer did not form the same corrosion layers as the carbonate buffer, and was potentially affecting the behaviour of the hydrated oxide layer that forms on Mg in all aqueous environments. Consequently it was recommended that Mg in vitro experiments use the more biorealistic carbonate buffering system when possible.

Method for improving performance of high temperature superconductors within a magnetic field

DOEpatents

Wang, Haiyan; Foltyn, Stephen R.; Maiorov, Boris A.; Civale, Leonardo

2010-01-05

The present invention provides articles including a base substrate including a layer of an oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure layer thereon; and, a buffer layer upon the oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure layer, the buffer layer having an outwardly facing surface with a surface morphology including particulate outgrowths of from 10 nm to 500 run in size at the surface, such particulate outgrowths serving as flux pinning centers whereby the article maintains higher performance within magnetic fields than similar articles without the necessary density of such outgrowths.

Electrical and Optical Properties of Green Polymer Light Emitting Diodes with Various Structures of Au Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Park, Byung Min; Kim, Gi Ppeum; Mun, Sae Chan; Chang, Ho Jung

2015-10-01

The green polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs) were fabricated using the solution precursor synthesis method. To improve the device's electrical. and optical properties, gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) were added to the hole injection layer (HIL) with poly(3,4-ethylene- dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfolnate) ( PSS) organic material. The green PLED devices with a structure of glass/ITO/PEDOT:PSS+Au NPs/PVK:Ir(ppy)3/TPBi/LiF/Al were prepared by conventional spin-coating and thermal evaporation methods. Various concentrations of Au NPs were doped to the HILs to optimize the device's light emitting characteristic. The effects of Au NPs concentrations on the properties of PLEDs were investigated. The doping concentrations of Au NPs were changed ranging from 0.0 to 1.0 vol%. At the optimized Au NPs concentration of 0.5 vol%, we also studied the effects of various film layers with and without Au NPs on the properties of PLEDs. The maximum luminance and external quantum efficiency of the devices were found to be 20,430 cd/m2 and 7.49%, respectively.

[Sb{sub 4}Au{sub 4}Sb{sub 4}]{sup 2−}: A designer all-metal aromatic sandwich

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

Tian, Wen-Juan; You, Xue-Rui; Guo, Jin-Chang

We report on the computational design of an all-metal aromatic sandwich, [Sb{sub 4}Au{sub 4}Sb{sub 4}]{sup 2−}. The triple-layered, square-prismatic sandwich complex is the global minimum of the system from Coalescence Kick and Minima Hopping structural searches. Following a standard, qualitative chemical bonding analysis via canonical molecular orbitals, the sandwich complex can be formally described as [Sb{sub 4}]{sup +}[Au{sub 4}]{sup 4−}[Sb{sub 4}]{sup +}, showing ionic bonding characters with electron transfers in between the Sb{sub 4}/Au{sub 4}/Sb{sub 4} layers. For an in-depth understanding of the system, one needs to go beyond the above picture. Significant Sb → Au donation and Sb ←more » Au back-donation occur, redistributing electrons from the Sb{sub 4}/Au{sub 4}/Sb{sub 4} layers to the interlayer Sb–Au–Sb edges, which effectively lead to four Sb–Au–Sb three-center two-electron bonds. The complex is a system with 30 valence electrons, excluding the Sb 5s and Au 5d lone-pairs. The two [Sb{sub 4}]{sup +} ligands constitute an unusual three-fold (π and σ) aromatic system with all 22 electrons being delocalized. An energy gap of ∼1.6 eV is predicted for this all-metal sandwich. The complex is a rare example for rational design of cluster compounds and invites forth-coming synthetic efforts.« less

A novel platform designed by Au core/inorganic shell structure conjugated onto MTX/LDH for chemo-photothermal therapy.

PubMed

Tian, De-Ying; Wang, Wei-Yuan; Li, Shu-Ping; Li, Xiao-Dong; Sha, Zhao-Lin

2016-05-30

A novel platform making up of methotrexate intercalated layered double hydroxide (MTX/LDH) hybrid doped with gold nanoparticles (NPs) may have great potential both in chemo-photothermal therapy and the simultaneous drug delivery. In this paper, a promising platform of Au@PDDA-MTX/LDH was developed for anti-tumor drug delivery and synergistic therapy. Firstly, Au NPs were coated using Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technology by alternate deposition of poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and MTX molecules, and then the resulting core-shell structures (named as Au@PDDA-MTX) were directly conjugated onto the surface of MTX/LDH hybrid by electrostatic attraction to afford Au@PDDA-MTX/LDH NPs. Here MTX was used as both the agent for surface modification and the anti-tumor drug for chemotherapy. The platform of Au@PDDA-MTX/LDH NPs not only had a high drug-loading capacity, but also showed excellent colloidal stability and interesting pH-responsive release profile. In vitro drug release studies demonstrated that MTX released from Au@PDDA-MTX/LDH was relatively slow under normal physiological pH, but it was enhanced significantly at a weak acidic pH value. Furthermore, the combined treatment of cancer cells by using Au@PDDA-MTX/LDH for synergistic hyperthermia ablation and chemotherapy was demonstrated to exhibit higher therapeutic efficacy than either single treatment alone, underscoring the great potential of the platform for cancer therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Portable heatable container

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, L. C. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

A container is provided which can be designed to heat its outer surface to sterilize it, or to heat its inner surface and any contents therewithin. In a container that self sterilizes its outer surface, the container includes a combustible layer of thermite-type pyrotechnic material which can be ignited to generate considerable heat, and a thin casing around the combustible layer which is of highly thermally conductive materials such as aluminum which can be heated to a high temperature by the ignited combustible layer. A buffer layer which may be of metal, lies within the combustible layer, and a layer of insulation such as Teflon lies within the buffer layer to insulate the contents of the container from the heat.

Portable heatable container

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, L. C.

1980-03-01

A container is provided which can be designed to heat its outer surface to sterilize it, or to heat its inner surface and any contents therewithin. In a container that self sterilizes its outer surface, the container includes a combustible layer of thermite-type pyrotechnic material which can be ignited to generate considerable heat, and a thin casing around the combustible layer which is of highly thermally conductive materials such as aluminum which can be heated to a high temperature by the ignited combustible layer. A buffer layer which may be of metal, lies within the combustible layer, and a layer of insulation such as Teflon lies within the buffer layer to insulate the contents of the container from the heat.

Green chemistry approach for the synthesis and stabilization of biocompatible gold nanoparticles and their potential applications in cancer therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukherjee, Sudip; Sushma, V.; Patra, Sujata; Barui, Ayan Kumar; Pal Bhadra, Manika; Sreedhar, Bojja; Ranjan Patra, Chitta

2012-11-01

The biological approach to synthesis of AuNPs is eco-friendly and an ideal method to develop environmentally sustainable nanoparticles alternative to existing methods. We have developed a simple, fast, clean, efficient, low-cost and eco-friendly single-step green chemistry approach for the synthesis of biocompatible gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) using a water extract of Eclipta Alba leaves at room temperature. The AuNPs using Eclipta extract have been formed in very short time, even in less than 10 min. The as-synthesized AuNPs were thoroughly characterized by several physico-chemical techniques. The in vitro stability of as-synthesized AuNPs was studied in different buffer solutions. A plausible mechanism for the synthesis of AuNPs by Eclipta extract has been discussed. The biocompatibility of AuNPs was observed by in vitro cell culture assays. Finally, we have designed and developed a AuNPs-based drug delivery system (DDS) (Au-DOX) containing doxorubicin (DOX), a FDA approved anticancer drug. Administration of this DDS to breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) shows significant inhibition of breast cancer cell proliferation compared to pristine doxorubicin. Therefore we strongly believe that the use of Eclipta Alba offers large-scale production of biocompatible AuNPs that can be used as a delivery vehicle for the treatment of cancer diseases.

Study of the Au-Cr bilayer system using X-ray reflectivity, GDOES, and ToF-SIMS

DOE PAGES

Jonnard, Philippe; Modi, Mohammed H.; Le Guen, Karine; ...

2018-04-17

Here, we study a Au (25 nm)/Cr (10 nm) bilayer system as a model of mirror for the soft X–ray energy range. The Au and Cr thin films are a few nanometer thick and are deposited on a float glass substrate. The sample is characterized by using 3 complementary techniques: soft X–ray reflectivity, glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES), and time–of–flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF–SIMS). Soft X–ray reflectivity provides information about the thickness and roughness of the different layers, while GDOES is used to obtain the elemental depth profile of the stack and ToF–SIMS to obtain the elemental andmore » chemical depth profiles. GDOES and ToF–SIMS have both a nanometer depth resolution. A coherent description of the bilayer stack is obtained through the combination of these techniques. It consists in 5 layers namely a surface contamination layer, a principal gold layer, a Au–Cr mixed layer, a Cr layer, and another contamination layer at the top of the substrate.« less

Study of the Au-Cr bilayer system using X-ray reflectivity, GDOES, and ToF-SIMS

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

Jonnard, Philippe; Modi, Mohammed H.; Le Guen, Karine

Here, we study a Au (25 nm)/Cr (10 nm) bilayer system as a model of mirror for the soft X–ray energy range. The Au and Cr thin films are a few nanometer thick and are deposited on a float glass substrate. The sample is characterized by using 3 complementary techniques: soft X–ray reflectivity, glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES), and time–of–flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF–SIMS). Soft X–ray reflectivity provides information about the thickness and roughness of the different layers, while GDOES is used to obtain the elemental depth profile of the stack and ToF–SIMS to obtain the elemental andmore » chemical depth profiles. GDOES and ToF–SIMS have both a nanometer depth resolution. A coherent description of the bilayer stack is obtained through the combination of these techniques. It consists in 5 layers namely a surface contamination layer, a principal gold layer, a Au–Cr mixed layer, a Cr layer, and another contamination layer at the top of the substrate.« less

Effects of V2O3 buffer layers on sputtered VO2 smart windows: Improved thermochromic properties, tunable width of hysteresis loops and enhanced durability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Shiwei; Cao, Xun; Sun, Guangyao; Li, Ning; Chang, Tianci; Shao, Zewei; Jin, Ping

2018-05-01

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is one of the most well-known thermochromic materials, which exhibits a notable optical change from transparent to reflecting in the infrared region upon a metal-insulator phase transition. For practical applications, VO2 thin films should be in high crystalline quality to obtain a strong solar modulation ability (ΔTsol). Meanwhile, narrow hysteresis loops and robust ambient durability are also indispensable for sensitivity and long-lived utilization, respectively. In this work, a series of high-quality V2O3/VO2 bilayer structures were grown on quartz glass substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering. Basically, the bottom V2O3 acts as the buffer layer to improve the crystallinity of the top VO2, while the VO2 serves as the thermochromic layer to guarantee the solar modulation ability for energy-saving. We observed an obvious increase in ΔTsol of 76% (from 7.5% to 13.2%) for VO2 films after introducing V2O3 buffer layers. Simultaneously, a remarkable reduction by 79% (from 21.9 °C to 4.7 °C) in width of hysteresis loop was obtained when embedding 60 nm V2O3 buffer for 60 nm VO2. In addition, VO2 with non-stoichiometry of V2O3±x buffer demonstrates a broadening hysteresis loops width, which is derived from the lattice distortion caused by lattice imperfection. Finally, durability of VO2 has been significantly improved due to positive effects of V2O3 buffer layer. Our results lead to a comprehensive enhancement in crystallinity of VO2 and shed new light on the promotion of thermochromic property by homologous oxides for VO2.

MBE grown III-V strain relaxed buffer layers and superlattices characterized by atomic force microscopy

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

Howard, A.J.; Fritz, I.J.; Drummond, T.J.

1993-11-01

Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), the authors have investigated the effects of growth temperature and dopant incorporation on the surface morphology of MBE grown graded buffer layers and strained layer superlattices (SLSs) in the InGaAlAs/GaAs and InAsSb/InSb material systems. The AFM results show quantitatively that over the temperature range from 380 to 545 C, graded in{sub x}Al{sub 1{minus}x}As(x = 0.05 {minus} 0.32) buffer layers grown at high temperatures ({approximately}520 C), and graded In{sub x}Ga{sub 1{minus}x}As (x = 0.05 {minus} 0.33) buffer layers and In{sub 0.4}Ga{sub 0.6}As/In{sub 0.26}Al{sub 0.35}Ga{sub 0.39}As SLSs grown at low temperatures ({approximately}400 C) have the lowest RMSmore » roughness. Also, for SLSs InAs{sub 0.21}Sb{sub 0.79}/InSb, undoped layers grown at 470 C were smoother than undoped layers grown at 420 C and Be-doped layers grown at 470 C. These results illustrate the role of surface tension in the growth of strained layer materials near the melting temperature of the InAs{sub x}Sb{sub {minus}x}/InSb superlattice. Nomarski interference and transmission electron microscopies, IR photoluminescence, x-ray diffraction, and photocurrent spectroscopy were also used to evaluate the relative quality of the material but usually, the results were not conclusive.« less

Demonstrating antiphase domain boundary-free GaAs buffer layer on zero off-cut Si (0 0 1) substrate for interfacial misfit dislocation GaSb film by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ha, Minh Thien Huu; Hoang Huynh, Sa; Binh Do, Huy; Nguyen, Tuan Anh; Luc, Quang Ho; Chang, Edward Yi

2017-08-01

High quality 40 nm GaSb thin film was grown on the zero off-cut Si (0 0 1)-oriented substrate using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition with the temperature-graded GaAs buffer layer. The growth time of the GaAs nucleation layer, which was deposited at a low temperature of 490 °C, is systematically investigated in this paper. Cross-sections of the high resolution transmission electron microscopy images indicate that the GaAs compound formed 3D-islands first before to quasi-2D islands, and finally formed uniform GaAs layer. The optimum thickness of the 490 °C-GaAs layer was found to be 10 nm to suppress the formation of antiphase domain boundaries (APDs). The thin GaAs nucleation layer had a root-mean-square surface roughness of 0.483 nm. This allows the continued high temperature GaAs buffer layer to be achieved with low threading dislocation density of around 7.1  ×  106 cm-2 and almost invisible APDs. Finally, a fully relaxed GaSb film was grown on the top of the GaAs/Si heterostructure using interfacial misfit dislocation growth mode. These results indicate that the GaSb epitaxial layer can be grown on Si substrate with GaAs buffer layer for future p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) applications.

Corrosion investigation of fire-gilded bronze involving high surface resolution spectroscopic imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masi, G.; Chiavari, C.; Avila, J.; Esvan, J.; Raffo, S.; Bignozzi, M. C.; Asensio, M. C.; Robbiola, L.; Martini, C.

2016-03-01

Gilded bronzes are often affected by severe corrosion, due to defects in the Au layer and Au/Cu alloy galvanic coupling, stimulated by large cathodic area of the gilded layer. Galvanic corrosion, triggered by gilding defects, leads to products growth at the Au/bronze interface, inducing blistering or break-up of the Au layer. In this context, fire-gilded bronze replicas prepared by ancient methods (use of spreadable Au-Hg paste) was specifically characterised by compiling complementary spectroscopic and imaging information before/after accelerated ageing with synthetic rain. Fire-gilded bronze samples were chemically imaged in cross-section at nano-metric scale (<200 nm) using high energy and lateral resolution synchrotron radiation photoemission (HR-SRPES) of core levels and valence band after conventional characterisation of the samples by Glow Discharge optical Emission Spectroscopy (GD-OES) and conventional X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We have found a net surface enrichment in Zn and Sn after fire-gilding and presence of metallic Hg, Pb and Cu within the Au layer. Moreover, the composition distribution of the elements together with their oxidation has been determined. It was also revealed that metallic phases including Hg and Pb remain in the gilding after corrosion. Moreover, selective dissolution of Zn and Cu occurs in the crater due to galvanic coupling, which locally induces relative Sn species enrichment (decuprification). The feasibility advantages and disadvantages of chemical imaging using HR-SRPES to study artworks have been investigated on representative replicas.

Free-standing and flexible graphene papers as disposable non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors.

PubMed

Zhang, Minwei; Halder, Arnab; Hou, Chengyi; Ulstrup, Jens; Chi, Qijin

2016-06-01

We have explored AuNPs (13 nm) both as a catalyst and as a core for synthesizing water-dispersible and highly stable core-shell structural gold@Prussian blue (Au@PB) nanoparticles (NPs). Systematic characterization by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) disclosed AuNPs coated uniformly by a 5 nm thick PB layer. Au@PB NPs were attached to single-layer graphene oxide (GO) to form Au@PB decorated GO sheets. The resulting hybrid material was filtered layer-by-layer into flexible and free-standing GO paper, which was further converted into conductive reduced GO (RGO)/Au@PB paper via hydrazine vapour reduction. High-resolution TEM images suggested that RGO papers are multiply sandwich-like structures functionalized with core-shell NPs. Resulting sandwich functionalized graphene papers have high conductivity, sufficient flexibility, and robust mechanical strength, which can be cut into free-standing electrodes. Such electrodes, used as non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors, were tested systematically for electrocatalytic sensing of hydrogen peroxide. The high performance was indicated by some of the key parameters, for example the linear H2O2 concentration response range (1-30 μM), the detection limit (100 nM), and the high amperometric sensitivity (5 A cm(-2) M(-1)). With the advantages of low cost and scalable production capacity, such graphene supported functional papers are of particular interest in the use as flexible disposable sensors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigations of YBa2Cu3O y films sputtered onto a substrate of amorphous quartz with a platinum buffer layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blinova, Yu. V.; Snigirev, O. V.; Porokhov, N. V.; Evlashin, S. A.

2017-10-01

Results of investigations using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy of composite materials made from YBa2Cu3O y films sputtered (using various regimes) onto a substrate of amorphous quartz with a platinum buffer layer, have been given.

Metal-phthalocyanine ordered layers on Au(110): Metal-dependent adsorption energy

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

Massimi, Lorenzo, E-mail: lorenzo.massimi@uniroma1.it; Angelucci, Marco; Gargiani, Pierluigi

2014-06-28

Iron-phthalocyanine and cobalt-phthalocyanine chains, assembled along the Au(110)-(1×2) reconstructed channels, present a strong interaction with the Au metallic states, via the central metal ion. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy from the metal-2p core-levels and valence band high-resolution ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy bring to light signatures of the interaction of the metal-phthalocyanine single-layer with gold. The charge transfer from Au to the molecule causes the emerging of a metal-2p core level component at lower binding energy with respect to that measured in the molecular thin films, while the core-levels associated to the organic macrocycle (C and N 1s) are less influenced by the adsorption,more » and the macrocycles stabilize the interaction, inducing a strong interface dipole. Temperature Programmed Desorption experiments and photoemission as a function of temperature allow to estimate the adsorption energy for the thin-films, mainly due to the molecule-molecule van der Waals interaction, while the FePc and CoPc single-layers remain adsorbed on the Au surface up to at least 820 K.« less

Fabrication and properties of ZnO/GaN heterostructure nanocolumnar thin film on Si (111) substrate

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Zinc oxide thin films have been obtained on bare and GaN buffer layer decorated Si (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), respectively. GaN buffer layer was achieved by a two-step method. The structure, surface morphology, composition, and optical properties of these thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, infrared absorption spectra, and photoluminiscence (PL) spectra, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy images indicate that the flower-like grains were presented on the surface of ZnO thin films grown on GaN/Si (111) substrate, while the ZnO thin films grown on Si (111) substrate show the morphology of inclination column. PL spectrum reveals that the ultraviolet emission efficiency of ZnO thin film on GaN buffer layer is high, and the defect emission of ZnO thin film derived from Zni and Vo is low. The results demonstrate that the existence of GaN buffer layer can greatly improve the ZnO thin film on the Si (111) substrate by PLD techniques. PMID:23448090

Fabrication and properties of ZnO/GaN heterostructure nanocolumnar thin film on Si (111) substrate.

PubMed

Wei, Xianqi; Zhao, Ranran; Shao, Minghui; Xu, Xijin; Huang, Jinzhao

2013-02-28

Zinc oxide thin films have been obtained on bare and GaN buffer layer decorated Si (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), respectively. GaN buffer layer was achieved by a two-step method. The structure, surface morphology, composition, and optical properties of these thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, infrared absorption spectra, and photoluminiscence (PL) spectra, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy images indicate that the flower-like grains were presented on the surface of ZnO thin films grown on GaN/Si (111) substrate, while the ZnO thin films grown on Si (111) substrate show the morphology of inclination column. PL spectrum reveals that the ultraviolet emission efficiency of ZnO thin film on GaN buffer layer is high, and the defect emission of ZnO thin film derived from Zni and Vo is low. The results demonstrate that the existence of GaN buffer layer can greatly improve the ZnO thin film on the Si (111) substrate by PLD techniques.

Great enhancement of pyroelectric properties for Ba{sub 0.65}Sr{sub 0.35}TiO{sub 3} films on Pt-Si substrates by inserting a self-buffered layer

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

Wu, C. G.; Li, Y. R.; Zhu, J.

2009-02-15

(100)-Ba{sub 0.65}Sr{sub 0.35}TiO{sub 3} (BST) films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrates using a low-temperature self-buffered layer. X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscope investigations show that the microstructure of BST films strongly depends on surface morphology of annealed self-buffered layer. The mechanism of nucleus formation and the growth initiation of BST films on self-buffered layers were proposed. It was found that the pyroelectric properties of BST films can be greatly enhanced. The pyroelectric coefficient and material merit figure of (100)-BST films are 1.16x10{sup 4} {mu}C m{sup -2} K{sup -1} and 2.18x10{sup -4} Pa{sup -1/2}, respectively. The detectivity of 9.4x10{sup 7}more » cm Hz{sup 1/2} W{sup -1} was obtained in the (100)-BST film capacitors thermally isolated by 500 nm SiO{sub 2} films.« less

Improvement in performance and reliability with CF4 plasma pretreatment on the buffer oxide layer for low-temperature polysilicon thin-film transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Ching-Lin; Lin, Yi-Yan; Yang, Chun-Chieh

2012-03-01

This study applies CF4 plasma pretreatment to a buffer oxide layer to improve the performance of low-temperature polysilicon thin-film transistors (LTPS TFTs). Results show that the fluorine atoms piled up at the interface between the bulk channel and buffer oxide layer and accumulated in the bulk channel. The reduction of the trap states density by fluorine passivation can improve the electrical characteristics of the LTPS TFTs. It is found that the threshold voltage reduced from 4.32 to 3.03 V and the field-effect mobility increased from 29.71 to 45.65 cm2 V-1 S-1. In addition, the on current degradation and threshold voltage shift after stressing were significantly improved about 31% and 70%, respectively. We believe that the proposed CF4 plasma pretreatment on the buffer oxide layer can passivate the trap states and avoid the plasma induced damage on the polysilicon channel surface, resulting in the improvement in performance and reliability for LTPS-TFT mass production application on AMOLED displays with critical reliability requirement.

High performance polymer solar cells with as-prepared zirconium acetylacetonate film as cathode buffer layer

PubMed Central

Tan, Zhan'ao; Li, Shusheng; Wang, Fuzhi; Qian, Deping; Lin, Jun; Hou, Jianhui; Li, Yongfang

2014-01-01

Low-work-function active metals are commonly used as cathode in polymer solar cells (PSCs), but sensitivity of the active metals towards moisture and oxygen results in poor stability of the devices. Therefore, solution-proceessable and stable cathode buffer layer is of great importance for the application of PSCs. Here we demonstrate high performance PSCs by employing as-prepared zirconium acetylacetonate (a-ZrAcac) film spin-cast from its ethanol solution as cathode buffer layer. The PSCs based on a low bandgap polymer PBDTBDD as donor and PC60BM as acceptor with a-ZrAcac/Al cathode demonstrated an average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.75% which is significantly improved than that of the devices with traditional Ca/Al cathode. The improved photovoltaic performance is benefitted from the decreased series resistance and enhanced light harvest of the PSCs with the a-ZrAcac/Al cathode. The results indicate that a-ZrAcac is a promising high performance cathode buffer layer for fabricating large area flexible PSCs. PMID:24732976

Influence of anchoring ligands and particle size on the colloidal stability and in vivo biodistribution of polyethylene glycol-coated gold nanoparticles in tumor-xenografted mice

PubMed Central

Zhang, Guodong; Yang, Zhi; Lu, Wei; Zhang, Rui; Huang, Qian; Tian, Mei; Li, Li; Liang, Dong; Li, Chun

2009-01-01

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated (pegylated) gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been proposed as drug carriers and diagnostic contrast agents. However, the impact of particle characteristics on the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of pegylated AuNPs is not clear. We investigated the effects of PEG molecular weight, type of anchoring ligand, and particle size on the assembly properties and colloidal stability of PEG-coated AuNPs. The pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of the most stable PEG-coated AuNPs in nude mice bearing subcutaneous A431 squamous tumors were further studied using 111In-labeled AuNPs. AuNPs coated with thioctic acid (TA)-anchored PEG exhibited higher colloidal stability in phosphate-buffered saline in the presence of dithiothreitol than did AuNPs coated with monothiol-anchored PEG. AuNPs coated with high-molecular-weight (5000 Da) PEG were more stable than AuNPs coated with low-molecular-weight (2000 Da) PEG. Of the 20-nm, 40-nm, and 80-nm AuNPs coated with TA-terminated PEG5000, the 20-nm AuNPs exhibited the lowest uptake by reticuloendothelial cells and the slowest clearance from the body. Moreover, the 20-nm AuNPs coated with TA-terminated PEG5000 showed significantly higher tumor uptake and extravasation from the tumor blood vessels than did the 40- and 80-nm AuNPs. Thus, 20-nm AuNPs coated with TA-terminated PEG5000 are promising potential drug delivery vehicles and diagnostic imaging agents. PMID:19131103

Annealing induced structural changes in amorphous Co{sub 23}Fe{sub 60}B{sub 17} film on Mo buffer layer

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

Dwivedi, Jagrati, E-mail: jdwivedi.phy@gmail.com; Mishra, Ashutosh; Gupta, Ranjeeta

2016-05-23

Structural changes occurring in a thin amorphous Co{sub 23}Fe{sub 60}B{sub 17} film sandwiched between two Mo layers, as a function of thermal annealing has been studied. Thermal stability of the Co{sub 23}Fe{sub 60}B{sub 17} film is found to be significantly lower than the bulk ribbons. SIMS measurements show that during crystallization, boron which is expelled out of the crystallites, has a tendency to move towards the surface. No significant diffusion of boron in Mo buffer layer is observed. This result is in contrast with some earlier studies where it was proposed that the role of buffer layer of refractory metalmore » is to absorb boron which is expelled out of the bcc FeCo phase during crystallization.« less

High bandgap III-V alloys for high efficiency optoelectronics

DOEpatents

Alberi, Kirstin; Mascarenhas, Angelo; Wanlass, Mark

2017-01-10

High bandgap alloys for high efficiency optoelectronics are disclosed. An exemplary optoelectronic device may include a substrate, at least one Al.sub.1-xIn.sub.xP layer, and a step-grade buffer between the substrate and at least one Al.sub.1-xIn.sub.xP layer. The buffer may begin with a layer that is substantially lattice matched to GaAs, and may then incrementally increase the lattice constant in each sequential layer until a predetermined lattice constant of Al.sub.1-xIn.sub.xP is reached.

Synthesis of water soluble chitosan stabilized gold nanoparticles and determination of uric acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanh Le, Thi; Khieu Dinh, Quang; Hoa Tran, Thai; Nguyen, Hai Phong; Le Hien Hoang, Thi; Hien Nguyen, Quoc

2014-06-01

Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) have been successfully synthesized by utilizing water soluble chitosan as reducing and stabilizing agent. The colloidal Au-NPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the colloidal Au-NPs had a plasmon absorption band with maximum wavelength in the range of 520-526 nm and the diameters were about 8-15 nm. In addition, a new Au-NPs-modified electrode was fabricated by self-assembling Au-NPs to the surface of the L-cysteine-modified glassy carbon electrode (Au-NPs/L-Cys/GCE). The Au-NPs-modified electrode showed an excellent character for electro-catalytic oxidization of uric acid (UA) in 0.1 mol L-1 phosphate buffer solution (pH 3.2). Using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DP-ASV), a high selectivity for determination of UA has been explored for the Au-NPs-modified electrode. DP-ASV peak currents of UA increased linearly with their concentration at the range of 2.0 × 10-6 to 4.0 × 10-5 mol L-1 with the detection limit of 2.7 × 10-6 mol L-1 for UA. The proposed method was applied for the detection of UA in human urine and serum samples with satisfactory results.

Optimization by simulation of the nature of the buffer, the gap profile of the absorber and the thickness of the various layers in CZTSSe solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chadel, Meriem; Chadel, Asma; Moustafa Bouzaki, Mohammed; Aillerie, Michel; Benyoucef, Boumediene; Charles, Jean-Pierre

2017-11-01

Performances of ZnO/ZnS/CZTSSe polycrystalline thin film solar cells (Copper Zinc Tin Sulphur Selenium-solar cell) were simulated for different thicknesses of the absorber and ZnS buffer layers. Simulations were performed with SCAPS (Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator) software, starting with actual parameters available from industrial data for commercial cells processing. The influences of the thickness of the various layers in the structure of the solar cell and the gap profile of the CZTSSe absorber layer on the performance of the solar cell were studied in detail. Through considerations of recent works, we discuss possible routes to enhance the performance of CZTSSe solar cells towards a higher efficiency level. Thus, we found that for one specific thickness of the absorber layer, the efficiency of the CZTSSe solar cell can be increased when a ZnS layer replaces the usual CdS buffer layer. On the other hand, the efficiency of the solar cell can be also improved when the absorber layer presents a grad-gap. In this case, the maximum efficiency for the CZTSSe cell was found equal to 13.73%.

Reactive Capture of Gold Nanoparticles by Strongly Physisorbed Monolayers on Graphite

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

Wei, Xiaoliang; Tong, Wenjun; Fidler, Vlastimil

2012-12-01

Anthracene Diels Alder adducts (DAa) bearing two long side chains (H-(CH2)22O(CH2)6OCH2-) at the 1- and 5-positions form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) at the phenyloctane - highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) interface. The long DAa side chains promote strong physisorption of the monolayer to HOPG and maintain the monolayer morphology upon rinsing or incubation in ethanol and air-drying of the substrate. Incorporating a carboxylic acid group on the DAa core enables capture of 1 - 4 nm diameter gold nanoparticles (AuNP) provided (i) the monolayer containing DAa-carboxylic acids is treated with Cu2+ ions and (ii) the organic coating on the AuNP containsmore » carboxylic acids (11-mercaptoundecanoic acid, MUA-AuNP). AuNP capture by the monolayer proceeds with formation of Cu2+ - carboxylate coordination complexes. The captured AuNP appear as mono- and multi-layered clusters at high coverage on HOPG. The surface density of the captured AuNPs can be adjusted from AuNP multi-layers to isolated AuNPs by varying incubation times, MUA-AuNP concentration, the number density of carboxylic acids in the monolayer, the number of MUA per AuNP, and the post-incubation treatments.« less

2,3-Pyridine dicarboxylic acid functionalized gold nanoparticles: Insight into experimental conditions for Cr3 + sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaikh, Ruqaya; Memon, Najma; Solangi, Amber R.; Shaikh, Huma I.; Agheem, Muhammad Hassan; Ali, Syed Abid; Shah, Muhammad Raza; Kandhro, Aftab

2017-02-01

Selectivity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) depends upon surface functionality; small changes in structure or concentration bring significant changes in the behavior of AuNPs. In this study, citrate-capped AuNPs were functionalized with ortho-dicarboxylate substituted pyridine (2,3-PDCA) and detailed studies on experimental conditions were carried out to check the stability of AuNPs and response for Cr3 +. Stability of PDCA-AuNPs was found sensitive to the pH, ionic strength of buffer and its type. Capping behavior of PDCA on C-AuNPs was examined by FTIR spectroscopy. Surface morphology and size of synthesized AuNPs were confirmed by AFM, XRD, and DLS techniques where particles were found 11 nm in size, monodisperse and spherical in shape. Interaction of stabilized AuNPs was tested with various metal ions; where Cr3 + induced the changes in localized surface plasmon band (LSPR) of PDCA-AuNPs which leads to a color change from wine red to violet blue. The phenomenon is explained as cooperative effect of citrate and pyridine nitrogen on surface of AuNPs in contrary to meta-dicarboxylate substituted pyridine derivatives. Further, under optimized and controlled conditions Cr3 + shows linear response with decrease in absorbance at LSPR intensity of AuNPs (518 nm). Moreover, to demonstrate the applicability of method, Cr3 + was determined in the presence of Cr (VI) which shows 96% recovery.

Series interconnected photovoltaic cells and method for making same

DOEpatents

Albright, S.P.; Chamberlin, R.R.; Thompson, R.A.

1995-01-31

A novel photovoltaic module and method for constructing the same are disclosed. The module includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells formed on a substrate and laterally separated by interconnection regions. Each cell includes a bottom electrode, a photoactive layer and a top electrode layer. Adjacent cells are connected in electrical series by way of a conductive-buffer line. The buffer line is also useful in protecting the bottom electrode against severing during downstream layer cutting processes. 11 figs.

Strain relaxation of thin Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} grown with low-temperature buffers by molecular beam epitaxy

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

Zhao, M.; Hansson, G. V.; Ni, W.-X.

A double-low-temperature-buffer variable-temperature growth scheme was studied for fabrication of strain-relaxed thin Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer on Si(001) by using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), with particular focuses on the influence of growth temperature of individual low-temperature-buffer layers on the relaxation process and final structural qualities. The low-temperature buffers consisted of a 40 nm Si layer grown at an optimized temperature of {approx}400 deg. C, followed by a 20 nm Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer grown at temperatures ranging from 50 to 550 deg. C. A significant relaxation increase together with a surface roughness decrease both by a factor of {approx}2, accompaniedmore » with the cross-hatch/cross-hatch-free surface morphology transition, took place for the sample containing a low-temperature Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer that was grown at {approx}200 deg. C. This dramatic change was explained by the association with a certain onset stage of the ordered/disordered growth transition during the low-temperature MBE, where the high density of misfit dislocation segments generated near surface cusps largely facilitated the strain relaxation of the top Si{sub 0.6}Ge{sub 0.4} layer.« less

Structure characterization of MHEMT heterostructure elements with In{sub 0.4}Ga{sub 0.6}As quantum well grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrate using reciprocal space mapping

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

Aleshin, A. N., E-mail: a.n.aleshin@mail.ru; Bugaev, A. S.; Ermakova, M. A.

2016-03-15

The crystallographic parameters of elements of a metamorphic high-electron-mobility transistor (MHEMT) heterostructure with In{sub 0.4}Ga{sub 0.6}As quantum well are determined using reciprocal space mapping. The heterostructure has been grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) on the vicinal surface of a GaAs substrate with a deviation angle of 2° from the (001) plane. The structure consists of a metamorphic step-graded buffer (composed of six layers, including an inverse step), a high-temperature buffer of constant composition, and active high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) layers. The InAs content in the metamorphic buffer layers varies from 0.1 to 0.48. Reciprocal space mapping has been performed for themore » 004 and 224 reflections (the latter in glancing exit geometry). Based on map processing, the lateral and vertical lattice parameters of In{sub x}Ga{sub 1–x}As ternary solid solutions of variable composition have been determined. The degree of layer lattice relaxation and the compressive stress are found within the linear elasticity theory. The high-temperature buffer layer of constant composition (on which active MHEMT layers are directly formed) is shown to have the highest (close to 100%) degree of relaxation in comparison with all other heterostructure layers and a minimum compressive stress.« less

Power Conversion Efficiency and Device Stability Improvement of Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells by Using a ZnO:PFN Composite Cathode Buffer Layer.

PubMed

Jia, Xiaorui; Zhang, Lianping; Luo, Qun; Lu, Hui; Li, Xueyuan; Xie, Zhongzhi; Yang, Yongzhen; Li, Yan-Qing; Liu, Xuguang; Ma, Chang-Qi

2016-07-20

We have demonstrated in this article that both power conversion efficiency (PCE) and performance stability of inverted planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells can be improved by using a ZnO:PFN nanocomposite (PFN: poly[(9,9-bis(3'-(N,N-dimethylamion)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctyl)-fluorene]) as the cathode buffer layer (CBL). This nanocomposite could form a compact and defect-less CBL film on the perovskite/PC61BM surface (PC61BM: phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester). In addition, the high conductivity of the nanocomposite layer makes it works well at a layer thickness of 150 nm. Both advantages of the composite layer are helpful in reducing interface charge recombination and improving device performance. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the best ZnO:PFN CBL based device was measured to be 12.76%, which is higher than that of device without CBL (9.00%), or device with ZnO (7.93%) or PFN (11.30%) as the cathode buffer layer. In addition, the long-term stability is improved by using ZnO:PFN composite cathode buffer layer when compare to that of the reference cells. Almost no degradation of open circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor (FF) was found for the device having ZnO:PFN, suggesting that ZnO:PFN is able to stabilize the interface property and consequently improve the solar cell performance stability.

High Temperature Superconducting Thick Films

DOEpatents

Arendt, Paul N.; Foltyn, Stephen R.; Groves, James R.; Holesinger, Terry G.; Jia, Quanxi

2005-08-23

An article including a substrate, a layer of an inert oxide material upon the surface of the substrate, (generally the inert oxide material layer has a smooth surface, i.e., a RMS roughness of less than about 2 nm), a layer of an amorphous oxide or oxynitride material upon the inert oxide material layer, a layer of an oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure upon the amorphous oxide material layer is provided together with additional layers such as at least one layer of a buffer material upon the oriented cubic oxide material layer or a HTS top-layer of YBCO directly upon the oriented cubic oxide material layer. With a HTS top-layer of YBCO upon at least one layer of a buffer material in such an article, Jc's of 1.4×106 A/cm2 have been demonstrated with projected Ic's of 210 Amperes across a sample 1 cm wide.

Multifunctional Virus-Nanoshell Assembly for Targeted Hyperthermia and Viral Gene Therapy for Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

thin layer of Au. The unique property of Au NS is the tunability of its plasma resonance. Au NS can accumulate heat upon irradiation with NIR light...which is very useful for biomedical applications because tissues are transparent to NIR. Using NIR irradiation , the Au NS can be induced to...and 6161.5 Dalton for the product. Figure 1. (a) UV_VIS spectrum of Au nanoshell. Insect is TEM image of Au Nanoshell, scale bar: 20 nm. (b

Modified secondary lithium metal batteries with the polyaniline-carbon nanotube composite buffer layer.

PubMed

Zhang, Ding; Yin, Yanli; Liu, Changhong; Fan, Shoushan

2015-01-07

A modified secondary lithium metal battery inserted with a polyaniline-carbon nanotube nanoporous composite buffer layer was fabricated. This unique and simple design of battery has the great potential to decrease the safety risk of the secondary Li metal battery in cycles of recharging processes and improve its cycle life in the future.

FIBER AND INTEGRATED OPTICS: Emission properties of graded-index corrugated waveguides with a metal or semiconductor coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ataya, B. A.; Osovitskiĭ, A. N.

1992-02-01

A numerical method was used to investigate the emission of TE-polarized light from a graded-index corrugated waveguide coated with a metal or semiconductor and either with or without a buffer layer. The main emission characteristics of these systems were analyzed. In the case of metallized dielectric structures an optimal corrugation depth was established for which the emitted power is a maximum. It was found that when the parameters of a structure with a buffer layer were correctly chosen and a highly reflective metal coating was used, practically all the power in the waveguide wave could be emitted along a specified direction. A structure with a buffer layer and an aluminum coating was investigated experimentally.

Investigation of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor structures on 200-mm silicon (111) substrates employing different buffer layer configurations.

PubMed

Lee, H-P; Perozek, J; Rosario, L D; Bayram, C

2016-11-21

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structures are grown on 200-mm diameter Si(111) substrates by using three different buffer layer configurations: (a) Thick-GaN/3 × {Al x Ga 1-x N}/AlN, (b) Thin-GaN/3 × {Al x Ga 1-x N}/AlN, and (c) Thin-GaN/AlN, so as to have crack-free and low-bow (<50 μm) wafer. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high resolution-cross section transmission electron microscopy, optical microscopy, atomic-force microscopy, cathodoluminescence, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (ω/2θ scan and symmetric/asymmetric ω scan (rocking curve scan), reciprocal space mapping) and Hall effect measurements are employed to study the structural, optical, and electrical properties of these AlGaN/GaN HEMT structures. The effects of buffer layer stacks (i.e. thickness and content) on defectivity, stress, and two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) mobility and 2DEG concentration are reported. It is shown that 2DEG characteristics are heavily affected by the employed buffer layers between AlGaN/GaN HEMT structures and Si(111) substrates. Particularly, we report that in-plane stress in the GaN layer affects the 2DEG mobility and 2DEG carrier concentration significantly. Buffer layer engineering is shown to be essential for achieving high 2DEG mobility (>1800 cm 2 /V∙s) and 2DEG carrier concentration (>1.0 × 10 13  cm -2 ) on Si(111) substrates.

Investigation of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor structures on 200-mm silicon (111) substrates employing different buffer layer configurations

PubMed Central

Lee, H.-P.; Perozek, J.; Rosario, L. D.; Bayram, C.

2016-01-01

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structures are grown on 200-mm diameter Si(111) substrates by using three different buffer layer configurations: (a) Thick-GaN/3 × {AlxGa1−xN}/AlN, (b) Thin-GaN/3 × {AlxGa1−xN}/AlN, and (c) Thin-GaN/AlN, so as to have crack-free and low-bow (<50 μm) wafer. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high resolution-cross section transmission electron microscopy, optical microscopy, atomic-force microscopy, cathodoluminescence, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (ω/2θ scan and symmetric/asymmetric ω scan (rocking curve scan), reciprocal space mapping) and Hall effect measurements are employed to study the structural, optical, and electrical properties of these AlGaN/GaN HEMT structures. The effects of buffer layer stacks (i.e. thickness and content) on defectivity, stress, and two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) mobility and 2DEG concentration are reported. It is shown that 2DEG characteristics are heavily affected by the employed buffer layers between AlGaN/GaN HEMT structures and Si(111) substrates. Particularly, we report that in-plane stress in the GaN layer affects the 2DEG mobility and 2DEG carrier concentration significantly. Buffer layer engineering is shown to be essential for achieving high 2DEG mobility (>1800 cm2/V∙s) and 2DEG carrier concentration (>1.0 × 1013 cm−2) on Si(111) substrates. PMID:27869222

Back contact to film silicon on metal for photovoltaic cells

DOEpatents

Branz, Howard M.; Teplin, Charles; Stradins, Pauls

2013-06-18

A crystal oriented metal back contact for solar cells is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic device and methods for making the photovoltaic device are disclosed. The photovoltaic device includes a metal substrate with a crystalline orientation and a heteroepitaxial crystal silicon layer having the same crystal orientation of the metal substrate. A heteroepitaxial buffer layer having the crystal orientation of the metal substrate is positioned between the substrate and the crystal silicon layer to reduce diffusion of metal from the metal foil into the crystal silicon layer and provide chemical compatibility with the heteroepitaxial crystal silicon layer. Additionally, the buffer layer includes one or more electrically conductive pathways to electrically couple the crystal silicon layer and the metal substrate.

The influence of titanium adhesion layer oxygen stoichiometry on thermal boundary conductance at gold contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, David H.; Freedy, Keren M.; McDonnell, Stephen J.; Hopkins, Patrick E.

2018-04-01

We experimentally demonstrate the role of oxygen stoichiometry on the thermal boundary conductance across Au/TiOx/substrate interfaces. By evaporating two different sets of Au/TiOx/substrate samples under both high vacuum and ultrahigh vacuum conditions, we vary the oxygen composition in the TiOx layer from 0 ≤ x ≤ 2.85. We measure the thermal boundary conductance across the Au/TiOx/substrate interfaces with time-domain thermoreflectance and characterize the interfacial chemistry with x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Under high vacuum conditions, we speculate that the environment provides a sufficient flux of oxidizing species to the sample surface such that one essentially co-deposits Ti and these oxidizing species. We show that slower deposition rates correspond to a higher oxygen content in the TiOx layer, which results in a lower thermal boundary conductance across the Au/TiOx/substrate interfacial region. Under the ultrahigh vacuum evaporation conditions, pure metallic Ti is deposited on the substrate surface. In the case of quartz substrates, the metallic Ti reacts with the substrate and getters oxygen, leading to a TiOx layer. Our results suggest that Ti layers with relatively low oxygen compositions are best suited to maximize the thermal boundary conductance.

Design and numerical analysis of highly sensitive Au-MoS2-graphene based hybrid surface plasmon resonance biosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, M. Saifur; Anower, Md. Shamim; Hasan, Md. Rabiul; Hossain, Md. Biplob; Haque, Md. Ismail

2017-08-01

We demonstrate a highly sensitive Au-MoS2-Graphene based hybrid surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor for the detection of DNA hybridization. The performance parameters of the proposed sensor are investigated in terms of sensitivity, detection accuracy and quality factor at operating wavelength of 633 nm. We observed in the numerical study that sensitivity can be greatly increased by adding MoS2 layer in the middle of a Graphene-on-Au layer. It is shown that by using single layer of MoS2 in between gold and graphene layer, the proposed biosensor exhibits simultaneously high sensitivity of 87.8 deg/RIU, high detection accuracy of 1.28 and quality factor of 17.56 with gold layer thickness of 50 nm. This increased performance is due to the absorption ability and optical characteristics of graphene biomolecules and high fluorescence quenching ability of MoS2. On the basis of changing in SPR angle and minimum reflectance, the proposed sensor can sense nucleotides bonding happened between double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) helix structures. Therefore, this sensor can successfully detect the hybridization of target DNAs to the probe DNAs pre-immobilized on the Au-MoS2-Graphene hybrid with capability of distinguishing single-base mismatch.

Reduction of shunt current in buffer-free IrMn based spin-valve structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kocaman, B.; Akdoğan, N.

2018-06-01

The presence of thick buffer layers in magnetic sensor devices decreases sensor sensitivity due to shunt currents. With this motivation, we produced IrMn-based spin-valve multilayers without using buffer layer. We also studied the effects of post-annealing and IrMn thickness on exchange bias field (HEB) and blocking temperature (TB) of the system. Magnetization measurements indicate that both HEB and TB values are significantly enhanced with post-annealing of IrMn layer. In addition, we report that IrMn thickness of the system strongly influences the magnetization and transport characteristics of the spin-valve structures. We found that the minimum thickness of IrMn layer is 6 nm in order to achieve the lowest shunt current and high blocking temperature (>300 K). We also investigated the training of exchange bias to check the long-term durability of IrMn-based spin-valve structures for device applications.

The early growth and interface of YBa 2Cu 3O y thin films deposited on YSZ substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, J.; Tang, W. H.; Yau, C. Y.

2001-11-01

Epitaxial thin films of YBa 2Cu 3O y (YBCO) have been prepared on yttrium-stabilized zirconia substrates with and without a buffer layer. The early growth, crystallinity and surface morphology of these thin films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, rocking curves, scanning electron microscope, in situ conductance measurements, and surface step profiler. The full width at half maximum of the ( 0 0 5 ) peak of rocking curve was found to be less than 0.1°. Over a wide scanning range of 2000 μm the average surface roughness is just 5 nm, indicating very smooth films. Grazing incident X-ray reflection and positron annihilation spectroscopy shows well-defined interfaces between layers and substrate. By applying a new Eu 2CuO 4 (ECO) buffer layer the initial formation of YBCO appears to grow layer-by-layer rather than the typical island growth mode. The obtained results reveal significant improvements at the early formation and crystallinity of YBCO by using the 214-T ‧ ECO as a buffer layer.

Paper-Based Device for Rapid Visualization of NADH Based on Dissolution of Gold Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Liang, Pingping; Yu, Haixiang; Guntupalli, Bhargav; Xiao, Yi

2015-07-15

We describe a paper-based device that enables rapid and sensitive room-temperature detection of dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) via a colorimetric readout and demonstrate its value for monitoring NAD+-driven enzymatic reactions. Our system is based on NADH-mediated inhibition of gold nanoparticle (AuNPs) dissolution in a Au3+-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) solution. We fabricated a device consisting of a mixed cellulose ester paper featuring a wax-encircled, AuNP-coated film atop a cotton absorbent layer sandwiched between two plastic cover layers. In the absence of NADH, the Au3+-CTAB complex dissolves the AuNP layer completely, generating a white color in the test zone. In the presence of NADH, Au3+ is rapidly reduced to Au+, greatly decreasing the dissolution of AuNPs and yielding a red color that becomes stronger at increasing concentrations of NADH. This device exploits capillary force-assisted vertical diffusion, allowing us to apply a 25 μL sample to a surface-confined test zone to achieve a detection limit of 12.5 μM NADH. We used the enzyme glucose dehydrogenase as a model to demonstrate that our paper-based device can monitor NAD+-driven biochemical processes with and without selective dehydrogenase inhibitors by naked-eye observation within 4 min at room temperature in a small sample volume. We believe that our paper-based device could offer a valuable and low-cost analytical tool for monitoring NAD+-associated enzymatic reactions and screening for dehydrogenase inhibitors in a variety of testing contexts.

Ruthenium (Ru) peeling and predicting robustness of the capping layer using finite element method (FEM) modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Il-Yong; John, Arun; Goodwin, Frank; Lee, Su-Young; Kim, Byung-Gook; Kim, Seong-Sue; Jeon, Chan-Uk; Kim, Jae Hyung; Jang, Yong Hoon

2014-07-01

Ruthenium (Ru) film used as capping layer in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask peeled off after annealing and in-situ UV (IUV) cleaning. We investigated Ru peeling and found out that the mechanical stress caused by the formation of Si oxide due to the penetration of oxygen atoms from ambient or cleaning media to top-Si of ML is the root cause for the problem. To support our experimental results, we developed a numerical model of finite element method (FEM) using commercial software (ABAQUS™) to calculate the stress and displacement forced on the capping layer. By using this model, we could observe that the displacement agrees well with the actual results measured from the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image. Using the ion beam deposition (IBD) tool at SEMATECH, we developed four new types of alternative capping materials (RuA, RuB, B4C, B4C-buffered Ru). The durability of each new alternative capping layer observed by experiment was better than that of conventional Ru. The stress and displacement calculated from each new alternative capping layer, using modeling, also agreed well with the experimental results. A new EUV mask structure is proposed, inserting a layer of B4C (B4C-buffered Ru) at the interface between the capping layer (Ru) and the top-Si layer. The modeling results showed that the maximum displacement and bending stress observed from the B4C-buffered Ru are significantly lower than that of single capping layer cases. The durability investigated from the experiment also showed that the B4C-buffered structure is at least 3X stronger than that of conventional Ru.

Tessellated gold nanostructures from Au144(SCH2CH2Ph)60 molecular precursors and their use in organic solar cell enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauld, Reg; Hesari, Mahdi; Workentin, Mark S.; Fanchini, Giovanni

2014-06-01

We report for the first time the fabrication of nanocomposite hole-blocking layers consisting of poly-3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene:poly-styrene-sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) thin films incorporating networks of gold nanoparticles assembled from Au144(SCH2CH2Ph)60, a molecular gold precursor. These thin films can be prepared reproducibly on indium tin oxide by spinning on it Au144(SCH2CH2Ph)60 solutions in chlorobenzene, annealing the resulting thin film at 400 °C, and subsequently spinning PEDOT:PSS on top. The use of our nanocomposite hole-blocking layers for enhancing the photoconversion efficiency of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells is demonstrated. By varying the concentration of Au144(SCH2CH2Ph)60 in the starting solution and the annealing time, different gold nanostructures were obtained ranging from individual gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to tessellated networks of gold nanostructures (Tess-AuNPs). Improvement in organic solar cell efficiencies up to 10% relative to a reference cell is demonstrated with Tess-AuNPs embedded in PEDOT:PSS.

Enhancement of plasmon-induced charge separation efficiency by coupling silver nanocubes with a thin gold film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akiyoshi, Kazutaka; Saito, Koichiro; Tatsuma, Tetsu

2016-10-01

Plasmon-induced charge separation (PICS), in which an energetic electron is injected from a plasmonic nanoparticle (NP) to a semiconductor on contact, is often inhibited by a protecting agent adsorbed on the NP. We addressed this issue for an Ag nanocube-TiO2 system by coating it with a thin Au layer or by inserting the Au layer between the nanocubes (NCs) and TiO2. Both of the electrodes exhibit much higher photocurrents due to PICS than the electrodes without the Au film or the Ag NCs. These photocurrent enhancements can be explained in terms of PICS with accelerated electron transfer, in which electron injection from the Ag NCs or Ag@Au core-shell NCs to TiO2 is promoted by the Au film, or PICS enhanced by a nanoantenna effect, in which the electron injection from the Au film to TiO2 is enhanced by optical near field generated by the Ag NC.

The Influence of Interstitial Ga and Interfacial Au (sub 2)P (sub 3) on the Electrical and Metallurgical Behavior of Au-Contacted III-V Semiconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, Victor G.; Fatemi, Navid S.

1991-01-01

The introduction of a very small amount of Ga into Au contact metallization on InP is shown to have a significant effect on both the metallurgical and electrical behavior of that contact system. Ga atoms in the interstices of the Au lattice are shown to be effective in preventing the solid state reactions that normally take place between Au and InP during contact sintering. In addition to suppressing the metallurgical interaction, the presence of small amounts of Ga is shown to cause an order of magnitude reduction in the specific contact resistivity. Evidence is presented that the reactions of GaP and GaAs with Au contacts are also drastically affected by the presence of Ga. The sintering behavior of the Au-GaP and the Au-GaAs systems (as contrasted with that of the Au-InP system) is explained as due to the presence of interstitial Ga in the contact metallization. Finally the large, two-to-three order of magnitude drop in the contact resistance that occurs in the Au-InP system upon sintering at 400 degrees Centigrade is shown to be a result of the formation of an Au (sub 2) P (sub 3) layer at the metal-semiconductor interface. Contact resistivities in the 10 (sup -6) ohm square centimeter range are obtained for as-deposited Au on InP when a thin (20 Angstrom) layer of Au (sub 2) P (sub 3) is introduced between the InP and the Au contacts.

Layered double hydroxide supported gold nanoclusters by glutathione-capped Au nanoclusters precursor method for highly efficient aerobic oxidation of alcohols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lun; Dou, Liguang; Zhang, Hui

2014-03-01

M3Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH, M = Mg, Ni, Co) supported Au nanoclusters (AuNCs) catalysts have been prepared for the first time by using water-soluble glutathione-capped Au nanoclusters as precursor. Detailed characterizations show that the ultrafine Au nanoclusters (ca. 1.5 +/- 0.6 nm) were well dispersed on the surface of LDH with a loading of Au below ~0.23 wt% upon synergetic interaction between AuNCs and M3Al-LDH. AuNCs/Mg3Al-LDH-0.23 exhibits much higher catalytic performance for the oxidation of 1-phenylethanol in toluene than Au/Mg3Al-LDH(DP) by the conventional deposition precipitation method and can be applied for a wide range of alcohols without basic additives. This catalyst can also be reused without loss of activity or selectivity. The AuNCs/M(= Ni, Co)3Al-LDH catalysts present even higher alcohol oxidation activity than AuNCs/Mg3Al-LDH. Particularly, AuNCs/Ni3Al-LDH-0.22 exhibits the highest activity (46 500 h-1) for the aerobic oxidation of 1-phenylethanol under solvent-free conditions attributed to its strongest Au-support synergy. The excellent activity and stability of AuNCs/M3Al-LDH catalysts render these materials promising candidates for green base-free selective oxidation of alcohols by molecular oxygen.M3Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH, M = Mg, Ni, Co) supported Au nanoclusters (AuNCs) catalysts have been prepared for the first time by using water-soluble glutathione-capped Au nanoclusters as precursor. Detailed characterizations show that the ultrafine Au nanoclusters (ca. 1.5 +/- 0.6 nm) were well dispersed on the surface of LDH with a loading of Au below ~0.23 wt% upon synergetic interaction between AuNCs and M3Al-LDH. AuNCs/Mg3Al-LDH-0.23 exhibits much higher catalytic performance for the oxidation of 1-phenylethanol in toluene than Au/Mg3Al-LDH(DP) by the conventional deposition precipitation method and can be applied for a wide range of alcohols without basic additives. This catalyst can also be reused without loss of activity or selectivity. The AuNCs/M(= Ni, Co)3Al-LDH catalysts present even higher alcohol oxidation activity than AuNCs/Mg3Al-LDH. Particularly, AuNCs/Ni3Al-LDH-0.22 exhibits the highest activity (46 500 h-1) for the aerobic oxidation of 1-phenylethanol under solvent-free conditions attributed to its strongest Au-support synergy. The excellent activity and stability of AuNCs/M3Al-LDH catalysts render these materials promising candidates for green base-free selective oxidation of alcohols by molecular oxygen. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Details in experimental and further characterization. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr05604j

Effects of a GaSb buffer layer on an InGaAs overlayer grown on Ge(111) substrates: Strain, twin generation, and surface roughness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajikawa, Y.; Nishigaichi, M.; Tenma, S.; Kato, K.; Katsube, S.

2018-04-01

InGaAs layers were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on nominal and vicinal Ge(111) substrates with inserting GaSb buffer layers. High-resolution X-ray diffraction using symmetric 333 and asymmetric 224 reflections was employed to analyze the crystallographic properties of the grown layers. By using the two reflections, we determined the lattice constants (the unit cell length a and the angle α between axes) of the grown layers with taking into account the rhombohedral distortion of the lattices of the grown layers. This allowed us the independent determination of the strain components (perpendicular and parallel components to the substrate surface, ε⊥ and ε//) and the composition x of the InxGa1-xAs layers by assuming the distortion coefficient D, which is defined as the ratio of ε⊥ against ε//. Furthermore, the twin ratios were determined for the GaSb and the InGaAs layers by comparing asymmetric 224 reflections from the twin domain with that from the normal domain of the layers. As a result, it has been shown that the twin ratio in the InGaAs layer can be decreased to be less than 0.1% by the use of the vicinal substrate together with annealing the GaSb buffer layer during the growth interruption before the InGaAs overgrowth.

Growth and characterization of PbSe and Pb{sub 1{minus}x}Sn{sub x}Se layers on Si (100)

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

Sachar, H.K.; Chao, I.; Fang, X.M.

1998-12-31

Crack-free layers of PbSe were grown on Si (100) by a combination of liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) techniques. The PbSe layer was grown by LPE on Si(100) using a MBE-grown PbSe/BaF{sub 2}/CaF{sub 2} buffer layer structure. Pb{sub 1{minus}x}Sn{sub x}Se layers with tin contents in the liquid growth solution equal to 3%, 5%, 6%, 7%, and 10%, respectively, were also grown by LPE on Si(100) substrates using similar buffer layer structures. The LPE-grown PbSe and Pb{sub 1{minus}x}Sn{sub x}Se layers were characterized by optical Nomarski microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electronmore » microscopy (SEM). Optical Nomarski characterization of the layers revealed their excellent surface morphologies and good growth solution wipe-offs. FTIR transmission experiments showed that the absorption edge of the Pb{sub 1{minus}x}Sn{sub x}Se layers shifted to lower energies with increasing tin contents. The PbSe epilayers were also lifted-off from the Si substrate by dissolving the MBE-grown BaF{sub 2} buffer layer. SEM micrographs of the cleaved edges revealed that the lifted-off layers formed structures suitable for laser fabrication.« less

Method to prevent/mitigate steam explosions in casting pits

DOEpatents

Taleyarkhan, Rusi P.

1996-01-01

Steam explosions can be prevented or mitigated during a metal casting process by the placement of a perforated flooring system in the casting pit. An upward flow of compressed gas through this perforated flooring system is introduced during the casting process to produce a buffer layer between any spilled molten metal and the cooling water in the reservoir. This buffer layer provides a hydrodynamic layer which acts to prevent or mitigate steam explosions resulting from hot, molten metal being spilled into or onto the cooling water.

Color-tunable mixed photoluminescence emission from Alq3 organic layer in metal-Alq3-metal surface plasmon structure.

PubMed

Chen, Nai-Chuan; Liao, Chung-Chi; Chen, Cheng-Chang; Fan, Wan-Ting; Wu, Jin-Han; Li, Jung-Yu; Chen, Shih-Pu; Huang, Bohr-Ran; Lee, Li-Ling

2014-01-01

This work reports the color-tunable mixed photoluminescence (PL) emission from an Alq3 organic layer in an Au-Alq3-Au plasmonic structure through the combination of organic fluorescence emission and another form of emission that is enabled by the surface plasmons in the plasmonic structure. The emission wavelength of the latter depends on the Alq3 thickness and can be tuned within the Alq3 fluorescent spectra. Therefore, a two-color broadband, color-tunable mixed PL structure was obtained. Obvious changes in the Commission Internationale d'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates and the corresponding emission colors of Au-Alq3-Au samples clearly varied with the Alq3 thickness (90, 130, and 156 nm).

Color-tunable mixed photoluminescence emission from Alq3 organic layer in metal-Alq3-metal surface plasmon structure

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

This work reports the color-tunable mixed photoluminescence (PL) emission from an Alq3 organic layer in an Au-Alq3-Au plasmonic structure through the combination of organic fluorescence emission and another form of emission that is enabled by the surface plasmons in the plasmonic structure. The emission wavelength of the latter depends on the Alq3 thickness and can be tuned within the Alq3 fluorescent spectra. Therefore, a two-color broadband, color-tunable mixed PL structure was obtained. Obvious changes in the Commission Internationale d’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates and the corresponding emission colors of Au-Alq3-Au samples clearly varied with the Alq3 thickness (90, 130, and 156 nm). PMID:25328506

[Research on symmetrical optical waveguide based surface plasmon resonance sensing with spectral interrogation].

PubMed

Zhang, Yi-long; Liu, Le; Guo, Jun; Zhang, Peng-fei; Guo, Ji-hua; Ma, Hui; He, Yong-hong

2015-02-01

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors with spectral interrogation can adopt fiber to transmit light signals, thus leaving the sensing part separated, which is very convenient for miniaturization, remote-sensing and on-site analysis. Symmetrical optical waveguide (SOW) SPR has the same refractive index of the-two buffer media layers adjacent to the metal film, resulting in longer propagation distance, deeper penetration depth and better performance compared to conventional SPR In the present paper, we developed a symmetrical optical, waveguide (SOW) SPR sensor with wavelength interrogation. In the system, MgF2-Au-MgF2 film was used as SOW module for glucose sensing, and a fiber based light source and detection was used in the spectral interrogation. In the experiment, a refractive index resolution of 2.8 x 10(-7) RIU in fluid protocol was acquired. This technique provides advantages of high resolution and could have potential use in compact design, on-site analysis and remote sensing.

Methods of producing free-standing semiconductors using sacrificial buffer layers and recyclable substrates

DOEpatents

Ptak, Aaron Joseph; Lin, Yong; Norman, Andrew; Alberi, Kirstin

2015-05-26

A method of producing semiconductor materials and devices that incorporate the semiconductor materials are provided. In particular, a method is provided of producing a semiconductor material, such as a III-V semiconductor, on a spinel substrate using a sacrificial buffer layer, and devices such as photovoltaic cells that incorporate the semiconductor materials. The sacrificial buffer material and semiconductor materials may be deposited using lattice-matching epitaxy or coincident site lattice-matching epitaxy, resulting in a close degree of lattice matching between the substrate material and deposited material for a wide variety of material compositions. The sacrificial buffer layer may be dissolved using an epitaxial liftoff technique in order to separate the semiconductor device from the spinel substrate, and the spinel substrate may be reused in the subsequent fabrication of other semiconductor devices. The low-defect density semiconductor materials produced using this method result in the enhanced performance of the semiconductor devices that incorporate the semiconductor materials.

Strain effect in epitaxial VO2 thin films grown on sapphire substrates using SnO2 buffer layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Heungsoo; Bingham, Nicholas S.; Charipar, Nicholas A.; Piqué, Alberto

2017-10-01

Epitaxial VO2/SnO2 thin film heterostructures were deposited on m-cut sapphire substrates via pulsed laser deposition. By adjusting SnO2 (150 nm) growth conditions, we are able to control the interfacial strain between the VO2 film and SnO2 buffer layer such that the semiconductor-to-metal transition temperature (TC) of VO2 films can be tuned without diminishing the magnitude of the transition. It is shown that in-plane tensile strain and out-of-plane compressive strain of the VO2 film leads to a decrease of Tc. Interestingly, VO2 films on SnO2 buffer layers exhibit a structural phase transition from tetragonal-like VO2 to tetragonal-VO2 during the semiconductor-to-metal transition. These results suggest that the strain generated by SnO2 buffer provides an effective way for tuning the TC of VO2 films.

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.

Preparation and Optoelectronic Characteristics of ZnO/CuO-Cu2O Complex Inverse Heterostructure with GaP Buffer for Solar Cell Applications

PubMed Central

Hsu, Chih-Hung; Chen, Lung-Chien; Lin, Yi-Feng

2013-01-01

This study reports the optoelectronic characteristics of ZnO/GaP buffer/CuO-Cu2O complex (COC) inverse heterostructure for solar cell applications. The GaP and COC layers were used as buffer and absorber in the cell structure, respectively. An energy gap widening effect and CuO whiskers were observed as the copper (Cu) layer was exerted under heat treatment for oxidation at 500 °C for 10 min, and arose from the center of the Cu2O rods. For preparation of the 30 nm-thick GaP buffer by sputtering from GaP target, as the nitrogen gas flow rate increased from 0 to 2 sccm, the transmittance edge of the spectra demonstrated a blueshift form 2.24 to 3.25 eV. Therefore, the layer can be either GaP, GaNP, or GaN by changing the flow rate of nitrogen gas. PMID:28788341

Heteroepitaxial growth of In{sub 0.30}Ga{sub 0.70}As high-electron mobility transistor on 200 mm silicon substrate using metamorphic graded buffer

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

Kohen, David, E-mail: david.kohen@asm.com; Nguyen, Xuan Sang; Made, Riko I

We report on the growth of an In{sub 0.30}Ga{sub 0.70}As channel high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) on a 200 mm silicon wafer by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. By using a 3 μm thick buffer comprising a Ge layer, a GaAs layer and an InAlAs compositionally graded strain relaxing buffer, we achieve threading dislocation density of (1.0 ± 0.3) × 10{sup 7} cm{sup −2} with a surface roughness of 10 nm RMS. No phase separation was observed during the InAlAs compositionally graded buffer layer growth. 1.4 μm long channel length transistors are fabricated from the wafer with I{sub DS} of 70more » μA/μm and g{sub m} of above 60 μS/μm, demonstrating the high quality of the grown materials.« less

Interrelation of the construction of the metamorphic InAlAs/InGaAs nanoheterostructures with the InAs content in the active layer of 76-100% with their surface morphology and electrical properties

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

Vasil'evskii, I. S., E-mail: ivasilevskii@mail.ru; Galiev, G. B.; Klimov, E. A.

The influence of the construction of a metamorphic buffer on the surface morphology and electrical properties of InAlAs/InGaAs/InAlAs nanoheterostructures with InAs content in the active layer from 76 to 100% with the use of the GaAs and InP substrates is studied. It is shown that such parameters as the electron mobility and the concentration, as well as the root-mean-square surface roughness, substantially depend on the construction of the metamorphic buffer. It is established experimentally that these parameters largely depend on the maximal local gradient of the lattice constant of the metamorphic buffer in the growth direction of the layers rathermore » than on its average value. It is shown that, with selection of the construction of the metamorphic buffer, it is possible to form nanostructured surfaces with a large-periodic profile.« less

The synthesis of four-layer gold-silver-polymer-silver core-shell nanomushroom with inbuilt Raman molecule for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Tao; Wang, Xiaolong; Zhou, Jun

2017-12-01

A facial two-step reduction method was proposed to synthesize four-layer gold-silver-polymer-silver (Au@Ag@PSPAA@Ag) core-shell nanomushrooms (NMs) with inbuilt Raman molecule. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensity of 4MBA adhered on the surface of Au core gradually increased with the modification of middle Ag shell and then Ag mushroom cap due to the formation of two kinds of ultra-small interior nanogap. Compared with the initial Au nanoparticles, the SERS enhancement ratio of the Au@Ag@PSPAA@Ag NMs approached to nearly 40. The novel core-shell NMs also exhibited homogeneous SERS signals for only one sample and reproducible signals for 10 different samples, certified by the low relative standard deviation values of less than 10% and 15% for the character peaks of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid, respectively. Such a novel four-layer core-shell nanostructure with reliable SERS performance has great potential application in quantitative SERS-based immunoassay.

Microstructural analysis of Ti/Al/Ti/Au ohmic contacts to n-AlGaN/GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J.; Ivey, D. G.; Bardwell, J.; Liu, Y.; Tang, H.; Webb, J. B.

2002-05-01

To develop high quality AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors for use in high power, high frequency, and high temperature applications, low resistance, thermal stable ohmic contacts with good surface morphology are essential. Low specific contact resistances have been achieved using an Au/Ti/Al/Ti contact: a minimum value of 6.33×10-6 Ω cm2 was attained after annealing at 700 °C for 30 s. Microstructural analysis using transmission electron microscopy indicated that there is significant interaction between the metallization components and the semiconductor during annealing. The optimum electrical properties correspond to a microstructure that consists of Au2Ti and TiAl layers as well as of a thin Ti-rich layer (~10 nm thick) at the metallization/AlGaN interface. Degradation of the contact occurred for annealing temperatures in excess of 750 °C, and was accompanied by decomposition of the AlGaN layer and formation of a Au-Ti-Al-Ga quaternary phase.

Electrocatalytic cermet sensor

DOEpatents

Shoemaker, E.L.; Vogt, M.C.

1998-06-30

A sensor is described for O{sub 2} and CO{sub 2} gases. The gas sensor includes a plurality of layers driven by a cyclic voltage to generate a unique plot characteristic of the gas in contact with the sensor. The plurality of layers includes an alumina substrate, a reference electrode source of anions, a lower electrical reference electrode of Pt coupled to the reference source of anions, a solid electrolyte containing tungsten and coupled to the lower reference electrode, a buffer layer for preventing flow of Pt ions into the solid electrolyte and an upper catalytically active Pt electrode coupled to the buffer layer. 16 figs.

Electrocatalytic cermet sensor

DOEpatents

Shoemaker, Erika L.; Vogt, Michael C.

1998-01-01

A sensor for O.sub.2 and CO.sub.2 gases. The gas sensor includes a plurality of layers driven by a cyclic voltage to generate a unique plot characteristic of the gas in contact with the sensor. The plurality of layers includes an alumina substrate, a reference electrode source of anions, a lower electrical reference electrode of Pt coupled to the reference source of anions, a solid electrolyte containing tungsten and coupled to the lower reference electrode, a buffer layer for preventing flow of Pt ions into the solid electrolyte and an upper catalytically active Pt electrode coupled to the buffer layer.

Characterization of SiGe/Ge heterostructures and graded layers using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Croke, E. T.; Wang, K. L.; Heyd, A. R.; Alterovitz, S. A.; Lee, C. H.

1996-01-01

Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) has been used to characterize Si(x)Ge(1-x)/Ge superlattices (SLs) grown on Ge substrates and thick Si(x)Ge(1-x)/Ge heterostructures grown on Si substrates. Our VASE analysis yielded the thicknesses and alloy compositions of all layers within the optical penetration depth of the surface. In addition, strain effects were observed in the VASE results for layers under both compressive and tensile strain. Results for the SL structures were found to be in close agreement with high resolution x-ray diffraction measurements made on the same samples. The VASE analysis has been upgraded to characterize linearly graded Si(x)Ge(1-x) buffer layers. The algorithm has been used to determine the total thickness of the buffer layer along with the start and end alloy composition by breaking the total thickness into many (typically more than 20) equal layers. Our ellipsometric results for 1 (mu)m buffer layers graded in the ranges 0.7 less than or = x less than or = 1.0, and 0.5 less than or = x less than or = 1.0 are presented, and compare favorably with the nominal values.

Gold nanoparticles functionalized with a fragment of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 stimulate L1-mediated functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, Florian; Lutz, David; Rusche, Norman; Bastús, Neus G.; Stieben, Martin; Höltig, Michael; Grüner, Florian; Weller, Horst; Schachner, Melitta; Vossmeyer, Tobias; Loers, Gabriele

2013-10-01

The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 is involved in nervous system development and promotes regeneration in animal models of acute and chronic injury of the adult nervous system. To translate these conducive functions into therapeutic approaches, a 22-mer peptide that encompasses a minimal and functional L1 sequence of the third fibronectin type III domain of murine L1 was identified and conjugated to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to obtain constructs that interact homophilically with the extracellular domain of L1 and trigger the cognate beneficial L1-mediated functions. Covalent conjugation was achieved by reacting mixtures of two cysteine-terminated forms of this L1 peptide and thiolated poly(ethylene) glycol (PEG) ligands (~2.1 kDa) with citrate stabilized AuNPs of two different sizes (~14 and 40 nm in diameter). By varying the ratio of the L1 peptide-PEG mixtures, an optimized layer composition was achieved that resulted in the expected homophilic interaction of the AuNPs. These AuNPs were stable as tested over a time period of 30 days in artificial cerebrospinal fluid and interacted with the extracellular domain of L1 on neurons and Schwann cells, as could be shown by using cells from wild-type and L1-deficient mice. In vitro, the L1-derivatized particles promoted neurite outgrowth and survival of neurons from the central and peripheral nervous system and stimulated Schwann cell process formation and proliferation. These observations raise the hope that, in combination with other therapeutic approaches, L1 peptide-functionalized AuNPs may become a useful tool to ameliorate the deficits resulting from acute and chronic injuries of the mammalian nervous system.The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 is involved in nervous system development and promotes regeneration in animal models of acute and chronic injury of the adult nervous system. To translate these conducive functions into therapeutic approaches, a 22-mer peptide that encompasses a minimal and functional L1 sequence of the third fibronectin type III domain of murine L1 was identified and conjugated to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to obtain constructs that interact homophilically with the extracellular domain of L1 and trigger the cognate beneficial L1-mediated functions. Covalent conjugation was achieved by reacting mixtures of two cysteine-terminated forms of this L1 peptide and thiolated poly(ethylene) glycol (PEG) ligands (~2.1 kDa) with citrate stabilized AuNPs of two different sizes (~14 and 40 nm in diameter). By varying the ratio of the L1 peptide-PEG mixtures, an optimized layer composition was achieved that resulted in the expected homophilic interaction of the AuNPs. These AuNPs were stable as tested over a time period of 30 days in artificial cerebrospinal fluid and interacted with the extracellular domain of L1 on neurons and Schwann cells, as could be shown by using cells from wild-type and L1-deficient mice. In vitro, the L1-derivatized particles promoted neurite outgrowth and survival of neurons from the central and peripheral nervous system and stimulated Schwann cell process formation and proliferation. These observations raise the hope that, in combination with other therapeutic approaches, L1 peptide-functionalized AuNPs may become a useful tool to ameliorate the deficits resulting from acute and chronic injuries of the mammalian nervous system. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: In vitro assays of the stimulatory activity of the L1-peptide, in vitro assays comparing the stimulatory activity of the L1-peptide coupled and not coupled to AuNPs, TEM characterization of AuNPs, additional results of aggregation experiments including an explanatory figure, UV-vis data proving the stability of AuNP@L1/PEGMUA-conjugates in relevant buffers, simple structure modeling of a L1-peptide and PEGMUA on AuNPs, and structure modeling of L1-peptides. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr02707d

Relative binding affinity of carboxylate-, phosphonate-, and bisphosphonate-functionalized gold nanoparticles targeted to damaged bone tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, Ryan D.; Cole, Lisa E.; Roeder, Ryan K.

2012-10-01

Functionalized Au NPs have received considerable recent interest for targeting and labeling cells and tissues. Damaged bone tissue can be targeted by functionalizing Au NPs with molecules exhibiting affinity for calcium. Therefore, the relative binding affinity of Au NPs surface functionalized with either carboxylate ( l-glutamic acid), phosphonate (2-aminoethylphosphonic acid), or bisphosphonate (alendronate) was investigated for targeted labeling of damaged bone tissue in vitro. Targeted labeling of damaged bone tissue was qualitatively verified by visual observation and backscattered electron microscopy, and quantitatively measured by the surface density of Au NPs using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The surface density of functionalized Au NPs was significantly greater within damaged tissue compared to undamaged tissue for each functional group. Bisphosphonate-functionalized Au NPs exhibited a greater surface density labeling damaged tissue compared to glutamic acid- and phosphonic acid-functionalized Au NPs, which was consistent with the results of previous work comparing the binding affinity of the same functionalized Au NPs to synthetic hydroxyapatite crystals. Targeted labeling was enabled not only by the functional groups but also by the colloidal stability in solution. Functionalized Au NPs were stabilized by the presence of the functional groups, and were shown to remain well dispersed in ionic (phosphate buffered saline) and serum (fetal bovine serum) solutions for up to 1 week. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that bisphosphonate-functionalized Au NPs have potential for targeted delivery to damaged bone tissue in vitro and provide motivation for in vivo investigation.

Preparation of glucose sensors using gold nanoparticles modified diamond electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fachrurrazie; Ivandini, T. A.; Wibowo, W.

2017-04-01

A glucose sensor was successfully developed by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOx) at boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. Prior to GOx immobilization, the BDD was modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). To immobilize AuNPs, the gold surface was modified to nitrogen termination. The characterization of the electrode surface was performed using an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and a scanning electron microscope, while the electrochemical properties of the enzyme electrode were characterized using cyclic voltammetry. Cyclic voltammograms of the prepared electrode for D-glucose in phosphate buffer solution pH 7 showed a new reduction peak at +0.16 V. The currents of the peak were linear in the concentration range of 0.1 M to 0.9 M, indicated that the GOx-AuNP-BDD can be applied for electrochemical glucose detection.

Degradation mechanisms of Ti/Al/Ni/Au-based Ohmic contacts on AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

DOE PAGES

Hwang, Ya-Hsi; Ahn, Shihyun; Dong, Chen; ...

2015-04-27

We investigated the degradation mechanism of Ti/Al/Ni/Au-based Ohmic metallization on AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors upon exposure to buffer oxide etchant (BOE). The major effect of BOE on the Ohmic metal was an increase of sheet resistance from 2.89 to 3.69 Ω/ₜafter 3 min BOE treatment. The alloyed Ohmic metallization consisted 3–5 μm Ni-Al alloy islands surrounded by Au-Al alloy-rings. The morphology of both the islands and ring areas became flatter after BOE etching. Lastly, we used energy dispersive x-ray analysis and Auger electron microscopy to analyze the compositions and metal distributions in the metal alloys prior to and aftermore » BOE exposure.« less

Investigation on the adsorption characteristics of sodium benzoate and taurine on gold nanoparticle film by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Naveen; Thomas, S.; Tokas, R. B.; Kshirsagar, R. J.

2014-01-01

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic studies of sodium benzoate and taurine adsorbed on gold nanoparticle (AuNp) film on silanised glass slides have been studied by attenuated total reflection technique (ATR). The surface morphology of the AuNp films has been measured by Atomic Force Microscopy. The ATR spectra of sodium benzoate and taurine deposited on AuNp film are compared with ATR spectra of their powdered bulk samples. A new red-shifted band appeared along with the symmetric and asymmetric stretches of carboxylate group of sodium benzoate leading to a broadening of the above peaks. Similar behavior is also seen in the case of symmetric and asymmetric stretches of sulphonate group of taurine. The results indicate presence of both chemisorbed and physisorbed layers of both sodium benzoate and taurine on the AuNp film with bottom layer chemically bound to AuNp through carboxylate and sulphonate groups respectively.

[INVITED] Design of turn around point long period fiber grating sensor with Au-nanoparticle self monolayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandyopadhyay, Sankhyabrata; Basumallick, Nandini; Bysakh, Sandip; Dey, Tanoy Kumar; Biswas, Palas; Bandyopadhyay, Somnath

2018-06-01

In this paper studies on the design and fabrication of a long period fiber grating (LPFG) with a self mono layer of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) has been presented. Refractive index (RI) sensitivity of a dispersed cladding mode (DCM) near turn around point (TAP) of its phase matching curve (PMC) has been investigated with and also without AuNP coated LPFG. The typical role played by the intermediate layer of AuNP on the effective index and thus on the sensitivity of the cladding mode to the surrounding RI has also been explored by carrying out coupled mode analysis of the requisite multilayer waveguide. Deposition of AuNP enhanced the sensitivity by more than a factor of 2. Measured sensitivity was found to be ∼3928 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) in the range of 1.3333-1.3428.

Buffer transport mechanisms in intentionally carbon doped GaN heterojunction field effect transistors

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

Uren, Michael J.; Cäsar, Markus; Kuball, Martin

2014-06-30

Temperature dependent pulsed and ramped substrate bias measurements are used to develop a detailed understanding of the vertical carrier transport in the buffer layers in a carbon doped GaN power heterojunction field effect transistor. Carbon doped GaN and multiple layers of AlGaN alloy are used in these devices to deliver an insulating and strain relieved buffer with high breakdown voltage capability. However, understanding of the detailed physical mechanism for its operation is still lacking. At the lowest electric fields (<10 MV/m), charge redistribution within the C doped layer is shown to occur by hole conduction in the valence band withmore » activation energy 0.86 eV. At higher fields, leakage between the two-dimensional electron gas and the buffer dominates occurring by a Poole-Frenkel mechanism with activation energy ∼0.65 eV, presumably along threading dislocations. At higher fields still, the strain relief buffer starts to conduct by a field dependent process. Balancing the onset of these leakage mechanisms is essential to allow the build-up of positive rather than negative space charge, and thus minimize bulk-related current-collapse in these devices.« less

Growth mechanisms of GaSb heteroepitaxial films on Si with an AlSb buffer layer

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

Vajargah, S. Hosseini; Botton, G. A.; Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1

2013-09-21

The initial growth stages of GaSb epilayers on Si substrates and the role of the AlSb buffer layer were studied by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). Heteroepitaxy of GaSb and AlSb on Si both occur by Volmer-Weber (i.e., island mode) growth. However, the AlSb and GaSb islands have distinctly different characteristics as revealed through an atomic-resolution structural study using Z-contrast of HAADF-STEM imaging. While GaSb islands are sparse and three dimensional, AlSb islands are numerous and flattened. The introduction of 3D island-forming AlSb buffer layer facilitates the nucleation of GaSb islands. The AlSb islands-assisted nucleation of GaSbmore » islands results in the formation of drastically higher quality planar film at a significantly smaller thickness of films. The interface of the AlSb and GaSb epilayers with the Si substrate was further investigated with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry to elucidate the key role of the AlSb buffer layer in the growth of GaSb epilayers on Si substrates.« less

Microwave properties of peeled HEMT devices sapphire substrates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Paul G.; Alterovitz, Samuel A.; Mena, Rafael A.; Smith, Edwyn D.

1992-01-01

The focus of this research is to demonstrate the first full radio frequency characterization of high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device parameters. The results of this research are used in the design of circuits with peeled HEMT devices, e.g. 10 GHz amplifiers. Devices were fabricated using two HEMT structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy methods. A 500 A AlAs release layer for 'peel off' was included under the active layers of the structure. The structures are a homogeneously doped Al(0.3)GA(0.7)As/GaAs and a delta doped square well Al(.23)Ga(.77)As/GaAs HEMT structure. Devices were fabricated using a mesa isolation process. Contacts were done by sequentially evaporating Au/Ge/Au/Ni/Au followed by rapid thermal anneal at 400 C for 15 seconds. Gates were wet etch recessed and 1 to 1.4 micron Ti/Au gate metal was deposited. Devices were peeled off the GaAs substrate using Apiezon wax to support the active layer and a HF:DI (1:10) solution to remove the AlAs separation layer. Devices were then attached to sapphire substrates using van der Waals bonding.

Influence of SiO2 shell thickness on power conversion efficiency in plasmonic polymer solar cells with Au nanorod@SiO2 core-shell structures

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ran; Zhou, Yongfang; Peng, Ling; Li, Xue; Chen, Shufen; Feng, Xiaomiao; Guan, Yuqiao; Huang, Wei

2016-01-01

Locating core-shell metal nanoparticles into a photoactive layer or at the interface of photoactive layer/hole extraction layer is beneficial for fully employing surface plasmon energy, thus enhancing power conversion efficiency (PCE) in plasmonic organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs). Herein, we first investigated the influence of silica shell thickness in Au nanorods (NRs)@SiO2 core-shell structures on OPV performances by inserting them into poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) and thieno[3,4-b]thiophene/benzodithiophene (PTB7) interface, and amazedly found that a 2–3 nm silica shell onto Au NRs induces a highest short-circuit current density of 21.2 mA cm−2 and PCE of 9.55%. This is primarily due to an extremely strong local field and a much slower attenuation of localized surface plasmon resonance around ultrathin silica-coated Au NRs, with which the field intensity remains a high value in the active layer, thus sufficiently improves the absorption of PTB7. Our work provides a clear design concept on precise control of the shell of metal nanoparticles to realize high performances in plasmonic OPVs. PMID:27125309

Influence of SiO2 shell thickness on power conversion efficiency in plasmonic polymer solar cells with Au nanorod@SiO2 core-shell structures.

PubMed

Zhang, Ran; Zhou, Yongfang; Peng, Ling; Li, Xue; Chen, Shufen; Feng, Xiaomiao; Guan, Yuqiao; Huang, Wei

2016-04-29

Locating core-shell metal nanoparticles into a photoactive layer or at the interface of photoactive layer/hole extraction layer is beneficial for fully employing surface plasmon energy, thus enhancing power conversion efficiency (PCE) in plasmonic organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs). Herein, we first investigated the influence of silica shell thickness in Au nanorods (NRs)@SiO2 core-shell structures on OPV performances by inserting them into poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) and thieno[3,4-b]thiophene/benzodithiophene (PTB7) interface, and amazedly found that a 2-3 nm silica shell onto Au NRs induces a highest short-circuit current density of 21.2 mA cm(-2) and PCE of 9.55%. This is primarily due to an extremely strong local field and a much slower attenuation of localized surface plasmon resonance around ultrathin silica-coated Au NRs, with which the field intensity remains a high value in the active layer, thus sufficiently improves the absorption of PTB7. Our work provides a clear design concept on precise control of the shell of metal nanoparticles to realize high performances in plasmonic OPVs.

Modulation of Morphology and Optical Property of Multi-Metallic PdAuAg and PdAg Alloy Nanostructures.

PubMed

Pandey, Puran; Kunwar, Sundar; Sui, Mao; Bastola, Sushil; Lee, Jihoon

2018-05-16

In this work, the evolution of PdAg and PdAuAg alloy nanostructures is demonstrated on sapphire (0001) via the solid-state dewetting of multi-metallic thin films. Various surface configurations, size, and arrangements of bi- and tri-metallic alloy nanostructures are fabricated as a function of annealing temperature, annealing duration, film thickness, and deposition arrangements such as bi-layers (Pd/Ag), tri-layers (Pd/Au/Ag), and multi-layers (Pd/Au/Ag × 5). Specifically, the tri-layers film shows the gradual evolution of over-grown NPs, voids, wiggly nanostructures, and isolated PdAuAg alloy nanoparticles (NPs) along with the increased annealing temperature. In contrast, the multi-layers film with same thickness show the enhanced dewetting rate, which results in the formation of voids at relatively lower temperature, wider spacing, and structural regularity of alloy NPs at higher temperature. The dewetting enhancement is attributed to the increased number of interfaces and reduced individual layer thickness, which aid the inter-diffusion process at the initial stage. In addition, the time evolution of the Pd 150 nm /Ag 80 nm bi-layer films at constant temperature show the wiggly-connected and isolated PdAg alloy NPs. The overall evolution of alloy NPs is discussed based on the solid-state dewetting mechanism in conjunction with the diffusion, inter-diffusion, alloying, sublimation, Rayleigh instability, and surface energy minimization. Depending upon their surface morphologies, the bi- and tri-metallic alloy nanostructures exhibit the dynamic reflectance spectra, which show the formation of dipolar (above 700 nm) and quadrupolar resonance peaks (~ 380 nm) and wide dips in the visible region as correlated to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. An absorption dip is readily shifted from ~ 510 to ~ 475 nm along with the decreased average size of alloy nanostructures.

Modulation of Morphology and Optical Property of Multi-Metallic PdAuAg and PdAg Alloy Nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Puran; Kunwar, Sundar; Sui, Mao; Bastola, Sushil; Lee, Jihoon

2018-05-01

In this work, the evolution of PdAg and PdAuAg alloy nanostructures is demonstrated on sapphire (0001) via the solid-state dewetting of multi-metallic thin films. Various surface configurations, size, and arrangements of bi- and tri-metallic alloy nanostructures are fabricated as a function of annealing temperature, annealing duration, film thickness, and deposition arrangements such as bi-layers (Pd/Ag), tri-layers (Pd/Au/Ag), and multi-layers (Pd/Au/Ag × 5). Specifically, the tri-layers film shows the gradual evolution of over-grown NPs, voids, wiggly nanostructures, and isolated PdAuAg alloy nanoparticles (NPs) along with the increased annealing temperature. In contrast, the multi-layers film with same thickness show the enhanced dewetting rate, which results in the formation of voids at relatively lower temperature, wider spacing, and structural regularity of alloy NPs at higher temperature. The dewetting enhancement is attributed to the increased number of interfaces and reduced individual layer thickness, which aid the inter-diffusion process at the initial stage. In addition, the time evolution of the Pd150 nm/Ag80 nm bi-layer films at constant temperature show the wiggly-connected and isolated PdAg alloy NPs. The overall evolution of alloy NPs is discussed based on the solid-state dewetting mechanism in conjunction with the diffusion, inter-diffusion, alloying, sublimation, Rayleigh instability, and surface energy minimization. Depending upon their surface morphologies, the bi- and tri-metallic alloy nanostructures exhibit the dynamic reflectance spectra, which show the formation of dipolar (above 700 nm) and quadrupolar resonance peaks ( 380 nm) and wide dips in the visible region as correlated to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. An absorption dip is readily shifted from 510 to 475 nm along with the decreased average size of alloy nanostructures.

Highly selective and sensitive nanoprobes for cyanide based on gold nanoclusters with red fluorescence emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guomei; Qiao, Yunyun; Xu, Ting; Zhang, Caihong; Zhang, Yan; Shi, Lihong; Shuang, Shaomin; Dong, Chuan

2015-07-01

We report a novel and environmentally friendly fluorescent probe for detecting the cyanide ion (CN-) using l-amino acid oxidase (LAAOx)-protected Au nanoclusters (LAAOx@AuNCs) with red emission. The fluorescence-based sensing behaviour of LAAOx@AuNCs towards anions was investigated in buffered aqueous media. Among the anions studied, CN- was found to effectively quench the fluorescence emission of AuNCs based on CN- induced Au core decomposition. Excellent sensitivity and selectivity toward the detection of CN- in aqueous solution were observed. The CN- detection limit was determined to be approximately 180 nM, which is 15 times lower than the maximum level (2700 nM) of CN- in drinking water permitted by the World Health Organization (WHO). A linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity and CN- concentration was observed in two ranges of CN- concentration, including 3.2 × 10-6 to 3.4 × 10-5 mol L-1 and 3.81 × 10-5 to 1.04 × 10-4 mol L-1. The high sensitivity and selectivity to CN- among the 17 types of anions make the AuNCs good candidates for use in fluorescent nanoprobes of CN-.

Buffer Layer Effects on Tandem InGaAs TPV Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilt, David M.; Wehrer, Rebecca J.; Maurer, William F.

2004-01-01

Single junction indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) based TPV devices have demonstrated efficiencies in excess of 20% at radiator temperatures of 1058 C. Modeling suggests that efficiency improvements in single bandgap devices should continue although they will eventually plateau. One approach for extending efficiencies beyond the single bandgap limit is to follow the technique taken in the solar cell field, namely tandem TPV cells. Tandem photovoltaic devices are traditionally composed of cells of decreasing bandgap, connected electrically and optically in series. The incident light impinges upon the highest bandgap first. This device acts as a sieve, absorbing the high-energy photons, while allowing the remainder to pass through to the underlying cell(s), and so on. Tandem devices reduce the energy lost to overexcitation as well as reducing the current density (Jsc). Reduced Jsc results in lower resistive losses and enables the use of thinner and lower doped lateral current conducting layers as well as a higher pitch grid design. Fabricating TPV tandem devices utilizing InGaAs for all of the component cells in a two cell tandem necessitates the inclusion of a buffer layer in-between the high bandgap device (In0.53 Ga0.47As - 0.74eV) and the low bandgap device (In0.66Ga0.34As - 0.63eV) to accommodate the approximately 1% lattice strain generated due to the change in InGaAs composition. To incorporate only a single buffer layer structure, we have investigated the use of the indium phosphide (InP) substrate as a superstrate. Thus the high-bandgap, lattice- matched device is deposited first, followed by the buffer structure and the low-bandgap cell. The near perfect transparency of the high bandgap (1.35eV) iron-doped InP permits the device to be oriented such that the light enters through the substrate. In this paper we examine the impact of the buffer layer on the underlying lattice-matched InGaAs device. 0.74eV InGaAs devices were produced in a variety of configurations both with and without buffer layers. All structures were characterized by reciprocal space x-ray diffraction to determine epilayer composition and residual strain. Electrical characterization of the devices was performed to examine the effect of the buffer on the device performance. The effect of the buffer structure depends upon where it is positioned. When near the emitter region, a 2.6x increase in dark current was measured, whereas no change in dark current was observed when it was near the base region.

Fabrication of a Tantalum-Based Josephson Junction for an X-Ray Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morohashi, Shin'ichi; Gotoh, Kohtaroh; Yokoyama, Naoki

2000-06-01

We have fabricated a tantalum-based Josephson junction for an X-ray detector. The tantalum layer was selected for the junction electrode because of its long quasiparticle lifetime, large X-ray absorption efficiency and stability against thermal cycling. We have developed a buffer layer to fabricate the tantalum layer with a body-centered cubic structure. Based on careful consideration of their superconductivity, we have selected a niobium thin layer as the buffer layer for fabricating the tantalum base electrode, and a tungsten thin layer for the tantalum counter electrode. Fabricated Nb/AlOx-Al/Ta/Nb and Nb/Ta/W/AlOx-Al/Ta/Nb Josephson junctions exhibited current-voltage characteristics with a low subgap leakage current.

Selective growth of Pb islands on graphene/SiC buffer layers

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

Liu, X. T.; Miao, Y. P.; Ma, D. Y.

2015-02-14

Graphene is fabricated by thermal decomposition of silicon carbide (SiC) and Pb islands are deposited by Pb flux in molecular beam epitaxy chamber. It is found that graphene domains and SiC buffer layer coexist. Selective growth of Pb islands on SiC buffer layer rather than on graphene domains is observed. It can be ascribed to the higher adsorption energy of Pb atoms on the 6√(3) reconstruction of SiC. However, once Pb islands nucleate on graphene domains, they will grow very large owing to the lower diffusion barrier of Pb atoms on graphene. The results are consistent with first-principle calculations. Sincemore » Pb atoms on graphene are nearly free-standing, Pb islands grow in even-number mode.« less

Ultrathin Polyaniline-based Buffer Layer for Highly Efficient Polymer Solar Cells with Wide Applicability

PubMed Central

Zhao, Wenchao; Ye, Long; Zhang, Shaoqing; Fan, Bin; Sun, Mingliang; Hou, Jianhui

2014-01-01

Interfacial buffer layers often attribute the improved device performance in organic optoelectronic device. Herein, a water-soluble hydrochloric acid doped polyanilines (HAPAN) were utilized as p-type electrode buffer layer in highly efficient polymer solar cells (PSC) based on PBDTTT-EFT and several representative polymers. The PBDTTT-EFT-based conventional PSC featuring ultrathin HAPAN (1.3 nm) delivered high PCE approximately 9%, which is one of the highest values among conventional PSC devices. Moreover, ultrathin HAPAN also exhibited wide applicability in a variety of efficient photovoltaic polymers including PBDTTT-C-T, PTB7, PBDTBDD, PBTTDPP-T, PDPP3T and P3HT. The excellent performances were originated from the high transparency, small film roughness and suitable work function. PMID:25300365

Chemical Bath Deposited Zinc Sulfide Buffer Layers for Copper Indium Gallium Sulfur-selenide Solar Cells and Device Analysis

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

Kundu, Sambhu N.; Olsen, Larry C.

2005-01-03

Cd free CIGSS thin film solar cell structures with a MgF2/TCO/CGD-ZnS/CIGSS/Mo/SLG structure have been fabricated using chemical bath deposited (CBD)-ZnS buffer layers and high quality CIGSS absorber layers supplied from Shell Solar Industries. The use of CBD-ZnS, which is a higher band gap materials than CdS, improved the quantum efficiency of fabricated cells at lower wavelengths, leading to an increase in short circuit current. The best cell to date yielded an active area (0.43 cm2) efficiency of 13.3%. This paper also presents a discussion of the issues relating to the use of the CBD-ZnS buffer materials for improving device performance.

Determination of nicotine in tobacco products based on mussel-inspired reduced graphene oxide-supported gold nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Jing, Yanqiu; Yuan, Xiuxiu; Yuan, Qiu; He, Kuanxin; Liu, Yingjie; Lu, Ping; Li, Huaiqi; Li, Bin; Zhan, Hui; Li, Guangliang

2016-01-01

Polydopamine functionalized reduced graphene oxide-gold nanoparticle (PDA-RGO/Au) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by a simple and mild procedure. The PDA-RGO/Au nanocomposite is successfully formed in an aqueous buffer solution (pH 8.5) without using any reducing agent. FTIR confirmed the successful coating of PDA and informed the reduction of the surface functional groups of GO. The formation of reduced GO and Au NPs was further evidenced by UV-Vis and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. This method is environmentally friendly and highly beneficial for the mass production of graphene-noble metal based nanocomposite. The as prepared PDA-RGO/Au nanocomposite could greatly enhance the electrochemical oxidation of nicotine. We fabricated an electrochemical nicotine sensor based on the prepared PDA-RGO/Au nanocomposite. The proposed nicotine sensor showed a wide detection range from 0.05 to 500 μM with a low detection limit of 0.015 μM. Moreover, the proposed nicotine sensor was also successfully applied for determination nicotine content in tobacco products. PMID:27374974

The anticancer effect related to disturbances in redox balance on Caco-2 cells caused by an alkynyl gold(I) complex.

PubMed

Sánchez-de-Diego, Cristina; Mármol, Inés; Pérez, Rocío; Gascón, Sonia; Rodriguez-Yoldi, Mª Jesús; Cerrada, Elena

2017-01-01

The alkynyl gold(I) derivative [Au(C≡CPh)(PTA)] (PTA=1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane) induces apoptosis in colorectal carcinoma tumour cells (Caco-2) without affecting to normal enterocytes. [Au(C≡CPh)(PTA)] is a slight lipophilic drug, stable in PBS (Phosphate Buffered Saline) and able to bind BSA (Bovin Serum Albumin) by hydrophobic interactions. Once inside the cell, [Au(C≡CPh)(PTA)] targets seleno proteins such as Thioredoxin Reductase 1, increasing ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) levels, reducing cell viability and proliferation and inducing mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic protein imbalance, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c release and activation of caspases 9 and 3. Moreover, unlike other metal-based drugs such as cisplatin, [Au(C≡CPh)(PTA)] does not target nucleic acid, reducing the risk of side mutation in the DNA. In consequence, our results predict a promising future for [Au(C≡CPh)(PTA)] as a chemotherapeutic agent for colorectal carcinoma. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Determination of nicotine in tobacco products based on mussel-inspired reduced graphene oxide-supported gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Yanqiu; Yuan, Xiuxiu; Yuan, Qiu; He, Kuanxin; Liu, Yingjie; Lu, Ping; Li, Huaiqi; Li, Bin; Zhan, Hui; Li, Guangliang

2016-07-01

Polydopamine functionalized reduced graphene oxide-gold nanoparticle (PDA-RGO/Au) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by a simple and mild procedure. The PDA-RGO/Au nanocomposite is successfully formed in an aqueous buffer solution (pH 8.5) without using any reducing agent. FTIR confirmed the successful coating of PDA and informed the reduction of the surface functional groups of GO. The formation of reduced GO and Au NPs was further evidenced by UV-Vis and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. This method is environmentally friendly and highly beneficial for the mass production of graphene-noble metal based nanocomposite. The as prepared PDA-RGO/Au nanocomposite could greatly enhance the electrochemical oxidation of nicotine. We fabricated an electrochemical nicotine sensor based on the prepared PDA-RGO/Au nanocomposite. The proposed nicotine sensor showed a wide detection range from 0.05 to 500 μM with a low detection limit of 0.015 μM. Moreover, the proposed nicotine sensor was also successfully applied for determination nicotine content in tobacco products.

Connected Au network in annealed Ni/Au thin films on p-GaN

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

Lee, S. P.; Jang, H. W.; Noh, D. Y.

2007-11-12

We report the formation of a connected Au network in annealed Ni/Au thin films on p-GaN, which was studied by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and synchrotron x-ray diffraction. As the Ni was oxidized into NiO upon annealing at 530 deg. C in air, the Au layer was transformed to an interconnected network with an increased thickness. During annealing, Ni atoms diffuse out onto the Au through defects to form NiO, while Au atoms replace the Ni positions. The Au network grows downward until it reaches the p-GaN substrate, and NiO columns fill the space between the Au network.

Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy of ZnO on in-situ grown GaN/4H-SiC buffer layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adolph, David; Tingberg, Tobias; Andersson, Thorvald; Ive, Tommy

2015-04-01

Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) was used to grow ZnO (0001) layers on GaN(0001)/4H-SiC buffer layers deposited in the same growth chamber equipped with both N- and O-plasma sources. The GaN buffer layers were grown immediately before initiating the growth of ZnO. Using a substrate temperature of 440°C-445°C and an O2 flow rate of 2.0-2.5 sccm, we obtained ZnO layers with smooth surfaces having a root-mean-square roughness of 0.3 nm and a peak-to-valley distance of 3 nm shown by AFM. The FWHM for X-ray rocking curves recorded across the ZnO(0002) and ZnO(10bar 15) reflections were 200 and 950 arcsec, respectively. These values showed that the mosaicity (tilt and twist) of the ZnO film was comparable to corresponding values of the underlying GaN buffer. It was found that a substrate temperature > 450°C and a high Zn-flux always resulted in a rough ZnO surface morphology. Reciprocal space maps showed that the in-plane relaxation of the GaN and ZnO layers was 82.3% and 73.0%, respectively and the relaxation occurred abruptly during the growth. Room-temperature Hall-effect measurements showed that the layers were intrinsically n-type with an electron concentration of 1019 cm-3 and a Hall mobility of 50 cm2·V-1·s-1.

Comparison of different photoresist buffer layers in SPR sensors based on D-shaped POF and gold film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cennamo, Nunzio; Pesavento, Maria; De Maria, Letizia; Galatus, Ramona; Mattiello, Francesco; Zeni, Luigi

2017-04-01

A comparative analysis of two optical fiber sensing platforms is presented. The sensors are based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in a D-shaped plastic optical fiber (POF) with a photoresist buffer layer between the exposed POF core and the thin gold film. We show how the sensor's performances change when the photoresist layer changes. The photoresist layers proposed in this analysis are SU-8 3005 and S1813. The experimental results are congruent with the numerical studies and it is instrumental for chemical and bio-chemical applications. Usually, the photoresist layer is required in order to increase the performance of the SPR-POF sensor.

Defect-rich Ni-Ti layered double hydroxide as a highly efficient support for Au nanoparticles in base-free and solvent-free selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol.

PubMed

Liu, Mengran; Fan, Guoli; Yu, Jiaying; Yang, Lan; Li, Feng

2018-04-17

Tuning the surface properties of supported metal catalysts is of vital importance for governing their catalytic performances in nanocatalysis. Here, we report highly dispersed nanometric gold nanoparticles (NPs) supported on Ni-Ti layered double hydroxides (NiTi-LDHs), which were employed in solvent-free and base-free selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol. A series of characterization techniques demonstrated that defect-rich NiTi-LDHs could efficiently stabilize Au NPs and decrease surface electron density of Au NPs. The as-formed Au/NiTi-LDH catalyst with a Ni/Ti molar ratio of 3 : 1 and an Au loading of 0.71 wt% yielded the highest turnover frequency value of ∼4981 h-1 at 120 °C among tested Au/NiTi-LDH catalysts with different Ni/Ti molar ratios, along with a high benzaldehyde selectivity of 98%. High catalytic efficiency of the catalyst was mainly correlated with surface cooperation between unique defects (i.e. defective Ti3+ species and oxygen vacancies) and abundant hydroxyl groups on the brucite-like layers of the NiTi-LDH support, which could lead to the preferential adsorption and activation of an alcohol hydroxyl moiety in benzyl alcohol and oxygen molecule, as well as the formation of more electron-deficient Ni3+ and Au0 species on the catalyst surface. Furthermore, the present Au/NiTi-LDH catalyst tolerated the oxidation of a wide variety of substrate structures into the corresponding aldehydes, acids or ketones. Our primary results illustrate that defect-rich NiTi-LDHs are promising supports which can efficiently modify surface structure and electronic properties of supported metal catalysts and consequently improve their catalytic performances.

Detection and quantification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in indoor air.

PubMed

Montesinos, V Nahuel; Sleiman, Mohamad; Cohn, Sebastian; Litter, Marta I; Destaillats, Hugo

2015-06-01

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as free radicals and peroxides, are environmental trace pollutants potentially associated with asthma and airways inflammation. These compounds are often not detected in indoor air due to sampling and analytical limitations. This study developed and validated an experimental method to sample, identify and quantify ROS in indoor air using fluorescent probes. Tests were carried out simultaneously using three different probes: 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin (DCFH) to detect a broad range of ROS, Amplex ultra Red® (AuR) to detect peroxides, and terephthalic acid (TPA) to detect hydroxyl radicals (HO(•)). For each test, air samples were collected using two impingers in series kept in an ice bath, containing each 10 mL of 50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 7.2. In tests with TPA, that probe was also added to the buffer prior to sampling; in the other two tests, probes and additional reactants were added immediately after sampling. The concentration of fluorescent byproducts was determined fluorometrically. Calibration curves were developed by reacting DCFH and AuR with known amounts of H2O2, and using known amounts of 2-hydroxyterephthalic acid (HTPA) for TPA. Low detection limits (9-13 nM) and quantification limits (18-22 nM) were determined for all three probes, which presented a linear response in the range 10-500 nM for AuR and TPA, and 100-2000 nM for DCFH. High collection efficiency (CE) and recovery efficiency (RE) were observed for DCFH (CE=RE=100%) and AuR (CE=100%; RE=73%) by sampling from a laboratory-developed gas phase H2O2 generator. Interference of co-occurring ozone was evaluated and quantified for the three probes by sampling from the outlet of an ozone generator. The method was demonstrated by sampling air emitted by two portable air cleaners: a strong ozone generator (AC1) and a plasma generator (AC2). High ozone levels emitted by AC1 did not allow for simultaneous determination of ROS levels due to high background levels associated with ozone decomposition in the buffer. However, emitted ROS were quantified at the outlet of AC2 using two of the three probes. With AuR, the concentration of peroxides in air emitted by the air cleaner was 300 ppt of H2O2 equivalents. With TPA, the HO(•) concentration was 47 ppt. This method is best suited to quantify ROS in the presence of low ozone levels. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A comparative study of the annealing behavior of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se){sub 2} based solar cells with an indium sulfide buffer layer, partly submitted to wet chemical treatments

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

Hönes, C., E-mail: christian.hoenes@de.bosch.com; Laboratory for Photovoltaics, University of Luxembourg, 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux; Hackenberg, J.

2015-03-07

Indium sulfide thin films deposited via thermal evaporation from compound source material have been successfully utilized as a cadmium free buffer layer for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} based solar cells. However, high efficiencies are only reached after an additional annealing step. In this work, the annealing behavior of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se){sub 2} based indium sulfide buffered solar cells is compared to the annealing behavior of similar cells, which were submitted to wet chemical treatments partly containing cadmium ions. Upon annealing a significant improvement of the initial solar cell characteristics is observed for the untreated cell and is related to the increase of activation energymore » for the carrier recombination process and a decrease of the ideality factor within the one diode model. It is shown here that this improvement can also be achieved by wet treatments of the absorber prior to buffer layer deposition. Upon annealing these treated cells still gain in collection length but lose open circuit voltage, which is explained here within a model including a highly p-doped absorber surface layer and supported by simulations showing that a decrease in doping density of such a surface layer would lead to the observed effects.« less

Polarization of gold in nanopores leads to ion current rectification

DOE PAGES

Yang, Crystal; Hinkle, Preston; Menestrina, Justin; ...

2016-10-03

Biomimetic nanopores with rectifying properties are relevant components of ionic switches, ionic circuits, and biological sensors. Rectification indicates that currents for voltages of one polarity are higher than currents for voltages of the opposite polarity. Ion current rectification requires the presence of surface charges on the pore walls, achieved either by the attachment of charged groups or in multielectrode systems by applying voltage to integrated gate electrodes. Here we present a simpler concept for introducing surface charges via polarization of a thin layer of Au present at one entrance of a silicon nitride nanopore. In an electric field applied bymore » two electrodes placed in bulk solution on both sides of the membrane, the Au layer polarizes such that excess positive charge locally concentrates at one end and negative charge concentrates at the other end. Consequently, a junction is formed between zones with enhanced anion and cation concentrations in the solution adjacent to the Au layer. This bipolar double layer together with enhanced cation concentration in a negatively charged silicon nitride nanopore leads to voltage-controlled surface-charge patterns and ion current rectification. The experimental findings are supported by numerical modeling that confirm modulation of ionic concentrations by the Au layer and ion current rectification even in low-aspect ratio nanopores. Lastly, our findings enable a new strategy for creating ionic circuits with diodes and transistors.« less

Modelling and simulation of high-frequency (100 MHz) ultrasonic linear arrays based on single crystal LiNbO3.

PubMed

Zhang, J Y; Xu, W J; Carlier, J; Ji, X M; Nongaillard, B; Queste, S; Huang, Y P

2012-01-01

High-frequency ultrasonic transducer arrays are essential for high resolution imaging in clinical analysis and Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE). However, the fabrication of conventional backing-layer structure, which requires a pitch (distance between the centers of two adjacent elements) of half wavelength in medium, is really a great challenge. Here we present an alternative buffer-layer structure with a silicon lens for volumetric imaging. The requirement for the size of the pitch is less critical for this structure, making it possible to fabricate high-frequency (100MHz) ultrasonic linear array transducers. Using silicon substrate also makes it possible to integrate the arrays with IC (Integrated Circuit). To compare with the conventional backing-layer structure, a finite element tool, COMSOL, is employed to investigate the performances of acoustic beam focusing, the influence of pitch size for the buffer-layer configuration, and to calculate the electrical properties of the arrays, including crosstalk effect and electrical impedance. For a 100MHz 10-element array of buffer-layer structure, the ultrasound beam in azimuth plane in water could be electronically focused to obtain a spatial resolution (a half-amplitude width) of 86μm at the focal depth. When decreasing from half wavelength in silicon (42μm) to half wavelength in water (7.5μm), the pitch sizes weakly affect the focal resolution. The lateral spatial resolution is increased by 4.65% when the pitch size decreases from 42μm to 7.5μm. The crosstalk between adjacent elements at the central frequency is, respectively, -95dB, -39.4dB, and -60.5dB for the 10-element buffer, 49-element buffer and 49-element backing arrays. Additionally, the electrical impedance magnitudes for each structure are, respectively, 4kΩ, 26.4kΩ, and 24.2kΩ, which is consistent with calculation results using Krimholtz, Leedom, and Matthaei (KLM) model. These results show that the buffer-layer configuration is a promising alternative for the fabrication of high-frequency ultrasonic linear arrays dedicated to volumetric imaging. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Coaxial metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) Au/Ga2O3/GaN nanowires.

PubMed

Hsieh, Chin-Hua; Chang, Mu-Tung; Chien, Yu-Jen; Chou, Li-Jen; Chen, Lih-Juann; Chen, Chii-Dong

2008-10-01

Coaxial metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) Au-Ga2O3-GaN heterostructure nanowires were successfully fabricated by an in situ two-step process. The Au-Ga2O3 core-shell nanowires were first synthesized by the reaction of Ga powder, a mediated Au thin layer, and a SiO2 substrate at 800 degrees C. Subsequently, these core-shell nanowires were nitridized in ambient ammonia to form a GaN coating layer at 600 degrees C. The GaN shell is a single crystal, an atomic flat interface between the oxide and semiconductor that ensures that the high quality of the MOS device is achieved. These novel 1D nitride-based MOS nanowires may have promise as building blocks to the future nitride-based vertical nanodevices.

Oxygen fugacity control in piston-cylinder experiments: a re-evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakobsson, Sigurdur; Blundy, Jon; Moore, Gordon

2014-06-01

Jakobsson (Contrib Miner Petrol 164(3):397-407, 2012) investigated a double capsule assembly for use in piston-cylinder experiments that would allow hydrous, high-temperature, and high-pressure experiments to be conducted under controlled oxygen fugacity conditions. Using a platinum outer capsule containing a metal oxide oxygen buffer (Ni-NiO or Co-CoO) and H2O, with an inner gold-palladium capsule containing hydrous melt, this study was able to compare the oxygen fugacity imposed by the outer capsule oxygen buffer with an oxygen fugacity estimated by the AuPdFe ternary system calibrated by Barr and Grove (Contrib Miner Petrol 160(5):631-643, 2010). H2O loss or gain, as well as iron loss to the capsule walls and carbon contamination, is often observed in piston-cylinder experiments and often go unexplained. Only a few have attempted to actually quantify various aspects of these changes (Brooker et al. in Am Miner 83(9-10):985-994, 1998; Truckenbrodt and Johannes in Am Miner 84:1333-1335, 1999). It was one of the goals of Jakobsson (Contrib Miner Petrol 164(3):397-407, 2012) to address these issues by using and testing the AuPdFe solution model of Barr and Grove (Contrib Miner Petrol 160(5):631-643, 2010), as well as to constrain the oxygen fugacity of the inner capsule. The oxygen fugacities of the analyzed melts were assumed to be equal to those of the solid Ni-NiO and Co-CoO buffers, which is incorrect since the melts are all undersaturated in H2O and the oxygen fugacities should therefore be lower than that of the buffer by 2 log.

Development of buffer layer structure for epitaxial growth of (100)/(001)Pb(Zr,Ti)O3-based thin film on (111)Si wafer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayasaka, Takeshi; Yoshida, Shinya; Tanaka, Shuji

2017-07-01

This paper reports on the development of a novel buffer layer structure, (100)SrRuO3/(100)LaNiO3/(111)Pt/(111)CeO2, for the epitaxial growth of a (100)/(001)-oriented Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT)-based thin film on a (111)Si wafer. (111)Pt and (111)CeO2 were epitaxially grown on (111)Si straightforwardly. Then, the crystal orientation was forcibly changed from (111) to (100) at the LaNiO3 layer owing to its strong (100)-self-orientation property, which enabled the cube-on-cube epitaxial growth of the subsequent (100)SrRuO3 layer and preferentially (100)/(001)-oriented PZT-based thin film. The PZT-based epitaxial thin films were comprehensively characterized in terms of the crystallinity, in-plane epitaxial relationships, piezoelectricity, and so forth. This buffer layer structure for the epitaxial growth of PZT can be applied to piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) vibrating ring gyroscopes.

Synergistic interaction between gold nanoparticles and nickel phthalocyanine in layer-by-layer (LbL) films: evidence of constitutional dynamic chemistry (CDC).

PubMed

Alencar, Wagner S; Crespilho, Frank N; Martins, Marccus V A; Zucolotto, Valtencir; Oliveira, Osvaldo N; Silva, Welter C

2009-07-07

The concept of constitutional dynamic chemistry (CDC) based on the control of non-covalent interactions in supramolecular structures is promising for having a large impact on nanoscience and nanotechnology if adequate nanoscale manipulation methods are used. In this study, we demonstrate that the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique may be used to produce electroactive electrodes with ITO coated by tetrasulfonated nickel phthalocyanine (NiTsPc) alternated with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) incorporating gold nanoparticles (AuNP), in which synergy has been achieved in the interaction between the nanoparticles and NiTsPc. The catalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in multilayer films was investigated using cyclic voltammetry, where oxidation of H(2)O(2) led to increased currents in the PAH-AuNP/NiTsPc films for the electrochemical processes associated with the phthalocyanine ring and nickel at 0.52 and 0.81 V vs. SCE, respectively, while for PAH/NiTsPc films (without AuNP) only the first redox process was affected. In control experiments we found out that the catalytic activity was not solely due to the presence of AuNP, but rather to the nanoparticles inducing NiTsPc supramolecular structures that favored access to their redox sites, thus yielding strong charge transfer. The combined effects of NiTsPc and AuNP, which could only be observed in nanostructured LbL films, point to another avenue to pursue within the CDC paradigm.

Adenosine Triphosphate-Encapsulated Liposomes with Plasmonic Nanoparticles for Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering-Based Immunoassays.

PubMed

Pham, Xuan-Hung; Hahm, Eunil; Kim, Tae Han; Kim, Hyung-Mo; Lee, Sang Hun; Lee, Yoon-Sik; Jeong, Dae Hong; Jun, Bong-Hyun

2017-06-23

In this study, we prepared adenosine triphosphate (ATP) encapsulated liposomes, and assessed their applicability for the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based assays with gold-silver alloy (Au@Ag)-assembled silica nanoparticles (NPs; SiO₂@Au@Ag). The liposomes were prepared by the thin film hydration method from a mixture of l-α-phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and PE-PEG2000 in chloroform; evaporating the solvent, followed by hydration of the resulting thin film with ATP in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Upon lysis of the liposome, the SERS intensity of the SiO₂@Au@Ag NPs increased with the logarithm of number of ATP-encapsulated liposomes after lysis in the range of 8 × 10⁶ to 8 × 10 10 . The detection limit of liposome was calculated to be 1.3 × 10 -17 mol. The successful application of ATP-encapsulated liposomes to SiO₂@Au@Ag NPs based SERS analysis has opened a new avenue for Raman label chemical (RCL)-encapsulated liposome-enhanced SERS-based immunoassays.

Dependency of plasmon resonance sensitivity of colloidal gold nanoparticles on the identity of surrounding ionic media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehrdel, B.; Aziz, A. Abdul

2018-03-01

The plasmon resonance sensitivity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in sodium chloride (NaCl) liquid in near-infrared to the visible spectral region was investigated. The correlation between NaCl concentration and refractive index was analyzed using concentration dependency and Lorenz-Lorenz methods. The first derivative method was applied to the measured absorption spectra to quantitatively evaluate the plasmon resonance sensitivity. To understand the influence of the identity of the surrounding medium on the plasmon resonance sensitivity, experiments were repeated by replacing NaCl with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), followed by phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Experimental results showed that NaCl is the most effective ionic surrounding medium, which gives prominent plasmon resonance response. AuNPs size can have a significant influence on the plasmon resonance sensitivity. For tiny AuNPs (∼10 nm AuNPs), the plasmon resonance is insensitive to the identity of the surrounding medium due to their low cross-section value.

Superconducting structure

DOEpatents

Kwon, Chuhee; Jia, Quanxi; Foltyn, Stephen R.

2003-04-01

A superconductive structure including a dielectric oxide substrate, a thin buffer layer of a superconducting material thereon; and, a layer of a rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film thereon the thin layer of yttrium-barium-copper oxide, the rare earth selected from the group consisting of samarium, gadolinium, ytterbium, erbium, neodymium, dysprosium, holmium, lutetium, a combination of more than one element from the rare earth group and a combination of one or more elements from the rare earth group with yttrium, the buffer layer of superconducting material characterized as having chemical and structural compatibility with the dielectric oxide substrate and the rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film is provided.

Superconducting Structure

DOEpatents

Kwon, Chuhee; Jia, Quanxi; Foltyn, Stephen R.

2005-09-13

A superconductive structure including a dielectric oxide substrate, a thin buffer layer of a superconducting material thereon; and, a layer of a rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film thereon the thin layer of yttrium-barium-copper oxide, the rare earth selected from the group consisting of samarium, gadolinium, ytterbium, erbium, neodymium, dysprosium, holmium, lutetium, a combination of more than one element from the rare earth group and a combination of one or more elements from the rare earth group with yttrium, the buffer layer of superconducting material characterized as having chemical and structural compatibility with the dielectric oxide substrate and the rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film is provided.

Self-Functionalization Behind a Solution-Processed NiOx Film Used As Hole Transporting Layer for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

PubMed

Ciro, John; Ramírez, Daniel; Mejía Escobar, Mario Alejandro; Montoya, Juan Felipe; Mesa, Santiago; Betancur, Rafael; Jaramillo, Franklin

2017-04-12

Fabrication of solution-processed perovskite solar cells (PSCs) requires the deposition of high quality films from precursor inks. Frequently, buffer layers of PSCs are formed from dispersions of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs). Therefore, the development of trustable methods for the preparation of stable colloidal NPs dispersions is crucial. In this work, a novel approach to form very compact semiconducting buffer layers with suitable optoelectronic properties is presented through a self-functionalization process of the nanocrystalline particles by their own amorphous phase and without adding any other inorganic or organic functionalization component or surfactant. Such interconnecting amorphous phase composed by residual nitrate, hydroxide, and sodium ions, proved to be fundamental to reach stable colloidal dispersions and contribute to assemble the separate crystalline nickel oxide NPs in the final film, resulting in a very homogeneous and compact layer. A proposed mechanism behind the great stabilization of the nanoparticles is exposed. At the end, the self-functionalized nickel oxide layer exhibited high optoelectronic properties enabling perovskite p-i-n solar cells as efficient as 16.6% demonstrating the pertinence of the presented strategy to obtain high quality buffer layers processed in solution at room temperature.

Buffer Layer Doping Concentration Measurement Using VT-VSUB Characteristics of GaN HEMT with p-GaN Substrate Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Cheng-Yu; Nakatani, Katsutoshi; Kawai, Hiroji; Ao, Jin-Ping; Ohno, Yasuo

To improve the high voltage performance of AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field effect transistors (HFETs), we have fabricated AlGaN/GaN HFETs with p-GaN epi-layer on sapphire substrate with an ohmic contact to the p-GaN (p-sub HFET). Substrate bias dependent threshold voltage variation (VT-VSUB) was used to directly determine the doping concentration profile in the buffer layer. This VT-VSUB method was developed from Si MOSFET. For HFETs, the insulator is formed by epitaxially grown and heterogeneous semiconductor layer while for Si MOSFETs the insulator is amorphous SiO2. Except that HFETs have higher channel mobility due to the epitaxial insulator/semiconductor interface, HFETs and Si MOSFETs are basically the same in the respect of device physics. Based on these considerations, the feasibility of this VT-VSUB method for AlGaN/GaN HFETs was discussed. In the end, the buffer layer doping concentration was measured to be 2 × 1017cm-3, p-type, which is well consistent with the Mg concentration obtained from secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) measurement.

Transparent TiO 2 nanotube array photoelectrodes prepared via two-step anodization

DOE PAGES

Kim, Jin Young; Zhu, Kai; Neale, Nathan R.; ...

2014-04-04

Two-step anodization of transparent TiO 2 nanotube arrays has been demonstrated with aid of a Nb-doped TiO 2 buffer layer deposited between the Ti layer and TCO substrate. Enhanced physical adhesion and electrochemical stability provided by the buffer layer has been found to be important for successful implementation of the two-step anodization process. As a result, with the proposed approach, the morphology and thickness of NT arrays could be controlled very precisely, which in turn, influenced their optical and photoelectrochemical properties.

Metamorphic InAsSb-based Barrier Photodetectors for the Long Wave Infrared Region

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-02

The character of the I–V for structures with AlInSb layer grown undoped reflects the complex nature of the potential profile in the valence band ...Al0.75In0.25Sb-based barrier photodetectors were grown metamorphically on compositionally graded Ga1?xInxSb buffer layers and GaSb substrates by...ABSTRACT InAs0.6Sb0.4/Al0.75In0.25Sb-based barrier photodetectors were grown metamorphically on compositionally graded Ga1?xInxSb buffer layers and GaSb

Series interconnected photovoltaic cells and method for making same

DOEpatents

Albright, Scot P.; Chamberlin, Rhodes R.; Thompson, Roger A.

1995-01-01

A novel photovoltaic module (10) and method for constructing the same are disclosed. The module (10) includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells (12) formed on a substrate (14) and laterally separated by interconnection regions (15). Each cell (12) includes a bottom electrode (16), a photoactive layer (18) and a top electrode layer (20). Adjacent cells (12) are connected in electrical series by way of a conductive-buffer line (22). The buffer line (22) is also useful in protecting the bottom electrode (16) against severing during downstream layer cutting processes.

Method to prevent/mitigate steam explosions in casting pits

DOEpatents

Taleyarkhan, R.P.

1996-12-24

Steam explosions can be prevented or mitigated during a metal casting process by the placement of a perforated flooring system in the casting pit. An upward flow of compressed gas through this perforated flooring system is introduced during the casting process to produce a buffer layer between any spilled molten metal and the cooling water in the reservoir. This buffer layer provides a hydrodynamic layer which acts to prevent or mitigate steam explosions resulting from hot, molten metal being spilled into or onto the cooling water. 3 figs.

Development of Amperometric Biosensors Based on Nanostructured Tyrosinase-Conducting Polymer Composite Electrodes

PubMed Central

Lupu, Stelian; Lete, Cecilia; Balaure, Paul Cătălin; Caval, Dan Ion; Mihailciuc, Constantin; Lakard, Boris; Hihn, Jean-Yves; del Campo, Francisco Javier

2013-01-01

Bio-composite coatings consisting of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and tyrosinase (Ty) were successfully electrodeposited on conventional size gold (Au) disk electrodes and microelectrode arrays using sinusoidal voltages. Electrochemical polymerization of the corresponding monomer was carried out in the presence of various Ty amounts in aqueous buffered solutions. The bio-composite coatings prepared using sinusoidal voltages and potentiostatic electrodeposition methods were compared in terms of morphology, electrochemical properties, and biocatalytic activity towards various analytes. The amperometric biosensors were tested in dopamine (DA) and catechol (CT) electroanalysis in aqueous buffered solutions. The analytical performance of the developed biosensors was investigated in terms of linear response range, detection limit, sensitivity, and repeatability. A semi-quantitative multi-analyte procedure for simultaneous determination of DA and CT was developed. The amperometric biosensor prepared using sinusoidal voltages showed much better analytical performance. The Au disk biosensor obtained by 50 mV alternating voltage amplitude displayed a linear response for DA concentrations ranging from 10 to 300 μM, with a detection limit of 4.18 μM. PMID:23698270

Single orthorhombic b axis orientation and antiferromagnetic ordering type in multiferroic CaMnO3 thin film with La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 buffer layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, F.; Dong, B. J.; Zhang, Y. Q.; Liu, W.; Zhang, H. R.; Bai, Y.; Li, S. K.; Yang, T.; Sun, J. R.; Wang, Z. J.; Zhang, Z. D.

2017-09-01

The detailed crystal structure and antiferromagnetic properties of a 42 nm thick CaMnO3 film grown on a LaAlO3 substrate with a 9 nm La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 buffer layer have been investigated. Compared with a CaMnO3 film directly grown on a LaAlO3 substrate, only one kind of orthorhombic b axis orientation along the [100] axis of the substrate is observed in the CaMnO3 film with a La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 buffer layer. To determine the antiferromagnetic ordering type of our CaMnO3 film with a buffer layer, the first-principles calculations were carried out with the results, indicating that the CaMnO3 film, even under a tensile strain of 1.9%, is still a compensated G-type antiferromagnetic order, the same as the bulk. Moreover, the exchange bias effect is observed at the interface of the CaMnO3/La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 film, further confirming the antiferromagnetic ordering of the CaMnO3 film with a buffer layer. In addition, it is concluded that the exchange bias effect originates from the spin glass state at the La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/CaMnO3 interface, which arises from a competition between the double-exchange ferromagnetic La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 and super-exchange antiferromagnetic CaMnO3 below the spin glass freezing temperature.

Data Elevator

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

BYNA, SUNRENDRA; DONG, BIN; WU, KESHENG

Data Elevator: Efficient Asynchronous Data Movement in Hierarchical Storage Systems Multi-layer storage subsystems, including SSD-based burst buffers and disk-based parallel file systems (PFS), are becoming part of HPC systems. However, software for this storage hierarchy is still in its infancy. Applications may have to explicitly move data among the storage layers. We propose Data Elevator for transparently and efficiently moving data between a burst buffer and a PFS. Users specify the final destination for their data, typically on PFS, Data Elevator intercepts the I/O calls, stages data on burst buffer, and then asynchronously transfers the data to their final destinationmore » in the background. This system allows extensive optimizations, such as overlapping read and write operations, choosing I/O modes, and aligning buffer boundaries. In tests with large-scale scientific applications, Data Elevator is as much as 4.2X faster than Cray DataWarp, the start-of-art software for burst buffer, and 4X faster than directly writing to PFS. The Data Elevator library uses HDF5's Virtual Object Layer (VOL) for intercepting parallel I/O calls that write data to PFS. The intercepted calls are redirected to the Data Elevator, which provides a handle to write the file in a faster and intermediate burst buffer system. Once the application finishes writing the data to the burst buffer, the Data Elevator job uses HDF5 to move the data to final destination in an asynchronous manner. Hence, using the Data Elevator library is currently useful for applications that call HDF5 for writing data files. Also, the Data Elevator depends on the HDF5 VOL functionality.« less

Emission wavelength red-shift by using ;semi-bulk; InGaN buffer layer in InGaN/InGaN multiple-quantum-well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, Saiful; Sundaram, Suresh; Li, Xin; El Gmili, Youssef; Elouneg-Jamroz, Miryam; Robin, Ivan Christophe; Patriarche, Gilles; Salvestrini, Jean-Paul; Voss, Paul L.; Ougazzaden, Abdallah

2017-12-01

We report an elongation of emission wavelength by inserting a ∼70 nm thick high quality semi-bulk (SB) InyGa1-yN buffer layer underneath the InxGa1-xN/InyGa1-yN (x > y) multi-quantum-well (MQW).While the MQW structure without the InGaN SB buffer is fully strained on the n-GaN template, the MQW structure with the buffer has ∼15% relaxation. This small relaxation along with slight compositional pulling induced well thickness increase of MQW is believed to be the reason for the red-shift of emission wavelength. In addition, the SB InGaN buffer acts as an electron reservoir and also helps to reduce the Quantum Confined Stark Effect (QCSE) and thus increase the emission intensity. In this way, by avoiding fully relaxed buffer induced material degradation, a longer emission wavelength can be achieved by just using InGaN SB buffer while keeping all other growth conditions the same as the reference structure. Thus, a reasonably thick fully strained or very little relaxed InGaN buffer, which is realized by ;semi-bulk; approach to maintain good InGaN material quality, can be beneficial for realizing LEDs, grown on top of this buffer, emitting in the blue to cyan to green regime without using excess indium (In).

Vapochromic Behaviour of M[Au(CN)2]2-Based Coordination Polymers (M = Co, Ni)

PubMed Central

Lefebvre, Julie; Korčok, Jasmine L.; Katz, Michael J.; Leznoff, Daniel B.

2012-01-01

A series of M[Au(CN)2]2(analyte)x coordination polymers (M = Co, Ni; analyte = dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), pyridine; x = 2 or 4) was prepared and characterized. Addition of analyte vapours to solid M(μ-OH2)[Au(CN)2]2 yielded visible vapochromic responses for M = Co but not M = Ni; the IR νCN spectral region changed in every case. A single crystal structure of Zn[Au(CN)2]2(DMSO)2 revealed a corrugated 2-D layer structure with cis-DMSO units. Reacting a Ni(II) salt and K[Au(CN)2] in DMSO yielded the isostructural Ni[Au(CN)2]2(DMSO)2 product. Co[Au(CN)2]2(DMSO)2 and M[Au(CN)2]2(DMF)2 (M = Co, Ni) complexes have flat 2-D square-grid layer structures with trans-bound DMSO or DMF units; they are formed via vapour absorption by solid M(μ-OH2)[Au(CN)2]2 and from DMSO or DMF solution synthesis. Co[Au(CN)2]2(pyridine)4 is generated via vapour absorption by Co(μ-OH2)[Au(CN)2]2; the analogous Ni complex is synthesized by immersion of Ni(μ-OH2)[Au(CN)2]2 in 4% aqueous pyridine. Similar immersion of Co(μ-OH2)[Au(CN)2]2 yielded Co[Au(CN)2]2(pyridine)2, which has a flat 2-D square-grid structure with trans-pyridine units. Absorption of pyridine vapour by solid Ni(μ-OH2)[Au(CN)2]2 was incomplete, generating a mixture of pyridine-bound complexes. Analyte-free Co[Au(CN)2]2 was prepared by dehydration of Co(μ-OH2)[Au(CN)2]2 at 145 °C; it has a 3-D diamondoid-type structure and absorbs DMSO, DMF and pyridine to give the same materials as by vapour absorption from the hydrate. PMID:22737031

Spontaneous synthesis of gold nanoparticles on gum arabic-modified iron oxide nanoparticles as a magnetically recoverable nanocatalyst.

PubMed

Wu, Chien-Chen; Chen, Dong-Hwang

2012-06-19

A novel magnetically recoverable Au nanocatalyst was fabricated by spontaneous green synthesis of Au nanoparticles on the surface of gum arabic-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles. A layer of Au nanoparticles with thickness of about 2 nm was deposited on the surface of gum arabic-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles, because gum arabic acted as a reducing agent and a stabilizing agent simultaneously. The resultant magnetically recoverable Au nanocatalyst exhibited good catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol with sodium borohydride. The rate constants evaluated in terms of pseudo-first-order kinetic model increased with increase in the amount of Au nanocatalyst or decrease in the initial concentration of 4-nitrophenol. The kinetic data suggested that this catalytic reaction was diffusion-controlled, owing to the presence of gum arabic layer. In addition, this nanocatalyst exhibited good stability. Its activity had no significant decrease after five recycles. This work is useful for the development and application of magnetically recoverable Au nanocatalyst on the basis of green chemistry principles.

Comparative study of I- V methods to extract Au/FePc/p-Si Schottky barrier diode parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oruç, Çiğdem; Altındal, Ahmet

2018-01-01

So far, various methods have been proposed to extract the Schottky diode parameters from measured current-voltage characteristics. In this work, Schottky barrier diode with structure of Au/2(3),9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetra(4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-8-methylcoumarin-7 oxy) phthalocyaninatoiron(II) (FePc)/p-Si was fabricated and current-voltage measurements were carried out on it. In addition, current-voltage measurements were also performed on Au/p-Si structure, without FePc, to clarify the influence of the presence of an interface layer on the device performance. The measured current-voltage characteristics indicate that the interface properties of a Schottky barrier diode can be controlled by the presence of an organic interface layer. It is found that the room temperature barrier height of Au/FePc/p-Si structure is larger than that of the Au/p-Si structure. The obtained forward bias current-voltage characteristics of the Au/FePc/p-Si device was analysed by five different analytical methods. It is found that the extracted values of SBD parameters strongly depends on the method used.

Spontaneous synthesis of gold nanoparticles on gum arabic-modified iron oxide nanoparticles as a magnetically recoverable nanocatalyst

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

A novel magnetically recoverable Au nanocatalyst was fabricated by spontaneous green synthesis of Au nanoparticles on the surface of gum arabic-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles. A layer of Au nanoparticles with thickness of about 2 nm was deposited on the surface of gum arabic-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles, because gum arabic acted as a reducing agent and a stabilizing agent simultaneously. The resultant magnetically recoverable Au nanocatalyst exhibited good catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol with sodium borohydride. The rate constants evaluated in terms of pseudo-first-order kinetic model increased with increase in the amount of Au nanocatalyst or decrease in the initial concentration of 4-nitrophenol. The kinetic data suggested that this catalytic reaction was diffusion-controlled, owing to the presence of gum arabic layer. In addition, this nanocatalyst exhibited good stability. Its activity had no significant decrease after five recycles. This work is useful for the development and application of magnetically recoverable Au nanocatalyst on the basis of green chemistry principles. PMID:22713480

Conductive atomic force microscopy study of the photoexcitation effect on resistive switching in ZrO2(Y) films with Au nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novikov, A. S.; Filatov, D. O.; Antonov, D. A.; Antonov, I. N.; Shenina, M. E.; Gorshkov, O. N.

2018-03-01

We report on the experimental observation of the effect of optical excitation on resistive switching in ultrathin ZrO2(Y) films with single-layered arrays of Au nanoparticles. The samples were prepared by depositing nanometer-thick Au films sandwiched between two ZrO2(Y) layers by magnetron sputtering followed by annealing. Resistive switching was studied by conductive atomic force microscopy by measuring cyclic current-voltage curves of a probe-to-sample contact. The contact area was illuminated by radiation of a semiconductor laser diode with the wavelength corresponding to the plasmon resonance in an Au nanoparticle array. The enhancement of the hysteresis in cyclic current-voltage curves due to bipolar resistive switching under illumination was observed. The effect was attributed to heating of Au nanoparticles due to plasmonic optical absorption and a plasmon resonance, which enhances internal photoemission of electrons from the Fermi level in Au nanoparticles into the conduction band of ZrO2(Y). Both factors promote resistive switching in a ZrO2(Y) matrix.

LPE growth of crack-free PbSe layers on Si(100) using MBE-Grown PbSe/BaF2CaF2 buffer layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strecker, B. N.; McCann, P. J.; Fang, X. M.; Hauenstein, R. J.; O'Steen, M.; Johnson, M. B.

1997-05-01

Crack-free PbSe on (100)-oriented Si has been obtained by a combination of liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) techniques. MBE is employed first to grow a PbSe/BaF2/CaF2 buffer structure on the (100)-oriented Si. A 2.5 μm thick PbSe layer is then grown by LPE. The LPE-grown PbSe displays excellent surface morphology and is continuous over the entire 8×8 mm2 area of growth. This result is surprising because of the large mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients between PbSe and Si. Previous attempts to grow crack-free PbSe by MBE alone using similar buffer structures on (100)-oriented Si have been unsuccessful. It is speculated that the large concentration of Se vacancies in the LPE-grown PbSe layer may allow dislocation climb along higher order slip planes, providing strain relaxation.

Bimetallic nanocomposite as hole transport co-buffer layer in organic solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mola, Genene Tessema; Arbab, Elhadi A. A.

2017-12-01

Silver-zinc bimetallic nanocomposite (Ag:Zn BiM-NPs) was used as an inter-facial buffer layer in the preparation of thin film organic solar cell (TFOSC). The current investigation focuses on the effect of bimetallic nanoparticles on the performance of TFOSC. A number experiments were conducted by employing Ag:Zn nanocomposite buffer layer of thickness 1 nm at various positions of the device structure. In all cases, we found significant improvement on the power conversion efficiency of the solar cells. It is also noted that the open circuit voltage of the devices are decreasing when Ag:Zn form direct contact with the ITO electrode and without the inclusion of PEDOT:PSS. However, all results show that the introduction of Ag:Zn nanocomposite layer close to PEDOT:PSS could be beneficial to improve the charge transport processes in the preparation of thin film organic solar cell. The Ag:Zn BiM-NPs and the device properties were presented and discussed in terms of optical, electrical and film morphologies of the devices.

An ordered array of hierarchical spheres for surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of traces of pesticide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Xiaoye; Zheng, Peng; Meng, Guowen; Huang, Qing; Zhu, Chuhong; Han, Fangming; Huang, Zhulin; Li, Zhongbo; Wang, Zhaoming; Wu, Nianqiang

2016-09-01

An ordered array of hierarchically-structured core-nanosphere@space-layer@shell-nanoparticles has been fabricated for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection. To fabricate this hierarchically-structured chip, a long-range ordered array of Au/Ag-nanospheres is first patterned in the nano-bowls on the planar surface of ordered nanoporous anodic titanium oxide template. A ultra-thin alumina middle space-layer is then conformally coated on the Au/Ag-nanospheres, and Ag-nanoparticles are finally deposited on the surface of the alumina space-layer to form an ordered array of Au/Ag-nanosphere@Al2O3-layer@Ag-nanoparticles. Finite-difference time-domain simulation shows that SERS hot spots are created between the neighboring Ag-nanoparticles. The ordered array of hierarchical nanostructures is used as the SERS-substrate for a trial detection of methyl parathion (a pesticide) in water and a limit of detection of 1 nM is reached, indicating its promising potential in rapid monitoring of organic pollutants in aquatic environment.

Effect of NiFeCr seed and capping layers on exchange bias and planar Hall voltage response of NiFe/Au/IrMn trilayer structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talantsev, Artem; Elzwawy, Amir; Kim, CheolGi

2018-05-01

Thin films and cross junctions, based on NiFe/Au/IrMn structures, were grown on Ta and NiFeCr seed layers by magnetron sputtering. The effects of substitution of Ta with NiFeCr in seed and capping layers on an exchange bias field are studied. A threefold improvement of the exchange bias value in the structures, grown with NiFeCr seed and capping layers, is demonstrated. The reasons for this effect are discussed. Formation of clusters in the NiFeCr capping layer is proved by atomic force microscopy technique. Ta replacement on NiFeCr in the capping layer results in the enhancement of magnetoresistive response and a reduction of noise.

V2O5 thin film deposition for application in organic solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arbab, Elhadi A. A.; Mola, Genene Tessema

2016-04-01

Vanadium pentoxide V2O5 films were fabricated by way of electrochemical deposition technique for application as hole transport buffer layer in organic solar cell. A thin and uniform V2O5 films were successfully deposited on indium tin oxide-coated glass substrate. The characterization of surface morphology and optical properties of the deposition suggest that the films are suitable for photovoltaic application. Organic solar cell fabricated using V2O5 as hole transport buffer layer showed better devices performance and environmental stability than those devices fabricated with PEDOT:PSS. In an ambient device preparation condition, the power conversion efficiency increases by nearly 80 % compared with PEDOT:PSS-based devices. The devices lifetime using V2O5 buffer layer has improved by a factor of 10 over those devices with PEDOT:PSS.

Methods for improved growth of group III nitride semiconductor compounds

DOEpatents

Melnik, Yuriy; Chen, Lu; Kojiri, Hidehiro

2015-03-17

Methods are disclosed for growing group III-nitride semiconductor compounds with advanced buffer layer technique. In an embodiment, a method includes providing a suitable substrate in a processing chamber of a hydride vapor phase epitaxy processing system. The method includes forming an AlN buffer layer by flowing an ammonia gas into a growth zone of the processing chamber, flowing an aluminum halide containing precursor to the growth zone and at the same time flowing additional hydrogen halide or halogen gas into the growth zone of the processing chamber. The additional hydrogen halide or halogen gas that is flowed into the growth zone during buffer layer deposition suppresses homogeneous AlN particle formation. The hydrogen halide or halogen gas may continue flowing for a time period while the flow of the aluminum halide containing precursor is turned off.

Laser induced nanostructures created from Au layer on polyhydroxybutyrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaljaničová, I.; Slepička, P.; Juřík, P.; Švorčík, V.

2017-11-01

Nanostructures as well as composite materials expand the range of materials properties and allow use of these materials in new and highly specific applications. In this paper, we described laser modification of polyhydroxybutyrate films covered with thin gold layer, which led to the formation of various composite structures. The crucial for the composite structures creation was setting of appropriate laser parameters; 15 mJ cm-2 laser fluence and 6 000 pulses were recognized as the best. The morphology of structures was determined by the thickness of the Au layer. The most interesting formations, very porous with the biggest roughness, were observed after treatment of foils covered with 10 nm of Au. The morphology was observed by atomic force microscopy. The influence on roughness and the difference between projected area and surface area was also determined.

Inclined dislocation arrays in AlGaN/AlGaN quantum well structures emitting at 290 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, T. Y.; Moram, M. A.; McAleese, C.; Kappers, M. J.; Humphreys, C. J.

2010-12-01

We report on the structural and optical properties of deep ultraviolet emitting AlGaN/AlGaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) grown on (0001) sapphire by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy using two different buffer layer structures, one containing a thin (1 μm) AlN layer combined with a GaN interlayer and the other a thick (4 μm) AlN layer. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of both structures showed inclined arrays of dislocations running through the AlGaN layers at an angle of ˜30°, originating at bunched steps at the AlN surface and terminating at bunched steps at the surface of the MQW structure. In all layers, these inclined dislocation arrays are surrounded by AlGaN with a relatively higher Ga content, consistent with plan-view cathodoluminescence maps in which the bunched surface steps are associated with longer emission wavelengths. The structure with the 4 μm-thick AlN buffer layer had a dislocation density lower by a factor of 2 (at (1.7±0.1)×109 cm-2) compared to the structure with the 1 μm thick AlN buffer layer, despite the presence of the inclined dislocation arrays.

Ion-beam-induced nanodots formation from Au/Si thin films on quartz surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datta, D. P.; Siva, V.; Singh, A.; Joshi, S. R.; Kanjilal, D.; Sahoo, P. K.

2016-07-01

We report the synthesis of Si nanodots on quartz surface using ion irradiation. When a bi-layer of ultrathin Au and Si on quartz surface is irradiated by 500 keV Xe-ion beam, the bi-layer spontaneously transforms into nanodots at a fluence of 5 × 1014 ions cm-2. The spatial density and diameter of the nanodots are reduced with increase in applied ion fluence. The nanostructures exhibit photoluminescence in the visible range at room temperature where the intensity and wavelength depends upon ion fluence. The observed evolution seems to be correlated to ion beam mixing induced silicide formation at Au-Si interface.

First-principles study of Ti intercalation between graphene and Au surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneko, T.; Imamura, H.

2011-06-01

We investigate the effects of Ti intercalation between graphene and Au surface on binding energy and charge doping by using the first-principles calculations. We show that the largest binding energy is realized by the intercalation of single mono-layer of Ti. We also show that electronic structure is very sensitive to the arrangement of metal atoms at the interface. If the composition of the interface layer is Ti0.33Au0.67 and the Ti is located at the top site, the Fermi level lies closely at the Dirac point, i.e., the Dirac cone of the ideal free-standing graphene is recovered.

Experimental optimization during SERS application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laha, Ranjit; Das, Gour Mohan; Ranjan, Pranay; Dantham, Venkata Ramanaiah

2018-05-01

The well known surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) needs a lot of experimental optimization for its proper implementation. In this report, we demonstrate the efficient SERS using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on quartz plate. The AuNPs were prepared by depositing direct current sputtered Au thin film followed by suitable annealing. The parameters varied for getting best SERS effect were 1) Numerical Aperture of Raman objective lens and 2) Sputtering duration of Au film. It was found that AuNPs formed from the Au layer deposited for 40s and Raman objective lens of magnification 50X are the best combination for obtaining efficient SERS effect.

Inorganic Substrates and Encapsulation Layers for Transient Electronics

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

surface oxidation of the nitrides, the measurements were conducted shortly after oxide removal in buffered oxide etchant (BOE) 6:1 (Transene Company Inc...values for the time-dependent dissolution of thermally grown SiO2 (dry oxidation) in buffer solutions (black, pH 7.4; red, pH 8; blue, pH 10...22 5.1.3 Contractor will Identify and Measure Key Performance Characteristics of Candidate Metal Conductive Layers for

Synthesis of bimetallic nanostructures by nanosecond laser ablation of multicomponent thin films in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikov, R. G.; Nedyalkov, N. N.; Atanasov, P. A.; Karashanova, D. B.

2018-03-01

The paper presents results on nanosecond laser ablation of thin films immersed in a liquid. The thin films were prepared by consecutive deposition of layers of different metals by thermal evaporation (first layer) and classical on-axis pulsed laser deposition (second layer); Ni/Au, Ag/Au and Ni/Ag thin films were thus deposited on glass substrates. The as-prepared films were then placed at the bottom of a glass vessel filled with double distilled water and irradiated by nanosecond laser pulses delivered by a Nd:YAG laser system at λ = 355 nm. This resulted in the formation of colloids of the thin films’ material. We also compared the processes of ablation of a bulk target and a thin film in the liquid by irradiating a Au target and a Au thin film by the same laser wavelength and fluence (λ = 355 nm, F = 5 J/cm2). The optical properties of the colloids were evaluated by optical transmittance measurements in the UV– VIS spectral range. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to estimate the particles’ size distribution.

Large-area, freestanding, single-layer graphene-gold: a hybrid plasmonic nanostructure.

PubMed

Iyer, Ganjigunte R Swathi; Wang, Jian; Wells, Garth; Guruvenket, Srinivasan; Payne, Scott; Bradley, Michael; Borondics, Ferenc

2014-06-24

Graphene-based plasmonic devices have recently drawn great attention. However, practical limitations in fabrication and device architectures prevent studies from being carried out on the intrinsic properties of graphene and their change by plasmonic structures. The influence of a quasi-infinite object (i.e., the substrate) on graphene, being a single sheet of carbon atoms, and the plasmonic device is overwhelming. To address this and put the intrinsic properties of the graphene-plasmonic nanostructures in focus, we fabricate large-area, freestanding, single-layer graphene-gold (LFG-Au) sandwich structures and Au nanoparticle decorated graphene (formed via thermal treatment) hybrid plasmonic nanostructures. We observed two distinct plasmonic enhancement routes of graphene unique to each structure via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The localized electronic structure variation in the LFG due to graphene-Au interaction at the nanoscale is mapped using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy. The measurements show an optical density of ∼0.007, which is the smallest experimentally determined for single-layer graphene thus far. Our results on freestanding graphene-Au plasmonic structures provide great insight for the rational design and future fabrication of graphene plasmonic hybrid nanostructures.

Epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN tunnel junctions on Si substrates with TiN buffer layers

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

Sun, Rui; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049; Makise, Kazumasa

We have developed epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN tunnel junctions on Si (100) substrates with a TiN buffer layer. A 50-nm-thick (200)-oriented TiN thin film was introduced as the buffer layer for epitaxial growth of NbN/AlN/NbN trilayers on Si substrates. The fabricated NbN/AlN/NbN junctions demonstrated excellent tunneling properties with a high gap voltage of 5.5 mV, a large I{sub c}R{sub N} product of 3.8 mV, a sharp quasiparticle current rise with a ΔV{sub g} of 0.4 mV, and a small subgap leakage current. The junction quality factor R{sub sg}/R{sub N} was about 23 for the junction with a J{sub c} of 47 A/cm{supmore » 2} and was about 6 for the junction with a J{sub c} of 3.0 kA/cm{sup 2}. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy observations showed that the NbN/AlN/NbN trilayers were grown epitaxially on the (200)-orientated TiN buffer layer and had a highly crystalline structure with the (200) orientation.« less

Stress in (Al, Ga)N heterostructures grown on 6H-SiC and Si substrates byplasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshelev, O. A.; Nechaev, D. V.; Sitnikova, A. A.; Ratnikov, V. V.; Ivanov, S. V.; Jmerik, V. N.

2017-11-01

The paper describes experimental results on low temperature plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy of GaN/AlN heterostructures on both 6H-SiC and Si(111) substrates. We demonstrate that application of migration enhanced epitaxy and metal-modulated epitaxy for growth of AlN nucleation and buffer layers lowers the screw and edge(total)threading dislocation (TD) densities down to 1.7·108 and 2·109 cm-2, respectively, in a 2.8-μm-thick GaN buffer layer grown atop of AlN/6H-SiC. The screw and total TD densities of 1.2·109 and 7.4·109 cm-2, respectively, were achieved in a 1-μm-thickGaN/AlNheterostructure on Si(111). Stress generation and relaxation in GaN/AlN heterostructures were investigated by using multi-beam optical stress sensor (MOSS) to achieve zero substrate curvature at room temperature. It is demonstrated that a 1-μm-thick GaN/AlN buffer layer grown by PA MBE provides planar substrate morphology in the case of growth on Si substrates whereas 5-μm-thick GaN buffer layers have to be used to achieve the same when growing on 6H-SiC substrates.

Defect prevention in silica thin films synthesized using AP-PECVD for flexible electronic encapsulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elam, Fiona M.; Starostin, Sergey A.; Meshkova, Anna S.; van der Velden-Schuermans, Bernadette C. A. M.; van de Sanden, Mauritius C. M.; de Vries, Hindrik W.

2017-06-01

Industrially and commercially relevant roll-to-roll atmospheric pressure-plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition was used to synthesize smooth, 80 nm silica-like bilayer thin films comprising a dense ‘barrier layer’ and comparatively porous ‘buffer layer’ onto a flexible polyethylene 2,6 naphthalate substrate. For both layers, tetraethyl orthosilicate was used as the precursor gas, together with a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen and argon. The bilayer films demonstrated exceptionally low effective water vapour transmission rates in the region of 6.1  ×  10-4 g m-2 d-1 (at 40 °C, 90% relative humidity), thus capable of protecting flexible photovoltaics and thin film transistors from degradation caused by oxygen and water. The presence of the buffer layer within the bilayer architecture was mandatory in order to achieve the excellent encapsulation performance. Atomic force microscopy in addition to solvent permeation measurements, confirmed that the buffer layer prevented the formation of performance-limiting defects in the bilayer thin films, which likely occur as a result of excessive plasma-surface interactions during the deposition process. It emerged that the primary function of the buffer layer was therefore to act as a protective coating for the flexible polymer substrate material.

Dynamics and mitigation of six pesticides in a "Wet" forest buffer zone.

PubMed

Passeport, Elodie; Richard, Benjamin; Chaumont, Cédric; Margoum, Christelle; Liger, Lucie; Gril, Jean-Joël; Tournebize, Julien

2014-04-01

Pesticide pollution is one of the main current threats on water quality. This paper presents the potential and functioning principles of a "Wet" forest buffer zone for reducing concentrations and loads of glyphosate, isoproturon, metazachlor, azoxystrobin, epoxiconazole, and cyproconazole. A tracer injection experiment was conducted in the field in a forest buffer zone at Bray (France). A fine time-scale sampling enabled to illustrate that interactions between pesticides and forest buffer substrates (soil and organic-rich litter layer), had a retarding effect on molecule transfer. Low concentrations were observed for all pesticides at the forest buffer outlet thus demonstrating the efficiency of "Wet" forest buffer zone for pesticide dissipation. Pesticide masses injected in the forest buffer inlet directly determined concentration peaks observed at the outlet. Rapid and partially reversible adsorption was likely the major process affecting pesticide transfer for short retention times (a few hours to a few days). Remobilization of metazachlor, isoproturon, desmethylisoproturon, and AMPA was observed when non-contaminated water flows passed through the forest buffer. Our data suggest that pesticide sorption properties alone could not explain the complex reaction mechanisms that affected pesticide transfer in the forest buffer. Nevertheless, the thick layer of organic matter litter on the top of the forest soil was a key parameter, which enhanced partially reversible sorption of pesticide, thus retarded their transfer, decreased concentration peaks, and likely increased degradation of the pesticides. Consequently, to limit pesticide pollution transported by surface water, the use of already existing forest areas as buffer zones should be equally considered as the most commonly implemented grass buffer strips.