Internal Reflection Spectra of Surface Compounds and Adsorbed Molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zolotarev, V. M.; Lygin, V. I.; Tarasevich, B. N.

1981-01-01

The application of attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy in surface studies of inorganic adsorbents and catalysts, polymers, and optically transparent electrodes is discussed. The basic principles of ATR spectroscopy as applied to surface phenomena are considered, with special reference to thin films, industrial adsorbents and catalysts, and polymer degradation processes. 276 references.

Electron-stimulated reactions in nanoscale water films adsorbed on α-Al 2 O 3 (0001)

DOE PAGES

Petrik, Nikolay G.; Kimmel, Greg A.

2018-04-11

The radiation-induced decomposition and desorption of nanoscale amorphous solid water (D 2O) films adsorbed on an α-Al 2O 3(0001) surface was studied at low temperature in ultrahigh vacuum using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and electron stimulated desorption (ESD) with a mono-energetic, low energy electron source. ESD yields of molecular products (D 2, O 2 and D 2O) and the total sputtering yield increased with increasing D 2O coverage up to ~15 water monolayers (i.e. ~15 x 10 15 cm -2) to a coverage-independent level for thicker water films. Experiments with isotopically-layered water films (D 2O and H 2O) demonstrated thatmore » the highest water decomposition yields occurred at the interfaces of the nanoscale water films with the alumina substrate and vacuum. However, the increased reactivity of the water/alumina interface is relatively small compared to the enhancements in the non-thermal reactions previously observed at the water/Pt(111) and water/TiO 2(110) interfaces. Here, we propose that the relatively low activity of Al 2O 3(0001) for the radiation-induced production of molecular hydrogen is associated with lower reactivity of this surface with hydrogen atoms, which are likely precursors for the formation of molecular hydrogen.« less

Electron-stimulated reactions in nanoscale water films adsorbed on α-Al 2 O 3 (0001)

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

Petrik, Nikolay G.; Kimmel, Greg A.

The radiation-induced decomposition and desorption of nanoscale amorphous solid water (D 2O) films adsorbed on an α-Al 2O 3(0001) surface was studied at low temperature in ultrahigh vacuum using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and electron stimulated desorption (ESD) with a mono-energetic, low energy electron source. ESD yields of molecular products (D 2, O 2 and D 2O) and the total sputtering yield increased with increasing D 2O coverage up to ~15 water monolayers (i.e. ~15 x 10 15 cm -2) to a coverage-independent level for thicker water films. Experiments with isotopically-layered water films (D 2O and H 2O) demonstrated thatmore » the highest water decomposition yields occurred at the interfaces of the nanoscale water films with the alumina substrate and vacuum. However, the increased reactivity of the water/alumina interface is relatively small compared to the enhancements in the non-thermal reactions previously observed at the water/Pt(111) and water/TiO 2(110) interfaces. Here, we propose that the relatively low activity of Al 2O 3(0001) for the radiation-induced production of molecular hydrogen is associated with lower reactivity of this surface with hydrogen atoms, which are likely precursors for the formation of molecular hydrogen.« less

Headgroup effects of template monolayers on the adsorption behavior and conformation of glucose oxidase adsorbed at air/liquid interfaces.

PubMed

Wang, Ke-Hsuan; Syu, Mei-Jywan; Chang, Chien-Hsiang; Lee, Yuh-Lang

2011-06-21

Stearic acid (SA) and octadecylamine (ODA) monolayers at the air/liquid interface were used as template layers to adsorb glucose oxidase (GOx) from aqueous solution. The effect of the template monolayers on the adsorption behavior of GOx was studied in terms of the variation of surface pressure, the evolution of surface morphology observed by BAM and AFM, and the conformation of adsorbed GOx. The results show that the presence of a template monolayer can enhance the adsorption rate of GOx; furthermore, ODA has a higher ability, compared to SA, to adsorb GOx, which is attributed to the electrostatic attractive interaction between ODA and GOx. For adsorption performed on a bare surface or on an SA monolayer, the surface pressure approaches an equilibrium value (ca. 8 mN/m) after 2 to 3 h of adsorption and remains nearly constant in the following adsorption process. For the adsorption on an ODA monolayer, the surface pressure will increase further 1 to 2 h after approaching the first equilibrium pressure, which is termed the second adsorption stage. The measurement of circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy indicates that the Langmuir-Blodgett films of adsorbed GOx transferred at the first equilibrium state (π = 8 mN/m) have mainly a β-sheet conformation, which is independent of the type of template monolayers. However, the ODA/GOx LB film transferred at the second adsorption stage has mainly an α-helix conformation. It is concluded that the specific interaction between ODA and GOx not only leads to a higher adsorption rate and adsorbed amount of GOx but also induces a conformation change in adsorbed GOx from β-sheet to α-helix. The present results indicate that is possible to control the conformation of adsorbed protein by selecting the appropriate template monolayer. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Electron-stimulated reactions in nanoscale water films adsorbed on α-Al 2O 3 (0001)

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

Petrik, Nikolay G.; Kimmel, Gregory A.

The radiation-induced decomposition and desorption of nanoscale amorphous solid water (D2O) films adsorbed on -Al2O3(0001) surface was studied at low temperature in ultrahigh vacuum using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and electron stimulated desorption (ESD) with a mono-energetic, low energy electron source. ESD yields of molecular products ( D2, O2 and D¬2O) and the total sputtering yield increased with increasing D2O coverage up to ~15 water monolayers (i.e. ~15 1015 cm-2) to a coverage-independent level for thicker water films. Experiments with isotopically-layered water films (D2O and H2O) demonstrated that the highest water decomposition yields occurred at the interfaces of the nanoscalemore » water films with the alumina substrate and vacuum. However, the increased reactivity of the water/alumina interface is relatively small compared to the enhancements in the non-thermal reactions previously observed at the water/Pt(111) and water/TiO2(110) interfaces. We propose that the relatively low activity of Al2O3(0001) for the radiation-induced production of molecular hydrogen is associated with lower reactivity of this surface with hydrogen atoms, which are likely precursors for the molecular hydrogen.100 eV electrons are stopped in the H 2O portion of the isotopically-layered nanoscale film on α-Al 2O 3(0001) but D 2is produced at the D 2O/alumina interface by mobile electronic excitations and/or hydronium ions.« less

Structure of Irreversibly Adsorbed Star Polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akgun, Bulent; Aykan, Meryem Seyma; Canavar, Seda; Satija, Sushil K.; Uhrig, David; Hong, Kunlun

Formation of irreversibly adsorbed polymer chains on solid substrates have a huge impact on the wetting, glass transition, aging and polymer chain mobility in thin films. In recent years there has been many reports on the formation, kinetics and dynamics of these layers formed by linear homopolymers. Recent studies showed that by varying the number of polymer arms and arm molecular weight one can tune the glass transition temperature of thin polymer films. Using polymer architecture as a tool, the behavior of thin films can be tuned between the behavior of linear chains and soft colloids. We have studied the effect of polymer chain architecture on the structure of dead layer using X-ray reflectivity (XR) and atomic force microscopy. Layer thicknesses and densities of flattened and loosely adsorbed chains has been measured for linear, 4-arm, and 8-arm star polymers with identical total molecular weight as a function of substrate surface energy, annealing temperature and annealing time. Star polymers have been synthesized using anionic polymerization. XR measurements showed that 8-arm star PS molecules form the densest and the thickest dead layers among these three molecules.

Relation between film thickness and surface doping of MoS2 based field effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lockhart de la Rosa, César J.; Arutchelvan, Goutham; Leonhardt, Alessandra; Huyghebaert, Cedric; Radu, Iuliana; Heyns, Marc; De Gendt, Stefan

2018-05-01

Ultra-thin MoS2 film doping through surface functionalization with physically adsorbed species is of great interest due to its ability to dope the film without reduction in the carrier mobility. However, there is a need for understanding how the thickness of the MoS2 film is related to the induced surface doping for improved electrical performance. In this work, we report on the relation of MoS2 film thickness with the doping effect induced by the n-dopant adsorbate poly(vinyl-alcohol). Field effect transistors built using MoS2 films of different thicknesses were electrically characterized, and it was observed that the ION/OFF ratio after doping in thin films is more than four orders of magnitudes greater when compared with thick films. Additionally, a semi-classical model tuned with the experimental devices was used to understand the spatial distribution of charge in the channel and explain the observed behavior. From the simulation results, it was revealed that the two-dimensional carrier density induced by the adsorbate is distributed rather uniformly along the complete channel for thin films (<5.2 nm) contrary to what happens for thicker films.

Tunable electronic structure and spin splitting in single and multiple Fe-adsorbed g-C2N with different layers: A first-principles study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Z. D.; Wang, X. C.; Mi, W. B.

2018-04-01

The electronic structure of Fe adsorbed g-C2N with different layers is investigated by first-principles calculations. The Fe1 and Fe2 represent the Fe adsorptions at Csbnd C and Csbnd N rings, and Fe11 and Fe121 adsorption sites are also considered. The Fe1 adsorbed g-C2N is metallic with layer from n = 1 to 4, and the maximum spin splitting is 515, 428, 46 and 133 meV. The band gap of Fe2 adsorbed g-C2N with different layers is 0, 0, 117 and 6 meV, and the maximum spin splitting is 565, 369, 195 and 146 meV, respectively. All of the Fe11 adsorbed g-C2N are metallic with layer from n = 1 to 4, and the maximum spin splitting is 199, 0, 83 and 203 meV. An indirect band gap of 215 meV appears in Fe121 adsorbed g-C2N at layer n = 3, and the maximum spin splitting is 283, 211, 304 and 153 meV, respectively. Our results show that the electronic structures of Fe adsorbed novel two-dimensional semiconductor g-C2N can be tuned by different layers. Moreover, the spin splitting of Fe2 adsorbed g-C2N decreases monotonically as g-C2N layer increases from n = 1 to 4, which will provide more potential applications in spintronic devices.

Structure and phase transitions of monolayers of intermediate-length n-alkanes on graphite studied by neutron diffraction and molecular dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diama, A.; Matthies, B.; Herwig, K. W.; Hansen, F. Y.; Criswell, L.; Mo, H.; Bai, M.; Taub, H.

2009-08-01

We present evidence from neutron diffraction measurements and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of three different monolayer phases of the intermediate-length alkanes tetracosane (n-C24H50 denoted as C24) and dotriacontane (n-C32H66 denoted as C32) adsorbed on a graphite basal-plane surface. Our measurements indicate that the two monolayer films differ principally in the transition temperatures between phases. At the lowest temperatures, both C24 and C32 form a crystalline monolayer phase with a rectangular-centered (RC) structure. The two sublattices of the RC structure each consists of parallel rows of molecules in their all-trans conformation aligned with their long axis parallel to the surface and forming so-called lamellas of width approximately equal to the all-trans length of the molecule. The RC structure is uniaxially commensurate with the graphite surface in its [110] direction such that the distance between molecular rows in a lamella is 4.26 Å=√3 ag, where ag=2.46 Å is the lattice constant of the graphite basal plane. Molecules in adjacent rows of a lamella alternate in orientation between the carbon skeletal plane being parallel and perpendicular to the graphite surface. Upon heating, the crystalline monolayers transform to a "smectic" phase in which the inter-row spacing within a lamella expands by ˜10% and the molecules are predominantly oriented with the carbon skeletal plane parallel to the graphite surface. In the smectic phase, the MD simulations show evidence of broadening of the lamella boundaries as a result of molecules diffusing parallel to their long axis. At still higher temperatures, they indicate that the introduction of gauche defects into the alkane chains drives a melting transition to a monolayer fluid phase as reported previously.

Structure and phase transitions of monolayers of intermediate-length n-alkanes on graphite studied by neutron diffraction and molecular dynamics simulation.

PubMed

Diama, A; Matthies, B; Herwig, K W; Hansen, F Y; Criswell, L; Mo, H; Bai, M; Taub, H

2009-08-28

We present evidence from neutron diffraction measurements and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of three different monolayer phases of the intermediate-length alkanes tetracosane (n-C(24)H(50) denoted as C24) and dotriacontane (n-C(32)H(66) denoted as C32) adsorbed on a graphite basal-plane surface. Our measurements indicate that the two monolayer films differ principally in the transition temperatures between phases. At the lowest temperatures, both C24 and C32 form a crystalline monolayer phase with a rectangular-centered (RC) structure. The two sublattices of the RC structure each consists of parallel rows of molecules in their all-trans conformation aligned with their long axis parallel to the surface and forming so-called lamellas of width approximately equal to the all-trans length of the molecule. The RC structure is uniaxially commensurate with the graphite surface in its [110] direction such that the distance between molecular rows in a lamella is 4.26 A=sqrt[3a(g)], where a(g)=2.46 A is the lattice constant of the graphite basal plane. Molecules in adjacent rows of a lamella alternate in orientation between the carbon skeletal plane being parallel and perpendicular to the graphite surface. Upon heating, the crystalline monolayers transform to a "smectic" phase in which the inter-row spacing within a lamella expands by approximately 10% and the molecules are predominantly oriented with the carbon skeletal plane parallel to the graphite surface. In the smectic phase, the MD simulations show evidence of broadening of the lamella boundaries as a result of molecules diffusing parallel to their long axis. At still higher temperatures, they indicate that the introduction of gauche defects into the alkane chains drives a melting transition to a monolayer fluid phase as reported previously.

Electron spin resonance and electron spin echo modulation studies of N,N,N prime ,N prime -tetramethylbenzidine photoionization adsorbed at the interface of polymeric latices

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

Baglioni, P.; Rivara-Minten, E.; Kevan, L.

1989-02-23

Electron spin resonance (ESR) and electron spin echo modulation (ESEM) of photoionized N,N,N{prime},N{prime}-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) cation adsorbed at the interface of butadiene-acrylonitrile-methacrylic acid and butadiene-styrene-acrylic acid polymeric latices have been studied as a function of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentration adsorbed at the latex interface. The photoionization yield of TMB in frozen latices mainly depends on the strength of TMB{sup +}-water interactions, which are enhanced by added SDS as measured by ESEM. An increase in the negative surface potential of the latex particles, due to the adsorption of SDS at the latex surface, does not affect the photoionization yield, showing thatmore » the particle surface potential has, for negatively charged systems, a secondary role in promoting the photoionization yield. Differences in the TMB{sup +} yield are found for the two polymeric latices and are attributed to the different latex compositions and/or different interfacial structures.« less

Diffusion Monte Carlo simulations of gas phase and adsorbed D2-(H2)n clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curotto, E.; Mella, M.

2018-03-01

We have computed ground state energies and analyzed radial distributions for several gas phase and adsorbed D2(H2)n and HD(H2)n clusters. An external model potential designed to mimic ionic adsorption sites inside porous materials is used [M. Mella and E. Curotto, J. Phys. Chem. A 121, 5005 (2017)]. The isotopic substitution lowers the ground state energies by the expected amount based on the mass differences when these are compared with the energies of the pure clusters in the gas phase. A similar impact is found for adsorbed aggregates. The dissociation energy of D2 from the adsorbed clusters is always much higher than that of H2 from both pure and doped aggregates. Radial distributions of D2 and H2 are compared for both the gas phase and adsorbed species. For the gas phase clusters, two types of hydrogen-hydrogen interactions are considered: one based on the assumption that rotations and translations are adiabatically decoupled and the other based on nonisotropic four-dimensional potential. In the gas phase clusters of sufficiently large size, we find the heavier isotopomer more likely to be near the center of mass. However, there is a considerable overlap among the radial distributions of the two species. For the adsorbed clusters, we invariably find the heavy isotope located closer to the attractive interaction source than H2, and at the periphery of the aggregate, H2 molecules being substantially excluded from the interaction with the source. This finding rationalizes the dissociation energy results. For D2-(H2)n clusters with n ≥12 , such preference leads to the desorption of D2 from the aggregate, a phenomenon driven by the minimization of the total energy that can be obtained by reducing the confinement of (H2)12. The same happens for (H2)13, indicating that such an effect may be quite general and impact on the absorption of quantum species inside porous materials.

The molecular mechanism of mediation of adsorbed serum proteins to endothelial cells adhesion and growth on biomaterials.

PubMed

Yang, Dayun; Lü, Xiaoying; Hong, Ying; Xi, Tingfei; Zhang, Deyuan

2013-07-01

To explore molecular mechanism of mediation of adsorbed proteins to cell adhesion and growth on biomaterials, this study examined endothelial cell adhesion, morphology and viability on bare and titanium nitride (TiN) coated nickel titanium (NiTi) alloys and chitosan film firstly, and then identified the type and amount of serum proteins adsorbed on the three surfaces by proteomic technology. Subsequently, the mediation role of the identified proteins to cell adhesion and growth was investigated with bioinformatics analyses, and further confirmed by a series of cellular and molecular biological experiments. Results showed that the type and amount of adsorbed serum proteins associated with cell adhesion and growth was obviously higher on the alloys than on the chitosan film, and these proteins mediated endothelial cell adhesion and growth on the alloys via four ways. First, proteins such as adiponectin in the adsorbed protein layer bound with cell surface receptors to generate signal transduction, which activated cell surface integrins through increasing intracellular calcium level. Another way, thrombospondin 1 in the adsorbed protein layer promoted TGF-β signaling pathway activation and enhanced integrins expression. The third, RGD sequence containing proteins such as fibronectin 1, vitronectin and thrombospondin 1 in the adsorbed protein layer bound with activated integrins to activate focal adhesion pathway, increased focal adhesion formation and actin cytoskeleton organization and mediated cell adhesion and spreading. In addition, the activated focal adhesion pathway promoted the expression of cell growth related genes and resulted in cell proliferation. The fourth route, coagulation factor II (F2) and fibronectin 1 in the adsorbed protein layer bound with cell surface F2 receptor and integrin, activated regulation of actin cytoskeleton pathway and regulated actin cytoskeleton organization. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Frontier molecular orbitals of a single molecule adsorbed on thin insulating films supported by a metal substrate: electron and hole attachment energies.

PubMed

Scivetti, Iván; Persson, Mats

2017-09-06

We present calculations of vertical electron and hole attachment energies to the frontier orbitals of a pentacene molecule absorbed on multi-layer sodium chloride films supported by a copper substrate using a simplified density functional theory (DFT) method. The adsorbate and the film are treated fully within DFT, whereas the metal is treated implicitly by a perfect conductor model. We find that the computed energy gap between the highest and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals-HOMO and LUMO -from the vertical attachment energies increases with the thickness of the insulating film, in agreement with experiments. This increase of the gap can be rationalised in a simple dielectric model with parameters determined from DFT calculations and is found to be dominated by the image interaction with the metal. We find, however, that this simplified model overestimates the downward shift of the energy gap in the limit of an infinitely thick film.

Frontier molecular orbitals of a single molecule adsorbed on thin insulating films supported by a metal substrate: electron and hole attachment energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scivetti, Iván; Persson, Mats

2017-09-01

We present calculations of vertical electron and hole attachment energies to the frontier orbitals of a pentacene molecule absorbed on multi-layer sodium chloride films supported by a copper substrate using a simplified density functional theory (DFT) method. The adsorbate and the film are treated fully within DFT, whereas the metal is treated implicitly by a perfect conductor model. We find that the computed energy gap between the highest and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals—HOMO and LUMO -from the vertical attachment energies increases with the thickness of the insulating film, in agreement with experiments. This increase of the gap can be rationalised in a simple dielectric model with parameters determined from DFT calculations and is found to be dominated by the image interaction with the metal. We find, however, that this simplified model overestimates the downward shift of the energy gap in the limit of an infinitely thick film.

Ca-Embedded C2N: an efficient adsorbent for CO2 capture.

PubMed

Liu, Yuzhen; Meng, Zhaoshun; Guo, Xiaojian; Xu, Genjian; Rao, Dewei; Wang, Yuhui; Deng, Kaiming; Lu, Ruifeng

2017-10-25

Carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas causes severe impacts on the environment, whereas it is also a necessary chemical feedstock that can be converted into carbon-based fuels via electrochemical reduction. To efficiently and reversibly capture CO 2 , it is important to find novel materials for a good balance between adsorption and desorption. In this study, we performed first-principles calculations and grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations, to systematically study metal-embedded carbon nitride (C 2 N) nanosheets for CO 2 capture. Our first-principles results indicated that Ca atoms can be uniformly trapped in the cavity center of C 2 N structure, while the transition metals (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co) are favorably embedded in the sites off the center of the cavity. The determined maximum number of CO 2 molecules with strong physisorption showed that Ca-embedded C 2 N monolayer is the most promising CO 2 adsorbent among all considered metal-embedded materials. Moreover, GCMC simulations revealed that at room temperature the gravimetric density for CO 2 adsorbed on Ca-embedded C 2 N reached 50 wt% at 30 bar and 23 wt% at 1 bar, higher than other layered materials, thus providing a satisfactory system for the CO 2 capture and utilization.

Fiber optic sensors based on hybrid phenyl-silica xerogel films to detect n-hexane: determination of the isosteric enthalpy of adsorption.

PubMed

Echeverría, Jesús C; Calleja, Ignacio; Moriones, Paula; Garrido, Julián J

2017-01-01

We investigated the response of three fiber optic sensing elements prepared at pH 10 from phenyltriethoxysilane (PhTEOS) and tetraethylsilane (TEOS) mixtures with 30, 40, and 50% PhTEOS in the silicon precursor mixture. The sensing elements are referred to as Ph30, Ph40 and Ph50, respectively. The films were synthesized by the sol-gel method and affixed to the end of optical fibers by the dip-coating technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, N 2 adsorption-desorption at 77 K and X-ray diffraction analysis were used to characterize the xerogels. At a given pressure of n -hexane, the response of each sensing element decreased with temperature, indicating an exothermic process that confirmed the role of adsorption in the overall performance of the sensing elements. The isosteric adsorption enthalpies were obtained from the calibration curves at different temperatures. The magnitude of the isosteric enthalpy of n -hexane increased with the relative response and reached a plateau that stabilized at approximately -31 kJ mol -1 for Ph40 and Ph50 and at approximately -37 kJ mol -1 for Ph30. This indicates that the adsorbate-adsorbent interaction was dominant at lower relative pressure and condensation of the adsorbate on the mesopores was dominant at higher relative pressure.

Reflectometric measurement of n-hexane adsorption on ZnO2 nanohybrid film modified by hydrophobic gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebők, Dániel; Csapó, Edit; Ábrahám, Nóra; Dékány, Imre

2015-04-01

Zinc-peroxide/poly(styrenesulfonate) nanohybrid thin films (containing 20 bilayers: [ZnO2/PSS]20, d ∼ 500 nm) were prepared using layer-by-layer (LbL) method. The thin film surface was functionalized by different surface modifying agents (silanes, alkylthiols and hydrophobized nanoparticles). Based on the experimental results of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and contact angle measurements (as prequalifications) the octanethiol covered gold nanoparticles (OT-AuNPs) were selected for further vapour adsorption studies. Reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS) was used to measure n-hexane vapour adsorption on the original and modified nanohybrid films in a gas flow platform. The thin film provides only the principle of the measurement (by interference phenomenon), the selectivity and hydrophobicity is controlled and enhanced by surface functionalization (by dispersion interaction between the alkyl chains). The interference pattern shift (Δλ) caused by the increase of the optical thickness of the thin film due to vapour adsorption was investigated. It was found that due to the surface functionalization by hydrophobic nanoparticles the effect of water vapour adsorption decreased significantly, while for n-hexane opposite tendency was observed (the effective refractive index and thus the interference pattern shift increased drastically). The correlation between QCM technique and optical method (RIfS) was specified: linear specific adsorbed amount vs. wavelength shift calibration curves were determined in the pr = 0-0.4 relative vapour pressure range. The thin film is suitable for sensorial application (e.g. volatile organic compound/VOC sensor).

Structural properties of atactic polystyrene adsorbed onto solid surfaces.

PubMed

Tatek, Yergou B; Tsige, Mesfin

2011-11-07

In the present work, we are studying the local conformation of chains in a thin film of polystyrene adsorbed on a solid substrate by using atomistically detailed simulations. The simulations are carried out by using the readily available and massively parallel molecular dynamics code known as LAMMPS. In particular, a special emphasis is given to the density and orientation of side chains (which consist of phenyl groups and methylene units) at solid/polymer and polymer/vacuum interfaces. Three types of substrates were used in our study: α-quartz, graphite, and amorphous silica. Our investigation was restricted to atactic polystyrene. Our results show that the density and structural properties of side chains depend on the type of surface. An excess of phenyl rings is observed near the α-quartz substrate while the film adsorbed on graphite is depleted in C(6)H(5). Moreover, the orientation of the rings and methylene units on the substrate/film interface show a strong dependence on the type of the substrate, while the rings at the film/vacuum interface show a marked tendency to point outward, away from the film. The results we obtained are in a large part in good agreement with previous experimental and simulation results.

Tribology of monolayer films: comparison between n-alkanethiols on gold and n-alkyl trichlorosilanes on silicon.

PubMed

Booth, Brandon D; Vilt, Steven G; McCabe, Clare; Jennings, G Kane

2009-09-01

This Article presents a quantitative comparison of the frictional performance for monolayers derived from n-alkanethiolates on gold and n-alkyl trichlorosilanes on silicon. Monolayers were characterized by pin-on-disk tribometry, contact angle analysis, ellipsometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Pin-on-disk microtribometry provided frictional analysis at applied normal loads from 10 to 1000 mN at a speed of 0.1 mm/s. At low loads (10 mN), methyl-terminated n-alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) exhibited a 3-fold improvement in coefficient of friction over SAMs with hydroxyl- or carboxylic-acid-terminated surfaces. For monolayers prepared from both n-alkanethiols on gold and n-alkyl trichlorosilanes on silicon, a critical chain length of at least eight carbons is required for beneficial tribological performance at an applied load of 9.8 mN. Evidence for disruption of chemisorbed alkanethiolate SAMs with chain lengths n n-octadecyl dimethylchlorosilane and n-octadecyl trichlorosilane withstood normal loads at least 30 times larger than those that damaged octadecanethiolate SAMs. Collectively, our results show that the tribological properties of monolayer films are dependent on their internal stabilities, which are influenced by cohesive chain interactions (van der Waals) and the adsorbate-substrate bond.

Thin Film Stability of Polystyrene with a Functional End Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Keiji; Shimomura, Shinichiro; Inutsuka, Manabu; Tajima, Koichiro; Nabika, Masaaki; Moritomi, Satoru; Matsuno, Hisao; Kyushu Univ. Team; Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. Collaboration

The thin film stability of omega- N-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)propylamide-terminated polystyrene (PS-N) and its mixture with conventional polystyrene (PS-H) spin-coated on silicon wafers with a native oxide layer was studied. While a 20 nm-thick film of PS-H with a number-average molecular weight of approximately 50k was broken at 423 K, a comparable PS-N film and blend films with a PS-N fraction higher than 40 wt% were stable. Although the local conformation of chains at the substrate interface was not the same for PS with/without the functionalized terminal group, the glass transition temperature at the interface was identical for PS-H and PS-N. The residual adsorbed layer on the substrate after washing the films with toluene was thicker for PS-N than for PS-H. This implies that the end functionalization impacts chain movement on a large scale rather than via segmental dynamics.

Adsorbed Natural Gas Storage in Optimized High Surface Area Microporous Carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanos, Jimmy; Rash, Tyler; Nordwald, Erik; Shocklee, Joshua Shawn; Wexler, Carlos; Pfeifer, Peter

2011-03-01

Adsorbed natural gas (ANG) is an attractive alternative technology to compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the efficient storage of natural gas, in particular for vehicular applications. In adsorbants engineered to have pores of a few molecular diameters, a strong van der Walls force allows reversible physisorption of methane at low pressures and room temperature. Activated carbons were optimized for storage by varying KOH:C ratio and activation temperature. We also consider the effect of mechanical compression of powders to further enhance the volumetric storage capacity. We will present standard porous material characterization (BET surface area and pore-size distribution from subcritical N2 adsorption) and methane isotherms up to 250 bar at 293K. At sufficiently high pressure, specific surface area, methane binding energy and film density can be extracted from supercritical methane adsorption isotherms. Research supported by the California Energy Commission (500-08-022).

CO adsorption on N2-precovered NaY faujasite: a FTIR analysis of the resulting adsorbed species.

PubMed

Cairon, Olivier

2013-08-26

To productively complete the information regarding the reversible adsorption of a gas mixture on the micropores of cationic zeolites, the adsorption of the two gases N2 and CO on NaY faujasite is taken as a model case study. We analyze herein CO adsorption (77 K) on two distinct N2-precovered NaY sets (low and medium). We outline the continuous desorption of N2 adducts during CO admittance to full N2 desorption for the highest CO loadings. These features contrast with preceding results obtained for N2 loading on CO-precovered NaY. By comparing these results with the sole CO admission and combining both studies regarding the co-adsorption sets, we demonstrate the influence of the basic strength of the two gases regarding the nature of the surface-adsorbed species formed. We also propose and discuss a hypothesis regarding the formation of adsorbed mixed species having both N2 and CO as ligands. These new findings strengthen the statistical response of IR signatures as a helpful proposal for analyzing adsorbed species and their assignments. This survey completes the molecular understanding of gas-mixture adsorption that lacks experimental data to date. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction Study of Structure and Growth of Adsorbed Layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Pengcheng

Synchrotron x-ray diffraction and scanning-tunneling -microscopy (STM) experiments reveal a new commensurate monolayer structure of 10CB (decylcyanobiphenyl) molecules adsorbed on the (0001) graphite surface. Our results are consistent with two generic structures for nCB monolayers on surfaces of hexagonal symmetry. The monolayer d spacing of the new phase inferred by STM is 10% layer than that obtained by x-ray diffraction on the same sample. We suggest that part of this discrepancy results from a systematic error introduced in calibration of the STM length scale against the graphite substrate. For multilayer nCB films, we find that a polycrystalline structure is formed and most of the adsorbed molecules are aligned with their long axis perpendicular to the graphite surface. Synchrotron x-ray scattering has been used to investigate the structure and growth of xenon physisorbed on the Ag(111) surface using a specially designed ultra -high vacuum (UHV) chamber. For growth under quasi-equilibrium conditions, the bulk Xe-Xe spacing is reached at monolayer completion and solid films of thickness >= 220 A are observed in which an 'ABC' stacking sequence predominates. Under kinetic growth conditions, intensity oscillations at the Xe anti-Bragg position of the specular rod are observed as a function of time, indicating layer -by-layer growth. Analysis of the specular reflectivity at different coverages yields the fractional layer occupancies and the spacing between the Ag(111) surface and first Xe layer. We have conducted a series of low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) 'kinetic isotherm' experiments on both xenon and hexane rm(C_6H_{14 }) films adsorbed on the Ag(111) surface. Our preliminary results show that under the pressure and temperature range accessible to the experiments, all of the Xe kinetic isotherms fall on a universal curve which is concave upward. However, the hexane kinetic isotherms have a qualitatively different shape (S-like) at the higher

Development of a novel polystyrene/metal-organic framework-199 electrospun nanofiber adsorbent for thin film microextraction of aldehydes in human urine.

PubMed

Liu, Feilong; Xu, Hui

2017-01-01

In this work, electrospun polystyrene/metal-organic frameworks-199 (PS/MOF-199) nanofiber film was synthesized and investigated as a novel adsorbent for thin film microextraction (TFME) of aldehydes in human urine. Some properties of the prepared PS/MOF-199 nanofiber film, including morphology, structure, wettability, solvent stability and extraction performance were studied systematically. Porous fibrous structure, large surface area, good stability, strong hydrophobicity and excellent extraction efficiency were obtained for the film. Based on the PS/MOF-199 film, a thin film microextraction-high performance liquid chromatography (TFME-HPLC) method was developed, and the experimental parameters that affected the extraction and desorption were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the limits of detection (LODs) were in the range of 4.2-17.3nmolL -1 for the analysis of six aldehydes. Good linearity was achieved with correlation coefficients (R 2 ) being lager than 0.9943. Satisfactory recovery (82-112%) and acceptable reproducibility (relative standard deviation: 2.1-13.3%) were also obtained for the method. The developed TFME-HPLC method has been successfully applied to the analysis of aldehyde metabolites in the urine samples of lung cancer patients and healthy people. The method possesses the advantages of simplicity, rapidity, cost-effective, sensitivity and non-invasion, it provides an alternative tool for the determination of aldehydes in complex sample matrices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physicochemical controls on absorbed water film thickness in unsaturated geological media

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

Tokunaga, T.

2011-06-14

Adsorbed water films commonly coat mineral surfaces in unsaturated soils and rocks, reducing flow and transport rates. Therefore, it is important to understand how adsorbed film thickness depends on matric potential, surface chemistry, and solution chemistry. Here, the problem of adsorbed water film thickness is examined through combining capillary scaling with the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. Novel aspects of this analysis include determining capillary influences on film thicknesses, and incorporating solution chemistry-dependent electrostatic potential at air-water interfaces. Capillary analysis of monodisperse packings of spherical grains provided estimated ranges of matric potentials where adsorbed films are stable, and showed that pendular ringsmore » within drained porous media retain most of the 'residual' water except under very low matric potentials. Within drained pores, capillary contributions to thinning of adsorbed films on spherical grains are shown to be small, such that DLVO calculations for flat surfaces are suitable approximations. Hamaker constants of common soil minerals were obtained to determine ranges of the dispersion component to matric potential-dependent film thickness. The pressure component associated with electrical double layer forces was estimated using the compression and linear superposition approximations. The pH-dependent electrical double layer pressure component is the dominant contribution to film thicknesses at intermediate values of matric potential, especially in lower ionic strength solutions (< 10 mol m{sup -3}) on surfaces with higher magnitude electrostatic potentials (more negative than - 50 mV). Adsorbed water films are predicted to usually range in thickness from 1 to 20 nm in drained pores and fractures of unsaturated environments.« less

The possible magnetoelectric coupling induced by adsorption in SnTe films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Zhaoming; Liu, Meng; Zhang, Na; An, Yipeng; Yang, Zongxian

2018-01-01

Based on the recent discovery of the stable in-plane spontaneous polarization in SnTe films. We report the possible magnetoelectric (ME) coupling induced by adsorption in SnTe films by performing density functional calculations. Firstly, we investigate the adsorption-induced magnetic behaviors on the two-dimensional SnTe monolayer. Five kinds of adatoms (H, B, C, N and O) are taken into account. It is found that the SnTe with adsorbing H and B have nonzero magnetic moments and good stability. Secondly, the coexistence of the ferromagnetism and ferroelectrics (i.e. multiferroics) is observed in H-adsorbed SnTe. The magnetoelectric coupling in this system is studied by calculating the poralazition in different magnetic structures (antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric). According to our study, we propose that it is a possible method obtaining the multiferroicity and ME coupling to modify the SnTe films by chemical adsorption of single atoms.

The effect of adsorbates on the electrical stability of graphene studied by transient photocurrent spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalkan, S. B.; Aydın, H.; Özkendir, D.; ćelebi, C.

2018-01-01

Adsorbate induced variations in the electrical conductivity of graphene layers with two different types of charge carriers are investigated by using the Transient Photocurrent Spectroscopy (TPS) measurement technique. In-vacuum TPS measurements taken for a duration of 5 ks revealed that the adsorption/desorption of atmospheric adsorbates leads to more than a 110% increment and a 45% decrement in the conductivity of epitaxial graphene (n-type) and chemical vapor deposition graphene (p-type) layers on semi-insulating silicon carbide (SiC) substrates, respectively. The graphene layers on SiC are encapsulated and passivated with a thin SiO2 film grown by the Pulsed Electron Deposition method. The measurements conducted for short periods and a few cycles showed that the encapsulation process completely suppresses the time dependent conductivity instability of graphene independent of its charge carrier type. The obtained results are used to construct an experimental model for identifying adsorbate related conductivity variations in graphene and also in other 2D materials with an inherently high surface-to-volume ratio.

Materials Study of NbN and Ta x N Thin Films for SNS Josephson Junctions

DOE PAGES

Missert, Nancy; Brunke, Lyle; Henry, Michael D.; ...

2017-02-15

We investigated properties of NbN and Ta xN thin films grown at ambient temperatures on SiO 2/Si substrates by reactive-pulsed laser deposition and reactive magnetron sputtering (MS) as a function of N 2 gas flow. Both techniques produced films with smooth surfaces, where the surface roughness did not depend on the N 2 gas flow during growth. High crystalline quality, (111) oriented NbN films with T c up to 11 K were produced by both techniques for N contents near 50%. The low temperature transport properties of the Ta xN films depended upon both the N 2 partial pressure usedmore » during growth and the film thickness. Furthermore, the root mean square surface roughness of Ta xN films grown by MS increased as the film thickness decreased down to 10 nm.« less

Capillary wave theory of adsorbed liquid films and the structure of the liquid-vapor interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDowell, Luis G.

2017-08-01

In this paper we try to work out in detail the implications of a microscopic theory for capillary waves under the assumption that the density is given along lines normal to the interface. Within this approximation, which may be justified in terms of symmetry arguments, the Fisk-Widom scaling of the density profile holds for frozen realizations of the interface profile. Upon thermal averaging of capillary wave fluctuations, the resulting density profile yields results consistent with renormalization group calculations in the one-loop approximation. The thermal average over capillary waves may be expressed in terms of a modified convolution approximation where normals to the interface are Gaussian distributed. In the absence of an external field we show that the phenomenological density profile applied to the square-gradient free energy functional recovers the capillary wave Hamiltonian exactly. We extend the theory to the case of liquid films adsorbed on a substrate. For systems with short-range forces, we recover an effective interface Hamiltonian with a film height dependent surface tension that stems from the distortion of the liquid-vapor interface by the substrate, in agreement with the Fisher-Jin theory of short-range wetting. In the presence of long-range interactions, the surface tension picks up an explicit dependence on the external field and recovers the wave vector dependent logarithmic contribution observed by Napiorkowski and Dietrich. Using an error function for the intrinsic density profile, we obtain closed expressions for the surface tension and the interface width. We show the external field contribution to the surface tension may be given in terms of the film's disjoining pressure. From literature values of the Hamaker constant, it is found that the fluid-substrate forces may be able to double the surface tension for films in the nanometer range. The film height dependence of the surface tension described here is in full agreement with results of

In-plane conductance of thin films as a probe of surface chemical environment: Adsorbate effects on film electronic properties of indium tin oxide and gold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swint, Amy Lynn

Changes in the in-plane conductance of conductive thin films are observed as a result of chemical adsorption at the surface. Reaction of the indium tin oxide (ITO) surface with Bronsted acids (bases) leads to increases (decreases) in its in-plane conductance as measured by a four-point probe configuration. The conductance varies monotonically with pH suggesting that the degree of surface protonation or hydroxylation controls the surface charge density, which in turn affects the width of the n-type depletion layer, and ultimately the in-plane conductance. Measurements at constant pH with a series of tetraalkylammonium hydroxide species of varying cation size indicate that surface dipoles also affect ITO conductance by modulating the magnitude of the surface polarization. Modulating the double layer with varying aqueous salt solutions also affects ITO conductance, though not to the same degree as strong Bronsted acids and bases. Solvents of varying dielectric constant and proton donating ability (ethanol, dimethylformamide) decrease ITO conductance relative to H2O. In addition, changing solvent gives rise to thermally-derived conductance transients, which result from exothermic solvent mixing. The self-assembly of alkanethiols at the surface increases the conductance of ITO films, most likely through carrier population effects. In all cases examined the combined effects of surface charge, adsorbed dipole layer magnitude and carrier injection are responsible for altering the ITO conductance. Besides being directly applicable to the control of electronic properties, these results also point to the use of four-point probe resistance measurements in condensed phase sensing applications. Ultrasensitive conductance-based gas phase sensing of organothiol adsorption to gold nanowires is accomplished with a limit of detection in the 105 molecule range. Further refinement of the inherently low noise resistance measurement may lead to observation of single adsorption events at

Composition and structure of spontaneously adsorbed monolayers of n-perfluorocarboxylic acids on silver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chau, Lai-Kwan; Porter, Marc D.

1990-03-01

Monolayer films of n-perfluorocarboxylic acids (CF 3(CF 2) nCOOH, where n = 0-2, 5-8) have been formed by spontaneous adsorption at silver. Infrared reflection spectroscopy, optical ellipsometry, and contact angle measurements indicate that these films exhibit low surface free energies, that the carboxylic acid group is symmetrically bound at the silver substrate as a carboxylate bridging ligand, and that the structure is composed of tilted (≈ 40° from the surface normal) perfluorocarbon chains and small structural defects.

Effect of adsorbed/intercalated anionic dyes into the mechanical properties of PVA: layered zinc hydroxide nitrate nanocomposites.

PubMed

Marangoni, Rafael; Mikowski, Alexandre; Wypych, Fernando

2010-11-15

Zinc hydroxide nitrate (ZHN) was adsorbed with anions of blue dyes (Chicago sky blue, CSB; Evans blue, EB; and Niagara blue, NB) and intercalated with anions of orange dyes (Orange G, OG; Orange II, OII; methyl orange, MO). Transparent, homogeneous and colored nanocomposite films were obtained by casting after dispersing the pigments (dye-intercalated/adsorbed into LHSs) into commercial poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The films were characterized by XRD, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and mechanical testing. The mechanical properties of the PVA compounded with the dye-intercalated/adsorbed ZHN were evaluated, and reasonable increases in Young's modulus and ultimate tensile strength were observed, depending on the amount and choice of layered filler. These results demonstrate the possibility of using a new class of layered hydroxide salts intercalated and adsorbed with anionic dyes to prepare multifunctional polymer nanocomposite materials. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interactions between glycine and amorphous solid water nanoscale films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzvetkov, George; Koller, Georg; Netzer, Falko P.

2012-12-01

The interactions of glycine (Gly) with amorphous solid water (ASW) nanolayers (≤ 100 ML), vapor-deposited on single crystalline AlOx surfaces at 100 K, have been investigated by near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) at the oxygen K-edge, temperature-programmed thermal desorption (TPD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and temperature-dependent work function measurements. Gly-on-ASW, ASW-on-Gly, and Gly on top of ASW-on-Gly ultrathin films have been fabricated. In contrast to the uniform ASW films grown directly on the hydrophilic AlOx, water molecules adsorb on the hydrophobic Gly films in the form of 3D ASW clusters. This leads to significant differences in the NEXAFS and work function data obtained from ASW-on-AlOx and ASW-on-Gly films, respectively. Furthermore, these structural differences influence the chemical state of Gly molecules (neutral vs. zwitterionic) adsorbed on top of ASW films. N1s XPS measurements revealed an increased amount of neutral Gly molecules in the film top-deposited on the ASW-on-Gly structure in comparison to the neutral Gly in the films directly condensed on AlOx or grown on the ASW substrate. H2O TPD spectra demonstrate that the crystallization and desorption processes of ASW are affected in a different way by the Gly layers, top-deposited on to ASW-on-AlOx and ASW-on-Gly films. At the same time, Gly adlayers sink into the ASW film during crystallization/desorption of the latter and land softly on the alumina surface in the form of zwitterionic clusters.

Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of TiN/TiN(001) epitaxial film growth

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

Edström, Daniel, E-mail: daned@ifm.liu.se; Sangiovanni, Davide G.; Hultman, Lars

2016-07-15

Large-scale classical molecular dynamics simulations of epitaxial TiN/TiN(001) thin film growth at 1200 K are carried out using incident flux ratios N/Ti = 1, 2, and 4. The films are analyzed as a function of composition, island size distribution, island edge orientation, and vacancy formation. Results show that N/Ti = 1 films are globally understoichiometric with dispersed Ti-rich surface regions which serve as traps to nucleate 111-oriented islands, leading to local epitaxial breakdown. Films grown with N/Ti = 2 are approximately stoichiometric and the growth mode is closer to layer-by-layer, while N/Ti = 4 films are stoichiometric with N-rich surfaces. As N/Ti is increased from 1 to 4, islandmore » edges are increasingly polar, i.e., 110-oriented, and N-terminated to accommodate the excess N flux, some of which is lost by reflection of incident N atoms. N vacancies are produced in the surface layer during film deposition with N/Ti = 1 due to the formation and subsequent desorption of N{sub 2} molecules composed of a N adatom and a N surface atom, as well as itinerant Ti adatoms pulling up N surface atoms. The N vacancy concentration is significantly reduced as N/Ti is increased to 2; with N/Ti = 4, Ti vacancies dominate. Overall, our results show that an insufficient N/Ti ratio leads to surface roughening via nucleation of small dispersed 111 islands, whereas high N/Ti ratios result in surface roughening due to more rapid upper-layer nucleation and mound formation. The growth mode of N/Ti = 2 films, which have smoother surfaces, is closer to layer-by-layer.« less

P-type ZnO:N Films Prepared by Thermal Oxidation of Zn3N2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bin; Li, Min; Wang, Jian-Zhong; Shi, Li-Qun

2013-02-01

We prepare p-type ZnO:N films by annealing Zn3N2 films in oxygen over a range of temperatures. The prepared films are characterized by various techniques, such as Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, the Hall effect and photoluminescence spectra. The results show that the Zn3N2 films start to transform to ZnO at 300°C and the N content decreases with an increase in annealing temperature. N has two local chemical states: zinc oxynitride (ZnO1-xNx) and substitutional NO in O-rich local environments (α -NO). The conduction type changes from n-type to p-type upon oxidation at 400-600°C, indicating that N is an effective acceptor in the ZnO film. The photoluminescence spectra show the UV emission and defect-related emissions of ZnO:N films. The mechanism and efficiency of p-type doping are briefly discussed.

Optical properties of InN thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malakhov, Vladislav Y.

2000-04-01

The basic optical properties of low temperature plasma enhanced chemical reactionary sputtered (PECRS) InN thin films are presented. Optical absorption and reflectance spectra of InN polycrystalline films at room temperature in visible and near infrared (NIR) regions were taken to determine direct band gap energy (2.03 eV), electron plasma resonances energy (0.6 eV), damping constant (0.18 eV), and optical effective mass of electrons (0.11). In addition the UV and visible reflectance spectra have been used to reproduce accurately dielectric function of wurtzite InN for assignments of the peak structures to interband transitions (1.5 - 12.0 eV) as well as to determine dielectric constant (9.3) and refractive index (>3.0). The revealed reflectance peaks at 485 and 590 cm-1 respectively in IR spectra are connected with TO and LO optical vibration modes of InN films. Some TO (485 cm-1) and LO (585 cm-1) phonon features of indium nitride polycrystalline films on ceramics were observed in Raman spectra and also discussed. The excellent possibilities of InN polycrystalline layers for potential application in optoelectronic devices such as LEDs based InGaAlN and high efficiency solar cells are confirmed.

Energetics of a Li Atom adsorbed on B/N doped graphene with monovacancy

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

Rani, Babita, E-mail: babitabaghla15@gmail.com; Department of Physics, Punjabi University, Patiala 147002; Jindal, V.K.

We use density functional theory (DFT) to study the adsorption properties and diffusion of Li atom across B/N-pyridinic graphene. Regardless of the dopant type, B atoms of B-pyridinic graphene lose electron density. On the other hand, N atoms (p-type dopants) have tendency to gain electron density in N-pyridinic graphene. Higher chemical reactivity and electronic conductivity of B/N-pyridinic graphene are responsible for stronger binding of Li with the substrates as compared to pristine graphene. The binding energy of Li with B/N-pyridinic graphene exceeds the cohesive energy of bulk Li, making it energetically unfavourable for Li to form clusters on these substrates.more » Li atom gets better adsorbed on N-pyridinic graphene due to an additional p-p hybridization of the orbitals while Li on B-pyridinic prefers the ionic bonding. Also, significant distortion of N-pyridinic graphene upon Li adsorption is a consequence of the change in bonding mechanism between Li atom and the substrate. Our results show that bonding character and hence binding energies between Li and graphene can be tuned with the help of B/N doping of monovacancy defects. Further, the sites for most stable adsorption are different for the two types of doped and defective graphene, leading to greater Li uptake capacity of B-pyridinic graphene near the defect. In addition, B-pyridinic graphene offering lower diffusion barrier, ensures better Li kinetics. Thus, B-pyridinic graphene presents itself as a better anode material for LIBs as compared to N-pyridinic graphene. - Graphical abstract: Adsorption and diffusion of Li atom across the B/N doped monovacancy graphene is studied using ab-initio DFT calculations. Our results show that bonding mechanism and binding of Li with graphene can be tuned with the help of N/B doping of defects. Also, B-pyridinic graphene presents itself as a better anode material for lithium ion batteries as compared to N-pyridinic graphene. Display Omitted - Highlights: �

Interactions of organic contaminants with mineral-adsorbed surfactants

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhu, L.; Chen, B.; Tao, S.; Chiou, C.T.

2003-01-01

Sorption of organic contaminants (phenol, p-nitrophenol, and naphthalene) to natural solids (soils and bentonite) with and without myristylpyridinium bromide (MPB) cationic surfactant was studied to provide novel insight to interactions of contaminants with the mineral-adsorbed surfactant. Contaminant sorption coefficients with mineral-adsorbed surfactants, Kss, show a strong dependence on surfactant loading in the solid. At low surfactant levels, the Kss values increased with increasing sorbed surfactant mass, reached a maximum, and then decreased with increasing surfactant loading. The Kss values for contaminants were always higher than respective partition coefficients with surfactant micelles (Kmc) and natural organic matter (Koc). At examined MPB concentrations in water the three organic contaminants showed little solubility enhancement by MPB. At low sorbed-surfactant levels, the resulting mineral-adsorbed surfactant via the cation-exchange process appears to form a thin organic film, which effectively "adsorbs" the contaminants, resulting in very high Kss values. At high surfactant levels, the sorbed surfactant on minerals appears to form a bulklike medium that behaves essentially as a partition phase (rather than an adsorptive surface), with the resulting Kss being significantly decreased and less dependent on the MPB loading. The results provide a reference to the use of surfactants for remediation of contaminated soils/sediments or groundwater in engineered surfactant-enhanced washing.

Ion Beam Assisted Deposition of Thin Epitaxial GaN Films.

PubMed

Rauschenbach, Bernd; Lotnyk, Andriy; Neumann, Lena; Poppitz, David; Gerlach, Jürgen W

2017-06-23

The assistance of thin film deposition with low-energy ion bombardment influences their final properties significantly. Especially, the application of so-called hyperthermal ions (energy <100 eV) is capable to modify the characteristics of the growing film without generating a large number of irradiation induced defects. The nitrogen ion beam assisted molecular beam epitaxy (ion energy <25 eV) is used to deposit GaN thin films on (0001)-oriented 6H-SiC substrates at 700 °C. The films are studied in situ by reflection high energy electron diffraction, ex situ by X-ray diffraction, scanning tunnelling microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is demonstrated that the film growth mode can be controlled by varying the ion to atom ratio, where 2D films are characterized by a smooth topography, a high crystalline quality, low biaxial stress, and low defect density. Typical structural defects in the GaN thin films were identified as basal plane stacking faults, low-angle grain boundaries forming between w-GaN and z-GaN and twin boundaries. The misfit strain between the GaN thin films and substrates is relieved by the generation of edge dislocations in the first and second monolayers of GaN thin films and of misfit interfacial dislocations. It can be demonstrated that the low-energy nitrogen ion assisted molecular beam epitaxy is a technique to produce thin GaN films of high crystalline quality.

Radiation grafted adsorbents for newly emerging environmental applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmoud Nasef, Mohamed; Ting, T. M.; Abbasi, Ali; Layeghi-moghaddam, Alireza; Sara Alinezhad, S.; Hashim, Kamaruddin

2016-01-01

Radiation induced grafting (RIG) is acquired to prepare a number of adsorbents for newly emerging environmental applications using a single route involving RIG of glycidymethacrylate (GMA) onto polyethylene-polypropylene (PE-PP) non-woven fabric. The grafted fabric was subjected to one of three functionalization reactions to impart desired ionic characters. This included treatment with (1) N-dimethyl-D-glucamine, (2) triethylamine and (3) triethylamine and alkalisation with KOH. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to study the changes in chemical and physical structures of the obtained fibrous adsorbents. The potential applications of the three adsorbents for removal of boron from solutions, capturing CO2 from CO2/N2 mixtures and catalysing transesterification of triacetin/methanol to methyl acetate (biodiesel) were explored. The obtained fibrous adsorbents provide potential alternatives to granular resins for the investigated applications and require further development.

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering studies of L-amino acids adsorbed on silver nanoclusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botta, Raju; Rajanikanth, A.; Bansal, C.

2015-01-01

Silver nanocluster films were prepared using plasma inert gas phase condensation technique. These were used as Raman active substrates for Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) studies of 19 standard L-amino acids adsorbed on the surface of Ag nanoclusters via Agsbnd N bonds. A detailed study of two essential aromatic amino acids viz. L-Phenylalanine and L-Tryptophan showed a correlation between the Raman intensity of the characteristic lines of phenol and indole side chains and their molar concentrations in the range 1 μM-1 mM. This indicates that Raman studies can be used for quantitative determination of the amino acids in proteins.

Fabrication of air-stable n-type carbon nanotube thin-film transistors on flexible substrates using bilayer dielectrics.

PubMed

Li, Guanhong; Li, Qunqing; Jin, Yuanhao; Zhao, Yudan; Xiao, Xiaoyang; Jiang, Kaili; Wang, Jiaping; Fan, Shoushan

2015-11-14

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) thin-film transistors hold great potential for flexible electronics. However, fabrication of air-stable n-type devices by methods compatible with standard photolithography on flexible substrates is challenging. Here, we demonstrated that by using a bilayer dielectric structure of MgO and atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 or HfO2, air-stable n-type devices can be obtained. The mechanism for conduction type conversion was elucidated and attributed to the hole depletion in SWNT, the decrease of the trap state density by MgO assimilating adsorbed water molecules in the vicinity of SWNT, and the energy band bending because of the positive fixed charges in the ALD layer. The key advantage of the method is the relatively low temperature (120 or 90 °C) required here for the ALD process because we need not employ this step to totally remove the absorbates on the SWNTs. This advantage facilitates the integration of both p-type and n-type transistors through a simple lift off process and compact CMOS inverters were demonstrated. We also demonstrated that the doping of SWNTs in the channel plays a more important role than the Schottky barriers at the metal contacts in carbon nanotube thin-film transistors, unlike the situation in individual SWNT-based transistors.

Fabrication and improved photoelectrochemical properties of a transferred GaN-based thin film with InGaN/GaN layers.

PubMed

Cao, Dezhong; Xiao, Hongdi; Gao, Qingxue; Yang, Xiaokun; Luan, Caina; Mao, Hongzhi; Liu, Jianqiang; Liu, Xiangdong

2017-08-17

Herein, a lift-off mesoporous GaN-based thin film, which consisted of a strong phase-separated InGaN/GaN layer and an n-GaN layer, was fabricated via an electrochemical etching method in a hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution for the first time and then transferred onto quartz or n-Si substrates, acting as photoanodes during photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting in a 1 M NaCl aqueous solution. Compared to the as-grown GaN-based film, the transferred GaN-based thin films possess higher and blue-shifted light emission, presumably resulting from an increase in the surface area and stress relaxation in the InGaN/GaN layer embedded on the mesoporous n-GaN. The properties such as (i) high photoconversion efficiency, (ii) low turn-on voltage (-0.79 V versus Ag/AgCl), and (iii) outstanding stability enable the transferred films to have excellent PEC water splitting ability. Furthermore, as compared to the film transferred onto the quartz substrate, the film transferred onto the n-Si substrate exhibits higher photoconversion efficiency (2.99% at -0.10 V) due to holes (h + ) in the mesoporous n-GaN layer that originate from the n-Si substrate.

Electronic and magnetic properties of nonmetal atoms adsorbed ReS{sub 2} monolayers

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

Zhang, Xiaoou; Li, Qingfang, E-mail: qingfangli@nuist.edu.cn; Department of Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044

2015-08-14

The stable configurations and electronic and magnetic properties of nonmetal atoms (H, N, P, O, S, F, and Cl) adsorbed ReS{sub 2} monolayers have been investigated by first-principles calculations. It is found that H, O, S, F, and Cl prefer to occupy the peak sites of S atoms, while both N and P atoms favor the valley sites of S atoms. The ReS{sub 2} sheet exhibits a good adsorption capability to nonmetal atoms. The reconstruction of the surface is pronounced in N- and P-adsorbed ReS{sub 2} monolayers. In H-adsorbed case, the Fermi level is pulled into the conduction band, whichmore » results in the semiconductor-metal transition. The same magnetic moment of 1μ{sub B} is found in the N-, P-, F-, and Cl-adsorbed ReS{sub 2} monolayers, while the mechanisms of forming magnetic moment for N (P)- and F (Cl)-adsorbed cases are different. In addition, the spatial extensions of spin density in P-, F-, and Cl-adsorbed cases are larger than that in N-adsorbed case, which is more suitable to achieve long-range magnetic coupling interaction at low defect concentrations. Our results provide insight for achieving metal-free magnetism and a tunable band gap for various electronic and spintronic devices based on ReS{sub 2}.« less

Synthesis of composite TiN/Ni3N/a-Si3N4 thin films using the plasma focus device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adeel Umar, Zeshan; Ahmad, Riaz; Khan, Ijaz Ahmad; Hussain, Tousif; Hussnain, Ali; Khalid, Nida; Awais, Ali; Ali, T.

2013-12-01

Composite films of TiN/Ni3N/a-Si3N4 were synthesized using the Mather-type plasma focus device with varying numbers of focus deposition shots (5, 15, and 25) at 0° and 10° angular positions. The composition and structural analysis of these films were analyzed by using Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope were used to study the surface morphology of films. XRD patterns confirm the formation of composite TiN/Ni3N/a-Si3N4 films. The crystallite size of TiN (200) plane is 11 and 22 nm, respectively, at 0° and 10° angular positions for same 25 focus deposition shots. Impurity levels and thickness were measured using RBS. Scanning electron microscopy results show the formation of net-like structures for multiple focus shots (5, 15, and 25) at angular positions of 0° and 10°. The average surface roughness of the deposited films increases with increasing focus shots. The roughness of the film decreases at higher angle 10° and the films obtained are smoother as compared with the films deposited at 0° angular positions.

Effect of aluminum contents on sputter deposited CrAlN thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vyas, A.; Zhou, Z. F.; Shen, Y. G.

2018-02-01

Pure CrN and CrAlN films with varied Al concentrations were prepared onto Si(100) substrates by an unbalanced reactive dc-magnetron sputtering system. The crystal structure, chemical states, and microstructure of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy whereas mechanical properties were determined by nano-indentation measurements. XRD results showed a prominent (200) reflection in both CrN and CrAlN films. Results demonstrate that CrAlN films formed a solid solution and doping of Al atoms replace the Cr atoms affecting the lattice parameter and crystallization of the films. All Al doped films were of B1 NaCl-type structure, demonstrating that CrAlN films primarily crystallized in cubic structure. Microstructural investigation by TEM for a CrAlN film containing Al content of 24.1 at.%, revealed that there exists an amorphous/nanocrystalline domains (grains of about ∼ 11 nm) and hardness increases 22% when compared with pure CrN film.

Electrochemical hydrogenation of a homogeneous nickel complex to form a surface adsorbed hydrogen-evolving species

DOE PAGES

Martin, Daniel J.; McCarthy, Brian D.; Donley, Carrie L.; ...

2014-12-04

Here, a Ni(ii) complex with nitrogen and sulfur donor ligands degrades electrochemically in the presence of acid in acetonitrile to form an electrode adsorbed film that catalytically evolves hydrogen.

Chitin Adsorbents for Toxic Metals: A Review

PubMed Central

Anastopoulos, Ioannis; Bhatnagar, Amit; Bikiaris, Dimitrios N.; Kyzas, George Z.

2017-01-01

Wastewater treatment is still a critical issue all over the world. Among examined methods for the decontamination of wastewaters, adsorption is a promising, cheap, environmentally friendly and efficient procedure. There are various types of adsorbents that have been used to remove different pollutants such as agricultural waste, compost, nanomaterials, algae, etc., Chitin (poly-β-(1,4)-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine) is the second most abundant natural biopolymer and it has attracted scientific attention as an inexpensive adsorbent for toxic metals. This review article provides information about the use of chitin as an adsorbent. A list of chitin adsorbents with maximum adsorption capacity and the best isotherm and kinetic fitting models are provided. Moreover, thermodynamic studies, regeneration studies, the mechanism of adsorption and the experimental conditions are also discussed in depth. PMID:28067848

Effects of Loading Frequency and Film Thickness on the Mechanical Behavior of Nanoscale TiN Film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jin-na; Xu, Bin-shi; Wang, Hai-dou; Cui, Xiu-fang; Jin, Guo; Xing, Zhi-guo

2017-09-01

The mechanical properties of a nanoscale-thickness film material determine its reliability and service life. To achieve quantitative detection of film material mechanical performance based on nanoscale mechanical testing methods and to explore the influence of loading frequency of the cycle load on the fatigue test, a TiN film was prepared on monocrystalline silicon by magnetron sputtering. The microstructure of the nanoscale-thickness film material was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The residual stress distribution of the thin film was obtained by using an electronic film stress tester. The hardness values and the fatigue behavior were measured by using a nanomechanical tester. Combined with finite element simulation, the paper analyzed the influence of the film thickness and loading frequency on the deformation, as well as the equivalent stress and strain. The results showed that the TiN film was a typical face-centered cubic structure with a large amount of amorphous. The residual compressive stress decreased gradually with increasing thin film thickness, and the influence of the substrate on the elastic modulus and hardness was also reduced. A greater load frequency would accelerate the dynamic fatigue damage that occurs in TiN films.

Spectroelectrochemical studies of hole percolation on functionalised nanocrystalline TiO2 films: a comparison of two different ruthenium complexes.

PubMed

Li, Xiaoe; Nazeeruddin, Mohammad K; Thelakkat, Mukundan; Barnes, Piers R F; Vilar, Ramón; Durrant, James R

2011-01-28

We report the application of spectroelectrochemical techniques to compare the hole percolation dynamics of molecular networks of two ruthenium bipyridyl complexes adsorbed onto mesoporous, nanocrystalline TiO(2) films. The percolation dynamics of the ruthenium complex cis-di(thiocyanato)(2,2'-bipyridyl-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid)-(2,2'-bipyridyl-4,4'-tridecyl) ruthenium(II), N621, is compared with those observed for an analogous dye with an additional tri-phenyl amine (TPA) donor moiety, cis-di(thiocyanato)(2,2'-bipyridyl-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid)-(2,2'-bipyridyl-4,4'-bis(vinyltriphenylamine)) ruthenium(II), HW456. The in situ oxidation of these ruthenium complexes adsorbed to the TiO(2) films is monitored by cyclic voltammetry and voltabsorptometry, whilst the dynamics of hole (cation) percolation between adsorbed ruthenium complexes is monitored by potentiometric spectroelectrochemistry and chronoabsorptometry. The hole diffusion coefficient, D(eff), is shown to be dependent on the dye loading on the nanocrystalline TiO(2) film, with a threshold observed at ∼60% monolayer surface coverage for both dyes. The hole diffusion coefficient of HW456 is estimated to be 2.6 × 10(-8) cm(2)/s, 20-fold higher than that obtained for the control N621, attributed to stronger electronic coupling between the TPA moieties of HW456 accelerating the hole percolation dynamics. The presence of mercuric ions, previously shown to bind to the thiocyanates of analogous ruthenium complexes, resulted in a quenching of the hole percolation for N621/TiO(2) films and an enhancement for HW456/TiO(2) films. These results strongly suggest that the hole percolation pathway is along the overlapped neighbouring -NCS groups for the N621 molecules, whereas in HW456 molecules cation percolation proceeds between intermolecular TPA ligands. These results are discussed in the context of their relevance to the process of dye regeneration in dye sensitised solar cells, and to the molecular wiring of wide

Fiber optic sensors based on hybrid phenyl-silica xerogel films to detect n-hexane: determination of the isosteric enthalpy of adsorption

PubMed Central

Calleja, Ignacio; Moriones, Paula; Garrido, Julián J

2017-01-01

We investigated the response of three fiber optic sensing elements prepared at pH 10 from phenyltriethoxysilane (PhTEOS) and tetraethylsilane (TEOS) mixtures with 30, 40, and 50% PhTEOS in the silicon precursor mixture. The sensing elements are referred to as Ph30, Ph40 and Ph50, respectively. The films were synthesized by the sol–gel method and affixed to the end of optical fibers by the dip-coating technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, N2 adsorption–desorption at 77 K and X-ray diffraction analysis were used to characterize the xerogels. At a given pressure of n-hexane, the response of each sensing element decreased with temperature, indicating an exothermic process that confirmed the role of adsorption in the overall performance of the sensing elements. The isosteric adsorption enthalpies were obtained from the calibration curves at different temperatures. The magnitude of the isosteric enthalpy of n-hexane increased with the relative response and reached a plateau that stabilized at approximately −31 kJ mol−1 for Ph40 and Ph50 and at approximately −37 kJ mol−1 for Ph30. This indicates that the adsorbate–adsorbent interaction was dominant at lower relative pressure and condensation of the adsorbate on the mesopores was dominant at higher relative pressure. PMID:28326238

Electrospun polystyrene/oxidized carbon nanotubes film as both sorbent for thin film microextraction and matrix for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

He, Xiao-Mei; Zhu, Gang-Tian; Yin, Jia; Zhao, Qin; Yuan, Bi-Feng; Feng, Yu-Qi

2014-07-18

In the current study, polystyrene/oxidized carbon nanotubes (PS/OCNTs) film was prepared and applied as both an adsorbent of thin film microextraction (TFME) and matrix for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) for the first time. The uniform size of PS/OCNTs film with OCNTs evenly and firmly immobilized in PS was obtained by electrospinning. And a novel TFME device was developed using the prepared PS/OCNTs film to enrich benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) from water, and also BaP and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) from urine sample. Then the extracted analytes on the PS/OCNTs film were directly applied to MALDI-MS analysis with PS/OCNTs film as the MALDI matrix. Our results show that PS/OCNTs film is a good TFME adsorbent toward the analytes and an excellent matrix for the sensitive determination of BaP and 1-OHP using MALDI-TOF-MS. The employment of PS/OCNTs as the matrix for MALDI can effectively avoid the large variation of signal intensity normally resulting from heterogeneous distribution of the adsorbed analyte on matrix layer, which therefore significantly improve spot-to-spot reproducibility. The introduction of PS in the film can prevent OCNTs from flying out of MALDI plate to damage the equipment. In addition, PS/OCNTs film also largely extended the duration of ion signal of target analyte compared to OCNTs matrix. The developed method was further successfully used to quantitatively determine BaP in environmental water and 1-OHP in urine samples. The results show that BaP and 1-OHP could be easily detected at concentrations of 50pgmL(-1) and 500pgmL(-1), respectively, indicating the high detection sensitivity of this method. For BaP analysis, the linear range was 0.1-20ngmL(-1) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9970 and the recoveries were in the range of 81.3 to 123.4% with the RSD≤8.5% (n=3); for urinary 1-OHP analysis, the linear range was 0.5-20ngmL(-1) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9937 and the recoveries

Effect of tacticity on the structure and glass transition temperature of polystyrene adsorbed onto solid surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Negash, Solomon; Tatek, Yergou B.; Tsige, Mesfin

2018-04-01

We have carried out atomistic (all-atom) molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the effect of tacticity on the structure and glass transition temperature (Tg) of polystyrene (PS) thin films adsorbed on two distinct types of solid substrates. The systems consist of thin films made of atactic, isotactic, and syndiotactic PS chains supported by graphite or hydroxylated α-quartz substrates, which are known to be atomically flat but chemically and structurally different. We have observed a marked dependence of the film structure on substrate type as well as on tacticity. For instance, rings' orientation near substrate surfaces depends on substrate type for atactic PS and isotactic PS films, while no such dependence is observed for syndiotactic PS films whose interfacial structure seems to result from their propensity to adopt the trans conformation rather than their specific interaction with the substrates. Moreover, our results indicate that glass transition temperatures of substrate supported polystyrene films are higher compared to those of the corresponding free-standing films. More specifically, PS films on graphite exhibit larger Tg values than those on α-quartz, and we have noticed that syndiotactic PS has the largest Tg irrespective of the substrate type. Furthermore, the local Tg in the region of the film in contact with the substrates shows a strong tacticity and substrate dependence, whereas no dependencies were found for the local Tg in the middle of the film. Substrate-film interaction energy and chains' dynamics near substrate-film interfaces were subsequently investigated in order to substantiate the obtained Tgs, and it was found that films with higher Tgs are strongly adsorbed on the substrates and/or exhibit smaller interfacial chains' dynamics essentially due to steric hindrance.

Modeling adsorption: Investigating adsorbate and adsorbent properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, Charles Edwin

1999-12-01

Surface catalyzed reactions play a major role in current chemical production technology. Currently, 90% of all chemicals are produced by heterogeneously catalyzed reactions. Most of these catalyzed reactions involve adsorption, concentrating the substrate(s) (the adsorbate) on the surface of the solid (the adsorbent). Pore volumes, accessible surface areas, and the thermodynamics of adsorption are essential in the understanding of solid surface characteristics fundamental to catalyst and adsorbent screening and selection. Molecular properties such as molecular volumes and projected molecular areas are needed in order to convert moles adsorbed to surface volumes and areas. Generally, these molecular properties have been estimated from bulk properties, but many assumptions are required. As a result, different literature values are employed for these essential molecular properties. Calculated molar volumes and excluded molecular areas are determined and tabulated for a variety of molecules. Molecular dimensions of molecules are important in the understanding of molecular exclusion as well as size and shape selectivity, diffusion, and adsorbent selection. Molecular dimensions can also be used in the determination of the effective catalytic pore size of a catalyst. Adsorption isotherms, on zeolites, (crystalline mineral oxides) and amorphous solids, can be analyzed with the Multiple Equilibrium Analysis (MEA) description of adsorption. The MEA produces equilibrium constants (Ki), capacities (ni), and thermodynamic parameters (enthalpies, ΔHi, and entropies, ΔSi) of adsorption for each process. Pore volumes and accessible surface areas are calculated from the process capacities. Adsorption isotherms can also be predicted for existing and new adsorbate-adsorbent systems with the MEA. The results show that MEA has the potential of becoming a standard characterization method for microporous solids that will lead to an increased understanding of their behavior in gas

Polymeric ionic liquid based on magnetic materials fabricated through layer-by-layer assembly as adsorbents for extraction of pesticides.

PubMed

He, Lijun; Cui, Wenhang; Wang, Yali; Zhao, Wenjie; Xiang, Guoqiang; Jiang, Xiuming; Mao, Pu; He, Juan; Zhang, Shusheng

2017-11-03

In this study, layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayer films on magnetic silica provided a convenient and controllable way to prepare polymeric ionic liquid-based magnetic adsorbents. The resulting particles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements. The data showed that the magnetic particles had more homogeneous spherical shapes with higher saturation magnetization when compared to those obtained by free radical polymerization method. This facilitated the convenient collection of magnetic particles, with higher extraction repeatability. The extraction performance of the multilayer polymeric ionic liquid-based adsorbents was evaluated by magnetic solid-phase extraction of four pesticides including quinalphos, fenthion, phoxim, and chlorpropham. The data suggested that the extraction efficiency depended on the number of layers in the film. The parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized, and good linearity ranging from 2 to 250μgL -1 was obtained with correlation coefficients of 0.9994-0.9998. Moreover, the proposed method presented low limit of detection (0.5μgL -1 , S/N=3) and limit of quantification (1.5μgL -1 , S/N=10), and good repeatability expressed by the relative standard deviation (2.0%-4.6%, n=5). The extraction recoveries of four pesticides were found to range from 58.9% to 85.8%. The reliability of the proposed method was demonstrated by analyzing environmental water samples, and the results revealed satisfactory spiked recovery, relative standard deviation, and selectivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of Microstructure on the Electrical Properties of Heteroepitaxial TiN Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Wenfeng; Liu, Yuan; Zhang, Jiaqi

2018-05-01

Heteroepitaxial TiN films were deposited on Si substrates by pulse laser deposition at different substrate temperature. The microstructure and surface morphology of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (θ-2θ scan, ω-scan, and ϕ-scan) and atomic force microscopy. The electrical properties of the prepared TiN films were studied using a physical property measurement system. The experimental results showed that the crystallinity and surface morphology of the TiN films were improved gradually with increasing substrate temperature below 700 °C. Specially, single crystal TiN films were prepared when substrate temperature is above 700 °C; However, the quality of TiN films gradually worsened when the substrate temperature was increased further. The electrical properties of the films were directly correlated to their crystalline quality. At the optimal substrate temperature of 700 °C, the TiN films exhibited the lowest resistivity and highest mobility of 25.7 μΩ cm and 36.1 cm2/V s, respectively. In addition, the mechanism concerning the influence of substrate temperature on the microstructure of TiN films is discussed in detail.

Tuning Surface Energy Landscapes in Metallic Quantum Films using Alkali Adsorbates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khajetoorians, Alexander; Qin, Shengyong; Zhu, Wenguang; Eisele, Holger; Zhang, Zhenyu; Shih, Chih-Kang

2008-03-01

Quantum confinement shows a strong interplay with growth and kinetics in thin metal systems where the Fermi wavelength has a special relationship to the surface normal lattice constant. In the case of Pb/Si(111) systems, this relationship reveals an interesting thickness-dependent bilayer oscillation in the density of states and surface energy up to a phase. In this paper, we report on a novel effect: tuning of the energy landscape of a flat-top quantum Pb mesa using Cs adsorbates. Using STM/STS, we show that depositing Cs adsorbates on a thin Pb mesa promotes quantum stable Pb nanoislands on preferentially unstable thicknesses. Thickness-dependent nanoisland densities show a strong bilayer oscillation correlating with quantum stability. By modifying the Cs coverage on the mesa surface, we can tune the lateral size distribution of the nanoislands and the overall amplitude of the island density oscillation. Nanoisland formation is linked to a step decoration of Cs adatoms along the step edge of the nanoisland.

Preparation and evaluation of Mn3GaN1-x thin films with controlled N compositions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishino, Sunao; So, Jongmin; Goto, Hirotaka; Hajiri, Tetsuya; Asano, Hidefumi

2018-05-01

Thin films of antiperovskite Mn3GaN1-x were grown on MgO (001) substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering, and their structural, magnetic, and magneto-optical properties were systematically investigated. It was found that the combination of the deposition rate and the N2 gas partial pressure could produce epitaxial films with a wide range of N composition (N-deficiency) and resulting c/a values (0.93 - 1.0). While the films with c/a = 0.992 - 1.0 were antiferromagnetic, the films with c/a = 0.93 - 0.989 showed perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) with the maximum PMA energy up to 1.5×106 erg/cm3. Systematic dependences of the energy spectra of the polar Kerr signals on the c/a ratio were observed, and the Kerr ellipticity was as large as 2.4 deg. at 1.9 eV for perpendicularly magnetized ferromagnetic thin films with c/a = 0.975. These results highlight that the tetragonal distortion plays an important role in magnetic and magneto-optical properties of Mn3GaN1-x thin films.

Highly resistive epitaxial Mg-doped GdN thin films

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

Lee, C.-M.; Warring, H.; Trodahl, H. J.

2015-01-12

We report the growth by molecular beam epitaxy of highly resistive GdN, using intentional doping with magnesium. Mg-doped GdN layers with resistivities of 10{sup 3} Ω cm and carrier concentrations of 10{sup 16 }cm{sup −3} are obtained for films with Mg concentrations up to 5 × 10{sup 19} atoms/cm{sup 3}. X-ray diffraction rocking curves indicate that Mg-doped GdN films have crystalline quality very similar to undoped GdN films, showing that the Mg doping did not affect the structural properties of the films. A decrease of the Curie temperature with decreasing the electron density is observed, supporting a recently suggested magnetic polaron scenario [F.more » Natali, B. J. Ruck, H. J. Trodahl, D. L. Binh, S. Vézian, B. Damilano, Y. Cordier, F. Semond, and C. Meyer, Phys. Rev. B 87, 035202 (2013)].« less

Far-infrared transmission in GaN, AlN, and AlGaN thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

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

Ibanez, J.; Hernandez, S.; Alarcon-Llado, E.

2008-08-01

We present a far-infrared transmission study on group-III nitride thin films. Cubic GaN and AlN layers and c-oriented wurtzite GaN, AlN, and Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}N (x<0.3) layers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs and Si(111) substrates, respectively. The Berreman effect allows us to observe simultaneously the transverse optic and the longitudinal optic phonons of both the cubic and the hexagonal films as transmission minima in the infrared spectra acquired with obliquely incident radiation. We discuss our results in terms of the relevant electromagnetic theory of infrared transmission in cubic and wurtzite thin films. We compare the infrared resultsmore » with visible Raman-scattering measurements. In the case of films with low scattering volumes and/or low Raman efficiencies and also when the Raman signal of the substrate material obscures the weaker peaks from the nitride films, we find that the Berreman technique is particularly useful to complement Raman spectroscopy.« less

Microwave plasma induced surface modification of diamond-like carbon films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-12-01

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

Porous CrN thin films by selectively etching CrCuN for symmetric supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Binbin; Mei, Gui; Liang, Hanfeng; Qi, Zhengbing; Zhang, Dongfang; Shen, Hao; Wang, Zhoucheng

2018-05-01

Transition metal nitrides are regarded as a new class of excellent electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors due to their superior chemical stability and excellent electrical conductivity. We synthesize successfully the porous CrN thin films for binder-free supercapacitor electrodes by reactive magnetron co-sputtering and selective chemical etching. The porous CrN thin film electrodes exhibit high-capacitance performance (31.3 mF cm-2 at 1.0 mA cm-2) and reasonable cycling stability (94% retention after 20000 cycles). Moreover, the specific capacitance is more than two-fold higher than that of the CrN thin film electrodes in previous work. In addition, a symmetric supercapacitor device with a maximum energy density of 14.4 mWh cm-3 and a maximum power density of 6.6 W cm-3 is achieved. These findings demonstrate that the porous CrN thin films will have potential applications in supercapacitors.

Electrochemical and scanning probe microscopic characterization of spontaneously adsorbed organothiolate monolayers at gold

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

Wong, Sze-Shun Season

1999-12-10

This dissertation presented several results which add to the general knowledge base regarding organothiolates monolayer spontaneously adsorbed at gold films. Common to the body of this work is the use of voltammetric reductive resorption and variants of scanning probe microscopy to gain insight into the nature of the monolayer formation process as well as the resulting interface. The most significant result from this work is the success of using friction force microscopy to discriminate the end group orientation of monolayer chemisorbed at smooth gold surfaces with micrometer resolution (Chapter 4). The ability to detect the differences in the orientational dispositionmore » is demonstrated by the use PDMS polymer stamp to microcontact print an adlayer of n-alkanethiolate of length n in a predefine pattern onto a gold surface, followed by the solution deposition of a n-alkanethiol of n ± 1 to fill in the areas on the gold surface intentionally not coated by the stamping process. These two-component monolayers can be discriminated by using friction force microscopy which detects differences in friction contributed by the differences in the orientation of the terminal groups at surfaces. This success has recently led to the detection of the orientation differences at nanometer scale. Although the substrates examined in this work consisted entirely of smooth gold films, the same test can be performed on other smooth substrates and monolayer materials.« less

Berkovich Nanoindentation on AlN Thin Films

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Berkovich nanoindentation-induced mechanical deformation mechanisms of AlN thin films have been investigated by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) techniques. AlN thin films are deposited on the metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD) derived Si-doped (2 × 1017 cm−3) GaN template by using the helicon sputtering system. The XTEM samples were prepared by means of focused ion beam (FIB) milling to accurately position the cross-section of the nanoindented area. The hardness and Young’s modulus of AlN thin films were measured by a Berkovich nanoindenter operated with the continuous contact stiffness measurements (CSM) option. The obtained values of the hardness and Young’s modulus are 22 and 332 GPa, respectively. The XTEM images taken in the vicinity regions just underneath the indenter tip revealed that the multiple “pop-ins” observed in the load–displacement curve during loading are due primarily to the activities of dislocation nucleation and propagation. The absence of discontinuities in the unloading segments of load–displacement curve suggests that no pressure-induced phase transition was involved. Results obtained in this study may also have technological implications for estimating possible mechanical damages induced by the fabrication processes of making the AlN-based devices. PMID:20672096

Berkovich Nanoindentation on AlN Thin Films.

PubMed

Jian, Sheng-Rui; Chen, Guo-Ju; Lin, Ting-Chun

2010-03-31

Berkovich nanoindentation-induced mechanical deformation mechanisms of AlN thin films have been investigated by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) techniques. AlN thin films are deposited on the metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD) derived Si-doped (2 × 1017 cm-3) GaN template by using the helicon sputtering system. The XTEM samples were prepared by means of focused ion beam (FIB) milling to accurately position the cross-section of the nanoindented area. The hardness and Young's modulus of AlN thin films were measured by a Berkovich nanoindenter operated with the continuous contact stiffness measurements (CSM) option. The obtained values of the hardness and Young's modulus are 22 and 332 GPa, respectively. The XTEM images taken in the vicinity regions just underneath the indenter tip revealed that the multiple "pop-ins" observed in the load-displacement curve during loading are due primarily to the activities of dislocation nucleation and propagation. The absence of discontinuities in the unloading segments of load-displacement curve suggests that no pressure-induced phase transition was involved. Results obtained in this study may also have technological implications for estimating possible mechanical damages induced by the fabrication processes of making the AlN-based devices.

Thermal Programmed Desorption of C32 H 66

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cisternas, M.; Del Campo, V.; Cabrera, A. L.; Volkmann, U. G.; Hansen, F. Y.; Taub, H.

2011-03-01

Alkanes are of interest as prototypes for more complex molecules and membranes. In this work we study the desorption kinetics of dotriacontane C32 adsorbed on Si O2 /Si substrate. We combine in our instrument High Resolution Ellipsometry (HRE) and Thermal Programmed Desorption (TPD). C32 monolayers were deposited in high vacuum from a Knudsen cell on the substrate, monitorizing sample thickness in situ with HRE. Film thickness was in the range of up to 100 AA, forming a parallel bilayer and perpendicular C32 layer. The Mass Spectrometer (RGA) of the TPD section was detecting the shift of the desorption peaks at different heating rates applied to the sample. The mass registered with the RGA was AMU 57 for parallel and perpendicular layers, due to the abundance of this mass value in the disintegration process of C32 in the mass spectrometers ionizer. Moreover, the AMU 57 signal does not interfere with other signals coming from residual gases in the vacuum chamber. The desorption energies obtained were ΔEdes = 11,9 kJ/mol for the perpendicular bilayer and ΔEdes = 23 ,5 kJ/mol for the parallel bilayer.

The origin of the residual conductivity of GaN films on ferroelectric materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kyoung-Keun; Cai, Zhuhua; Ziemer, Katherine; Doolittle, William Alan

2009-08-01

In this paper, the origin of the conductivity of GaN films grown on ferroelectric materials was investigated using XPS, AES, and XRD analysis tools. Depth profiles confirmed the existence of impurities in the GaN film originating from the substrates. Bonding energy analysis from XPS and AES verified that oxygen impurities from the substrates were the dominant origin of the conductivity of the GaN film. Furthermore, Ga-rich GaN films have a greater chance of enhancing diffusion of lithium oxide from the substrates, resulting in more substrate phase separation and a wider inter-mixed region confirmed by XRD. Therefore, the direct GaN film growth on ferroelectric materials causes impurity diffusion from the substrates, resulting in highly conductive GaN films. Future work needs to develop non-conductive buffer layers for impurity suppression in order to obtain highly resistive GaN films.

An investigation of GaN thin films on AlN on sapphire substrate by sol-gel spin coating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, Nur Fahana Mohd; Ng, Sha Shiong

2017-12-01

In this research, the gallium nitride (GaN) thin films were deposited on aluminium nitride on sapphire (AlN/Al2O3) substrate by sol-gel spin coating method. Simple ethanol-based precursor with the addition of diethanolamine solution was used. The structural and morphology properties of synthesized GaN thin films were characterized by using X-ray Diffraction, Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy. While the elemental compositions and the lattice vibrational properties of the films were investigated by means of the Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. All the results revealed that the wurtzite structure GaN thin films with GaN(002) preferred orientation and smooth surface morphology were successfully grown on AlN/Al2O3 substrate by using inexpensive and simplified sol-gel spin coating technique. The sol-gel spin coated GaN thin film with lowest oxygen content was also achieved.FESEM images show that GaN thin films with uniform and packed grains were formed. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that wurtzite structure GaN thin films were successfully deposited on AlN/Al2O3 substrate.

An ESEM investigation of latex film formation in cement pore solution

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

Gretz, M.; Plank, J., E-mail: sekretariat@bauchemie.ch.tum.d

2011-02-15

Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and complementary methods were employed to study the time dependent film formation of a latex dispersion in water and cement pore solution. First, a model carboxylated styrene/n-butyl acrylate latex dispersion possessing a minimum film forming temperature (MFFT) of 18 {sup o}C was synthesized in aqueous media via emulsion polymerization. Its film forming property was at a temperature of 40 {sup o}C, studied under an ESEM. The analysis revealed that upon removal of water, film formation occurs as a result of particle packing, particle deformation and finally particle coalescence. Film formation is significantly retarded when themore » latex dispersion is present in cement pore solution. This effect can be ascribed to adsorption of Ca{sup 2+} ions onto the surface of the anionic latex particles and to interfacial secondary phases. This layer of adsorbed Ca{sup 2+} ions hinders interdiffusion of the macromolecules and subsequent film formation of the latex polymer.« less

Chain Conformation near the Buried Interface in Nanoparticle-Stabilized Polymer Thin Films

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

Barkley, Deborah A.; Jiang, Naisheng; Sen, Mani

It is known that when nanoparticles are added to polymer thin films, they often migrate to the film-substrate interface and form an “immobile interfacial layer”, which has been believed as the origin of suppression of dewetting. We here report an alternative mechanism of dewetting suppression from the structural aspect of a polymer. Dodecane thiol-functionalized gold (Au) nanoparticles embedded in PS thin films prepared on Si substrates were used as a model. It was found that thermal annealing promotes irreversible polymer adsorption onto the substrate surface along with the surface migration of the nanoparticles. We also revealed that the surface migrationmore » causes additional nanoconfined space for the adsorbed polymer chains. As a result, the self-organization process of the strongly adsorbed polymer chains on the solid surface was so hindered that the chain conformations were randomized and expanded in the film normal direction. Here, the resultant chain conformation allows the interpenetration between free chains and the adsorbed chains, promoting adhesion and hence stabilizing the thin film.« less

Chain Conformation near the Buried Interface in Nanoparticle-Stabilized Polymer Thin Films

DOE PAGES

Barkley, Deborah A.; Jiang, Naisheng; Sen, Mani; ...

2017-09-26

It is known that when nanoparticles are added to polymer thin films, they often migrate to the film-substrate interface and form an “immobile interfacial layer”, which has been believed as the origin of suppression of dewetting. We here report an alternative mechanism of dewetting suppression from the structural aspect of a polymer. Dodecane thiol-functionalized gold (Au) nanoparticles embedded in PS thin films prepared on Si substrates were used as a model. It was found that thermal annealing promotes irreversible polymer adsorption onto the substrate surface along with the surface migration of the nanoparticles. We also revealed that the surface migrationmore » causes additional nanoconfined space for the adsorbed polymer chains. As a result, the self-organization process of the strongly adsorbed polymer chains on the solid surface was so hindered that the chain conformations were randomized and expanded in the film normal direction. Here, the resultant chain conformation allows the interpenetration between free chains and the adsorbed chains, promoting adhesion and hence stabilizing the thin film.« less

Titanium-incorporated organic–inorganic hybrid adsorbent for improved CO{sub 2} adsorption performance

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

Zhang, Xiaoyun; Qin, Hongyan; Zhang, Sisi

2015-02-15

Highlights: • Titanium-incorporated organic–inorganic hybrid adsorbent was prepared. • The incorporation of Ti to the adsorbent showed significant effect. • The sorbent shows high CO{sub 2} capture capacity both in pure and diluted CO{sub 2} at RT. • The sorbent exhibits a high recycling stability after 15 cycling runs. - Abstract: The CO{sub 2} adsorption performance of acrylonitrile (AN)–tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) adduct (hereafter referred to as TN) impregnated adsorbent was greatly enhanced by introduction of Titanium atom into the silica matrix. The adsorbents were characterized by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption, UV–vismore » spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The adsorption experiments together with the physicochemical characterization demonstrated that these adsorbents containing an optimal amount of Titanium (Ti/Si ≈ 0.1) remarkably reinforced the CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity and recycling stability. The highest CO{sub 2} uptakes reached 4.65 and 1.80 mmol CO{sub 2}/g adsorbent at 25 °C under 90% CO{sub 2} (CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2}, 90:10 V/V) and 1% CO{sub 2} (CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2}, 1:99 V/V) conditions for sample Ti(0.1)-DMS-TN, respectively. Repeated adsorption/desorption cycles revealed that the Ti-incorporated adsorbent showed only a tiny decrease in adsorption capacity (1.778 mmol CO{sub 2}/g adsorbent after 15 cycles, decreased by 0.95%), significantly enhanced the adsorbent recycling stability.« less

Self-buckled effect of cubic Cu3N film: Surface stoichiometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Arun Kumar; Roy, Avishek; Das, Sadhan Chandra; Wulff, Harm; Hippler, Rainer; Majumdar, Abhijit

2018-05-01

We report the surface stoichiometry of cubic Cu3N films as function of nitrogen concentration (N/Cu). The film is deposited at 1Pa showing self-buckled (surface peels off) effect as it is exposed to ambient air at atmospheric pressure whereas at 5 Pa, the film shows no such effect. The spectroscopic (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)) analysis suggests that the presence of nitride layer is not the prime cause but the surface oxidation playing a major role for the self-buckling effect. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) confirms the formation of a crystalline Cu3N phase of the film. Atomic force microscopic (AFM) study reveals that the 1Pa film shows a lower roughness as compared to 5 Pa films and furthermore, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis shows a fourfold symmetric structure (both modes of pattern-orientation) in both the deposited films.

Computational method for determining n and k for a thin film from the measured reflectance, transmittance, and film thickness.

PubMed

Bennett, J M; Booty, M J

1966-01-01

A computational method of determining n and k for an evaporated film from the measured reflectance, transmittance, and film thickness has been programmed for an IBM 7094 computer. The method consists of modifications to the NOTS multilayer film program. The basic program computes normal incidence reflectance, transmittance, phase change on reflection, and other parameters from the optical constants and thicknesses of all materials. In the modification, n and k for the film are varied in a prescribed manner, and the computer picks from among these values one n and one k which yield reflectance and transmittance values almost equalling the measured values. Results are given for films of silicon and aluminum.

Molecular Adsorber Coating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Straka, Sharon; Peters, Wanda; Hasegawa, Mark; Hedgeland, Randy; Petro, John; Novo-Gradac, Kevin; Wong, Alfred; Triolo, Jack; Miller, Cory

2011-01-01

A document discusses a zeolite-based sprayable molecular adsorber coating that has been developed to alleviate the size and weight issues of current ceramic puck-based technology, while providing a configuration that more projects can use to protect against degradation from outgassed materials within a spacecraft, particularly contamination-sensitive instruments. This coating system demonstrates five times the adsorption capacity of previously developed adsorber coating slurries. The molecular adsorber formulation was developed and refined, and a procedure for spray application was developed. Samples were spray-coated and tested for capacity, thermal optical/radiative properties, coating adhesion, and thermal cycling. Work performed during this study indicates that the molecular adsorber formulation can be applied to aluminum, stainless steel, or other metal substrates that can accept silicate-based coatings. The coating can also function as a thermal- control coating. This adsorber will dramatically reduce the mass and volume restrictions, and is less expensive than the currently used molecular adsorber puck design.

Reactive magnetron cosputtering of hard and conductive ternary nitride thin films: Ti-Zr-N and Ti-Ta-N

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

Abadias, G.; Koutsokeras, L. E.; Dub, S. N.

2010-07-15

Ternary transition metal nitride thin films, with thickness up to 300 nm, were deposited by dc reactive magnetron cosputtering in Ar-N{sub 2} plasma discharges at 300 deg. C on Si substrates. Two systems were comparatively studied, Ti-Zr-N and Ti-Ta-N, as representative of isostructural and nonisostructural prototypes, with the aim of characterizing their structural, mechanical, and electrical properties. While phase-separated TiN-ZrN and TiN-TaN are the bulk equilibrium states, Ti{sub 1-x}Zr{sub x}N and Ti{sub 1-y}Ta{sub y}N solid solutions with the Na-Cl (B1-type) structure could be stabilized in a large compositional range (up to x=1 and y=0.75, respectively). Substituting Ti atoms by eithermore » Zr or Ta atoms led to significant changes in film texture, microstructure, grain size, and surface morphology, as evidenced by x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflectivity, and scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. The ternary Ti{sub 1-y}Ta{sub y}N films exhibited superior mechanical properties to Ti{sub 1-x}Zr{sub x}N films as well as binary compounds, with hardness as high as 42 GPa for y=0.69. All films were metallic, the lowest electrical resistivity {rho}{approx}65 {mu}{Omega} cm being obtained for pure ZrN, while for Ti{sub 1-y}Ta{sub y}N films a minimum was observed at y{approx}0.3. The evolution of the different film properties is discussed based on microstructrural investigations.« less

Flexible free-standing TiO2/graphene/PVdF films as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, H. M.; Ding, Y. H.; Chang, F. H.; He, X.; Feng, J. Q.; Wang, C. F.; Jiang, Y.; Zhang, P.

2012-12-01

Graphene composites were prepared by hydrothermal method using titanium dioxide (TiO2) adsorbed graphene oxide (GO) sheets as precursors. Free-standing hybrid films for lithium-ion batteries were prepared by adding TiO2/graphene composites to the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF)/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solution, followed by a solvent evaporation technique. These films were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and various electrochemical techniques. Flexible films show an excellent cycling performance, which was attributed to the interconnected graphene conducting network, which depressed the increasing of electric resistance during the cycling.

Characterization of NbN films and tunnel junctions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, J. A.; Leduc, H. G.

1991-01-01

Properties of NbN films and NbN/MgO/NbN tunnel junctions are discussed. NbN junctions are being developed for use in high-frequency, SIS quasiparticle mixers. To properly design mixer circuits, junction and film properties need to be characterized. The specific capacitance of NbN/MgO/NbN junctions has been measured as a function of the product of the normal-state resistance and the junction area (RnA), and it is found to vary by more than a factor of two (35-85 fF/sq microns) over the range of RnA measured (1000-50 ohm sq microns). This variation is important because the specific capacitance determines the RC speed of the tunnel junction at a given RnA value. The magnetic penetration depth of NbN films deposited under different conditions is also measured. The magnetic penetration depth affects the design of microstrip line used in RF tuning circuits. Control of the magnetic penetration depth is necessary to fabricate reproducible tuning circuits. Additionally, the critical current uniformity for arrays of 100 junctions has been measured. Junction uniformity will affect the design of focal-plane arrays of SIS mixers. Finally, the relevance of these measurements to the design of Josephson electronics is discussed.

Optical models for radio-frequency-magnetron reactively sputtered AlN films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Easwarakhanthan, T.; Assouar, M. B.; Pigeat, P.; Alnot, P.

2005-10-01

The optical properties of aluminum nitrate (AlN) films reactively sputtered on Si substrates using radio-frequency (rf) magnetron have been studied in this work from multiwavelength spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements performed over the 290-615 nm wavelength range. The SE modeling carried out with care to adhere as much to the ellipsometric fitting qualities is also backed up with atomic force microscopy and x-ray-diffraction measurements taken on these films thus grown to nominal thicknesses from 40 to 150 nm under the same optimized experimental conditions. It follows that the model describing the optical properties of the thicker AlN films should consist at least in three layers on the Si substrate: an almost roughnessless smooth surface overlayer that is presumed essentially of Al2O3, a bulk AlN layer, and an AlN interface layer that has a refractive index dispersion falling in the range from 2.04 [312 nm] to 1.91 [615 nm] on the average and is fairly distinguishable from the slightly higher bulk layer index which drops correspondingly from 2.12 to 1.99. These index values imply that, beneath the partly or mostly oxidized surface AlN layer, the films comprise a polycrystalline-structured bulk AlN layer above a less-microstructurally-ordered interface layer that extends over 40-55 nm from the substrate among thicker films. This ellipsometric evidence indicating the existence of the interface layer is consistent with those interface layers confirmed through electron microscopy in some previous works. However, the ellipsometrically insufficient thinner AlN films may be only modeled with the surface layer and an AlN layer. The film surface oxide layer thickness varies between 5 and 15 nm among samples. The refractive index dispersions, the layer thicknesses, and the lateral thickness variation of the films are given and discussed regarding the optical constitution of these films and the ellipsometric validity of these parameters.

Electrospun polystyrene/graphene nanofiber film as a novel adsorbent of thin film microextraction for extraction of aldehydes in human exhaled breath condensates.

PubMed

Huang, Jing; Deng, Hongtao; Song, Dandan; Xu, Hui

2015-06-09

In the current study, we introduced a novel polystyrene/graphene (PS/G) composite nanofiber film for thin film microextraction (TFME) for the first time. The PS/G nanofiber film was fabricated on the surface of filter paper by a facile electrospinning method. The morphology and extraction performance of the resultant composite film were investigated systematically. The PS/G nanofiber film exhibited porous fibrous structure, large surface area and strong hydrophobicity. A new thin film microextraction-high performance liquid chromatography (TFME-HPLC) method was developed for the determination of six aldehydes in human exhaled breath condensates. The method showed high enrichment efficiency and fast analysis speed. Under the optimal conditions, the linear ranges of the analytes were in the range of 0.02-30 μmol L(-1) with correlation coefficients above 0.9938, and the recoveries were between 79.8% and 105.6% with the relative standard deviation values lower than 16.3% (n=5). The limits of quantification of six aldehydes ranged from 13.8 to 64.6 nmol L(-1). The established method was successfully applied for the quantification of aldehyde metabolites in exhaled breath condensates of lung cancer patients and healthy people. Taken together, the TFME-HPLC method provides a simple, rapid, sensitive, cost-effective, non-invasion approach for the analysis of linear aliphatic aldehydes in human exhaled breath condensates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural and shear characteristics of adsorbed sodium caseinate and monoglyceride mixed monolayers at the air-water interface.

PubMed

Rodríguez Patino, Juan M; Cejudo Fernández, Marta; Carrera Sánchez, Cecilio; Rodríguez Niño, Ma Rosario

2007-09-01

The structural and shear characteristics of mixed monolayers formed by an adsorbed Na-caseinate film and a spread monoglyceride (monopalmitin or monoolein) on the previously adsorbed protein film have been analyzed. Measurements of the surface pressure (pi)-area (A) isotherm and surface shear viscosity (eta(s)) were obtained at 20 degrees C and at pH 7 in a modified Wilhelmy-type film balance. The structural and shear characteristics of the mixed films depend on the surface pressure and on the composition of the mixed film. At surface pressures lower than the equilibrium surface pressure of Na-caseinate (at pifilm the eta(s) value varies greatly with the surface pressure (or surface density) of the mixed monolayer at the interface. In general, the greater the surface pressure, the greater are the values of eta(s). However, the values of eta(s) for a Na-caseinate-monoolein mixed monolayer are very low and practically do not depend on the surface pressure. The collapsed Na-caseinate residues displaced from the interface by monoglyceride molecules at pi>pi(e)(CS) have important repercussions on the shear characteristics of the mixed films.

Investigating the interfacial dynamics of thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenbaum, Aaron W.

This thesis probes the interfacial dynamics and associated phenomena of thin films. Surface specific tools were used to study the self-assembly of alkanethiols, the mono- and bilayer dynamics of SF6, and the surface motion of poly(methyl methacrylate). Non-pertubative helium atom scattering was the principal technique used to investigate these systems. A variety of other complementary tools, including scanning tunneling microscopy, electron diffraction, Auger spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and ellipsometry were used in tandem with the neutral atom scattering studies. Controlling the spontaneous assembly of alkanethiols on Au(111) requires a better fundamental understanding of the adsorbate-adsorbate and substrate-adsorbate interactions. Our characterization focused on two key components, the surface structure and adsorbate vibrations. The study indicates that the Au(111) reconstruction plays a larger role than anticipated in the low-density phase of alkanethiol monolayers. A new structure is proposed for the 1-decanethiol monolayer that impacts the low-energy vibrational mode. Varying the alkane chain lengths imparts insight into the assembly process via characterization of a dispersionless phonon mode. Studies of SF6 physisorbed on Au(111) bridge surface research on rare gas adsorbates with complicated dynamical organic thin films. Mono- and bilayer coverages of SF6/Au(111) were studied at cryogenic temperatures. Our experiments probed the surface properties of SF6 yielding insights into substrate and coverage effects. The study discovered a dispersionless Einstein oscillation with multiple harmonic overtones. A second layer of SF6 softened the mode, but did not show any indications of bulk or cooperative interactions. The vibrational properties of SF 6 showed both striking similarities and differences when compared with physisorbed rare gases. Lastly, this thesis will discuss studies of thin film poly(methyl methacrylate) on Si. The non-pertubative and

The Density and Refractive Index of Adsorbing Protein Layers

PubMed Central

Vörös, Janos

2004-01-01

The structure of the adsorbing layers of native and denatured proteins (fibrinogen, γ-immunoglobulin, albumin, and lysozyme) was studied on hydrophilic TiO2 and hydrophobic Teflon-AF surfaces using the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation and optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy techniques. The density and the refractive index of the adsorbing protein layers could be determined from the complementary information provided by the two in situ instruments. The observed density and refractive index changes during the protein-adsorption process indicated the presence of conformational changes (e.g., partial unfolding) in general, especially upon contact with the hydrophobic surface. The structure of the formed layers was found to depend on the size of the proteins and on the experimental conditions. On the TiO2 surface smaller proteins formed a denser layer than larger ones and the layer of unfolded proteins was less dense than that adsorbed from the native conformation. The hydrophobic surface induced denaturation and resulted in the formation of thin compact protein films of albumin and lysozyme. A linear correlation was found between the quartz crystal microbalance measured dissipation factor and the total water content of the layer, suggesting the existence of a dissipative process that is related to the solvent molecules present inside the adsorbed protein layer. Our measurements indicated that water and solvent molecules not only influence the 3D structure of proteins in solution but also play a crucial role in their adsorption onto surfaces. PMID:15240488

Effects of hydrogen treatment on ohmic contacts to p-type GaN films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Bohr-Ran; Chou, Chia-Hui; Ke, Wen-Cheng; Chou, Yi-Lun; Tsai, Chia-Lung; Wu, Meng-chyi

2011-06-01

This study investigated the effects of hydrogen (H 2) treatment on metal contacts to Mg-doped p-GaN films by Hall-effect measurement, current-voltage ( I- V) analyzer and X-ray photoemission spectra (XPS). The interfacial oxide layer on the p-GaN surface was found to be the main reason for causing the nonlinear I- V behavior of the untreated p-GaN films. The increased nitrogen vacancy (V N) density due to increased GaN decomposition rate at high-temperature hydrogen treatment is believed to form high density surface states on the surface of p-GaN films. Compared to untreated p-GaN films, the surface Fermi level determined by the Ga 2p core-level peak on 1000 °C H 2-treated p-GaN films lies about ˜2.1 eV closer to the conduction band edge (i.e., the surface inverted to n-type behavior). The reduction in barrier height due to the high surface state density pinned the surface Fermi level close to the conduction band edge, and allowed the electrons to easily flow over the barrier from the metal into the p-GaN films. Thus, a good ohmic contact was achieved on the p-GaN films by the surface inversion method.

Experimental Determination of the Molar Absorption Coefficient of n-Hexane Adsorbed on High-Silica Zeolites.

PubMed

Gatti, Giorgio; Olivas Olivera, Diana F; Sacchetto, Vittoria; Cossi, Maurizio; Braschi, Ilaria; Marchese, Leonardo; Bisio, Chiara

2017-09-06

Determination of the molar absorption coefficients of the CH 3 bending mode at ν˜ =1380 cm -1 (ϵ 1380 ) of n-hexane adsorbed from the gas phase on two different dealuminated zeolites is derived by a combination of IR spectroscopy and microgravimetric analysis. High-silica zeolite Y (HSZ-Y) and zeolite ZSM-5 (with SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ratios of 200 and 280, respectively) with different textural and surface features are selected to evaluate the effect of the pore structure and architecture on the value of ϵ 1380 of the adsorbed n-hexane. Experimental data indicate that the molecule experiences a different adsorption environment inside zeolites; thus resulting in a significant change of the dipole moment and very different ϵ 1380 values: (0.278±0.018) cm μmol -1 for HSZ-Y and (0.491±0.032) cm μmol -1 for ZSM-5. Experimental data are also supported by computational modeling, which confirms the effect of different matrices on the IR absorption intensity. This study reveals that the use of probe molecules for quantitative measurements of surface sites has to be judiciously adopted, especially if adsorption occurs in the restricted spaces of microporous materials. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Plasma-formed hyperthermal atomic beams for use in thin film fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilson, E. P.; Cohen, S. A.; Berlinger, B.; Chan, W.

2013-10-01

Enhancing the surface mobility of adsorbents during thin-film growth processes is important for creating certain high-quality thin films. Under the auspices of a DARPA program to develop methods for supplying momentum to adsorbates during thin-film formation without using bulk heating, a hyperthermal atomic beam (HAB) was generated and directed at silicon surfaces with patterned coatings of pentacene, gold, and other surrogates for adsorbents relevant to various thin-film coatings. The HAB was created when the plasma from a helicon plasma source struck a tungsten neutralizer plate and was reflected as neutrals. Time averaged HAB fluxes 100 times greater than in previous PPPL HAB sources have been generated. The effect of the HAB on the patterned coatings was measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Results are presented on the flux and energy of the HAB for various system pressures, magnetic fields, and neutralizer biases. AFM measurements of the surface topology demonstrate that the HAB energy, species, and integrated flux are all important factors in altering surface mobility. This research is supported by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

The uranium from seawater program at PNNL: Overview of marine testing, adsorbent characterization, adsorbent durability, adsorbent toxicity, and deployment studies

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

Gill, Gary A.; Kuo, Li -Jung; Janke, Christopher James

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's (PNNL) Marine Science Laboratory (MSL) located along the coast of Washington State is evaluating the performance of uranium adsorption materials being developed for seawater extraction under realistic marine conditions with natural seawater. Two types of exposure systems were employed in this program: flow-through columns for testing of fixed beds of individual fibers and pellets and a recirculating water flume for testing of braided adsorbent material. Testing consists of measurements of the adsorption of uranium and other elements from seawater as a function of time, typically 42 to 56 day exposures, to determine the adsorbent capacitymore » and adsorption rate (kinetics). Analysis of uranium and other trace elements collected by the adsorbents was conducted following strong acid digestion of the adsorbent with 50% aqua regia using either Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) or Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The ORNL 38H adsorbent had a 56 day adsorption capacity of 3.30 ± 0.68 g U/ kg adsorbent (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu), a saturation adsorption capacity of 4.89 ± 0.83 g U/kg of adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu) and a half-saturation time of 28 10 days. The AF1 adsorbent material had a 56 day adsorption capacity of 3.9 ± 0.2 g U/kg adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu), a saturation capacity of 5.4 ± 0.2 g U/kg adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu) and a half saturation time of 23 2 days. The ORNL amidoxime-based adsorbent materials are not specific for uranium, but also adsorb other elements from seawater. The major doubly charged cations in seawater (Ca and Mg) account for a majority of the cations adsorbed (61% by mass and 74% by molar percent). For the ORNL AF1 adsorbent material, U is the 4th most abundant element adsorbed by mass and 7th most abundant by molar percentage. Marine testing

The uranium from seawater program at PNNL: Overview of marine testing, adsorbent characterization, adsorbent durability, adsorbent toxicity, and deployment studies

DOE PAGES

Gill, Gary A.; Kuo, Li -Jung; Janke, Christopher James; ...

2016-02-07

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's (PNNL) Marine Science Laboratory (MSL) located along the coast of Washington State is evaluating the performance of uranium adsorption materials being developed for seawater extraction under realistic marine conditions with natural seawater. Two types of exposure systems were employed in this program: flow-through columns for testing of fixed beds of individual fibers and pellets and a recirculating water flume for testing of braided adsorbent material. Testing consists of measurements of the adsorption of uranium and other elements from seawater as a function of time, typically 42 to 56 day exposures, to determine the adsorbent capacitymore » and adsorption rate (kinetics). Analysis of uranium and other trace elements collected by the adsorbents was conducted following strong acid digestion of the adsorbent with 50% aqua regia using either Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) or Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The ORNL 38H adsorbent had a 56 day adsorption capacity of 3.30 ± 0.68 g U/ kg adsorbent (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu), a saturation adsorption capacity of 4.89 ± 0.83 g U/kg of adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu) and a half-saturation time of 28 10 days. The AF1 adsorbent material had a 56 day adsorption capacity of 3.9 ± 0.2 g U/kg adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu), a saturation capacity of 5.4 ± 0.2 g U/kg adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu) and a half saturation time of 23 2 days. The ORNL amidoxime-based adsorbent materials are not specific for uranium, but also adsorb other elements from seawater. The major doubly charged cations in seawater (Ca and Mg) account for a majority of the cations adsorbed (61% by mass and 74% by molar percent). For the ORNL AF1 adsorbent material, U is the 4th most abundant element adsorbed by mass and 7th most abundant by molar percentage. Marine testing

Ga flux dependence of Er-doped GaN luminescent thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, D. S.; Steckl, A. J.

2002-02-01

Er-doped GaN thin films have been grown on (111) Si substrates with various Ga fluxes in a radio frequency plasma molecular beam epitaxy system. Visible photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) emission at 537/558 nm and infrared (IR) PL emission at 1.5 μm from GaN:Er films exhibited strong dependence on the Ga flux. Both visible and IR PL and visible EL increase with the Ga flux up to the stoichiometric growth condition, as determined by growth rate saturation. Beyond this condition, all luminescence levels abruptly dropped to the detection limit with increasing Ga flux. The Er concentration, measured by secondary ion mass spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering, decreases with increasing Ga flux under N-rich growth conditions and remains constant above the stoichiometric growth condition. X-ray diffraction indicated that the crystalline quality of the GaN:Er film was improved with increasing Ga flux up to stoichiometric growth condition and then saturated. Er ions in the films grown under N-rich conditions appear much more optically active than those in the films grown under Ga-rich conditions.

Adsorption of apo- and holo-tear lipocalin to a bovine Meibomian lipid film.

PubMed

Mudgil, Poonam; Millar, Thomas J

2008-04-01

Adsorption of apo- and holo-tear lipocalin (Tlc) to bovine Meibomian lipid film was studied. A Langmuir trough was used for these studies and the adsorption of protein was observed by recording changes in the pressure with time (pi-T profile). The films were photographed at different stages of adsorption by doping Meibomian lipids with a fluorescently tagged lipid. The results indicated that apo-Tlc adsorbed much more quickly than holo-Tlc to the Meibomian lipid film. Contrary to the expectation that holo-Tlc would release lipids to the surface and surface pressure would be higher, it was found that the surface pressure was higher with the adsorption of apo-Tlc to the surface. Photography of the films showed that apo- and holo-Tlc interacted differently with the Meibomian lipid layer. Adsorption of holo-Tlc resulted in big bright patches and adsorption of apo-Tlc resulted in many small patches along with the big patches. Both forms of Tlc produced a more stable film as indicated by decreased movement of the protein adsorbed films, and a higher maximum surface pressure upon compression of these films compared with Meibomian lipid films alone. Isocyles of apo-Tlc adsorbed films gave a higher surface pressure than that of holo-Tlc. From these results, it is concluded that both apo- and holo-Tlc adsorbed to the Meibomian lipid layer and the delivery of the lipids from Tlc to the outer lipid layer could not be detected by our techniques. Its scavenging role to remove lipids from the corneal surface and bind with them might be beneficial for increasing tear viscosity but whether those lipids are delivered to the outermost lipid layer still remains unclear.

Effect of N2 flow during deposition on p-type ZnO film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chiung-Wei; Liu, Bor-Chang

2017-01-01

In this study, the influence of a nitrogen source on p-type conductive ZnO films was studied. Rapid thermal oxidation was conducted to oxidize ZnN films and convert them to ZnO films. When an as-deposited ZnN film was prepared at a high nitrogen gas flow rate, the converted ZnO film possessed many acceptors and showed stable p-type conduction. This p-type conduction was attributed to the nitrogen gas flow providing many “No” states, which act as acceptors within the processed ZnO film. It was found that the as-deposited ZnN film prepared at a high nitrogen gas flow rate is oxidized slightly so that only a few nitrogen atoms were replaced by oxygen. The carrier concentration and mobility of the optimized oxidized ZnN film were 9.76 × 1017 cm-3 and 62.78 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. A good rectified current-voltage characteristic with a turn-on voltage of 3.65 V was achieved for the optimized ZnO:N/ZnO junction.

Molecular sieve adsorbents and membranes for applications in the production of renewable fuels and chemicals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranjan, Rajiv

Metal organic frameworks (MOF), a new class of porous materials, have emerged as promising candidate for gas storage, separation membrane and chemical sensors. We used secondary growth method to grow microporous metal organic framework (MMOF) films on porous alumina supports. Examination of the film using SEM and XRD showed that the crystals were well inter-grown and preferentially oriented. Gas permeation study showed that membranes were defect free and moderate selectivity was achieved for H2/N2 gas pairs. The next project had to do with ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass as an alternate energy source. However, toxic inhibitors produced from the hydrolysis of biomass decrease ethanol yield during the fermentation process. We demonstrated the use of zeolites for the pretreatment of hydrolyzate in order to remove inhibitors like 5-Hydroxymethylfurfuraldehyde (HMF) and furfural from aqueous solution. Zeolites exhibit preferential adsorption of the inhibitors and in effect improve the ethanol yield during fermentation. Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST) was also used to predict adsorption isotherms for HMF-furfural mixtures using single component adsorption data. We also studied production of HMF, a potential substitute as a building block for plastic and chemical production, from renewable biomass resources. Catalytic dehydration of fructose for HMF production faces problems like low conversion and yield. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) can be used as the solvent as well as the catalyst resulting in high HMF yield. We studied a reaction-separation system for this dehydration reaction where the product (HMF) could be recovered by selective adsorption on solid adsorbents from the reaction mixture.

Fabrication of DC inorganic electroluminescent thin-film devices with novel n-p-n type structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishimura, Takuyoshi; Matsumoto, Hironaga

2014-04-01

Inorganic electroluminescent (iEL) thin films are used in light-emitting devices and are functional under alternating current conditions only. Stable luminescent light has yet to be obtained under direct current conditions. We postulated that thin-film iEL light emission occurs when an injected electron occupies the excited state of a luminescent center and then recombines radiatively. From this perspective, we fabricated a novel stacked n-p-n type thin-film iEL device composed of indium tin oxide (ITO)-ZnO-CuAlO2-ZnS-ZnS:TbF3-Al thin films and obtained stable luminescence using a low-voltage DC power supply. The overall luminescent color of the device depended on only the dopant in the luminescent layer, not the band gap or thin-film material.

Properties of planar structures based on Policluster films of diamond and AlN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belyanin, A. F.; Luchnikov, A. P.; Nalimov, S. A.; Bagdasarian, A. S.

2018-01-01

AlN films doped with zinc were grown on Si substrates by RF magnetron reactive sputtering of a compound target. Policluster films of diamond doped with boron were formed on layered Si/AlN substrates from the gas phase hydrogen and methane, activated arc discharge. By electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy the composition and structure of synthetic policluster films of diamond and AlN films were studied. Photovoltaic devices based on the AlN/PFD layered structure are presented.

Comparison of mechanical behavior of TiN, TiNC, CrN/TiNC, TiN/TiNC films on 9Cr18 steel by PVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xingguo; Zhang, Yanshuai; Hu, Hanjun; Zheng, Yugang; Zhang, Kaifeng; Zhou, Hui

2017-11-01

TiN, TiNC, CrN/TiNC and TiN/TiNC films were deposited on 9Cr18 steel using magnetron sputtering technique. The morphology, composition, chemical state and crystalline structure of the films were observed and analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Hardness and adhesion force were tested by nanoindentation and scratch tester, respectively. The friction and wear behavior of TiN, TiNC, CrN/TiNC and TiN/TiNC films sliding against GCr15 balls were investigated and compared synthetically using ball-on-disk tribometer. It was found that Tisbnd N, Tisbnd C, Tisbnd Nsbnd C and Csbnd C bonds were formed. The TiN/TiNC film was composed of TiN, TiC and TiNC phases. Hardness and adhesion force results indicated that although the TiN film possessed the highest hardness, its adhesion force was lowest among all the films. Tribological test results showed that the friction coefficient of TiN/TiNC was much lower than that of TiN and the wear rate decreases remarkably from 2.3 × 10-15 m3/Nm to 7.1 × 10-16 m3/Nm, which indicated the TiN/TiNC film has better wear resistance.

Reduction of electron accumulation at InN(0001) surfaces via saturation of surface states by potassium and oxygen as donor- or acceptor-type adsorbates

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

Eisenhardt, A.; Reiß, S.; Krischok, S., E-mail: stefan.krischok@tu-ilmenau.de

2014-01-28

The influence of selected donor- and acceptor-type adsorbates on the electronic properties of InN(0001) surfaces is investigated implementing in-situ photoelectron spectroscopy. The changes in work function, surface band alignment, and chemical bond configurations are characterized during deposition of potassium and exposure to oxygen. Although an expected opponent charge transfer characteristic is observed with potassium donating its free electron to InN, while dissociated oxygen species extract partial charge from the substrate, a reduction of the surface electron accumulation occurs in both cases. This observation can be explained by adsorbate-induced saturation of free dangling bonds at the InN resulting in the disappearancemore » of surface states, which initially pin the Fermi level and induce downward band bending.« less

Combination of rice husk and coconut shell activated adsorbent to adsorb Pb(II) ionic metal and it’s analysis using solid-phase spectrophotometry (sps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohmah, D. N.; Saputro, S.; Masykuri, M.; Mahardiani, L.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this research was to know the effect and determine the mass comparation which most effective combination between rice husk and coconut shell activated adsorbent to adsorb Pb (II) ion using SPS method. This research used experimental method. Technique to collecting this datas of this research is carried out by several stages, which are: (1) carbonization of rice husk and coconut shell adsorbent using muffle furnace at a temperature of 350°C for an hour; (2) activation of the rice husk and coconut shell adsorbent using NaOH 1N and ZnCl2 15% activator; (3) contacting the adsorbent of rice husk and coconut shell activated adsorbent with liquid waste simulation of Pb(II) using variation comparison of rice husk and coconut shell, 1:0; 0:1; 1:1; 2:1; 1:2; (4) analysis of Pb(II) using Solid-Phase Spectrophotometry (SPS); (5) characterization of combination rice husk and coconut shell activated adsorbent using FTIR. The result of this research show that the combined effect of combination rice husk and coconut shell activated adsorbent can increase the ability of the adsorbent to absorb Pb(II) ion then the optimum adsorbent mass ratio required for absorbing 20 mL of Pb(II) ion with a concentration of 49.99 µg/L is a ratio of 2:1 with the absorption level of 97,06%Solid-Phase Spectrophotometry (SPS) is an effective method in the level of µg/L, be marked with the Limit of Detection (LOD) of 0.03 µg/L.

Characterization of Pb-Doped GaN Thin Films Grown by Thermionic Vacuum Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özen, Soner; Pat, Suat; Korkmaz, Şadan

2018-03-01

Undoped and lead (Pb)-doped gallium nitride (GaN) thin films have been deposited by a thermionic vacuum arc (TVA) method. Glass and polyethylene terephthalate were selected as optically transparent substrates. The structural, optical, morphological, and electrical properties of the deposited thin films were investigated. These physical properties were interpreted by comparison with related analysis methods. The crystalline structure of the deposited GaN thin films was hexagonal wurtzite. The optical bandgap energy of the GaN and Pb-doped GaN thin films was found to be 3.45 eV and 3.47 eV, respectively. The surface properties of the deposited thin films were imaged using atomic force microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy, revealing a nanostructured, homogeneous, and granular surface structure. These results confirm that the TVA method is an alternative layer deposition system for Pb-doped GaN thin films.

Room temperature ferromagnetic and semiconducting properties of graphene adsorbed with cobalt oxide using electrochemical method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Chang-Soo; Lee, Kyung Su; Chu, Dongil; Lee, Juwon; Shon, Yoon; Kim, Eun Kyu

2017-12-01

We report the room temperature ferromagnetic properties of graphene adsorbed by cobalt oxide using electrochemical method. The cobalt oxide doping onto graphene was carried out in 0.1 M LiCoO2/DI-water solution. The doped graphene thin film was determined to be a single layer from Raman analysis. The CoO doped graphene has a clear ferromagnetic hysteresis at room temperature and showed a remnant magnetization, 128.2 emu/cm3. The temperature dependent conductivity of the adsorbed graphene showed the semiconducting behavior and a band gap opening of 0.12 eV.

Viscoelastic properties of cationic starch adsorbed on quartz studied by QCM-D.

PubMed

Tammelin, Tekla; Merta, Juha; Johansson, Leena-Sisko; Stenius, Per

2004-12-07

The adsorption and viscoelastic properties of layers of a cationic polyelectrolyte (cationic starch, CS, with 2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammoniumchloride as the substituent) adsorbed from aqueous solutions (pH 7.5, added NaCl 0, 1, 100, and 500 mM) on silica were studied with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). Three different starches were investigated (weight-average molecular weights M(w) approximately 8.7 x 10(5) and 4.5 x 10(5) with degree of substitution DS = 0.75 and M(w) approximately 8.8 x 10(5) with DS = 0.2). At low ionic strength, the adsorbed layers are thin and rigid and the amount adsorbed can be calculated using the Sauerbrey equation. When the ionic strength is increased, significant changes take place in the amount of adsorbed CS and the viscoelasticity of the adsorbed layer. These changes were analyzed assuming that the layer can be described as a Voigt element on a rigid surface in contact with purely viscous solvent. It was found that CS with low charge density forms a thicker and more mobile layer with higher viscosity and elasticity than CS with high charge density. The polymers adsorbed on the silica even when the ionic strength was so high that electrostatic interactions were effectively screened. At this high ionic strength, it was possible to study the effect of molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the CS on the properties of the adsorbed film. Increasing the molecular weight of CS resulted in a larger hydrodynamic thickness. CS with a narrow molecular weight distribution formed a more compact and rigid layer than broadly distributed CS, presumably due to the better packing of the molecules.

Structure and magnetization of Co4N thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Nidhi; Gupta, Mukul; Gupta, Rachana; Rajput, Parasmani; Stahn, Jochen

2018-02-01

In this work, we studied the local structure and the magnetization of Co4N thin films deposited by a reactive dc magnetron sputtering process. The interstitial incorporation of N atoms in a fcc Co lattice is expected to expand the structure. This expansion yields interesting magnetic properties e.g. a larger magnetic moment (than Co) and a very high value of spin polarization ratio in Co4N . By optimizing the growth conditions, we prepared Co4N film having lattice parameter close to its theoretically predicted value. The N concentration was measured using secondary ion mass spectroscopy. Detailed magnetization measurements using bulk magnetization method and polarized neutron reflectivity confirm that the magnetic moment of Co in Co4N is higher than that of Co.

Comparing dissolved reactive phosphorus measured by DGT with ferrihydrite and titanium dioxide adsorbents: anionic interferences, adsorbent capacity and deployment time.

PubMed

Panther, Jared G; Teasdale, Peter R; Bennett, William W; Welsh, David T; Zhao, Huijun

2011-07-18

Two adsorbents (Metsorb and ferrihydrite) used in binding layers with the diffusive gradients in a thin film technique were evaluated for the measurement of dissolved reactive phosphorous (DRP) in synthetic and natural waters. Possible interferences were investigated with Cl(-) (up to 1.35 mol L(-1)) and SO(4)(2-) (up to 0.056 mol L(-1)) having no affect on either DGT binding layer, and HCO(3)(-) (up to 5.7 mmol L(-1)) having no effect on Metsorb-DGT, over 4 days. However, HCO(3)(-) interfered with the ferrihydrite-DGT measurement at concentrations typical of many natural waters (≥0.7 mmol L(-1)) after a deployment period of 1-2 days. The capacity of the Metsorb binding phase for DGT response was ∼37,000 ng P, whereas the capacities of a low-mass (17.8 mg of adsorbent per DGT sampler) and high-mass (29.2mg of adsorbent per DGT sampler) ferrihydrite binding phase were substantially lower (∼15,000 ng P and ∼25,000 ng P, low-mass and high-mass, respectively). Increasing the capacity of the ferrihydrite adsorbent allowed the ferrihydrite-DGT to be utilized for up to 3 days before interference by HCO(3)(-) was observed. Seawater deployments demonstrated that even high-capacity ferrihydrite-DGT devices underestimated the DRP concentration by 37%, whereas Metsorb-DGT measurements were accurate. The Metsorb-DGT is superior to the ferrihydrite-DGT for determining DRP over deployment times greater than 1 day and in waters with ≥0.7 mmol L(-1) HCO(3)(-). Based on the experience obtained from this detailed validation process, the authors propose a number of key requirements that need to be considered when developing new DGT binding layers, with testing the performance over longer deployment times being critical. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Localized phase change of VO2 films grown by atomic-layer deposition on InAlN/AlN/GaN heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downey, Brian P.; Wheeler, Virginia D.; Meyer, David J.

2017-06-01

We demonstrate the thermally actuated phase change of VO2 films formed by atomic layer deposition and subsequent thermal annealing on InAlN/AlN/GaN heterostructures. To locally raise the device temperature above the VO2 semiconductor-metal transition temperature, a two-dimensional electron gas formed within the InAlN/AlN/GaN heterostructure was used as an integrated resistive heater. An ON/OFF resistance ratio of nearly 103 was achieved for 50 nm VO2 films over a temperature range of 25 to 105 °C. The time required to switch the VO2 film from high- to low-resistance states was shown to depend on the applied heater power, with sub-microsecond transition times achieved.

Nanocellulose-Zeolite Composite Films for Odor Elimination.

PubMed

Keshavarzi, Neda; Mashayekhy Rad, Farshid; Mace, Amber; Ansari, Farhan; Akhtar, Farid; Nilsson, Ulrika; Berglund, Lars; Bergström, Lennart

2015-07-08

Free standing and strong odor-removing composite films of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) with a high content of nanoporous zeolite adsorbents have been colloidally processed. Thermogravimetric desorption analysis (TGA) and infrared spectroscopy combined with computational simulations showed that commercially available silicalite-1 and ZSM-5 have a high affinity and uptake of volatile odors like ethanethiol and propanethiol, also in the presence of water. The simulations showed that propanethiol has a higher affinity, up to 16%, to the two zeolites compared with ethanethiol. Highly flexible and strong free-standing zeolite-CNF films with an adsorbent loading of 89 w/w% have been produced by Ca-induced gelation and vacuum filtration. The CNF-network controls the strength of the composite films and 100 μm thick zeolite-CNF films with a CNF content of less than 10 vol % displayed a tensile strength approaching 10 MPa. Headspace solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) analysis showed that the CNF-zeolite films can eliminate the volatile thiol-based odors to concentrations below the detection ability of the human olfactory system. Odor removing zeolite-cellulose nanofibril films could enable improved transport and storage of fruits and vegetables rich in odors, for example, onion and the tasty but foul-smelling South-East Asian Durian fruit.

Characterizations of GaN film growth by ECR plasma chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Silie; Chen, Junfang; Zhang, Hongbin; Guo, Chaofen; Li, Wei; Zhao, Wenfen

2009-06-01

The electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technology (ECR-MOPECVD) is adopted to grow GaN films on (0 0 0 1) α-Al2O3 substrate. The gas sources are pure N2 and trimethylgallium (TMG). Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and thermodynamic analysis of GaN growth are applied to understand the GaN growth process. The OES of ECR plasma shows that TMG is significantly dissociated in ECR plasma. Reactants N and Ga in the plasma, obtained easily under the self-heating condition, are essential for the GaN growth. They contribute to the realization of GaN film growth at a relatively low temperature. The thermodynamic study shows that the driving force for the GaN growth is high when N2:TMG>1. Furthermore, higher N2:TMG flow ratio makes the GaN growth easier. Finally, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and atomic force microscope are applied to investigate crystal quality, morphology, and roughness of the GaN films. The results demonstrate that the ECR-MOPECVD technology is favorable for depositing GaN films at low temperatures.

Growth evolution of AlN films on silicon (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition

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

Wang, Haiyan; Wang, Wenliang; Yang, Weijia

2015-05-14

AlN films with various thicknesses have been grown on Si(111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The surface morphology and structural property of the as-grown AlN films have been investigated carefully to comprehensively explore the epitaxial behavior. The ∼2 nm-thick AlN film initially grown on Si substrate exhibits an atomically flat surface with a root-mean-square surface roughness of 0.23 nm. As the thickness increases, AlN grains gradually grow larger, causing a relatively rough surface. The surface morphology of ∼120 nm-thick AlN film indicates that AlN islands coalesce together and eventually form AlN layers. The decreasing growth rate from 240 to 180 nm/h is amore » direct evidence that the growth mode of AlN films grown on Si substrates by PLD changes from the islands growth to the layer growth. The evolution of AlN films throughout the growth is studied deeply, and its corresponding growth mechanism is hence proposed. These results are instructional for the growth of high-quality nitride films on Si substrates by PLD, and of great interest for the fabrication of AlN-based devices.« less

Hydrogen effects on the electroluminescence of n-ZnO nanorod/p-GaN film heterojunction light-emitting diodes.

PubMed

Fang, Fang; Zhao, Dongxu; Li, Binghui; Zhang, Zhenzhong; Shen, Dezhen

2010-07-07

Through a facile low-temperature solution process, vertically n-type ZnO nanorod arrays were grown on a GaN film to form a n-ZnO nanorod/p-GaN film heterojunction. A study of the electroluminescence (EL) characteristics of the heterojunction in air and in air with 2000 ppm hydrogen revealed the sensitivity of such a device to the surrounding atmosphere. The additional hydrogen shallow donors increased the effective electron concentration in ZnO nanorods and the EL recombination zone changed from the ZnO nanorods to the GaN film, which can be identified visually from the color change.

Adsorbed Polymer Nanolayers on Solids: Mechanism, Structure and Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sen, Mani Kuntal

In this thesis, by combining various advanced x-ray scattering, spectroscopic and other surface sensitive characterization techniques, I report the equilibrium polymer chain conformations, structures, dynamics and properties of polymeric materials at the solid-polymer melt interfaces. Following the introduction, in chapter 2, I highlight that the backbone chains (constituted of CH and CH2 groups) of the flattened polystyrene (PS) chains preferentially orient normal to the weakly interactive substrate surface via thermal annealing regardless of the initial chain conformations, while the orientation of the phenyl rings becomes randomized, thereby increasing the number of surface-segmental contacts (i.e., enthalpic gain) which is the driving force for the flattening process of the polymer chains even onto a weakly interactive solid. In chapter 3, I elucidate the flattened structures in block copolymer (BCP) thin films where both blocks lie flat on the substrate, forming a 2D randomly phase-separated structure irrespective of their microdomain structures and interfacial energetics. In chapter 4, I reveal the presence of an irreversibly adsorbed BCP layer which showed suppressed dynamics even at temperatures far above the individual glass transition temperatures of the blocks. Furthermore, this adsorbed BCP layer plays a crucial role in controlling the microdomain orientation in the entire film. In chapter 5, I report a radically new paradigm of designing a polymeric coating layer of a few nanometers thick ("polymer nanolayer") with anti-biofouling properties.

Preparation of p-type GaN-doped SnO2 thin films by e-beam evaporation and their applications in p-n junction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Shuliang; Zhou, Yawei; Xu, Wenwu; Mao, Wenfeng; Wang, Lingtao; Liu, Yong; He, Chunqing

2018-01-01

Various transparent GaN-doped SnO2 thin films were deposited on glass substrates by e-beam evaporation using GaN:SnO2 targets of different GaN weight ratios. It is interesting to find that carrier polarity of the thin films was converted from n-type to p-type with increasing GaN ratio higher than 15 wt.%. The n-p transition in GaN-doped SnO2 thin films was explained for the formation of GaSn and NO with increasing GaN doping level in the films, which was identified by Hall measurement and XPS analysis. A transparent thin film p-n junction was successfully fabricated by depositing p-type GaN:SnO2 thin film on SnO2 thin film, and a low leakage current (6.2 × 10-5 A at -4 V) and a low turn-on voltage of 1.69 V were obtained for the p-n junction.

Finding pathways to prepare Fe4N thin films at low substrate temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seema, Gupta, Nitiand Mukul

2018-04-01

In Fe-N phase diagram the formation of Fe4N thin films occur in a very narrow region, specially below 573 K. Above this, the range of homogeneity for formation of Fe4N start to increase yielding more favorable conditions for formation of single phase Fe4N. However, when deposited at high substrate temperature (Ts) typically above 650 K, nitrogen (N) tends to diffuse out of the system yielding a N deficient phase. In this work, we attempt to find pathways to deposit Fe4N thin films at low Ts and successfully prepared single phase Fe4N thin films at Ts as low as 423 K. This was achieved by utilizing an underlayer of CrN. We find that such underlayer not only has close lattice matching with Fe4N, it also acts as a diffusion barrier for the film-substrate interface.

The Uranium from Seawater Program at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: Overview of Marine Testing, Adsorbent Characterization, Adsorbent Durability, Adsorbent Toxicity, and Deployment Studies

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

Gill, Gary A.; Kuo, Li-Jung; Janke, Chris J.

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) Marine Science Laboratory (MSL) located along the coast of Washington State is evaluating the performance of uranium adsorption materials being developed for seawater extraction under realistic marine conditions with natural seawater. Two types of exposure systems were employed in this program: flow-through columns for testing of fixed beds of individual fibers and pellets and a recirculating water flume for testing of braided adsorbent material. Testing consists of measurements of the adsorption of uranium and other elements from seawater as a function of time, typically 42 to 56 day exposures, to determine the adsorbent capacitymore » and adsorption rate (kinetics). Analysis of uranium and other trace elements collected by the adsorbents was conducted following strong acid digestion of the adsorbent with 50% aqua regia using either Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) or Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The ORNL 38H adsorbent had a 56 day adsorption capacity of 3.30 ± 0.68 g U/ kg adsorbent (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu), a saturation adsorption capacity of 4.89 ± 0.83 g U/kg of adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu) and a half-saturation time of 28 ± 10 days. The AF1 adsorbent material had a 56 day adsorption capacity of 3.9 ± 0.2 g U/kg adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu), a saturation capacity of 5.4 ± 0.2 g U/kg adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu) and a half saturation time of 23 ± 2 days. The ORNL amidoxime-based adsorbent materials are not specific for uranium, but also adsorb other elements from seawater. The major doubly charged cations in seawater (Ca and Mg) account for a majority of the cations adsorbed (61% by mass and 74% by molar percent). For the ORNL AF1 adsorbent material, U is the 4th most abundant element adsorbed by mass and 7th most abundant by molar percentage« less

New physicochemical interpretations for the adsorption of food dyes on chitosan films using statistical physics treatment.

PubMed

Dotto, G L; Pinto, L A A; Hachicha, M A; Knani, S

2015-03-15

In this work, statistical physics treatment was employed to study the adsorption of food dyes onto chitosan films, in order to obtain new physicochemical interpretations at molecular level. Experimental equilibrium curves were obtained for the adsorption of four dyes (FD&C red 2, FD&C yellow 5, FD&C blue 2, Acid Red 51) at different temperatures (298, 313 and 328 K). A statistical physics formula was used to interpret these curves, and the parameters such as, number of adsorbed dye molecules per site (n), anchorage number (n'), receptor sites density (NM), adsorbed quantity at saturation (N asat), steric hindrance (τ), concentration at half saturation (c1/2) and molar adsorption energy (ΔE(a)) were estimated. The relation of the above mentioned parameters with the chemical structure of the dyes and temperature was evaluated and interpreted. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functionality of Immunoglobulin G and Immunoglobulin M Antibody Physisorbed on Cellulosic Films

PubMed Central

Huang, Ziwei; Raghuwanshi, Vikram Singh; Garnier, Gil

2017-01-01

The functionality and aging mechanism of antibodies physisorbed onto cellulosic films was investigated. Blood grouping antibodies immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were adsorbed onto smooth cellulose acetate (CAF) and regenerated cellulose (RCF) films. Cellulose films and adsorbed IgG layers were characterized at the air and liquid interface by X-ray and neutron reflectivity (NR), respectively. Cellulose film 208 Å thick (in air) swell to 386 Å once equilibrated in water. IgG adsorbs from solution onto cellulose as a partial layer 62 Å thick. IgG and IgM antibodies were adsorbed onto cellulose and cellulose acetate films, air dried, and aged at room temperature for periods up to 20 days. Antibody functionality and surface hydrophobicity were measured everyday with the size of red blood cell (RBC) agglutinates (using RBC specific to IgG/IgM) and the water droplet contact angle, respectively. The functionality of the aged IgG/IgM decreases faster if physisorbed on cellulose than on cellulose acetate and correlates to surface hydrophobicity. IgG physisorbed on RCF or CAF age better and remain functional longer than physisorbed IgM. We found a correlation between antibody stability and hydrogen bond formation ability of the system, evaluated from antibody carbonyl concentration and cellulosic surface hydroxyl concentration. Antibody physisorbs on cellulose by weak dipole forces and hydrogen bonds. Strong hydrogen bonding contributes to the physisorption of antibody on cellulose into a non-functional configuration in which the molecule relaxes by rotation of hydophobic groups toward the air interface. PMID:28770196

Degradation of superconducting Nb/NbN films by atmospheric oxidation

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

Henry, M. David; Wolfley, Steve; Young, Travis

2017-03-01

Niobium and niobium nitride thin films are transitioning from fundamental research toward wafer scale manufacturing with technology drivers that include superconducting circuits and electronics, optical single photon detectors, logic, and memory. Successful microfabrication requires precise control over the properties of sputtered superconducting films, including oxidation. Previous work has demonstrated the mechanism in oxidation of Nb and how film structure could have deleterious effects upon the superconducting properties. This study provides an examination of atmospheric oxidation of NbN films. By examination of the room temperature sheet resistance of NbN bulk oxidation was identified and confirmed by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Asmore » a result, Meissner magnetic measurements confirmed the bulk oxidation not observed with simple cryogenic resistivity measurements.« less

Growth, Structural, Electronic, and Magnetic Characterization of GaN, CrN, Fe Islands on CrN, and Fe/CrN Bilayer Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, Khan

As a part of my Ph.D research, initially I was involved in construction and calibration of an ultra-high vacuum thin film facility, and later on I studied structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of GaN, CrN, Fe/CrN bilayers, and Fe islands on CrN thin films. All of these films were grown by molecular beam epitaxy and characterized with a variety of state-of-the-art techniques including variable temperature reflection high energy electron diffraction, low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, variable temperature vibrating sample magnetometry, variable temperature neutron diffraction and reflectometry, variable temperature x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflectometry, Rutherford backscattering, Auger electron spectroscopy, and cross-sectional tunneling electron microscopy. The experimental results are furthermore understood by comparing with numerical calculations using generalized gradient approximation, local density approximation with Hubbard correction, Refl1D, and data analysis and visual environment program. In my first research project, I studied Ga gas adatoms on GaN surfaces. We discovered frozen-out gallium gas adatoms on atomically smooth c(6x12) GaN(0001¯) surface using low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. We identified adsorption sites of the Ga adatoms on c(6x12) reconstructed surface. Their bonding is determined by measuring low unoccupied molecular orbital level. Absorption sites of the Ga gas adatoms on centered 6x12 are identified, and their asymmetric absorption on the chiral domains is investigated. In second project, I investigated magneto-structural phase transition in chromium nitride (CrN) thin films. The CrN thin films are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Structural and magnetic transition are studied using variable temperature reflection high energy electron diffraction and variable temperature neutron diffraction. We observed a structural phase transition at the surface at 277+/-2 K, and a sharp, first

Organic Photovoltaic Devices Based on Oriented n-Type Molecular Films Deposited on Oriented Polythiophene Films.

PubMed

Mizokuro, Toshiko; Tanigaki, Nobutaka; Miyadera, Tetsuhiko; Shibata, Yousei; Koganezawa, Tomoyuki

2018-04-01

The molecular orientation of π-conjugated molecules has been reported to significantly affect the performance of organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs) based on molecular films. Hence, the control of molecular orientation is a key issue toward the improvement of OPV performance. In this research, oriented thin films of an n-type molecule, 3,4,9,10-Perylenetetracarboxylic Bisbenzimida-zole (PTCBI), were formed by deposition on in-plane oriented polythiophene (PT) films. Orientation of the PTCBI films was evaluated by polarized UV-vis spectroscopy and 2D-Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. Results indicated that PTCBI molecules on PT film exhibit nearly edge-on and in-plane orientation (with molecular long axis along the substrate), whereas PTCBI molecules without PT film exhibit neither. OPVs composed of PTCBI molecular film with and without PT were fabricated and evaluated for correlation of orientation with performance. The OPVs composed of PTCBI film with PT showed higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) than that of film without PT. The experiment indicated that in-plane orientation of PTCBI molecules absorbs incident light more efficiently, leading to increase in PCE.

Insight into the adsorption of PPCPs by porous adsorbents: Effect of the properties of adsorbents and adsorbates.

PubMed

Zhu, Zengyin; Xie, Jiawen; Zhang, Mancheng; Zhou, Qing; Liu, Fuqiang

2016-07-01

Adsorption is an efficient method for removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Magnetic resins are efficient adsorbents for water treatment and exhibit potential for PPCP removal. In this study, the magnetic hypercrosslinked resin Q100 was used for adsorption of PPCPs. The adsorption behavior of this resin was compared with those of two activated carbons, namely, Norit and F400D. Norit exhibited the fastest adsorption kinetics, followed by Q100. Norit featured a honeycomb shape and long-range ordered pore channels, which facilitated the diffusion of PPCPs. Moreover, the large average pore size of Q100 reduced diffusion resistance. The adsorbed amounts of 11 PPCPs on the three adsorbents increased with increasing adsorbate hydrophobicity. For Q100, a significant linear correlation was observed between the adsorption performance for PPCPs and hydrophobicity (logD value) of adsorbates (R(2) = 0.8951); as such, PPCPs with high logD values (>1.69) could be efficiently removed. Compared with those of Norit and F400D, the adsorption performance of Q100 was less affected by humic acid because of the dominant hydrophobic interaction. Furthermore, Q100 showed improved regeneration performance, which renders it promising for PPCP removal in practical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Depth-resolved cathodoluminescence of a homoepitaxial AlN thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silveira, E.; Freitas, J. A.; Slack, G. A.; Schowalter, L. J.; Kneissl, M.; Treat, D. W.; Johnson, N. M.

2005-07-01

In the present work we will report on the optical properties of an AlN film homoepitaxially grown on a high-quality large bulk AlN single crystal. The latter was grown by a sublimation-recondensation technique, while the film was grown by organometallic vapor-phase epitaxy. Cathodoluminescence measurements were performed using electron beam energies between 2 and 10 keV in order to excite the sample and so to probe different sample depths, making it possible to differentiate between different features which originate in the AlN homoepitaxial film. The penetration depth has been determined through the calculation of the Bohr-Bethe maximum range of excitation using the approximation to the Everhart-Hoff expression for the energy loss within a solid.

Effect of film thickness on structural and mechanical properties of AlCrN nanocompoite thin films deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering

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

Prakash, Ravi; Kaur, Davinder, E-mail: dkaurfph@iitr.ac.in

2016-05-06

In this study, the influence of film thickness on the structural, surface morphology and mechanical properties of Aluminum chromium nitride (AlCrN) thin films has been successfully investigated. The AlCrN thin films were deposited on silicon (100) substrate using dc magnetron reactive co-sputtering at substrate temperature 400° C. The structural, surface morphology and mechanical properties were studied using X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and nanoindentation techniques respectively. The thickness of these thin films was controlled by varying the deposition time therefore increase in deposition time led to increase in film thickness. X-ray diffraction pattern of AlCrN thin films with differentmore » deposition time shows the presence of (100) and (200) orientations. The crystallite size varies in the range from 12.5 nm to 36.3 nm with the film thickness due to surface energy minimization with the higher film thickness. The hardness pattern of these AlCrN thin films follows Hall-Petch relation. The highest hardness 23.08 Gpa and young modulus 215.31 Gpa were achieved at lowest grain size of 12.5 nm.« less

Cellulose Acetate/N-TiO2 Biocomposite Flexible Films with Enhanced Solar Photochromic Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radhika, T.; Anju, K. R.; Silpa, M. S.; Ramalingam, R. Jothi; Al-Lohedan, Hamad A.

2017-07-01

Flexible cellulose acetate/N-TiO2 nanocomposite films containing various concentrations of nanosized N-TiO2 and an intelligent methylene blue ink have been prepared by solution casting. The hydrothermally prepared nitrogen-doped titania (N-TiO2) and the films were characterized in detail. The photochromic properties of the prepared films were investigated under ultraviolet (UV), visible light, and simulated solar irradiation by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Upon irradiation, the films exhibited rapid photochromic response that was reversible at room temperature. Films with higher content of nano N-TiO2 showed enhanced decoloration/recoloration under all irradiation conditions, with fast decoloration/recoloration under simulated solar irradiation. These results suggest that the amount of nano N-TiO2 in the composite, the concentration of methylene blue, and the solvent greatly influence the photochromic properties of the films. Such flexible and transparent cellulose acetate/N-TiO2 films with enhanced decoloration/recoloration properties under solar irradiation are promising smart materials for use in photoreversible printed electronics applications.

Surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy of cytosine using gold film deposited on CaF2 substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Naveen; Thomas, S.; Tokas, R. B.; Padma, N.; Kshirsagar, R. J.

2018-04-01

Surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) studies of cytosine adsorbed on the thermally evaporated gold film on CaF2 have been carried out in transmission mode. SEIRA spectrum down to 0.1 µM was observed owing to the plasmonic effect of the gold nano film. Cytosine molecules appear to adsorb on the film via C=O and NH groups as evidenced by the red shift observed in the stretching vibrations of the above groups. The molecules assume a perpendicular orientation with respect to the surface.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hattori, Takuma; Yamada, Masamichi; Komori, Fumio

2017-01-01

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

Shrimp pond wastewater treatment using pyrolyzed chicken feather as adsorbent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, Wei Chek; Jbara, Mohamad Hasan; Palaniandy, Puganeshwary; Yusoff, Mohd Suffian

2017-10-01

In this study, chicken feather fiber was used as a raw material to prepare a non-expensive adsorbent by pyrolysis without chemical activation. The main pollutants treated in this study were chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) from shrimp pond wastewater containing high concentrations of nutrients, which caused the eutrophication phenomenon in adjacent water. Batch adsorption studies were performed to investigate the effect of pH (5-8), mass of adsorbent (0.5-3 g), and shaking time (0.5-2 h) on the removal efficiency of COD and NH3- N. Experimental results showed that the optimum conditions were as follows: pH 5, 0.5 g of adsorbent, and 0.5 h of shaking. Under these conditions, 34.01% and 40.47% of COD and NH3-N were removed, respectively, from shrimp pond wastewater. The adsorption processes were best described by the Langmuir isotherm model for COD and NH3-N removal, with maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 36.9 and 7.24 mg/g for COD and NH3-N, respectively. The results proved that chicken feather could remove COD and NH3-N from shrimp pond wastewater. However, further studies on thermal treatment should be carried out to increase the removal efficiency of pyrolyzed chicken feather fiber.

A new 68Ge/68Ga generator system using an organic polymer containing N-methylglucamine groups as adsorbent for 68Ge.

PubMed

Nakayama, M; Haratake, M; Ono, M; Koiso, T; Harada, K; Nakayama, H; Yahara, S; Ohmomo, Y; Arano, Y

2003-01-01

A macroporous styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer containing N-methylglucamine groups was selected for a new 68Ge/68Ga generator system. This resin packed into a column effectively adsorbed the parent nuclide 68Ge. The daughter 68Ga was eluted from the resin with a solution of a low-affinity gallium chelating ligand such as citric or phosphoric acid. The 68Ge leakage was less than 0.0004% of the 68Ge adsorbed on the resin. By simple mixing of transferrin and desferoxamine conjugated HSA and IgG with the eluate from the column, 68Ga-labeling was completed in high yield. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

P-type Al-doped Cr-deficient CrN thin films for thermoelectrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

le Febvrier, Arnaud; Van Nong, Ngo; Abadias, Gregory; Eklund, Per

2018-05-01

Thermoelectric properties of chromium nitride (CrN)-based films grown on c-plane sapphire by dc reactive magnetron sputtering were investigated. In this work, aluminum doping was introduced in CrN (degenerate n-type semiconductor) by co-deposition. Under the present deposition conditions, over-stoichiometry in nitrogen (CrN1+δ) rock-salt structure is obtained. A p-type conduction is observed with nitrogen-rich CrN combined with aluminum doping. The Cr0.96Al0.04N1.17 film exhibited a high Seebeck coefficient and a sufficient power factor at 300 °C. These results are a starting point for designing p-type/n-type thermoelectric materials based on chromium nitride films, which are cheap and routinely grown on the industrial scale.

Transparent, Ultrahigh-Gas-Barrier Films with a Brick-Mortar-Sand Structure.

PubMed

Dou, Yibo; Pan, Ting; Xu, Simin; Yan, Hong; Han, Jingbin; Wei, Min; Evans, David G; Duan, Xue

2015-08-10

Transparent and flexible gas-barrier materials have shown broad applications in electronics, food, and pharmaceutical preservation. Herein, we report ultrahigh-gas-barrier films with a brick-mortar-sand structure fabricated by layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of XAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH, X=Mg, Ni, Zn, Co) nanoplatelets and polyacrylic acid (PAA) followed by CO2 infilling, denoted as (XAl-LDH/PAA)n-CO2. The near-perfectly parallel orientation of the LDH "brick" creates a long diffusion length to hinder the transmission of gas molecules in the PAA "mortar". Most significantly, both the experimental studies and theoretical simulations reveal that the chemically adsorbed CO2 acts like "sand" to fill the free volume at the organic-inorganic interface, which further depresses the diffusion of permeating gas. The strategy presented here provides a new insight into the perception of barrier mechanism, and the (XAl-LDH/PAA)n-CO2 film is among the best gas barrier films ever reported. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Complete braided adsorbent for marine testing to demonstrate 3g-U/kg-adsorbent

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

Janke, Chris; Yatsandra, Oyola; Mayes, Richard

ORNL has manufactured four braided adsorbents that successfully demonstrated uranium adsorption capacities ranging from 3.0-3.6 g-U/kg-adsorbent in marine testing at PNNL. Four new braided and leno woven fabric adsorbents have also been prepared by ORNL and are currently undergoing marine testing at PNNL.

Measurement of benzenethiol adsorption to nanostructured Pt, Pd, and PtPd films using Raman spectroelectrochemistry.

PubMed

Pomfret, Michael B; Pietron, Jeremy J; Owrutsky, Jeffrey C

2010-05-04

Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical methods were used to study the behavior of the model adsorbate benzenethiol (BT) on nanostructured Pt, Pd, and PtPd electrodes as a function of applied potential. Benzenethiol adsorbs out of ethanolic solutions as the corresponding thiolate, and voltammetric stripping data reveal that BT is oxidatively removed from all of the nanostructured metals upon repeated oxidative and reductive cycling. Oxidative stripping potentials for BT increase in the order Pt < PtPd < Pd, indicating that BT adsorbs most strongly to nanoscale Pd. Yet, BT Raman scattering intensities, measured in situ over time scales of minutes to hours, are most persistent on the film of nanostructured Pt. Raman spectra indicate that adsorbed BT desorbs from nanoscale Pt at oxidizing potentials via cleavage of the Pt-S bond. In contrast, on nanoscale Pd and PtPd, BT is irreversibly lost due to cleavage of BT C-S bonds at oxidizing potentials, which leaves adsorbed sulfur oxides on Pd and PtPd films and effects the desulfurization of BT. While Pd and PtPd films are less sulfur-resistant than Pt films, palladium oxides, which form at higher potentials than Pt oxides, oxidatively desulfurize BT. In situ spectroelectrochemical Raman spectroscopy provides real-time, chemically specific information that complements the cyclic voltammetric data. The combination of these techniques affords a powerful and convenient method for guiding the development of sulfur-tolerant PEMFC catalysts.

C-axis orientated AlN films deposited using deep oscillation magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jianliang; Chistyakov, Roman

2017-02-01

Highly <0001> c-axis orientated aluminum nitride (AlN) films were deposited on silicon (100) substrates by reactive deep oscillation magnetron sputtering (DOMS). No epitaxial favored bond layer and substrate heating were applied for assisting texture growth. The effects of the peak target current density (varied from 0.39 to 0.8 Acm-2) and film thickness (varied from 0.25 to 3.3 μm) on the c-axis orientation, microstructure, residual stress and mechanical properties of the AlN films were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction rocking curve methodology, transmission electron microscopy, optical profilometry, and nanoindentation. All AlN films exhibited a <0001> preferred orientation and compressive residual stresses. At similar film thicknesses, an increase in the peak target current density to 0.53 Acm-2 improved the <0001> orientation. Further increasing the peak target current density to above 0.53 Acm-2 showed limited contribution to the texture development. The study also showed that an increase in the thickness of the AlN films deposited by DOMS improved the c-axis alignment accompanied with a reduction in the residual stress.

Comparison of stress states in GaN films grown on different substrates: Langasite, sapphire and silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Byung-Guon; Saravana Kumar, R.; Moon, Mee-Lim; Kim, Moon-Deock; Kang, Tae-Won; Yang, Woo-Chul; Kim, Song-Gang

2015-09-01

We demonstrate the evolution of GaN films on novel langasite (LGS) substrate by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, and assessed the quality of grown GaN film by comparing the experimental results obtained using LGS, sapphire and silicon (Si) substrates. To study the substrate effect, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to characterize the microstructure and stress states in GaN films. Wet etching of GaN films in KOH solution revealed that the films deposited on GaN/LGS, AlN/sapphire and AlN/Si substrates possess Ga-polarity, while the film deposited on GaN/sapphire possess N-polarity. XRD, Raman and PL analysis demonstrated that a compressive stress exist in the films grown on GaN/LGS, AlN/sapphire, and GaN/sapphire substrates, while a tensile stress appears on AlN/Si substrate. Comparative analysis showed the growth of nearly stress-free GaN films on LGS substrate due to the very small lattice mismatch ( 3.2%) and thermal expansion coefficient difference ( 7.5%). The results presented here will hopefully provide a new framework for the further development of high performance III-nitride-related devices using GaN/LGS heteroepitaxy.

Recent progress in n-channel organic thin-film transistors.

PubMed

Wen, Yugeng; Liu, Yunqi

2010-03-26

Particular attention has been focused on n-channel organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) during the last few years, and the potentially cost-effective circuitry-based applications in flexible electronics, such as flexible radiofrequency identity tags, smart labels, and simple displays, will benefit from this fast development. This article reviews recent progress in performance and molecular design of n-channel semiconductors in the past five years, and limitations and practicable solutions for n-channel OTFTs are dealt with from the viewpoint of OTFT constitution and geometry, molecular design, and thin-film growth conditions. Strategy methodology is especially highlighted with an aim to investigate basic issues in this field.

Electronic structure studies of adsorbate-induced surface reconstructions: oxygen on Rh(1 0 0)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirsch, Janet E.; Harris, Suzanne

2004-03-01

Solid-state Fenske-Hall band structure calculations have been used to study the electronic structure and bonding that occur on an "asymmetric" clock reconstructed Rh(1 0 0) surface with a half-monolayer of O atom adsorbates. The displacement of the top-layer Rh atoms on reconstructed O/Rh(1 0 0) is similar to that observed when a half-monolayer of C or N atoms adsorb onto clean Ni(1 0 0). Unlike the five-coordinate C or N adsorbates that adsorb into effectively coplanar sites on the Ni(1 0 0) surface, however, O atoms sit well above the Rh surface plane and occupy three-coordinate adsorption sites. The results of these calculations show that the asymmetric clock reconstruction of O/Rh(1 0 0) increases the negative charge localized on the highly electronegative O atoms and strengthens the O-Rh bonding relative to an unreconstructed surface. This suggests that, in contrast to the C(N)/Ni(1 0 0) clock, which appears to be driven primarily by the restoration of metal-metal bonding, the asymmetric O/Rh(1 0 0) clock reconstruction is driven by the optimization of the O atom bonding environment. Comparisons of the O/Rh(1 0 0) and C(N, O)/Ni(1 0 0) surfaces further indicate that the electronegativity and electron count of the adsorbed species, as well as the electron count and physical size of the metal, all play a role in determining the preferred atomic geometries of these adsorbate-covered transition metal surfaces.

Structural, Electrical and Optical Properties of Sputtered-Grown InN Films on ZnO Buffered Silicon, Bulk GaN, Quartz and Sapphire Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bashir, Umar; Hassan, Zainuriah; Ahmed, Naser M.; Afzal, Naveed

2018-05-01

Indium nitride (InN) films were grown on Si (111), bulk GaN, quartz and sapphire substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Prior to the film deposition, a zinc oxide (ZnO) buffer layer was deposited on all the substrates. The x-ray diffraction patterns of InN films on ZnO-buffered substrates indicated c-plane-oriented films whereas the Raman spectroscopy results indicated A1 (LO) and E2 (high) modes of InN on all the substrates. The crystalline quality of InN was found to be better on sapphire and quartz than on the other substrates. The surface roughness of InN was studied using an atomic force microscope. The results indicated higher surface roughness of the film on sapphire as compared to the others; however, roughness of the film was lower than 8 nm on all the substrates. The electrical properties indicated higher electron mobility of InN (20.20 cm2/Vs) on bulk GaN than on the other substrates. The optical band gap of InN film was more than 2 eV in all the cases and was attributed to high carrier concentration in the film.

Rotary adsorbers for continuous bulk separations

DOEpatents

Baker, Frederick S [Oak Ridge, TN

2011-11-08

A rotary adsorber for continuous bulk separations is disclosed. The rotary adsorber includes an adsorption zone in fluid communication with an influent adsorption fluid stream, and a desorption zone in fluid communication with a desorption fluid stream. The fluid streams may be gas streams or liquid streams. The rotary adsorber includes one or more adsorption blocks including adsorbent structure(s). The adsorbent structure adsorbs the target species that is to be separated from the influent fluid stream. The apparatus includes a rotary wheel for moving each adsorption block through the adsorption zone and the desorption zone. A desorption circuit passes an electrical current through the adsorbent structure in the desorption zone to desorb the species from the adsorbent structure. The adsorbent structure may include porous activated carbon fibers aligned with their longitudinal axis essentially parallel to the flow direction of the desorption fluid stream. The adsorbent structure may be an inherently electrically-conductive honeycomb structure.

Control of Defects in Aluminum Gallium Nitride ((Al)GaN) Films on Grown Aluminum Nitride (AlN) Substrates

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-01

Nord, J.; Albe, K.; Erhart, P.; Nordlund, K. Modelling of Compound Semiconductors: Analytical Bond-order Potential for Gallium , Nitrogen and Gallium ...Control of Defects in Aluminum Gallium Nitride ((Al)GaN) Films on Grown Aluminum Nitride (AlN) Substrates by Iskander G. Batyrev, Chi-Chin Wu...Aluminum Gallium Nitride ((Al)GaN) Films on Grown Aluminum Nitride (AlN) Substrates Iskander G. Batyrev and N. Scott Weingarten Weapons and

Correlation between mechanical behavior of protein films at the air/water interface and intrinsic stability of protein molecules.

PubMed

Martin, Anneke H; Cohen Stuart, Martien A; Bos, Martin A; van Vliet, Ton

2005-04-26

The relation between mechanical film properties of various adsorbed protein layers at the air/water interface and intrinsic stability of the corresponding proteins is discussed. Mechanical film properties were determined by surface deformation in shear and dilation. In shear, fracture stress, sigma(f), and fracture strain, gamma(f), were determined, as well as the relaxation behavior after macroscopic fracture. The dilatational measurements were performed in a Langmuir trough equipped with an infra-red reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) accessory. During compression and relaxation of the surface, the surface pressure, Pi, and adsorbed amount, Gamma (determined from the IRRAS spectra), were determined simultaneously. In addition, IRRAS spectra revealed information on conformational changes in terms of secondary structure. Possible correlations between macroscopic film properties and intrinsic stability of the proteins were determined and discussed in terms of molecular dimensions of single proteins and interfacial protein films. Molecular properties involved the area per protein molecule at Pi approximately 0 mN/m (A(0)), A(0)/M (M = molecular weight) and the maximum slope of the Pi-Gamma curves (dPi/dGamma). The differences observed in mechanical properties and relaxation behavior indicate that the behavior of a protein film subjected to large deformation may vary widely from predominantly viscous (yielding) to more elastic (fracture). This transition is also observed in gradual changes in A(0)/M. It appeared that in general protein layers with high A(0)/M have a high gamma(f) and behave more fluidlike, whereas solidlike behavior is characterized by low A(0)/M and low gamma(f). Additionally, proteins with a low A(0)/M value have a low adaptability in changing their conformation upon adsorption at the air/water interface. Both results support the conclusion that the hardness (internal cohesion) of protein molecules determines predominantly the mechanical

Stabilization of orthorhombic phase in single-crystal ZnSnN 2 films

DOE PAGES

Senabulya, Nancy; Feldberg, Nathaniel; Makin, Robert. A.; ...

2016-09-22

Here, we report on the crystal structure of epitaxial ZnSnN 2 films synthesized via plasma-assisted vapor deposition on (111) yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and (001) lithium gallate (LiGaO 2) substrates. X-ray diffraction measurements performed on ZnSnN 2 films deposited on LiGaO 2 substrates show evidence of single-crystal, phase-pure orthorhombic structure in the Pn2 1a symmetry [space group (33)], with lattice parameters in good agreement with theoretically predicted values. This Pn2 1a symmetry is imposed on the ZnSnN 2 films by the LiGaO 2 substrate, which also has orthorhombic symmetry. A structural change from the wurtzite phase to the orthorhombic phasemore » in films grown at high substrate temperatures ~550°C and low values of nitrogen flux ~10 –5 Torr is observed in ZnSnN 2 films deposited on YSZ characterized by lattice contraction in the basal plane and a 5.7% expansion of the out-of-plane lattice parameter.« less

Epitaxial Fe16N2 thin film on nonmagnetic seed layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hang, Xudong; Zhang, Xiaowei; Ma, Bin; Lauter, Valeria; Wang, Jian-Ping

2018-05-01

Metastable α″ -Fe16N2 has attracted much interest as a candidate for rare-earth-free hard magnetic materials. We demonstrate that Fe16N2 thin films were grown epitaxially on Cr seed layers with MgO (001) substrates by facing-target sputtering. Good crystallinity with the epitaxial relation MgO (001 )[110 ] ∥ Cr (001 )[100 ] ∥ Fe16N2 (001 )[100 ] was obtained. The chemical order parameter, which quantifies the degree of N ordering in the Fe16N2 (the N-disordered phase is α' -Fe8N martensite), reaches 0.75 for Cr-seeded samples. Cr has a perfect lattice constant match with Fe16N2, and no noticeable strain can be assigned to Fe16N2. The intrinsic saturation magnetization of this non-strained Fe16N2 thin film at room temperature is determined to be 2.31 T by polarized neutron reflectometry and confirmed with vibrating sample magnetometry. Our work provides a platform to directly study the magnetic properties of high purity Fe16N2 films with a high order parameter.

Separative analyses of a chromatographic column packed with a core-shell adsorbent for lithium isotope separation

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

Sugiyama, T.; Sugura, K.; Enokida, Y.

2015-03-15

Lithium-6 is used as a blanket material for sufficient tritium production in DT fueled fusion reactors. A core-shell type adsorbent was proposed for lithium isotope separation by chromatography. The mass transfer model in a chromatographic column consisted of 4 steps, such as convection and dispersion in the column, transfer through liquid films, intra-particle diffusion and and adsorption or desorption at the local adsorption sites. A model was developed and concentration profiles and time variation in the column were numerically simulated. It became clear that core-shell type adsorbents with thin porous shell were saturated rapidly relatively to fully porous one andmore » established a sharp edge of adsorption band. This is very important feature because lithium isotope separation requires long-distance development of adsorption band. The values of HETP (Height Equivalent of a Theoretical Plate) for core-shell adsorbent packed column were estimated by statistical moments of the step response curve. The value of HETP decreased with the thickness of the porous shell. A core-shell type adsorbent is, then, useful for lithium isotope separation. (authors)« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2013-05-01

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

Nanoscale thin film growth of Au on Si(111)-7 × 7 surface by pulsed laser deposition method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokotani, Atsushi; Kameyama, Akihiro; Nakayoshi, Kohei; Matsunaga, Yuta

2017-03-01

To obtain important information for fabricating atomic-scale Au thin films that are used for biosensors, we have observed the morphology of Au particles adsorbed on a Si(111)-7 × 7 surface, which is supposed to be the initial stage of Au atomistic thin film formation. Au particles were adsorbed on the clean Si surface using a PLD method, and the adsorbed particles were observed using a scanning tunneling microscope. As the number of laser shots was increased in the PLD method, the size of the adsorbed particle became larger. The larger particles seemed to form clusters, which are aggregations of particles in which each particle is distinguished, so we call this type of cluster a film-shaped cluster. In this work, we have mainly analyzed this type of cluster. As a result the film-shaped clusters were found to have a structure of nearly monoatomic layers. The particles in the clusters were gathered closely in roughly a 3-fold structure with an inter particle distance of 0.864 nm. We propose a model for the cluster structure by modifying Au(111) face so that each observed particle consists of three Au atoms.

[Spectroscopic study on film formation mechanism and structure of composite silanes-V-Zr passive film].

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Liu, Chang-sheng; Shi, Lei; An, Cheng-qiang

2015-02-01

A composite silanes-V-Zr passive film was overlayed on hot-dip galvanized steel. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) and radio frequency glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (rf-GD-OES) were used to characterize the molecular structure of the silanes-V-Zr passive film. The mechanism of film formation was discussed: The results show that the silane molecules are crosslinked as the main film former and inorganic inhibitor is even distributed in the film. The fitting peak of 100.7 eV in XPS single Si2p energy range spectra of the composite silanes-V-Zr passive film and the widening and strengthening of the Si--O infrared absorption peak at 1100 cm(-1) indicate that the silanes were adsorbed on the surface of zinc with chemical bond of Si--O--Zn, and the silane molecules were connected with each other by bond of Si--O--Si. Two characteristic absorption peaks of amide at 1650 and 1560 cm(-1) appear in the infrared spectroscopy of the composite silanes-V-Zr passive film, and a characteristic absorption peak of epoxy groups at 910 cm(-1) disappears in the infrared spectroscopy of the passive film. The results indicate that gamma-APT can be prepared through nucleophilic ring-opening of ethylene oxide in gamma-GPT molecule to form C--N covalent bonds. The rf-GD-OES results indicate that there is a oxygen enriched layer in 0.3 microm depth of the composite silanes-V-Zr passive film. Moreover, ZrF4, ZrO2 and some inorganic matter obtained by the reaction during the forming processof the composite silanes-V-Zr passive film are distributed evenly throughout the film. According to the film composition, the physical processes and chemical reactions during the film forming process were studied by using ATR-FTIR. Based on this, the film forming mechanism was proposed.

Semiconducting ZnSnN{sub 2} thin films for Si/ZnSnN{sub 2} p-n junctions

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

Qin, Ruifeng; Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Additive Manufacturing Materials of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo 315201; Cao, Hongtao

ZnSnN{sub 2} is regarded as a promising photovoltaic absorber candidate due to earth-abundance, non-toxicity, and high absorption coefficient. However, it is still a great challenge to synthesize ZnSnN{sub 2} films with a low electron concentration, in order to promote the applications of ZnSnN{sub 2} as the core active layer in optoelectronic devices. In this work, polycrystalline and high resistance ZnSnN{sub 2} films were fabricated by magnetron sputtering technique, then semiconducting films were achieved after post-annealing, and finally Si/ZnSnN{sub 2} p-n junctions were constructed. The electron concentration and Hall mobility were enhanced from 2.77 × 10{sup 17} to 6.78 × 10{sup 17 }cm{sup −3} and frommore » 0.37 to 2.07 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, corresponding to the annealing temperature from 200 to 350 °C. After annealing at 300 °C, the p-n junction exhibited the optimum rectifying characteristics, with a forward-to-reverse ratio over 10{sup 3}. The achievement of this ZnSnN{sub 2}-based p-n junction makes an opening step forward to realize the practical application of the ZnSnN{sub 2} material. In addition, the nonideal behaviors of the p-n junctions under both positive and negative voltages are discussed, in hope of suggesting some ideas to further improve the rectifying characteristics.« less

Growth dynamics of reactive-sputtering-deposited AlN films

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

Auger, M.A.; Vazquez, L.; Sanchez, O.

2005-06-15

We have studied the surface kinetic roughening of AlN films grown on Si(100) substrates by dc reactive sputtering within the framework of the dynamic scaling theory. Films deposited under the same experimental conditions for different growth times were analyzed by atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction. The AlN films display a (002) preferred orientation. We have found two growth regimes with a crossover time of 36 min. In the first regime, the growth dynamics is unstable and the films present two types of textured domains, well textured and randomly oriented, respectively. In contrast, in the second regime the films aremore » homogeneous and well textured, leading to a relative stabilization of the surface roughness characterized by a growth exponent {beta}=0.37{+-}0.03. In this regime a superrough scaling behavior is found with the following exponents: (i) Global exponents: roughness exponent {alpha}=1.2{+-}0.2 and {beta}=0.37{+-}0.03 and coarsening exponent 1/z=0.32{+-}0.05; (ii) local exponents: {alpha}{sub loc}=1, {beta}{sub loc}=0.32{+-}0.01. The differences between the growth modes are found to be related to the different main growth mechanisms dominating their growth dynamics: sticking anisotropy and shadowing, respectively.« less

Ti{sub 2}AlN thin films synthesized by annealing of (Ti+Al)/AlN multilayers

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

Cabioch, Thierry, E-mail: Thierry.cabioch@univ-poitiers.fr; Alkazaz, Malaz; Beaufort, Marie-France

2016-08-15

Highlights: • Epitaxial thin films of the MAX phase Ti{sub 2}AlN are obtained by thermal annealing. • A new metastable (Ti,Al,N) solid solution with the structure of α-T is evidenced. • The formation of the MAX phase occurs at low temperature (600 °C). - Abstract: Single-phase Ti{sub 2}AlN thin films were obtained by annealing in vacuum of (Ti + Al)/AlN multilayers deposited at room temperature by magnetron sputtering onto single-crystalline (0001) 4H-SiC and (0001) Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates. In-situ X-ray diffraction experiments combined with ex-situ cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy observations reveal that interdiffusion processes occur in the multilayer at amore » temperature of ∼400 °C leading to the formation of a (Ti, Al, N) solid solution, having the hexagonal structure of α-Ti, whereas the formation of Ti{sub 2}AlN occurs at 550–600 °C. Highly oriented (0002) Ti{sub 2}AlN thin films can be obtained after an annealing at 750 °C.« less

Epitaxial Growth of GaN Films by Pulse-Mode Hot-Mesh Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komae, Yasuaki; Yasui, Kanji; Suemitsu, Maki; Endoh, Tetsuo; Ito, Takashi; Nakazawa, Hideki; Narita, Yuzuru; Takata, Masasuke; Akahane, Tadashi

2009-07-01

Intermittent gas supplies for hot-mesh chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for the epitaxial growth of gallium nitride (GaN) films were investigated to improve film crystallinity and optical properties. The GaN films were deposited on SiC/Si(111) substrates using an alternating-source gas supply or an intermittent supply of source gases such as ammonia (NH3) and trimethylgallium (TMG) in hot-mesh CVD after deposition of an aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layer. The AlN layer was deposited using NH3 and trimethylaluminum (TMA) on a SiC layer grown by carbonization of a Si substrate using propane (C3H8). GaN films were grown on the AlN layer by a reaction between NHx radicals generated on a ruthenium (Ru)-coated tungsten (W) mesh and TMG molecules. After testing various gas supply modes, GaN films with good crystallinity and surface morphology were obtained using an intermittent supply of TMG and a continuous supply of NH3 gas. An optimal interval for the TMG gas supply was also obtained for the apparatus employed.

Structural and mechanical properties of CVD deposited titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN) thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Soham; Guha, Spandan; Ghadai, Ranjan; Kumar, Dhruva; Swain, Bibhu P.

2017-06-01

Titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN) thin films were deposited by chemical vapour deposition using TiO2 powder, Al powder and N2 gas. The morphology and mechanical properties of the films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and nanoindentation technique, respectively. The structural properties were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The XRD result shows TiAlN films are of NaCl-type metal nitride structure. Micro-Raman peaks of the TiAlN thin film were observed within 450 and 642 cm-1 for acoustic and optic range, respectively. A maximum hardness and Young modulus up to 22 and 272.15 GPa, respectively, were observed in the TiAlN film deposited at 1200 °C.

Mechanical and corrosive behavior of Ti/TiN multilayer films with different modulation periods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Q.; Leng, Y. X.; Qi, F.; Tao, T.; Huang, N.

2007-04-01

Ti/TiN multilayer films with different periods Λ (Λ = λTiN + λTi) were synthesized on 17-4PH stainless steel and silicon wafer using unbalanced magnetron sputtering. The microstructure of the films was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanical properties such as hardness, sliding wear behavior and adhesion were analyzed by means of micro-hardness, ball-on-disc and scratch tests. The anodic polarization characteristics were measured in a 3% NaCl solution at room temperature to examine the corrosion resistance. Moreover, the corrosion resistance in a 350 °C water vapor ambience also was analyzed. XRD revealed a gradual TiNx transition layer between Ti and TiN. The SEM results confirmed the periodicity of the Ti/TiN multilayer films. The hardness and wear resistance of the Ti/TiN multilayer films increased with decrease of the modulation period. The adhesion strength between Ti/TiN multilayer films and 17-4PH substrate was improved with proper modulation period. The Ti/TiN multilayer films can for a corrosion protective coating on 17-4PH stainless steel in 3% NaCl solution, however the corrosion resistance at 350 °C vapor ambience decreased for the period Λ below 200 nm.

Efficiency improvement of GaN-on-silicon thin-film light-emitting diodes with optimized via-like n-electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Bo; Deng, Biao; Fu, Yi; Liu, Le Gong; Li, Zeng Cheng; Feng, Mei Xin; Zhao, Han Min; Sun, Qian

2017-07-01

This work reports a significant improvement in efficiency by optimizing the via-like n-electrode architecture design of a GaN-based thin-film LED grown on a 6-inch silicon substrate. The external quantum efficiency of the as-fabricated 1.1 mm × 1.1 mm via-thin-film LED chip at 350 mA was increased by 11.3% compared to that of a vertical thin-film LED chip with a conventional finger-like n-electrode. Detailed analysis of encapsulation gain and false color emission patterns illustrated that the significantly improved LED performance was due to enhanced light extraction efficiency and more uniform current spreading, both of which can be attributed to the optimized via-thin-film chip structure. Minimizing the light loss at the periphery of the Ag mirror was demonstrated to be a critical factor for improving light extraction, rather than simply replacing the finger-like n-electrodes with via-like ones. After encapsulation, the median blue lamp power and the wall-plug efficiency of the via-thin-film LED at 350 mA reached 659 mW and 63.7%, respectively.

Decomposition of multilayer benzene and n-hexane films on vanadium.

PubMed

Souda, Ryutaro

2015-09-21

Reactions of multilayer hydrocarbon films with a polycrystalline V substrate have been investigated using temperature-programmed desorption and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. Most of the benzene molecules were dissociated on V, as evidenced by the strong depression in the thermal desorption yields of physisorbed species at 150 K. The reaction products dehydrogenated gradually after the multilayer film disappeared from the surface. Large amount of oxygen was needed to passivate the benzene decomposition on V. These behaviors indicate that the subsurface sites of V play a role in multilayer benzene decomposition. Decomposition of the n-hexane multilayer films is manifested by the desorption of methane at 105 K and gradual hydrogen desorption starting at this temperature, indicating that C-C bond scission precedes C-H bond cleavage. The n-hexane dissociation temperature is considerably lower than the thermal desorption temperature of the physisorbed species (140 K). The n-hexane multilayer morphology changes at the decomposition temperature, suggesting that a liquid-like phase formed after crystallization plays a role in the low-temperature decomposition of n-hexane.

Preparation of the porous cerium dioxide film by two-step anodization and heat treating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaozhen; Zhu, Bolun; Liu, Yuze; Wang, Shanshan; Chen, Jie; Wang, Xiaoyu

2017-12-01

The porous cerium dioxide films were prepared with cerium foils as raw materials by two-step anodization and heat treating method. The anodic cerium oxide films were heat treated in 25∼400°C respectively. The cerium dioxide films were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques, energy-dispersive analyses of X-ray (EDAX) and scanning electron microcopy (SEM), respectively. The anodic cerium oxide film is composed of Ce(OH)3, CeO2 and Ce2O3. When the anodic cerium oxide films were heat treated in 300°C∼400°C for 2h, Ce(OH)3 and Ce2O3 in the anodic cerium oxide films may be converted to CeO2, and the heat treated anodic cerium oxide films are the cerium dioxide films. Water, ethylene glycol and CO2 are adsorbed in the anodic cerium oxide film. The adsorbing water, ethylene glycol and CO2 in the anodic cerium oxide film are removed at 300°C. The cerium dioxide film has strong absorption in the range of 1600∼4000cm-1. The structure of the cerium dioxide film is the porous.

Positron beam study of indium tin oxide films on GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, C. K.; Wang, R. X.; Beling, C. D.; Djurisic, A. B.; Fung, S.

2007-02-01

Variable energy Doppler broadening spectroscopy has been used to study open-volume defects formed during the fabrication of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films grown by electron-beam evaporation on n-GaN. The films were prepared at room temperature, 200 and 300 °C without oxygen and at 200 °C under different oxygen partial pressures. The results show that at elevated growth temperatures the ITO has fewer open volume sites and grows with a more crystalline structure. High temperature growth, however, is not sufficient in itself to remove open volume defects at the ITO/GaN interface. Growth under elevated temperature and under partial pressure of oxygen is found to further reduce the vacancy type defects associated with the ITO film, thus improving the quality of the film. Oxygen partial pressures of 6 × 10-3 mbar and above are found to remove open volume defects associated with the ITO/GaN interface. The study suggests that, irrespective of growth temperature and oxygen partial pressure, there is only one type of defect in the ITO responsible for trapping positrons, which we tentatively attribute to the oxygen vacancy.

InGaN-based thin film solar cells: Epitaxy, structural design, and photovoltaic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sang, Liwen; Liao, Meiyong; Koide, Yasuo; Sumiya, Masatomo

2015-03-01

InxGa1-xN, with the tunable direct bandgaps from ultraviolet to near infrared region, offers a promising candidate for the high-efficiency next-generation thin-film photovoltaic applications. Although the adoption of thick InGaN film as the active region is desirable to obtain efficient light absorption and carrier collection compared to InGaN/GaN quantum wells structure, the understanding on the effect from structural design is still unclear due to the poor-quality InGaN films with thickness and difficulty of p-type doping. In this paper, we comprehensively investigate the effects from film epitaxy, doping, and device structural design on the performances of the InGaN-based solar cells. The high-quality InGaN thick film is obtained on AlN/sapphire template, and p-In0.08Ga0.92N is achieved with a high hole concentration of more than 1018 cm-3. The dependence of the photovoltaic performances on different structures, such as active regions and p-type regions is analyzed with respect to the carrier transport mechanism in the dark and under illumination. The strategy of improving the p-i interface by using a super-thin AlN interlayer is provided, which successfully enhances the performance of the solar cells.

Recovery of Technetium Adsorbed on Charcoal

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

Engelmann, Mark D.; Metz, Lori A.; Ballou, Nathan E.

2006-05-01

Two methods capable of near complete recovery of technetium adsorbed on charcoal are presented. The first involves liquid extraction of the technetium from the charcoal by hot 4M nitric acid. An average recovery of 98% (n=3) is obtained after three rounds of extraction. The second method involves dry ashing with air in a quartz combustion tube at 400-450 C. This method yields an average recovery of 96% (n=5). Other thermal methods were attempted, but resulted in reduced recovery and incomplete material balance

Injection Laser Using Rare Earth Doped GaN Thin Films for Visible and Infrared Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

system is used to measure the conductivity of GaN thin films in Nanolab. Undoped GaN thin films are usually n-type conductive with the electron ...being investigated for potential applications in optical communication and displays, due to the wide and direct energy bandgap of GaN resulting in low...enhancement on Eu3+ PL intensity. The electrical properties of GaN:RE thin films were changed from high resistive to

Mechanical properties of nanoporous GaN and its application for separation and transfer of GaN thin films.

PubMed

Huang, Shanjin; Zhang, Yu; Leung, Benjamin; Yuan, Ge; Wang, Gang; Jiang, Hao; Fan, Yingmin; Sun, Qian; Wang, Jianfeng; Xu, Ke; Han, Jung

2013-11-13

Nanoporous (NP) gallium nitride (GaN) as a new class of GaN material has many interesting properties that the conventional GaN material does not have. In this paper, we focus on the mechanical properties of NP GaN, and the detailed physical mechanism of porous GaN in the application of liftoff. A decrease in elastic modulus and hardness was identified in NP GaN compared to the conventional GaN film. The promising application of NP GaN as release layers in the mechanical liftoff of GaN thin films and devices was systematically studied. A phase diagram was generated to correlate the initial NP GaN profiles with the as-overgrown morphologies of the NP structures. The fracture toughness of the NP GaN release layer was studied in terms of the voided-space-ratio. It is shown that the transformed morphologies and fracture toughness of the NP GaN layer after overgrowth strongly depends on the initial porosity of NP GaN templates. The mechanical separation and transfer of a GaN film over a 2 in. wafer was demonstrated, which proves that this technique is useful in practical applications.

Mechanical and physicochemical properties of AlN thin films obtained by pulsed laser deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cibert, C.; Tétard, F.; Djemia, P.; Champeaux, C.; Catherinot, A.; Tétard, D.

2004-10-01

AlN thin films have been deposited on Si(100) substrates by a pulsed laser deposition method. The deposition parameters (pressure, temperature, purity of target) play an important role in the mechanical and physicochemical properties. The films have been characterized using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, Brillouin light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and wettability testing. With a high purity target of AlN and a temperature deposition of 750 ∘C, the measured Rayleigh wave velocity is close to the one previously determined for AlN films grown at high temperature by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition. Growth of nanocrystalline AlN at low temperature and of AlN film with good crystallinity for samples deposited at higher temperature is confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, as it was by atomic force microscopy, in agreement with X-ray diffraction results. A high hydrophobicity has been measured with zero polar contribution for the surface energy. These results confirm that films made by pulsed laser deposition of pure AlN at relatively low temperature have good prospects for microelectromechanical systems applications.

Disinfection of water with new chitosan-modified hybrid clay composite adsorbent.

PubMed

Unuabonah, Emmanuel I; Adewuyi, Adewale; Kolawole, Matthew O; Omorogie, Martins O; Olatunde, Olalekan C; Fayemi, Scott O; Günter, Christina; Okoli, Chukwunonso P; Agunbiade, Foluso O; Taubert, Andreas

2017-08-01

Hybrid clay composites were prepared from Kaolinite clay and Carica papaya seeds via modification with chitosan, Alum, NaOH, and ZnCl 2 in different ratios, using solvothermal and surface modification techniques. Several composite adsorbents were prepared, and the most efficient of them for the removal of gram negative enteric bacteria was the hybrid clay composite that was surface-modified with chitosan, Ch-nHYCA 1:5 (Chitosan: nHYCA = 1:5). This composite adsorbent had a maximum adsorption removal value of 4.07 × 10 6 cfu/mL for V. cholerae after 120 min, 1.95 × 10 6 cfu/mL for E. coli after ∼180 min and 3.25 × 10 6 cfu/mL for S. typhi after 270 min. The Brouers-Sotolongo model was found to better predict the maximum adsorption capacity ( q max ) of Ch-nHYCA 1:5 composite adsorbent for the removal of E. coli with a q max of 103.07 mg/g (7.93 × 10 7 cfu/mL) and V. cholerae with a q max of 154.18 mg/g (1.19 × 10 8 cfu/mL) while the Sips model best described S. typhi adsorption by Ch-nHYCA 1:5 composite with an estimated q max of 83.65 mg/g (6.43 × 10 7 cfu/mL). These efficiencies do far exceed the alert/action levels of ca. 500 cfu/mL in drinking water for these bacteria. The simplicity of the composite preparation process and the availability of raw materials used for its preparation underscore the potential of this low-cost chitosan-modified composite adsorbent (Ch-nHYCA 1:5 ) for water treatment.

Adsorbed Layers of Ferritin at Solid and Fluid Interfaces Studied by Atomic Force Microscopy.

PubMed

Johnson; Yuan; Lenhoff

2000-03-15

The adsorption of the iron storage protein ferritin was studied by liquid tapping mode atomic force microscopy in order to obtain molecular resolution in the adsorbed layer within the aqueous environment in which the adsorption was carried out. The surface coverage and the structure of the adsorbed layer were investigated as functions of ionic strength and pH on two different charged surfaces, namely chemically modified glass slides and mixed surfactant films at the air-water interface, which were transferred to graphite substrates after adsorption. Surface coverage trends with both ionic strength and pH indicate the dominance of electrostatic effects, with the balance shifting between intermolecular repulsion and protein-surface attraction. The resulting behavior is more complex than that seen for larger colloidal particles, which appear to follow a modified random sequential adsorption model monotonically. The structure of the adsorbed layers at the solid surfaces is random, but some indication of long-range order is apparent at fluid interfaces, presumably due to the higher protein mobility at the fluid interface. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Electrical properties of polycrystalline GaN films functionalized with cysteine and stabilization of GaN nanoparticles in aqueous media.

PubMed

Arízaga, Gregorio Guadalupe Carbajal; Oviedo, Mariana J; López, Oscar Edel Contreras

2012-10-01

GaN was synthesized onto sapphire substrates by chemical vapor deposition, reacting gallium, ammonium chloride and ammonia. The polycrystalline films were immersed in glycine, aspartic acid and cysteine solutions. Cysteine chemisorbed onto GaN films produced detectable changes in conductivity, mobility and Hall coefficient indicating that GaN is capable of detecting and reacting with thiolate groups, which was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The Cys-GaN film solution was adjusted to pH 10, upon which the GaN nanoparticles were transferred to the aqueous phase forming a suspension stable for seven days. The alkaline colloid was then further adjusted down to pH 3 retaining stability for three days. The GaN colloid obtained represents a suitable medium to study GaN properties for biological applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Unexpected behavior of ultra-thin films of blends of polystyrene/poly(vinyl methyl ether) studied by specific heat spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madkour, Sherif; Szymoniak, Paulina; Schick, Christoph; Schönhals, Andreas

2017-05-01

Specific heat spectroscopy (SHS) employing AC nanochip calorimetry was used to investigate the glassy dynamics of ultra-thin films (thicknesses: 10 nm-340 nm) of a polymer blend, which is miscible in the bulk. In detail, a Poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME)/Polystyrene (PS) blend with the composition of 25/75 wt. % was studied. The film thickness was controlled by ellipsometry while the film topography was checked by atomic force microscopy. The results are discussed in the framework of the balance between an adsorbed and a free surface layer on the glassy dynamics. By a self-assembling process, a layer with a reduced mobility is irreversibly adsorbed at the polymer/substrate interface. This layer is discussed employing two different scenarios. In the first approach, it is assumed that a PS-rich layer is adsorbed at the substrate. Whereas in the second approach, a PVME-rich layer is suggested to be formed at the SiO2 substrate. Further, due to the lower surface tension of PVME, with respect to air, a nanometer thick PVME-rich surface layer, with higher molecular mobility, is formed at the polymer/air interface. By measuring the glassy dynamics of the thin films of PVME/PS in dependence on the film thickness, it was shown that down to 30 nm thicknesses, the dynamic Tg of the whole film was strongly influenced by the adsorbed layer yielding a systematic increase in the dynamic Tg with decreasing the film thickness. However, at a thickness of ca. 30 nm, the influence of the mobile surface layer becomes more pronounced. This results in a systematic decrease in Tg with the further decrease of the film thickness, below 30 nm. These results were discussed with respect to thin films of PVME/PS blend with a composition of 50/50 wt. % as well as literature results.

Photochemical Modification of Single Crystalline GaN Film Using n-Alkene with Different Carbon Chain Lengths as Biolinker.

PubMed

Wang, Chun; Zhuang, Hao; Huang, Nan; Heuser, Steffen; Schlemper, Christoph; Zhai, Zhaofeng; Liu, Baodan; Staedler, Thorsten; Jiang, Xin

2016-06-14

As a potential material for biosensing applications, gallium nitride (GaN) films have attracted remarkable attention. In order to construct GaN biosensors, a corresponding immobilization of biolinkers is of great importance in order to render a surface bioactive. In this work, two kinds of n-alkenes with different carbon chain lengths, namely allylamine protected with trifluoroacetamide (TFAAA) and 10-aminodec-1-ene protected with trifluoroacetamide (TFAAD), were used to photochemically functionalize single crystalline GaN films. The successful linkage of both TFAAA and TFAAD to the GaN films is confirmed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) measurement. With increased UV illumination time, the intensity of the secondary ions corresponding to the linker molecules initially increases and subsequently decreases in both cases. Based on the SIMS measurements, the maximum coverage of TFAAA is achieved after 14 h of UV illumination, while only 2 h is required in the case of TFAAD to reach the situation of a fully covered GaN surface. This finding leads to the conclusion that the reaction rate of TFAAD is significantly higher compared to TFAAA. Measurements by atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicate that the coverage of GaN films by a TFAAA layer leads to an increased surface roughness. The atomic terraces, which are clearly observable for the pristine GaN films, disappear once the surface is fully covered by a TFAAA layer. Such TFAAA layers will feature a homogeneous surface topography even for reaction times of 24 h. In contrast to this, TFAAD shows strong cross-polymerization on the surface, this is confirmed by optical microscopy. These results demonstrate that TFAAA is a more suitable candidate as biolinker in context of the GaN surfaces due to its improved controllability.

Enhancement of thermoelectric characteristics in AlGaN/GaN films deposited on inverted pyramidal Si surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yalamarthy, Ananth Saran; So, Hongyun; Senesky, Debbie G.

2017-07-01

In this letter, we demonstrate an engineering strategy to boost thermoelectric power factor via geometry-induced properties of the pyramid structure. Aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN)/GaN heterostructured films grown on inverted pyramidal silicon (Si) demonstrate higher power factor as compared to those grown on conventional flat Si substrates. We found that the magnitude of the Seebeck coefficient at room temperature increased from approximately 297 μVK-1 for the flat film to approximately 849 μVK-1 for the film on inverted pyramidal Si. In addition, the "effective" electrical conductivity of the AlGaN/GaN on the inverted pyramidal structure increased compared to the flat structure, generating an enhancement of thermoelectric power factor. The results demonstrate how manipulation of geometry can be used to achieve better thermoelectric characteristics in a manner that could be scaled to a variety of different material platforms.

Low-Loss NbTiN Films for THz SIS Mixer Tuning Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kooi, J. W.; Stern, J. A.; Chattopadhyay, G.; LeDuc, H. G.; Bumble, B.; Zmuidzinas, J.

1998-01-01

Recent results at 1 THz using normal-metal tuning circuits have shown that SIS mixers can work well up to twice the gap frequency of the junction material (niobium). However, the performance at 1 THz is limited by the substantial loss in the normal metal films. For better performance superconducting films with a higher gap frequency than niobium and with low RF loss are needed. Niobium nitride has long been considered a good candidate material, but typical NbN films suffer from high RF loss. To circumvent this problem we are currently investigating the RF loss in NbTiN films, a 15 K Tc compound superconductor, by incorporating them into quasi-optical slot antenna SIS devices.

MOCVD Growth and Characterization of n-type Zinc Oxide Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Yaacov, Tammy

In the past decade, there has been widespread effort in the development of zinc oxide as a II-V1 semiconductor material. ZnO has potential advantages in optoelectronip device applications due to its unique electrical and optical properties. What stands out among these properties is its wide direct bandgap of 3.37 eV and its high electrical conductivity and transparency in the visible and near-UV regions of the spectrum. ZnO can be grown heteroepitaxially on GaN under near lattice-matched conditions and homoepitaxially as well, as high-quality bulk ZnO substrates are commercially available. This dissertation focuses on the development of the growth of high-quality, single crystal n-type ZnO films, control of n-type conductivity, as well as its application as a transparent contact material in GaN-based devices. The first part of this dissertation is an extensive heteroepitaxial and homoepitaxial growth study presenting the properties of ZnO(0001) layers grown on GaN(0001) templates and ZnO(0001) substrates. We show that deposition on GaN requires a two-step growth technique involving the growth of a low temperature nucleation layer before growing a high temperature epitaxial layer in order to obtain smooth ZnO films with excellent crystal quality and step-flow surface morphology. We obtained homoepitaxial ZnO(0001) films of structural quality and surface morphology that is comparable to the as-received substrates, and showed that a high growth temperature (≥1000°C) is needed in order to achieve step-flow growth mode. We performed n-type doping experiments, and established the conditions for which Indium effectively controls the n-type conductivity of ZnO films grown on GaN(0001) templates. A peak carrier concentration of 3.22x 10 19cm-3 and minimum sheet resistance of 97 O/square was achieved, while simultaneously maintaining good morphology and crystal quality. Finally, we present In-doped ZnO films implemented as p-contacts for GaN-based solar cells and LEDs

Electronic properties of NH{sub 4}-adsorbed graphene nanoribbon as a promising candidate for a gas sensor

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

Harada, Naoki, E-mail: harada.naoki@jp.fujitsu.com; Sato, Shintaro

2016-05-15

The electronic properties of NH{sub 4}-adsorbed N = 7 armchair graphene nanoribbons (AGNRs) were theoretically investigated using self-consistent atomistic simulations to explore the feasibility of AGNRs as a gas sensing material. Whereas a pristine AGNR has a finite band gap and is an intrinsic semiconductor, an NH{sub 4}-adsorbed AGNR exhibits heavily doped n-type properties similar to a graphene sheet with the molecules adsorbed. The electric characteristics of a back-gated AGNR gas sensor were also simulated and the drain current changed exponentially with increasing number of adsorbed molecules. We may conclude that an AGNR is promising as a highly sensitive gas-sensingmore » material with large outputs.« less

Microstructures and growth mechanisms of GaN films epitaxially grown on AlN/Si hetero-structures by pulsed laser deposition at different temperatures.

PubMed

Wang, Wenliang; Yang, Weijia; Lin, Yunhao; Zhou, Shizhong; Li, Guoqiang

2015-11-13

2 inch-diameter GaN films with homogeneous thickness distribution have been grown on AlN/Si(111) hetero-structures by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with laser rastering technique. The surface morphology, crystalline quality, and interfacial property of as-grown GaN films are characterized in detail. By optimizing the laser rastering program, the ~300 nm-thick GaN films grown at 750 °C show a root-mean-square (RMS) thickness inhomogeneity of 3.0%, very smooth surface with a RMS surface roughness of 3.0 nm, full-width at half-maximums (FWHMs) for GaN(0002) and GaN(102) X-ray rocking curves of 0.7° and 0.8°, respectively, and sharp and abrupt AlN/GaN hetero-interfaces. With the increase in the growth temperature from 550 to 850 °C, the surface morphology, crystalline quality, and interfacial property of as-grown ~300 nm-thick GaN films are gradually improved at first and then decreased. Based on the characterizations, the corresponding growth mechanisms of GaN films grown on AlN/Si hetero-structures by PLD with various growth temperatures are hence proposed. This work would be beneficial to understanding the further insight of the GaN films grown on Si(111) substrates by PLD for the application of GaN-based devices.

Microstructures and growth mechanisms of GaN films epitaxially grown on AlN/Si hetero-structures by pulsed laser deposition at different temperatures

PubMed Central

Wang, Wenliang; Yang, Weijia; Lin, Yunhao; Zhou, Shizhong; Li, Guoqiang

2015-01-01

2 inch-diameter GaN films with homogeneous thickness distribution have been grown on AlN/Si(111) hetero-structures by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with laser rastering technique. The surface morphology, crystalline quality, and interfacial property of as-grown GaN films are characterized in detail. By optimizing the laser rastering program, the ~300 nm-thick GaN films grown at 750 °C show a root-mean-square (RMS) thickness inhomogeneity of 3.0%, very smooth surface with a RMS surface roughness of 3.0 nm, full-width at half-maximums (FWHMs) for GaN(0002) and GaN(102) X-ray rocking curves of 0.7° and 0.8°, respectively, and sharp and abrupt AlN/GaN hetero-interfaces. With the increase in the growth temperature from 550 to 850 °C, the surface morphology, crystalline quality, and interfacial property of as-grown ~300 nm-thick GaN films are gradually improved at first and then decreased. Based on the characterizations, the corresponding growth mechanisms of GaN films grown on AlN/Si hetero-structures by PLD with various growth temperatures are hence proposed. This work would be beneficial to understanding the further insight of the GaN films grown on Si(111) substrates by PLD for the application of GaN-based devices. PMID:26563573

Polyethyleneimine Incorporated Metal-Organic Frameworks Adsorbent for Highly Selective CO2 Capture

PubMed Central

Lin, Yichao; Yan, Qiuju; Kong, Chunlong; Chen, Liang

2013-01-01

A series of polyethyleneimine (PEI) incorporated MIL-101 adsorbents with different PEI loadings were reported for the first time in the present work. Although the surface area and pore volume of MIL-101 decreased significantly after loading PEI, all the resulting composites exhibited dramatically enhanced CO2 adsorption capacity at low pressures. At 100 wt% PEI loading, the CO2 adsorption capacity at 0.15 bar reached a very competitive value of 4.2 mmol g−1 at 25°C, and 3.4 mmol g−1 at 50°C. More importantly, the resulting adsorbents displayed rapid adsorption kinetics and ultrahigh selectivity for CO2 over N2 in the designed flue gas with 0.15 bar CO2 and 0.75 bar N2. The CO2 over N2 selectivity was up to 770 at 25°C, and 1200 at 50°C. We believe that the PEI based metal-organic frameworks is an attractive adsorbent for CO2 capture. PMID:23681218

Unintentional carbide formation evidenced during high-vacuum magnetron sputtering of transition metal nitride thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greczynski, G.; Mráz, S.; Hultman, L.; Schneider, J. M.

2016-11-01

Carbide signatures are ubiquitous in the surface analyses of industrially sputter-deposited transition metal nitride thin films grown with carbon-less source materials in typical high-vacuum systems. We use high-energy-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy to reveal details of carbon temporal chemical state evolution, from carbide formed during film growth to adventitious carbon adsorbed upon contact with air. Using in-situ grown Al capping layers that protect the as-deposited transition metal nitride surfaces from oxidation, it is shown that the carbide forms during film growth rather than as a result of post deposition atmosphere exposure. The XPS signature of carbides is masked by the presence of adventitious carbon contamination, appearing as soon as samples are exposed to atmosphere, and eventually disappears after one week-long storage in lab atmosphere. The concentration of carbon assigned to carbide species varies from 0.28 at% for ZrN sample, to 0.25 and 0.11 at% for TiN and HfN, respectively. These findings are relevant for numerous applications, as unintentionally formed impurity phases may dramatically alter catalytic activity, charge transport and mechanical properties by offsetting the onset of thermally-induced phase transitions. Therefore, the chemical state of C impurities in PVD-grown films should be carefully investigated.

Intrinsic anomalous surface roughening of TiN films deposited by reactive sputtering

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

Auger, M. A.; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Metalurgicas; Vazquez, L.

2006-01-15

We study surface kinetic roughening of TiN films grown on Si(100) substrates by dc reactive sputtering. The surface morphology of films deposited for different growth times under the same experimental conditions were analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The TiN films exhibit intrinsic anomalous scaling and multiscaling. The film kinetic roughening is characterized by a set of local exponent values {alpha}{sub loc}=1.0 and {beta}{sub loc}=0.39, and global exponent values {alpha}=1.7 and {beta}=0.67, with a coarsening exponent of 1/z=0.39. These properties are correlated to the local height-difference distribution function obeying power-law statistics. We associate this intrinsic anomalous scaling with the instability duemore » to nonlocal shadowing effects that take place during thin-film growth by sputtering.« less

Analysis of the electrodeposition and surface chemistry of CdTe, CdSe, and CdS thin films through substrate-overlayer surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Gu, Junsi; Fahrenkrug, Eli; Maldonado, Stephen

2014-09-02

The substrate-overlayer approach has been used to acquire surface enhanced Raman spectra (SERS) during and after electrochemical atomic layer deposition (ECALD) of CdSe, CdTe, and CdS thin films. The collected data suggest that SERS measurements performed with off-resonance (i.e. far from the surface plasmonic wavelength of the underlying SERS substrate) laser excitation do not introduce perturbations to the ECALD processes. Spectra acquired in this way afford rapid insight on the quality of the semiconductor film during the course of an ECALD process. For example, SERS data are used to highlight ECALD conditions that yield crystalline CdSe and CdS films. In contrast, SERS measurements with short wavelength laser excitation show evidence of photoelectrochemical effects that were not germane to the intended ECALD process. Using the semiconductor films prepared by ECALD, the substrate-overlayer SERS approach also affords analysis of semiconductor surface adsorbates. Specifically, Raman spectra of benzenethiol adsorbed onto CdSe, CdTe, and CdS films are detailed. Spectral shifts in the vibronic features of adsorbate bonding suggest subtle differences in substrate-adsorbate interactions, highlighting the sensitivity of this methodology.

Controlled surface chemistry of diamond/β-SiC composite films for preferential protein adsorption.

PubMed

Wang, Tao; Handschuh-Wang, Stephan; Yang, Yang; Zhuang, Hao; Schlemper, Christoph; Wesner, Daniel; Schönherr, Holger; Zhang, Wenjun; Jiang, Xin

2014-02-04

Diamond and SiC both process extraordinary biocompatible, electronic, and chemical properties. A combination of diamond and SiC may lead to highly stable materials, e.g., for implants or biosensors with excellent sensing properties. Here we report on the controllable surface chemistry of diamond/β-SiC composite films and its effect on protein adsorption. For systematic and high-throughput investigations, novel diamond/β-SiC composite films with gradient composition have been synthesized using the hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) technique. As revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the diamond/β-SiC ratio of the composite films shows a continuous change from pure diamond to β-SiC over a length of ∼ 10 mm on the surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was employed to unveil the surface termination of chemically oxidized and hydrogen treated surfaces. The surface chemistry of the composite films was found to depend on diamond/β-SiC ratio and the surface treatment. As observed by confocal fluorescence microscopy, albumin and fibrinogen were preferentially adsorbed from buffer: after surface oxidation, the proteins preferred to adsorb on diamond rather than on β-SiC, resulting in an increasing amount of proteins adsorbed to the gradient surfaces with increasing diamond/β-SiC ratio. By contrast, for hydrogen-treated surfaces, the proteins preferentially adsorbed on β-SiC, leading to a decreasing amount of albumin adsorbed on the gradient surfaces with increasing diamond/β-SiC ratio. The mechanism of preferential protein adsorption is discussed by considering the hydrogen bonding of the water self-association network to OH-terminated surfaces and the change of the polar surface energy component, which was determined according to the van Oss method. These results suggest that the diamond/β-SiC gradient film can be a promising material for biomedical applications which

Polypeptide multilayer films on colloidal particles: an in situ electro-optical study.

PubMed

Radeva, Tsetska; Kamburova, Kamelia

2007-04-15

The buildup of poly(L-glutamic acid) (PGA) and poly(L-lysine) (PLL) multilayers on beta-FeOOH colloidal particles was investigated by means of electro-optics and electrophoresis. The films were built at different (acidic) pH in the absence of salt. We found that the thickness of the film grows linearly when the fully charged PLL (at pH 5.5) is combined with almost fully charged PGA (at pH 6.5), with a thickness of about 2 nm per single layer. When the fully charged PLL is combined with weakly charged PGA (at pH 4.5), the film thickness increases exponentially with the number of deposited layers. The thickness of the exponentially growing film increases to 300 nm after deposition of 16 layers. The exponential film growth is attributed to the ability of the PLL to diffuse "in" and "out" of the film bulk at each deposition step. The variation in the electrical polarizability of the film-coated particles was also monitored as a function of the number of adsorbed layers. The result reveals that the PLL chains, which can diffuse into the film bulk, have no measurable contribution to the electro-optical effect of the films terminated with PLL. It is only due to the polarization of counterions of the PLL adsorbed on the film surface.

Tunability of p- and n-channel TiOx thin film transistors.

PubMed

Peng, Wu-Chang; Chen, Yao-Ching; He, Ju-Liang; Ou, Sin-Liang; Horng, Ray-Hua; Wuu, Dong-Sing

2018-06-18

To acquire device-quality TiO x films usually needs high-temperature growth or additional post-thermal treatment. However, both processes make it very difficult to form the p-type TiO x even under oxygen-poor growth condition. With the aid of high energy generated by high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS), a highly stable p-type TiO x film with good quality can be achieved. In this research, by varying the oxygen flow rate, p-type γ-TiO and n-type TiO 2 films were both prepared by HIPIMS. Furthermore, p- and n-type thin film transistors employing γ-TiO and TiO 2 as channel layers possess the field-effect carrier mobilities of 0.2 and 0.7 cm 2 /Vs, while their on/off current ratios are 1.7 × 10 4 and 2.5 × 10 5 , respectively. The first presented p-type γ-TiO TFT is a major breakthrough for fabricating the TiO x -based p-n combinational devices. Additionally, our work also confirms HIPIMS offers the possibility of growing both p- and n-type conductive oxides, significantly expanding the practical usage of this technique.

Conformational Phase Diagram for Polymers Adsorbed on Ultrathin Nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogel, Thomas; Bachmann, Michael

2010-05-01

We study the conformational behavior of a polymer adsorbed at an attractive stringlike nanowire and construct the complete structural phase diagram in dependence of the binding strength and effective thickness of the nanowire. For this purpose, Monte Carlo optimization techniques are employed to identify lowest-energy structures for a coarse-grained model of a polymer in contact with the nanowire. Among the representative conformations in the different phases are, for example, compact droplets attached to the wire and also nanotubelike monolayer films wrapping it in a very ordered way. We here systematically analyze low-energy shapes and structural order parameters to elucidate the transitions between the structural phases.

Conformational phase diagram for polymers adsorbed on ultrathin nanowires.

PubMed

Vogel, Thomas; Bachmann, Michael

2010-05-14

We study the conformational behavior of a polymer adsorbed at an attractive stringlike nanowire and construct the complete structural phase diagram in dependence of the binding strength and effective thickness of the nanowire. For this purpose, Monte Carlo optimization techniques are employed to identify lowest-energy structures for a coarse-grained model of a polymer in contact with the nanowire. Among the representative conformations in the different phases are, for example, compact droplets attached to the wire and also nanotubelike monolayer films wrapping it in a very ordered way. We here systematically analyze low-energy shapes and structural order parameters to elucidate the transitions between the structural phases.

Deposition of Cubic AlN Films on MgO (100) Substrates by Laser Molecular Beam Epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, Z. K.; Yang, W. J.; Weng, Y.; Fu, Y. C.; He, H.; Shen, X. M.

2017-12-01

Cubic AlN (c-AlN) films were deposited on MgO (100) substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy (LMBE) technique. The crystal structure and surface morphology of deposited films with various laser pulse energy and substrate temperature were investigated. The results indicate that c-AlN films exhibit the (200) preferred orientation, showing a good epitaxial relationship with the substrate. The surface roughness of c-AlN films increases when the laser pulse energy and substrate temperature increase. The film grown at laser pulse energy of 150 mJ and substrate temperature of 700 °C shows the best crystalline quality and relatively smooth surface.

Imprint control of BaTiO 3 thin films via chemically induced surface polarization pinning

DOE PAGES

Lee, Hyungwoo; Kim, Tae Heon; Patzner, Jacob J.; ...

2016-02-22

Surface-adsorbed polar molecules can significantly alter the ferroelectric properties of oxide thin films. Thus, fundamental understanding and controlling the effect of surface adsorbates are crucial for the implementation of ferroelectric thin film devices, such as ferroelectric tunnel junctions. Herein, we report an imprint control of BaTiO 3 (BTO) thin films by chemically induced surface polarization pinning in the top few atomic layers of the water-exposed BTO films. Our studies based on synchrotron X-ray scattering and coherent Bragg rod analysis demonstrate that the chemically induced surface polarization is not switchable but reduces the polarization imprint and improves the bistability of ferroelectricmore » phase in BTO tunnel junctions. Here, we conclude that the chemical treatment of ferroelectric thin films with polar molecules may serve as a simple yet powerful strategy to enhance functional properties of ferroelectric tunnel junctions for their practical applications.« less

The Influence of a TiN Film on the Electronic Contribution to the Thermal Conductivity of a TiC Film in a TiN-TiC Layer System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagannadham, K.

2018-01-01

TiC and TiN films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering on Si substrates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization of the microstructure and interface structure have been carried out and the stoichiometric composition of TiC is determined. Thermal conductivity and interface thermal conductance between different layers in the films are evaluated by the transient thermo reflectance (TTR) and three-omega (3- ω) methods. The results showed that the thermal conductivity of the TiC films increased with temperature. The thermal conductivity of TiC in the absence of TiN is dominated by phonon contribution. The electronic contribution to the thermal conductivity of TiC in the presence of TiN is found to be more significant. The interface thermal conductance of the TiC/TiN interface is much larger than that of interfaces at Au/TiC, TiC/Si, or TiN/Si. The interface thermal conductance between TiC and TiN is reduced by the layer formed as a result of interdiffusion.

Significantly improved surface morphology of N-polar GaN film grown on SiC substrate by the optimization of V/III ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Gaoqiang; Zhang, Yuantao; Yu, Ye; Yan, Long; Li, Pengchong; Han, Xu; Chen, Liang; Zhao, Degang; Du, Guotong

2018-04-01

In this paper, N-polar GaN films with different V/III ratios were grown on vicinal C-face SiC substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. During the growth of N-polar GaN film, the V/III ratio was controlled by adjusting the molar flow rate of ammonia while keeping the trimethylgallium flow rate unchanged. The influence of the V/III ratio on the surface morphology of N-polar GaN film has been studied. We find that the surface root mean square roughness of N-polar GaN film over an area of 20 × 20 μm2 can be reduced from 8.13 to 2.78 nm by optimization of the V/III ratio. Then, using the same growth conditions, N-polar InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were grown on the rough and the smooth N-polar GaN templates, respectively. Compared with the LED grown on the rough N-polar GaN template, dramatically improved interface sharpness and luminescence uniformity of the InGaN/GaN MQWs are achieved for the LED grown on the smooth N-polar GaN template.

Nanoclay-Based Solid-Amine Adsorbents for Carbon Dioxide Capture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roth, Elliot A.

The objective of this research was to develop an efficient, low cost, recyclable solid sorbent for carbon dioxide adsorption from large point sources, such as coal-fired power plants. The current commercial way to adsorb CO 2 is to use a liquid amine or ammonia process. These processes are used in industry in the "sweetening" of natural gas, but liquid based technologies are not economically viable in the adsorption of CO2 from power plants due to the extremely large volume of CO2 and the inherent high regeneration costs of cycling the sorbent. Therefore, one of the main objectives of this research was to develop a novel sorbent that can be cycled and uses very little energy for regeneration. The sorbent developed here is composed of a nanoclay (montmorillonite), commonly used in the production of polymer nanocomposites, grafted with commercially available amines. (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane (APTMS) was chemically grafted to the edge hydroxyl groups of the clay. While another amine, polyethylenimine (PEI), was attached to the surface of the clay by electrostatic interactions. To confirm the attachment of amines to the clay, the samples were characterized using FTIR and the corresponding peaks for amines were observed. The amount of amine loaded onto the support was determined by TGA techniques. The treated clay was initially analyzed for CO2 adsorption in a pure CO 2 stream. The adsorption temperatures that had the highest adsorption capacity were determined to be between 75°C and 100°C for all of the samples tested at atmospheric pressure. The maximum CO2 adsorption capacity observed was with nanoclay treated with both APTMS and PEI at 85°C. In a more realistic flue gas of 10% CO2 and 90% N2, the adsorbents had essentially the same overall CO2 adsorption capacity indicating that the presence of nitrogen did not hinder the adsorption of CO2. Adsorption studies in pure CO2 at room temperature under pressure from 40-300 PSI were also conducted. The average

Quartz Microbalance Study of 400-angstrom Thick Films near the lambda Point

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, Moses H. W.

2003-01-01

In a recent measurement we observed the thinning of an adsorbed helium film induced by the confinement of critical fluctuations a few millikelvin below the lambda point. A capacitor set-up was used to measure this Casimir effect. In this poster we will present our measurement of an adsorbed helium film of 400 angstroms near the lambda point with a quartz microbalance. For films this thick, we must take into account the non-linear dynamics of the shear waves in the fluid. In spite of the added complications, we were able to confirm the thinning of the film due to the Casimir effect and the onset of the superfluid transition. In addition, we observe a sharp anomaly at the bulk lambda point, most likely related to critical dissipation of the first sound. This work is carried out in collaboration with Rafael Garcia, Stephen Jordon and John Lazzaretti. This work is funded by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research under grant.

Hall effect measurements of high-quality M n3CuN thin films and the electronic structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Toshiki; Hatano, Takafumi; Urata, Takahiro; Iida, Kazumasa; Takenaka, Koshi; Ikuta, Hiroshi

2017-11-01

The physical properties of M n3CuN were studied using thin films. We found that an annealing process was very effective to improve the film quality, the key of which was the use of Ti that prevented the formation of oxide impurities. Using these high-quality thin films, we found strong strain dependence for the ferromagnetic transition temperature (TC) and a sign change of the Hall coefficient at TC. The analysis of Hall coefficient data revealed a sizable decrease of hole concentration and a large increase of electron mobility below TC, which is discussed in relation to the electronic structure of this material.

Room temperature deposition of sputtered TiN films for superconducting coplanar waveguide resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohya, S.; Chiaro, B.; Megrant, A.; Neill, C.; Barends, R.; Chen, Y.; Kelly, J.; Low, D.; Mutus, J.; O'Malley, P. J. J.; Roushan, P.; Sank, D.; Vainsencher, A.; Wenner, J.; White, T. C.; Yin, Y.; Schultz, B. D.; Palmstrøm, C. J.; Mazin, B. A.; Cleland, A. N.; Martinis, John M.

2014-01-01

We present a systematic study of the properties of room temperature deposited TiN films by varying the deposition conditions in an ultra-high-vacuum reactive magnetron sputtering chamber. By increasing the deposition pressure from 2 to 9 mTorr while keeping a nearly stoichiometric composition of Ti1-xNx (x = 0.5) without substrate heating, the film resistivity increases, the dominant crystal orientation changes from (100) to (111), grain boundaries become clearer, and the strong compressive in-plane strain changes to weak tensile in-plane strain. The TiN films absorb a high concentration of contaminants including hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen when they are exposed to air after deposition. With the target-substrate distance set to 88 mm the contaminant levels increase from ˜0.1% to ˜10% as the pressure is increased from 2 to 9 mTorr. The contaminant concentrations also correlate with in-plane distance from the center of the substrate and increase by roughly two orders of magnitude as the target-substrate distance is increased from 88 to 266 mm. These contaminants are found to strongly influence the properties of TiN thin films. For instance, the resistivity of stoichiometric films increases by around a factor of 5 as the oxygen content increases from 0.1% to 11%. These results strongly suggest that the energy of the sputtered TiN particles plays a crucial role in determining the TiN film properties, and that it is important to precisely control the energy of these particles to obtain high-quality TiN films. Superconducting coplanar waveguide resonators made from a series of nearly stoichiometric films grown at pressures from 2 to 7 mTorr show a substantial increase in intrinsic quality factor from ˜104 to ˜106 as the magnitude of the compressive strain decreases from nearly 3800 MPa to approximately 150 MPa and the oxygen content increases from 0.1% to 8%. Surprisingly, the films with a higher oxygen content exhibit lower loss, but care must be taken when

Desorption of isopropyl alcohol from adsorbent with non-thermal plasma.

PubMed

Shiau, Chen Han; Pan, Kuan Lun; Yu, Sheng Jen; Yan, Shaw Yi; Chang, Moo Been

2017-09-01

Effective desorption of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) from adsorbents with non-thermal plasma is developed. In this system, IPA is effectively adsorbed with activated carbon while dielectric barrier discharge is applied to replace the conventional thermal desorption process to achieve good desorption efficiency, making the treatment equipment smaller in size. Various adsorbents including molecular sieves and activated carbon are evaluated for IPA adsorption capacity. The results indicate that BAC has the highest IPA adsorption capacity (280.31 mg IPA/g) under the operating conditions of room temperature, IPA of 400 ppm, and residence time of 0.283 s among 5 adsorbents tested. For the plasma desorption process, the IPA selectivity of 89% is achieved with BAC as N 2 is used as desorbing gas. In addition, as air or O 2 is used as desorbing gas, the IPA desorption concentration is reduced, because air and O 2 plasmas generate active species to oxidize IPA to form acetone, CO 2 , and even CO. Furthermore, the results of the durability test indicate that the amount of IPA desorbed increases with increasing desorption times and plasma desorption process has a higher energy efficiency if compared with thermal desorption. Overall, this study indicates that non-thermal plasma is a viable process for removing VOCs to regenerate adsorbent.

Fabrication of InGaN thin-film transistors using pulsed sputtering deposition.

PubMed

Itoh, Takeki; Kobayashi, Atsushi; Ueno, Kohei; Ohta, Jitsuo; Fujioka, Hiroshi

2016-07-07

We report the first demonstration of operational InGaN-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) on glass substrates. The key to our success was coating the glass substrate with a thin amorphous layer of HfO2, which enabled a highly c-axis-oriented growth of InGaN films using pulsed sputtering deposition. The electrical characteristics of the thin films were controlled easily by varying their In content. The optimized InGaN-TFTs exhibited a high on/off ratio of ~10(8), a field-effect mobility of ~22 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), and a maximum current density of ~30 mA/mm. These results lay the foundation for developing high-performance electronic devices on glass substrates using group III nitride semiconductors.

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.

Tunneling Spectroscopy of MoN and NbxTi1-xN Thin Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Chaoyue; Groll, Nickolas; Klug, Jeffrey; Becker, Nicholas; Altin, Serdar; Proslier, Thomas; Zasadzinski, John

2014-03-01

Tunneling I(V) and dI/dV vs. V are reported on superconducting thin films of MoN and NbxTi1-xN using a point contact method with a Au tip. The films are grown by the chemical process of atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto various substrates (Si, quartz, sapphire) held at 450 C. Resistively measured superconducting Tc values up to 12K and 13K are found for the MoN and NbxTi1-xN respectively. Artificial tunnel barriers (1-3 nm thick) of Al2O3, also grown by ALD, are shown to provide much improved tunneling characteristics compared to the native oxides. Relatively high quality gap features are observed with zero-bias conductance values as low as ~ 10% of the high bias values. Gap parameters Δ ~ 2.0meV are found for the MoN and Δ ~ 2.0-2.4 meV for the NbxTi1-xN which follow the BCS temperature dependence and close near the measured film Tc indicating bulk superconductivity at the surface. The suitability of such conformal ALD grown films for potential superconducting devices is discussed. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science under contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Aqueous synthesis of zinc oxide films for GaN optoelectronic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reading, Arthur H.

GaN-based LEDs have generally made use of ITO transparent contacts as current-spreading layers for uniform current injection. However, the high raw material and processing costs of ITO layers have generated interest in potentially cheaper alternatives. In this work, zinc oxide transparent layers were fabricated by a low-cost, low-temperature aqueous epitaxial growth method at 90°C for use as transparent contacts to GaN LEDs on c-plane sapphire, and on semipolar bulk GaN substrates. Low-voltage operation was achieved for c-plane devices, with voltages below 3.8V for 1mm2 broad-area LEDs at a current density of 30A/cm 2. Blue-green LEDs on 202¯1¯-plane GaN also showed low voltage operation below 3.5V at 30A/cm2. Ohmic contact resistivity of 1:8 x 10-2Ocm2 was measured for films on (202¯1) p-GaN templates. Ga-doped films had electrical conductivities as high as 660S/cm after annealing at 300°C. Optical characterization revealed optical absorption coefficients in the 50--200cm -1 range for visible light, allowing thick films with sheet resistances below 10O/□ to be grown while minimizing absorption of the emitted light. Accurate and reproducible etch-free patterning of the ZnO films was achieved using templated growths with SiOx hard masks. A roughening method is described which was found to increase peak LED efficiencies by 13% on c-plane patterned sapphire (PSS) substrates. In addition, ZnO films were successfully employed as laser-cladding layers for blue (202¯1) lasers, with a threshold current density of 8.8kA/cm 2.

Microstructural evolution of nanochannel CrN films under ion irradiation at elevated temperature and post-irradiation annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Jun; Hong, Mengqing; Wang, Yongqiang; Qin, Wenjing; Ren, Feng; Dong, Lan; Wang, Hui; Hu, Lulu; Cai, Guangxu; Jiang, Changzhong

2018-03-01

High-performance radiation tolerance materials are crucial for the success of future advanced nuclear reactors. In this paper, we present a further investigation that the "vein-like" nanochannel films can enhance radiation tolerance under ion irradiation at high temperature and post-irradiation annealing. The chromium nitride (CrN) nanochannel films with different nanochannel densities and the compact CrN film are chosen as a model system for these studies. Microstructural evolution of these films were investigated using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Elastic Recoil Detection (ERD) and Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD). Under the high fluence He+ ion irradiation at 500 °C, small He bubbles with low bubble densities are observed in the irradiated nanochannel CrN films, while the aligned large He bubbles, blistering and texture reconstruction are found in the irradiated compact CrN film. For the heavy Ar2+ ion irradiation at 500 °C, the microstructure of the nanochannel CrN RT film is more stable than that of the compact CrN film due to the effective releasing of defects via the nanochannel structure. Under the He+ ion irradiation and subsequent annealing, compared with the compact film, the nanochannel films have excellent performance for the suppression of He bubble growth and possess the strong microstructural stability. Basing on the analysis on the sizes and number densities of bubbles as well as the concentrations of He retained in the nanochannel CrN films and the compact CrN film under different experimental conditions, potential mechanism for the enhanced radiation tolerance are discussed. Nanochannels play a crucial role on the release of He/defects under ion irradiation. We conclude that the tailored "vein-like" nanochannel structure may be used as advanced radiation tolerance materials for future nuclear reactors.

Growth and Comparison of Residual Stress of AlN Films on Silicon (100), (110) and (111) Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Akhilesh; Dutta, Shankar; Prakash, Ravi; Raman, R.; Kapoor, Ashok Kumar; Kaur, Davinder

2018-02-01

This paper reports on the comparison of residual stresses in AlN thin films sputter-deposited in identical conditions on Si (100) (110) and (111) substrates. The deposited films are of polycrystalline wurtzite structure with preferred orientation along the (002) direction. AlN film on the Si (111) substrate showed a vertical columnar structure, whereas films on Si (100) and (110) showed tilted columnar structures. Residual stress in the AlN films is estimated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), infra-red absorption method and wafer curvature technique. Films residual stress are found compressive and values are in the range of - 650 (± 50) MPa, - 730 (± 50) MPa and - 300 (± 50) MPa for the AlN films grown on Si (100), (110) and (111) substrates, respectively, with different techniques. The difference in residual stresses can be attributed to the microstructure of the films and mismatch between in plane atomic arrangements of the film and substrates.

Structural and mechanical properties of Al-C-N films deposited at room temperature by plasma focus device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Z, A. Umar; R, Ahmad; R, S. Rawat; M, A. Baig; J, Siddiqui; T, Hussain

2016-07-01

The Al-C-N films are deposited on Si substrates by using a dense plasma focus (DPF) device with aluminum fitted central electrode (anode) and by operating the device with CH4/N2 gas admixture ratio of 1:1. XRD results verify the crystalline AlN (111) and Al3CON (110) phase formation of the films deposited using multiple shots. The elemental compositions as well as chemical states of the deposited Al-C-N films are studied using XPS analysis, which affirm Al-N, C-C, and C-N bonding. The FESEM analysis reveals that the deposited films are composed of nanoparticles and nanoparticle agglomerates. The size of the agglomerates increases at a higher number of focus deposition shots for multiple shot depositions. Nanoindentation results reveal the variation in mechanical properties (nanohardness and elastic modulus) of Al-C-N films deposited with multiple shots. The highest values of nanohardness and elastic modulus are found to be about 11 and 185 GPa, respectively, for the film deposited with 30 focus deposition shots. The mechanical properties of the films deposited using multiple shots are related to the Al content and C-N bonding.

Preparation and characterization of the nanoporous ultrathin multilayer films based on molybdenum polyoxometalate (Mo 38) n

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.; Jiang, M.; Wang, E. B.; Duan, L. Y.; Hao, N.; Lan, Y.; Xu, L.; Li, Z.

2003-11-01

Ultrathin multilayer films of the wheel-shaped molybdenum polyoxometalate cluster (Mo 38) n and poly(allylamine hydrochloride)(PAH) have been prepared by the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly method. The ((Mo 38) n/PAH) m multilayer films have been characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). UV-VIS measurements reveal regular film growth with each (Mo 38) n adsorption. The electrochemistry behavior of the film at room temperature was investigated.

Controlled enzymatic cutting of DNA molecules adsorbed on surfaces using soft lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auerbach, Alyssa; Budassi, Julia; Shea, Emily; Zhu, Ke; Sokolov, Jonathan

2013-03-01

The enzyme DNase I was applied to adsorbed and aligned DNA molecules (Lamda, 48.5 kilobase pairs (kbp), and T4, 165.6 kbp), stretched linearly on a surface, by stamping with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) grating. The DNAs were cut by the enzyme into separated, micron-sized segments along the length of the molecules at positions determined by the grating dimensions (3-20 microns). Ozone-treated PDMS stamps were coated with DNase I solutions and placed in contact with surface-adsorbed DNA molecules deposited on a 750 polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) film spun-cast onto a silicon substrate. The stamps were applied under pressure for times up to 15 minutes at 37 C. The cutting was observed by fluorescence microscopy imaging of DNA labeled with YOYO dye. Cutting was found to be efficient despite the steric hindrance due to surface attachment of the molecules. Methods for detaching and separating the cut segments for sequencing applications will be discussed. Supported by NSF-DMR program.

TiN films fabricated by reactive gas pulse sputtering: A hybrid design of multilayered and compositionally graded structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jijun; Zhang, Feifei; Wan, Qiang; Lu, Chenyang; Peng, Mingjing; Liao, Jiali; Yang, Yuanyou; Wang, Lumin; Liu, Ning

2016-12-01

Reactive gas pulse (RGP) sputtering approach was used to prepare TiN thin films through periodically changing the N2/Ar gas flow ratio. The obtained RGPsbnd TiN film possessed a hybrid architecture containing compositionally graded and multilayered structures, composed of hcp Ti-phase and fcc TiN-phase sublayers. Meanwhile, the RGP-TiN film exhibited a composition-oscillation along the film thickness direction, where the Ti-phase sublayer had a compositional gradient and the TiN-phase retained a constant stoichiometric ratio of Ti:N ≈ 1. The film modulation ratio λ (the thicknesses ratio of the Ti and TiN-phase sublayer) can be effectively tuned by controlling the undulation behavior of the N2 partial flow rate. Detailed analysis showed that this hybrid structure originated from a periodic transition of the film growth mode during the reactive sputtering process.

Synthesis and characterization of n-type NiO:Al thin films for fabrication of p-n NiO homojunctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Hui; Liao, Ming-Han; Chen, Sheng-Chi; Li, Zhi-Yue; Lin, Po-Chun; Song, Shu-Mei

2018-03-01

n-type NiO:Al thin films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering. Their optoelectronic properties versus Al target power was investigated. The results show that with increasing Al target power, the conduction type of NiO films changes from p-type to n-type. The variation of the film’s electrical and optical properties depends on Al amount in the film. When Al target power is relatively low, Al3+ cations tend to enter nickel vacancy sites, which makes the lattice structure of NiO more complete. This improves the carrier mobility and film’s transmittance. However, when Al target power exceeds 40 W, Al atoms begin to enter into interstitial sites and form an Al cluster in the NiO film. This behavior is beneficial for improving the film’s n-type conductivity but degrades the film’s transmittance. Finally, Al/(p-type NiO)/(n-type NiO:Al)/ITO homojunctions were fabricated. Their performance was compared with Al/(p-type NiO)/ITO heterojunctions without an n-type NiO layer. Thanks to the better interface quality between the two NiO layers, the homojunctions present better performance.

Cytokine adsorbing columns.

PubMed

Taniguchi, Takumi

2010-01-01

Sepsis induces the activation of complement and the release of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. The inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide induced by sepsis can decrease systemic vascular resistance, resulting in profound hypotension. The combination of hypotension and microvascular occlusion results in tissue ischemia and ultimately leads to multiple organ failure. Recently, several experimental and clinical studies have reported that treatment for adsorption of cytokines is beneficial during endotoxemia and sepsis. Therefore, the present article discusses cytokine adsorbing columns. These columns, such as CytoSorb, CYT-860-DHP, Lixelle, CTR-001 and MPCF-X, the structures of which vary significantly, have excellent adsorption rates for inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL8. Many studies have demonstrated that treatment with cytokine adsorbing columns has beneficial effects on the survival rate and inflammatory responses in animal septic models. Moreover, several cases have been reported in which treatment with cytokine adsorbing columns is very effective in hemodynamics and organ failures in critically ill patients. Although further investigations and clinical trials are needed, in the future treatment with cytokine adsorbing columns may play a major role in the treatment of hypercytokinemia such as multiple organ failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Improved PECVD Si x N y film as a mask layer for deep wet etching of the silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jianqiang; Yin, Yi Jun; Han, Dong; Dong, LiZhen

2017-09-01

Although plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silicon nitride (Si x N y ) films have been extensively investigated by many researchers, requirements of film properties vary from device to device. For some applications utilizing Si x N y film as the mask Layer for deep wet etching of the silicon, it is very desirable to obtain a high quality film. In this study, Si x N y films were deposited on silicon substrates by PECVD technique from the mixtures of NH3 and 5% SiH4 diluted in Ar. The deposition temperature and RF power were fixed at 400 °C and 20 W, respectively. By adjusting the SiH4/NH3 flow ratio, Si x N y films of different compositions were deposited on silicon wafers. The stoichiometry, residual stress, etch rate in 1:50 HF, BHF solution and 40% KOH solution of deposited Si x N y films were measured. The experimental results show that the optimum SiH4/NH3 flow ratio at which deposited Si x N y films can perfectly protect the polysilicon resistors on the front side of wafers during KOH etching is between 1.63 and 2.24 under the given temperature and RF power. Polysilicon resistors protected by the Si x N y films can withstand 6 h 40% KOH double-side etching at 80 °C. At the range of SiH4/NH3 flow ratios, the Si/N atom ratio of films ranges from 0.645 to 0.702, which slightly deviate the ideal stoichiometric ratio of LPCVD Si3N4 film. In addition, the silicon nitride films with the best protection effect are not the films of minimum etch rate in KOH solution.

Spectroscopic interaction studies of substituted and unsubstituted copper phthalocyanine with adsorbed organic vapours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridhi, R.; Kang, Jasmeen; Saini, G. S. S.; Tripathi, S. K.

2018-05-01

The present study deals with comparing the interaction mechanism of adsorbed organic vapours with Copper Phthalocyanine thin films in its substituted and unsubstituted forms. For this purpose, the variations in vibrational levels of substituted CuPc (CuPcS) functionalized with tetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt and unsubstituted CuPc after exposure with methanol and benzene vapours is analyzed. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) is used to study the interaction behaviour. The bulkier group tetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt added to CuPc leads to occupation of more space in the molecular arrangement as compared to unsubstituted CuPc and hence alteration of its properties. FTIR spectra of CuPc and CuPcS before and after vapours exposures highlighted the effect of these vapours on the various bonds and the role of functional group in altering the molecular structure of CuPcS during interaction with adsorbed vapours.

Epitaxial growth and characterization of approximately 300-nm-thick AlInN films nearly lattice-matched to c-plane GaN grown on sapphire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyoshi, Makoto; Yamanaka, Mizuki; Egawa, Takashi; Takeuchi, Tetsuya

2018-05-01

AlInN epitaxial films with film thicknesses up to approximately 300 nm were grown nearly lattice-matched to a c-plane GaN-on-sapphire template by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The AlInN films showed relative good crystal qualities and flat surfaces, despite the existence of surface pits connected to dislocations in the underlying GaN film. The refractive index derived in this study agreed well with a previously reported result obtained over the whole visible wavelength region. The extinction coefficient spectrum exhibited a clear absorption edge, and the bandgap energy for AlInN nearly lattice-matched to GaN was determined to be approximately 4.0 eV.

Milestone Report - Complete New Adsorbent Materials for Marine Testing to Demonstrate 4.5 g-U/kg Adsorbent

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

Janke, Christopher James; Das, Sadananda; Oyola, Yatsandra

2014-08-01

This report describes work on the successful completion of Milestone M2FT-14OR03100115 (8/20/2014) entitled, “Complete new adsorbent materials for marine testing to demonstrate 4.5 g-U/kg adsorbent”. This effort is part of the Seawater Uranium Recovery Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, and involved the development of new adsorbent materials at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and marine testing at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). ORNL has recently developed two new families of fiber adsorbents that have demonstrated uranium adsorption capacities greater than 4.5 g-U/kg adsorbent after marine testing at PNNL. One adsorbent wasmore » synthesized by radiation-induced graft polymerization of itaconic acid and acrylonitrile onto high surface area polyethylene fibers followed by amidoximation and base conditioning. This fiber showed a capacity of 4.6 g-U/kg adsorbent in marine testing at PNNL. The second adsorbent was prepared by atom-transfer radical polymerization of t-butyl acrylate and acrylonitrile onto halide-functionalized round fibers followed by amidoximation and base hydrolysis. This fiber demonstrated uranium adsorption capacity of 5.4 g-U/kg adsorbent in marine testing at PNNL.« less

Aging behavior of near atmospheric N2 ambient sputtered/patterned Au IR absorber thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaur, Surender P.; Kothari, Prateek; Rangra, Kamaljit; Kumar, Dinesh

2018-03-01

Near atmospheric N2 ambient sputtered Au thin films exhibit significant spectral absorptivity over medium to long wave infrared radiations. Thin films were found adequately robust for micropatterning using conventional photolithography and metal lift off processes. Since long term spectral absorptivity is major practical concern for Au blacks, this paper reports on aging behavior of near atmospheric Ar and Ar + N2 (1:1) ambient sputtered infrared absorber Au thin films. Comparative analysis on electrical, morphological and spectral absorption behavior of twenty-five weeks room temperature/vacuum aged Au infrared absorber thin films is performed. The Ar and Ar + N2 ambient sputtered Au thing films have shown anticipated consistency in their physical, electrical and spectral properties regardless the long term aging in this work.

Melioration of Optical and Electrical Performance of Ga-N Codoped ZnO Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narayanan, Nripasree; Deepak, N. K.

2018-06-01

Transparent and conducting p-type zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films doped with gallium (Ga) and nitrogen (N) simultaneously were deposited on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique. Phase composition analysis by X-ray diffraction confirmed the polycrystallinity of the films with pure ZnO phase. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis showed excellent incorporation of N in the ZnO matrix by means of codoping. The optical transmittance of N monodoped film was poor but got improved with Ga-N codoping and also resulted in the enhancement of optical energy gap. Hole concentration increased with codoping and consequently, lower resistivity and high stability were obtained.

Synthesis and characterization of Ti-Si-C-N films

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

Shtansky, D.V.; Levashov, E.A.; Sheveiko, A.N.

1999-09-01

This study represents one of the first attempts to deposit multicomponent (more than three components) thin films by magnetron sputtering of multiphase composite targets (three phases or even more). Films of Ti-Si-C-N were synthesized through dc magnetron sputtering of xTiC + yTi{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} + zA composite targets (A was TiSi{sub 2}, SiC, or a mixture of these phases) in an argon atmosphere or in a gaseous mixture of argon and nitrogen. The as-deposited films were characterized using Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy using selected area electron diffraction and high-resolution techniques, and microhardness. It was shown thatmore » the substrate temperature and the nitrogen concentration in the reactive gas had a strong influence on the structure and the composition of the as-deposited films. Polycrystalline grains contained a high density of dislocations and exhibited a curved appearance of the lattice fringes that is probably due to the presence of the long-range stress fields. The measurements of the lattice parameters using the selected area electron diffraction pattern (SA EDP) method indicated, with a high probability, that the polycrystalline grains consist of clusters of atoms with varying compositions. The grain boundaries in the nanocrystalline Ti-Si-C-N films had both ordered and disordered regions, although some regions close to the interface exhibited neither a fully crystalline nor a homogeneously amorphous structure. The contribution of compressive stress as determined by an increase in the fcc lattice parameter is also discussed.« less

Mixed-Penetrant Sorption in Ultrathin Films of Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity PIM-1.

PubMed

Ogieglo, Wojciech; Furchner, Andreas; Ghanem, Bader; Ma, Xiaohua; Pinnau, Ingo; Wessling, Matthias

2017-11-02

Mixed-penetrant sorption into ultrathin films of a superglassy polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) was studied for the first time by using interference-enhanced in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry. PIM-1 swelling and the concurrent changes in its refractive index were determined in ultrathin (12-14 nm) films exposed to pure and mixed penetrants. The penetrants included water, n-hexane, and ethanol and were chosen on the basis of their significantly different penetrant-penetrant and penetrant-polymer affinities. This allowed studying microporous polymer responses at diverse ternary compositions and revealed effects such as competition for the sorption sites (for water/n-hexane or ethanol/n-hexane) or enhancement in sorption of typically weakly sorbing water in the presence of more highly sorbing ethanol. The results reveal details of the mutual sorption effects which often complicate comprehension of glassy polymers' behavior in applications such as high-performance membranes, adsorbents, or catalysts. Mixed-penetrant effects are typically very challenging to study directly, and their understanding is necessary owing to a broadly recognized inadequacy of simple extrapolations from measurements in a pure component environment.

Growth kinetics and characterizations of gallium nitride thin films by remote PECVD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, S. W.; Bachmann, K. J.; Lucovsky, G.

1993-01-01

Thin films of GaN have been deposited at relatively low growth temperatures by remote plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition (RPECVD), using a plasma excited NH3, and trimethylgallium (TMG), injected downstream from the plasma. The activation energy for GaN growth has been tentatively assigned to the dissociation of NH groups as the primary N-atom precursors in the surface reaction with adsorbed TMG, or TMG fragments. At high He flow rates, an abrupt increase in the growth rate is observed and corresponds to a change in the reaction mechanism attributed to the formation of atomic N. XRD reveals an increased tendency to ordered growth in the (0001) direction with increasing growth temperature, He flow rate, and RF plasma power. IR spectra show the fundamental lattice mode of GaN at 530 cm without evidence for vibrational modes of hydrocarbon groups.

Growth of high quality AlN films on CVD diamond by RF reactive magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Liang-xian; Liu, Hao; Liu, Sheng; Li, Cheng-ming; Wang, Yi-chao; An, Kang; Hua, Chen-yi; Liu, Jin-long; Wei, Jun-jun; Hei, Li-fu; Lv, Fan-xiu

2018-02-01

A highly oriented AlN layer has been successfully grown along the c-axis on a polycrystalline chemical vapor deposited (CVD) diamond by RF reactive magnetron sputtering. Structural, morphological and mechanical properties of the heterostructure were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Nano-indentation and Four-probe meter. A compact AlN film was demonstrated on the diamond layer, showing columnar grains and a low surface roughness of 1.4 nm. TEM results revealed a sharp AlN/diamond interface, which was characterized by the presence of a distinct 10 nm thick buffer layer resulting from the initial AlN growth stage. The FWHM of AlN (002) diffraction peak and its rocking curve are as low as 0.41° and 3.35° respectively, indicating a highly preferred orientation along the c-axis. AlN sputtered films deposited on glass substrates show a higher bulk resistivity (up to 3 × 1012 Ω cm), compared to AlN films deposited on diamond (∼1010 Ω cm). Finally, the film hardness and Young's modulus of AlN films on diamond are 25.8 GPa and 489.5 GPa, respectively.

n-Type Conductivity of Cu2O Thin Film Prepared in Basic Aqueous Solution Under Hydrothermal Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ursu, Daniel; Miclau, Nicolae; Miclau, Marinela

2018-03-01

We report for the first time in situ hydrothermal synthesis of n-type Cu2O thin film using strong alkaline solution. The use of copper foil as substrate and precursor material, low synthesis temperature and short reaction time represent the arguments of a new, simple, inexpensive and high field synthesis method for the preparation of n-type Cu2O thin film. The donor concentration of n-type Cu2O thin film obtained at 2 h of reaction time has increased two orders of magnitude than previous reported values. We have demonstrated n-type conduction in Cu2O thin film prepared in strong alkaline solution, in the contradiction with the previous works. Based on experimental results, the synthesis mechanism and the origin of n-type photo-responsive behavior of Cu2O thin film were discussed. We have proposed that the unexpected n-type character could be explained by H doping of Cu2O thin film in during of the hydrothermal synthesis that caused the p-to-n conductivity-type conversion. Also, this work raises new questions about the origin of n-type conduction in Cu2O thin film, the influence of the synthesis method on the nature of the intrinsic defects and the electrical conduction behavior.

Superconductor-Insulator transition in sputtered amorphous MoRu and MoRuN thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makise, K.; Shinozaki, B.; Ichikawa, F.

2018-03-01

This work shows the experimental results of the superconductor-insulator (S-I) transition for amorphous molybdenum ruthenium (MoRu) and molybdenum ruthenium nitride (MoRuN) films. These amorphous films onto c-plane sapphire substrates have been interpreted to be homogeneous by XRD and AFM measurements. Electrical and superconducting properties measurements were carried out on MoRu and MoRuN thin films deposited by reactive sputtering technique. We have analysed the data on R sq (T) based on excess conductivity of superconducting films by the AL and MT term and weak localization and electron-electron interaction for the conductance. MoRu films which offer the most homogeneous film morphology, showed a critical sheet resistance of transition, Rc, of ∼ 2 kΩ. This values is smaller than those previously our reported for quench-condensed MoRu films on SiO underlayer held at liquid He temperature.

Optical properties of InGaN thin films in the entire composition range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazazis, S. A.; Papadomanolaki, E.; Androulidaki, M.; Kayambaki, M.; Iliopoulos, E.

2018-03-01

The optical properties of thick InGaN epilayers, with compositions spanning the entire ternary range, are studied in detail. High structural quality, single phase InxGa1-xN (0001) films were grown heteroepitaxially by radio-frequency plasma assisted molecular-beam epitaxy on freestanding GaN substrates. Their emission characteristics were investigated by low temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy, whereas variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry was applied to determine the complex dielectric function of the films, in the 0.55-4.0 eV photon range. Photoluminescence lines were intense and narrow, in the range of 100 meV for Ga-rich InGaN films (x < 0.3), around 150 meV for mid-range composition films (0.3 < x < 0.6), and in the range of 50 meV for In-rich alloys (x > 0.6). The composition dependence of the strain-free emission energy was expressed by a bowing parameter of b = 2.70 ± 0.12 eV. The films' optical dielectric function dispersion was obtained by the analysis of the ellipsometric data employing a Kramers-Kronig consistent parameterized optical model. The refractive index dispersion was obtained for alloys in the entire composition range, and the corresponding values at the band edge show a parabolic dependence on the InN mole fraction expressed by a bowing parameter of b = 0.81 ± 0.04. The bowing parameter describing the fundamental energy bandgap was deduced to be equal to 1.66 ± 0.07 eV, consistent with the ab initio calculations for statistically random (non-clustered) InGaN alloys.

Reverse-bias-driven dichromatic electroluminescence of n-ZnO wire arrays/p-GaN film heterojunction light-emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Junseok; Choi, Ji Eun; Kim, Yong-Jin; Hwang, Sunyong; Kim, Sung Kyu; Kim, Jong Kyu; Jeong, Hu Young; Hong, Young Joon

2016-09-01

Position-controlled n-ZnO microwire (MW) and nanowire-bundle (NW-B) arrays were fabricated using hydrothermal growth of ZnO on a patterned p-GaN film. Both the wire/film p-n heterojunctions showed electrical rectification features at reverse-bias (rb) voltages, analogous to backward diodes. Dichromatic electroluminescence (EL) emissions with 445- and 560-nm-wavelength peaks displayed whitish-blue and greenish-yellow light from MW- and NW-B-based heterojunctions at rb voltages, respectively. The different dichromatic EL emission colors were studied based on photoluminescence spectra and the dichromatic EL peak intensity ratios as a function of the rb voltage. The different EL colors are discussed with respect to depletion thickness and electron tunneling probability determined by wire/film junction geometry and size.

High performance n-channel thin-film transistors with an amorphous phase C60 film on plastic substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Na, Jong H.; Kitamura, M.; Arakawa, Y.

2007-11-01

We fabricated high mobility, low voltage n-channel transistors on plastic substrates by combining an amorphous phase C60 film and a high dielectric constant gate insulator titanium silicon oxide (TiSiO2). The transistors exhibited high performance with a threshold voltage of 1.13V, an inverse subthreshold swing of 252mV/decade, and a field-effect mobility up to 1cm2/Vs at an operating voltage as low as 5V. The amorphous phase C60 films can be formed at room temperature, implying that this transistor is suitable for corresponding n-channel transistors in flexible organic logic devices.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Zr-Si-N films prepared by rf-reactive sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nose, M.; Chiou, W. A.; Zhou, M.; Mae, T.; Meshii, M.

2002-05-01

ZrN and ZrSiN films were prepared in an rf sputtering apparatus that has a pair of targets facing each other (referred to as the facing target-type rf sputtering). Films were deposited on silicon wafers without bias application or substrate heating in order to examine only the effect of silicon addition to the transition metal nitride films. The contents of zirconium, nitrogen, and silicon of the films were determined with an electron probe microanalyzer. The transmission electron microscopy studies were carried out in addition to x-ray diffraction. For the high resolution transmission electron microscopy observation, the field emission type transmission electron microscope was used, which provides a point-to-point resolution of 0.1 nm. The samples were observed both parallel and perpendicular to the film surface, which were plane and cross sectional views, respectively. In order to investigate the relationship between the mechanical properties and microstructure of films, the hardness was measured by a nanoindentation system at room temperature. The load was selected to keep the impression depth below 60 nm (not more than 5% of film thickness) so that the influence from the substrate can be neglected. The hardness of the films increases with small Si additions reaching the maximum value of 35 GPa at around 3 at. % Si. The tendency to grow columnar grains was strongest around this composition, while grains became equiaxial above 5 at. % of Si. The films containing 12.8% Si, which showed the lowest hardness of 18 GPa, consist of nanocrystal grains. The presence of ZrN nanocrystals embedded in Si3N4 was not observed in the present study. The hardening mechanism due to the addition of small amounts of Si in ZrN can not be determined at this time. The grain size and residual stress can make minor contributions to the hardening. A possibility of solid solution hardening due to atomistic strain, such as nitrogen atoms at interstitial sites or other point defects is

Poole-Frenkel effect on electrical characterization of Al-doped ZnO films deposited on p-type GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Bohr-Ran; Liao, Chung-Chi; Ke, Wen-Cheng; Chang, Yuan-Ching; Huang, Hao-Ping; Chen, Nai-Chuan

2014-03-01

This paper presents the electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films directly grown on two types of p-type GaN thin films. The low-pressure p-GaN thin films (LP-p-GaN) exhibited structural properties of high-density edge-type threading dislocations (TDs) and compensated defects (i.e., nitrogen vacancy). Compared with high-pressure p-GaN thin films (HP-p-GaN), X-ray photoemission spectroscopy of Ga 3d core levels indicated that the surface Fermi-level shifted toward the higher binding-energy side by approximately 0.7 eV. The high-density edge-type TDs and compensated defects enabled surface Fermi-level shifting above the intrinsic Fermi-level, causing the surface of LP-p-GaN thin films to invert to n-type semiconductor. A highly nonlinear increase in leakage current regarding reverse-bias voltage was observed for AZO/LP-p-GaN. The theoretical fits for the reverse-bias voltage region indicated that the field-assisted thermal ionization of carriers from defect associated traps, which is known as the Poole-Frenkel effect, dominated the I-V behavior of AZO/LP-p-GaN. The fitting result estimated the trap energy level at 0.62 eV below the conduction band edge. In addition, the optical band gap increased from 3.50 eV for as-deposited AZO films to 3.62 eV for 300 °C annealed AZO films because of the increased carrier concentration. The increasing Fermi-level of the 300 °C annealed AZO films enabled the carrier transport to move across the interface into the LP-p-GaN thin films without any thermal activated energy. Thus, the Ohmic behavior of AZO contact can be achieved directly on the low-pressure p-GaN films at room temperature.

Method And Apparatus For Regenerating Nox Adsorbers

DOEpatents

Driscoll, J. Joshua; Endicott, Dennis L.; Faulkner, Stephen A.; Verkiel, Maarten

2006-03-28

Methods and apparatuses for regenerating a NOx adsorber coupled with an exhaust of an engine. An actuator drives a throttle valve to a first position when regeneration of the NOx adsorber is desired. The first position is a position that causes the regeneration of the NOx adsorber. An actuator drives the throttle valve to a second position while regeneration of the NOx adsorber is still desired. The second position being a position that is more open than the first position and operable to regenerate a NOx adsorber.

Synthesis of magnetic ordered mesoporous carbon (Fe-OMC) adsorbent and its evaluation for fuel desulfurization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farzin Nejad, N.; Shams, E.; Amini, M. K.

2015-09-01

In this work, magnetic ordered mesoporous carbon adsorbent was synthesized using soft templating method to adsorb sulfur from model oil (dibenzothiophene in n-hexane). Through this research, pluronic F-127, resorcinol-formaldehyde and hydrated iron nitrate were respectively used as soft template, carbon source and iron source. The adsorbent was characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm and transmission electron microscopy. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurement revealed the high surface area (810 m2 g-1), maxima pore size of 3.3 nm and large pore volume (1.01 cm3 g-1) of the synthesized sample. The adsorbent showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 111 mg dibenzothiophene g-1 of adsorbent. Sorption process was described by the pseudo-second-order rate equation and could be better fitted by the Freundlich model, showing the heterogeneous feature of the adsorption process. In addition, the adsorption capacity of regenerated adsorbent was 78.6% of the initial level, after five regeneration cycles.

Effects of Mg Doping on the Performance of InGaN Films Made by Reactive Sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, Dong-Hau; Li, Cheng-Che; Tuan, Thi Tran Anh; Yen, Wei-Chun

2015-01-01

Mg-doped InGaN (Mg-InGaN) films have been deposited directly on Si (100) substrates by radio-frequency reactive sputtering technique with single cermet targets in an Ar/N2 atmosphere. The cermet targets with a constant 5% indium content were made by hot pressing the mixture of metallic In, Ga, and Mg powders and ceramic GaN powder. The Mg-InGaN films had a wurtzite structure with a preferential () growth plane. The SEM images showed that Mg-InGaN films were smooth, continuous, free from cracks and holes, and composed of nanometer-sized grains. As the Mg dopant content in Mg-InGaN increased to 7.7 at.%, the film was directly transformed into p-type conduction without a post-annealing process. It had high hole concentration of 5.53 × 1018 cm-3 and electrical mobility of 15.7 ± 4.2 cm2 V-1 s-1. The over-doping of Mg in InGaN degraded the electrical properties. The bandgap of Mg-InGaN films decreased from 2.92 eV to 2.84 eV, as the Mg content increased from 7.7% to 18.2%. The constructed p-type Mg-InGaN/ n-type GaN diode was used to confirm the realization of the p-type InGaN by sputtering technique.

On the laser lift-off of lightly doped micrometer-thick n-GaN films from substrates via the absorption of IR radiation in sapphire

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

Voronenkov, V. V.; Virko, M. V.; Kogotkov, V. S.

The intense absorption of CO{sub 2} laser radiation in sapphire is used to separate GaN films from GaN templates on sapphire. Scanning of the sapphire substrate by the laser leads to the thermal dissociation of GaN at the GaN/sapphire interface and to the detachment of GaN films from the sapphire. The threshold density of the laser energy at which n-GaN started to dissociate is 1.6 ± 0.5 J/cm{sup 2}. The mechanical-stress distribution and the surface morphology of GaN films and sapphire substrates before and after laser lift-off are studied by Raman spectroscopy, atomic-force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. A verticalmore » Schottky diode with a forward current density of 100 A/cm{sup 2} at a voltage of 2 V and a maximum reverse voltage of 150 V is fabricated on the basis of a 9-μm-thick detached n-GaN film.« less

Influence of hysteresis effect on properties of reactively sputtered TiAlSiN films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Fangyuan; Li, Guang; Xia, Yuan

2018-02-01

This article reports on the hysteresis effect in TiAlSiN films prepared by an intermediate frequency magnetron. The discharge voltages for different metallic alloy targets varying with nitrogen flow rate were systematically investigated, under a constant pressure provided by sputtering gas. The hysteresis transition was introduced by the sudden changes in sputtering rate, fraction of compound formation, phase composition and mechanical properties. The result was shown that: the initial growth rate aD in metallic mode was 4 times faster than that in supersaturated state. The optimized stoichiometric TiAl(Si)Nx=1 films containing 50 at.% N were founded in the transition region. The discussion on the plasma characteristics caused by hysteresis process showed that the TiN(111) texture could be increased by applying higher particle bombarding energy. The hardness of TiAlSiN film was strongly influenced by the orientation, which depended on the loading history of nitrogen. The superior TiAlSiN film with hardness 33 GPa could be prepared during the nitrogen unloading for same nitrogen flow rates.

Nanomechanical and nanotribological properties of Nb substituted TiN thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishna, M. Ghanashyam; Vasu, K.; Padmanabhan, K. A.

2012-06-01

Nanomechanical and nanotribological properties of Ti1-xNbxN (0≤x≤1) thin films were investigated as a function x. The films were deposited onto polycrystalline nuclear grade 316LN stainless steel (SS) substrate by radio frequency magnetron sputtering in 100% N2 plasma. The hardness and Young's modulus increased while the friction coefficient and wear volume decreased with increasing Nb substitution. The highest hardness achieved was 31GPa for x=0.77. At the same Nb concentration, the friction coefficient was 0.15 and the elastic recovery was 60%.

Three dimensional-stacked complementary thin-film transistors using n-type Al:ZnO and p-type NiO thin-film transistors.

PubMed

Lee, Ching-Ting; Chen, Chia-Chi; Lee, Hsin-Ying

2018-03-05

The three dimensional inverters were fabricated using novel complementary structure of stacked bottom n-type aluminum-doped zinc oxide (Al:ZnO) thin-film transistor and top p-type nickel oxide (NiO) thin-film transistor. When the inverter operated at the direct voltage (V DD ) of 10 V and the input voltage from 0 V to 10 V, the obtained high performances included the output swing of 9.9 V, the high noise margin of 2.7 V, and the low noise margin of 2.2 V. Furthermore, the high performances of unskenwed inverter were demonstrated by using the novel complementary structure of the stacked n-type Al:ZnO thin-film transistor and p-type nickel oxide (NiO) thin-film transistor.

Air-stable solution-processed n-channel organic thin film transistors with polymerenhanced morphology

DOE PAGES

He, Zhengran; Shaik, Shoieb; Bi, Sheng; ...

2015-05-04

N,N 0-1H,1H-perfluorobutyl dicyanoperylenecarboxydiimide (PDIF-CN 2) is an n-type semiconductor exhibiting high electron mobility and excellent air stability. However, the reported electron mobility based on spin-coated PDIF-CN 2 film is much lower than the value of PDIF-CN 2 single crystals made from vapor phase deposition, indicating significant room for mobility enhancement. In this study, various insulating polymers, including poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and poly(alpha-methylstyrene) (PaMS), are pre-coated on silicon substrate aiming to enhance the morphology of the PDIF-CN 2 thin film, thereby improving the charge transport and air stability. Atomic force microscopy images reveal that with the pre-deposition of PaMSmore » or PMMA polymers, the morphology of the PDIF-CN 2 polycrystalline films is optimized in semiconducting crystal connectivity, domain size, and surface roughness, which leads to significant improvement of organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) performance. Particularly, an electron mobility of up to 0.55 cm 2/V s has been achieved from OTFTs based on the PDIF-CN 2 film with the pre-deposition of PaMS polymer.« less

Growth of high-quality AlN epitaxial film by optimizing the Si substrate surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Liegen; Li, Yuan; Wang, Wenliang; Li, Xiaochan; zheng, Yulin; Wang, Haiyan; Zhang, Zichen; Li, Guoqiang

2018-03-01

High-quality AlN epitaxial films have been grown on Si substrates by optimizing the hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution for cleaning of Si substrates. Effect of the Si substrate surface on the surface morphology and structural property of AlN epitaxial films is investigated in detail. It is revealed that as the concentration of HF solution increases from 0 to 2.0%, the surface morphology and the crystalline quality are initially improved and then get worse, and show an optimized value at 1.5%. The as-grown ∼200 nm-thick AlN epitaxial films on Si substrates grown with HF solution of 1.5% reveal the root-mean-square (RMS) surface roughness of 0.49 nm and the full-width at half-maximum for AlN(0002) X-ray rocking curve of 0.35°, indicating the smooth surface morphology and the high crystalline quality. The corresponding mechanism is proposed to interpret the effect of Si substrate surface on surface morphology and structural property of AlN epitaxial films, and provides an effective approach for the perspective fabrication of AlN-based devices.

Structure and Reactivity of Alkyl Ethers Adsorbed on CeO2(111) Model Catalysts

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

F Calaza; T Chen; D Mullins

2011-12-31

The effect of surface hydroxyls on the adsorption of ether on ceria was explored. Adsorption of dimethyl ether (DME) and diethyl ether (DEE) on oxidized and reduced CeO{sub 2}(111) films was studied and compared with Ru(0001) using RAIRS and sXPS within a UHV environment. On Ru(0001) the ethers adsorb weakly with the molecular plane close to parallel to the surface plane. On the ceria films, the adsorption of the ethers was stronger than on the metal surface, presumably due to stronger interaction of the ether oxygen lone pair electrons with a cerium cation. This interaction causes the ethers to tiltmore » away from the surface plane compared to the Ru(0001) surface. No pronounced differences were found between oxidized (CeO{sub 2}) and reduced (CeOx) films. The adsorption of the ethers was found to be perturbed by the presence of OH groups on hydroxylated CeOx. In the case of DEE, the geometry of adsorption resembles that found on Ru, and in the case of dimethyl ether DME is in between that one found on clean CeOx and the metal surface. Decomposition of the DEE was observed on the OH/CeOx surface following high DEE exposure at 300 K and higher temperatures. Ethoxides and acetates were identified as adsorbed species on the surface by means of RAIRS and ethoxides and formates by s-XPS. No decomposition of dimethyl ether was observed on the OH/CeOx at these higher temperatures, implying that the dissociation of the C-O bond from ethers requires the presence of {beta}-hydrogen.« less

Structure and Reactivity of Alkyl Ethers Adsorbed on CeO(2)(111) Model Catalysts

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

Calaza, Florencia C; Chen, Tsung-Liang; Mullins, David R

2011-01-01

The effect of surface hydroxyls on the adsorption of ether on ceria was explored. Adsorption of dimethyl ether (DME) and diethyl ether (DEE) on oxidized and reduced CeO{sub 2}(111) films was studied and compared with Ru(0001) using RAIRS and sXPS within a UHV environment. On Ru(0001) the ethers adsorb weakly with the molecular plane close to parallel to the surface plane. On the ceria films, the adsorption of the ethers was stronger than on the metal surface, presumably due to stronger interaction of the ether oxygen lone pair electrons with a cerium cation. This interaction causes the ethers to tiltmore » away from the surface plane compared to the Ru(0001) surface. No pronounced differences were found between oxidized (CeO{sub 2}) and reduced (CeOx) films. The adsorption of the ethers was found to be perturbed by the presence of OH groups on hydroxylated CeOx. In the case of DEE, the geometry of adsorption resembles that found on Ru, and in the case of dimethyl ether DME is in between that one found on clean CeOx and the metal surface. Decomposition of the DEE was observed on the OH/CeOx surface following high DEE exposure at 300 K and higher temperatures. Ethoxides and acetates were identified as adsorbed species on the surface by means of RAIRS and ethoxides and formates by s-XPS. No decomposition of dimethyl ether was observed on the OH/CeOx at these higher temperatures, implying that the dissociation of the C-O bond from ethers requires the presence of {beta}-hydrogen.« less

Bioavailability of Carbon Nanomaterial-Adsorbed Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons to Pimphales promelas: Influence of Adsorbate Molecular Size and Configuration.

PubMed

Linard, Erica N; Apul, Onur G; Karanfil, Tanju; van den Hurk, Peter; Klaine, Stephen J

2017-08-15

Despite carbon nanomaterials' (CNMs) potential to alter the bioavailability of adsorbed contaminants, information characterizing the relationship between adsorption behavior and bioavailability of CNM-adsorbed contaminants is still limited. To investigate the influence of CNM morphology and organic contaminant (OC) physicochemical properties on this relationship, adsorption isotherms were generated for a suite of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and exfoliated graphene (GN) in conjunction with determining the bioavailability of the adsorbed PAHs to Pimphales promelas using bile analysis via fluorescence spectroscopy. Although it appeared that GN adsorbed PAHs indiscriminately compared to MWCNTs, the subsequent bioavailability of GN-adsorbed PAHs was more sensitive to PAH morphology than MWCNTs. GN was effective at reducing bioavailability of linear PAHs by ∼70%, but had little impact on angular PAHs. MWCNTs were sensitive to molecular size, where bioavailability of two-ringed naphthalene was reduced by ∼80%, while bioavailability of the larger PAHs was reduced by less than 50%. Furthermore, the reduction in bioavailability of CNM-adsorbed PAHs was negatively correlated with the amount of CNM surface area covered by the adsorbed-PAHs. This study shows that the variability in bioavailability of CNM-adsorbed PAHs is largely driven by PAH size, configuration and surface area coverage.

Ferromagnetic MnGaN thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for spintronics applications

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

Lee, Hwachol; Sukegawa, Hiroaki, E-mail: sukegawa.hiroaki@nims.go.jp; Ohkubo, Tadakatsu

2015-07-20

Perpendicularly magnetized flat thin films of antiperovskite Mn{sub 67}Ga{sub 24}N{sub 9} were grown on an MgO(001) substrate by reactive sputtering using an argon/1% nitrogen gas mixture and a Mn{sub 70}Ga{sub 30} target. The films showed a saturation magnetization of 80 –100 kA/m, an effective perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) energy of 0.1–0.2 MJ/m{sup 3}, and a Curie temperature of 660–740 K. Upon increasing the N composition, the films transformed from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic as expected in the stoichiometric Mn{sub 3}GaN phase. Point contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy revealed that the ferromagnetic MnGaN has a current spin polarization of 57%, which is comparable to D0{sub 22}-MnGa. Thesemore » findings suggest that MnGaN is a promising PMA layer for future spintronics devices.« less

Organic and Inorganic Dyes in Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films

PubMed Central

Ball, Vincent

2012-01-01

Polyelectrolyte multilayer films are a versatile functionalization method of surfaces and rely on the alternated adsorption of oppositely charged species. Among such species, charged dyes can also be alternated with oppositely charged polymers, which is challenging from a fundamental point of view, because polyelectrolytes require a minimal number of charges, whereas even monovalent dyes can be incorporated during the alternated adsorption process. We will not only focus on organic dyes but also on their inorganic counterparts and on metal complexes. Such films offer plenty of possible applications in dye sensitized solar cells. In addition, dyes are massively used in the textile industry and in histology to stain textile fibers or tissues. However, the excess of non bound dyes poses serious environmental problems. It is hence of the highest interest to design materials able to adsorb such dyes in an almost irreversible manner. Polyelectrolyte multilayer films, owing to their ion exchange behavior can be useful for such a task allowing for impressive overconcentration of dyes with respect to the dye in solution. The actual state of knowledge of the interactions between charged dyes and adsorbed polyelectrolytes is the focus of this review article.

Effect of Si in reactively sputtered Ti-Si-N films on structure and diffusion barrier performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, X.; Kolawa, E.; Im, S.; Garland, C.; Nicolet, M.-A.

Two ternary films about 100 nm thick, Ti34Si23N43 (b3) and Ti35Si13N52 (c3), are synthesized by reactively sputtering a Ti5Si3 or a Ti3Si target, respectively. The silicon-lean film (c3) has a columnar structure closely resembling that of TiN. As a diffusion barrier between a shallow Si n+p junction diode and a Cu overlayer, this material is effective up to 700 °C for 30 min annealing in vacuum, a performance similar to that for TiN. The silicon-rich (b3) film contains nanocrystals of TiN, randomly oriented and embedded in an amorphous matrix. A film of (b3) maintains the stability of the same diode structure up to 850 °C for 30 min in vacuum. This film (b3) is clearly superior to TiN or to (c3). Similar experiments performed with Al instead of Cu overlayers highlight the importance of the thermodynamic stability of a barrier layer and demonstrate convincingly that for stable barriers the microstructure is a parameter that directly determines the barrier performance.

Reverse-bias-driven dichromatic electroluminescence of n-ZnO wire arrays/p-GaN film heterojunction light-emitting diodes

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

Jeong, Junseok; Choi, Ji Eun; Hong, Young Joon, E-mail: yjhong@sejong.ac.kr

Position-controlled n-ZnO microwire (MW) and nanowire-bundle (NW-B) arrays were fabricated using hydrothermal growth of ZnO on a patterned p-GaN film. Both the wire/film p–n heterojunctions showed electrical rectification features at reverse-bias (rb) voltages, analogous to backward diodes. Dichromatic electroluminescence (EL) emissions with 445- and 560-nm-wavelength peaks displayed whitish-blue and greenish-yellow light from MW- and NW-B-based heterojunctions at rb voltages, respectively. The different dichromatic EL emission colors were studied based on photoluminescence spectra and the dichromatic EL peak intensity ratios as a function of the rb voltage. The different EL colors are discussed with respect to depletion thickness and electron tunnelingmore » probability determined by wire/film junction geometry and size.« less

Quantitative Analysis of Etching Rate Profiles for 11B+-Implanted Si3N4 Film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakata, Jyoji; Kajiyama, Kenji

1983-01-01

Etching rate enhancement for 11B+-implanted Si3N4 film was investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The etching solution was concentrated H3PO4 at ˜165°C Film thicknesses were precisely measured by ellipsometry. Enhancement resulted from Si-N bond breaking. This was confirmed by a decrease of infrared absorption at a 12.0 μm wavelength for Si-N bond vibration. Main and additional peaks were observed in the etching rate profile. The former was due to nuclear damage and was well represented by the calculated etching rate profile deduced from the nuclear deposited energy density distribution. The latter existed in the surface region only when the ion projected range was shorter than the film thickness. This peak was possibly caused by charge accumulation in the insulating Si3N4 film during 11B+ implantation.

Developing of a magnetite film of carboxymethyl cellulose grafted carboxymethyl polyvinyl alcohol (CMC-g-CMPVA) for copper removal.

PubMed

Dahlan, Nuraina Anisa; Veeramachineni, Anand Kumar; Langford, Steven James; Pushpamalar, Janarthanan

2017-10-01

Crosslinked carboxymethyl cellulose grafted carboxymethyl polyvinyl alcohol (CMC-g-CMPVA) was loaded with modified magnetite iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles to synthesise a new and easily separable adsorbent for the removal of copper (II) ions from water. The novel adsorbents were characterised by the presence of the functional group, surface morphology, crystallinity and magnetic property. The equilibrium time from the adsorption studies was found to be less than 240min for both film and bead forms while the rate of Cu 2+ removal decreased as the initial Cu 2+ concentration increased. In addition, CMC-g-CMPVA film loaded with Fe 3 O 4 /SiO 2 nanoparticles was the best adsorbent with maximum adsorption capacity of 35.34mg/g and exhibited a reusable potential. The properties exhibited by the new heterogeneous material is a promising adsorbent for the removal and recovery of copper (II) from wastewater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adsorbent Alkali Conditioning for Uranium Adsorption from Seawater. Adsorbent Performance and Technology Cost Evaluation

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

Tsouris, Costas; Mayes, Richard T.; Janke, Christopher James

The Fuel Resources program of the Fuel Cycle Research and Development program of the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) is focused on identifying and implementing actions to assure that nuclear fuel resources are available in the United States. An immense source of uranium is seawater, which contains an estimated amount of 4.5 billion tonnes of dissolved uranium. This unconventional resource can provide a price cap and ensure centuries of uranium supply for future nuclear energy production. NE initiated a multidisciplinary program with participants from national laboratories, universities, and research institutes to enable technical breakthroughs related to uranium recovery from seawater.more » The goal is to develop advanced adsorbents to reduce the seawater uranium recovery technology cost and uncertainties. Under this program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed a new amidoxime-based adsorbent of high surface area, which tripled the uranium capacity of leading Japanese adsorbents. Parallel efforts have been focused on the optimization of the physicochemical and operating parameters used during the preparation of the adsorbent for deployment. A set of parameters that need to be optimized are related to the conditioning of the adsorbent with alkali solution, which is necessary prior to adsorbent deployment. Previous work indicated that alkali-conditioning parameters significantly affect the adsorbent performance. Initiated in 2014, this study had as a goal to determine optimal parameters such as base type and concentration, temperature, and duration of conditioning that maximize the uranium adsorption performance of amidoxime functionalized adsorbent, while keeping the cost of uranium production low. After base-treatment at various conditions, samples of adsorbent developed at ORNL were tested in this study with batch simulated seawater solution of 8-ppm uranium concentration, batch seawater spiked with uranium nitrate at 75-100 ppb uranium, and

Influence of metallic surface states on electron affinity of epitaxial AlN films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Monu; Krishna, Shibin; Aggarwal, Neha; Gupta, Govind

2017-06-01

The present article investigates surface metallic states induced alteration in the electron affinity of epitaxial AlN films. AlN films grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy system with (30% and 16%) and without metallic aluminium on the surface were probed via photoemission spectroscopic measurements. An in-depth analysis exploring the influence of metallic aluminium and native oxide on the electronic structure of the films is performed. It was observed that the metallic states pinned the Fermi Level (FL) near valence band edge and lead to the reduction of electron affinity (EA). These metallic states initiated charge transfer and induced changes in surface and interface dipoles strength. Therefore, the EA of the films varied between 0.6-1.0 eV due to the variation in contribution of metallic states and native oxide. However, the surface barrier height (SBH) increased (4.2-3.5 eV) adversely due to the availability of donor-like surface states in metallic aluminium rich films.

Influence of in-situ deposited SiNx interlayer on crystal quality of GaN epitaxial films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Teng; Jia, Wei; Tong, Guangyun; Zhai, Guangmei; Li, Tianbao; Dong, Hailiang; Xu, Bingshe

2018-05-01

GaN epitaxial films with SiNx interlayers were prepared by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on c-plane sapphire substrates. The influences of deposition times and locations of SiNx interlayers on crystal quality of GaN epitaxial films were studied. Under the optimal growth time of 120 s for the SiNx interlayer, the dislocation density of GaN film is reduced to 4.05 × 108 cm-2 proved by high resolution X-ray diffraction results. It is found that when the SiNx interlayer deposits on the GaN nucleation islands, the subsequent GaN film has the lowest dislocation density of only 2.89 × 108 cm-2. Moreover, a model is proposed to illustrate the morphological evolution and associated propagation processes of TDs in GaN epi-layers with SiNx interlayers for different deposition times and locations.

A Multi-technique Characterization of Adsorbed Protein Films: Orientation and Structure by ToF-SIMS, NEXAFS, SFG, and XPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baio, Joseph E.

immobilization schemes. This protein contained both a hexahistidine tag and a cysteine residue, introduced at opposite ends of the HuLys Fv, for immobilization onto nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and maleimide oligo- (ethylene glycol) (MEG)-terminated substrates. The thiol group on the cysteine residue selectively binds to the MEG groups, while the his-tag selectively binds to the Ni-loaded NTA groups. XPS was used to monitor protein coverage on both surfaces by following the change in the nitrogen atomic %. The ToF-SIMS data provided a clear differentiation between the two samples due to the intensity differences of secondary ions originating from asymmetrically located amino acids in HuLys Fv. Indicating that the HuLys Fv fragment when adsorbed into the NTA and MEG substrates will be induced into two different orientations. On the NTA substrate the protein's binding site is accessible, while on the MEG substrate the binding site is oriented towards the surface. By taking advantage of the electron pathway through the heme group in cytochrome c (CytoC) electrochemists have built sensors based upon CytoC immobilized onto functionalized metal electrodes. When immobilized onto a charged surface, CytoC, with its distribution of lysine and glutamate residues around its surface, should orient and form a well-ordered protein film. Here a detailed examination of CytoC orientation when electrostatically immobilized onto both amine (NH 3+) and carboxyl (COO-) functionalized gold is presented. Again, protein coverage, on both surfaces, was monitored by the change in the atomic % N, as determined by XPS. ToF-SIMS data demonstrated a clear separation between the two samples based on the intensity differences of secondary ions stemming from amino acids located asymmetrically within CytoC, indicating opposite orientations of the protein on the two different surfaces. Spectral features within the in situ sum frequency generation vibrational spectra, acquired for the protein interacting with

Direct growth of NiO nanosheets on mesoporous TiN film for energy storage devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jae Hun; Lim, Jung Yup; Lee, Chang Soo; Park, Jung Tae; Kim, Jong Hak

2017-10-01

We report an efficient energy storage electrode based on well-defined, interconnected NiO nanosheets (NiO-NS) grown directly on a mesoporous TiN (meso-TiN) film via a solvothermal method. A mesoporous TiO2 (meso-TiO2) film is prepared using a graft copolymer template and then thermally annealed in ammonia at 800 °C to convert meso-TiO2 into meso-TiN. The ultrathin interconnected NiO-NS provide a large surface area and effective electron pathway, which enhance their specific capacitance and electrochemical properties. In contrast, a less-organized structure with poor homogeneity, low porosity and some cracks is formed for dense-TiN film prepared without the PVC-g-POEM. The meso-TiN film acts as an efficient conductive support to grow the NiO-NS and enhances the diffusion of electron/electrolyte ions. Despite its low thickness (<1.3 μm), the NiO-NS/meso-TiN supercapacitor exhibits a high capacitance of 104 mF cm-2 and good cycle stability (86% capacitance retention) owing to the synergetic effects of the NiO-NS and meso-TiN heteronanostructure. The NiO-NS/meso-TiN film is also applied to a flexible substrate and exhibits no cracks after bending; thus, our work provides an efficient way to design flexible energy storage devices using graft-copolymer-directed heteronanostructures.

Fabrication of Si3N4 thin films on phynox alloy substrates for electronic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shankernath, V.; Naidu, K. Lakshun; Krishna, M. Ghanashyam; Padmanabhan, K. A.

2018-04-01

Thin films of Si3N4 are deposited on Phynox alloy substrates using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The thickness of the films was varied between 80-150 nm by increasing the duration of deposition from 1 to 3 h at a fixed power density and working pressure. X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that the Si3N4 films had crystallized inspite of the substrates not being heated during deposition. This was confirmed using selected area electron diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy also. It is postulated that a low lattice misfit between Si3N4 and Phynox provides energetically favourable conditions for ambient temperature crystallization. The hardness of the films is of the order of 6 to 9 GPa.

Indium droplet formation in InGaN thin films with single and double heterojunctions prepared by MOCVD

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Indium gallium nitride (InGaN) samples with single heterojunction (SH) and double heterojunction (DH) were prepared using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. SH has a layer of InGaN thin film (thicknesses, 25, 50, 100, and 200 nm) grown on an uGaN film (thickness, 2 μm). The DH samples are distinguished by DH uGaN film (thickness, 120 nm) grown on the InGaN layer. Reciprocal space mapping measurements reveal that the DH samples are fully strained with different thicknesses, whereas the strain in the SH samples are significantly relaxed with the increasing thickness of the InGaN film. Scanning electron microscopy results show that the surface roughness of the sample increases when the sample is relaxed. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy images of the structure of indium droplets in the DH sample indicate that the thickness of the InGaN layer decreases with the density of indium droplets. The formation of these droplets is attributed to the insufficient kinetic energy of indium atom to react with the elements of group V, resulting to aggregation. The gallium atoms in the GaN thin film will not be uniformly replaced by indium atoms; the InGaN thin film has an uneven distribution of indium atoms and the quality of the epitaxial layer is degraded. PMID:25024692

Poole-Frenkel effect on electrical characterization of Al-doped ZnO films deposited on p-type GaN

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

Huang, Bohr-Ran; Liao, Chung-Chi; Ke, Wen-Cheng, E-mail: wcke@saturn.yzu.edu.tw

2014-03-21

This paper presents the electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films directly grown on two types of p-type GaN thin films. The low-pressure p-GaN thin films (LP-p-GaN) exhibited structural properties of high-density edge-type threading dislocations (TDs) and compensated defects (i.e., nitrogen vacancy). Compared with high-pressure p-GaN thin films (HP-p-GaN), X-ray photoemission spectroscopy of Ga 3d core levels indicated that the surface Fermi-level shifted toward the higher binding-energy side by approximately 0.7 eV. The high-density edge-type TDs and compensated defects enabled surface Fermi-level shifting above the intrinsic Fermi-level, causing the surface of LP-p-GaN thin films to invert to n-type semiconductor. A highlymore » nonlinear increase in leakage current regarding reverse-bias voltage was observed for AZO/LP-p-GaN. The theoretical fits for the reverse-bias voltage region indicated that the field-assisted thermal ionization of carriers from defect associated traps, which is known as the Poole-Frenkel effect, dominated the I-V behavior of AZO/LP-p-GaN. The fitting result estimated the trap energy level at 0.62 eV below the conduction band edge. In addition, the optical band gap increased from 3.50 eV for as-deposited AZO films to 3.62 eV for 300 °C annealed AZO films because of the increased carrier concentration. The increasing Fermi-level of the 300 °C annealed AZO films enabled the carrier transport to move across the interface into the LP-p-GaN thin films without any thermal activated energy. Thus, the Ohmic behavior of AZO contact can be achieved directly on the low-pressure p-GaN films at room temperature.« less

Method for continuous control of composition and doping of pulsed laser deposited films

DOEpatents

Lowndes, Douglas H.; McCamy, James W.

1995-01-01

A method for growing a deposit upon a substrate of semiconductor material involves the utilization of pulsed laser deposition techniques within a low-pressure gas environment. The substrate and a target of a first material are positioned within a deposition chamber and a low-pressure gas atmosphere is developed within the chamber. The substrate is then heated, and the target is irradiated, so that atoms of the target material are ablated from the remainder of the target, while atoms of the gas simultaneously are adsorbed on the substrate/film surface. The ablated atoms build up upon the substrate, together with the adsorbed gas atoms to form the thin-film deposit on the substrate. By controlling the pressure of the gas of the chamber atmosphere, the composition of the formed deposit can be controlled, and films of continuously variable composition or doping can be grown from a single target of fixed composition.

The Structures of Fibronectin Adsorbed on Polyelectrolyte Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Kwanwoo; Satija, Sushil; Fang, Xiao-Hua; Li, Bin-Quan; Nadine, Pernodet; Miriam, Rafailovich; Sokolov, Jonathan; Arach, Goldar; Roser, Steve

2002-03-01

We have shown that it is possible to form a fibrilar network of fibronectin on a polyelectrolyte polymer film whose dimensions are similar to those reported on the extra cellular matrix. The fibronectin network was observed to form only when the charge density of the polymer was in excess of the natural charge density of the cell wall. Furthermore, the self-organized fibronectin layer was much thicker than the polymer film, indicating that long ranged interaction may play a key role in the assembly process. It is therefore important to understand the structure of the polymer layer/protein interface. Here we report on a neutron reflectivity study where we explore the structure of the polyelectrolyte layer, in this case sulfonated polystyrene (PSS_x.), with varying degree of sulfonation (x<30%), as a function of sulfur content and counter ion concentration. These results are then correlated with systemic study of the adsorption and the multilayer formation of fibronectin as a function of incubation time for various sulfonation levels of PSS_x. Furthermore, the surface charge on the substrates can be strongly influenced by the presence of salt ions, it is important to understand changes due to electrostatic interactions occurring in the various salt conditions. Complementary X-ray reflection was used to determine the salt density profile associating with the internal ionic polymer matrix. This work was funded in part of the NSF-MRSEC program.

Mercury adsorption to gold nanoparticle and thin film surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Todd Ashley

Mercury adsorption to gold nanoparticle and thin film surfaces was monitored by spectroscopic techniques. Adsorption of elemental mercury to colloidal gold nanoparticles causes a color change from wine-red to orange that was quantified by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The wavelength of the surface plasmon mode of 5, 12, and 31 nm gold particles blue-shifts 17, 14, and 7.5 nm, respectively, after a saturation exposure of mercury vapor. Colorimetric detection of inorganic mercury was demonstrated by employing 2.5 nm gold nanoparticles. The addition of low microgram quantities of Hg 2+ to these nanoparticles induces a color change from yellow to peach or blue. It is postulated that Hg2+ is reduced to elemental mercury by SCN- before and/or during adsorption to the nanoparticle surface. It has been demonstrated that surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPRS) is sensitive to mercury adsorption to gold and silver surfaces. By monitoring the maximum change in reflectivity as a function of amount of mercury adsorbed to the surface, 50 nm Ag films were shown to be 2--3 times more sensitive than 50 nm Au films and bimetallic 15 nm Au/35 nm Ag films. In addition, a surface coverage of ˜40 ng Hg/cm2 on the gold surface results in a 0.03° decrease in the SPR angle of minimum reflectivity. SPRS was employed to follow Hg exposure to self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au. The data indicate that the hydrophilic or hydrophobic character of the SAM has a significant effect on the efficiency of Hg penetration. Water adsorbed to carboxylic acid end group of the hydrophilic SAMs is believed to slow the penetration of Hg compared to methyl terminated SAMs. Finally, two protocols were followed to remove mercury from gold films: immersion in concentrated nitric acid and thermal annealing up to 200°C. The latter protocol is preferred because it removes all of the adsorbed mercury from the gold surface and does not affect the morphology of the gold surface.

Supramolecular Control in Nanostructured Film Architectures for Detecting Breast Cancer.

PubMed

Soares, Juliana Coatrini; Shimizu, Flavio Makoto; Soares, Andrey Coatrini; Caseli, Luciano; Ferreira, Jacqueline; Oliveira, Osvaldo N

2015-06-10

The need for early detection of various diseases, including breast cancer, has motivated research into nanomaterials that can be assembled in organized films which serve as biosensors. Owing to the variety of possible materials and film architectures, procedures are required to design optimized biosensors. In this study, we combine surface-specific methods to monitor the assembly of antibodies on nanostructured films with two distinct architectures. In the first, a layer of the antibody type mouse anti-HER2 (clone tab250) was immobilized on a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid modified with N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and 1-ethyl-3-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)carbodiimide (EDC). In the second approach, a SAM of cysteamine was coated with a biotin/spreptavidin bilayer on which a layer of biotinylated antibody type MSx2HUp185/her biotin was adsorbed. The rougher, less passivating coating with cysteamine determined from cyclic voltammetry and scanning electron microscopy led to biosensors that are more sensitive to detect the breast cancer ERBB2 (HER2) biomarker in impedance spectroscopy measurements. This higher distinguishing ability of the cysteamine-containing film architecture was proven with information visualization methods to treat the impedance data. Polarization-modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) confirmed that biosensing resulted from the antibody-ERBB2 antigen affinity.

Characterization of casein and poly-l-arginine multilayer films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szyk-Warszyńska, Lilianna; Kilan, Katarzyna; Socha, Robert P.

2014-06-01

Thin films containing casein appear to be a promising material for coatings used in the medical area to promote biomineralization. alfa- and beta-casein and poly-L-arginine multilayer films were formed by the layer-by layer technique and their thickness and mass were analyzed by ellipsometry and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). We investigated the effect of the type of casein used for the film formation and of the polyethyleneimine anchoring layer on the thickness and mass of adsorbed films. The analysis of the mass of films during their post-treatment with the solutions of various ionic strength and pH provided the information concerning films stability, while the XPS elemental analysis confirmed binding of calcium ions by the casein embedded in the multilayers.

Hydrothermal growth of n-ZnO films on a patterned p-GaN epilayer and its application in heterojunction light-emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, Rong-Ming; Wang, Shui-Jinn; Chen, Ching-Yi; Wu, Cheng-Han; Lin, Yan-Ru; Lo, Hsin-Ming

2017-04-01

The hydrothermal growth (HTG) of crystalline n-ZnO films on both the nonpatterned and patterned p-GaN epilayers with a honeycomb array of etched holes is demonstrated, and its application in n-ZnO/p-GaN heterojunction light-emitting diodes (HJ-LEDs) is reported. The results reveal that an HTG n-ZnO film on a patterned p-GaN layer exhibits a high-quality single crystal with FWHMs of 0.463 and 0.983° obtained from a ω-rocking curve and a ϕ-scan pattern, respectively, which are much better than those obtained on a nonpatterned p-GaN layer. In addition, the n-ZnO/patterned p-GaN HJ-LED exhibited a much better rectifying diode behavior owing to having a higher n-ZnO film crystallinity quality and an improved interface with the p-GaN layer. Strong violet and violet-blue lights emitted from the n-ZnO/patterned p-GaN HJ-LED at around 405, 412, and 430 nm were analyzed.

Electro-acoustic sensors based on AlN thin film: possibilities and limitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wingqvist, Gunilla

2011-06-01

The non-ferroelectric polar wurtzite aluminium nitride (AlN) material has been shown to have potential for various sensor applications both utilizing the piezoelectric effect directly for pressure sensors or indirectly for acoustic sensing of various physical, chemical and biochemical sensor applications. Especially, sputter deposited AlN thin films have played a central role for successful development of the thin film electro-acoustic technology. The development has been primarily driven by one device - the thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR or TFBAR), with its primary use for high frequency filter applications for the telecom industry. AlN has been the dominating choice for commercial application due to compatibility with the integrated circuit technology, low acoustic and dielectric losses, high acoustic velocity in combination with comparably high (but still for some applications limited) electromechanical coupling. Recently, increased piezoelectric properties (and also electromechanical coupling) in the AlN through the alloying with scandium nitride (ScN) have been identified both experimentally and theoretically. Inhere, the utilization of piezoelectricity in electro-acoustic sensing will be discussed together with expectation on acoustic FBAR sensor performance with variation in piezoelectric material properties in the parameter space around AlN due to alloying, in view of the ScxAl1-xN (0

Composition measurement of epitaxial Sc x Ga1-x N films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsui, H. C. L.; Goff, L. E.; Barradas, N. P.; Alves, E.; Pereira, S.; Palgrave, R. G.; Davies, R. J.; Beere, H. E.; Farrer, I.; Ritchie, D. A.; Moram, M. A.

2016-06-01

Four different methods for measuring the compositions of epitaxial Sc x Ga1-x N films were assessed and compared to determine which was the most reliable and accurate. The compositions of epitaxial Sc x Ga1-x N films with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.26 were measured directly using Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and indirectly using c lattice parameter measurements from x-ray diffraction and c/a ratio measurements from electron diffraction patterns. RBS measurements were taken as a standard reference. XPS was found to underestimate the Sc content, whereas c lattice parameter and c/a ratio were not reliable for composition determination due to the unknown degree of strain relaxation in the film. However, the Sc flux used during growth was found to relate linearly with x and could be used to estimate the Sc content.

Photocatalytic thin films containing TiO2:N nanopowders obtained by the layer-by-layer self-assembling method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rojas-Blanco, L.; Urzúa, M. D.; Ramírez-Bon, R.; Espinoza Beltrán, F. J.

2012-01-01

In this work, TiO2-N powders were synthesized by high-energy ball milling, using commercial titanium dioxide (TiO2) in the anatase phase and urea to introduce nitrogen into TiO2 in order to enhance their photocatalytic properties in the visible spectral region. Several samples were prepared by milling a mixture of TiO2-urea during 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h and characterized by spectroscopic and analytical techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed the coexistence of anatase and high-pressure srilankite TiO2 crystalline phases in the samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the grain size of the powder samples decreases to 200 nm at 24 h milling time. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopic data showed a clear red-shift in the onset of light absorption from 387 to 469 nm as consequence of nitrogen doping in the samples. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2-N samples was evaluated by methylene blue degradation under visible light irradiation. It was found that TiO2-N samples had higher photocatalytic activity than undoped TiO2 samples, which could be assigned to the effect of introducing N atoms and XPS results confirm it. Using polyethylenimine (PEI), transparent thin films of TiO2-N nanoparticles were prepared by layer-by-layer self assembly method. UV-visible spectrophotometry was employed in a quantitative manner to monitor the adsorbed mass of TiO2 and PEI after each dip cycle. The adsorption of both TiO2 and PEI showed a saturation dip time of 15 min.

Tribology of carbide derived carbon films synthesized on tungsten carbide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tlustochowicz, Marcin

Tribologically advantageous films of carbide derived carbon (CDC) have been successfully synthesized on binderless tungsten carbide manufactured using the plasma pressure compaction (P2CRTM) technology. In order to produce the CDC films, tungsten carbide samples were reacted with chlorine containing gas mixtures at temperatures ranging from 800°C to 1000°C in a sealed tube furnace. Some of the treated samples were later dechlorinated by an 800°C hydrogenation treatment. Detailed mechanical and structural characterizations of the CDC films and sliding contact surfaces were done using a series of analytical techniques and their results were correlated with the friction and wear behavior of the CDC films in various tribosystems, including CDC-steel, CDC-WC, CDC-Si3N4 and CDC-CDC. Optimum synthesis and treatment conditions were determined for use in two specific environments: moderately humid air and dry nitrogen. It was found that CDC films first synthesized at 1000°C and then hydrogen post-treated at 800°C performed best in air with friction coefficient values as low as 0.11. However, for dry nitrogen applications, no dechlorination was necessary and both hydrogenated and as-synthesized CDC films exhibited friction coefficients of approximately 0.03. A model of tribological behavior of CDC has been proposed that takes into consideration the tribo-oxidation of counterface material, the capillary forces from adsorbed water vapor, the carbon-based tribofilm formation, and the lubrication effect of both chlorine and hydrogen.

Characterization and mechanical properties investigation of TiN-Ag films onto Ti-6Al-4V

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Dongxing; Liu, Daoxin; Zhang, Xiaohua; Tang, Jingang; Xiang, Dinggen

2016-03-01

To investigate their effect on fretting fatigue (FF) resistance of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy, hard solid lubricating composite films of TiN with varying silver contents (TiN-Ag) were deposited on a Ti-6Al-4V alloy using ion-assisted magnetron sputtering. The surface morphology and structure were analyzed by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The hardness, bonding strength, and toughness of films were tested using a micro-hardness tester, scratch tester, and a repeated press-press test system that was manufactured in-house, respectively. The FF resistance of TiN-Ag composite films was studied using self-developed devices. The results show that the FF resistance of a titanium alloy can be improved by TiN-Ag composite films, which were fabricated using hard TiN coating doped with soft Ag. The FF life of Ag0.5, Ag2, Ag5, Ag10 and Ag20 composite films is 2.41, 3.18, 3.20, 2.94 and 2.87 times as great as that of the titanium alloy, respectively. This is because the composite films have the better toughness, friction lubrication, and high bonding strength. When the atomic fraction of Ag changes from 2% to 5%, the FF resistance of the composite films shows the best performance. This is attributed to the surface integrity of the composite film is sufficiently fine to prevent the initiation and early propagation of FF cracks.

Piezo-phototronic effect on electroluminescence properties of p-type GaN thin films.

PubMed

Hu, Youfan; Zhang, Yan; Lin, Long; Ding, Yong; Zhu, Guang; Wang, Zhong Lin

2012-07-11

We present that the electroluminescence (EL) properties of Mg-doped p-type GaN thin films can be tuned by the piezo-phototronic effect via adjusting the minority carrier injection efficiency at the metal-semiconductor (M-S) interface by strain induced polarization charges. The device is a metal-semiconductor-metal structure of indium tin oxide (ITO)-GaN-ITO. Under different straining conditions, the changing trend of the transport properties of GaN films can be divided into two types, corresponding to the different c-axis orientations of the films. An extreme value was observed for the integral EL intensity under certain applied strain due to the adjusted minority carrier injection efficiency by piezoelectric charges introduced at the M-S interface. The external quantum efficiency of the blue EL at 430 nm was changed by 5.84% under different straining conditions, which is 1 order of magnitude larger than the change of the green peak at 540 nm. The results indicate that the piezo-phototronic effect has a larger impact on the shallow acceptor states related EL process than on the one related to the deep acceptor states in p-type GaN films. This study has great significance on the practical applications of GaN in optoelectronic devices under a working environment where mechanical deformation is unavoidable such as for flexible/printable light emitting diodes.

Nonadiabatic dynamics of electron scattering from adsorbates in surface bands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gumhalter, Branko; Šiber, Antonio; Buljan, Hrvoje; Fauster, Thomas

2008-10-01

We present a comparative study of nonadiabatic dynamics of electron scattering in quasi-two-dimensional surface band which is induced by the long-range component of the interactions with a random array of adsorbates. Using three complementary model descriptions of intraband spatiotemporal propagation of quasiparticles that go beyond the single-adsorbate scattering approach we are able to identify distinct subsequent regimes of evolution of an electron following its promotion into an unoccupied band state: (i) early quadratic or ballistic decay of the initial-state survival probability within the Heisenberg uncertainty window, (ii) preasymptotic exponential decay governed by the self-consistent Fermi golden rule scattering rate, and (iii) asymptotic decay described by a combined inverse power-law and logarithmic behavior. The developed models are applied to discuss the dynamics of intraband adsorbate-induced scattering of hot electrons excited into the n=1 image-potential band on Cu(100) surface during the first stage of a two-photon photoemission process. Estimates of crossovers between the distinct evolution regimes enable assessments of the lifespan of a standard quasiparticle behavior and thereby of the range of applicability of the widely used Fermi golden rule and optical Bloch equations approach for description of adsorbate-induced quasiparticle decay and dephasing in ultrafast experiments.

Adsorption of mercury by carbonaceous adsorbents prepared from rubber of tyre wastes.

PubMed

Manchón-Vizuete, E; Macías-García, A; Nadal Gisbert, A; Fernández-González, C; Gómez-Serrano, V

2005-03-17

Rubber from tyre wastes has been used to prepare carbonaceous adsorbents and the products obtained have been tested as adsorbents for mercury in aqueous solution. The adsorbents have been prepared by applying thermal, chemical and combined (thermal and chemical or vice versa) treatments. Tyre rubber has been: heated at 400 or 900 degrees C for 2 h in N2, chemically-treated with H2SO4, HNO3 or H2SO4/HNO3 solution for 24 h, and in two successive steps first heated at 400 degrees C for 2h in N2 and then treated with a H2SO4/HNO3 solution for 24 h, or vice versa. Resultant products have been characterised in terms of elementary composition and textural properties. The adsorption of mercury has been studied from kinetic and equilibrium standpoints. The treatments effected to tyre rubber decrease the carbon content and the hydrogen content. The oxygen content and the nitrogen content increase for the chemically-treated products. The heat treatment of tyre rubber results in a larger development of surface area, microporosity, and mesoporosity than the chemical treatments. These treatments, however, produce a great creation of macropores. In comparison to the starting rubber, the adsorption process of mercury is faster when the material is heated or treated with the H2SO4, HNO3 or 1:3 H2SO4/HNO3 solution. These adsorbents are either a non-porous solid or possess a high mesopore volume or a wide pore size distribution in the macropore range. The adsorption capacity is larger for products prepared by heat, chemical and combined treatments of the rubber. A common textural characteristic of these adsorbents is their better developed microporosity. The ability to adsorb mercury is higher for the heated products than for the chemically-treated ones. The maximum adsorption of mercury is 211 mg g(-1). The constant Kf of the Freundlich equation is as high as 108.9 mg g(-1).

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Magnetic exchange hardening in polycrystalline GdN thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senapati, K.; Fix, T.; Vickers, M. E.; Blamire, M. G.; Barber, Z. H.

2010-08-01

We report the observation of intrinsic exchange hardening in polycrystalline GdN thin films grown at room temperature by magnetron sputtering. We find, in addition to the ferromagnetic phase, that a fraction of GdN crystallizes in a structural polymorphic form which orders antiferromagnetically. The relative fraction of these two phases was controlled by varying the relative abundance of reactive species in the sputtering plasma by means of the sputtering power and N2 partial pressure. An exchange bias of ~ 30 Oe was observed at 10 K. The exchange coupling between the ferromagnetic and the antiferromagnetic phases resulted in an order of magnitude enhancement in the coercive field in these films.

Preparation of TiN films by reactive high-power pulsed sputtering Penning discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimura, Takashi; Yoshida, Ryo; Mishima, Toshihiko; Azuma, Kingo; Nakao, Setsuo

2018-06-01

Titanium nitride (TiN) films are prepared by reactive high-power pulsed sputtering Penning discharges at a total pressure of 0.7 Pa and an average power of 60 W, where the nitrogen fraction is varied up to 15%. The peak value of the instantaneous power ranges between 3 and 14 kW, and the peak power density ranges between 0.3 and 1.2 kW cm‑2. The hardness of TiN films is higher than 22 GPa at the nitrogen fractions lower than 10% and it reaches 31 GPa at a nitrogen fraction of 5%. The X-ray diffraction peak of TiN(111) texture is observed for all prepared films, showing the grain size of about 10 nm. In X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, oxygen is mainly bonded to titanium, but the intensity of the TiN bond is dominant in the entire Ti 2p spectrum. The intensity ratio of N 1s to Ti 2p ranges between 0.85 and 0.95.

Improved light-induced cell detachment on rutile TiO₂ nanodot films.

PubMed

Cheng, Kui; Sun, Yu; Wan, Hongping; Wang, Xiaozhao; Weng, Wenjian; Lin, Jun; Wang, Huiming

2015-10-01

Anatase TiO2 nanodot films have been found to be able to release cells under light illumination with excellent efficiency and safety. In the present study, we investigated the effects of rutile contents in TiO2 nanodot films on such light induced cell detachment behavior. The results showed that TiO2 nanodot films with different contents of rutile phase have been prepared successfully. The content of rutile phase increased with the increase in calcination temperature. All films possessed good cell adhesion but there was a decrease in cell proliferation with the increasing content of rutile phase. Single cell detachment assay showed that the films with high rutile contents (calcined at 900°C and 1100°C) showed better cell detachment performance. That was ascribed to the changes of the secondary structure of extracellular proteins adsorbed on the nanodot surface after ultraviolet (365 nm, UV365) illumination. In addition, cell sheets detached through UV365 illumination maintained high activity and could be further used in tissue engineering. The present work showed that the existence of rutile phase is helpful in cell detachment behavior and it could be utilized to optimize light-induced cell detachment behavior. This work discovers that the presence of rutile phase in TiO2 nanodot films could improve the light-induced cell detachment behavior, although rutile phase is inferior to anatase phase on light induced superhydrophilicity. That strongly supported that the behaviors of adsorbed proteins are crucial in acquiring cell sheet with light illumination. In fact, the state and behavior of adsorbed protein greatly affect the interaction between biomaterials and living cells. Therefore, we consider this work is not only important in harvesting cells or cell sheets through light illumination, but also helpful in further understanding of interaction between biomaterials and cells. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel adsorbent obtained by inserting carbon nanotubes into cavities of diatomite and applications for organic dye elimination from contaminated water.

PubMed

Yu, Hongwen; Fugetsu, Bunshi

2010-05-15

A novel approach is described for establishing adsorbents for elimination of water-soluble organic dyes by using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the adsorptive sites. Agglomerates of MWCNTs were dispersed into individual tubes (dispersed-MWCNTs) using sodium n-dodecyl itaconate mixed with 3-(N,N-dimethylmyristylammonio)-propanesulfonate as the dispersants. The resultant dispersed-MWCNTs were inserted into cavities of diatomite to form composites of diatomite/MWCNTs. These composites were finally immobilized onto the cell walls of flexible polyurethane foams (PUF) through an in situ PUF formation process to produce the foam-like CNT-based adsorbent. Ethidium bromide, acridine orange, methylene blue, eosin B, and eosin Y were chosen to represent typical water-soluble organic dyes for studying the adsorptive capabilities of the foam-like CNT-based adsorbent. For comparisons, adsorptive experiments were also carried out by using agglomerates of the sole MWCNTs as adsorbents. The foam-like CNT-based adsorbents were found to have higher adsorptive capacities than the CNT agglomerates for all five dyes; in addition, they are macro-sized, durable, flexible, hydrophilic and easy to use. Adsorption isotherms plotted based on the Langmuir equation gave linear results, suggesting that the foam-like CNT-based adsorbent functioned in the Langmuir adsorption manner. The foam-like CNT-based adsorbents are reusable after regeneration with aqueous ethanol solution. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observation of reduced phase transition temperature in N-doped thermochromic film of monoclinic VO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Meinan; Xiong, Mo; Li, Neng; Liu, Baoshun; Wang, Shuo; Ching, Wai-Yim; Zhao, Xiujian

2017-07-01

Research on monoclinic (M1) phase of VO2 has attracted a great of interest for smart coating applications due to its exceptional thermochromic property. Herein, we report the results using a novel approach to synthesize N-doped VO2(M1) thin films with high purity by heat treatment in NH3 atmosphere. The N dopant in the film can be regulated by varying NH3 concentration during the annealing process. We find that the N atoms are located at the interstitial sites or substitute oxygen atoms, and the V-N bonds in the VO2 thin films increase with NH3 concentration. The metal to insulator transition (MIT) temperature (τc,h) of the VO2 thin film is effectively reduced from 80.0 to 62.9 °C, while the solar modulation efficiency (ΔTsol) and the modulation efficiency at 2000 nm (ΔT2000nm) are 7.36% and 55.6% respectively. The band gap of N-doped VO2 thin films related to MIT (Eg1) is estimated to be as low as 0.18-0.25 eV whereas the band gap associated with the visible transparency (Eg2) is about 1.50-1.58 eV. Based on the highly accurate first-principles calculations, the Eg1 of VO2 (M1) is reduced after substituted or interstitial N-doping, while the Eg2 alters with the mode of N-doping, which is excellent agreement with experimental measurement.

Partially filled intermediate band of Cr-doped GaN films

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

Sonoda, S.

2012-05-14

We investigated the band structure of sputtered Cr-doped GaN (GaCrN) films using optical absorption, photoelectron yield spectroscopy, and charge transport measurements. It was found that an additional energy band is formed in the intrinsic band gap of GaN upon Cr doping, and that charge carriers in the material move in the inserted band. Prototype solar cells showed enhanced short circuit current and open circuit voltage in the n-GaN/GaCrN/p-GaN structure compared to the GaCrN/p-GaN structure, which validates the proposed concept of an intermediate-band solar cell.

Adsorption Kinetics of Manganese (II) in wastewater of Chemical laboratory with Column Method using Sugarcane Bagasse as Adsorbent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaini, H.; Abubakar, S.; Saifuddin

2018-01-01

The purpose of this research is to separate manganese (II) metal in the wastewater using sugarcane bagasse as an adsorbent. Experimental design, the independent variables are contact time (0; 30; 60; 90; 120; 150; 180; 210; 240 minutes, respectively) and activation treatment (without activation, physical activation, activation by H2SO4 0.5 N and activation by NaOH 0.5 N. Fixed variables consist of adsorbent mass (50 g), adsorbent particle size (30 mesh), flow rate (7 L/min) and volume of adsorbent (10 L). The dependent variable is the concentration of manganese. The results showed that the separation process of manganese by adsorption method was influenced by contact time and activation type. The kinetic studies show that the adsorption mechanism satisfies the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. Maximum adsorption capacity (qm) for adsorbents without treatment is 0.971 mg/g, physical treatment is 0.889 mg/g, chemical treatment by H2SO4 is 0.858 mg/g and chemical treatment by NaOH is 1.016 mg/g.

Characteristics of the Energetic Igniters Through Integrating B/Ti Nano-Multilayers on TaN Film Bridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, YiChao; Shi, Wei; Jiang, HongChuan; Cai, XianYao; Deng, XinWu; Xiong, Jie; Zhang, WanLi

2015-05-01

The energetic igniters through integrating B/Ti nano-multilayers on tantalum nitride (TaN) ignition bridge are designed and fabricated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) results show that nitrogen content has a great influence on the crystalline structure and TCR. TaN films under nitrogen ratio of 0.99 % exhibit a near-zero TCR value of approximately 10 ppm/°C. The scanning electron microscopy demonstrates that the layered structure of the B/Ti multilayer films is clearly visible with sharp and smooth interfaces. The electrical explosion characteristics employing a capacitor discharge firing set at the optimized charging voltage of 45 V reveal an excellent explosion performance by (B/Ti) n /TaN integration film bridge with small ignition delay time, high explosion temperature, much more bright flash of light, and much large quantities of the ejected product particles than TaN film bridge.

Database of Novel and Emerging Adsorbent Materials

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 205 NIST/ARPA-E Database of Novel and Emerging Adsorbent Materials (Web, free access)   The NIST/ARPA-E Database of Novel and Emerging Adsorbent Materials is a free, web-based catalog of adsorbent materials and measured adsorption properties of numerous materials obtained from article entries from the scientific literature. Search fields for the database include adsorbent material, adsorbate gas, experimental conditions (pressure, temperature), and bibliographic information (author, title, journal), and results from queries are provided as a list of articles matching the search parameters. The database also contains adsorption isotherms digitized from the cataloged articles, which can be compared visually online in the web application or exported for offline analysis.

Ferromagnetic resonance of facing-target sputtered epitaxial γ‧-Fe4N films: the influence of thickness and substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Zhengxun; Li, Zirun; Liu, Xiang; Bai, Lihui; Tian, Yufeng; Mi, Wenbo

2018-06-01

The microstructure and high frequency properties of facing-target sputtered epitaxial γ‧-Fe4N films were investigated in detail. It was found that the eddy current in ultrathin γ‧-Fe4N films is too small to influence the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) linewidth, where the linewidth is mostly determined by intrinsic damping and the two-magnon scattering (TMS) process. In relatively thick films, the TMS process can significantly affect the linewidth due to the roughness on the sample surface. However, the TMS process in a thin film is quite weak because of its smooth surface. The Gilbert damping constant of about 0.0135 in our γ‧-Fe4N films is smaller than the experimental value in the previous work. Moreover, substrates can also influence the FMR linewidth of the γ‧-Fe4N films by the TMS process. Besides, the resonance field of polycrystalline γ‧-Fe4N film is larger than the epitaxial ones because of the lack of a magnetic anisotropic field, but the linewidth of the polycrystalline γ‧-Fe4N film is smaller.

Photoluminescence Probing of Complex H2O Adsorption on InGaN/GaN Nanowires.

PubMed

Maier, Konrad; Helwig, Andreas; Müller, Gerhard; Hille, Pascal; Teubert, Jörg; Eickhoff, Martin

2017-02-08

We demonstrate that the complex adsorption behavior of H 2 O on InGaN/GaN nanowire arrays is directly revealed by their ambient-dependent photoluminescence properties. Under low-humidity, ambient-temperature, and low-excitation-light conditions, H 2 O adsorbates cause a quenching of the photoluminescence. In contrast, for high humidity levels, elevated temperature, and high excitation intensity, H 2 O adsorbates act as efficient photoluminescence enhancers. We show that this behavior, which can only be detected due to the low operation temperature of the InGaN/GaN nanowires, can be explained on the basis of single H 2 O adsorbates forming surface recombination centers and multiple H 2 O adsorbates forming surface passivation layers. Reversible creation of such passivation layers is induced by the photoelectrochemical splitting of adsorbed water molecules and by the interaction of reactive H 3 O + and OH - ions with photoactivated InGaN surfaces. Due to electronic coupling of adsorbing molecules with photoactivated surfaces, InGaN/GaN nanowires act as sensitive nanooptical probes for the analysis of photoelectrochemical surface processes.

Mercury adsorption properties of sulfur-impregnated adsorbents

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hsi, N.-C.; Rood, M.J.; Rostam-Abadi, M.; Chen, S.; Chang, R.

2002-01-01

Carbonaceous and noncarbonaceous adsorbents were impregnated with elemental sulfur to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of the adsorbents and their equilibrium mercury adsorption capacities. Simulated coal combustion flue gas conditions were used to determine the equilibrium adsorption capacities for Hg0 and HgCl2 gases to better understand how to remove mercury from gas streams generated by coal-fired utility power plants. Sulfur was deposited onto the adsorbents by monolayer surface deposition or volume pore filling. Sulfur impregnation increased the total sulfur content and decreased the total and micropore surface areas and pore volumes for all of the adsorbents tested. Adsorbents with sufficient amounts of active adsorption sites and sufficient microporous structure had mercury adsorption capacities up to 4,509 ??g Hg/g adsorbent. Elemental sulfur, organic sulfur, and sulfate were formed on the adsorbents during sulfur impregnation. Correlations were established with R2>0.92 between the equilibrium Hg0/HgCl2 adsorption capacities and the mass concentrations of elemental and organic sulfur. This result indicates that elemental and organic sulfur are important active adsorption sites for Hg0 and HgCl2.

Adsorption of human tear lipocalin to human meibomian lipid films.

PubMed

Millar, Thomas J; Mudgil, Poonam; Butovich, Igor A; Palaniappan, Chendur K

2009-01-01

Tear lipocalin (Tlc) is a major lipid binding protein in tears and is thought to have an important role in stabilizing the Meibomian lipid layer by transferring lipids to it from the aqueous layer or ocular surface, or by adsorbing to it directly. These possible roles have been investigated in vitro using human Tlc. Tlc was purified from human tears by size exclusion chromatography followed by ion exchange chromatography. Three additional samples of the Tlc were prepared by lipidation, delipidation, and relipidation. The lipids extracted from the purified Tlc were analyzed by HPLC-MS followed by fragmentation. Adsorption of these different forms of Tlc to a human Meibomian lipid film spread on the surface of an artificial tear buffer in a Langmuir trough were observed by recording changes in the pressure with time (Pi-T profile) and monitoring the appearance of the film microscopically. These results were compared with similar experiments using a bovine Meibomian lipid film. The results indicated that Tlc binds slowly to a human Meibomian lipid film compared with lysozyme or lactoferrin, even at 37 degrees C. The adsorption of Tlc to a human Meibomian lipid film was very different from its adsorption to a bovine Meibomian lipid film, indicating the nature of the lipids in the film is critical to the adsorption process. Similarly, the different forms of Tlc had quite distinct adsorption patterns, as indicated both by changes in Pi-T profiles and the microscopic appearance of the films. It was concluded that human Tlc was capable of adsorbing to and penetrating into a Meibomian lipid layer, but this process is very complex and depends on both the types of lipids bound to Tlc and the lipid complement comprising the Meibomian lipid film.

Adsorption of Human Tear Lipocalin to Human Meibomian Lipid Films

PubMed Central

Millar, Thomas J.; Mudgil, Poonam; Butovich, Igor A.; Palaniappan, Chendur K.

2009-01-01

Purpose Tear lipocalin (Tlc) is a major lipid binding protein in tears and is thought to have an important role in stabilizing the Meibomian lipid layer by transferring lipids to it from the aqueous layer or ocular surface, or by adsorbing to it directly. These possible roles have been investigated in vitro using human Tlc. Methods Tlc was purified from human tears by size exclusion chromatography followed by ion exchange chromatography. Three additional samples of the Tlc were prepared by lipidation, delipidation, and relipidation. The lipids extracted from the purified Tlc were analyzed by HPLC-MS followed by fragmentation. Adsorption of these different forms of Tlc to a human Meibomian lipid film spread on the surface of an artificial tear buffer in a Langmuir trough were observed by recording changes in the pressure with time (∏-T profile) and monitoring the appearance of the film microscopically. These results were compared with similar experiments using a bovine Meibomian lipid film. Results The results indicated that Tlc binds slowly to a human Meibomian lipid film compared with lysozyme or lactoferrin, even at 37°C. The adsorption of Tlc to a human Meibomian lipid film was very different from its adsorption to a bovine Meibomian lipid film, indicating the nature of the lipids in the film is critical to the adsorption process. Similarly, the different forms of Tlc had quite distinct adsorption patterns, as indicated both by changes in ∏-T profiles and the microscopic appearance of the films. Conclusions It was concluded that human Tlc was capable of adsorbing to and penetrating into a Meibomian lipid layer, but this process is very complex and depends on both the types of lipids bound to Tlc and the lipid complement comprising the Meibomian lipid film. PMID:18757516

Adsorption behavior of Cr(VI) on modified natural zeolite by a new bolaform N,N,N,N',N',N'-hexamethyl-1,9-nonanediammonium dibromide reagent.

PubMed

Noroozifar, M; Khorasani-Motlagh, M; Gorgij, M N; Naderpour, H R

2008-07-15

The demand for effective adsorbents is to increase in response to the widespread recognition of the deleterious health effects of Cr(VI)-oxyanions exposure through drinking water. In this study, Cr(VI)-oxyanions uptake from aqueous solutions by a new bolaform N,N,N,N',N',N'-hexamethyl-1,9-nonanediammonium dibromide reagent-modified natural zeolitic materials from Zahedan, Iran, was investigated using batch technique. Spectrophotometry method was used for Cr determination. The Cr(VI)-solution concentration varied between 2 and 104 mg L(-1). It was shown that the Cr(VI) uptake strongly depended on pH. The maximum removal of Cr(VI) occurred in acidic media at pH<1.5. The amounts of Cr(VI) adsorbed increased with increase in dose of both adsorbents and their contact time. Based on results an adsorption mechanism has been suggested. The adsorption data for modified zeolite using the amine was consistent with Langmuir isotherm equation and the equilibrium data was analyzed using the Langmuir isotherm.

Method for modifying trigger level for adsorber regeneration

DOEpatents

Ruth, Michael J.; Cunningham, Michael J.

2010-05-25

A method for modifying a NO.sub.x adsorber regeneration triggering variable. Engine operating conditions are monitored until the regeneration triggering variable is met. The adsorber is regenerated and the adsorbtion efficiency of the adsorber is subsequently determined. The regeneration triggering variable is modified to correspond with the decline in adsorber efficiency. The adsorber efficiency may be determined using an empirically predetermined set of values or by using a pair of oxygen sensors to determine the oxygen response delay across the sensors.

Utility of reactively sputtered CuN{sub x} films in spintronics devices

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

Fang Yeyu; Persson, J.; NanOsc AB, Electrum 205, 164 40 Kista

2012-04-01

We have studied nitrified copper (CuN{sub x}) thin films grown by reactive sputtering in the context of spintronic devices. The Ar-to-N{sub 2} flow ratio enables tunability of the electrical resistivity and surface roughness of the CuN{sub x} films, with the former increasing to nearly 20 times that of Cu, and the latter reduced to the atomic scale. Incorporating this into a Ta/CuN{sub x}/Ta seed stack for spin valves improves the current-in-plane (CIP) magnetoresistance; maximum magnetoresistance results with CuN{sub x} seed layer and Cu interlayer. Finally, finite element modeling results are presented that suggest the use of CuN{sub x} in nanocontactmore » spin torque oscillators can enhance current densities by limiting the current spread through the device. This may positively impact threshold currents, power requirements, and device reliability.« less

Polarity inversion of AlN film grown on nitrided a-plane sapphire substrate with pulsed DC reactive sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noorprajuda, Marsetio; Ohtsuka, Makoto; Fukuyama, Hiroyuki

2018-04-01

The effect of oxygen partial pressure (PO2) on polarity and crystalline quality of AlN films grown on nitrided a-plane sapphire substrates by pulsed direct current (DC) reactive sputtering was investigated as a fundamental study. The polarity inversion of AlN from nitrogen (-c)-polarity to aluminum (+c)-polarity occurred during growth at a high PO2 of 9.4×103 Pa owing to Al-O octahedral formation at the interface of nitrided layer and AlN sputtered film which reset the polarity of AlN. The top part of the 1300 nm-thick AlN film sputtered at the high PO2 was polycrystallized. The crystalline quality was improved owing to the high kinetic energy of Al sputtered atom in the sputtering phenomena. Thinner AlN films were also fabricated at the high PO2 to eliminate the polycrystallization. For the 200 nm-thick AlN film sputtered at the high PO2, the full width at half-maximum values of the AlN (0002) and (10-12) X-ray diffraction rocking curves were 47 and 637 arcsec, respectively.

Turning things downside up: Adsorbate induced water flipping on Pt(111)

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

Kimmel, Gregory A.; Zubkov, Tykhon; Smith, R. Scott

2014-11-14

We have examined the adsorption of the weakly bound species N2, O2, CO and Kr on the water monolayer on Pt(111) using a combination of molecular beam dosing, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). In contrast to multilayer crystalline ice, the adsorbate-free water monolayer is characterized by a lack of dangling OH bonds protruding into the vacuum (H-up). Instead, the non-hydrogen-bonded OH groups are oriented downward (H-down) to maximize their interaction with the underlying Pt(111) substrate. Adsorption of Kr and O2 have little effect on the structure and vibrational spectrum of the “ ” water monolayermore » while adsorption of both N2, and CO are effective in “flipping” H-down water molecules into an H-up configuration. This “flipping” occurs readily upon adsorption at temperatures as low as 20 K and the water monolayer transforms back to the H-down, “ ” structure upon adsorbate desorption above 35 K, indicating small energy differences and barriers between the H-down and H-up configurations. The results suggest that converting water in the first layer from H-down to H-up is mediated by the electrostatic interactions between the water and the adsorbates.« less

Epitaxial thin films of Dirac semimetal antiperovskite Cu3PdN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quintela, C. X.; Campbell, N.; Shao, D. F.; Irwin, J.; Harris, D. T.; Xie, L.; Anderson, T. J.; Reiser, N.; Pan, X. Q.; Tsymbal, E. Y.; Rzchowski, M. S.; Eom, C. B.

2017-09-01

The growth and study of materials showing novel topological states of matter is one of the frontiers in condensed matter physics. Among this class of materials, the nitride antiperovskite Cu3PdN has been proposed as a new three-dimensional Dirac semimetal. However, the experimental realization of Cu3PdN and the consequent study of its electronic properties have been hindered due to the difficulty of synthesizing this material. In this study, we report fabrication and both structural and transport characterization of epitaxial Cu3PdN thin films grown on (001)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering and post-annealed in NH3 atmosphere. The structural properties of the films, investigated by x-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy, establish single phase Cu3PdN exhibiting cube-on-cube epitaxy (001)[100]Cu3PdN||(001)[100]SrTiO3. Electrical transport measurements of as-grown samples show metallic conduction with a small temperature coefficient of the resistivity of 1.5 × 10-4 K-1 and a positive Hall coefficient. Post-annealing in NH3 results in the reduction of the electrical resistivity accompanied by the Hall coefficient sign reversal. Using a combination of chemical composition analyses and ab initio band structure calculations, we discuss the interplay between nitrogen stoichiometry and magneto-transport results in the framework of the electronic band structure of Cu3PdN. Our successful growth of thin films of antiperovskite Cu3PdN opens the path to further investigate its physical properties and their dependence on dimensionality, strain engineering, and doping.

Ultraviolet electroluminescence from hetero p-n junction between a single ZnO microsphere and p-GaN thin film.

PubMed

Tetsuyama, Norihiro; Fusazaki, Koshi; Mizokami, Yasuaki; Shimogaki, Tetsuya; Higashihata, Mitsuhiro; Nakamura, Daisuke; Okada, Tatsuo

2014-04-21

We report ultraviolet electroluminescence from a hetero p-n junction between a single ZnO microsphere and p-GaN thin film. ZnO microspheres, which have high crystalline quality, have been synthesized by ablating a ZnO sintered target. It was found that synthesized ZnO microspheres had a high-optical property and exhibit the laser action in the whispering gallery mode under pulsed optical pumping. A hetero p-n junction was formed between the single ZnO microsphere/ p-GaN thin film, and a good rectifying property with a turn-on voltage of approximately 6 V was observed in I-V characteristic across the junction. Ultraviolet and visible electroluminescence were observed under forward bias.

CdS-Free p-Type Cu2ZnSnSe4/Sputtered n-Type In x Ga1- x N Thin Film Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wei-Liang; Kuo, Dong-Hau; Tuan, Thi Tran Anh

2017-03-01

Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) films for solar cell devices were fabricated by sputtering with a Cu-Zn-Sn metal target, followed by two-step post-selenization at 500-600°C for 1 h in the presence of single or double compensation discs to supply Se vapor. After that, two kinds of n-type III-nitride bilayers were prepared by radio frequency sputtering for CdS-free CZTSe thin film solar cell devices: In0.15Ga0.85N/GaN/CZTSe and In0.15Ga0.85N/In0.3Ga0.7N/CZTSe. The p-type CZTSe and the n-type In x Ga1- x N films were characterized. The properties of CZTSe changed with the selenization temperature and the In x Ga1- x N with its indium content. With the CdS-free modeling for a solar cell structure, the In0.15Ga0.85N/In0.3Ga0.7N/CZTSe solar cell device had an improved efficiency of 4.2%, as compared with 1.1% for the conventional design with the n-type conventional ZnO/CdS bilayer. Current density of ˜48 mA/cm2, the maximum open-circuit voltage of 0.34 V, and fill factor of 27.1% are reported. The 3.8-fold increase in conversion efficiency for the CZTSe thin film solar cell devices by replacing n-type ZnO/CdS with the III-nitride bilayer proves that sputtered III-nitride films have their merits.

Characteristics of the Energetic Igniters Through Integrating B/Ti Nano-Multilayers on TaN Film Bridge.

PubMed

Yan, YiChao; Shi, Wei; Jiang, HongChuan; Cai, XianYao; Deng, XinWu; Xiong, Jie; Zhang, WanLi

2015-12-01

The energetic igniters through integrating B/Ti nano-multilayers on tantalum nitride (TaN) ignition bridge are designed and fabricated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) results show that nitrogen content has a great influence on the crystalline structure and TCR. TaN films under nitrogen ratio of 0.99 % exhibit a near-zero TCR value of approximately 10 ppm/°C. The scanning electron microscopy demonstrates that the layered structure of the B/Ti multilayer films is clearly visible with sharp and smooth interfaces. The electrical explosion characteristics employing a capacitor discharge firing set at the optimized charging voltage of 45 V reveal an excellent explosion performance by (B/Ti) n /TaN integration film bridge with small ignition delay time, high explosion temperature, much more bright flash of light, and much large quantities of the ejected product particles than TaN film bridge.

Surface Photochemistry: 3,3′-Dialkylthia and Selenocarbocyanine Dyes Adsorbed onto Microcrystalline Cellulose

PubMed Central

Vieira Ferreira, Luís F.; Ferreira, Diana P.; Duarte, Paulo; Oliveira, A. S.; Torres, E.; Machado, I. Ferreira; Almeida, P.; Reis, Lucinda V.; Santos, Paulo F.

2012-01-01

In this work, thia and selenocarbocyanines with n-alkyl chains of different length, namely with methyl, ethyl, propyl, hexyl and decyl substituents, were studied in homogeneous and heterogeneous media for comparison purposes. For both carbocyanine dyes adsorbed onto microcrystalline cellulose, a remarkable increase in the fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes were detected, when compared with solution. Contrary to the solution behaviour, where the increase in the n-alkyl chains length increases to a certain extent the fluorescence emission ΦF and τF, on powdered solid samples a decrease of ΦF and τF was observed. The use of an integrating sphere enabled us to obtain absolute ΦF’s for all the powdered samples. The main difference for liquid homogeneous samples is that the increase of the alkyl chain strongly decreases the ΦF values, both for thiacarbocyanines and selenocarbocyanines. A lifetime distribution analysis for the fluorescence of these dyes adsorbed onto microcrystalline cellulose, evidenced location on the ordered and crystalline part of the substrate, as well as on the more disordered region where the lifetime is smaller. The increase of the n-alkyl chains length decreases the photoisomer emission for the dyes adsorbed onto microcrystalline cellulose, as detected for high fluences of the laser excitation, for most samples. PMID:22312274

Superconductor-Insulator Transition in NbTiN Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdastyh, M. V.; Postolova, S. V.; Baturina, T. I.; Proslier, T.; Vinokur, V. M.; Mironov, A. Yu.

2017-12-01

Experimental results indicating a direct disorder-induced superconductor-insulator transition in NbTiN thin films have been reported. It has been shown that an increase in the resistance per square in the normal state is accompanied by the suppression of the critical temperature of the superconducting transition T c according to the fermion mechanism of suppression of superconductivity by disorder. At the same time, the temperature of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition is completely suppressed at a nonzero critical temperature and, then, the ground state changes to insulating, which is characteristic of the boson model of suppression of superconductivity by disorder. It has been shown that the temperature dependences of the resistance of insulating films follow the Arrhenius activation law.

The structure of oleamide films at the aluminum/oil interface and aluminum/air interface studied by Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy and Reflection Absorption Infrared Spectroscopy (RAIRS).

PubMed

Casford, Michael T L; Davies, Paul B

2009-08-01

The structure of oleamide (cis-9-octadecenamide) films on aluminum has been investigated by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG) and reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). Three different film deposition strategies were investigated: (i) films formed by equilibrium adsorption from oleamide solutions in oil, (ii) Langmuir-Blodgett films cast at 1 and 25 mN m(-1), (iii) thick spin-cast films. Both L-B and spin-cast films were examined in air and under oil. The adsorbate formed in the 1 mN m(-1) film in air showed little orientational order. For this film, the spectroscopic results and the ellipsometric thickness point to a relatively conformationally disordered monolayer that is oriented principally in the plane of the interface. Direct adsorption to the metal interface from oil results in SFG spectra of oleamide that are comparable to those observed for the 1 mN m(-1) L-B film in air. In contrast, SFG and RAIRS results for the 25 mN m(-1) film in air and SFG spectra of the spin-cast film in air both show strong conformational ordering and orientational alignment normal to the interface. The 25 mN m(-1) film has an ellipsometric thickness almost twice that of the 1 mN m(-1) L-B film. Taken in combination with the spectroscopic results, this is indicative of a well packed monolayer in air in which the hydrocarbon chain is in an essentially defect-free extended conformation with the methyl terminus oriented away from the surface. A similar structure is also deduced for the surface of the spin-cast film in air. Upon immersion of the 25 mN m(-1) L-B film in oil the SFG spectra show that this film rapidly adopts a relatively disordered structure similar to that seen for the 1 mN m(-1) L-B film in air. Immersion of the spin-cast film in oil results in the gradual disordering of the amide film over a period of several days until the observed spectra become essentially identical to those observed for direct adsorption of oleamide from oil.

Analysis and comparison of inertinite-derived adsorbent with conventional adsorbents.

PubMed

Gangupomu, Roja Haritha; Kositkanawuth, Ketwalee; Sattler, Melanie L; Ramirez, David; Dennis, Brian H; MacDonnell, Frederick M; Billo, Richard; Priest, John W

2012-05-01

To increase U.S. petroleum energy-independence, the University of Texas at Arlington (UT Arlington) has developed a coal liquefaction process that uses a hydrogenated solvent and a proprietary catalyst to convert lignite coal to crude oil. This paper reports on part of the environmental evaluation of the liquefaction process: the evaluation of the solid residual from liquefying the coal, called inertinite, as a potential adsorbent for air and water purification. Inertinite samples derived from Arkansas and Texas lignite coals were used as test samples. In the activated carbon creation process, inertinite samples were heated in a tube furnace (Lindberg, Type 55035, Arlington, UT) at temperatures ranging between 300 and 850 degrees C for time spans of 60, 90, and 120 min, using steam and carbon dioxide as oxidizing gases. Activated inertinite samples were then characterized by ultra-high-purity nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77 K using a high-speed surface area and pore size analyzer (Quantachrome, Nova 2200e, Kingsville, TX). Surface area and total pore volume were determined using the Brunauer Emmet, and Teller method, for the inertinite samples, as well as for four commercially available activated carbons (gas-phase adsorbents Calgon Fluepac-B and BPL 4 x 6; liquid-phase adsorbents Filtrasorb 200 and Carbsorb 30). In addition, adsorption isotherms were developed for inertinite and the two commercially available gas-phase carbons, using methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) as an example compound. Adsorption capacity was measured gravimetrically with a symmetric vapor sorption analyzer (VTI, Inc., Model SGA-100, Kingsville, TX). Also, liquid-phase adsorption experiments were conducted using methyl orange as an example organic compound. The study showed that using inertinite from coal can be beneficially reused as an adsorbent for air or water pollution control, although its surface area and adsorption capacity are not as high as those for commercially available activated

Thin Film Phase Transition Materials Development Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-04-01

and ̂ from f are consistent with a real, positive film thickness d. These conditions are written IP( td /4) = 0, d > 0, (49) where IP denotes...surface of the substrate of the form . aAC(a) + bBD (a) >< cAB(a) + dCD(a) where (a) represents a phase adsorbed on the substrate surface, and the

NOx adsorber and method of regenerating same

DOEpatents

Endicott, Dennis L [Peoria, IL; Verkiel, Maarten [Metamora, IL; Driscoll, James J [Dunlap, IL

2007-01-30

New technologies, such as NOx adsorber catalytic converters, are being used to meet increasingly stringent regulations on undesirable emissions, including NOx emissions. NOx adsorbers must be periodically regenerated, which requires an increased fuel consumption. The present disclosure includes a method of regenerating a NOx adsorber within a NOx adsorber catalytic converter. At least one sensor positioned downstream from the NOx adsorber senses, in the downstream exhaust, at least one of NOx, nitrous oxide and ammonia concentrations a plurality of times during a regeneration phase. The sensor is in communication with an electronic control module that includes a regeneration monitoring algorithm operable to end the regeneration phase when a time rate of change of the at least one of NOx, nitrous oxide and ammonia concentrations is after an expected plateau region begins.

p-n Heterojunction of doped graphene films obtained by pyrolysis of biomass precursors.

PubMed

Latorre-Sánchez, Marcos; Primo, Ana; Atienzar, Pedro; Forneli, Amparo; García, Hermenegildo

2015-02-25

Nitrogen-doped graphene [(N)G] obtained by pyrolysis at 900 °C of nanometric chitosan films exhibits a Hall effect characteristic of n-type semiconductors. In contrast, boron-doped graphene [(B)G] obtained by pyrolysis of borate ester of alginate behaves as a p-type semiconductor based also on the Hall effect. A p-n heterojunction of (B)G-(N)G films is built by stepwise coating of a quartz plate using a mask. The heterojunction is created by the partial overlapping of the (B)G-(N)G films. Upon irradiation with a xenon lamp of aqueous solutions of H(2) PtCl(6) and MnCl(2) in contact with the heterojunction, preferential electron migration from (B)G to (N)G with preferential location of positive holes on (B)G is established by observation in scanning electron microscopy of the formation of Pt nanoparticles (NP) on (N)G and MnO(2) NP on (B)G. The benefits of the heterojunction with respect to the devices having one individual component as a consequence of the electron migration through the p-n heterojunction are illustrated by measuring the photocurrent in the (B)G-(N)G heterojunction (180% current enhancement with respect to the dark current) and compared it to the photocurrent of the individual (B)G (15% enhancement) and (N)G (55% enhancement) components. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Optimization of ion-atomic beam source for deposition of GaN ultrathin films.

PubMed

Mach, Jindřich; Šamořil, Tomáš; Kolíbal, Miroslav; Zlámal, Jakub; Voborny, Stanislav; Bartošík, Miroslav; Šikola, Tomáš

2014-08-01

We describe the optimization and application of an ion-atomic beam source for ion-beam-assisted deposition of ultrathin films in ultrahigh vacuum. The device combines an effusion cell and electron-impact ion beam source to produce ultra-low energy (20-200 eV) ion beams and thermal atomic beams simultaneously. The source was equipped with a focusing system of electrostatic electrodes increasing the maximum nitrogen ion current density in the beam of a diameter of ≈15 mm by one order of magnitude (j ≈ 1000 nA/cm(2)). Hence, a successful growth of GaN ultrathin films on Si(111) 7 × 7 substrate surfaces at reasonable times and temperatures significantly lower (RT, 300 °C) than in conventional metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technologies (≈1000 °C) was achieved. The chemical composition of these films was characterized in situ by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and morphology ex situ using Scanning Electron Microscopy. It has been shown that the morphology of GaN layers strongly depends on the relative Ga-N bond concentration in the layers.

Structural and optical properties of low temperature grown AlN films on sapphire using helicon sputtering system

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

Chen, Meei-Ru; Chen, Hou-Guang; Kao, Hui-Ling, E-mail: hlkao@cycu.edu.tw

2015-05-15

AlN thin films have been deposited directly on c-plane sapphire substrates at low temperatures by a helicon sputtering system. The structural quality of AlN epitaxial films was characterized by x-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. The films exhibit smooth surface with root-mean-square roughness as small as 0.7 nm evaluated by atomic force microscope. The optical transmittance spectra show a steep absorption edge at the wavelength of 200 nm and a high transmittance of over 80% in the visible range. The band-edge transition (6.30 eV) of AlN film was observed in the cathodoluminescence spectrum recorded at 11 K. The spectral response of metal–semiconductor–metal photodetectors constructedmore » with AlN/sapphire reveals the peak responsivity at 200 nm and a UV/visible rejection ratio of about two orders of magnitude. The results of this low temperature deposition suggest the feasibility of the epitaxial growth of AlN on sapphire substrates and the incorporation of the AlN films in the surface acoustic wave devices and the optical devices at deep ultraviolet region.« less

Thermodynamic characteristics of the adsorption of organic molecules on modified MCM-41 adsorbents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gus'kov, V. Yu.; Sukhareva, D. A.; Salikhova, G. R.; Karpov, S. I.; Kudasheva, F. Kh.; Roessner, F.; Borodina, E. V.

2017-07-01

The adsorption of a number of organic molecules on samples of MCM-41 adsorbent modified with dichloromethylphenylsilane and subsequently treated with sulfuric acid (MDCS) and N-trimethoxysilylpropyl- N, N, N-trimethylammonium chloride (MNM) is studied. Specific retention volumes equal to the Henry constant are determined by means of inverse gas chromatography at infinite dilution. The thermodynamic characteristics of adsorption, the dispersive and specific components of the Helmholtz energy of adsorption, and the increment of the methyl group to the heat of adsorption are calculated. It is shown that the grafting of aminosilane and phenylsilane groups enhances the forces of dispersion and reduces specific interactions. A greater drop in polarity is observed for MDCS than for MNM, due to the stronger polarity of amoinosilane; the enthalpy factor makes the main contribution to the adsorption of organic compounds on the investigated adsorbents. It is found that the MNM sample is capable of the irreversible adsorption of alcohols.

Influence of hydrogen impurities on p-type resistivity in Mg-doped GaN films

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

Yang, Jing; Zhao, Degang, E-mail: dgzhao@red.semi.ac.cn; Jiang, Desheng

2015-03-15

The effects of hydrogen impurities on p-type resistivity in Mg-doped GaN films were investigated. It was found that hydrogen impurities may have the dual role of passivating Mg{sub Ga} acceptors and passivating donor defects. A decrease in p-type resistivity when O{sub 2} is introduced during the postannealing process is attributed to the fact that annealing in an O{sub 2}-containing environment can enhance the dissociation of Mg{sub Ga}-H complexes as well as the outdiffusion of H atoms from p-GaN films. However, low H concentrations are not necessarily beneficial in Mg-doped GaN films, as H atoms may also be bound at donormore » species and passivate them, leading to the positive effect of reduced compensation.« less

Characterization of ALD grown TixAlyN and TixAlyC thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinnunen, S. A.; Malm, J.; Arstila, K.; Lahtinen, M.; Sajavaara, T.

2017-09-01

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to grow TixAlyN and TixAlyC thin films using trimethylaluminum (TMA), titanium tetrachloride and ammonia as precursors. Deposition temperature was varied between 325 °C and 500 °C. Films were also annealed in vacuum and N2-atmosphere at 600-1000 °C. Wide range of characterization methods was used including time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF-ERDA), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray reflectometry (XRR), Raman spectroscopy, ellipsometry, helium ion microscopy (HIM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and 4-point probe measurement for resistivity. Deposited films were roughly 100 nm thick and contained mainly desired elements. Carbon, chlorine and hydrogen were found to be the main impurities.

Surface Roughness of Various Diamond-Like Carbon Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Dongping; Liu, Yanhong; Chen, Baoxiang

2006-11-01

Atomic force microscopy is used to estimate and compare the surface morphology of hydrogenated and hydrogen-free diamond-like carbon (DLC) films. The films were prepared by using DC magnetron sputtering of a graphite target, pulsed cathodic carbon arcs, electron cyclotron resonance (ECR), plasma source ion implantation and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). The difference in the surface structure is presented for each method of deposition. The influences of various discharge parameters on the film surface properties are discussed based upon the experimental results. The coalescence process via the diffusion of adsorbed carbon species is responsible for the formation of hydrogen-free DLC films with rough surfaces. The films with surface roughness at an atomic level can be deposited by energetic ion impacts in a highly ionized carbon plasma. The dangling bonds created by atomic hydrogen lead to the uniform growth of hydrocarbon species at the a-C:H film surfaces of the ECR or DBD plasmas.

Investigation on the compensation effect of residual carbon impurities in low temperature grown Mg doped GaN films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Zhao, D. G.; Jiang, D. S.; Chen, P.; Liu, Z. S.; Le, L. C.; Li, X. J.; He, X. G.; Liu, J. P.; Zhang, S. M.; Wang, H.; Zhu, J. J.; Yang, H.

2014-04-01

The influence of unintentionally doped carbon impurities on electrical resistivity and yellow luminescence (YL) of low-temperature (LT) grown Mg doped GaN films is investigated. It is found that the resistivity of Mg doped GaN films are closely related to the residual carbon impurity concentration, which may be attributed to the compensation effect of carbon impurities. The carbon impurity may preferentially form deep donor complex CN-ON resulting from its relatively low formation energy. This complex is an effective compensate center for MgGa acceptors as well as inducing YL in photoluminescence spectra. Thus, the low resistivity LT grown p-type GaN films can be obtained only when the residual carbon impurity concentration is sufficiently low, which can explain why LT P-GaN films with lower resistivity were obtained more easily when relatively higher pressure, temperature, or NH3/TMGa flow rate ratio were used in the LT grown Mg doped GaN films reported in earlier reports.

Electrochemical Analysis of Conducting Polymer Thin Films

PubMed Central

Vyas, Ritesh N.; Wang, Bin

2010-01-01

Polyelectrolyte multilayers built via the layer-by-layer (LbL) method has been one of the most promising systems in the field of materials science. Layered structures can be constructed by the adsorption of various polyelectrolyte species onto the surface of a solid or liquid material by means of electrostatic interaction. The thickness of the adsorbed layers can be tuned precisely in the nanometer range. Stable, semiconducting thin films are interesting research subjects. We use a conducting polymer, poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV), in the preparation of a stable thin film via the LbL method. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy have been used to characterize the ionic conductivity of the PPV multilayer films. The ionic conductivity of the films has been found to be dependent on the polymerization temperature. The film conductivity can be fitted to a modified Randle’s circuit. The circuit equivalent calculations are performed to provide the diffusion coefficient values. PMID:20480052

Initial biocompatibility of plasma polymerized hexamethyldisiloxane films with different wettability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasteva, N. A.; Toromanov, G.; Hristova, K. T.; Radeva, E. I.; Pecheva, E. V.; Dimitrova, R. P.; Altankov, G. P.; Pramatarova, L. D.

2010-11-01

Understanding the relationships between material surface properties, behaviour of adsorbed proteins and cellular responses is essential to design optimal material surfaces for tissue engineering. In this study we modify thin layers of plasma polymerized hexamethyldisiloxane (PPHMDS) by ammonia treatment in order to increase surface wettability and the corresponding biological response. The physico-chemical properties of the polymer films were characterized by contact angle (CA) measurements and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis.Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were used as model system for the initial biocompatibility studies following their behavior upon preadsorption of polymer films with three adhesive proteins: fibronectin (FN), fibrinogen (FG) and vitronectin (VN). Adhesive interaction of HUVEC was evaluated after 2 hours by analyzing the overall cell morphology, and the organization of focal adhesion contacts and actin cytoskeleton. We have found similar good cellular response on FN and FG coated polymer films, with better pronounced vinculin expression on FN samples while. Conversely, on VN coated surfaces the wettability influenced significantly initial celular interaction spreading. The results obtained suggested that ammonia plasma treatment can modulate the biological activity of the adsorbed protein s on PPHMDS surfaces and thus to influence the interaction with endothelial cells.

Growth and characterization of few unit-cell NbN superconducting films on 3C-SiC/Si substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, H. W.; Wang, C. L.; Huang, Y. R.; Chen, T. J.; Wang, M. J.

2017-11-01

Superconducting δ-NbN ultrathin film has become a key element in extremely sensitive detector applications in recent decades because of its excellent electronic properties. We have realized the epitaxial growth of ultrathin δ-NbN films on (100)-oriented 3C-SiC/Si substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering at 760 °C with a deposition rate of 0.054 nm s-1. High-resolution transmission electron microscope images confirm the excellent epitaxy of these films. Even with a thickness of 1.3 nm (˜3 unit cells), the δ-NbN film shows a superconducting transition above 8 K. Furthermore, our ultrathin δ-NbN films demonstrate a long Ginzburg-Landau superconducting coherent length ({ξ }{{G}{{L}}}(0)> 5 {{nm}}) with a critical current density of about 2.2 MA cm-2, and good stability in an ambient environment.

Anodic etching of GaN based film with a strong phase-separated InGaN/GaN layer: Mechanism and properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Qingxue; Liu, Rong; Xiao, Hongdi; Cao, Dezhong; Liu, Jianqiang; Ma, Jin

2016-11-01

A strong phase-separated InGaN/GaN layer, which consists of multiple quantum wells (MQW) and superlattices (SL) layers and can produce a blue wavelength spectrum, has been grown on n-GaN thin film, and then fabricated into nanoporous structures by electrochemical etching method in oxalic acid. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique reveals that the etching voltage of 8 V leads to a vertically aligned nanoporous structure, whereas the films etched at 15 V show branching pores within the n-GaN layer. Due to the low doping concentration of barriers (GaN layers) in the InGaN/GaN layer, we observed a record-low rate of etching (<100 nm/min) and nanopores which are mainly originated from the V-pits in the phase-separated layer. In addition, there exists a horizontal nanoporous structure at the interface between the phase-separated layer and the n-GaN layer, presumably resulting from the high transition of electrons between the barrier and the well (InGaN layer) at the interface. As compared to the as-grown MQW structure, the etched MQW structure exhibits a photoluminescence (PL) enhancement with a partial relaxation of compressive stress due to the increased light-extracting surface area and light-guiding effect. Such a compressive stress relaxation can be further confirmed by Raman spectra.

Normal and frictional interactions of purified human statherin adsorbed on molecularly-smooth solid substrata.

PubMed

Harvey, Neale M; Carpenter, Guy H; Proctor, Gordon B; Klein, Jacob

2011-09-01

Human salivary statherin was purified from parotid saliva and adsorbed to bare hydrophilic (HP) mica and STAI-coated hydrophobic (HB) mica in a series of Surface Force Balance experiments that measured the normal (F(n)) and friction forces (F(s)*) between statherin-coated mica substrata. Readings were taken both in the presence of statherin solution (HP and HB mica) and after rinsing (HP mica). F(n) measurements showed, for both substrata, monotonic steric repulsion that set on at a surface separation D ~20 nm, indicating an adsorbed layer whose unperturbed thickness was ca 10 nm. An additional longer-ranged repulsion, probably of electrostatic double-layer origin, was observed for rinsed surfaces under pure water. Under applied pressures of ~1 MPa, each surface layer was compressed to a thickness of ca 2 nm on both types of substratum, comparable with earlier estimates of the size of the statherin molecule. Friction measurements, in contrast with F(n) observations, were markedly different on the two different substrata: friction coefficients, μ ≡ ∂F(s)*/∂F(n), on the HB substratum (μ ≈ 0.88) were almost an order of magnitude higher than on the HP substratum (μ ≈ 0.09 and 0.12 for unrinsed and rinsed, respectively), and on the HB mica there was a lower dependence of friction on sliding speed than on the HP mica. The observations were attributed to statherin adsorbing to the mica in multimer aggregates, with internal re-arrangement of the protein molecules within the aggregate dependent on the substratum to which the aggregate adsorbed. This internal re-arrangement permitted aggregates to be of similar size on HP and HB mica but to have different internal molecular orientations, thus exposing different moieties to the solution in each case and accounting for the very different friction behaviour.

Predicted lattice-misfit stresses in a gallium-nitride (GaN) film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suhir, E.; Yi, S.

2017-02-01

Effective, easy-to-use and physically meaningful analytical predictive models are developed for the evaluation the lattice-misfit stresses (LMS) in a semiconductor film grown on a circular substrate (wafer). The two-dimensional (plane-stress) theory-of-elasticity approximation (TEA) is employed. First of all, the interfacial shearing stresses are evaluated. These stresses might lead to the occurrence and growth of dislocations, as well as to possible delaminations (adhesive strength of the assembly) and the elevated stress and strain in the buffering material, if any (cohesive strength of the assembly). Second of all, the normal radial and circumferential (tangential) stresses acting in the film cross-sections are determined. These stresses determine the short- and long-term strength (fracture toughness) of the film material. It is shown that while the normal stresses in the semiconductor film are independent of its thickness, the interfacial shearing stresses increase with an increase in the induced force (not stress!) acting in the film cross-sections, and that this force increases with an increase in the film thickness. This leads, for a thick enough film, to the occurrence, growth and propagation of dislocations. These start at the assembly ends and propagate, when the film thickness increases, inwards the structure. The TEA data are compared with the results obtained using a simplified strength-of-materials approach (SMA). This approach considers, instead of an actual circular assembly, an elongated bi-material rectangular strip of unit width and of finite length equal to the wafer diameter. The analysis, although applicable to any semiconductor crystal growth (SCG) technology is geared in this analysis to the Gallium-Nitride (GaN) technology. The numerical example is carried out for a GaN film grown on a Silicon Carbide (SiC) substrate. It is concluded that the SMA model is acceptable for understanding the physics of the state of stress and for the prediction

Adsorbent catalytic nanoparticles and methods of using the same

DOEpatents

Slowing, Igor Ivan; Kandel, Kapil

2017-01-31

The present invention provides an adsorbent catalytic nanoparticle including a mesoporous silica nanoparticle having at least one adsorbent functional group bound thereto. The adsorbent catalytic nanoparticle also includes at least one catalytic material. In various embodiments, the present invention provides methods of using and making the adsorbent catalytic nanoparticles. In some examples, the adsorbent catalytic nanoparticles can be used to selectively remove fatty acids from feedstocks for biodiesel, and to hydrotreat the separated fatty acids.

Influence of substrate bias voltage on structure and properties of the CrAlN films deposited by unbalanced magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Yanhong; Ji, Li; Liu, Xiaohong; Li, Hongxuan; Zhou, Huidi; Chen, Jianmin

2012-02-01

The CrAlN films were deposited on silicon and stainless steel substrates by unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. The influence of substrate bias on deposition rate, composition, structure, morphology and properties of the CrAlN films was investigated. The results showed that, with the increase of the substrate bias voltage, the deposition rate decreased accompanied by a change of the preferred orientation of the CrAlN film from (2 2 0) to (2 0 0). The grain size and the average surface roughness of the CrAlN films declined as the bias voltage increases above -100 V. The morphology of the films changed from obviously columnar to dense glass-like structure with the increase of the bias voltage from -50 to -250 V. Meanwhile, the films deposited at moderate bias voltage had better mechanical and tribological properties, while the films deposited at higher bias voltage showed better corrosion resistance. It was found that the corrosion resistance improvement was not only attributed to the low pinhole density of the film, but also to chemical composition of films.

Properties of Superconducting Mo, Mo2n and Trilayer Mo2n-Mo-Mo2n Thin Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barrentine, E. M.; Stevenson, T. R.; Brown, A. D.; Lowitz, A. E.; Noroozian, O.; U-Yen, K.; Eshan, N.; Hsieh, W. T.; Moseley, S. H.; Wollack, E. J.

2014-01-01

We present measurements of the properties of thin film superconducting Mo, Mo2N and Mo2N/Mo/Mo2N trilayers of interest for microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) applications. Using microwave resonator devices, we investigate the transition temperature, energy gaps, kinetic inductance, and internal quality factors of these materials. We present an Usadel-based interpretation of the trilayer transition temperature as a function of trilayer thicknesses, and a 2-gap interpretation to understand the change in kinetic inductance and internal resonance quality factor (Q) as a function of temperature.

Ellipsometric measurement of liquid film thickness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Ki Joon; Frazier, D. O.

1989-01-01

The immediate objective of this research is to measure liquid film thickness from the two equilibrium phases of a monotectic system in order to estimate the film pressure of each phase. Thus liquid film thicknesses on the inside walls of the prism cell above the liquid level have been measured elliposmetrically for the monotectic system of succinonitrile and water. The thickness varies with temperature and composition of each plane. The preliminary results from both layers at 60 deg angle of incidence show nearly uniform thickness from about 21 to 23 C. The thickness increases with temperature but near 30 C the film appears foggy and scatters the laser beam. As the temperature of the cell is raised beyond room temperature it becomes increasingly difficult to equalize the temperature inside and outside the cell. The fogging may also be an indication that solution, not pure water, is adsorbed onto the substrate. Nevertheless, preliminary results suggest that ellipsometric measurement is feasible and necessary to measure more accurately and rapidly the film thickness and to improve thermal control of the prism walls.

Heavy Mg-doping of (Al,Ga)N films for potential applications in deep ultraviolet light-emitting structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Y. H.; Towe, E.

2018-03-01

Doping of high aluminum-containing (Al,Ga)N thin films has remained a challenging problem that has hindered progress in the development of deep ultraviolet light-emitters. This paper reports on the synthesis and use of heavily doped (Al,Ga)N films in deep ultraviolet (˜274 nm) light-emitting structures; these structures were synthesized by molecular beam epitaxy under liquid-metal growth conditions that facilitate the incorporation of extremely high density of Mg dopant impurities (up to 5 × 1019 cm-3) into aluminum-rich (Al,Ga)N thin films. Prototypical light-emitting diode structures incorporating Al0.7Ga0.3N films doped with Mg impurities that ionize to give free hole carrier concentrations of up to 6 × 1017 cm-3 exhibit external quantum efficiencies of up 0.56%; this is an improvement from previous devices made from molecular beam epitaxy-grown materials. This improvement is believed to be due to the high hole carrier concentration enabled by the relatively low activation energy of 220 meV compared to the expected values of 408-507 meV for Al0.7Ga0.3N films.

Turning things downside up: Adsorbate induced water flipping on Pt(111)

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

Kimmel, Greg A., E-mail: gregory.kimmel@pnnl.gov, E-mail: bruce.kay@pnnl.gov; Zubkov, Tykhon; Smith, R. Scott

2014-11-14

We have examined the adsorption of the weakly bound species N{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, CO, and Kr on the (√(37)×√(37))R25.3{sup ∘} water monolayer on Pt(111) using a combination of molecular beam dosing, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and temperature programmed desorption. In contrast to multilayer crystalline ice, the adsorbate-free water monolayer is characterized by a lack of dangling OH bonds protruding into the vacuum (H-up). Instead, the non-hydrogen-bonded OH groups are oriented downward (H-down) to maximize their interaction with the underlying Pt(111) substrate. Adsorption of Kr and O{sub 2} have little effect on the structure and vibrational spectrum of the “√(37)”more » water monolayer while adsorption of both N{sub 2}, and CO are effective in “flipping” H-down water molecules into an H-up configuration. This “flipping” occurs readily upon adsorption at temperatures as low as 20 K and the water monolayer transforms back to the H-down, “√(37)” structure upon adsorbate desorption above 35 K, indicating small energy differences and barriers between the H-down and H-up configurations. The results suggest that converting water in the first layer from H-down to H-up is mediated by the electrostatic interactions between the water and the adsorbates.« less

The role of symmetry-breaking-induced interface anisotropy in [Fe/Pt]{sub n} multilayer films

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

Li Zhenghua; Center for Geo-environment Science, Faculty of Engineering and Resource Science, Akita University, Tegatagakuen-machi 1-1, Akita 010-8502; Xie Hailong

2011-04-01

The FePt films were deposited with [Fe/Pt]{sub n} multilayer structure on preheated Corning 1737F glass substrate using pure Fe and Pt target in a CMS-18 sputtering system. The dependence of FePt's texture and magnetic properties on the multilayer structure was investigated. The XRD patterns indicate that (111) texture is dominant for all [Fe/Pt]{sub n} (n = 8, 16, 20, 32) multilayer films. However, the measured M-H loops show that the perpendicular anisotropy is greatly enhanced in samples with n = 16, 20, and 32. The origin of the increased perpendicular anisotropy of [Fe/Pt]{sub n} multilayer films is related to themore » contributions of the interfaces, which will be analyzed using the micromagnetic models, with careful discussions of the crystalline and interface anisotropies. Finally, it is confirmed that the Fe/Pt interfaces favor the perpendicular orientation in the multilayer structure.« less

RBS and PIXE analysis of chlorine contamination in ALD-Grown TiN films on silicon

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

Meersschaut, J.; Witters, T.; Kaeyhkoe, M.

2013-04-19

The performance, strengths and limitations of RBS and PIXE for the characterization of trace amounts of Cl in TiN thin films are critically compared. The chlorine atomic concentration in ALD grown TiN thin films on Si is determined for samples grown at temperatures ranging from 350 Degree-Sign C to 550 Degree-Sign C. We show that routine Rutherford backscattering spectrometry measurements (1.5 MeV He{sup +}) and PIXE measurements (1.5 MeV H{sup +}) on 20 nm thick TiN films allow one to determine the Cl content down to 0.3 at% with an absolute statistical accuracy reaching 0.03 at%. Possible improvements to pushmore » the sensitivity limit for both approaches are proposed.« less

Indium hexagonal island as seed-layer to boost a-axis orientation of AlN thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redjdal, N.; Salah, H.; Azzaz, M.; Menari, H.; Manseri, A.; Guedouar, B.; Garcia-Sanchez, A.; Chérif, S. M.

2018-06-01

Highly a-axis oriented aluminum nitride films have been grown on Indium coated (100) Si substrate by DC reactive magnetron sputtering. It is shown that In incorporated layer improve the extent of preferential growth along (100) axis and form dense AlN films with uniform surface and large grains, devoid of micro-cracks. As revealed by SEM cross section images, AlN structure consists of oriented columnar grains perpendicular to the Si surface, while AlN/In structure results in uniformely tilted column. SEM images also revealed the presence of In hexagonal islands persistent throughout the entire growth. Micro -Raman spectroscopy of the surface and the cross section of the AlN/In grown films evidenced their high degree of homogeneity and cristallinity.

Growth and characterization of a-axis oriented Cr-doped AlN films by DC magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panda, Padmalochan; Ramaseshan, R.; Krishna, Nanda Gopala; Dash, S.

2016-05-01

Wurtzite type Cr-doped AlN thin films were grown on Si (100) substrates using DC reactive magnetron sputtering with a function of N2 concentration (15 to 25%). Evolution of crystal structure of these films was studied by GIXRD where a-axis preferred orientation was observed. The electronic binding energy and concentration of Cr in these films were estimated by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). We have observed indentation hardness (HIT) of around 28.2 GPa for a nitrogen concentration of 25%.

The structure, surface topography and mechanical properties of Si-C-N films fabricated by RF and DC magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Zhifeng; Wang, Yingjun; Du, Chang; Huang, Nan; Wang, Lin; Ning, Chengyun

2011-12-01

Silicon carbon nitride thin films were deposited on Co-Cr alloy under varying deposition conditions such as sputtering power and the partial pressure ratio of N2 to Ar by radio frequency and direct current magnetron sputtering techniques. The chemical bonding configurations, surface topography and hardness were characterized by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and nano-indentation technique. The sputtering power exhibited important influence on the film composition, chemical bonding configurations and surface topography, the electro-negativity had primary effects on chemical bonding configurations at low sputtering power. A progressive densification of the film microstructure occurring with the carbon fraction was increased. The films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering, the relative content of the Si-N bond in the films increased with the sputtering power increased, and Si-C and Si-Si were easily detachable, and C-O, N-N and N-O on the film volatile by ion bombardment which takes place very frequently during the film formation process. With the increase of sputtering power, the films became smoother and with finer particle growth. The hardness varied between 6 GPa and 11.23 GPa depending on the partial pressure ratio of N2 to Ar. The tribological characterization of Co-Cr alloy with Si-C-N coating sliding against UHMWPE counter-surface in fetal bovine serum, shows that the wear resistance of the Si-C-N coated Co-Cr alloy/UHMWPE sliding pair show much favourable improvement over that of uncoated Co-Cr alloy/UHMWPE sliding pair. This study is important for the development of advanced coatings with tailored mechanical and tribological properties.

Highly spectrum-selective ultraviolet photodetector based on p-NiO/n-IGZO thin film heterojunction structure.

PubMed

Li, H K; Chen, T P; Hu, S G; Li, X D; Liu, Y; Lee, P S; Wang, X P; Li, H Y; Lo, G Q

2015-10-19

Ultraviolet photodetector with p-n heterojunction is fabricated by magnetron sputtering deposition of n-type indium gallium zinc oxide (n-IGZO) and p-type nickel oxide (p-NiO) thin films on ITO glass. The performance of the photodetector is largely affected by the conductivity of the p-NiO thin film, which can be controlled by varying the oxygen partial pressure during the deposition of the p-NiO thin film. A highly spectrum-selective ultraviolet photodetector has been achieved with the p-NiO layer with a high conductivity. The results can be explained in terms of the "optically-filtering" function of the NiO layer.

Controlling the Electronic Structure of Graphene Using Surface-Adsorbate Interactions

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-21

after adsorption of Na the propensity of graphene bonding to Ni is much lower due to reduced overlap of atomic orbitals, which results from n- doping of...subse- quent intercalation of the Na underneath graphene. The ability to partially decouple graphene from a Ni substrate via n- doping (with or without...interactions with the substrate or adsorbates, which can modify the energy of the Dirac cone through doping , or cause a band gap to open at the K

Structure and Electric Conduction in Pulsed Laser-Deposited ZnO Thin Films Individually Doped with N, P, or Na

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, D. L.; Zhong, X. C.; Qiu, W. Q.; Zhang, H.; Liu, Z. W.; Zhang, G. Q.

2018-03-01

N-, P-, and Na-doped ZnO films with c-axis orientation were produced by pulsed laser deposition using N2O or O2 as the reaction gas. The effects of deposition temperature and deposition pressure on the lattice structure, morphology, and electric conduction have been investigated. High gas pressure leads to large-sized grains with large grain barriers, which cause a reduced mobility. P acts as an acceptor and the number of compensating defects in the P-doped film is reduced under high O2 pressure. Na also acts as an acceptor, and the effects of high temperature on Na-doped films are encouraging as the solubility of the dopant is high. However, high temperature may cause less incorporation of N and P in the film. In the present work, p-type conduction has not been obtained in N- and P-doped films despite a wide range of processing parameters employed. Na-doped films display an increasing trend towards p-type films at high temperatures and high O2 pressures. These results provide an insight on how these dopants behave in ZnO films and indicate that the careful selection of the deposition conditions is necessary in order to obtain p-type films by pulsed laser deposition.

Method for continuous control of composition and doping of pulsed laser deposited films by pressure control

DOEpatents

Lowndes, Douglas H.; McCamy, James W.

1996-01-01

A method for growing a deposit upon a substrate of semiconductor material involves the utilization of pulsed laser deposition techniques within a low-pressure gas environment. The substrate and a target of a first material are positioned within a deposition chamber and a low-pressure gas atmosphere is developed within the chamber. The substrate is then heated, and the target is irradiated, so that atoms of the target material are ablated from the remainder of the target, while atoms of the gas simultaneously are adsorbed on the substrate/film surface. The ablated atoms build up upon the substrate, together with the adsorbed gas atoms to form the thin-film deposit on the substrate. By controlling the pressure of the gas of the chamber atmosphere, the composition of the formed deposit can be controlled, and films of continuously variable composition or doping can be grown from a single target of fixed composition.

Unraveling the Dynamics of Nanoscopically Confined PVME in Thin Films of a Miscible PVME/PS Blend.

PubMed

Madkour, Sherif; Szymoniak, Paulina; Radnik, Jörg; Schönhals, Andreas

2017-10-25

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) was employed to investigate the glassy dynamics of thin films (7-200 nm) of a poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME)/polystyrene (PS) blend (50:50 wt %). For BDS measurements, nanostructured capacitors (NSCs) were employed, where films are allowed a free surface. This method was applied for film thicknesses up to 36 nm. For thicker films, samples were prepared between crossed electrode capacitors (CECs). The relaxation spectra of the films showed multiple processes. The first process was assigned to the α-relaxation of a bulklike layer. For films measured by NSCs, the rates of α-relaxation were higher compared to those of the bulk blend. This behavior was related to the PVME-rich free surface layer at the polymer/air interface. The second process was observed for all films measured by CECs (process X) and the 36 nm film measured by NSCs (process X2). This process was assigned to fluctuations of constraint PVME segments by PS. Its activation energy was found to be thickness-dependent because of the evidenced thickness dependency of the compositional heterogeneity. Finally, a third process with an activated temperature dependence was observed for all films measured by NSCs (process X1). It resembled the molecular fluctuations in an adsorbed layer found for thin films of pure PVME, and thus, it is assigned accordingly. This process undergoes an extra confinement because of frozen adsorbed PS segments at the polymer/substrate interface. To our knowledge, this is the first example where confinement-induced changes were observed by BDS for blend thin films.

Control of conduction type in ferromagnetic (Zn,Sn,Mn)As2 thin films by changing Mn content and effect of annealing on thin films with n-type conduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minamizawa, Yuto; Kitazawa, Tomohiro; Hidaka, Shiro; Toyota, Hideyuki; Nakamura, Shin-ichi; Uchitomi, Naotaka

2018-04-01

The conduction type in (Zn,Sn,Mn)As2 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on InP substrates was found to be controllable from p-type to n-type as a function of Mn content. n-type (Zn,Sn,Mn)As2 thin films were obtained by Mn doping of more than approximately 11 cat.%. It is likely that Mn interstitials (MnI) incorporated by excess Mn doping are located at tetrahedral hollow spaces surrounded by Zn and Sn cation atoms and four As atoms, which are expected to act as donors in (Zn,Sn,Mn)As2, resulting in n-type conduction. The effect of annealing on the structural, electrical and magnetic properties of n-type (Zn,Sn,Mn)As2 thin films was investigated as functions of annealing temperature and time. It was revealed that even if the annealing temperature is considerably higher than the growth temperature of 320 °C, the magnetic properties of the thin films remain stable. This suggests that a MnI complex surrounded by Zn and Sn atoms is thermally stable during high-temperature annealing. The n-type (Zn,Sn,Mn)As2 thin films may be suitable for application as n-type spin-polarized injectors.

Cathodic cage plasma deposition of TiN and TiO{sub 2} thin films on silicon substrates

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

Sousa, Romulo R. M. de; Sato, Patricia S.; Nascente, Pedro A. P., E-mail: nascente@ufscar.br

2015-07-15

Cathodic cage plasma deposition (CCPD) was used for growing titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) thin films on silicon substrates. The main advantages of the CCPD technique are the uniformity, tridimensionality, and high rate of the film deposition that occurs at higher pressures, lower temperatures, and lower treatment times than those used in conventional nitriding treatments. In this work, the influence of the temperature and gas atmosphere upon the characteristics of the deposited films was investigated. The TiN and TiO{sub 2} thin films were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy to analyze their chemical,more » structural, and morphological characteristics, and the combination of these results indicates that the low-cost CCPD technique can be used to produce even and highly crystalline TiN and TiO{sub 2} films.« less

Optimization of the Laser Properties of Polymer Films Doped with N,N´-Bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N´-diphenylbenzidine

PubMed Central

Calzado, Eva M.; Boj, Pedro G.; Díaz-García, María A.

2009-01-01

This review compiles the work performed in the field of organic solid-state lasers with the hole-transporting organic molecule N,N´-bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N´-diphenyl-benzidine system (TPD), in view of improving active laser material properties. The optimization of the amplified spontaneous emission characteristics, i.e., threshold, linewidth, emission wavelength and photostability, of polystyrene films doped with TPD in waveguide configuration has been achieved by investigating the influence of several materials parameters such as film thickness and TPD concentration. In addition, the influence in the emission properties of the inclusion of a second-order distributed feedback grating in the substrate is discussed.

The growth of the metallic ZrNx thin films on P-GaN substrate by pulsed laser deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Chengyan; Sui, Zhanpeng; Li, Yuxiong; Chu, Haoyu; Ding, Sunan; Zhao, Yanfei; Jiang, Chunping

2018-03-01

Although metal nitride thin films have attractive prospects in plasmonic applications due to its stable properties in harsh environments containing high temperatures, shock, and contaminants, the effect of deposition parameters on the properties of the metallic ZrN grown on III-N semiconductors by pulse laser deposition still lacks of detailed exploration. Here we have successfully prepared metallic ZrNx films on p-GaN substrate by pulsed laser deposition in N2 ambient of various pressures at a fixed substrate temperature (475 °C). It is found that the films exhibit quite smooth surfaces and (111) preferred orientation. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicate that carbon contamination can be completely removed and oxygen contamination is significantly reduced on the film surfaces after cleaning using Ar+ sputtering. The N/Zr ratio increases from 0.64 to 0.75 when the N2 pressure increases from 0.5 Pa to 3 Pa. The optical reflectivity spectra measured by the UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer show that the ZrNx is a typical and good metallic-like material and its metallic properties can be tuned with changing the film compositions.

Reactive magnetron sputtering of N-doped carbon thin films on quartz glass for transmission photocathode applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balalykin, N. I.; Huran, J.; Nozdrin, M. A.; Feshchenko, A. A.; Kobzev, A. P.; Sasinková, V.; Boháček, P.; Arbet, J.

2018-03-01

N-doped carbon thin films were deposited on a silicon substrate and quartz glass by RF reactive magnetron sputtering using a carbon target and an Ar+N2 gas mixture. During the magnetron sputtering, the substrate holder temperatures was kept at 800 °C. The carbon film thickness on the silicon substrate was about 70 nm, while on the quartz glass it was in the range 15 nm – 60 nm. The elemental concentration in the films was determined by RBS and ERD. Raman spectroscopy was used to evaluate the intensity ratios I D/I G of the D and G peaks of the carbon films. The transmission photocathodes prepared were placed in the hollow-cathode assembly of a Pierce-structure DC gun to produce photoelectrons. The quantum efficiency (QE) was calculated from the laser energy and cathode charge measured. The properties of the transmission photocathodes based on semitransparent N-doped carbon thin films on quartz glass and their potential for application in DC gun technology are discussed.

Investigations Into the Reusability of Amidoxime-Based Polymeric Uranium Adsorbents

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

Kuo, Li-Jung; Gill, Gary A.; Strivens, Jonathan E.

Significant advancements in amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents to extract uranium from seawater are achieved in recent years. The success of uranium adsorbent development can help provide a sustainable supply of fuel for nuclear reactors. To bring down the production cost of this new technology, in addition to the development of novel adsorbents with high uranium capacity and manufacture cost, the development of adsorbent re-using technique is critical because it can further reduce the cost of the adsorbent manufacture. In our last report, the use of high concentrations of bicarbonate solution (3M KHCO3) was identified as a cost-effective, environmental friendly method tomore » strip uranium from amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents. This study aims to further improve the method for high recovery of uranium capacity in re-uses and to evaluate the performance of adsorbents after multiple re-use cycles. Adsorption of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the uranium adsorbents during seawater exposure can hinder the uranium adsorption and slow down the adsorption rate. An additional NaOH rinse (0.5 M NaOH, room temperature) was applied after the 3 M KHCO3 elution to remove natural organic matter from adsorbents. The combination of 3 M KHCO3 elution and 0.5 M NaOH rinse significantly improves the recovery of uranium adsorption capacity in the re-used adsorbents. In the first re-use, most ORNL adsorbents tested achieve ~100% recovery by using 3 M KHCO3 elution + 0.5 M NaOH rinse approach, in comparison to 54% recovery when only 3 M KHCO3 elution was applied. A significant drop in capacity was observed when the adsorbents went through more than one re-use. FTIR spectra revealed that degradation of amidoxime ligands occurs during seawater exposure, and is more significant the longer the exposure time. Significantly elevated ratios of Ca/U and Mg/U in re-used adsorbents support the decrease in abundance of amidoxime ligands and increase carboxylate group from FT

Growth and characterization of a-axis oriented Cr-doped AlN films by DC magnetron sputtering

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

Panda, Padmalochan; Ramaseshan, R., E-mail: seshan@igcar.gov.in; Dash, S.

2016-05-23

Wurtzite type Cr-doped AlN thin films were grown on Si (100) substrates using DC reactive magnetron sputtering with a function of N{sub 2} concentration (15 to 25%). Evolution of crystal structure of these films was studied by GIXRD where a-axis preferred orientation was observed. The electronic binding energy and concentration of Cr in these films were estimated by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). We have observed indentation hardness (H{sub IT}) of around 28.2 GPa for a nitrogen concentration of 25%.

Supernormal hardness increase of dilute Ga(As, N) thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berggren, Jonas; Hanke, Michael; Luna, Esperanza; Trampert, Achim

2017-03-01

Hardness of epitaxial GaAs1-xNx films on GaAs(001) with different film thicknesses, varying from 80 to 700 nm, and nitrogen compositions x between zero (pure GaAs) and 0.031, were studied by means of nano-indentation. As a result, a disproportionate and monotonic increase by 17% in hardness was proved in the dilute range from GaAs to GaAs0.969N0.031. We are tracing this observation to solid solution strengthening, an extrinsic effect based on dislocation pinning due to interstitial nitrogen. On the other hand, intrinsic effects related to different electronegativities of As and N (i.e., altered bonding conditions) could be ruled out. Furthermore, in tensilely strained GaAs1-xNx layers, the appearance of cracks acts as the main strain relieving mechanism. A correlation between cracking and hardness reduction is investigated and discussed as a further relaxation pathway.

Geometric structure of thin SiO xN y films on Si(100)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrens, K.-M.; Klinkenberg, E.-D.; Finster, J.; Meiwes-Broer, K.-H.

1998-05-01

Thin films of amorphous stoichometric SiO xN y are deposited on radiation-heated Si(100) by rapid thermal low-pressure chemical vapour deposition. We studied the whole range of possible compositions. In order to determine the geometric structure, we used EXAFS and photoelectron spectroscopy. Tetrahedrons constitute the short-range units with a central Si atom connected to N and O. The distribution of the possible tetrahedrons can be described by a mixture of the Random Bonding Model and the Random Mixture Model. For low oxygen contents x/( x+ y)≤0.3, the geometric structure of the film is almost the structure of a-Si 3N 4, with the oxygen preferably on top of Si-N 3 triangles. Higher oxygen contents induce changes in the bond lengths, bond angles and coordination numbers.

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.

Chemical Welding on Semimetallic TiS2 Nanosheets for High-Performance Flexible n-Type Thermoelectric Films.

PubMed

Zhou, Yuan; Wan, Juanyong; Li, Qi; Chen, Lei; Zhou, Jiyang; Wang, Heao; He, Dunren; Li, Xiaorui; Yang, Yaocheng; Huang, Huihui

2017-12-13

Solution-based processing of two-dimensional (2D) materials provides the possibility of allowing these materials to be incorporated into large-area thin films, which can translate the interesting fundamental properties of 2D materials into available devices. Here, we report for the first time a novel chemical-welding method to achieve high-performance flexible n-type thermoelectric films using 2D semimetallic TiS 2 nanosheets. We employ chemically exfoliated TiS 2 nanosheets bridged with multivalent cationic metal Al 3+ to cross-link the nearby sheets during the film deposition process. We find that such a treatment can greatly enhance the stability of the film and can improve the power factor by simultaneously increasing the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity. The resulting TiS 2 nanosheet-based flexible film shows a room temperature power factor of ∼216.7 μW m -1 K -2 , which is among the highest chemically exfoliated 2D transition-metal dichalcogenide nanosheet-based films and comparable to the best flexible n-type thermoelectric films, to our knowledge, indicating its potential applications in wearable electronics.

Polarity control of GaN epitaxial films grown on LiGaO2(001) substrates and its mechanism.

PubMed

Zheng, Yulin; Wang, Wenliang; Li, Xiaochan; Li, Yuan; Huang, Liegen; Li, Guoqiang

2017-08-16

The polarity of GaN epitaxial films grown on LiGaO 2 (001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition has been well controlled. It is experimentally proved that the GaN epitaxial films grown on nitrided LiGaO 2 (001) substrates reveal Ga-polarity, while the GaN epitaxial films grown on non-nitrided LiGaO 2 (001) substrates show N-polarity. The growth mechanisms for these two cases are systematically studied by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. Theoretical calculation presents that the adsorption of a Ga atom preferentially occurs at the center of three N atoms stacked on the nitrided LiGaO 2 (001) substrates, which leads to the formation of Ga-polarity GaN. Whereas the adsorption of a Ga atom preferentially deposits at the top of a N atom stacked on the non-nitrided LiGaO 2 (001) substrates, which results in the formation of N-polarity GaN. This work of controlling the polarity of GaN epitaxial films is of paramount importance for the fabrication of group-III nitride devices for various applications.

Investigation of layered structure SAW devices fabricated using low temperature grown AlN thin film on GaN/sapphire.

PubMed

Lin, Hui-Feng; Wu, Chun-Te; Chien, Wei-Cheng; Chen, Sheng-Wen; Kao, Hui-Ling; Chyi, Jen-Inn; Chen, Jyh-Shin

2005-05-01

Epitaxial AlN films have been grown on GaN/sapphire using helicon sputtering at 300 degrees C. The surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters fabricated on AlN/GaN/sapphire exhibit more superior characteristics than those made on GaN/sapphire. This composite structure of AlN on GaN may bring about the development of high-frequency components, which integrate and use their semiconducting, optoelectronic, and piezoelectric properties.

The Characteristics of an Antibacterial TiAgN Thin Film Coated by Physical Vapor Deposition Technique.

PubMed

Kang, Byeong-Mo; Jeong, Woon-Jo; Park, Gye-Choon; Yoon, Dong-Joo; Ahn, Ho-Geun; Lim, Yeong-Seog

2015-08-01

In this work, we found the characteristics of an antibacterial TiAgN thin film coated on the pure titanium specimen via the physical vapor deposition process (PVD). TiAgN thin films were coated using TiAg alloy targets by arc ion plating method. Changing the process parameters, the surface analysis of TiAgN thin film was observed by FE-SEM and the force of adhesion was measured with Scratch Tester. The proliferation of human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells was examined by XTT test assay and the antibacterial properties were investigated by culturing Streptococus Mutans (KCTC 3065) using paper disk techniques. At the result of experiment, cytotoxic effects were not found and the antibacterial effects against Streptococus Mutans were appeared over 5 wt% TiAgN specimens.

Effect of annealing time and NH3 flow on GaN films deposited on amorphous SiO2 by MOCVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tianbao; Liu, Chenyang; Zhang, Zhe; Yu, Bin; Dong, Hailiang; Jia, Wei; Jia, Zhigang; Yu, Chunyan; Xu, Bingshe

2018-05-01

GaN polycrystalline films were successfully grown on amorphous SiO2 by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition to fabricate transferable devices using inorganic films. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy images show that by prolonging the annealing time, re-evaporation is enhanced, which reduced the uniformity of the nucleation layer and GaN films. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the decomposition rate of the nucleation layer increases when the annealing flow rate of NH3 is 500 sccm, which makes the unstable plane and amorphous domains decompose rapidly, thereby improving the crystallinity of the GaN films. Photoluminescence spectra also indicate the presence of fewer defects when the annealing flow rate of NH3 is 500 sccm. The excellent crystal structure of the GaN films grown under optimized conditions was revealed by transmission electron microscopy analysis. More importantly, the crystal structure and orientation of GaN grown on SiO2 are the same as that of GaN grown on conventional sapphire substrate when a buffer layer is used. This work can aid in the development of transferable devices using GaN films.

Infrared blocking, microwave and terahertz low-loss transmission AlN films grown on flexible polymeric substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudenko, E.; Tsybrii, Z.; Sizov, F.; Korotash, I.; Polotskiy, D.; Skoryk, M.; Vuichyk, M.; Svezhentsova, K.

2017-04-01

Aluminum nitride (AlN) film coatings on flexible substrates (polymeric Teflon, Mylar) have been obtained using a hybrid helicon-arc ion-plasma deposition technique with high adhesion of coatings. Studies of optical, morphological, and structural properties of AlN films have been carried out. It was found that AlN coatings on Teflon and Mylar thin-film substrates substantially suppress transmission of infrared (IR) radiation within the spectral range λ ˜ 5-20 μm at certain technological parameters and thickness of AlN. Transmission in THz regions by using quasioptics attains T ≈ 79%-95%, and losses measured in the channels within the microwave region 2 to 36 GHz are <0.06 dB. The obtained composite structures (AlN coatings on Teflon and Mylar thin-film substrates), due to a high thermal conductivity of AlN, could be used as efficient blocking structures in the infrared spectral range ("infrared stealth") withdrawing the heat from filters warmed by IR radiation. At the same time, they can be used as the transparent ones in the microwave and THz regions, which can be important for low-temperature detector components of navigation, positioning, and telecommunication systems due to reducing the background noise.

Feasibility of using drinking water treatment residuals as a novel chlorpyrifos adsorbent.

PubMed

Zhao, Yuanyuan; Wang, Changhui; Wendling, Laura A; Pei, Yuansheng

2013-08-07

Recent efforts have increasingly focused on the development of low-cost adsorbents for pesticide retention. In this work, the novel reuse of drinking water treatment residuals (WTRs), a nonhazardous ubiquitous byproduct, as an adsorbent for chlorpyrifos was investigated. Results showed that the kinetics and isothermal processes of chlorpyrifos sorption to WTRs were better described by a pseudo-second-order model and by the Freundlich equation, respectively. Moreover, compared with paddy soil and other documented absorbents, the WTRs exhibited a greater affinity for chlorpyrifos (log Koc = 4.76-4.90) and a higher chlorpyrifos sorption capacity (KF = 5967 mg(1-n)·L·kg(-1)) owing to the character and high content of organic matter. Further investigation demonstrated that the pH had a slight but statistically insignificant effect on chlorpyrifos sorption to WTRs; solution ionic strength and the presence of low molecular weight organic acids both resulted in concentration-dependent inhibition effects. Overall, these results confirmed the feasibility of using WTRs as a novel chlorpyrifos adsorbent.

Many-particle effects in adsorbed magnetic atoms with easy-axis anisotropy: the case of Fe on the CuN/Cu(100) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Žitko, R.; Pruschke, Th

2010-06-01

We study the effects of the exchange interaction between an adsorbed magnetic atom with easy-axis magnetic anisotropy and the conduction-band electrons from the substrate. We model the system using an anisotropic Kondo model and we compute the impurity spectral function, which is related to the differential conductance (dI/dV) spectra measured using a scanning tunneling microscope. To make contact with the known experimental results for iron atoms on the CuN/Cu(100) surface (Hirjibehedin et al 2007 Science 317 1199), we calculated the spectral functions in the presence of an external magnetic field of varying strength applied along all three spatial directions. It is possible to establish an upper bound on the coupling constant J: in the range of the magnetic fields for which the experimental results are currently known (up to 7 T), the low-energy features in the calculated spectra agree well with the measured dI/dV spectra if the exchange coupling constant J is at most half as large as that for cobalt atoms on the same surface. We show that for an even higher magnetic field (between 8 and 9 T) applied along the 'hollow direction', the impurity energy states cross, giving rise to a Kondo effect which takes the form of a zero-bias resonance. The coupling strength J could be determined experimentally by performing tunneling spectroscopy in this range of magnetic fields. On the technical side, the paper introduces an approach for calculating the expectation values of global spin operators and all the components of the impurity magnetic susceptibility tensor (including the out-of-diagonal ones) in numerical renormalization group (NRG) calculations with no spin symmetry. An appendix contains a density functional theory (DFT) study of the Co and Fe adsorbates on the CuN/Cu(100) surface: we compare magnetic moments, as well as orbital energies, occupancies, centers and spreads, by calculating the maximally localized Wannier orbitals of the adsorbates.

Effect of frequency on fretting wear behavior of Ti/TiN multilayer film on depleted uranium

PubMed Central

Zhu, Sheng-Fa; Lu, Lei; Cai, Zhen-Bing

2017-01-01

The Ti/TiN multi-layer film was prepared on the depleted uranium (DU) substrate by cathodic arc ion plating equipment. The character of multi-layer film was studied by SEM, XRD and AES, revealed that the surface was composed of small compact particle and the cross-section had a multi-layer structure. The fretting wear performance under different frequencies was performed by a MFT-6000 machine with a ball-on-plate configuration. The wear morphology was analyzed by white light interferometer, OM and SEM with an EDX. The result shows the Ti/TiN multi-layer film could greatly improve the fretting wear performance compared to the DU substrate. The fretting wear running and damaged behavior are strongly dependent on the film and test frequency. The fretting region of DU substrate and Ti/TiN multi-layer under low test frequency is gross slip. With the increase of test frequency, the fretting region of Ti/TiN multi-layer change from gross slip to mixed fretting, then to partial slip. PMID:28384200

Effect of frequency on fretting wear behavior of Ti/TiN multilayer film on depleted uranium.

PubMed

Wu, Yan-Ping; Li, Zheng-Yang; Zhu, Sheng-Fa; Lu, Lei; Cai, Zhen-Bing

2017-01-01

The Ti/TiN multi-layer film was prepared on the depleted uranium (DU) substrate by cathodic arc ion plating equipment. The character of multi-layer film was studied by SEM, XRD and AES, revealed that the surface was composed of small compact particle and the cross-section had a multi-layer structure. The fretting wear performance under different frequencies was performed by a MFT-6000 machine with a ball-on-plate configuration. The wear morphology was analyzed by white light interferometer, OM and SEM with an EDX. The result shows the Ti/TiN multi-layer film could greatly improve the fretting wear performance compared to the DU substrate. The fretting wear running and damaged behavior are strongly dependent on the film and test frequency. The fretting region of DU substrate and Ti/TiN multi-layer under low test frequency is gross slip. With the increase of test frequency, the fretting region of Ti/TiN multi-layer change from gross slip to mixed fretting, then to partial slip.

AC electrical conductivity and dielectric relaxation studies on n-type organic thin films of N, N‧-Dimethyl-3,4,9,10-perylenedicarboximide (DMPDC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qashou, Saleem I.; Darwish, A. A. A.; Rashad, M.; Khattari, Z.

2017-11-01

Both Alternating current (AC) conductivity and dielectric behavior of n-type organic thin films of N, N‧-Dimethyl-3,4,9,10-perylenedicarboximide (DMPDC) have been investigated. Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is used for identifying both powder and film bonds which confirm that there are no observed changes in the bonds between the DMPDC powder and evaporated films. The dependence of AC conductivity on the temperature for DMPDC evaporated films was explained by the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model. The calculated barrier height using CBH model shows a decreasing behavior with increasing temperature. The mechanism of dielectric relaxation was interpreted on the basis of the modulus of the complex dielectric. The calculated activation energy of the relaxation process was found to be 0.055 eV.

Growth mechanism and microstructure of low defect density InN (0001) In-face thin films on Si (111) substrates

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

Kehagias, Th.; Dimitrakopulos, G. P.; Koukoula, T.

2013-10-28

Transmission electron microscopy has been employed to analyze the direct nucleation and growth, by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, of high quality InN (0001) In-face thin films on (111) Si substrates. Critical steps of the heteroepitaxial growth process are InN nucleation at low substrate temperature under excessively high N-flux conditions and subsequent growth of the main InN epilayer at the optimum conditions, namely, substrate temperature 400–450 °C and In/N flux ratio close to 1. InN nucleation occurs in the form of a very high density of three dimensional (3D) islands, which coalesce very fast into a low surface roughness InN film.more » The reduced reactivity of Si at low temperature and its fast coverage by InN limit the amount of unintentional Si nitridation by the excessively high nitrogen flux and good bonding/adhesion of the InN film directly on the Si substrate is achieved. The subsequent overgrowth of the main InN epilayer, in a layer-by-layer growth mode that enhances the lateral growth of InN, reduces significantly the crystal mosaicity and the density of threading dislocations is about an order of magnitude less compared to InN films grown using an AlN/GaN intermediate nucleation/buffer layer on Si. The InN films exhibit the In-face polarity and very smooth atomically stepped surfaces.« less

Photoelectrochemical etching of epitaxial InGaN thin films: Self-limited kinetics and nanostructuring

DOE PAGES

Xiao, Xiaoyin; Fischer, Arthur J.; Coltrin, Michael E.; ...

2014-10-22

We report here the characteristics of photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching of epitaxial InGaN semiconductor thin films using narrowband lasers with linewidth less than ~1 nm. In the initial stages of PEC etching, when the thin film is flat, characteristic voltammogram shapes are observed. At low photo-excitation rates, voltammograms are S-shaped, indicating the onset of a voltage-independent rate-limiting process associated with electron-hole-pair creation and/or annihilation. At high photo-excitation rates, voltammograms are superlinear in shape, indicating, for the voltage ranges studied here, a voltage-dependent rate-limiting process associated with surface electrochemical oxidation. As PEC etching proceeds, the thin film becomes rough at the nanoscale,more » and ultimately evolves into an ensemble of nanoparticles. As a result, this change in InGaN film volume and morphology leads to a characteristic dependence of PEC etch rate on time: an incubation time, followed by a rise, then a peak, then a slow decay.« less

A ToF-SIMS and XPS study of protein adsorption and cell attachment across PEG-like plasma polymer films with lateral compositional gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menzies, Donna J.; Jasieniak, Marek; Griesser, Hans J.; Forsythe, John S.; Johnson, Graham; McFarland, Gail A.; Muir, Benjamin W.

2012-12-01

In this work we report a detailed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) study of poly(ethylene glycol) PEG-like chemical gradients deposited via plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) at two different load powers using diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (DG) as a monomer. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the ToF-SIMS data both before and after protein adsorption on the plasma polymer thin films. Results of the PCA loadings indicated a higher content of hydrocarbon fragments across the higher load power gradient, which adsorbed higher amounts of proteins. Gradients deposited at a lower load power retained a higher degree of monomer like functionality as did the central region directly underneath the knife edge electrode. Analysis of the adsorption of serum proteins (human serum albumin and fetal bovine serum) was monitored across the gradient films and increased with decreasing ether (PEG-like) film chemistries. The effect of protein incubation time on the levels adsorbed fetal bovine serum on the plasma polymer films was critical, with significantly more protein adsorbing after 24 hour incubation times on both gradient films. The attachment of HeLa cells on the gradients appeared to be dictated not only by the surface chemistry, but also by the adsorption of serum proteins. XPS analysis revealed that at surface ether concentrations of less than 70% in the gradient films, significant increases in protein and cell attachment were observed.

Synthesis and characterization of HDPE/N-MWNT nanocomposite films.

PubMed

Chouit, Fairouz; Guellati, Ounassa; Boukhezar, Skander; Harat, Aicha; Guerioune, Mohamed; Badi, Nacer

2014-01-01

In this work, a series of nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-MWCNTs) with several weight percentages (0.1, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.0 wt.%) were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) technique. The N-MWCNTs were first characterized and then dispersed in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) polymer matrix to form a nanocomposite. The HDPE/N-MWCNT nanocomposite films were prepared by melt mixing and hot pressing; a good dispersion in the matrix and a good N-MWCNT-polymer interfacial adhesion have been verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Raman spectroscopy measurements have been performed on prepared samples to confirm the presence and nature of N-MWNTs in HDPE matrix. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis demonstrated that the crystalline structure of HDPE matrix was not affected by the incorporation of the N-MWNTs.

Synthesis and characterization of HDPE/N-MWNT nanocomposite films

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

In this work, a series of nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-MWCNTs) with several weight percentages (0.1, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.0 wt.%) were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) technique. The N-MWCNTs were first characterized and then dispersed in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) polymer matrix to form a nanocomposite. The HDPE/N-MWCNT nanocomposite films were prepared by melt mixing and hot pressing; a good dispersion in the matrix and a good N-MWCNT-polymer interfacial adhesion have been verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Raman spectroscopy measurements have been performed on prepared samples to confirm the presence and nature of N-MWNTs in HDPE matrix. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis demonstrated that the crystalline structure of HDPE matrix was not affected by the incorporation of the N-MWNTs. PMID:25024676

Effect of Nitrogen Content on Physical and Chemical Properties of TiN Thin Films Prepared by DC Magnetron Sputtering with Supported Discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kavitha, A.; Kannan, R.; Gunasekhar, K. R.; Rajashabala, S.

2017-10-01

Amorphous titanium nitride (TiN) thin films have been prepared on silicon (Si) and glass substrates by direct-current (DC) reactive magnetron sputtering with a supported discharge (triode). Nitrogen gas (N2) at partial pressure of 0.3 Pa, 0.4 Pa, 0.5 Pa, and 0.6 Pa was used to prepare the TiN thin films, maintaining total pressure of argon and N2 of about 0.7 Pa. The chemical, microstructural, optical, and electrical properties of the TiN thin films were systematically studied. Presence of different phases of Ti with nitrogen (N), oxygen (O2), and carbon (C) elements was revealed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization. Increase in the nitrogen pressure from 0.3 Pa to 0.6 Pa reduced the optical bandgap of the TiN thin film from 2.9 eV to 2.7 eV. Photoluminescence study showed that TiN thin film deposited at N2 partial pressure of 0.3 Pa exhibited three shoulder peaks at 330 nm, 335 nm, and 340 nm, which disappeared when the sample was deposited with N2 partial pressure of 0.6 Pa. Increase in the nitrogen content decreased the electrical resistivity of the TiN thin film from 3200 μΩ cm to 1800 μΩ cm. Atomic force microscopy studies of the TiN thin films deposited with N2 partial pressure of 0.6 Pa showed a uniform surface pattern associated with accumulation of fine grains. The results and advantages of this method of preparing TiN thin films are also reported.

Functional Layer-by-Layer Thin Films of Inducible Nitric Oxide (NO) Synthase Oxygenase and Polyethylenimine: Modulation of Enzyme Loading and NO-Release Activity.

PubMed

Gunasekera, Bhagya; Abou Diwan, Charbel; Altawallbeh, Ghaith; Kalil, Haitham; Maher, Shaimaa; Xu, Song; Bayachou, Mekki

2018-03-07

Nitric oxide (NO) release counteracts platelet aggregation and prevents the thrombosis cascade in the inner walls of blood vessels. NO-release coatings also prevent thrombus formation on the surface of blood-contacting medical devices. Our previous work has shown that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) films release NO fluxes upon enzymatic conversion of the substrate l-arginine. In this work, we report on the modulation of enzyme loading in layer-by-layer (LbL) thin films of inducible nitric oxide synthase oxygenase (iNOSoxy) on polyethylenimine (PEI). The layer of iNOSoxy is electrostatically adsorbed onto the PEI layer. The pH of the iNOSoxy solution affects the amount of enzyme adsorbed. The overall negative surface charge of iNOSoxy in solution depends on the pH and hence determines the density of adsorbed protein on the positively charged PEI layer. We used buffered iNOSoxy solutions adjusted to pHs 8.6 and 7.0, while saline PEI solution was used at pH 7.0. Atomic force microscopy imaging of the outermost layer shows higher protein adsorption with iNOSoxy at pH 8.6 than with a solution of iNOSoxy at pH 7.0. Graphite electrodes with PEI/iNOSoxy films show higher catalytic currents for nitric oxide reduction mediated by iNOSoxy. The higher enzyme loading translates into higher NO flux when the enzyme-modified surface is exposed to a solution containing the substrate and a source of electrons. Spectrophotometric assays showed higher NO fluxes with iNOSoxy/PEI films built at pH 8.6 than with films built at pH 7.0. Fourier transform infrared analysis of iNOSoxy adsorbed on PEI at pH 8.6 and 7.0 shows structural differences of iNOSoxy in films, which explains the observed changes in enzymatic activity. Our findings show that pH provides a strategy to optimize the NOS loading and enzyme activity in NOS-based LbL thin films, which enables improved NO release with minimum layers of PEI/NOS.

Calcinated tea and cellulose composite films and its dielectric and lead adsorption properties.

PubMed

Jayaramudu, Tippabattini; Varaprasad, Kokkarachedu; Kim, Hyun Chan; Kafy, Abdullahil; Kim, Jung Woong; Kim, Jaehwan

2017-09-01

In this paper, calcinated tea and cellulose composite (CTCC) films were fabricated via solution casting method. Chemical structure, morphology, crystallinity and thermal stability of the fabricated films were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. The effect of calcinated tea loading on the properties of the prepared CTCC films was studied. The results suggest that the prepared CTCC films show higher mechanical properties, thermal stability and dielectric constant than the neat cellulose film. In addition, the CTCC films adsorb Pb 2+ ions and its adsorption performance depends on the calcinated tea content and pH level. The CTCC films are useful for sensors, flexible capacitor as well as lead adsorption applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of nitrogen on the cycling performance in thin-film Si{sub 1-x}N{sub x} anode